°🌟24🌟°

🌟CHAPTER 24🌟~°E PLURIBUS UNUM°~

*🌟Third Person's POV🌟*

Hailey's mind reeled. The sheer, terrifying scale of it was overwhelming. They had all fought so hard, risked so much to help Eleven close the gate. And here, buried beneath their own town, the Russians were trying to pry it back open with a monstrous machine.

"The gate," Steve and Dustin said in unison, their voices hollow with dread. The shared, grim look they exchanged did not go unnoticed by Robin.

The five of them scrambled back down to the relative safety of the comms room.

"I don't understand," Robin said, her eyes darting between their pale, terrified faces. "You've seen this before?"

"We know of it," Hailey said carefully, choosing her words with difficulty. "We just haven't seen it... exactly."

"Then what, exactly?" Robin pressed, her voice rising with frustration and fear.

"All you need to know is it's bad," Steve stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"It's really bad," Dustin elaborated, his voice trembling. "Like, end-of-the-human-race-as-we-know-it kind of bad."

"And you know about this how?" Robin demanded.

But before anyone could formulate a lie, Erica's small voice cut through the tension. "Um, Steve?" She was staring at the spot where the unconscious guard had been. "Where's your Russian friend?"

The empty floor was answer enough. A split second later, a piercing alarm blared through the complex, red lights flashing.

"Shit!"

Steve rushed to the door and cracked it open. His blood ran cold. The guard he'd knocked out was stumbling down the hall, shouting and pointing back toward their door. A squad of armed soldiers was already sprinting in their direction.

He slammed the door shut and turned, his face a mask of panic. "Shit! Go, go, go, go, go!"

They burst out of the comms room and ran, a frantic, terrified pack. Dustin took the lead, weaving through the labyrinthine corridors with a desperate sense of direction, heading back toward the cavernous control room for the machine. Scientists and workers scattered as they plowed through, shouts echoing in Russian.

"Shit! Move! Let's move!" Steve yelled, shoving people aside, his eyes locked on the soldiers gaining on them from behind.

"Go! Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" Dustin screamed, shoving open a heavy door and spilling back into the overwhelming presence of the machine.

They skidded to a halt near its base. The air hummed with raw power, the pressure making their ears pop. The tear in reality pulsed above them, a wound in the world.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" Dustin chanted, his panic reaching a hysterical pitch.

Hailey reached out and gave him a sharp, stinging slap on the back of the head. "Get it together!" she snapped; her own fear channelled into fierce command.

"Guards! Go!" Erica shouted, pointing as more soldiers flooded in from other entrances.

"This way!" Steve yelled, herding them down a metal staircase, shoving anyone who got in their way.

"Oh, shit! Oh, shit!"

"Whoa!"

Steve braced himself and shoved over a stack of heavy metal drums, sending them clanging and rolling to block one of the advancing squads. "Come on! Go, go, go, go, go!" He pointed to a service door ahead of them. "Come on! Shit! This way! Come on, quick!"

They piled through the door. "Hold the door!" Steve barked, throwing his full weight against it as soldiers slammed into the other side.

"Hailey! Robin! Help me, come on!" he grunted, the muscles in his arms straining.

Hailey didn't hesitate, adding her weight to his. Robin joined a second later, the three of them forming a desperate barricade.

"Here! Come on, let's go!" Erica yelled from across the room. She had pried open a heavy hatch in the floor, revealing a dark maintenance shaft. Dustin stood beside her, frozen, his eyes wide as he watched his sister and friends fighting a losing battle.

"Come on!" Dustin shouted to them.

"Dustin, go! Just get out of here!" Hailey ordered, her voice cracking with effort.

"Go, come on, now!" Erica yelled.

"No! Just go get some help, okay? What are you doing?!" Steve roared, his feet sliding on the floor as the door buckled inward.

"Go!" all three of them screamed in unison.

Dustin's face was a tragedy of fear and loyalty. "I won't forget you!" he vowed, his voice breaking.

"GO!"

With a final, agonized look, Dustin pulled the heavy hatch shut behind him and Erica, sealing them in darkness just as the door finally burst open.

Steve, Hailey, and Robin were thrown backward, landing hard on the concrete. They scrambled to their knees, raising their hands in immediate surrender, surrounded by a circle of Kalashnikovs and the cold, victorious faces of their Russian captors.

Hailey, Steve, and Robin were dragged away and separated the moment they were captured. Each was thrown into a stark, cold interrogation room. For Steve, the physical blows were almost a relief-a distraction from the gnawing, gut-wrenching terror that consumed him. Where was Hailey? What were they doing to her? The thought of her alone and scared in the hands of these men was a torture far worse than any punch.

That one stung, he thought dimly, spitting blood onto the concrete floor after a fist connected with his jaw.

"Who do you work for?" the General asked, his voice a low, bored monotone.

"For the millionth time, I work at Scoops Ahoy! Scoops. Ahoy." Steve insisted, the words tasting like iron.

The punch to his solar plexus drove the air from his lungs. He doubled over, gasping.

"What the hell?! Look at my outfit!" he wheezed, desperate. "You think I just wear this?! Think I'm a spy in a sailor's uniform?"

"How did you get in?" the General asked, his calm demeanour more frightening than any shout.

Steve launched into the rambling, half-true story they'd concocted. "...and then we dropped, and next thing we know, I open my eyes, and we're in this... wonderful facility." He forced a pained, nervous smile. "But I swear to God, nobody knows about us. You could just let us go, all right? Shit happens, life goes on. And, uh... ice... ice cream. Everybody loves ice cream. USS Butterscotch, I mean, you gotta try it. It is out of this world, I'm telling ya!"

The two Russians chuckled. "I like this guy! 'USS... Butterscotch'," the General said.

Steve laughed awkwardly with them, a flicker of hope in his chest. It died instantly as the General leaned down, his face inches from Steve's, all humour gone. "Who do you work for?"

"Oh, come on. No, no! No, seriously-"

The world exploded into blackness.

He came to on the cold floor of a different room, his head throbbing in time with his heartbeat. His vision swam, but it cleared enough to see a form lying motionless beside him.

Hailey.

Her name was a silent scream in his mind. A dark, angry bruise bloomed across her temple. She was out cold. A rage so pure and hot it momentarily eclipsed his own pain washed over him. I'll kill them, he vowed silently. I'll kill every last one of them for touching her.

The door slammed open. Robin was thrown in, kicking and shouting. "Get your hands off me!"

She scrambled to her knees, her hands frantically patting their faces. "Hey... Hailey? Steve? Hailey? Steve?" Her voice was high with panic. "What did you do to them? What did you do?"

The sharp crack of a hand against her face was her only answer. Robin crumpled to the floor.

The General barked an order. Rough hands hauled them up and tied them into three chairs, their backs facing each other. Steve fought through the fog in his head, his eyes never leaving Hailey's limp form as the General cruelly lifted her chin to inspect his handiwork.

"Don't you dare touch her," Steve growled, the sound raw and animalistic.

"Don't you dare touch them! Hailey? Steve, can you hear me?" Robin pleaded.

The General leaned in, a smug, cruel smile on his face. "I think your friends need a doctor. Good thing... we have the very best."

Robin's response was to spit directly in his eye.

The man wiped his face slowly, his glare promising retribution. "You are going to regret that, little bitch." He and his men filed out, the door locking with a final, heavy thud.

"Bastards! Let us outta here! Let us out!" Robin screamed, her voice echoing off the barren walls.

"Help! Help!"

"Hey, would you stop yelling?" Steve muttered, the sound drilling into his splitting skull.

"Steve! Oh, my God! Steve... Are... Are you okay?"

"My ears are ringing, I can't really breathe, my eye feels like it's about to pop out of my skull, but, you know, apart from that, I'm doing pretty good." His attempt at bravado was weak. His next question was stripped bare of any pretence, his voice tight with pure fear. "Where's Hailey?"

"She's tied in the chair right next to you. She's still unconscious. She's got a nasty bruise on her head."

A fresh wave of anger, cold and sharp, cut through Steve's pain. "I swear, I'll hurt whoever did this to her."

"You're in no position to do anything, Romeo. Besides, the 'good news' is they're calling you guys a doctor."

Steve managed a weak scoff, looking around. "Is this his place of work? I love the vibe. Charming."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Okay, do you see that table over there to your right?" Robin directed.

After a moment of confused directions, Steve spotted it. "Oh. Yeah, okay."

"And do you see those scissors?"

"Uh-huh."

"I think if we move at the same time, we could get over there. Maybe I could kick the table and knock them into your lap."

"And I could cut the binds," Steve finished, a spark of hope igniting. "Gotcha. But wait... will we be able to move all three chairs with Hailey being out?"

"Yes. If we both use our strength. We have to."

"Okay. Yeah. We can do that." His agreement was laced with a protective determination. He wouldn't leave her behind.

"Those morons. They left scissors in here?" he laughed weakly.

"Yeah, morons."

"Total morons."

They coordinated their efforts, shuffling the awkward trio of chairs across the floor. One hop. Two. On the third, their balance failed. The chairs tipped, crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs and wood.

A low groan came from Hailey's side.

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't cry. Robin," Steve mumbled, his face pressed against the cold concrete.

Next to him, Robin began to laugh, a slightly hysterical sound born of adrenaline and despair.

"Are you laughing?" Steve asked, disbelief cutting through his misery.

"Yeah."

"Jesus!"

The sound of Hailey stirring, a soft, pained whimper, immediately silenced them both. Steve strained against his bonds, trying to turn his head to see her. "Hailey? Baby, are you awake? Talk to me."

Hailey opened her eyes, then immediately squeezed them shut against the stinging fluorescent light. The throbbing in her skull was a brutal reminder of her last conscious moment: the crack of her head against a concrete wall after she'd kicked the interrogator who wouldn't stop his relentless questioning. Now, she was tied up, disoriented, and listening to Robin's slightly hysterical laughter.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. It's just... I can't believe... I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve 'The Hair' Harrington and Hailey Henderson. It's just too trippy, man," Robin rambled, her laughter edged with panic.

"We'll get out of here," Hailey said, her voice raspy but firm. She forced her eyes open, ignoring the pain. "There's no way we're dying. Not if I have a say in it."

"Hailey, babe, I'm so glad to hear your voice," Steve said, the relief in his tone so palpable it was like a physical touch.

"I almost thought you were dead," Robin added.

"I won't die on you that easily," Hailey assured them, her mind already working, scanning their grim surroundings for any weakness. "Just let me think. Maybe I'll find a way to get us out of here."

"Do you remember, um, Mrs. Click's sophomore history class?" Robin asked abruptly, her train of thought derailed by fear and the need to connect.

"What?" Steve asked, bewildered by the non sequitur.

"Mrs. Clickity-Clackity. That's what us band dweebs called her. I sat behind you two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself. I'd watch Hailey staring at you every day from across the classroom. Do you even remember me from that class? Of course, you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah," Steve admitted, his voice low. "I know."

A sad, knowing smile touched Hailey's lips. She remembered that class, remembered the ache of watching him from afar.

"But it didn't even matter," Robin continued, her voice softening. "It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still... obsessed with you. Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still just wanna be popular... accepted, normal."

Hailey listened quietly. She'd sensed weeks ago that Robin's interests lay elsewhere; this wasn't a confession of hidden feelings for Steve, but a raw admission of wanting to belong.

"If it makes you feel any better," Steve said, his voice earnest, "having those things isn't all that great. Seriously. Everything that people tell you is important, everything that people say you should care about, it's all just... bullshit. I'm just happy to still have Hailey in my life. She makes things a little more bearable. I guess you gotta mess up to figure things out, right?"

Hailey's heart swelled. She remained silent, letting them have this moment. Steve needed a real friend, and she was grateful he'd found one in Robin.

"I hope so."

"I feel like my whole life has been... one big error," Steve confessed, the admission hanging heavy in the air.

"Yep. At least it can't get any more messed up than this," Robin said with a weak chuckle.

"You know, I wish I'd known you in Click's class," Steve said.

"Yeah?"

"Really, I do. Maybe you could've helped me pass. Maybe instead of being here, I'd be on my way to college right now." The longing in his voice was a sharp pang in Hailey's chest. She knew how much he felt he'd failed.

"And I would have no idea that there were evil Russians beneath our feet, and I would be happily slinging ice cream with some other schmuck," Robin mused.

"Gotta say, though, I liked being your schmuck. It was fun while it lasted," Steve said, a genuine sadness colouring his words.

"It was," Robin agreed softly.

A single tear traced a path through the grime on Hailey's cheek. Their friendship was beautiful, forged in the most bizarre of circumstances. She felt a twinge of guilt for Steve, knowing he probably felt awkward having such an intimate conversation with another girl in front of her. If only he knew she felt nothing but gratitude.

The door slammed open. The Russian General stood there, his expression one of cold amusement as he surveyed their toppled chairs. "Where were you three going?" he asked as soldiers righted them.

"Try telling the truth this time, yes?" The General leaned in, his face inches from Steve's. "It will make your visit with Dr. Zharkov less painful." He nodded to a gaunt man holding a sinister-looking needle gun loaded with a vial of blue liquid.

"Wait a second. Wait. Hold on. Okay! Wait, wait, wait! What is that thing?" Steve's voice climbed with panic as the doctor approached him first.

"It will help you talk," the doctor said with a creepy, thin smile.

"Did you even clean that thing?!" Steve yelled before the needle pricked his neck. The same cold burn shot into Hailey and then Robin. The Russians left, waiting for the serum to take effect.

"How are you guys feeling?" Hailey asked, a strange, light buzzing beginning to hum under her skin.

"Honestly, I don't really feel anything. Do you?" Steve said.

"I mean, I... I feel fine. I feel normal," Robin replied.

"Yeah, I feel... I feel fine. I kinda feel good," Steve admitted, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Wanna know a secret?" Robin asked, her own grin mirroring his.

"What?" Steve and Hailey asked in unison.

"I like it, too!" Robin confessed.

A wave of giddy, uncontrollable laughter swept over all three of them. "I feel way too good," Hailey muttered to herself, the words feeling fuzzy in her mouth.

"Morons. They messed up the drug. They messed it up!" Robin shouted gleefully.

"Morons. Hey, morons! Morons! Moron! Mor..."

"Hey!"

"Whoa-oh!"

"Guys," Hailey said, her thoughts swimming in syrup. "I think that injection actually did something to us."

"Oh, no. There's definitely something wrong with us," Steve agreed, his head lolling slightly.

"Something's wrong," Robin echoed.

The door opened again. The General and his entourage returned. The doctor began laying out terrifying tools on a metal tray.

"Would now be a good time to tell you that I don't like doctors?" Robin asked with a drugged giggle. She was ignored.

"Let's try this again, yes?" the General said, staring into Steve's glazed eyes. "Who do you work for?"

"Scoops. Scoops Ahoy," Steve said, bursting into another fit of laughter.

"How did you find us?"

"Totally by accident," Steve said, his face a mask of dopey sincerity.

"More lies."

The General nodded. The doctor selected a vicious-looking pair of pliers and moved toward Steve's hand.

"What is that shiny little toy? Where you going with that, doc?" Steve asked, his euphoria finally pierced by a spike of fear. "Whoa, whoa, hey, hey. Wait! No! Wait! Wait! Whoa!"

"There was a code!" Robin blurted out. "We heard a code!"

"Code. What code?" The General turned to her.

"The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. Blah, blah, blah," Robin recited, her words slurring together.

"You were dumb enough to broadcast that shit all over Hawkins," Hailey added, a giggle escaping her. "And my brother's Cerebro-he built it himself-picked it up. We cracked that shit in a day."

"A day!" Robin crowed. "You think you're so smart, but a couple of kids who scoop ice cream for a living and a part-time model cracked your code in a day! And now, people know you're here."

"Who knows we are here, little bitches?" the General demanded.

"Uh, well, Dustin knows," Steve offered helpfully.

"Hey, Steve?" Robin said.

"Yeah, my brother knows," Hailey said, feeling a sudden, overwhelming burst of pride for Dustin.

"Hailey!" Robin chimed in.

"And what's your full name?" the General asked Hailey, a predatory gleam in his eye.

"Hailey Henderson," she said, too blissed out to care.

"Dustin Henderson. It is your small, curly-haired friend?" he asked Steve.

"Oh, curly-haired. Great hair. Small. Kind of like a 'fro. Yeah," Steve confirmed.

"Where is he?"

"He's long gone, you big asshole," Steve said, his voice dripping with drugged bravado. "And he's probably calling Hopper, and Hopper's calling the US cavalry. They're gonna come in here, commando-style, guns a-blazin', and kick your sorry asses back to Russia. You're gonna be two pieces of toast."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, blaring alarms erupted throughout the base. The General's smug expression vanished. He shot a furious look at Steve's triumphant grin and stormed out.

Seconds later, the door burst open again. Dustin stood there, brandishing a makeshift weapon. He zapped the creepy doctor, who crumpled to the floor. Erica rushed in and began sawing at their ropes.

"Hey! Henderson! That's crazy, I was just talking about you," Steve slurred.

"Aww, my brother came to save me," Hailey cooed, her emotions amplified by the drug. "I'm so touched. I just wanna hug you."

"Oh, my God!" Robin exclaimed, her own relief a dizzying high.

"Get ready to run," Dustin instructed, finally cutting the last bond.

The three of them slumped forward, free but utterly, completely useless.

*~🌟~*