Christine Wheeler and Robin Buckley were engaged in a serious thumb war, their record being 5-5 and the next winner would take all. Dustin was on the top of the elevator, the boy using the walkie talkie to try and get somebody's attention. The mall was definitely open by the time that he got up there, none of the adults having gotten any sleep due to the high stress levels and extremely low morale amongst the group.

"Code red, I repeat, code red. Does anyone copy? This is a code red, I repeat, a code red. This is code red, I repeat, a code red. Does anyone copy? We are innocent children and we are trapped under Starcourt Mall. The Red Army has infiltrated Hawkins, and if we are found they will torture and kill us."

"Hey!" Steve called through the hole in the top of the elevator, catching Dustins attention and making the boy turn to him. "You gotta take it easy on that thing. Gonna drain the battery."

"The mall just opened."

"So?" Steve pushed himself further through the door, almost out as Dustin answered.

"So someone could be in range." Dustin deadpanned, feeing like he shouldn't have to explain all of this.

"What do you think, Petey the mall cop is gonna rappel down here and save the day?" Steve said, pushing himself the rest of the way out and shaking his head.

"Alright why are you such a cranky pants after getting to spend the night with Robin?" Dustin said, his voice dropping down as he said the last part.

"Shh! Jesus Christ. Will you just give up on the creepy dream already?" Steve said, closing the door behind him.

"Or when Christine took her shirt off?"

"Ew Dustin don't talk about her like that. Come on." Steve said, waving the boy off as he stood atop the elevator, his hands going to his hips as he scowled at the younger boy.

"Like what? I didn't even say anything. That's just your mind going all dirty. And I heard you and Robin talking all night."

"Yeah we were trying to figure out a way to open up the door while you children were sleeping. After eight hours, we're still exactly nowhere, which is, you know probably just a little bit of the reason why I'm feeling just... a tad cranky." Steve explained, ignoring the comment about Christine and unzipping his pants.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked in some form of terror, wondering why Steve was unzipping his pants. Steve looked at him like he was stupid, gesturing towards the wall before speaking.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a leak. Look away. Look away!" Steve yelled, Dustin turning away as he did so.  "And say I did play until this Christine fantasy of yours...what makes you think that she wouldn't choose officer mustache over me?"

"I don't think she would. But if she were to not choose you because you're a complete asshole from time to time I know exactly how you could win her over." Dustin said, catching Steve's attention with this suggestion and making him slightly turn his head.

"Uh...how would I win her?" He asked curiously, Dustin rolling his eyes as he asked, trying to mask the fact that he was actually genuinely wondering how he could win Christine over.

"It's a classic tactic. Works all the time. You gotta save her."

"Save her?" Steve asked, not quite knowing what he meant.

"Save her. Like she's in life threatening danger and then you swoop in and save her from it and she comes to the stark realization that she's in love with you and you are her hero and she is eternally grateful." It sounded like a dream come true the way he described it, Steve already imagining scenarios in which he could save Christines life and how she would thank him with a kiss and be eternally grateful. The corner of his lip turned up as he thought of not being an American hero but perhaps being her hero, a goal he hadn't had until Dustin proposed it. He was familiar with the method, he had done something similar for Nancy when everything had initially gone down and it had worked, but Steve tried to avoid thinking of all the things he did in his relationship while with Nancy, not wanting to make the same mistakes in the future with another girl.

"Not bad Henderson."

"I won! Ha. I won." Robin said, a smile on her face as Christine rolled her eyes in defeat, her own smile adorning her lips. Christine pushed herself up from where they were sitting, the girls both looking at the wall as Steve peed on it.

"Can you redirect your stream please?"  Robin yelled to Steve, the boys pee trail moving slowly and making them both groan in disgust. Erica  took the attention away from the pee, Christine and  Robin both looking at the girl who was banging the green cylinder against  a metal barrel.

"Hey hey! Be careful, careful, careful. We don't even know what that is!"

"Exactly it could be useful." Erica said, her eyes glaring up at Robin as she took the  green goop from her hands.

"Useful how?"

"We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die." Erica informed both of them, Christine shaking her head at her comment.

"I don't think the fluorescent green goo would be the best drink though." She said, shrugging as she grabbed the cylinder form Robins hands now. Whatever it was, she doubted it was edible.

"I hate to break it to you but this is not water."

"No but it's a liquid. And if it comes between me drinking that shit, or dying of thirst, I drink." Erica said, Robin scoffing and letting her take it back. It was then that both the girl heard a mechanical whirring from outside of the door, Christines heart leaping as she headed towards it and pressed her ear to the door.

"Do you hear that?" Christine asked, looking at Robin with wide eyes. She nodded, Christines eyes darting to the home int he ceiling and Robin getting the memo, running over to the table and putting her head through the hole.

"Get up here! Hurry!" Robin whisper yelled before she pushed herself through the hole, Christine hurrying to help Erica up. Steve received her on the other side, pulling the Sinclair girl through and then reaching out his arms for Christine. She took his hand, the boy pulling her through and all of them sitting on the roof of the elevator as the door opened not long after.  Steve stared into the elevator as the Russians spoke, the boy looking up to gesture for them to shush every few seconds, even though nobody was saying anything anyways.  Erica was gripping the green cylinder she had had beforehand, Steve's eyes falling on it and making him furrow his eyebrows. He grabbed it from her hands as the elevator door started to close, the boy hurrying with immense speed towards the hole and jumping through.  He grunted as he placed the green cylinder between the floor and the door, stalling it so that it wouldn't close.

"Let's go!" He said, all of them  jumping through the hole and into the elevator, Eric a being the first one to slide under. The door creaked at Steve ushered them through,  Dustin going next  and then Robin pushing Christine towards the door. She slid under it, Steve hardly making it before the cylinder cracked, the ground sizzling beneath it.

"Jesus Christ." Steve said, Christine letting out a faint laugh as  she looked at Erica.

"That wouldn't have been a very nice drink huh?" She said, raising her eyebrows at the girl. Erica rolled her eyes, looking down at the green goo with an irritated look.

"Holy mother of God." Dustin said,  making them all look at him before realizing he was looking behind them, all of them turning to look at what he was looking at. It was a long, seemingly endless tunnel, all of them feeling immediate dread go through them.

"Well...I hope you're all in good shape. I'm looking at you roast beef." Steve said, walking past them all and patting Dustin on the stomach. Christine was just happy they were no longer in the elevator, the girl following after him and matching his stride.

"At least there's AC down here."