ACT TWO
the russian elevator.

ARLO HAD FINALLY REGAINED his balance, not that it mattered seeing as he now stood against the wall. His face still full of terror. "We're going down! We're going down!" Steve screamed.

"No shit, Harrington!"

"Why don't these buttons work?!" Dustin yelled, his words making Arlo peel himself off of the wall. Stumbling over to Dustin, who still stood by the door.

"What the fuck, what the fuck?!" Arlo yelled as well, him and Dustin now slamming their hands onto the buttons.

"Press the button!" Erica yelled from afar, Ida's arms currently wrapped around her shoulders. They resembled Shaggy and Scooby due to the look of fear on their faces.

"We're pressing the damn buttons!" Arlo yelled back, continuing to slam his hand onto the green and blue buttons. "Nothing's working."

It was then that the elevator came to an abrupt stop, causing all of the group members to fall down once again. A few boxes landing on-top of Steve.

The group groaned in pain at the stop, Steve now yelling again. "My groin, it fell on my groin."

Ida would've normally cracked a smile at the man's words, but due to her current state of fear she didn't. Instead she walked over to him, pulling the heavy box off of him. "Dramatic."

"Is everyone okay?" Robin mumbled, standing up from her spot.

"Yeah, i'm great, now that I know that Russians can't design elevators!" Steve yelled, standing up as well.

Once the brunette was fully up, he glanced over at Arlo. The Leone boy had just gotten pulled up by Dustin, his hand on his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. Pain radiating through him. "Holy shit, holy shit—we're gonna die."

"No, no. We're not—We just need to press these damn buttons." Steve reassured walking towards the panel.

He pressed the buttons again, this time Robin speaking up. "I think we've clearly established those buttons don't work."

"They're buttons! They have to do something."

"Yeah, if we had a keycard.. It's a electronic lock."

"Shit.." Arlo mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "We should've let Steve take out that guard."

Steve stuck a hand out, gesturing for his friend in an I told you manner. "Exactly! Exactly, I knew it. Hey, next time why don't you all do me a favor and listen to me. I know what i'm talking about."

"There won't be a next time, we're locked in a Russian cave." Arlo mumbled, leaning his back against the door. A sigh exiting his lips.

Steve wanted to deny his words, to reassure the boy that there would be a next time. That they would be okay, but it wasn't something he could promise. Which is why he stayed silent.

"You know what, just so you nerds are aware. I'm suppose to be spending the night at Tina's, Tina always covers for me. If i'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow, and my mom finds out you five are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down and slit your throat. One by one."

"I don't care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack's party! Your mom's not gonna be able to find us if we are dead in a Russian elevator!"

Ida would've normally scolded the brunette for yelling at her kid, yet she didn't have the energy at the moment. Her fear taking over her mindset as she just listened intently.

"What if we climbed out?" Dustin questioned, pointing to a tiny door on the ceiling.

"Did you feel how far we fell? We're in too deep." Arlo replied, his hope completely gone now.

Nonetheless, the group ignored his comment. Dustin being the first to walk over to the door, Steve helping push him up.

     As Arlo had stated, the climbing would be impossible. While it was obvious, the boys couldn't help the frowns that were painted over their face as they climbed down.

"There's no way. We're like fifty yards down." Steve spoke to the group, Ida sighing at his words. The girl then sat on the floor, still listening in as she did so. Exhaustion taking over her.

"More like seventy."

"Dude, it doesn't matter—"

"I think it matters." Dustin rebutted, the two beginning to quietly argue with one another.

Their argument only made the rest of the group sigh,  zoning the duo out as they all began to subconsciously find comfort spots. Spots that they would be able to sleep at.

While Ida, had taken a spot next to Erica. Robin plopped down not too far away from the other girls, her back now leaning against the wall.

Arlo sat closest to the door, his back pressed against the corner as the boys continued to argue over unimportant information.

It was then that Steve had finally noticed everyone sitting down, his eyebrows furrowing once he did. "Woah, woah. What are you guys doing?"

"We're gonna be here a while. Might as well get some sleep before they kill us." Ida mumbled, her voice sounding sad.

"No, no. All hands on deck, you hear me? We need to find a way out of here, maybe—maybe we can use the goop cans to break the door." Steve brainstormed.

When the group was silent, Dustin finding a spot next to Robin. It was then that Steve sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get any help.

His face held a look of defeat, making Arlo pat the ground beside him.

The simple gesture had made Steve's face subtly light up, it was quick. Just for a moment and if Arlo hadn't been intently staring he wouldn't have noticed it.

Nonetheless, Steve's face went back to one of defeat. His feet dragging as he made his way over to
Arlo. Sitting down in the spot beside him.

The group then fell into a long silence, all of the members trying to sleep except Steve. The boy's eyes were wide open, his gaze placed on the floor in front of him. His mind running rampant.

Steve finally turned his stare away from the floor, now looking at the boy beside him. "Arlo, are you up?"

Arlo stirred for a moment, a yawn exiting his mouth. He was about to fall asleep when Steve spoke, breaking him out of his sleepy state.

He then hummed, a way of telling Steve that he was awake. Making the boy continue.

Steve took a short pause before talking, a sad smile on his lips. "Do you seriously think we're gonna die in here?"

Arlo's eyes were now fully open, him and his friend sharing eye contact as he listened to his question. "I—I don't know.."

Steve sighed at his words, scratching the back of his neck. "My dad is coming into town this week, we—we we're suppose to going to go out to eat."

Steve's words seemed lighthearted, yet Arlo knew the deep sadness behind them. After all, for as lomg as Arlo could remember Steve's dad was never home; and when he was he definitely didn't want to spend the time hanging out with his son. Claiming he was too busy, which Steve knew was bullshit.

Arlo was silent for a moment, thinking about his words before he spoke. "You'll still get to, we'll get out of here. Mark my words, man. You're gonna get out and you're gonna eat some fancy ass shit."

Even though the boy's voice was groggy, his brain in dire need of sleep. His words made a soft smile appear on Steve's lips, his head slightly nodding.

Neither of them were sure if it was true, but they did want to pretend it was. Just for the moment, at least. "Yeah—i'll give you my leftovers."

"I'd be pissed if you didn't." Arlo mumbled, his blinking increasing as his head leaned against the wall. Still facing Steve.

Steve let out a quiet laugh at his words, leaning his head against the wall as well. He had fully understood his friend was tired, which is why he spoke up one last time. "Yeah, yeah. Get some sleep, dude."

Arlo didn't refuse his friend's words, instead his eyes fully closed as his mouth slightly opened. His body succumbing to the exhaustion he felt.

Steve didn't feel tired, which is why he stayed awake. His upsetting thoughts put on a temporary pause as he watched Arlo. He knew it was creepy to watch people sleep, yet he couldn't help it.

Steve was completely unaware why his heart beat a little faster at the sight of his friend. Steve was also unaware of Ida's stare, a smile placed over her lips as she had witnessed the way the boy stared at her brother.

Eventually his blinking slowed down, his breathing becoming more natural as his body forced him to fall asleep. Which didn't take long.

Arlo woke up first, his arms stretching outwards as he temporarily forgot where he was. Once he remembered a frown appeared on his face, his eyes trailing to his torso when he felt something on his waist.

Once he caught sight at what it was his eyes widened, his breathing temporarily stopped. An arm was loosely thrown over his waist.

His eyes trailed up the arm, stopping when he now stared at the face of a sleeping Steve. He didn't want to push his arm off, but he also didn't want Steve to find him creepy. Which is why he did it, shoving the arm off of him with a quick push.

Steve stirred at the impact of his arm touching the cold ground, his eyes slowly opening. His breathing staying low. "Arlo?" He mumbled, confused on why his arm had been thrown onto the ground. Completely unaware of his former position.

"Sorry." Arlo mumbled, his cheeks a bright pink; something Steve was too tired to notice.

Steve then stretched out, his mannerisms reminding Arlo of a cat. He stood up a moment later, immediately beginning to clap. Waking everyone else up from their sleep.

"Wakey, wakey. We don't have all day to lay around, c'mon people." Steve rushed, ignoring the groans that emitted from Robin and Erica's lips.

Dustin was the only one who woke up fairly quickly, immediately grabbing his walkie talkie that he had tossed on the floor last night.

He then made his way over to the door in the ceiling, muttering a few words as he began crawling out of the elevator. "The mall should be open."

Steve seemed in shock at how fast his kid-friend woke up, sharing a quick look of confusion with Ida before clapping two more times. "Get up."

    Arlo peered over Robin's shoulder, his sister currently making small talk with Erica as she retied the girl's shoes. Robin had been attempting to hijack the button box, none of her attempts working so far.

The boy sighed, his voice low as he offered her advice. "Think we could just smash it?"

Robin paused her movements, turning to the boy with a look of indiscretion. "Smash it? Yeah, because obliterating the box will make the doors open."

Arlo furrowed his eyebrows. Scrunching his nose up as he held his hands up in defeat. A way of waving his own personal white flag.

Unfortunately, before Robin could continue working on the box; the sound of water had taken her attention.

Arlo and Robin then glanced at where the sound was coming from, grimacing as they saw the line of pee that was pouring from above the elevator.

"Can you redirect your stream, please?"

The stream then moved sideways, the stench of piss never leaving the air.

Before the duo could think too much about it, a loud banging filled their ears. Causing them to turn to Erica and Ida.

While the Leone girl laid on the floor, her hands over her eyes, Erica was standing up. The child was holding one of the cans of goo, repetitively slamming the cylinder tube onto one of the large metal containers in the room.

Robin rushed over, yanking the item away from Erica. "Hey, careful! Careful! We don't even know what that is."

"Exactly, it could be useful."

"Useful how?" Robin asked, clearly annoyed. The teen then glanced at Ida, the girl shrugging from her position on the floor.

"We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die."

"She has a point." Ida added, while she didn't agree with the child she did think the ordeal was funny. Which is why she took her side.

"I hate to break it to both of you, but this is not water." Robin lightly shook the tube.

"No, but it's a liquid, if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying.. I drink." Erica then ripped the tube out of Robin's hand, the girl's attention now back on the door.

An electronic whirring sounded in the distance, making the short haired girl run back to the door. Now placing her ear against it.

Somebody was coming, probably on an small buggy of some kind. The four in the elevator didn't have much time to think about it, quickly beginning to climb onto. Joining Steve and Dustin, who had been sitting in silence.

"We've got company."

The group stayed silent as two Russian men had entered the elevator, they spoke in Russian. Their faces in a permanent scowl of disgust.

They had then begun unloading a few of the boxes, not seeming to notice that one of the boxes was cut open. Missing one tube of their green substance.

Despite the fact that the group remained eerily silent the entire time, Steve still put a finger against his lips. Not wanting any of them to move at all.

Fear covered his face as he glanced through each member, temporarily not watching the men who had been unloading boxes.

He glanced at Erica last, his eyes trailing down to the green tube in her hand. It was then that an idea clicked, making him put his hand outwards. The child ultimately caving in and giving him the tube.