Chapter Ten
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Scoops Troop, Do You Copy?

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            Everyone had spread out from their circle. Steve and Robin were lounging on a bench and Olivia was exchanging hugs with all of the kids. The oh so charming Erica Sinclair walked up to Olivia and Dustin. "Well, that settles it. He's gonna die, they're gonna die," She retorted.

            "Oh come on," Olivia shook her head at the girl. "Have a little faith. He's Hopper, he can do anything." That was true. Olivia always admired Hopper and his bravery. She never had said it out loud, but she liked to think of Hopper as their own superhero, the superhero of Hawkins. Sure, superheroes were fictional characters and were known to wear red capes, but her own superhero wore a gold police badge with a heart of gold. And he was by far the coolest cop she knew.

            "Nope, they're most likely going to die," Dustin said charmingly.

            "You guys survived," Lucas pointed out with a glimmer of hope.

            "Barely," Dustin noted and turned around to face them. "We could've really used you guys down there."

            "We could've really used you up here too. And of course you too Liv. Our party isn't the same without you," Mike smiled softly. Lucas and Will nodded in agreement.

            Olivia could feel the tears in her eyes as her heart swelled with love. Erica scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes at the older girl, but Olivia didn't care how she might've looked in that moment. These kids were like family to her, and she loved them more than anything. Will, Mike, and Lucas stepped forward and huddled together in a circle, wrapping their arms around each other with Olivia in between Will and Dustin.

            "You guys are making me cry," Olivia said, wiping the tears away from her eyes.

            "Please don't cry, nerds," Erica said in disgust.

            "Erica!"

            "Keep saying my name, see what happens," She scoffed. Olivia and Dustin shared a grin, amused by the small girl who was never afraid to share her thoughts.

            "Hey, heads up!" Hopper called from behind them and threw Dustin's walkie talkie back to him. "You can navigate, just some place safe."

            "It's not that simple," Dustin stated

            "The signal won't reach," Olivia chipped in.

            "Not with this," Dustin shook his head. "You need something with a high enough frequency band to relay with the Russians radio tower. But for that to work you need someone who has both seen the comms room and has access to a super powered handcrafted radio tower. One preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins," He paused, pretending to think for a moment. "Oh wait, that's me. If you want us to navigate, you got us. But we need a head start."

            "And a car," Olivia added with a small smile. Hopper furrowed his eyes brows and looked up at the ceiling before reluctantly tossing Olivia the keys. Olivia, Dustin, and Erica head over to Steve and Robin to inform them on what the plan was.

            "Hey kiddo," Hopper called to Olivia before the five of them start to exit the mall. "Be safe out there, yeah?"

            "I will. And you too, okay?" Olivia smiled and Hopper nodded. She ran over to him and embraced him in a long hug. "Don't die, Hop."

            "I won't, I promise," Hopper said with an almost gentle smile.

            "Liv, we need to go," Dustin stated. Olivia let go of Hopper and waved at him before the scoops troop, as they decided to call themselves, left the mall.

            "Oh man, now this, this is what I'm talking about!" Steve's eyes lit up as all of them walk up to the pastel yellow Cadillac.

            Olivia raised her eyebrows when she notices the license plate. "Toddfather?" She giggled.

            "Oh, screw Todd! Steve's her daddy now," Steve declared happily, jumping into the driver seat. Olivia grinned at how Steve's mood seemed to lift up even though Olivia didn't see what the big deal was. She had never seen him so giddy before and it was quite adorable to witness.

            "Did you just talk about yourself in third person?" Robin said slowly.

            "Did he just call himself daddy?" Erica snorted.

            Robin sat in the front while Olivia was sandwiched in between Erica and Dustin in the back.

            "All right, where are we going?" Steve questioned, locking the keys in the engine.

            "Weathertop," Dustin answered.

            "Weather what?"

            "Just drive!" Olivia and Dustin chorused.

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            About half an hour later, the group was still driving in the car as Dustin instructed Steve the directions of where to go. Music was blasting on the radio and she kept having to brush her hair out of her eyes from the wind.

            "Suzie must be pretty special, huh?" Robin questioned curiously. "You built this thing and lugged it all the way to the middle of nowhere just to talk to her?"

            "I mean, nobody's scientifically perfect, but Suzie's about as close as being perfect as any human could possibly be," Dustin expressed with admiration in his eyes.

            Olivia put her hand over heart, warmed by Dustin's sweet words. "Awww Dusty!" She gushed at her little brother. "That's so sweet."

            "She sounds made up to me," Erica rolled her eyes. "Does she sound made up to you?"

            "Why are you hesitating, Steve?" Dustin asked, a little hurt that Steve didn't believe him.

            "Yeah, Steve," Olivia huffed, slightly disappointed in Steve as well. "I saw Suzie when I picked him up from camp!"

            Dustin sent Olivia a grateful smile. "I'm not hesitating!" Steve denied quickly. "I think she sounds real. You know, totally, absolutely real. I mean, if anyone's scientifically perfect, it's Olivia," He admitted without thinking. He scolded himself after realizing what he said.

            Olivia was glad that it was dark outside, because she was sure that she was the reddest she had ever been. Steve called her scientifically perfect. No one had called her that before and that made her fall even more in love with him. Robin, Dustin, and Erica sniggered and gave each other knowing looks. Dustin clocked Olivia's smile, and it was perhaps the biggest smile he had ever seen on her.

            Maybe it was finally happening, Dustin thought to himself. His plan of getting Steve and his sister together was working.

            "You sure your still not on drugs, Steve? I'm far from perfect," Olivia said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

            A boost of confidence sparked in him. "No, me and Robin puked out all the drugs," He looked at her with a soft smile before looking back at the road.

            "Left, turn left!" Dustin suddenly shouted, snapping the two away from their own little world.

            "There's not a road here?"

            "Turn left!" Dustin screamed.

            "A rush of adrenaline flooded through Olivia as Steve pressed on the pedal, turning left onto the grass. Olivia put her hand on Dustin's shoulder as the pastel yellow Cadillac shook and shrieked. When it came to a halt, Steve tried pressing on the pedal again but it doesn't move and the sound of the engine slowly dies out.

            "Guess the the Toddfather has its limits," Robin panted.

            Steve scoffed and all of them hopped out of the car and treaded to the open green field that was surrounded by tall trees, where the cleverly built radio tower was.

            Dustin sat by the tower and started talking through the walkie, referring to the oh so charming nickname he gave Murray. "Bald Eagle, do you copy? Bald Eagle, I repeat, this is Scoops Troop, do you copy?"

            "Yes, I copy," Murray's voice was slightly muffled from the walkie, but Olivia could clearly hear the subtle irritation in his voice. Olivia couldn't help but lean into Steve and laugh.

             Dustin chuckled, obviously having fun irritating him. "Call sign?"

            Murray hesitated with heavy sigh. "Bald eagle," He mumbled.

            "Please repeat," Dustin sniggered.

            "Bald Eagle. This is Bald Eagle," Murray said with a raised voice.

            "Copy that. Good to hear your voice bald eagle," Dustin chuckled again. "What's your 20?"

            "We reached the vent. I'll contact you when I need you. Until then, silence," Murray says through gritted teeth.

            "Roger that Bald Eagle. This is Scoops Troop going silent. 10-10 off."

            Olivia bent down and patted his shoulder. "Nice job Dusty," She laughed.

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            Knowing that they were going to be there for a while, Olivia plopped herself on the grass and laid down comfortably. Steve laid down next to her, and they shared a comfortable silence for a while, gazing at that stars that were above them.

            "You know," Steve spoke up. "We make a pretty good team."

            Olivia perked up and shifted to her side so that she was facing Steve. She was extremely aware of how close they were with there noses barely brushing against each other. "We do, Harrington," She hummed. Olivia scooted closer to him, and laid her head on his shoulder.

            Steve smiled at the girl laying next to him, the girl that made him believe in love again. He couldn't quite explain it, but everything just felt right when he was with her. Like he had everything he ever needed.

            Just as Murray promised, he contacted Dustin again through the walkie. While Dustin instructed him where to go, Steve suddenly stood up and walked closer to the view of the entire town.

            "Steve, what is it?" Olivia asked with concern, and got up to stand beside him to see what he was looking at. Just beyond the field, StarCourt mall was flashing blue and purple lights.

            "Hey, Guys!" Steve called everyone cautiously. Dustin, Erica, and Robin all run up to them. Sharing worried glances, they hastily ran back to the tower and Dustin frantically picked up his walkie to contact the rest of their friends who were still at the mall.

            Olivia panicked when only a screeching noise could be heard from the other end of the line. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears. "Griswold family, this is Scoops Troop!" Dustin repeated louder, his voice quivering more and more when no one was picking up. "Please confirm your safety!" He trembled.

            "Olivia! What are you doing?" Dustin yelled when he noticed Olivia starting to run towards the direction of the car.

            "To get them the hell outta there!" Olivia panicked, though determination ignited in her. She couldn't just stand there and wait while her friends were in danger. She had to go and help them. And no one was going to change her mind. "Dustin, stay here! Contact the others!"

            "Shit," Steve muttered under his breath. "I'm coming with you!" He shouted and started following her back to the car.

            "Me too!" Robin added. Olivia sighed. She didn't want either of them coming with her for the concern of their own safety, but she knew her best friends well enough to know that their was no way to convince them to stay.

            "Liv, wait!" Dustin threw her a walkie talkie. "Stay in touch."

            "Got it," Olivia nodded. The Henderson siblings shared one last glance as if it were the last time they would see each other before she headed back to the car with Steve and Robin.