𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 - down we go

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 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃 behind for much longer; the girl had been all business and had absolutely no time to care about the excitement from Dustin, the motherly worrying of Steve and the utter joy from Robin. She slinked off, claiming that such a mission — or heist, as Robin had named it — required preparation, it required tools, a helmet, and a My Little Pony backpack, apparently.

 So Scarlet had walked the girl to the front of the store, ignoring the squawking of the patrons, the rushing children scuttling through the mall as though it was a playground and they were heading for the monkey bars and swings... she'd waved Erica off, imploring that the girl remained safe and kept what she knew to herself — Scarlet didn't want Hopper to know, for he had enough on his plate... but she didn't want Eleven knowing either. The poor girl deserved to just... live without fear, if only for the summer.

 Erica had saluted, and with the strength of a wrestler, she batted her way through the crowds, standing tall as people parted like ocean waves to let her through. She was a girl to be reckoned with, Scarlet knew that much.

 She couldn't believe it though. Scarlet truly couldn't comprehend the fact that she had grappled another child into their meticulous little plans, that she was putting Erica in potential danger all for what? They didn't even know what they'd gain from it.

 She knew she could protect the girl, even if it meant launching herself from the roof they'd be spying from and lighting up the grounds with a crimson tidal wave... she'd have to kill the people she struck; there couldn't ever be anybody left behind to squeal about what she could do. That was the main source of worry; killing monsters and creatures from another dimension... the kids could pass that by without the blink of an eye, but could they ever recover from watching their hero murder somebody, even if it was out of defence?

 Scarlet leaned back, her spine settling against the entrance of Scoops Ahoy as a hefty breath tumbled from her lips in the form of a tired sigh; she needed a break. It had been mere months since her world had changed so suddenly since she'd left behind the only family she'd ever known just to come and fight monsters... now she was tangled in a web. She was a babysitter, putting children directly into the line of fire.

 "Hey," Her thoughts shattered as that warm voice trailed past her ears, caressing her with the lightest touch. Steve always did have a way to mould his voice into something of solace, like an old blanket that a child would cling to for comfort. He took his place beside her, shoulders brushing with a feather-soft touch, "You okay?"

 Her answer was instantaneous, muscle memory forcing the confirmation from her lips without a shred of thought, "I'm fine."

 Scarlet had grown used to it by now, flitting in and out of reality as her thoughts took her by a chokehold, squeezing her windpipe until reality and dreams blurred into one. She could always choke and force out an apology, a few words to appease her company... nobody ever really bought it.

 Steve certainly didn't, for he'd heard those words far too many times to count. Even with tears blinding her vision, Scarlet would still pretend as though everything was alright; he knew she felt the need to fight battles on her own, to keep people away just so that they were safe... so that she wasn't seen as a burden.

 But Steve Harrington just couldn't let it slide, "We'll be fine. Erica will be fine... we have you, after all."

 "If something goes wrong... and I have to step in, you — you know what that means, don't you?"

 His brows curled together, prompting Scarlet to continue. She snapped her gaze forward, watching as the fountain below continued to spurt, as the hands on the clock continued to tick by, "If somebody sees me, sees... well, you know what... I can't — I can't let them leave."

 Steve finally understood, and to be completely honest... he'd never actually thought about it. He, like the kids, had only ever thought 'well, Scarlet could handle it' and never the consequences that could spring forth after. He pondered... he knew that nobody would keep their mouths shut about her powers, especially not a bunch of Russians who were already in hiding; they'd jump at the chance to track her down and take her for their own.

 So he knew that while Scarlet might have said 'I can't let them leave', really she'd meant to say that she couldn't let them live. Not just to keep herself safe, not even just for the company that'd be by her side... but for Eleven too.

 While it was stomach-turning to think that he could witness a bunch of people killed by powers that shouldn't exist... he didn't care. He didn't care what he might think, Steve didn't really care what the kids might think, — though that was an egregious lie, for Steve would scramble to cover their eyes and shield them — he cared that the girl beside him, even despite her hardships, the harsh treatment and vile hand life had dealt her... she didn't want to hurt anyone.

 He couldn't guarantee that they'd make it out unscathed, but he could simply promise that she wouldn't be alone, "if we're careful and follow the plan... it won't come to that. Erica will be in and out, and we can keep an eye out for the guards. It'll be okay, Scar."

 It was enough to quell some of the treacherous thoughts tormenting her mind. Scarlet did her best to quash her whirring worries, focusing on their potential discovery, how they could simply go back to being stupid teenagers in the midst of an awfully hot summer as soon as they were done...

 Scarlet nodded, just once, as she let her head topple to Steve's shoulder. She felt him tense... and then he relaxed once more. He was always warm, even through their winter trails through the woods, their treks through Hawkins, Steve would never wear a damned coat, all the while Scarlet would be bundled in layers upon layers.

 She quite enjoyed it, simply standing there as she basked in his heat, feeling the way his shoulders would rise with every rattling breath. She jutted her hip, pushing it against his side for a short beat, "Always to my rescue, hm?"

 "Nah," He said with fondness, his cheek settling atop her frock of raven hair while his heart pounded furiously — he was certain she could hear it, "You're the hero here."

 "Alright, nerd, obsessed sailors, Scarlet... I'm there."

 Erica's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie snug within Robin's hand, each syllable filled with static. The moment twilight had begun to spread over the sky, shielding them all from plain view, Erica had been sent scuttling through the vents while Scarlet, Steve, Robin and Dustin all scurried for the rooftop.

 Scarlet had waited with bated breath as Erica called through the device, narrating her trails through the vents. With each left turn, she'd inform them and hastily continue on her path. The vents rattled and groaned with each little pace Erica would take, and Scarlet would catch the way Steve's nose would scrunch at the sound; likely pondering the amount f horrendous ways the vents could cave in, or perhaps break...

 "Do you —" Robin cleared her throat, her tongue darting to wet her trembling lips. She was beyond excited to the point where nerves had begun to worm their way toward her. Her hands shook, "Do you see anything?"

 "Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're all so excited about."

 Scarlet leaned closer to Robin, swiftly unfolding her legs from the criss-cross she'd been sitting in. Numbness had begun to spread, only hastened by the chill from the cool rooftop they perched upon, "Are there any guards inside, Erica?"

 "Negative."

 Robin lowered her tone, the walkie brushing her lips, "Booby traps?"

 Scarlet suddenly had the insatiable desire to pry the walkie from her friend's fingers and jab her relentlessly with it. Erica had already used such an excuse as a means of wriggling free from the job, and now there Robin was, only reinforcing the idea of traps awaiting the girl.

 Thankfully Erica had enough attitude to snap back with her own retort, "If I could see them, they'd be pretty shitty traps, wouldn't they?"

 Robin felt her lips drop, a thin line smoothing over her face as her eyes rolled skywards, catching a glimpse of the dreary grey clouds that hung over them, threatening to spill a flood of rain atop their perfectly dry heads, "Thank you for that."

 All was silent for a moment, the walkie didn't even make a peek as Erica likely unscrewed the screws keeping the vent she was tucked within, shut. She had been directed to hop down and open the doors without a hint of hesitance... once she'd gotten the go-ahead, of course.

 As the beat stretched on, elongating until the tension was palpable, Steve groaned. His forehead was buried within his palms, an eruption of hair spilling over his fingers like an overflowing sink... he was regretting every inch of their plan already.

 Hadn't it been he who had fought to keep the kids away from the tunnels? Hadn't he been the one to push the children free whilst Scarlet stayed behind to fight the Demo-dogs... and now what? Now he was just sitting and waiting for a child, a literal ten-year-old to climb through vents until she reached a secluded room that was perpetually guarded by weapons.

 It was all catching up with him, and as he made to shift, to untuck his gangly legs and climb to his feet, Scarlet's hand curled around his own. She did as he had done just hours earlier. Her nod, her furrowed brows creased with concern were enough to still his actions. Rather than dwell on the danger, Steve closed his eyes and focused on the cold fingers clasped around his own.

 Scarlet kept a hold on Steve even when Erica's voice crackled through the walkie, even when Robin had responded and told the girl it was completely safe to open those damned doors. She ended up dragging Steve to his feet, each of them blinking through the night as Erica Sinclair finally strolled out into the open, a smug little smile well and truly plastered over her features.

 The light's she'd stuck to her bubble-gum pink helmet cast a glow around her, acting as the spotlight on her stage... Scarlet had almost thought the girl would bow for the performance she'd given, instead, Erica wiggled her fingers.

 "Ten PM curfew, eighteen-rated movies and an unlimited supply of mint chocolate chip ice cream! " The girl shrieked through the night, her voice carried by the wind until Scarlet finally chuckled, her fingers curling around the wall they'd all hidden behind while Steve reached out, ready and waiting to catch her if she even came close to leaning over the edge.

 The room was nothing special at all, not that Scarlet was expecting anything grand; she hadn't expected to stroll inside and see a chamber of guns plastered to the wall, or a bunch of test tubes with little creatures inside... she didn't really know what she had expected, really.

 But the room was filled to the very brim with those boxes they'd seen being delivered by the dozens. They were stacked against the wall, some towered in the centre of the room like an odd little pedestal... Scarlet was the first to move — they'd come with one goal in mind; find out what was in those boxes.

 She slipped her car keys from her pocket, bypassing the strawberry gum and the two tubes of chapstick that never seemed to leave her. The keys jingled, and all attention was brought towards her form — Steve, Dustin, Robin and Erica all gathered around, like children scuttling to get a closer look at their classmate's show-and-tell.

 Scarlet dragged the key in a single long line through the duct tape.

 Steve was the one to grapple for the box, with hesitation, he finally pulled it open, dark eyes peering inside while Scarlet tucked her keys away. A frown alighted on his face, utter confusion glittering within his eyes as he spied yet another box tucked inside, only this one was made of sturdy silver metal.

 His fingers curled around the handle atop the box, a chill trailing up his arm as he twisted. There was a shrill hiss, as though a viper had been trapped inside the box all along, and a stream of smoke trailed past their eyes, disappearing as it went.

 There was yet another layer, and Steve could already feel himself growing rather irritated. He knew about Russian dolls, but he hadn't planned on their dangerous little heist resulting in them finding one. Still, he reached for the handles and paused, "This is definitely not Chinese food..." He offered a crooked smile, trying his hardest to make light of the tension coiling around them, but then his lips fell once more, "Maybe you guys should, you know, stand back."

 Scarlet was actually quite surprised to see both Robin and Erica take a hefty step backwards; Robin would always take any and every single chance she had to do the very opposite of what Steve asked, just to annoy him, really... as for Erica, she was a stubborn little girl, and Scarlet had half expected the girl to demand that she be the one to prowl through the boxes... then again, Robin and Erica actually had a sense of self-preservation.

 Dustin, as ever, remained dutifully by Steve's side. His eyes had blown wide as he teetered to the very tips of his toes, almost stumbling into the box; he needed to see what his little interception had uncovered... and Scarlet knew that no matter how the boys squabbled and argued, Dustin wouldn't leave Steve to unfold the discovery alone.

 Scarlet just wanted the day to be over with. She wanted to rush back to her car, swiftly return home and settle beneath her duvet whilst the night glared through her window. But there was a little bubble in the depths of her gut telling her that she wouldn't be getting that any time soon.

 Steve tried to reason with Dustin, he had raised his voice and waved a flailing arm about just to try and get the boy to take even a little step back... but Dustin was completely adamant about staying exactly where he was. The younger boy shook his head, arms folding firmly across his chest, "If you die, I die!"

 Steve blinked; while the words warmed his heart, he sucked it up and pretended as though Dustin hadn't just proclaimed something so very profound, "Okay," he muttered, a single shoulder rising in a pathetic attempt at a shrug, and then he glanced at Scarlet, taking in the way she'd shifted closer, the heels of her shoes lifted into the air just so that she could peer into the box, he almost laughed.

 "What about you?" He asked, "You're dying with me, too?"

 It had been cute to watch Dustin as he proclaimed his unyielding loyalty for Steve, his willingness to die by his side... But it was entirely unneeded; Scarlet couldn't bring even a sliver of herself to believe that whatever was tucked away in the little metal box would kill them... it would have been a little stupid for the Russians to keep such a large quantity in one place if that were the case.

 So she shrugged and side-stepped closer to Steve, "Guess you're not the worst person to die with."

 "That's really reassuring."

 "Open the box, Stevie."

 "Well —" He paused, "Wait a minute. Do you really think that it'll —"

 He hadn't the chance to finish his sentence nor express his concerns. He always trusted Scarlet's intuition, and sometimes he truly found it hard to separate her attempts at sarcasm from whatever true words she'd spill; she was just so good at feigning... well, anything.

 Scarlet had swatted his arm away, fingers grappling for the handles of whatever was left within the metal box. Steve tried to tug her back, "What are you doing?"

 "Not waiting for Christmas," Scarlet muttered back, for she knew if Steve fell into that pit of motherly panic, they'd never get anything done. She took a breath, hoping to hell and back that whatever was inside the box wouldn't jump out or sizzle through her skin.

 She yanked its contents free, ignoring the protests of both Steve and Dustin... It was a vial. Not a tiny little test tube filled with bubbling liquid, but a large cylindrical tube with fortified glass keeping its odd contents from spilling out. It was filled to the brim with a thick green liquid, it almost glowed like the little stars Eleven had stuck to her bedroom ceiling — courtesy of Lucas.

 There were bubbles stuffed within the liquid, seemingly squirming through the sludge to make their escape. Scarlet couldn't ignore the little voice inside her head, and with a swift movement, she shook it once. It was a terrible idea, who the hell found some weird liquid stored away behind a locked door that shouldn't have existed, while under guard by a bunch of armed men?

 Scarlet, that was who.

 "What the hell..." She muttered softly, watching as the bubbles jostled and squirmed, as the thick substance sloshed like a puddle of slime.

 The casing it was stored within and the circumstances in which it was stored... it all pointed to danger. Whatever it was bubbling and jiggling within the glass was very obviously not safe.

 Robin took a step closer, her scribbled-over converse squeaking. She'd never seen anything like it before... unless you counted the concoction of Sprite, Mountain dew and yeasty beer she'd downed at a party she had never wanted to attend, "What is that?"

 "I have no —" Scarlet's words died out as the room shook and rattled, "Idea..." the final word was slow, dragged out as she eyed the room around her, sure to keep the bubbling sludge within her peripheral.

 Nothing had toppled over or moved, and everything was completely still, as though she'd imagined the sensation.

 "You felt that, right?" She asked her companions who all gave some form of nod or affirmation.

 Erica trailed closer, standing by Scarlet's side... if she was going to be caught by armed guards, be dissolved by weird green goo, or fall into some booby trap, then she was going to do it side by side with the least annoying member of the posse.

 While the room may have settled and all shaking had ceased... soon enough a mechanical whirring sound echoed through the little space they were all stuffed within. Robin swiftly took the vial of green liquid from Scarlet's hands, rushing towards Erica who had already unzipped her backpack and held it open.

 "Let's just — we should go!" Robin rushed out, her words hardly spaced apart as she shoved the glass vial into the backpack, tugging the zip until it was firmly shut. They were all as desperate as one another to leave and figure out what the hell was within the vial.

 Dustin scrambled for the button that would lead them outside, to freedom... but when his hand fell upon it, nothing happened. He pressed it again, and then again and again. Each hit was harder than the last until his palm was left red and aching.

 Scarlet had been watching, her bottom lips tapped between her teeth getting utterly torn to pieces as she watched the doors remain firmly shut, refusing to budge even the tiniest bit. She dashed forwards, leaving Steve, Robin and Erica behind.

 Steve was pacing, his fingers threatening to tear out his hair. Robin had her thumb between her teeth, gnawing at her already short nails... Erica? Erica was yelling, of course. She screamed and shrieked for Dustin to open the door, her eyes blowing wider and wider with every passing second.

 Scarlet tried her luck, fingers lightly tapping the button, and when nothing happened, she used every ounce of strength... still, it did nothing, and the door remained shut.

 "The button isn't working!" Her voice was even despite the panic that began to claw at her throat. She'd rehearsed this time and time again, willing her voice to remain as sweet as honey even when flashes of her past tormented her every waking moment... but now, as she realised just how small the room was... "Oh, God."

 That was when the raspiness of her voice finally came to light. Her facade shattered as her palm leaned heavily against the wall. It felt as though they were closing in around her, as though hands had sprouted from the shadows, each set of wriggling fingers reaching out to steal her away.

 The first sense to become utterly overwhelmed was her hearing. Everything merged together; Erica's yells, Dustin's shrieks, Steve's relentless mumbling and Robin's squeaking sneakers as she paced back and forth... it was mumbled, each sound becoming a symphony of catastrophic noise. Then Scarlet felt as though somebody had pushed her head underwater just to watch the bubbles rise.

 She stumbled backwards, her footing uneven, her vision steadily blurring until spots of black flashed before her eyes. There were hands on her shoulders then, but the mere feeling scorched her skin and made her stomach twist with something awful. She could have vomited as she backed away, palms smacking at the hands on her skin; she couldn't see who it was, nor hear or smell them... all she received were those flashes of strangers trailing fingertips along her flesh, bruising her neck...

 She saw nothing but darkness as her eyes clamped shut, her chest constricting as though somebody had an iron grip around her lungs; she felt utterly useless. She couldn't open the door, she couldn't will her powers forth and force their way out... she could only sit on the ground, rocking back and forth.

 That is, until the ground beneath her shuddered and her stomach suddenly found itself lodged within her throat. They were falling. It was no mistake, no trick of her distorted senses. Oil-black curls had lifted from ticking her cheeks, her shirt tried to rise and she could just about hear the screams of her friends break through her haze.

 There was nothing she could do for them; she couldn't bring Erica and Dustin close, she couldn't reach out to tangle her fingers with Robin, she couldn't curl her arms around Steve... for Scarlet could only descend deeper into the absolute nightmare she'd found herself trapped within.

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22-02-2020

edited version: 17/10/22

:･ﾟ★ girlie is going through it! my baby can fight monsters and go toe-to-toe with the mind flayer but not tight spaces </3

also, el-oh-el sorry for the constant breaks between chapters, your girlie isn't doing well!

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!), and please do NOT leave comments telling me to update; they'll be ignored and you'll be muted, much love <3

i'm so true for this.