"Help! Help! Help!" Beverly, Robin, and Chris continued yelling as their voices bounced against the metallic walls, echoing. They had hoped that maybe Alicia, Dustin, and Erica had somehow found a way out and had gotten the police, or even the US Military, to come save them down there.

But the chances seemed pretty slim since they were still stuck down there for what felt like hours.

"Hey, would you stop yelling?" Steve asked groggily as he started to finally wake up.

"Steve! Oh, my God! You're awake, thank God," Beverly breathed out as the other two tied together sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

"My ears are ringing, and 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," Steve told her, trying to joke his way through the pain. Beverly forced out a laugh to try and calm herself down, but it wasn't working.

"Well, the good news is that they're calling you a doctor," Robin spoke up, trying to think of the bright side.

"Is this his place of work?" Steve asked as he looked around. "I love the vibe. Charming."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...who knows if they were lying about the doctor? They could have just said that to get our hopes up and then crush us even further," Chris pointed out, shaking his bruised head.

"But they would need all of us alive to get information," Beverly argued.

"Do they really need all of us for information?" Chris said and Beverly sighed, licking her lips nervously.

"Yeah, which is why we have to get out of here before they come back," Robin began before she looked around the room, spotting something on the table. "So, okay, Chris, do you see that table over there to your right?" she asked him since Steve was now awake to also hear her plan.

Chris looked to his right, following Robin's gaze with their backs pressed together. "Yeah."

"And do you see those scissors?"

"Uh-huh," he hummed.

"Yeah, well, I think that if we move at the same time, we could get over there, and then maybe, I could kick the table and knock them into your lap," Robin planned out.

"And I could cut the binds," Chris added on, liking the idea.

"Yeah, and we could get out of here," Robin smiled.

"Yeah, okay, we can do that. Yeah," Chris agreed, starting to smile optimistically.

"Those morons. They left scissors in here?" Steve said and Beverly started to laugh, feeling herself become a little less tense since there was a slight chance they could escape.

"Yeah, morons," Robin agreed.

"Total morons," Beverly said and they all laughed along, easing their nerves a bit.

"Okay, so, on the count of three, we're gonna hop," Robin said, initiating the plan with Chris.

"Okay, good, hop on three. I gotcha," Chris replied with a nod.

"Okay. One, two, three," Robin counted down and they both hopped at the same time, moving the chairs. "Okay, that worked."

"Okay, yeah."

"Okay, keep going," Beverly urged with a nod, wanting to be as fast as possible.

"All right. Uh, let's try again," Robin said before they both started to count down together, hopping at the same time closer to the scissors. "Holy shit, this is gonna work!"

"We're so close. Ready?"

"Okay, one, two, three."

They tried hopping again, but this time, the chairs slipped and they both fell over. A chorus of groans came from their mouths, and both Beverly and Steve empathically winced as they watched.

"Are you guys...okay?" Beverly slowly asked, her brows knitted together.

"They were so close," Steve breathed out disappointedly, still a little out of it from the beating.

Robin then began to cry, or what seemed like it, as they stayed fallen on the ground since there was no way they'd be able to get back up. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Don't cry, Robin," Chris soothed, but it seemed like her cries were actually chuckles. "Are you laughing?"

"Yeah," Robin confirmed through her laughter, and Beverly and Steve both had the same look on their face even though they couldn't see each other's faces.

"Jesus," Steve breathed out.

"Oh," Chris said.

"I'm sorry!" Robin apologized even though she was still laughing. "I'm so sorry. It's just...I can't believe...I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Christopher Wheeler, Beverly Crawford, and Steve 'The Hair' Harrington."

"Hey, why the nickname for me?" Steve asked weakly.

"It's just too trippy, man," Robin continued, ignoring Steve.

"We're not gonna die. We're gonna get out of here, okay? Let's just think for a second," Chris said seriously, offended that Robin found it funny about dying with him. He thought that the two had gotten really close and that maybe...just maybe, she liked him back. But now he wasn't too sure.

"Hey, Steve. Do you remember, um, Mrs. Click's sophomore history class?" Robin questioned out of the blue.

"What?"

"Mrs. Clickity-Clackity. That's what us band dweebs called her. It was first period, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast. Bacon, egg, and cheese on a sesame bagel. I sat behind you two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself," Robin detailed quietly.

Chris looked at the cold, metallic ground right next to his face, not sure why Robin had paid attention to Steve all that much since she didn't really know him that well up until this summer. She didn't have a crush on him, did she?

Beverly also looked at the ground from where she sat, unsure how to process what Robin had just said aloud. It was almost as if she was obsessed with Steve, or something, to remember all of that. She didn't have a crush on Steve, did she?

Steve swallowed hard, not even remembering Robin from that class at all. He had started to feel bad about it, the way that she said those words. She didn't have a crush on me, did she?

"Do you even remember me from that class?" asked Robin. Steve didn't answer, only slightly shaking his head that Robin couldn't even see from where she was in the ground. She scoffed. "Of course you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know."

"But that didn't even matter. It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still...obsessed with you," Robin told him and it felt like Chris's chest was about to explode at the words. "Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still just wanna be popular...accepted, normal."

Beverly sighed quietly, feeling guilty that she had left Robin behind to feel that way. She could have took Robin with her once she graduated middle school, introducing her to Carmen and Alicia. But she just...forgot.

"Like you, Beverly," Robin continued and Beverly felt her stomach drop. "I thought that maybe since you got your wish of being popular and accepted, it would happen to me. That maybe you would...help me or something — bring me into your group. I guess I was stupid for thinking that."

Beverly swallowed hard, not knowing how to reply to that. She had thought Robin forgot about her, but she was wrong. It seemed like they were both pretending to forget about each other being friends when in reality...they definitely didn't.

"If it makes you feel any better, having those things isn't all that great," Chris told her even though Robin wasn't even talking to him, kind of saving Beverly. "I mean, why else would I quit basketball and lose all my friends?" he joked, trying to forgot about what she said before about Steve.

"Yeah, Chris is...surprisingly right," Steve said and Chris let out a low laugh. "Seriously. It just baffles me. Everything that people tell you is important, everything that people say you should care about, it's all just..." he ironically chuckled, "bullshit. But I guess you gotta mess up to figure things out, right?"

"I hope so. I feel like my whole life has been...one big error," Robin said and the two boys laughed, while Beverly stayed quiet.

"Yep."

"Honestly, me too," Chris agreed, thinking back to his life and all the bad shit that had happened.

"At least it can't get any more messed up than this," Robin pointed out and the guys laughed again.

"You know, I wish I'd known you in Click's class," Steve revealed and Beverly looked down once again, running her tongue against her cheek as she listened to all of their words.

"Yeah?"

"Really, I do. Maybe you could've helped me pass the class. Maybe instead of being here, I'd be on my way to college right now," Steve told her.

"Yeah. I mean, we were talking the other day about this and we were in some classes together, too. Maybe if I didn't only just care about being popular before I fell off the face of earth," he said before he and Robin laughed, "I could've asked you for help instead of being scared of who I associated with because it's all just B.S.."

Beverly stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt on their wholesome conversation and ruin it since it seemed like she pretty much ruined Robin's life. She didn't want to make it worse by opening up her stupid mouth. Not yet, anyway.

"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 schmucks," Robin responded and the three of them chuckled again.

"Schmuck? I'd thought only Steve would be the schmuck," Chris said and Steve snorted, although it stung his nose a bit.

"I don't know, at this point, you're kinda both schmucks," Robin teased.

Chris breathlessly chuckled. "Gotta say, though. I liked being your schmuck," Chris admitted. "It was fun while it lasted."

"It was."

Beverly sucked in a breath. "Look, Robin, I'm so—" she was cut off by a buzzer sound and the door opening, revealing the same Russian leader before walking inside. The four of them immediately tensed up, their breathing becoming shallow.

He looked at Steve and Beverly before he looked down at Chris and Robin, letting out a short laugh. "Where were you two going?" he taunted before he clicked his tongue together multiple times. He then directed something in Russian, which prompted the other Russians to lift Robin and Chris back up next to Beverly and Steve.

"Try telling the truth this time, yes?" the Russian said to them. "It will make your visit with Dr. Zharkov less painful," he told them, messing with Steve's hair and face, making him wince.

"Don't touch him," Beverly seethed and all the Russian did was laugh.

The doctor then came over to them, holding a huge syringe. "Wait a second. Wait. Hold on. Okay, wait, wait, wait! What is that thing?!" Steve exclaimed.

"It will help you talk," Dr. Zharkov replied ominously.

He then grabbed Steve's head, holding it up. "Did you even clean that thi — AHH!" he screamed as he was injected with whatever was in the syringe by a huge needle.

"STOP!" Beverly shrieked as the others started to yell. "STOP IT, PLEASE!"

The doctor took the needle out of Steve, chuckling along with the other Russians.

"I cannot stop now. There's still three of you left to go."

✦ ✧ ✦

"Honestly, I don't really feel anything," Steve said as the four of them sat alone in the room, waiting for the Russians to come back. They had all been injected with whatever drug the Russians used, the pain subsiding from their necks where they were punctured. "Do any of you?"

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

"Same," Chris agreed.

"Yeah, just...just woozy or something, I don't know," Beverly answered, blinking slowly.

"Yeah, I feel — I feel fine. I kinda feel good," Steve said before they all started to chuckle, the drug beginning to work.

"Wanna know a secret?" Robin asked.

"What?"

"I like it, too!" she revealed and they all laughed, finding it extremely funny. "I feel good."

"Me, too!" Beverly exclaimed.

"Morons. They messed up the drug."

"They messed it up!"

"Morons! Hey, morons!"

"Morons!"

"Stupid poopies," Chris muttered under his breath, which was something he used to say he when he was super young.

"Moron! Mor—"

"Whoa!"

"Oh, no. There's definitely something wrong with us," Robin realized.

"Something's wrong," Steve agreed.

"Then why does it feel so good?" Beverly questioned as she giggled, making them chuckle as well. The Russians then walked back into the room. "Uh oh," Beverly whispered, pouting.

The doctor started taking out his tools, making Robin's eyes widen. "Would now be a good time to tell you that I don't like doctors?" she spoke up, but they ignored her comment.

"Let's try this again, yes?" the Russian leader said and Steve hummed. "Who do you work for?"

"Scoops," Steve answered making them laugh. "Scoops Ahoy."

"Hey, I work for Beck's!" Beverly pointed out, making them all nod and giggle giddily.

"How did you find us?"

"Totally by accident."

"Accident-ay!" Chris added, making them laugh even more.

The Russian spoke in Russian to the doctor before he grabbed a tool. "What is that shiny, little toy?" Steve asked.

"Where you going with that, doc?" Robin questioned.

"That doesn't look fun," Chris pointed out and Beverly laughed since she heard the word 'fun'.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, hey! Wait! No! Wait! Wait! Whoa, whoa!" Steve started to yell when the doctor enclosed the tool around his fingernail.

"There was a code! We — We heard a code!" Beverly quickly shouted since she heard the fearfulness in Steve's voice and she didn't want him to get hurt from whatever was happening behind her.

"Code," the Russian said and the doctor paused. "What code?"

"'The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west.' Blah, blah, blah," Robin told him and the Russian narrowed his eyes.

"She's so smart," Chris said with a loving smile on his face even though Robin couldn't see it.

Robin giggled. "You broadcast that stupid spy shit all over town, and we picked it up on our Cerebro, and we cracked it in a day. A day! You think you're so smart, but a couple of kids who scoop ice cream for a living, and sell trendy clothes, cracked your code in a day, and now, people know you're here."

"Who knows we are here, suka?" the Russian questioned.

"Uh, well Dustin knows," Steve answered as he chuckled breathlessly.

"Hey, Steve?" Robin quickly said, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, Dustin Henderson, he knows," Steve continued.

"Oh, let's not say that," Beverly told him.

"Steve!" Robin exclaimed at the same time, groaning.

"Dustin Henderson," the Russian repeated slowly. "It is your small, curly-haired friend?"

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

"I think you're forgetting shithead in that description," Chris reminded him with a small laugh since none of them were entirely grasping the fact that what they were saying was bad.

"Where is he?" the Russian questioned.

"Oh, he's long gone, you big asshole," Steve told him and Beverly snorted. "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." They all snickered at his words, practically mocking the Russian.

The Russian leaned forward towards Steve menacingly. "Is that so?" he drawled.

"Uh, yeah." They continued laughing until alarms started to blare all around them, making the Russian's eyes widen. Steve shrugged smugly, lifting his eyebrows.

"Ha! That's probably them now!" Chris pointed out and the Russians stormed out, leaving the doctor with them to keep an eye on them.

"I love Hopper. He's such a good chief of police. Like, so, so good. Like, amazing," Beverly rambled, nodding her head. "But he can be a bit grumpy."

"Grumpy! Ha! That's a funny word! Grum-py," Steve said and they chuckled obnoxiously. "Groom-pie."

"Hey, that should be a new Scoops flavor: Groom-pie. It — it can have like O-Oreo flavored ice cream to represent a groom on his wedding day and then — and then, like, pie," Chris came up with, parting his mouth at his idea.

"Chris, you're a genius!" Robin exclaimed.

He laughed, "I know. I know."

Then, all of a sudden, Alicia, Dustin and Erica bursted through the door. Alicia was holding some kind of weapon in her hand that zapped the doctor, making him pass out on the floor.

"Nice!" Dustin cheered and Alicia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, proud of herself.

They all stared at the unconscious doctor in shock before the drugged four began to breathlessly laugh. "Hey! Henderson! That's crazy, I was just talking about you," Steve told him as Dustin worked to free them.

"Oh, my God!" Robin breathed out in awe.

"Dustin!" Beverly said happily, a huge smile on her face. "Alicia! Erica!"

"Get ready to run," Dustin told them.