𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫

51. The Sauna Test

July 2, 1985

Erica held a flashlight in front of her as she looked down the vent. She climbs down from the ladder and turns towards the group in front of her. "Yeah, I don't know."

"You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asked her.

Erica looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, I know I can fit, but I don't know if I want to." She crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Well, are you claustrophobic then?" Robin questions as she leans back against the counter.

Erica slightly scuffs and shakes her head. "Please, I don't have any phobias." Steve sighs and asked her what the problem was then. "The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica!" The four of them let out a heavy breath, then look at each other with a knowing look.

Steve pushes a huge sundae in front of Lucas' little sister. The majority of the table was covered in many different ice creams. Erica, however, pushes the sundae back towards Steve asking for more fudge. Steve sighs and begins to roll his eyes as he gets up.

Robin stares at him for a few seconds then grabs the map of Starcourt. "Alright, Erica, you see this? Well, this is the route you'll be taking. Then all we have to do is wait for the last delivery tonight. You knock out the grate, jump down, then open the door."

"Then you find out what's inside of those boxes." Erica says with her head slightly tilted to the side. "And you guys say this guy is armed right?"

"Well yes, but he won't be there." Dustin explains, not sounding hundred percent convinced.

"And what about booby traps?" Robin looks at her with raised eyebrows. "Yeah like lasers, spikes in the wall." Robin and Eddie slightly smirk. "You know what this half-fake plan sounds like to me? Child endangerment."

"Look, we'll be in contact with you the whole time." Eddie says, trying to reassure her. Eric ignores him and just repeats herself, but louder.

"Erica, we think these Russians, want to harm our country. I mean, great harm. Don't you love your country?" Dustin asks her.

"Well, you can't spell America, without Erica." Erica grabs onto her smoothie and begins to drink it, leaving Dustin to look at her in bewilderment.

"Uh, yeah, oddly, that's actually true. So, then don't do this for us, do it for your country. Do it for your fellow man, for America, Erica."

Erica stops drinking her smoothie and sets it back onto the table, a smile spreading onto her face. "Wow, well, I just got the chills. Oh yeah, from the drink, not your speech. Do you know what I love most about this country? Capitalism, do you know what capitalism is? It means, this is a free market system, which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. This seems to me that my ability to fit into the vent is very, very, valuable to you all. So, you want my help, this USS butterscotch better be the first of many. I'm talking free ice cream, for life!"

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Joyce and Hopper walked quickly towards the mayor's assistant's desk. Hopper ignores her and walks into Mayor Larry Kline's office. Joyce turns towards her saying she needs to sit down.