adella hopper was not born to the man who gave her her last name. she was born in a split family in cuba, only to be transported from her home to hawkins, not knowing what would happen to her because of it.
she escapes the place she was taken to, k...
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the next day, after making sure joyce was able to take care of hopper, who had been beaten up by a poundland terminator, adella made her way to the mall, yet again, where she'd meet steve, robin and dustin. robin and steve were sat at the small table while dustin and adella were both standing, the older girl behind robin's chair.
dustin had been on the roof earlier in the day, watching the russians before he came back inside to explain everything to them, "that keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."
"but there's gotta be a way in." robin hummed.
steve blew on his sailor hat which he'd inverted, throwing it onto the table, "well, you know... i could just take him out."
"take who out?" robin asked as adella raised an eyebrow at steve.
"the russian guard." he replied and both women looked at one another in disbelief. "what? i sneak up behind him, i knock him out, and i take his keycard. it's easy."
"i'm taking it you missed the part about the massive gun." adella stated.
"no, adella, i didn't. and that's why i would be sneaking." steve explained.
"i told you we might die." robin mumbled up to adella who rolled her eyes with a grin.
"well, please, tell me this, and be honest, have you ever actually... won a fight?" dustin asked.
"okay, that was one time-"
"twice." adella cut steve off.
dustin gestured to her, "jonathan. year prior?"
"listen, that doesn't count." steve denied immediately.
"why wouldn't it count? because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." dustin continued and robin smiled slightly, adella smirking at steve.
"it was-"
"you got a fat lip, crooked nose, you were bleeding a lot! you can't bullshit me, i was there!" adella exclaimed.
"swollen eye, lotta blood." dustin listed as robin looked to the vent on the wall.
"that just might work." the scooper muttered and pushed herself out of her chair.
"what's going on?" adella asked as steve looked through the window towards robin who had ran to the top jar, snagging all the money from it.
"robin." steve called and went through the door when she ran to leave. "hey, robin! hey, what- what are you doing?"
"i need cash." robin shrugged, turning to look at them while still walking backwards, money in hand.
"well, half of that's mine." steve told her. "where're you going?"
"to find us a way into that room, a safe way." robin explained. "and, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up."
"last one is gonna be hard for you." adella told steve who scoffed.
"she's right! i'll be back in a jiff!" robin finished and ran out of the mall.
steve looked to dustin who was licking ice cream off his scooper, "oh, dude. come on, man, not my scooper."
"steve, wash it!" adella yelled when he flipped it onto his waist.
"okay, alright! don't yell!" steve shouted as he went to wash it int he backroom.
not too long later, robin was back and she had blue prints which she lay across the small table, "it is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the county recorder's office. starcourt mall. the complete blueprints."
"not bad." dustin smiled.
"so, this is us, scoops," she pointed at the blueprints, "and this is where we want to get."
"i mean, i don't really see a way in." steve muttered.
"there's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors." robin said as she pulled off the first sheet, revealing a second.
"air ducts." adella hummed.
robin grinned at her and made her way towards the board where she grabbed a pen, "exactly. turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. and these air ducts lead all the way..." she drew the path they needed to take on the sheet, "here."
the group turned to look at the vent on the wall. adella grabbed a screwdriver and steve stood on a stool, taking the tool from her. once he'd took off the grate to it, he looked down to dustin, "flashlight. thank you. yeah, i don't know, man. i don't know if you can fit in here. it's, like... super tight."
"i'll fit." dustin disagreed as steve started to get off the ladder. "trust me. no collar bones, remember?"
"uh, excuse me?" robin asked.
"oh, he's, uh... yeah, he's got some disease. chry, uh... it's chrydo, um... something. yeah, i dunno. he's missing bones and stuff. he can bend like gumbo." steve explained.
"you mean gumby." robin corrected.
"i'm pretty sure it's gumbo." steve chuckled.
"gumbo is food. it's a meal." adella explained.
"how would you know? all you eat is pop tarts-"
"steve, just shut up and push me!" dustin called, his head and torso in the vent.
"okay." steve agreed and climbed up a few steps of the ladder. "i'll push ya." he started pushing dustin by his feet.
"not my feet, dumbass. push my ass." dustin ordered.
"what?" steve questioned.
"touch my butt! i don't care!" dustin yelled. "come on! harder!"
"i'm pushing!" steve shouted.
"push harder!" dustin screamed, his voice turning high-pitched. "you're playing with my legs."
"i'm not playing, i have terrible footing." steve retorted.
"come on!" dustin shrieked.
"i'm gonna just shove you, ready?"
"just shove me?"
"one, two..." steve shoved him and he didn't move.
"shit." dustin swore.
"that work?" steve asked stupidly.
"one more time."
"they're hopeless." adella sighed, leaning on the counter next to robin. "you were right. we're gonna die or become snow-shovelling slaves."
"just so you know, i won't be sharing a blanket." robin joked making adella smile before an irritating ringing of the till bell sounded.
"ahoy, sailors! all hands on deck! ahoy! come on." erica called.
robin glanced through the window, smiling when an idea popped into her mind. she looked to adella and subtly gestured with her head towards the sassy child and the cuban woman started to grin wider.
