Always Be There For You ~ Dustin Henderson x Reader

Chapter 22: The Sauna Test

 Ozerov opened the door to my room and strode over to me. I quickly scrambled to hide the drawings of my friends, but it was too late. He looked at me quizzically before snatching the drawing of Dustin.

"Your boyfriend," Ozerov stated. I looked at him in shock.

"How do you know that he's..." I trailed off.

"The same way we knew you were going to summer camp," Ozerov answered, "We were watching you." A million thoughts raced through my mind. How did he recognize that drawing as Dustin, but not know his name? When I said "Dusty", Ozerov asked me who that was. I deduced that he must not have had audio surveillance, just visual.

Tears began to well up in my eyes as Ozerov grabbed the drawing of my friends. I thought he wasn't going to let me keep them, that he was going to strip away what little I had left of my outside life. Ozerov glanced at me, then back at the drawing with a smirk.

"You can keep them," He decided, "As long as you hold up your end of our deal."

~3rd Person~

"It's fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's office," Robin remarked, slamming some blueprints onto a table in the back rooms of Scoops Ahoy, "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."

"Not bad," Dustin stated.

"Now this is us, Scoops," Robin pointed at the map, "And this is where we want to get." She pointed at the space allotted for the storage room. There was no entryway other than the heavily guarded main entrance.

"I mean, I don't really see a way in," Steve pointed out.

"There's not," Robin flipped the map to reveal dozens more lines drawn over the map of Starcourt Mall, "If you're talking exclusively about doors."

"Air ducts!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Exactly. Turns out this secret room needs air just like any old room. And these ducts lead all the way..." Robin traced the air duct lines with her finger, "Here." She pointed at an air duct right inside of Scoops Ahoy. They all looked to their left to see a small vent. Steve opened a cabinet in the corner of the room and grabbed a ladder.

"I can do it," Dustin stated. Steve placed the ladder by the air duct and climbed up. Robin handed him a screwdriver and he popped the metal cover off of the vent.

"Flashlight," Steve requested, prompting Dustin to hand him the object he desired, "Thank you." He shined the flashlight into the duct, revealing an incredibly tight airway.

"Yeah, I don't know man. I don't know if you can fit in here. It's like, super tight," Steve sighed. He stepped off the ladder.

"I'll fit," Dustin climbed up and looked back at Steve and Robin, "Trust me. No collar bones, remember?" Steve tossed Dustin the flashlight and he shoved his head inside the vent.

"Uh, excuse me?" Robin questioned.

"Oh, he's, uh... Yeah, got some disease. Chry uh... it's chrydo, um," Steve fumbled, "Something. I dunno. He's missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo."

"You mean Gumby," Robin corrected.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's Gumbo-"

"Steve, would you just shut up and push me!" Dustin ordered. He had his whole upper body in the vent but was struggling to get his hips through. Steve hopped up on the ladder and began to push Dustin's feet towards the vent.

"Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass," Dustin demanded.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Touch my butt! I don't care!" Dustin shouted.