Hell on Earth

Chapter Twenty Two - Meeting MADMAX

"Does everyone understand the plan?" Dustin asked.

"I understood it the first two times you explained it," Steve said. "We're good."

"Don't be so mean, Steve," Cynthia teased. "It's not everyday you accidently release a baby demogorgon into the world."

"Why..." Dustin started to insult her. He was cut off by the sound of his walkie-talkie.

"Dustin!" Lucas's voice came from the radio. "This is Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?"

Dustin picked up the radio, "Well, well, well, look who it is."

"Not the time, Dustin," Cynthia scolded under her breath.

"Sorry, man," Lucas apologized. "My stupid sister turned it off."

"Well, while you were having sister problems, Dart grew again," Dustin explained. "He escaped, and I'm pretty sure he's a baby demogorgon."

"Wait, what?" Lucas asked.

"I'll explain later," Dustin told him. "Meet me, Cynthia, and Steve at the old junkyard?"

"Steve?" Lucas sounded confused.

"And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket," Dustin added.

"Steve Harrington?" Lucas asked.

"Just be there," Dustin told him. "Over and out."

Cynthia looked at the boys, "Let's get started."

Steve drove them all out to the old railroad tracks. It was in the direction where Dart tunneled, and it was a start. When they parked, Steve opened the trunk. He put on a backpack while Cynthia strapped her machete to her belt. Dustin handed them gloves, so they didn't get salmonella from the raw chicken. The group got their bearings and started to walk in the direction of the junkyard. Everyone threw chicken on the tracks every couple of steps. Cynthia hoped that Dart didn't get into any more cats.

"I need a better explanation of why this things was allowed to live?" Steve asked. "Because I have no idea what is happening right now. I am walking in the woods, trying to bait this thing with the Henderson siblings. Please tell me what is happening."

"I'm with Steve on this," Cynthia looked at her brother. "I forgave the half-assed answer because Mews just became Dart's midnight snack, but I want a better answer. So, tell us everything, and don't leave a single detail out."

"It was for a girl," Dustin sighed. "There's this new girl at school named Max, and she's from California and really, really cool. Lucas likes her too, and I just wanted to impress her. I thought if I showed her this new thing, she would want to go out some time. So, I kept Dart despite what everyone said. Now we're here."

Steve took a moment to digest that before responding, "All right, so let me get this straight: you kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who you just met?"

"All right, that's grossly oversimplifying things," Dustin tried to defend himself.

"It's really not," Cynthia said. "Steve sounds like he has a pretty good handle on the situation."

"Thank you, Cynthia," Steve looked across Dustin at her. "I mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug anyway?"

"An interdimensional slug," Dustin corrected. "Because it's awesome."

"Oh, Dustin," Cynthia said. "I have failed as an older sister if you think slugs are romantic."

"Well, even if she thought it was cool, which she didn't, I... I just," Steve tried to offer Dustin some advice. "I don't know. I just feel like you're trying too hard."