the unknown | steve harrington

chapter nine: do you copy?

"Are you kidding me?!" Daphne shouted above the squeals of pain outside the trailer, the bullets flying and the shaking of the small space they have.

Steve was unknowingly sat next to Nancy, both of them ducking at the sounds of the bullets hitting the trailer, and Daphne noticed the close proximity feeling her jaw grit in anger. But Steve had noticed how Daphne was sat close to Billy, both of them flinching in towards the other, as if they were looking for safety in one another. And he could feel his chest rage with a fire as he watched and jealousy took over.

"El needed the CIA distracted and we needed these things killed!" Dustin shouted back, army crawling his way between the group and towards a very badly cut out hole in the bottom of the trailer covered by a sofa and metal board over it.

Steve stood himself up as the bullets died down, helping Dustin push it away and lift up the hatch where a grinning Lucas popped his head through.

"You can say we're awesome, that's cool," He shrugged as he pushed his sister through the hole and then pulled himself through.

"Yo, is that Daphne? And Eddie? And— ain't you dead?" Erica's shrill voice questions the three sat staring at her as she crawls to her own spot.

"Can't get rid of us, apparently," Daphne grins, Erica slowly grinning in response.

"Yeah, and it's rise of the dead, apparently," she comments, Billy rolling his eyes.

"Hey, dudes," A male with long dark hair grins as he also climbs in, Dustin and Steve once again closing the hatch.

"Did you, did you guys find Barb?" Nancy's voice was quiet, the first time she spoke to really made any movement since Daphne entered the trailer. Daphne didn't want to look at her. She felt betrayed by her too.

"Barb?" Billy knitted his brows at the sound of the unfamiliar name.

"No, no we didn't." Daphne responded, scratching the back of her arm.

Nancy felt her chest swell as the confirmation, nodding as she ducked her head down and glanced towards the floor.

"Uh, I don't know about you guys, but I feel some serious tension right now." Argyle pointed out, sitting back and glancing around the unfamiliar group.

"How long until we can leave?" Daphne asked, her head resting on the wall behind her as she crossed her legs.

"Until we get the all clear from Mike." Dustin presented the walkie talkie in front of him. And everyone lulled into a silence. There was still the guns and shouting around them, but they were more into the distance now, so they had hoped whoever Lucas, Erica and Argyle led to them, had done their job in killing and distracting.

"So we're just trapped here?" Billy sighed irritatedly, his eyes narrowing to Daphne, "We could just get out of here,"

"Oh yeah, where to, Hargrove?" Steve muttered as his jaw remained tight, glancing between the two and Daphne shook her head as she stared up at the closed up gate at the top of the trailer.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Harrington," Billy taunted with a grin. Billy knew exactly what he was doing, getting a rise out of him, and Steve just shook his head as he turned in the opposite direction.

"Alright, alright, the party may have grown but no one's going anywhere, alright? We stick to the plan, and we wait for Mike to tell us what's happening, and— and we go home." Dustin reasoned, the group knowing he was right and that they had to remain there all squished up.

—

It felt like an eternity had passed, Daphne's eyes closing as she rested her head against the wall in an attempt to avoid any further conversation with anyone. It was probably only around half an hour that had passed.