Jailbird || Stranger Things

fifty-five ➵ terms of survival

"Code red, I repeat, code red."

"I'll check on him," Steve sighed, pushing himself away from the wall beside Teresa, who gave him a small nod, though her attention was fully on her sketchbook, trying to make sense of the new image that she felt the need to draw.

With a last look back at her, Steve climbed his way up to the top of the elevator.

"Does anyone copy? We are innocent children and we are trapped under Starcourt Mall. The Red Army has infiltrated Hawkins, and if we are found, they will torture and kill us."

"Hey!" Steve's head popped up, pulling his way onto the top as Dustin stopped pacing and instead turned back to him. "Gotta take it easy on that thing. Gonna drain the battery," he said before he managed to pull himself up with a grunt.

"The mall just opened."

"So?" he asked.

"So someone could be in range," Dustin replied with the same tone.

"What do you think, Petey the Mall Cop is gonna rappel down here and save the day?" Steve shot him a look.

"All right, why are you such a cranky pants after getting to spend the night with Reese and Robin?"

"Shh!" Steve immediately waved a hand at the boy, who still seemed completely oblivious to the older boy's affections. "Jesus Christ, will you just give up on your creepy dream already?"

"I heard you and Reese talking all night," Dustin watched him with raised eyebrows.

"We were—We were just talking."

"Huh. And Robin?"

"We were trying to figure out a way to open up the door while you children were sleeping," Steve rolled his eyes. "After eight hours, we're still exactly nowhere, which is, you know, probably just a little bit of the reason why I'm feeling just a tad cranky," he stepped to the edge of the elevator, turned away from Dustin, and unzipped his shorts.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a leak," Steve replied, glancing over his shoulder, "Look away. Look away!"

Steve's voice echoed in the tunnel, drifting into the room as Reese finally looked up, scoffing at the sight. At the sound, Robin followed her eyeliner and rolled her eyes, "Can you redirect your stream, please?" she raised her voice a little to reach the boys, both girl once again letting out a groan as they watched the trail turn to the covered side of the elevator.

Meanwhile, Erica, now having gotten her hands on the canister they'd put away, was hitting it against one of the barrels around.

"Hey, hey!" Reese put her book aside, immediately reaching to take the canister she secretly suspected was some battery and potentially acidic from the little girl's hands. "Be careful!"

"Careful, careful!" Robin rushed to her side. "We don't even know what that is."

"Exactly," Erica replied immediately, "It could be useful."

"Useful how?" Teresa scoffed.

"We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die."

"Erica, I hate to break it to ya, but this is not water," Reese lifted the canister while Robin pointed to the glowing green substance.

"No, but it's a liquid, and if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying of thirst, I drink."