𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 [𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣]

[All Hands on Deck]

The back room of Scoops Ahoy felt almost too small for Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Cherry—the four huddled together around a cluttered table, far from the prying eyes of the mall's shoppers. Dustin leaned forward, pointing to the hastily drawn map spread out in front of them. "That keycard," he began, his voice serious, "Opens that door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun." Cherry, sitting close to Steve, grimaced at the mention of the weapon. The thought of armed guards patrolling beneath the seemingly harmless mall made her shiver.

"Whatever's in that room," Dustin continued, his expression grave, "whatever's in those boxes..." "They really don't want anybody finding it," Steve finished, his tone heavy with understanding. "But there's gotta be a way in," Robin added, eyes scanning the map for a weak point. Steve suddenly sat up, a half-formed plan already taking shape in his mind. "Well, you know... I could just take him out." Cherry's eyes widened, her disbelief clear as she muttered, "Oh God." "Take who out?" Dustin asked, his eyebrows shooting up.

Steve crossed his arms, leaning back with a casual air. "You know, the Russian guard." Cherry sighed, "Steve..." The others exchanged a look. "What?" Steve defended. "I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." Dustin shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" "Yeah, let's not," Cherry quickly interjected, while Steve rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dustin, I did hear that. And that's why I would be sneaking." Dustin leaned forward, skepticism written all over his face. "Ah. Well, please, tell me this, and be honest—have you ever actually... won a fight?"

Recalling the time Billy nearly killed Steve, Cherry pursed her lips while Steve bristled, clearly not expecting the question. "Okay, that was one time—" "Twice," Dustin corrected, cutting him off. "Jonathan. Year prior?" Cherry looked at Steve, curiosity piqued. "Jonathan?" Steve waved it off, clearly annoyed. "Listen, that doesn't count." "Why wouldn't it?" Dustin pressed, not letting it go. "Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Steve's face twisted in irritation as Dustin continued, "You got a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood... things that all added up..."

Steve's annoyance was still evident, but before he could retort, Robin stepped forward, breaking the tension with her sudden movement. "That just might work," she muttered to herself, as she began rummaging through her bag. "Robin," Steve called, trying to get her attention. "Hey, Robin! What-- what are you doing?" "I need cash," she said nonchalantly, continuing her search. Everyone turned to Cherry, who rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Why is it always me?" she grumbled, pulling out her wallet and sifting through it until she found a few dollar bills. "Thank you," Robin said, snatching the money with a quick smile.

"Where're you going?" Steve asked, confusion still written on his face. "To find a way into that room," Robin replied, pointing at Steve. "A safe way." "And, in the meantime, sling some ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up. I'll be back in a jiff." Dustin chuckled, clearly amused by the whole situation. He reached for Steve's scooper, but Steve swatted his hand away. "Oh, dude. Come on, man, not my scooper," Steve groaned, shaking his head as Dustin continued to grin. As the laughter faded, Cherry, still leaning against the table, turned to Steve with a raised brow.