Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

37 : Return to Oz

Mirkwood was quiet, the dirt road stretching out in both directions. Trees that reached for the cloudless sky bordered the road and a sticky breeze whistled through the forest. Prue was leaning against her car, fanning herself with her hands as she watched for oncoming traffic, not that there was any. It was dead on the makeshift road and an eeriness drifted around, drifted on the summer wind. Grey was kneeling in the dirt, hunched over a black duffle bag, triple checking they had everything for Mission Strange: The Land of Oz.

"Plenty of rope, Mum's battery-powered Christmas lights, water, sunscreen, granola bars, beef jerky," he listed off, "nails, Walkie-talkies, Swiss Army Knife... wait, where's the knife?" Grey looked up towards his older sister, panic flashing in his eyes.

Prue tapped the pocket of her jean shorts. "I've already got it." The versatile weapon weighted down her pocket but she felt better for having it; it had saved her life over six months ago.

Grey sighed in relief, returning to his task at hand. "Good. Patrick's bringing a car battery and jumper cables. First Aid Kit, you know just in case," he continued, shuffling around the supplies, his cast making the task rather tricky but Alpha Star rallied on. He checked off flashlights and a cardigan for Prue because Will had said the Upside Down was cold. A rumbling engine moved on the breeze and both Owens siblings turned to the approaching car.

"Here we go," Prue mumbled under her breath, adrenaline and anticipation pumping through her blood.

Patrick swung his car over, parking behind Prue. He was still wearing his lifeguarding uniform but he had changed into a pair of sneakers, worn thin from hours of shooting hoops. "Howdy, partners!" he greeted the Owens siblings as he rounded his car, popping the boot.

"Does he think we're playing cowboys and Indians? Is that what you told him?" Grey whispered to Prue, disdain low in his voice.

"No," she replied quickly as Patrick hauled out the car battery and the jumper cables. "I didn't really give him an explanation."

"So, what do you need all this for?" he asked, noticing the duffle bag stuffed full and the binoculars hooked around Grey's neck, his smile broad and freckles vibrant.

The siblings shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them. "A science experiment," Prue improvised.

Patrick nodded, his smile reaching his eyes. "Cool. Science is neat."

"Okay. Form here on out, we use codenames," Grey informed the teenage boy as a bead of sweat leaked down between Prue's shoulder blades. They were going to get roasted hiking through the forest.

"Codenames?" he quipped out, wide eyes sweeping to Prue, who nodded reluctantly, wrapping the jumper cables around her shoulders as Patrick heaved up the duffle bag. Grey had wedged the car battery under one arm, a compass in his free hand.

"Yes. I'm Alpha Star. Prue's Tiger Cheer and you're... Sunburnt Cowboy." Grey was dead serious and Prue had to bite her lip to trap the bubble of laughter on her tongue.

A hot minute ticked by as Patrick absorbed this information, and Prue hoped he would just roll with it, and he did roll with it completely. "Message received loud and clear, Alpha Star. This is Sunburnt Cowboy reporting for duty," he said with so much pride and conviction.

Grey didn't even try to hide his smile. "Excellent. We are entering Mirkwood forest on the left and the sun is due to set in negative one hundred and eighty minutes," he commanded, leading the three agents into the forest.

"Let's get a move on then," she agreed, her date with Billy sitting heavy on her mind. She couldn't be late, she wouldn't be late.

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