Downside Up [W.Byers]

051

Dustin, Erica, And Ruby run out quickly, barging into the bathroom, where loud laughing is heard. "Okay. What the hell?" Dustin says sternly. The two of them break out into laughter.

"Come on. Everyone's leaving the theatre." Ruby says as she glances outside the door. "Okay. Blend." Dustin instructs, slowly mixing in with the crowd.

"Well, shit, that worked." Erica smiles. "Course it worked. Now we just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come." Dustin nods.

"Uh, dustin?" Steve speaks up. "What?" He asks. "Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house."

"What did you do now, Steve." Ruby rolls her eyes. "Well, I might have told them your full name." He says, looking to Dustin. "What is wrong with you?" Dustin whispers.

"Dude, I was drugged."

"So? Your resist. You tough it out. You tough it out like a man." Dustin replies. "Oh, yeah, It's easy for you to say." Steve argues. "Guys?" Robin stops Dustin, placing a hand on his shoulder.

They fearfully glance at the Russian man ahead of them, dismissing another young woman. "Abort." Dustin mutters. The Russian turns to them, catching their eyes.

"Abort. Abort!"

They run in the opposite direction, then slide down the middle of the escalators. "Holy shit!" Dustin screams. "Ruby, Ruby faster!"

"I'm trying!"

He sighs, reaching back and pulling her along with him. He pulls her behind a counter with the others. They sit down against the counter, panting. Dustin quickly reaches for Ruby's hand, causing her to wince. "Sorry." He whispers.

She sighs, holding his hand in fear. Loud footsteps are heard approaching. Ruby shuts her eyes closed in fear. "I can light a fire. I don't need my hands." She says quietly.

"Rube, you're too exhausted." Dustin shakes his head. Suddenly, a car alarm blares, startling them. The footsteps stop, quickly spinning around towards the noise.

The Russians look up, finding a group of kids, and one girl in the center, hand out and nosebleed. Eleven shoots the car at them, causing Ruby, Dustin, Erica, Robin, and Steve to poke their heads up.

Ruby quickly looks down at the dead Russians on the ground and the completely wrecked car on the side.

She glances up, her eyes meeting will's. "Will." She says quietly, a tear rolling down her face.

Will looks down at the beaten up girl, a sad smile spreading across his lips. "Ruby." He whispers. They run out, meeting with the others.

"You flung that thing like a hot wheel!" Dustin exclaims, engulfing el and mike in a hug.

"Lucas?" Erica asks. "What are you doing here?" He questions. "Ask them. It's their fault." She sasses. "True, Yeah. Totally true. It's absolutely our fault." Steve nods. "I don't understand what happened to that car." Robin speaks up.

"El has superpowers. Like Ruby." Dustin explains. "I'm sorry?" Robin asks. "Superpowers. She threw it with her mind. C'mon, catch up." Steve says. "That's el?" Erica questions?

"Who's El?" Robin looks around in confusion. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Nancy cuts in. "I'm Robin. I work with Steve."

"She cracked the top secret code." Dustin adds. "Yeah, which is how we found out about the Russians in the first place." Ruby states. "Russians? Wait, what Russians?" Johnathan asks in confusion.

"The Russians!" Steve shouts. "Those were Russians?" Max widens her eyes. "Some of them." Erica nods. "What are you talking  about?" Lucas asks. "Didn't you hear our code red?" Ruby says.

"Yeah. And I couldn't understand what you were saying." Mike responds. "Goddamn low battery." Dustin yells. "How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?" Steve shouts.

"Well, everything worked out, didn't it, Steve."

"Worked out? We almost died." Erica argues. "Yeah, but we didn't, did we?"

"It was pretty damn close." Steve states. Ruby sighs, staying back. She's not so sûre how to react with Will being there. She stands behind Dustin, awkwardly glancing at him every now and then.

"Okay, Russians. As in, they're working for the Russian government?" Lucas asks. "What is it that you're not comprehending?" Dustin says in frustration. "Am I not speaking English?"

"We have a full blown Red Dawn situation."

"So this has nothing to do with the gate?" Max cuts in. "It has everything to do with the gate..." Dustin trails off, noticing that eleven has collapsed onto the ground.

"El! El!" Mike shouts as they all run over to the girl. Ruby crouches down, not realizing that Will had crouched down beside her. "What's wrong? What's wrong?" Mike asks worriedly.

"My leg. My leg." She cries. They quickly remove the medical tape, revealing a nasty wound. They all exclaim in disgust. Suddenly, something inside it begins to move around. El grunts in pain.

"El! El! El, are you okay?"

"El! El!"