electric // mike wheeler

JOYCE: A BADASS BITCH

Chapter 15: Joyce: A badass bitch

When tee woke up, it wasn't by choice, but rather by an abrupt movement from beside her. Hop had grabbed Alexei by the handcuff and yanked him out of the car, in turn knocking Tee's shoulder making her shout in pain and grab her shoulder.

"Move it, Smirnoff," Hopper mumbled pushing the man forward before leaning into the car to check on his daughter.

"You okay?" He asks her as she calms down, she looks over at him and nods her head - even though the wound killed, she was pale and clearly covered in sweat. Hop knew she was lying, but couldn't really do much about it.

He held his hand out for her, and she smiled slightly, grabbing it with her good arm, and letting him help her get out the car, meeting with Joyce and Alexei who were waiting for them.

"I thought you said this guy was a journalist," Joyce said looking at the building in front of them, which looked more like a hideout for the homeless.

"Yeah, he, uh he was," Hopper says, his hand still holding onto Tee's as he helped the girl walk, his other arm was grasping the material on Alexei's back, making sure he wouldn't run.

"Was?" Joyce asked, and Hopper didn't answer as he let go of Tee to quickly ring the buzzer, making a loud noise that made Tee's ears ring.

"Look at the camera," a voice then cut through the silence after the buzzer, making the three Americans jump slightly and share looks. Alexei didn't understand what had been said, so opted for staring straight ahead.

Tee walked closer to the buzzer, bending to stare at it.

"The camera, above you to the right," the voice said again, making Tee jump back into Hopper. The two adults looked up to the right, making Tee and Alexei copy them.

"Identify yourselves."

"Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Molly Hopper, Smirnoff." Jim said to the camera, deciding to say molly instead of twelve to avoid questions.

Tee pushed on him slightly, only liking it when Mike said her birth name. Hopper had tried calling her it since he found her, but every time he said it she would have a tantrum like a five year old.

"Twelve Hopper!" She said looking up at the camera, "a-and it's Alexei, not Smirnoff."

"Surname?" The man behind the camera asked, talking about Alexei.

"I don't know," Hopper said with a shrug.

"Family name!" The voice clarified.

"Yeah, I know. I told you, I don't know, okay? Open the damn door!" Hopper yelled, beginning to lose his patience.

"Hopper," Joyce muttered.

"It's all right," Hopper said to them, his voice quieter now, "Don't worry. He's a little bit eccentric, but he's completely harmless."

With that, the door opened, and a man with a long beard, square glasses, an old white tank top and overworn shorts was stood there... with a shotgun pointed at Alexei.

The gun cocked on his arrival, making Tee gasp and hide behind Hopper, who put his arm out in front of her protectively.

"Name," Murray said to Alexei.

"Get that out of my face, you bald American pig." Alexei said in Russian, assuming no one there would understand him. Tee understood the word 'bald' but apart from that was clueless.

"I may be bald, but you're the one in handcuffs, Soviet scum." Murray replied in perfect Russian, shocking Alexei. There was a moment of silence.

"They both s-said the word bald but apart from that I've got n-no idea," Tee whispered even though all of them could hear. Murray stared at the girl half hidden behind Jim, before up at the chief.

"Hi Jim."

-

Upon entering the door, they were stopped in the hall instantly by Murray, telling them to wait as he went over to a cupboard. He grabbed a machine that beeped and whirred, making Tee hold onto Hoppers hand with wide eyes. She knew it wasn't, but it sounded like a machine they had back at the lab all those years ago - the noise still haunting her to the day.

Murray returned to the four and pointed the machine at Alexei, the metal detector being a little too close for comfort as it went all over the Russian man, him making noises of protest when it went over his private area.

"How long is this gonna take, because I-" Hopper began to ask Murray, noticing Tee's uneasiness towards the object, and how she acted when she was afraid of something due to memories.

"No!" Murray interrupted him.

"No?"

"No. You do not get to question me," Murray says, pointing his metal detector at Jim, making it beep. Tee let go of Hopper's hand, backing up to Alexei as she stared at the machine with wide eyes. She hated it, "You have dragged an enemy of the state into my home as carelessly as a child-" he pointed at Tee for emphasis, "drags in shit on her shoe. I will search him until I am satisfied."

"Jim. C'mere," Joyce pulls Jim away, leaving Alexei and Tee with Murray.

Murray went back to checking Alexei as Tee stood next to him.

"Is this really necessary?" Tee asks Murray as he continues on his hunt.

"You never know what pieces of scum like him are hiding," he says to her.

"Alexei isn't s-scum, he's nice!" Tee says to him

"That's what he wants you to think," Murray mumbles before looking over to Hopper and Joyce, "Excuse me! Do me a favor and move your lovers' quarrel elsewhere."

"Oh, oh, this?" Hopper began.

"No, no, no," Joyce spoke over him.

"Not a lovers' quarrel, pal," hopper continued.

"Spare me!" Murray yelled, dramatically.

"What is your p-puh-problem?" Tee began on the man, he'd been nothing but rude since they'd arrived.

"Please, stop talking!" Murray yells back at the young girl.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Joyce yells at Murray as she walks up to him angrily, "We have had a very long day. She got shot, I've nearly been blown up, we've walked God knows how many miles in a hundred degree heat, stole a car, all while being chased by this gigantic psychopath, all so we could bring him to you. Because somehow, you're the closest person who speaks Russian, which I can't believe. But that doesn't matter because, unfortunately, we're here. So, if you don't mind, put that thing away, stop behaving like a jackass, and ask him what he's doing that's making my magnets fall off my damn fridge! "

"Yes Joyce!" Tee cheers under her breath, earning a pleased smirk from the woman.