Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[45] Walk The Line

{The Flayed, Part II/E Pluribus Unum, Part I}

They'd been walking for about an hour and hadn't run into anyone.

Anytime Alice thought they were nearing the end, the hallway continued to stretch further and further in front of them.

"I feel like we're in the twilight zone," she said. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled for little demons on the wings of planes."

"You have to admit," Dustin said, "as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive."

Steve's eyes bulged out of his head.

"What are you talking about?!" he said, gesturing around the empty, long hallway. "It's a total fire hazard. There's no stairs, there's no exit, there's just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell."

"They're Commies," Erica said with a shrug. "You don't pay people, they cut corners."

"To be fair to our Russian comrades," Robin said, "I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking. They developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo. It all comes into the mall like any old delivery."

"How long did it take them to build this?" Willie asked, seeming impressed despite the situation. "And how long have there been Russians in Hawkins?"

"I have no idea," Alice said with a shudder, "and I don't know if I want to find out."

Steve frowned, scratching the back of his head.

"Do you think they built this whole mall so they could transport that green poison?" he asked, eyes flicking back to the way they came.

"I doubt it's anything as boring as poison," Dustin said. "It's got to be much more valuable, like promethium or something."

"Promethium?" Alice asked. "Isn't that what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components?"

"Ugh!" Erica said, gagging. "You're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill."

Alice and Dustin ignored the jab, used to being teased for their love of comics. Steve instantly became defensive and said, "No, no, no, don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, all right?"

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Why so sensitive, Harrington?" she asked.

"Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?" Willie added with a snort.

"No," Steve said, voice an octave higher than normal. "I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus."

"Promethium," Alice and Dustin corrected.

"Prometheus is the Greek guy who brought fire to humanity," Alice corrected.

She jumped about a foot in the air when she heard Clive the Cottontail say, "Ha! Well, Miss Heatstroke, that's a little bit funny, innit?"

Alice glanced back and resisted the urge to groan. Clive stood a few feet behind her and her friends, balancing on his back legs. His front legs almost looked crossed like arms.