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  ROBIN'S THROAT IS RAW from yelling meanwhile Paisley's head is swirling with pain. The blonde's voice has been echoing, pleading but as expected no one has come to their rescue.

    "Help!" Robin's voice echos. Everything she's trying feels absolutely useless.

     "Hey," A deep voice mumbles, "would you stop yelling?" The sound of Steve's voice perks both girl's ears up. Paisley nearly jumps but the restraints stop her of course, "Harrington! Oh, you're awake!" Paisley smiles brightly in relief.

   Robin takes a few deep breaths, "Steve.......Are—Are you okay?"

   "My ears are ringing and I can't really breathe, my eye feels like it's about to pop out of my skull, but, you know, apart from that, I'm doing pretty good," Steve manages to slur out. Neither girl can see him and Paisley doesn't remember much from the few seconds she did see him but Steve's left eye is bruised, his lip is busted open, just like that night and there's yellow bruises that litter all along his jaw.

    "Well, the good news is that they're calling you a doctor," Robin nervously chuckles. Paisley picks her up, the weight that she feels like is laying on her neck only slightly comes off, "I don't think it's a real doctor, Robbi."

    Steve sticks his tongue to his cheek, taking a look around the room they're stuck in, "Is this his place of work? I love the vibe."

   Paisley and Robin chuckle. "Charming, right? Really sets the mood," Paisley jokes. The strap around Paisley's chest is becoming all too tight. It feels like she can almost bust out of it but not enough, she's too weak but the anger inside her feels so strong.

    "Yeah, so, okay, I've actually been thinking of a plan while your heads have been throbbing," Robin starts, "Do you see that table over there to your right?"

   Steve and Paisley both look the wrong way. "No, no. Guys, your other right," Robin helps them. "Oh," The two bruised teens say. Paisley's neck cranes to look between the other two. The silver table sits not that far from them.

   "Do you see those scissors?" Robin asks and they hum in response, "Yeah, well, I think that if we move at the same time, we could get over there, and then maybe I could kick the table and knock them into your lap," Robin explains.

   "And I could cut the binds," Steve adds. Paisley strains her neck even more, her hair slightly flopping on Robin's shoulder, "And get us the hell outta here—please." Paisley wants to hold her head. The throbbing right where she was hit is traveling everywhere. The front of her head feels like it might explode as cliché as it is.

    "Yeah, okay. We can do that," Steve encourages them, "Those morons. They left scissors out here?" Steve chuckles to himself in his borderline delusional state.

    Paisley throws her head back, nearly bonking Steve and Robin into a worse concussion, "Morons!" Paisley yells. "Yeah, morons," Robin quickly agrees with a laugh, "Okay, so, on the count of three, we're gonna hop."

  Paisley thinks over the plan in her head. Hop? Like a bunny? She raises an eyebrow but on three, the teens all jump up at the same time, slowly moving towards the scissors.

    "It worked!" Paisley cheers on. "Okay, alright, let's try again," Robin nods. Just like before, on the three, they kick off the ground and inch closer to the table. Paisley squeals in excitement.

   "Holy shit. This is gonna work!" Robin shouts. "We're close, ready?" Steve asks. "Yeah, yeah! Go!" Paisley impatiently says.

   One, two, three.

  Paisley feels so close to the scissors. She can practically feel the blood circulating back to where the restraints are but then, they're all flung back. Paisley's head doesn't hit the floor but Robin and Steve aren't as lucky. 

    Steve lets out a loud groan right in Paisley's ear. The brunette girl lets out a sharp exhale, her hair flowing behind her, body in more pain than she can ever remember.

   There's a cry on Paisley's left side. Her heart drops.

  "Robin, take a deep breath," Paisley softly says. "It's okay. It's okay," Steve now comforts her as well. Steve is really trying his best here, comforting Robin, telling her not to cry a few times over. The boy's head is throbbing, just like Paisley's but he feels most responsible for what's going on. If he had just pissed off the Russians a bit more—if he had just tried harder and fought harder, he'd be the only one trapped in this underground Russian tunnel system.

   Paisley closes her eyes tightly, tears squeezing out of the corners. Giggles from Robin's mouth stops everything. Confused, Paisley shoots her eyes open. "Are you laughing?" Steve asks. Robin takes a deep breath and giggles again, "Yeah!"

   Paisley and Steve curse in relief and annoyance at Robin. "Robin.......," Paisley trails off. Her back rests on the sides of Robin and Steve, legs dangling on the sides of their legs uncomfortably. Robin's body shakes with giggles under Paisley, "I'm sorry!" She giggles some more, "I'm so sorry. It's just......I can't believe........I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve "The Hair" Harrington and Paisley Slora! It's just trippy, man!"

   Steve swallows but it feels like there's cuts on the inside of his throat as well. The reminder of his high school status makes him feel more ill. "We're not gonna die," Steve tries to reassure her.

  "Yeah, yeah. We're, uh, we're gonna get outta here. Yup. Steve, help me think of a plan," Paisley softly kicks the boy with her foot. "Just—You gotta let me just think for a second," Steve says. Paisley is stuck staring at the ceiling. The plain ceiling that is making her head spin—it's probably the blood rushing to her head though. She keeps her leg on top of Robin's as a way to just let her know that she's there even though there's nowhere else she could go.

   "Do you remember, um, Mrs. Click's sophomore history class?" Robin hesitantly asks. Paisley does. She sat diagonal to Robin. On the blonde's left, two seats away. It was a class that she didn't share with Brooke or Jonathan so Paisley mostly kept to herself, only saying things when asked but her eyes would catch Robin's sometimes and it would light hers up for a second only for her to turn away anxiously.

  Steve lifts his head on the cold floor, "What?"

   "Mrs. Clickity-Clackity. That's what us band dweebs called her. Do you remember, Paisley?" Robin turns as best as she can to look at Paisley. "Yeah, of course," Paisley says.

    A loud sigh comes from Steve. He remembers that class, he just doesn't remember Robin being in it. He was selfish and arrogant. He was everything that Brooke ever yelled at him during those days.

    "Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast. Bacon, egg and cheese on a sesame bagel. I sat behind you....two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself," Robin pauses, "Do you even remember me from that class?"

   Paisley wants to scream, DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER ME, ROBIN? But how stupid would that sound? Robin is her friend now so all those gazes Paisley would steal from her don't matter now but she wants to know.

   Steve stays silent and that's enough of an answer for Robin.

   Robin dryly chuckles, "Of course you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that?"

   "Yeah, I know," Steve says. Paisley is stuck in the middle of this. All of this is sounding like Robin likes Steve. Jealousy tingles all over Paisley but she shouldn't feel this way, right? Robin was never hers to be jealous over.

   "But it didn't even matter. It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still.....obsessed with you. Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still just wanna be popular..........accepted, normal," Robin explains.

    Paisley understands her a bit. She has always been—popular. People know who Paisley Slora and Brooke Martel are. Whether it be for the right reasons or the wrong reasons, when Paisley walks around Hawkins High, people know her but that doesn't mean she is accepted. Sometimes she doesn't even accept herself.

   "If it makes you feel any better, having those things isn't all that great. Seriously," Steve sighs, "It just baffles me. Everything that people tell you is important, everything that people say you should care about, it's all just......bullshit," Steve says, "But I guess you gotta mess up to figure things out, right?"

   Paisley wiggles a bit, still trying her best to get out of the restraints, "Being popular sucks. That sounds so tone deaf and I'm sorry but.....I just feel like everyone is watching me all the time. Brooke doesn't care, that's why her being....popular, I guess, doesn't matter to her. More like her reputation but God, does it bother me," Paisley throws her head back, her hair touching Steve's.

   Robin's chains slide down her neck as she begins to speak softly, "I feel like my whole life has been......one big error." Paisley and Steve both chuckle, feeling the exact same. "Yep," Steve agrees. "Oh, yeah. I feel out of place...all the time," Paisley swallows. The real reason she feels out of place hidden behind her dry tongue and words.

    "At least it can't get any more messed up than this," Robin giggles. It can get worse and it will be worse, Paisley thinks but she keeps her negative thoughts to herself. "You know, I wish I'd known you in Click's class. I knew Paisley but only from her cursing at me," Steve smiles, thinking how much easier his life would've been if he had real friends for a majority of his life.

    "Yeah?" Robin says. Paisley is still frowning at what Steve said as the two continue. "Really, I do. I wish I really knew the both of you. Maybe you could've helped me pass the class. Maybe instead of being here, I'd be on my way to college right now," Steve kindly says. A faint smile is on Paisley's face, wondering what could've been if she had never hated Steve. If he had real friends and not ones that were convenient for him his whole life.

  Convenient. If he can even consider it that. Torture more like.

   "And I would have no idea that there were evil Russians beneath our feet, and I would be happily slinging ice cream with some other schmuck," Robin says. "Am I the other schmuck?" Paisley quietly asks.

   Robin takes a deep breath, "Would you have stayed with me instead of following Steve and Dustin?" Paisley's breath hitches in her throat. Would she? Steve is easily one of Paisley's best friends and with everything they knew beforehand, she assumed it was all connected. So, would she have still followed Steve and Dustin without Robin getting involved?

    "Yes," Steve says, "She would've." He can't see it but Paisley smiles and nods in agreement, "Yeah, I would've stayed with you, Robin."

   "Then I would be.....really happy slinging ice cream with you," Robin says basically into the tiled floor.

   "I gotta say though. I liked being your schmuck," Steve jokes, "And I liked being your jackass, Paisley. It was fun while it lasted." Negative things. Everything in the past tense. "Don't say it like that.....," Paisley whispers but she has no idea if it's heard over the buzzer of the door.

   The door opens and the guards are back and standing menacingly over them. "Ha! Where were you three going?" The guard sarcastically asks. More guards grab Paisley and the other two, fixing the chairs they're stuck to. Paisley's feet kick and slide across the floor, a wave of dizziness hitting her. The blood has rushed back to her head all too quickly.

   The leader of the Russian guards crouches down in front of Steve, "Why don't you tell us the truth, yeah? It will make your visit with Dr. Zharkov less painful." The man is petting the side of Steve's face from what Paisley can see out of the corner of her eye. Steve winces when the man grabs at his chin and then chuckles.

     The doctor strides over and Paisley and Steve start to panic. There's a blue liquid in a big needle. Two things that Paisley is completely scared about. "Hey, hey! What is that shit?" She yells. "Okay! Wait, wait, wait! What is that thing?" Steve also yells.

   Paisley shakes in her seat, groaning in her restraints. "It will help you talk," The doctor says. He grabs at Steve's hair, exposing his neck. "Did you even clean that thing?!" Steve yells.

   "Hey! Stop! Stop it!" Paisley yells loudly. The scream Steve lets out makes the room fall silent. Paisley's mouth shuts and then when Steve's head falls, she starts to kick and scream again. "Keep that away from her! Stop!" Robin strains her neck as the doctor walks over to Paisley next.

   Dirtied sneakers kick at the doctor's legs but Paisley is quickly held down by other guards. Their hands claw at her skin as her hair is moved to expose her neck. "You creepers! No, no!" Paisley cries out but the needle enters her neck. There's a sensation that Paisley doesn't recognize. It's nothing like weed or shrooms or anything she would be able to fight. It hits her immediately no matter how hard she tries to keep her eyes open. The last thing Paisley hears is Robin's pleas and then her head falls.

   THE CUTICLES AROUND BROOKE'S right thumb are completely destroyed. There's more static humming from the TV in front of the group. A black tie is around El's face as blood falls from her nose. Gasps leave her mouth every so often.

   El hastily rips the tie off her face, panting and concerning the others. Brooke leans forwards, "What's Billy doing?" This is all she's been doing, trying to find Billy but whatever she saw seems to have scared her. El turns around slowly, "He's just....sitting—in his room."

   "That's not good," Stella smacks her hands against her thighs. The new King not at a party or screwing a girl on the day of the year that's the biggest excuse to get fucked up is really not good.

  El is still out of breath with Brooke notices. "El, go get a glass of water, okay?" Brooke walks over and rubs her back gently. The younger girl nods, listening and going over to the sink. "So, that's not normal, right?" Nancy asks. "Billy staying in his room on the Fourth of July? No, that's not normal," Max says, frowning.

   Brooke stands up, hands on her hips. She knows damn well that if she wasn't in this shithole adventure right now, Brooke and Paisley would be dragging Jonathan and Nancy to a Fourth of July party—just like last year and the year before that and so on. Billy Hargrove doing anything but being drunk right now isn't normal asshole behavior.

    "He wants us to find him," Will says. Danny slumps back next to him, running his hands through his hair, "Well, the weirdo is in his room so...." His comment goes unnoticed by everyone except Will who sends him a concerned look.

   "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. If we go to Billy, then the rest of the flayed know where we are," Nancy figures out. "This is a trap, guys. We're gonna be attacked from all sides. Ambushed!" Casey throws his hands in the air dramatically.

   Brooke glances at her bedroom door. The vodka she hid under her bed for this very holiday is sounding really good right now but the last thing she needs is to be drunk while fighting Billy. Maybe a cigarette.

   "We won't be surprised! We'll know that they're coming, and we will kick their flayed butts!" Lucas encourages them. Brooke starts digging around in her pockets for a cigarette only to discover she has nothing on her. "Fuck me," She whispers and rushes over to her room. A hand grabs at her wrist gently and tugs her back, "You okay?" Casey's voice asks.

   Brooke has a bit of aggression behind her eyes but it dies down, "I just want a cigarette."

   "You don't have one on you? Surprised," Casey jokes. Brooke tugs her wrist away from him, "Do you have one?"

   Stella grabs one from her pocket and hands it to Brooke without looking at her, "Here." Brooke glances at the white stick between blue nails and then at Stella, "......Thanks."

   "We have to find the source," Nancy says, catching Brooke's attention. She places the cigarette between her lips and lights it up, "I thought we just established it was a trap." She inhales deeply and as bad as it is, Brooke almost automatically feels better. Gray smoke flows around the room, something everyone around her is used to.

   "Billy knows it. Billy's been there. To the source," El walks back from the kitchen. "Yeah, but—"

   Mike is cut off by El, "It's a trap. I know. We can't go to Billy, but I think there's another way. A way for me to see where he's been."

   Danny sits up from still being slumped, "With the TV?" El nods, "With the TV." Static continues to hum around them in the silence. El sits down in front of it again, Mike taking a seat next to her, whispering something Brooke can't hear.

   "She's gonna be okay, right?" Brooke asks, looking over at Jonathan. The oldest Byers nods hesitantly, "I mean, yeah. I think Mike just needs to trust her. I trust her. Do you trust her?"

   "What? Yeah! I just don't trust Billy," Brooke laughs off her anxiety.

   El ties the black fabric around her eyes and then she's off to find Billy once again. Her body twitches every so often as she speaks in the void. It's all black around her when she does this. El has explained this to Brooke. The void.

   Not even a minute into the process, El is shaking and whimpering. "El?" Brooke leaves Jonathan's side but has no idea if she should touch El or not. "Something's wrong," Mike states the obvious. The group glances at each other, wondering how to help El. The whimpering gets louder and her body shakes even more. The blood is falling down her face and Brooke has put out her cigarette.

   "El, are you okay? Are you okay?" Mike repeats. "I'm okay," El says but her shaky tone contradicts her words. "El, what's going on?" Brooke asks. "I'm....on a beach," El's voice cracks with her answer. "Okay, I may be dense, but the last I checked, there weren't any beaches in Hawkins," Lucas says.

   "At most there's the lake that'll probably give you diseases," Casey comments. "What else do you see?" Max asks. There's no verbal response from El for a second, just a shake of her head. Then, she speaks up, "A woman. She's......pretty. I...I think she's looking at me."

   Brooke imagines what El could possibly be seeing. She has always tried her best to understand El and what goes on in someone's head who truly isn't like others. She can see where others are and move shit with her mind. There's a constant responsibility on her shoulders.

    "I see......a boy. It's Billy," El states. The boy she's seeing is Billy. Brooke's eyes land on Max. "It's California. It's a memory," Max explains.

   "I think I see it. The source," El says. Brooke's heart beats louder and faster. An anxious silence falls on the room as El walks closer to the trap with them having no idea how to help—with Brooke having no idea how to help. All she can do is stand there and pick at her fingers, hoping that Billy or the Mind Flayer or who fucking ever doesn't kill or hurt El.

—-
happy stranger things day !!!!!