Early the next morning Lexi was woken up by her phone ringing at 4am.

She fumbled in the darkness, reaching for it blindly.

"Hello" She snapped, voice rough, half murderous.

"Wow, not a morning person," Robin laughed.

"Robin what the hell"

"I figured it out" She smiled, "I cracked the code. You see I couldn't sleep..."

"Robin.."

"And I realised something..."

"Robin..."

"Yeah?"

"Can this please, please be a conversation when the sun comes up?" Lexi groaned, eyes falling shut.

"Oh, right. Yeah, duh, sorry" She apologised.

"Goodnight, I'll see you in a few hours." Lexi put the phone down.

"Who the hell was that?" Eddie groaned, barely conscious as he lifted his arm automatically, pulling her back against him.

"Robin, she cracked the Russian code" Lexi yawned.

"Oh...okay" Eddie murmured, zero follow up questions.

And just like that they were both asleep, completely unaware that the day ahead was going to get very complicated.

Lexi rolled into Starcourt at 10am, walking straight to Scoops, Nikki trailing in behind her as he was the only one to get Dustin's radio call last night, Dustin needing a friend, and the rest were distracted with something else.

"Morning" She sighed as she grabbed her coffee, a few people started knowing about her performance from the previous night.

"Morning sunshine" Steve smiled, "You also get a call at 4am?" He questioned as she nodded.

"Okay, don't be mad, okay. I figured out the shit!" Robin rolled her eyes as they waited for customers.

"Eddie is bringing Dustin, we will get to the code in a minute" She yawned as customers fled Scoops.

Steve brought her a coffee and some ice cream for Nikki as they waited, speaking to her between customers.

"Here" Steve smiled as she took the coffee with a smile.

"Thank you, my hero" She muttered

"Ahoy ladies!" Steve almost yelled at a group of girls from school, not seeing them waiting as he openly flirted with Lexi, ignoring customers where he could.

Lexi laughed at the man as he served them as quickly as possible so he could get back to speaking to Lexi.

She watched as Robin and Steve served, cleaned, counted money for two hours before finally Eddie and Dustin walked in.

"This better be good Robin" Eddie looked at her annoyed, although he was not fazed by the phone call in the moment, it's been on his mind all day.

Nikki hugged Eddie tightly, "Missed you idiot" He smiled, he hadn't seen Eddie in a while, Nikki had a bond with Eddie that not even himself understood...

"Missed you too pal"

Nikki walked back to his sister with a smile as she watched them.

"You okay?" He asked her as Lexi nodded, "Have you spoken to Iaan?" Nikki asked as she shook her head.

"No, I haven't seen him since the other evening, why?" Lexi asked as Dustin spoke between Steve and Eddie in their own world.

"He said he needed to talk to you about something, I wasn't sure if you had seen him since then, that's all" Nikki smiled up at her as she gave his a reassuring squeeze, turning their attention onto Robin.

"Are you guys ready for your minds to be blown" She smiled as she grabbed her bag.

"Yes" They all looked at her.

"The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly." She said as everyone looked at her confused. "And then this morning, it clicked, I had seen a silver cat somewhere here, I knew it. I was sure of it!" She rambled as everyone watched her carefully. "Then it clicked, the delivery service, their logo is a silver cat" She smiled

"Right..." Lexi began as she walked over to the table where Robin was sitting with Steve, Eddie and Dustin.

"So...that means what?" Nikki looked at her confused.

"Okay, so silver cat, delivery company. Trip to china, there is a Chinese restaurant upstairs. Tread lightly, the shoe store..." She looked at everyone seeing if they were catching on or not. "When blue meets yellow in the west...The clock out there is blue and yellow, its a time...9:45" Robin began.

"I get it" Lexi smiled, everyone else still looked confused. "If Robin is right, it must mean that that delivery company is shipping something here disguised as a Chinese restaurant delivery or the shoe store, at 9:45 tonight" She looked at everyone, as they all looked at her worried.

"We need to spy on the delivery tonight" Dustin explained looking at everyone in the room. 

"And do what?" Nikki looked at him with a raised brow.

"We just take the Russians out" Steve looked at everyone as they gave him a look.

"You've never won a fight" Dustin looked at him as Eddie frowned.

"Yes I have" Steve looked at Lexi and Eddie for back up.

"You have one fight, but..not when alone" Eddie looked at him.

"Bullshit." Steve looked at Lexi who just scratched the back of his neck. "Lex back me up here"

Lexi thought for a moment.

"Umm, Steve" She sighed, "You haven't" She looked at Eddie then Steve, Eddie smiling teasingly.

"Oh come on" Steve stood walking to Lexi, "I won against..." He paused. "Tommy"

"Not on your own," Eddie added.

"Dont be proud of it" Lexi warned Eddie making him wink at her, folding his arms as he watched Steve.

"Well, neither has Eddie" Steve added, making Lexi sigh and Eddie's smile into a frown.

"It doesn't matter anyway...I have won a fight" She pointed out, "But you two... sure let's pretend for your egos" Lexi smiled as they both rolled their eyes playfully. "But seriously we aren't taking out any Russians."

"That was my other idea" Robin began, "We don't need to go through the delivery room's front door, I bought the blue prints in the shop over there, and well...we can you through the air vents" She smiled proud of herself.

Eddie looked up at the vent.

"I don't think any of us are getting through that" Eddie looked at the others.

"It is small," Lexi added.

"Lexi, you can fit" Nikki laughed, looking up at his sister.

"No I can't" She pushed him gently.

"You're right she can't, her ass is too big" Steve laughed as Eddie rolled his eyes with a smile.

"You're sleeping on the couch from now on" Eddie told him as Lexi sighed, rolling her eyes again, but with a playful smile on her lips.

"I might be able to...no shoulder blades remember" Dustin walked over as Steve put a ladder against the vent, climbing up and taking the screws out, taking the cover off and handing it to Eddie.

Dustin climbed up, going through the vent, only to get stuck.

"Dustin..." Lexi tried to get him to stop.

"You two! Push my butt I don't care" Dustin yelled as Steve and Eddie.

"I'm not pushing your butt man, you don't fit" Steve sighed as the bell began to go off constantly.

Nikki and Dustin looked at one another, knowing exactly who it was.

"Erica" They smiled as they walked out, smiling at her as she looked at them annoyed.

"Can I get some service?" She sassed as Steve walked out followed by Robin.

"You two go and persuade her to help. But we use her to get in and that's it" Lexi told them, "It's too dangerous for her" Lexi pointed at her brother and Dustin sternly as they saluted her, running out after Erica.

"Eds" She turned to look at Eddie who was looking at the blueprints.

"Hmm" He hummed, looking up at her quickly and then back to the blue prints.

"You don't have to do this, it might be dangerous, you could get hurt" She walked over to him.

"And so could you," he told her as she sighed. "You get hurt, I won't be able to cope knowing I walked away and left you, no way" Eddie looked into her eyes as he pushed the hair from her face. "Plus, Steve can't win a fight without me..." Eddie smiled as she rolled her eyes with a goofy smile.

"Okay...just, please be careful okay" She begged as he nodded, stealing a quick kiss before they all came back into the staff room, Erica included.

The plan officially was about to begin.

Lexi waited until the others had scattered, going off to sort the plan out.

Erica had gone home with Dustin and Nikki on their bikes, trying to get hold of the others but to also grab resources.

Robin was serving as Steve was officially on his break.

Lexi, Eddie and Steve stayed in the back room.

"Steve, Eddie" She looked at them, they instantly looking up at her, noticing her serious tone.

"This is worrying me, because although it might be like directly to the upside down, it might have something to do with it and Russians, in our mall is...worrying if we are right. So I need you guys to promise me, if something feels wrong, or something goes wrong, you have to get out and you have to make sure that Nikki and Dustin are the priority" She begged as they looked at her.

"Lex" Steve swallowed

"Promise me?" She asked as she hugged herself, nails slightly digging into her palms.

"We promise" They both said as they looked at her worried.

They gathered in a loose circle, nervous and overwhelmed.

"Okay, we know the plan?" Lexi asked as everyone nodded.

"Yeah" They all nodded, looking at one another.

"Okay, now we wait" Lexi smiled as they waited for the day to end, for everyone to leave Starcourt, closing the store with Erica waiting inside.

The others climbed to the top of the roof where they had an angle on the delivery.

"Okay Erica, they are unloading the boxes now, start making your way but do not go all the way yet" Dustin told Erica down the walkie.

"Commence operation, child endangerment." She said back, Lexi snatching the radio.

"Can we not call it that please" Lexi sighed.

"See you nerds on the other side" Erica spoke back making everyone look at one another with a raised brow, unsure on how to respond.

Lexi watched the delivery men put the last on the boxes into the storage area, two of them holding weapons almost confirming something was in those boxes.

"Take them out, look at the size of their weapons Steve.." Eddie leaned over Lexi  to tease Steve.

"Will you shut up?" Steve sighed as Eddie quietly chuckled.

They watched as they closed the doors on the lorry, getting in and driving off.

"You are all clear on our end" Robin told Erica.

"Okay, I'm here, I can see your boring ass boxes that you guys are so excited about" Erica sassed.

"Any boobie traps?" Robin asked.

"If I can see boobie traps that would be pretty shit traps" Erica snapped as the radio went silent.

They all waited for a few seconds and then the doors opened.

"Free Ice cream...For...Life" She pointed at Steve and Robin as they all looked at one another happily, running down to where she was.

They ran inside, closing the doors behind them, making sure that the coast continued to stay clear.

"Anyone got a knife?" Steve asked as both Eddie and Lexi grabbed a switch blade, Lexi's from her bra, and Eddie's from his back pocket.

"Hot from you, scary from you" Steve looked at Lexi then Eddie as the others just looked confused.

"Here" Lexi handed Steve the blade so he could carefully open a box, handing it back to her with a smile.

He opened the box, inside, another box only this one was made of some sort of metal. It was storing four compartments.

"Okay stand back" Everyone took a step back except Lexi, Eddie and Dustin.

"I said stand back," Steve repeated.

"Nah, we are in this together" Dustin looked around, "If you die, I die"

"I don't want to die," Eddie sighed, looking at Lexi.

"We won't die" Lexi rolled her eyes before grabbing the key.

"Hey!" Eddie and Steve panicked as she twisted it and pulled it out of its compartment

She slowly lifted it out revealing a tube full of bright, luminous green liquid.

"What the hell is that?" Robin asked as she took a step closer.

"No idea" Lexi looked at it before handing it around.

Robin finally taking it and placing it inside of Erica's bag.

"Okay, let's get out of here" Dustin nodded walking over to the control, just as he moved, the room shifted, it felt like it dropped a few centimetres.

"Why'd the room just move?" Nikki panicked, looking at Lexi.

"I dont know but I don't want to find out either, Dustin open the door" Lexi panicked as Dustin began pressing the button, when it didn't work, Steve and Eddie tried.

"Erica! Which one!" Dustin yelled.

"The one that says open door, nerd!" She snapped back at him.

Then the room shifted, making a loud noise which caused everyone to freeze.

"Shit" Eddie looked at Steve when all of a sudden everyone was thrown to the floor, Lexi fell backwards, bringing Nikki with her.

Robin and Erica falling another way.

Steve landed in a pile of boxes and Eddie grabbed Dustin before he hit the floor, cushioning as he fell onto his back.

"Oh shit" Steve watched the room drop, "This is an elevator!" Steve yelled as everyone held onto one another, preparing to hit the ground.

It felt like it was falling for ages, Nikki holding onto Lexi tightly.

Finally, it stopped and everyone was thrown again.

"Oh shit" Dustin stood, walking back to the controls.

"Hey, no don't touch anything!" Lexi swatted his hand out the way. "We might open the door and have a army of Russians on the other side, we need to think for a second before we rush into anything" Lexi snapped as Steve began to pace.

"You okay?" Eddie asked her, making sure she wasn't hurt, she nodded, thanking him quietly.

"These buttons have to do something!" Steve yelled.

"Yes, if you had a key card! Which we don't" Robin yelled.

"Meaning we are stuck in here!" Eddie yelled also.

Lexi sighed as she walked away from the yelling, trying to think of something...anything.

"Just so you nerds are aware, I am supposed to be spending the night at Tinas, now she will cover for me if I am not there, but if I am late to Uncle Jacks party tomorrow night, and my mom finds out that it's you guys who are responsible, she will hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throats!"

Erica threatened making everyone look at her shocked.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT TINA! OR UNCLE JACK! NO ONE IS GOING TO FIND US IF WE ARE DEAD IN A RUSSIAN ELEVATOR!" Steve screamed as Lexi raised a brow, never had she seen him so stressed, not even when they were fighting off demodogs in the dark a few months back.

Lexi rolled her eyes, when she caught sight of the door at the top.

"We could try climbing out?" She asked as she pointed at the ceiling. "Boost me" She told Steve and Eddie who complied without hesitation.

She unlocked the hatch as Eddie and Steve lifted her carefully though it, standing on top of the elevator she looked up, sighing...

Everyone else followed, noticing the same thing.

They were way too far down.

The had no choice but to spend the night in the elevator.

"I'll go over here" Steve sat in the corner, Eddie sat opposite.

Lexi sighed looking between them, but decided to go in another corner, Nikki walking to her.

She grabbed her jacket, putting it over him as the elevator got colder as time went on.

She smiled at Eddie and Steve who sighed heavily as they relaxed, Robin, Dustin and Erica all finding a place to rest for the night.

Eventually Lexi fell asleep, her brother under her arm as Eddie and Steve spoke about a plan to get them out alive and soon...

"I'll try the radio" Dustin sighed as he grabbed the radio.

"Code Red, Code Red. I repeat Code Red, we are stuck under the Starcourt Mall, does anyone copy" Dustin repeated for around 30 minutes that morning until finally Eddie grabbed it from his hands.

"No one is coming man, save the battery" Eddie sighed as Dustin looked at him pissed.

"The mall just opened, so someone might be in range" Nikki defended his best friend as Lexi rubbed her head in pain.

"Imma take a leak" Steve walked to the corner of the elevator.

"Really dude" Eddie scrunched his nose.

"You two need to sleep" Dustin pointed out.

"Yeah, well we spent most of the night trying to work out a way out of here" Steve told Dustin as Lexi was quiet...too quiet.

Dustin and Nikki gave up, going back into the elevator.

"You okay baby?" Steve asked her quietly as she nodded, yawning.

"You sure sweetheart?" Eddie looked at her worried.

"I just don't like this, and I don't like that we've brought in Robin and Erica, and Dustin and Nikki are in here. Steve, if this is the upside down, we have to consider what might be behind those doors, we have to make sure the kids are okay" She told Steve directly, them being the only ones in any way prepared for what might happen.

"I know, and we will, we will make sure that Robin, Erica, Dustin and Nikki are safe. And of course Eddie" Steve sighed.

"I'm sorry I bought you into this Eddie, probably not how you wanna be spending Summer" Lexi smiled.

"Hey, if I get to spend time with you guys, especially you my sweetheart, I couldn't care less if we were in a Russian Elevator, another dimension or in your cabin" Eddie smiled as Steve somewhat agreed.

Robin suddenly came through the hatch, "We have company" Robin panicked as she climbed up, helping the others come through as Eddie slowly closed the hatch behind Dustin.

"Give me the green thing" Lexi whispered as Erica grabbed it, that's when the doors to the elevator opened.

They watched as two men went inside, taking a few boxes each before leaving.

The door began to close a few seconds later, so knowing they were in the clear, Lexi jumped down.

"Wait" Eddie panicked as Steve jumped down after her, she slid across the floor, using the tube to prop open the door.

"Go!" She called out as everyone climbed through.

Steve ushered Erica, Robin, Dustin then Nikki.

Eddie slid under next, pulling Lexi through as Steve rolled under only milliseconds before it slammed shut, crushing the tube causing the liquid to sizzle and cause the metal to sizzle.

"And you wanted to drink that?" Robin looked at Erica who shrugged.

"Now what?" Nikki asked as they turned to just see a long ass hall, leading to as far as they could see, nothing...

"Jesus" Eddie sighed as they looked together.

"Well hope you are in good shape, looking at you roast beef" Steve tapped Dustin on the shoulder as they began to walk down the hall.

Lexi placed her hand on Dustin's shoulder.

"Why me?" Dustin looked at her sad as she patted his hat.

"Come on cutie" Lexi smiled as they all followed after Steve.

They all caught up with him.

Steve, Robin and Dustin walked together.

Eddie, Lexi, Nikki and Erica together behind them.

"You okay up there" Lexi smiled looking up at Eddie.

"Yeah, just relieved I decided to go comfy yesterday with my outfit" He smiled. "At least I don't look like a sailor" He smiled as Steve and Robin turned to look at him annoyed.

"Good, Nikki, you with me?" Lexi asked her brother.

"Yeah" He smiled up at her.

"You have to admit this is impressive." Dustin spoke up loud enough for everyone to here.

"You mean a complete hazard, no stairs, no fire escapes, just an elevator that drops you to hell" Steve looked at him amazed how even now he is so easily impressed by something like engineering.

"They are communists. You don't pay people, they cut people." Erica sassed looking at Steve who looked a bit offended.

"I don't think it's designed for walking." Eddie pointed out making Robin nod in agreement.

"They have the perfect transportation for whatever those things are in the box, disguise them as storage packages, bring them down here, no one would know" Robin sighed.

"Do you think Starcourt is just a way of hiding this, you think that's why they built it?" Lexi asked as everyone shrugged unsure.

"There has to be something much more going on here" Dustin looked at Robin and Steve.

"Yeah, why Hawkins?" Nikki questioned.

"Yeah, this has got to do with the Upside Down, there is no doubt about it" Lexi sighed as Steve nodded in agreement.

"You are all so nerdy" Erica pretended to gag.

The radio began to crackle in Erica's bag, everyone grouping up to listen.

It was the code again.

"Whereever that broadcast is coming from..." Dustin began.

"It has to be close." Nikki finished.

"And we know it reaches the surface" Eddie looked around.

"Let's go" Lexi smiled as they continued down the neverending hall.

They all walked behind Steve and Lexi when echoes of voices and more carts could be heard.

"This way" Steve grabbed Lexi's hand, he knew no matter what she was his priority despite the promises he made.

They all ran and hid in behind some sort of container while they waited for the people to walk past them.

Only a few minutes later they all emerged, walking much quicker this time to what they hoped would be the broadcasting room.

"Come on let's go" Steve ushered as everyone stayed close.

"That was too close," Dustin sighed.

"Nobody saw..." Steve walked around the corner where they were met with a lot of people, scientists, armies.

"Get down!" Steve whispered, running down to hide, the two groups splitting either side of the hallway.

"I saw the comms room, red door on the left" Erica told Lexi as she looked over to Robin who was sat with Nikki and Eddie.

"We can't all get in there" Lexi sighed, "we need to split up, half of us go in the other wait for a signal" Lexi looked at Steve and then Eddie.

"Okay" Steve agreed.

"For now, Lexi, Dustin and I will go in, you guys stay here, count too..."

"300" Lexi finished as the others nodded.

"Be careful" Eddie warned them as the three of them ran to the next load of boxes to hide behind, then the next and finally they entered the room.

They closed the door, turning around to be met with a Russian soldier.

"Oh fuck" Lexi sighed as the man looked at them confused, speaking Russian.

"Oh man" Steve panicked as he saw the soldier grab his gun, without thinking he charged at him, throwing him onto the control panel, dodging a punch before picking up the phone and using it to knock out the Russian.

"Holy shit, you did it...you won" Dustin laughed as Steve looked somewhat impressed with himself.

Lexi smiled, running over, checking to make sure he was okay.

"You hurt?" She asked as she moved his jaw with her hand, checking for more cuts and bruises.

"All okay baby" He whispered as the others ran in.

"Holy shit, you did it" Eddie smiled, walking in and laughing at the passed out Russian.

Eddie patted him on the shoulder as they shut the door behind them.

Steve smiled as Dustin grabbed the key card off of the mans passed out body.

Lexi nodded knowing that was their way out, she nodded, taking the gun off of him too.

"Wow, you know how to use that?" Eddie asked as she checked the mag, putting the safety on and pushing it into her belt on her back.

"Yeah, don't worry about me sweetheart" She winked as Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Robin?" Nikki called out, following her up some stairs, this made everyone else turn to see what was going on. Making their way up to another room that was a lot brighter, big beams of blue lights illuminated the small room.

"What the hell" Lexi sighed as they gathered at the window, staring at whatever the hell it was in front of them, her blood went cold as she began to realise she was right...

Lexi frowned watching as people in red hazmats were using a large blue laser like device to tear a hole into the wall.

Steve looked at Lexi.

"The gate," she whispered.

"Dustin" Nikki looked at him, realising what it was.

"We need to go...now" Lexi pulled everyone with her, getting them to follow her immediately.

"Umm, Steve..." Eddie began as they entered the previous room, "Where the hell is your Russian friend"

They all turned to see the soldier gone.

"Ah FUCK" Lexi yelled as someone banged into the door and an alarm blasted.

"Run" Steve yelled as they all ran back up the stairs, pushing passed as many people as they could.

They got to the gate, realising they were stuck.

"This way assholes" Eddie yelled as they all turned to see another flight of steps behind them.

They all ran down them as Lexi turned, shooting the weapon she stole as a warning shot, she didn't really wanna be responsible for killing someone.

Steve yelled as he ran into a pile of barrels taking soldiers to the floor.

"This way!" Steve yelled as they piled into another room.

"The vents" Lexi called out to Erica as her and Steve blocked the door.

"Robin, Eddie, go take the kids, goo!" Lexi yelled but Eddie shook his head.

"No way" Eddie sighed as he ran at the door, putting extra weight on it.

"Robin go, please" Lexi begged as she watched Dustin crawl into the vents.

"Lexi!" Nikki panicked as she shook her head. "Go! Please. We will be fine, just work out how to get back to us, find help...GO!" She yelled as she fought against the door.

Nikki climbed in, followed quickly by Robin, just in time as the three of them were thrown to the floor.

Several weapons pointed at them as they threw their hands up in surrender.

They were grabbed and placed in cuffs and taken to another room, separate rooms.