Chapter Twenty-Three: Stuck

(The Flayed)

***

Valerie, like any kid who grew up in New York and could afford it, had been to Coney Island during summer. Hell, she still remembered when she and Cami, five and eight respectively, had begged their parents to go there for the first time, and then every time that they could in the summers before the move to Hawkins. The days had been hot and full of half-melted ice creams and sticky funnel cakes and corn dogs and games that were definitely rigged, but the highlight had always been riding the Cyclone. Riding the iconic roller coaster that climbed up and up, until dropping at a steep angle at rushing speeds as Valerie's stomach flip-flopped and her heart climbed up her throat and adrenaline pounded through her veins and an excited scream let loose from her lips, had always been her favourite part. She had always thought no fall could have been as great as the Cyclone's.

This fall, however? The secret room that had somehow become an elevator falling Dios knew where? This was way greater than the Cyclone's drop or any rollercoaster's drop—and so much worse.

Valerie was screaming her head off like everyone else in the room was, pressed up against the shelf of boxes alongside Robin, the terror of her flying across the room if she didn't brace herself against the boxes entrenched in her head as they just kept falling with absolutely no signs of stopping and Valerie was honestly entertaining the thought they were just gonna die when they landed and she was absolutely terrified of that being true, she didn't want to die in a secret Russian elevator, oh God she never should have volunteered to translate that Russian code, they were all going to die!

"Shit! SHIT!" Dustin shrieked.

"We're going down! We're going down!" Steve yelled.

"Yeah no shit, Harrington!" Robin shouted.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Rowan screamed.

"God, please God let us survive, mierda, MIERDA!" Valerie yelled, just praying they would live.

"Why don't these buttons work?!" Dustin shrilled as he and the twerp were in front of the button panel, the strange child slamming the buttons maniacally.

"Press the button!" Erica yelled.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!?" Dustin screamed.

"Come on, press something! Just press the button!" Steve shouted.

"Press it, you twerps!"

"Fucking press the button!"

"PUSH IT!"

But as suddenly as it fell, the elevator stopped. Valerie fell to the floor, narrowly avoiding having her head collide with the boxes. It seemed everyone else had fallen too, and Valerie heard Rowan hiss out, "Fuck."

A second later, a groan came from Steve and Rowan exclaimed, "Shit!"

Valerie looked to Steve and saw him on the ground, a box on top of him as Rowan moved to him, moaning, "My groin. It feel on my groin. Dustin!"

"Not Dustin," Rowan said as she moved the box off Steve. As she did, Valerie turned to Robin and she asked, "Are you okay, Robin?"

"I think so," Robin replied. "What about you?"

"I'm okay-ish," Valerie answered.

But Robin seemed satisfied with the answer as she now directed the question to everyone else. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great now that I know Russians can't design elevators!" Steve yelled, voice shrill—Valerie noticed he was standing, that Rowan must have helped him up.

"Yeah, I love having my brains scrambled and feeling like I'm falling to fucking hell!" Rowan shouted as shrilly as Steve, right as Steve moved back to the button panel and began slamming the buttons. Rowan noticed, and she demanded, "Steve what the fuck are you doing?"

"Trying to get one of these buttons to fucking work," Steve snapped back.

"If they didn't work before we fell down to hell, then they sure don't fucking work now, dumbass!"

"Yeah, I think we've clearly established those buttons don't work," Robin affirmed as Valerie eyed the buttons—why weren't they working now when they worked for the twerp earlier?

"They're buttons, they have to do something," Steve insisted.

"Yeah, if we have a keycard," Robin revealed.

At hearing that, Valerie turned to Robin, her jaw threatening to drop as Rowan blinked before she hissed, "I'm sorry, if we have a fucking what?!"

"A what?" Steve asked a second later, pausing in smashing the buttons.

"It's an electronic lock," Robin continued, moving to the panel and gesturing to it. "Same as the loading dock door. If we don't have a keycard, it won't operate. Meaning—"

"We're stuck in here," Dustin finished, as they now looked at each other in panicked horror.

"Yeah," Robin affirmed sheepishly.

"Shit," Valerie and Rowan swore in unison, as Valerie began to internally panic. A keycard. A keycard! Of course they had to have a keycard to operate this death trap, it couldn't be as simple as pressing a button to open and close the doors! And now, they were trapped at the bottom of Starcourt Mall, in God knows where, with no one knowing where they were and without any chance of help or possible escape, as Valerie's family were probably having panic attacks since she hadn't come back home, and she never would if they didn't find a way out.

¡Mierda! ¡Carajo, fuck, shit, carajo, CARAJO!

"Just so you nerds are aware, I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's," Erica piped up, and Valerie's panicked thoughts cut short as she stared at the twerp in utter disbelief, along with everyone else as she continued, "And Tina always covers for me. But if I'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow, and my mom finds out you five are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throats."

She can't be serious, she can't be actually serious, Valerie thought as she stared at the diablo, but before she could say—or more likely yell—anything, Steve handled it for her as he exploded, "I don't care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack's party! Your mom's not gonna be able to find us if we're dead in a Russian elevator!"

That stunned Erica into silence—stunned all of them as they once again remembered the very real situation if they couldn't escape, and Valerie felt like one second from spiralling into panic again.

Until Dustin Henderson had an epiphany, pointing to the ceiling as he suggested, "Hey. What if we climbed out?"

They all looked up—and saw the hatch on the ceiling.

Rowan huffed out a laugh as Valerie grinned, hope so delirious it made her feel dizzy filling her at the chance of their escape literally being above their heads.

"You can really be a genius, menace," Rowan muttered, punching Dustin in the arm as Steve, the tallest in the room, moved under it and reached up to lift the hatch off. He helped Dustin climb out, and as he was about to follow, Rowan grabbed his arm and gave him a look. 

He returned it before reaching down and asking, "Ready?"

"No, but I have to be," Rowan answered as she put her hands on Steve's shoulders and he helped boost her up. Dustin grabbed her hands and helped pull her up onto the ceiling, Steve following, and leaving Robin, Valerie and Erica behind to wait for the news.

Robin huffed out a sigh as she leaned against the door, Erica planted her hands on her hips and looked up at the ceiling, an irritated look on her face that did little to hide the glimpse of fear in them. And damn it, even though she was her nemesis, Valerie's big sister instincts were kicking into overdrive at seeing that fear.

She was about to comfort Erica when the trio who went up came back down. And when Valerie saw their faces, her hope of escape crashed back down.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, brows creased.

The three looked at each other before Dustin informed, "So there might be a problem."

"Problem, what problem?" Robin pressed.

"We... might be at the bottom of a very, very long elevator shaft," Steve revealed, as Rowan now jumped in with a face as sombre as her face, "With no feasible way of climbing up said elevator shaft."

Like that, any lingering hope fell as that chance of escape ruptured, as Robin slid down the doors and held her hair as Valerie buried her face in her hands and Erica visibly tried to not panic, Valerie's mind a storm of panic.

They were stuck, and if they didn't find out a way to escape or at least open the doors—and with no chance of help coming for them—they could die in here.

Carajo.

***

Valerie sighed as she leaned her head against a stack of boxes, certain they weren't getting out of this metal death trap alive.

Beside her was Robin, a coupel inches between them, and in front of the two girls was Steve. In another part of the elevator were Dustin and Erica—talking or sleeping, Valerie didn't know and she honestly didn't care—while Rowan sat on the other side of the room, arms crossed and one of her legs stretched out, her facial expression a mixture between frustration and terror. And honestly, Valerie felt the same, especially her family—Dios, her mom would be having several panic attacks by now, her dad would be ringing up the station or maybe even heading into Hawkins PD himself even with the... tense relations between cops and anyone with skin a shade darker than white, and Cami...

Dios, her hermanita must be terrified right now. Driving herself crazy in worry and trying to be positive about where Valerie was, but deep down knowing that it was bad.

And if they didn't find a way out of here... would Valerie and those with her become added to Hawkins' mysterious disappearances? Would their bones be discovered decades later, and—no, don't think like that, Valerie. There had to be a way to get out. There just had to be.

Right?

"So. Do you have any ideas on how to get the doors open?" Steve asked, pitching his voice to a whisper to try and not wake Dustin or Erica.

Valerie shook her head, whispering, "No. Not without that keycard, like Robin said."

"But there must be a way out. It can't just work on this stupid keycard, right?" Steve said, eyeing the button panel.

"I mean, I guess we could try to override the system, but that could take weeks, and I don't think any of us are capable enough to do that," Robin theorised, but the theory fell flat.

"Yeah, or somehow change the electricity and have it open the doors for us," Valerie joked and Robin laughed.

Steve didn't, and for a microsecond he looked over to Rowan before turning back to them as he said, "We could try the buttons—"

"We already tried the buttons, Steve. A hundred times. They won't work," Robin interrupted.

"What if we batter down the doors? These boxes should be heavy enough, right? And the metal shouldn't be that strong," Valerie pitched forward.

"Yeah, and what if that brings the Russians to us? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that will be loud," Steve argued. "Besides, I don't think we'll have enough space to do that."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Valerie retorted, glaring at him.

Again, Steve looked at Rowan. "A couple."

"Care to share, then? We're all ears, Harrington," Robin snarked.

Steve's mouth worked before he shook his head. "No. Well, one—what if we try to climb in front of the doors and open them from the outside?"

"There won't be enough space. And if the elevator shoots up, we'd be pancaked," Robin countered. "Also, what if there isn't any ground underneath? We'd fall to our dooms if we do that."

At hearing that, Steve scoffed and threw up his hands. "Well, I'm out of ideas then!"

"Hate to say this, but me too, dingus," Robin concurred as Valerie only groaned, gripping her head as Robin muttered, "Face it. We're stuck until this elevator is used again and we're found by Russians that might kill us or we all die from dehydration or starvation. Probably dehydration first."

"Dying from evil Russians or dehydration. That's great. That's really great," Steve muttered sarcastically, but the panic in his eyes cracked the sarcasm, as panic clawed at Valerie. If evil Russians found them... no, she couldn't think that. They'd find a way out or at least a way to make the elevator move. They just had to. 

They had to.

Steve sighed, before he stood up and headed over to Rowan.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked.

"To head over to Rowan. See if she has any ideas to have this go up or at least open the doors," Steve answered.

"Let me guess—you're gonna share with her some of your ideas you won't share with me and Robs, right?" Valerie asked, frustration edging her tone.

"Something like that," Steve muttered, before he moved to Rowan, attracting her attention. As they conversed briefly before Steve sat down, Valerie turned to Robin and said, "They can't keep hiding whatever they're hiding from us for long. If we're gonna be stuck in here, we need to know anything that can give us a chance to escape."

"I agree. But if I know Rowan, then she won't budge. And dingus is surprisingly tight-lipped, same with Dustin. They won't tell us anything," Robin pointed out.

Valerie huffed out an annoyed sigh, leaning her head back against the boxes again.

A beat passed before Robin asked, "Do you think we might need to resort to cannibalism?"

Valerie's eyes bugged out of her skull. "What?"

"Well, if we find water by some lucky reason and not any food, we're gonna starve. And if one of us dies before we get rescued and we're all literally starving, do you think we're gonna see that as something very tasty and just eat that dead friend of ours on pure survival instincts?" Robin elaborated, rambling slightly. "Like the guys in the Andes did. Because if we do, just telling you now, I'm probably like, very stringy and not good at all."

"Robin, I don't think we'll be in here long enough that we'll have to resort to cannibalism to survive," Valerie said, still slightly in shock. "And even if we did... we'd probably still die anyway. So it just won't succeed."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Robin mumbled, looking down.

"Robs, why did you think we might need to cannibalise someone to survive if we're stuck in here?"

"It just crossed my mind! It's stupid, I know, and we're probably free before we ever have to do that, but I, uh... I just panicked and thought of worst-case survival scenario?"

"Okay. Okay," Valerie said, eyeing Robin before she muttered, "Jesús, esto es una locura."

"Yeah, I know," Robin murmured, making Valerie look at her as the taller girl winced and said, "Still, sorry for bringing that up. We'll find a way out. My brain just... flips out on itself and thinks of the worst thing possible?"

"It's okay. It just took me by surprise—and I guess if you didn't think it, someone else would," Valerie confessed. At hearing that, Robin's lips quirked up in a tiny smile.

Valerie returned it, before she sighed and muttered, "Carajo, this was not what I was expecting for summer."

"What, you weren't expecting to be a hidden Russian elevator for your summer?" Robin joked.

"Yes! I actually was! It's great!" Valerie exclaimed, frustration evident in her face as she ranted, "This is just great! I've always wanted to be trapped in a Russian elevator for my summer with my co-workers, my sister's ex's sister, and a couple of kids including the ice cream twerp! It's just what I wanted to do all summer!"

A harsh sigh blew out and Valerie slumped back against the boxes, as Robin pointed out, "Well, look on the bright side. At least this is less boring than serving ice cream all summer."

"Point, Buckley," Valerie muttered, looking away. "Point."

"And... I guess if we have to be stuck in a secret Russian elevator, at least it's with each other," Robin went on, moving closer.

Valerie's stomach flip-flopped, as she managed to say, "Yeah, definitely."

Robin bit her lip, before she asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead," Valerie answered.

"Do you miss New York?"

Valerie blinked, taken aback by the question as she looked at Robin. "Do... do I miss New York?"

"Yeah. Do you miss it?" Robin asked, before a grin stretched on her face. "I mean, Hawkins seems pretty lame and all to it. Even though I don't think you'd get stuck in a Russian elevator there."

"No, you definitely wouldn't," Valerie agreed, as she and Robin laughed before it grew quiet. Valerie hesitated on her answer, playing with the laces of her shoes, before she answered quietly, "I miss some parts of it. I miss the places I used to go to. I miss my old squad. I... I miss our community, back where we lived. I miss all the memories I have in it. And... and I missed how I didn't have to feel like I had to... pretend to be normal as much as I have to do here."

Valerie looked at Robin and went on, "But I don't miss it, not really. I don't miss the noise or how you had to be careful walking down it, especially at night, and especially if you're someone like me, when it's possible the cops would ignore or not even care if some Puerto Rican girl ended up murdered. And I guess I don't miss it because... because I found people in Hawkins I like. People like Rowan and Chrissy, and... and you, Robin."

Valerie stretched out her hand, careful not to touch—sure, they shared casual touches after that moment in the car, but Valerie was still hesitant, still wanted to make sure Robin was okay with the touch before she initiated it—as she finished off softly, "No, I don't miss New York. Not when I'm glad I got to meet you."

Gingerly, Valerie's fingertips touched Robin's. Robin sucked in a sharp breath, but she didn't pull away as she stared wide-eyed at Valerie, who soon realised what she'd said and hurriedly added, "I-I'm also glad to meet Rowan as well, and Chrissy, and I guess Steve and Eddie as well."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," Robin said, giving a smile to Valerie that she tried to return. Another few seconds of silence passed before Robin admitted, "I guess I just asked because... I always wanted to leave Hawkins."

"Wait, really? I thought most people just chose to stay here," Valerie questioned, curiosity in her face.

"Most do. But I do not want to spend the rest of my life here," Robin said, and Valerie was taken aback at the bitterness in Robin's tone. "I don't want to be like my mom or everyone else in Hawkins, especially when I know I'm... different. I want to get out, I want to leave and maybe never look back—even before all the weird stuff started happening, I just... wanted to leave."

Robin's mouth quirked up. "It's funny. Before I met Rowan and Chrissy, I actually had this plan."

"What plan was it?" Valerie asked, her curiosity rising.

"It was back in the start of sophomore year... I had this plan I'd run away from Hawkins to France—to Paris—and just... stay there. Maybe travel Europe. Operation Croissant, I called it," Robin confided. "After I met Rowan like, the second week or so, and then Chrissy, I just... forgot about it, because they made me want to stay in Hawkins just a bit longer. Until we graduated of course. Then maybe I could convince them to do it in the summer before we'd leave for college. I just... I don't know. Thinking back on it, I knew I thought I had it planned out, but I don't think I really did. And I'm glad I didn't carry it out. Because I wouldn't have met either Rowan or Chrissy... or you, Val."

Valerie stared at Robin, stunned ate the confession, at the vulnerability—the same type of confession, the same type of vulnerability, she shared with her dream.

Moving just a bit closer until their bodies were pressed up, Valerie murmured, "Well, if we get out of here and we graduate... if Rowan or Chrissy don't want to do it... we could do Operation Croissant together. Just you and me."

Robin whipped to her, staring at her with shock and something that Valerie hoped was what she was seeing. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah, really. Let's run away to Paris together after we graduate," Valerie said, smiling at Robin.

Robin returned. "Yes. Let's run away to Paris."

"And if we're gonna run away in the future, we need to figure out how to open the goddamned door. And that we can't eat each other," Valerie said, joking by the end as Robin scoffed and bumped her shoulder. Valerie bumped it back.

"That was a moment of panic," Robin defended.

"Doesn't mean I won't use it against you," Valerie returned as Robin rolled her eyes. Looking at the doors, Valerie's good humour dissipated as she asked, "Do you think we can get out? Before... before the Russians come to use this?"

"I hope so. If not, then I guess I say the code and hope for the best?" Robin said.

"Well, if we're captured and interrogated, I have a plan in mind," Valerie informed.

"Oh, you do?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Valerie confirmed, grinning. Robin returned it.

Looking at the doors again, Valerie asked, "Do you have any more ideas on how to get those doors open?"

"Nope. You?"

"Nada."

Robin nodded, before she yawned.

"You okay?" Valerie questioned, looking at Robin in concern.

"Yeah. Just tired," Robin answered. And come to think of it, Valerie was feeling pretty exhausted herself.

"I guess figuring a way out can wait until morning. Or the approximation of morning," Valerie mumbled as her eyes closed, her head tilting sideways.

"Yeah, I... I guess it can," Robin murmured, before her head rested against Valerie's, as Valerie's head rested on Robin's shoulder. Valerie didn't even get a moment to panic before her eyes slid closed, and she willingly fell into the clutches of sleep, the promise of running away to Paris with Robin—to fulfil Operation Croissant—still replaying in her mind like her favourite song.

***

A faint buzz was what stirred Valerie to waking.

She shifted, trying to open her eyes as she heard voices before the buzzing cut off abruptly. Valerie frowned, thinking it was her parents, that the buzzing was her alarm—in fact, whatever her head was on felt as nice as her pillow. Maybe what she thought happened had all been a bad dream...

However, when Valerie opened her eyes, she groaned as saw the metal room with boxes. The Russian elevator.

It hadn't been a bad  dream after all.

Beside her, Robin groaned and Valerie realised her pillow was Robin's shoulder. Valerie scooted back, right as Robin moaned, "We're actually in here? I thought that was a nightmare."

"I thought the same too, Robs. But it's not," Rowan confessed from the other side of the room, as Valerie looked over to her, seeing Steve slightly in front of her, Rowan's arms crossed and her head looking down.

Groans came from Erica, and Valerie groaned as well, pushing her confusion down in return for the realisation that they were actually stuck in here and it wasn't some awful nightmare. When Erica had woken up, that was when Rowan looked back as Steve moved away to head to Dustin, as Robin side-eyed Rowan. The other girl looked away, to instead look at Steve, almost like they were magnetised to each other. Until Rowan broke away first as she stood up and headed over to Erica.

Valerie looked to Robin, both girls sensing the feeling that the trio of Rowan, Steve and Dustin were hiding something only increasing.

"Do you wanna try and see if we can get the doors open?" Robin offered.

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Valerie said—her voice definitely did not raise an octave higher—as she and Robin moved to the button panel. Robin scrutinised the buttons as Valerie looked around the panel, trying to find anything that could help them get out of here or at least back up to the mall. As they did, Valerie looked over to see Rowan and the twerp still talking, as Rowan's face shifted before she glared at Erica. Valerie didn't need to guess what Erica had said to Rowan—mostly because despite the illusion of privacy in moving away from each other, they could hear everything, and partially because a couple minutes after they talked, Rowan had looked right at Steve, the two staring at each other before they looked away.

Valerie turned, looking at Robin as she asked, "You see anything?"

The taller girl shook her head. "Nope. What about you?"

"Nothing. Let me check the lock," Valerie said, moving to the electronic lock. She looked over it, trying to find anything that could give them a chance to escape.

A banging noise came and they whirled to see Dustin climbing up through the hatch via boxes he must have used to create a stepladder or something, walkie in hand. Robin and Valerie eyed each other as Valerie questioned, "What is he doing?"

"I don't know. Maybe trying to get in contact with someone?" Robin theorised, shrugging.

"That's... actually a good idea," Valerie admitted, wondering why none of them thought of it before, especially as she now heard Dustin saying his message into it.

"Yeah, but do you think the signal will reach?" Robin questioned.

That gave Valerie pause, as she gave a helpless shrug. "Don't know. But we have to hope, right?"

Robin arched a brow. "Why do I get the feeling you're not the positive type?"

"I'm not—that's more my sister's forte," Valerie admitted. She looked at Robin and added in a softer voice, "But... we have to hope to get out, right? I mean, we can't be stuck in here forever. We have an operation to do."

Robin's lips quirked up in a smile. "Yeah, we do. We definitely do."

Valerie returned it, before they heard banging and now saw Steve climb up—maybe to scold Dustin on overusing the walkie. They'd turned back when Rowan strode up to them, saying, "Hey, could you step back? I think I have an idea to open the doors."

Robin and Valerie looked at each other before they stepped aside, letting Rowan march up to the panel, Valerie eyeing her skeptically—what plan did Rowan have that could work for this?

And that was when Valerie saw the knife in Rowan's hands, just before she jammed it into the crack between the panel and the box.

"¡Santa mierda!" Valerie cursed as Rowan forced it open, before she grabbed some wires and used the knife to cut them.

"Rowan, what are you doing?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, because it looks like you're destroying the elevator," Valerie noted, skepticism thick in her tone.

"I'm hot-wiring the elevator," Rowan revealed as she now twisted the wires, her tongue sticking out as she fiddled with them.

Valerie's eyes widened and she looked at Robin, seeing the matching hope in her eyes as they stared at Rowan. Hot-wiring—that was brilliant! Honestly, how had none of them thought of it earlier? And yet...

"You sure this is gonna work, Rowan?" Valerie questioned, still skeptical. After all, couldn't you only hot-wire vehicles, not hellish Russian elevators?

"Yeah, I'm sure. Doesn't matter if it's a car or not, it's all just wires and shit. And when you cross the wires just right, you can make it do anything," Rowan assured bluntly, her eyes never leaving the mess of wires in front of her.

Valerie wasn't convinced.

"Don't worry. Rowan can do this," Robin said confidently.

"Have you seen Rowan hot-wire before?" Valerie questioned.

"Well, no," Robin admitted, looking back at Rowan as she went on, "But Rowan has like this sense with electronics and wires all that—every time there's a faulty light at my place Rowan knows about it first. And her aunt is... her aunt, she can do this in her sleep, so Rowan can, too."

"Thanks for the boost of confidence, Robs, but I need to concentrate right now," Rowan called over her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry," Robin replied sheepishly.

"It's fine," Rowan muttered as she set to work on hot-wiring. Valerie kept her brow arched, still not convinced—she had heard about Rowan's criminal aunt, knew that things like this must come easy for Aco Graveswood and possibly for her niece and nephew. But Valerie was still holding onto her skepticism until it actually worked, especially since technically this was a Russian elevator—what if they used different wires to American ones?

But the hope was starting to win out, that they might have a way out if Rowan could actually do this.

Valerie looked at Rowan as she held two wires together, their frayed ends connecting, as she muttered, "Come on, fucking catch already."

A second later, Valerie saw Rowan's shoulders relax a fraction, before she exclaimed, "Okay, I think I did it!"

Valerie's eyes almost bugged out off her skull, a hopeful, nearly delirious laugh threatening to fall from her mouth as Rowan slammed the plane closed and stepped back, asking, "Robin, will you do the honours?"

Robin didn't need to be told twice as she took over Rowan's place at the panel and pressed the button meant to open the doors. They all waited, hoping that whatever hot-wiring trick Rowan had done had been enough to override the Russians' system and open the doors.

But nothing happened. The elevator doors remained in place. And when Robin pressed it again, nothing happened again. Rowan's trick hadn't worked. They were still stuck in here.

"Fuck," Rowan swore, gripping her hair before she punched the button panel. "Fuck! I hate this stupid fucking Russian elevator and these stupid fucking buttons and stupid fucking wiring! Fuck!"

"Did you hot-wire it right?" Valerie asked.

"Of course I hot-wired it right! It's these stupid fucking wires!" Rowan exclaimed as she glared at the buttons, before her anger fell and she turned, hand pressed to her forehead as she muttered, "Fuck."

Valerie and Robin looked at Rowan with sympathy, though Valerie's was pinned with regret, of her skepticism when Rowan probably thought it would work. And it was the moment they heard the trickling sound.

The three looked up, and a microsecond later their faces contorted in expression of disgust at seeing the liquid streaming down. Zero guesses on what that was—and who that could be.

"Can you redirect your stream, please?" Robin called up.

In response, it was redirected away only slightly, and Valerie shuddered with disgust.

"God, that is gross," Rowan muttered, her face twisted with disgust.

Valerie nodded in agreement, her nose wrinkled as she mumbled, "Yeah, I don't want to spend my final days smelling piss."

At that, both girls snorted—until a banging sound broke their levity.

They turned and Valerie gaped at seeing Erica trying to break the canister open on a metal container.

"Hey, hey! Be careful, careful, careful!" Robin chided as they raced over to Erica, Robin taking the container from the younger girl as she said, "We don't even know what that is."

"Exactly. It could be useful," Erica shot back.

"Useful how?" Robin questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, I don't really see that helping us get out of here," Valerie agreed as she crossed her arms, her skepticism matching Robin's.

"We can survive down here a long time without food. But if the human body doesn't get water, it will die," Erica informed.

"Yeah, after a week or so," Rowan pointed out as Valerie looked at Robin, remembering Robin's panicked question if they were that desperate, that pushed for, in survival.

"I hate to break it to you, but this is not water," Robin told Erica, as Valerie and Rowan nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and it's not fucking Coke either," Rowan concurred.

"It could be acid or poison or something. You wanna kill yourself just to avoid dehydration?" Valerie questioned rhetorically. She didn't know if what she said was true, but why else would the Russians have it in a canister and in a metal box, or why they would be carting it down here. Besides, as much as she hated Erica, she didn't want the little, probably delusional twerp to die from drinking that when it was obviously not something safe for human consumption.

"No, but it's a liquid. And if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying of thirst, I drink," Erica retorted, flashing a smug grin.

As one, they all rolled their eyes at the definitely delusion girl as Rowan held her hands up.

"Okay, but if it turns out to be poison or shit, it's your funeral," she said. At hearing that, Valerie immediately whirled to Rowan, giving her a sharp glare as Rowan amended, "Okay, it isn't, but I think it's a stupid idea."

"It is a stupid idea. No way in hell is that safe for human consumption, and as much as you annoy me, I'm not letting you be poisoned by this green shit, you twerp," Valerie said, giving the container that was once more in Erica's hands a sharp look, as she added, "What if it's radioactive or something? There's a reason it's in that container, after all. Honestly, how can you look at that and think it's drinkable?"

"My thoughts exactly," Rowan agreed as Erica glared at them, apparently unconvinced on what a stupid idea it would be to drink whatever the hell that was. Which, too bad. If she could, Valerie was very willing to restrain Erica if to keep her from drinking that and possibly dying a more horrible death than dehydration would be—no way was she letting anyone, including the twerp, die on her watch.

However, the valid concerns she and Rowan had for Erica's questionable drink choices were pushed to the corner when Valerie saw Rowan looking at Robin. And when Valerie looked over to her, she saw Robin at the doors, one side of her face pressed against it.

"Robin, what the hell are you—" Rowan questioned, before she and Valerie heard it too.

The sound of wheels, coming straight toward them.

Oh fuck!

Rowan whirled to Erica, hissing, "Don't drink that shit," before she, Valerie and Robin scrambled for the makeshift stepladder and climbed up, popping their head ups through the hatch.

"We've got company," Robin revealed.

"Coming in fast," Valerie added.

"Like, right now," Rowan finished off.

Steve and Dustin gave each a look, as they all had the same thought.

They had to get out of the elevator before the Russians—since who else could it be?—came into it and saw them.

And that if they got it right, they could escape.

***

Long chapter, I know. But I think it was a pretty good one

I absolutely LOVED writing the chaos at the beginning! Scoops Troop is so, so fun to write. And listen, if anyone deserved to drop a F-bomb here, it's Steve—our stressed single mom deserves to say that

And then Roberie plus Steve. Their dynamic is such fun to write. Also, Robin, your inner Tatum jumped out there with the cannibalism bit (in case you guys don't get it, Maya Hawke is one of the face claims for my Yellowjackets fic, and if you know what happens in Yellowjackets, you know) But yeah, that was definitely a moment of panic for Robin here. But then, just... Roberie. Ack, I love them so much!! And yes, Operation Croissant is a reference to Rebel Robin (even though I haven't read it yet) And yes, Robin and Valerie might be planning to run away to Paris together after graduation 🥺

And yes, Rowan tried to hot-wire the elevator! Unfortunately, it didn't work, but points for thinking outside the box

And yes, the iconic drinks scene. I get Erica's valid fear, but I would NOT be drinking whatever's in there even if I was worried from dying of dehydration. And yeah, Valerie's view and dynamic with Erica might be changing...

Next chapter is back with the Party!

Spanish translations:

Mierda: Shit

Carajo: Fuck

Diablo: Demon

Dios: God

Hermanita: Little sister

Jésus, estos es una locura: Jesus, this is insane

¡Santa mierda!: Holy shit!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!