Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty: Battle Plans

(The Battle Of Starcourt Mall, Pt. 2)

***

Rowan crossed her arms as she stood in front of the turned-off fountain, listening with increasing dread as Mike revealed what had happened on the surface for the past three days—that the Mind Flayer had returned, and it was after El. Steve stood beside her, listening with his own frown that the kids had once more been involved in fighting monsters.

"The Mind Flayer. It built this monster in Hawkins to stop El. To kill her and pave a way into our world," Mike explained, and Rowan saw her brother flinch, Will putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Mike had already said what the Mind Flayer had used to build this monster—the melted remains of the people it possessed. Rowan couldn't even imagine the pain of feeling that over and over again that her brother had to endure. 

"And it almost did—that was just one tiny piece of it," Max elaborated, Cami nodding.

"A second longer, and it might have," Cami admitted, speaking into being what they all knew to be true. Guilt stabbed at Rowan, at not protecting her brother and El and the other kids from the monster.

If I was just here...

"How big is this thing?" Hopper questioned from where he was sitting next to El, holding his adopted daughter as she recovered, stroking her hair. El's leg was stretched out, a new bandage wrapped around the wound that Rowan had cauterised after the reunion shared between her, Alistair and Aunt Aco. It would definitely scar, though—Rowan only hoped her lightning had been enough to kill any infection. Ideally, Hopper would have wanted El in a hospital despite the risk, but they didn't live in an ideal world—and the Mind Flayer would be after El again.

"It's big. Thirty feet, at least," Jonathan answered.

"Yeah. It sorta destroyed your cabin. Sorry," Lucas revealed, giving a sheepish look to Hopper as the police chief stared at Lucas. 

Rowan frowned, somewhat sad at the news. She knew that cabin was meant to hide El as much as it was a home. If it was destroyed, then she had nowhere else to go, and neither did Hopper, until it was fixed.

"Okay, so just to be clear," Steve interjected, making all eyes turn to him, "this big fleshy spider... thing that hurt El is some kind of gigantic... weapon?"

"Yes," Nancy affirmed.

"But instead of like screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made its weapon... with melted people," Steve went on.

Again, Alistair flinched. Hugin cawed comfortingly as Will held Alistair tighter as Robin raised her eyebrows and Valerie looked torn between shock and horror and Rowan, muttered, "Fuck."

"Yes, exactly," Nancy affirmed exasperatedly.

"Yeah, okay. I... yeah, just making sure," Steve mumbled, cowed. Rowan rested her hand on Steve's shoulder as she shot a glare at Nancy—just because she was exhausted and tense didn't give her the excuse to snap at Steve. And yet her glare died as the full weight of this crashed down on her.

"Shit, this is bad. This is... fuck," Rowan breathed, trying to keep herself from panicking. A hand touched her back and Rowan turned to see Steve looking at her, as she felt his hand move in slow circles. She relaxed into it—her body still tense, but the panic faded for the moment.

"Are we sure this thing is still out there, is still alive?" Joyce questioned.

Rowan hoped it wasn't, but she knew it was wishful thinking. As long as that goddamned gate was open, it wasn't going to die.

"El and Al beat the shit out of it, but, yeah, it's still alive," Max replied, confirming what Rowan was suspecting.

"The Mind Flayer is. Can't say the same for the Flayed," Alistair muttered quietly. Rowan's heart twisted in sympathy as Erica, Robin and Valerie looked puzzled by Alistair's words and how everyone else wasn't.

"And once it's back on it's feet, more or less, it's gonna come after her again," Cami said, her words grim and serious and out of character for the usually chipper girl—but in this situation, you couldn't be all sunshine and rainbows.

"But if we close the gate again..." Will started, voicing the same plan they used last year the first time the Mind Flayer came into their world, when El closed the gate at Hawkins Lab.

"We cut the brain off from the body," Max added on. 

"And kill it. Theoretically," Lucas finished.

"If it worked last time, it will probably fucking work again," Rowan pointed out, but even as she said it, she knew it wouldn't be like last time—because last time, El had closed the gate. And she was in no condition to close another. And even if she was, could she close a gate opened by a machine?

Everyone seemed to think that too, because a grave silence settled. That was, until it was broken by a loud, "Yoo-hoo!"

They all turned to see Murray—for someone who found out his friend's niece and nephew had superpowers, he was surprisingly calm about it—waving sheets of paper, shouting, "Yoo-hoo!" again. 

Rowan frowned; what was he waving about?

But now that he had their attention, Murray was marching to one of the food court tables. Hopper and Aunt Aco followed, and soon they were all over there to see what the hell Murray was talking about, Rowan, Dustin, Erica and Lucas next to the adults.

When they all got there, Murray slammed the yellow notepad papers down—revealing on it what appeared to be blueprints of both the gate-opening machine and the entire Russian base. Rowan stared at it. How the fuck did Murray get blueprints of the Russian base and machine?

"Okay, this is what Alexei called 'the hub'," Murray stated, pointing to a room on the Russian base blueprint.

"Who's Alexei?" Rowan muttered.

"A Russian scientist Hopper, Joyce and I kidnapped," Aunt Aco explained in a low breath. By the tightness in her aunt's face, this Alexei had become another casualty of Hawkins. Rowan swallowed, her mind flashing with the image of the Russian doctor she'd electrocuted. He'd drugged Steve, Robin and Valerie—probably didn't care he was drugging three kids. But he was still a person, who would have had a family and was following orders and a belief. Ideology was a funny thing on the human mind, after all, and a country-wide ideology was an even funnier thing.

Rowan swallowed down her guilt, as Murray had went on speaking.

"Now, the hub takes us to the vault room," he said.

"Okay, where's the gate?" Hopper demanded.

"It's literally a stairway from their comms room," Rowan answered, suppressing a shiver at the memory of the gate, an inflamed wound on the world. On her brief stint in the Upside Down, that voice she'd heard. 

"Right here, next to their communication room, like she said," Murray responded, pointing to her before pointing to where the machine tearing a gate open was on the blueprints. "I don't know the scale on this, but I think it's fairly close to the vault room. Maybe fifty feet or so."

Rowan snorted—that was a grossly incorrect estimate of how far apart the two rooms really were.

"More like five hundred."

All eyes turned on Erica as she strode forward and snarked, "What, you're just gonna waltz in there like it's Commie Disneyland or something?"

"Not exactly, kid," Aunt Aco said, but Rowan could see the smirk—she liked Erica. Her aunt always had a soft spot for fiery women and girls.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Murray asked, tone slightly condescending.

"Erica Sinclair. Who are you?" Erica shot back, and that smirk on Aunt Aco's face grew.

"Murray... Bauman," Murray answered, almost like he didn't want Erica to know.

"Listen, Mr. Bunman," Erica said in her usual sassy tone, and Rowan couldn't hold back her snort again, "I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, but I've been down in that shithole for twenty-four hours. And with all due respect, you do what this man tells you, you're all gonna die."

"She isn't lying," Rowan muttered, instantly thinking of Steve, of what Russians did to those they captured. She didn't think they'd be any more merciful to three American adults than they were to three American teenagers.

"I'm sorry, why is this four-year-old speaking to me?" Murray questioned condescendingly as he gestured to Erica.

"Uh, I'm ten, you bald bastard!" Erica fired back.

Hopper's eyebrows raised, Rowan grinned in approval and Aunt Aco hooted and exclaimed, "Oh, I like you!"

"Erica!" Lucas chided, but his sister was quick to defend, "Just the facts!"

"On both accounts," Rowan concurred.

"She's right. You're all gonna die, but you don't have to," Dustin interjected as he made his way forward. He gestured to the blueprints. "Excuse me. Sorry, may I?"

"Please," Murray said, all forced cheerfulness.

Dustin took the blueprints and began drawing the route the three of them had taken as Rowan joined Erica in standing behind him, saying, "Okay, see this room here? This is a storage facility. There's a hatch in here that feeds into their underground ventilation system. That will lead you to the base of the weapon."

"Right to the gate," Rowan pitched in, and Dustin nodded in agreement.

"It's a bit of a maze down there, but between me, Rowan and Erica, we can show you the way," Dustin finished as Erica nodded and Rowan stared at him.

"I didn't agree to that, menace," Rowan said pointedly—she'd rather jump off the quarry than step foot into that goddamned base again.

"You can show us the way?" Hopper echoed, and Rowan knew from the strained look of his face he was against three kids going in there again.

"Don't worry, you can do all the fighting and dangerous hero shit, and we'll just be your... navigators," Dustin proposed, grinning.

It fell when Rowan's suspicions were confirmed when Hopper said, "No. Nope."

Aunt Aco turned to Rowan, a steely look in her face as she said, "That's the same with you, kid. You're not going back down there again, even as a navigator."

"Oh, trust me, I never want to be near that fucking place again," Rowan assured.

"Good. Because you're staying up here. No matter what," Aunt Aco said firmly, that steel in her eyes but Rowan could see the fear—the fear that the Russians could take Rowan and Alistair if they found out about the siblings' abilities. Rowan shared that fear.

"I won't. As long as you come back, okay?" Rowan said, her voice trembling.

Aunt Aco smiled. "Don't worry, kid. I always do."

Rowan swallowed, biting back her tears as she walked away. She gave a look at Alistair, who was with Mike, Will and Lucas, them and Max, El, Nancy, Jonathan, Cami, Valerie, Robin and Steve obviously walking away at some point. The sight of her brother settled the clawing fear that had been in there since the day she'd fallen into that Russian base, to see he really was okay and safe. 

Alistair looked at her, and gave her a smile. Rowan returned the smile, before she pulled a face. Her brother rolled his eyes—obviously thinking he was too old for that—but he was smiling.

A smile was on Rowan's face before she turned to find Steve.

Around her, the others had grouped together—Nancy and Jonathan, Hopper and Aunt Aco looting the guns from the dead Russians that had Rowan wish for her trusty brass knuckles, Cami and Valerie talking in an alcove about what Rowan assumed was the secrets Cami had kept, Alistair, Mike, Will and Lucas staying by the water fountain while Max and El stood somewhere else, and Steve and Robin by a food court restaurant. Rowan walked over to them, hands in her pockets as she said, "Hey."

Steve looked over to her immediately, something soft in his eyes as he replied, "Hey. You okay?"

"That's funny. I wasn't the one tortured and drugged," Rowan pointed out, and Steve let out a quiet laugh, before he winced as it tugged at the injuries on his face. Rowan's face softened as she said, "Yeah, I'm okay. As okay as I can be. You?"

Steve pointed to his face as an answer.

That made Rowan crack a smile—and mentally plan to make sure Steve saw an actual doctor—before she looked to Robin, who wasn't looking at her. Rowan's heart twisted—this conversation was needed to have.

"Hey, Robin," she murmured.

"Hi," the other girl responded, quiet and curt.

Rowan gave a look to Steve. Give us a minute? it said.

Steve looked confused, before realisation came as he looked between Rowan and Robin. He nodded and stepped a few metres away, giving them some privacy.

Rowan pointed to the counter. "Mind if I sit?"

Robin shrugged. "Go ahead."

Rowan did so, hopping on the counter. 

Awkward silence stretched between them, as Rowan tried to think of how to explain to Robin why she'd lied and kept her powers secret, until Robin whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Rowan bit her lip, searching for the right words, before she finally said, "Because I didn't want you to be dragged into this shit."

"Bullshit," Robin hissed back.

Rowan whipped around, looking at her friend. "It's the truth. This—my powers, Al's powers—it's all wrapped up with this crazy shit. If I told you, or Val, you'd be in danger, and I couldn't—I don't—want either of you to be involved in it."

"Well, we are," Robin said tersely. 

"You are, and that scares me, okay? People have died from these fucking monsters—people I couldn't save, even with—" The words stuck in her throat, as Bob and Barb flashed in Rowan's mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut, banishing the tears. "I don't want to lose you, Val, Eddie or Chrissy to the Upside Down. Can you blame me for wanting to keep you out of this shit?"

"No, I don't. I just... I'm just confused. Your powers aren't really involved in, it... right?" Robin asked, but the anger was bleeding out of her voice now, sounding confused instead.

"Yes, because... because the whole reason Al and I are in fucking Hawkins is because we had to hide from fucking Hawkins Lab. Because if we didn't hide our powers, pretend to be normal, we'd be taken to be used as lab rats like El was—or worse, living weapons," Rowan confessed. "And then this whole shit with the Upside Down and monsters started, and... and I used my powers to fight against it. How can I talk about it without telling you all that? I... I couldn't. Because I can't lose someone else I could have saved to those monsters and that fucking hell-dimension. Someone who could be you, Robin, or Val—or, fuck, maybe even Eddie or Chrissy. I just... I couldn't."

Rowan hunched over, surprised at herself at the emotion, the vulnerability she'd shared.

The counter squeaked and Rowan looked to see Robin move an inch closer, her face full of empathy and guilt at herself.

"I... I think I understand now," Robin murmured. "I'm sorry, Rowan."

"I'm sorry, too. I should have told you and Valerie the minute we were in that elevator—fuck, the minute Dustin received that goddamn code," Rowan confessed. "You're my friend—my best friend. I should have been honest with you."

"You're my best friend, too. But I get it now, why you didn't," Robin replied. "I'm honestly relieved. With the way you were acting this week, I... I kinda thought you didn't want to be my friend anymore."

"What? Never. You're stuck with me, Buckley. Have been since Click's class." Rowan said firmly, without any hesitation—because it was true. Rowan couldn't imagine a world where she and Robin had stopped being friends like she couldn't imagine a world where she and Valerie weren't friends anymore, or Nancy, or Jonathan, or Eddie and Chrissy, just like she couldn't imagine a world where any of them weren't alive anymore—especially Eddie and Chrissy.

Robin cracked a smile. "Great. Because feeling's mutual, Graveswood."

The two girls smiled, before Robin leaned in and asked, "So... what else can you do? Dingus said you can shoot lightning from your hands."

"Yep," Rowan confirmed, raising her hand and letting sparks form and rise from her skin, coalescing in a small ball of crackling electricity. Robin's eyes widened, awe in her face, as Rowan went on, "I can also move things with my mind like El can and dream-walk, and I can teleport. That's what I was trying to do earlier. Before El saved our asses."

"It's incredible," Robin breathed. "My best friend's a superhero. Wait—how come you and your brother have powers?"

"Family thing. Everyone in our family has powers—well, except for my aunt and one of my cousins. It tends to skip some people," Rowan explained as she closed her hand, extinguishing the electricity.

"Wow," Robin breathed, before she smiled. "And here I thought you were already badass."

Rowan grinned. "I think we're both badass."

They smiled again. Friendship mended.

However, Robin frowned, before she asked, "Hey, Rowan, I get why you don't want to tell them—why you didn't tell me or Valerie—but would it be so bad if you told Eddie or Chrissy? After all this is over?"

Rowan hesitated, not knowing how to answer. She wanted to, but... could she? Even without the Upside Down, Eddie and Chrissy... they were her childhood friends. Fuck, Eddie was like a big brother to her. Could she bear the hurt and betrayal that she kept such a big secret from them in their years of friendship if she finally told them the truth?

Fortunately, she was spared from answering when Hopper shouted, "Hey, heads up!"

Rowan and Robin looked over just in time to see Hopper throw a walkie to Dustin, another in the police chief's hands as he said, "You and Aco's kid can navigate, just from someplace safe."

"It's not that simple," Dustin said.

"The signal won't reach," Erica revealed.

"Not with this," Dustin elaborated. "You need something with a high enough frequency band to relay with the Russians' radio tower. But for that to work, you need someone who has both seen their comms room and has access to a super-powered handcrafted radio tower, one preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins. Oh, wait. That's me."

Rowan rolled her eyes. "God, Henderson needs to have a fucking ego check."

Robin snorted, as Dustin went on, "If you want us to navigate, you got us. But we need a head start."

Dustin paused, before he added, "And a car."

Rowan didn't need to see the look on Hopper's face that the police chief had been—reluctantly, and maybe with irritated exasperation—convinced by Dustin Henderson. She knew her aunt was, too. That Dustin and Erica—not Rowan, even though she wasn't going back into that hellhole, she didn't want to be navigator, not when she knew where she needed to be now after not being there for these past few days—were once again part of the plan to save the world again.

We should get a fucking medal.

***

#giveRowanamedalforsavingtheworldtwice

Honestly, this was a bit of a struggle to write. But once I got into the groove, it flowed 

Yeah, the Party is regrouping and planning. And yes, Stowan are acting a bit more couple-y and comforting each other 🥰 

The scene with Erica and Murray is iconic. And Aunt Aco has adopted yet another (sassy) girl to her list (after Rowan and Max and El)

The talk between Robin and Rowan was one that I loved writing and was needed. Because Robin is angry and hurt Rowan didn't tell her, but once Rowan explained, she does get it and will find her friend's powers cool and that she's even more awesome than she already is. So I hope you all liked it

Next chapter will be soon! Get the popcorn ready, because it's one you're all gonna enjoy very much ;)

Please read, vote and comment!

GhostWriterGirl out!