ten

Hopper was gearing up for him, Joyce and Murray going down into the base-while the kids and PJ just watched.

"Well, that settles it." Erica sighed. "He's gonna die. They're gonna die."

"Yep, most likely." Dustin nodded, and PJ couldn't help but agree.

"You guys survived." Lucas said.

"Barely." Dustin said. "Plus, we had PJ. Total badass."

"No I'm not." PJ said, rolling her eyes. She was sitting on a nearby table, cleaning the wound on her leg with water. The kids all looked over at her, completely unconvinced. She looked like she could've come out of an action movie. "I was just protecting you two." She sucked in a breath as the tip of the water bottle lightly touched her wound-sending a wave of pain up her leg and spine. She looked up and over at the kids. "Totally normal."

"We could've really used you guys down there." Dustin said, looking at his friends.

"Could've used you up here, too." Mike said.

"Yeah, man." Lucas nodded. "We missed you dude."

"Yeah, big-time." Will agreed.

"I missed you guys too." Dustin smiled. "Big time."

"Please don't cry, nerds." Erica said, watching the whole thing with a look a mild disgust.

"Erica." Lucas said, looking at her annoyed.

"Keep saying my name, see what happens." Erica shot back. PJ sighed, getting off the table and coming over. Over the course of their time stuck in the base, Erica had actually come to respect PJ-and seemed to listen to her. PJ put her hand on Erica's shoulder, shaking her head.

"Hey, heads up!" Hopper yelled, making them all turn. He came over, throwing Dustin a radio. "You can navigate, just from someplace safe."

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

"The signal won't reach." Erica nodded.

"Not with this." Dustin explained. "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." Hopper looked annoyed and tired. "If you want us to navigate, you got us. But we need a head start. And a car."

•••••

"Oh, man, now this..." Steve said as the five walked out of the mall. The five, who had been in the base, had been dubbed the Scoops Troop. "This is what I'm talkin about!"

"Toddfather?" Robin asked, reading the license plate.

"Oh, screw Todd!" Steve smiled. "Steve's her daddy now." He jumped into the driver's seat of the convertible.

"Did you just talk about yourself in the third person?" Robin asked.

"Did he just call himself daddy?" Erica asked.

"Alright losers, I'll meet you there." PJ said.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked.

"I got a hanger from one of the stores, I'm gonna unlock my car and Hotwire it-meet you guys over there." PJ said, holding up the unfolded metal hanger. "Highest point in Hawkins, I know it. I go smoke up there a lot. I'll be a couple minutes behind you guys."

"You sure?" Steve asked.

"Totally. Meet ya there." PJ nodded, starting across the parking lot. Her car was relatively close, so she was able to reach it in a few seconds. Steve drove past her, honking as he went. She waved, thanking her last self for leaving the drivers window a little cracked. In two minutes she had the car unlocked and running-record time. She grabbed one of sweatshirts from her trunk, throwing it onto the passengers seat along with the gun before getting in. Taking off, not caring whether she was speeding or not, putting on the tape Jonathan had made her. She heard the beginning of Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks begin to play so she cranked her stereo up-blasting the song as she sped through the dead streets of Hawkins. Just as she was driving down main street, she remembered that she had some weed in her glove box still. She grabbed a trashed looking box of cigarettes which had joints rolled up to resemble cigarettes in it, as well as a lighter.

As she sped down the road, smoking and singing along loudly to Stevie Nicks, she felt all her cares fade away. For the first time in over 24 hours, she was relaxing and having a good time. She laughed loudly to herself, flipping on her brights as she exited down and neared where she'd need to exit her car. All too soon, she pulled off the road where she always did. The music cut off, and she dug through her glove compartment to grab a flashlight. Looking around, she spotting a backpack in the backseat, so she grabbed it and pulled it up front. She shook it to empty it, and out fell a spare car key. She held it up, sighing and dropping it back in the bag. She stuff the sweatshirt, her weed, and the gun into the bag before getting out of her car and making her way up the hill. It was a little slippery, as it had evidently rained while they were gone. She came across the car Steve was driving, abandoned on the hill but near the top. She moved quickly the rest of the way up-hearing the four others talking.

"Car got stuck?" She asked, seeing the four them at the base of the large radio tower.

"Yeah, Henderson didn't tell me not to drive all the way up." Steve said. "Where's your car."

"Bottom of the hill." She answered. "I knew not to drive up."

"Alright, it's time. We gotta see if they're in place." Erica said. Dustin nodded, picking up the radio.

"Bald Eagle, do you copy?" Dustin asked, no response. "Bald Eagle, I repeat, this is Scoops Troop, do you copy?"

"Yes, I copy." Murray's voice answered. They all chuckled excitedly, glad to know it was working.

"Call sign?" Dustin asked. Murray said something, but it was too quiet. "Please repeat."

"Bald Eagle! This is Bald Eagle!" Murray sounded annoyed.

"Copy that." Dustin said. "Good to hear your voice, Bald Eagle. What's your 20?"

"We reaches the vent." Murray said. "I'll contact you when I need you. Until then, silence."

"Roger that, Bald Eagle. This is Scoops Troop, going radio silent. 10-10 over." Dustin replied. Steve patted Dustin's shoulder.

•••••

"Scoops Troop, this is...hm. Bald Eagle." Murray's voice came from the radio, making the five of them snap to attention. "I've reached another junction."

"This is what?" Dustin asked.

"The fourth junction." Erica answered.

"All right, so if memory serves this is right after the My Little Pony thesis." Dustin said. "And where PJ cut her leg so..."

"We went left so he has to go right." Erica said.

"Right." Dustin nodded. "Fly right, Bald Eagle." Dustin said into the radio. "Fly right."

"Roger that, flying right." Murray confirmed.

"What's the My Little Pony thesis?" Robin asked. Robin was sitting next to Dustin and Erica at the radio, Steve was up walking around, and PJ was off to the left smoking another joint. They all gave her a pass because of her leg injury-she but could tell Steve wasn't too thrilled with her being high-until she reminded him how he and Robin were acting when they were drugged-and he shut up.

"Hey, guys?" Steve called out, looking over towards the mall. They all looked over at him and the group of three got up, PJ just pulling herself into a sitting position. They all looked for a moment before running back to the radio. At this point, PJ pulled herself up and looked. All the lights at the mall were flickering fast. PJ moved over and sat down with the others.

"Griswold family's this is Scoops Troop! Do you copy? Over!" Dustin yelled into the radio. Nothing. "Griswold family, I repeat, this Scoops Troop. Do you-" Dustin was cut off by a loud chitter and a shriek. "Griswold family, do you copy?" Then, it came, the loud roar of what was unmistakably the Mind Flayer-though it sounded identical to the Demogorgon and Demodogs' screech. "Griswold family, this is Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety!" Nothing. "Griswold family, this Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety!" Nothing. "Are you en route to Bald Eagles nest?" Dustin continued to shout into the radio but got no replies. The only thing they got back was more chittering and growling from the monster. Steve stood up, running towards the car.

"Where are you going?!" Erica yelled.

"To get them the hell out of there!" Steve yelled back. "Stay here! Contact the others!" Robin stood up too.

"Shit!" She said.

"Robin, wait!" PJ yelled, getting up. Robin looked back.

"Stay in touch!" Dustin yelled, throwing her a radio. PJ had gone over to stand in front of her.

"I'll be back." Robin said. PJ nodded, and Robin pulled her in for a quick kiss before running after Steve.

"Be safe!" PJ yelled after them.

"Bald Eagle, this is Scoops Troop. What's your 20?" Dustin asked through the radio.

"I told you, radio silence!" Murray said.

"Yeah, but we have a problem!" Dustin said.

"What kind of problem?" Hopper's voice came over the radio.

•••

"Bald Eagle has landed." Murray's voice came through. "Repeat. Bald Eagle has landed."

"Thank god." PJ sighed. She had now taking to pacing, still smoking, as she nervously waited for Robin or Steve to make contact. "Okay, Murray's close."

"That means the Mind Flayer will be dead soon." Dustin said.

"Yeah, let's hope." Erica nodded. PJ finished off her third joint, tossing it to the wet ground and stepping on it once before lighting another one. Murray and Hopper were arguing over the radio-the code to get the keys was wrong.

"Planck's constant." Dustin gasped.

"You know it?" Erica asked.

"Not by heart. You?" He asked.

"I'm not a nerd, nerd." Erica scoffed, and they both looked at PJ.

"I didn't even know it was a thing." She said. Dustin sat for a moment before changing the radio channel.

"What are you doing?" Erica asked, but he didn't answer. He carefully fine tuned it, picking up the radio.

"Suzie, do you copy?" He asked, and Erica and PJ looked at each other. "Suzie, do you copy?" Nothing. "Suzie, do you copy?"

"This is Suzie, I copy." A girl's voice came through.

"She's real?" Erica asked and PJ shushed her kneeling down. She was enthralled-not only was Suzie real, but she answered. And if she knew this number, she would save the world.

"Suzie!" Dustin smiled.

"Dusty-bun?" Suzie asked.

"What?" Erica whispered, to which PJ replied with a shrug.

"Where have you been?" Suzie asked.

"I'm so, so sorry." Dustin apologized. "I-I've been really busy...uh, trying to save the world from Russians and monsters."

"Of course you have." Suzie chuckled.

"Get the goddamn number already." Erica snapped.

"Who is that?" Suzie asked.

"Uh, it was...uh, I don't know, actually." Dustin stammered. "I think it was just some interference. So, why don't we, uh, change frequency to 14.158?"

"Copy that, shifting frequency." Suzie responded. "Stand by." Dustin quickly shifted back to the other frequency. "Dusty-bun, you copy?"

"I copy, Suzie-poo." Dustin confirmed. PJ, as high as she was, was really trying to hold herself together but these nicknames were making it very hard for her. "It sounds much better now, thanks. Okay, so, listen, do you know Planck's constant?"

"Do you know the Earth orbits the sun?" Suzie joked.

"Okay, so, I know it starts with two sixes, and then a...what is it?" He asked.

"Okay, let me just be clear on this." Suzie said. "I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can...save the world?"

"Suzie-poo, I promise, I will make it up to you as soon as possible." Dustin spoke.

"You can make it up to me now." Suzie said, making PJ and Erica share a look.

"What?" Dustin asked.

"I want to hear it." Suzie said.

"Not right now." Dustin looked mortified.

"Yes, now, Dusty-bun." Suzie demanded.

"Suzie-poo, this is urgent." Dustin said.

"Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time." Suzie dismissed. "But, Ged is also saving Earthsea and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie, signing off."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Dustin rushed. "Okay! Okay, okay." Dustin lowered the radio. "Shit." He took a few deep breaths, meekly glancing at the girls next to him before raising the radio again.

"Turn around, look at what you see~" Dustin began to sing. That was it for PJ who had to rush to grab her sweatshirt from her bag to she could muffle her laughter. Dustin, soon joined by Suzie, sang the first verse and chorus of The Neverending Story from the movie of the same name. Erica looked confused and slightly disgusted while PJ was sure she was about to throw up from laughing so hard.

"Planck's constant is 6.62607004." Suzie finally said.

"You just saved the world." Dustin smiled.

"Gosh, I miss you, Dusty-bun." Suzie said.

"And I miss you more, Suzie-poo." Dustin said.

"I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy." Suzie replied.

"No, I miss you-" Dustin started, but was cut off when Erica turned the radio off.

"Enough!" She said. It was another five minutes before PJ had stopped laughing, but now she was no longer muffled by her sweatshirt.

"It's not that funny!" Dustin argued.

"Yes it is, dude!" She snorted loudly.

•••

The three of them were now sitting quietly, PJ giggling every few minutes because she couldn't stop thinking about it when a large group of helicopters flew over them and towards the mall.

"Oh, shit. It's the military." Dustin said. That seemed to sober PJ right up, and she shot up to her feet. "What are you doing?"

"We gotta see if they're okay, come on." She said. The two kids nodded, and she picked up her bag before they began to run down the hill. A few slides later, and they piled into her car. She quickly found the spare key, firing up the car and tearing out of the grass, speeding back towards the mall. When they arrived, there were helicopters parked in the parking lot, along with tons of firetrucks and ambulances, and the mall was on fire. PJ didn't even bother to turn off her car as she got out and ran-looking Steve, Robin and the other kids.

"Steve!" She yelled out, seeing Steve exiting one of the ambulances. She ran over, despite the pain in her leg, and straight into Steve's arms. "We was the helicopters and came right away."

"We're okay, we're fine." Steve said. "But uh...shit, Billy. You know how they told us he was possessed by the Mind Flayer?" She nodded. "He was gonna sacrifice El but...but she did something, brought him out of it, and he sacrificed himself to save her-to save all of us."

"Fuck..." She said, looking around for Max. She found her, across the parking lot in the arms of Lucas. She watched Will run to his mom, and saw El looking around for Hopper. "Oh no."

"What?" Steve asked, pulling away.

"Where's Hop?" They both whipped around, unable to find him. Then, PJ saw El break down into sobs. PJ broke away from Steve and went to her, laying a hand gently on her shoulder. El quickly turned into PJ's arms, and PJ held her close-letting the young girl sob into her shirt. PJ didn't know how long she was standing there with El, but Mike came and took over-insisting that PJ get her leg looked at. Almost unwillingly, PJ left and made her way to an ambulance. As they were cleaning up her leg, Erica hopped in to join her, taking her hand for support. They cleaned her leg with hydrogen peroxide, injected it with a steroid to prevent infections, and stitched it up before letting her go-also telling her to try and stay off her feet for the next month. Erica helped her out of the ambulance, letting PJ lean on her for support as her leg was now numb.

"PJ!" Robin called, running over. Robin took PJ in her arms, and Erica left to go to Lucas. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah they just stitched me up." PJ nodded. "But...El...and Hop...I just..." PJ dissolved into tears, falling against Robin. Robin didn't know what to say, so she just held her close.