ℕ𝕆𝕀𝕊𝔼

•008•

The kids sit down around a 'map' that Lucas made in the dirt. He is showing them what he had saw when he was spying at the lab.

"The fence starts here, and goes all the way around. And this is the lab right here." He gestures, placing an object in the middle. "The gate's gotta be in there somewhere. It's gotta be."

"Well, who owns Hawkins Lab?" Dustin asked.

Lucas responds, "The sign says 'Department of Energy'."

"Department of Energy?" He repeats.

"What do you think that means?" Bea wondered.

"It means government. Military." Mike spoke knowingly.

Dustin questions, "Why does it say 'Energy'?"

"Just trust me, alright? It's military, my dad told me before."

"Mike's right." Lucas nods. "There's soldiers out front."

"Do they make, like, lightbulbs or something?"

While the boys continued talking, Bea put her hands on her stomach. Eleven notices — since the girls are sitting right next to each other — and pokes the strawberry blonde's shoulder with her finger. When Bea was about to respond to El's question, 'if she was okay', she was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter in the sky.

The kids all hid their bikes under a bus before rushing in it to hide themselves. Once they were in, they slammed the bus door shut and hid under the seats.

"Mental." Dustin comments as the helicopter flies right over them.

They sit there in silence. Barely hearing their own breathing in fear of someone finding them. All of a sudden, Mike's walkie-talkie starts to go off.

"You guys hear that?" Dustin asks as Mike snatches his backpack to take the device out.

"Mike, we need you to answer." What sounded like Nancy Wheeler's voice came from the walkie-talkie.

"Is that your sister?" Lucas asked. No, there's another Nancy Wheeler who has no relation to the Mike on this bus. Yes, it is, Dingus!

"This is an emergency, Mike...Do you copy?...Mike, do you copy?"

They huddled around to try and hear clearly. "Okay, this is really weird."

Lucas grabs for the walkie-talkie from his hands, about to respond. Mike said to not answer. He looks at Mike like he's crazy and reminds, "She said it was an emergency."

"What if it's a trick?"

"It's your sister!" Lucas tries to reason.

"What if the bad people kidnapped her? What if they're forcing her to say this?"

"Seriously, Mike?" Bea groaned in annoyance at her friend's antics.

"I need you to answer."

Dustin's eyes widen, "It's like Lando Calrissian."

"Oh, my God." Bea mutters under her breath.

"Don't answer." He agrees with Mike.

"We need to know that you're there, Mike." Nancy stressed. The walkie was quickly grabbed from her and a new voice was heard. "Listen, kid, this is the chief. If you're there, pick up. We know you're in trouble and we know about the girl." At what Hopper last said, the group stared at Eleven.

Lucas spoke slowly, "Why is she with the chief?"

"How the hell does he know about..." Bea trails off, still looking at the girl next to her.