7. justice for mews

JUSTICE FOR MEWS

✧･ﾟ: * "Steve, I don't have to come flower shopping with you," Nora sighs as she sits in the car with her big brother anyways. "Just buy the red roses, obviously."

"I know, I know," he shakes his head and starts the car. "I just want it to be perfect, y'know?"

Nora just switches the radio channel and turns the volume up. Steve switches the channel back and turns it back down again. The two go back and forth until Steve just keeps both hands on the wheel and Nora grins as Queen blasts through the speakers.

They pull up in front of the almost full grocery store and Steve immediately rushes out, Nora trailing behind him.

"Okay," he stops in front of the flowers display. The smell wafting through Nora's nose, she takes a deep breath before grabbing two bouquets, handing one to Steve, keeping the other in her hand. Steve just shoots her a look before leading the two over to the cashier.

Steve pays whatever price they are as the lady gives a small smile to Nora and the flowers in her hand. She wouldn't be smiling if she knew who they were for.

"Can you drop me off at the arcade?" Nora asks, staring at the flowers intently, as if they were going to run away from her, as they start off to the Wheeler's.

"What? No. You have to help me with Nancy," Steve whines, starting to bounce his leg up and down.

"She's your girlfriend," Nora begs. "Ex-girlfriend?" She says after a pause.

"Shut up. You're coming with me. End of discussion."

Nora just rolls her eyes and tosses her head back. So much for brotherly love.

He pulls up in front of the Wheeler's house and takes a deep breath. "Hey," Nora, looks him. "If she's not hopelessly in love with you by the time you come out. . . then maybe Mr. Wheeler will like the flowers."

Steve gives her a look, "I should've known better than to expect you to give me real advice."

Nora grins. "Go get your girl, loser."

Steve gets out of the car but pauses when someone calls his name from the sidewalk.

"Dustin?" Nora gets out of the car too.

"Guys," he walks up to the two. "Are those for Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler?"

"No," Steve frowned at the roses.

"They could b-" Nora was cut off as Dustin snatched them from Steve's hand, as well as the bouquet in her hand.

"Good," Dustin starts off towards Steve's car.

"Hey!" Nora walks after him.

"What the hell?" Steve follows.

"Nancy isn't home," Dustin says an explanation.

"Where is she?"

"Nora, I've been trying to radio you," Dustin says instead of answering, turning around suddenly as if he just realized she was there.

"The range, Dustin. The range is too far," Nora says as if explaining to a child. Might as well be. "What's wrong?"

Dustin just turns around and opens the backseat door. "Do you still have that bat?" He asks Steve, not elaborating on anything.

"Bat?" Steve is utterly lost. "What bat?"

"The one with the nails," Dustin waves the flowers, all bunched in one hand together.

"Why?" Nora goes up to the car too.

"I'll explain on the way," Dustin gets into the car, and Nora just shrugs at Steve before following into the passenger seat.

Steve shuffles forward a little, "Wha- now?"

"Now!"

Steve gets in the car and starts driving around, "This better be good."

"Okay, before I tell you, Nora-" he turns to the girl who was still kind of angry about her flowers. "-you have to promise not to get mad."

Nora turns to the boy in the back and squints her eyes. "Dustin, what did you do?"

"Just promise-"

"Okay, I promise!" Nora sighs exasperatedly. What is going on?

"Um, I may or may not have taken care of the Dart situation very poorly," He starts slowly.

"Dart?" Steve butts in. "What's Dart?"

"Dustin's lizard," Nora quickly explains before turning back to Dustin, wanting him to get on with it.

"Right. . . Lizard. . ." Dustin trails softly.

"Dustin. . . What did you do?" Nora repeats, firmer this time.

"Nora. . . I don't think Dart is from our world. . ."

"What?" Steve asks loudly.

Nora's eyes widen. "Steve just drive."

"What do you mean, 'not from our wor-'"

"Just drive!"

"I'm driving!"

—

✧･ﾟ: * "Wait a sec," Steve speaks up in the quiet car ride. Not even Nora could think about turning up the volume to the music. "How big?"

"First he was like that," Dustin puts his hands a few inches from each other. "Now, he's like that," He stretches his arms as far apart as he could.

Nora groans angrily, "We told you to get rid of it, Dustin!"

"He, Nora! He's a he!" Dustin yells back. "And do you understand what a big scientific discovery this is? I couldn't let you guys kill him!"

"I swear to God, man," Steve interrupts the two teens. "It's just a lizard, okay?"

"It's not just a lizard," both Dustin and Nora glares at him.

"How do you know?" Steve presses. "Hm?"

"How do I know it's not just a lizard?" Dustin repeats loudly.

"Yeah, how do you know if it's not just a lizard," Steve raises his voice too.

"Because it's face opened up and he ate my cat."

Silence covers the car. Nora's mouth stands slightly agape, Steve couldn't think of any response. They stay like that until they pulled into Dustin's driveway. The three got out of the car and walked over to the trunk. Steve opens it up and brought out his infamous bat, swinging it around fingers, smirking slightly. Dustin gives an unamused look while Nora still looks slightly shocked.

"It ate Mews?" She whispers, following behind the boys to the back of Dustin's house where the entrance of his basement is.

"Yeah," Dustin whispers back with a slight nod of his head.

Nora just nods back distractedly.

The three stand in silence in front of the padlocked, red double doors. "I don't hear shit," Steve says after a moment.

"He's in there," Dustin assures.

Steve hits the bat against the doors and they rattle slightly before stopping. He shares a look with Nora and they both shrug slightly. He hits it again, harder, and the rattle causes Nora and Dustin to jump a little.

"Alright, I swear-" Steve shines the flashlight into Dustin's face. "-listen, kid, if this is some sort of Halloween prank. . . You're dead." He switches the flashlight over to Nora's face, "And if you're a part of this too. . ." He starts moving the flashlight across both their faces, moving it back and forth.

"It's not-" Nora tries to speak.

"Got it?"

"It's not a prank," Dustin shouts. "Get it out of my face." Nora pushes it slightly down, so the light was shining on his chest instead.

Steve tilts the flashlight towards the lock, it coming onto Nora's face again. "You gotta a key for this thing?" Nora takes the flashlight out of his hand. He looks angry but doesn't protest.

Dustin nods and left. Steve tries to grab for the flashlight but Nora snatches it out of his reach. He uses his longer arms to reach for it, even when she goes on her tiptoes, he manages to snatch it and they share a glare which then turns into a staring contest.

Dustin appears again as the sibling were staring into each others souls and waves a hand in between them. They both blink out of it as he stares with a confused look. Shaking his head, Dustin unlocks the door and throws it open and Steve shines his recently acquired flashlight across the cement floor, nothing coming into sight.

"He must be further down there," Dustin explains. "Nora and I'll stay up here. . . Y'know, in case he tries to escape. . ." Steve shakes his head and makes his way down slowly, bat ready to attack.

After Steve doesn't say anything for a second, Nora speaks up, "Dustin, if we find my brother's dead body down there-"

A sudden flashlight shine makes the two jump, but they sigh in relief when they see it's just Steve.

"Get down here," He says seriously, and Nora and Dustin share a wide-eyed look before following after each other to the basement.

Nora cringes away from Steve's bat as a yellow, liquid-y material slides off it in what seems like slow-motion. "

"Oh, shit," Dustin curses as a pile starts forming on the ground Steve points to a hole in the red-brick wall, dripping with more of the yellow liquid. "Oh, shit!" Dustin repeats at the sight of the dimly lit tunnel.

"No way." No way.

a/n:

pls the way my views go down every chapter 😭 you guys are doing wonders for my self esteem