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SEB HAD HIS HEAD LEANT ON THE TABLE, HIM AND DUSTIN STILL IN THE BACKROOM AS ROBIN CIRCLED THEM. The tape played over and over, Seb humming to the music. He wondered what El was doing. Hopper was at work but Mike didn't seem to be coming around to the Cabin so what was she doing? "Wait, that last part, just one more time." Seb looked to Robin, as did Dustin. "It was 'a trip to China would be nice if' but I didn't get the last part." Seb informed, Robin nodding with him. Dustin rewinded the tape, letting it play as Robin faced away from them, thinking. "That word." She spoke, looking to her version of the right Russian alphabet which was the right one. Intrigued, Dustin followed her instructions, pausing the tape at the word she mentioned.

"It's pronounced... 'dly-nna-ya'. Which is spelled..." Robin pointed to the board, Dustin rushing to him as Seb held the notebook they were writing on. He obviously knew how to write after learning, he just needed a lot of practice. "The chair thing, Seb." Dustin spoke, Seb nodding and drawing the letter. He enjoyed drawing more than writing. Robin went towards the translucent window, opening one side. "We've got our first full sentence." She told Steve, him turning around. "Oh, seriously?" He asked, two ice creams in his hand. "Yeah," She put on a Russian accent, "The week is long." She announced, Steve nodding slowly. "Well, that's thrilling." He let out, Robin shrugging. "I know, but, progress." She spoke, shutting the window as Steve turned around. "Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream."

Max and El took their ice creams, smiling. "Thanks." The girls chorused, Steve staring at El. "Are you allowed to be here?" He asked, wanting to know if there's any more 'important' business. El only laughed, Max and her running away. Steve just stared at their backs until they disappeared, nodding slowly. "Okay." Max and El got outside of the mall, smiling with their ice creams. El had no mind of what Seb was doing as Hopper told her that he was spending the day with Dustin. "You wanna trade?" Max asked, El nodding as the two swapped ice creams. "...That's ridiculous. Why can't I just-" "Oh, you've gotta be shitting me." Max let out, El following her train of sight to see a familiar face. Mike. With Lucas and Will, the latter looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Mike was complaining about something, El confused.

He had told her that his Nana was sick, telling her that he's going to stay home with her until she's better. Why was he here? "What if we split it?" Lucas suggested, the three boys taking their bikes off of the bike stack to leave. Will noticed the two girls first, his eyes widening lightly. "Does that even make sense? Split with what-" "Isn't this a nice surprise?" Max called, Will staying at the back as Mike and El faced each other, Lucas and Max doing the same. Mike dropped his bike, Lucas looking to El the same time he did. "What are you doing here?" Mike asked, pointing to El. "Shopping." She shot back, a glare on her face. "Where's Seb?" Lucas asked, Max shrugging. "With Dustin." She answered, motioning to El's new outfit. It was a black jumpsuit with funky patterns all over it. "This is her new style. What do you think?" She asked Mike, him outraged.

El wasn't supposed to be here? Why was she here? "What's wrong with you? You know she's not allowed to be here." Mike spat at the girl, her scoffing. "What is she, your little pet?" She spat, El nodding. "Yeah. Am I your pet?" She asked in the same tone, Lucas and Will staying quiet. "What? No!" Mike let out, El sighing. "Then why do you treat me like garbage?" She asked, Mike confused. "What?" He asked again, El rolling her eyes. "You said Nana was sick."  She informed, Mike nodding as the group watched. "She is." He let out, Lucas nodding to back up his friend. "She is. She is sick." Mike motioned to Lucas, him nodding quicker. "Yeah, sick- she's sick." Lucas spoke, Max tilting her head at her boyfriend. "Super sick. That's why we're here actually." Lucas continued, Mike nodding to El. "Yeah, we're shopping. Not for us, but for her, for Nana." Mike spoke, El not impressed.

Max and El just watched as Lucas and Mike agreed with each other, repeating each other's sentences like crazy people. "Also, we're here to get a gift for you." Mike looked to El, the girl's sadness getting gradually worse as Mike lied more to her face. Why wasn't he telling the truth? "Just, we couldn't find anything that suited you and I only have, like, three dollars and fifty cents, so it's hard." Mike truthfully spoke for once, Lucas nodding. "Super hard." He added on, making it seem less and less believable. "It's- it's expensive." He continued, El ignoring him and staring at Mike. "You lie." She declared, Mike not saying anything. "Why do you lie?" Her voice raised a little, Mike sighing as he stuttered for an answer. El turned to see bus brakes squeal behind them, that being the bus her and Max were supposed to take to get home. Looking back to Mike, the others watched as she stepped closer to Mike, the boy flinching lightly.

"I dump your ass."

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"THE SILVER CAT FEEDS, WHEN BLUE MEETS YELLOW IN THE WEST."

"I mean," Steve shut the shutter for Scoops Ahoy, the whole mall being closed. It was late at night, Hopper probably wondering where Seb was. He was definitely not being stood up by Joyce at Enzo's. Definitely not... "it just can't be right." Steve spoke, Robin starting to walk away as Seb shrugged. "The silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice..." He muttered, walking away with Dustin. "It's right." Robin called behind her. "Honestly, I think it's great news." Dustin let out, both Robin and Steve confused as Seb stayed silent. "How is this great news?" Robin asked, Steve putting his uniform cap back on. "I mean, so much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense." Steve chuckled, Dustin shaking his head. "It's not nonsense." He shot back, shrugging. "It's too specific. It's obviously a code."

Seb looked to Dustin, "I worked one of those out once." He nodded, Dustin smiling. "Great! I mean- not great, but we have experience." Dustin regretted his words as Robin ignored him. "What do you mean, a code?" Steve asked, Seb turning around and walking backwards. "It's like when you jumble a bunch of words to hide how important it is. So no one else knows-" "I know what a code is. That's a stretch." Steve pointed towards Seb, him sighing and turning around. "I don't know, is it?" Robin asked, Steve looking to her. "You're buying into this?" He asked, Robin shrugging. "Listen, just for kicks, let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What do you think they were gonna say, 'Fire the warhead at noon'?" Robin did her impression again, Seb moving out of the way of an animatronic horse. "Your impressions are very accurate." He complimented, Robin smiling.

"Thanks. Plus, my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so... 'The silver cat feeds.' Why would anyone talk like that unless they're trying to mask the true meaning of their message?" Robin spoke, Dustin nodding. "Exactly." He let out, Seb nodding. "Why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive?" Robin asked Seb and Dustin, the three too deep in conversation to notice Steve stop. He was analysing the horse that Seb moved by. "Exactly." Seb spoke, Robin smiling. "So I guess that confirms your suspicion." Robin spoke, Dustin smiling this time. "Evil Russians." He confirmed, Seb nodding slowly. "I can't believe I'm about to agree with these two strange children, but, yeah, totally evil Russians." Robin smiled lightly, Seb nodding himself. This was all slowly going to kick in soon.

The poor boy just needed time to process.

"Let's just hope a pattern emerges when we get the last part of the message translated." Robin spoke, Dustin nodding. "A pattern. Right, like maybe 'silver cat' is a meeting place?" Dustin suggested, Robin turning to him. "Or a person?" She suggested too, Seb turning around as he hadn't heard from Steve in a while. "Or a weapon." Dustin spoke, making Seb wince. He was a weapon. "It's probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but-" "Steve?" Seb called, Robin turning around. "Where's Steve?" Robin asked, Dustin confused before seeing the older boy at the horse. "Hey, Steve." Robin called, Steve messing with change in his pocket. "What are you doing?" Robin spoke, Steve hurriedly dropping some coins. "Uh, it's a quarter. Seb," The boy's eyes widened, "Do you have a quarter?" Steve asked, Seb stuttering.

He kind of knew what currency was, he just never carried money on him. "Uh-" Robin walked over to the boy, Dustin doing the same. Seb followed Dustin, shaking his head. "No." He spoke in the smallest of voices, Steve nodding. "Sure you're tall enough for that ride?" Robin teased, Steve ignoring her. "Quarter!" He yelled, Seb flinching lightly as Robin handed Steve the money he wanted. Seb watched intrigued as Steve put the money into the machine horse, crouching next to it. Seb happily watched the horse move, finding it cute and interesting. The boy's smile dropped slowly however once he noticed the music. The music. The same music played on the tape. "You need help getting up, little Stevie-" Robin teased before Seb reached a hand out, silencing her. She just stood awkwardly, Dustin confused.

"Please, be quiet." Seb let out softly, Steve looking to him. The two shared a look of understanding, Steve looking to Robin and Dustin. "Would you guys just listen?" He asked, Dustin doing as told before realising. "Holy shit." He let out, Seb getting the tape out of his backpack. "The music." Dustin spoke towards Robin, Seb giving Dustin the tape. "I don't understand." Robin shrugged, not too bothered by the news as Dustin played the tape again. "It's the exact same song from the recording." Dustin informed, Robin shrugging. "Maybe they have horses like this in Russia." Robin suggested, Steve pointing to the label. "'Indiana Flyer?' I don't think so." He let out, Seb looking around the mall. "This code... it didn't come from Russia." Seb let out, Robin looking to him scared.

"It came from here."

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Happy new years!!

[1808 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!

Byeee!