Chapter Text
In the chaos of everything, Steve and Robin had gotten left behind. Dustin and Erica swore they would come back for them.
Let it be known that they did try. But they had quickly gotten swept away as the rest of the party arrived, frantically telling the two of Billy and the Mindflayer and how everything was about to go to absolute shit. They had bigger things to focus on.
It hadn’t hit Dustin until about an hour after everything had ended. Sitting in the back of a firetruck, across from Eleven and the Chief holding onto each other for dear life, he let his mind wander.
It was stupid of him to think they were finally done with the Upside Down after everything last year. Hadn’t they done enough? El had risked her life closing the gate, Will had almost died, and Steve and the rest of them had done everything they could to-
Shit.
Oh shit.
Steve.
Steve and Robin.
Steve and Robin who were not currently with everyone else by the ambulances. Steve and Robin, who were still stuck under the mall with those godforsaken Russians.
Steve and Robin, who could very easily be dead by now.
…
SHIT.
“Cheif! Hopper! Mrs. Byers! El! Anyone!” Dustin yelled as he jumped up, throwing the blanket that had been wrapped around his shoulders to the ground. He booked it to where Hopper and Eleven were sitting, now looking up at Dustin with mild concern in their eyes.
“Hey hey hey, kid, calm down. What’s wrong? You’re freaking out,” Hopper scanned Dustin’s tear-stricken face, worry flooding through him.
“Steve!” Dustin hiccupped out, “S-Steve! And Robin! We left them there! I left them there!” Hyperventilating, his body began to shake. The rest of the party were making their way over, curious to see why Dustin was so distraught.
“Hop, we gotta go back for them! They’re trapped with the Russians! Under the mall! We have to go back, we can’t just leave them there!” Hopper grabbed Dustin’s shoulders, forcing him to look up.
“We will kid, we will. But where did you say you saw them last?”
“Under the mall! There’s a bunker where all the Russians and their secret base were under the mall - Steve and Robin let themselves get captured so Erica and I could get out,” crying even harder, he continued, “We promise we would go back for them! We promised! We gotta go back, we need to!”
Hopper felt his heart sink into his stomach. Under the mall?
“Calm down. You said under the mall, yeah?” Dustin nodded, his curls bouncing up and down with the movement. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure! Now can we please go find them, we’re wasting time!”
Hopper shared a sad look with Joyce, who thankfully quickly took over. He was never good with emotions.
“Sweetie…Hop and I checked the entirety of the bunker. No one was there.”