Backs Against the Wall

Could she have probably done without someone coming with her to Hawkins Lab? Probably. She'd already wandered off a few times before and came back okay. Hell, it was probably better to be alone than in a group when it came to doing stuff like this. It meant that there was less of a chance of getting caught, a less chance that whatever roams the realms would find them and tear them apart outside of a trial.

... But there's something she doesn't want to admit. This deep, dark feeling in her heart whenever she thinks about that Lab. That awful, awful lab that has taken so much from her. Had basically ruined her life, and even if she learned that it was better to go in alone... She knows she isn't ready to do everything alone just yet. That there were still a few things that even she couldn't ignore.

It's a realization that fucking sucks, because the only person she trusts in this hellhole one hundred percent is Steve Harrington and... And she already feels bad enough, because she's probably the reason he got taken in the first place. He may not have said it, but she probably just thinks he's being nice at this point. That he doesn't want to start an argument and... And she doesn't want the straw that breaks the camels back being here asking for a favor.

So that left one more thing to do if she wanted help. It's a horrifying idea, and it wasn't one she was expecting a reply from, but she simply stood and told everyone that she was going to Hawkins Lab. That if anyone could come with, they could follow because she might need to help.

It was a moment where she felt her heart stop in her chest, and she nearly gasped in relief when she got a response. It's someone she just barely recognizes, knowing him only vaguely by name and what a few people say, but at least she knows his name. Quentin, Quentin Smith, and he seems nice. Maybe a bit quiet and withdrawn, but it's something she likes. Something she's used to. After all, Jonathan was probably even worse when it came to his own shyness, where sometimes she'd be surprised if her boyfriend would speak at all.

It helps especially now that they're in the Lab, and she finds herself rummaging through the various papers in the Lab. Somehow, the awful god of this world even seemed to copy some of the research that Hawkins Lab had. Granted, it's all stuff she knows... But maybe there's something else. Something she's missed. How she's so focused that she barely even acknowledges the young man behind or or the shaking cage he's staring at.

She thinks she's on the cusp of something even, that the paper she's currently reading is onto something... When Quentin finally speaks up, causing her to flinch from her kneeled position.

Thankfully she collects herself quickly, steeling her gaze as she looks over her shoulder at the other. "I was reading some of these files to see if the Upside Down has anything to do with all of this. Maybe even get some answers, but..." She sighs, looking back down at the paper just a bit, skimming it over to find... Yeah, nothing once again. She tosses the paper off to the side, moving to grab another one. "I got nothing so far."

It's only then that she finally seems to notice the rattling in the cage across the wall, leaning just a bit so that she can see behind Quentin. Watching as the cage rattled, something screeching underneath the covers with just a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She didn't look fearful, even if there was a hint of it there, but rather like she wanted to tempt fate.

She glances back at Quentin, looking up at the other from her spot on the ground. "... Do you want to see what's in there?"