INT. STAR COURT MALL - SCOOPS AHOY - DAY Steve and Robin work their usual shift, scooping ice cream and chatting with customers. The mall, buzzing with activity, draws no suspicion of the dark secret lurking nearby. ROBIN Hey, Steve, have you noticed anything... weird lately? STEVE What do you mean weird? You mean like a possessed fridge? Robin laughs, nodding her head in agreement. ROBIN Yeah, or, you know, scary monsters and stuff? STEVE No... nothing like that. Why? Do you think there's something going on? Robin shrugs, brushing off her fear as innocent curiosity. INT. STAR COURT MALL - UNDERGROUND - DAY Suddenly, we hear strange noises and growling coming from the hidden laboratory beneath the mall. The sound crescendos, seeming to call out to them. Unbeknownst to the duo, they become possessed by the Mind Flayer. INT. STAR COURT MALL - SCOOPS AHOY - DAY The possession has an immediate effect--Robin transforms into a poised, elegant prima donna, radiating an air of self-importance, while Steve morphs into a stoic, calculated brute. ROBIN (to herself) Oh, darling, look at me. I am the epitome of beauty and glamor. She looks in a mirror, admiring her reflection with a smug grin. She walks past a group of boys who are immediately drawn to her presence. She relishes in their attention. STEVE (sternly) All right, boys, back off. She's mine. Robin loops her arm around Steve's, enjoying the protection of her newfound boyfriend. She places her free hand on her hip, exuding an air of superiority. ROBIN Yes, Steve, I'm glad you're here to protect me from the... commoners. Steve smirks as he ushers the boys away, visibly clenching his fists. INT. STAR COURT MALL - DAY Steve and Robin walk through the mall, their new personas taking over, drawing attention wherever they go. Steve positions himself to shield Robin, allowing her to revel in her narcissism as he keeps potential threats away. INT. STAR COURT MALL - FOOD COURT - DAY Mike, Eleven, and the rest of the group walk in, staring perplexedly at the couple. They arrive at their table, still trying to make sense of the change. MIKE He was normal yesterday. What happened? DUSTIN I... I'm not sure. But I think the mind flayer is back in action. ELEVEN (concerned) We need to help them... fix this madness. The group nods in unison, determined to save their friends from the grip of the mind flayer. They will not stop until they put an end to the wicked plague that haunts Hawkins.