Steve backed away from the window, a plan formulating in his head as he realized what he had to do. Christine was already shaking her head at him as he headed for the bat, her eyes wide as she realized he was going to go out there with that monster that ate Dustin's cat.

"Steve? Steve, what are you doing?" Dustin asked, watching as Christine hurried over to the man in question.

"You are not going out there." She said, trying to grab the bat from his hand as she tried to stop him any way she could think of. He held the lighter out towards her, his eyes falling on her face as he spoke.

"Just get ready." Before the girl could protest again he pushed the lighter into her hand, his other hand already pushing the bus door open. Christine  shook her head in disbelief as Dustin rushed past her to close the door, the girl running back to the window to watch what was going to happen. She felt her heart leap into her throat as he staggered across the ground, walking right towards the unidentified creature. He started to whistle, Christine face-palming as he did so, a defeated sigh escaping her lips as she figured he was the stupidest person she had ever met.

"Come on buddy." He kept whistling, Christine turning her head to look at Max who was coming down the ladder.

"Whats he doing?" She asked, Christine shrugging as she figured at this point he was just trying to get himself killed.

"Expanding the menu."

"Come on. Dinner time. Human tastes better than cat, I promise." Steve said, once again making Christine facepalm.

"He's insane." Max commented, all of them fearing for Steve's safety at this point.

"He's awesome." Dustin said, gripping the grates on the window. Christine sucked in a breath, preparing herself for whatever was going to happen here.

"He's stupid." Christine added, shaking her head as they all watched him continue to walk towards the apparent monster. Finally it came out of the fog, Christine and Max both gasping as they caught sight of it.

"Steve watch out!" They heard from above.

"Little busy here!" The man in question called back, pulling the bat over his shoulder and preparing to strike.

"Three o'clock! Three o'clock!" They all turned their headed, eyes widening as they saw numerous other monsters surrounding him. Dustin was quick to run past them all, sliding the door open and yelling to Steve.

"Steve! Steve! Abort! Abort!" Christine rushed out of the bus, all of them yelling for him as they started to charge him. He jumped over the hood of a car, hitting one of them in the face. He stumbled back to the bus as they all yelled for him, Christine grabbing him by the shirt and helping to rip him inside. They all whined in terror as they tried to get into the bus, Steve holding the side of the bus as he used his legs to keep the door shut.

"Shit!" Dustin cried, the outcome of this situation suddenly becoming very, very bleak.

"Are thye rabid or something?" Max yelled, Christine turning her head to look at her in faint shock.

"No Max they're fucking monsters!"  Christine yelled, Steve taking a piece of metal off the wall and pushing it into the door.

"They can't get in! They can't!" Lucas yelled, the whole bus shaking immediately after that.  Christine pushed the kids away from the door as an arm burst thorugh it, Steve swinging at it with the bat as she followed after the kids.

"Is anyone there?! Mike, Will, God! Anyone!" Another arm burst through the side of the bus, Christine springing towards it with a hammer. She started to beat at the claws with the hammer, yells of terror leaving everyones mouths as  the kids tried to find a way out. "We're at the old junkyard and we are going to die!"

The arms pulled away from the door and the wall, Christine grunting as she watched the hand retract. They all watched as there was a thump on the ceiling, Christine scrambling to get up and running to get in front of the kids. Max screamed in terror as the monster finally came into full, undeniable view. Steve ran up, pushing the kids and Christine back with him arm, his hands gripping the bat as he stood to protect them all.

"Out of the way! Out of the way! You want some? Come get this!"  The monsters face opened up, Christine letting out a terrified gasp as it growled at them. Before it could pounce it turned its head, its attention brought elsewhere. It backed off of the ladder, roaring in the direction of whatever was calling it, the bus shaking as all the monsters jumped off of it and ran off. They all looked around, relief filling the air as they realized they were alone. Christine pushed past them all, walking towards the door and pushing it open.

"Get behind me." Steve said, pushing in front of her, his arm going into her stomach and securing her behind him.

"What happened?" Lucas asked, all of them slowly climbing out of the bus.

"I don't know."

"Steve scared them off?" Dustin suggested, Steve speaking up soon after.

"No. No. No way." He turned to them with the bat on his shoulder, his eyes going over the entire small group before her spoke again. "They're going somewhere." He informed them, all of them letting out another collective sigh of relief before Christine finally stepped forwards.

"That was some of the freakiest shit I have ever seen. And Steve don't you ever pull that shit again." Christine scolded him, the girl walking forwards and grabbing the bat out of his hands. He gave her a confused and irritated look, the girl shaking her head at him. "Now lets go find out where those monsters went, yeah?"

The three kids all looked at each other, a silent agreement going between them all as they watched the twos dynamic and then decided that Christine was also someone else who they had not expected to be as cool as she was. She pointed the bat in the direction that the monsters had fled, all of them starting to walk in that direction. Steve gripped the bat by the handle, pulling it out of her hand and getting in her face a little bit.

"Stealing my thunder? Really?" He said, shaking his head as he chuckled and walked past her after the kids. They all started down the tracks, Christine backing the tumultuous group of kids. The two younger boys talked for a little while, Christine catching up to Max and shaking her head at her.

"I'm sorry, did you know about any of this?" She asked the red-headed girl, gesturing to the boys. They all seemed like this was almost no big deal.

"Lucas told me some long, bullshit story about a girl with powers and a bunch of monsters and Will going missing. I don't know, but I didn't believe him because he had no proof. I'm only here because hes providing me with proof that that bullshit story...is true." Max explained, Christine furrowing her eyebrows in confusion at half of the things she was saying.

"What girl with powers?" Before Max could answer Lucas asked another question, this one catching the attention of both the girls.

"Are you sure that was Dart?"

"Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt." Dustin confirmed.

"He was tiny two days ago." Max butt in, Christine confused as to how the creature had grown that big if he was supposedly 'tiny' two days ago.

"Well, he's molted three times already." Dustin said, shining his flashlight on the ground.

"Malted?" Steve asked, not quite sure what that meant.

"Molted. Shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms." Dustin informed him, Steve still not quite grasping the concept because he had no idea what a hornworm was.

"Is he gonna molt again? He's already pretty big." Christine asked, her arms crossing over her chest as she thanked Steve in her head for the jacket she was wearing.

"I think he will."

"Whens he gonna molt again?" Max asked, all of them coming up with questions.

"It's gotta be soon. When he does he'll be fully grown or close to it. And so will his friends."

"Yeah, and then hes gonna eat a lot more than just cats." Steve commented, Lucas stopping and grabbing Dustin by the shoulder.

" Wait, a cat? Dart ate a cat?"

"No, what? No." Dustin lied, Christine stopping beside Steve and watching the two start to argue.

"What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Steve said, Christine elbowing him in the side as they all looked at him.

" Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked, Steve clearly not getting the hint.

"It's Dustins cat."

"Steve!" Dustin and Christine yelled at the same time, the girl giving him a look that told him to shut up.

"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas called him out, Max backing towards Christine and Steve who were standing shoulder to shoulder.

"No.No. No, I...No, I... He missed me. He wanted to come home." Dustin admitted.

"Bullshit!" Lucas said, his look of disapproval even making Christine feel judged.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?"

"Oh so now you admit it?" Lucas said back, the argument turning a little more heated than it should. Christine was preparing to intervene, they had more important things to do than fight in the woods.

"Guys, who cares? We have to go." Max said, Lucas not looking away from Dustin.

"I care! You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!"

"So did you!" Dustin finally defended.

"What?"

"You told a stranger the truth!" Dustin said, pointing the flashlight in Max's face. The girl scoffed, taking a step forwards as Steve let out a sigh.

"A stranger?" She entered the argument, clearly offended by what he said.

"You wanted to tell her too!" Lucas yelled to Dustin, the tensions running high.

"But I didn't Lucas, okay?" Dustin said back. Lucas was quick to retaliate, his hand jutting out to gesture at Christine.

"Then how is Christine here, huh?" Before Christine could even bother to join the argument there was a screeching in the distance, both of the teens hearing it and looking in that direction. Steve shined his flashlight over there, the kids arguing in the background as he gave Christine a fleeting look.

"Hey guys?" Steve called for them, the argument continuing. "Guys!" They all stopped this time, their attention going to Steve as there was another screeching noise. They all headed off in that direction, Max and Christine standing in place as fear began to grip them.

"No, no, no. Hey guys, why are you headed towards the sound?" The three boys disappeared into the trees, Christine and Max sharing a desperate look as they realized they'd rather follow them than be out here alone. They followed after them, all of them stopping on a hill a few minutes later, the screeching coming from down below.

"I don't see him." Dustin said, Lucas pulling out the binoculars and pointing them into the direction of a few lights scattered across the valley area.

"It's the lab." He lowered the binoculars, Christine shaking her head in confusion at what lab they were talking about. "They were going back home."