DUSTIN HAD RUSHED THE PARTY TO MR. CLARKE'S CLASS, Mike and Will falling behind at their lockers. At this point, four of them stood in front of Mr. Clarke. Dustin with an excited expression, Lucas with the same excited eyes, Mariella wearing an unimpressed one as she stares down at the box which the creature was in, and Max paying attention intently.

"This, is why I was late to class," Dustin states, gesturing to the box.

Mr. Clarke looks down at it, "Pretty neat, these doors function?" He asks as he inspects it.

"Well, yeah, obviously, but it's not about the trap," Dustin responds. "It's what's inside. Now, this very well may change your perception of the world," He goes on.

Mr. Clarke smiles, excitement in his eyes. "Consider my interest piqued,".

"Alright, first, let's clarify that... This is my discovery. Not yours," Dustin goes on, looking down at the box.

Lucas rolls his eyes, snapping. "Jesus, Dustin! Just show him!".

Mariella nods. "Exactly!" She shakes her head.

"Alright. I'm just trying to clarify," Dustin sighs.

"Dustin!" Max jumps in in annoyance.

Dustin smiles, giving in. Mariella notices the starstruck look on his face as he does so. She smirks to herself — he likes Max. "Okay, fine," He says.

Out of a sudden, the door flies open. Mike and Will spilling into the room and running towards the crowded group. "Stop!" Mike yells. He rushes to Mr. Clarke, "I'm really sorry, Mr. Clarke. It was just a stupid prank,".

"What the hell are you doing?" Dustin protests looking at Mike in confusion knit in his brows.

"I told him to stop. We need to go," Mike says, backing away from the table holding the box.

"Mike!" Dustin questions.

"Right now. Right now!" He yells at them, running out of the room.

"What the? Michael!" Mariella yells after him as she rushes from the group, grabbing Will's wrist and running after him. "Do you know what he's going going on about?" She asks.

Will looks at her while they run after Mike with a blank expression. "Yes," He responds. "I saw Dart. Something like Dart. Last year,".

Mariella's eyes go wide as she turns the corner and into the AV Room. "Are you sure?" She mumbles, looking to him with worry.

He nods. "Yeah, M. I'm sure,".

Soon, Dustin and Lucas fall into the room and Max begins to follow in after them. Mike shakes his head. "No! You can't be here," He says to her pushing her out of the room despite her protests and locking the door.

"Mike? What the hell?" Lucas complains, putting his arms up.

Mike ignores him, walking over to the party crowded around the table with the box on it. Mariella next to Will and Lucas and Dustin on the other side of the table.

"Mike? What's going on?" Dustin asks, tilting his head and going to open the box.

Will's eyes widen, leaning away from the table as Mariella and Mike shout out. "Don't!".

Lucas and Dustin look at all three of them in confusion. "What's going on, guys?" Lucas asks, wearily.

"Will saw something like Dart. Last year in the Upside Down," Mike explains, pointing to the box as Lucas and Dustin exchange looks.

Bangs on the door catch their attention and they all turn towards it, realizing it was Max. "Hello? Hello? Guys, come on. Can I come in yet?" She yells through the door.

Mike groans. "No!" He shouts back before Lucas begins.

"I don't understand," He says, pacing slowly.

Mike scoffs. "What don't you understand?".

"Will saw something that looked like Dart last year? Lucas questions.

Will shrugs looking down at the table. "Kind of, But there was no tail," He explains, voice soft.

"But then he heard it yesterday. The exact same sound," Mike adds in.

Dustin turns to Will. "Why didn't you tell us before?" He asks.

"I wasn't sure," Will responds.

Dustin shakes his head. "So its a coincidence,".

"Or not. What if when Will was stuck in the Upside Down, he somehow acquired True Sight?" Mike defends.

"Backing up from that! How could it be a coincidence? Will saw something that looks Dart in the Upside Down and you can't find any record of something like it?" Mariella butts in, gesturing around.

The boys look to her, Dustin refusing to believe her. "No. No way, Dart is not a baby Demogorgen!" He shakes his head rapidly.

"Just listen to me! It's more likely that somehow when Hopper and Joyce got Will, part of the Upside Down seeped into our world," She goes on, her hands now gesturing erratically as her hair bobs up at down when she moves her head.

"It is a good theory," Lucas agrees, nodding along to Mariella's explanation.

"It wouldn't have been hard. It was like a huge portal," Will adds in.

Dustin closes his eyes for a moment. "Okay. But what about true sight?" He asks, looking to Mike.

"The power to see into the ethereal plane," Mike says.

Lucas sighs, annoyed with how vague he was being. "Elaborate!".

"Maybe these episodes that Will keeps having aren't really flashbacks at all. Maybe they're real. Maybe Will can somehow see into the Upside Down," Mike explains, slamming his hand down on the table lightly as he goes on.

"So that would mean..." Lucas trails off.

"Dart is from the Upside Down," Mike nods.

Lucas sighs. "We have to take him to Hopper,".

"I agree," Mike adds in.

Dustin blinks rapidly, staring between his friends in shock. "No. No way, if we take him to Hopper, Dart's good as dead," He says. 

"As he should! He's dangerous, remember last year? What the Demogorgen did?" Mariella argues, shaking her head at him in annoyance.

"How can you say that?" Dustin argues back.

"How can you not?" Mike butts in.

"That thing can destroy Hawkins for all we know!" Mariella whisper-shouts.

"Exactly. He's from the Upside Down!" Mike agrees.

"Maybe. But even if he is, it doesn't automatically mean he's bad," Dustin tells them his eyes looking down at the box.

Mike groans. That's like saying jut because someone's from the Death Star doesn't make him bad,".

"We have a bond," Dustin sighs.

"A bond? Just because he likes nougat?" Mike shouts at him.

"No! Because he trusts me!" Dustin protests.

"He trusts you?" Lucas scoffs.

Dustin nods. "Yes! I promised I would take care of him," He says.

"And by joining the party, you took a vow to take care of your own and Dart being here puts us in danger," Mariella tells him, gesturing wildly once again.

Dustin opens his mouth to argue but is cut off by the table shaking and Dart hissing from inside the box. All of them backing away nervously as they stare down at it continuously shaking. Max continues to bang on the door, hearing the sudden quietness. "Guys! What's going on? Come on,".

"Why's it moving?" Mariella whispers, leaning into the table curiously as her face gets closer to the box. Mike pulls the back of her coat back and closer to him.

"Be careful!" He tells her, shaking his head as he holds her close.

They stay silent. Watching it continue to shake before it flips over completely. Mike panics, pushing Mariella to Will and grabbing the microphone from the side and lifting it above his head as a weapon.

"Don't hurt him," Dustin warns, pointing to Mike accusingly.

"Only if he attacks," Mike responds, shaking his head, eyes fixed in the moving table.

"Just open it already!" Lucas tells him as Mariella pulls Will behind Mike as they peek over his shoulders nervously.

Quickly, Dustin grabs his makeshift control remote and clicks the doors open. d'Artangan flopping out before scurrying around on the table.

"Holy shit!" Lucas yells as it roars at them. Mike pulling his arm back and slamming it towards the table.

Dustin pushes Mike before he can hit his pet, screaming at him, "No!". Dart scurrying off the table and onto the floor.

It runs towards the door just when Max pushes it open and runs out. All of them watching as it scurries down the hall.

"Oh shit!" Mike says, all of them rushing out of the room, Dustin and Lucas stumbling over Max and spilling onto the floor.

"Where'd he go?" Lucas shouts to Mariella, Mike, and Will who stared around the hall in a frenzy.

"What was that?" Max asks, getting up from the ground. 

Mike looks to her. "Dart!" He yells.

"What?" She panics.

"You let him escape!" Mike yells at her.

Dustin rushing towards Mike and pushing him. "Why did you attack him?" He screams.

"Stop that! He was going to attack us!" Mariella shouts back at Dustin, pulling Mike away from him by the hand before letting go.

"Come on," Mike shakes his head as he runs off and down the hallway.

"Don't hurt him! Don't you hurt him!" Dustin yells after him, pointing his finger.

"Shut up, Dustin. Go look!" Mariella shouts at him, running down a different hall in search of the disgusting creature.