Lucas urgently alerts Mike through the walkie-talkie, warning him that government agents are swiftly approaching. In a panic, Mike, Dustin, and Eleven scramble to flee the scene. Eleven, exhausted but determined, summons her telekinetic abilities to flip a van blocking their escape route, clearing a path for the trio to flee.
As they flee, Lucas reconciles with Mike and Eleven, realizing the importance of unity in their dire situation. Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper are summoned to the police station due to the assault incident involving Jonathan. Jonathan and Nancy seize the opportunity to disclose their knowledge of the monster to Joyce and Hopper, who are initially skeptical but gradually come to believe their account.
The group hurriedly contacts Mike and his friends, arranging a rendezvous. They plead with Eleven to search for Will and Barb, but her recent exertions have left her drained and unable to locate them. Determined to aid her, the group decides to break into the middle school and construct a sensory-deprivation tank, hoping to amplify Eleven's powers.
With a heavy heart, Eleven uses the tank to search for her missing friends. Horrifically, she locates Barb's lifeless body, with a slug-like creature emerging from her mouth. With Joyce's guidance, Eleven manages to find Will, alive but trapped in the Upside Down, hiding in the fortified playground known as "Castle Byers."
Meanwhile, Hopper and Joyce attempt a daring break-in at Hawkins Laboratory, but they are quickly apprehended by vigilant security guards. Nancy and Jonathan, resolved to eliminate the monster, devise a plan to steal back their hunting gear from the police station.
In the Upside Down, the monster senses Will's presence and breaks into the fort, intent on capturing its prey. The children are now in a race against time, desperately searching for a way to rescue Will and defeat the monster before it's too late.
