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NINE, BLESSING

      THE ELEVEN OF THEM FILLED THE TINY HOUSE, but everyone felt so far away from each other. 

Joyce was alone in her bedroom, mourning Bob Newby's death. Jonathon and Nancy stayed in the living room with Will, who was still deeply asleep. Jim was on the phone since he had been to the Byers' home - and the rest of the kids were in the kitchen. Daphne was lying in Jonathon's bed - which was rather messy - with Steve at her side.

He'd dressed her wound—well, Nancy did, Steve tried helping but only managed to panic the entire time. It was as if he was the injured one.

"Did dad ask about me?" She asked quietly.

Steve placed a hand on her forehead, "He's been a little... exhausted, I guess, he'll come, Daph, any time now."

Proving Steve right, her father walked into the room as Steve smiled at the two individuals tightly and walked out, leaving them alone.

"You feel alright, Daphne?" He asked.

"Yeah," She muttered quietly, "Did they believe you?"

Jim shook his head and sat by her, he smiled sadly at the tired girl, putting a comforting hand on the crown of her head. 

Daphne was desperate for some comfort from her dad, and although there was little chance, she hoped Jim would wrap his hand around her and tell her he loves her. But he didn't do that, he bent down and pressed a small kiss to her forehead, before turning and walking across the hall, to Joyce's room.

The redhead snuggled her face onto the pillow, sobbing and sniffing as quietly as she could. She didn't realise she was capable of being hurt so much. Even though he was trying, She had just been attacked, but her father's lack of capability to show compassion put her through overwhelming pain, and the storm cloud that normally hung over her head was suddenly back.

Steve Harrington poked his head through the gate and came in, "You alright?"

Daphne shook her head in pain, "He doesn't love me." She whimpered.

Steve exhaled heavily, "He does, Daph, he's just worried... that he's a bad parent." He explains, coming closer to her, "He's just concerned that he will do something wrong so he doesn't do anything at all."

Daphne scoffs, "Yeah, right."

"I have parents that never even look in my direction, so trust me, Daph, I know when parents don't care about their children just by looking at them, and I know for sure the chief isn't one of them." Steve finishes sadly, Daphne brings her arm forward as Steve leans softly on her, hugging her with a sense of safety.

"Now, help me get to the kitchen." She tried getting up, winching. 

Steve quickly stands, "What are you doing?"

The redhead hesitantly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, "Hurry!" She orders, Steve wanted to protest but he knew she was too stubborn.

The brunette wrapped his arm around the girl's waist as they slowly made their way to the kitchen.

"I was gone for a couple of hours and this is what you do to her?" Mike scolds Lucas and Dustin regarding Daphne getting hurt.

"How is that my fault?"

"What did I do?"

"We're meant to take care of her." He muttered, but suddenly, he gasped as soon as he looks around and clocks something, "His army!"

"Whose army?" Daphne frowned.

"Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army, too."

The six of them migrated to Will's bedroom where Mike showed them the picture Will had drawn of the shadow monster, "This is what got Will that day on the field, the doctor said it was like a virus, it infected him.

"And so this virus, it's connecting him to the tunnels?"

"To the tunnels, the monsters, the Upside Down—"

"Woah, woah, slow down, slow down." Steve stopped them.

Daphne began to explain while trying to understand it herself: "Okay, so, the spider shadow thing is inside everything, and if the vines feel something like pain, then so does Will."

"And so does Dart." Lucas nodded.

"Like Mr Clarke taught us," Mike agreed, "The hive mind."

"Hive mind?" Steve furrowed his brows.

"A collective consciousness." Dustin elaborated.

"That doesn't really help, even I'm confused." Daphne started to lose brain cells.

"This is the thing that controls everything," Mike explained to her, "It's the brain."

"Like the Mind Flyer." Dustin's eyes widened, and Lucas snapped his fingers in agreement.

"The what?" Max and Steve asked in unison.

Moments later, everyone had regrouped at the kitchen table, waiting to hear what the boys have to save about the Mind Flyer.

Dustin slammed a book on the table, "The Mind Flyer." He declares, turning to a particular page.

"What the hell is that?" Jim frowned.

"It's a monster from an unknown dimension, it enslaves other races by taking over their brains, using its highly developed powers."

"Oh my God," Hopper sighed, his patience wearing thin, "None of this is real, it's a kids game."

"No, it's a manual, and it's not for kids, so unless you know something we don't, this is the best metaphor—"

"Analogy." Lucas corrected.

"That's what you're worried about? Fine, an analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is." Dustin scoffed.

"So this mind flamer thing—" Nancy began but paused.

"Flayer."

"Yeah, that, what does it want?" She asked.

"To conquer us," Dustin replied, "It believes it's a master race." He further added to the others' confusion.

"Like the Germans?" Steve frowned.

"You mean the Nazis?" Daphne furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah, the Nazis." Steve nodded, rather embarrassed.

"If they were from another dimension, totally. It views other races, like us, as inferior to itself."

"It wants to spread, take over other dimensions."

"We're talking about the destruction of our world as we know it."

"Well, that's great." Steve exclaimed sarcastically.

"Okay, so, how do we kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?"

"Uh no, you summon an undead army, because, uh, zombies, you know, they don't have brains, and the mind flyer, it... it likes brains..." Dustin stammered as Daphne sighed, "It's just a game." Dustin gives up.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Jim slammed the book on the table.

"As if your military backup is a better help?" Daphne sassed.

"How are they going to stop this?" Mike yelled, "You can't just shoot these things with guns."

"We don't know that! We don't know anything!"

"We know it's killed everyone in the lab, it'll molt again" Daphne chimed in.

"And it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town." One of the kids continued.

"She's right." Joyce quietly spoke as she suddenly walked into the room shakily, "We have to kill it, I want to kill it."

Jim sighed sadly, walking over to the woman, "Me too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that? We don't know exactly what we're dealing with here."

"I don't think anyone but the Mind Flyer knows how to deal with this shit." Daphne shrugged.

Mike suddenly gasps, "Oh my God, Daphne," 

"What?"

"You're right, we don't, but he does," He walked over to Will who was still unconscious s from his sleep medicine, "If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to the Mind Flyer, he'll know its weaknesses."

Everyone decided that the shed would be the best place for Will. It was close to the house, but still a place the boy wouldn't recognise if it changed its appearance.

Nancy and Steve were covering the shed with unknown wallpaper, "What you did, um, helping the kids," The girl stammered, "That was... really cool."

"Those little shits are real trouble, you know?" Steve sighed.

"Believe me, I know," Nancy laughed.

"I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but... it turns out I'm actually a pretty damn good babysitter."

After a moment of silence, Nancy starts, "Steve..." Sadness dripped from her voice.

"It's okay, Nance," Steve assured, "It's okay."

"No—yeah... I meant to talk about... Daphne."

Steve stapled another piece of paper, "What about her?" Turning to see the girl's grin, "What?" He questions again.

"To find someone like that, it's a blessing, Steve, don't let her go." Nancy smiles.

Meanwhile, Daphne worked outside and saw Dustin walking away from Lucas dishearted, "What's wrong?" Realising, she assured him, "If you want any girl to like you, Dustin, you're gonna have to try harder to feel that electricity." She places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure your advice is good, but"

"But what? I'm not finished—"

Dustin cuts her off again, "What I mean is, I don't want to take advice from someone who can't feel their own electricity."

Daphne nervously laughed, "What do you mean?"

"You're so oblivious," Dustin rolled his eyes, "I thought you were smart, it doesn't take a genius to notice what's been going on with you and Steve today."

He starts to walk away as Daphne follows him, "Elaborate, please." Dustin turns around quickly.

"Jesus Christ, Daphne, Steve Harrington is in love with you."