Hybrid Theory: A [Linkin Park] Spinoff.

Bridges I Have Burned.

I open my eyes to find myself standing in the middle of a dirt road, my hair sticking flat to my scalp, my heart pounding wildly, Chester sprinting ahead of me.
He looks over his shoulder, his voice hoarse,"EREN!!! COME ON!!! WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THEY REALIZE WE AREN'T IN THE FIELD!!!"
I stand there, frozen in fear, my voice catches in my throat,"Chester. I can't!!!! I have to go back!!"
"WHY? WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK!?"
I turn and run back to the truck.
"EREN!!! DAMMIT!!! GET BACK HERE!!!"
I keep running, stopping only when I come to a small bundle lying in the tall grass.
By this time, the Hybrids have found me, they start to circle around me, their horrid scent filling my nose.
I pick up the bundle and blast a hole through the line of Hybrids before running to meet up with Chester.
The remaining Hybrids run after me, their four-legged
strides sloppy and uneven, giving me the opportunity I need to catch up to Chester.
He looks at me,"WHAT IS THAT!?"
I look at him,"A CHILD!!!!"
"YOU FOUND A HUMAN CHILD ABANDONED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNFIELD!?"
"YES! NOW FOLLOW ME!!" I run across a moving stream, water splashing into my eyes and face.
Chester runs after me,"ONCE WE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE, GIVE ME THE KID!!!"
I continue running, my boots easily gripping the rough, dry dirt and shale rock.
Chester stops on the clear side of the river, turns and laughs,"IDIOTS LOST OUR TRAIL!!!!"
I stop, holding the now crying child against my chest, trying to calm her despite the fact that my lungs are savagely drawing in and expelling air,"Chester. Get over here. I can't breathe. Hold the girl while I catch my breath."
He scrambles up onto the bank,"Hand her here."
I hand the girl to him before sitting down on a large rock.
Chester smiles and holds the small child, who seems more than happy to play with his sunglasses, "Awh. She's kinda cute."
I sit there, my heart slowly calming down,"Yeah...she is... but my attempt....at saving....her...is going....to be...in vain...."
He looks at me, "How?"
"She gets killed by a Hybrid."
"What!?"
"Yeah. She's already half dead. I can feel it."
Phone vibrates in my pocket.
"It's probably Phoenix. Again."
I pull my phone from my pocket,"The hell did I get an iPhone!?"
Chester walks over to me,"What's it say?"
"It's a group message between the two timelines."

[Here's the message.]
Mike: How can she be dead?
Phoenix: She's playing with Chester's sunglasses? Lucky.
Rob: I'm too tired to care. I was included because Mike tapped on my number.
Mike: Calm down, Rob.
Brad: How is she dead if she's playing with Chester's sunglasses?
Joe: Interesting....

I jam my thumbs down, hitting the buttons harder than I should be, Don't really know, just running on a gut feeling.

Me: Don't really know. Just running on a gut feeling.
Mike: I don't understand. I knew you could speak with the dead, but this is just over the top.
Brad: Dude. Her level of 'over the top' is so much higher than yours. Of course you wouldn't understand.
Mike: .....
Phoenix: Do I have to separate you two?
Chester: Dude!!!! She's so cute!!!!
Me: Yes, Chester. I know. I'm the one who found her.
Rob: Still don't care.
Mike: Look out. Eren's getting mad.

I put my phone on silent mode and shove it back into my pocket,"Come on. Jordana needs to check her over."
"Okay. Wait for me," Chester shoves his phone into his pocket and walks after me.

[On the bus.]

I gasp and open my eyes, my head spinning violently,"Chester. You awake?"
"Yeah. What happened?"
"I don't know. I got forced back into reality..."
"So was I. Something's going on."
Sirens. The horrid scent of smoke. Voices in the distance.
"Chief. I can't move. The car is pinning me down."
"My legs. I can't move them!"
"Where's my son?"
I sit straight up,"Chester. Car crash. On fire. Where's the others?"
Voices in my head.
"Eren. Calm down. We're fine. Just helping to move the survivors."
"You two get out here. We need help."
"Seriously. This steel frame is getting pretty hard to hold up by myself."