Hybrid Theory: A [Linkin Park] Spinoff.

Nothing Ever Stops In This Land Of The Pain.

[Eren's point of view. Flashback. Four years ago.]

I open my eyes to find myself sitting in the corner of my small, thirteen by nine suicide watch cell, a small blue ball rolling towards me.
My sleeved right arm extends to grab the ball, my fingers brushing the cold, rough, concrete floor.
Out of instinct, my arm then flexes in on itself, then extends, throwing the ball back into the corner that it came from.
A voice from outside the door, rough, cold. Just like the floor.
"Subject 873-2A. On your feet."
I stand up, Yep. Identity was the first to go. Now they become rough and intrusive.
The voice again.
"You have a visitor. Don't really see why anyone would want to see you, you suicidal freak."
I stand there, waiting for the guard to open the door, Yeah. Because between the two of us, the only freakish thing about this situation is your personality.
The door clicks open. Three lightly armored guards walk in, their boots thumping against the floor.
"You gonna speak today, Wakefield?"
"Yeah. Show everyone a piece of what's going through that pretty little head of yours."
"Be a shame if your visitor found out that you weren't cooperating."
And with that, I quickly find myself being slammed face-first into the wall, my hands being forced behind my back.
I close my eyes, I don't like the excessive force, but i can't STAND the perverted remarks from Marino. I can't stand him!!

Enter, my main enemy while I'm in the system: Martin Marino. The guy is a total perv, and, to add insult to injury, he's the one who has to search me. He has no life outside of ruining mine. His wife left him and took their son with her, all because at the end of the day, he was still the same sick, twisted pervert that you see now.

Marino's voice in my ear. Cold, rough, unattractive on every level.
"You gonna stand the way we ask you to so I can make sure you ain't got anything you ain't supposed to have?"
I stand there, my feet spread a foot apart, God. His touch changes every time he does this. I swear he has the hots for me, the sick fuck.
Another voice in the doorway. This time, the voice of an angel.
"Marino. Benton. Ishko. Let her alone, or I beat all three of you into the floor, with one hand tied behind my back."
I look towards the door, knowing all too well that my left eye is black and bruised, again, I decide to speak,"Hey Alyssa."
The woman smiles,"Hey Kiddo. How they treating you?"
I sigh,"Another black eye. Marino is still a total perv. Nothing that I can change."
"Did you forget what day it is?"
"I didn't know that there was anything special about today."
"You get to see the outside world, after three years in this hellhole."
I smile,"I completely forgot!"
Alyssa drops a black duffel bag at my feet, then turns to the one guard,"Ishko. Uncuff her. Marino, Benton. I want Ishko watching her while she changes. You two follow me. I've got something that you want."

[Three minutes later.]

I sigh as I pull the teal shirt over my head, then drop it to the floor.
Ishko chuckles,"Scars are healing up nicely."
I roll my eyes, Lesbian. Of course you'd say that about the wounds that you caused.

Enter, Anli Ishko. The only female guard that they assigned to me. I swear she's a lesbian. The way she looks at me...I can see it. That clear pair of safety glasses does nothing to hide her eyes. Even though she thinks her face is hidden behind the black mask that the guards wear to intimidate the 2A subjects, she knows I've caught her walking. I've used Shinigami Eyes on her, Marino, and Benton.

Ishko laughs,"You think that you are so secure in your little world where only your thoughts are what you want. Truth is, I've seen you do that little trick you do with your eyes. I know that you know what my face looks like. I know you know what my orientation is. And honestly, I'm going to miss your little magic tricks."

I pull a black t-shirt out of the bag that Alyssa gave me, then quickly pull the shirt on over my head.
"You stand five-four and weigh a buck-fifty. That shirt is like a dress on you."
I quickly pull on a pair of tan cargo shorts and slide my feet into the shoes that Alyssa brought.

[Five minutes later.]

I sigh as I walk out of the administration building, my thoughts turning back to the darkness.
Alyssa smiles and pulls a set of keys from her pocket, "My Tahoe is over there."
I follow her gaze, Why is she here? It's not my release date yet.
She looks at me,"I know. Today isn't your release date. I'm a year early. I have some pull with what goes on with you. Your mom has fallen into a depressed state. Mark signed me on as your god-mother. You will be crashing with me. I'll keep you under watch. You screw up, you go back in your cushy little suicide box. Do I make myself clear?" She throws the last two phrases at me like grenades as she opens the driver's side door of her forest green Chevy Tahoe.
I look at her,"I understand." I sigh as I open the passenger side door and climb in.
"Good. I swore to Mark that I'd fix your mistakes if you ever made any major ones." She shuts the door and inserts a key into the ignition.
I sigh as I pull the seatbelt around me, then buckle in,"Why?"
Alyssa turns the key, not even bothering to look at me,"Why what?"
I look at her,"Why are you doing this?"
Soft music fills the cab of the vehicle.
She sighs and slams her left hand down on the steering wheel,"I told you. I swore to Mark. And the first thing I'm going to fix, is those."
I sigh, knowing she means the deep, wide, white scars running up and down the insides of my arms.
"I'll let you know of a secret. "There's a knife in the glove box. Get it out of your system now. Because we get to my house, and the first thing I'm doing is getting you cleaned up, fixing your hair, and taking inventory of your wounds, injuries, scars, or anything else I should know about."
I instinctively reach towards the glove box door, but quickly stop myself, instead moving to turn up the radio.
A soft, low voice floats from the speakers, accompanied by heavy guitar and drums.
"Standing alone with no direction. How did i fall so far behind?"
I close my eyes,"Alyssa. Turn it off. Please."
"Why? You don't like it?"
"They used sound to attempt to fix me. But it failed. I can't stand that type of music. Please. Turn it off."
Alyssa clicks the radio off, "You alright?"
I close my eyes,"No."

[Eren. Present day. Hotel room.]

I open my eyes to find myself sitting on the edge of the bed.
Chester looks at me, as well as the others,"You alright?"
I slowly stand up,"Yeah. But I don't think I'll be able to perform at the next gig."
Mike looks at me, concern plastered on his face," Why? You not feeling well?"
I fight back a shudder as I rub my arms,"Mike. When I was in the system, just as Chaz was, they used sounds to try and make or break me. They used your music. Actually...our music, I should say."
Chester stammers,"You were placed a floor above where I was. I could hear you screaming whenever you woke up from a nightmare...and whenever I heard you, instinct took over, and I'd light up the floor I was on...just belting out screams..."
I smile weakly,"Yes. I remember. I could hear you cry every time Marino would get rough with you because you wouldn't give him the reaction that he wanted. And every time I heard that, I'd cower farther back in my corner, knowing that he'd come for me next."
"We were in a therapy group together. You always sat next to me. You looked like the odd one out..what with your long sleeves and heavy chains and cuffs.... you looked like a shell of who you were before you were put into that hellhole. Neither of us spoke unless we were talking to each other."
"Yeah. Alyssa snuck a phone in to me, Mike to you, and we'd lay in our rooms between searches, just texting each other."