I'll Be the One to Hold Your Hand

Time Won't Heal This Damage

"Brad, can we do that again? You've gotta come in softer for that solo and then build up as it goes. Chaz, why don't you add a tiny bit of angst to your voice for the second verse? And maybe even anger at the line, "as a nation simply stares'? Bourdie, you're doing great, buddy. Phi, hold on and we'll record your vocals for the background 'little things give you away'. Joe, maybe have the scratch be a little rougher in the background, make it a little more sharp. Love the samples though, let's try that." Mike's voice fills their headphones.

"Mike, if we keep at this, I might go cannibal. I'm starving, we've been here forever, and I'm about to go take a bite our of our innocent drummer here." Brad remarks and smirks at the emcee through the window. Rob blushes and looks down to hide his face, fiddling with the pedals of his drum kit. 

"One more take, Braddles. Then we'll call it a night and try again next week." Mike shakes his head smiling and signals for them to take it from the top. 

As they all finish recording and cleaning up, Brad puts his guitar away and grabs his wallet and phone. Rob was keeping to himself and stealing a glace or so at Brad when the guitarist wasn't looking. 

"Alright guys, I'm taking off." Brad announces and holds up two fingers as he walks out. When he gets past the door, the cold air bites at his skin and he walks faster down the sidewalk, intending to get food from the diner located a little ways down the block. He passes by an alley and keeps his gaze straightforward, not seeing the hooded man come up beside him. The man presses a gun into Brad's side, making the guitarist yelp in shock and fear. 

"You are going to give me all the cash you have. Now." The man growls into the guitarist's ear and presses the gun harder into his side. 

"I don't have cash on me, I'm sorry, I don't, ow, ow, stop, please!" Brad whimpers out as the man drags him into the alley and throws him on the ground; dropping the gun to the floor, forgotten. The man then kicks at Brad's sides and punches his back, the guitarist trying to curl into a ball to protect himself. 

"Hey, leave him the hell alone!" He heard a voice boom and his attacker stopped his assault. Brad looked up to see a tall man, but his own vision going blurry and dark.

I've.. gotta help... him.. Can't.. move.. 

"Who the fuck are you? Walk away and I won't hurt you either." The man spat out and threw himself at the man who challenged him. However, the tall man was faster and let the attacker fall to the floor, seizing the opportunity to grab him by his shirt and pin him against the wall. The tall man kicked the gun closer to him and hid it from the attacker, now flailing to try and get loose from the tall man's grip on him. Having height, strength, and stamina on his side, the tall man had no problem holding on as much as he could. 

"If you ever even look at him again, I promise you, I will beat your ass into a grave. Your family won't even be able to identify you by dental records. Got it?" The tall man snarled and let the attacker go, rushing to Brad's side. 

"Brad, Brad, you've gotta stay with me, buddy." The man gently shakes the guitarist to try and keep him awake. 

"How.. do you know my name.." Brad wheezes out and looks at the man, now being able to at least pick out parts of him he couldn't see in the dark. He saw glasses and what looked to be shoulder-length long hair.

Rob..

And then Brad succumbs into unconsciousness.