a/n: this is probably going to be the first first person POV in the history of BTTM series, lets go!

- Kyle Snyder -

PRESENT:

we'll never be free,
lamb to the slaughter,
what you going to do,
when there's blood in the water...

the price of your greed,
is your son and your daughter,
what you going to do,
when there's blood in the water.

I was singing the tune in my head when Armin called on me to bring my attention to him.

"Say, what brought you here?"

It was bound to happen sometime and I was prepared. Two months of being ignored and not enough interaction had left me feeling alone.

"Does being a cult leader feel like a good enough reason?" My lips curved into a lopsided grin as I watched his expressions turn from curious to cautious.

"I should've kept away from you like all the cell inmates did. No wonder why you were being avoided."

"It's not too bad, you see..." I stretched my arms and cracked my knuckles, "What were you in for, anyways?"

"Arson. The neighbor deserved it, though. He was an old man with no one to look after. I guess his loneliness took over the better of his senses and invited me over. Trying to act on my good will, I accepted his offer and went in.

But, what I found instead were barrels of some liquid. I really have no idea why he invited me but through his niceties, I could see his mask cracking. When I tried to question him casually about the barrels, he threatened to kill me. In a fist of rage I just threw my lighter off in the air and it happened to land near one of the barrels.

It must've had some flammable substance because it immediately went up in flames. He tried to pull me with him but I quickly manage to wrangle from his hold and got out of the apartment as soon as possible.

The rest is history."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Is that all? I thought it'd be more interesting than mine."

"What did you do?"

※※※

FLASHBACK:

"I would believe that you're fine, but you have a knife sticking out of your leg, so,"

Eliza spoke as she moved her hands in a practiced motions to get the sharp object from my calves but not before tying a long and thin cloth over it.

A wince left my lips but I quickly bit down on it.

'I had to be strong. I will find them and hurt them.'

"Who did you get in trouble with this time?"

I gulped. My breath hitched in my throat as memories choked my existence. Blood. So much blood. Why had I been so reckless not to notice?

"They..."

The lifeless bodies of my parents flashed in front of my eyes. Both of them had glazed eyes and the veins around their necks had turned purple. What did they want from me?

My grandmother paused for a brief moment before applying a mix of ointments on the wound.

The pricking sensation from the medicine was too much to bear but somehow, nothing could drown the image that had carved its existence in my mind.

"Mom... Dad..." My voice was barely above a whisper.

"What about them?"

Her sharp grey eyes pierced my coal black ones, waiting for an explanation, but I couldn't bring myself to it.

"They're no longer here, Eli," The tears I had tried holding down for a long time flowed easily.

I needed to be strong but I couldn't find the strength.

Her warm hand stretched but stopped just an inch away from me before dropping to her side. She had always struggled with showing affection, yet, in this moment, I had hoped for a change.

'Oh, how evil of me to hope!'

She finished bandaging the rest of the area and I was about to stand up from the stool when she stopped me.

"My boy, if you try standing right now, you'll trip and fall over. Try to sit there for a while. If not, I wouldn't mind tying your legs to the chair.

I let out a dry chuckle before complying. I was too weak to argue.

Her stern tone softened by a hint of concern in her eyes as she handed me a glass of water. As I sipped the water, I couldn't help but feel grateful despite her ways.

※※※

PRESENT:

I watched as Armin's eyes widened, a mix of curiosity and fear flickering across his face. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"How did you get into this?"

I smiled, relishing the moment. It wasn't often I got to recount my tale.

"It started small, you know. Just a few lost souls looking for purpose. I gave them that—a sense of belonging, of importance. But power... it's intoxicating."

I paused, gauging Armin's reaction. His eyes were wide, hanging on my every word.

"Soon, I had hundreds under my control. We lived off-grid in a town named Ether, away from society's prying eyes. I preached about the coming apocalypse and how only the chosen ones would survive. And they believed every word."

"But something went wrong, didn't it?" Armin prodded.

I chuckled darkly. "Wrong? No, everything was going perfectly according to plan. Until the NYPD got involved."

"So, that's how you wound up here."

"Precisely. Don't worry, I have everything under my control, still. The new town mayor is someone so unexpected that Molly and her team are going to have a thrill of the lifetime."

Armin leaned in closer, his face a mixture of fascination and horror. I could see I had him hooked.

I whispered the name in his ears.

"Why does that name ring a bell?"

"You're about to find out very soon, my friend."