For months, Avenged Sevenfold fans had declared you public enemy number one. It wasn’t your fault… well, maybe partially. Your comments about the band had been taken out of context, exaggerated, and turned into an unstoppable snowball. The press had used them as bait, and now, every time your name was mentioned, it was accompanied by hate, threats, and ridicule.

But nothing compared to what was about to happen.

As you walked down the red carpet, feeling the weight of stares on your back, the air froze when you came face to face with them. M. Shadows was the first to see you, a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Synyster Gates raised an eyebrow, while Johnny Christ and Zacky Vengeance crossed their arms. The Rev watched you like he was about to crack a joke at your expense.

“Well, well… look who we have here,” Shadows said, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.

“The biggest Avenged Sevenfold critic,” Synyster added, sarcasm laced in every word.

You felt like a rabbit trapped in a circle of hungry wolves. You knew that any attempt at an excuse would only make them laugh harder.

“Got anything to say now that you don’t have a keyboard to hide behind?” Zacky asked, leaning slightly toward you.