Shard drops the toiletries in Octavia's arms. "We've got another photoshoot, darling!"

Octavia juggles the bag in her hands to prevent dropping it.

"We got the supplies yesterday and while we check them a safe distance from home, us at home are gonna have another picture day!" Shard says. "We're even gonna have one big class photo all together. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Everyone will be in it?" Octavia asks.

"Yep-a-rooni! Just as the Committee requested. Now go on. Shower up." Shard pushes her into the bathroom and closes the door on her.

After undoing her chain, throwing the key under the door, and undressing, she turns the shower on. Icy water washes over her. She misses relaxing hot showers but has come to appreciate how sobering the cold water is. It wakes her mind to think.

She's anxious to see everyone, especially Mindy and Xander. Octavia has spent days wondering how bad Mindy's injuries are and just what state Xander is in. Xander picking fights with the guards cannot have left him in the best shape. Shard has even mentioned how bothersome he has been as well as Maxwell, Gracie, and especially Ajax. Maxwell had always been quiet in the past, and Octavia knows little about him. She didn’t even know his name until the party. All she knows is he is always the bartender to underground events and has seen him get into a couple of fights with patrons that always go quiet in a couple of days. She doesn't know who his parents are, either. But Octavia knows more than she cares to about Gracie and Ajax.

Gracie is a drama queen who has started a lot of drama for her and Mindy through spreading rumors and stretched truths on her NetChannel. For whatever reason, she likes causing Mindy and Octavia misery. Mindy still spends time with her, much to Octavia's protest, since she's a believer in keeping enemies close.

And Ajax likes to cause everyone misery. Octavia knows of no one who honestly likes him. Ajax doesn't seem to care as long as he can get his way and have his fun. Octavia believes his concern for only himself goes as deep as his DNA. He was born as a 'miracle child' to his parents and his parents raised him to believe it. But the older he gets, the more his parents loath his presence. People who willingly hang around him do because they have to during events or want the perks of being around someone rich. The latter never last long.

Though she has no bond with these two - and doesn't care to - nor a bond with others captured, she still wants to see them all in good health. But something about this setup makes her uneasy. Everyone at the party managed to get along since they were able to stick to their cliques, but not everyone liked each other at the party. Octavia hopes this shared experience of being hostages will somehow bring enough understanding, unity, and harmony for everyone to get along.

Octavia dries and dresses. She brushes her teeth after she and Shard eat. They head to the Courtyard.

Before entering the Courtyard, Shard fishes a rope from his jacket. "You're gonna have to match your friends out there." He ties the rope around her wrists. "Don't want anyone getting jealous of your free-range hands. I won't gag ya though unless ya get too mouthy. But if ya feel like spilling any government secrets while we're out here together, please do."

Octavia rolls her eyes. There's no sense in fighting against Shard tying her wrists. It would result in useless injuries. Experience shows his superior strength.

Surprisingly, Shard ties the rope fairly loose around her wrists. "There! And a pretty bow to top it off." He pats the bow Octavia can't see but can feel a string dangling from it brush her palms and fingers. Shard pushes her through the doors. "We're here!" Shard's voice rings through the Courtyard emptied of all cement furniture and rocks bigger than a fingernail.

A few people glance at his entrance. The yard is not as silent this time. Photographers hover around snapping pictures. They give orders to handlers on how to pose hostages. Handlers fuss at their hostages who are gagged and mutter through the cloth while struggling against their restraints. Xander is one of them. His handler struggles to keep him contained. But Xander catches sight of Octavia. She can tell his gaze goes to her bruised throat. He stops directly facing his handler and nearly knocks over a photographer to go towards Octavia. His handler and the nearly toppled photographer keep him from going to her. A series of muffles sound like Xander calls her name.

The deep look in his eyes reminds Octavia of the look he had after Aurora had been killed. They shine as they focus on her. As much of a twit Xander is, he has always watched out for Octavia. He has become more protective of her since Aurora, which adds to his irritating presence. But Octavia understands. She is the only thing of Aurora he has left. And he did well in filling a big brother role for her since he could no longer for Aurora. Though, Octavia never asked for a big brother...

"I'm okay," Octavia mouths to him.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Xander's gaze shifts to Shard. It expresses his skepticism and burning anger.

Shard sees Xander and pulls Octavia closer to himself. He takes Octavia out of Xander's sight.

This is when Octavia finds Mindy who is gagged, too. She seems tired. Her eyes are heavy, distant, and angry. Half of her jaw appears swollen. There is no visible bruising, which leads Octavia to believe the Chromies put makeup on it to hide her injuries. She wonders if there was any put on Xander and why none was put on herself.

Octavia gives Shard a venomous side-eye.

"I warned her not to fight back," Shard whispers in Octavia's ear. "With as much as she fought, be glad it's not worse. At least she's alive and walkin' around."

Octavia knows Mindy is a fighter. Her fighting personality earned her one of her most viewed videos. The video shows a physical fight between her and Gracie sparked from a particularly nasty rumor Gracie had started on her NetChannel about Mindy. Gracie overheard Mindy talking to Octavia at Aurora's funeral and 'speculated' Mindy had involvement with Aurora's death, insinuating Mindy leaked information to the Chromies on Aurora's location in hopes they would do something so Mindy could be Octavia's sister. Neither Mindy nor Octavia appreciated Gracie's claims. The girls confronted Gracie. Things got heated. Octavia wanted to step away so they could recollect themselves, but as she and Mindy were turning away, Gracie called their leaving admittance and said Octavia must've been in on it, too, wanting to get rid of Aurora. Without thinking, Octavia screamed in response, "I'd never hurt my sister. Even you know that! And all you know how to do is cover up that ass of a face you have with makeup and shit stupid crap out of your asshole for a mouth for two seconds of attention. Screw you, bitch!" Gracie jumped Octavia. Mindy intervened. She swept the floor with Gracie. Gracie still has a scar on her chin that she claims she doesn't have and covers up. Whenever she's around Mindy, the air radiates Gracie's discomfort, though someone could never tell by looking at her.

Octavia received backlash from her parents over her behavior on the video, but Mindy did not from hers. Mindy's father expected no less result from his daughter. The current Lieutenant General and right-hand man to Gen. Rhinehart would never accept or allow his daughter to lose. This is why he has encouraged Mindy's strong personality.

More light comes to Mindy's eyes when she sees Octavia. Shard keeps moving Octavia along.

He makes his way toward a flight of cement steps that lead to an elevated slab of cement that once held a no-longer-existent structure. Two women wait for him at the bottom of the stairs. Octavia recognizes them from the last photoshoot.

On their way to the cement slab serving as a stage, they pass Ajax and his handler. Ajax's hands are bound behind him. His brown hair, missing a chunk, is as wild as his eyes. He's twitchy as he constantly glances at and away from his handler. A snarled lip rising from his gag adds to his disconcerting appearance. A high pitch whine from him grates Octavia's ears. He sporadically tugs at his restraints. The handler keeps a hand on Ajax's restraints but holds Ajax away from him. His narrowed eyes don't move from him.

The edginess she gets whenever around Ajax sharpens her senses through to her muscles. She quickens her pace, almost dragging Shard behind her, to get away from him. Shard quickly matches her pace.

As they walk the steps of the stage, Shard whispers. "There's something off about that kid. And that's coming from me."

Octavia's unsure if he spoke to her or in general, but something in her couldn't help agreeing with him.

"Alright, everybody!" Shard calls from the stage. "Let's get this photoshoot rolling!"

With the help of the photographer, Shard has everyone organized so all the hostages' faces can be seen. Many of the handlers' faces are obscured by heads or keeping an eye on their hostage that they keep in front of them, but it doesn't matter since they wear their masks. A space is left for her and Shard. They fill it once everyone is in place.

Octavia ends up being placed next to Mindy. Mindy's face fills with her worries for her. Octavia returns a soft, calm expression to relay her being okay. She parts her lips to whisper to Mindy but is interrupted.

"All brats' eyes up here!" the photographer shouts.

Octavia begrudgingly looks toward the photographer.

The woman snaps a few pics. Splotches form in Octavia's vision. Octavia rolls her eyes at the ridiculous poses she sees Shard make out of the corner of splotchy vision. In one of his poses, he puts a hand behind her head with two fingers pointing up.

"We good?" Shard asks the woman when the flashes stop.

She puts a thumb up.

The handlers clear the steps with their hostages in tow.

Shard, taking Octavia with him, stays on the stage. He faces the group on the stairs to address them. The laughing demeanor he has vanishes. Octavia sees what he sees as he shouts, "Dom!"

Ajax's binds are on the ground at his feet. Something glimmers in his hand. He slashes it at his handler Dom as he reaches into the handler's jacket. The blade cuts Dom across the abdomen. A red streak follows the blade's path. Dom stumbles. Ajax pulls a gun out of Dom's jacket as the handler hits the ground.

Another handler already behind Ajax grabs him and tries to wrestle the gun out of Ajax's hands. Shard jumps off stage towards the two to help. Other handlers rush to get their hostages away, but as they do, a bang echoes through the Courtyard.

Hostages able to scream do.

A second bang echoes. Octavia sees someone fall. The way the person falls reminds Octavia of the way she saw a deer fall the one time she went hunting with her mother. Unlike when she cried from the deer's instant death, Octavia has her breath snatched from her when she notices the person shot.

As soon as her breath thrusts itself back into her body, Octavia joins the screaming. "Mindy!!"