Octavia's tremors intensify the longer she watches Mindy and Xander on stage and the more names that are called. Her name has to be one of them. When the last man collects Ajax, who is also kicked unconscious, a miniscule bit of tension releases from Octavia's muscles. She hadn't been seen.

A sigh moves Mindy's chest and shoulders. Relief flashes for the quickest second across Mindy's face that hasn't looked up since she was cuffed.

Octavia’s heart hits her stomach hard. She is safe, but what about Mindy? Xander? Everyone else on stage?

Shard resumes center stage with arms stretched out in a grandiose manner. "That's not all folks! Do you think I would miss out on this fun? I get to call out my own little brat. One who's gonna be my bestest buddy from spending so much time with wonderful me. The best handler there is! We're gonna get to know each other well. Real well…"

The rest of Shard’s words are lost in a mental hum. All the blood in Octavia's body drains into nonexistence. Her eyes go so wide they feel like they could pop out of her head. Part of her wishes they would so she won’t have to see what is about to become of her.

“Drumroll, please!” Shard announces before providing one for himself.

Octavia didn't need the drum roll. She already knows it is going to be her since she’s too valuable not to take as a prisoner – too hated to not be taken. Shard or an undercover Chromy did see her. Her muscles tense up a hundred times more as she wants to duck and hide in the crowd she had desperately wanted to escape earlier.

Being a hostage is bad enough. But being Shard's personal prisoner... Why couldn’t one of the men in line have called her name?

A lump catches in her throat. Her hands sweat. They shake. How is she still standing?

How much longer until Squad get there? They had to have noticed the power outage by now. Where are they?

"And my little sweetheart is...surprise guest star Octavia Rhinehart!" Shard sings.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

A loud, collective gasp comes from the crowd. Few people had seen her, after all. The pounds of makeup and glittery hair on the loose had been doing well to conceal her identity. Her quiet subtle actions in the room had been doing well not to attract attention. She had never posted she was coming here, either. But some undercover Chromy or Shard still picked up on her. She knew it was a bad idea to come here without her guards, but she and everyone else were assured the security here was good. Bullshit.

The crowd spots her instantly and parts like a sea. A straight path leads to Shard. Octavia doesn't take a step towards him.

"Come on, gorgeous." Shard motions towards himself. "We ain't got all day."

Octavia can't will herself to take a step forward. Her brain has sunk to her feet, weighing them down. Her heart beats in her cold fingertips. Her emptied mind floats to where the disco ball was. She waits for her body to shatter like it did. All she can do is stare at Shard.

"Do I have to carry you?" Shard puts a fist on his hip.

Octavia remains dormant.

Shard moans. He hops off stage. "I guess that's a 'yes'."

Octavia's senses slam back into her and rile her flight instincts as Shard draws nearer. She tries to back away but bumps into a partier who shoves her away in fear. The barely existent balance she had found is lost in her chunky shoes. Gravity brings her body to the floor. Looking up, she sees Shard's periwinkle eyes shining down on her.

This isn't real.

"How symbolic," Shard says loud enough for those around to hear. "How right." He squats in front of Octavia and whispers to her, "How beautiful."

In desperate fear, Octavia takes a swing at Shard. He catches her fist in his hand and twists it behind her back. She grits her teeth at the sharp pain. Shard rips her watch off her wrist and does with it like he has the others. Octavia’s other hand is snatched from under her. Shard tightly cuffs her wrists. A kick to the side of the head spins and dazes Octavia's world. Shard proceeds to scoop Octavia off the ground and sling her over his shoulder.

Sirens faintly blare outside in the distance.

Now they come.

"What a wonderful finale to tonight's performance!" Shard calls out. "But the show's over. See ya on the next NetNews Update!"

Chromies put the extra filtered masks on their hostages. Shard takes a mask out of his jacket and slips it on Octavia. A strange chemical smell filling her nose travels into her mouth, creating a bitter taste. Chromies put on their own eye protection. Hostage-less men throw tear gas canisters into the crowd. Hissing gas mixes with the sound of the crowd's panic. Partiers scream, cry, and vomit as they try to barrel out the exits. Octavia's eyes burn and blur from the gas, further detaching her from her world.

Shard and his Chromies escape the chaos with ease.