Fifteen minutes later, Hal was pacing around the back of the stage in flurry, but all the time managed to keep Cat's beautiful gown from moving around much. He thought maybe he must have something model-y in him, after all.

"You walk in step with the music," Nicole reminded him, "which goes—"

"Yes, yes. I know," Hal scowled, "not too fast, not too slow. Fashionable pace, easy to catch. I've heard the music and practiced with it, Nicole, move on."

This was the millionth time Nicole was running Hal through the instructions and highlights. He was minutes from his turn and had managed to get himself into a bundle of nerves that might take forever to untangle. And all the practicing was getting him into a foul mood, but Nicole was relentless.

"Your face will be blank," Nicole chimed.

"Totally blank."

"A little bored, though."

"Right," Hal snapped.

"You strut, pause and pose, tilt your chin down, no, maybe up—"

"Let's just get on with it!" Hal almost hissed. Practice and revision was not his style, it was Delta's. He went with the flow and dealt with things as they met. But just this once, he was ready to give it a go, but Nicole was definitely pushing the limits.

"Alright, alright," Nicole said, unfazed, as Calio walked up to Hal, a dark shade of lipstick in one hand and a whole makeup set in the other, and did some final touches in Hal's face, forcing him to stop his pacing.

"Remember, you don't walk back all the way to us," Calio mumbled as he touched up on the bluish blush oh Hal's face, "you come halfway back. The rest of them will be right behind you."

Nicole let out a long sigh. "Well, you're good to go."

 Calio frowned. "Smile." Hal smiled and Calio softly dabbed the dark lipstick on his lips and stepped back. "Now, he's good to go."

Hal watched as the second last boy walked gracefully onto the ramp. The girl before Hal, Agatha, smiled radiantly at him, looking stunning in her nebula inspired costume, her hair done in an intricate hairstyle Hal had no name for. A small but beautiful headdress was on her hair, finishing the look. "You'll do fine," Agatha said with a grin. "You're gorgeous. And I saw you practice and you did pretty well for a beginner."

Hal nodded stiffly.

"Loosen up a bit, "Agatha ordered, "do a little shake."

Hal wriggled as much as he could in the costume without ruffling the fabric and crumpling it. He let out a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Alright, you're up, Agatha!" Calio called out.

Agatha gave Hal one last smile before turning around and entering the ramp. He watched as she stepped forward, looking like the manifestation of grace. Hal let out another sigh. A few seconds later, the boy before Agatha walked in, a grin plastered on his face. "I think I did it!" He yelled with a slight squeal and threw his arms around Calio. The two of them did a little victory dance before breaking apart. The boy looked at Hal and winked. "Oh, the Galaxy."

"Alright, Hal," Calio said with a nervous grin, "get your modelling face on."

Blank. Totally blank. Slightly bored, but not too much.

Calio blinked at him, almost afraid for him, which wasn't making his situation any better. Where was Cat when Hal needed her? "You'll do great," Calio said softly and nudged him forward.

Hal stepped to his mark. From the ramp, Agatha was walking back to them, her face blank and lightly bored, a slight smirk gracing her lips.

In step with the music. And Hal took his first step. He was relieved when he easily fell into step with the music. He had half believe he'd do an awkward step-and-stumble dance instead of finessing it like Cat wanted him to. He mentally sent a thousand blessings to Nicole. There was cheer from the audience as they caught sight of Hal.

Hal strutted. All the way to the front. He paused to pose, his hands relaxed at his sides, and slightly turned to the right, then to the left. Then paused again, his chin up. He watched the judges' faces for a second. This wasn't what he was meant to be doing, he thought, he wasn't a model. This was all a stupid idea.

But then he saw the judges nod in approval and his chest felt elated, the tight knot loosening and falling away. He did all she could to not smile and hoped it did not make him look constipated all of a sudden. 

Now to turn around and strut halfway back to the mouth of the stage.

A loud bang sounded. Screams erupted. Hal faltered in his step, flinching away at the sound, and pulled his hands up to his ears to shield them from more such harassing noises. There were more screams. He realized it was from near the Ferris wheel. There was big commotion there but he couldn't see much. He noticed the judges were no longer focusing on him, all of them on their feet.

There came a low groan of moving heavy infrastructure. With horror, Hal saw the Ferris wheel sway. All around him, people screamed and pointed and scattered. Another bang. This time louder and closer. It made Hal's ears pop. He pressed his palms harder to his ears, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Oh, my God!" Hal gasped. 

Was it shooters? But how would shooters make the Ferris wheel move like that?

Behind him, Calio was yelling something but it was lost in all the noise. He had to do something. The Ferris wheel was swaying dangerously and all the screaming intensified, he had to do something fast. But from this distance, he was useless. And he's never had practice if he wanted to use his gifts, not even at the Base. He's never used it for combat, was never prepared for a situation like this. He always told to hide it and never use it.

He promised his dad.

Hal stayed rooted to his spot. The judges had long fled the scene and were nowhere to be found.

Never use your gifts, Hal. Never.

People ran over each other, pushing and scrambling in their panic and desperation to get away from the park. A girl was running towards the ramp, her short blond hair falling to her wild eyes, a giant grin on her round face. She held large guns in her hands. Her eyes caught Hal's, and her maniacal grin grew wider.

Avenge us, Hal. Avenge me.

Hal grit his teeth. How can he avenge anyone if he sat around doing nothing? If he never gets to use his abilities?

The girl's mad eyes bore into Hal's. "Step aside, pretty girl," she cooed, "if you know what's good for you."

Hal didn't budge. He would have, but fear glued him to his place. Sadly, he's never known what was good for him.

The girl snarled. "Ooh. A brave one." She raised her guns.

Hal acted on panic. He reached out to the life under his feet, he felt it. It obeyed his command, it shared his fear. The girl's eyes widened in surprise when from the ground, a root shot upward and started to slither up her body fast. It slinked over and over and around and around the girl's body and in seconds she was bound tight. She was forced to drop her guns as her hands were tied in an odd angle beside her.

"It's you!" She gasped.

Hal made the root to wrap around the girl's face and mouth. Nope, not me. He got down the ramp, ignoring the girl who was squirming as hard as possible and let out muffled yells. He bent down to pick up the guns and shoved them under the covers of the ramp. The girl stared at him with eyes that looked like it's never known peace. Hal looked away. He hoped to never have to see the girl.

He stepped away. Now they knew. The girl recognized him. If they didn't know about him yet, now they do. And if he acted now, everyone will, too.

He should run away.

The screams from the Ferris wheel intensified. The decision had to be quick. Hal turned his back to the girl who was still struggling against her bonds and ran in the direction he was needed most. He ignored all warnings that flashed in his mind. He ignored his father's words. He ignored his promises.

He ran into someone. "S-sorry," he stuttered before continuing at full speed, lifting the skirt of the gown above his ankles. "I knew I never should have agreed—"

Someone tackled him to the ground. The person hurried to scramble off him and grabbed his arm, hauling him to his feet. It was Abin. He helped Hal steady, Abin's grip too strong on his arm.

"Abin—"

"Hal, listen," Abin said urgently, his eyes darting around nervously, "I wasn't supposed to be here. I've disobeyed them over and over—"

"Abin," Hal wrenched his arm away from his steely grip, "you're not making any sense."

"Some days, I'm not allowed out," he said, his eyes focusing on Hal. Abin staggered to the left when someone knocked into him. He let out a long breath. His hands flinched as if he was going to grasp Hal's face.

Hal was highly aware of the situation at the Ferris wheel. He was about to step away when Abin blurted, "We're moving away." His voice was filled with desperation.

Hal froze. "What?"

His voice broke and his eyes filled as he repeated, "we're moving away, Hals. And I—" His eyes were turning pinkish around the edges. "And I came...to say goodbye. I wasn't supposed to, and now they sent them as—as punishment."

Hal gripped his arm. "Moving away?" His words didn't make sense. The wheel was about to topple over and Abin was here telling him he was moving away? "Moving away to where?" It seemed like the last thing to be discussing at the moment, but his words have never cut deeper.

Abin was visibly crying now. "Hal, I don't want to. But I must. They're not nice to me." He looked scared and frightened. He looked weak. And Hal wished with every fiber of his being that he could steal him away from his captors and hold Abin safe forever in his arms.

It was just him and Abin. The world around them disappeared. The screams and yells nulled in volume. Just him and his very broken boy.

"I don't want to—" Abin's voice cracked again and he was clinging onto Hal. He had his arms wrapped around Hal firmly. A last goodbye. A cry for help. "It will be worse... you don't want to know who they are. They're not good people. I—I'm not a good person." He took in a big gulp of air and pulled back. 

Hal's heart pounded in his chest. He tired to pull him back into an embrace, afraid if they let go Hal would never be able to hold him again. But Abin held Hal firmly, away from him, as if he believed the words he just said. He wasn't a bad person, Hal wanted to tell him. He was just a lost and tortured boy.

"You need to go, Hal," he continued, almost calming down again, his eyes red. "You need to go home, where you'll be safe and away from all this mess." He stepped towards Hal, closing their distance once again. "Get away from here. Deny you were ever at the park, I don't know." He let go of Hal. He slowly eased off his silver ring, took Hal's hand in his, placed it inside and closed his fingers around them. The ring was warm on his skin. 

"To remember me," he said tremulously, his eyes travelling from Hal's eyes to his nose. "I...I'd kiss you goodbye," his lips twitched, turning his eyes sadder, "But, uh, I don't want to be your first—"

An explosion behind Hal shook the very ground he stood in and forced him to step forward for balance. Abin helped him steady and held on firmly.

"I love you, Hals. Even though I really shouldn't." He stepped back and Hal reached for him, like gasping for breath, his words like knives. He tells him he loves him and was now going to leave him?

"Why?" He said at last, his voice barely a whisper. He didn't know what else to say, the right words that would make him stay. He knew he wouldn't stay.

"Go home, Hal. You'll be safe from us. From them."

"You don't know that!" Hal yelled, surprising them both. He didn't know Hal can't just run away from this. Like he was. He can't just turn his back on everyone like Abin.

Abin looked away, turning his back on Hal. "I know." Without waiting for Hal to reply, Abin ran away from him. Always away.

"Abin!" Hal called after him, watching his receding back. "Abin, don't leave me like that—"

Someone pushed him in their attempt to get away from the park. He searched for Abin, but he was nowhere in sight. He was gone, just like that. 

Another person pushed past him mumbling, "Oh, God. God!"

Hal opened his closed fist and looked at the plain ring in his palm. "Just how dangerous were you, Abin?" He whispered to himself, blinking back tears. He slipped it into his right ring finger. He didn't pause to take another look at it. Instead, he ran in the direction of the giant wheel where people needed him the most.