Suspended high in the air, the small cell dangled precariously, hundreds of feet above the ground. Its metallic frame was exposed to the elements. Surrounded by open space on all sides. It was locked tight, but even still, if one was able to escape the cell's clutches, they would certainly plummet to their death.
Skye could barely move an inch. The frozen bars threatened frostbite nipping and biting at his skin with every touch.
He felt stiff, trying to stretch his limbs was impossible in the confined space. There were four cages in total, but Bryn, Dorian, and Myka were all unconscious.
Skye's cell began swinging from side to side, he looked up, it was attached to a crane that was guiding him toward a large skyscraper. The building was far from complete and from the look of it, whoever was building it gave up on the project long, long ago.
When the cell finally stopped he saw Jaylon sitting comfortably on a platform made of scaffolding.
"They call these bird cages. I wish I could take credit for their invention. Truly sinister. But even I'm not that twisted. They raise you higher and higher. Your extremities fall prey to frostbite, the air thins, making it hard to breathe, all while the space is so small your muscles cramp and fatigue from their inability to move and stretch," Jaylon palmed a remote, Skye assumed this is what allowed him to control the cages.
"Why are you doing this to us?" Skye was desperate for an explanation.
"You could say that your people are the reason I'm here. I want revenge. I want to go home. You'll find out soon enough!" Jaylon laughed with his mouth but not his eyes.
The longer Skye looked at him the more he noticed. This man had been broken long ago. His haunted eyes told a story of a tortured and desperate soul.
"I'm not talking about my people, I'm talking about us," Skye said.
Jaylon pulled the cage a little closer.
"Were you not listening? It's because your people ruined, destroyed, and decimated my life," Jaylon ignored the question again.
"And how is that?" Skye realized he wasn't going to get the answer he wanted, so he might as well learn as much as he could.
"I was on a standard delivery trip. It was my first time on the route. Delivering precious things to a wealthy whoever. Round trip was only supposed to take eight months. For a good chunk of change mind ya. The other guys loved to call me Rook. But I was trained well. Make no mistake. The cargo we carried was extremely valuable. So we had to be capable, and ruthless when necessary. I hadn't faced a lick of trouble in any of my runs, then I came across this place. Was only supposed to see it from my cockpit window…" Jaylon looked at his palms, remembering a tough memory.
Then he opened the door to the cell, but Skye didn't dare move.
"Come. I know you won't try anything. Because if you did, with a single press of this button, your friends would plummet to their death," Jaylon helped Skye from his cage, his muscles frozen, barely responding to his brain's controls.
Jaylon guided them to a service elevator. The entire skyscraper was only a quarter built, with construction cranes all around.
"I had to slingshot around Gehanna. Overall, not a big deal. We have to fly through treacherous areas all the time. But they were always at arm's length. Until…" Jaylon unintentionally squeezed Skye's arm harder and harder.
They entered the elevator and slowly descended.
"Your little mentor, Reikner, and his girlfriend. Gosh, I can't even remember her name these days. Doesn't matter. They got the bright idea to try and pull my ship down, take it over, and escape this hell hole. I mean I can't blame them. Ha." Jaylon noticed the troubled look on Skye's face.
"Yup. That's right. Forget protecting the structure, your all-knowing, all-powerful mentor wanted to leave with his little girlfriend. I don't blame him. The first part of their plan worked. Reikner's gravity control is beyond anything I've ever seen before, or since. You, people, can truly be terrifying," Jaylon continued.
As Skye became eye level with the rest of the city he saw it wasn't just the skyscraper that was half-built, the entire city was abandoned, given up on. Miles of emptiness.
"But, alas they weren't expecting me to put up much of a fight. They didn't know I used to be in the corps. Though it was after Gehanna was created. Ah. Anyway, I fought them off, but I was stranded. And I've been trying to get home ever since," Jaylon led Skye off the elevator.
There was a lookout perched up on the third floor that offered a vantage point over the abandoned city. The wind whistled through the structure. Jaylon sat down casually and closed his eyes.
"Escape is all I've ever wanted…" Jaylon traced his fingers over his utility belt filled with deadly weapons. "But perhaps I belong here now. More than any of you."
And for a moment, a split second, it was as if Jaylon dozed off, overwhelmed by the utter exhaustion of what he was trying to accomplish.
Skye looked to escape but to where? He wasn't going to leave everyone behind.
"So now you need Reikner because you're hoping he can do what? Help you get back into space? You seem pretty smart, why didn't you just build a beacon or a small ship to get you out of here?"
While Skye asked this sincerely, Jaylon just laughed and laughed.
"Reikner's unique ability would allow me to get off this rock undetected. I've built a small enough ship to slip through the planet's atmospheric detectors. But any use of thrusters or rockets would immediately be detected. That would be the worst-case scenario for me and you both. And if someone was coming here to rescue me. Don't you think they would have? It's been decades, kid. No one is coming. And I don't blame them."
Skye didn't quite know how to respond. Jaylon waved him over.
"I want you to see this. To understand."
Skye obliged, sitting beside him, looking out over the half-built suburbs. In the distance, a half-built city center. Finished, this place could easily house millions. But there wasn't a soul in sight. The only structure completely intact was a wall circling the city, it stood tall and formidable, and it reminded Skye of his home.
"This place used to belong to the Caertara. As you can see, they planned to expand, but a ruthless plague ravaged their people on the journey over here. Crew and prisoners alike."
Jaylon looked over at Skye's blank face. He realized he was talking of things the boy had little understanding of.
"What if I told you this place was a giant prison?" Jaylon asked.
"I wouldn't be all that surprised, Those walls look like they could do the job."
"-- No, no my boy. That the entire world is a prison." he looked up at the sky. "Designed to house the universe's most ravenous and dangerous species and races."
"I wouldn't believe you? I've committed no crime," Skye inched away.
"I suppose you haven't. Paying for the crimes of your father no doubt." Jaylon could see the boy didn't understand the reference.
"In the limited time you've spent outside your precious walls. Haven't you noticed that the other residents are rather… Unsavory?"
"Present company included. Yes. I have noticed. But that doesn't mean anything."
"Ha. Fair enough. I suppose one must become the very thing they fear in order to survive sometimes."
Jaylon paused, The Spaceman bit his lip aggressively, a nervous twitch.
"We don't belong here," Skye looked up at his companions.
"Perhaps you don't. I'm hoping that that feeling inside you is strong enough to lend me a hand. Help me escape. Then I can finally go home and spend the rest of my days trying to forget this nightmare. And you all can live your life free of shackles,"
Jaylon laid all the way back, closing his eyes, imagining himself on a beach vacation.
Even though he couldn't see them, Skye looked up at the abandoned building.
"Your friends will be fine. As long as you don't screw around. I won't hurt them." the man said without opening his eyes.
"And what are you going to do to me?"
"I'm not going to do anything to you–"
"I'm not going to betray Reikner and my people," Skye said stubbornly.
"Yes. Unfortunately, that has become abundantly clear. Getting your mentor would have been the easiest way, but there is another. The question is. Are you prepared to do anything to save your people?" Jaylon finally sat back up.
"If there's another way. And we can leave my people alone. Then yes. I'll do it."
"Good. But I want you to remember this moment. For what's about to happen next… You'll need all the motivation you can get. You choose plan B."
A nearby wind gust shook the cages above, the frozen metal bars whistled in the breeze.
"You'll let them go?"
Jaylon pressed a button on his remote. "I already have. They'll have to figure out what to do from here. As for us, we have no time to waste."
As Skye surveyed the crumbling structures and overgrown streets, questioning the extent of his own powers.
With a deep breath, he opened his eyes, casting away the doubts that had momentarily clouded his spirit. He realized that it was not the magnitude of his powers that defined him, but the unwavering belief in his purpose to protect everyone he cares about. No matter the cost.