"Hey, wake up." A guard calls through the set of bars while clanging on them with his baton, startling Kaden from sleep. "You've got visitors coming, so naptime's over."
Kaden groans, but gives him a weak thumbs-up as he rubs his eyes, prompting the guard to walk away, muttering something about how lazy he was. And as he removes his hand, Kaden is face-to-face with a concrete ceiling above him, a sight he's gotten fairly acquainted with for the past week. But even as his body slowly wakes up from his sleep, he makes no attempt to get up any further, instead opting to wallow in the thoughts that have taken up permanent residence in his head ever since his arrest.
If only he had just run away the moment he held that Phase Quartz in his hand. Or if he listened to that gut feeling to turn around and walk out of that bar and find another way to get it. Or if he had just listened to Mags in the first place when he said making a Dimensionator was a bad idea. If only he did any of that, he wouldn't be in this mess.
But he didn't do any of that.
Instead, he was caught in a sting operation, and after having his home searched and the Dimensionator found, subsequently charged with what the Council deemed as one of the most serious crimes to commit. He's going to get anything from life in prison, to banishment, and maybe even execution, depending on how nice the judge and testimonies of the arresting officers were.
Kaden would say that the cause of this everlasting gloom that's hung over him this last week was from worrying about that imminent future, but he'd be lying.
The truth was, he didn't give a single shit about his sentence, whatever it'll end up being. Because whether he gets to live or die by the month, it doesn't change the fact that he failed. Kieran was gone, still stuck in another dimension, and it was all his fault. If only he had been a little smarter, a little more careful, a little more patient, he could've succeeded in rescuing him.
In an ideal world, he'd be sitting in his home instead of a jail cell, and Kieran would be right there with him. They'd probably be playing together right now, too. It'd probably be his favorite game where Kaden would build a small tower with his toy blocks, only for him to knock it down with his little hands before clapping and giggling.
It was repetitive to stack those blocks over and over again, but Kaden always happily rebuilt his tower every single time, because he couldn't get enough of his son's overjoyed amusement out of it. Even on especially tough days where not even Marie or Alister could do anything to bring him out of his funk, hearing Kieran's laughter never failed to warm his heart at least a little bit.
Kaden wanted nothing more than to hear it again. Even if it was just for a few seconds, he wanted to hear his child's giggling for one last time.
But he couldn't. And he probably never will again, because he didn't live in an ideal world. He lived in a cruel, heartless universe that took everything away from him.
A universe that let his best friend help a maniac commit genocide. A universe that made him watch his wife die in his arms. A universe that made him abandon his son. And now, a universe that ripped away his freedom, and any hope he had left with it.
Because of this universe, he was alone. Miserably alone. And there wasn't a single thing he could do about it.
And as these thoughts persistently haunted his every waking hour for the past week, a small sliver of himself hoped that they would choose execution in his trial. At least that way, he wouldn't be alone anymore. He'd get to see Marie again, and they'll be able to watch over Kieran together. He'd get to hear his laughter again. He wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. He'd finally be reunited with his family.
He knew it probably wasn't healthy to actually take some comfort in that thought, but it's not like there was anything else to look forward to now.
"Kaden?" A voice in front of his cell calls out, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He gives a small sigh. It was probably about time he got up for real, anyway.
He swings his legs out from his cot hanging off of the concrete wall, and stretches his arms out before looking over to see who it was. And to his small surprise, finds that it's Julie and Mags, who look at him with a strange mixture of happiness and small worry.
"Oh." Kaden mutters. "Hey, you two." He says with little enthusiasm, making no further effort to stand up to greet them.
"It's good to see you, Kaden." Mags greets him with a small smile.
"Yeah, we've missed you." Julie agrees. "It hasn't been the same around the Center since you've been… well, arrested." She finishes awkwardly.
"Good to know." Kaden replies, opting to gaze at the floor in front of him, finding it less tiring than maintaining eye contact with his friends.
"We wanted to come and see how you were doing." Mags says. "We tried to show up earlier, as soon as you were sent here, actually, but they wouldn't let us in until now. Something about how they needed to keep you for questioning first."
"Hmm. Well, here I am." Kaden says as he uses an arm to gesture towards himself disinterestedly. "Hope the trip was worth it."
They don't say anything, instead sharing a worried glance with each other before inspecting him with concern, but Kaden doesn't register their stares or the awkward silence beginning to set in. In all honesty, he was barely registering them at all.
He didn't really want to talk in the first place, anyway. He just wanted to go back to sleep and forget that the world existed for a few blissful hours. It was how he spent most of his time outside of eating and being questioned, and it was a better pastime than thinking about how badly he failed as a father.
"Man…" Julie mutters, breaking the silence. "You look like absolute shit, Kaden." She states bluntly before being elbowed by Mags with a small cry.
"Seriously? That's what you have to say?" He scolds her.
"Well, what else am I supposed to say? Tell him that he looks great moping around in a prison jumpsuit?" She retorts, rubbing her side. "And you didn't have to do that so hard, either, damn."
Mags shakes his head slowly before returning his attention to Kaden, who is still looking at the floor, giving no sign if he cared or even noticed her comment. "They haven't been treating you rough in here, have they?"
"No." Kaden answers passively. "They only bother me when it's time to eat, really. They leave me alone the rest of the time."
"Oh, well… that's good, I guess." Mags replies. "Is your investigation going good, at least?"
"For me, or them?" Kaden asks.
"Erm, you, obviously." Mags clarifies.
Kaden musters a small shrug. "I don't know. Probably bad." He turns his head slightly to look back at them. "Why are you asking, anyway? I'm sure it's all over the news, having someone actually break the Council's stupid ban, let alone me."
"It isn't, actually." Julie corrects him. "They wanted this to be on the down low, since it doesn't exactly look great on them if a Councilmember winds up arrested for everyone to see. But, I mean, that works out great for you, right? Knowing that nobody else knows about this?" She asks hopefully.
"I guess." He replies distantly, returning his attention to the floor. As he stared at it, he began to think that it looked pretty clean for a prison cell. Usually, they're crawling with rats and bugs and whatnot in the holofilms. Maybe it's just that he's in a nice prison.
Julie, however, slumps at his dismissiveness, and glances over to Mags for help talking to him, but he only returns a small shrug. He turns his attention back to Kaden, leaning forward on his knees as he stares at the floor with an empty look in his eye that did a little more than concern him. He couldn't ever recall a time he looked so… miserable.
"Kaden… are you okay?" He asks lightly.
"I'm sitting in a prison cell, Mags." Kaden responds with some irritation. "What do you think?"
Mags gives a small sigh. "Look, if it's about your trial next week, you don't have to be so worried about it. You said it yourself, they're not going to go for execution, you're just going to get some prison time. And with your reputation as a hero, I'm sure the judge is only going to give you a year, tops."
Kaden scoffs. "You think I care about any of that?" He asks indignantly.
"What do you mean?" Julie asks. "You're in jail, what else do you have to be worried about right now?"
"I'm worried about my son, Julie!" Kaden snaps at her, making her recoil back a bit as he turns to fully face her for the first time since they've arrived. "My son who's trapped all alone in another dimension with Tachyon looking for him, and there's not a single goddamn thing I can do about it now that I got caught!"
She recoils a bit from the sudden outburst, but Mags speaks up while raising a placating hand.
"That's not true, Kaden." Mags says in an effort to calm him down. "I mean, sure, things are looking a little rough right now, but as long as you keep fighting, there's always a chance to save him."
"Easy for you to say!" Kaden argues. "You're not the one sitting behind bars, Mags! How do you suggest I try to get Kieran from here, huh? Just ask the guard nicely if he happens to have a spare Dimensionator in his back pocket?"
"No, I'm saying that when you get out of here, you'll still be able to appeal the Council." Mags calmly explains. "We haven't heard of any talk of revoking those from you."
"…Are you serious?" Kaden asks coldly.
He suddenly stands up from his cot and marches up to the bars, making both Mags and Julie unconsciously take a step back. "Are you seriously telling me to beg before the Council again?! Mags, you were the one who told me that if I'm caught, it's all over! Even if I don't spend the rest of my life in this concrete box, they'll never want to listen to me again after they know I went behind their backs to break their stupid rule! I don't have a single chance in hell in getting them to listen to me now, but you're telling me to just forget about that?"
Mags scratches the back of his head, unable to meet Kaden's piercing gaze. "Well… what other choice do you have?"
"None!" Kaden yells at him, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Do you not understand that?! I don't have any choices anymore, I don't have anything anymore! I don't have my wife, I don't have my best friend, I don't have my son, hell, I don't even have my freedom anymore! I've got nothing left except this fucking uniform to remind me about how I failed to save my son!" He cries out as he looks down and angrily pulls at his prisoner garbs with a couple of tears falling down onto them, darkening the orange fabric.
"He was the one thing in my life that I had left, and now he's gone for good!" He says as he lets go of it, looking back up to Julie and Mags, shocked into a stunned silence. "I'm never going to be able to see him again, all because I decided to build that stupid goddamn Dimensionator! I'm never going to feel him in my arms again, I'll never get to see his smile again, I'm never going to be able to play with him again, I-I'm never going to hear his laughter again, I… I…"
He feels his voice start to crack, feeling the sting of tears in the back of his throat as Julie and Mags see the anger on his face start to fade into pure pain and misery.
"I'm never going to hear his first words… I'm never going to watch him take his f-first steps…" He struggles to say as his breath starts to hitch.
"I-I'm never going to be able to drop him off at his first day at school… I'll never see him bring home h-his first girlfriend…" He chokes out as he slowly turns around to lean his back against the bars, more tears starting to spill down his face.
"I-I'll never see him walk down the aisle… I'll never see him have kids of his own…" He mutters as he allows his body to slide down the bars, taking a seat down onto the cold concrete floor, hugging his knees up to his chest.
"I-I… I'm never going to be a father…" He whispers hoarsely. "He's just as gone as M-Marie and Alister. A-And now… I'm completely alone. I've got nothing left."
He then bows down his head and begins to sob quietly, burying his face into his crossed arms resting on his knees, all of the pent up feelings that have been stewing inside him for the past week finally being unleashed through his tears and muffled cries. Even though he's spent an entire week alone with his thoughts, he only just now realized the full ramifications of what it meant in failing to save Kieran; he's never going to have the chance to see his boy grow up.
He's going to run around with other kids on Veldin in Solana, grow up and get a stable job somewhere, and eventually find the love of his life and settle down with a family of his own. He's going to live a full, enriching life of his own, accomplishing great things in some aspects while stumbling around and falling on his face in others. He's going to have hopes and dreams, ambitions to be his own person in this universe, and doing what he can to fulfill those wishes. He's going to make great friends that'll stick with him through thick or thin, and end up in crazy adventures like he himself once did with Alister.
Kieran's going to have all of that… but Kaden's never going to see it. For the rest of his days, his son will only live on in his mind as that small baby, sleeping peacefully in a basket on that doorstep before he turned around and walked out of his life forever.
And now, he had nothing left. Only this empty concrete room, and the memories of the family he no longer had.
He didn't know how long he sat there, crying in grievance for everything he lost. It must've been a few minutes, though, as his chest started to feel sore from the harsh, hiccupping breaths he took in between sobs, and the fabric of his clothes underneath his face were speckled in a multitude of tearstains.
But however long it was, as soon as his cries started to taper down, he suddenly felt a hand rest on his shoulder through the bars. Kaden picks his head up and turns it slightly, enough to see in his peripheral that it was Mags, crouching down behind him.
"I know that this doesn't fix everything for you, Kaden, but… you're not alone." Mags softly tells him while giving a soothing squeeze. "We might not be Marie and Alister, and we won't ever be able to replace them, but you've got us."
"Yeah, that's right." Julie adds as he feels her rest her own hand on his other shoulder. "We came all the way here to visit you, right?"
"I…" Kaden sniffs. "I guess, but… anyone could've come here to visit me." He mutters, using a hand to wipe a tear from his eye.
"Well, yeah, that might be true, but do you know anyone else who would've gone against the Council to build a Dimensionator and save you from Tachyon?" Julie asks. "Because I don't."
Kaden doesn't respond, gazing at the floor in front of him, which prompts Mags to chime in as well. "Not to mention the fact that I helped you build another highly illegal Dimensionator even after you gave me the choice to back out." He points out.
"And I want to say that I totally would've helped you guys with if you actually asked me to." She tells them, albeit with a slight bit of annoyance. "Seriously, why didn't you—"
She stops as Mags begins shaking his head at her while making a slicing motion at his neck with his free hand, silently mouthing 'not now'.
"Erm, I mean… Who else has been with you every step of the way ever since you came back from the other dimension?" She corrects herself, getting a nod from Mags. "We've been there for you for every single one of your appeals, right? Telling everyone else to go and shove it when they don't listen to you, promising that we're fully willing to do whatever it takes to help you convince them next time?"
"And who else has been giving you nothing but support on your rough days, fully willing to give you a shoulder to cry on about everything that's happened?" Mags adds. "Reassuring you that no matter how much pain you're in, you will get through it, because you're too strong to let anything break you, no matter how much of a beating life has given you?"
He gives Kaden's shoulder another firm squeeze. "We have. We've always been for you then, we'll always be there for you later, and we're here for you now, Kaden. You are not alone, and that is something we can swear on our hearts."
Kaden still doesn't respond, his silence broken only by his occasional sniffles as Mags and Julie continue to crouch down behind him, resting their hands on his shoulders, patiently waiting for him to say something.
But, finally, he gives a long sigh before speaking up. "You're right." He says quietly. "But… even if I have you two, it still doesn't change the fact that I don't have Kieran." He says as he hangs his head back down. "And I never will, either."
"Don't say that, Kaden." Mags tells him. "Like we said, this isn't over, not by a long shot. As long as you live and breathe, there is still a chance to save him."
Kaden turns his head towards him, still facing away from them. "And like I said, how am I going to do that from prison?" He asks grimly.
"By waiting until you get out, obviously." Julie states. "I mean, do you really think that judge is going to lock up the Keeper of the Dimensionator for building a Dimensionator? Punish the Protector of the People for trying to protect his son? I guarantee you he's going to let you off with a warning at your trial next week, I'd bet my tail on it." She says confidently.
"She's right." Mags agrees. "And even if you get jail time, we won't." He says as he gestures to himself and Julie. "We swear to you right now that if you're not able to get out and make your appeal yourself, then me and Julie will make our own. We'll do everything we can to get Kieran back here safe and sound for you."
"Damn right we will." Julie adds. "I'll even bring one of my prototypes to the meeting and threaten to shoot anyone who says no if I have to."
For the first time since they've arrived, Kaden manages to huff a weak laugh through his nose. "I don't think that'd be the smartest way to go about that, Julie." He tells her with dry amusement.
"Whaddya mean? If you have a gun in your hands, you can get results." She claims pointedly.
"If the result is to end up on the other side of these bars, then yeah, I'd say you can." Mags returns to her, to which she gives an eye roll. "But, plans to take the Council hostage aside, we assure you that we will find a way to get your son back, Kaden." He affirms. "And we're going to do it together with you, because mark my words, you are getting out of here, you hear me? You haven't come this far after going through the hell that Tachyon put you through just to give up and mope around in some crummy cell. Kieran's counting on you to come back for him, and we're not going to leave him hanging if we have anything to say about it."
He shakes his shoulder slightly. "We'll be busy coming up with ways to convince the Council to save Kieran until you're out of here, Kaden. But until then, I want you to promise us that you'll quit all this talk about being alone and having him gone forever. You will see your son again, and we'll both be with you every step of the way. Okay?"
Once again, Kaden doesn't immediately respond, but Mags and Julie don't attempt to force him to do so, simply letting him process and absorb everything they've said to him. They continue to rest their hands on his shoulders, both to comfort him, and to assure him that they mean it when they say they'll always be there for him, and that nothing will stop them from doing so, not even having him thrown in prison like this.
They hear Kaden take a deep breath, and he removes his crossed arms from the top of his huddled knees to place them onto the floor at his sides as he begins to stand up. Julie and Mags remove their hands from his shoulders as they too stand up, albeit slightly worried as to why he isn't saying anything. He gets onto his feet, and takes a step away from the bars to keep from leaning on them any further while they look at him expectantly
He turns around to finally face them, and they see the fur on his cheeks and around his eyes glisten from the tears he shed, which was in sharp contrast to the smile he now wore, the first one they've seen from him yet.
"You're right." He assures them with a small nod. "I promised Marie that I would protect Kieran, but I can't do that if I just give up. If I do that, I'm going to let them both down, and that's not something I can live with. I've got to keep going for both of their sakes… but also yours."
He reaches through the bars, and just like they did, he places his hands on their shoulders while giving them each an earnest, thankful smile.
"It's not fair that you guys risked your backs to snatch me from Tachyon's claws only to have me return the favor by just laying down and dying. You two have always been there for me ever since I came back, you've been supporting me every step of the way in trying to save my son, hell, you were willing to risk yourself ending up with me in this cell just by helping me with the Dimensionator, Mags."
"Which I would have been fully prepared to do, too!" Julie interjects with a raised finger.
He chuckles. "I know you would've, Julie, because you're a great friend. Both of you are, and I shouldn't be taking that for granted."
He pulls on their shoulders, getting closer to the bars until he's able to wrap his arms around them as best he can into a hug. "I have no idea how I could've made it this far without you guys. Thank you."
Although they were initially surprised, both Julie and Mags quickly dismiss it as they too return the awkward hug through the bars, each bringing an arm around Kaden and each other.
"Don't mention it, Kaden." Julie reassures him. "You've got to remember that you've been the one that's been there for us on our bad days, too, dealing with what happened in the Exodus."
"Yeah, and not to mention the fact that you're just a great guy to hang out with." Mags adds. "I don't think I'd be able to spend that entire, sleepless year mapping out the multiverse if you weren't the one working with me on it."
"I'm glad to hear it." Kaden tells them contentedly as he tightens his grip on their hug. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you two in my life."
After being forced to spend an entire week with nothing to do but sit and agonize over his thoughts, everything felt more hopeless than they ever had before. Replaying memories of his life before Tachyon made him despondent, reminding him of the life he could've had in a different world. Hanging out with Alister during a slow day at work, having dinner with Marie while talking about whatever came to mind, and playing with his giggling son before taking him to bed.
All things he could never hope to have again as long as he was in this concrete room, its walls feeling more and more suffocating the longer he laid in here, the memories feeling more and more painful as the loneliness creeped in until it eventually enveloped him completely. Eventually, he was convinced that he had nothing else in him. No will to go on, no purpose to get out of bed. Nothing, but complete and utter hopelessness.
But now, having his friends in his arms in this moment, he could feel all those emotions begin to evaporate in mere seconds. Their words and their touch reinvigorated his spirit and allowed him to convince his despairing mind that it was wrong.
He wasn't alone. Kieran wasn't gone. He can get through this.
It's going to be hard. It's going to be tough. It's going to be painful. There was no doubt about that.
But with his friends by his side, he knows that with whatever punch life decides to throw at him next, he's going to be able to stay standing so he can give it a smile through his bloodied nose. And with any luck, he'll be able to throw his own and return—
"Hey!" A guard calls out, startling them all. "Keep your hands out of the prisoner's cell!" He orders them, pointing at Julie and Mags with a baton.
"Hey, we're just trying to cheer our friend up with a hug, you prick!" Julie angrily returns to him, making no effort to follow his command. "Calm down!"
"Like hell I will, I know when someone's trying to smuggle contraband to the prisoners when I see it!" He accuses them.
"What? We're not trying to sneak him a shiv or anything, you—"
"Don't care, hands out of the cell! Now!"
Mags and Kaden look at Julie's face and the angry scowl growing on it. They realize what's about to occur, prompting a worried Mags to step in.
"Julie, don't—"
"Oh, well, since you asked!" She says with a sarcastic cheerfulness as she releases herself from the hug, only to hold up both of her hands with all but one finger extended on each. "Happy now, big boy?"
And as Mags facepalms while Kaden gives an amused smile, the guard visibly seethes with an angry glare. "That's it! Visiting time is over, you two are coming with me!" He states irately as he starts marching over to them. "I better not find any contraband on any of you!"
"Wow, thanks, Julie. I've always wanted to get strip-searched." Mags says flatly, looking at her with a stern frown. "I guess it's a good thing I'm wearing my good underwear today."
"Oh, calm down, you big baby." She says, giving him a placating wave as she drops her hands. "We're on the Council. He's not going to search us, he's just going to chew us out a bit to tell us not to do that again, just watch."
"I still prefer not having to get chewed out because of you, though."
She returns a shrug. "Hey, guy was being an ass."
"Guy was doing his job." He corrects her.
Julie simply rolls her eyes with a scoff before Mags returns his attention back to Kaden as the guard gets closer. "Just hang in there, Kaden, everything's going to get better, you'll see. We'll be waiting for you after your trial next week."
Kaden gives him a nod and a smile. "Will do, Mags. I'll see you then."
"Alright, you two follow me, and keep your hands where I can see 'em." The guard declares irritably as he takes both Mags and Julie's by the upper arms before starting to walk away, but not before turning to Kaden for a moment. "I'll be coming back to search you and your room, later, got it?" He says sternly
He returns a thumbs up. "Loud and clear, Jerry."
"Ah, hey, you don't have to be grabbing so hard, Jerry!" Julie complains as they begin to get dragged along by him. "We're not prisoners!"
"No, but you're a troublemaker, and troublemakers can't be trusted!" He returns as the leave Kaden's view from his cell, Julie's protests soon getting cut off as he hears the door to his cell block close with them behind it.
With an amused chuckle, he steps away from the bars, and returns back to his cot, hanging on the wall. He lays down on it, his hands crossed behind his head as he once again begins to look up at the drab, gray ceiling he's become all to acquainted with for the past week. But instead of looking up at it through teary eyes, thinking of the past that's caused him nothing but grief, he begins to look at it with a smile, thinking of the future that he knows will include Kieran and his friends right there alongside him.