Chapter Text
Ground City had become quite a bustling community. The once limited inhabitants of Sky City, free to do and build whatever they please under the guidance of their co-leaders, had created an ideal environment for the new civilisation.
The new city still held inspiration from its predecessor that was still steadily floating right above, but for every inhabitant their unique identity was still visible in the new builds scattered across the city. It was like a compound of colour, the gold blocks on the official administrative buildings starkly standing out and giving it a more authoritative feel compared to the citizen made ones.
Isa took a while to come around to the idea of sharing her power with Milo. It used to be that her word was final, taking in input from an ex- rebel-movement leader didn’t come natural. But eventually, he had proved he was worthy of his standing as co-leader, dealing with difficult situations and settling disputes in a way Isa couldn’t even think of.
Isa and Milo made a mean team, but it took a while for the pair to figure out what to do with the Blaze Rods.
Gill and Maya could potentially be excused for being simple lackeys, intimidated into doing their gang-leaders bidding. They seemed to be regretful of their actions and keeping them all in the newly-built cramped cell all together with their megalomaniac leader was a bit cruel.
Gill and Maya had not been jailed for too long, after their release proving to be valuable members of the new community, participating in further development of the city. They’d made their own little corner in the city, keeping close as neighbours.
The gang-leader himself was a different story.
In captivity - he seemed to be a kitten compared to the merciless man who had let his lust for power endanger all of Sky City, just some time ago.
He kept his talk to a minimum, didn’t make any trouble and most importantly seemed remorseful for his actions. Or at least unsatisfied with where those actions had led him to.
He had shown some frustration the day the rest of the Blaze Rods had been released and not him, but his visible anger had quickly dissipated once he realised it wasn’t getting him anywhere.
At first he tried to reason that he too could be useful. He could help if only he’d be released.
He was a talented builder, renowned for his craftsmanship back in his own world! He could help build more housing! He could assist in the construction of administrative structures! He could make repairs? He’d do anything if it meant getting out of this dingy cell!
Isa had difficulty in believing his word. She’d trusted him before, only to be stabbed in the back right after. He had intended to kill her! He had pushed her off the Sky City with full intention she’d never return. Left to endlessly fall in the abyss, ever further away from the city she had built ground up.
Milo wanted to give Aiden the benefit of the doubt. He’d himself once been kept in the Founder’s dungeon. (For dropping a dirt block mind you, he was still salty towards Isa for that.) Staying separated from others for a long time would inhibit his rehabilitation, not progress it.
“You have to give him a chance, Isa! He won’t ever be an upstanding citizen if you don’t give him the chance to try!” Milo attempted to reason with Isa. She’d been weaselling out of having to even go over the issue, but it was inevitable the more time passed, the more Milo would bother her about it.
“He nearly brought all of the Sky City inhabitants down along with the city itself! Does the shadow it casts upon our current home, not remind you of his terrible actions every single day? Because it does for me!” Isa rebutted, she did not intent to alter her stance on the subject. Aiden was irredeemable and could never be trusted around any of her people again.
“Isa, believe me, I mourn what he has done to my past home too. But this just isn’t reasonable! Do you want him to die in that prison? In a world that’s not even his own?” Milo sympathised with Isa, but she had to agree this wasn’t justifiable!
“Of course…not…” Isa let out a worried sigh. Milo approached her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“It’s not right to keep Aiden locked away and not let him at least attempt to make his life better.” Isa’s eyes met with Milo’s, a worried sound escaping her lips.
“Isa.” Milo simply said her name, in an attempt to ground her.
Isa shook off the hand on her shoulder and turned around, back facing Milo. She went over the possibility of letting the maniac who destroyed her founded city go. Milo was so insistent on it being the right thing to do. She did not want to return to her old control-freak ways, as Jesse had once so lovingly put, but she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t be worried of something like what had happened at Sky City happening again.
“Isa?” Milo repeated her name, not wanting to let the woman continue to ignore the matter at hand.
“We will go see him.” Isa turned around, hands crossed in front of her chest. “Together. And we will see if he is worthy of being released.”
He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but Aiden was going insane. You’d think he’d have a lot of time to reflect or whatever, but he managed to do that in the first few days alone here. Any kind of resentment he still harboured for Jesse and his group…and Lukas, had lost it’s priority and been replaced by the agonising feeling of helplessness.
He had not yet accepted the idea of dying in the cell, but god was he losing his will to get himself out of here the fair and peaceful way. Only thing keeping him going was the blank book and quill Milo had generously sneaked him a few days after Maya and Gill got released.
He could practically taste the pity coated on the cover of that merciful gift.
He was thankful he had it anyways.
He had passingly expressed the wish to become a writer in a moment of vulnerability when he was being taken in. It was a forgotten dream for the town of EnderCon, but he had sort of hoped, if given the chance for a fresh start in the Sky City dimension, he could become a writer there.
Those hopes were crushed the second he was denied exit along with the rest of his gang. What a gang that turned out to be. The Ocelots, turned Blaze Rods, turned Aiden in a jail cell.
Aiden scoffed at the idea now. Yeah right, they’d give him the chance to start afresh. But at least the book was a chance for him to start something new.
At first, he had no idea what to write. He started with accounting his days in captivity. It got repetitive quick, so through passing thoughts he had dotted down, he settled on accounts of his great story. How’d he come to help in defeating the Wither Storm, how’d he formed the Blaze Rods and earned a respectable reputation, how’d he challenged the Jesse for the enchanted flint and steel and came to be the first ever portal traveller.
He stopped writing once he reached the part where he convinced the Founder Jesse and co. had plans to steal the Eversource.
He put the book and quill down next to him on the floor of the cell.
Enough of that.
Incidentally, he happened to hear the entrance door to the so called dungeon open. He quickly put the book and quill back in his inventory. Even though it was Milo who gave them to him, he didn’t know if he was allowed to have the book and quill and he sure as hell wasn’t going to find out.
Based on the amount of light he was receiving from the window of his cell, it was a bit early for him to receive his dinner, but with the challenges that found their way to Reginald, the head guard, from the newly founded city, Aiden figured he was fed whenever it was the most convenient.
He stood up and made his way to the bars, expecting his daily dose of bread to come his way any second.
Instead he was met with the disapproving stare of the Founder, and Milo trailing right behind her. With that look, you’d think she was here to execute him.
Aiden really hoped that wasn’t the case, though he didn’t fully rule the possibility out.
“Aiden.” The Founder addressed him. “Hello, Aiden.” Milo greeted him, with a calm demeanour about him.
“What is this?” Aiden questioned, not understanding why the pair had come to see him. He dared not hope he was being released, as when his gang-members were let free, it had been Reginald, under the co-leaders’ order, to let them go.
Isa thought for a moment on how to approach this. She had made the decision to see him impulsively, just wanting to get it over with, more than anything. Prove to herself that Aiden did not deserve a place among her people.
“I will be honest with you Aiden, which is more than you have been with me in the past.” Isa started. Milo turned his attention to what Isa was saying. “I do not want you to live amongst my people.” Isa directly stated, not a moment of falter placed upon her face. “You have governed more sorrow for our society than you could ever hope to match with any good deed.” Isa turned to look at Milo, a saddened look plastered across his face.
Aiden did not understand what was happening right now. Was he seriously being demeaned by the Founder, on top of having to stay imprisoned? As if he hadn’t had time to think about all of that by himself.
“My co-leader believes you hold value. And that it is not right for you to have to stay by yourself.” Isa turned her attention back to Aiden. “If it was up to me, you would suffer the same fate as you had hoped upon me, when you pushed me off of Sky City.”
The Founder took a step closer, face inches away from Aiden’s, framed by the bars. “But that is not fair.” Isa put her hands on the bars, tightening the eye contact she had with Aiden.
To put it lightly Aiden was confused. But this was more human interaction than he had had in the last few weeks, and he wasn’t going to say any of the things he wanted to right now and cut it short.
Isa quieted again, a sudden realisation dawning upon her.
“Jesse chose to spare you.” Isa noted, taking a step back away from the bars.
“And as I had failed to do at first, I should trust him now.”
Milo sent her an approving look, knowing deep down she had come to the same conclusion. Isa kept the stoic look on her face, this realisation not coming to her naturally.
The mention of Jesse did not faze Aiden. He knew the only reason he was still standing was because of Jesse. He’d accepted that the moment he’d been escorted to be jailed. And if that meant having to stay in a cell for the rest of his life, he wasn’t so sure he was thankful.
“Tell me, Aiden. Does your conscience allow you to accept the mercy bestowed upon you?” Isa asked him, itching to see his reaction. She knew she’d get something out of him at the mention of Jesse, and that something would show if he was worthy of leaving his cell or not.
Aiden knew better. If he was to get out of here he’d have to kiss-ass like he never thought he’d have to kiss-ass before. He was not going to give the Founder what she so clearly desired. A reason to deny him freedom.
Aiden crossed his arms and looked away. Sell the show, Aiden reminded himself to calm the bubbling frustration at this test. Or whatever it was.
“I’m not going to lie and say I’m not happy that Jesse saved me.” Aiden began. “If he hadn’t -” he shot a quick glance towards Milo, then the Founder.
“I wouldn’t have had the chance to think about what I’ve done.”