『Chapter Zero』
『the abduction of an orphan』

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Nineteen Years Ago; 1995

The bitter coldness of Earth's atmosphere sent nothing but a shiver down the small boy's spine as he stared down at his parent's grave's. His parents who had been there for him throughout his life, who he looked up to more than anything, the parents that he loved with his entire heart and the only people that he could ever care about. The mother who held secrets from him, hiding things in her wardrobe that didn't seem to come from this planet, outfits that looked straight out of that one history children's show that Jace loved. And the father that loved his mother more than anything, even when she seemed to hold the sun in her hands. And yet, when he looked down at their graves, he felt nothing more than the light pain in his chest, knowing that he'd never be able to see them again.

He stared down at their grave, there was a part of him that was glad that they were laid side by side, like they would've wanted it, like how he'll always remember them to be. Side-by-side, even at the age that he was, he knew that he wanted a love like they had, he knew that he wanted to experience the love that they had. And yet, that pain in his chest at what he was looking at was something that he knew he wouldn't be able to change no matter what. Especially with so many unanswered things running through his mind. The gravestone above their six-feet-under coffins read:

Sebastian Taylor
14 May 1969 - 25 December 1994
Beloved Son, Father, Husband, Brother, and Friend.

Charissa Taylor
15 April 1968 - 25 December 1994
Beloved Daughter, Mother, Wife and Friend.

The small eight-year-old glumly looked down at the gravestones, Jace felt nothing but guilt swipe over him. Though there was nothing for him to be guilty about, he felt as if there was something of which he could have done so that there was a chance that they'd be alive now. There was flashes, of thoughts and wishes that he could've done more and yet, what more could an eight-year-old do?

He had no one else. His parents died and he had no one else. Well, he did have his uncle, but Jace never really saw him, mainly because his uncle disowned him and his father. Jace Taylor was lonely, and now without parents. He was all alone and there was nothing he could do about it. He was an orphan, alone within the world. Alone in a world that made him sad, like the warmth of the sun was no longer by his side like it had.

He closed his eyes and for a moment there was a small flash, three bodies thrashing in their seats as their car tumbles over a handful of times, a shadow of a man with a spear taller than him—a man with an eyepatch, a man in what looked like shining silver, a man who used his spear and drove it through his mother's chest. His mother, the very mother that was begging this man—begging this king to not do anything, to plead for her safety, for his safety. But the supposed king didn't listen, he didn't seem to care while he impaled Jace's mother.

He had known that she wasn't talking to his father, knowing that by the way that he laid still that he was already dead. Jace had known that he was crying, begging for his mother and father, all while his mother was begging this king for her life as well as her son's life. He remembered as if it was clear in his mind, the clear strike of light which emitted from his mother's body, as if trying to catch someone's attention before she died.

He remembered the way that when the ambulance eventually came, his throat was hoarse from all the crying and calling for his parents, he was helped. He didn't see where this king had gone, though that wasn't what he was focused on. Between his pain of seeing his dead parents in front of him, the pain of the car crash, he didn't seem to remember much between the crash and now, here, in front of their graves.

Jace had lost everyone that he cared about, the family that he knew and loved. The family that he did have on his father's side wanted nothing to do with him, said that he was abnormal—whatever that meant—and said that they'd disowned his father and therefore him. He wanted to say that it was something that pained him, but it was something that he didn't care much about, not after what he'd been through and what he saw.

"Come on, dear. Let's take you home." An elderly woman said as she placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder. It was enough to snap him out of his spiralling thoughts, making Jace shoot the woman a small look to which she quickly added, "Well, your new home, at the orphanage."

Jace didn't say anything, he gave one more sad look towards his parent's grave before he turned, following the elderly lady to where he would be shoved in an orphanage for however long. He wondered whether or not he would have a family that loved him the same way that his birth parents did, and he promised himself that the family that takes him will be the family that he protects with his life.

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The loud chatter and noises were the only thing that filled the eight-year-olds ears. No matter how much he wished that he could drown the sound out, it was the only thing that kept him present in this reality while he sat on his new bed with his hands over his ears. The other children within the orphanage were nothing more than loud and frustrating, knowing that he was used to the quiet that being an only child brought him. Guess he could add that to the long list of things that have changed rather quick.

The other children were loud, annoying and nothing more than a bunch of chaotic beings that brought him a headache. Jace hadn't moved since he arrived at the orphanage, once the sweet old lady showed had showed him where he would be staying, he hadn't left. He hadn't even unpacked all of his stuff, knowing that it would mean that his previous life with his parents was officially finished, and that was something that he couldn't deal with.

Jace wanted to say that he was lucky, but he wasn't given the fact that he shared the room with two other boys, who were only two to three years older than him. Though the one thing that Jace liked the most was the fact that the two boys who he shared the room with had ignored him since he arrived, though Jace didn't really care, knowing that it allowed him to have some form of peace, knowing that he didn't have to deal with talking.

The continued noise grew more and more into an overwhelming mess, he could faintly hear how the elderly lady tried to calm everyone down though it seemed not to work. The small boy drew his knees towards his chest as his hands were still placed over his ears though it wasn't effective at all. He tried to block it out as much as he could, knowing that the sound overwhelmed him like the familiar buzzing in his ears from the crash.

Jace shook his head slightly, the noise had gotten too much for his own comfort, he'd gotten up from his bed and carefully ran out of the house, wanting nothing more than to have some peace and quiet before the noise rips him apart. The loneliness of which the boy felt had numbed him, the noise didn't help him either. All he wanted was to be alone in a place where he could be with his thoughts.

Once the small boy had reached the outside, he had his head hung low as his eyes watched his feet as he walk. The continued thoughts of his parents had gone through his mind continually, he wished that he had the chance to say goodbye, he wished to know who that man was that shoved his spear into his mother's chest, he wished that the car accident never happened. He wished that his parents were still alive, and he wasn't here in the orphanage, he wanted to be back at home where the sun was nicer, and it was familiar.

The raven-haired child had thought about the last memory of which he had with them which was a simple day out which ended with them getting caught in the rain. He remembered how the sun was high in the sky and how the grey clouds seemed to cross the sky causing nothing but rain. Of course, he tried to block out the events which left him in the position that he was in, but the thought of everything before was something that made Jace's heart ache in some way.

As the boy walked further into the garden, bare of any signs that children live here, a sudden light appeared around him, taking him up. Jace looked up as he covered his eyes, he let out a frightened yell while he was taken up into what floated above him.

Once the boy was in the ship, the ship had zoomed back into space, leaving the Solar System behind. On the way up to the ship, Jace had managed to knock himself out, he wasn't sure if it was everything caving in on itself or his panic of what was happening. He wondered whether or not that strange man that his mother begged for mercy to had finally come for him for whatever reason. He laid on the ship as the foreign creatures stood around the small boy as their leader was kneeled down beside the boy.

"Why are we doing this Yondu?" Gef—one of the Ravagers—asked the blue skinned captain.

"Yeah, we weren't sent to get another child or anything." Another Ravanger called out.

Yondu turned around as he explained; "We took him because little Peter needs some competition. And this boy, will be the best thing of which will either help or be a challenge for our Peter."

Some of the Ravagers had rolled their eyes, not seeing the point in Yondu's plan. They disliked the idea of having Peter on the ship and they would hate it more if two humans were on the ship. Of course, none of them knew the full extent of what was asked of Yondu not that long ago, he'd rather not tell them why he left and returned with a blonde warrior woman, he'd rather not tell them why they returned to Earth to pick up this small boy. The truth was something he wasn't sure this eight-year-old could take, hell, he wasn't sure if his sister could handle this small boy existing.

The small boy woke up a few moments after that, once his eyes opened his body jerked back at the sight of all the alien faces of which stared down at the innocent soul. He let out a small yell as he stared at the faces, he threw his arms up to defend himself, not knowing what they would do to him. All the alien beings done was grin at the child's reaction as they all then shared a look.

"Wh—who are you?" Jace asked as he stared up towards them. His voice was shaky and was filled with worry, he didn't know where he was or who these people were, and that frightened him, a lot. He wanted to call out for his mother, wanted nothing more than for his mother to comfort him in this moment, to tell him that this was a nightmare and that he was safe. He didn't feel safe.

"Yondu Udonta and welcome aboard the Ravager ship." The blue skinned leader shortly explained, not giving the small boy any more information.

"What do you want?" The innocent boy asked. His wide eyes darted around the room, but all that he could see was this mass of alien faces, crowded round and encircling him as if to make sure that he didn't escape. He could have sworn that he saw a blonde-haired woman in the crowed, wearing a familiar outfit that he once saw in his mother's wardrobe, a woman who looked similar to his mother, but he couldn't focus on that fully.

Yondu's voice snapped Jace out of his thoughts. "I need you to become a thief, your little body will be able to fit into places me or my fellow Ravagers can't."

"No. No, I won't do that." Jace shook his head. He knew that thieving was bad, so therefore, he didn't want to do it. He didn't want to become a bad person because of becoming a thief. His mother and father taught him that stealing was bad, and Jace wasn't bad.

Yondu narrowed his eyes slightly, a small grin formed before a whistle seemed to be the noise of which came out from his mouth. A simple arrow seemed to come flying up at the command of the captain, the arrow had come towards the young boy's face. The arrow hovered between his eyes and Jace tried to will himself not to have any from of physical reaction to it. He didn't have anything to get changed in. And yet, even at such a flinch, Jace noticed the way that the lights flickered, the way that his hands went up to defend himself with a light glow on them.

Jace's eyes widened at the arrow, at the light and the glow, and Yondu seemed to grin slightly as if his reaction was something that he needed. Yondu continued to speak. "You'll do as I say or these boys will eat you, they ain't ever tasted Terran before."

The innocent child was filled with a similar fright as the night that man killed his mother when he stared at Yondu. The young Taylor son was filled with nothing fear, he had no idea who these people were, he had no idea where he was but most importantly he too was emotionally unstable to be dealing with this. Only a few hours ago, he had to officially say goodbye to his parents, and he had no idea what he was meant to do.

"Do we have a deal, boy?" Yondu asked as he narrowed his eyes while the arrow stayed in its place right in between Jace's eyes.

Frightened to move his head, Jace found himself whispering as if he was afraid that if he were to speak any louder, it might mean he would join his parents who would want him to live. "Deal."