Quadrant Feathers

Chapter 13 "Restraint and Betray"

Phandrin remembered the last few moments, trying to recall them. He was moved back as he watched Kwared flail in the men's grip, his nails not even grazing them because he was being grabbed so quickly.

"Whats going on? Where are you taking him-?" Phandrins breath quickened as he turned to one of the people pushing him back.

"PLEASE- I CANT GO BACK- LET ME GO," Kwareds yelling filled the narrow road as Phandrin felt his breath restrict.

"Don't worry, I thank you for your admission, people like this need to be restrained," the person said as they managed to get Kwareds mouth covered with a muzzle-like device, as well as his arms and legs being restrained.

"Admission-? I didn't admit anything? What are you talking abou-" Phandrin was cut off by another loud yell from Kwared as they pulled the boy into a white van. The screaming hurt him physically, panic obvious in the boy. He'd never seen Kwared react to anything like this.

Phandrin watched as one of the men stuck a needle in the boy's neck, Kwareds body relaxing.

Phandrins eyes widened as they made eye contact, Kwareds eyes lidded as he stared at Phandrin with pure hatred.

Phandrin felt the small bit of hope of friendship diminish, confusion and fear rising in his chest as the men holding him back moved to their cars.

"He's just a student-? He's a kid- what are you doing!?" Phandrin snapped at the men as they seemed to ignore him before driving off.

A pit seemed to form in his chest as he stared in the direction the vans had went.

His head swam with confusion, hurt from the previous events piping on top made tears come to his eyes as he thought about what to do.

Standing there in silence for a moment with tears flowing from his eyes he recalling Kertia mentioning that he'd known Kwared well.

A small flicker of hope filled his chest, he recalled Kwared yelling not to "take him back" meaning this may have happened before, maybe Kertia knew something.

Pulling out his phone he realized he didn't have Kertias number as he started off in a run to the Quadrant 4 dormitories. He likely stayed in the highest dorm.

His feet hit the gravel roads quickly as he used his wings to speed himself up. Making it to the door, he ran up the stairs and down each hall before skidding to a stop, knocking on the door loudly.

He heard a yell before the door opened and Kertia stepped out with a smile.

"What's up? Is something wrong?" Kertia asked as Phandrin panted.

"Can I.., talk to you alone-?" Phandrin panted as Kertia glanced in the hallway before shrugging.

"I guess if it's that urgent. Come in?" Kertia waved as Phandrin stepped in quickly.

"Kwared.. some people took, him" Phandrin stammered as Kertias eyes widened.

"What? Who? When?," Kertia asked quickly confusion and anger wafting over his face.
"I don't- know, Kwared said he'd been taken- before, he was yelling and-"

"Okay, I get it, when?" Kertia questioned running to his phone quickly.

"Just now, I ran here as quick as I could... Kwared was blaming me," Phandrin huffed rubbing his face as worry ran through his body. He was confused, he shouldn't care this much. Kwared didn't even consider them friends.

"Alright, stay here, I'll explain, we can't do anything right now," Kertia said quickly as Phandrin nodded sitting down on a stool near the counter.

"It sounds like.. a facility he used to live in. It's for the rabid predators and it's basically an asylum jail but it's not for rehabilitation. They don't... Treat them well." Kertia paused pulling up a photo on his phone showing it to Phandrin.

"This is the building, the old hospital, they do illegal work and the reason they haven't been taken out of work is that there hasn't been proved. Everyone who's left has been too scared," Kertia continued turning his phone off and looking at Phandrin with hope.

"You- you can help right? Do you want Kwared back? You can help me expose the facility and get him back easy," Kertia smiled nodding quickly.

"He isn't the only predator who's been stuck there, a few have been stuck there. Kwared was one of the worst though for his rarity in albino," Kertia muttered pacing slightly as Phandrin tried to process the information he was receiving

"They gave him "special treatment," Kertia huffed shutting his eyes for a second.

"We need to get him back quickly, we can go there as visitors I think, we can talk to him but they will likely have him doped up, we just need to get photos or something, some sort of proof," Kertia thought out loud as Phandrin dropped his head in his hands.

"We're high schoolers," Phandrin started and Kertia cut him off.

"I know but, they are a small facility, they would have had to have reason to take Kwared though. His criminal record is insane, and he isn't exactly sane so we can't get him out on his own health behalf, they will only make it worse and call it treatment," Kertia shifted before pausing and turning to Phandrin.

"Did you contact them-?" He accused quickly as Phandrin shook his head.

"I didn't know they existed but Kwared thinks I did it- I'd messaged Holly but it must have looked like I was contacting someone else-" Phandrins eyes widened in realization.

"You're right, they couldn't have gotten there so quick anyways," Kertia cursed as Phandrin cut him off.

"I know who did it, we can't do anything about them though, let's try and visit Kwared for now," Phandrin stood quickly as Kertia nodded and grabbed his jacket.

Phandrin felt the guilt in his chest deepen as he recalled what Kwared said.

Following Kertia he ran out the door back down the stairs and to a car. He heard it unlock as Kertia got in the driver's seat.

"Alright, we have to act as normal as possible. I'll keep my phone camera recording in my pocket," Kertia mused as Phandrin nodded. He felt the car start quickly rushing down the street. Phandrin gripped the ceiling handle as they moved quickly through shortcuts and roads towards the hospital.

"With our luck, he will only be a bit fussed up"

_____________

Kwared put his head in his hands sitting on the white bed. The metal frame was rickety and squeaked when he moved. The floor and pillow were cold just like he remembered, the monitor ringing in his ears as his arm was pumped with some sort of drug they claimed would clear his system.

He let out an angry yell as he stood up making an attempt to pull the needle from his wrist, an alarm going off just as he remembered as angry tears filled his eyes.

Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again-

"Kwared, sit down please," the monotone voice came from all around him.

His eyes glanced around panicked as he blinked seeing a completely white room with a plain bed. No monitor, no needle, nothing.

"WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING," Kwared cried out angrily panicking. Where was the door? The window. There was a window before-

"Kwared, sit down please," the voice repeated in the same tone as he leaned over pulling his head to his knees.

'maybe I should kill myself..'

His mind flashed to Phandrin who smiled at him when he did, the sudden pang coming back.

He stood up again shakily moving to the bed patting it down before moving to the walls.

"Let me out please.. let me out," he muttered as the same line kept repeating overhead.

It stopped suddenly as a different line played.

"Kwared, you have visitors. Please proceed to the incubation,"