The room was stifling, thick with unease. Austin couldn't keep himself from grimacing as Darrick, so small and fragile, was passed from one eager student to the next. He cringed as a red-headed girl held him like a bug that she was too disgusted to crush, but not careful enough to truly care for. Her grip was loose, as if she might fling him away at any moment. Austin's chest tightened as he watched, his stomach turning. This was someone he'd once respected—a fierce, unrelenting athlete on the fields of Backnott who could plow through five opponents in a single charge. Now he was just a toy, Being held by just another careless observer, oblivious to the weight of what she held.

"Uh, you can have him," the redhead said, her tone casual as if handing over a trivial trinket. She shoved Darrick toward Jace, who snatched him quickly, holding him against his stomach like a protective shield. Darrick sagged against Jace's hands, his pale face barely visible under his disheveled black hair.

Jace didn't say anything, just glanced at Austin before stepping closer to their small circle, trying to shield Darrick from the prying eyes of the other students. One boy, pudgy-faced with thick glasses, watched eagerly, his gaze bouncing between Darrick and Austin like he was anticipating his turn. His expression shifted when Austin locked eyes with him, a glare cold enough to make the boy look away.

Austin crossed his arms, his stance hard and unyielding, a silent warning to anyone else who might think to approach. Normally, this was Darrick's job—to stand tall, to glare down threats with his quiet strength. But now, Darrick wasn't tall, wasn't strong. He wasn't in any position to defend himself, and the weight of that realization felt unbearable.

In Jace's hands, Darrick stirred weakly. He glanced up from his slumped position, his movements sluggish and hesitant. He looked at Jace, then to Austin, his small body trembling as if the very act of existing took every ounce of his strength. Austin could only guess at the pain his friend was in—how exhausting it must be to shrink, grow, and shrink again in such a short time. How terrifying it must feel to be so small and vulnerable, surrounded by people who saw him as nothing more than an oddity.

"Are you okay?" Jace whispered, leaning closer to the tiny figure in his hands. The boys huddled protectively around Darrick, blocking him from the view of the other students with his body

Darrick's response was barely noticeable—a slow, almost imperceptible shake of his head. His head hung low, and he braced himself against Jace's palm, swaying as if he might collapse at any moment. He looked like he was fighting to stay conscious, like every second awake was a battle he wasn't sure he could win.

"This is wrong," Cole muttered, his voice shaky. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he tried to push back the lump of emotion threatening to rise. "Why are they doing this to him?"

Austin didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened as he cast a glance toward the front of the room, where David stood. Their "teacher" was watching them now, his sharp gaze piercing through the tension. His brows were furrowed, his chin raised, and Austin knew what was coming. Any moment now, David would step in, take Darrick, and force the rest of the class to have their "turn."

"I don't know," Austin finally muttered, his voice low enough for only his friends to hear. "But it needs to stop."

Jace's frown deepened, his eyes darting between Austin and the fragile figure in his hands. "Do you think they'll do this to Tess?"

Austin felt his chest tighten further at the question. Tess—locked away in another sector, unreachable and just as vulnerable as Darrick. "I don't know," he admitted again, his voice strained. He hated saying it, hated how powerless he felt. His fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as frustration and helplessness threatened to boil over.

David began to move toward them, his steps deliberate, his expression cold and calculating. "Quick, give him to me," Austin whispered, holding out his hands. Jace hesitated for a split second, then carefully tipped Darrick into Austin's waiting palms. Darrick's limp body rolled into Austin's hands like a rag doll, and for a heart-stopping moment, Austin feared the worst.

David's physical appearance is unremarkable at first glance, but there's something about him that makes people uneasy. His thinning, graying hair is combed neatly back, but the effort seems futile, as if he's more concerned with maintaining appearances than actually looking presentable. His round face, marked with faint lines of stress and age, often carries an expression of neutral indifference.

His pudgy build suggests a life of sedentary routine, one spent more in labs than anywhere else. He's almost always seen with his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets, his movements slow and deliberate, as though conserving energy for only the most important tasks. The faint scent of antiseptic seems to follow him, a lingering reminder of the sterile, clinical environment he thrives in.

"Darrick?" he whispered, gently nudging his friend's side with his finger. A surge of panic clawed at his chest, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Was he dead? No—his arm moved slightly, just enough to reassure Austin. But he was so small, so still, it was impossible to tell just how bad things were.

"Don't overwhelm him, boys. Crowding around him will only make it worse for a human," David's voice cut through the tense air, calm but edged with authority. He stopped beside Austin, towering over him, his gaze dropping to the tiny figure in his hands. Everything about him, from the way he moves to the way he speaks, is unnervingly robotic, as if any semblance of humanity was stripped away long ago.

"Your friend will be okay. Morphing is tiring, especially for someone who hasn't done it in a while. Hm?" David's brow raised slightly, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Austin bristled. He knew David was lying, knew Darrick's condition had nothing to do with lack of practice. But he also knew that Darrick had been morphing for a while now, he grew in the forest and had be shrinking for Tess. So why he was so exhausted now was unrelated to how he changed. It was that needle they were giving him he knew it! The implication was clear—David knew the truth. He knew Darrick's condition wasn't due to lack of practice but because of the serum and the forced changes it brought.

Austin could feel his pulse in his ears as David loomed beside him, his calm yet predatory demeanor sending a chill down his spine. Every instinct in Austin screamed to get Darrick out of there, to shield his small, fragile friend from the cold, calculating gaze that regarded him as nothing more than an object.

In his hands, Darrick barely moved. His tiny body was impossibly still, and his skin was cold to the touch. Austin resisted the urge to shake him, to do anything to coax more life from him. The flutter of worry that had started in the pit of his stomach now swelled to full-blown panic. What if he wasn't okay? What if David had already pushed him too far?

Jace, standing beside Austin, looked down at his feet, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Austin glanced at him briefly, relieved that, for once, Jace wasn't blurting out something impulsive. Still, the tension in his friend's posture mirrored Austin's own. This wasn't right—none of it was right—but they were trapped, powerless under David's watchful eye.

"He doesn't look okay to me," Cole muttered, his voice low but defiant. His gaze flicked to David, his frown deepening as he studied the cold, calculating expression on the man's face.

David turned his attention to Cole, his smile fading into a steely glare. "I can reassure you," he said, his voice dropping in pitch, "he's fine."

Austin watched as Cole's face twisted in frustration, his nose scrunching and his lips pulling into a tight frown. It was clear Cole didn't believe David. None of them did. Austin's own stomach churned with the knowledge that David didn't care about Darrick's well-being. To him, Darrick wasn't a friend, a teammate, or even a person. He was just a tool—a subject to be studied and used.

David's sharp eyes scanned the group, landing on Austin. His gaze lingered on Darrick, cradled protectively in Austin's hands. There was something unnerving about the way David looked at him, like a predator eyeing prey. Austin felt his breath hitch as David's smile returned, colder and more sinister than before.

Austin instinctively took a step back, holding Darrick closer to his chest. That small movement was enough to set David off. His tone shifted, the lightness in his voice replaced with something colder, harder. "What are you doing?" he asked softly, the question so calm it made the hair on the back of Austin's neck stand up.

Austin swallowed hard but stood his ground. "He needs medical attention," he said, his voice firmer than he expected. "We'll take him to the infirmary."

David's expression deepened, "You'll take him when I say you can," he replied, his words slow and deliberate. He crossed his arms over his chest, his stance unyielding. "Darrick's condition is... educational for the others. A rare opportunity for all of us to understand morphing better." He paused, " we see Darrick as a valuable subject for research here, a continuation of his father's origins. The serum merely guides a forced transformation, studying the effects on his body so that we may refine our methods and" his eyes narrowing "None of you are leaving."

Austin felt anger boil beneath his skin, overwhelmed by words whilst his hands began trembling as he held Darrick close. "He's not a science project," he snapped, his voice shaking with the effort to keep himself calm. "He's our friend."

David frown more, his expression hardening into something dangerous. He took a step closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over Austin and the others. Austin could see sweat rolling down his face "That wasn't a suggestion, Mr. Taylor," he said, his voice low and icy. "You'll stay, and you'll hand him back to Jace."

"No." The word left Austin's lips before he could think, but once it was out, he knew he couldn't take it back. His fingers tightened around Darrick, shielding him from the man standing over them. His hands trembled slightly, but his stance was firm. What if he suddenly got shot, jabbed with a needle himself? What's to stop this man doing what he did to Darrick, to himself?

Jace and Cole tensed beside him, their breaths shallow as the tension in the room thickened. For a moment, it felt like everything had stopped, like the air had been sucked from the room. David's gaze locked onto Austin, his eyes narrowing as his jaw tightened.

"You think you can defy me?" David's voice was sharp, his tone laced with cold fury. "Do you know what's at stake here? What Darrick represents?" He took another step forward, the weight of his presence pressing down on them. "This isn't just about him—it's about all of us."

Austin refused to back down. "It's about him," he said, his voice steady. "He's not a thing. He's Darrick. And you're not going to treat him like this."

The room fell silent, the only sound the faint, uneven breaths of the boy in Austin's hands. David stared him down, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like he might lash out, might forcefully take Darrick away.

Then, slowly, David stepped back. "Fine," he said, his voice cool and detached. He turned to the rest of the group, his sharp gaze sweeping over the eager students who had been watching with bated breath. "Class dismissed."

As the room began to clear, Austin, Jace, and Cole wasted no time. They huddled together, moving quickly and quietly, cradling Darrick protectively as they slipped out the door. They didn't stop until they were far from the classroom, the adrenaline finally hitting them as they ducked into the safety of a hallway.

"What now?" Cole asked, his voice shaky as he glanced between Austin and Jace.

Austin looked down at Darrick, his tiny frame so fragile in his hands. His expression hardened as he turned to his friends, determination replacing the fear in his eyes. "We take him back to our room," he said firmly. "And we figure out how to fix this."

~~~