Behind These Wings

Foundations

 One by one the guards returned.

One by one more and more battered and defeated angels shuffled after them out of the doors that lined the seemingly never ending hallway.

There were around fifty of them; if Drew had to guess. A shocking number of them were under the age of twenty and well over half were women who half hid behind the men, or rather boys in most cases, who attempted and failed to look tough. Despite their weak stature each of the women were impeccably dressed with their shoulders back and chests high; their backs razor straight despite the majority appearing not to possess the necessary muscles to keep such a position. It was obvious, from Drew's initial assessment, what the view of the Institute was on the role of women. Every girl that his eyes landed upon looked down the second they realised that they were under scrutiny. Their figures were narrow, not to the extent that Izzy's was but bordering the line into the unhealthy. Their dresses, which Drew presumed was some sort of uniform as most were wearing them, were drab and conservative.

The women held no individuality.

They had no personality.

Muted and restrained.

The boys on the other hand were the complete opposite of the feeble looking women. Despite the young age of some they all possessed a considerable amount of muscle and Drew could understand why some of the woman saw it wise to seek protection in their wide shadows. Despite their bodies appearing to be in better shape than the females', their faces told another story.

Devoid of any and all emotion each boy stood with nothing but a hollow heart within their eyes.

After the prisoners came the teachers.

All men in their late twenties early thirties, the majority of them were dressed in slick suits that seemed to be perfectly pressed as if straight from the iron despite a large amount of manhandling from Drew's angels.

It was only as he saw them that Drew could understand why even the built boys didn't try to run.

These angels were solid muscle.

Built to harm with no consideration.

As the accused emerged from the doors, tightly held by Drew's angels, he felt Izzy tense and he wasn't surprised when she pressed herself tighter into his side. He was, however, surprised when she produced a whimper of fright and removed herself from his side so that she could slip in behind him and completely remove herself from view.

Turning on the spot, so that her figure was still hidden, Drew looked down at his quivering wife with the question he wished to ask blatant in his eyes but Izzy didn't get a chance to answer.

"Isabelle, always a pleasure, you always were my favourite." One of the accused easily threw the angel that was holding him over his shoulder and stepped out of line causing three other guards to block his path towards Drew and Izzy.

"You have guard dogs." The accused continued, raising a single eyebrow in a mocking fashion, his burning irises haunting Izzy's mind as she buried her head into Drew's chest to try and block out reality. "How quaint."

Without needing instruction from Drew the three guards advanced towards the accused but in the end it took a further five to subdue his offence.

"You won't leave this place alive you know. He will never let you." The accused hissed but the threat didn't bother Drew in the slightest.

"I don't believe I have had the pleasure before, what is your name?" Drew questioned, motioning to Ian to come and support Izzy as he turned back to face this angel.