Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender and make no profit from this work.
Warnings: This story contains gore, violence, blood, drugging, kidnapping, and attempted rape/non-con (which is not described in any detail). Please head these warnings before reading the story.
Shiro's eyes fly open, delirious, and he vaults himself upright. His body moves faster than his mind can process as it functions purely on the instincts honed from his year in the gladiator pit and his time so far as a Paladin. Once his brain catches up, he immediately takes stock of his location.
He's in the center of a small clearing, the dirt tight and compact as if many people or things have repeatedly trampled it. Roughly 25 feet before him is a cliff face, most likely between 30 to 40 feet high, with the rest of the perimeter surrounded by the lush purple, red, and orange vegetation and gigantic trees seen nearly everywhere on the planet.
Not good.
It's a completely foreign area, the sovereign's large castle nowhere in sight. Shiro looks down and is alarmed but unsurprised to see his civilian clothes on, the words "dress casually" echoing in Allura's voice as she repeated the request from their hosts.
He picks up on a low groan and sees Keith laying on the ground a few feet away. His stomach drops at seeing one of his own also trapped with him, especially his brother. He makes his way over and crouches, gently nudging him awake.
"Sh'roh?" Normally the sound of him slurring his name would bring a smile to Shiro's face but now he can only fret, the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach growing with every passing tick. "Keith, c'mon buddy, wake up for me. We were captured somehow, we have to move."
Keith is wearing his civvies as well, with no bayard on him and his knife nowhere to be seen ("come unarmed" should have been a tip off for all of them but Shiro knows what they say about hindsight). This is worsening by the dobash.
Keith finally opens his eyes and rubs them slowly. To Shiro's dismay they're still cloudy. 'Something's wrong,' Shiro thinks, 'he never takes this long to rouse.' He lifts up Keith with care and wraps an arm around his waist, leaning him against his own body to better steady him.
He continues to observe the environment as he waits for Keith to regain his senses. There's something shimmering just on the edges of the perimeter and he clenches his teeth. Most likely a barrier. This is going to be a problem.
"Shiro, what's going on? Where are we?" Shiro breathes a sigh of relief. At least Keith is finally aware now. "Looks like we were drugged somehow and then taken here. It was most likely the food." The last part he whispers more to himself but Keith overhears anyway and growls in response.
Despite his own misgivings on their situation, Shiro does his best to exude confidence to calm him. "Don't worry Keith, we'll figure something out. Now, can you stand on your own?" Keith nods and Shiro lets go, paying close attention to the steadiness of his legs. He stumbles for a moment but regains his footing and seems to be good to go.
"Unfortunately, there's some sort of barrier around the area. I'll see if my arm can cut through it." He steadies himself and begins to activate his Galran prosthetic, waiting for the telltale pulsing of heat and violet light.
Instead what feels like lightning shoots up his arm and through his spine, paralyzing him with a split second of agony as he cries out. Keith catches him just before he faceplants in the dirt and rubs his back. "Talk to me Shiro, you still with me?"
Shiro shakes his head clear and groans as he's set upright again thanks to Keith. "I...I don't know what happened. My arm's not responding. Something must be restricting it somehow."
Keith sucks his teeth and considers this for a tick. "Mm. Maybe it's some kind of magic or, or Quintessence field? Kinda like a smaller version of that barrier around us, yeah?" He jerks his thumb back for emphasis, then crosses his arms. "That would explain those bolts of energy coming out of your arm."
In other words, he can't charge his arm's powered function. Meaning they have zero weapons on them. Also meaning he'll be relying on pure hand-to-hand if they need to resort to fighting.
Wait.
"Uh, Shiro? If we were kidnapped, where are our captors?" Leave it to Keith to know exactly where his train of thought is going. Shiro bites his lip, unease growing, both at not having an answer for Keith and at the uncertainty of their fate.
"Paladins of Voltron. I thank you for coming to us." Shiro and Keith both jump out their skins, heads shooting up to face the cliff and the direction of the voice. Before their eyes, a small group of seven Kolese gather, wearing robes of various colors that denote their rank.
Coran's extremely outdated intel on the Kolese did not do their unsettling features justice. They are tall, bony people with extremely long fingers and limbs. The pure white of their smooth, wholly featureless skin nearly match the sclera of their eyes, which possess no irises or pupils. This all belies their bright, animated voices and warm demeanors that make them more than gracious hosts during the the Paladins and Alteans' stay.
Thus, making this turn of events the worst case of emotional whiplash Shiro has experienced since his capture by the Galra on Kerberos.
Their leader is in the center of the group, easy to pick out due to the same royal blue ornate garb and crown seen during the party earlier.
"The hell are we? What's going on?" Keith certainly doesn't mince words and Shiro is inclined to agree with his sentiment. Regardless, he needs to de-escalate the situation fast and hopefully resolve whatever's happening here.
"What Keith means to say is if there's some sort of misunderstanding, please let us know where we went wrong so we can settle this peacefully." Keith turns to raise an eyebrow and Shiro makes a point to ignore him. He already knows that was a stretch.
The leader (Maltik, Shiro strains to remember, he was so pleasant at the celebration) chuckles. "There is no misunderstanding Paladins. You two have been chosen by the High Priestess who speaks for the Goddess, to be Sacrifices in our next ceremony. She has been angered by the...poor...quality of our previous Tributes and has made Herself clear that we would be punished-"
Shiro finds himself interrupting Maltik's tirade, face drained of all color. "Wait, what? Sacrifices? I-you can't be serious!"
Maltik tilts his heads, as if confused by Shiro's words. "Black Paladin, I do not understand. Why would we jest regarding such grave matters?" Shiro's blood runs cold. The apathy radiating from the monarch is palpable. As much as he wishes to resolve this without violence, his instincts warn him that they'll be in for a battle.
Keith intervenes, his face red with barely repressed anger. "Because we're Paladins of Voltron, here to protect you and the universe from the Galra. And if you take us out, that's all those lives in danger, including your own people!" His fists were shaking now and Shiro would bet money if any of the Kolese were in front of him he would have punched them.
Shiro takes a deep breathe and continues, attempting to calm his now spiking heart rate. "He's right, this isn't how we do things. We may be protectors but we aren't sacrificial pawns. There are too many lives at stake. Let us go."
Maltik sighs, as if dealing with back talking children and not two people being prepped for sacrificial death. "Please control yourselves. Your lives will contribute to our continued survival and glory. You should be grateful for such an honor." He ignores Keith's indignant sputter and continues. "And while using Paladins may seem... unorthodox, it's by the Grace of our Goddess that we happened upon two sacrifices so perfect for our ceremony, and delivered right to us. There was simply no way we could not partake."
The cries from Keith that the others will come find them and they won't get away with this go unanswered. "Especially the Red Paladin. We were extremely fortunate to find one that so...completely fits our requirements."
Those words are already ominous enough. But the leer in his voice. It sets Shiro on edge. In his peripheral vision he notices the clench in Keith's jaw, confirming that he picked up on it too. Maltik begins whispering to another near him. Shiro tenses, knowing that whatever this ceremony is will begin soon. He glances over to Keith, who's whipcord stiff.
Shiro squeezes Keith's shoulder with his human hand and a little of the tension loosens. "Don't worry, we won't be sticking around long enough for anything to happen." He sighs and lowers his voice, having to ask this question but not wanting to hear its probable answer. "I know it's a long shot but, do you happen to have your knife on you?"
"Yep, under my shirt, below the armpit." Keith answers just as softly.
Shiro can't help but huff and smile. "I have never been more grateful for you disobeying an order." Keith simply smirks in response then flinches along with Shiro when another Kolese yells to release the Ilnesh. This one is dressed in white robes trimmed with gold and carries a long golden staff, most likely an important figure.
A deep rumbling soon fills the clearing, growing louder until the cacophony rattles Shiro's teeth. Keith's hand hovers near his knife's location but not close enough to give himself away. Shiro steps into a boxing stance, resigned that he would have to essentially beat these creatures to death, with all the risk close proximity carries.
He's aware they need to hold out as long as possible to buy precious time until the rest of the team realizes they're missing and organizes a search. But how long will that take? What lies did Maltik feed them? How long were they unconscious in between being captured and rousing? Too many variables, which could mean the difference between one varga and several.
Keith rubs his eyes again and shakes his head. Shiro flickers his gaze over but before he can question him, a small opening forms in the barrier and both men nod to each other then try to rush it in time. However, from that point a multitude of small creatures (just shy a hundred Shiro estimates with growing dread) emerge from the opening and flood the enclosure.
Ilnesh stand between six to eight inches and are covered completely in soft white fur. Large, almost watery, brown eyes are visible and normally nothing else. One's first impression is that they're adorable walking cotton balls that pose as much threat as wet tissue paper. But Shiro and Keith know better. They and the rest of the team were treated to an accidental showing of their true nature as predators.
As the large group made their way to the post battle celebration, in the distance they spotted a lone Ilnesh being stalked by a would be predator, an almost cheetah looking creature but with small tan feathers instead of fur. Once the animal was within striking distance it pounced.
A sudden flock of white appeared and moved between the two. Over a dozen Ilnesh laid in wait and ambushed the beast, sharp teeth and even sharper claws extended from limbs that were tucked away in their fur, ripping through their target's flesh like fresh bread. A few dobashes later and the bones were completely stripped of all meat.
Lance screamed at the sight and Hunk was that much closer to vomiting. Keith and Pidge wore near identical expressions of shock, which would have normally entertained Shiro but he was fighting off his own bout of nausea. Worsening in no small part due to Coran's increasingly vivid details of the creature's hunting tactics, which Allura was thankfully able to curb while looking a bit green herself.
The Ilnesh's claws are visible and teeth bare as their sheer numbers block the way out. Shiro and Keith are forced to engage to reach the breach in the barrier. Keith darts ahead and grabs the hilt of the luxite knife with his right hand, pulling it free from its sheath. The knife whistles through the air as it cleaves Ilnesh before their claws can reach him. He tosses the knife to his left hand and reverse grips it to stab one approaching from behind (did his fingers almost slip?).
Shiro bends his knees, center of gravity lowered, and glances at Keith one last time before quickly stepping forward for a right jab, hearing a sickening crunch as an Ilnesh's face caves in. He doesn't dwell on that, just pulls his fist back to guard in time to roll from a swiping clawed hand. A left uppercut launches the attacker forward and knocks it into several others. This becomes his routine, maintaining his guard and stance while swiftly dodging and attacking to avoid being overwhelmed.
Since he needs to strike close they sometimes catch him in the brief moments he switches arms, but nothing more than a shallow cut before he makes quick work of them. They also tend to catch him when he sneaks glances at Keith but Shiro can't help himself. Each time he witnesses a flurry of movement, punctuated by streaks of blue blood from the creatures he cuts down. They push forward, cutting a swath of death between them.
Shiro checks on Keith again and his stomach sinks. He's still elegant and efficient in his movements. But he's noticeably slower now. Shiro recalls that moment of sloppiness in the beginning and knows it's related to Keith's earlier difficulty in rousing. 'They drugged Keith worse than me.' That thought is sudden yet rings true. Shiro makes a snap decision and rushes to Keith's side, swatting aside Ilnesh as they move in his way. They need to risk it and get out, now.
"Keith, we-" Keith grunts while still looking forward, clearly waiting for Shiro to finish. But he never does. The Kolese with the staff shouts out, a call for a Greater? Ilnesh, Shiro tenses, and there's a rumbling that quakes the very earth. It takes him an effort to keep steady and he can clearly see it takes even more for Keith.
Luckily the Ilnesh are rendered unbalanced as well, giving the pair a much needed breather. Shiro takes stock and they've both cleared more than half of the small creatures. He also notes the cuts and scratches littering Keith's arms and legs through the rips in his clothes. Thankfully nothing looks remotely deep with very little bleeding.
The sound becomes thunderous, behind the barrier entire trees are knocked over as if made of plastic, and abruptly a breathing mountain of thick pale fur appears from the ruined foliage, barreling through the barrier opening.
Unlike a normal Ilnesh, this one's thick black limbs are completely visible, extending from its body in a way that somewhat mirrors human proportions. Its eyes are still brown but with yellow sclera inside of white, and its mouth is filled with teeth resembling razor blades.
Shiro and Keith yell in alarm as the huge Ilnesh approaches them, the beast completely dwarfing them with its sheer size. The smaller ones stand well away, giving the Greater plenty of room. The behemoth swings its arm across at a frightening speed and Shiro shifts to a rolling dodge instantly, feeling the wind just above his head and knowing it would have been knocked clean off if that blow had connected.
In that brief window the Greater is distracted, Keith positions behind it and sinks his knife in the base of its back, somewhere above where the tailbone would be if it were human, then cutting up. Shiro can hear the blade slicing through skin and muscle and experiences a tactile flashback of doing the same in the arena. He suppresses that memory before it fully crystallizes.
Blue blood spurts out and coats Keith's face, shirt, and jacket. The Greater screams in agony and whirls around. Shiro screams for Keith to run and Keith attempts to block the incoming blow with his right arm to create an opening. Its foot catches his wrist and there's a sickening crack as Keith is launched in the air.
His cry of pain is cut off as the Greater grabs his leg and swings him downward, the breath knocked out of him when his back slams in the ground. Shiro aims a right cross at the open wound and it connects, blood now coating half his prosthetic.
The Greater Ilnesh roars and his free arm flails out, slamming into Shiro's midsection. He hears a crack and feels something break, tear inside. The world freezes for a moment. He can see the smaller Ilnesh beginning to swarm Keith, the Greater still holding onto his leg. Then his feet leave the ground, his world blurs and spins and he collides with solid earth again in a jarring impact. He wheezes, unable to take in air for a terrifying few seconds. Copper pools in his mouth.
Shiro struggles on his back for a moment, then slowly rolls on his stomach with a groan (and ignores the blossoming agony), resting heavily on his forearms. A loud noise begins to faze into his ears and another moment before it registers.
Screaming.
Keith.
He looks up and his blood turns to ice. The Ilnesh's claws are out and ripping through Keith's shirt and slacks like butter. His thicker red jacket, the one Shiro knows he loves so much, is almost as easily torn and sliced away. Keith is trying to fight them off, shouting and swearing and kicking out with his remaining leg.
Shiro's not sure when he starts calling Keith's name but he continues as he slowly, slowly drags his body over. Any minute, any awful sickening minute he'll see blood and gore arch in the air, like the blood from that animal they tore apart, and he clenches his teeth and forces himself faster.
Shiro hears chanting from a distance and lifts his head just enough to see the Kolese. Their eyes are closed and arms are raised in praise. A sudden mob of Ilnesh swarm Shiro's vision and he feels clawed hands pin his arms and body down as well, immobilizing him. Shiro cries out, he doesn't have the strength to fight them off.
He instead takes a breath (it was meant to be deep but the pain and blood in his mouth makes it shudder) and forces himself to yell. "P-please, please stop this. Don't, he's-" He then hears Keith's voice, shaky but loud (thank god he's alive thankgodthankgod), "You think your goddess is gonna protect you from the Galra? You take us out, there's no Voltron and no one to stop them from ruining your whole planet!"
Affronted gasps litter the crowd and the Kolese with the staff steps forward and brandishes it at Keith. "You know not what you speak of, Sacrifice. Her glory has protected us for deca-phoebs and will continue to do so as long as Her faithful servants praise Her name."
The Kolese begins speaking again, raising their staff to the sky.
"O Great Ilnesh, let the blood of the Hero runneth over and cleanse the sin of violence from our people."
Shiro's attention flickers back to himself and he realizes that bit of yelling on his part caused more blood to pour from his mouth. He notes the dark red color and It occurs to him that he has acute internal bleeding. Not that he doesn't already feel it but the visual confirmation makes it downright ominous.
The next chant is far worse.
"O Great Ilnesh, let the blood of the Virgin runneth over and cleanse the sin of lasciviousness from our people."
Shiro's head snaps up and sees Keith, taking in the scene. About ten of the small Ilnesh are pinning his arms above his head and his upper body down. The Greater still has a tight grip on his right leg. Other than the shallow cuts and scratches that litter his bare arms, legs, and torso, he seems to be fine enough to still struggle and curse.
Wait. Bare? He focuses again. He can see the marks on his body because other than his boots, gloves and the sheath wrapped around his upper arm, Keith's clothes are completely torn away, laying in tattered shreds near him.
Shiro forces himself to think. They just said the virgin. But how would they even know about that? Coran's voice echoes in his mind. Before they left the castle after changing out of their armor, he gave them a brief introduction to their culture. "The Kolese have very strong telepathic abilities, which they mainly use to reach into each others' minds for emotional input, comfort, and basic information. The strongest of them are, however, capable of gleaning massive amounts of intel from a single mind read."
"You called him a, a virgin? You read our minds? Is that-" Shiro coughs and more blood comes up. But he needs to ask, to find out because a picture is slowly painting, one that is more horrifying than anything Shiro could ever conceive, and keeping them talking buys time and draws pertinent information. "Is that...a part of your scheme? Him needing t-to be one?"
Maltik beams. "As I've said before, he is the perfect Sacrifice. A Virgin of both body and mind is frighteningly rare to find. Even rarer than finding a Hero of your calibre. And our Greater Ilnesh will be sure to spill his blood for us."
Shiro's pulse is pumping in his ears and he can barely hear his own voice over it, demanding to tell him what they plan to do with Keith. His heart bangs against his ribcage. He glances at Keith's eyes: huge, watery, and filled with unbridled horror.
Shiro follows his line of sight and inhales. That-that thing, its body is slightly bend and shaking. Sickly yellow globs of what must be saliva drip from its maw of razor teeth and land with a moist plop on Keith's stomach. Shiro hears an audible gasp from the monster and its right hand jerks and and-
Oh god. No. "Listen, please don't do this, please." the Greater drags Keith closer to his body and his screams begin anew. "Please I'm begging you, please please stop, he's just a kid!" The priest leads a prayer, the others following until it reverberates. Vibrates in his skin, rattles his teeth. Keith's screams become hysterical as he struggles, the Ilnesh pinning him while the Greater's massive body hovers over him. The taste of pennies fills Shiro's mouth, his own screams doing nothing to drown out the horrible, monotone chanting and Keith's tearful shrieks.
Nonono please nogodpleasedontnotKeith "Keith, No STOP KEITH"
KEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITHKEITH KEI-
Time stops.
He sees all with clarity. The five spiderweb cracks in the patch of dry soil before him. The soft texture of the Greater's fur, a pale blue matted with dark blood. The black sole of Keith's left boot, well worn but still solid and heavy.
Shiro knows now. He grins.
His right arm whirs to life and he feels the agony traveling through it and down his back, the Quintessence attempting to restrict its use. But Shiro will not be denied. Keith will be saved. He puts his full energy into the prosthetic and it crackles with energy. The pain nearly overwhelms him, so he channels it into adrenaline and puts it to use.
A shockwave fans out, blowing a few of the Ilnesh holding Shiro away. Those are the lucky ones. Shiro's arm is now buzzing, violet and bright. He swings it around in a wide arc, eviscerating any Ilnesh near it. Burning tissue and intestines unfurl.
There's more tearing inside his body. It doesn't matter. He charges forward and suddenly his entire arm is buried inside the wound Keith gave the monster earlier. It screeches in pain and tries to shake its body, letting go of Keith's leg in the process. 'Not enough,' flashes through Shiro mind and the arm blazes, its light extending several inches from his fingertips.
He swings his arm upward, dragging it through its innards. The smell of burning flesh, gore, and meat is potent. He feels the wet thickness of its intestines before it sears, the bones of its spine as it fractures. Blue blood that doesn't disintegrate from the heat pours down his arm and soaks the right half of his clothes. In a normal fight he would be sickened but now, now it is the scent and weight of victory.
For an instant the background flashes from beautiful foliage to a musty arena veiled in dark purple; the cheers crescendo in his ears. He extends the heat's range to pierce upwards, almost reaching the monster's neck. With a blood-curdling bellow choked by blood, the Greater Ilnesh topples over to the side, stills, and is no more.
Silence chokes the area. Then all Hell breaks loose.
The remaining Ilnesh circle around them and flee toward the rift in the barrier in a mindless stampede. The Kolese shriek in rage and through his peripheral vision Shiro spots a few of them descending the cliff with frightening speed. Having nothing left to give, Shiro turns and shields Keith with his body, preparing himself to fight again. They will not touch him.
The Red Lion's head breaches the barrier easily, using its plasma beam to burn through the Ilnesh before they can escape, as well as the corpse of the Greater. Pidge's Green Lion ripples into existence soon after and its mouth opens, flooding the area with his comrades.
'Good,' Shiro thinks, and then proceeds to topple over as reality resumes and the pain returns to properly consume his body. Before he hits the ground, a pair of strong arms catch him. Shiro has no strength to lift his head but he sees red and white boots and a weight lifts from his heart.
Pain continues to course through his stomach and chest and it's almost too much to even breathe. The sounds of weapons firing, shouting, and the roars of their Lions flood Shiro's brain in a muted cacophony. Two yellow and white armored legs appear in front of him and he feels even stronger arms wrap around his body and hoist him up in one smooth motion. Shiro grunts in pain at the sudden shift of his body and Hunk? Hunk says something in return.
They're moving and soon reach Green. He's laid on the floor of what he assumes is the cockpit, more legs move around him and he sees the Lion's mouth shut, natural light replaced by a soothing green glow.
More voices are speaking, yelling. Shiro tastes more copper in his mouth and his vision blurs as a wave of dizziness washes over him. He panics, reaching out with his human arm. He can't explain what he needs but knows he needs it now. A gloved hand grasps his own and he recognizes Keith. He smiles, squeezes back, and is aware no more.
Shiro's eyes fly open, delirious, and he attempts to vault himself up but his body won't cooperate. Panic rises in his chest and his breathing escalates. His vision, white dotted and blurry, clears in bursts until he makes out the forms of Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Coran, and Allura standing before him. 'Where's... where's….' His thoughts can't focus. As his chest evens the glass of the healing pod opens and he stumbles out, still trapped in a medically induced daze.
A pair of arms clad in red catch him and wrap a blanket around his shivering form. Shiro is led to a pile of blankets and pillows set up on the floor nearby and he gratefully sits, almost letting his head rest on someone's lap before full awareness floods his mind and he realizes whose lap it is.
"Keith!" Shiro embraces his brother in a bear hug, letting the powerful waves of relief and joy wash over him. He feels Keith's hesitation and then a pair of arms hug him just as tightly, his face buried in Shiro's shoulder. The two stay like this for a long while, taking comfort in their mutual happiness. Eventually Shiro's constant thoughts and concerns are too overwhelming and he reluctantly pulls back to look at Keith.
"You feeling okay?" Shiro blinks, not expecting to hear that question. Hearing how soft and hoarse Keith's voice is bothers him even more. "I feel," he takes a moment to assess his physical self. No pain. The pods are always thorough, he recalls. "Good, actually."
He swallows once, then decides to bit the bullet. "How are you doing?" The effect is instantaneous. Keith's shoulders coil up and he hugs his arms around his torso. Shiro really takes in Keith's appearance. He's wearing a baggy red hoodie and black sweatpants complete with thick black socks, the type of outfit he dons when he feels particularly overwhelmed and needs to be covered and comforted. The bags under his eyes are heavy and dark.
Shiro's heart drops into his stomach. Keith's bare body littered with cuts and bruises, his screams of terror, his tear streaked face flashes in Shiro's mind in an endless loop and he grips Keith's shoulders, startling him. "Are you-? Did-did that thing," he spits out the word like venom, "hurt you?" Keith's eyes widen before letting out a soft "oh" as the implications seem to sink in. He shakes his head, and takes Shiro's hands in his own, lowering them until they rest back on the blankets. His eyes stay trained on their joined hands as he talks.
"It. It didn't-" He swallows, voice cracking. Keith has to blink back tears and Shiro nearly sheds his own. "It was close, r-really close. But you saved me in time."
Shiro's relief swells then fades fast as his mind returns to those moments, when he freed himself and attacked that monster. Bile catches in his throat recalling his state of mind, how close he was to his Champion self. He can't put into words the sensations that overtake him now, disgust and fear and loathing tangle in a thorny knot.
A tremor builds in his hands until he feels a slight pressure steadying them. Keith shakes his head again, then looks directly in his eyes. Shiro flinches and almost looks away, nearly unable to take the earnest stare. "Shiro. You saved me. Thank you." And he smiles a tiny and sincere smile and something loosens in Shiro's heart.
"Yeah, Keith told us how badass you were back there, taking out that big monster thing with your arm."
"Wow Lance, you couldn't even let them finish their moment."
"Whatever Pidge, they can bond more once we move this cuddle pile over to the lounge. And geez Hunk, how long are you gonna stand there and cry?"
Shiro fondly shakes his head and spots the three teens off to the side by a gurney, completely forgetting he saw everyone in the medical bay not five minutes ago and they were most likely waiting for the two to finish. Judging from Keith's hilarious startled cat impression he had forgotten as well.
Coran and Allura approach them, relief written all over both their faces, and crouch down to better speak to the sitting pair. "Number One, wonderful to see you up and running again. You gave us quite the scare back on the Green Lion. You looked like a Lorimuf after twenty quintants in the fighting pits of Thrygrone!"
As usual Shiro doesn't know what the hell Coran is saying but he can always appreciate the comfort he brings in smiles that crinkle the corners of his eyes and the reassuring hand on his shoulder. "And Number Four here has been doing just fine as well. His injuries healed up nicely and we made sure he took it easy to boot."
"And as you should know, that was no easy feat." Allura takes Shiro and Keith's hands in her own and beams, her jewel eyes wet with unshed tears. "I'm so relieved that you are both alright. And I-" She squeezes their hands a little tighter and swallows hard. "I am truly sorry that I misjudged the Kolese so profoundly. And that you both were put in such grave danger because of my actions."
"Princess, you mustn't be so hard on yourself. We we all taken in by their hospitality I'm afraid."
"He's right Princess, it's not your fault. It's-"
Keith cuts Shiro off. "It's their fault. With their stupid, sacrificial bullshit." Keith's face is flush with anger, his hands pulled back from Allura and Shiro, now clenched in his lap. Then just as quickly his fury leaves him and he physically deflates. "S-sorry." He looks sheepish and vulnerable, pairing with his tired eyes.
Shiro's jaw clenches at the sight, his free right hand creaking as it flexes. "No, don't apologize Keith. You have every right to be angry." Allura and Coran are visibly taken aback by Shiro's sudden mood switch. Keith isn't exactly comfortable with his fury, but he's seen it come out before.
"Alright that does it! No more talk about this, I'm coming in for a hug." And Hunk, with tears still streaming down his face, comes right between the two brothers and envelopes each in an arm, holding both close to him.
Before Shiro or Keith can recover from the shock Lance and Coran shout "group hug!" then tuck themselves in right in front of them along with Allura, who is more than happy to dole out some much needed comfort. Pidge rolls her eyes at the sight and come in to occupy the last of the free space.
Shiro feels Keith gradually relax into the impromptu hug, which makes him smile. And while Shiro knows they have a lot to discuss later, for now he can indulge in the warm embrace of his family.
"Okay so I know I started this whole hug and all but. I kinda have to pee now."
Amidst the cries and protests from the others, Shiro sighs.
So this is the first time I wrote something like this. Which you can clearly see when comparing this M-rated monster to my other super fluffy works. A lot of things inspired me to write it: wanting a story with Shiro being awesome and badass, Keith being in distress, trying out action scenes, and experimenting with horror/suspense elements among others. Also I love writing gore so there's that too.
Some little details that didn't make it into the story [Edited since ch.2 delved into some of the original details]:
-The Kolese leader and his royal court aren't evil per se but truly believe in the Goddess's wrath and that if they don't complete the ceremony, plagues will befall their kingdom and kill everyone.
-The Hero can be a willing sacrifice but due to the nature of the Virgin's role (they must have never had sex or ever desire it) they must always be unwilling.
-Usually it's foreign visitors that are sacrificed-out of the thousands of years this ritual has been in place only three times have other Kolese been used.
-Coran received a warning from the Castle and him and everyone else found the Red Lion flipping out in the hangar. The Black Lion imprinted waves of distress on the Paladins, then Red led the way and everyone else boarded Green since it has cloaking, letting the Kolese soldiers believe Red went haywire on its own and try to attack it.