AN: I forgot to write this last time, but I own absolutely nothing! I'm hoping you will all read and enjoy this story, and I hope you will leave comments! The last chapter was a prologue, so I didn't think much about adding and author's note, and I'm still learning how to use this website. But either way, please enjoy the official first chapter of Lone Defender, based off the artwork of revolocities
Chapter 1: The Rescue
Shiro stood at the edge of a rocky cliff, overlooking the sunset as it poured its soft orange glow over the desert. This was one of Shiro's favorite spots, and he frequented it often. He would ride his hoverbike in this area with Keith and Adam on occasion. He even took cliff dives off it with his bike, much to Adam's disapproval. There's was something peaceful and serene about it that spoke to Shiro.
"How are you feeling?" Shiro turned to see Adam walking up to him. Adam was dressed in his Garrison uniform, a look of genuine concern on his face. Ever since Shiro made it back to Earth, Adam had been watching over him with the utmost care. Still, there was something that nagged at Shiro.
"Why did you come after me Adam?" he asked without hesitation, making Adam stop dead in his tracks.
Adam looked generally confused and hurt by his insinuation, "Why would you ask that? I couldn't just leave you. Even if I am a little upset at you, I would never leave you behind."
"But you wanted me to go, didn't you?" Shiro asked, his face becoming stern and his tone accusing. What the hell was up with him? Shiro never placed blame on Adam for that. He wanted to go! It was the center of their arguments and the cause of their break up.
"Are you kidding me?!" Adam yelled, "You know how hard I tried to stop you!"
Shiro shook his head, "You didn't try to stop me. You just walked away and let me go," Shiro accused him. The sun set, the dark sky taking over the landscape as Shiro marched toward Adam. He looked him dead in the eyes and said, "You let me die."
"Wha….No!" What was happening!? What happened to Shiro while he was gone? He was being so cruel and vindictive. This wasn't the Shiro he knew. It couldn't be. Adam took a step back, trying to run away from the situation. But Shiro quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and held him there, his fingers digging into Adam's skin painfully.
Shiro held the same flat expression, tears flowing down his face freely as he spoke, "Why Adam? Was my disease too much of a burden on you? Were you afraid that I'd become weak and frail? That it would make start to hate me?"
"No…" Adam barley breathed out. He could feel tears welling up in his own eyes as Shiro's words cut right to his heart. It wasn't true. He didn't hate Shiro because of his disease. He didn't. He didn't!
"Is that why you left me to my fate?" Shiro asked, blood beginning to pour from his forehead, "Is that why you let me share the same fate as…"
"NOOOOO!" Adam screamed, pushing Shiro away until they were both plummeting off the edge of the cliff.
VVVVVVVV
Adam shot straight up in his bed, covered in a layer of sweat. He took a moment to catch his breath, trying to regain his bearings in the wake of such a horrible nightmare. It had been a long time since he had a nightmare like that. After Shiro left on the Kerberos mission, he had the occasional bad dream about Shiro never coming back. After it was announced that Shiro and his team were gone due to piloting error, those nightmares grew more severe. But it had been months since that day, about a year from the moment Shiro took off into space. As time went on, the bad dreams got less severe and less frequent. Adam liked to believe it was a sign he was moving on, but the truth always haunted him in the back of his mind. This nightmare was just a stark reminder that he would never really get over it.
Adam looked over at the empty space in his bed where Shiro used to sleep. He liked to remember the way Shiro's face would be buried in the pillow, his mouth slightly parted open as he snored and even drooled a little. It was one Adam's favorite memories because it reminded him that Shiro wasn't the perfect shining star everyone made him out to be. He had flaws, and was bad at relationships, and he could even be a bit of a ditz sometimes. It was those memories that Adam wanted to hold onto, but it was also why he couldn't let go. No matter how much he wanted to move on, Adam's heart was still wanting.
"Even when you disappear, I can't get away from you," he whispered, knowing that he would never escape his nightmares.
Adam threw the covers off his body and stood up out of bed. His grey tank top was completely soaked through with sweat. He pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, exposing his torso to the cold night air. The sheen of sweat covering his body made it colder, making him shiver slightly. He walked into the bathroom, turning on the light. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face before patting it dry with the washcloth hanging by the sink. When he was finished he took in his appearance in the mirror. His hair was clung to his forehead by water and sweat. His eyes looked tired, dark circles forming under his eyes from the stressful dream he had. You still make my life hell, don't you Takashi? He thought with some irritation.
He sighed before turning off the light and getting back into bed. He decided not to put on another shirt, lest he have another nightmare and soak it through with sweat again. Adam laid in bed, plagued by the memory of his dream. Why would he dream about Shiro now? He wasn't thinking about him before he went to bed, and there was no significant date coming up to make Adam unconsciously think about him. Adam reached up and fiddled with his necklace, a silver ring tied around his neck by a black nylon cord. He never took it off, and it had become a habit to fidget with it to keep himself calm. It was like a nervous tick, one that he had developed fairly recently.
As he did so, it became easier to clear his thoughts, letting go of whatever had caused him to have such a horrible nightmare and fall back to sleep. Adam closed his eyes, pushing all thoughts of Shiro away. Pushing all the memories away, the happiness, the pain, the love. Adam pushed it all away, hoping that one day he would finally be able to let it all go. But there was always that nagging thought in the back of his mind that if he ever did, then Shiro would really be gone forever. And Adam wasn't ready to accept that. Horrible as they may be, his nightmares were the only times that he could see Shiro again. Maybe one day, the pain would outweigh the benefits. Adam cleared his head, not wanting to dwell on it anymore, and fell back to sleep. He had no more dreams that night.
VVVVVVVV
After Adam finished teaching his classes, the Garrison was bustling. Not in any noticeable way, but the higher ups were moving about rather quickly, seemingly under some kind of pressure. It was the kind of activity that was only noticeable if you knew what to look out for. Having made his way through the ranks to Lieutenant Commander and squad leader of his own flight team, Adam was one of the few people who would ever notice these things. He decided to make his way to the command center to get an idea of what everyone was so worked up about.
As he walked into the Garrison's epicenter, everyone was on high alert. The analysts were working frantically, tracking something on screen. It was a rendering of the Earth's atmosphere, and it looked like they were monitoring an inbound projectile. He saw Iversom in the upstairs control post, which overlooked the operation, and made his way up to him.
"Iverson, sir, what's happening?" Adam asked, making a quick salute as he stopped in front of him.
Iverson quickly acknowledged Adam's presence and explained the current situation, gesturing to the images on the monitor. "We have an unidentified aircraft coming into our atmosphere, and it's projected to land in the desert near the Garrison. That will allow us to keep the incident confidential for now, but we must be prepared for every eventuality. A team lead by myself will lead a quarantine operation into the desert to secure any assets we may recover."
"Aircraft…" Adam's thoughts were suddenly pulled to his dream from the previous night. Him and Shiro, reunited after so long, and standing at the edge of the desert. Adam didn't believe in things like fate or premonitions, but this aircraft made Adam hesitate. The Kerberos mission was the last space-based venture to take place in the year that Shiro had been gone. And now this mysterious aircraft was going to crash land in the desert near the Garrison? If it was Shiro, that's exactly where he would try to land, and he was the only pilot Adam knew of that could probably pull it off. It was very likely that this was something else, but there was also a good chance it could be the Kerberos team. It was just too much of a coincidence. Adam quickly turned to Iverson, trying to hide his hopeful disposition under a professional façade, "Sir, is it possible that it could be the Kerberos team?"
Iverson looked at Adam with some skepticism, his brow furrowed, "The Kerberos team disappeared a year ago…"
"And they had three years of supplies to survive out there!" Adam quickly cut in. He already knew what Iverson was going to say, and he didn't want him to disregard the idea when Adam was just starting to accept it himself, "No one really knows what happened to them. What if they were finally able to make their way back?" The more he thought about it, the more it was sounding like a real possibility, and he couldn't contain himself.
Iverson seemed to mull over the idea for a moment before finally conceding, "It's a possibility, but the ship coming into our atmosphere is not one of ours, and it's not responding to attempts to communicate. It very well could be first contact with alien life."
Adam felt a little disheartened at the revelation. But the team had been gone for a year, maybe the circumstances of their return had changed, "But if there's even a chance that it could be a survivor of the Kerberos mission, I want to be part of the team sent to investigate," Adam pleaded.
"That's not going to happen," a stern female voice spoke from behind him. Adam turned around to see an older woman with a cleanly pressed Garrison uniform, her gray hair cut short and tucked under an Admiral cap.
"Admiral Sanda," Iverson acknowledged. Both him and Adam saluting as they recognized her approach.
Sanda stood firm, her hands held behind her back as she turned her attention to Adam, "You are too close to this mission. Your personal attachment will make you sloppy and endanger those around you."
Adam was a little surprised. It was no secret that him and Shiro had a relationship prior to the mission, but he didn't think she would pick up his motivations so quickly. Honestly Adam didn't really think he was on her radar. But of course it would figure that she would be here, considering how important this event could be for human history. Adam quickly composed himself, putting a lid back on his emotions except for the hint of irritation he let out in his voice, "With all due respect Admiral, I have never been sloppy. I have always maintained my composure and followed protocol regarding every mission I've ever been on."
"And that service is appreciated. But for now, you and your flight team are grounded until further notice," she spoke coolly, seemingly unfazed by Adam's words.
"Admiral," Iverson tried to cut in, finding it a bit excessive to ground Adam's whole team to the base.
Sanda spoke with more fervor, making it clear that she was putting her foot down, "I will not risk what could very well be first contact on his personal sentiments," she turned to Adam "You are dismissed."
Adam huffed, quickly making his way out of the command center before he lost his cool. As he made his way out, he heard Sanda instruct Iverson to ready his team and prepare a lockdown for when the projectile came within range. Adam wasn't going to let this go, and hearing they were planning a lockdown gave him an idea. Quarantine protocol required documentation of everything that occurred, which meant they would have a video feed set up for the event. And, if they really did believe this was first contact, they were going to be feeding the footage directly to the command center live. So, all he had to do, was find the right person to talk to.
VVVVVVVV
Adam was making his way into the student barracks as the alarm sounded, which instructed students to remain in their rooms until further notice. He was running out of time. If this was going to work, he was going to need to take advantage of the confusion while everyone was still scrambling about. Adam had the clearance to be out on the floor during the lockdown, but the person he needed didn't.
Adam weaved his way through the crowded hallway, maneuvering around the students who were desperate to get back to their rooms, and a couple officers who were ensuring the students were headed back to their quarters. He finally came upon the correct dorm and knocked aggressively, making sure his knocks weren't mistaken for the students mindlessly banging around the halls.
A young woman answered the door. She had short brown hair, glasses, and a complexion that was slightly darker than his own. She was shorter than Adam too, but not by much. She had a stern face as she answered the door, one that quickly turned into a look of surprise as she realized who was on the other side. He smiled at her, "Hello Veronica."
"Lieutenant Commander Wright!? What are you doing here sir?" She asked bewildered. Veronica had been one of Adam's students last year. She was incredibly promising and had a talent to adapt to new information incredibly quickly. It was safe to say that she was brilliant. Adam only had her for one class, but she made a strong impression on him. She was only twenty, but she was definitely going to be one of the Garrison's best and brightest. Veronica in turn had a desire to impress Adam. She was well aware of his academic reputation, and she wanted to prove herself in his eyes, craving any opportunity to show that she wasn't the average Garrison cadet.
"I need your help. You're still one of the most promising analysts and computer experts in the Garrison, right?" Adam asked.
Veronica smiled, "Yes sir. What can I do?"
Adam quickly explained the situation, sneaking her past the officers and out of the barracks after she grabbed her computer bag. Finding their way back into the main compound, Adam led Veronica into an empty computer room. She grabbed her satchel, unpacking her laptop and plugging it into one of the terminals. Adam sealed the door behind them, making sure no one saw them enter so they wouldn't be disturbed.
"I'm not too sure about this sir. This seems like an unnecessary breach of regulations and rank," Veronica spoke with some skepticism, but not stopping her ministrations. It was apparent that her need to impress Adam outweighed her desire to follow the rules, something Adam was banking on, but she still seemed unsure.
Adam walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, leveling with her as he made direct eye contact. She was going out of her way to help him, so he wasn't about to lie, "It is, but I just have to know. Please Veronica. If there's any chance that the Kerberos team could be alive…. I have to know. I can't stand by and do nothing."
Veronica sighed, seeming to resign herself to the decision before smirking and pointing up at him, "Okay, but you owe me!" Adam dropped his arms from her shoulders and raised his eyebrows, "Uh, sir," she finished her sentence. Adam chuckled slightly. He almost thought it was a shame he wasn't an analyst, or that she wasn't a pilot. Veronica was endearing, in a very funny but also stern kind of way. She followed the rules, but also knew when to relax. She would no doubt fit in quite easily with his small circle of friends.
Veronica quickly got to work on hacking into the video feed of the quarantine team that Iverson was heading. Adam was pretty good with tech, but he wasn't nearly experienced enough with computers to actual hack the system without getting noticed. Adam was more of a jack of all trades, master of none. He had some experience with computer systems, but he was far better at tech and machinery in terms of electronic applications.
Veronica worked like clockwork, quickly going through the motions like it was the most natural thing in the world, "Looks like the garrison has a direct link to some surveillance footage of the crash site," she said.
She pulled up the footage on her laptop. It was clear the team had just arrived at the crash site. The camera was being held by one of the officers, so the quality was a little shaky. Everyone was dressed in hazmat suits, so it was hard to tell who was who. Off to the side some of the soldiers were setting up the quarantine tent, and attaching the wireless surveillance cams to it so they could monitor all activity inside the tent. Adam made a mental note of that. In addition, there were some soldiers with automatic rifles set up in a standard perimeter.
However, what really caught his interest was the two team members that were hauling something out of the cockpit of the crashed ship. It had a strange design based on what Adam could see. The purple and black color scheme wasn't anything he attributed to any other country or space program, and the wing design didn't seem efficient for actual flight or navigation. As the two soldiers pulled a body out of the wreckage, Adam felt like the whole world just froze around him, his breath catching.
It was Shiro. It was actually him! This wasn't a dream. He was right there, just like he had always hoped it would be. Adam quickly noted the ragged clothes he was wearing, and the very apparent white streak in his hair. What the hell happened to him? "Takashi…" Adam couldn't help but say, instinctively reaching his hand toward the screen as if he could reach through it and touch him one more time.
"Lieutenant?" Veronica's voice quickly cut through Adam's daze, his hand snapping back to his side. He cleared his throat as the soldiers hauled Shiro into the quarantine tent, a few others hanging back to examine the aircraft wreckage.
"Thank you, Veronica. You're a genius," Adam smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder as a sign of appreciation.
"What are you going to do now?" Veronica said, growing more concerned at the situation, and hoping that Adam wasn't going to do something brash.
"There's someone I have to see. Can you send this file to my tablet?" Adam asked, pointing at the footage on her laptop screen.
"Yeah, I can do that easy," she nodded.
"Great, and thanks again," Adam made his way toward the door, opening it and taking stock of who was in the hallway. The coast was clear for now.
"No problem sir," Veronica said, quickly sending the file and then packing up her stuff in her bag. She followed quickly behind Adam, the door sealing behind them as they made their way back to the barracks.
Adam stopped at the elevator since his room was on a higher floor, quickly turning to her and saying, "Now get back to your room before anyone sees you."
"What about you?" she asked, the apprehension in her voice clear as day.
"Don't worry about me," Adam said as he walked into the elevator, "I'll be just fine," He winked, trying to show a casual sign of confidence. It was easy to see that Veronica was becoming very stressed at the situation, and he wanted to make sure she felt more comfortable before he left. A flirty wink seemed the most effective method of setting her mind at ease without coming off as too preachy. Veronica was smart enough to know anything else he said would have been a lie. This seemed the simplest method to keep her calm so she wouldn't feel compelled to tell someone what he was up to.
"Got it," she answered before the elevator doors closed. She was hoping the blush on her cheeks in response to Adam's wink didn't show. As she stealthy made her way back to her room, she whispered to herself, "Way to go Veronica, you just had to go and develop a crush on your gay professor/superior."
VVVVVVVVV
After Veronica gave him the information he needed, Adam grabbed some quick supplies and clothes, and loaded them into a small duffel bag and his satchel. He also changed out of his Garrison uniform and into his causal clothes. A black long sleeve shirt, dark blue jeans, a dirty brown jacket vest, and some comfortable dark brown combat boots. It made sense to change since he was going to be breaking every Garrison regulation there was. At this point, he was pretty much going to be a deserter by breaking Shiro out, and there is no way either of them would be able to go back after this. Adam took one last look around the room, making sure he had everything he needed. It would be strange to leave all this behind. The Garrison was the only thing he had know for so many years. He wasn't exactly fond of it, but it was a better option than growing up in an orphanage. He decided not to linger, as time was of the essence, and set out on his own.
It was surprisingly easy to get past the security checkpoints to sneak out of the Garrison. With all the officers focused on either the space crash or keeping the cadets in the barracks, the guard detail at the entrance was incredibly lax. Even an amateur could sneak out. In no time at all, Adam made it to the outdoor garage where the older cadets could keep their personal vehicles in case they ever had the notion to ride into town. Adam pulled the tarp off his hoverbike, hopping on and revving it up. Luckily, the garage was an outdoor facility, so it was empty during the lockdown. He pulled up to the gate and hopped off his bike, breaking in to the control room box and opening the gate.
Before he got back on his bike and sped off into the desert, he hesitated for a moment. Should he be doing this alone? He had friends that could help him. People that he had actually managed to get close to. Jason was a friend from his flight crew that would do anything for him. Adam never understood why he inspired such loyalty from him, but he could always rely on it. Or maybe he could bring Phil, another friend from his flight team, and a fellow academic. He wasn't exactly fond of Shiro, but he would help if Adam asked him to. Phil was very protective of Adam and was always there to look out for him. Maybe he should be asking them for their help? They would most likely agree, even if it cost them….
No. He couldn't do that to them. Adam never belonged in the Garrison, but his friends did. He couldn't take them away from everything they had built. Adam had enough guilt in his life already. He had to do this on his own, and Shiro needed to be his top priority. If it wasn't for Shiro, Adam never would have been able to make friends with them in the first place, because it was Shiro that allowed him to open up and try to get along with others. His friends may come to resent him for leaving without saying anything, but he didn't have time to say goodbye. Besides, they would probably try and follow him if he so much as tried to, and he didn't want to drag them into this. This was for the best. It was slightly ironic considering Shiro left Adam behind to go on a mission, and now he was doing the exact same thing to the people he cared about. Might as well add this to my long list of regrets, he thought.
It wasn't fair, but he owed Shiro practically everything. There was no other choice for Adam. He got back on his bike and took off, leaving everything and everyone behind, heading towards the only person who could help him now.
VVVVVVVV
Adam speed through the desert wasteland until he came upon the cabin he was looking for. As he pulled to a stop, he stripped off his helmet, staring at the cabin and breathing out a heavy sigh. This was going to an awkward and difficult conversation. Hopefully the footage Veronica sent over to him would be enough to convince him to help.
Adam stepped off his bike and walked up to the front door, knocking loudly.
"Who's there?" Adam heard someone call from inside. Adam did not respond, instead waiting for someone to answer the door. "Who is it!?" They yelled again, this time with more urgency and irritation.
Adam knocked loudly once again. Fed up with not hearing a reply, Keith swung open the door, pissed off and demanding an answer, "Damn it, who… Adam," Keith froze as he saw Adam standing there before him. He was the last person he expected to see, and the last one he wanted to see.
Adam wore a guilt-ridden smile, knowing full well this conversation wasn't going to go well, "Hey Keith. Sorry bout that. I knew you wouldn't answer if you knew it was me."
"With good reason," Keith said flatly, slamming the door shut in Adams face.
Adam quickly stuck his foot in the door frame, sticking his arm in as well to hold the door open, "Wait! Keith please!" Adam pleaded. Their history was complicated, but he needed Keith's help if there was any hope of getting to Shiro now. Keith was the only other person with nothing to lose, and he cared about Shiro just as much as he did. After all, he owed Shiro a lot for taking a chance on him. Adam didn't really understand it, but Shiro saw something in Keith that inspired confidence and trust. And that is a debt Keith would no doubt be willing to repay.
"Go away Adam," Keith growled, pushing harder against the door as if he was hoping to snap Adam's arm and leg off.
"Look Keith, I know you're still pissed at me. But I, ow, need your help."
"Why would I help you? You gave up on everything. You gave up on me, and worst of all, you gave up on Shiro. So just go away!" Keith's words dug into Adam like knives. He carried a lot of regrets, and Keith just laid out most of them in the span of one sentence. Adam had never technically given up on Keith, but he did have his doubts. Everything about Keith's personality and actions told him that he wouldn't last. But Shiro had such faith in Keith, he agreed to get along with him. Unfortunately, Keith could see right through him, and quickly realized Adam didn't believe in him the same way Shiro did.
After Shiro disappeared, Adam feel into a brief depression. During that time, he told Keith about how he tried to get Shiro to stay. That in turn earned him a punch in the face. He was furious at how Adam tried to rob Shiro of his dreams of going to space for his own selfish reasons, and Adam couldn't really blame him for that. Then he admitted that he really did believe Shiro's disease caused him to make a pilot error, and that he was never coming back. That earned him another punch in the face.
After that, Keith seemed to self-destruct in his own way, eventually getting himself kicked out of the Garrison. Adam might have been able to help in that situation, but he was so emotionally distressed that he wasn't really capable of doing anything. There just didn't seem to be a point in trying. In fact, Adam found himself envious that Keith could get away from the Garrison. For numerous reasons, Adam was trapped there. The circumstances of his past meant the Garrison was the only place he could go, but that's not how Keith saw it. So he didn't blame him for hating him. In fact, it was kind of deserved, but right now he needed Keith's help. So he would just have to get over it for now.
"I'm here because of Shiro!" Adam yelled. Keith stopped pushing against the door, but he didn't move away either. He just stood there for a moment, his weight resting against the door. He then collected himself and opened the it so he could look at Adam in the face, searching for any hint of a lie. Adam continued speaking, knowing that he had found his way in, "A spaceship crashed in the desert a few minutes ago. The Garrison has him, and we have to get him, now."
"Why should I believe you?" Keith said, crossing his arms. He wanted nothing more than to believe Shiro was back, but he couldn't just take Adam's word for it. There was too much history between them. Keith could usually tell when Adam was being dishonest, but this was too complicated to rely on that alone.
Adam smiled, fishing into his satchel and pulling out his tablet, "I knew you'd be doubtful, so I made sure to grab a copy of this," Adam opened the file Veronica sent him and paused it on an image of Shiro being carried out of the spaceship, handing it over to Keith to look at. Keith grabbed the tablet and looked at the screen, his eyes growing wide with realization.
"Shiro! What are they doing to him?" Keith asked, his resentment all but forgotten in the face of proof of Shiro's survival. He quickly became anxious, wanting to learn whatever he could about what was going on. For the first time in a year, Keith finally had hope, and he didn't care who was bringing it to him.
"They're putting him in quarantine. I don't know what happened to him, but breaking him out is the only way we're going to get any answers," Adam admitted. "If the Garrison has their way, he's gonna be locked up for months just to keep it a secret, maybe longer. There's a good chance neither of us would get to see him again."
Keith looked back up at Adam, his expression becoming stern again as he handed him back his tablet, "Fine. For Shiro, I'll help you. What's the plan?"
Adam though for a moment about the obstacles between them and Shiro, settling on one question, "Do you have any thing we can use to make a distraction?" Keith contemplated the question briefly before smiling and leading Adam inside his cabin.
VVVVVVVV
On a secluded cliff, three Garrison students, Pidge, Lance, and Hunk, sat overlooking the quarantined crash site.
"Man, we'll never get past all of those guards to get a look," Lance whined. It had been such a hassle to sneak past the guards out of the Garrison. You practically had to be a ninja to get by, and it all led up to nothing.
"Aw, man. Yeah, yeah, I guess there's nothing to do but head back to the barracks, right?" Hunk asked, his eager desire to return to the Garrison far from subtle. It was actually a shock he came out here with them at all.
Pidge was fiddling around with her computer, quickly grabbing the attention of the other two as she found something, "Wait! They set up a camera in there and I grabbed its feed. Look!"
Hunk and Lance huddled around her, looking at the laptop as it showed footage of the inside. On a table in the center of the tent was a man dressed in ragged clothes, strapped down by his arms and legs. A couple people in hazmat suits were holding him down and looking him over.
"Hey! What are you doing?" The man said, struggling against his restraints.
"Calm down, Shiro. We just need to keep you quarantined until we run some tests," said one of the hazmat soldiers holding a tablet. It sounded like it could have been Iverson, but it was impossible to see who was under the suit.
Shiro continued to struggle, "You have to listen to me! They destroy worlds! Ugghhh! Aliens are coming!" He seemed to be becoming more frantic, struggling against his restraints.
"That's Shiro!" Lance chimed in, "The pilot of the Kerberos Mission! That guy's my hero!"
"Guess he's not dead in space, after all," Hunk said offhandedly.
"Where's the rest of the crew?" Pidge asked, trying to sound as casual about it as she could.
"Do you know how long you've been gone?" Iverson asked.
Shiro took a breath, settling down a bit but still trying to press against his restraints, "I don't know. Months? Years? Look, there's no time. Aliens are coming here for a weapon. They're probably on their way. They'll destroy us. We have to find Voltron!"
"Voltron!" Pidge yelled out with recognition. The same word she had been picking up for the last few days while studying radio waves and frequencies in space.
"Sir, take a look at this," one of the hazmat soldiers called for his attention, leaning over Shiro's right arm. It looked strange somehow, but it was hard to see on camera, "It appears his arm has been replaced with a cyborg prosthetic."
"Put him under until we know what that thing can do," Iverson ordered.
Shiro instantly became panicked, struggling with all his might to get free, "No. No. No, don't put me under! No! There's no time! Let me go!" Shiro feel silent as they injected him in the side of his neck, putting him under as they observed his condition.
"They didn't ask about the rest of the crew," Pidge said. Shiro was literally part of the mission she needed to know about. He knew the fate of the other crew members. She had to talk to him!
"What are they doing? The guy's a legend, they're not even gonna listen to him?" Lance complained. He was more offended that they were disrespecting his personal hero from the Garrison. A little shortsighted in the long run, but he wasn't aware of the bigger complications surrounding this issue, "We have to get him out."
"Uh, I hate to be the voice of reason here, always, but weren't we watching on TV because there was no way to get past the guards?" Hunk argued. Sneaking out to see a crash site was one thing, but breaking someone out of Garrison custody!? What the hell were they even supposed to do after that? There were way too many things that could go wrong!
"That was before we were properly motivated. We've just got to think," Lance smiled, eager to engage on a rescue mission for someone he long idolized. No doubt he was coming up with a heroic fantasy in his head right at this very moment.
"Maybe we could get some hazmat suits and sneak in like med techs," Pidge suggested, stowing her computer away in her backpack.
"No. What we need is a distraction," Lance declared.
Almost as if on cue, a loud explosion erupted from the other side of the valley. It had been all the way back toward the direction of the Garrison. Pidge pulled out her binoculars out of her pack and looked over at the source. Just behind the Garrison was a large fenced off area with what looked like generators. It was hard to tell since they were all on fire, but it was an easy guess since the Garrison facility looked like all the lights were shutting down. The guards and hazmat soldiers around the tent clamored, fitting as many people as they could into their vehicles and driving over to investigate.
"Is that the aliens? Are they here? They got here so quick!" Hunk squealed out in a panic.
"No, those explosions were a distraction, for them," Pidge pointed toward two men sneaking down the hillside behind the tent, making their way around to the entrance. One was dressed in a red and white jacket, and a bandana covering most of his face. The other was wearing a brown jacket vest and a bike helmet with a tinted visor that made it impossible to see who he was, "The Garrison's headed toward the blast, and they're sneaking in from the other side!"
It was brilliant! Not only would the explosion draw away most of the guards and security from the tent, but setting the blast so close to the Garrison would warrant an immediate response and draw even the required security detail away. Plus, with them knocking out the power to the Garrison, it would be harder for them to organize and figure out what was happening. The perfect window to infiltrate the quarantine.
Lance snatched the binoculars from Pidge and looked down at the two figures standing outside the tent. With sudden realization he spoke up and yelled, "No way! Oh, he is not going to beat us in there! That guy is always trying to one-up me!" Lance spoke up with renewed fervor, standing up without even worrying about being seen.
"Who is it?" Pidge asked.
"Keith!"
"Who?"
"Are you sure?" Hunk asked, seeming surprised by the revelation.
"Oh, I'd recognize that mullet anywhere!" Lance spoke with utter disdain before tossing Pidge back her binoculars and jumping forward to slide down the hill. Hunk quickly followed, not wanting to get left behind.
Pidge stowed away her binoculars and adjusted her bag, jumping off right behind them, yelling, "Who's Keith? And what about the other guy!?"
VVVVVVVV
The plan had gone off without a hitch so far. Since Keith's dad was a firefighter, he had a surprising amount of fire extinguishers and other materials at his disposal that were susceptible to explosion under pressure. Placed next to one of the transformers just outside the Garrison was the perfect spot to set up a distraction. Adam was able to create a chemical mixture using various products in Keith's cabin to make a timed explosive charge. It gave them just enough time to sneak back behind the cliffs overlooking the quarantine tent before the chemicals finally reacted, creating a massive explosion clear across the desert.
Adam and Keith stood at both sides of the entrance, waiting for the cue to go in. Keith wore a red bandana around his face to hide his identity from the camera that Adam had informed him of. Adam wore his bike helmet with the tint visor on for the same reason. The Garrison would probably figure out who they were eventually, but keeping their identities secret would buy them some more time to figure out their next move once they had Shiro.
"Alright, let's make this short and sweet," Adam breathed to himself. He nodded at Keith and they both charged in.
"Hey!" they immediately grabbed the attention of one of the hazmat soldiers as they charged inside. There were four in total, so they had to move fast. Adam was the first one in, so he grabbed the one closest to the door by the arm, spinning him around to pin it at his back. The other three soldiers jumped into action. As one of them charged at Adam, he released the guy he was holding and delivered a strong and swift kick to his back, sending him flying forward and knocking both soldiers into the nearby machinery and to the ground.
The one closest to Keith tried to deliver a right cross at him, which he easily avoided. Keith grabbed his arm and spun on his heel, using the momentum to throw him over his shoulder and to the ground, the impact knocking him out as he landed on his head. The last one holding the tablet seemed to hesitate, knowing that he was outnumbered and outmatched. He charged at Keith first, thinking that it would be easier to take him down considering his smaller build. Then, he might have a chance at taking down Adam in a one-on-one. Unfortunately, Keith was much stronger than he looked. As the soldier charged at him, Keith deflected his punch, driving his fist into his gut and then delivering a swift uppercut that sent him flying back. Adam sometimes wondered if the kid was on something. To deliver a punch so strong that he literally sent a grown man flying back, it was impressive to say the least.
Adam heard a groan behind him. He turned and saw one of the soldiers he had knocked to the ground hadn't fallen unconscious yet. Adam placed his hand on the bottom corner of the table where Shiro was strapped to, kicking himself off the ground and spinning on his palm to deliver a kick to the soldier's face. As Adam's foot made contact with his head, Adam was pretty sure he felt some teeth come loose. The hazmat suits may work for quarantine, but they sure as hell didn't protect them from anything else. Adam felt a little guilty, but he was at least glad his own team had been grounded, so there was no way he accidently knocked out any of his friends.
Keith grabbed the tablet off the ground and tossed it at the camera strapped to the tent ceiling, shattering both of them. He pulled off his bandana, no longer at risk of being seen. Adam pulled off his helmet too so he could see better. They turned their attention to Shiro, who was still unconscious and strapped to the table. Upon closer examination, Adam could clearly see the metal prosthetic that had replaced his right arm from the bicep down. He could also see the scar that ran across his nose in a straight line. Shiro even looked paler, and a little older too, as if the stress of whatever happened to him caused him to look more mature than he ever had before. Maybe it was what also caused his bangs to turn white. Or maybe it was a side effect of some kind of experiment involving this arm.
"Takashi…. What happened to you?" Adam said, running his hand across Shiro's cheek, taking in the fine details of his face that he had almost started to forget about.
"Come on, help me carry him," Keith said, snapping Adam out of it. Keith had already finished pulling the straps off of Shiro's arm and leg on his side, and was busy pulling off the leg strap on Adam's side. Adam unstrapped the bind from Shiro's metal arm, hauling him up so Keith could get under his human arm. As they lifted him off the table, ready to head out, an unexpected voice cut through the silence and caught them off-guard.
"No, no, no you don't! I'm saving Shiro!" A young man dressed in casual clothes said, He looked about Keith's age, but slightly taller. He had a fairly dark complexion like Adam's, but slightly darker. He was thin, and he carried himself like he was more important than he most likely actually was.
"Who the hell are you?" Adam asked. This kid didn't seem to be a threat. He just looked like some random pretty boy that was trying to chime in on the glory. The only problem was, this wasn't a high school drama class! This was a rescue attempt! And he was wasting their time.
"Talk fast, or I take you out," Keith warned, as if he was reading Adam's mind. The longer they stayed here, the greater their chances of getting caught and being hauled off to captivity.
"Who am I?" the boy asked, seemingly bewildered that Keith didn't recognize him, "Uh, the name's Lance! We were in the same class in the Garrison."
Keith looked over at Adam, as if asking for some kind of confirmation from him. Adam just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't recognize him."
"Were you an engineer?" Keith asked, turning back to look at Lance.
Lance scoffed, "No, I'm a pilot! We were like rivals. You know, Lance and Keith, neck and neck," Lance spoke with enthusiasm, gesturing his hands to get his point across. Wow, this kid really would be good in a play, Adam thought.
"Oh wait, you were the cargo pilot, right?" Keith said, dawning on some faint recognition.
"Well, not anymore. I'm a fighter class now, thanks to you washing out," Lance spoke both proudly, and with minor disdain.
Wait. Cargo pilot that became….. "Ohhh, you're that pilot," Adam said happily. He had heard quite a few stories about Lance and his team, he just never set a face or a name to the stories before. Honestly, they were hilarious enough on their own.
"See! I have a reputation," Lance said smugly, happy that he was being recognized for something, clearly unaware of what that actually meant.
"Yeah, I heard about how your team puked in the flight simulator," Adam deadpanned, clarifying the extent of his social image.
Rather than get bummed out, Lance grew defensive, "That was only one person, and it wasn't me!"
"Guys! They're coming back, and they do not look happy!" another voice yelled. Two more people came in. A large guy with an orange bandana tied around his forehead, and a young girl with a boyish haircut and style of dress.
"Whoa! You're Adam Wright!" the girl spoke up with excitement as she saw his face. It was then Adam realized he left his helmet on the table, so now anyone could see him, "You're the youngest Garrison officer to become a professor!"
"Wait, Pidge, you know this guy?" The bigger guy asked.
"Yeah, he's a prodigy. He's a decorated pilot and an expert medical officer, but his biggest achievements are how he quickly made his way through his academic courses a year early, and he now holds the rank of lieutenant commander! He's a legend among the academically inclined," Pidge listed off his rap sheet with expertise. Sure, Adam had achieved quite a few remarkable things, but he didn't realize he was idolized in a manner similar to Shiro. It caught him by surprise, but pleasantly.
"Lance, was it?" Keith asked, addressing Lance as he pointed at Adam, "THAT is a reputation."
"Whatever! We don't have time!" The big guy spoke up once again.
"Right Hunk, let's go!" Lance agreed.
"Uh, do you guys mind if we catch a ride with you!?" Hunk asked as he held the tent panel open for Adam and Keith as they made their way outside with Shiro. Adam was a little reluctant, but they had already seen Adam and Keith's faces. Besides, they didn't seem to mean any harm. They were just kids after all. It would be better to bring them along then to leave them behind to get captured, and possibly spill their guts about what happened here.
They could see the vehicles speeding back toward their direction once they got outside, the headlights and trail of dust signaling their location. Adam and Keith lead the pack around the tent to where they had hidden their hoverbikes for a quick getaway. As they approached their two bikes hidden around the side of the valley, Adam pulled Shiro free from Keith's grip. Slightly confused, Keith looked at him waiting for whatever he clearly had to say.
"We need to split up the weight if we're gonna outrun them. Keith take Lance and the big guy," Keith looked at the group and the two bikes. He seemed to agree. Evenly distributing the load would be their best chance. Keith and Lance were probably the around same weight, while Hunk was no doubt heavier than all of them. That would leave Pidge with two full grown adult weights. It may have been rough estimation, but it was the best they could do in a pinch. Adam turned to the smallest member of their group, "Pidge, was it? Help me hold Takashi on the bike."
Pidge followed after Adam as he lifted Shiro up bridal style and sat him down on the center of the bike. Pidge climbed up behind Shiro and held him up as Adam got on in front of both of them. As Adam revved up his engine, Pidge realized that she was basically holding up Shiro while she clung to Adam.
"Wait, why am I holding this guy?" She asked at the absurdity of their seating position.
"Let's go!" Keith shouted, speeding off first with Lance and Hunk clinging to his back. Adam followed closely behind, the Garrison hot on their trail.
"Can't this thing go any faster!?" Lance yelled, seeing the Garrison vehicles following closely behind them. They weren't firing their weapons, so they thankfully wanted them alive. Still, there was no telling what was going to happen once they got their hands on them.
"We could toss some non-essential weight," Keith quipped.
"Right!" Lance agreed, looking around the bike for something to throw. Then it dawned on him, "Okay, that was an insult. I get it."
Adam surveyed their surroundings. With the extra weight they had on now they wouldn't be able to pick up enough speed to lose them. The plan had been simple enough from the start, but now there were all these extra variables. They needed to reach a terrain that the Garrison wouldn't be able to follow them on. The fact that they were on hoverbikes and the Garrison was using standard land-based vehicles was an advantage they could use. If this was a tundra, they could just hover over some fragile lakebed ice while the Garrison broke it and fell into the water. But this was the desert, and that meant there was only move they could make.
"Keith!" Adam called out to him, "We need to do a cliff dive if we're going to lose them!"
Keith smiled, "I thought you disapproved of that kind of thing!?" He shouted back. Shiro was a bit of a daredevil, and so was Keith when it came to flying and riding their bikes. Although, Adam didn't really like it. He thought Shiro was playing with his life whenever he did dangerous stunts like that, and he was teaching Keith bad habits by showing him how. As a pilot himself, Adam knew how tricky it was to do all the dangerous stunts that they pulled. Adam even went out with Shiro a few times to try it, thinking it would make him more comfortable if he was there with him. It didn't, but Adam did learn a few tricks.
"Don't be a smartass! This is what we need to do if we're going to get away," Adam yelled.
"Fine, follow my lead!" Keith pulled ahead, veering down a narrow valley to the right, very familiar with the terrain. This was actually a very fortunate route to take. The sloped valleys on both sides would only allow one vehicle through at a time, which meant the Garrison would have to fall in a line to go after them.
"Guys, is that a cliff up ahead?" he heard Hunk yell from in front of them, "You didn't mean an actual cliff dive, right?"
"Pidge, hang on tight!" Adam yelled back to her.
"Oh no, no, no!" she screamed, seeming to understand what was about to happen.
"Yup!" Adam could see them approaching the end of the valley, where it opened up into a wide terrain and ended in a steep cliff. Adam started calculating the weight on his bike, as he would need to accommodate the shift in order to prevent themselves from crashing and burning.
"You're going to kill us all!" Lance screamed.
"Just shut up and trust me!" Keith ordered. He had done this cliff dive dozens of time. There was no way he was going to mess it up now.
As they pulled into the open terrain, Pidge yelled up at Adam, "If you kill us, I'm gonna stop idolizing you!"
"Deal!" Adam quipped as he and Keith flew off the edge of the cliff.
"AGGGHHHHHHHHH!" the others screamed as they flew plummeting to the ground. The Garrison vehicles pulled to a sudden stop at the cliff, just barely managing to avoid going over the edge. As Keith and Adam came closer to the ground, they revved their engines, giving them the propulsion to bounce off the desert floor and keep riding. Adam felt Shiro's head slump against the crook of his neck as they hit the floor, Pidge unable able to hold him steady during the dive. They drove away to Keith's cabin, Adam finding comfort in the feeling of Shiro's weight against his back. Shiro was here. Finally, after a year of pain and depression, he was back. But it was a short lived comfort, because now that Shiro was back, Adam would have to decide what he would do next.
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be coming very soon. Also, Jason and Phillip are OC's that belong to nuinuichen and revolocities respectively. While I only briefly mentioned them in this chapter, I will be using them more in the future to expand on Adam's personal life. Please check out the artists as they make fantastic artwork!