AN: Can we get this man a last name? Lol. Oh Voltron. They'll give Admiral Sanda a first name but not last names for Adam and Curtis.
I wrote this late so I probably have some errors. XD Hopefully minimal.
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It was a Wednesday when Curtis took a life.
It was also dry and hot that particular day. The backup generators were glitching due to the storm days ago. Most of the power was diverted to the hospital ward with the Paladins, the brig holding the Galra soldiers, and the Garrison control room. Veronica and Curtis spent almost all day in the control room. Others had tried sneaking in but were locked out by the new security levels on the keypad.
Veronica was especially pleased. He was quietly ok with it. The less people inside, the less amount of body heat.
He stood up from his station to get some more water.
"Can we postpone training to the evening?" Veronica groaned as she stretched her arms up high. "It's way too hot to be shooting."
He shrugged. "I'm fine with that."
Her chair squeaked as she got up. "Your aim's a hell of a lot better, I'll tell you that." She pushed her glasses up with a sly grin. "You might give my nephew Silvio a run for his money."
The slight pride he felt from her praise quickly sputtered out.
"Isn't he six?"
"A little older," she laughed heartily. "Don't take it hard. When I started giving Lance extra lessons he'd watch us. I wouldn't be surprised if Silvio was at a cadet's level of shooting."
Curtis shook his head as he put his water tank under the cooler. A thin trickle of water came out and then stopped. He looked up at Veronica, seeing that she realized the same thing.
"Not it!" they quickly said.
"I was faster," Veronica declared.
He gave her a flat look. "I don't know which reality you're in but I clearly heard you after me."
"Don't you Slav me. I had to deal with him for a whole hour."
"I had to show him our systems for an entire afternoon."
"...I'll give you that one," she demurred, "but I'm not sticking one toe out of this a/c'd room."
"I had to get lunch. At the highest heat of the day."
"The straws decided that. That's not my fault."
There was a knock on the door. Veronica crossed her arms and frowned at it.
"No clearance, no entry."
"It's Romelle. I thought you would like some refreshments."
Veronica perked up. "What kind of refreshments?"
Curtis sighed and opened the door before the Altean answered. Romelle's her hair was entirely up in a bun. She sported a white tank with her Garrison pants which was the common look around here given the heat. Commanders were even turning an eye when they came across shorts. The tray in her hands had a pitcher with ice and slices of lemon.
"Hey Romelle."
The blonde Altean spent some time with the Atlas crew while her Paladin friends were unconscious. They were doing better but that last battle did a number on them. Quintessence lost was not something they could shake off. Before Romelle could offer Curtis a greeting back a small boy with dark hair popped up from behind her.
"Boo!"
Curtis clutched his heart in surprise.
"Wow ok. That was so fake," Veronica called out. "Silvio, I'm positive you're supposed to be keeping an eye on Nadia."
He kicked the floor. "I just wanted to see you tia."
"Aww," Veronica pulled him in for a hug. "So this isn't so you could get some a/c?" He wiggled out of her arms and darted into the room faster than she could stop him. "I knew it you little sneak!"
Romelle winced. "I apologize. He seemed sincere when he asked -"
"Don't worry about it," Veronica sighed.
Curtis took the tray from Romelle's hands. "Why don't you come in for a bit?"
"Only if it isn't too much trouble..."
"You went to the trouble of making lemonade." Veronica stepped up to get some. " Might as well - Silvio, that is not a toy!"
Romelle poured into Curtis' container and then grabbed a cup from the now empty water cooler to help herself. He said his thanks and then took a swig of his lemonade. He immediately spat it back into his container. He couldn't help the shuddering sound of horror he made.
"Did I make it incorrectly?"
"Uh, maybe." He cleared his throat but the taste was still in his mouth. "You might have used salt instead of sugar."
She took a small sip before he could stop her. Her nose wrinkled cutely. He chuckled a little but the salt in his mouth made him start to cough.
"This is disgusting." She put the pitcher back on the tray. "I will ask Mrs. Garret for assistance this time."
"Take this one back with you," Veronica grunted as she dragged Silvio over by the back of his shirt. "Play with your sister you naughty boy."
"Girls are stupid."
"Hey -" Veronica started.
"Not Romelle," he said with a wide smile. "Her tattoos are wicked. Tia, can I-"
"Not a chance kid."
"They're birthmarks." Romelle tilted her head curiously. "Do humans truly not have them?"
"I have one here." Silvio lifted his shirt to point at a dark spot along his stomach. "But it's not a cool color like yours."
"Fascinating."
"You can touch it."
Romelle shifted the tray against her hip to touch. Mischief entered her eyes. She put the tray down completely and then attacked his sides. The boy fell down in a fit of high giggles.
"Stoppp...!"
"Alright you two," Veronica laughed. "Tickle fights are forbidden in the control room."
She shooed them out. Romelle promised to return with properly made lemonade. Curtis wistfully looked at the closed door and then turned back to his station. Veronica missed nothing.
"Sorry about that. Silvio's a handful sometimes."
"Oh no. It's fine. Kids are energetic at that age."
He pulled up some screen to pretend to be working. She slid a chair over to him. He sighed long when she continued to sit next to him. Veronica could be persistent when she wanted to be.
"He just reminded me of someone. From long ago."
"A friend?"
"...Brother."
She put her elbow on the desk so she could lean her chin on her hand.
"I didn't know you have a sibling."
A shadow fell over his eyes. "I used to."
"Oh. I didn't mean to pry."
He made a sound. He didn't tell a lot of people this part of his life. But he'd been around Roni for months. They'd come to depend on one another for support during the toughest of times. Plus, he knew she'd try to find out later. Her curious nature usually won out over her tact. Iverson knew his story. And Commander Holt. He'd rather she heard it from him.
"...For a couple of years my family didn't live in a safe neighborhood. Work was hard to come by so my folks took what they could get. My brother and I usually went straight to school and then back to the house. We tried to not walk around late at night but..." he shrugged. "We really wanted ice cream. The store was only seven blocks away." He swallowed. "I hadn't realized how far that could be until that night." He turned his head out of her view to get his bearings. "There's a reason I'm not comfortable with guns, Roni."
"Curtis." She gripped his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. You don't have to say anymore."
"Thanks." He took a breath in. "But I'm doing better. It helps to think that I'm learning so I can protect."
"Yeah..." She looked away.
"Thanks for listening." He hesitated and then went for it. "You know you can tell me anything Veronica. I'll keep whatever you say to myself."
"I know. Really." She looked back at him. "But I think...I'm afraid that it'll change how you look at me. You're my friend Curtis. And I don't have a lot of those."
He turned his chair to face her completely. "Well if you refer to friends as 'those' I can see why not."
That took the gloom off her face. "Shut up!"
He rubbed the spot where she smacked his arm. "I didn't sign up for physical abuse."
"And I didn't sign up to die of thirst."
He groaned out loud. "Fine." He stood up slowly. "I'll refill the cooler."
"You're too nice," she critiqued with zero scolding.
"I know, I know."
One minute Curtis was in the kitchen testing out Romelle's new lemonade and the next he was getting his firearm.
The power went out completely. Thankfully the comms tower was on a solar based power and unaffected. He tuned out Romelle and Silvio's questions as he listened in on his earpiece. He was grateful that it was just the three of them. Mrs. Garret left a while ago to check on Hunk.
"Sir, sentries have broken into the hangars!"
"There's a second breach in the east sector!"
"MFEs, get to the civilian quarter," Captain Shirogane's voice was breathy like he was running. "Krolia, your team to the hospital wing. Kolivan, can you spare some Blades for the brig?"
"Veronica," Curtis tried calling.
"What's going on?" Romelle had Silvio's hand.
Curtis looked around. It was too dark for him to see her expression but her eyes were lightly glowing. We can't stay here. If a fight broke out in here he could accidentally shoot one of them. East sector. The hangars. He quickly plotted out where the dangers were and then reached for Romelle's hand. It took some fumbling on his part but then she gripped his hand hard.
"We need to move Romelle. Silvio."
"I can see a little in the dark," she murmured.
"Well that makes one of us," he half joked. "Can you lead us to the door?"
"Certainly."
"Where are we going?" Silvio's smaller steps made it slow going.
"Somewhere safe." Romelle paused to pick up the boy so he sat on her hip. "Now hush or I won't share my lemon drink with you."
"But I helped make it!"
"Quiet please," Curtis almost begged.
They were out in the hallway now but it was barely better visibility wise.
His heartrate was fast but he didn't feel his hands shake. Before each session Veronica made sure he felt comfortable with a gun in his hand by holding it, cleaning it, then put it back together. He knew it was to make it feel less foreign and it did help to a certain extent. There was still a certain wrongness about the whole scenario he couldn't shake off though. He knew he joined an astro-military base but he had picked comms so he wouldn't have to be out in the frontlines. Yet here he was, straining to hear sentries or Galra.
Life was funny that way sometimes.
They were coming up to a corner. He inched forward to look around the bend. Romelle suddenly squeezed his hand. He saw her earrings move side to side in a head shake. He waited. He could make out the sounds of metal moving. Is it coming towards us? His entire focus was on listening for anything to indicate that. He could hear Silvio shift as he started getting restless. Romelle was murmuring something to the boy too softly for him to hear.
"It's gone," she whispered louder.
He pulled them along without hesitation. They were down their third hallway when some lights started flickering back on. Veronica sounded out on the comms.
"Curtis! Where are you?"
"I'm with Romelle and Silvio," he breathed out. "We're passing by the teachers' offices and headed back to control."
"Don't! Some prisoners slipped out and are coming -"
"Curtis!" Romelle yelled out.
He stumbled as she nearly yanked his arm. His eyes widened as lasers went through the spot he was standing in. If she hadn't pulled me out of the way...There was yelling. He snapped out of it and looked around.
"That way!"
They scrambled to the open office door. Curtis slid it closed then shot the keypad. Romelle put Silvio down so they could push the desk against the opening. They stacked a couple of other things and then back away. It was a basic sliding door though. He was sure a sentry and some lasers could force it open if they really wanted to.
"Get to the far corner," he whispered.
She pulled Silvio over and covered him. Curtis knelt down in the opposite corner with his firearm up. He breathed in and out, in and out. Sounds outside were getting louder. Rowdier. In. Out. His heartrate was faster than normal but not as bad as earlier. Something hit the wall near their hideout. Curtis quickly tapped on his comms to speak.
"Need backup. In the third office on the right."
Lasers hit the door. He kept both hands on the firearm. He heard a mechanical voice saying something about biorhythms found. He could only assume the sentries had found them. Should I attack first or wait? The lasers persisted. Then an arm wedged its way through.
He felt his brows deeply furrow.
He was suddenly an awkward pre-teen again and his slightly older brother was there in front of him, shielding him from some thugs. They wanted money they didn't have. He wanted to wait and see if they'd leave them alone but waiting only delayed his brother's death. Right there, he made his choice.
He was done waiting for bad guys to decide his fate.
He shot first. Then again. And again. The robotic arm broke off. He moved so he'd have a better angle. Through the opening he could see the glowing marking of the sentry's chest plate. A weakness. He shot there until the light went out. Good. His victory was shortly lived. He saw motion through the opening and then the door rattled. Hard. The desk was moving. The chairs and other odds and ends stacked on it fell down. He backed off for a better vantage but he was too slow.
The Galra prisoner rammed right through.
Curtis yelled out as a part of the desk hit him. There was a scream from Romelle or Silvio. Or both. He hadn't caught it. He was too busy getting picked up by the throat. He lifted his hand to shoot but the gun was twisted out of his hand. He dangled on his toes. His hands clawed at Galra's tight grip. He made the mistake of trying to kick and nearly blacked out. Hanging off the Galra's hand would only make his suffocation faster.
"This is the Fire of Purification," the Galra sneered in his face with those pupil-less eyes. "By orders of Commander Sendak."
"Curtis, what's happening?" Veronica was frantic in his ear. "I'm coming over but you need to talk to -"
"Let go!" he registered Romelle's voice.
The Galra yelled out as he was shot in the side. It loosened his hold on Curtis' neck. Curtis breathed in deep as he was dropped onto the floor. He coughed. His sight was still spotty but he saw Romelle with his gun. Her hands were shaking. She wasn't used to holding a firearm. A weapon. But he was.
"I'll take care of you first, Altean pest."
The Galra gave him his back. Curtis picked up a splintered wood piece and jammed it into the Galra's calf. The prisoner yelled out in pain. He whirled on Curtis faster than he thought he could but he had another wood piece ready. Adrenaline made his mind sharper than he thought it ever could be in a situation like this. Curtis let out a hoarse yell as he aimed for the armorless torso. The Galra grabbed his arm. Curtis grit his teeth and put all his weight into one push before he felt something break in his arm.
He cried out in agony as he knelt on the floor.
"Human scum," the Galra spat out.
Then the prisoner fell on him. Curtis fumbled as he tried getting the dead Galra off of him. Warm blood was soaking into his clothes and the smell - He wiggled out despite the pain in his arm. Romelle dropped his gun and was holding onto a very silent Silvio. Veronica was yelling in the comms. He tiredly slumped against the wall.
"We're here," he quietly replied.
The smell was still on Curtis' skin.
He washed his face five times already - one handed, as the left was in a sling - but the strange smell of Galra blood was still hanging onto him like a vice. Or does human blood smell like that too? He'd been in a fight or two before. Unwillingly. But he'd only split his lip. He couldn't remember what it smelled like. He felt a little angry that he couldn't remember that, like it was a crucial thing he should know. He sighed and wiped his face dry.
When he got back to his temporary hospital room he found Shirogane there. There was dark purple along the side of his face and a couple of cuts but he looked relatively unharmed. But the bruise was a stark contrast with his silver hair and lighter skin tone.
"Shirogane sir."
The captain looked away from the tablet in his hands. "Officer. How are you feeling?"
"Fine except for the arm, sir."
"That's good." Shirogane tapped the side of the tablet. "This was your first shoot out?"
Curtis looked over his shoulder. The sky was darkening for evening.
"Yes sir."
"And you're fine?"
"I'm alive. Romelle and Silvio are ok."
The captain sighed. "Mentally, soldier. Something like this...you shouldn't just sweep it up under the rug." He glanced down at his metal arm. "You'll only end up with a fractured mind. Believe me."
"...Sir?"
"I want you to see Dr. Jensen."
"I don't need a therapist."
"I saw her. And Commander Holt. She does good work."
"..."
Shirogane's eyes drifted back out to the window. "The first time I took someone's life," he quietly started, "it shifted something inside of me that I knew I couldn't reverse. Then I had to do it again and again..." He looked back at Curtis. "It changes you. How you view yourself and how you interact with the people around you. Even if it's to protect someone. Taking life - you cross a line that the average person doesn't."
"...How do you know it was my first time?"
Shirogane gave him a half smile filled with bitter knowledge. "I can see it on your face."
Curtis slowly sank onto the edge of his cot.
"Here's her information," Shirogane murmured. "If you need to talk to someone."
He took the card without a word.
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AN: So I think in 'Strangers from Home' I had the idea of Silvio having a crush on Romelle and that's now like a head canon in my mind. lol. Also that Romelle is someone everyone wants to protect instinctively. XD
I totally see Veronica and Curtis being friends. She's the sassy friend that gets you in trouble, he's the 'too nice for his own good' friend that just wants a peaceful night out. *Shrugs* Why not?