AN)
This is my NANO 2020 story!
_I do not have any idea what to call my overall story, so i'm putting (nano 2020) as the series name for now as just a place holder. (If you get any ideas, please let me know...)
_This idea is actually one i had waaaaaay back while writing Soltaz, so there might be a few similarities world-building-wise to a few other stories i have. i do have a few fav. head cannons that i am loath to not share with everyone any chance i get...*^^*
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Shiro hissed as the laser cut into his armor, narrowly missing him. He activated his shield and held it up at an angle, then he nodded at Lance.
Lance came around and lay on the floor. While Shiro held off fire, he could shot under the shield and demobilize the robotic sentries. Once the robots were on the ground it was a just another quick shot to their heads to end them for good.
It was a good system.
"How much longer Pidge?"
"Just a sec," she snapped, her fingers working over time as she downloaded the vital information they were after.
"Take yer time," Lance sang as he continued to fire, "Keith and Hunk got the outside covered and these sentries are nothing."
"You're not the one blocking the shots," Shiro winced as a lucky shot from a sentry found the empty place between the shield and Shiros face.
"…yeeeaahhh, Pidge?" Lance grinned, "you might wanna hurry up?"
"Tech does what it wants, Lance," Pidge muttered and then let out a triumphant cry, "GOT IT!"
"Lance?"
"got it," he said and stood. Together, the three of them ran across the opening to the other side of the control room. Lance gave cover fire while they ran down a separate corridor and made their way to their lions.
"Keith, Hunk, we're on our way," Shiro said as they ran, taking out the enemies in the front.
"Hurry up, another ship just appeared!"
They picked up their pace and rushed to the end of the ship.
It was a Galra research vessel that had managed to collect all the information the Galra had on Quintessence and was also rumored to be working with a secret substance that may or may not turn the tide of the war. There was a large lab in the center of the ship and the paladins cut across it on their way out. They dodged around tables and tanks with weird glowing liquids in them.
Half way through Lances foot caught on a table leg. He managed to catch himself, but the tall items on the table crashed to the floor, the liquid splashing all over his legs.
"Shi-"
"Watch it lance!"
"you ok?"
"Yeah, its not acid or anything, lets go!"
They ran to the other side, but before they could get through the door, a group of sentries and a few Galra soldiers entered the room from either side. Shiro and Lance flanked Pidge and brought up their shields.
"Now, what would Voltron want with my little ship?" asked the ships commander. A painfully thin galra with long ears, "we have no major weapons and I thought surly we wouldn't be a target…guess I was wrong?"
"Don't put yourself down," Lance said before Shiro could stop him, "I'm sure you're just as evil as everyone else."
"Research isn't evil," the galra replied, "its neutral."
The paladins started to edge their way to the door all the while Lance kept up the conversation.
"Research is BORING," Lance said, "and its only neutral if you're not bias about it…and you guys are the most bias people I know."
"How do you know what 'bias' is?" Pidge hissed.
"I do listen to you and Hunk on a daily basis, you know," Lance muttered back, "even I'm bound to pick something up."
"How about a deal?" the galra asked, "one of you stay here and the rest can go free without any fear of retribution?"
"Ew," Pidge said and made a face.
"It's a fair price, I'd say," the galra said grinning, "one life for four? Its not a fair exchange at all. But I'm willing to make it."
"You got a preference?" Lance asked. They were almost to the door.
"The small one should do," the galra said after some thought, "that's not too ba-"
Lance, shield still up, raised his gun and fired. The galra just barely moved out of the way, the laser clipping his ear and killing the galra behind him.
"Wrong answer," Lance growled and continued to fire. The three of them made a break for the door which was within reach.
The enemy returned fire and the three of them raised their shields to deflect the attack. When they made it through the door, Pidge jammed the door and they ran.
"Why are the galra such creeps," Lance snapped as they rounded the corner.
"Focus now, talk later," Shiro said.
Lance shrugged and continued to watch their six. Alarms started to blare and they could hear a lot of sentries behind them.
"What's holding you guys up?!" Keith yelled.
"Had a run in we had to talk our way out of," Shiro huffed, "we'll be out in a sec."
"Pidge, you rigged this place to blow, didn't you?" Lance asked, "how much time do we have?"
"Enough to get into another discussion," Pidge said, "I didn't want to run into problems and then get blown up, you think I'm stupid?!"
"Just askin'!"
"More running, less fighting with each other!" Shiro snapped. However he stopped running as what looked like bolts of lightning ran down the walls of the halls.
"What the-"
"I think that's my fault," Pidge said, "I couldn't hack into their self destruct on time so I decided to short circuit everything in a…an explosive way."
Shiro relaxed a little and kept running. He'd been afraid that Haggar might have been on the ship.
"Emergency shut down"
A voice across the speaker blasted through the alarms and down the hall they saw a blast door start to close.
They ran through it and headed for the next…and the next.
Shiro was thinking they were making good time when Lance cried out and his heart almost stopped. He and Pidge crashed into each other as they turned.
Lance was on the ground, his leg caught in between the closing doors.
Pidge swore and ran to the side paneling. Prying the metal off with her bayard, she began working to reopen the door.
Then another bolt of electricity traveled down the hall. Shiro just managed to grab Pidge and pull her back, but Lance's scream was cut short as he caught the full brunt of the shock.
When the lightning dissipated Pidge went back to the panel and Shiro tried to pry Lances leg out.
"I'm fine, you guys need to go," Lance wheezed, "I'll-"
"How many times are you going to make me tell you to shut up?" Shiro said, "we've almost got it."
Then a laser shot threw the gap. The enemy had caught up with them. Lance pulled out his bayard and began to shoot back while Shiro pulled on his leg harder.
"Pidge!"
"The wires are all fried!" her voice was at least two octaves higher, "I can't get it open!"
That's when the doors closed on their own.
The three of them stared in silence where Lances leg used to be. It had just…disappeared, and as they watched, his knee started to look as if it was disintegrating.
"Shhhi….shiro?"
Shiro grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, "Let's go!"
Pidge ran ahead, setting the pace as Shiro followed without a problem. They had been so close!
"Shiro…"
"Not now, Lance," Shiro huffed, "I'll carry you in the Black lion and then I'll carry the Blue lion. We'll get to the castle and figure out what to do from there."
"but-"
"I'm sure Pidge and Hunk can fit you with a prosthetic," Shiro grinned, "then no one will be able to beat you in soccer, right?"
They rounded the corner were their lions were waiting and Pidge ran to her lion. Shiro ran into his lion and into the back where he put Lance down. The boy was shaking as he stared at…nothing. Both legs were completely gone, armor and all.
"I'll make this quick," Shiro meant to say it louder and with conviction, but all that came out was a mutter and a swear.
Lance nodded and closed his eyes. He reached up and held onto the support bar, knowing it was going to be a bumpy ride.
()
"About time you guys!"
"What's wrong with the blue lion!? Lance?"
"I'm fine," Lance called, "just stupid…"
"Lance is injured," Shiro summed up, "I'm going to make a bee line to the castle and I'll be back!"
The others agreed, but that didn't happen. The moment Shiro tried to brake away, fighter jets forced him to back away.
The new attackers that had shown up were a lot smarter than others they had fought before. They kept them not only separated, but with what seemed to be little effort.
"How are they doing this?!"
"There's only one attack ship! Why is this so hard?!"
Shiro didn't know how long he had. He was sure Allura would know what to do since this seemed to be more of a mythical injury. The panic he was feeling was because "body parts spontaneously disappearing on their own" wasn't covered in any garrison class…or even the med school ones, he was sure of it. There wasn't a protocol for it. No "Hold pressure to the wound". No "elevate the feet". No "apply ice to the neck". Nothing. He was completely without any form of guidance and it terrified him.
"…Shiro?" Lance had taken off his helmet, "Shiro, this-"
"Not now Lance!" Shiro snapped, "just sit tight. We'll get you to the castle-"
The jets doubled up on him and he felt his patience snap.
In a flash he cut down eight jets and flew faster than Red, all the way to the castle.
"Woah!"
"What was that?!"
"Shiro?!"
"Cover me!" Shiro snapped and the others did as they were told. With Shiros new found skill, the enemy was shaken a bit. Voltron used that to get in close to the main ship and cause it irreparable damage. The research vessel was still in one piece. Whatever Pidge had tried to do to make it explode hadn't worked like she thought it would.
"Allura!" Keith said, "we're heading back! Fire up the Portal thingy and we'll jump the moment we land!"
()
When they landed they all ran directly to the room with the healing pods.
Lance and Shiro weren't there.
"Where-"
"He's still in the hanger," Corran came rushing into the room and waved at them, "he wont come out of the lion!"
Corran talked on and on about how he tried to get Shiro to come out so he could look at Lance as they ran to the hanger.
By the time they got there the lions mouth was open and Shiro was walking out, carrying Lances bayard and helmet.