**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)
Held at gunpoint by Lance, the stranger led them to his underground abode. Cargo crates and spilled canisters of oil littered the space while water dripped from an unknown source above. The group hesitantly gathered around the fire burning in the center, watching as he chucked several more logs into the flames.
"This place is disgusting," Romelle blurted out, her face scrunching up as she took in the dump of a camp.
"I have called this place home for the past two decaphoebs," the stranger noted flatly, and Romelle winced.
"Oh, well, 'disgusting' is Altean for 'lovely,'" she scrambled to lie as she sheepishly sat down. "You don't speak Altean, do you?"
The stranger didn't reply as he seated himself before the fire. No one else made a move to join him.
"This is where the signal was coming from," Pidge said, checking her scans. "Somewhere below us."
"You are clever," the stranger complimented. "But I wouldn't expect less from the Paladins of Voltron."
He tossed another log into the flames, briefly sending up sparks. Lance lifted a brow at him, lowering his gun.
"You recognized us?" he asked, doubtful.
"Of course, of course," the stranger said. "Though, I am surprised to see you. All were certain you perished."
"Yeah, we just found that out," Lance said, casting Mari and Scarlett a look. "But we're back."
"And I am so grateful that you are. It's been so long since I've had…guests."
He sounded tired, no doubt weary from spending so many days alone. Mari could relate in a way. Despite the roaring fire, the unending chill of the cave seemed to seep through her suit and armor, and she hugged her arms to her chest in an attempt to keep warm.
"Well, thank you for your hospitality, but who are you?" Shiro asked, keeping their conversation formal and on track. "What happened here?"
"Bloodshed happened here. Death happened here," the stranger replied. "I am a survivor of this world. This is my home planet. But now I am the only one left alive here."
Suddenly, Krolia gasped, drawing everyone's attention to where she stood in front of an alcove that had been hidden by two ragged drapes hanging from the ceiling. Dozens and dozens of luxite blades had been buried into the wall, taken from members of the Blade. She whirled on the stranger, her blaster charged and pointed at him.
"What are you doing with these?" she demanded, her gaze flashing with rage.
He didn't seem fazed in the slightest by her anger. "I hang them in honor of their sacrifice," he replied grimly as he sagged in his seat. "They died trying to protect the universe."
Krolia's eyes widened, but she made no move to put down her gun. "How did it happen?"
"This all started when Voltron disappeared, when – when you disappeared." He paused, taking a quivering breath to steady himself. "The power vacuum that ensued destabilized much of the universe. Galra turned on each other. Warlords and pirates became the rulers of the land."
"We've learned that the hard way," Allura said, glaring at the floor. "What happened to Haggar, the witch?"
"No one knows," he admitted. "But her Druids continued her work, carrying out her final orders. They set out to destroy every Blade and every rebel they could find."
"After Lotor took over the throne, almost every Marmoran agent was exposed," Pidge realized, horror creeping into her expression. "The locations of so many rebel officers were revealed."
"The Druid we ran into was looking for Matt and Mari by name," Scarlett frowned. "Who knows how many others they had on their list."
The stranger sighed. "A name can hold too much power. When such precious information reached the Druids, that's when the slaughter began," he reflected sadly. "All Blades were called away from their assignments and sent to this base. Kolivan knew they were being hunted and he wanted to make a stand against them. He believed it was their only means of survival."
Krolia slowly lowered her weapon, her suspicion flickering as she listened to his story. Romelle shifted uneasily in her seat. "That must be why they abandoned that base we found," she murmured.
"Indeed," the stranger nodded. "When the Blades arrived here, my people helped them fortify their stronghold, but the Druids found us sooner than we hoped. They arrived without warning. They encircled the base and besieged it with magic. After a long battle of attrition, the base fell. Casualties on both sides were enormous. My people were the first to try to escape…but they were slaughtered. I stayed behind with Kolivan. He led those of us that remained to battle the last of the Druids. But for each one we managed to take down, nearly a hundred Blades would fall. In the final battle, I was buried beneath a collapsed structure. When I regained consciousness, the fight was over and I was the lone survivor. I've been sending the signal Kolivan gave me ever since in the hopes of finding any remaining Blades."
A heavy silence settled over them as he finished his tale of tragedy. Mari vainly rubbed her arms, the chill growing colder as she imagined the battle.
"There are still a few of us alive," Keith said, trying to remain hopeful despite the pain on his face.
The stranger hummed, glad to hear it. "...Good."
Krolia stared at him for a moment longer, trying to absorb and accept the reality of his story. She turned to the alcove, pulling the drapes back to inspect the abandoned swords.
"I recognize every one of these Blades," she said, regret pooling in her eyes. "I trained many of them myself."
Scarlett's lips pursed into a thin line, her antenna glowing brighter. She quickly moved over to the alcove, considering them with her. After several tense ticks, she let out a sigh of relief. "Immea's isn't here."
"Our junior members don't usually recognize the old signal. She and the other younger Blades must still be out there somewhere," Krolia said, a hint of gratefulness in her voice. It was quick to fade though as she took in the entire mural made up of the Blade of Marmora's sacred weaponry. "So many great fighters have been lost. If I had only been here…"
She hesitated before wrapping a hand around one of the handles and freeing it from the wall. She examined it, holding it reverently before her. "This was Kolivan's," she realized quietly.
No one said a word as the implication hit them all like a ton of bricks. The Blade of Marmora had been nearly wiped out, their strong, long-time leader included. And those who had survived were still young and inexperienced and scattered across the universe, if they weren't already dead like many of their senior comrades. Keith closed his eyes, steeling himself, before joining his mother's side.
"Their service will not be forgotten," he said, gentle and sure.
Krolia bowed her head, silently grieving, only to inhale sharply as the sword in her hand glowed for a brief second. "Kolivan? His blade, it's…flickering."
Pidge frowned. "Flickering? What does that mean?"
"A Marmoran agent's life force is connected to their blade," Krolia elaborated, showing the blade to the others. "I just saw it glow. He must still be alive."
"Just barely…"
The group whirled on the stranger as he rose to his feet. He turned to Keith, tilting his head as he drawled, "Your hand is looking much better."
The Black Paladin stared at him, uncomprehendingly. "My…hand?"
"You don't remember our fight?" He looked at Mari next. "Then surely you do. It was right before we had our fun in the labs."
The hairs on the back of Mari's neck stood on end. A name that had been buried in the back of her psyche, forced into hiding to protect her own peace of mind, came to light. This was the Druid who had kidnapped her from that Galra base. He'd assisted Haggar in torturing her on Zarkon's ship.
"You…You're Macidus," she said, her voice unable to go higher than a whisper as panic flooded her systems, freezing her in place.
Macidus chuckled darkly. "Now you remember my name, girl," he mused. "You've grown much since our personal interrogation session. You're back with your precious paladins. And you're even able to walk on your own now. I was sure you would've remembered my voice, at least." He paused, laughing to himself as his voice changed to Shiro's. "But then again, I wasn't quite myself the last time we spoke."
Shiro's eyes widened in horror and Mari's heart fell into her stomach. He had been the Druid to take her and torment her a second time too. He'd played with her mind, her memories. And now he was standing again before her, reveling in her fear as she struggled to keep calm and in the present.
"I thought we killed you!" Scarlett snapped, her blaster in her hand in the blink of an eye. "You should be dead!"
"You and your friend caused me a lot of pain, Utearen. But you should've tried harder," he sneered. "And now look where your mistake has gotten you and your allies."
He gestured grandly to the wall of fallen Blades, and her eyes shimmered with fury. Keith's bayard manifested in his hand, drawing Macidus' attention to him.
"You've been using that signal to draw Blades in!" he snarled, prompting every remaining bayard and blaster in the room to be activated and trained on the Druid. Kosmo leapt to his feet, nearly bumping into Mari as he growled fiercely at the enemy.
Macidus cackled in the face of their hostility. "Ah, Kolivan proved to be useful after all," he jeered, before disappearing in a cloud of mist. Left in his place was a small gray device that was covered with the purple markings of dark magic. It fell to the floor, splitting open upon impact and releasing a glowing purple ball of energy. Krolia shouted, reaching for it in a desperate attempt to stop whatever trap he had released upon them.
A sudden warm and tingling sensation rushed through Mari's body and she screwed her eyes shut as she awaited the uncomfortable blow of the magic. But it never came. She tentatively opened her eyes, half-expecting to see the Druid lurking in front of her, only to realize that she was no longer in the cave. She was still underground in what appeared to be some sort of old mining tunnel, but her teammates were nowhere in sight. Neither was Macidus. A soft boop against her thigh made her jump, and she turned to see Kosmo and Keith standing right next to her.
"What the – How did we…" She stared at the wolf and the wolf stared back, allowing her to slowly piece together what had happened. She patted down her body, giving it a quick inspection to make sure nothing had been lost during the teleportation. "Oh my god," she mumbled in relief. "Good dog."
A strained smile graced Keith's features as he pet Kosmo's head, more than used to the strange sensation of the wolf's teleportation. He glanced at their surroundings, his face hardening once more. "Where are we?"
Neither of them had time to find out. At the end of the tunnel, there was a flash of purple light, followed by approaching footsteps. They exchanged an alarmed look before they turned and hurried down the opposite end of the hall, putting as much distance between themselves and the Druid as they could.
They navigated the twisting, uneven corridors, searching for a way out. Mari's heart was racing all the while, her grip so tight on her staff, her fingers were starting to go numb. It felt like they were in some sort of horror movie, a pair of young adults and a dog being chased by a merciless killer through a dimly lit and unfamiliar terrain. God, she was going to have such terrible nightmares tonight. If they made it out alive, that is.
"Are you going to be able to fight?" Keith's question was just barely a whisper.
What a loaded question that was. On the one hand, it was admittedly sweet that he was showing so much concern for her. On the other hand, it was pointless to even ask. They couldn't keep running forever and they couldn't leave their friends behind. They were going to have to fight, and there was no way Macidus was going to ignore her while Keith did all the work. Her past demons would never let her rest if she didn't face them. Flight simply wasn't an option anymore.
She grit her teeth, a stubborn anger rising within her. "I don't have much of a choice, now do I?"
The sharp screech of a blade scraping against the rock wall sounded behind them, much too close for comfort. Kosmo veered off path, leaping into a ditch in the mine and hiding beneath a wooden bridge. The humans were quick to follow, stowing away in the shadows and quieting their ragged breathing just as Macidus rounded the corner.
He walked slowly above them, the planks creaking beneath his feet as he took his time surveying this area of the tunnel. They held their breath as he came to a halt half-way across. A metal canister clanked across the floor somewhere above and purple lightning filled the air as he blasted the source of the noise. When he realized it wasn't his targets, he huffed and moved forward, disappearing from sight.
The trio waited several agonizing seconds before they deemed it was safe to leave their hiding spot…Only for a luxite blade to stab down between the cracks in the bridge, nearly impaling Keith's head.
He screamed as Macidus tore away the planks, showering them with splinters. His hand sparked with energy as he prepared another attack, and the humans latched onto Kosmo, teleporting out of the ditch just as the Druid blew it up. They reappeared on the tunnel path, booking it away from their attacker. Not a moment later, Macidus manifested at the end of the hall, blocking their way. They skidded to a halt and turned to run the way they had come, but Macidus was there in an instant, practically right on top of them. Keith stumbled back, swinging his own luxite blade at the Druid, but it only managed to slice his mask in half before he disappeared with a menacing grin. They frantically scanned the area, searching for his next point of reappearance.
This was worse than their fight on the Galra base. At least then, they'd had more room to move and they'd been able to easily dodge the Druid's straightforward attacks. But now, in a dark and enclosed space that he no doubt knew like the back of his hand after spending two years here, they were at a disadvantage. Macidus was toying with them, fraying their nerves and counting on their heightened fear to slip them up. He really would end up killing them if they weren't careful.
He returned to their realm at the end of another hall. Without his mask, the true face of the Druid species was revealed: gray skin covered in light markings, sharp features, and those evil yellow eyes that were now narrowed at his prey in unbridled hatred.
"There is no escape but death!" he spat, just as he launched himself at them, sword gleaming as it cut through the air.
Keith ducked and dodged, rolling out of the way before he could be chopped in two. Kosmo teleported Mari out of the way before Macidus could set his sights on her, forcing the Druid to keep his eyes on Keith. When they returned, they were behind him now, witnessing as Keith struggled to dodge and parry his attacks. Activating her staff, one end crackling with electricity, she swung it up to catch Macidus in his chest. But the blunt end of her weapon passed through the remnants of his mist as he escaped the blow.
"Still too slow," his echoey voice taunted through the darkness.
Keith jerked his head towards the tunnel, gesturing for them to keep moving. They ran down the winding paths, unable to stop for long at forks as Macidus trailed them, forcing them to move. At one point, he closed the distance between them, manifesting right next to them near the ceiling. He thrust his blade forward with a grunt, grinning maniacally as he prepared to decapitate the Black Paladin.
Thanks to Kosmo, the hit never landed, and they were transported to a new section of the underground labyrinth. It was darker here, but the space was wider with more room to maneuver. Behind them, unconscious and being hung by his wrists and ankles, was the weakened but not yet deceased leader of the Blade of Marmora.
"Kolivan," Keith managed in between his pants. "We'll get you out of here."
He started towards the senior Blade, but Macidus' grating laughter filled the air. He appeared before them once more, right between them and the incapacitated Blade.
"Our high priestess, Haggar, has forsaken us because of your treachery," he snarled, his voice low and full of disdain. "But after I kill you and the other paladins, Haggar will allow me to return!"
There was nowhere left to run and nowhere left to hide. They had to end this here and now. Keith lifted his sword, taking on an offensive stance. "You ready?"
Mari nodded, every fiber of her being on high alert. "Let's do this."
Kosmo and Keith vanished from her side, reappearing in front of the Druid to strike. Macidus disappeared to dodge it and materialized right behind them. His sword clashed with Keith's, creating tiny blue sparks as the luxite blades collided. Kosmo leapt onto the Druid, burying his fangs into his shoulder before teleporting him across the room. Macidus yowled and Kosmo released him, making way as Mari brought her staff around, knocking him off his feet and proceeding to land a solid blow against his ribs. He shrieked and convulsed as the electricity coursed through his body, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop him. His fingers crackled with energy, and Kosmo quickly moved her to safety before she could get hit.
While Macidus was down and distracted, Keith pounced on him, only for the Druid to melt away in a cloud of mist. The paladin rolled roughly against the floor, hardly able to scramble into a sitting position just as the enemy emerged again, ready to deliver a lightning attack. Kosmo barreled into the Druid, knocking him off his feet and sending him right into Mari's next swing. She slammed him into the ground with all her might, the air rushing from his lungs upon impact. Clutching his chest, he withdrew into the void again and appeared on the other side of the room, well out of their range. He unleashed a blast of lightning, catching poor Kosmo in the side and sending the cosmic wolf flying right into Keith. The Druid was upon Mari in a second, delivering a roundhouse kick to her stomach and throwing her against the opposite wall. She grunted, her side throbbing from the blow.
"You two really are gluttons for punishment," Macidus cackled, watching them struggle to get up. "It makes it all the more enjoyable breaking you!"
Keith stood, his eyes burning with fury. He charged and the Druid ran to meet him. Their blades clanged and crashed against one another, filling the air with a dreadful ringing as sparks flew. Mari rose to her feet, and Kosmo appeared beside her before they whisked away. They reemerged above Macidus, pushing off the ceiling as they lunged for him. He evaded their attack, teleporting to safety before sending another blast their way, promptly throwing them back to the earth. Kosmo whimpered, his pretty blue fur scorched in several spots and singing at the tips. Mari wheezed for air as every inch of her skin was set ablaze from the loaded attack. Dodging another swipe from Keith, Macidus punched the paladin in the gut with so much force, it sent him skidding across the floor. The Druid towered over them, smug and triumphant.
His glee didn't last for long though as the tunnel abruptly shook. An explosion rang out from above and a part of the ceiling cracked and caved as purple rays of light burst through from the surface above. Macidus was forced back as chunks of rock rained down and thick clouds of black dust obscured their vision. It took a few seconds for it to settle, and when it did, the other four paladins and Scarlett were waiting for him, having jumped down through the new hole in the ceiling.
"How?" Macidus panted, shock momentarily freezing him in place.
Scarlett's blaster whined as she prepared to shoot, her antenna glowing brighter in her anger. "We're killing you for good this time," she vowed.
A malicious grin was quick to contort his features as a fresh wave of excitement washed over him in the face of his new opponents. "Let's see you try!" he scoffed. "I'm going to enjoy making Kolivan watch your end."
He vanished and manifested a second later behind the group. Hunk tried to shoot him with his heavy cannon, but none of the beams landed as Macidus disappeared and reappeared next to him, sending him out of commission with a lightning blast. Pidge fired her electric grappling hook at him, but missed as he dissipated. When he showed himself, it was to grab Lance and hurl him into the wall. He turned on Scarlett as she pelted him with shots, fading into nothingness before manifesting next to her, kicking her right into Pidge and sending both girls sprawling. Allura snapped her energy whip at him, forcing him to fade into the shadows again, only to reappear directly behind her and land an electric blow to her back. She screamed, her body tensing as the voltage ran through her. When Macidus released her, she collapsed to the floor unconscious, her armor smoking.
He surveyed the fallen warriors around him, chuckling to himself as he stepped over them. He loomed over Mari, grabbing her by the collar as he lifted her limp form into the air.
"Just like old times. Even with them by your side, you are still nothing," he said, his dry lips stretching into a hideous smile. He brought her face closer to his, forcing her to look into the cold yellow eyes that often haunted her dreams. "Perhaps I'll keep you, little pet. It will be no problem crippling you again. I will crush you again and again and again until you're beyond repair."
Mari's glare was hard and unforgiving. She swallowed thickly before grounding out, "...You talk too much."
Macidus didn't even have time to react as she lifted her blaster and blew a hole into his stomach. A guttural sound escaped his throat as dark and sludgy blood dribbled from his lips. He coughed, dropping her as he stumbled back, vainly clawing at the leaking wound in his side.
"You…I will not be ended by you!" he growled, the edges of his form shimmering as he prepared to disappear. Mari's blaster whined, ready to unleash another shot, and his attention shifted to where Keith was unsteadily dragging himself to his feet and holding his injured side. Macidus grinned, slow and certain as he decided on his next move. "One way or another, I will make sure you suffer well beyond what anyone can fix," he said, before vanishing one last time.
His hideous laughter filled the freezing air, and panic grasped at Mari's heart as realized what he was after. "Keith!"
The leader of Voltron glanced wildly around them, desperately searching for the Druid that had targeted him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, calming his nerves and focusing on the space around them and the energy lingering in the atmosphere. When he reopened them, any remaining fear had been replaced by an unwavering confidence. Bringing his luxite sword back, he hurled it through the air just as Macidus appeared right in its path. The sacred blade buried itself in the Druid's blossoming wound, tearing it open beyond repair.
Macidus gasped, shocked stiff as his body shut down in response to the damage. Blue lightning emitted from the deadly gash and he began to glow, his whole form illuminating bright white. A furious screech was ripped from him as pure energy spilled forth, combusting and compressing him into a ball of light until he exploded in a flurry of shimmering sparkles. The luxite blade fell to the floor and a heavy silence filled the room as the light faded in the wake of the Druid's death.
Keith sagged forward in relief, the adrenaline from battle dwindling. The other paladins and Scarlett groaned and stirred, slowly returning to the realm of consciousness.
"Good job, guys," Lance croaked, a hand pressed to his helmet as if to ward off a headache.
"Yeah." Hunk winced, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood. "I thought this was gonna end with my face melted off, like in that simulator."
Mari sank to her knees, trying to compose herself and steady her breathing. Her chest felt lighter. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. With trembling hands, she retracted her staff and returned it and her blaster to their holsters. Kosmo stirred at her feet, sitting up and staring at her with curious eyes. She smiled and fondly caressed him, soothing the hurts that were already starting to heal.
After freeing Kolivan from his restraints, they returned to the rest of their team waiting on the floor above them. Krolia and Keith carefully laid him out on the ground while Pidge scanned his vitals, leaving the others to hang back and wait.
"He's in pretty bad shape," she admitted once she had assessed the damage. "But it looks like he's gonna be okay."
Kolivan grunted, his voice hoarse and thin as he murmured, "I…I'm sorry my code lured you here."
"There was nothing you could do," Keith said, gently assuring him that it wasn't his fault. "The coordinates I gave you, the Altean colony, were you able to find it?"
"I sent a team. There was nothing there. Just an empty facility," Kolivan said, his response clipped with pain. "They were all gone."
Romelle shifted uneasily in her seat at the edge of the room, and Allura's and Coran's frowns deepened. What had happened to the other Alteans was anyone's guess, but they couldn't afford to investigate for themselves, at least not now. Not yet. That problem could be addressed as soon as they got back to Earth and could venture out with Voltron once more.
"Judging from the blades that Macidus collected, he may have delivered a critical blow to the Marmora," Krolia admitted, glancing at the wall of Blade-less blades. "But he did not defeat us entirely."
Kolivan sighed. "I must find the others," he insisted, ever the persistent and serious leader. "The universe needs us now more than ever."
There was a pause from Krolia as she mulled over his words. "I will join you," she decided. "We will revive the Blade of Marmora together. We'll just need to find a ship."
"The Druid has a cruiser stored not far from here. We can use it to reunite our comrades," Kolivan suggested.
Krolia smiled, her spirits lifting. "That's our first bit of luck in a long time."
"Good thing we didn't destroy that," Scarlett muttered more to herself than anyone else, and Mari tried to ignore the fact that her last place of torture was now going to be used as the new Blade of Marmora hub.
Kolivan hummed in agreement and closed his eyes, worn out from even such a short conversation. Krolia gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest," she murmured, before standing and leaving him to sleep in the peace and quiet of the alcove.
She approached her son, her expression saddening as she faced him. "Keith, I…" Her voice cracked with emotion and she stopped herself to take a deep breath. "I'm sorry to have to say goodbye to you for a second time."
Keith didn't say anything for a moment. He looked disappointed, but he nodded in understanding. "It's not goodbye," he assured her, quiet but certain. He held out his luxite blade, having transformed it back into a dagger after the fight. "Take this. You can return it when we see each other again."
Krolia took it from him, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. She smiled and embraced him, holding her one and only child in her arms as he hugged her back. When they finally separated, she held him in front of her, proud and without a doubt that they would meet again soon.
"Thanks for everything you taught me, Mom," Keith said, unable to hide a grin of his own.
Her smile never wavered as she released him. Then she turned to Scarlett and said, "When we find Immea, I will let her know you're all okay."
"Thank you," Scarlett said, nodding in appreciation.
Krolia's gaze flicked to the rest of the paladins before settling on Mari. "I like this one," she decided, an all too familiar smirk tugging at her lips as she glanced at Keith. "Make sure to keep her close."
A flustered heat rushed to Mari's cheeks and Keith looked like he was about ready to die of embarrassment. He averted his gaze to anywhere but the other paladins.
Shiro cleared his throat, the sound unnaturally loud and almost sounding forced. His face was pinched at the edges, but he expertly kept his voice calm and gentle as he pressed, "Keith. It's time to get going."
It was enough to break the awkward tension that threatened to engulf them. Keith glanced back at his mother one last time, drinking in her presence. Krolia's soft smile returned as she looked at him.
"I love you, Keith," she said, more sure of that than anything else in the universe.
"I love you, too, Mom," he replied without even a moment of hesitation.
With mother and son departing for now, but not for forever, Team Voltron exited the underground hideaway and returned to the surface world. As they made their way back through the ruins of the city, the ominous presence of Macidus gone for good, Pidge sidled up to Mari, a sly grin on her face.
"Congratulations. You've been approved," she whispered, nudging her in the ribs, and she gleefully skipped out of the way to avoid getting a shushing bap on the head.
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