Keith would never forget the day his father had died. When one of dad's colleagues had come to their house where Keith had been watching cartoons and waiting his father to come home. He had known immediately that dad's colleague came bearing bad news. The ashen face. The desperation in his eyes. His words had just confirmed his worst fears.

That night when he had been crying under his blanket, Keith had sworn he would never let himself be hurt like that again. A closed heart could never be broken. It was a promise he hadn't been able to keep. First Shiro had pried it open just enough to let the sunlight in. Then Lance had blown it wide.

Shiro.

Lance.

Both had held his heart.

And dropped it!

Keith's spine was a steel rod when he stood in the Castle's hangar and watched his world collapse a second time in the span of weeks.

The Blue Lion moved like a bird with a broken wing and its growls were full of pain and sorrow. If the Yellow Lion hadn't been there to support it, it would never have been able to make it back. Lance couldn't even get out of his Lion and Coran carried him to the sick bay on a stretcher. Even though Keith dared not look too closely, he knew it was bad.

When Hunk got out of his Lion, he crumbled on the floor like a broken man and started sobbing on his knees. Pidge was holding him and despite being half Hunk's size, she enveloped him. Amidst the tears, Hunk gave a stone-faced Allura his report.

"… I… it all just happened so fast… it was just one pilot and I thought Lance could handle it…"

"You thought he could handle it?!"

All those years spent at the local dojo had given him a yell that could leave dents in steel. The mutation had made it even louder and Pidge, Hunk and Allura looked at him like a bomb had gone off. He crossed the hangar and hoisted Hunk up. Two hundred pounds of round muscles felt like a shopping bag in his hands.

"You were his partner! And you let him fight alone?! Where were you?! Where?!"

"… Keith?" Pidge whispered.

The fear in her voice was almost enough to overpower his anger. Almost. The surge of shame just added to it and he started shaking Hunk.

"Where?! Tell me! Why was he alone?!"

"Keith. Stop."

The silent authority in Allura's voice was unwavering and when she grabbed his wrist, her grip told him she could back up her orders.

"He was protecting the civilians and he brought Lance back. It wasn't his fault." Allura said.

The clarity in her eyes forced his temper in check. For now. He could see himself reflected in his… teammates eyes. His friends' eyes. Hunk and Pidge looked at him like he had pulled out a knife. He let go of Hunk and he crumbled back on the floor.

"… sorry… I'm sorry… Lance… oh, God… what will I tell your mom?" Hunk sobbed.

Allura kneeled next to him and her smile was a promise of everything turning out alright.

"You'll tell her how you saved her son's life and brought him back." Allura said and then looked at Pidge: "Pidge?"

"… yeah?"

"Could you look after Hunk and make sure he gets some rest? We'll update you on Lance when his check up is done."

Pidge nodded.

"… sure."

Allura moved fast and before he could even consider losing his temper again, she took his hand.

"Come. We should go see him."

Keith let himself be pulled away like a lost child.

"Keith?" Allura said, her voice low and gentle.

"… yeah?"

"I have not been fair with you. You were pulled to fight a war you knew nothing about… and I have treated you terribly. You lost so much because my people's mistakes, but I swear… you won't lose more."

Allura sounded so assured… so… adult… but he had learned a long time ago that adults lied. Dad had promised to come home… and Shiro had promised to be there for him as long as Keith needed him. Adults were always making promises that they did not have the power to keep. Lance had lied to him too. He had promised to run if he got into a fight he couldn't win. Lance had lied to him! Why couldn't Lance understand?! Keith would have a living coward over a dead hero any day.

When they got to the sickbay, Lance had been moved to a healing tank… and Coran had decided to dim the glass. Never a good sign. He was stroking his mustache when he went through the data the computer was feeding him and was so absorbed in his work that he yelped when Allura called his name.

"How is he?" Allura asked.

Coran gave Keith a pained look.

"Are you sure I should…"

"Tell me." Keith said.

Coran pinched the bridge of his nose but then nodded.

"He hit his face hard on the controls on impact. It will take a while to fix the damage to his looks since we have to prioritize the cracks in his skull and neck. There are also spinal injuries and damage to his organs." Coran said and glanced at the screen: "I have managed to stabilize him."

"Good." Allura said, not quite hiding the sigh of relief: "How long will it be until he's out of the pod?"

"He should be well enough to get out sometime tomorrow afternoon, but he'll need a lot of bed rest and few more dibs in the tank but…"

Dread tore a hole in Keith's chest.

"… but?"

When Coran didn't answer quick enough for his liking, Keith grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"But what?! What's wrong with him?!"

"His eyes… were too injured for the healing tank." Coran said.

The words were a blow from a heavyweight. You didn't even feel the pain when the numbness spread all over you until you were lying on the mat with your teeth spread all over your opponent's feet.

"… you… you…"

"Keith…" Allura sighed and tried to pull him back.

"You're telling me he's blind?!"

"Keith, that's nothing we can't fix." Allura said just a bit too fast: "You saw Shiro's arm. Eye prosthetics are…"

"Don't talk about Shiro!" Keith screamed: "Lance is our sniper! He needs his eyes!"

He stormed off while Allura watched him go her face a mix of pain and fear. Before he was out of the sickbay, he heard her tell Coran to call Kolivan and Krolia for an emergency meeting.

His feet knew where he was going long before his brain caught on. He started running towards his Lion. All that anger and pain was a parasite that had crawled down his throat. If he didn't scream it out, it would suffocate him. He would find the bastard who had done this and peel him out of his ship.

The Castle was a maze and more than a little alive. After living there for months, he could have sworn that the hallways moved, and some rooms could switch places at will. So it wasn't a surprise that Coran had made it to the hangar before him. The old soldier stood between him and the Red Lion.

"Where do you think you're going, Keith?" Coran asked quietly.

Without him meaning to, Keith's hand balled into a fist.

"I am going to find the bastard who did this and kill him."

"That won't fix anything, Keith." Coran said.

That patient… understanding… comforting voice… it annoyed him more than anything. The voice of a grown up about to make a promise he could never keep. Telling Keith how he knew what he felt just to get him do as he was told like a good little boy.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up, old man!" Keith yelled and pushed Coran back: "Don't you goddamn tell me to calm down! You dragged Lance here to fight your wars! All of us! And now Shiro is dead! Because you were all cowards! And now Lance… he… Lance… he…"

Keith screamed out from sheer frustration.

"You have no right to tell me to calm down!"

"I know, Keith. I know and I am sorry but… I can't let you take the Red Lion."

Keith's anger came a full circle and turned into deceptive calm with only the glint in his eyes revealing the inferno within. When he spoke, his voice was a cold whisper.

"You think you can stop me, old man?"

"I'd rather not find out. Keith… please."

Keith took a swing. His fist was sharpened by his training and powered by his anger. By his hate. He hated them all. All those monsters that had taken everything from him and all the liars who had promised to stay with him. All these hypocrites telling him to calm down.

Only…

… his fist didn't connect.

Coran weaved past the punch and with a gentle push knocked him off balance.

"Keith, please. I don't want to do this." Coran said.

Keith's scream echoed through the hangar and he could see the eyes of his Lion glow.

Real fights never went down the way they did in the movies. There was no elegant choreography that looked like a well-practiced dance. Real fights were brutal, sweaty and over in seconds. Only the great masters made it look easy and even Shiro had been struggling on a bad day.

Coran made it look easy.

With the slightest of movement, he would guide Keith's punches towards empty space and turn his strength against him. A soft style that reminded him of aikido or tai chi. Very much unlike the hard styles Shiro had taught him and Keith had excelled at.

Sweat was running down Coran's face when Keith turned to face him again.

"Keith… stop… I am too old to do this without hurting you." Coran panted.

Keith attacked again.

Shiro had tried to get him interested in the soft styles and Keith had even gone to a few classes but had quickly written them off as a waste of time. He had always been good at fighting, so if he was bad at some martial art, it must have been a waste of time. With Coran, he learned fast that softness didn't equal harmless. Water was soft and anyone who thought water was harmless had never seen an ocean.

It was almost like magic.

Coran was fit but age had cost him a lot of muscle mass. The difference in their strength was immeasurable so instead of using his own muscles, Coran turned Keith's frame against him. His feet left the floor like he was no heavier than a feather… only to slam against it again like a mountain. While he was still trying to remember where he was, Coran twisted his arm behind his back.

"Keith… I don't want to hurt you so please stop. You can scream and shout at me all you want but please… stop." Coran said.

Keith struggled in vain, but he might as well have tried to tear his own arm off. When the anger was no longer there to power him, all the sleepless nights spent crying without Lance crashed down on him. Just exhaustion could be painful, and he cried tired tears.

"Why?! Why does everyone leave me?!"

Coran let go of his arm and hugged him. Keith wasn't sure which was more painful.

"We're still here, Keith, and you'll be here for Lance when he wakes up. We'll fix him up. I swear."


Acxa moved quickly through the imperial palace and made sure she never broke into a run. Running would have drawn attention and hurry could be interpreted as worry. Worry could be mistaken for fear and a Galra was never afraid. Not if she wanted to keep her rank. Or life. Even though Lotor was her emperor now, it was better not to risk it.

Robots made to look like statues of long dead heroes were guarding the entrance to the emperor's quarters and only those with the clearance could pass them without being riddled with bullets. They stood still as Acxa walked by them by and the doors swung open to welcome her. No room in the empire had grander beds or finer furnishes than the emperor's bedroom. One could live a hundred years there and never need for anything. Lotor was sitting amidst it all in his robe, his hair still wet after a bath.

Acxa kneeled before her emperor.

"Your majesty."

The sight of her bowing made Lotor laugh.

"Rise. No need for that here. Not when we're alone." Lotor said and rose from his couch: "Drink with me. This calls for a celebration."

Lotor filled their glasses and Acxa took the wine reluctantly. She hated having to ruin Lotor's good mood and wished to let him enjoy this moment for as long as possible. Lotor sampled the wine and found it excellent.

"You know what my teacher once told me?" Lotor asked her.

"No. What did he tell you?"

"That wanting is better than having. My father had him executed for that and told me that if I wanted something, I should take it. I took my father's advice." Lotor said and led Acxa to the balcony where they had a view of the city: "I think my teacher was wrong. My father is dead. That witch will soon follow and… I am emperor. It's every bit as sweet as I thought it would be."

Acxa sipped her wine and realized it was the best wine she'd ever had.

"Glad you're finally happy."

"That I am but… work is never done. I hear we had a desertion problem in the academies." Lotor said.

"Yes."

"I'll issue full pardons to the students. Everyone who wants to return is free to do so."

"And the teachers?" Acxa asked.

"We'll go case by case. It will be a good chance to introduce some fresh faces into the education system." Lotor said.

"Perhaps we should reward the students who stuck around."

Lotor thought about it for a moment.

"That… is a good idea actually. Maybe an invitation to my crowning ceremony."

"I'll see to it." Acxa said.

"Thank you, Acxa." Lotor said and finished his drink: "Now… what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It's Ezor. She sent me a report that commander Throk is staging an attack on Voltron's castle." Acxa said.

Lotor filled both of their cups.

"Odd. I could have sworn that I ordered no one to provoke Voltron."

"Throk has never liked half-breeds." Acxa said.

"Oh? Did me becoming his emperor hurt his feelings? His little, baby-girl feelings?" Lotor said and laughed: "They all shiver in fear until I make Voltron bleed and then suddenly, they remember they have spines."

"Do I tell Zethrid to arrest him?"

"No need. Let Throk do as Throk pleases."

"Are you sure?"

Lotor's smile slipped out like a knife hidden in his sleeve.

"If he succeeds, glory to the empire. My empire. But if he fails, the shame will be his."

Acxa smiled too.

"I understand."

"Good but tell Zethrid to be on standby and monitor the situation. Should Throk succeed, have her take the Castle of Lions immediately and… make sure that Throk gets a hero's funeral." Lotor said.

"It will be done but…"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure it wouldn't be wise to strike now? They have lost a Paladin."

"They can find a new one. They must have spares but the last thing I want is for Voltron to unite against me. I made them bleed. That should make their allies… nervous. Fear will poison them from the inside and when that happens… I'll be ready."