(Two Years Earlier)
12/13/2016
0108 Hours
Lahore, Pakistan
A white Toyota Hilux slowly pulled up in front of a gate. There were no lamps so the headlights shined onto the dirt. The truck stopped and six men came out and the other two jumped off the truck bed. They walked past the open gate and entered what looked like an abandoned village. The soldiers were mostly dressed as Navy SEALs, wearing tundra camo USS Milwaukee uniforms and they each had night vision goggles. Some of them carried HK416s while two had FN SCAR-L rifles. They were all fitted with suppressors and laser designators with their own sights. Takashi Shirogane, team's commanding officer took point as the rest followed. His hair was mostly black with short forelock bangs centered on his forehead and was clean shaved. His bangs were tucked under his ballistic helmet with goggles on top. He also has a thin scar across the bridge of his nose. He carried a HK416 fitted with a suppressor, a rifle scope and a RTS attached. His younger brother, Sven, followed behind him, carrying a FN SCAR-L. Shirogane approached up the stairs as his team followed and they stacked up to the door, ready to breach. Takashi activated his comm on his shoulder.
"This is 'Black Lion', in position and ready to breach, over."
"'Zero' to 'Black Lion', Green light." A female voice replied.
"Understood, out."
Takashi let go of the comm and turned to his brother.
"Ready for this little brother?" He asked.
Sven nodded. "Ready as fuck."
The rest of the team gave a nod. Takashi lifted a hand signal. A soldier went up to the door and placed a breaching charge before returning to the side. The team stepped away from the door.
"Ready…" Takashi commanded.
The soldier took out a detonator and placed his thumb on the trigger.
"Three...two...one... execute!"
Within a second, the door exploded. Wooden pieces flew and dust covered the room.
"Move in! Move in!"
The team stormed into the house with their weapons ready. The building was completely dark and empty with most furniture and other appliances rusted and infested with webs. They checked each room inside and so far, there weren't any. The team checked the last room. The room was completely empty except a phone on the floor. Takashi activated his comm.
"Zero, this is Black Lion. No sign of 'Kingfish'. I repeat…'Kingfish' is not-"
Suddenly, the phone began to buzz on the floor. Everybody turned to the phone. Just as they thought their target was gone. Maybe it could be their target?
"Check the phone." Shiro ordered.
One of the soldiers slowly moved to the phone. He bent down and picked it up. The phone's screen was bright it lit the whole room. There was no caller ID, it just showed "Unknown Caller". He tapped the screen and the ringing stopped. He leaned the phone closer to his face.
"What the-"
There was a sudden explosion and the room went bright. Takashi and his team couldn't see or hear what happened due to the blast. All they heard was a loud thump and a splash. The room was filled with smoke. As everybody coughed, Shiro was able to get a glimpse of the room before the smoke faded. The room was splattered with blood and burnt decor. There was a body slumped near the wall and it's absolutely certain he's not getting up again.
"Holy shit," Sven muttered. "Man down! We got a man down!"
One of the soldiers went up to the dead soldier while the rest checked the back. The soldiers almost gagged at that horrific sight. His face was completely torn off and most of his body was blown apart.
"This is so fuckin' disgusting." One of the soldier murmured.
Takashi continued to stare at the body for about a moment. He could literally see his reflection at a shattered mirror nearby.
"Boss-man! Rabbit!" An Austrian soldier called.
Takashi woke up from the gaze and turned to his teammate. He told him he noticed someone running from the house who might be their target.
"Matt, stay with Lee!" Shiro ordered as he signalled his team. "Sven, move out! Charlie, take point!"
"Copy!" Charlie replied.
The team, except for Matt ran out of the house. Charlie took point. They chased him down a lane of shacks. Charlie aimed and fired multiple shots. The person fell down shortly. The team stopped as they aimed at his body.
"X-Ray down." Charlie said.
They approached the corpse while holding their rifles. Charlie bent down and lifted the body. He sighed.
"Is it 'Kingfish'?" Takashi asked.
"Negative." Charlie answered, disappointed.
Takashi cursed. Shortly, his comm activated.
"'Zero' to 'Black Lion'. What's your status over?" The female voice said.
"'Black Lion' to 'Zero'. We have a man down and we need extraction, over." He replied.
"Copy, 'Black Lion'," she responded. "We'll send the birds down for extraction. ETA 4 Mikes, over."
"Copy 'Zero'. 4 Mikes. 'Black Lion' out."
Just as he finished speaking, a van pulled up from behind and a group of armed men got out.
"CONTACT REAR!" Takashi yelled.
Takashi, Sven and Charlie bolted away as the attackers fired. They hid behind a rusty building and evaded bullets. Sven lifted himself up and fired at the attackers, taking out one of them.
"'BLACK LION' TO 'GREEN LION', HOW'S 'YELLOW LION', OVER?!"
The comm responded shortly.
"Yellow-" Matt choked up. "Yellow Lion's gone, over."
Takashi swore under his breath again. There was enough operators to lose on the field.
"Black Lion, what's happening out there, over?"
"WE'RE TAKING FIRE!" Takashi yelled. "ENGAGED WITH UNKNOWN COMBATANTS! STAY PUT! WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM TO SECURE AN LZ FOR CASEVAC, OVER!"
"Copy."
Takashi got off and fired back. One of the attackers approached near Takashi but he manage to shoot two shots at his chest. He dropped down in a second. Charlie returned fire as Sven and Takashi backed away to a car flipped onto its side behind them. While focusing on the attackers, another van appeared, bringing along a Jeep with a mounted machine gun from behind. Charlie turned and noticed their new wave of attackers and fired at them. Takashi and Sven didn't notice until they heard another batch of rounds from behind.
"MORE ON OUR BLOODY SIX!" Charlie shouted as fired.
Charlie continued to shoot at the attackers while Takashi and Sven dealt with the other side. Sven ran up to a barrier next to the car while Takashi stayed at the car. Charlie remained on the other side of the car to fight back. He managed to eliminate the attacker on the mounted MG before he fired. Charlie made his way to Takashi and Sven, only to be torn apart. Sven watched his body slump onto a heap as blood squirted out onto the dirt.
"CHARLIE!" Sven cried.
Sven was about to reach him. However, the bullets almost hit him and he had to hide back again. He and Takashi were a few feet apart from each other but Takashi could hear Sven.
"SHIT!" Sven yelped. "TAKASHI! GET THAT GUNNER OFF MY ASS!"
Takashi noticed his brother across, getting pinned down. He nodded and turned to the MG gunner. He lined up his sights and fired. The shot went between his eyes. The gunner was dead but he was still holding onto the trigger. The MG continued firing across the street, shooting down several attackers moving up to Sven's position. This eventually gave the two the advantage and they finished off the remainder of the attackers. The firing stopped and everything was quiet. Takashi moved to the side where the Jeep was and scanned the area for any more attackers.
"Clear!" Takashi yelled.
Sven checked the back of the van on his side, which was empty too.
"Clear!"
Certain there were no more attackers left, the two remaining soldiers rendezvous. Sven and Shiro looked down at Charlie's body. Matt was nowhere to be seen but they hoped to God that he made it out alive. Their fallen comrades were friends since the beginning. Lee and Charlie, they're gone. Killed in the hands of the terrorists. Sven heard footsteps from behind, followed up by cocking. He turned and noticed an attacker about to shoot Takashi, still staring at Charlie's body.
"TAKASHI!" Sven warned.
He quickly moved in front of the attacker, just as Takashi heard his warning. The attacker fired, hitting Sven's neck. He fell past Takashi.
"SVEN!"
Fuelled with rage, Takashi quickly pulled out his gun and fired at the attacker's chest. He dropped and his grip on his pistol loosened. Shiro then approached his body and fired his entire magazine on him. With the deed done, Shiro turned to Sven, lying on the ground with blood spreading onto the dirt.
"Sven! Sven!" He called out.
Takashi bent down and pressed his hand on where he was shot. Sven sputtered our blood, splashing onto Takashi's face. He couldn't speak. The only thing that came out was a whimper.
"Stay with me, Sven! Stay with me!" Takashi said and turned on his comms. "THIS IS BLACK LION! THIS IS BLACK LION! LIONS BLUE, YELLOW AND RED ARE DOWN! I REPEAT LIONS BLUE, YELLOW AND RED ARE FUCKIN' DOWN! I NEED CHOPPERS NOW!"
There was no response but he didn't wait for a response. Takashi continued to help Sven. Blood continued to spill out of his mouth.
"T-Taka-Takas-" Sven sputtered. However, he couldn't speak any further as blood filled up and he began to gargle.
"No, no, no! Don't speak!" Takashi cried. "You're gonna be fine!"
"No," Sven choked. "I-I-I'm s-sor-"
"No. No, no, no! This is my fault! You hear me?! This is my fault!"
Sven eventually remained silent and stopped moving. His body shortly went limp and his hands slumped to the ground. Takashi couldn't even feel a pulse. Takashi tried shaking him, rattling his body. But he never flinched or moved. He stopped later on. Sven was dead. He and almost his entire team.
(Present)
01/25/2018
0300 hours
Hawaii
Two years and he has become washed out and living in depression. Takashi laid on a bunk inside a shack, near the beach. He was barely in any clothes, just in his boxers. His body exposed his tattoos, containing a frog skeleton on his right chest and a texture writing on his back that says Semper Fidelis. His face has changed since then. The hair was messy and grown with the front of his hair dyed white and his chin growing a stubble. Since the death of his brother, Takashi became washed up and started falling apart. He couldn't take anymore further and he dropped out of the operations which could involve him. Now, he's holed up in Hawaii, the land of paradise, with nothing but gloom, pain and loneliness. He was awoken to the sound of buzzing. Takashi lazily pulled himself up, rubbing his eyes. For a moment, he thought someone was trying to pick him up. He checked the alarm. 3 AM. Why would someone call him this late at night? He reached for the phone on the table and read the caller's ID. He growled but answered it nonetheless.
"What do you want, Coran?"
"Glad you still remember me," Coran said. "Listen, I need you back in Voltron. Something went wrong."
Takashi groaned. He already made it clear he's had enough. "Didn't I already make it clear? I'm done. There's no reason for me to come back."
"It's about Allura."
Takashi scoffed like it was some kind of a joke.
"Please, Allura can handle herself," Takashi said. "Plus, she definitely doesn't want to see my face again."
"She's been captured." Coran added.
His attitude eventually changed when he heard the word.
"Excuse me?" Takashi asked.
"Her operation in Pakistan went wrong," Coran stated. "She and her team were dispatched to rescue an asset but they ended up getting captured. Please Takashi...what happened in Pakistan wasn't your fault. Neither of the men and women in Voltron blamed you for what happened...neither did Allura. We need you back."
Takashi recalled the last time he lost his team, including Sven. He swore to his life he would protect him. How can he go back if he broke that promise? He betrayed their trust. He betrayed himself. But Allura was in trouble. He knew her for a long time. If she dies, he'll be living in grief and regret. A punishment even worse than losing Sven. He eventually sigh.
"Where do you want me?"
0530 Hours
Pakistan
Unknown Compound
Allura's eyes started to open. Wherever she was, it was unclear and dark. She groaned and lifted herself up, only to flinch. Her body ached. Allura used up her strength and sat up, looking at her surroundings. There was a door in front with the lights flickering over and over. Allura moved herself, only to tug instead. She looked around and noticed a chain near her right foot. A metal cuff was wrapped around her foot up against the wall and her hands were tied up with a wire. She checked again and found Trigel on the ground, still not moving. She leaned over for a closer view.
"Sergeant," Allura whispered loudly. "Sergeant."
She heard a noise from her. Trigel slowly woke up, while flinching painfully. She noticed Allura first thing.
"M-Major?" Trigel muttered and glanced at the dark room. "Where are we?"
"Don't know," she replied. "I think we're in some sort of bloody basement."
"Shit. They're going to start executing us."
"Not if we try to find a way out. Hopefully our team made it out alive..."
0624 Hours
01/26/2018
Islamabad, Pakistan
Embassy of the United States
The recruits were put in a small room with a large promethean board to wait for further instructions but so far, they haven't gotten a report yet. They all have changed their clothes to something regular. Keith had a black polo shirt and tan chinos with Timberland boots, Lance in a navy jacket and black jeans, Hunk in a brown sweater rolled to his elbow with cargo pants and Pidge, wearing a green plaid, rolled up shirt with a two tone t-shirt and blues jeans. Pidge also had a bandage wrapped around her forehead after the crash. They've been waiting for instructions for what felt like a decade and still no report has came in. Lance sat on a couch with his legs stretched onto the coffee table and eating a candy bar, Pidge was sitting on a table with Hunk beside her and Keith paced around the room, losing patience. He had his hand to his mouth and planted numerous times.
"What's taking them so long?"
"Keith, relax," Pidge told him. "They're probably trying to figure out where they are."
"Yeah. Chill, hombre." Lance said as he took a bite of a candy bar.
"How can I relax?" Keith snapped, turning to the members. "How can any of you relax? We got our asses kicked and the terrorists captured Brooks and Khan! It's a matter of time before they broadcast their damn execution."
"They could use them as leverage," Pidge suggested. "They might ask for demands since they've captured a pair of women. Maybe free their brothers from our prisons."
"Yeah," Lance said. "Free the terrorists and repeat the cycle."
Just as Lance said that, the door opened. Everybody turned and stared.
"Shiro?" Keith whispered.
Shiro walked in without a word. His long hair was balled into a man bun and his white dye washed away. He wore a work jacket over his white shirt, grey jeans and boots. He didn't show any emotions but he got to the mission straight away.
"Alright," he started. "For those who do not know me, my name is Takashi Shirogane, but you can call me Shiro. I will be your team leader...which might be temporary."
Takashi went up to the promethean board and turned the projector on. He inserted a flash drive into a stationary laptop and clicked on a PowerPoint. It flashed on the screen, brightening the room.
"I'm already up to speed from what happened on your previous mission in Karachi. Major Allura Brooks and Sergeant Trigel Khan has been captured by unknown attackers. Either some type of terrorist cell or ISI. Either way, we have a green light from HQ as we know where they're holding Major Brooks and Sergeant Khan."
Takashi clicked onto the next slide which showed pictures of a familiar compound with the satellite map beside it.
"Bin Laden's compound?" Lance uttered.
"Odd place to lay low." Keith said.
"Yes," Shiro continued. "But we traced a call from the attackers. Apparently, someone exposed Khan's hideout and called the attackers to raid them. Stupidly for someone, they still kept the phone, leaving a long trail to the compound. Most likely where they're keeping Brooks and Khan."
"So, Zero Dark Thirty?" Keith assumed.
"They might not have another day," Shiro added. "They will be executed if we don't act sooner. So get in gear. Oh and we'll have to dress up as locals to blend in and carry AK47s so the Pakistan government won't grow suspicious on who we really are."
The team followed Shiro out of the room and they walked into a corridor. As they followed him, Keith and Pidge stayed at the back. Pidge leaned over to Keith.
"You knew Shiro?" Pidge whispered quietly.
"Yeah," Keith replied. "Remembered when I told you I was trying out for SEAL? Shiro was my instructor."
She nodded in surprise. "Wow. I guessed you were trying to be like him."
"Yeah, but it didn't work as you already know. How'd you know him?"
"My older brother served with him," she replied. "I-in SEALs. Never thought he would be working for Voltron."
"Well...he's the best of the best."
As Shiro lead the way to the armory, his memory began to stack up his last mission in Pakistan. He doesn't deserve to be back in Voltron, so why did he agree? He kept asking himself on the way to the Embassy. He knew the consequences but yet he accepted it. He sure as hell doesn't know why but he would assume Allura as the reason.
0900 Hours
Bilal Town, Abbottābad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Osama Bin Laden's Compound *Formerly*
Few hours later and still, no sign of freedom. Allura and Khan sat behind the stone wall, staring at the gates with barely any light at all. There were trays with empty bowls and plates that look unclean. The two were forced to wear white Pakistani clothing for whatever reason. A few minutes later, they heard a creak. Allura looked up and saw a pair of men approach them, carrying rifles and bags. Allura and Khan backed away from them as their figures became increasingly larger.
"آپ کون لوگ ہیں (Who are you people?)" Khan asked. "آپ ہمارے ساتھ کیا کرنا چاہتے ہیں (What the hell do you want with us?!)"
One of them pulled Khan to them and using the butt stock of his rifle, slammed it onto her head. The other did the same to Brooks. With that done, the men placed bags over their head and dragged them away. The guard took a smoke and scanned the area from the gate of the compound. The roads were empty and there weren't expected to be anyone coming by for a reason. He stopped smoking when he spotted two old pickup trucks heading to the compound. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the trucks. They didn't look like delivery trucks and they definitely must be lost. The guard blew his last one and flicked his cigarette away as the trucks arrived. The two trucks stopped by the gate and the guard approached the window. He leaned onto the window for a clear view.
"ارے یہ محدود علاقہ ہے. تم اب چھوڑ دو (Hey! This is restricted area. Leave now!)"
Just as he finished his sentence, Hunk pulled him in and wrapped his arms around the guard's head. There was a snap and the guard stopped struggling. Hunk unwrapped his head and threw him off. The team wore Pashtun outfits along with chest rigs, carrying magazines in the pouches. They had kevlar vests underneath their clothes as always. They got out of the trucks and opened the trunks, grabbing their AK47s, fitted with suppressors. As Keith dragged the body out of sight, Shiro walked past Hunk and wore the hood over his head. The team hid behind the 10-foot wall, linking to the gate. They were about to move in when they heard a sudden call Assad. Assad must be the guard who Hunk had to kill. They saw another guard who must've noticed the trucks they left. As the guard approached the gate outside and near the team's position, Shiro hauled the man away and held him to the neck. Shiro yanked his head, which snapped shortly. He let go of the guard and threw him aside. Shiro peeked through the gate and glanced across the main entrance. After confirming it clear, the team moved through the courtyard to the main building with Shiro leading them. On the top level, the women are forced onto their knees with their hands tied behind their backs inside the same room where Bin Laden was shot. Two Pakistani men in scarves wrapped around their heads stood in front of the women with their rifles slung to their backs. Another Pakistani man crouched behind the camera, ready to broadcast Khan and Brooks. One of them removed the bags off the women's heads and held a switchblade to Trigel's neck. The women's expression made no move at all. He nodded and the man behind started recording.
"Infidels of the West," he started. "You have sent spies in our country which you have brought them to their deaths. You called us terrorists and yet you send your drones and your warriors to kill our people? Witness these two women...to be an example for your-"
Suddenly, they heard a loud thump from downstairs. The men looked at each other in confusion but both Allura and Trigel are aware.
"وہ کیا تھا؟ (What was that?)" One of them asked.
"مجھ نہیں پتہ. میں پڑتال کروں گا، کروں گی. (I don't know. I'll go check.)" the other said.
The guard got out his rifle and left the room. He went downstairs, a few stories down. He got down to the corner of the ground floor and stopped. The guard looked at the door, slammed onto the floor. He groaned and turned his back on the door.
"ڈان دروازہ ٹوٹ گیا (Damn door broke-)"
He was suddenly pulled away with Keith's hand on his mouth. He stabbed him in the neck numerous times with a knife as he pulled.
"کیا سعد ہے سایڈ؟ (What's that, Sayid? Sayid?)" a voice echoed from above.
After taking him out, Keith yanked the knife away and gently laid the body down, only to discover someone peeking from the top. Keith quickly lifted his rifle and fired at the man but the man quickly slipped out of sight.
"Shit!" Keith swore.
"Come on, let's go!" Shiro ordered and ran past Keith and to the stairs.
The terrorist made his way back to the room where the remaining terrorist was.
"مغربی شیطان یہاں ہیں! وہ یہاں ہیں! (The western devils are here! They're here!)"
The terrorist quickly pulled out a Makarov and pressed the barrel onto Allura's head. Trigel wasn't going to let that happen easily.
"NO!"
She quickly stood up with her back facing the terrorist, in which he pulled the trigger just as she appeared in front of him. The bullet hit Trigel's lower back. She grunted and propelled onto the ground.
"TRIGEL!" Allura cried out.
The windows shined so bright, Allura couldn't see through Trigel and the figure approaching her with the pistol aimed at her. Allura noticed a small object tossed into the room and suddenly, everything went bright and disoriented. Allura couldn't see and her ears were ringing painfully. Few seconds later, Allura felt her hands free and a gentle touch on her shoulder. The sight began to improve and the voices returned. She turned around and saw a familiar face she thought she'll never see again. A Japanese man with a scar across the bridge of his nose.
"T-Takashi?" Allura whispered.
"You okay?" Shiro asked.
Allura nodded but she was still shocked to see Shiro again, even though she never wanted to. Allura looked past Shiro and noticed Khan on the floor with Lance on her side. He was tending to her wound with a medkit aside.
"Sergeant!" Allura called and got herself up.
She rushed up to Khan to check on her. She was lying face down, groaning in pain and panting uncontrollably.
"I-I can't," Khan muttered, panting through her sentence. "I can't feel my damn legs!"
Lance took the hint and checked Khan's wound. There was a hole by the lower back, where the spine was. The hole was positioned at the very middle of the spine which was not good news.
"Looks like the bullet went through her spinal cord," Lance told them. "We better get her outta here quickly so we can get her some medical treatment."
"Better do it fast cos' the neighbors probably heard the shots," Shiro said. "Patch her up and use the mattress to lift her out."
Lance bandaged Khan's wound from a medkit. They placed her on a mattress where Shiro and Hunk carried the mattress with Lance making sure her wounds stay in place so it won't damage. Pidge and Keith took the lead, escorting them out of the building and to the trucks. Shiro handed Allura his rifle just in case. The team arrived to the trucks and placed Khan on one of the truck beds. They got in and left the compound.
1200 Hours
Islamabad, Pakistan
Embassy of the United States
Takashi stood in front of a large window facing the city of Islamabad. Takashi retained his white shirt and grey jeans without the jacket. His hands were behind his back and his expression didn't change. He heard footsteps and turned to notice Allura, wearing a purple shirt with black pants. He turned away, refusing to face her.
"How's Sergeant Khan?" Shiro asked.
"She might never walk again but she'll live," Allura answered. "I just want to say thanks for rescuing me. If it weren't for you, I would've being long gone."
Takashi showed no expression as he continues to feel guilty of his past. It then gave Allura the idea of Shiro's decision of what he will do next. He hesitated to say anything.
"You're planning to leave again, right?" Allura asked.
"I don't know," Shiro replied. " I'm still not sure if I deserve to be back in Voltron. I lost almost my entire team."
"Takashi, it wasn't your fault."
"Lee Davis, Charlie Daws and my brother, Sven," he continued. "Their deaths were on me."
"Takashi-"
"It was my responsibility to keep them safe but my vendetta on 'Kingfish' got the best of me. I couldn't even attend the funeral to face their families, not even Sven's wife-"
"Stop!" Allura exclaimed loudly and got in front of Shiro. "What happened in Lahore was not on you. I ordered you and your team to go there and capture Kingfish. It was my intelligence that was complete shit and it was my fault that you and Matt were the only ones alive. I took the blame for that botched operation and your team's deaths. You didn't have to leave. I could've ended my career."
"Then Voltron would have died," Shiro protested and looked down. "There was a reason for you to create Voltron. A global covert unit to eliminate any terroristic activities around the world. That's what we signed up for...but I can't be the leader that I wanted to be, not after what happened two years ago."
Allura placed her right hand on his face. Shiro looked up.
"Takashi...I may have created Voltron but you were selected and you were fit to be a leader. The men and women serving in Voltron still supported you and they wanted you to come back. They never hated you for what happened in Lahore. They need you...I need you."
Takashi turned to her. He always recognized that type of look when it came to getting back into the job. He still doesn't understand the fact that nobody hated him for what happened. But there's still time to make up his mistakes. After having a brief thought, Takashi sighed.
"I'll come back," he said. "But I'm not taking control of Voltron. It's better if you take control since you're the founder and a good leader yourself...and besides, someone needs to lead those cubs, right?"
Allura lowered her hand away from his face and let Takashi leave. As he left, she smiled without him noticing.
"Welcome back, Black Lion."
AN: Hey guys Whiskey here. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I forgot to do an AN on my first chapter where I want to thank Wolf_Actual and 5.56X45 for helping me and for this chapter I want to thank Maximus Hambugerlius for being my editor. The first part of Shiro's past is based off on the scene of the raid from the first episode of Strike Back Project Dawn but with more action. Next chapter will be out soon. PEACE.