Chapter seven
"I'm so sorry Shiro." Keith mumbled after a seemingly forever-long silence. And although he knew Shiro couldn't hear him, he still felt that his heart would.
"I can't believe that happened to you." Pidge said. Keith passed this on to Shiro who dropped his gaze, before lifting again.
"My father died when I was ten and my mother disappeared later that year after my uncle passed away." Shiro signed. "Some may think I had a perfect life. But they'd be wrong. I've suffered my fair share of tragedies throughout my life."
"Yeah no kidding!" Hunk agreed thoughtfully, unable to imagine what Shiro had just told them.
"You know- you didn't have to share that with us." Allura told him.
"I know." Shiro motioned, as Keith continued to interpret. "But I felt it was important." Suddenly a painful flash hit him and he jerked forward. It came again and Shiro grimaced grabbing his head with his right hand.
"Shiro?" Keith asked, "You ok?" Another hit came, which dizzied him a little. Zarkon's face flashed across his mind. His eyes opened wide I realization.
"The Galra!" He signed to Keith. "They found us!"
"What?!" Keith cried aloud as he motioned back. "How?!" Shiro gestured something and Keith responded with: "how do you know?" Shiro and Keith seemed to back and forth, the rest of the team looking from one to the other.
"What do we need to do?" Keith asked, and Shiro gestured something. "Well we have to do something or we're gonna get into trouble." Shiro motioned calmly. "Yes I know that Zarkon his still fighting for the Black lion, which is exactly why we should take him down." Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder then motioned something further. "You're right Shiro." Keith heaved a big sigh. "We're not fully prepared to face them head on again, yet... I know. Then at least let's buy us some time to get away again." Shiro nodded and the two turned to the rest of the group.
"Um, care to share with the rest of the group." Lance crossed his arms in disgust. Their conversation was interrupted by the castle jerking under their feet.
"What the heck was that?!" Lance screamed in surprise, lifting his head up from where he landed.
"That's what we were talking about." Keith groaned rolling his eyes. "The Galra are back."
"What?!" The team gasped.
"How is that possible?!" Pidge cried.
"I don't know but we need to get out of here." Keith decided as they all rose and headed for the bridge. The ground shook again as they entered. Each Paladin headed to their place, dropping down the shaft to get to their lions.
After launching them, they engaged the Galra together. Pidge and Hunk stuck close by each other as did Keith and Shiro. Lance was all over the place blasting as many fighters as he could, as though he was competing against someone.
"How do they keep finding us?!" Allura cried hoarsely, from the castle.
"I don't know!" Pidge called, taking another blast.
"What do we do?!" Lance screamed, continuing to evade attack and returning fire. Keith thought or a moment, then closed his eyes upon making a decision.
"Time to cut the head off the snake." He mumbled to himself, then he thrust Red forward jetting through and around the Galra fleets focusing fire on Shiro and Black.
"Keith?! What are you doing?!" Allura called to him in seeing what he was doing. No answer, as he disappeared around the side of the Galra central command ship.
"Maybe he's got a plan." Coran suggested, but Allura just stared at the screen.
Black took a heavy blast to the head, and Shiro silently groaned and tried to hold it steady. He could still feel Zarkon trying to take over his lion. The Black Paladin looked around, zeroing in on three colored lions. But where was the fourth? He thought. Knowing who was missing he continued to search for the Red lion, while at the same time fighting off the ships that surrounded him.
A sword jammed out of the duct, and it's owner emerged stealthily from it. His grayish-blue eyes darted about, searching every direction. Creeping along the wall, he dashed down the hall. Sentries' footsteps stopped him and he ducked behind the pillars that jutted out from the walls. When the sentries' footsteps faded again, he moved on. Keeping his bayard drawn, Keith made his way toward the bridge. Avoiding detection was proving difficult, but feasible, for the Red Paladin. Upon reaching the final doors leading to his destination, he drew in a deep breath before using a decapitated sentry's arm to open the door. As the door slid open, he dove into the shadows masking him from view. As he made is way around, he prepared his attack. Finally plucking up the courage, he plunged from the shadows letting loose a battle cry from the depths of his being. But his hopes to end this, were shattered by the Galra Emperor catching his blade squarely between his hands. Keith's eyes shrink and he let out a confused 'huh?', and Zarkon slammed him to the ground. He tumbled a short distance, landing in a heap against the wall.
"You are foolish as your leader for coming here." Zarkon's one-note tone gave no indication of emotion from the alien warlord. Keith was unsure of his meaning, but he pushed the thoughts away to go at Zarkon again. The two skirmished for a while, Keith stood squarely facing Zarkon. He was about to attack when a seering pain blasted through his body from behind, and he fell limp the to ground. The witch stood a few feet behind the motionless Paladin, her arm still outstretched; a stoic expression upon her face. Zarkon and Haggar stood staring across at each other, as Keith gave a slight moan.
"Ahh!" Allura cried, as a blast shook the castle again.
"We need to get out of here!!" Pidge called, over the com.
"Yes, but how? And where?!" Lance screamed, taking another blast.
"Hey?" Hunk asked openly. "Where's Shiro?" The Paladins eyes widened. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance frantically searched for their leader.
"There!" Allura shouted zeroing on the Black lion. A Galra cruiser's tractor beam was on it and he was pinned down my Galra fighters.
"Shiro!!" Pidge cried, thrusting her lion forward.
"Come on!" Lance shouted to Hunk. The Yellow and Blue lions slammed into the cruiser from both sides, knocking out the tractor beam. Pidge fired her lasers clearing the fighters away. Shiro appeared on her screen, and thank her with his hands.
"Paladins return to the castle. We must wormhole away, now!!" Shiro caught something to his right out of the corner of his eye. Galra fire? He split away from the group, who were headed to the castle.
"Shiro?! Ugh, now where is he going?!" Lance groaned, pulling his lion around to go back. Nearing the area, Shiro realized that it was wasn't Galra fire, but the tractor beam once again. It was sucking up the Red Lion, Keith! Jumping into action, he thrust Black toward the cruiser. He drew the jaw blade and slashed through the ship, causing it to drop the lion. He was immediately met by fighters again. But then, he was also joined by the Blue, Green, and Yellow lions that covered him. They gave just enough time for him to get to the Red lion, and retreat with it, back toward the castle once again.
"Keith! Are you ok?!" Allura called. "Keith!!" No answer. "Something's wrong." She mumbled to herself.
"I want every fleet after that castle to capture the lions of Voltron immediately!!!" Zarkon rumbled.
"Understood." Haggar bowed her head slightly. "Pursue them!" She ordered one of the commanders.
"They're gaining on us!" Pidge said, tracking them from her lion.
"We need to gain more speed to get enough distance to wormhole away!" Allura panted, sweat starting to roll down her face.
"Diverting power to the main and rear thrusters," Coran reported, tapping frantically at his controls. The boosters blazed and the castle sped on, with the Galra still tailing them. "We're clear to wormhole!!" Coran called. Allura closed her eyes, and creating the wormhole, Coran guided the castle into it.
Shiro sprinted blindly to the Red lion's hanger. If the other Paladins were following behind him, he wouldn't have known. Mostly because of his lack of hearing, but also because he hadn't a care if they were or not. The door couldn't have opened any slower for the Black Paladin, he felt like everything was moving in slow motion around him. As soon as the door was wide enough for him, he slipped through it. He had expected to find Keith passed out or something. But his heart clenched in his chest in seeing nothing, Keith was nowhere to be seen. The cockpit was empty, and Shiro's world caved in on him. He could feel his heart begin to thump in his chest, and he almost felt sick in the moment. The paladins, who had, in fact, followed Shiro stood there behind him, their mouths agape at the empty room.
"Keith's... gone?" Lance managed to say, his heart skipping a beat at the thought.
"Yeah, but where?" Pidge wondered. Shiro remained stalk-still, right where they'd found him. Hunk stepped forward, reaching out to him.
"Shiro?" As soon as the Yellow Paladin's hand touched the older man's shoulder, his thrust his head up. He whirled around to head back the way he'd come. But was stopped by Hunk and Lance.
"Keith!" He managed to say, Hunk and Lance restraining him, he extended a hand out. He tried to push passed the two younger men, as if in a nightmare-like trance.
"Shiro, where do you think you're going!!" Allura questioned, placing a hand on his chest stopping him short. He gestured something quickly, but, of course, no one understood it. He tried to leave again, half in a panic. He had finally gotten past the Yellow and Blue Paladins, but Pidge cut him off with a hand then a hug, one that pulled him out of his panic attack. And the Black Paladin dropped to his knees, returning the embrace.
What is up everybody!! So sorry for leaving you hangin', but I myself got a little hung up on the story. But here it is! Also I've kinda been working on some other fanfics and getting ideas for new ones. Along with a whole lot of other stuff, unrelated to fanfic. But anyway, idk what the next step is here but I hope you like where this is going! Thx!!