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Unfamiliar voices filtered into Shiro's consciousness.
He kept his eyes closed as he became mentally aware. The side of his face was against something cool and smooth. The castle floor. So the Galra got in after all. There were just too many of them and Lance...He wouldn't dare give up his teammate. He shifted a little, trying to take stock of his condition.
His brief fight with Sendak left him bruised but he didn't think anything was broken.
He listened to the steps around him, trying to get a count. There are more sentries than Galra. His subconscious remembered the differences in sounds of the footfalls of the sentry and Galra, having heard it often enough over the year he was captured.
Funny what his mind decided to remember.
He'd shake his head if he wasn't pretending to still be out.
He chanced a very short squint before closing his eyes again. Lance was just out of arm's reach but still unconscious. He could try to take out a soldier as he walked by then get over to Lance, take a stance near him as they came to attack so they didn't try to use Lance as leverage again.
The beginnings of a plan started to form.
His eyes involuntarily shot wide open as something painfully heavy smashed into his back. He couldn't withhold the pained gasp as he tried to get out from under it. It's..too strong. He tried to lift his head to look but the object shifted, catching his head. He breathed heavily as his face was uncomfortably pressed into the floor. Something liquid slid down his face. He would have thought it was sweat if it weren't for the stinging sensation of a cut along his temple. He could see fragments of the crystal lying around him.
"I know you're awake."
Sendak.
The tainted castle barrier glowed in front of them, mocking them.
"What can we do?"
Allura's hands fisted. "The barrier is too strong for us to break down and all the controls are inside."
Keith deeply frowned. "So what, we just sit on our asses?"
"I want to do something," Allura snapped back, "but there isn't anything we -"
"Keith."
Allura's head shot up. "Pidge?"
"I can't talk loud. There's sentries everywhere."
Keith quickly put on his helmet to listen in as Allura continued to talk.
"Are you not with Coran and Hunk?"
"No. I'm still in the castle."
Keith and Allura shared a tentative, hopeful look.
"Pidge," Keith spoke into his helmet, "do you see Shiro and Lance?"
"Rover did a moment ago. They're at the observation deck."
Allura bit her bottom lip nervously. "...Are they -" she held back 'still alive' just in time, switching to, "Do they look well?"
"Both were out when I saw them. No missing limbs or anything. That's all I was able to see before Rover was kicked out."
Allura sighed in quiet relief. "The best thing we can do is prevent them from launching the castle."
"How?"
"I'll guide you through it."
"...Ok. Let's do it."
The Galra commander's steps echoed as he approached but he made sure he was at least a step above Shiro to better look down at him. Sendak put more force on his robotic arm, taking unmasked delight in the way Shiro's legs squirmed.
"Guh!"
He eased the pressure slightly once Shiro made a new sound. "It's been a while Champion. I see you found a new fighting ground." He turned his head to look around and then gave him a fanged grin. "Think I'll take."
"If you're able to," Shiro spat out.
When he spotted the glow of Shiro's hand he let loose a shock.
The Black Paladin clenched his teeth as he held the reaction in.
Sendak gestured to a sentry with his head. "Get his hands. Can't have him using what the druids gave him." He adjusted his hold while Shiro's hands were cuffed behind his back. "These are special cuffs. You can forget about using that destructive right arm of yours."
Shiro wouldn't say he was temperamental or cocky but something about this Galra really set him on edge. "That afraid of me?" he hedged in a rough voice.
Once the cuffs were on, Sendak forced him to sit up. Shiro silently glowered at him as the robotic fingers dug into his ribs. If it weren't for the armor he might have felt them crack. The glower was short lived as Sendak gave him another jolt. Shiro let out a hard breath this time.
"You look at me like that, insect?"
Shiro's head was bowed down but his glare still showed through his white bangs. It made Sendak bark out a laugh before harshly pushing him to the ground. Shiro grunted as he struggled to right himself.
"Still have that fire." Sendak stepped down completely. "The fights haven't been as entertaining since you've left." He paused by the roughed up Blue Paladin, lightly kicking at his leg to see if he was really out. The paladin didn't react. "I'm sure Emperor Zarkon will be pleased to have two new fighters for his entertainment."
A surge of protection and anger filled Shiro as his eyes burned with intent.
"I'll take you down before that."
"With your hands behind your back? Intriguing proposition but unlikely."
"Try me."
Sendak stopped at that. Then his arm shot out in a blaze of purple, pinning Shiro down again. This time Sendak came with the arm and pushed his whole weight down onto his captive. He twisted his arm, making it grind the paladin down into the sharp remains of the castle's crystal.
"Hurr!"
"You think you're strong, that you can withstand anything." Sendak leaned his fearsome face downwards, the shadows making his grin wicked and his eyes glow with demon fire. Shiro struggled to breath but couldn't escape from the devil's gaze. "Your strength is not your own. Never has been and never will be. We took your dominate arm and repurposed it to serve us." He sneered in Shiro's strained face. "You're branded for the Galra. Never forget that, earthling."
Shiro blacked out from lack of air. Sendak finally let go and walked away.
"Haxus, ready for launch."
Team Voltron was doing well despite some technical Altean jargon barriers.
Dawn was upon them already but Keith and Allura stayed where they were. They foiled the launch thus far but Allura wasn't sure for how long. She listened nervously as Pidge's heavy breathing sounded out as she ran away from some sentries.
"Ahh!"
"Pidge! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine. Stop yelling in my ear," Pidge grounded out.
Allura felt her brow tick. "I cannot help it. I'm concerned about you."
"Well concern quieter!"
"Will you stop bickering and get the barrier down?!" Keith bit out in impatience.
"Not all of us aced gym class mullet!"
Allura let out a "Hah!" without meaning to despite not knowing what a gym class was.
"It's not funny you idiots," Keith sputtered in anger, "It's not even clever!"
On the other end Pidge couldn't help but grin. "Oo Keith. You name called the princess."
There was a smack followed by an "ow!" on Keith's comm. Pidge grinned as she wiggled out of the air duck.
"I found the room. Hang on, let me zap this Galra."
Allura and Keith waited, hearing a loud hum before an unfamiliar voice yelled out.
"Got him?" Keith asked.
"Oh yeah."
That unfamiliar voice yelled out something to Pidge. All they heard was Pidge's response as she declared herself as a paladin with marked pride. It made Allura smile a little. It was unfortunate that Pidge would leave after this. But it made Allura feel better knowing that Pidge did want to be a paladin. Her leaving was a matter of familial duty and ties that could not be bested by anything. She could understand that.
She would do anything to keep Voltron active.
A fight must have broken out. They could only listen as Pidge grunted and moved about. When she yelled out very sharply Allura felt her concern return acutely.
"Pidge?!"
The younger teen did not respond right away. That made Keith repeat her name.
"I-I'm fine...but Rover's gone..."
"Oh Pidge..."
They heard another voice sound out through Pidge's comms.
"I'll get you for this! All of you! Voltron will stop your whole empire!"
There was a hissing answer from the Galra they could only partially hear. But they did hear Pidge's sharp breath.
"Shiro?"
Collectively, their breaths were stuck in their throats. Pidge must have been closer to whatever communication device the Galra was speaking through for they heard the Black Paladin's voice very clearly.
"Pidge, don't listen to - !"
The Galra's voice sounded over the electricity. "Trying to keep from yelling only makes it hurt more."
The low electric sound suddenly increased in volume.
"Nnnn...ahhhh! Gaah!"
Keith gripped his bayard tightly as he could do nothing but listen. Allura instinctively grabbed his arm for support. When Shiro's yell persisted Allura could feel her hands trembling.
"Stop it!" Pidge voiced out.
Please, Allura begged internally.
It was silent once more. The Galra said something but Allura didn't hear it. Keith let out a shaky breath as rage coursed through him.
"I'm gonna get him," he darkly muttered. "For Lance and Shiro."
"We will," Allura murmured back. "We quiznaking will."
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AN: Just a reminder I'm not doing scene for scene...though it does feel like it. XD