((This one was a request by 'JinsTales' I hope it's okay~))

Chapter Five: Shield

"This planet sucks."

"We heard you the first five times, Lance."

"But I mean, it really sucks," the blue paladin slapped at a bug on his neck and yawned loudly, "Why are we here again?"

Shiro sighed, "The Princess wants us to find some special rocks that will help power the castle's shields."

"So why couldn't she come down here and get them?" Hunk asked as he trudged through the long grass beside Pidge, who could just see above the tall blades.

"Hunk!" Pidge rolled her eyes, "She's a princess!"

"And a badass!" Hunk added, arms wide, "Have you seen her fight?!"

Pidge nodded in agreement. Allura certainly wasn't your typical sit on a throne all day type princess, she could definitely handle herself. However, the green paladin was just happy to be out doing something, they'd all been locked inside the castle ship for far too long. A change of scenery was nice, even if it was just forests and fields of really tall grass.

"There, what's that?" Keith tipped his head towards a small cluster of caves, his bayard-sword raised.

Quietly, with Shiro and Keith leading the way, followed by Hunk and Pidge and Lance bringing up the rear with his gun, the group moved out of the cover of the grass and into a clearing. A jagged rockface protruded over the ground and in it were three small openings to caves. Lance tried to peer inside but the darkness seemed to seep out of them and he could only see a few feet in.

"Alright," Shiro began, "We'll split up and look for the rocks. Apparently they're red and glow so they shouldn't be too hard to spot. Keith and Lance will take the first one, Pidge and Hunk the middle and I'll go in the third."

"Um..." Hunk raised his hand, "Is it such a good idea to split up? These caves look… creepy."

"Don't be such a girl, Hunk!" Lance grinned as he and Keith headed for what looked like the smallest cave.

Pidge folded her arms and frowned at the Cuban, "Hey! I take offence to that!"

Lance waved as he and Keith disappeared into the darkness of the cave and Hunk watched helplessly as the faint pink glow of Shiro's Galra arm faded as he stepped into the third cave. He turned to look down at Pidge, who looked just as enthusiastic as himself about entering the dark, spooky hole.

"Well, let's go," she muttered, shoulders sagged.

Inside the cave was black. Not just dark but more of a thick, syrupy blackness that felt close, suffocating. Pidge tapped her bayard and it emitted a bright green light that only seemed to reach a few feet ahead of them, illuminating only a small portion of the cave. The walls were damp and seemed to writhe with something living when the light bounced off of them. Hunk shuddered, not only from the coolness but from the feeling of something watching them, waiting in the darkness just beyond the light.


"Watch your step."

Keith spoke a moment too late as Lance's foot caught on a root and he sprawled forwards, slamming into the red paladin's back.

"I said watch it!" Keith snapped, shaking the gangly lad off his shoulders.

"Hold the light closer!" Lance yanked on Keith's arm to move the light closer to himself, "I can't see anything!"

Keith pulled back his arm a little too aggressively and his hand slammed against the wall, knocking the flashlight to the floor. It skidded in a circle until spluttering dimly and finally the light went out, leaving the two paladins in complete darkness.

"Great, now we can't see at all," Lance stepped forward only to walk directly into Keith.

"Use your bayard," Keith shoved him back as he spoke.

"What if we need it as a weapon?"

"I've got my blade if we need a weapon."

"Psshh," Lance waved his arm dismissively, although Keith couldn't see the gesture, "What if we need a proper weapon?"

"Just use it!"


The third cave was a little larger than the others and Shiro was a little uneasy as he stepped through it. His footsteps echoed behind him and he kept turning around to make sure no one was following him, his Galra arm the only light he had. Its pink glow made everything look wet and fluid and a few times the black paladin could have sworn he felt something scuttle across his feet. He shook away the thought and continued into the darkness, secretly hoping that he would be the first to come across the red rocks so that he could get out of there as soon as possible.


"Did you see that?" Hunk asked as he squinted into the darkness, "Something moved."

"Nothing moved, Hunk," Pidge said matter-of-factly, "Do you see any red stones?"

He shook his head and then realised she couldn't see him, "Nope, nothing. Maybe we should go."

He turned to leave but the smaller paladin stood her ground, "We have to be thorough," Pidge looked up at where she thought Hunk's face was, "As the physically weakest team, we have to show that we're good for something."

Hunk heard her voice crack a little and pawed at the air until he found her shoulder, "You're good at stuff, Pidge! I don't know anyone who's a better hacker than you!"

She brightened at that and it sounded in her voice, "Yeah?"

Hunk nodded and then remembered the darkness again, "I'm nodding, just so you know."

With more of a spring in her step, Pidge moved forwards until they turned a corner. There, nestled in the wall like tiny blinking fireflies, were hundreds of red stones. The light from them was so intense than Pidge powered down her bayard and they were able to move forwards easily.

Distracted by the beauty of the red pulsing and the glistening of the gems – for that was what they seemed to be – the pair stared, wide-eyed. They had entered a cavern that seemed to rise upwards hundreds of feet, walls shimmering with the glowing red rocks like rubies in a treasure chest. It was beautiful and Pidge found that her mouth had opened in awe.

"Pretty," was all she managed.

"Very," Hunk agreed.

"Let's collect some and take them back to the others."

Without hesitation, Pidge jogged forwards and placed her hands around a stone. They were larger than she'd first thought, it took both of her hands to wrap around it, and it was wedged firmly in the wall. She pulled at it harder, using her foot against the wall as leverage until finally it popped out of the wall. Triumphant, Pidge turned to show Hunk and he plucked one of his own.

Pidge moved to grab another, the red light illuminating her helmet as she did so, and started to tug on it with all her might. It started to shimmy out of the hole and that's when Hunk saw a small round stone rolling from one side of the cave to another in a track carved into the rock's surface. He watched, mesmerised, as it came to a stop against another rock which gave way to release a dark liquid that gushed down onto a small water wheel at the other side of the cavern. The wheel turned, as did more beneath it and a low rumbling sounded throughout the space. Hunk turned quickly to see Pidge finally release the stone she was pulling on and immediately knew what was happening. He'd read about ancient civilisations setting traps to protect their treasures in tombs and the like but he'd never seen one in reality, only in films and on TV. Now, however, as Pidge turned to grin in his direction, Hunk saw the dart rise into the empty hole and aim towards his friend. Without thinking, the yellow paladin dove forwards, knocking Pidge aside and winced as something sharp pierced his neck, just between his helmet and armour.

"HUNK!" Pidge yelped as the big man collapsed to his knees, "What's wrong? What happened?!"

He raised his head weakly to look at her, the effect of whatever was on the wooden dart already taking hold and making his vision blurred.

"Just like… Indiana Jones..." he mumbled as he collapsed face first onto the ground.


Outside the caves, Shiro took off his helmet and made himself comfortable on a fallen log and stretched his limbs outwards. He'd searched his cave as thoroughly as he could, well almost – the darkness had started to freak him out a little so he'd made the search more of a quick glance towards the end. Now he sat and waited for the other paladins as the bright purple sun began to set.

Just a few minutes later, Keith and Lance emerged from the first cave. Somehow they'd both ended up covered in mud and Keith looked ready to murder the blue paladin as Lance removed his helmet.

"Whew!" Lance plonked his backside on the log next to Shiro, "Those caves are dark!"

"And muddy," Keith added as he plucked some dried mud from his hair.

"Any luck with the stones?" Shiro asked, already noticing the empty hands of the boys.

Lance shook his head, "Nope. Nada."

"Me either," Shiro squinted towards the centre cave but couldn't make anything out beyond the mouth, "Hopefully Pidge and Hunk will have had some luck."


Under the red glow of the stones embedded in the walls, Pidge desperately pulled on Hunk's arm. She'd managed to get him to the edge of the cavern but it had taken all of her strength and her arms and legs were shaking from the effort. She could just make out the mouth of the cave, a tiny dot of violet light in the distance, but it seemed miles away, far too far for her to continue dragging poor Hunk. She could go and fetch the others but the thought of leaving her barely conscious friend alone in the dark with god-knows-what made Pidge dismiss that idea immediately.

Ever the puzzle solver, the green paladin exposed her bayard and wrapped the strong wire around Hunk's legs, pinning them together. Then, like a trained archer, she aimed the grappling hook towards the ever fading light and pushed the button.


Outside on the log, the other three members of Voltron felt the sudden jolt of Pidge's bayard hitting the wood they were sitting on. Lance squealed and jumped to his feet. It had stabbed into the space between his legs, narrowly missing his crotch, and his life had seemingly flashed before his eyes. Before any of them could even decipher what the hook was, the wire attached to it began to retract and suddenly Hunk's huge frame came barrelling out of the mouth of the cave like a giant fish on a reel. Shiro and Keith dived off the log into the dirt but Lance was too busy checking his nether regions and ended up being ploughed into by the yellow paladin.

"What the-"

Pidge's arrival in the clearing cut off Shiro's question. She smiled, happy that her plan had worked, and walked on wobbly legs to where Lance had just slithered out from underneath Hunk. With her hand on Hunk's cheek, Pidge looked up at Shiro.

"Something hit him. A dart," she handed him the small wooden stick that had pierced Hunk's neck, "I think it's poisoned."

Shiro took it with his Galra hand to ensure that it wouldn't prick his skin and examined it carefully. It was a plain, smooth piece of wood with a hollow centre and a green ooze dripped from one end of it. The poison, obviously. He sniffed it and gagged; it smelt like burnt hair and rotten fruit.

"Let's get him back to the pod, there's an antidote in the first aid box."

"You think it'll cure this?" Keith asked, gesturing at Hunk's unconscious body.

"Allura said it can cure any poison," Shiro said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Um..." Lance scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Not to be a Debbie Downer, but how exactly are we going to get him back to the pod?"

The thought hadn't occurred to the black paladin but now that he looked at Hunk's large frame he realised even he wouldn't be able to carry him the whole way back. It was at least five miles through uneven forests and grasslands.

"How far does your bayard reach, Pidge?" Lance asked, completely serious.

"Lance!" She dragged a hand down her face, "We are not sending Hunk flying through the forests!"

"You sent him flying through the cave!"

"That was different! It was only a small distance and I knew what was at the other end!" She folded her arms and turned away from Lance, his idiocy too much to handle for the moment.

The blue paladin, however, didn't mean to be so outrageous. He was just trying to think of some way to get his best friend back to safety. He and Hunk had been friends for years and it physically pained him to see the big guy totally helpless.

"So we bring the pod to him," Keith suggested.

Shiro shook his head, "We can't. The electromagnetic fields on this planet are too unstable, that's why we didn't fly it all the way here in the first place."

"We'll have to carry him then!" Lance snapped, already sick of trying to think of a sensible plan. He just wanted Hunk safe and healthy.

"We can't carry him, that's the whole point!" Keith retorted.

"Fine! I'll do it myself!"

And with that, Lance hooked his arm under Hunk's shoulders and dragged him upright. The unconscious lad's legs dragged heavily in the dirt as Lance struggled forwards, stumbling and almost falling. Not to be beaten, he set his jaw and marched towards the long grass from which they had entered, sweat already dripping down his temples. He'd only taken a few steps into the grass when the weight of Hunk's limp body suddenly halved and he looked across to see Shiro under Hunk's right arm, holding him up. They continued onwards, Pidge and Keith following and checking for any lifeforms that may come their way, until Lance's knees gave way and he had to stop.

"Just give me… a minute," he gasped as Shiro propped Hunk up against a tree.

"I'll take over for a while," Keith said as he looped Hunk's left arm over his shoulders.

"Wait a minute," Shiro breathed deeply, trying to slow his pounding heart, "Let me take that side, this arm's stronger," he flexed his Galra arm and swapped places with Keith.

As they stood Hunk back up, he groaned and his eyes fluttered open slightly. Pidge jumped in front of him and grasped his face between her hands, squishing it.

"Hunk? How are you feeling?" her lips moved quickly as she tried to check for any signs of trauma or the poison getting worse, "Thank you for saving me!"

"S'ok," he mumbled, "Everything's… brighter..." he squinted as though looking into a bright light but the surrounding area was dark and getting darker as the sun slipped further down in the sky.

"Don't go to the light!" Lance flailed his arms in front of Hunk's face, "Stay with us, buddy!"

"He just means it's brighter than the cave, idiot!" Pidge whacked Lance's arm away and he rubbed it gently.

"We're taking you back to the pod to get the antidote," Shiro said calmly.

"But it's getting dark..." Hunk seemed suddenly more aware as he looked around.

Shiro shook his head, "It doesn't matter, we'll keep going."

"But the princess… She said… About wild animals… Nocturnal..." the yellow paladin passed out and once again became a dead weight in Keith and Shiro's arms.

"Anyone else having flashbacks to Allura's speech about the animals on this planet?" Pidge asked, eyes wide, "She said they come out at night and we should leave before they emerge."

As if on cue, the last of the sunlight dipped below the horizon and a guttural howl rumbled through the tall grass. A few seconds later a second howl echoed the first, then a third and fourth until the paladins felt completely surrounded by whatever wild beats came out at night. Whatever they were they sounded big and Shiro wasn't about to hang around to find out if his mental image of them was correct. He hoisted Hunk further upright, forcing Keith to do the same, and started forward once again through the grass. Lance led the way, his pistol aimed and ready, and Pidge brought up the rear.

They'd managed to get into the forest, only a mile or so left to walk to the pod, when a dark shadow darted across Lance's path. He stopped dead, gun raised, and the other paladins paused, waiting.

"What do you see?" Shiro whispered, anxious that something might hear his voice and jump out of the darkness.

Lance stayed silent as he swept the area, bayard ready to fire if anything should surprise him. A branch crunched to his right and he swung round, gun raised. He peered into the shadows and reacted instantly when a huge purple beast emerged from them. It was like a huge leopard and twice as big; blue markings littered its purple flesh and Lance noticed that the blue glowed slightly, making it look even more dangerous, even poisonous. Silently, it leered forwards, circling Lance as he followed its movement with his gun. Then, like a loaded spring, it leapt forwards with its mouth gaping showing huge black teeth inside. Lance shot twice without blinking and the creature flopped to the ground, not dead but certainly not able to get up anytime soon.

The blue paladin felt a soft hand on his shoulder and realised he'd frozen after he'd shot at the big cat, only now relaxing as Shiro patted his arm gently.

"Good job, Sharp Shooter," Shiro ruffled Lance's hair and grinned.

"There'll be more," Keith added as he tried to hold Hunk upright by himself, "We should keep moving."

Now totally thawed out, Lance turned to look at the red paladin, a sly smirk on his face, "You know, you can call me Sharp Shooter too if you like."

"I'll call you something all right," Keith mumbled as Shiro grabbed Hunk's other arm once more.

They continued on through the darkness, stopping now and then to adjust Hunk's position or when they heard an unknown something in the shadows, until eventually Pidge spotted the pod. She took the lead through the last of the long grass and Lance could just make out the top of her helmet a few metres ahead of him when something once again caught his eye. Another purple leopard. It skulked through the dry grass, stalking its prey – which was apparently Pidge – making the grass sway with its movement.

"Pidge!"

Lance stage-whispered but was too far away for her to hear. He didn't want to shout and startle the beast in case it suddenly charged for her but he didn't want it to eat the tiny paladin either. He turned to Shiro for help and was grateful to see that the leader had already laid Hunk down on the ground and was moving forwards through the grass, his Galra arm glowing faintly. Keith moved on the opposite side of Lance, ahead of him, and turned to whisper back at him.

"Stay with Hunk," he looked lost in thought for a moment and then added, "And shoot the big cat if it gets too close!"

The blue paladin watched as Shiro and Keith stalked the cat, moving as it did through the grass. They were almost close enough to grab it or stab it or whatever it was they were going to do to it when Pidge suddenly turned around. She opened her mouth to say something but the words stuck in her throat as she stared up into the dark eyes of the huge leopard. Lance watched as it loomed over her, completely blocking her from his view, and then all hell broke loose. Pidge spun back around and started to sprint towards the pod, only a few metres from her now. Keith swung his bayard at the cat but it dodged it easily and Shiro raced after Pidge and the beast as it chased her towards the pod. Lance aimed at the creature but it was moving too fast and too erratically to get a clean shot and he didn't want to leave Hunk alone and defenceless in the grass.

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

Pidge didn't even realise she was yelling as she clambered up onto the surface of the pod and desperately tried to find the panel to open the door. The cat-thing was right behind her and she felt a whoosh of air beside her leg as it swiped its paw at her, missing only by inches.

"Go away!" she knew it was useless but she couldn't think of anything else to say as it continued to scramble towards her, slipping on the smooth surface of the pod.

"Pidge hang on!"

Shiro moved like an athlete, winding and running through the grass with ease until he reached the pod only seconds after the green paladin. Once he was there, however, he wasn't quite sure what the plan was. The leopard was huge, far too big to just slap with his Galra arm and probably too muscular to be intimidated by Keith's blade. It snapped it's large jaws at Shiro and he jumped up onto the pod with Pidge, as did Keith once he'd assessed the situation. They were stranded on the escape pod, the panel for the door mechanism was right where the beast was standing and not one of them thought it a good idea to reach down and press it with those big black teeth in the way.

The surface of the pod was slippery and Pidge lost her footing. Her left leg slipped dangerously close to the cat's open mouth and it snapped at her angrily. Then, all of a sudden, a blast of bright blue-white light illuminated the pod and surrounding area. The beam hit the cat with enough force to knock it sideways and it yelped, obviously injured. Stubbornly, it turned back to the three paladins on the pod and opened its mouth only to be blasted with another hit, this time in the face. It reared backwards and slinked into the shadows of the forest, tail between its legs.

"What the heck?" Pidge asked, mouth agape.

From a few metres away, in the long grass, Lance waved happily towards them. He wasn't alone, however. Beside him, Hunk stood a little wobbly with his bayard-gun leaning against his shoulder and a wide grin on his face.

"Look!" Lance shouted, arms waving in Hunk's direction, "Hunk's awake!"

"I think the poison was only temporary!" Hunk yelled.

"Oh… Great!" Shiro replied, bewildered.

Keith turned to Shiro, eyebrows knitted over his dark eyes, "He couldn't have woken up before we carried him through miles of the forests of death?!"