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As Color Fades Away

Chapter Sixty-Four

It was not difficult to locate Shiro. Allura merely had to follow the sounds of battle, sizzles and low explosions punctuated by sharp laughter.

Her fist clenched on her staff at the last sound. How dare she? How dare she laugh?

She would not be laughing when Allura was done with her. And if she had her way the witch would never make a sound again because she would be dead.

Coran was hot on her heels but like her moving absolutely soundlessly through the corridors. The laughter was becoming louder to the point where Allura could pick out words intermixed with the cruel cackle.

"—may have been a mercy compared to what the Galra would have done to a little girl like her. You should be thanking me, Shiro."

Allura's blood ran cold as Shiro let out a cry between rage and pain and there was the resulting whine of his prosthetic biting deep into metal.

There was a gaping hole in the corridor up ahead and Allura inched towards it, seeing purple light dancing inside.

It was clear who was winning and her stomach clenched. There were multiple copies of Haggar moving about the room, each armed with glowing purple and black spheres of magic while Shiro was lashing out and blocking as best he could.

He'd already taken several hits; armor blackened in spots and sporting a bleeding wound that had torn through his underarmor across his stomach, but it did at least not appear to be a magical injury. Still, it was not good and Shiro was clearly in pain and moving slower for it.

Allura did not announce her presence. It was not honorable but then neither had been a false call for help that had resulted in… She blocked the thought from her mind. Not now.

She picked out the most likely actual Haggar – the one hanging behind while her doppelgangers ganged up on Shiro, and swung her staff with all of her might.

To her utter shock Haggar caught the strike with a magic-wreathed arm and Allura stumbled forward with a yelp at the resulting momentum.

"Princess," Haggar sneered, shaking out her arm as though the hit had been nothing more than an annoyance. "So nice of you to join us."

Allura did not bother with a response, merely pivoting to bring her staff back up again, the runes carved into it glowing teal as they struck Haggar's magic once more. Her eyes narrowed. At least she had indeed found the real one.

She was about to follow up with a second attempt when her ears buzzed from the vibrations of her earrings.

"Shiro! Allura, come in!" Hunk sounded panicked. "That Galran is here! Does anyone copy?"

"Hunk!" gasped Allura, but she was unable to respond as Haggar swiped at her and she had to flip backward to avoid the strike. She heard Shiro let out a cry as one of the purple fires caught him firmly in the chest and he skidded along the floor, also unable to respond to the cry for help.

"No time for distractions, Princess," Haggar smirked. "Your opponent is me."

Allura hated that she was right. She tried once more to respond, to at least alert Hunk that neither she nor Shiro could assist, but once more she had to abort as a sparkle of black and purple light came for her. Coran would not have heard either as he had no earpiece in and she dared not alert the witch to his presence. He may very well be their only hope.

Still, it did not stop her from worrying. This Theodek sounded like a fierce opponent indeed and while she had great faith in both Hunk and Lance she had a sinking feeling that hope would not be enough to assure victory. She prayed Hunk managed to get them to safety somewhere. If anyone could get the Lions to return online she had no doubt it would be Lance and if he could only get to the hall turned hangar they may have a chance.

Allura ducked under Haggar's next strike but her staff this time collided with only air. She kept the momentum going and used it to strike one of the many clones that had converged on Shiro, driving the glowing end through the creature's head and it disappeared with a shriek and black sparks.

"Thanks," Shiro managed, his prosthetic finally honing in on one as well and it vanished in the same manner. He rolled to his feet and joined Allura back to back as the four remaining apparitions circled and Haggar stood several feet further away looking amused.

"Are you going to attack?" Haggar asked conversationally, spreading her hands. "I can feel your killing intent and yet here I stand, unharmed."

"You are that eager to die?" Allura growled.

"Not nearly as much as your Red and Green Paladins."

Next to her Shiro roared out, arm flashing as it dug deep into another clone and he turned wild, grieving eyes on Haggar. Allura held out a hand to stop him from a reckless charge as such actions would not win them this battle. To her surprise Shiro did stop, although he whirled away with a cry to dispatch another clone, easier and easier as their numbers dwindled and yet Haggar still did not look concerned.

"I will grant your wish, witch," Allura bit out, watching Shiro in her peripheral as now only one apparition remained and the two squared off, more evenly matched than before.

Haggar scoffed. "All bark and no bite, Princess. Show me."

Allura twirled her staff in front of her. "You will regret asking."

And with a scream of her own she charged into battle.

xxx

Pidge winced as she bumped into yet another piece of debris on her way towards what remained of the battle cruiser, broken left wrist crying out at the impact. She grit her teeth and pushed forward.

It was getting hotter, almost unbearably so even with her armor. Tongues of flame were still licking the darkness of space, even without oxygen finding so much fuel to burn that they showed no signs of being extinguished.

Pidge ignored the reality of what that meant for anyone trapped inside.

Keith was alive. She would accept no other outcome.

She had stopped calling out for him as her voice was lost to the crackling and low explosions that seemed to make the air about her thrum and every time she braced for the worst.

It had yet to come. But it was foolish to assume it would not as the fires meant fuel and fuel meant that there was still something to ignite.

She had to move faster.

It was hard though, with only one working blaster and despite all of her efforts she kept listing sideways, buffeted by the explosions and the groaning wreckage that floated about.

"Come on," she whispered at herself, right hand grasping a piece of debris and using it to propel herself more to the right. Almost there.

Her stomach rolled at what she might find.

She was mere yards now from the cruiser, which had listed sideways. The supply pod they had taken down was completely gone and the main door they had attached to was gaping and open, metal near red from heat, somehow still intact despite the carnage around it.

Idly she supposed that was why during earthquakes you were supposed to get to a doorframe. They really did have amazing support.

Her feet lightly touched down and she hissed at the sheer heat felt even through her armor. If Keith was lying here on this…

No.

No.

He was fine. He was going to be fine.

She carefully edged deeper into the ship, body as taught as a wire as metal groaned underfoot and underhand as she guided herself off the teetering supports.

"Keith?" she called out softly, activating the lights on her helmet and relieved when the bright light cut through the gloom that was otherwise only punctuated by the small fires. "Keith?"

She swept her gaze from side to side, taking in the twisted metal and sparking consoles. The floor up ahead had been completely ripped away and she could see the expanse of space through most of the ship.

"Keith?" The word came out more of a sob that time as no red and white armor was revealed.

If… If he wasn't here then… then…

"Keith, please," she pleaded, making her way further in and activating her boosterpack to propel her over the missing floor, not trusting the lack of gravity to do so.

The ship lurched again as she touched back down and Pidge gasped, throwing out her hands for balance.

Loose pieces of debris came angling for her and she maneuvered as best she could, relieved when only the smallest piece connected and thanks to the lack of gravity it wasn't even a hard strike.

Her eyes widened though as from the shifting a flash of white was now visible by the far console. She held her breath, not yet daring to believe as she turned her headlamp in that direction.

An arm. It was a white armored arm that connected to a torso hidden beneath a crushed console that was sparking madly.

"Keith!"

He did not respond.

"Keith!" She covered the distance in seconds, small hand alighting on the visible arm and tracing it back further, but the rest of him was buried beneath flaming rubble. She refused to entertain the notion that his head was anything but intact.

She had to pull the pieces off him, but it was easier said than done. She was not the strongest normally and with a broken wrist doubly so, but she was only one here and so she had to.

A glance at her left wrist told her that even under the armor she could see where it was twisted and her respect for all Lance had accomplished while sporting his own rose even higher. Her fingers still worked though, evidenced by flexing them, and she was going to need both hands.

She raised them to a piece of the console that had collapsed on Keith's head and pulled with all her might. The metal groaned and she felt the heat wash over her hands, not yet painful but about to be, but it did not move.

Shit. Shit shit shit. She released it with a groan of her own. She needed a better grip.

She needed to somehow splint her wrist.

Pidge looked around for something to use as a splint but her only options appeared to be more twisted, hot metal. Not good. She could convert her bayard into a knife but she had nothing to bind it and she also had no idea how to adjust the length so odds were she'd end up stabbing herself.

Think. Think.

Keith didn't have time for her to think, damnit!

She pulled her bayard free anyways, but instead of the knife it transformed into her typical katar and her eyes widened. The grappling hook! If she could just…

Desperately she switched the bayard to her left hand, wincing as even the light weight made her wrist twinge, and pulled on the length of cord with her right. She had floated a bit away by that point from Keith and she hurriedly propelled herself back.

As she wound the cord around and around the visible arm, hating how it was so still even as she yanked on it, she knew this was going to hurt Keith. She prayed a dislocated shoulder that would likely result was the worst injury he would have, but based on the utter stillness and the fact that every visible teal light had gone out on his armor she knew that wasn't going to be the case.

Just let him be alive.

She chanted the mantra in her head as she finished securing the line, wishing she could have gotten it under his torso as well but only the one piece was visible. Giving it a tug the cord held firm and Pidge nodded to herself. All set.

Before she continued Pidge took a precious moment to place her hand over Keith's own and gave it a little squeeze, and even though she knew not to expect it her heart still clenched as he did not so much as twitch back. "I'm going to get you out," she promised quietly. "It's going to be okay."

Keith of course did not respond.

"Okay, Katie, you've got this," she encouraged herself, securing the bayard to herself by wrapping it twice about her own torso and then clutching it in her right hand. "It's going to be fine."

She activated her lone thruster once more, hovering gently. And then, leaning all of her weight forward, she blasted off.

Her ribs ached immediately in protest at the force but she knew they had nothing on the pain Keith was likely feeling as his arm was wrenched. But she could feel it working, metal whining behind her and she was inching forward ever so slightly.

"Come on, come on," she muttered, ducking her head down and trying to increase the thruster.

And with a crash and a groan Pidge shot forward like a cork so hard she smashed into the far wall, scream caught in her throat as her hands reflexively tried to catch her. Black spots danced across her vision and she felt acid tickle her tongue.

Whimpering, she curled up around her injured limb as though that could relieve the sheer agony radiating up her arm. It did not and she was wasting precious time.

Blinking back the tears Pidge turned to survey the scene behind her and this time the sob that worked its way up was one of joy.

Because Keith was free of the rubble.

She'd yanked him sideways out of the collapsed console, which without Keith to support it had crashed down as well but fortunately not on top of him again. His arm – she blanched – was indeed now absolutely dislocated, the entire shoulder bending at an angle human limbs were not supposed to go.

And yet, despite what had to be excruciating pain, Keith had not made a noise at all.

"No," she whispered. "N-no."

Pidge made her way back to him, sharp eyes peripherally taking in the blackened spots of armor all along his front, the pieces missing entirely on his right leg and revealing bloodied, ripped flesh through the black fabric. His face was her main concern though and it was blurred within the visor by blood staining inside the glass and several hair-thin cracks stretching across it. His eyes were closed and his face was completely slack.

"Keith?" she choked out. "Keith? Please… wake up." She lightly tapped her fingers on the helmet, but immediately stopped as one of the cracks widened.

"You have to wake up," she pleaded. "Please. Keith. You can't. You c-can't."

Because he could not have died protecting her. Not when he was the one who had been wary of this mission in the first place, when he had tried to tell them something was off. She should be the one lying there. Not him. She should have been able to save him.

Tears were blurring her own vision and she clenched her hands against his chestplate.

"Wake up!" she screamed hoarsely, slamming her right fist down. "Wake up! Wake up! Godamnit Keith, wake up!"

And to her complete and utter shock on her next thunk down she felt something beneath the ruined armor.

A heartbeat.

Hand shaking she brought it to Keith's neck, pressing gloved fingers against it and trying to control her own shaking so she didn't mistake it.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

He had a pulse.

It was faint and slow but it was there.

She almost started crying again, but now was not the time. Keith needed help, not some weepy girl.

She straightened her shoulders. Okay. What was the largest injury that was causing the near body failure? He likely had a concussion, she could assume, by the blood inside the mask and the dark streaks under his bangs, but that wouldn't be fatal.

There weren't any giant protrusions sticking out of his front from being buried under the debris that would indicate severe blood loss although his right leg was pretty mangled.

She almost slammed her head in idiocy. His back. Of course. He'd tackled her from behind, which meant that his back had taken the majority of the explosion. She gulped, recalling how just a few days ago that same place had been a mess of burned skin from Haggar's attack.

But even then, he had not passed out. He hadn't been completely unresponsive like this. So… so how bad was it?

Grasping his right shoulder as best she could, not willing to touch the distended one, Pidge rotated Keith onto his side so she could take a quick peek.

She choked on her next breath.

For the entirely of Keith's back was a mass of blood and burns and ripped skin and the scent of roasted flesh rose up as she unearthed it.

Only sheer will kept her from throwing up.

Oh. It was bad. It was more than bad.

Severe burns, she'd say third degree, which despite the heat had only cauterized in some places and left the rest of the flesh ragged, took up the entirety of his back, not a patch of skin left untouched.

His lower half had fared slightly better, although the black cloth on the seat of his pants was blackened and charred and she could see a faint strips of red, bubbled skin from a few of the slits, while his legs appeared for the most part all right, minus the completely twisted, mangled wound that took up his right calf.

He needed a pod. He needed it ten minutes ago.

It was dangerous to move him, especially with the cracked facemask. If that went then… then it was all over because humans could not breathe in space. He would suffocate within seconds.

But waiting for help was not an option either. Keith didn't have that kind of time and, the cruiser listed as a small explosion went off on the back end somewhere, neither did she. This thing could finish exploding at any moment.

She tapped at her comms again, static the only thing to greet her. It wasn't like any of the others could come to their aid anyway though. Not when she knew Haggar was aboard the ship and her stomach twisted at the thought of the witch finding Lance, of turning him back into that petrified, scared boy that they'd first found before she killed him when she found that his quintessence was blocked to her.

She shook her head. She couldn't think about them. She had to believe they would be okay because there was nothing she could do for them. She could help Keith though and that was what she needed to concentrate on.

Okay, steps. Steps were good. Step one, retrieve her bayard from his arm. She hit the release button and with a faint hiss the cord dissolved. Good. Now, rewrap it about Keith so she could use the lack of gravity to tug him along behind her.

Where, though, was the question. No, this wasn't going to work as there was too much debris to safely navigate that way. Pushing though, that still could work. She just needed to get him up.

"This might hurt," Pidge told him, voice high with a mix of hysterical laughter and tears. She maneuvered herself so that her toes were tucked beneath Keith's back and she bent down to grasp what remained of his chestplate as best she could. Then, she activated her lone thruster once more, causing her to rise up and Keith came with her.

He didn't so much as twitch.

She shut it off immediately once Keith was floating in the air of the mangled ship like some broken doll. And nope, she pushed that thought away as surely as she pushed gently against Keith's shoulders so he was lengthwise in front of her and his head somewhat protected up against her stomach.

It would be easier once they were clear of the ship, she decided, as she very, very carefully activated her thruster and used its momentum to send them both forward, but slower than she'd like so she avoided bashing Keith into any of the walls.

She calculated from what she'd observed earlier that they would have about a mile to get back to the ship.

A mile with one thruster, floating debris and a cracked face mask that could go at any second.

She hunched protectively over Keith's head as she steered him through the mangled doorway. They were not the best odds, not in the slightest. But she would take even a half percent a chance of success than the utter loss of failure.

It was a numbers game and Pidge excelled in numbers.

She was going to win and that was all there was to it.

xxx

Hunk had no idea what he was doing.

Well, okay. That was wrong. He was losing. He knew that much.

With a grunt he smashed into the conference table, dodging only at least second as an axe embedded itself into the wood before wrenching itself free with a shower of splinters.

But Hunk didn't have a second to breathe a sigh of relief as rather than pursuing him as he had been for the last several minutes, Theodek turned his attention in Lance's direction, who he had been ignoring the entire fight other than to make certain Lance did not make for the exit door.

Not that Lance would. Despite Hunk's order he knew Lance wouldn't leave him behind. That just wasn't the kind of person he was. Hunk both hated and loved him for it right now.

The Galran commander was brute strength, yes, but he was also fast and he swung his battle axe with a finesse that Hunk wielded kitchen knives. The Yellow Paladin had been unable to get even a single shot off and had been regulated to using his bayard as a blunt force instrument and shield.

He had managed to land a few hits as Theodek did not seem concerned with a defense, but despite the power Hunk knew was behind them they barely phased the Galran except to push him back. Still, he had to try. If he faltered then both he and Lance were dead.

"Lance!" he shouted out in horror, too far away to physically grab Theodek and the Galran too close to Lance to risk shooting with his cannon's wild barrage.

But he apparently needn't have worried.

Theodek let out a scream of pain and stumbled backwards, revealing Lance, pistol raised in a trembling left arm. And while he looked scared there was a determined cast to his face and Hunk did allow himself a small, relieved breath. He was okay.

"You!" snarled Theodek, hunched over slightly and Hunk's eyes widened as he observed the shot had pierced the back of the Galran's hand and burned right through the glove; a perfect match to the scar that covered Lance's own.

"Stand d-down," Lance ordered shakily.

Hunk sucked in a harsh breath as the implication of what had just happened struck and struck hard. Lance could have just killed Theodek. The Galran clearly hadn't expected him to be armed – Hunk had actually forgotten Lance had his bayard again – and given the accuracy of the shot…

Theodek's hand could have been his head.

Even here, even now, Lance was showing mercy.

It scared Hunk more than it should have. He raised his cannon, arms shaky, but Theodek was angled too close to Lance to shoot and Lance could not take even a passing hit without the protection of armor. He slowly began to shift around the Galran commander towards Lance. It wasn't honorable to shoot while Theodek was distracted by Lance but Hunk frankly didn't care. Not when it was Lance's life on the line.

The commander seemed to realize the act of mercy too, but unlike Hunk it only seemed to enrage him more. "You dare show me mercy?" he snarled, shifting his axe to only his right hand. "Where was this mercy when you killed my brother?"

"Stand down," Lance repeated although he flinched at Theodek's words. Hunk inched closer. Almost there. His cannon whirred to power up.

"No," growled Theodek, moving to lunge. "I will have your head!"

Hunk saw the moment Lance pulled the trigger, the flash of teal illuminating resigned but resolute eyes and he felt his stomach bottom out that Lance was being forced to make this call, ashamed that he hadn't been able to prevent it despite his promise. It was meant as a kill shot, beam closing the few feet of space between the charging Galran and human in a blink.

But it was not to be.

Theodek reflected the head shot with his axe, and then took the second and third follow up strikes against his chest without hesitation, murder in his yellow eyes and a roar on his lips that despite the volume Hunk still caught the soft, sharp inhale from Lance as he realized what was about to happen as the Galran closed the distance between them in seconds and Theodek much, much too close to Lance for Hunk to take a shot of his own.

Hunk didn't think anymore than that. He just moved. If he could not be a sword than he would be the shield. He was not going to let Lance get hurt. He'd promised.

A tick later he felt the battle axe bite deep into his flesh.

Hunk screamed in pain, Lance cried out in horror and Theodek roared, yanking back on his weapon and pulling it out where it had cleaved into Hunk's side and stomach, a trail of blood and pieces of shattered armor that flying behind.

"Hunk!" screamed Lance as Theodek brought the axe back for a second strike and Hunk hated that he had created such a fear, but he would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant keeping Lance safe.

Swallowing against the fire that was pouring from his side, Hunk pivoted and this time caught the axe blade with his reformed bayard, metal on metal screeching and sparks flying. He nearly buckled under the force and the renewed agony, but pushed back, hitting the trigger of the fully charged cannon as he did so and then it was Theodek's turn to yell in pain as the blast caught him full on where Lance's shots had pierced his armor.

The Galran staggered backwards and Hunk dropped to one knee, vision whiting out for a moment as the impact jarred the wound and he felt blood gush; hot and heavy and he tried his best to hold the agonized moan inside.

"Hunk! Hunk!" Lance was kneeling next to him then, tears glimmering and his right hand scrabbling uselessly to grip anything for even in this moment of panic Lance had the sense to not let go of his bayard.

"You have to g-go," Hunk rasped, avoiding looking at his own wound. He didn't want to know. The fact he wasn't split in two was as good as he was willing to acknowledge right now, but he did not think he was moving from this spot. Not now. Maybe... maybe not ever.

The ground beneath him was starting to puddle red. He heavily resisted the urge to vomit.

"Hunk, no! No. Get up!" Lance tried to pull him with what little strength he had and Hunk felt his heart shatter at the raw desperation. "Get up! Por favor. Levántate!"

Because Lance had done this, his hand trembling on Hunk's shoulder and bayard clacking in the other. If he'd just killed Theodek when he'd had the chance it would already be over.

But he hadn't. He couldn't.

Not without trying one last time to avoid any more death. Theodek's brother… Keith, Pidge…No more. No more bodies.

He didn't want to kill again.

But… he had really, really messed up. And now Hunk – and Keith and Pidge, he swallowed a sob – were paying the price.

He should have just taken the shot.

"Hunk, please," he begged as Hunk's bayard, the only thing actually holding him up, shimmered away and Hunk slumped forward and more crimson gushed from his side.

Lance cast his mind desperately out to the Lions, seeking any hint of their presence. They needed help. But other than a spike in the constant ache of his head there was no response and he felt the familiar stab of uselessness strike deep.

Why could he never do anything?

"Lance, go." Hunk's voice was much too quiet, but high with pain.

"N-no. I won't… I won't leave you."

"Touching."

The words were a mere hiss and Lance looked up to see Theodek, dark blood staining his shoulder, crouched across the room and the large gun back in his hands and trained in their direction. Lance felt his mouth go dry. That was the gun that had blasted through the castle's walls as though they were made of paper.

"I told you did I not?" Theodek asked as the gun charged with a whine. "That your weakness would kill your friend?"

"Lance… go…" Hunk choked out and a sick line of crimson dribbled down his chin.

"No." It came out stronger than he felt and he shakily raised his bayard once more. His arm was aching from the recoil of earlier but it had nothing on the pain of seeing Hunk bleeding out in front of him.

He was going to stop Theodek.

Permanently. No more mercy. No more chances.

He was going to fix this.

But Theodek only chuckled as Lance trained the gun on him, kneeling in front of Hunk and feeling hot blood seeping into his sweatpants.

"Go ahead and try, child. It is already over."

Lance took the shot.

And it was swallowed by the discharge of Theodek's own gun, a roaring, sizzling barrage of purple light.

There was a mere tick to watch it approach, to know that this was it, that he had failed so utterly and completely and everyone was dead because of him, when a set of hands clamped down painfully on his shoulders from behind.

"I'm sorry," Hunk gasped, and then Lance found himself being encased in the tightest hug he'd ever had and twisted, knees squelching in the scarlet gore, so Hunk's back was now facing the incoming blast.

And the world exploded.

xxx

Author's Notes:

I do like explosions, don't I? Nearly as much as impalement. Not sure that's what I'd call Hunk's wound though. A cleave, maybe? Yes. I like that. I cleaved Hunk :D And look, our precious cinnamon roll took a leaf out of Lance's book for the self-sacrifice department. Oh dear... But I rescued Keith (sort of) so like, still positives in here?

If you're still here, reading and enjoying the story, please do leave a review with your thoughts before you skedaddle. I'd really appreciate it. I think I may be killing some of you with the cliffhangers, so if you are alive and just chilling at the bottom of said cliff, please, give a wave. Reviews this week will be used as icepacks from my car accident yesterday as well so please, help me xD (apologies too to any comments I did not respond to; having some trouble with typing right now). I could use the extra love this week if you would be so inclined.