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As Color Fades Away

Chapter Seventy-Three

Pidge really didn't know where she had planned on going but the splatter of blood down the hall had given her a clear direction.

She wasn't sure which way it was coming from; deeper in the lower level of the castle or heading towards the main living area of the kitchen and lounge, but she chose to follow it to the kitchen.

Whoever it belonged to was one of her family, as both humans and Alteans bled red. She tried to comfort herself with the fact that whoever it was had clearly kept up a steady pace as there was no large puddle anywhere indicating a stop and the fact they were moving had to be a good sign indeed.

But where were they going?

Her shock katar was gripped tightly in her right hand, left hanging in an impromptu sling made of bandages from the infirmary. It had been the only thing she'd paused to do, knowing that otherwise it would only get in the way and she could not afford any distractions.

She was keeping her pace slow and steady, both for stealth purposes and the fact any faster and she was afraid she might just tip over.

She was not as fine as she thought she was.

The rush of adrenaline had faded and she had not dared try to inject herself with one of the syringes for the temporary boost. With its disappearance she was more than aware now of the aches and bruises that littered her entire body, the way her right ankle twinged with every step and her head pounded.

She really just wanted to lie down and sleep for forever.

But she couldn't do that. Not until her family was safe.

The only sound in the deserted hall was the small breaths she wasn't able to completely muffle.

Which is why when she heard the hurried sound of footsteps she froze. Someone was coming.

Someone was coming fast.

The question was who.

She brought her katar up, finger hovering on the trigger that wound send the cord out, and stood her ground.

They could come to her.

She wished her armor was fully functioning. Creating a holographic clone would be very ideal right now but she was a bit limited. She supposed it didn't matter as the stretch of hall she was in didn't have anywhere to hide or blind corners. Just the curve up ahead where the person was coming from.

She really hoped it was someone from her team.

But the figure that came around the corner was not dressed in Paladin armor.

"You!" gasped out Haggar, drawing up short and Pidge felt that sharp smile slide back on.

Element of surprise, check.

Haggar did not look good, Pidge thought, lightning on the hand that had somehow turned black and was literally flaking away, and the way the witch had rolled her shoulders, hunched over a large blaster she carried. The aura of power that normally wreathed about her was gone although her yellow eyes flashed with a wildness that was unnerving.

She was still dangerous.

And this time Pidge would not falter.

"Surprise," she snarled, and released her shock katar.

Haggar batted it away with the blaster, the prod diverting and striking the wall.

Pidge was already charging though, as fast as her legs could manage, and whipped it back, aiming for Haggar's feet. The witch jumped the cord…

And ran.

"Get back here!" Pidge shouted, as Haggar veered back the way she came and down one of the smaller hall offshoots.

Oh hell no. She was not getting away.

Pidge gave chase.

This was not Haggar's ship. There were no traps here for her to be wary of.

Just a witch to catch.

Haggar was still quick though, all things considered, and Pidge's ankle was screaming at her now to stop slamming it into the ground.

Pidge told it to shut the fuck up and move.

They were angling back toward the kitchens, Pidge realized, but on the adjacent hall that contained the main storage rooms for extra food supplies.

Pidge smirked. This hallway dead ended into the largest storage unit.

Haggar was trapped.

She slowed her pace then, readying her bayard once more. She wouldn't miss again.

But as she moved into the dead-end corridor lined with doors there was no Haggar to be seen.

Hiding in one of the storage rooms?

Pidge stepped forward, warier now. She couldn't afford for Haggar to sneak up behind her. She would check each room, she decided. The doors slid into the ceiling so there was nowhere for Haggar to hide behind them. She would—

The floor rumbled beneath her and a sick sort of feeling crackled in the air.

Pidge felt her stomach plummet.

What the fuck was going on?

One of the storage doors further down the hall slid open and Haggar stepped into the hall, dark purple and black light sparking across her body.

Pidge's breath caught.

How?

How did she have this much power again?

"I had planned to simply leave this castle as it was," Haggar said, and her voice was smooth if still raspy. "But," she shrugged, "that was before I found such a bountiful store of life ripe for the taking."

Life?

She couldn't mean…

Haggar lifted her still purple hand and clutched in it was one of the space carrots. As Pidge watched it shriveled beneath her and a spark of light disappeared into Haggar.

Well fuck.

"It is not much," Haggar sighed, dropping the blackened vegetable, "but I harvested enough to easily destroy you." Her gaze narrowed. "I yearn to hear your screams, little girl."

For this child was the reason she had lost her Lance in the first place. First she had hacked her systems, then disabled her beautiful collar. And then… Power rippled over her one fist. And then the little bitch had taken her out.

Haggar would see her bleed, her insides coating this hallway. She could spare time enough for this. But a minute would be needed to rid the universe of this pesky Paladin.

Her blackened hand shook and Haggar bit back the wince, feeling it creep further up her arm. Things had definitely not gone as expected. The barrier the Lions of Voltron had created had shaken her but it was an obstacle easily enough overcome by using the drop of her Lance's quintessence she had morphed into her own to break them apart.

But then he had fought.

She had known he was strong; it was what had drawn her to his quintessence in the first place. But he was supposed to be broken. His mind has been in tatters when she had last seen him and it had been but a few quintants since they had been separated.

What had happened? How had he rebuilt his mind in so short a time? And not only rebuilt it but made it stronger than before?

It if hadn't been such a detriment to her own plans she would have been impressed. But rather than draining him of his quintessence and leaving him a blackened husk, he had drained her, forcing her to use every last bit of her energy to strike and defend against the onslaught of the Lions of Voltron.

She should have retreated then, but her Lance's quintessence was so intoxicating she could not leave it behind. She had to have it.

She would still have it. Somehow. She would find a way to break through the Lions' protection, to crack open his mind and lay it bare to the darkness once more.

He would be hers.

The idea struck then, dark and delightful. Yes.

She would eliminate the Green Paladin and then return for her Lance. Her Champion was hurt and slow; he would be of little threat. She would collect her Lance and bring him back with her.

She would break him again; strip him away piece by piece until he begged for death, for release.
And she would say she would give it to him, once he gave her his quintessence. For a willing subject would not be protected by any type of barrier.

But then she would do it again. And again. He would regret ever thinking he could escape her.
No one escaped from her.

He thought he had witnessed horror? Had witnessed true despair?

Haggar's smirk widened. She had yet to truly get started.

"Come now," she raised her hand, lightning crackling, and stared down the girl, "let me hear your screams."

"I think I'll hear yours instead," Pidge snarled, forcing hot anger to combat the growing cold fear as Haggar had almost literally transformed in front of her; from weakened and exhausted to a being crackling with power and darkness.

But there was no one else here. And if she didn't stop Haggar there was no telling what she would do.

She had to fight.

She had to win.

And screaming out a battle cry, Pidge charged.

xxx

"Pidge!" Shiro gasped and Lance felt the name a whisper on his own lips.

How?

How was he hearing her?

She was supposed to be dead.

She was alive?

He trembled, new tears filling his eyes.

Pidge was alive?

He hadn't killed her?

Shiro released him from the hug, staggering upright.

"Shiro—" he tried to say, tried to get his own legs beneath him even though all of him felt like a leaden block and his head ached as he tilted it back to keep Shiro in his sights.

"Stay here," Shiro ordered, voice hard with a mixture of fear and anger. His eyes softened as Lance lightly winced. "Stay with Hunk. I'll be back."

"Sh-Shiro—"

But he was already gone.

Lance moaned low in his throat, the sound equally frustration and fear.

His body didn't want to move, each shift sending ripples of pain along his limbs. He felt like a used dishrag; wrung out and dry. The ache in his head had increased and when he tried to reach out it worsened.

"Blue?" he whispered, but his Lion was quiet now. They all were.

Lance forced himself to sit upright, the world spinning around him. It wasn't over yet. He couldn't give in now.

Not when Shiro was still fighting, when Pidge—

His breath caught again.

Pidge.

Pidge was alive.

Did…

Did that mean Keith was too?

Hope fluttered in his chest.

Pidge was alive.

Dios, she was alive.

He had no idea how. They had been in that explosion and… and there had been nothing left except flames and twisted metal.

But if anyone could survive something like that...

His stomach clenched though as the next thought worked its way in.

Pidge had lived.

But had it been because Keith had died?

He could easily picture it; could recall how they'd heard Keith scream out Pidge's name just as the feed had exploded. Had he shielded her with his body? Had he taken then brunt of blast?

Was Keith still dead?

Lance swallowed back a sob. To have hope again and to have it taken away so quickly.

No.

He couldn't think like that. He had to focus on what he knew to be true.

Pidge was alive. Right now he was going to be thankful for that.

Although…

Although she sounded like she was in trouble. If Shiro didn't get to her in time…

His right hand, fully healed, trembled at his side. He needed to get up. He needed to help.

But his body would not move.

It wasn't just exhaustion, although that was pulling heavy on his eyes. His shoulders and back were weeping with blood from Theodek's claws, all of him feeling like one giant bruise and broken pieces. And his left hand. He didn't even want to look at it, feeling burning agony whenever he so much as tried to twitch a finger.

His legs still sort of worked and his right hand and arm were fully operational. Still, he knew at this point he would just be in the way. He would be someone Shiro would have to protect, an obstacle, in his fight.

Shiro was right. He needed to stay here.

But he did need to get to Hunk.

The mantra that had filled him from before pushed him forward once more.

Somehow he got trembling legs beneath him, aided this time by the fact he could put all of his weight on his right hand, and then he was standing, if barely.

The world around him spun and he took a few shallow breaths, fighting against the dark spots clouding his vision. Haggar may have healed his arm but he was still suffering the effects of blood loss.

Nothing so extreme as Hunk though.

His vision tunneled in on the still form a few yards away.

Hunk had been shifted onto his back and more towels looked to have been stretched across him along with a familiar yellow hoodie. Lance hoped it was somehow providing a comfort to Hunk as much as it had to him.

He staggered across the kitchen, falling ungracefully to his knees next to Hunk and moaning at the resulting pain that echoed through his body.

"Hunk?" he whispered, reaching out his right hand and touching Hunk's cheek.

He felt cool.

"H-Hunk?" he whimpered, lungs seizing.

He couldn't be. He couldn't.

He could not see Hunk's chest rising beneath both the armor and the sweatshirt so he focused his attention on Hunk's face, moving his hand to blood-stained lips.

There.

He felt a tiny breath against his hand.

Hunk was alive.

Barely.

This was his fault.

Lance curled up against Hunk's side, resting his head atop Hunk's chest and trying to add what little warmth he could, his right hand clutching onto Hunk's limp one.

"Lo siento," he choked out, burying his nose into the space between Hunk's chest and shoulder. "L-lo siento. Por favor no me dejes. Lo siento."

His hand tightened around Hunk's. "Pl-please. Hold on. Por favor. H-Hunk…"

The area around them shook and a faint explosion sounded from further away.

Shiro. Pidge.

Haggar.

Lance clung to Hunk tighter. All he could do was wait.

"Dios, por favor," he prayed. "Ayúdalo. Ayúdalos. Por favor."

Please just let them live.

Please.

Tears stung his eyes and dripped onto the yellow hoodie.

All he could do was wait and believe and pray and hope.

So he did.

xxx

Pidge screamed, this time out of pain rather than anger, as one of Haggar's attacks cut across her arm and without her permission her bayard clattered away from her suddenly limp grip.

She had been fighting the witch for all of ten seconds, not sure what the hell she was doing, but knowing that if she did not stop Haggar here then bad things were going to happen.

But she was no match for a Druid. Not like this.

She lunged for her bayard, but another bolt of lightning seared the air and Pidge threw herself backwards to dodge it, landing on her rear and broken left wrist freeing itself from the sling and smashing into the floor.

Black spots danced in front of her eyes at the sudden burst of pain and it left her gasping and frozen. She weakly scrambled backwards kicking her feet out to put distance between herself and Haggar, but it was ultimately useless as the Druid followed, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"This ends here, little girl," Haggar smirked, raising a pulsing purple orb, the same one she had intended to use on Keith back on the Galra ship, above her head, and based on the widening of her smile the witch was well aware of the similarity.

Except this time Pidge was out of tricks.

She was going to actually die.

She stared up at the unforgiving yellow gaze, determined not to show the fear that was filling her. If this was her end… she would at least go out with the bravery of a Paladin of Voltron.

But as Haggar's grin widened she realized it was a vain last hope.

She was terrified.

"Get away from her!"

Pidge had barely had time to process the voice – Shiro, Shiro was here – before she felt the whoosh of air as Shiro leapt over her, trail of purple light from his arm glowing behind, and landed in front of her, a human shield.

"Shiro," she breathed, hope warming her.

But as she took in his form, trembling slightly and blood dripping steadily in little plops to the floor from a wound on his front, she realized he was literally on his last legs.

They needed to end this. They needed to end this now.

"Shiro." Haggar's voice was clipped, none of the amusement from before.

"I told you I would kill you," Shiro growled and Pidge shivered at the dark tone even as she got her own legs beneath her and rose to some modicum of standing, although without her bayard, down the hall beyond Haggar, she wasn't sure what she was going to accomplish.

"You did," Haggar said evenly. "And I told you I would be taking my Lance's quintessence. Which I indeed shall still do."

"You've lost, witch," Shiro snarled. "It's over."

"Is it though?" She inclined her head at him. "You tremble, my Shiro, while I," and she raised her glowing orb, "am just about to get started."

Pidge's eyes narrowed in on the orb.

Had it gotten smaller?

It had, she realized. And the lightning that had been crackling over Haggar's form had disappeared as well.

Haggar was down to her last reserves too.

They could do this.

"I will kill the girl," Haggar continued. Her tone darkened, "for the second time," and despite the situation Pidge smirked. Hah. That was clearly a sore spot. "And then I will retrieve my Lance. I wish I could take you too, my dear Champion, but never fear, I will return."

Pidge lost her smirk.

Haggar sounded so… confident. She looked confident, even with the orb smaller.

They needed to do something. Something fast because Shiro wasn't going to be standing much longer. She had to trip Haggar up, somehow, make her lose her focus.

An opening. She needed to make an opening.

Think think think damnit!

"You can't have him," Shiro growled.

"He is mine," Haggar hissed back.

"Hey!" Pidge interjected, relieved when there was no waver and Haggar turned her attention to her. Opening. There. She silently prayed Shiro realized the distraction and the anger building in her words was not even exaggerated as she poured her last reserves into this final stand. "Lance is not a thing, bitch. And he sure as fuck doesn't belong to you."

"Why you—"

Shiro took the opening.

He launched himself forward without even a yell, just movement. Haggar blocked, barely, but the orb fizzled out at the contact.

Roaring, Shiro pivoted and brought his arm back for another strike and Haggar met it with a scream of her own. Pidge dashed forward, past the two interlocked combatants, and dove for her bayard.

She heard Shiro yell just as her hand closed around it, the hallway shake with a muted explosion, and turned to see him being shoved backwards, the whole front of his armor cracked and blackened. Haggar sent another smaller blast his way and Shiro screamed as it struck his stomach where the bloody wound she'd witnessed earlier was and he collapsed to the ground.

He didn't get up.

"Shiro!" Pidge cried, scrambling to her feet and shifting her bayard back into the shock katar. "Shiro!"

Haggar had turned her sights back to her, a new sparking black and purple orb in hand and nearly the width of the hallway although it was much thinner as though stretched.

There was still nowhere for her to dodge.

Pidge gulped and raised her bayard although she knew such a thing would be useless at blocking. If she could land a hit though, connect the prod with Haggar and shock her like last time…

She wrenched her arm back and sent the grappling hook forward with all of will, channeling Lance's perfect aim, right at the witch's head.

Haggar shifted the glowing orb to intercept it and lightning raced from it down the cord.

Pidge screamed as she was instead shocked and dropped her burning hot bayard to the floor, quick enough to prevent any major damage thanks to her glove, but now she was completely disarmed as Haggar skidded her foot on the cord and sent her bayard down the hall behind her.

Oh God.

Oh God.

Haggar stood towering above, just paces away, with her attack hissing and spitting and the violent glow from it matching the gleam in her yellow eyes.

"Now," Haggar smiled darkly, "die."

And a glowing purple hand plunged out the front of Haggar's chest.

Just like Allura, Haggar did not scream. She let out a breathy gasp, her attack fizzling out in a crackle of black flames, and blood arcing out of her mouth in a torrent of dark red.

Shiro was behind her, flesh hand grasping her shoulder and prosthetic through her, his own eyes alight with a smoldering fire.

"Die," he echoed, voice hoarse and low.

Haggar turned her head ever so, her bloodied lips pulling up into a faint smile as she met Shiro's gaze. She supposed… if this was to be her death then at least it had been by her Shiro's hand. By her hand, so lovingly affixed to her champion.

She raised her blackened hand, settling it about the still glowing prosthetic in her chest, and caressed it gently, flesh flaking away to bone, and heard Shiro suck in a horrified breath from behind.

She smiled softly. Let her gift him one more nightmare.

"My…" she whispered, holding tight to her creation as she exhaled her final breath, "…Champion."

Shiro shuddered as he felt Haggar go fully limp, her death rattle a mere hiss, and he yanked his arm back through her chest, spraying ichor and gore about the hallway and sending the scent of burnt flesh wafting.

Her body fell with a soft thump, face down to the floor.

Shiro collapsed behind her, prosthetic hissing as Haggar's blood sizzled on the heated metal.

And then he threw up.

"Shiro!"

He barely managed to deactivate the prosthetic before Pidge was there, her arms wrapping about his neck and pressing the crown of his head against her chest. She was shaking, trembling so much that it was a wonder she hadn't fallen over.

He reached up and pulled her flush against him with a little squeak, burying his face into her shoulder.

Pidge was here.

Pidge was alive.

He chose to focus on that for the moment instead of what else had just happened.

"Pidge," he murmured. "Pidge. Pidge. Pidge."

He couldn't stop.

She had been dead.

He thought she had been dead.

And if she were here then…

Then…

As if reading his mind Pidge's arms tightened about his neck.

"Keith," she breathed and his heart stuttered.

"He's alive," she continued. "He's alive, Shiro. He's gonna be okay."

Shiro sobbed, tears coming hard and fast.

Keith was alive.

He was going to be all right.

He felt like his heart had just been forcibly shoved back together and he welcomed the pain from it.

They were alive.

But…

But Allura was still…

And Hunk…

He needed to get to Hunk before it was too late.

Pidge felt the tensing in his shoulders and she released her near stranglehold. She kept her eyes firmly on Shiro's tear-stained face. He held her gaze, the darkness from earlier gone although there was still a fear.

"Hunk," he gasped. "He needs a pod."

Lance probably really needed on too but he hadn't seem to be in immediate danger. Not like Hunk.

"Where is he?" Pidge asked.

"Kitchen." Shiro was already rising unsteadily to his feet, swaying. Pidge didn't feel much better. "But I can't… I c-can't…"

There was no way he was going to be able to move Hunk to the infirmary. He needed Coran and his strength, but the advisor was probably still with Allura.

Because he wouldn't leave her alone while she was dying and that meant she still had to be alive. Shiro clung to that as faint a hope as it was.

She just couldn't be dead.

"I have a tarp," Pidge cut into the newly rising despair. "It's in the infirmary. We can roll Hunk onto it, pull him. You'd just need to lift him into the pod."

Shiro nodded. He could do that. He'd manage.

"I'll go get it," Pidge offered.

"No," Shiro interrupted. "No. Go… go to the kitchen. Lance… he needs to see you."

"He's okay?" she asked, voice small.

Shiro gave a tight smile. "Yeah. But…" He reached forward and pulled her into another hug. "We thought you were dead," he whispered into her hair. "We all thought…"

And the hollow ache Pidge had felt came back with a vengeance. So they had thought that.

And Lance…

Oh God.

Pidge knew without a doubt he was blaming himself.

Oh God.

She nodded against Shiro's chest. She would head to the kitchen.

But.

She realized Shiro hadn't said a word about Allura and Coran.

They… they were okay too, right?

She was almost afraid to ask, but she needed to know.

"Allura?" she whispered, the name for some reason heavy on her tongue. "And Coran? They're okay too?"

Shiro's grip tightened. "Go to the kitchen."

Oh no.

Truth by omission.

"Sh-Shiro—"

"Go to the kitchen, Katie," Shiro repeated, voice breaking. "Please. Not now."

Oh God.

She didn't push though. Not when she felt that doing so would shatter what little there was still holding Shiro together.

"Okay," she whispered. "Hurry back?"

"As quick as I can," Shiro promised. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and dropped his arms. "Now go."

Pidge hurried away, heart heavy with grief she could not give into yet.

Left alone in the hall Shiro looked down at Haggar's sprawled body. She was dead.

Dead.

The word reverberated in his mind.

Dead.

For so long she had been there, a threat, a horror an enemy.

And now she was just… gone.

He should have felt nothing but relief.

But…

He shuddered, wrapping his arms about himself in a hug that brought no comfort.

She may be dead.

But the nightmares she had left behind…

They were still very much alive.

xxx

Author's Notes:

The end.

Haha, just kidding ;p It is the end of the main action though and the invasion arc. Just some final healing and recovery and time to process up ahead. But you know me, it'll take at least a few chapters ;p And so, as you can see, I did decide on killing Haggar. I still love the idea of her getting away, plotting ways to get her hands on Lance and drive him to such an edge that he gives in to her (she underestimates him; Lance won't ever give her what she wants although if she'd had the thought to grab a hostage in Pidge or Hunk… possibly a different story ;p) but alas, I decided to give our team some closure on that front. I owed it to them. And Haggar will still stick around in her own, nightmare-inducing way. Lovely. I do hope you all enjoyed her end!

Also, apologies if I did not respond to your comment last chapter. I got a bit overwhelmed between work, the convention and then getting sick and just decided to start blank slate this week. I will aim to do better. Thank you so so much though to those who left them. They really helped me get through the long weekend.

Please drop a comment before you go. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter!