Shiro Angst || Voltron One Shots

Gladiators

I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever get out of this place. Everyday's a blur. I feel like I'm on the verge of death at this point. Any day could be my last. 

Everyday's a new fight. A new struggle. 

Some days are easy. I keep the match short so I can get out of the arena. I can't stand it there- with the crowds bearing down on me, the lights burning in my eyes. They all scream for blood, for me to finish them  and give everyone a good show, but I just can't do it. 

Not when I've been there before myself. To know how it feels to be thrown into a battle, not knowing if you'll ever see your family again. Whether you'll even see the next day.

I just give the crowd enough to satisfy them. A broken bone maybe, but never anything more. I though, hoped  they would be saved from the gladiator life. Maybe shipped off to a labor camp somewhere. Anywhere was better than here.

That's what I thought of course, until last night.

It was a usual show, one of the newer shipments had come in, so there were many opponents that night. A few stronger ones, but none landed a blow. One of the very few upsides to my enhancement  I guess. 

The very last match was a young Puigian boy, probably no older than 13. His large ears were twitching in fear, and I could see he'd been crying. I was soaked in sweat, and my head was pounding from exhaustion, but I still held back, giving him only a sprain ankle.I cast him an apologetic expression as I was led out of the arena for the night, but I'm not sure he saw.

After a few minutes though, I realized we weren't taking the usual route to my cell. 

"Hey, where are we going?" The guard just ignored me, and continued to pull me along. All the hallways looked the same, but as we continued, the air seemed to get heavier. When we finally stopped at what I guessed was our destination, it was so thick my breath felt heavy in my throat. 

"Haggar wanted you to be here," the sentry says, pushing me through the door. I entered what looks like a lab of sorts. There are tubes and pipes of liquid everywhere, and a large machine in the middle.

 Hooked up to what seems to be a..person? I gasped, it was the boy I'd beat from the match.

"Ah, Champion," I flinch when I hear Haggars voice. " I see you haven't been giving it your all in the arena. And we can't have that, now can we?" She gestured down at the Puigian boy, who was struggling in his binds.

"Kill him."

I falter for a second. "What?! No! You can't make me."

"Very well." I see a glint in her eye, and dread whatever coming next.

She pauses for a moment, and then holds her hand out towards the Puigin boy. Immediately tendrils of lightning are ignited at her fingers and pulse into the boy. His screams fill the whole room, and burned themselves into my mind. 

"NO STOP!" I scream. "PLEASE! I'll do anything- just just, stop it!" I try to run to him, but three guards hold me back. 

Haggar locks eyes with me and just cackles. "This blood is on you Champion. Remember that. If you don't start working harder, it won't be the last." 

What have I done.