ALL MIXED UP | I

10 hurt 10

Sage felt her eyelashes flutter. Someone was yelling in the distance - or maybe right next to her. Everything was hazy. A gruff, unfamiliar voice rang out, making her pounding head feel even worse.

"Haxus! I want... in this ship... terminated!"

"Commander... received a transmission... somewhere inside," replied a second voice.

"There's... before they get the ship... again. You must... the particle barrier so... get in." This voice was familiar. Allura? Was she there?

"You got it. Tell... to do." Pidge this time. Sage tried to sit up. She couldn't quite tell if she was restrained or heavily injured. The warm something running down the side of her face suggested the second. She only hoped that the rest of the crew was okay. Her thoughts traveled to Shiro. All that she told Lance about him was true, but it didn't mean that she didn't love her big brother.

"Shiro..." she muttered. Something moved into her blurry line of vision. She felt pressure in her hand.

"I'm right here, Clary Sage," said Shiro's voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Sage breathed. She tried to push herself up again. Shiro helped her as much as he could with his cuffed hands.

"Careful," he whispered. "Since we don't know the extent of your injuries-"

"'-I shouldn't engage in any physical activity, as we don't know what actions may worsen my condition,'" Sage finished shakily. "I read all of your Garrison textbooks, I know."  Shiro sighed quietly, kissing his baby sister's head.

"We're gonna get out of this," he said softly, allowing Sage to lean against him. "I'm not going to let you get captured by the Galra. Ever." Sage glanced up at him blearily. She felt like a seven year old again, coming home from school the first time someone had bullied her for her knowledge. Shiro had made the same promise then -  that he would never let anyone lay a hand on his little sister. She asked the same question she had years ago.

"Promise?" Shiro smiled softly.

"I promise."

The two glanced at Sendak as he yelled commands.

"Kill the Paladin!" he yelled. Which paladin? Sage went through a mental list. Keith was most likely outside the particle barrier. Hunk was at the Balmera. Shiro and Lance were here. That left...

"Pidge!" Sage cried out. She knew this was her childhood friend, Katie. She wasn't going to let anything happen to the small girl. Guy? She'd figure it out later. Sendak turned, a sinister smile on his hideous face.

"Do you care for this paladin?" he sneered.

"Don't touch him!" Sendak grabbed her lapel, draggin her to her feet. Sage heard Shiro yell behind her, but she didn't break eye contact with the Galran commander before her. Sendak looked her up and down, as if assessing all her strengths and weaknesses.

"With a bit of training, you'd be wonderful in the gladiators' ring," he smirked, then turned to Shiro. "Don't you think so, big brother?" Sendak mocked.

"Put her down," Shiro growled.

"As you wish." Sage cried out as her body hit the ground roughly. Shiro glared at Sendak furiously. The Galra only smirked and turned back to his communications.

Shiro quickly made his way over to Sage once more. The girl was ready to pass out, her tough facade shattered by the tears streaming down her face.

"It hurts..." Sage whimpered. She felt pathetic. The last time she'd uttered that phrase was when she was ten.

"I know," Shiro said quietly. "Keep your eyes open, okay, Clary Sage?"

"Yeah... I'll try..."

"Repair the engine," Sage heard Sendak command. "Emperor Zarkon has commanded us to bring him Voltron. This ship will rise before day's end." Sage didn't hear anything that came after that - she had blacked out once more.

When she came back around, she heard Pidge's voice. She also didn't feel any pain, which was either good or really, really bad.

"Haxus is gone, and you're next!" the small paladin yelled.

"You've slowed me down, but this ship is mine!" Sendak growled. "You will turn yourself over to me immediately!"

"Never!" Pidge retorted.

"Well, then, maybe your leader can convince you." The Glara advanced on Shiro.

"Don't touch him!" Sage yelled, though an injured teenager lying on the floor probably didn't seem like much of a threat to Sendak..

"What do you want?" Shiro asked, struggling in Sendak's iron grip.

"Your friend wanted to hear from you."

"Shiro?" Pidge asked.

"Pidge?" Shiro replied. "Pidge, don't listen to—" He was cut off by electricity coursing through his body. Sage cried out as her brother screamed.

"SHIRO!" she called, tears pricking her eyes.

"No!" Pidge cried.

"You can make it stop," Sendak said, as if giving Pidge an actual outlet. "Turn yourself in. His suffering is in your hands." He ended the feed and let Shiro collapse to the floor. The tears building in Sage's eyes finally slipped down her cheeks.

Her entire life, she'd seen him as some kind of untouchable protector, immune to anything the world threw at him. He was Takashi Shirogane, top of his class. He'd protected Sage both from others and from herself, never backing down, never giving up. Sage had gone so far as to present him as her hero on Superhero Day in kindergarten. She'd drawn him with a mask and everything.

Any now, her invincible big brother was lying on the floor at the mercy of a corrupt general.

"I'm impressed that you managed to escape," Sendak sneered. "Perhaps it would be worth the trip to your planet to see if the rest of your kind have your spirit. Of course, they will all end up broken, just like you. Now that we have Voltron, every planet, every race, all share the same fate."

For the first time since coming up into space, Sage truly understood why the universe needed Voltron.

Green flashed in the corner of Sage's eye. She turned immediately to see Pidge running down the bridge of the castle. Sendak gave chase immediately, and Sage smirked to herself. Pidge was too smart to pull something like that. Once the Galra was distracted, the real Pidge rushed over to where Sage, Shiro, and Lance were, shaking Shiro awake.

"Shiro, wake up," the paladin whispered. "It's me, Pidge—" Sendak cut Pidge off abruptly, grabbing her/him/them with his tech hand.

"You really thought your little hologram trick would work with me?" Just as he had spoken, Keith and Allura ran into the room. The former summoned his bayard, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Stand back!" Sendak yelled, holding Pidge firmly in his grasp. Sage glanced at what seemed like a hopeless situation.

Suddenly, a laser blast hit Sendak, seemingly out of nowhere. Sage turned to look at Lance. The Cuban's eyes were open blearily and he was holding his bayard in rifle form. Before anyone could react, he passed out once more.

Battle raged in the room. Shiro, Pidge, and Keith attacked Sendak while Allura typed away on the computer furiously. Once Pidge severed Senak's arm's connection, the tide turned quickly, enabling Keith and Allura to trap Sendak in a particle barrier in the center of the room.

"Lance, are you okay?" Keith asked, cradling the Latino in his arms.

"We did it. We are a good team," Lance smiled. Keith returned the expression. Shiro came over to Sage, picking her up gently.

"Does it hurt like this?" Sage shook her head. Shiro sighed softly, pulling her closer against him. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I broke my promise. I let someone hurt you."

"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger," Sage muttered, giving a crooked smile before she drifted into the black.

1283 words, people!