2019 Voltron Whumptober Collection

2 Explosion

Shiro, he wanted to say, Shiro, I can't, but the words stayed lodged in his throat as he hoped against hope he'd be able to get out of there.

"Keith?" Shiro's voice was beginning to fill with worry at Keith's lack of an answer.

Get out of here, get out of here while you still can-

"Keith, answer me."

I- I can't Shiro, I can't-

"Keith, I'm coming to your location, please hang on."

Violet orbs widened at that, and he licked dry lips, fingers digging into the metal floor, attempting to protest, "N- no, Shiro, p-please," his voice was a hoarse whisper as he attempted to get up with added gusto at the voice of the black paladin echoing in his ears, his shoulder screaming at him, his ankle just barely supporting his weight as he stumbled back to the bomb, bracing himself for the pain that came as he tried again to pull the chain free.

He ran. Feet skirting against the floor.

The chain jerked him back.

He fell.

He screamed.

He- he was pretty sure he just dislocated his ankle.

It hurt.

He wanted it to stop.

"Keith? Keith! Oh, God, hang on, I'm coming, just stay with me, please-"

"Shiro, n-no, you need to get out of h-here," he clenched his teeth after forcing the sentence out, clenching his fists, hoping the action would relieve just a little of the pain running through him. Shiro needed to get away before he got hurt, before-

He strained to look over his shoulder, eyes catching sight of the timer still counting down in blinking red numbers-

Two minutes and thirty seconds.

"I'm coming, God, just-- just hang on, Keith, please-"

"Shiro-"

"I'm coming, bud, just stay with me-"

"No, Shiro, you have to go without me."

"Without-" he imagined the man slowing to a stop from running, his expression pressed in deep confusion at his words, "What- what are you talking about? What do you mean without you?"

"Shiro, I- there's a bomb-"

There was a pause then as Shiro's voice cut off at his words, the man's head most likely snapping the pieces together at Keith's words. The silence lasted longer in his ears than it should have, and Keith almost believed Shiro had had enough sense to turn tail and leave.

Shiro needed to leave.

Keith was not going to let him die too.

"I'm not leaving here without you, Keith, that's not an option-" Shiro's next words were hard and determined, and Keith grimaced as his ankle throbbed again as his leg jerked in the restraint.

"But Shiro-"

"No, I'm coming up to your location, we're gonna figure this out together, bud, okay? Just hang in there-"

"No, Shiro, don't-"

His next words cut short as the door to the hangar opened with a low hum of noise, the black paladin's expression growing mortified as he caught sight of the teen sprawled on the floor, his ankle chained to a bomb that was about to go off-

"Keith-" Shiro breathed, brown eyes blown wide as the man came to his knees beside him, only taking in his bloodied shoulder and twisted ankle for a moment before pulling at the chain that bound him, his Galra hand igniting as he moved to cut it, purple light flashing in front of Keith's eyelids as he squeezed them shut, tears of frustration mingling with resignation to his face.