2019 Voltron Whumptober Collection

4 Human Shield

Keith hoped those bots got stuck in the doorway.

It'd at least make their job ten times easier.

It was fairly clearer in the hall, but not by much, they both still had to use their weapons instead of running through when another group of sentries met them around the corner, guns blazing. Shiro shouting through the comms that they'd make it to their location soon to help get them out "so just hang on," his voice making Keith's ears ring, and he grimaced at his injured shoulder throbbed.

It was easier for Shiro to say. As far as either of them knew he and Pidge were fighting against the majority of Galra on board.

Of course, with a mission about as shitty as this one, Keith was far from denying things still could've gone a little more smoothly than what happened next.

It might've been the rush of adrenaline coursing through his system that made him even notice it in the first place, or maybe just the need to protect that drove him into action, he wasn't yet sure.

He'd just managed to jerk his head up in time after running another bot through with his bayard, staggering a few steps, his knee and shoulder throbbing in time with his heartbeat before his vision grew clear again, finally able to look up before locking eyes onto the scene unfolding from across the hall with growing horror.

Standing not five feet away from the Green Paladin, stood a sentry, blaster aimed dead-center of her head. Pidge, was too busy finishing off her own group of attackers, she had no idea a bot was holding her life in its hands-

Keith didn't have time to think.

Didn't have time to blink.

He just moved.

"Pidge!" He shouted, Keith could already tell she'd move too slow, she wouldn't be able to avoid the shot now coming her way as the sentry fired.

So Keith did the only rational thing he could think of.

He dived in the way.

For the first time in his life, everything seemed to fall into focus. For one split second, the colors grew brighter, his thoughts louder, his emotions serene.

Then it all came crashing back down to burn.

He hit the ground hard, a shuddering gasp escaping his lips as he came down, the floor rushing to meet him, his shoulder screaming as he came down on his side, his injured leg pulsing. His chest felt numb.

Someone was screaming his name.

He was pretty sure someone else was talking in his ear a moment later, and Keith's brain helpfully supplied it was Shiro trying to talk to him through the comms.

No.

Not Shiro.

Takashi.

"Keith? Keith! Keith, buddy, what happened?" His voice was alight with panic, the man must've heard something from him to pull him into worry, but Keith couldn't quite recall him ever opening his mouth.

He couldn't get his tongue to work right for some reason to answer.

It probably had to do with the fact he'd been shot.

Shot.

Shot?

He frowned, moving to look down at his chest, only gaining a moment to catch a glimpse of the red painting his chestplate, the edged burned around a gaping hole dead center in his chest before small hands were forcing his head back up again-

"Keith, no, no, don't look at that. Look at me, please, just- just stay with me, okay? Shiro's gonna get here soon, I promise, and then everything's going to be okay, I promise." Katie looked like she was crying, why- why was she crying again?

His chest flared up in pain a moment later and Keith gasped, suddenly finding it very hard to breathe.

Oh. Right.

He- he'd been shot.

"S-saved you," he murmured, his head feeling heavy, his eyelids wanted to close, but he forced them back open, trying to focus on the small girl crouched in front of him, "y-you okay?"

He watched the small girl choke on her next breath, her eyes growing shiny at Keith's words as she looked to struggle with placing a smile on her face. "Yeah, I- I'm fine thanks to you."

He cracked his lips in a smile, something wet worming its way up his throat and he coughed, iron coating his tongue.

His mind was growing fuzzy.

Was his head always this heavy?

The next time Katie spoke, Keith couldn't hear the words, only shattered pieces as they echoed around in his skull.

His eyelids were dragging him back down again.

His chest flared.

His shoulder grew numb.

Keith's head slumped further against his chest.

"...eith?....o...dare....close your eyes....-right."

He hummed-

"Shiro......ith!.....th me! Please!....."

Closed his eyes-

"Pod......too much........everywhere......bleeding...."

And drifted.