VOLTRON ONE-SHOTS

Keith - Crash and Burn

Word Count: 4,866

"Again."

He was more prepared this time, prepared for the rushing, biting surge of electricity that overtook him the following second, nearly biting his tongue as his back reared without his control, body writhing against the metal cuffs which held him tightly in place, limbs convulsing as his head slammed back into the metal table, pain igniting within his skull-

He was prepared for it, but he couldn't stop it.

The whimper worming it's way past his lips and into the air.

The sound made him want to curl up in shame of letting it go-

One week straight of this, you'd think he'd be able to keep the sound locked inside.

But he couldn't.

Not any longer at least.

A gasp escaped him as he slumped back against his metal binds again, the sudden electric surge leaving him zapped of energy, barely able to get air to screaming lungs that fought to work after being frozen stiff for those few seconds. The cuffs dug back into the open wounds of his wrists as gravity came crashing back down again, head dropping back to his chest, too exhausted to find the energy to hold it up.

Keith was tired.

Too tired.

Far too tired to bother with holding back the secrets they wanted from him, the information that would set them months ahead of Voltron. Months ahead of the war they'd be destined to win if he just let those secrets go and be done with it.

He wanted to quit. He wanted to quit and finally give in to their bribes of wealth and prosperity if he'd just tell them what they needed to know because they both knew it was the most "logical" thing to do but dammit-

He was no quitter.

He wasn't going to give up on his family.

There was no way in hell they'd get what they wanted.

They'd have to pry that from his dead, cold hands, and he'd be dammed if they got what they wanted from him any other way.

Violet eyes peered up through black greasy strands as his captor loomed over him. A big hulking thing that seemed to block out the bright lights behind him, turning him into nothing but a shadow with yellow eyes as he stood over him, hands clasped tightly behind his back as a sneer wormed it's way to purple lips. "Where is the castle of lions? Where is Voltron?"

Pale lips thinned into a firm line, a glare filling his eyes as he forced his head up to look the commander in the eyes. He didn't have to say anything, they both knew by now he wasn't talking.

It was just a game now.

Just a game to see how far he could go before breaking.

The Galra commander seemed to enjoy his lack of speech, turning back to the sentry that now stood at the control board-

(the Galra soldier that had been there hours before refused to up the voltage, arguing it'd kill him if they went any higher. He'd been shot in the head where he stood and Keith could still see the tips of armored boots sticking out from behind the panel-)

"Turn up the shock, and fire it again."

Fists clenched as the racing bolts dug into his skin with much more fire than before. Burning and tearing and ripping until there was nothing left but bones in his place, lungs seizing, heart shuddering, eyes going wide, unable to yell through the pain even if he wanted to-