bakerstreet | YOU WANT, UH, A TISSUE? MAYBE SOME SOAP? NEW CLOTHES?

[ooc. hi you! :D Also, heck yeah, I am completely down for this! These boys just bring angst with them. I'm good with either, or both, of them covered in blood too. Let's do this! Come save him, Keith]

{OOC: :D Awesome!}

[It started with what felt like an explosion. Then, the alarms kicked in as the entire facility went on alert. The rumbling didn't immediately stop, indicating something that might be more than just a single explosion, something more like an attack barrage. Footsteps pounded past Shiro's door several times, accompanied by shouts of an attack.

Two words might filter through the chaos... "Red Lion".

It wasn't long after that when several sentries took up positions at the door, and not just robotic ones. It wasn't going to be easy to get through. In fact, it seemed like it might not happen at all. Then one of the guards asked what was happening just before the sound of something having been thrown connected with a dull thud against one of them. The sentry fell with a metallic clank of armor and there were several shouts mingled with weapons fire and then eventually hand-to-hand fighting.

It finally went silent, only punctuated by the single noise of someone pulling a blade out of metal before the door opened.]

Shiro?

[Keith looked like hell. He was breathing hard and the dim purple lighting made it hard to tell if he was covered in his own blood or someone else's. But, from what he could see in the cell, Keith was pretty sure Shiro wasn't much better off. He quickly put away his Galra blade and stepped in.]

Are you hurt bad? We gotta get you outta here.

[They'd taken his arm.

It was one of the first things he'd become aware of, the roughly seared stump of metal that was still fused to his skin jagged and raw looking, dripping liquids that smelled foul and made him sick to his stomach. The job was choppy, these weren't Galra whatever they were and he suspected that infection from their chop job set in quickly. Or the continual drugs they pumped him with did the same. He'd been feverish for what felt like weeks now, dehydrated, wrenching in and out of consciousness where he hung by his single human arm from the wall, legs cramped and joint swollen. There were new wounds across his bare torso now too, burns from heat and liquids, bruises, cuts. And he still wasn't sure what they wanted.

Not that he'd give it to them even if he knew but the questions they screamed at him never made sense and he couldn't even tell if they worked for or against the Galra or operated entirely alone. They knew him though. Champion. Not the Black Paladin. Just - Champion. Spat at him during each session, snarled each time they tossed him back in and chained him to the wall again.

Champion.

He'd wanted to believe he'd moved beyond that.

When the explosions start he's just been finished through one of their sessions and his head is throbbing so hard, his skin feeling so dry and tight and hot, that he's not sure, at first, that its not just his head. Except it keeps going, gets worse and somewhere inside of himself he finds the energy to pay attention. An attack? Has his team finally come for him? Or is it something entirely unrelated and he'll die in the vacuum of space with no one ever knowing what's happened to him?

He doesn't miss the irony of that.

But - no. Red lion. He hears it and his lips curve, aggravating the split in his lower one. Red lion. Keith. And he'd almost feel sorry for everyone onboard suddenly. Weak he forces himself up, using the wall as support and locks his knees. He needs to be mobile. He needs -

the smile does come, wolfish for all its faint, when he hears the fight outside and maybe someone else would wonder but he knows. Shiro already know who's going to win that one. He hisses when the door opens though, slitting his eyes against the dim light that spills in and clears his throat, trying to get enough of his voice back.]

Keith. [It's a thousand words and the loudest of them is faith.] Not surprised. I can move. Get this chain off my wrist.

[It was hard to keep the look of concern off his face when his eyes adjusted and he got a better look at Shiro's condition. He came in quickly, tucking the Galra blade away so he could use his left arm to catch Shiro if he needed it.]

Turn your head.

[When he did, Keith cut the chain with a well-placed swing of his bayard.]

Red's keeping up a distraction for us for now, but this group is pretty heavily armed. The others are on their way to help us get out.

[Red was the fastest, so she'd caught up to the ship first.]

[Keith doesn't look so good himself and Shiro gives himself a second of pure worry that all the blood on him isn't just from the creatures that have been holding him -

but they both understand priorities and right now, escape is the only one.

He does as instructed - and almost falls over when the tension from the chain is gone and he loses that support. God damn, he wishes he wasn't so pumped full of drugs! But he grits his teeth and reaches for Keith's support.]

Should have waited for the others. [It comes out rasping from his throat and he knows, as the team leader, he should be sounding less affectionately amused and more stern but - he just doesn't have the energy for it. He can walk. Or he can stagger at least. The sooner they get somewhere Red can retrieve them the better.]

All right, let's go.

[Shiro wasn't the only one worried, though Keith was more worried about Shiro than himself at the moment.]

Yeah, probably. [His tone was wry, since waiting had never been a strong point for Keith. He eased Shiro's arm over his shoulders to help him stand, having switched to holding his bayard in his left hand, and then started out once they were ready.

With them this close to each other, though, Keith couldn't exactly deny any of his injuries that Shiro might notice, including the fact that he was limping. At least some of the blood around his waist was his own, coming from a nasty gash on his side, just above his belt. He'd been pushing himself pretty hard, but wasn't giving up, yet.]

[Walking is - harder than anticipated but Shiro isn't giving up yet either. He forces one foot in front of the other, dragging them if necessary and moves as fast as he can - which isn't anywhere near as fast as he'd like to. He can't smell anything but blood so that's no help but he does notice that Keith's limping and favoring his side. Teeth grit, breathing through drawn back lips in short pants, Shiro doesn't have the energy to keep his head up - and it gives him a good view of Keith's side.

He's going to scold him for that.

Once they're safely out of here.

Which is going to be a tight thing if the sound of shouts and running footsteps Shiro can tinnely hear down the hallway is any indication. The team's coming but Shiro doesn't know how far away they are. Red always was the fastest and driven by Keith's impatience, Shiro thinks it could make itself go even faster. He is not going to let another one of his team get captured just because he's too slow.]

Ditch me in a corner somewhere. They won't have the man power to look for me if I'm hiding. Get back to Red and come back with the others.

[Keith took only a tic to figure out where they were coming from, but he didn't let go of Shiro just yet. It was rare for him to outright defy the older Paladin, but...]

No. I'm not leaving you.

[He was stubborn.]

[It is rare for Keith to defy him and yet - Shiro's not surprised this time when he does. If he were in Keith's boots he'd do the same. It's not sensible or the smart thing to do but - he gets it. He didn't think it would work when he'd said it but it had been worth a try. His arm over Keith's shoulders tightens, just a little and he tries, damn but he tries, to get his legs moving faster. They don't. They're barely holding him upright and every dragging step forward is a battle. They're not going to make it to escape pods or anything like that with him nothing but dead weight.

And they can't just jump an airlock the way that seems to be Keith's preferred method. Shiro doesn't have a helmet, though, as feverish as he is, the cold of space might be welcome. He tries to force his foggy mind to concentrate.]

Hide. We need to find somewhere to hide until the others get here. [Where doesn't present itself but he tries.] We're leaving a trail...

[Jumping out an airlock would definitely have been an easy way for Red to find them, but no. Keith wasn't thinking about that with Shiro in his current state of... well, half-dress, thanks to the captors doing whatever it was they had been doing to him. It was way too dangerous.

Expelling their arriving attackers out an airlock, though... Not a half-bad idea if they could find a way to make sure they didn't get sucked out with them.

Shiro's comment about leaving a trail gives him an idea. A determined look passed across his features.]

This way.

[And, yes... he started for the nearest airlock.]

[Keith has a sharp mind and he picks up on solutions almost intuitively often enough. Granted, his solutions aren't usually the ones Shiro would go with but - if it worked and no one died...

so Shiro, still groggy from the drugs and now the pain of forcing his body to move, having to focus far too much of his concentration on just moving his legs, is counting on the younger paladin for exactly that. All Keith gets is a grunt, to show he's heard and Shiro follows his lead.

He is a good leader. Just - needs to work on his people skills sometimes. And his impulsiveness.

When Shiro lifts his head though to look around - he does recognize the direction they're going and that - that's not going to -

No. Keith knows the condition he's in. Whatever he's got in mind, Shiro can trust that. He trusts Keith with his life. He trusts Keith with his life more than he trusts himself.

And, if worse comes to worse, Shiro was trained in the steps to hold out in empty space for a few seconds. It might be enough, if it comes to that. And if it isn't -

well, they'll be free of the ship one way or the other.]

[And, really, as much as Keith might not want to admit it about his own condition, his armor had lost its space integrity when he'd been slashed on the side, ripping through the black jumpsuit portion of the outfit, so he really wasn't in the best spot to be diving out an airlock himself, either.

Still, if he remembered correctly, there might be a spot where they could take cover nearby.

He gave a look over his shoulder. It was getting urgent. They weren't far, but the voices were getting closer. They didn't have much time.

When they got closer, Keith spotted the door he wanted. Thankfully, they had to walk past it to get to the airlock.]

This might sound weird, but we're going to go to the airlock, but double back a bit.

[That trail thing? Keith was going to lead them right to the airlock, but they weren't going in.]

[By the time they get to the airlock Shiro's struggling. He's struggling to be any help at all with movement - and he's struggling to stay focused mentally as well. All his mind really wants to do is haze over and its getting harder and harder to fight that. He can't though - Keith might need him and he needs to be useful. More than a dead weight. Keith's voice comes to him from far away and it takes him a long moment to focus on it, moving automatically, one foot in front of the other as his mind sorts through the noises and struggles to make them make sense. And to make what they mean make sense. But -

the sound he makes is a cough, dry and dusty, but one edge of his lips pulls up and there's a trace of humor. He thinks he gets what Keith is up to.]

Clever.

[He manages to grate it out and puts the last of his energy and strength into being mobile enough to carry through with Keith's plan.]

[Keith was actually glad they were there already. He could tell Shiro was fading in strength, even if he didn't know exactly why that was happening other than Shiro looked really badly beat up. Keith was getting worried.]

Over here.

[He led Shiro into a side room and helped him sit. He was going to have to sell the airlock trick, though, so that meant going back out there himself.]

Stay here.

[And he was on his way back out-]

[Exhaustion, fever, drugs, adrenaline wearing off, there are a lot of reasons Shiro's having to fight to stay sharp and aware but he does. The middle of an escape isn't the place to zone off and even if he doesn't imagine a great deal that he could do if needed, he's still going to try if necessary. Keith risked everything to get to him, he's not going to not return that given half a chance.

Except Keith lowers him into a sitting position against a wall and its all Shiro can do to breathe ragged, narrowing his eyes to keep his focus on Keith. His head is muffled but his lost arm is a throbbing mess and he focuses on that pain, trying to use it to keep himself in the moment.]

Keith

[He thinks he understands what's happening, what the plan is. And he doesn't like it. He's not the only one hurt. He knows Keith is too. But - its the best plan they have and Shiro can't think of anything better. He hates it but - ]

Be careful out there.

[Keith glanced back at the sound of his name, then gave Shiro one of his half-smirks.]

I'll be back.

[And he was out the door, closing it behind him.

He jogged back to the airlock and opened up the inner door. The group spotted him and started shooting, so he dove in and smacked the control to close it again. That would give him time to find a place to hide. There were some strapped down crates in the corner, so he headed for that, having to climb up a bit to find a spot he could fit inside enough that he'd be hidden.

The door slid open again and the group came running in, shouting various orders back and forth at each other. Keith waited. The door was still open, so once he was sure he could make it, he jumped down from the crates. He grunted, the landing aggravating his injured leg, and he fell into a roll. The noise drew their attention, and he had dive back out the door. He threw his Galra knife to hit the door control, and then scrambled to avoid getting shot.

Two got out before the door slid shut, and Keith drew his bayard to fight, using the particle shield in his armor's wrist gauntlet to block the two guns. He charged in, taking away their range advantage quickly, and took down one pretty quick. The other managed to get a kick in on his side, and Keith had to roll away to catch his breath, bringing up the shield again as his enemy attempted to go back to shooting again.

He wasn't sure how much time they had before the rest of the group got that inner airlock door open again, but he needed to get Shiro moving. With the airlock now effectively blocked, he was going to have to head for the hangar. He fought for another surge of energy to take this last guy down.]

[Shiro hates having to listen to everything through the thick doors of the room he's in, hates the way everything is muffled and how long the silence stretches - but he hates even more when he hears the sounds of weapon's fire. With his good hand, he clutches at the stump of his ruined one, dangling wires, infected smelling liquids over his hand. Keith is out there. Fighting. Hurt. And Shiro doesn't underestimate Keith's fighting ability but - he's still young. He's so young and he's out there fighting for not just his life but Shiro's as well and - he shouldn't have to do that alone. There has to be something he can do to help his friend. Fighting, grunting, Shiro gets one knee under him and then forces that foot up. Gets himself braced up that way. As much as he'd like to go out there, throw himself into the fight as well, unarmed, literally, to be nothing but a distraction to the enemy, but Shiro knows that he'd be more of a problem than anything else, something Keith would have to take the focus off himself for. More damage than good.

The sound of firing stops but Shiro imagines he here's the clang of weapons. He really needs to make his team more self-sufficient. Without Lance and Hunk here, he and Keith are close range only. And Hunk and Lance could use something to use at short range if they needed it. Which- is for another time. When they're all out of here and safe again. Shiro gets his other foot under him and lurches to his feet. The room spirals inward with sparks and goes dark on him and he hangs his head and waits for his sight to come back, fighting to keep from passing out. Mobile. He needs to be mobile. The slower he is, the more of a risk he puts on Keith and the others.

The room lurches again and at first he thinks its just vertigo - except boxes fall sideways nearby and he realizes no - that's external. Either Red or the others have finally arrived.

He'd give anything to have his helmet and be able to hear their voices in his ear.

It gives him a renewed determination and he opens his eyes, narrows them against the wobbly world and starts for the door. He needs to do something, either help or at least be mobile and aware. Keith expects him to be here when he gets back and Shiro doesn't intend to throw off any plan he has regarding that - but he puts his back against the wall near the door, good arm on the free side. If anyone but Keith come through the door, Shiro can at least have that advantage. And if its' Keith - well, at least he won't have to get Shiro on his feet again.]

[The extra attack was the distraction Keith needed to get the upperhand back. As soon as his opponent stopped firing, he charged forward and finished the fight. With a short delay to yank his Galra blade from the door control panel, he made his way back to the storage room.]

Shiro, I'm coming in.

[He wasn't sure what shape Shiro was in, but he did know that, if he was well enough, Shiro might try to defend himself if he didn't know who was coming through the door. Keith figured to at least warn him and give him the chance to register what was going on so he could stand down if needed. They were both already pretty beat up. They didn't need to accidentally be fighting each other. He slid open the door.]

Red's gonna meet us- Shiro?

[It took Keith a moment to figure out that Shiro had moved positions. Well, that was a relatively positive sign if he could move on his own, even if it wasn't great movement.]

We have to get the hangar bay. The others just got here, and they're covering Red until we can get there.

[In his life, Shiro has had far too many moments of bone loosening relief to be healthy he's sure - and so many of them involve hearing Keith's voice. Like now. The exhale goes out of him and its relief but it also drains some of his strength out of him. Nothing motivates him like his team, his friends, in danger. But - they're still in danger and the sooner they get him out of here, the sooner his team can get themselves out of danger. So he exhales again but this time there's a strain to it and a bracing up at the same time and he manages to shift away from the wall enough to get his arm over Keith's shoulders again. Offers what's probably a pathetic smile but gives it all the same.]

Tell them - I'm glad to hear them again. ][It's sentimental and he usually won't take the time for that when everyone's still in danger but - he's been in hell and even the promise of hearing their voices in the future, his team, his crew, his friends, is enough to give him a burst of extra strength. He's been starved for them and - he needs to hear them again. Soon. But first - ]

Grab me one of their guns on the way past. Even if I can't aim it well, I can still lay down distracting fire if we run into anyone else on the way.

[Keith managed a tired, but genuine, half-smile in return. Even he had his sentimental moments now and then. Unfortunately, their little bit of Hell wasn't quite done with them, yet, and they still had to make it to the hangar.

Keith spoke into the comm.]

Guys, I've got Shiro. He's uh... [And here he smirked a little.] ...glad to hear you again. [While the responses might not have been completely clear to someone not wearing the helmet, the tone was pretty obvious. The rest of the team was definitely glad to get that news.]

We're headed for the hangar, so try to keep Red covered.

[A few affirmative responses from the others, and Keith started out into the hall, taking just enough time to grab one of the guns from the two downed guards nearby before turning for the hangar. There were noises in the airlock as they left the area. Keith hadn't actually dumped the group into space, but they still weren't happy about being stuck in there, and were attempting to get the inner door open again. He wasn't sure how much time they'd have before they broke out, so it was definitely time to move.

This wasn't going to be an easy trip, but Keith was going to push as much as he could.]

[Shiro can only barely make out the noise from the team, his head close enough to Keith's to catch just a little of the feedback from the helmet and it makes him smile.

That's his team. His friends. His family.

And he's going to see them soon. Dammit all to hell but he's going to make sure he sees them soon. It has him gritting his teeth and he reaches down inside himself and dredges up the last emergency reserves he's got to give. Keith is hurt. And exhausted. And probably putting far more of himself on the line than was healthy. Shiro isn't going to let him make those sacrifices for nothing. Whatever he's got left to give, Shiro will give it. He does manage though, as he forces himself mobile, as he forces himself to keep up and get to that hanger - ]

You sounded just - like a team leader, Keith.

You know you're getting that spot back, right?

[Keith managed a dry chuckle. He didn't mind being the second, but actually leading? Keith had really of put himself through the wringer early on, trying hard to do things the way he thought Shiro would have wanted them done, trying to feel like he was going to make Shiro proud when Shiro got back, trying to be a leader. The others had to talk some sense into him a few times when he had overworked himself. He had tried to shoulder everything, because that's what he thought he had to do.

Still, though, having Shiro say that made him feel good. Once he had gotten himself settled, the others responded to him being the leader, and were surprisingly supportive of it... even Lance (though the Blue Paladin was always the first to challenge him or call him on something that seemed wrong, which ended up going a lot smoother than it sounded). It was nice to think that maybe he had done something right, even with all his doubts and worries.]

But, thanks...

[All along, Keith had felt he had something to prove as far as Shiro having made the right choice. And, while he was working with Red for this mission due to her speed advantage, he had worked with Black a few times, especially when attempting to search for Shiro. It was Black that had given them the direction and potential location of the ship carrying Shiro, having picked up on him through their bond. Keith was still pretty sure that he didn't have the same bond with Black that Shiro had earned, but he had that with Red, so he wasn't all that put out by the idea.

They were getting closer to the hangar, now, as it wasn't terribly far from the airlock, thankfully, but there was a sudden burst of voices as the group trapped in the airlock managed to get the door to start moving. Keith gave one quick glance back, noting that they were pushing the door manually, and it wasn't easy for them to do, but he and Shiro still didn't have much time.

He hit the control panel for the hangar door, mentally goading it to move faster.]

[The sounds Shiro makes in answer is stifled. He's always known Keith would make a good leader. For all his impulsiveness, he sees the big picture and he will defend his team to the death without a thought. He's young and is - was inexperienced but - they all learned on the fly. No matter what instructors tried to tell you, you didn't learn leadership until you were doing it. Shiro is proud of Keith for stepping up, maybe more than most, because he knows, completely the burden he was asking the younger paladin to shoulder when he gave it.

...

and deep in his heart of hearts...

Shiro wants his team back.

Its selfish because they give him a reason to keep going every day, give him a reason to fight harder, to push himself further. They give him meaning, they give him a place. And no matter how willing he will be to step aside if someone else better for them comes along, if they've decided to follow Keith instead because he's their peer - deep down in the darkness of him that he doesn't share, he wants his team back under his wings. He wants to lead them again.

Which he isn't about to share at the moment, no matter how much Keith's words make his heart lift in hope in his chest and swell almost painfully. That - his position is still there for him, his place hasn't been taken, he's still wanted and needed. But there's too much still up in the air, too much going on he isn't aware of, so much he's missed and he doesn't even know how long he's been missing or what the team has become while he's been gone.

Whether Black is still his or not...

Later. He'll deal with it all later. At the moment the only priority is getting out of here and he can already feel his body trying to betray him, his steps starting to lose their ability to land and support weight. Only the promise of his team - and Keith's grip on him the way his friend anchors his mind as well - keep him stubbornly going.

the hanger door is taking forever to open. Or it isn't. It just feels that way. Buy time. Shiro needs to buy them time, those last few precious seconds. Trusting Keith to steer, and be aware of in front, Shiro twists. It's incredibly painful and the sound chokes out of him but it lets him slip his arm off Keith's shoulders, aim the gun back down the hall while leaning against the other paladin and fire off a steady round of shots.

His aim is atrocious and even though he was never the best shot in his class, even the worst was better than him currently. But it peppers down the entire hallway, sends sparks and smoke and electric everywhere. And, often enough, manages to hit either the airlock door or close enough to it that the raiders inside stop trying to lose their limbs and possible lives with his erratic shots and don't get it pried open any further.

It also takes the last of his energy and he sags, gun dropping, wave of vertigo and nausea washing over him. The raiders wouldn't stay cowed for long. Just - hopefully long enough. The joke comes out weak.]

Cargo temporarily secured. Ready for lift-off, captain.

[Keith was pretty sure Black would take Shiro back in a heartbeat. One of the ways he'd been able to get the Lion to work with him was because they were both trying to find Shiro. And the team definitely hadn't lost their respect for Shiro. They'd all wanted him back... not because Keith was a bad leader, but because he was part of their family. And he really didn't feel like there would be an issue if Shiro wanted to step back in. In fact, Keith sort of wanted him to go back into that spot. Deep down, he wanted his mentor back.

Keith automatically tightened his arm around Shiro's waist when he felt the other leaning on him like that. And, as wild as the shooting as the shooting had been, it had been enough to discourage the team in the airlock from pushing through for a bit. It was long enough for the hangar door to open wide enough for them to squeeze through. Keith snagged the gun before it hit the floor.

Shiro's weak joke does get a small smile in response, though. Keith was glad there was still some humor there. It was a good sign.]

Okay...

[He pulled Shiro through the door with him and then shot the internal panel to hopefully get the door to close again behind them.]

Hang on.

[He wasn't sure how much strength Shiro had left, but Keith held on to him as best he could. Red broke her head through the outer door, wedging herself in so they didn't get sucked out into space, and then opening her mouth so they could get inside.

Keith was still holding the gun, and he maneuvered the two of them so that Shiro was closer to Red as they made their way across the hangar. He was going to be shooting left-handed, and probably wouldn't have much better aim than Shiro did, since he was definitely more of a melee fighter, but he didn't need to be a crack shot to just lay down cover fire like that. Hopefully, though, they wouldn't be able to get the door open fast enough.]

[Shiro doesn't connect with the other lions. Everyone has their own special bond with their own chosen paladin and even when they've formed Voltron and he's flying as the head of it, the connection he feels to the lions that aren't his is vague and funneled through their own pilots first. So he can't claim any real connection to Red at all.

And even then - he'd swear he can feel the red lion's relief or welcome.]

Good to see you too. [He croaks it out, energy so spent that Keith's doing almost all the work and Shiro is just trying not to black out on his friend. And maybe that's what pulls up the greeting from him, punch drunk on pain and exhaustion and the promise of freedom. There's no response and he doesn't expect it. It's just - so good to see another familiar face, even if its stories tall and completely metal.

And then the world tips sideways and he's not sure if its the ship or his eyesight.]

YOU WANT, UH, A TISSUE? MAYBE SOME SOAP? NEW CLOTHES?

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Damn it, Keith... airlocks need to stop being your default go-to.

lol ikr? his all purpose solution to everything ever

Someone might think he likes it...

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woops... that got rambly... sorry

I like rambly!

:D

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