[Nothing about this is ideal. Nothing. Although Keith is convinced that Shiro is still Shiro, their crash landing on a mysterious, desert-laden planet has come with a new discovery: Shiro has lost it. After some babbling about how he would have preferred to take out all the paladins now that he's been activated, Keith had to come up with a desperate plan to put him down.
Not permanently. Never permanently. He could never, ever do that to Shiro. He's the one who was there, reminding him back in the garrison about patience, focus, and not losing his temper at the drop of a hat. He (for reasons that Keith has never figured out, nor does he ever think he will) believes in Keith. He thinks he has a future. Yeah, so much for that—it didn't take long for his instructors to grow frustrated with him following the failure of the Kerberos mission. Unsurprisingly, frustration turned to him being kicked out.
For what it's worth, it wasn't like he had it all together. Hearing everyone say that maybe the program wasn't worth all the work being put into it had been hard. Hearing everyone say that maybe Shiro just wasn't that good after all? That was impossible. Keith's ability to remain calm slipped away, and that's when it had never really been there in the first place.
Still, he feels like he owes a lot to Shiro. He'll always feel that way.
That's why he feels bad for having him chained up (hey, good thing Pidge put chains in all their lions for ... some reason, but it's there, and it's working, even if he'd prefer rope, or something else) to the leg of his lion. He's been doing what he can to make sure that he's stuck there, but he's pretty sure these are space chains. Not even that super-powered arm can bust through them. (Thanks, Pidge. Wherever you are.)
Keith's done what he can for them. He's grabbed rations. He's found plants and done what he could to examine them to make sure they weren't poisonous. But it's hard, and this place is hot. But he knows that before they get into their lions, Shiro needs help. Maybe the heat will help. Or maybe he'll get so dehydrated that Keith can just drag him into his lion and carry him off. They can come back for his black one later.
For now, he comes to stand in front of Shiro with his arms crossed, lips twisted downward in a prominent frown.]
You ready to get over this whole brainwashing thing? I know you're stronger than this.
His side is throbbing. His head is spinning off-tilt. But his body feel flooded with energy, with power. Did Hagar inject him with something when she wounded him? Quintessence? This can't be a natural feeling, but he doesn't care. It's the best he's felt in more than a year, like all the anxiety and doubt keeping him awake, the fear of his own strength stalling his hand, is all just gone, replaced with an overwhelming feeling of rightness. This is what his strength was for, to be the calculated weapon of the Galra Empire that destroyed Voltron. It was so much simpler than trying to fight against them. They were so much stronger than him, then Voltron... and he was a part of that strength, now that he knew his mission. They had made him strong. He'd been misguided to think turning that strength against them would mean anything.
It was such a relief.
"I'm the strongest I've ever been, serving the Galra Empire," His eyes follow Keith, flashing yellow. He tries to jerk against the chains again, but doesn't make them more than rattle.
To say that the words unsettle him is an understatement. Hearing those words in Shiro's voice is just—it's wrong. Declaring himself as stronger than ever feels like nothing short of a lie, and if Shiro knew better, he'd be fighting against it. He can't help but wonder if Pidge has some tech that could help, that maybe he should be focusing on getting Shiro to her ...
But they can't really do that right now.
"Yeah right," he says, contempt present and barely concealed. "I remember you back at the garrison. I was the only pilot who could give you a run for your money. And now you're saying you're stronger? No chance of that."
Maybe recalling those days of yore might bring him back to ... himself.
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Not permanently. Never permanently. He could never, ever do that to Shiro. He's the one who was there, reminding him back in the garrison about patience, focus, and not losing his temper at the drop of a hat. He (for reasons that Keith has never figured out, nor does he ever think he will) believes in Keith. He thinks he has a future. Yeah, so much for that—it didn't take long for his instructors to grow frustrated with him following the failure of the Kerberos mission. Unsurprisingly, frustration turned to him being kicked out.
For what it's worth, it wasn't like he had it all together. Hearing everyone say that maybe the program wasn't worth all the work being put into it had been hard. Hearing everyone say that maybe Shiro just wasn't that good after all? That was impossible. Keith's ability to remain calm slipped away, and that's when it had never really been there in the first place.
Still, he feels like he owes a lot to Shiro. He'll always feel that way.
That's why he feels bad for having him chained up (hey, good thing Pidge put chains in all their lions for ... some reason, but it's there, and it's working, even if he'd prefer rope, or something else) to the leg of his lion. He's been doing what he can to make sure that he's stuck there, but he's pretty sure these are space chains. Not even that super-powered arm can bust through them. (Thanks, Pidge. Wherever you are.)
Keith's done what he can for them. He's grabbed rations. He's found plants and done what he could to examine them to make sure they weren't poisonous. But it's hard, and this place is hot. But he knows that before they get into their lions, Shiro needs help. Maybe the heat will help. Or maybe he'll get so dehydrated that Keith can just drag him into his lion and carry him off. They can come back for his black one later.
For now, he comes to stand in front of Shiro with his arms crossed, lips twisted downward in a prominent frown.]
You ready to get over this whole brainwashing thing? I know you're stronger than this.
[Pep talks with Keith.]
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His side is throbbing. His head is spinning off-tilt. But his body feel flooded with energy, with power. Did Hagar inject him with something when she wounded him? Quintessence? This can't be a natural feeling, but he doesn't care. It's the best he's felt in more than a year, like all the anxiety and doubt keeping him awake, the fear of his own strength stalling his hand, is all just gone, replaced with an overwhelming feeling of rightness. This is what his strength was for, to be the calculated weapon of the Galra Empire that destroyed Voltron. It was so much simpler than trying to fight against them. They were so much stronger than him, then Voltron... and he was a part of that strength, now that he knew his mission. They had made him strong. He'd been misguided to think turning that strength against them would mean anything.
It was such a relief.
"I'm the strongest I've ever been, serving the Galra Empire," His eyes follow Keith, flashing yellow. He tries to jerk against the chains again, but doesn't make them more than rattle.
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But they can't really do that right now.
"Yeah right," he says, contempt present and barely concealed. "I remember you back at the garrison. I was the only pilot who could give you a run for your money. And now you're saying you're stronger? No chance of that."
Maybe recalling those days of yore might bring him back to ... himself.