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[bigbrained]

[Being core members of the Voltron coalition meant that sometimes the team had to spread their forces thin in order to take care of everything that required their attention. Sure, they had other allies who could hold their own -the Blade of Mamora for example- but it had a little more impact if the paladins themselves saved a colony or planet, as opposed to more Galra.

In other words: politics.]

I mean, I understand what Coran was saying but I still think it's kinda dumb, right Keith? [Undeterred by Keith's noncommital 'uh huh's and 'yeah's, Hunk continues on as he follows Keith's lead and slows down his approach. They're going to have to try and sneak up on this installation or risk the Galra retaliating against the captured techs for calling for help.] They've been around way longer than we have, and fighting for way longer too! It kinda feels like we're shoving them out of the way to get all the glory. Not that that's what we're doing, but it sure feels like that's what we're doing. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter who gets the job done so long as the people are saved, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Right? Do you have a bad taste in your mouth too, Keith?

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[bigbrained]

I...am gonna take you up on that. For sure. [Keith keeps dozing off which is really worrying, but Hunk's head is starting to throb a little again and he would really like to curl up and be stationary for a little while after that hike. Or a long while, y'know, he's not picky.

So he curls up on his side, right next to Keith because he's not ashamed of cuddling out of fear (or any cuddling at all) and it's nice by his friend and by the fire. As nice as sleeping on the ground can be, anyway.]

Wake me up when we get heroically rescued, okay?

[whatsacactus]

You got it. [It's just quiet fondness in his voice now as he watches Hunk get comfortable against him. He reaches over, but his hand hesitates over Hunk's hair, almost trembling before he pulls it back. No. Not there yet.

All in all, it's quiet while the hours pass. Keith wants to let him sleep as long as he can, even as he's fighting exhaustion himself. Hunk needs way more sleep than he does right now. He does eventually compromise with himself; he doesn't pet his hair or pat his head, but Keith does just. One little stroke of a finger against his hair and feels that's successful for now. A step forward in this...boyfriendhood thing they're starting.

When the fire's almost burned out, he carefully gives his shoulder a little shake.]

Hey... Probably better wake up.

[bigbrained]

[Hunk kinda felt that almost-touch there, but he doesn't want to scare Keith off so he doesn't do anything about it. Even if it was a little bit weird, but also a lot nervewracking. Was he gonna pet his hair? WAS HE GONNA STROKE HIS HAIR ALL ROMANTICALLY???? DAMN, KEITH

Hunk doesn't get to wonder much more than that because despite that close call in epic teen romance, he's really fuckin' tired and exhaustion kicks the ass of everything else until he basically just passes out. He sleeps solid, without waking even once, until Keith gently shakes him awake.] Whumuh. 'm sleep'n... [Hunk rubs at his eyes and takes a moment to get his bearings.] Nuh...Keith? Need to sleep?

[whatsacactus]

[NO AND HUNK CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!!! But he's watching around them because okay, some of those noises were legit throughout the night and he's been listening to them get gradually closer. Not enough to be immediate danger, but enough that they should get a move on.]

No. We should move. [At some point, he moved their supplies closer, just in case, but nothing came of it.] Can't stay in one place for too long.

[bigbrained]

Ugh...what about Yellow? [Hunk still pushes himself to his feet, swaying a bit before picking up the supplies bag.] We can't leave him behind, he can't even make a forcefield.

[whatsacactus]

I know. [He does know. He hates the thought of leaving Yellow here alone. But there's not much they can do; they don't really know how the lions work. He watches Hunk get up, stays where he is seated on the ground. God he's tired.]

I just don't know what we can do from here.

[bigbrained]

...you don't think that generator is emitting some kind of- some kind of field or something, do you? [It's okay Keith, he doesn't expect you to answer.] The lions always recover so quickly, it's almost crazy that Yellow's been down for so long. Maybe that second blast wasn't a blast after all, maybe that was some kind of suppression field?

[whatsacactus]

I... don't know.

[Yeah, it's more on the clueless "I don't know what you said" tone than anything. But Hunk's got the supply bag, so Keith uses the rock he was leaning against to push himself back to his feet and oh god he can tell the painkiller wore off. He's sore and just... ready to be home. He wishes there was some way to beacon over to the others from their suits.]

Did you wanna check it out?

[Wait why can't their suits do that?]

[bigbrained]

[welp now they know what the new suit upgrade is gonna be

Hunk, honestly, does not want to check it out. He doesn't want to go into danger, he doesn't want to risk getting hurt worse because Keith is so bad off that he couldn't help Hunk anywhere. He doesn't want to take risks; he just wants to hide until someone comes to save them, guns blazing.

But then there's Yellow, dark and unresponsive, laying on his side in a trench in the forest.]

...yeah, [Hunk finally answers.] If it's something that can knock lions offline permanently, we need to dismantle it before the others get here. [Paladins are replaceable, after all. Voltron isn't.]

[whatsacactus]

[Keith nods, one hand on his side to make sure the binding is still in place before he stands up straight.]

That's what I was thinking [It so was not. He was remembering that old parental advice "If you get lost, find a landmark and stay there" that his dad used to tell him. The others knew they were coming to investigate that thing, so surely that's the first place they'd go looking.

But Hunk's sounded better.]

Lets go then.

[bigbrained]

Haha! Yup, let's go. Let's just...get up and go. [Keith, you are an amazing person. Can you teach Hunk how not to fear for your own life to the point of paralysis?]

[whatsacactus]

[He's an idiot, don't aspire to be like him, Hunk. Someone's got to give a shit about them as they go back into that place.

He stops when he gets to the edge of the cliff though, still not entirely trusting his own leg to get down with.]

So we know it can hit with physical force, it's loud, and it did something to the lions. What else?

[bigbrained]

[Okay but first, mf pills. Load up, buddy; if they're gonna die today then their deaths better damn well be painless.] I can't be positive because I only saw the readings for a second, but the Fraunhofer line of that pulse looked almost identical to Voltron's...which means it's probably a quintessence-based weapon. I don't know how they managed to refine it to make it like an EMP but that's the only explanation I can think of.

[whatsacactus]

[Keith listens. Really tries to, even when he takes one of the pills from Hunk. But it just goes in one ear and out the other, no matter how hard he tries to make sense of what he's talking about. He's glad there are other paladins on this team that know what they're doing. He sure doesn't a lot of the time.]

....So basically, go in, figure out where the power source is, break it if we can. Right?

[Forgive him, Hunk. Be the smart one of this team.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk is of the opinion that the team needs people Keith just as desperately as smart people who do the science. It's why they're a team.]

Ideally: yes. Realistically: ...I've been thinking. [Hunk laboriously lowers himself to his knees and grabs a stick, clearing leaves away from the ground before he begins sketching out the vague shape of the base they'd attacked.] Remember when we were looking at the schematics, and thought they looked weird? About how it was circular, and how it seemed like the entire structure was built around the generator? [Glances up at Keith and doesn't wait for an answer, knowing Keith will probably just wave him on to continue anyway.] The only reason they'd go to the trouble to build a base around a generator is if it can't be dismantled and moved. [Do you get what he's saying? Because Hunk kinda doesn't want to say it aloud in case it sounds as crazy in real life as it does in his head, but...]

[whatsacactus]

[Keith watches him, almost steps in to help him because Hunk don't hurt yourself there.

But around the generator... because it can't be moved or dismantled. He thinks on that, initially comes up blank because that's just not his line of thinking, but he tries. Hunk is counting on him here so he tries to think the process through. Why wouldn't they be able to move or dismantle something they built? Why bother building around it and using it if they couldn't do that?

He sounds a little withdrawn when he answers:] Did... They not build the thing themselves?

[bigbrained]

Okay, so, I- Ah geez, I don't want to sound alarmist but I think the generator's actual power source might- might be a tear. [Looks up at Keith, expression pinched.] Like the one Coran told us about. On the Galra homeworld, Daibazaal.

[whatsacactus]

A tear?

[Crap.

Crap, oh crap that's bad. They have no way they know of to get rid of that. Not without just blowing this whole planet up. And as much as Keith wants to see something blow up, he's not into the idea of the entire planet going.

He looks back to Hunk, expression pinched as much as his.]

Then what do we do?

[bigbrained]

I...I-I, I dunno. [Hunk slowly wipes the drawings from the soil, pushing himself back upright. He'd kind of been hoping Keith would just magically have some kind of badass solution, impossibly, improbably, but it looks like they're equally clueless.] It's still just a theory. We won't know anything until we get in there and I see the generator up close.

[whatsacactus]

[He sighs a little through his nose, looks off in the direction of the base. It's not the best idea they've had, but it's far from the worst. Keith gently rests a hand on Hunk's shoulder.]

Then we'll get in there so we can take a look. Go from there. [When in doubt: put off making any big decision. Leadership.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk blows out a breath, nodding. Regardless of what they find, they have to get in there...and if Keith's determined, then they'll make it that far, at least.] ...hey, how's the leg? Tape-stitches holding okay?

[whatsacactus]

It's -- [His immediate reaction is to say "It's fine". But it's not, and Hunk deserves better than that from him after all this. He's exhausted and hurting, he's fighting to stay upright while he's standing still, he's got no idea they're doing the right thing, but it's the only thing he can think of instead of waiting for their friends to get hit with this thing too.]

It's still pretty bad off. And we could probably stand to redo these, but I think it can wait until we figure out what's going on.

[bigbrained]

[OKAY SO, HE WANTED THE TRUTH BUT MAYBE HE SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED] Maybe you should, um, hang back...? A little bit?

[whatsacactus]

[Okay, no, he's not about that. His hand tightens on Hunk's shoulder and his expression hardens.]

We need to figure out what's down there so we can warn the other when they get in range of our comms.

[bigbrained]

I'm not saying don't go at all! I'm just saying, right now you're the only one we've got who can actually make the Black Lion move! [please stop glaring] This is no disrespect to Shiro but if he can't figure out what to do, they're gonna need you.