(no subject)

[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]

[Normally, Hunk would be already gunning it for the exit. Normally he'd be picking Keith up and booking it. Normally, he'd subscribe to the philosophy of 'live to fight another day'...

But then he remembers how it felt when Yellow just went dark, how the generator only clicked on once he got closer, how the others would undoubtedly be looking for them, sensors, a trap-]

We can't! [Hunk spins and runs for the nearest access panel to the generator he can find, prying it open.] The others must've found us, this thing probably kicked on to take them out too! We've gotta stop it!

[Or they could stop the army of droids suddenly bearing down on their position, which is likewise pretty pressing.]

[whatsacactus]

Hunk?!

[They should be running away and Hunk is doing the opposite of that, he's running into the place. Keith hasn't put two and two together just yet but when he says the others must have found them, Keith's eyes are wide. He doesn't get the correlation but if they're out there and this thing blasts...

He's still watching the door, wanting to get away but there's something blocking the door now. He hears a lot of doors open and a lot of metal shuffling and oh crap those are droids. There are so many droids and Hunk's doing something so he can't look. So Keith gets his sword ready, calls over his shoulder:] I'll hold them off! Just- Do whatever you're going to do!

[And then he dives in.]

[bigbrained]

[Keith with his wounded leg and busted rib is gonna hold off that army of droids. Yeah, if it was literally anybody else, Hunk would already be getting up to help, but Keith- Keith can do it, he can last long enough to-

But just cutting the power won't work, not if this thing is also holding back the tear when in lockdown, as Hunk suspects. He can't just kill the process, he has to make it go back into lockdown, and then interrupt whatever sensor circuit this thing is using to trigger powerup. Which means he has to find the main command line, the switchboard for that and find out if it's just a simple mechanic or something more complex, and he doesn't have time for this because it's going to fire and Keith can't hold out forever-]

Just, calm down, [Hunk mutters to himself, and gets to work. Locates the circuit and cuts a couple wires to reverse the charge. That's the first thing, the most needed, get this thing to power down. The generator suddenly clunks with a bone-rattling thud, but it starts to power back down and Hunk cheers silently to himself as he digs for the circuit to interrupt the sensor data. Just a little more, just a little more, hang on Keith...!]

[whatsacactus]

[It's bad. It's really bad, how exhausted Keith feels after only a few swings of the sword. Getting winded and holding his side before he takes a hit and the air is knocked out of him. But he stays up on his feet because Hunk needs time. He has to do this, he has to last.

He hears the generator shut down and breathes because that's it right? That's all they need. He looks to Hunk, like ready to go but he's still... He's still working. Shit, was there something else? Did they miss something? He's trying to figure it out when he's slammed from behind, knocked to the floor and cries out because his leg twisted a bad way with his weight and god there are so many.

Keith gets his shield back up with gritted teeth, uses it to at least get up to one knee, breathless and backed against the wall.]

Hunk! How much time do you need!

[bigbrained]

Just a little longer-! [Hunk cries. If he can interrupt the circuit and rewire the power source for that pulse maybe he can-]

Got it, [Hunk gasps, and shoves himself up, barreling toward Keith as the generator gives a terrible whine. He catches a shot in the side and drops, but makes it the last few feet before the pulse bursts and knocks everything out, droids seizing up and dropping to the floor.]

Short-range emp burst, [Hunk gasps, clutching his side as he hovers over Keith.] Should buy us some time. You okay?

[whatsacactus]

[Keith is sweating and feels pretty gross all things considered, trying to ignore the fresh waves of pain that blocked out every other sense. He almost doesn't even notice Hunk getting there to him, just another armor shuffling to him and he has to - has to stop it- and then Hunk talks and it's a second when it registers.

And then everything stops. The drones all collapse and Keith is dumbfounded for a second.]

I-- [God. He uses his sword into the ground to hold himself up, head leaning against the blade while he tries to remember how to breathe.] Did you get it?

[bigbrained]

I got it. That pulse- won't keep them down for long. W-we gotta, [god, he can't stop gasping, his whole side burns... Hunk pulls his hand away and looks down at where the red is seeping through his bodysuit and everything feels a little distant. Is that supposed to do that?] Gotta, uh, um, we gotta go, [Hunk says as he sinks forward, just barely catching himself on an elbow before he eats tile.]

[whatsacactus]

[Hunk goes down and Keith reaches for him, wants to help. He has to stay up, make sure the others find them but... he hears something ping in his comm before he manages to get hands on Hunk, tries to pull him closer. Hold him there because they're going to make it, this isn't taking them down, not when they've actually talked and Keith rests his head against the wall so he can watch the doors and make sure nothing's getting up.

But it's quiet except for his breathing and slowly, he feels himself falling into darkness.]

[bigbrained]

Keith, [Hunk pants, reaching up to touch his face,] stay with me... [But his vision's going dark too, and the last thing he sees is Keith's head lolling to the side and the last thing he hears is the scrape of a droid moving across the floor and he wonders, thinks, this isn't so bad, this isn't so bad.

There are worse ways to go.

-

Hunk wakes up to quiet, muffled sounds; full and bubbling, voices in the distance, something making a beeping sound he can't quite ignore. He opens his eyes to see beyond the bluish-green of a tank the faces of his teammates, Shiro and Allura, Coran and Pidge, Lance and there, in a tank beside him, Keith.

Allura touches something on the tank and the liquid drains, and then Hunk gets the whole story. 'Got there just in time,' Lance regales him with a possibly somewhat-embellished account of the rescue. They were found unconscious on the floor, the droids closing in until Lance froze a wall between them. Shiro and Allura took out the droids while Pidge inspected the generator, and Lance got Keith and Hunk safely into Blue to take them up to the castle. They've been in tanks for almost three full days.]

Is Keith okay? [Hunk had asked worriedly, but Coran assured him he was fine, that he just needed a few more vargas in the tank and he'd be right as rain. So Hunk waits right there, wrapped up in a big towel and being showered with food by Lance and prodded for details by Shiro and Pidge until Keith wakes up.]

[whatsacactus]

[He hears someone calling his name before it's quiet, something reaching for his face and he's too tired. He can't keep himself awake anymore, so this isn't a bad way to go. Fighting, with Hunk in his arms.

-

It's exhausting, opening his eyes. He feels like he could sleep for weeks, and the blueish green tint to everything has him thinking it is a dream. He's dazed. He thinks he sees Hunk there with a towel and waiting for something, but that can't be right? They were going to die. So this can't be real. This can't be the castle.

Keith tests resting his hand against his side of the glass. Looks down at it when there's actual feeling there. He feels it, that's real. They're here. He's sore and not sure how he's alive but. He is. And there's Hunk, right there. Alive and safe.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk lifts his hand to press it against the glass too, and already his eyes are tearing up as it finally hits him:

We made it.

Maybe in the back of his mind he'd already accepted that they weren't going to leave that planet alive. Maybe as far back as when Yellow fell, he'd figured they would die together. He's not always a worst-case-scenario kind of guy, but he often is, even as they were scrambling to find out a way to survive.

And now Yellow is safely in the hangar, Keith is on the mend and...and they're really okay.]

Hey buddy...you- you gotta stay in there just a little while longer. Can uh, can you hear me?

[whatsacactus]

[Seeing Hunk tear up has got him close to it; thankfully he's already in liquid so it never happens, but it's plain that he would with the way his eyebrows scrunch up. We made it. Not a thought he'd have when he was fighting off those droids. And Hunk is fine, they're okay.

He sees the lips moving but with the tank glass and the whatever-liquid, it's muffled. But he manages to make out "little longer". He looks confused for a minute, then it hits: he'll be in this a little longer.

His chest heaves like he's taking a breath before he rests his forehead against the glass, not quite a nod, but. Close.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk blows out a breath and leans forward to do the same again, and about that time Shiro says, 'All right everybody out,' just as Pidge and Allura finally catch on with two very different reactions.

The room clears and Hunk can faintly hear Lance screeching, "WAIT, HUNK AND THAT GUY?" from the hallway, so he sinks down against Keith's tank and huddles up with the towel, chuckling. Keith might not be able to respond, but that doesn't mean Hunk can't talk to him, right?] I hope this doesn't make things weird. I'm sure it won't, but Lance might give you the stink eye for a while. Not that that's something you aren't used to, or can't handle, but...just. Yeah.

I'm kind of glad. I wanted them to know. I didn't want this to be a secret.

[whatsacactus]

[He makes a noise in his throat when he realizes the others figured it out. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to know yet - but cat's out of the bag. Nothing for it then. They'll have to live with it and that's it.

Keith watches Hunk sit against the tank and hates that it's too small for him to do the same; he starts to but his knees bang the glass and ow ow. Okay, no doing that, he thinks rubbing at his knees. At least he's already in here so it'll heal up.

More than anything? He's glad Hunk's safe.]

[bigbrained]

Oh geez, don't hurt yourself. [Hunk straightens up a little bit to press his hands to the tank again, rubbing the glass as if that would help.] You'll be in there even longer. We still gotta kiss, don't we? [Even though kissing is like the furthest thing from his mind right now. ...okay not the furthest, but like...look it's like halfway down the list, aright]

[whatsacactus]

[Okay he, he thinks he heard Hunk say 'kiss' but he's not sure? There isn't much else that Keith knows of that rhymes with 'kiss'. He looks up at him, a questioning expression on his face. God, he wants out of this tank.

How many more vargas does he have left? He could never get the hang of all that. He's too impatient, tapping his knuckle against the glass again incessantly. He wants out now that he's awake.]

[bigbrained]

[Lmfoasdf Hunk really shouldn't laugh about it but Keith looks so grumpy... It's cute. Is he allowed to think that now? That Keith is cute? Is that something that's permissible? Whatever, he's thinking it and nobody can stop him.] Look, I dunno what happens when you get out of these things early. Spontaneous human combustion, maybe.

[whatsacactus]

[Keith taps a little more rapidly before shrugging. He honestly doesn't care what happens. He's never been in these things and he doesn't like being in one now. Not when he wants to ...he isn't sure, just yet, he just knows he doesn't want to be in it.

Come on, Hunk, get me out of here. How is it that everyone else who ends up in this thing stays asleep until it's time to come out and he wakes up before??]

[bigbrained]

Keith! I am not breaking you out, [Hunk whispers fiercely when he catches that look. He's gonna get in trouble! With Shiro, or worse- Allura. No way, you just have to float there for a while longer!]

[whatsacactus]

[PLEASE. He's got both hands pressed up against the glass now looking even grumpier. Hunk, help your boyfriend out.]

[bigbrained]

[BABE........]

-Gahhh, staring at me like that, what am I supposed to do? [Hunk mutters to himself in annoyance as he hunches over the control panel to find the commands for early tank drain and release.] Not like he's gonna get blamed for this, not like I won't get into trouble, probably just hurt himself trying to force his way out, I bet his stupid leg is still stupid broken- There.

[Hunk snags the towel they'd brought for Keith and waits for the tank to drain and open, watching carefully just in case Keith's still in any pain.]

[whatsacactus]

[He smiles a little when Hunk makes the move to get him out, readies himself once the water starts draining. His weight comes back to him fully and he feels a little uneasy on his feet, but it's too late when the tank opens.

Keith gets one unsteady foot in the ground, then reaches for Hunk's shoulder to get the other foot out.]

Thank you. [It's raspy and tired, but. Better than he sounded at the generator.]

[bigbrained]

[Shut up and let Hunk start drying you off- actually in fact he's going to just wrap Keith up in this towel and carry him over to the exam table, because you broke like half ur bones. ...okay fine, maybe just a couple bones, but that's a lot more than how many Hunk broke.] If anybody asks, the tank made a weird sound and started draining on its own.

[whatsacactus]

Whoa- Hey! [Keith has his arms around Hunk's neck the minute he feels his feet off the floor when Hunk starts carrying him. He's fine with being dried off though; his hair is dripping on his shoulders, on Hunk. Keith sort of hunches over once he's on the exam table and lets Hunk start drying him off.]

It's not like anyone actually asks me anything to start with, so sure, that works.

[bigbrained]

Don't get all petulant, [Hunk says mildly, sinking down to a knee to take a better look at that leg of Keith's, testing where the break was in his ankle and checking the closed wound he'd had before.]