As Cold as Fire [VOLTRON Keith X OC]

Across the universe

WE'RE ONTO SEASON TWOOOO

warnings: blood, violence

I didn't dare open my eyes. And if I could've found the sentience to cover my ears, I would've, because it seemed that what I was hearing was even worse than what I would see. But I didn't.

 Instead, as I tumbled endlessly through the void of space, I focused on everything other than where I was going. The way my body twisted and turned beyond my control. How my arms flailed helplessly. I seemed to be rapidly falling left, right, down, up, as if I was being tugged in all directions at once. I had let go of the black lion long ago, unable to hold on. Something heavy snatched at my thigh. The ridiculously loud rush of air, deafening in my ears, accompanied my thundering heartbeat. And my own hoarse cry, deep from the back of my throat, echoed through the speeding force of the air around me.

I woke up sore all over. Exhaustion overtook me, and I probably would've laid there for days if I wasn't instantly awoken from the chilling pain in my leg and the cold hard rock beneath me. I pushed myself up, leaning into another rock for support, and managing to stand up and inspect myself. 

I was covered in bruises and small cuts all over, from all the debris I hit on the way down. There was a deep gash on my right leg that stung badly, and just looking at the ripped flesh made me want to throw up. 

Ignoring it, I looked around to see if I recognised the planet. As far as I could see, there was no sign of life. No trees, plants, critters, not even any sound. Just an eerie dead silence that hung over the surface like an ominous threat. Everywhere I looked, there was only grey. Grey land, grey jagged rocks, grey gloomy sky.

It's safe to say that I did not at all recognise the planet.

I realised quickly I was not in a very good situation. Judging from the dry barren land I'd been stranded in, there was no water or food. No people to help me, and not even any animals to eat. And I had no idea if any of the others landed here as well. All I could do was sit there, with a bleeding leg, on a dead planet, and wait to be rescued.

So obviously I didn't just sit there.

I ripped off one of my sleeves and wrapped it tightly around my leg, before picking a random direction to start walking. As I limped, I attempted to calculate the chances of someone else being here with me. I had been holding onto the black lion, however I had let go very soon. Nevertheless we could've gone in the same direction anyway, which would also mean Keith was here, since the black lion was holding the red lion when the wormhole was compromised. Which shouldn't matter, because really, I should realistically be thinking about whether Shiro was with me or not, not Keith, who has a much lower possibility.

Funnily enough, my train of thought is interrupted by the guy himself.

"Shiro! Shiro!!!" At first I thought it was just over the comms in my helmet, but I quickly remembered I wouldn't be able to hear him if he wasn't close already. I tore off my helmet, and frowned in concentration as I strained to hear him again.

There it was, faint, but there. "Shiro!" Too tired to think, to make out where the voice was coming from, I took my best guess instead.

After spending longer than usual climbing a small hill of rock with my stupid leg, I'm met by a pair of violet eyes, equally anxious as my own.

"Riley?" He squinted, as if to make sure that was me. I remembered he was inside the red lion when the wormhole malfunctioned just like everyone else, meaning he hadn't seen me standing outside, or grabbing onto the black lion.

"Keith! Thank god!" I began limping over to him. He quickly noticed my injury and hurried over himself, sparing me the time to come over.

He nodded toward my leg. "You hurt yourself."