Langst One-Shots

Project E-76

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-Third Person-

"Hey guys!" Pidge's voice rang loud and clear through the castle's audio system, "Come into the control room stat." Lance groaned as he dragged himself out of the kitchen with Hunk, meeting up with Shiro and Keith in the hall, entering the control room all at once. "Greetings, Paladins." Allura waved, Coran nodding. "So," Lance sighed, "What's up?" Pidge briefly looked over her shoulder before directing her attention to back to the computer. "Ya' know when we gathered that intel from the Galra Ship last week?" Hunk nodded. "Yeah." Pidge stood up, "Well, I was sorting through the data, and I found this." A file popped up on the screen in bright red letters.

"Project E-76."

Lance froze, eyes wide. "W-What?" He choked, "N-No. No way." Lance was shaking slightly. "Lance, is there something wrong?" Shiro asked, concerned. Lance stared at the ground with a blank stare. "No." He muttered, "I just don't think we should open it." He forced a smile, "We should just forget about it and come up with a plan to beat Zarkon." Keith growled, glaring at Lance.

"Are you stupid?" He spat, "We need to open it! It could have important information on how to beat the Galra! We need to open it!" Lance looked away. "It's not going to help." He whispered, sticking his hands in his pockets to conceal the shaking. "It's worth a shot." Allura shrugged, "We should at least make sure." Pidge nodded. "Alright." Pidge opened the file, and her eyes narrowed. "What is it?" Hunk asked. "This is strange." Pidge muttered, "It's a bunch of audio blogs. That's weird." Shiro crossed his arms. "Play them from the beginning." Pidge double clicked on the first audio, opening the grainy video on screen.

"This is the 5th day of Project E-76." The static cleared to reveal Haggar's face, "And there have been no clear changes in the subject." Haggar frowned, "Physical and mental torture have had no effect, but the serum seems to eating away at him slowly." She laughed, "This is going to be interesting." The video was replaced with another. "This is day 25 of Project E-76." Haggar was smiling, "The serum has begun to take effect." "P-Please!" A voice sobbed in the background, "M-Make it stop!" Pidge flinched, and she sat down in her chair, eyes brimming with tears. "The subject has experienced hallucinations, shaking, black-outs, and mental breakdowns." Haggar turned her back to the camera, "This is good progress." Hunk had wrapped his arms around himself, and Allura and Coran had long since sat down on the sofa. Lance stared at the ground, pale.

"This is day 32 of Project E-76." A new voice filled the air, "This is Prince Lotor of the Galra Empire." He smirked, "We've exposed the subject to pure quintessence, and my-my, the results were quite fascinating." "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" A voice screamed in the background, making the Paladins flinch. "Our special guest for this lovely Experiment is none other than the Blue-" The Video glitched. "We will proceed with phase 4 as planned." Lotor grinned, "Vrepit Sa."

Pidge looked back at the others. "S-Should we keep going?" Her voice was small. Shiro slowly nodded. "Yes." Pidge clicked the next file. "Day 47 of Project E-76." Haggar smiled, "The subject has began to break." "P-Please." A voice sobbed, "I can't take this." Lance shuddered, Hunk slowly looking away. Haggar laughed, "The pure quintessence has altered his mind. On top of Prince Lotor's physical torture, the experimental serum has evolved as hypothesised." Shiro flinched, "This will not take much longer." The video flickered off. "T-This is the last one." Pidge whispered. Keith nodded. "Alright." Pidge opened the file.

"Project E-76 has made unexpected progress." Haggar smiled at the camera. "We are 78 days in. The subject is barely alive, but we can fix that." Haggar laughed. "I fear that the Blue Paladin's mind is too far broken." The Paladins all froze, eyes widening. Haggar grinned, and the camera panned over to a figure strapped down onto a metal table, eyes wild, tears streaming down his face.

"P-Please," the figure sobbed, "G-Get me out of here!"

Thick black straps were tied around the figure's ankles and wrists, and one fastened securely around his neck. The figure fought for air as an IV pumped pink liquid into his veins. The figure thrashed around, eyes wide, sobbing.

"I-I'm begging you!"

The figure's blue eyes were glazed over with tears,

"I-I can't last much longer."

The figure shook as Haggar strapped a muzzle on the boy, and he started heaving, his eyes growing wider.

"MMPPHHHH!"

The figure's muffled voice sounded over the audio. Haggar growled, and turned back to the camera. "That boy never shuts up." She growled, "It's a miracle that I haven't killed him yet." She narrowed her eyes, "But once a Paladin of Voltron, always a Paladin of Voltron." She laughed. "Vrepit Sa."

The video ended, everyone frozen in place. "I-I..." Pidge trailed off. "W-Why did that boy look just like you Lance?" Hunk's voice shook. "Blue Paladin?" Keith muttered, gaze blank. Lance stared at the screen, eyes empty.

"B-Because I was Project E-76."

Lance's voice shook severely. "I-I" Lance was pale, and he began to shake, drawing his arms around himself. "I-I can't go back, I-I can't." Pidge burst into tears, and Hunk gasped sharply. Shiro whirled around to face Lance. "You were captured and experimented on by the Galra?" His voice was strong. Lance's chest rose irregularly,

"Again and again."

He laughed,

"Over and over and over again."

His voice was hollow,

"Every day for 98 days."

Lance was pale, and his eyes were filled with tears. "T-That's not possible." Keith's voice cracked, "Y-You were with us the whole time." Lance let out a strangled laugh. "Not the 98 days you were cursed," Lance was crying now, tears streaming down his face, "And forgot all about me." Lance stumbled over to the wall, leaning on it for support.

Shiro was pale, his eyes locked onto Lance's shaking figure.

"Again and again and again."

Lance curled into a ball, tears falling harder,

"Until I couldn't see straight, couldn't walk, couldn't talk." He sobbed harder, deep cries rising from his chest, "Until all I could remember was the pain, her face as she pumped those drugs into me." Lance folded into himself.

"I-I can't go back, I'll die if I go back."

Shiro tensed. "You kept this to yourself for how long?" Lance didn't answer. "You've been dealing with this all on your own?" Lance cupped his hands over his ears.

"I haven't been dealing with it,"

Lance's voice quivered,

"There's nothing left to deal with it."

Lance shakily stood up.

"There's nothing left to fix, to save, to help."

Lance was hysterical,

"They ripped me apart, stole my soul."

Shiro was at Lance's side in an instant, the others right there with him.

"There's nothing of me left. I died on that table."

Lance's blue eyes were wide.

"I'm just Project E-76."