Voltron- the Rise of 6 Paladins

Trials and Errors (Part III)

  Trial Number Five.

We all stand around the training room, our weapons at the ready, waiting for the Gladiator to rear its ugly head.

"In order to defeat the Gladiator," Alien Weasley announces. "Six paladins must fight as one."

Something drops down behind me and I turn around in time to see a humanoid robot of white and gold carrying a staff thing run towards Hunk, who was trying to shoot his heavy portable cannon. The Gladiator avoids the shots, which end up targeting us. I raise my shield to parry the shots.

The Gladiator slides his staff under Hunk's feet and electrocutes him. Yeouch. Doesn't look pleasant. Pidge runs at the Gladiator, who avoids her and tries to hit her with its electric staff. Pidge parries, but it's not easy when your weapon is as short as hers. She ends up getting hit and falling next to Hunk.

Lance tries to shoot at it, and I run up from behind and try a roundhouse kick in the head. I hit, it falls, it gets back up, and it kicks me in the stomach. I fall to the ground, and pick myself up even though my stomach hurts a bit. Before it can continue fighting me, Lance shoots it some more, making the Gladiator run up to him, staff raised. It swings its staff at Lance who tries to parry with his gun.

I jump up on the Gladiator's back, both to distract it and to try and stab it in the head. I hit it repeatedly with my dagger, hoping that that will solve the problem. It tries to shake me off while managing to bonk Lance on the head. It turns around to fight Keith before bonking Lance on the head again before zapping him and sending him flying into Keith.

"Okay, so you wanna do this the hard way," I say.

I wrap my legs around its chest and lean backwards with all of my weight. I knock it off balance and jump off, kicking its head to give myself momentum, as it falls. I hit the ground and toss my bayard aside, the blade sinking in the ground. It's obviously too small to do any damage on it, so all I have are my limbs, which are handy when you've trained with them for years.

"Nova, are you insane?" I hear Lance ask.

I jump at the Gladiator, expertly dodging and blocking hits while landing a few punches. "Yes!" I yell back. "But focus on shooting it while I keep it busy!"

I glance over and see the realization dawn on both Keith's and Lance's faces. Good. So they know what to do.

In the corner of my eye, I see Shiro's prosthetic arm glow purple as he prepares to run to my aid. Not too soon, either, 'cause I can't keep this up forever. This thing is made of metal, so the hits I block are really starting to bruise up my arms. And forget punching and kicking, only a blaster can stop this thing.

"Hey, Panini Head!" I call to Lance, still blocking hits. "You got that gun ready to shoot, yet?"

"I'm trying to aim!"

I jump up as the Gladiator swings his staff at my feet. I land and lean backwards as the staff sails over where my head was, just a second ago, a centimeter away from wacking me in the nose.

"Try to shoot where it's gonna be, not where it is!" I suggest as I grab its staff and play a dangerous game of tug-of-war. That's one thing my senseis taught me. Anticipate what your opponent will do. The Gladiator pulls his staff out of my hands. "Shiro?" I call, ducking from a swing of the staff. "Are you decent?"

No reply. I turn my head and see Shiro breathing hard, his eyes flicking around, not focusing on anything. It's almost like he's not seeing what's going on. Oh. Oh. Oh, sh—

My thoughts are cut off when the Gladiator hits me in the stomach again with its staff and throws me against a wall. I hit the wall hard and Lance shoots his gun. It misses the Gladiator, who is rushing off towards Shiro.