Demolished

Chapter 5

"Everyone, up!"

It was a month later, an entire month of nothing but empty space, sleepless nights...and feeling utterly useless.

By the time Keith's call filtered through the coms, Pidge had already awoken, and she propped herself up on one arm.

"Yep, I'm up." She said to the coms, waiting for Keith's conformation that he had heard.

"No..." Hunk groaned.

"10-4. Hunk, sleeping time is over. Lance, no time for slacking. Allura, there's work to be done."

"What's the point? We're just out in space, there's no day or night here." Lance complained, voice tired.

"I have to agree with Lance. We should sleep for another five doboshes." Allura yawned, probably not completely coherent.

"Guys, we can't let this long voyage make us soft or dull our skills. Routine will keep us sharp." Keith hissed, voice exasperated.

Shiro's voice was grim as he stepped into Pidge's half of the cargo bay, on his way to the cockpit. "Keith's right. Routine was how I survived being Zarkon's prisoner and being in the infinite void of the Black Lion."

"So that makes you an expert of killin' time..." Lance groaned.

Shiro opened his mouth to say something back, before snapping his jaw shut.

Pidge watched him, wondering what he had been about to say. Probably something that the clone wanted him to say. After all, the clone still dwelt in a far corner of his mind, whispering suggestions. Shiro had never actually told her this, but she had guessed from their overall conversations. Also he talked in his sleep.

"Can't we just...can't we just eat first?" Hunk stammered, exhaustion in his voice.

"No." Krolia sighed, a slight beeping filtering from her side of the coms. "Once we're completed, you may eat, but, for now, try to behave."

"Hmm." Hunk grumbled.

"Why do you sound so much like a mother?" Lance growled.

Krolia wisely decided not to answer him. "Everyone up, or I just may have you do this simulator twice."

Everybody? Pidge grinned slightly. She loved loopholes. Everybody included her, even if Krolia didn't mean EVERYbody-everybody.

Shiro, however, shot her a pointed look when she began to turn herself to the edge of the bed, and she paused, relaxing into the covers as if she hadn't done anything wrong, just rearranging her position. Then she gave him a smile, a look that used to get her just a laugh before he...died. Now all he did was narrow his eyebrows, eyes sliding into slits as he pursed his lips.

Pidge's innocent smile faded away, replaced by embarrassment. Shiro was different now. It didn't even seem like he had emotions anymore. Of course he didn't want her to act like a kid anymore. Besides, judging what Acxa had said...well, Pidge was an adult now, by Earth standards. Childish ways should be behind her. After all, she had witnessed some awful things. Entire families slaughtered like pigs, seeing Zarkon face to face, having her legs broken, stuck with the knowledge that she had killed someone...the last one the first she had encountered.

Haxus.

Shiro had found her several hours after the incident, while Lance was healing, bent over the evil Galra's body down on in surface of the engine rooms. She had been sobbing, but had run out of tears to cry by the time he found her withered form. He had hugged her for a long time, only moving her when she fell asleep. The next time she had went to stare at Haxus's body, the deceased general was gone, leaving only a memory.