Demolished

Chapter 6

Voltron has always been seen as a beacon of hope. A sign of liberty, of justice. But never had it been so close to destruction then now, especially without realizing it.

Behind his mask, Macidus grinned at the foolish Paladins as the followed him into his house. These fools! Soon, he would have them trapped, and he would kill them, and would feast on Paladin blood tonight. And maybe he would save a few of them, watch them write in agony as he tortured them, slowly killing them. And he would force them to watch Kolivan die, or perhaps vice versa.

Unaware of the approaching demise, the Paladins studied his cavern with a critical eye.

"This place is disgusting." Romelle sniffed, eyeing their host. A dead warknok head hung from the ceiling, green blood still dripping from the spot where it used to be connected to its body.

"This place," the man hissed. "Has been my home for the past two deca-phoebs."

"Ow, well, disgusting is Altean for lovely. You don't speak Altean, do you?" Romelle asked, slinking away from him and sitting nervously onto a log that sat around the fire.

Macidus felt no need to point out that he did, in fact, know Altean, and the word for lovely was quite different from what she said it was.

He neared the fire, frowning at it uneasily. "Thank you for coming, Paladins."

"How did you recognize us, even when we first showed up?" Lance asked, easily the most friendly with the cloaked man.

"Your suits gave it off." Macidus mused, tapping his chin. "I advise a change of costume of you want to blend in...but, oh, what do I know? A lone survivor of a massacrer...you've been gone a long time, you know."

"Yeah. We...uh...just found that out." Lance mumbled, thinking back to Acxa and sending a teasing glance at Keith.

The leader didn't notice.

"Hmm...after you disappeared, the Galra empire descended into chaos, warlords and pirates ruling the ashes of the once nightly empire."

"And of Zarkon's witch, Haggar?" Allura demanded, taking a step beside Lance.

Krolia checked Pidge's gauntlet, flashing it downwards. Biting the inside of her lip, she peered at the results curiously, then noticed a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye. She approached nervously, reaching out a hand.

Macidus didn't notice, focusing on Allura's question. "She vanished, but her Druids remained to complete her final order, to wipe out the Blades."

Krolia ignored him, touching the curtain gingerly, hesitating only a second before thrusting it open, eyes flinging open in horror. She grabbed her gun, pivoting sharply as she pointed it at the stranger. The man of untrustworthy origins. "What are you planning on doing with these?"

Now that the curtain was fully pulled aside, everyone could see the hundreds, if not thousands, of swords and knives littering the wall. But they weren't just tools or weapons. No, they were all blades, the Blade of Marmora insignia carved into the hilt of each one, the lights seeming to be on sleep mode for each one.

But, despite their unfamiliar form, clad in shadows, the Paladins all recognized them at the same time, grimacing.

"I hang them," Macidus slowly began, pretending to feel sad, "in honor of their sacrifice. After the Druids received Haggar's final wish, they spread out to conquer them."

"After Lotor arose to the throne, all known Blade locations were revealed." Allura murmured, shutting her eyes against the image of the terrible fates many had come to. Her mind flickered back to Antok, a Druid smiting him with a mightly blow, the former deputy succumbing.