Return

The Final Struggle

Warning: Language, blood mention, mucus mention, fever-induced seizure, hinted towards a character in a coma, physical torture (just someone being grabbed by the throat)

Shiro so desperately wanted to get back out and flying that he was elated when he found out that he would be controlling Atlas from the ground. It wasn't flying, but it was close enough.

Keith wasn't too thrilled to be back fighting in the black lion, but he took it on anyways. He had a bit of confidence as a leader, but he had more confidence in his team.

"Ok." Keith said. "I wanted to say this in case we don't all make it. It's been an honor flying with you all."

"I'M FUCKING CRYING. STOP." Lance yelled into the coms.

"Let's go. We've got a weird purple alien cat to defeat."

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At first, the Galra definently had the upper hand. This became more apparent when Sendak attacked Voltron, taking a paladin as ransom.

Everyone looked on in horror as the much taller purple alien held the much smaller green clad paladin by the throat as she looked on in horror.

It was easy to see why Sendak would pick her, as she was smaller and seemingly less physically strong than the others. However, what he didn't take into account was her intellect and agility.

He stared at her with his menacing yellow eyes. And she smirked back.

Within a few seconds of that smirk, she began coughing as much and as hard as she could. In shock, Sendak released his grip, and she ran off as he screamed in utter confusion.

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With that whole fiasco over, Voltron and all of the other rebel alliances once again had the upper hand. That's also when Keith presented his grand plan.

At this point, for some reason, the Galra had formed a giant mech of sorts. It was probably some sort of intimidation tactic, but that didn't intimidate the paladins of Voltron.

"OK. Here's my plan." Keith said into the coms. "We split up into our individual lions while they're struggling and each attack a certain limb."

"Ok..." Hunk muttered. "When?"

"Now."

They immediately split. As they split, Pidge dived for the right ankle, which threw the Galra mech off guard. However, it didn't fall in defeat until Lance barreled towards the midsection of the giant robot.

As it fell, the lions circled the perimeter of the robot.

All of Earth cheered in that one moment.

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Shiro was swarmed with cameras and journalists as he left towards the lions, which stood proud. 

"Mr. Shirogane. Who do you want to thank for this accomplishment?"

"Well, there's too many to name, but I'd mainly like to thank the paladins of Voltron, the Galaxy Garrison and their amazing crew. Not to mention the countless rebel forces from other solar systems."

"Takashi! Now that this war is over, do you plan on retiring?"

"Not for a good while, my friend. However, I might be on a short break. I have... big plans in store."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, fairly soon, hopefully, I'm getting married to my wonderful fiancé, Matthew Holt. After the honeymoon to Yokohama, I'll be back in full swing and teaching again."

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It had been a few hours since the battle ended. Lance and Hunk were waiting for Pidge to finish a maintenance checklist for the lions so as to help the Garrison crew navigate these ancient, yet marvelous pieces of Altean technology.

Lance was getting impatient.

"Hey, Hunk. I'm going out there. Under normal circumstances, she would have been done by now."

"Suit yourself. I'm taking Shay back to my place."

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After scowering the lions for a while, Lance finally found Pidge in her lion, although not in the state he was hoping her to be in. She was sitting in the pilot's chair, yet her head lay on the flat part of the top of the seat. She was pale. More pale than the photo from yesterday at 6am.

He didn't know what to do, yet at the same time, he had an idea.

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Matt sat with his head pressed to the edge of his sister's hospital bed. He was tired from the grueling battle, and he knew that she was tired as well. She had just woken up after coughing up a mixture of blood and mucus.

The two were just talking, passing time until a nurse came in.

"Hey, Katie. Let me ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"How did it feel to be piloting that lion for the first time in a while and maybe the last time?"

"When you put it that way, it's a whole mixture of emotions. I'm sad to be leaving Greenie, but at least I won't have to fight anymore aliens."

She started to feel odd. Almost like the room she was in wasn't real. It was good that she was lying down, as she felt a wave of lightheadedness. The headache she had all of a sudden became too much.

Luckily, Matt heard the sounds of her arm shaking against the mattress of her bed and sprung into action.

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Shiro had taken Matt's old seat, although he didn't look too tired. He was just sad.

So far, after her fever-induced seizure, she awoke for a bit only to fall back asleep. And so far, she didn't wake up.

While stroking the top of her hand with his thumb, he placed his head on an empty part of mattress. All the while he softly sang to himself: "Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I've been dreaming of? Oh, simple thing. Where have you gone?"

Matt was now just as sad as his fiancé, so he wrapped his arms around the buffer man's shoulders. Sad and exhausted.

And maybe a bit hopeless.

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Lance was lucky to have a best friend like Hunk. Hunk was lucky to be in semi-close contact with Matt.

When Hunk had gotten a text from Matt about a close friend being in a coma, he sighed, trying not to cry in case Lance started crying again. He tried, but the overwhelming emotions just got to him and he embraced Lance in a hug in which both of them just cried.

Lord knows they needed to cry.