The Dead Don't Bleed

Hurry

Word Count: 2,002

Pidge, it was Pidge, Keith knew that voice.

"Pidge!" Lance yelled beside him.

At the mention of her name, Keith saw a pair of legs make their way down the stairs. Lance broke into a run as soon as he saw her, grabbing her by the shoulders before crushing the girl into a hug, "We didn't think you would come, how did you know where to find us?"

Pidge smiled, hugging him back before he finally let her go, "I had a little help."

At her sentence, two more figures came down the stairwell behind her, as they stepped into the light, Keith could see one was a man, he had big broad shoulders and wore what looked to be a cloak with a rifle strapped on his back with a single scar stretching across one of his green eyes. The way he stood, clearly told Keith he was the one in charge of the unexpected breakout.

"I am Kolivan, and this is Shay," he said, not wasting another moment as he shook their hands firmly before stepping back and gesturing to the woman behind him, long brown hair delicately framed a smiling face, she looked to be a little older than he was, and was also armed with a rifle, but she didn't appear to be as menacing as the man standing beside her.

"They're with Oriande," Pidge said proudly.

"What?" Lance's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, "You found Oriande? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

Pidge shook her head, smiling, "Well after I got away, I headed in their direction, luckily there was a patrol that spotted me not far from here and after I told them about what happened to you guys they took me to see Kolivan."

"She explained that you all were in danger, and needed rescue, when she described where you had been kidnapped, we knew the Galra had to have been responsible."

"The Galra?" Lance quirked a questioning eyebrow, "Who are they?"

"Well, more like who were they, they're the people that apparently started this outbreak in the first place, they've been trying to recreate a cure to it after they lost the antidote and have been murdering thousands to get to it. Their leader is dead." Pidge placed her hands on her hips with a grin.

"Lotor?" Hunk questioned, "The really scary guy with an eyepatch?" Pidge nodded and Hunk breathed out a huge sigh, placing a hand on his own chest in relief, "Oh that's good, that's great, that's actually more than just great, that's fantastic," Lance gently bumped him in the side with his elbow, and sent his friend a look that said he was rambling, "Uh, how long have you guys been here?"

"Not very long, it wasn't hard to track down Lotor, he'd been terrorizing our travelers for months now. After he was killed, the rest of his followers were either captured or fled."

"So, I guess that's it then, we can finally get to Oriande." Lance said, hands on his hips with an expression of disbelief at what he was now facing, "I can't believe we'll actually be going there."

"And from what your friend has told me about you all, you are welcome, but," he looked between the three of them for a moment with a somewhat confused expression before turning back to Pidge, "I thought you said there would be four of them, I only count three."

Pidge stiffened, once again taking the three of them in and her eyes widened in realization as she asked almost hesitantly, her voice dropped to almost a whisper, "Guys, where's Shiro?"

"Well, you see, he-"

"Lotor wanted him Turned so he could run tests to help find a cure," Keith broke in, crossing his arms as staring at the floor, trying his best not to break down on them, "He got bit."