Short Stories for my Friend Blue

How Team Voltron Reacts to Fatal Wounds: Keith

TW: death, blood, swearing

K e e f 🔥

Keith knew something was up as soon as he stepped foot in the base. He kept his mouth shut and followed orders, though, remembering what Kolivan told him last time he protested a mission and suppressed a shudder, slipping into the shadows with ease. He took a look at the map on his arm and headed to his objective. He was on a deep space Galra operation on an asteroid named Jugum, which amused Keith since it sounded like the Korean word for fate in death. The workers on the ship were telepathic, using a substance in the air to communicate with any being who inhales it in. Keith kept his mask on and stalked forward, making steady progress to his goal.

Suddenly, he wasn't. Before he could react, he felt the searing pain of a sword penetrate his armor and pierce his gut, right at his armor's weak spot. He gave a shout of pain and stumbled forward before whirling around, blade still lodged in his body, and decapitated his attacker in one fell swoop. Keith looked around and realized his suit had been breached when he walked in, a well- placed spike in the floor piercing his boot in such a manner that he didn't notice while still allowing the altered air to enter his suit.

In other words, he was completely and royally screwed.

He couldn't call for backup, the enemy knew where he was, and he was slowly bleeding out with a sword lodged somewhere between his stomach and his liver. Keith took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and tried to break the end of the sword off so he could move, but it didn't move. He sighed and pulled the blade out with a sickening squelch and bit back a scream as he fell to his knees on the floor in pain. He had no time to rest, however, since it seemed the whole (admittedly small yet high priority) base's troops came at him all at once. Keith launched himself into battle, somehow snagging a blaster somewhere in the midst of the fight and shooting at as many people as he could. He was a tool of carnage and destruction, and he didn't stop until he was surrounded by blood and death and nobody but him moved. He leaned against the wall heavily, finally trudging to his objective and placing the wireless downloader where it needed to go so the ship's information was transferred to the Blade of Marmora. At last, he let himself collapse, placing an urgent call to Kolivan. The man answered in a gruff and mildly more annoyed than usual tone.
"Keith, this better be important." He snapped. Keith chuckled weakly and looked hazily at the puddle of blood quickly growing about his body. He took a deep breath and spoke.
"H-hey Kolivan. Can I talk to Krolia?"
"She's in a meeting right now, call back later. Goodbye." Kolivan growled, almost hanging up before being stopped by a very urgent Keith.
"Please, sir. I-I'm..." Keith coughed wetly, removing his mask so he could spit, still keeping it in one piece in case of an emergency. "I'm dying. I need to talk to my mother one last time." He whimpered and curled up, placing his hands on his wound. Kolivan was stunned for a moment before spurring into action, placing an automated urgent call to Krolia while talking to Keith.
"Soldier. What is your status?"
"I-I'm bleeding from a s-stab wound to my gut. It's not gonna stop until I'm dead. L-Listen, I know death when I-I see it." Keith coughed again. Kolivan made a sound like he was going to speak but was interrupted by a frantic voice taking over the microphone.
"Keith, baby, I'm here. Just breathe for me, okay? Help is coming."
"M-mom... Marmorites can't s-send help... I'm too far and it's ag-gainst code." He could practically feel the anguish Krolia felt in the pause she had over the line.
"Can you activate all suit monitoring systems and put your mask somewhere where the camera can see you?" Keith did as he was told, gasping for breath by the time he completed his tasks. He smiled weakly at the sight of his mother's face.
"H-hey mom." Mom. The word felt so strange yet so right against his lips, and Keith regretted not calling Krolia "mom" earlier. She choked back a sob, trying to stay strong for her son.
"Hey baby. I've contacted Shiro, he's gonna come save you, okay? Just look at me. That's it, honey. Breathe." She kept on saying sweet things to Keith in an attempt to keep him awake, but he started to lose a hold on consciousness as blood continued to flow freely from his wound. Suddenly, he became overwhelmed with emotion and started to cry, startling his mother. "Keith, what's wrong?"
"I.... I don't wanna die..." he sobbed pitifully, unaware of thundering footsteps and the sound of his name being yelled over and over again until Shiro was in the room he was in. The man scooped his pseudo-brother into his arms and hugged him close, attempting to comfort the younger man as he cried. "I don't wanna die, Shiro, Mom, I don't wanna die!!" Shiro lit his arm up and moved to cauterize Keith's wound, but Krolia stopped the man.
"Shiro, don't. I don't want his last moments to be in agony." The man nodded curtly and looked Keith in the eyes, gently wiping the tears from his cheeks.
"I-it's alright now, Keith. You can rest now, okay? I promise I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I...I love you. I'll take care of your mom, okay?" Keith hazily settled his gaze on Shiro's face, all fear leaving his eyes as he truly believed the words spoken to him and accepted his fate.
"O-okay, 'Kashi... you b-better not join me a-anytime soon, okay?" Shiro nodded and planted a kiss on Keith's forehead as his eyes slipped shut and he went still. Krolia muttered a prayer under her breath, tears running down her face.
Her son was dead.