herdingspacecats | The Champion

The Champion has returned.

He has a mission this time. He isn't merely for sport, fighting for entertainment. He's a soldier now, an assassin, designed to fight and to destroy Voltron. Enhanced further with Galra witchcraft and a hint of quintessence, whatever past the Champion has no longer exists. His life as a human, as a paladin, as a fighter pilot on Earth, it's all gone, replaced by the need to serve and fulfill his existence. He is a weapon and nothing more.

A few well-placed rumors ensure that Voltron will come to him. It's not his plan, of course. The Champion is no general. He is valued for his strength and the appearance that apparently is so tantalizing to Voltron, and nothing more. They will try to trick him, he's told. They will tell him he is one of them, that since he is human he must also be a paladin, but it is a lie. Killing them is his objective.

They are weak when they leave their lions. The Champion waits, watching the paladins foolishly land and exit. How stupid of them. They're defenseless without the Lions, and he knows this fight will go quickly.

He straightens from his hiding place. They come for him, crying out a name that means nothing to him. He does not smile. He does not move.

He waits.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

herdingspacecats

The Champion doesn't know how the Galra spies found this rebel base, and frankly, he doesn't care. He's fresh from his training, given an extra boost of quintessence and ready for his first solo mission. Eliminate the rebels. Destroy the base.

Originally the plan had been to bomb them from orbit, but it's too risky with all the underbrush and trees. It's entirely possible that he'd simply blow the trees out of the way and leave the base untouched, but now very aware they were under attack. If it came to a rebel fleet against one Champion, the odds weren't good, even with his skills, and he wasn't willing to risk that.

Instead, it's an old fashioned stealth mission. The Champion's hair is tied back out of the way, and he keeps to the shadows. If he has to assassinate every single one of these rebels, he'll do it. Their numbers are unknown, which is part of his mission, but the Galra don't anticipate a very large gathering.

He starts from the outside and works his way in, quietly and effectively taking out the rebel patrols and using their keycodes to get inside the building. He has to move fast. No doubt some sort of commander will soon work out that his men are not responding.

From:

tookashirototheknee

Matt knows it immediately when his soldiers start falling. He knows that he is in a war, but he knows each of his people personally, knows their lives, knows what they're fighting for. He gives an order to pull back, to blockade themselves in some tunnels that run beneath the base, and be ready to take the escape ships if he fails.

He'll take on whoever is out there, and hopefully keep the damage to a minimum. His grip tightens on his staff and he pulls up a map on his wrist cuff to see where the intruder is, and he's off, towards the intruder.

From:

herdingspacecats

The Champion isn't stupid. It's obvious when the commander starts pulling his rebels back. Damn, he noticed fast. He was half expecting a group of dumb ragtag rednecks from some backwater world, but clearly this commander knows what he's doing.

It's quiet, too quiet, and he moves slowly and quietly, sticking to the darkest places he can to keep himself mostly hidden. Something's coming, he can feel it.

From:

tookashirototheknee

Matt knows the tunnels like the back of his hand, and when he sees where the intruder is going, he tries to come at them from behind. Once he's behind the intruder, he calls out in a firm, commanding voice, staff at a ready position to defend himself.

"Stop! Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

From:

herdingspacecats

He spins on his heel, surprised that this person actually got the jump on him, and that he's choosing to talk instead of fight.

Strange.

But even stranger is how uncomfortable this person makes him feel. He's human, just like the Champion, and something about him is vitally important, but he can't put his finger on why or how.

But he isn't here to make friends. He doesn't respond, instead charging at Matt with his powered arm glowing.

From:

tookashirototheknee

Matt doesn't even notice who this intruder is, simply goes into battle mode. Jumping to the side, he swings on his staff, aiming to kick him in the chest.

He's been training for quite a while, and with his natural agility knows his staff quite well. He might not be a match for the Champion in pure power, but he does have a sharp mind, which hopefully will keep him upright at least for a while.

From:

herdingspacecats

Matt is fast, surprisingly so, and the Champion is caught off guard by his speed. Unfortunately, speed isn't everything, and while Matt holds out for a while, he's ultimately no match for the Champion.

He knocks out the smaller man, but hesitates once he's out cold. He should kill him, he knows. That's part of his objective. But something about him is important and he just can't.

The Champion pulls back, instead taking the downed commander as a prisoner. Maybe he can later manipulate the rebels into turning themselves in in exchange for their leader. it's not a great plan. Hell, it's not even a particularly good one, but he's uncharacteristically frazzled and it's all he can think at the moment.

Matt will wake aboard the Champion's ship, in his bed, with his wrists chained to the headboard. The Champion himself is in a chair, watching him.

From:

tookashirototheknee

Once Matt went down, he was certain he was done for, and activated a beacon on his wrist to indicate to his deputies to get the hell out of there. He just hopes that there wasn't a fleet waiting.

So, when he wakes up, chained to a bed, he's a bit surprised, before the headache hits him and he winces. "Stars, you hit like a truck." He can't seem to open his eyes just yet. Everything is bright and everything hurts. "So, is there a reason I'm not a puddle on the floor of my base?"

He sighs, shifting just a bit and wincing. Ugh. Everything hurts.

From:

herdingspacecats

He's let his hair down, a wild mane falling down over his shoulders. He's been considering Matt, trying to remember how he knows him. There's something familiar about him, some reason why he needs to keep the commander safe, but he can't for the life of him remember what exactly it is.

It must be some command he was given at some point, he's sure. What else could it be?

"You tell me." His voice is even and steady.

From:

tookashirototheknee

Matt's eyes fly open, and he just stares. Even with the longer hair, he'd know that voice and face anywhere. Swallowing, he finds his voice, a bit weak, a lot surprised, and more than a bit worried.

"Takashi? Is... that you? What in the stars has happened to you?"

From:

herdingspacecats

Takashi. It sounds familiar, enough to confuse the Champion even more, but his expression is guarded and closed off. Whoever Takashi is, the name is important to him somehow and it's bothering him.

He brushes off the questions, instead asking a few of his own. "Who are you?"

From:

tookashirototheknee

"That's not funny, Takashi. Not funny at all. If you wanted to rafish me, you don't have to chain me to the bed and pretend not to know me." He's trying to make a joke, but his expression is pure hurt. He's been beaten many times, but this just hurts beyond anything else that could have been done to him.

From:

herdingspacecats

His guarded expression slips for a moment, showing his genuine confusion. Something is not right about this. It's tugging at the back of his mind insistently, and he pushes his hair back behind his ears.

"You know me." That much is obvious. "How do you know me? Why do I feel like I know you?"

From:

tookashirototheknee

No. This isn't happening. This isn't possible. Matt swallows, trying to keep a lid on his emotions. "You do know me. I don't know what they did to you, but you know me. We came to space together with my dad." He possibly shouldn't have let that slip, but he's desperate at the moment. "We went to school together, and we're... er, we were best friends." And some more, but he's not even sure what to do with that right now.

He pauses. "Who do you think you are?"

From:

herdingspacecats

Came...to space?? He's all the more confused. Is Matt trying to trick him, perhaps? He had been told Voltron would lie to him, but this is not Voltron, and if it was a lie, why is it resonating with him, like it's something he already knew but just forgot?

Either way, this commander clearly doesn't need to be restrained. The Champion busies himself with getting him out of those cuffs, taking that time to think of a response.

"I'm not anyone. I'm the Champion."

From:

tookashirototheknee

"Everyone is someone." Matt rubs his wrists a bit, sitting up. He takes a breath, stuffing his emotions down even more.

"Do you remember how you became the Champion? Do you remember your first victory?"

From:

herdingspacecats

It's an intriguing question, and frankly, he hadn't even thought about it. He knew that he had earned it, but the actual details of that first victory and defeating the previous Champion... It's not just fuzzy, it's downright missing. As far as he can remember, he's always been the Champion.

There's a long pause before he answers. "No."

From:

tookashirototheknee

"You and I had been captured by the Galra Empire and made into slaves. We were sent to the Gladiator Arena." He keeps rubbing his wrists. "I was chosen to go first, but you..." He takes a breath. "You pushed me out of the way and slashed my knee, and then went out and defeated the whoever it was out there." He rolls up his right pant leg to show him a nasty scar just under his knee. "You saved me, Takashi. You saved me and they took you away."

From:

herdingspacecats

As Matt talks, something strange is happening to the Champion. He's...remembering. Just little bits and pieces, images flashing in his mind's eye. That scar, telling Matt to be safe nd to find Dr. Holt...

He spits out a curse and hunches forward, pressing both hands to his temples. His breathing is ragged, fingers digging into his skin as though trying to rip it away.

"I...I remember." His voice is halting and shaky. He doesn't understand what is happening here, but...Matt...

From:

tookashirototheknee

"You remember now? I've been trying to find you for so long, Takashi. Please. Let me help you remember who you are."

Tentatively, he reaches out his hands and gently puts them on Shiro's arms. "Talk to me. Tell me what you remember, and I'll help put the pieces together."

From:

herdingspacecats

He jumps at the touch, eyes widening and a sharp gasp escaping him. Whatever it is that Matt has done to him, he's clearly struggling with it.

"I don't...I remember you. Hurting you, and you looked so scared." He licks his lips, shaking his head. "It's like trying to hold water in your hands. I can't keep it for long."

From:

tookashirototheknee

"I was scared. We were so close and had been for quite a while, and then you turned on me." He sighs, pulling his hands back and putting them in his lap. "And then you told me to take care of Dad, and got pulled away, looking a bit scared yourself."

He closes his eyes. "It was worse thinking you'd actually turned on me than the actual wound, really."

From:

herdingspacecats

He shakes his head slowly, looking confused and swallowing hard. He remembers that, knows what Matt is talking about.

And then the name comes to him. "Matt." It comes out softly, an exhale, almost a whisper.

"...What happened to me?"

From:

tookashirototheknee

"You remember me now?" Matt's face lights up, and he reaches out to take Shiro's hand.

"I don't know what they did to you, but we're going to find a way to get you better, ok? I promise. Can you tell me what you do remember and we can go from there?"

He wants so badly to crawl in his lap and hug him tightly, but he holds back for now.

From:

herdingspacecats

That smile tugs at his heartstrings in a way that he's not familiar with, and Shiro swallows, looking away. This is all a lot to handle at once and he's still not entirely sure what's happening.

"It's hard to think about." He chews his lip. "I can't hold on to it."