The Champion

[herdingspacecats]

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.

Comments

[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.

[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."

[tookashirototheknee]

"That's aright. Hold on to me, ok? I'm not leaving. I'm staying with you no matter what." He takes a breath. "Although, I'm not sure where to go. I don't know what's safe. I could try to contact my people, but it might be better if people think I'm dead."

[herdingspacecats]

He nods slowly. "I certainly can't go back. This ship...we need to ditch it. They can track it, I'm sure."

He leans forward to rub at his temples again. All of this change and stress...he's got a terrible headache.

[tookashirototheknee]

"Ok. So we need to figure out where we can find another ship. I'm thinking we could try to disappear into the next fairly populated planet that we find."

Matt reaches out and cups Shiro's cheek. "Have you been with them the entire time?" Somehow, it's so odd, thinking that it's now him and Shiro together against the entire universe. Matt actually doesn't think he minds.

[herdingspacecats]

He starts slightly at the touch, still unused to it, but it feels...good. Matt's hand isn't exactly soft, but he leans into it all the same, closing his eyes and letting out a soft exhale. This feels familiar. He's sure they've done this before.

"I don't know. I don't think so."

[tookashirototheknee]

"Alright. We'll go slow, ok?" Matt takes a breath, moving just a bit. "Can... Can I hug you? I really miss that."

A million things are racing through his head at the moment, trying to figure out what the next step should be.

[herdingspacecats]

A hug. That sounds...like it might actually be nice. Shiro chews his bottom lip again for a moment before giving Matt a jerky nod.

"Yeah. Just uh...no sudden moves, please."

[tookashirototheknee]

"Of course." Carefully, Matt gets up, and reaches out, wrapping his arms around Shiro and hugging tightly. Slowly, he climbs into his friend's lap, ready to leave if necessary.

[herdingspacecats]

Shiro stays very still, not exactly resisting, but not entirely relaxing either, at least not initially. Then he inhales and catches a whiff of Matt, and it breaks down that wall instantly.

He shivers, arms wrapping around him and holding on tightly. Years of friendship and love and affection hits him like a wrecking ball, and he presses his face into Matt's shoulder.

"Matt..."

[tookashirototheknee]

"'Kashi." In that moment, it's almost as if everything is falling into place again. Reaching up, he puts his hand on the back of Shiro's head, holding him close. "I found you. You're here. And you know me now. Everything's going to be ok, love. Remember when we were in school, and said that if we were together we could do anything? That's how it is now. I promise."

Matt takes a shaky breath, trying not to cry. Someone has to have it together right now.

[herdingspacecats]

He shivers at that old nickname, clinging to Matt. While the other man is managing to keep it together, Shiro's certainly not, burying his face in Matt's shoulder and his shoulders shaking as he tries not to cry and fails terribly.

It's a hundred emotions hitting him at once. Relief, guilt, love, regret... He's so glad Matt's here but he can't believe he's forgotten someone so important.

[tookashirototheknee]

"Let it out, Takashi. I've got you. It's alright." Matt tightens his grip around his boyfriend just a bit, holding him close. "You remember now, and we'll figure this out together, ok? You're Takashi Shirogane, the best pilot I know and I love you so very much." He takes a deep breath, and a few tears fall on Shiro's shoulder.

[herdingspacecats]

Shiro shakes in his arms, fingers curling into fabric and clutching tight. A choked sob slips out and he presses his face in to muffle the sound, biting at his lip.

"I'm s-so sorry. I can't..." He can't believe he's forgotten any of this. It must have hurt Matt so bad...

[tookashirototheknee]

"Don't apologize. It's alright, Takashi. I love you." It's such a rush to be able to say that again, to hold Shiro tight. "We're together." He runs his hand through Shiro's hair again, just letting him cry.

[herdingspacecats]

"Matt..." His voice cracks, body shaking. It's several long minutes before he starts to calm down, and no doubt Matt will be able to feel that wet spot on his shoulder from Shiro's tears. He's breathing again, shaky and unsteady but finally in control of himself again.

He lets out a long exhalation and just...presses close.

[tookashirototheknee]

It's so good to just hold him again, to be so close to him, even though he's letting all of his emotions out. Matt falls silent, rubbing Shiro's back, holding him close, and pressing back against him when he does.

There's no need for words, just the two of them together.

[herdingspacecats]

The touch is soothing, and Shiro relaxes, closing his eyes and just breathing in the moment. It's been so long and this feels so good again.

"...Thanks."

[tookashirototheknee]

"Of course. I'm here for whatever you need, Shiro. I promise." A pause. "Although, now that you've calmed down a bit, I have to ask... where is this ship going? Because if we're going back towards the Galra fleet, we might want to change course."

[herdingspacecats]

"Quiznak, I forgot! Can you uh...get off for a second?"

He's really gonna need to change course.

[tookashirototheknee]

He gets off immediately, stepping back to Shiro can get to the controls. "If there's anything I can help with, let me know?" A pause, and a confused look. "What's a quiznak?"

[herdingspacecats]

His focus for the moment is just getting the controls adjusted, redirecting the ship from the Galra fleet to the closest planet with a large spaceport. They can sell off this ship for parts and buy a new one with their earnings, then...disappear.

He glances back at the question and pauses himself, frowning slightly. "...Good question. I'm not sure. I must have picked it up somewhere."

[tookashirototheknee]

"Hm." Matt slides into the copilot seat, mostly to have somewhere to sit and think. "So that might imply that you've been somewhere other than with the Galra?" A pause. "Tell me to shove it if I'm too much, ok? I'm just trying to figure out if there's anyone else looking for you."

[herdingspacecats]

Shiro sighs softly and sits down in the pilot seat, running a hand through long, wild hair. He's already broken through one mental wall with Matt - he's not sure how much more progress he can make in one day without hurting himself.

"That...feels right. I don't think I've been with them the whole time." He leans back in his seat. "I want to figure this out too, so feel free to keep poking."

... that awkward moment when you leave a tag at work all weekend...

[tookashirototheknee]

"Alright, so the one clue we have is a 'quiznak' whatever that is." A pause. "I wonder if there's a way to see if people who aren't the Galra are looking for you. Like... did the Galra ever know you as something other than the Champion? Because if we try to see if people are looking for Shiro, that's different."

He pulls his knees up, thinking and just watching space go by.