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It have been a year.
A year thinking that his lover was killed in action on the Kerberos mission abroad.
A year mourning and grieving and plotting revenge against the General that had given the orders (General Zarkon).
A year that haven’t prepared Keith at all to what he found on that military car crash in the middle of the desert or Arus (inside their own country).
Shiro.
Alive.
The impact had made he hit his head on the steering wheel, but he was breathing and his heart beat strong as ever. He was obviously running from the same military that he had sworn his loyalty before.
The other military vehicles were getting closer.
There was no time to really think of the consequences.
(Not that Keith ever thought about consequences anyway).
Keith pulled him out of the car. It would be hell to take him on his motorcycle, but he had no choice.
An old pickup stopped near them. Three cadets from the nearby base get out.
Fuck! Keith had only a knife right now and he didn’t had the time to fight. Not with Shiro’s dead weight on his shoulders.
- Holy cow! – one of them, the bigger one with a bandana, said – Is that Takashi Shirogane?
- And Keith. – the tall and lean one said with disgust on his voice.
The bigger one ignored his friend.
- Isn’t he, like, dead in action?
The smaller one only stared at Shiro as if he had seen a ghost.
Keith really didn’t had time for that, not with the ones that were chasing Shiro getting closer.
- Out of my way! – he ordered, dragging Shiro’s body towards his bike.
- What? Are you nuts, mullet?! He needs help!
- There are some units on their way! – the bigger one smiled.
Keith gritted his teeth.
- He was running from them, you idiots!
He dragged Shiro while the three stared at him with shock.
Before he could even try to get into the bike, the tall and lean one helped him hold the body, but he tried to take him to the pickup.
- What the fuck are you doing?
- In case you haven’t noted, Kogane, but it is freaking IMPOSSIBLE to carry him on that. Now get in the fucking car!
Keith couldn’t be more grateful.
They all enter the car and the big guy started to drive as fast as the car allowed.
- We need to go somewhere to hide. – the small one finally said (his voice as a little high pitched).
- I have a shack not too far. – Keith said, still holding Shiro – But we need to lose them first.
The big cadet nodded.
- I’m on it!
Shiro’s death had been announced as a raid that had gone wrong.
Which was completely ridiculous in Keith’s opinion because Shiro was escorting a peaceful research and medical mission. Besides, Shiro was one of the very best in basically anything (they had called him for some black ops, but he had refused due to moral principles).
Keith didn’t buy the shitty explanation that it was a surprise attack.
He questioned his superiors.
It was no surprise that he was discharged with no honours for being too nosy.
If they thought that it would make him give up, they were more stupid than what Keith had thought.
He didn’t went far from the base.
Instead, Keith got a job at the company that repaired the communications towers for the military.
And now he could hear all the communications of them.
Keith was expecting to expose something as a revenge. However, he never expected that he would find his fiancé again. He just had gone to investigate something related to the “Operation Iago” on the desert.
He had been listening a lot about that Operation Iago lately. Keith still didn’t know what it was (they always spoke or written in codes). All he knew was that it was something big and that would involve some kind of assassination.
That morning the communicators had gone wild with all the alert to a missing vehicle.
Finding the vehicle only gave Keith more questions than answers.
He hoped that Shiro would be able to answer some of those.
Once they successfully escaped the military vehicles, they all stopped at the shack.
The cadets (Lance, Hunk and Pidge, as they introduced themselves later) had decided to stay to see what that was all about.
Lance had provoked Keith when the ex-cadet had started to take Shiro’s clothes off (he needed to check for injuries, since they couldn’t just take him to a hospital. Also, no way in hell he would let his beloved sleep on that awful tight and weird suit). But other than that, they mostly helped.
Pidge was the one questioning everything. Apparently, he had been trying to intercept the communication for months now, but with no results. However, Pidge had got info about something related to Operation Iago that was only mentioned on the communication, the Champion Project, ran by the black ops company “Galra Tech”.
- The one in charge with this project is Doctor Haggar, but there is no register of her in any part of the world. Not even a first name.
Keith hummed, staring at his board with all the information he had gathered while still holding Shiro’s hand.
(He had believed that his fiancé was dead for over a year. He wouldn’t let go of him so soon).
- They mentioned her a lot. Her among with the “Greatest Weapon”. I wonder if this – he pointed at the metal arm – has anything to do with it.
Shiro had scars and changes from that missing year. His hair had gotten gray, with a patch of white on the front. He had scars all over his body, including a large one on his face. His right arm was now a metal prosthetic. There was a shock mark on the back his neck.
Pidge nodded solemnly.
- Hey, Keith, have you ever heard something about the Holts during your spyware?
Keith tapped his chin, trying to remember any mention. Shiro sighed quietly on the bed.
- I think I might have something. It probably is on my registers. – he pointed out to some stacks of paper and an old and beat laptop – But it probably was not much. I wasn’t focused on it.
- Do you mind if I take a look at it?
For one moment, Keith considered if he could be a spy from General Zarkon or the Galra Tech black ops. But since his lover was now safe and sound on his bed, he had no reason not to let go of that research. And Pidge seemed already whiling to share everything he had on the Champion Project.
- Knock yourself out. We don’t have much to do while we wait anyway.
The shack had only one room (kitchen + living room + bedroom) and a bathroom.
It was kinda hard to accommodate everyone.
Pidge said he didn’t want to sleep (he was reading EVERYTHING Keith had pulled from Zarkon bases), so he would just stay on the dinning table.
Hunk and Lance shared the sofa. (Lance complained that it was too hard for him, but he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow).
Keith stayed on a chair by the bed. He just couldn’t let go of Shiro.
Not again.
- So… - Pidge had asked quietly at some point – It is true then, huh?
Keith sighed.
- What is true?
- The rumours, you know? That Shiro was gay.
Oh, those.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy had been revoked, but apparently was still not over.
- Does it matter? – he asked annoyed.
Keith held Shiro’s hand defensively and stared at Pidge in a challenging way, as if saying “Say something about it. I dare you, motherfucker”.
Pidge smiled and raised his hands in a pacifying way.
- Hey, it is ok. I didn’t want to pry I just… - he scratched his head – Wanted to understand your motivations, you know?
He waited until Keith nodded and relaxed to continue.
- You left the base almost at the same time he was declared MIA, right?
Again, Keith nodded.
- Yeah. It was just not right. He was the very best at anything and he was in a peaceful mission.
- Escorting Dr. Samuel Holt and his son, Matthew, to Kerberos. – Pidge added.
- Yeah… It just… didn’t made sense for him to die like that…
The small cadet nodded, pleased with the answer.
- You know… he used to talk a lot about you.
Keith raised one eyebrow.
- How do you know that?
Pidge opened a weird smile and scratched his head.
- I heard him with the superiors once or twice, that is all.
Keith shrugged.
That was kind of suspect, but he wasn’t in the mood to investigate.
He held Shiro’s hand.
- I’m glad he is back.
Pidge smiled at him and kept working in silence.
(Keith put a blanket over him once the boy passed out).
He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep.
But Keith woke up with a strong pair of arms enveloping him in a bone crushing hug.
- You are here! – Shiro sobbed on his shoulder – You are real!
Keith sighed in relief and hugged him back.
- You are home.
And Shiro kissed him like a dying man held his last breath of life.
After introductions were made and Shiro got new clothes (with Lance trying to imply that Keith had molested the soldier, to which Shiro had laughed saying “Oh, ok. Next time do this while I’m awake, ok, sweetheart?” and had kissed Keith’s face. Lance was now moody and with a long face), they had exchanged information about Zarkon’s plans and the operations.
Shiro had looked down to his arm.
- I am Project Champion. At least, part of it.
They all held their breaths (and Keith held his beloved’s hand).
- They picked the best soldiers on the whole army, whether they agreed or not…
- What they did you them? What they did to you? – Hunk asked softly.
Shiro massaged his head.
- I’m not sure.
- How can you not be sure? – Lance inquired.
- They messed with my head… I’m not sure exactly how either.
- You mean, like MKUltra? – Pidge asked, talking notes nonstop.
- Something like that… They wanted to create perfect killing machines, people without remorse or that wouldn’t question any order.
Keith massaged Shiro’s human hand.
- How did you escaped?
Shiro sighed and leaned on his fiancé.
- I... I don’t know. I have just a vague memory.
- How can we be sure if you are not just working for them? – Lance asked with narrowed eyes.
Keith glared at him. How dare him!
Hunk put a hand on Lance’s shoulder.
- Lance-
- No. No. No! Think about it! He doesn’t even have a clue on how he escaped! He could be working for General Zarkon and the Galra Tech and we wouldn’t know!
- I’m not. – Shiro said with conviction – I’m positive of that.
- How can you be so sure?
Shiro pointed out to the shock mark on the back of his neck.
- I don’t remember very well how I escaped. But I remember bits of it. Someone... helped me… He gave me a shock here to fry the microchip they put on my brain.
- Who do I need to thank? – Keith asked staring deeply into Shiro’s brown eyes.
The soldier sighed.
- I… I don’t remember his face…
- What do you do remember?
Shiro stared at all of them in the room with determination.
- I remember why he did it and what my objective is now. – he took a deep breath – I have to stop Operation Iago. I have to stop the assassination of Senator Allura.
- Wait. – Pidge said, opening his notes – Senator Allura from the Altea district? The one that is trying to reduce the military expenses and end the war against our neighbours? That Allura?
Shiro nodded.
- Yes. That Allura. Apparently, she is in the way of Zarkon’s and Haggar’s plans.
- She will give a speech on the Capital in a week from now! – Hunk gasped – Isn’t that, like, the perfect opportunity?
- And is Zarkon going to send one of the super soldiers after her? – Lance asked with wide eyes.
- Yes and yes. I have to stop it. Many lives depend on it.
Keith squeezed his hand.
- We need to stop it. No way in hell that I’m going to let you do this alone.
Shiro stared at Keith’s determined blue eyes and smiled in defeat.
- Who am I to try to stop you?
- I’m going with you! – Pidge announced – I want more information about all this. Anything you can remember.
- I’m coming too! I’m always on board to save pretty damsels in distress! – Lance grinned.
Hunk sighed.
- Someone has to keep him from killing himself. – he pointed to Lance – So I’m going too.
- Hey! – Lance said indignantly.
Shiro looked surprised at the three of them.
- Guys… You don’t have to!
- You are going to need help. We are help!
Keith nodded.
- The more the better. Besides, we can pull together my info and Pidge’s info and give it to Allura. She will know how to shut down Project Champion.
Shiro looked taken aback.
- If we failed, we might be sent to prison. Or worse.
- We cannot let them do that kind of thing either. – Hunk said with conviction.
- We have to help! – Pidge seemed set on that idea.
- Yeah! That is the right thing to do! – Lance added.
Keith squeezed Shiro’s hand again, making the soldier look at him.
- I will not let you do this alone.
The couple exchanged another meaningful look, and both agree.
Shiro nodded to all the people in the room.
- All right. That is decided. We must stop Zarkon plans.
They all start to talk about plans and strategies.
They even agreed in a codename for the operation: Operation Voltron, like the old cartoon from the 80’s.
Keith stayed in silence, staring at his fiancé tenderly.
No matter what happened: he would follow his Shiro to hell and back if necessary.
Nothing would keep them apart again.