The New Champion

Chapter 7

<Shiro>

After hearing Hunk's idea I thought it best to let everyone sleep for the night and tell them in the morning. Otherwise they will all work themselves to death. I, on the other hand, wasn't going to ble to sleep. The idea drifting through my mind, hoping it would work.

Sending Hunk off to bed Shiro slowly walked down the dimmed corridors toward the draining deck, hands in his pockets as he did. Taking a short ride on the elevator up, the man steps out and his ears are met with the sound of metal clashing on metal from down the hall. Sighing he continues his stroll until he comes to the open door of the training deck to see Keith battling two of the practice bots.

He stands there for a moment observing the younger boy, noticing how his movements were slightly sluggish. Keith's sword clangs with one of the bot's staff, the other moving quickly behind the red paladin going in for a strike. Slightly worried Shiro steps into the room pressing a button on the wall panel.

"End training sequence!" Shiro calls out for the voice recognition to hear him. As he does so the robots stand down from attacking.

Keith whips his head around dripping sweat off his bangs as he glares daggers at Shiro. "Why the hell did you do that?" The young boy's voice was evident with frustration and slight anger towards his brother figure. Mad that he stopped him in the middle of what he was doing.

"I did that because you need to sleep. You can't help save Lance if you've worked your body into an early grave." Shiro replies calmly and collectively, putting his fists on his hips. Standing like a scolding mother.

Keith gives a slight annoyed chuckle. "Well thanks but no thanks. I'm not tired. I gotta keep training" He activates his Bayard and gets into position as he is about to start the training sequence again.

"I'm not telling you this as your leader, I'm telling you this as your big brother Keith. If we all want to save Lance, then we need to make sure we keep ourselves alive too. Otherwise it's all pointless." As Shiro talks he slowly makes his way over to Keith. Placing his non Galra arm on his shoulder he gives it a comforting squeeze. "I know how you feel, I hated leaving him behind. You're the one who stopped me from running after him in the first place."

Keith lowers his head to avoid looking at Shiro, tears clouding his vision. "If I had just been stronger I could have saved him. I was so stupid!" Keith's gloved hands ball into tight fists of anger at himself, the leather squeaking under the pressure. "He saved me and got hurt and I was too weak to save him!" The salty tears burned Keith's eyes as he tried to hold them in, but soon they reluctantly spilled out and down his cheeks.

Shiro twists Keith around and wraps his arms around the shorter boy, giving him a comforting hug. Keith hesitantly reciprocates the hug letting the barriers in his mind go and let's himself cry into his brother's shirt.

"It's okay, We're going to get him back. In the morning I'm sitting everyone down for a meeting. That's why I want you to go get some rest, okay?" Once Keith had calmed down a little bit the two stepped away from each other. Keith's eyes are red and puffy as he wipes his face with the sleeves of his jacket.

"Okay, I'll go to bed." The two walk out of the large room but not before Shiro shuts off the lights, the training bots dropping through a hole that opens above each of them go get fixed up.

Shiro and Keith walk in almost silence to the elevator as they head to their rooms. The sounds of their shoes echoing slightly and Keith's small sniffles of his runny nose from crying are the only noise. The two ride up to the floor their rooms are on and continue down the hall, Shiro stopping short Infront if his room.

"Make sure you get some rest okay Keith? Don't just stare at your knives all night." Shiro gave a slight humorous tone in his voice as he spoke.

Keith had continued walking down the hall. He turned and started walking backwards, his hands stuffed in his cropped jacket pockets. "Yes Mom" Keith says back sarcastically and spins back around rounding the corner of the hall disappearing from Shiro's sight.

With a chuckle Shiro presses the keypad outside his door, it hissing open for him to step inside. Once the door shuts behind him, the man sighs and leans against the now shut door. Maybe he will try to get some sleep. Shiro's body felt heavy, like he was carrying twenty extra pounds on each of his limbs. With a lazy shuffle he walks over to his closet and strips off his vest and t-shirt. Taking a glance at himself in the mirror attached to the door of said closet.

Bringing his good hand up Shiro traces his fingers on the scars that zig zag across his chest. The jagged and raised skin is a permanent reminder of what he went through in the hands of the Galra. His grey eyes wandered up to where his metal arm connects to his shoulder. The scars are the worst where metal meets flesh. Reaching up with his good arm he grabs a hold of his metal and gives it a small twist popping off the appendage.

Walking over to his desk he sets the arm down and looks at it for a minute. So many thoughts filtering through his tired mind but only one staying front and center.

What the hell are they doing to Lance...

(I know Shiro's Galra arm doest go all the way to his shoulder but I want it to so.... It's gonna be there.)