Whumptober day 6:
"Do or die, you'll never make me, because the world will never take my heart."
Recording | made to watch | "it should have been me"
Fandom: Voltron (Canon Divergence? Altered Universe? AU?)
Prompts used: All
This is not the continuation! I didn't know I was gonna do a cont. When I made my list, and I just think the prompts are better on the other day I chose so apologies. Anywho, these are like, classic tropes so lets hope I can do it justice! Its longer I think, I went a little wild, and as always apparently, the timeline is wibbly wobbly… so yeah.
TW for torture!
…
Lance is almost positive his life is a cosmic joke or something.
There is absolutely no way, his luck is this bad, by accident. There's no way. There has to be some being out there with his voodoo doll, just going fricken ham. In space must just have gotten him closer and put the being in some angry mode, because these life and death situations are driving him insane.
But this time there's a kicker, it's not just his life in danger, but they've taken the whole team, with the Castle- and the Alteans- nowhere in sight. Lance- if he has to, he's been dealing with it long enough he supposed- can handle anything towards him, but bring in the people he cares about and well, you've signed your death wish.
He couldn't even tell you exactly what happened, one minute they're exploring a planet, and the next he's waking up strapped to a table, a screen of sorts showing the unconscious faces of his four teammates, trapped somewhere else. He knew this was a Quiznaking stupidly dangerous situation, and that whatever was to come was gonna suck.
As he shuffles against his bindings and takes in what he can see of the room, the door opens as the faces on the screen begin to stir and Lance tenses up, face going carefully blank.
"It's as I thought, your stamina is higher than the others." It's a strange opening line, but Lance can roll with it, just don't let the team know this is affecting him and maybe they'll get out of this. The alien- not a Galra- is tall and lanky, with five arms- though three of them are resting behind his back in a casual stance- and goggle covering where Lance assumes his eyes are, his mouth splits his face.
"Thanks for noticing! Yeah I run-"
"Hmm, specimen appears to be too confident still despite his many failures." It's said like Lance isn't intelligent enough to converse, and yet with enough disgust to state his disdain for him. Which, rude.
"Rude, if you think so little of me why the quiznack did you kidnap us?" Out of the corner of his eye he watches the lips of his team move, obviously trying to get their captors attention- or telling Lance to shut up, which is usually the case.
"Specimen Blue's memory seems to be lacking as well, further tests required." He comes to stand beside Lance's table, the screen just to the right of his shoulder, the team can probably see most of the room, but at the least all of Lance and whatever this guy plans to do. "Test number one."
He holds up a hand, 3 of eight finger like appendages held up, before the arm disappears behind his back again. Lance wonders how dumb this guy thinks he is, but before he can open his mouth, another of his hands swings so quickly it's a blur even to Lance's eyes, and brings a tool down hard on Lance's hand. He bites his tongue, metallic taste filling his mouth, his back arches and only a cut off groan escapes. He can barely make out the faces of his team, but he can't focus on that when the Alien brings the tool down again. Lance's vision spots with how hard he works to keep quiet, but he refuses to show any more weakness, dangit.
"Well Specimen Blue?"
It takes Lance a moment to recall what he wants, another to wonder why he should humor him, and another still to work around his bleeding buzzing tongue.
"Three, you mierda cabeza." He gives a bloody grin, just holding himself back from spitting on the guy. He refuses to look at his hand.
"Hm. So the Specimen simply refuses to admit to its wrongdoing. It seems to think me unintelligent, or forgetful of its failures. I will have to remind Specimen Blue, to ensure he knows his place." He turns from the table, and Lance is able to idly wonder if he's actually recording notes or not.
His eyes find the screen again, his team is staring intently and he thinks he actually sees worry. He offers his best reassuring smile before he has to return his attention to the alien. His back is turned to Lance as he fiddles with whatever's on the floating table he's dragged closer. He's really giving off (mad) scientist vibes, and Lance realizes that this is ironically what most humans think of aliens and their interactions with humans and of course what goes on in area 51 and such. Let's just hope there's no vivisections.
"So Specimen Blue, am I to assume you don't recall the life you took? Is it of too little value for your puny brain?" Lance's eyebrows furrow at this accusation, for he remembers every life he's had to take. And every life he couldn't save. "Perhaps this will remind it."
He turns around and bile rises in Lance's throat. On the table is a severed arm curved around the burned crisp of the remains of what looks to be a child. Lance's eyes burn, stomach churns, heart aches, but he has never seen this race of aliens before. They had not been to a planet with them, he's almost positive, and he would have remembered the death of a child. They are the hardest for him to bear.
"Do you recall now Specimen Blue?" He caresses the charred remains and Lance swallows thickly.
"I'm sorry for your loss, but I did not take their life." His voice is steadier than he feels, though his tongue is still thick. The alien sighs, shaking his head in disappointment.
"It seems the Specimen is duller than I'd observed. Its heart will need to be examined after further tests of its brain functionality."
"I don't know who you think I am, but I'm telling you, I did not kill that child! I'd be more than happy to track down who did dude, but this is gonna get you nowhere!"
"I will make you remember, I will make you regret, I will make you pay, I will make you tell me who your accomplice was, and I will make you suffer as you watch them die before giving you the slowest death I can manage. Because vermin like you don't deserve to live." It's the most emotion he's heard from the scientist, but the only thing Lance takes from it is the threat to his friends. This guy is crazy, they'd need time and luck to get out of this, and Lance would do his best to give them that. His face hardens as he levels a hard stare at the alien,
"You're crazy. Give it your best shot."
Do or Die. That's how Lance grew up. Every moment was a fight. Space had only solidified that, as it tried to wear Lance down, to force him to give up, but Lance was stubborn to his core. So many had tried, but no one could ever make him do something he didn't want to do, his heart led him, and it could not be taken. This guy could do whatever he wanted, but so long as he could keep the team safe? This guy would get nothing from him.
"Specimen persists. Test 2 commencing."
Shiro flinches as Lance's back arches again, though his eyes never stray from the screen, if Lance had to endure then the least Shiro could do was watch and be there as best he could. The others were in similar states, eyes glued to the screen despite the twisting it caused their guts. They were great multitaskers however, each of them doing their own thing to try and escape their restraints. Shiro was honestly a little impressed that this guy had not only captured them, but managed to keep them bound this long.
A cut off yell reaches their ears and Shiro winces as Lance bites a hole in his lip to keep the noise down. Shiro hates it, he knows what Lance is doing, how every moment he should be resting is spent sending reassuring looks towards the team, like he isn't being tortured before their eyes. Lance's hand is a mangled mess of broken bones, his bare chest is now a myriad of bruises and pinpricks from the electric rod. Blood is bubbling down from his shoulder and collar bone from precise cuts. And yet that cut off yell is the closest he's gotten to a scream.
Shiro doesn't know what he'd prefer, the sound of Lances screams forever haunting him, or these images of bloody lips and smiles as he holds it all in. He hates both options.
Keith growls beside him, straining against his binding hard enough the raw skin beneath has begun to bleed, not that he seems to care- none of them do, it is nothing compared to Lance's injuries.
"That," he growls the next word so roughly Shiro can't even tell which expletive he used, "better pray I don't get my hands on him!"
"You'd have to reach him before me." Pidge and Hunk speak in unison, Pidges glower never leaves the screen, and despite Hunks pallor, his eyes focus on Lance. The only time the two pairs stray, is to glance at a possible tool for their escape. Though Hunks straining muscles seem close to bursting through the restraints already.
"Do any of you recognize this guy? There's gotta be a reason he took us." Shiro's galra arm is hot, but the restraints are holding up far too well, still he doesn't stop.
"No. He's not a race we've come across yet." Pidge answers immediately.
"Five arms, Eight fingers on each hand, tall, large mouthed, small head, does not match any I remember." Hunk confirms, flinching as another cut is added to Lance's chest.
"Six arms, ones on that table." Keith corrects through gritted teeth.
"No, there's no signs suggesting another arm. And those… remains… have to be semi-recent, so there would be something. Plus, how does one arm get scorched but nothing else harmed?" Pidge has obviously been dissecting- bad choice of word- what she can of the scene before them, gathering as much info as she can.
"But he said 'Life you took', why wouldn't he include whoever the arm belonged to?" Keith is only a third invested in the conversation, eyes watching the Aliens every move, and body continuing its struggle.
"Cause he's a demented Quiznacker that enjoys torturing people? I don't know Keith, I'll ask him when my bayards down his throat! Aha!!" She wriggles a free wrist triumphantly, though keeps it low in case the Alien happens to glance over, though he hadn't yet.
It is short lived however, as a scream fills the space. Their eyes fly back to the screen, where Lance is trembling and straining against his bindings, a needle being pulled from his neck as he continues to scream himself hoarse.
"Just tell me who your accomplice was, and we can hurry along to your deaths." The alien placates, looking far too pleased with Lance's pain. Whatever had been injected must be agony, they can see it in every fiber of Lance's being, how he tries to close his mouth, to bite back the scream, but can't. Tears are leaking down his face, but he manages to shake his head and even choke out a 'never' in his next yell.
The scientist 'tsks', like Lance is a disobedient child, and Shiro's Galra arm seems to burn hotter as it finally breaks through the material holding it down. He didn't know where Lance was, but he'd find him dammit, he shouldn't be in there in the first place. Shiro was their leader, their former teacher, and most of all, this was his family, and he would not let this slide.
"It seems Specimen Blue is a failure in all ways. I will have to move on, but first to make an example of it. It must have a heart as black as its soul after all, and I will have it in a jar, and avenge the life it took."
"You… won't… touch… them." Shiro looks up from his task, Lance's scream has died out now, as he forces the words from a shredded throat. His pain is still obvious, but his eyes shine with something Shiro can't place. "I will… not let you… hurt them…"
"And what will you do? Specimen Blue is nothing. It is a murderer. A failure. It will never amount to anything. It can do nothing. It can't even keep its friends from getting captured. It will die here, and so will its friends, like the life it took."
"You won't…do quiznak…puta." Shiros eyes widen as Lance's mangled hand flings the scalpel-like tool at the Alien. His thumb is obviously broken, wrist bleeding from how tight the restraints had been during his struggles, the motion itself looked incredibly painful, but even with such obstacles, Lance threw the thing with deadly aim. The tool imbeds itself in the Aliens chest, he releases a shout as he stumbles and falls backwards, but he does not keel over like Shiro had hoped.
His grin is bloody, and Shiro is quick to get back to work on his bindings, because of course the kill shot didn't kill the guy, when do they ever have that good of luck? He needed to get to Lance, now!
Between the four of them they have 8/16 limbs free, but it won't be enough if they don't hurry the heck up. Shiro will not watch one of these kids die, please universe, he couldn't handle it.
Another yell comes from the screen, Lance's free arm has been pinned with a two pronged tool, two fresh lines of blood on his upper forearm from where they'd cut him. The alien is hovering over him now, and even with his goggled covered eyes, Shiro can tell he's got a crazed air about him. Lance continues his struggle, gritted teeth and a fire in his eyes. Shiro can't see a lick of fear for the death this guy has out for him, and that alone has him breaking his final limb free. He doesn't wait, he can't, he sprints towards the only way out he sees, and he runs. Lets some instinct take him, barely registering the footsteps behind him, only thinking about-
Their heart.
They would never be the same without Lance. Shiro can see it now, snippets of a what if future. They flash across his vision bullet fast, but he gets the gist.
They will fall apart.
Feet hit with solid thumps, hearts beat out of chests, minds race,
'It should have been me.'
Lance couldn't die here.
'It should have been me.'
Not for something like this.
'It should have been me.'
Always protecting them, watching their backs, they'd be dead without him, they wouldn't be here without him, there was not a hopeful future without him.
'It should have been me!'
They burst through the first door they find, hardly registering anything, it's a dogpile, the Alien cracks beneath them but they persist.
It's only later, as the recording plays before them, that they find the reason for their bruised knuckles and various minor injuries. It's only later, as Lance rests in a healing pod, that they are told about how the Alteans had been watching the whole time as they tried to track their location. It's only later that the beasts they unleashed on that monster are recognized as themselves. It's only later that they comprehend how far Lance will go to save them time and time again.
Do or die, you'll never make us, because the universe will never take our heart.
4 notes
·
View notes