Down goes another one

Date- 28th November, year 7
Tags- @Pidge ​

They were about five miles out from Cascade Bay, being the protectors a supply train of caravans whom had reported problems getting to Cascade Bay before, it seemed they were the target of thieves. So they had been deployed to help defend them, their lions weren't going to be much use in a small situation which might occur so Keith had settled on using the little hovercraft the lions had within them. Using the hovercraft's that Keith had called hoverpod's before Pidge arrived with her sciencey words they had met the supply train fifth-teen miles out. Now Keith was sat idly in his craft, cruising one side of the caravan as Pidge went up the otherside, his now fully gloved hands on the controls as warily he glanced around at their surroundings, disliking that the sun was beginning to set in.

It seemed even in the tropical setting of Cascade Bay the sun sets slowly became earlier, he shifted in his seat resisting the urge to peel the black collar of his paladin suit down and scratch at the purple skin he knew was there. It was supposed to of gone, the treatment he'd had from Captain Holden was supposed to of removed this problem but in truth it had only made it worse. The purple patches he had received protecting Leo from burning shrapnel were supposed to of been removed and they had been for about a day, before returning with a vengeance, hot and itching more than ever before.

Something else had happened when the purple had come back, Keith had felt it, he felt different, uncomfortably so and he knew the team were beginning to notice, he felt more unstable than before. It was harder to stay calm, to stay in control, to not let his emotions control his actions. He was drawn out of his thoughts by movements in the dusk light, via his now fixed helmet's sensors he noticed several heat signatures hiding just beyond the ridge ahead.

So quickly he went into the communications and spoke to his team mate"I think I spy our thieving gang Pidge... Waiting to ambush us ahead... You direct the caravan to go westwards away from them while I go give them a surprise.." In his head the pain of the past few days vanished and a voice whispered Finally.... Something I can actually hit... He leaned over the controls and shot forwards, planning to driver the hovercraft straight at the thieves, before lunging out to attack them. As the vehicle picked up speed he continued talking to Pidge"Keep an eye out for more ambushers... Remember protecting the caravan is our biggest priority..."

 

Keith barely heard Pidge's reply, his blue, grey gaze was fixed on where he knew the ambushers were waiting. He was moving light lightening, so much so the thieves had no chance to figure out what was happening because by the time they were even beginning to comprehend what was going on he was upon them. Their were about six of them and they were all scrambling from their hiding place in a desperate attempt to get out of the way of his vehicle, only four managed to. The remaining two were struck by the vehicle and thrown to the ground, one going right over the roof before hitting the ground with a thud where they remained unmoving. As his hovercraft had struck two people Keith had been lunging out of his vehicle, eyes aflame, as he flew from the moving vehicle, forming his shield as he did so and boosting his own speed with his jetpack.

He caught three of the men in one go, essentially becoming a human battering ram, slamming into their backs which sent them sprawling face first into the ground. He went down with them but since he had known he was going to go down he sent himself into a roll before landing on his feet as he rose his bayard appeared in his hand. He raised his shield to deflect the bullet the one left standing sent his way, before springing forwards ramming the man with his shield before twisting around the man and using the hilt of his bayard like a knuckle duster, clocking the thief hard around the head rendering him immediately unconscious. Keith spun on the spot looking to the three he'd knocked down earlier, noting one was unconscious, one was clutching their arm and groaning, while the third was scrambling backwards away from him with a look of terror on their face.

It was the look of terror that drove the spike into his heart and the questioning thought into his head What am I doing? This isn't how paladins fight... But even as this thought dared enter his mind the beast inside unfurled, though it was then he heard the distant sound of vehicles colliding and then there was screaming. His bayard turned into a sword and the man's eyes widened with fear, but Keith knew he was harmless now, instead he was turning looking back towards the caravan while opening up communications with Pidge"Talk to me Pidge! Why do I hear screaming what's going on?"

 

He listened as she spoke, peering down from the rise into the growing darkness and his grip tightened upon his bayard. He could see flames, he could hear the screams and he could hear the panic and his friends voice. But he could also feel something else, his whole body shook,something was growing within him, something which had already shown itself in his take down of the men on the hill. He drew a breath patience yields focus... Patience yields focus... Patience yields focus.... He repeated the words in his head like a mantra then reached out for his lion with his link, alerting her than she may be needed. Depending on how many casualties there were, he knew the lion's hold was going to be needed to rush casualties to the hospital. He turned still listening to Pidge as he clambered into his vehicle again and then he spun it on the spot, plunging down the slope at high speed.

As he neared the carnage the calm he'd been fighting to keep turned to cold anger, he could see some thief approaching one of the vehicles on his side and baring his teeth in a silent snarl he directed his vehicle straight at them. He caught them in the side, sending them flying into the side of the vehicle in front of the one they had intended to strike and lay still. He spun his vehicle again, heading towards the front caravan, swerving once to strike another of the thieves who upon seeing his approaching vehicle screamed and turned to flee in the other direction, Keith began to turn his craft to follow them, controlled not by his simple desire to end this but then Pidge's voice broke through the comms, she was requesting back up. His gaze watched the thief flee a moment longer and then he swerved back in the direction of the head of the caravan saying in return to Pidge"I'm coming Pidge... I'm coming..." Somehow he managed to sound like himself though he sensed there was an alien edge to his tone of voice which hinted at the fire he was feeling.

He swerved upon reaching the front of the caravan, seeing Pidge trapped behind her shield, making wild short jabs at an opponent who was simply knocking he attacks aside with a grin on his face. In that moment Keith was lunging out his vehicle, running in a rather purposeful way, like a predator approaching his prey. His blue, grey gaze was cold, completely alien a rage erupting in his heart unlike any other. He's trying to hurt Pidge... I'm going to kill him... No one hurts my friends... No one hurts my family! He thought savagely, the guy must of heard him coming because he half turned after deflecting another of Pidge's attacks and was twisting to bring up his sword in defense of Keith's raised Bayard, but in a rather reckless fashion Keith deactivated his bayard last minute.

The man's blade fell on air, he became unstable and Keith was seizing the wrist that held the hilt on the blade, tugging the guy towards him. Before once again using his bayard like a knuckle duster and smashing the hilt of his bayard into the guys face with an animistic snarl. There was immediately blood, but that wasn't enough for Keith, still holding the guys wrist he forced him to move in a tight circle, punching him in the face again, then again and again. The guy stumbled over his feet while crying out with pain, falling in the dirt where Keith was upon him, eyes wild as he punched and punched, wanting to turn the man's face to mushy pulp.

 

Keith did not hear Pidge when she shouted for him to stop, he kept pounding down with his fist lost entirely to his emotions, his blue,grey eyes flashed a darker shade, turning them a violet shade, the longer he punched the darker his eyes seemed to get, a glint of yellow seemed to be appearing in them now too. He was still deaf to Pidge's cries, blood coated his bayard's hilt and his hand, his teeth were clenched in a silent snarl. Then there was a weight on his shoulder and he was being tugged back, he fell from the man into the blood splattered dirt, the guy was barely moving but he was moaning in pain and yet Keith found he wanted silence. But someone still had a hold of his arm, was wrenching him away and in his mind he found himself thinking that, that being needed to suffer as well.

So he half raised from the ground, letting them seemingly tug him from the scene, but then he was twisting, spinning and lashing out with a raised foot designed to know the person down. He gave the being no chance to recover, the bayard in his hand shifting into his sword as he lashed out at their legs, hoping to prevent them coming after him again and let him finish the job with the thug who'd been trying to hurt his friend while laughing. It was as he followed the fallen being raising his blade ready to throw the finishing blow that it happened the blood splattered up his armour from where his blade had struck home on one of the person's legs he realised through his rage that this being was not an enemy but a friend.

For a moment his rage continued too consume him, for a tenth of a second he didn't care, he was glad he'd cut this ally down, they betrayed him by preventing his continued attack on the thief. But as the blood sprayed his face, painting it red and the screaming started, all the anger washed away in an instant. He was left standing in horror as he stared down at the very person he had come too protect, immediately the blade disappeared and the bayard fell from his hands.

His eyes gradually faded back to blue, grey and were wide with both terror and horror. Then he was falling to his knee's beside Pidge, reaching out a hand saying in a shaky voice"Pidge... I... I didn't mean-" His voice fell away, what have I done? and then he tried again, an agony unlike any other ripping through him as he spoke"Fuck... We need to stop the bleeding... Pidge... Talk to me Pidge!" His hands were on her leg now as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding.

 

The screaming was worse than the blood, the screaming drilled through his skin all the way into his heart and filled him with icy agony. She had flinched away from him when he had first reached to her and that had hurt but he deserved it, he deserved it so much. Yet he had made himself reach for her a second time, to stop the blood and he had no idea where to begin. His hands pressed against the wound, trying to apply pressure, there was so much blood, it was everywhere. A deep maroon, painting his armour, soaking into his under suit, drying on his face. His whole body was shaking, but he had to be calm, he had to focus for Pidge, to right the terrible mistake he had just made and so he forced his voice to be calm as he shouted towards those they had been protecting"I need a medic... Or materials, any materials to bind the Green Paladin's leg!"

His call sounded like a barked command and was instantly obeyed by those frightened caravaners. This is my fault... All my fault... I'm a monster... I... Keith's guilt plagued his mind but was interrupted as Pidge started to moan in pain and despite the forced calm the fear kick started his guilt filled heart. He forced himself to look at her pain creased face as he spoke"Pidge... I.. I know it hurts... But I'm going to sort it... I'm... You need to calm down... Breath... Breath to a time, in one, two, three... Out one, two, three.." Material was being handed to him even as he spoke and he was tying it around the injured leg, he knew the method would do little but slow the bleeding he urgently needed to get her to hospital.

He could sense the mode of transport approaching though, he could also vaguely sense its anger, the green lion and yet he continued to force the calmness on himself, the world around him seemed muffled, quiet. He kept on bandaging her leg, he kept on telling her to breath and now he could feel an icy numbness taking over him, his movements where mechanical, his own pain vanishing deep inside of him as he tried to deal with all that was going on around him. He found himself speaking to Pidge"The Green Lion is almost here Pidge... We'll get you to a hospital, but to do that you have to get it to let me in with you so I can take you into the hospital at the other end... Pidge... You hear me... Pidge!"

He squeezed Pidge's armour plated shoulder as he spoke to get her to focus on him before calling over his shoulder"Watch out for the giant flying green lion, it will be here shortly to take the Green Paladin to a hospital." His blue, grey gaze never left Pidge as he spoke, the guilt crawled burning through his veins even as he tried to sink further into the numb world of dealing with the problem.

 

Focus, stay focused, don't show how you're breaking inside... Bandage.. Pressure on the wound... Don't let her bleed out... This is all my fault-No, focus Keith... His internal stream of thoughts were constant and they bickered within his head. He did not dare look up to Pidge's face as he worked on trying to stop Pidge bleeding out while around him people rushed around frantically making space for the ship to land nearby. He could not bare to see her loathing, her disgust, her hate or even her fear because when it came down to it he had hurt her, he had attacked her, he had done this. With every second the icy numbness which he presented seemed to grow stronger, his face was smooth of emotions, though now the blood upon it had hardened upon drying but he barely cared.

All he cared about was getting Pidge to hospital and then she was shifting, he dared a glance at her face but her eyes were not on him, they had fallen upon her leg. He wanted to tell her not to look at it, not to think on it, that everything was going to be alright but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't say anything because after attacking her he could not then lie to her, everything that was occurring appeared very bad indeed and instead he dropped his graze to her leg while he kept working at slowing the bleeding. When the lion arrived he could sense its anger before it had even landed and it managed to chip through the icy numbness which had stopped him from breaking down completely.

A hint of his own pain escaped him, only the lion would be able to sense it, the pain, the self loathing, the panic, the agony, the true horror he felt and then Pidge was speaking to him, informing him the Green Lion was there. Swallowing he spoke"Yeah she is... I'm going to get you inside her PIdge, we need to get you to a hospital... You keep fighting ok... Keep breathing... In one, two, three.... Out one, two, three.." He drew in a deep breath himself, then knowing she was going to hate it he extended his bloodstained hands and drew her into his arms. Around him others extended hands to help as he eased her from the ground in an awkward bridal carry, then with about four others moving around him to keep him steady.

They were ready to catch Pidge if she wriggled and he dropped her he made his way towards Green calling out"Green, open up please... We need to get her help..." They were outside the Green Lion now, Keith holding the green paladin to his chest, forcing himself to stay numb, to be that rock, he had to for Pidge.

 

Keith could almost feel Pidge's pain as he held her in his arms, he felt every muscle twitch, every flinch and he knew that she was in more pain than he would ever be able to understand. He tried to move quickly, yet not bounce her around to much for he had no desire to jostle her leg. His mind had gone into a tunnel vision like state, he could not see out of the tunnel, he had to keep going forwards, he had to help Pidge. He did not even react when she puked over his shoulder, coating the parts of his armour that were not already a muddy red from her blood with the ingredients of her stomach. He could tell she was starting to hyperventilate, he could feel it but he also sensed that it was not his voice she needed to hear right now and around him others started to speak, trying to keep the young paladin breathing evenly as Keith tried to broach a conversation with Green to get her to open up but unsurprisingly nothing happened. It was only as Pidge seemed to focus that things began to happen, the Lion began responding he could feel it and then Pidge spoke out loud telling her not to be a bitch.

In that moment the Lion seemed to give in and lowered her head, without even hesitating he was moving up the ramp. He eased Pidge into the pilots chair, buckling her in so that she would not be able to disturb her leg, the world around him still felt weirdly muffled and yet he found himself murmuring to her"Hold on Pidge... Keep breathing... I'll get you out of here.." With that he was turning away, eyeing green's controls in silence a moment before settling his blood soaked hands upon them and saying"Let's go Green.." With the Green lion helping him he knew this flight would not take long, but as they rose from the ground into the sky it felt like every passing second was an hour long. But he was flying and behind the controls, something he knew how to do which meant he was doing something right at last. Glancing over his shoulder as they came upon Cascade Bay he spoke"Stay with me Pidge... Just stay with me... We're almost there..." He was steering Green in to land now, his face set in a hard line as he murmured to himself "Come on, come on!"