"It's hard to say," Shiro murmurs. "He didn't know how many facilities she had going, or if there were any more clones being programed. But the facility he took Keith to had at least a thousand. It was set to self-destruct, thinking that it would take him and Keith with it. I think... Those memories are hard to think back on." He's not going to go into what he said. The things he ripped through Keith, tearing great ragged holes in the support they'd built together. That's too much. And if Keith hasn't told her, then it's really not his place to say.
"I think," he continues slowly, "that it was an attempt to strike back at the witch. To end the suffering of the others before it began, rid her of her toys, set her back in her research. He had to try to kill Keith, but he had faith that Keith could beat him, or that the Black Lion would save him somehow. Keith would survive and this section of the cloning project would end."
He rubs his hand across his forehead. It's okay. He's not there. The shriek of metal and Keith's labored breathing are just a bad memory. Smooth out the bedspread. Feel the texture of the weave. See? Here. Present. Focus.
"In the end, Keith surprised him. He thought he'd angered Keith and hurt him badly enough that Keith would kill him, or at least leave him to die." His chuckle is odd and rough and devoid of warmth. "Keith is better than that. He severed the prosthetic the witch had upgraded. The backlash and the strain on the clone's body was too much and he lost consciousness, but Keith got him into the Black Lion. Brought him back to the Paladins."
Bleak grey eyes lift to find her vibrant blue. "I'm sorry, Princess, but Lotor isn't the friend he makes us all believe he is. He's using us - using you to try and learn Altean alchemy and finish work on a trio of ships. They'll be able to combine, like the lions, into something new, able to be controlled by a single person, but just as large as Voltron and without the direct hookups that Zarkon's armor needed. He wants to break through the seam between universes and harvest quintessence directly from the between space. Where those little mote creatures are. And the Paladins are going to have to hold out until Keith gets back and can drop off my clone at the Castle. You can do it. I know you can. I've seen it happen. But you're going to have to believe it too."
cw: PTSD, flashback symptoms
"I think," he continues slowly, "that it was an attempt to strike back at the witch. To end the suffering of the others before it began, rid her of her toys, set her back in her research. He had to try to kill Keith, but he had faith that Keith could beat him, or that the Black Lion would save him somehow. Keith would survive and this section of the cloning project would end."
He rubs his hand across his forehead. It's okay. He's not there. The shriek of metal and Keith's labored breathing are just a bad memory. Smooth out the bedspread. Feel the texture of the weave. See? Here. Present. Focus.
"In the end, Keith surprised him. He thought he'd angered Keith and hurt him badly enough that Keith would kill him, or at least leave him to die." His chuckle is odd and rough and devoid of warmth. "Keith is better than that. He severed the prosthetic the witch had upgraded. The backlash and the strain on the clone's body was too much and he lost consciousness, but Keith got him into the Black Lion. Brought him back to the Paladins."
Bleak grey eyes lift to find her vibrant blue. "I'm sorry, Princess, but Lotor isn't the friend he makes us all believe he is. He's using us - using you to try and learn Altean alchemy and finish work on a trio of ships. They'll be able to combine, like the lions, into something new, able to be controlled by a single person, but just as large as Voltron and without the direct hookups that Zarkon's armor needed. He wants to break through the seam between universes and harvest quintessence directly from the between space. Where those little mote creatures are. And the Paladins are going to have to hold out until Keith gets back and can drop off my clone at the Castle. You can do it. I know you can. I've seen it happen. But you're going to have to believe it too."