Minutes stretched by, Keith and the other Paladins threw themselves at Zarkon's machine, keeping it away from the Black Lion. He encouraged his fellow Paladins, urging them to keep fighting. It gave Shiro time to recover. The Black Lion began to move, cutting a clear path through space on a collision course with Zarkon.

Keith left Shiro to whatever he'd planned and focused on his fight. The Black Lion's wings glow, and burst into a new shape, each feather of the new wings a glowing blade. Wow.

It punched through Zarkon, turning to energy and appearing on the other side. Lance's voice low and awed inquired, Shiro's answer made Keith smile. "You mean you got your bayard." Shiro's commands eased a faint knot of tension in their group and they flowed back together into Voltron. The battle felt different, more desperate on Zarkon's side and more set on theirs. They charged towards Zarkon and he stabbed the sword of Voltron into the chest and out the back. Zarkon's metal hands clamped onto the robot's head a burst of power ripped through the head. He heard Shiro's pained growl.

He heard his snarl and the blade burst into flame. He pulled the sword back and drove it back in all the way to the hilt. He ripped it up and out, aimming to do the most damage he could on the way out. Zarkon's machine exploded, the wash of energy ripping the lions out of their changed state. Again the Black Lion floated in space, "Shiro!"

"We'll have to tow him back to the ship!" Pidge peeled off beside him, and clamped down on the largest of the lions, activating their boosts as they came back around. Once it was safely in the hangar and they'd landed their own lions, Keith sprinted back to the Black Lion's hangar. He ran up the ramp in the open mouth uncaring of the others following on his heels. The cockpit doors slid open. Shiro was gone. "Shiro?"

It felt like the universe had leaped up and kicked him in the face.