Chapter Text
PROLOGUE:
It was just like any other mission.
But thats how it always is right?
Its always normal until it, no matter how much you hope, it isn’t.
_______
The neon lights of his suit were the only things keeping him from being plunged into complete darkness. But even they were dimmed by the not yet settled dust which flew freely.
His throat burned as he helplessly inhaled small particles of dirt and rubble flying around him. Welp, no helmet. Check.
He looked up, as he was sprawled on his back, and took in his what little he could see. The armor diminished how far he could crane his neck, but there wasn't much to see anyway. He saw that the rafters above him had settled into a sort of tent shape, somehow and luckily laying against each other like a deadly tepee. A few metal pipes poked out of the slab of cold stone around him and acted as support beams to this structure; they held most of the weight, which seemingly eliminated the possibility of being crushed.
He went through his checklist, putting most of the steps on hold, seeing as he couldn't really move.
His right arm, throbbing, but not yet with pain, more so from the pressure, was pinned under a cascade of rubble that fell uncomfortably close to his face. The mini avalanche had fallen past the bigger boulders and sat on top of his right wrist, but his hand, when rolled around, felt free of the restraint of the burial. He could move his fingers with little trouble, but move too much and he risked disturbing the heap, and that wasn't something he was willing to test.
He rolled his wrist slowly and monotonously, taking care to not agitate the rocks, and managed to reach the ground on the other side. Recognizing something definitely not rock, he reached every digit to its full capacity. The throbbing of his wrist became more unbearable, but he found it again. His finger brushed against something distinctly not cold. He poked it hesitantly, but it moved away before he could investigate further.
Did he really miss someone when they were evacuating the base?!
“H-” His throat felt like it was caked with flour. He coughed and spat out whatever he could, but his voice still didn’t feel like his own. He swallowed past the lump in his raw throat and tried again,
“Hey! Can you hear me?!” Keith shouted, praying that the being was alive and able to understand him.
He heard a groan, a sound he was annoyingly familiar with.
“…cinco minutos más.”