Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The mission was almost a success. They made it out of the ship fine. They rescued Allura, that was the plan, to get in and get out. The Wormhole was formed and they nearly escaped without any problems. Then that Witch showed up, and caused the Wormhole to become unstable and start the train wreck of what was to come of the future.

The lions had fallen into the ever-changing walls of the wormhole, their pilots screaming as the plummeted through space, light years away from each other. The Green lion crashed into the floating metal of a trash nebula, the Blue and Yellow Lions, broke the surface of a water planet and slowly sunk to the bottom, and the Black and Red Lion tore through the atmosphere of a deserted planet, at least, that's what they assumed it to be.

The Castle of Lions found the Green Lion and their Paladin in less than a day. The Blue and Yellow Lions were found two days later. But after 2 more weeks, Voltron was still down two Lions and in turn, two Paladins.

The remains of Voltron followed all the leads they could find, "Lions scene in the Cortia system!" "Paladins crash into Kiaxet's 5th Moon!" All were fake leads planted by the Galra to lure them into a trap, every single one. Until a week later when, in the middle of the night, the signals of the Black and Red Lions came back online. The Paladins stormed the planet where the signals originated, quickly collecting the damaged lions and returning them back to the Castle of Lions. Shiro was rushed to the medical bay and placed into a pod to heal the wound dealt by the Witch. Keith met with everyone else in the Control room to discuss the situation.

"Are you sure that's all that happened while you and Shiro were stranded?" Allura questioned.

Keith shifted his weight to his right leg and shook his head. "Yes, the planet was completely deserted, nothing occupied while we were there." He replied, driving the point across. "Can I return to my room now?"

Coran turned to the console behind him and entered the data Keith had provided on the planet. "If your completely sure that's what happened you're free to go."

Keith nodded, spinning on his heels and ducking out of the room.

"Wow," Pidge uttered. "He could not get out of here fast enough."

"Nah, he just annoyed he didn't get to do anything for nearly a month." Lance snickered, "Probably jealous that Hunk and I freed and entire planet while he sat around waiting."

"I bet he's just tired, I know I would be if I had to sleep on the hard dusty ground for that long." Hunk inquired, walking towards the door. "I'm gonna get started on dinner, A feast celebrating all of us getting back together!" His eyes nearly lit up at the thought.

"I'll give you a hand." Pidge said, following behind Hunk.

The remaining people in the Control room watched the two leave before the Alteans returned to their work, organizing data and checking the Castle systems.

"So... is there anything I can do?" Lanced asked, sliding up next to the Princess with a smirk crossed his lips.

Allura sighed at his attempted advancements before turning to look at him. "You can help Coran clean the Cryopods, or since the training room is open you can practice til Dinner is ready."

Lance stared, dejected by her tone before turning to leave the room, hands in his pockets, grumbling about his flirting skills.

Hunk had called over the intercom that Dinner was ready. Prompting Lance to jump up from his bed and make his way down the hall to the dining room.

Hunk wasn't lying when he said he'd prepare a feast for his teammates. Plates stacked at least a foot tall covered the table. Half of it even closely resembled food from Earth.

After five minutes, everyone in the castle had made there way to the dining room. Except for obviously Shiro. And Keith?

Anyone could tell that Allura was agitated by his absence, no one was supposed to skip her designated "Team Bonding Times" and meals happened to be one of them.

She sighed, "Lance, could you please get Keith from his room and ask him to join us."

Lanced groaned, "Why do I have to get him? Anyone else could get him so why does it have to be me? My food is going to get cold." He exaggerated, crossing his arms across his chest.

Pidge tapped the Blue Palladian on the shoulder. "You should probably just go get him, Allura seems reeaally agitated right now." She whispered, causing Lance to glance back at the Princess.

"Alright Fine." Lance sighed as he stood up from his chair, hands in his pockets, as he walked towards the rooms.

"I'm Keith, I'm too cool to meet up with my team for dinner. I'm Keith, I keep a knife under my pillow because I'm so emo." Lance expressed mockingly.

Lance trudged down the hallway illuminated by the florescent castle lights.
Reaching Keith's door, Lance knocked lazily. "Keith? Your late for dinner. Get your ass up." Lance waiting a moment before pressing his ear against the door, his Palladian armor clicking against it. "Keith?"

Growl

Lance stumbled back at the noise before banging his fist again the door. "Keith open up!" A crash was heard from inside before it turned quiet. Too quiet.

"Screw it." Lance grumbled before placing his hand on the access scanner. A wave of cold air washed over him as the door opened with a hiss.

All the lights were off, covering the room with a blanket of black, but you didn't have to have night vision to tell that the room was in shambles. The covers were thrown across the room, the dresser laying on its side. And numerous clothes were scattered around the floor.

Lanced edged his way further into the room."Keith?" He called out softly.
A figure lunged out from the corner of the room, tackling Lance to the floor and pinning his arms to his side. Snarling in his face with its sharp canines.

"Get... off... me!" Lance pushed up with all his might to force the figure off of him. Whatever the hell it was.

Thinking up a different strategy. Lance reached to his right hip, causing a pair of handcuff to materialize in his hands. Shifting his leg, Lance kneed the figure in the chest, causing it to clutch it stomach and roll to the side. Before it could get back up Lance attached one cuff the the leg of the bed and the other side the the figures ankle. Lance stood quickly, walking backwards, eyes locked on to the shadows. Until he tripped on the end of the dresser and falling to his back once again.

The figure lunged out to Lance again, sharp claws extended. Lanced reached up to cover his face, and shielding his eyes. The figure swiped down with it claws before the magnitizing sound of the handcuffs pulled them back.

Lance blinked and moved his arms back down. Finally getting a clear look at the figure chained the the bed.

"K-keith?"

A series of snarls and growls replied as the figure crouched low to the ground, swiping its claws at Lance who was just out of there reach.

Lance answered the voice in his head

Run. Run Now.

Lance got up to his feet and raced out of the room. All the way back to the dining room. Hanging on the door frame to catch his breath.
Hunk stood abruptly. "Lance, what's wrong?!"

Lanced huffed a few more time to regain his breath.

"We... We got a problem. A BIG Problem."

Chapter Text

Keith trudged down the long hallways of the castle, debating if he had really done the right thing by not notifying Allura of the secret operations and bases that were on the Planet Shiro and himself had crash landed on.

She deserved to know, They deserved to know, but then he would be questioned about how he knew about that base. He didn't want them to know about it.

It was the right thing to do. If no one knows, no one will get hurt... Right?

Keith wrapped his arms around his chest and hugged tightly, shivering at the thought of that torturous planet. All the needles, quintessence, and magic poured into body against his will, the memories of which would be ever engraved into his brain and body.

The straps the of the operation table bound his limbs to it surface, no amount of struggling could free him from their grip. Sweat covered his body as he panted breathlessly.
"Please-" another needle was forcefully stabbed into his neck. It felt as if lava itself was being injected.

It Burned

"Higxa, notify Drada that the implant is needed, the injections are set into his system and it's control system is now needed." That voice...

"Understood." The figure turned to leave the room. The other who had given the order turned and stared straight into his eyes. Those piercing yellow eyes.

"I do hope that you will obey your new programming Paladin,I hope that you will find it most... interesting. I guess Zarkon's statement still stands too."

"You do fight like a Galra soldier."

He reached up to the nape of his neck tentatively, running his finger along the raised flesh of a fresh scar.
It was all that damn Witch's fault. Her fault that Shiro got poisoned. Her fault that the wormhole malfunctioned. Her fault that he is now a danger to the team. And her god damn fault that today was his last day on the Castle of Lions.

He'd need to pack and leave tonight.

At least 20 minutes had passed when Keith looked up again from the floor, the dorms long since past and the automatic door of the med bay was in sight.

"I guess it would be worth it to say some sort of goodbye." Keith mumbled.

Placing his hand on the scanner, Keith stepped quietly into the bay, making his way past the many tables and cabinets holding supplies to the back of the room, towards the center healing pod.

Shiro stood blissfully unconscious inside the healing pod. The pain once etched on his face during the month of being stranded had faded to a look of indifference. The heart monitor beeped steadily, filling the quiet room with its sound.

Keith rested his forehead against the pod, placing his hand against the force field near Shiro's heart.
"Shiro..." he looked up "please... please get better soon... and please for the love of God, please don't remember on the hell hole of a planet."

It looked as if Shiro's eyebrows drew closer in confusion at the statement.

Keith turned away from the pod, sliding down the force field, and resting his back against it.

"Shiro... what's gonna happen from here?"

The silence of the room was his only reply. Keith chuckled lightly.

"I guess I am going crazy, look at me, I talking to a completely unconscious person, I was treated like that bitch's science experiment, It seems that Red has completely stopped talking to me... I don't even know what side I'm on anymore-"

A throbbing pain wretched across his chest, causing Keith to claw at his heart, gasping for breath which seemed to not be there.

"Damnit!" He uttered. Waves of dizziness crash through Keith as he got to his feet and he ran as quickly as possible out of med bay and into the soundless corridors of the castle. His steps erratic as his limb jerked thoughtlessly.

"You just love to torture me don't ya, eh Haggar?"

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, Keith could feel his body shift, his fingers turning to claws, his eyes moving to the top of his head, and the spreading of the lilac going across his chest.

"Come on. Come on! I can make it-" Keith winced as his eyes started to throb painfully, causing his vision to blur.

His entire body was shaking by the time he reached his door, panting heavily.

Slamming his fist on the scanner, Keith stumbled inside his room. He reached out to steady himself in the dresser, on for it to topple over, and for him to go with it. Crumbling to the ground, Keith curled in on himself, clutching his hands into his hair. A muffled scream was let free from his throat.

"Pack once this-" he winched. "This is over, and then I'll go back I-I promise... just... please let it end."

Black.

A gut wrenching snarl emitted from deep within him, and all hell broke loose.

The halls of the castle echoed with footsteps.

"Lance... slow down... a second" Hunk panted, "You're not making any sense, and can we please not run?"

Lance slowed to a stop and turned to face the others. "Ok, for the fifth time! I went to go get Keith and there is a furry, purple monster in his room. Which has a horrible hairstyle."

"And from this what are you implying?" Allura asked, crossing her arms.

"I-I really don't know. But what I'm at least sure of is the Keith didn't tell you anything about what really happened on that planet. I mean, I don't know what was in his room, but I'm sure as hell that it's some sort of Galra.

Pidge gave Lance a confused look "But you said it lunged and tried to claw at you."

"Lance turned his arm over to expose the torn fabric and red lines in his skin. "It did claw me!"

"Ok, but from what we've seen," they gestured to the everyone else behind them, "Galra are at least a bit more evolved than some primal animal.

Allura piped up, "Well, that's not completely true."

"What do you mean Allura?"

"While Galra do always appear as highly evolved creatures, there are very few amount who do revert to a feral state of mind. But that's only if they weren't raised with their own kind."

So the only thing I saw in there must have been a Galra. I mean, how else would you describe a being that 1: is purple 2: has claws 3: has fangs and 4: overall looks like a big fluffy cat?!" Lance exclaimed, pinching his forehead with frustration.

"Alright" Pidge sighed, shrugging their shoulders. "I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves. Lead the way."

Chapter Text

Haggar watched the hologram screens meticulously. Noting down the distinct behaviors of the numerous test subjects displayed. After releasing her newest test subject into the Universe the Paladins had become almost completely inactive. She knew that they eventually found their way back to each other but besides that there was... nothing, which in turn, halted her work, leaving Haggar only able to observe.

"H-Haggar?" A voice spoke from behind her.

The soldier standing in the doorway seemed to hide behind their face shield when they addressed the Witch.

"What is it Dyrex?" Haggar replied, annoyance clear in her tone.

"Zarkon has requested your presence in the throne room."

Haggar sighed, It would have been sooner or later that the Emperor would want to know what she had planned for her newest test subject. "Alright, tell the Emperor I'm on my way and return to your position soldier."

"Y-yes Ma'am! Vrepit Sa." The soldier ducked out of the room and bolted down the hallway, thrilled to be out of the witches presence.

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"You requested to see me Sire?"

Zarkon stood with his back to Haggar, eyes focused on observing the galaxies and stars that were on the other side of the glass.

"Yes. What is the progress on the Red Paladin?" He responded, turning around to face Haggar.

Haggar pulled up a hologram with a flick of her wrist and brought up a visual displaying the different rooms Castle of Lions, hidden camera surveillance that had been placed onto the ship without any of the Paladins notice, and zoomed in on the camera displaying the Red Paladins bedroom.

Zarkons eyes widened slightly at the Galra chained to the bed, clawing at the ground and growling uncontrollably.

"He's been restrained?"

"Unfortunately yes." Haggar zoomed in the on the handcuffs that binded the Galra to the leg of the bed. " The Blue Paladin had found him in this state before we could move on to stage two."

Zarkon growled in irritation. "Revert the test subject to their previous form and make sure the rest of Voltron will not question this incident. Then we may have a chance to continue the plan. Also, activate the beast once the Red Paladin reverts." Zarkon turned away and proceeded towards the door chuckling at the thought of how Voltron will react to their experiments. Leaving Haggar in the throne room alone.

A sinister smile crept along her face. "Yes Sire, Vrepit Sa."

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"Ok we're here! Finally" Lance announced, officially out of breath. He walked cautiously towards the door, turning his back to it and directing the team's attention to what he was about to say.

"Alright. So. I don't really know how to explain in more detail about what uhh..." Lance gestured to the door behind him, rubbing the back of his neck in uncertainty, his uneasiness about the situation was clear enough the anyone could see it.

"Lance if you are just stalling time I'd rather you not. If there is something on the ship that shouldn't be here we need to deal with the threat immediately! Now move aside." Allura ordered, her patience wearing thin.

Lance moved away from the door towards Hunk, grabbing the Yellow Paladin's arm and slightly hiding behind his frame, completely ignore his friend's questioning stare and focusing his eyes on the door that lead into the Red Paladins room.

Allura moved her hand over the scanner, and in the moment Lance felt his heart stop.

The door sliding to the side was probably the longest 3 seconds ever. Or at least it seemed that way to the team.

Everyone crowded into the doorway to peer into the dark room.

Allura's hand roamed along the wall to her right, feeling for a light switch. Finding it and turning it on.

An audible gasp could be heard from everyone.

Laying on the floor was, in fact, a very human looking Red Paladin, eyes closed and breathing at a slow rate.

"Keith!!!" Pidge and Hunk pushed their way passed Allura and knelt down at either side of the Red Paladin.

"Lance what the Hell?!?" Pidge exclaimed, turning their attention to the shocked Blue Paladin frozen in the doorway.

"Wait. W-Wha This- This is-" Lance stumbled over his words, completely bewildered by the scene in front of him. "This is not what was here before! I swear!"

"Keith! Keith!" Hunk shook the Red Paladins shoulder, trying to get him to open his eyes.

A groan emitted from the unconscious figure. "Wha..." Keith looked around the room. "What are you guys doing in my room?" He reached up and rubbed his eye.

Everyone fell silent, looking around at each other before Pidge's eyes narrowed and turned to look back up at Lance. "How about you ask Lance? I believe he has all the answers."

Keith looked up at the Blue Paladin fidgeting in the doorway, uncomfortable with all the eyes on him.

Keiths face turned to only that could only be described as livid. He got to his knees and stood to his full height and walked as much as he could towards Lance before the handcuffs could pull him back.

"What the Hell is wrong with you Lance?" Keith yelled, grabbing the front of Lances shirt and pulling him closer.
"I know we fight a lot but this?!" Keith gestured to his bound ankle, "This! Is to much."

Lance was still in complete bewilderment. "Wait wait Keith... I think there's been some mistake here!" Lance chuckled lightly, putting his hands up in surrender.

Keith pulled back his free hand, forming a fist.

"Both of You! Stop this foolishness!" Allura's voice caused the teens to pull away from each other. Looking down at the floor as if nothing happened.

"Coran. Do you have a remote to take the cuffs off?" Allura questioned, turning towards her advisor.

Coran, dug through on of his pockets before pulling out a small device with a single button and a sensor. "Sure do!" Coran moved towards the cuff attached to the leg of the bed and pressed the button, releasing both sides of the handcuffs.

"Now," Allura turned to the Paladins in the room. "It is late and I hope that all of you will return to your rooms. We will discuss this situation in the morni-

Before Allura could finish her Order, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge clutched at their temples.

Those unaffected looked at the Paladins in worry, confused at what had happened.

"God..." Pidge muttered, rubbing at the side of their head, before worry quickly took over their expression. "Did everyone else just get that?!"

Lance and Hunk turned towards the Green Paladin and nodded their heads.

"The Lions!" They all exclaimed in unison.

Before they could rush out of the room towards the hangers. Allura stopped them at the doorway, confusion written across her face, Coran and Keith also shared the same expression. "What do you mean "The Lions"!?!"

Hunk was the first to reply. "I don't really know but us three just got an urgent message from our lions and they told us to come down the the hangers immediately so we really need to go!"

The three Paladins pushed their way passed Allura, racing down the empty hallway towards the hangers.

The ones left in Keith's room stared at each other before looking back at the door.

Allura turned to face Coran. "We need to go. Now!" And in no time the Alteans had left the room as well to follow the Paladins, leaving Keith alone in his room.

An audible sigh of relief emitted from the Red Paladin as he sat down on the bed, holding his head in his hands.

"Was that to your satisfaction? Witch?" Keith said rudely, seemingly to no one.

A few seconds of silence engulfed the room, before a quiet voice in Keith's head replied.

"Yes, thank you for being so cooperative, I hope it stays that way."