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Akira looked around nervously. He still couldn’t believe he was out of that God forsaken prison, but to also be on this ship. A space ship manned by humans! With Keith. His Keith, all grown up and piloting a lion of Voltron! The Voltron. To say the least he was a little overwhelmed. Now Sam is saying he can make him a new arm. Has made him a new arm.
Suddenly a clawed purple hand waved in front of his face.
“You still with us Akira?” Krolia asks. Krolia the love of his life was here with him. He had almost forgotten that. How did he forget that? He gripped the hand that was still wavering at him.
He smiled up as her, “am now darling. I was just still takein’ everything in, I guess.”
Keith looked up at him from his spot next to Akira in the nest. “You can say that again. You don’t even have to deal with the fact that you half alien too.” The only tell that he was joking was a slight smirk on his face.
Akira shook his head at his child, “I am sorry about that kiddo. I always intended to tell you when you turned ten, but that never happened. I did have a letter you were suppose to get if something happened to me, but I guess that got lost in the system too.”
Keith nuzzle into his dad. He always hated this kind of topic. “Yeah it definitely did”
Krolia gripped Akira’s hand tight. “You are hear now and that’s all that matters now though".
He smiled up at her as he pulled his hand from hers and gently corrected her face, “I am so glad I have you back.”
“Me too" she added as she noticed the tablet in her mates lap. “Now what are reading?”
Akira propped up the tablet with his knee, “this is Sam’s new design for the arm that I lost. He seems to think that he can give me full mobility back. It’s almost too good to be true.”
Keith grabbed the tablet and projected the arm to a 3D render. As he moved it around looking at it from all angles he nodded, “yeah he and pidge were conversing a lot about the prosthetics they could create when incorporating Altean tec. This looks like they used Shiro’s as a base but made it so it doesn’t float. And can even have a tools worked into it. Basically you can be walking around with a small first aid kit.”
“So long as they can make it anything but white.it always stains" Akira comments.
In answer Keith opened up another window and turned it to black, then red. Then as a joke purple."
Akira just smiled, “real funny Keith. But I did like the black. Go back to that?” Keith flicked back to the black color.
“Definitely like that better than the white” Akira smiled, “I’ll just forward this over to Sam and he said he can have the new arm in about a weeks time I think.” He looked down at his right side. “It is going to be so weird having an arm when I’ve been without it for so long".
“How did you loose your arm anyways?” a voice comments. The little family turned their attention to the rest of the pack and specifically to Krex,
Antok softly growled at his kit on warning. “You don’t just ask questions like that Krex.”
Krex folded back his ears in admonishment as he apologized.
Akira chuckled little, “it’s okay Antok, he is just curious. I’m actually surprised Keith hasn’t asked me it yet either.”
Keith just shrugged, “Shiro told me when he was ready I figured you will too”.
“l heard about how it happened to him. Thankfully it wasn’t near as bad.”
Vredria whined impatiently, but how did you loose yours? Was it like with Sasa and her tail? Were she got it crushed in an accident?”
Akira chuckles at how eager the children were while Krolia just glared at her littermate who she knew shared her story with his kits.
Akira stifled a chuckle as Keith tried to do the same he remembered that memory from the space whale. It was kinda funny to watch a small Krolia run around the base and terrified to see a training going wrong as the two kits run through the training blades.
“It was a little more dangerous than that actually”, Akira comments. “You see I was just transported to the prison you all had found me in and I had already been gone from earth for 5 years. I was done fed up with being there and hadn’t seen a lick of any blade members. So I figured enough was enough and I was going to get myself outa’ there. But of course that wasn’t happening. I had managed to get a small fire going by the electrical on the wall and triggered the automatic doors to open. It even opened all the others of my unit. I was just about to book it but I heard some of my unit makes cry out for help. I had found out phoebes ago that they had family too and just wanted to go home like me. So I couldn’t just leave them there. I ended up helping as many of my unit as I could to an escape pod. Though just before I could help the last member of my unit in, the guards found the fire and chased after us. I was able to warn the rest of the group I had rescue and they were ejected to safety, I least I thought at the time. The guards the shot at us”, at this he looked up for the approval to continue this tale to the young kits and received nodes of approval from both parents. “The robots cornered the two of us and fired. They were as bout as bad as storm troopers, but one of them got lucky… the, fu- fudger, shot me right though the crook of my arm and ended up right through the head of the guy I was savin’.” Akira shook his head in sadness. “I was taken in at that point and they deemed my arm un-salvageable, but the sick ba- bat, decided to try and teach me a lesson about trying to escape" at that Keith went from chuckling at his pa's slips of profanity to whining in distress at the thought of him being tortured. Krolia rubbed Keith’s back in reassurance.
Jezeeve sniffed a bit and whiped her eyes, “Well it is good that you are out of that hell hole. I always thought what those trash were doing were despicable. Especially when I found out that the prison positions were completely voluntary."
Akira looked up at the adults. “What ever happened to the wardens anyways?”
The galra just looked at him strange. Keith chuckled as he realized it didn’t translate “Warden means Guard Captain. We had to gun him down since he was determined to go down fighting. Now I wish I went harder on him. He deserved worse then what we did.” Keith growled out.
Akira ruffled hos sons hair, war has changed all of them that is for sure “I’m more interested in how it will feel to have my arm back.”
Axca leaned over the design that was stile open on the tablet. “It looks like a good sturdy design it should hold up well in a fight. We can probably even help you get into form fairly quickly.”
Akira chuckled, “I’ll take ya up on that later kiddo.” Axca smiled back up at him.
“But now it is getting late and we should all get some sleep,” Ulaz comments from his spot next to Thace. The young kits huffed in annoyance while Keith and the older kits all just yawned and curled up together, though Keith was aliment on having some part of him always touching his father as he slept.
The next day led the little family of four in the main surgery room. Keith looked a little green as he remembered when Shiro went through this. As if seeming to read his mind Akira ruffled Keith's hair, “it will be okay Keith, I ain’t getting as fancy an arm as little silver. It’ll be fine. In and out just a simple thing.” Keith nodded.
The doctor then pulled up with Akira’s new arm on the tray. “See it will be over before you know it.”
The doctors nodded and said, “Now if you would please? You can stay in the monitoring room if you would like.”
They all nodded as Axca gently pulled her mom and brother out giving a nodded to Akira as they step out, “see you in a few hours Akira.”
Akira nodded back “of course Axca".
As the three walked into the monitoring room Keith was surprised to see the other paladins and Shiro waiting from them too, even Veronica, waiting out there with Cosmo
Lance took notice of his shocked expressions and grinned, “What? Thought we would have you wait it out alone? I though your pack was suppose to keep you company or something? And isn’t your mom always calling us your human back?”
Keith smiled over at him “got that right sharp shooter.”
“And besides Hunk being his anxious self, baked up a ton of cookies. Figured you would like one or ten.”
“Chocolate chip?” he asked.
“Is there any other better cookie?” Pidge asked as she grabbed one of the plate Hunk was holding.
“Nope.” Keith said with a smile, as he took a cookie as well.
Both Krolia and Axca followed and moved close to him as they stood next to the viewing window.
Akira had just been put under and they are currently attaching the prosthetics base to the stump of his arm.
“It’s actually happening". Keith whispered.
“And he will be just fine,” Shiro tells him as he puts his human hand on Keith’s shoulder. It won’t be as complicated as mine, they don’t even need a crystal at all.”
“Pa said the same thing", Keith commented as he turned to Shiro.
“And Ojisan was right. It is a simple procedure.”
Keith nodded, “he has just been through so much, I don’t want him to go through anything else painfully.”
Krolia leaned over and huge him, “that’s not up to you to decide kit. He is the parent. It’s his job to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.”
“it’s what having parents is all about,” pidge comments
“And family in general" Lance said with a smile.
“I think my uncles worried more than my Moms when I went off to the garrison" Hunk added, “worrying is their job.”
Keith smiled at his friends, no his pack’s , attempt at cheering him up. He took another three cookies from the giant plate and fixed his eyes on his father. He was not leaving here till his father was out of surgery.
“Well, it’s a good thing we brought some blankets,” Hunk comments.
“Yeah, I kinda figured we would need them” Lance added as he dropped a large rainbow one over Keith. It was died all the Voltron colors and Keith loved it.
Krolia and Axca just raised their eyebrows at them. Lance shrugged “it always calmed Keith down so we got into the habit of having lots of blankets around when anyone was injured. He tends to worry a lot.”
“Do not” Keith states.
“Oh you so do", Lance shoots back.
Keith moves to say something but was interrupted by Pidge, “don’t even try to argue it. We all know you are the extreme worry wart of the bunch of us". She said with a grin.
And with Keith momentarily distracted Veronica slides up next to Axca, “you doing okay? I know you mentioned how close you and Akira were getting."
Axca nodded as she took a bite of the cookie. Her eyes lit up at the taste. “these are amazing! What is this flavor?”
Veronica smiled as she grabbed one of her own, “Chocolate chip. And Hunk makes the best.”
“He definitely does,” Axca said as she took a few more.
The two sat down at the benches with Keith and Krolia quickly to follow, Cosmo curling up at Keith’s feet. The rest of the Paladin's soon sit around Keith and keep a steady flow of cookies to him.
Keith’s eyes began to droop as time went on. And with Krolia’s steady purring, he and Axca were both fast asleep. Axca was leaning over Veronica’s lap and Lance couldn’t help but give her a smirk. She just rolled her eyes in response.
Shortly after the door to the surgery room opened and both Ulaz and the head human medical officer came out. Krolia didn’t stand, only because of Keith currently asleep on her lap and Cosmo against her legs. But her steeling gaze spoke volumes.
Ulaz nodded to her as the surgeon spoke, “It was a perfect success, we will see how well his body interacts to the new prosthetic when he wakes in the morning.” He then turned to Ulaz, “and I was informed of the Galran custom for mates to stay in the same hospital room as the patient. We will be taking Akira to a large hospital room in a few moments if you want to follow us.”
Krolia nodded, relief flooding her body. She couldn’t wait to touch her mate again. She hated this uncertainty. She had heard the horror story that was Shiro’s surgery and was worried ever since.
Shiro and the other Paladins were quick to stand. Krolia moved to wake Keith up, but Shiro’s floating arm stopped her, I can take him if you want. No need to wake him. She nodded as she then saw the predicament that Veronica was in with her daughter. With a soft chuckle, she took up Axca and followed the medical officers, Cosmo right on their heels.
Everything felt blurry; sounds, smell, even his whole body. He didn’t feel all there and he didn’t dare open his eyes. He knew that whatever light was there would hurt like the sun itself. He didn’t know why he felt like this but he just laid there waiting for his body and senses to come back in focus. When he could finally clearly hear the heart monitor and the steading breathing of those around him he finally opened his eyes to get his answers.
He was in a hospital room. One of the larger ones aboard the Atlas. He moved to sit up and felt pressure being put on his right side. Wait his right side? He turned immediately to see… a robot arm? That right! He was getting the surgery for the new prosthetic and it was here. He carefully finished sitting up and managed to move his new arm to his lap. It was just like having a real one again. It felt heavier…. But it was there. He couldn’t believe it.
“It’s hard to get used to sometimes, but you will.” A voice said from his left. He turned to see Takashi standing there.
“Little silver,” Akira said with a smile.
“Glad to see you made it through without a hitch, Ojisan,” Takashi said with a grin.
Akira looked down at his arm. “Yeah..” he watched as he curled the fingers of his right hand. It was so surreal to be feeling all this. it was like the phantom sensations… but actually there. He could even feel the metal under his new fingers. How was this even possible?
“Altean tec is light-years beyond anything we could dream of, even the Olkari couldn’t think anything like this up,” Takashi said as he seemed to read Akira’s mind.
“How did you?” Akira asked.
Takashi laughed, “I was thinking the same thing when they installed this thing.” He then had his arm float up, “Still surprised you didn’t want to match?” he added with a laugh.
“Niisan shh…” Keith mumbled to his right. Wait, Keith?
He turned back and saw Keith and even Axca cuddled up together with Krolia right next to them and next to him. Her hand resting gently just by where his metal arm was probably just lying.
Hesitantly Akira took his new arm and shook his son awake, “Come on kiddo, I got something to show you.”
“Pa?” Keith mumbled as he looked up. His eyes snapped open as he remembered everything from yesterday. “You’re awake! And your arm!” Keith couldn’t take his eyes off the thing.
“Yeah, it will definitely get some takin’ used too.” Akira chuckled. He then turned to Krolia.
He caressed her sleeping face with his right hand as she stirred awake. Her eyes immediately took in the new hand and grasped it firm. With a smile, she looked up at him, “Akira.” She whispered. He pulled her close and leaned in to kiss her.
“Morning dear.” He said with a smile.
“I guess you to will be having a nest room by yourself tonight?” Axca chuckles. Both she and Keith were sitting up in the large bed. “Glad to see you’re doing well.”
Akira smiled at his stepdaughter, “Come here hon, you to Keith. I want to be able to give you all a proper hug now.”
Keith eagerly hugged his father, happy to have everything go successful. Axca waited till they were done before she stole a hug herself. She had been getting close to him and was happy that he was safe and happy.
Of to the side, Shiro was smiling at the little family. “Well, I’ll go let the doctors know that everything seems to be going well. They will be in after a bit though to show you all the bells and whistles. As well as basic maintenance.”
“Copy that captain,” Akira said with a grin.
Right now everything felt whole and complete and he was content with that.