Chapter Text
"I wonder what's Keith been up to recently.." Lance sighed, leaning forward over the table. "I haven't heard from him for days now."
"You said he's on a mission right?" Pidge asked, eyes shortly not focused on their laptop anymore.
Lance sighed again. "Yeah but usually he like updates me when it takes longer."
"Oh wow, you really got him to do that?" Pidge seemed very surprised but in a positive way.
Lance gave Pidge a look before straightening himself a bit. "Well, yeah. One time I got very worried and all mad at him when he arrived so.. yeah he said he'd update me when it takes longer. And he did until now."
"Man you've got him wrapped around your finger."
With a blush Lance blinked. "I- I just-" at the end he just scoffed playfully, turning to look to the side. Pidge smirked at that. "Well, why don't you write him then?"
"Y-yeah.. yeah maybe I should. First I didn't wanna distract him but.. yeah I'll write him." Instantly he took out his phone, typing into it immediately.
Hey mullet, is everything okay up there?
[Message could not be delivered.]
As he hit the send button a weird message popped up though.
[Message could not be delivered.]
"What?" He exclaimed, trying it another time.
Everything okay up there?
[Message could not be delivered.]
"What's wrong?" Pidge then asked and Lance immediately showed his phone.
This weird notification keeps popping up. That never happened before."
Pidge thought a bit before looking closer at his phone. "But it is the one we modified right? You could reach him on other planets before right?"
Lance frantically nodded.
"Hmm.. then I guess Keith's location is somewhere the radiowaves can't reach. Maybe he's on a planet with disturbing magnetic waves."
"So.. I have no way of knowing what's going on, how long he'll be there and if he's okay?" His voice broke at the last part and he suddenly looked a bit more concerned than before.
"Hey, calm down. You know Keith. He will be back quicker than you can think. Also, it's not like he's alone on that mission either right? The other blades will have his back."
"Yeah.. you're right."
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The alarm was blaring loudly something at the other end must've gone wrong but he had no way of knowing what or where. Ever since they arrived on this base their comms and all means of communication just stopped working, static the only thing that made it through.
He gritted his teeth, since the alarm was set off on the other side, all galran soldiers were heading that way so he might as well do what he came for. After checking that no one was around, he left his hiding spot and quickly made his way to the deep end of the base.
If all intel was right, then these galrans have multiple children caught right in the last room, it wasn't sure what exactly they wanted to do with them, but the guess of Morax, the one who gave the most intel of the mission, was that they'd want to use them to lure out the left parts of voltron.
Now that Keith had reached the last room, he was met with two big doors, his handprint didn't seem to open it, so he decided that he'd use force instead and pushed his blade in between the two doors to pull them apart. For a second he was scared his blade could break, but then the door budged and he could open it with his hands. For a second it seemed a bit too easy, but maybe the alarm in the front has made them less careful in the back.
As the doors opened he was met with a group of kids, all sitting on the ground, looking to his direction very scared.
"I'm here to help." He said, now removing his mask, so they could see his face. "I'm gonna get you all out of here. Is anyone of you hurt?" He asked and the kids now looked at each other before some started bawling, one kid immediately ran to him, hugging and clutching at him.
Surprised at that he awkwardly hugged back. "It's okay I got you. Follow me." He said, now gently parting so he could lead the way. The kids followed and he hoped no bad guys would come their way. Maybe the alarm in the front was the best distraction that could've happened.
Still he was careful, only guiding them to follow once the coast was clear. Luckily his entrance from before, which was through the waste chute was still usable, so he proceeded like planned.
He had a small camera-like ball in his pocket and rolled it down the chute, looking at his screen.
Luckily the connection from the ball to his screen still worked and he could see how as soon as the ball landed outside it got picked up from one of his group members. She waved at the camera before pointing at something next to her. He couldn't see it, but it had to be their camouflaged ship.
"Alright, the coast is clear. You'll go through here, just like a slide and then my colleague will fly you all to a safe space." He said and the kids looked at him as if they couldn't believe that they were soon free again. One after another they went to Keith to thank him before going down the slide. He was caught off guard by that, but smiled softly at each of them and soon there was only one kid left. It was the one who hugged him before, right when he found them. She had purple light fur, looking galran.
"Come on, you need to get to safety too." Keith then said, guiding her towards the slide but the kid stopped, teary eyes looking at him.
"I'm.. I'm so sorry." The kid said, and Keith tilted his head at that before squatting in front of her to be on eye level.
"Why sorry? We're getting you to safety now. Everything is going to be okay."
She shook her head, tears forming. "No, you don't understand. I... I'm not one of them. I was born here. In this base."
He nodded. Her hair was all tangled up. It was clear she has been neglected quite a while. "I see.. But.. they locked you up. Is there someone who takes care of you here? Do you.. want to stay here?"
She shook her head again. "I'm supposed to stay. I was supposed to wait until someone comes and.. my skin can be poisonous just like my mom's. He said.. he said if I poisoned whoever wants to save us he'll let me go. That I can go see my mom again and we won't have to stay here anymore so.. I- I hugged you before when my skin was poisonous. I'm- I'm so sorry!" She straight out bawled now and Keith blinked at her as he took a moment to process.
"Hey, it's okay calm down. I dont feel any different. We gotta get you out of here. You won't have to listen to them ever again." He sat, gently pushing her toward the chute.
"B-but-!"
Now Keith shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm part galran just like you. I might be tolerant to it. Just get to safety now." He said and the kid then nodded, eyes still teary before there was a noise right behind him. Surprised he turned to see a galran soldier and was glad that he was standing in front of the chute, hiding the girl. He gave her a sign to go before he barged at the armed enemy.
The galran was nearly twice his size, had some purple glowing gear on and seemed to be quite the fighter. His weapons were two hooked daggers which he slashed towards Keith, who could luckily evade before trying to counter.
"I've heard of you before." The galran suddenly said after looking at Keith's marmoran blade shortly. "You have galran blood but you and your team fight for voltron."
"We fight for peace." Keith answered and got ready for the next attack.
The galran barged at him again, this time there was more strength in his attack. "You've taken it all. Our emperor, most of our power and even some of our people. Your little brainwash of peace even corrupted my own family!" He slashed harder and one of the hooks caught on to Keith, piercing inside his shoulder, pulling him closer.
Keith exclaimed before he managed to slash into the arm of his enemy, who then let go of the blade. Panting Keith looked at the blade that was hooked into him before looking back at his enemy. At least he only had one weapon left now.
"My wife even wanted to stop me! She nearly ran away with our child. In the end she was the only one to leave. It's all because of you!" He barged at Keith again who jumped away just in time.
"Maybe you should've just listened to her." He said before slashing at the purple one but his attack got blocked.
With a scoff the galran pushed Keith away some feet and they stared at each other, ready for more. "I fight in the name of galra. The moment my own wife betrayed me, there was only me and the child left. But my wife's actions gave me the best plan for victory. And I think it's already in motion."
Keith raised a brow at that, before he noticed the galran dash towards him again, his sight somewhat delayed though. Just in time he managed to evade before he turned to look at his enemy again.
His view was blurring and he felt warmer than before. "What did you do? Is it your blade?" He asked, looking at the hook in his shoulder.
"Oh no it's not that. You went to the kids before didn't you? She has poisonous powers. I'm so proud she did as she was told. You know, I told her she could go to her mom again if she listened. Too bad my wife is dead. But I bet Alyxie won't mind spending more time with me and my team instead of joining her mother."
"That- that was your child? You made your own kid go through something like that?" Keith asked before he knew it and the other now frowned.
"I can do whatever I want with my kid. It's my own flesh and blood. She'll be a lot of use later too. After I'm done with you, I'll make her poison all of your friends before we go to defeat the last remnants of voltron and anyone willing to fight for it." He said, barging at Keith again.
Keith gritted his teeth before finally pulling the hook out of his shoulder, feeling how warm blood quickly flooded out before he moved the hooked blade towards his enemy, not to strike him, but to catch his other hook. Right then he pulled him closer before he charged into the enemy's chest with his marmoran blade.
Surprised the galran coughed blood out as Keith's blade impaled him. "Y-you'll die anyways. My death means nothing. My team will carry out my plan, my daughter will be my legacy." He struggled, but said it smugly.
"No, she won't. By now she should be someplace safe. But unlike with you, she'll finally get taken care of like it should be. She won't ever have to fight again. She'll be free." Keith now pulled his blade out and his enemy exclaimed at that shortly, falling on the ground before catching his breath as he clutched against his open wound.
"You.. you took her away? She didn't stay here?" He asked and Keith frowned. He could feel his heart beating in his chest way too quickly, probably from the poison.
"All of the kids will be safe."
The purple one looked distressed. "B-but she's.. she's my daughter. My blood. She- she poisoned you. She was supposed to be my legacy."
Keith sighed, shortly closing his eyes to try and stop that ringing in his ears. "Not all galrans are bad. She clearly doesn't want to be either. She won't be your legacy." At the last sentence he opened his eyes again, his eyes taking a while to focus.
More blood spilled out of the galrans mouth. "I see.. so she does take after her mother after all.." he mumbled before his eyes fell close.
Keith sighed again before he staggered, leaning onto the wall for support before holding onto the wound of his shoulder. "Maybe I shouldn't have pulled that hook out earlier." He said, before walking towards the waste chute. It was already in reach but before he knew it his view shifted, somehow everything moved up before he was met with the blurry ceiling, his back on the cold ground.
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"Man can't you do anything about this Pidge? Aren't you like the super smart hacker person to make stuff like this work, even with disturbing signals or whatever?" Lance asked, holding his phone right next to Pidges laptop.
Pidge just gave him a look and sighed. "I told you, I modified it as good as I could. Just wait until he's out of that zone. Your messages should get delivered once he's in reach again. Now let me do my work."
Lance now sighed before Hunk came by with a bowl of snacks. "Here, for the nerves. Man I'm really glad how you always come by the restaurant every week guys. Can I get you something else?"
"Can you get Keith out of that disturbing wave signal thingy?"
Hunk raised a brow at that. "He still didn't answer you?"
Frustrated Lance tousled his hair. "No he hasn't and my messages don't reach him. It's been weeks now! What if something went wrong? What if-"
"Lance let's not assume the worst now. It wouldn't be the first time Keith didn't answer for weeks out on a mission. Why don't you eat a snack and write him again later?" Hunk said, a hand patting Lance's shoulder.
Lance sighed.
Pidge then shortly poked their head out of behind the laptop to look at Lance. "You know, if something would happen, I bet he'd find a way to contact us anyways. Be it through a distress signal for voltron or maybe even through connection with the lions. I don't think red or black would just leave him hanging if it came to it, even if they're not supposed to be in use currently."
Lance sighed again. "Yeah.. maybe you're right."
Pidge now gave him a light smile. "Now eat your snacks before I beat you to it."
"You'll never." He answered before stuffing his mouth full, but even despite that he still looked troubled. Pidge and Hunk gave each other a look before watching Lance again, both eager to try cheering him up.
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Back at home Lance kept himself busy with farm work before he found himself in bed, staring at the chat screen.
Hey mullet, is erything okay up there?
[Message could not be delivered.]
Everything okay up there?
[Message could not be delivered.]
Keith?
[Message could not be delivered.]
I'm starting to worry..
[Message could not be delivered.]
Keith it's been days, where are you?
[Message could not be delivered.]
I hope you're okay mullet
[Message could not be delivered.]
Lance sighed before typing into his phone again.
I miss you.
With another sigh he rolled on his side, staring at the screen. "Wait.. Where's that weird 'could not be delivered' message?" He blinked, it wasn't there. Now he scrolled up again, the frustrating disclaimer now dissapeared from the other messages too. "He's in reach again! He's okay!!" He didn't even realise how he jumped up in joy, now sitting in his bed, hugging his phone close. "He's okay."
He now stared at his screen again.
[Could not receive message from sender. Try again later.]
"Ugh. But that proves it. He's okay. He has to be."
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