If there was a competition for 'worst headache' Keith would have just won first place.

He let out a low groan, slumped against the wall, an ache pulsing behind his eyes that made it difficult to concentrate. His head pounded, making coherent thought a problem. His throat felt like sandpaper and it didn't help when Keith swallowed to try and lessen the pain.

Keith pulled upwards, trying to press his hands up to his forehead to hopefully alleviate some of the headache when he realized he couldn't.

Panic flared in Keith's chest, white-hot and afraid. His throat tightened to the point where it was difficult to breathe and he pulled again, hoping that maybe it was just sleep paralysis.

He was horribly, horribly wrong.

Keith opened his eyes. He was met with clean dark purple walls and ceiling that stared back at him. It was his first tip-off that he was not where he should have been. The ones at the castle were plain white, sleek, and without any real originality or pattern to them. These ones reminded him of the ceilings of the hospitals back home on Earth. Neat rectangles in an equal pattern scattered over the ceiling, only holding a distinct violet hue.

They were unfamiliar.

Keith's heart rate spiked. He tugged hard on his wrists again but this time, Keith heard a quiet clink of metal on metal. A clicking noise he had only ever heard in movies. His head snapped up and he turned only to see his wrists were chained up to the wall of the strange room. His paladin armor was gone and he was stripped down to nothing but the pants of his flight suit. His feet were bare and also shackled and very cold, Keith realized.

In fact, the whole room was freezing. Goosebumps had risen to Keith's arms and he couldn't rub them away like he wanted to. He hated the cold. Contrary to popular belief, the desert he lived in got unbearable cold in the winters, especially at night. Keith would bundle himself up in every blanket he owned in his shack and made himself some meager hot chocolate. It was nothing like he remembered Shiro making for him, or even his father or foster parents, but it was comforting.

How Keith wished he was still back at home in his shack in the middle of the desert.

He took a deep steadying breath. He couldn't get lost in memories that wouldn't help him get out. Most important here was how the hell did he get here and how the hell did he get out? He didn't really remember. His last memory was dive-bombing a ship with Red and-

Red.

Keith's heart skipped a beat. His lion. She would know where he was. She would surely come for him. She wouldn't just abandon him...wherever he was. She would come. Keith pressed in against the back of his mind, searching and waiting for Red's comforting, fiery presence to appear.

But she didn't.

Red was gone. Like their connection had been completely severed. The presence Keith had grown so used to was just gone.

Focus, Keith thought, trying to level his breathing. Patience yields focus.

The mantra Shiro had repeated to him much of his childhood was calming. It let Keith focus on the task at hand. If Red was gone from his mind, that meant she was gone or was on her way. Keith had to get out on his own instead of relying on her and the others.

Keith yanked hard on his right hand. It didn't budge, as expected, but he became aware of a tightening pain on his left wrist. He stopped only when it became nearly unbearable, the skin pulling apart under the chains. He gasped and stopped tugging and the pain lessened but only slightly. Out of instinct, Keith pulled on the other chain, only to have the one around his right tighten.

Keith almost laughed. Those sick bastards.

Keith pulled again simultaneously with both hands straining against the metal but both cuffs had the audacity to tighten this time and Keith really did let out a strangled yell. Agony flooded his mind as the cuffs tightened with every pull. His bones creaked, unable to handle the pressure and he could feel the strain, feel the bones start to splinter.

He stopped pulling, panting heavily. The cuffs were still unbearably tight on his hands, cutting off blood flow to his fingers, and Keith was left sincerely wishing he hadn't tried that. Every gasp seemed to worsen the pain. This was far far worse than the headache he had woken up with.

Keith glared blearily at the wall. His wrists tingled uncomfortably, pulsing like his headache had been.

The door (Keith could have sworn it was a wall) before him slid open. Keith watched it, eyes narrowing through the wetness in them to see who had entered. A Galran stood there, smirking and holding something that looked horribly like a whip, observing Keith. Keith suddenly felt like prey to a much larger predator.

He tried to look fierce. Fixing the Galran with the worst glare he could muster, but he was reminded of his bonds by the sudden and painful tightening of both as he unconsciously curled his hands in fists and moved them up to mimic a defensive fighting stance. He clenched his jaw shut, grinding his teeth against the tiny whimper that threatened to seep out.

He would not show weakness in front of a Galran.

"The half-breed awakes," The Galran's voice was deep and cold, reminding Keith of the cold winters of the desert back home. Keith bared his teeth in response, keeping his glare on the Galran, as half-hearted as it was.

"What do you want?" He spat.

"It's not what I want," the Galran said. "But rather what we can get from you."

"What does that mean?!"

The Galran merely smiled and clicked a button. Instantly, the unbearable crushing on his wrists was gone and the chains binding his hands together under behind the wall fell with a quiet tinkle of metal. Keith instantly surged to his feet, his feet free as well, and charged the Galran, fists ready to punch him square in the face and-

The Galra clicked the same button. Instantly, Keith's shackles sprang together, the cuffs at his ankles and wrists coming together by some sort of magnetism . Keith let out an undignified shout of alarm and crashed to the floor. His jaw hit the ground after the rest of his body, his teeth snapping together loudly. Copper flooded his mouth and Keith recoiled at the taste of it.

The Galran chuckled and leaned down, his wrists resting idly on his large knees. He observed Keith like a prize and in response, Keith spat blood in the Galran's face.

"I like your fire, Red One," the Galran said, undisturbed by the crimson now splattered across his cheek. "Let us see how long it will take to douse it."

Keith didn't give the Galran the satisfaction of answering. Instead, he was grabbed by his manacles and dragged, kicking and shouting from the room.

Twenty-four hours earlier…

Keith leaned back in Red's pilot seat.

He was waiting for their queue to blast off, awaiting Shiro to get himself situated before boarding Black. Keith would be patient with his best friend - his brother - as, after all, they had just gotten him back. Keith had found him slumped in the Black Lion's hangar, about to embark on a mission to liberate a Galra-controlled planet.

Keith never would be able to describe the joy that filled him at the sight of Shiro. While he had said that he wanted Keith to lead Voltron, should anything happen to him, Keith was undoubtedly the worst leader ever. His brief bond with Black had thrown the team into jeopardy and even forced Allura to pilot Blue for a time. He was reckless and impulsive, chasing after the most ridiculous of missions despite the team's exhaustion.

Shiro had come back though, and everyone had gone to their original lions, including Allura. Lance had been ecstatic to find Blue's barrier down and she seemed equally as pleased to have her chosen paladin returned. Keith'd had the same reunion with Red, and she wouldn't stop purring in the back of his mind for weeks.

But the residual bond with Black remained and Keith tapped into that as he waited. He heard Black's comforting purr, her boundless patience as Shiro sat in her chair, trying to relax. While he had been back for a good three weeks now, he had only gone on test-flights with Black to rejuvenate and solidify their bond. This would be their first big mission - an entire prison break of a Galra ship as a part of Pidge's endless quest to find her brother.

"Okay, guys," Keith would never get tired of hearing Shiro's voice now that he had almost lost him twice. "I'm ready. Let's go!" A roar from the other lions was his answer and Keith pulled on the familiar handles of his lion and she was out in space before he knew it.

Red was good to be back in. While Black was large and powerful, Keith didn't have the same bond with her as he did with Red. Flying Red was instinctive. Natural. Keith didn't have to think, he just did and Red would answer accordingly. It was wonderful.

The Galra ship before them was large, and while this wouldn't be their first jail-break, it would definitely be their largest. As well, Pidge had reason to believe either Matt himself was on board or at least intel about him. There was no way that Keith was going to let this mission go wrong.

The Lions flew in formation. Voltron was their last-ditch effort, should things not go according to plan. It was 'Plan B' as Coran called it, where their mission was to slash and hack and save as many people as they could. Keith thought they seemed to resort to Plan B a lot.

Pidge made the instigating blow, a laser landing its mark against the hull of the Galra ship. It lurched - a terrible creaking and groaning of metal. Keith thought of the alarms that surely must be blaring inside. If the prisoners inside heard it and allowed hope to swell in their hearts for the first time in months.

Red dived at Keith's silent command. She weaved through the battalions of Galra Fighters that had come to fight at the warden's behest and made straight for the ship, as was according to plan.

He could sense rather than see the Green and Blue Lions tailing him. As the largest lions, Black and Yellow would stay behind and hold off the fleet as best they could. The prisons never had much security as the actual Galra fleets they fought, so Keith had absolute faith in Hunk and Shiro to do their part.

Red rammed face first into the hull of the ship. Keith jumped into action immediately, sending a silent thanks to her as he leaped out of the seat and ran from the cockpit. He met Lance and Pidge in the hallway of the ship and went tearing down the hallway, bayards in hand.

Keith could have used his Marmoran blade, but something about the hilt of it under his calloused palms was unfamiliar. He knew it was given to him by his Galran parent or even his Galran ancestor, but he still didn't like the way it fit in his hand.

"Okay, Pidge," Keith said as they paused. Keith pressed his back to the wall and peeked over for approaching sentries. All of them were tasked with the fight outside, it seemed, not like Keith was complaining. "Where are we going?"

"The cells are just above us," her little voice came from behind him. Keith turned to see her and Lance crouched next to each other, both of them observing the small hologram that was scanning by information too fast for Keith to read. "There are elevators, but those will take too long. Our best bet is the stairs."

"Lead the way."

Pidge did, taking the initiative and running down the hallway. Lance and Keith were hot on her heels, both of them with their bayards out and ready to attack at the first signs of trouble. Everything seemed fine for now, despite Shiro and Hunk calling out shots to each other through the comms, but even that seemed minor. Perhaps despite the ship's size, it wasn't all that effective either.

Keith should have known better.

As they swung up into the second floor, they were greeted by a practical army of sentries, as if waiting. Keith was first to act, leaping forwards with his bayard flashing in his hand and morphing into his sword. He came down hard on one sentries head, cleaving it nearly in two in a shower of sparks and machinery.

The room exploded into chaos after that.

Pidge and Lance followed Keith's lead. Pidge hooked and electrocuted everything she could see while Lance laid down helpful covering fire from a safe distance. Keith was at the forefront of the destruction, a shower of sentry arms and legs the only path to his destruction. Keith was quick to clear a path but knew more was on the way.

He turned to Lance and Pidge, desperation in his eyes. "Go!"

Pidge understood, the cruciality of the mission and the desperation of finding anything on her brother outweighing her better judgment. It was Lance who paused, his shots stopping as he stared at Keith incredulously.

"What?! You can't be serious?"

"We'll never get through these sentries in time to get the prisoners!" Keith gritted his teeth as a sentry met his blow with a sword of its own. "Go! I'll meet you back at the lions!" It took Lance a moment but he did finally nod and adhered to Keith's wishes. He tore after Pidge, who was already halfway down the hallway. No sooner than they had gone then another swarm of sentries came pouring in from doors on all sides of Keith. He was surrounded.

Keith flipped his sword in his hand, trying to relax his breathing. His palms were getting sweaty and despite their attack patterns, these sentries hit hard. Keith had already suffered a few wounds in from the earlier battles with them. Now he had to fight an army, single-handedly, and get out in time to meet up with Lance, Pidge, and the prisoners.

No pressure.

As soon as Keith launched himself at the first one, it stepped back and they all parted down the middle. Walking through them were a set of druids, hooded, masked, and still as terrifying as Keith remembered. He squared his jaw, hardening his gaze into a glare.

Coming from behind the druids was a large Galra. He was clearly the warden of the prison, carrying handcuffs and ammunition on his belt, holding a Galra blaster in both hands. He leveled his gaze at Keith, who suddenly felt very small.

Unwilling to show weakness, Keith leveled his blade at the newcomers. The odds were stacked horrifyingly against him, but if he could just stun the druids and the warden long enough for him to cut a path through the druids, maybe he could get back to Red in time.

He felt a concerned whine press into the back of his mind. Keith leaned into it, trying to gain what comfort he could out of this suddenly hopeless situation.

The druids hissed at him, circling Keith in the wide circle the sentries had formed around him. Keith watched them carefully as the warden observed Keith with an obvious snarl. Keith tightened his grip on his bayard.

"Such a fool," said the warden. "Allowing your friends to go on without you. Now, you are alone." Red pressed in again, disregarding the Warden's words. She reassured Keith that he was not alone and if any one of his aggressors laid a finger on him she would not hesitate to come to his rescue.

Keith squared his jaw, confidence restored. Red was here. And Lance and Pidge wouldn't abandon him. "You're wrong."

"Then allow me to prove it," the warden said. "You Paladins were fools to come to liberate this prison. We are not only the most secure but…" his eyes gleamed with deadly promise. "Most of our prisoners are those foolish enough to trifle with us." As one, the druids surged forwards. Keith pivoted to counter them, but when six pairs of gnarled hands descended upon him, all he knew was pain.

A strangled scream echoed from his lips as his bayard vanished from his hand. The comms crackled as the panicked voices of his friends - his family - filled his ears. The lightning that came from the druid's hands was white hot, seeping through Keith's bloodstream and turning everything into a garbled mess of screaming and horrible pleading.

"Keith!"

The hands drew away. Keith collapsed onto one desperate knee, trying to use Shiro's voice to ground him. He couldn't muster the strength to respond, his throat dry and hoarse from his desperate struggle to get those horrible hands off of him.

"That is only a fraction of what we will do to you, Paladin of Red," said the warden. He moved forwards as the Druids used unseen magic forces to wrestle Keith to his knees. The Warden reached over, pulling Keith's helmet from his head. He tossed it aside and it hit the wall with a clunk. Keith could still hear the distant panicked voices of his friends.

Keith raised his eyes to meet the Galran's defiantly. He curled his hands into fists, struggling fruitlessly against the druid's invisible hold upon him.

"I will break you," the Warden promised. "And you will never be the same." Keith knew it wasn't smart to agitate an alien, especially an already pissed off Galran warden. But Keith always had trouble listening to that logical side of him. He tended to lean more into the reckless, let me piss off anything within three feet instinct, and instead, he hardened his glare and tugged hard on his invisible bonds. He met the Galran's gaze and opened his chapped lips.

"Bring it on."

The warden's face contorted into something akin to anger. He raised his fist and then everything went dark.

THIS IS GONNA BE GOOOOD

So season six happened! I wasn't prepared for what happened. But the Black Paladins was so well written, and the way they wrote both Keith and Shiro in that episode was so fucking good. That episode alone made Keith skyrocket into my favorite character (aside from Lance). He handled the situation so well.

Anyways, Keith has gotten captured! We'll see what happens to him in the next chapter and who greets him when he wakes up again. We also get Shiro's reaction to it, and since their bond is just that powerful, his reaction will be just as dynamic.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a comment/kudos if you did, it's really what keeps me going as a writer. I'm going to be trying to update every Saturday, but we'll see what happens. If you know me, my update schedule is about as consistent as a fish