Precious Paladin's
Voltron: Legendary Defenders
A Galra commander decides that capturing the Paladins would be smarter/easier than capturing the Voltron Lions, the Lions don't take to that well, as the Lions are rather protective of their Paladin's.
Using 'her' pronouns for Pidge
I just came up with the idea that the Lion's can do that at the end, my new headcanon
Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defenders
Precious Paladin's
"Well… This is new." Lance said cheerfully as he tugged at the Galra cuffs that were keeping his arms tied behind his back, he hissed under his breath when the ill advised movement jostled his injured right shoulder.
"Being captured?" Pidge eyed the Paladin of the Blue Lion, blood trickling down her right arm and she could feel her fingers throbbing like they were broken or sprained.
"Being captured because they want US, not our Lions. It's a first." Lance explained.
"Why would they suddenly shift gears after all this time? It makes like no sense." Hunk asked from his place on the other side of Lance.
"Maybe they finally figured out that with us they can access the Lions better, I mean only we can get through the partial barriers they put up when we leave." Keith theorized quietly as he kept his eyes on the single guard that were standing about 50 meters away from the captive Paladins. Keith bit back a groan of pain as he gingerly stretched his injured right knee, blood coating his flight suit.
"How's Shiro holding up?" Pidge asked Hunk who was closest to the Paladin for the Black Lion. Hunk swallowed as he forced himself to look at Shiro's unconscious form that was sprawled out next to him.
"He's still breathing." Hunk offered up, swallowing down bile at the sight of his bloody and mangled left arm, his only flesh arm left and those damn Galra soldiers had made sure to target it knowing it was weaker than his Galra right arm.
"We need to think of a way to get out of these cuffs and somehow get a signal to Allura and Coran." Pidge whispered to the others, frowning when she took inventory of each of their injuries and what they had to try to escape…. It didn't look good.
"Even if we could get out of these cuffs, we all are going to be useless in a battle without our Bayard's, helmets and with our injuries. Not to mention Shiro is out of commission for the foreseeable future." Keith reminded his fellow Paladin's.
"This could be problematic." Lance commented, trying to keep his own spirits up but his shoulder was throbbing and he was doing all he could to stop from joining Shiro unconscious on the ground.
"Stop your insistent noise." One of the guards turned around, stalking towards the Paladins.
"Yeah big guy? Or what? You need us." Lance spoke loudly to bring the guard's attention to him and off of his fellow teammates.
"Or I'll just have to make you, you just need to be alive." The guard's visible mouth turned into an ugly smirk as he reached down. He gripped the front of Lance's flight suit and hauled him upwards so his feet were dangling off the ground. Lance let out a strangled groan of pain when the guard's fist slammed into his face.
"Lance!" Pidge and Hunk cried out in worry.
"Leave him alone you bastard!" Keith shouted, anger rolling off of him in waves.
"Is that all you got?" Lance goaded the guard, shooting his friends a look. Keith gritted his teeth together knowing what that look meant. It meant Lance was being a self-sacrificing idiot again and from the way Hunk and Pidge settled down they knew that look very well.
"Not even close Paladin scum." The guard grinned in a very bloodthirsty way.
Pidge bit her lower lip as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly trying not to focus on the sounds of pain that Lance was emitting, as guard pummeled him with no remorse. Hunk let his fingers curl into fists as he jerked his head to the side not wanting to see one of his best friends in the galaxy being beaten up because he was trying to spare them of the pain. Keith didn't look away; all he could see was blood flying from Lance's lips as he was being punched in the face repeatedly. Red was crawling into his vision and his body was trembling with rage, this guard was a dead man walking. He was going to destroy this Galra for hurting Lance.
Suddenly the ground shook so hard that Keith swore the planet itself was shaking as mighty roars rang out, rattling every bone in Keith's body.
"What was that?" Pidge asked, eyes wide behind her cracked glasses.
"Our Lions and they don't feel too happy." Keith breathed out, being able to sense Red now that she was close by.
"What have you done?" The guard dropped Lance onto the ground, the Blue Paladin let out a scream of pain when he landed on his dislocated shoulder and he went still his eyes closing shut.
"Lance!" Hunk cried out in utter worry for his friend. The wind picked up and the trees that were surrounding them were bent over completely by the power of the Voltron Lions as they descended towards their injured Paladins.
Blue let out a loud roar of outrage when she spotted Lance crumbled at the feet of the Galra guard. She lowered her head down and quickly snapped her metal fangs around the torso of the guard before throwing him high up into the air. Red tilted her head back; jaw lowering and a pillar of fire emitted from the back of Red's throat and burnt the guard to a crisp.
"Good kitty." Keith breathed out in awe and could feel Red's worry bleed into him and she lowered her head towards him.
"Hey guys, we could use some help. Lance and Shiro are not in any conditions to be moving right now." Hunk called up to them and got answering's growls from them. Yellow lowered her broad head and opened her jaw a bit so her metal fang was exposed. Hunk blinked before understanding flooded him as Yellow sent her idea into his mind. He shuffled over to the fang and adjusted his wrists and let out a cheer when the cuffs snapped releasing his hands. Green and Red did the same thing for Pidge and Keith. Keith hurried to Lance's side while Hunk and Pidge went to check on Shiro.
"Hey come on Lance, up we go." Keith muttered as he picked Lance's prone form into his arms before a large cold metal nose gently nudged his back. Keith peered over his shoulder to see Blue's large face staring at him.
"You can fly without him right?" Keith asked before Red's amusement at his question came into his head and he blushed. "Right stupid question, okay don't crush him."
Blue opened her jaw and allowed Keith to enter her cockpit and Keith blinked in complete shock when the pilot chair morphed into a hospital bed.
"Well that's new." Keith muttered to himself as he gently laid Lance down onto the bed, tucking the sheets around Lance's body.
"I'll take care of him." A disembodied female voice rang out inside the cockpit.
"Blue Lion?" Keith looked up in surprise not knowing that people other than their bonded Paladin were able to communicate with the Lions.
"Who else would it be mullet?" Blue asked amused.
"Oh yeah, you're Lance's lion." Keith huffed.
"Red is worried about you so go to her. I'll take care of Lance." Blue ordered while giggling at Keith's reply.
Keith nodded and limped out of Blue's cockpit as his adrenalin started to leave him and throbbing pain flared up from his injured right knee. He didn't have to walk far as Red was waiting right there for him, gazing at him with her large glowing red eyes.
"Thanks for coming girl." Keith placed his bloodstained hand against Red's muzzle and heard a purr echoing in his mind as her jaw dropped open and Keith limped inside the cockpit.
"Just relax, I'll get you back to the ship." Red's familiar voice rang out.
"You're the best Red and even more surprisingly than before." Keith praised and felt her purr happily at the praise before she launched herself into the sky behind Blue Lion who was flying low behind the also low flying Black Lion that must have Shiro onboard. Yellow and Green Lion flanked Red and Blue lion as they all course corrected back towards their home, the Castle of Lions.
~~/~~
"They are exhausted." Blue hummed as she rested her head on her crossed paws as she looked down at their Paladin's.
"They've been through a lot these few days." Green pointed out, flicking her tail so it was curled around Hunk and Pidge.
Pidge had a few bandages wrapped around her arms and hands, having shed the top half of her flight suit, her glasses were gone and her brown hair was all knotted. Hunk was still wearing his flight suit, but the white of the suit was covered in blood and grime, as was his face. He was curled around Pidge in his sleep like he was trying to protect her, his large form dwarfing her's.
"So cute." Yellow cooed at the sight of her Paladin hugging Green's Paladin so protectively. Yellow was resting her head next to the sleeping Paladins so she could watch them closely.
"Not as cute as mine." Blue flicked her tail as she watched as Lance snuffled in his sleep and let out a contented sigh.
Shiro was leaning back against the wall of the main hanger, chin resting on his chest as he slept. Bandages wrapped up the span of his left arm, showing that he had been close to loosing it during their capture. His Galra hand was resting on Keith's side and his human hand was tangled in Lance's brown hair.
Lance was lying on his back, left arm slung over his own stomach, his head resting on Shiro's thigh as he slept. His right arm was put into a makeshift sling and his face was a mess of bruises looking far too much like when he was blown up during the invasion of the Castle of Lions.
Keith's head was resting on Shiro's other thigh, but the Paladin for the Red Lion was curled up on his side so he was facing Shiro. His face was relaxed underneath the dirt and dried blood that was trailing down the side of his face. A bandage was wrapped tightly around his right knee, which was stretched out gingerly.
"How much longer until the cryo tubes are back online?" Red asked Black who looked just as put out as she felt.
"It better be soon, I do not want Shiro to suffer any more than he has too." Black said, her own worry bleeding through as she sat on her metal haunches so she was towering over where Shiro, Lance and Keith were resting.
"Lance either." Blue nodded her head in agreement.
"But you have to admit, they all look adorable right now. Like a bunch of exhausted cub's curling around each other for warmth." Yellow pointed out wishing she had some way to capture the moment.
"Okay, yes they really do." Black admitted grudgingly.
"Shiro." Allura entered the bay, flashing a smile at the lions before gently shaking Shiro's right arm not wanting to hurt his already injured arm.
"Mm, Allura?" Shiro asked hazily, eyes peering up at her.
"The cryo tubes are back online. Do you need help to get there?" Allura asked worriedly looking at all the Paladin's injuries.
"Ah… No I think we'll have some help." Shiro looked up at the Lions when Black's words flowed into his mind.
"Oh, oh. I best warn Coran." She flashed Shiro an understanding smile before she hurried off to tell Coran to get out of the way.
"How are you going to get us there? I mean you guys' aren't the smallest things in the galaxy." Shiro asked, fingers absently stroking Keith and Lance's hair as he spoke.
The Lions exchanged excited looks before their large metal forms glowed a bright Altean blue. Shiro stared in complete awe as the lions shrank down into sizes of actual lions, if not a big bigger.
"What just happened?" Shiro blinked as the lions prowled over to their Paladin's. Blue nuzzled Lance's cheek for a moment before she used her strength to pull Lance onto her back before she wander out of the main hanger. Red was following dragging Keith by the scruff of his flight suit making Shiro chuckle at the sight. Green was following with Pidge draped across her back while Yellow was dragging Hunk the same way Red was dragging Keith, Yellow may be large, but Hunk still dwarfed her.
"I can walk." Shiro told Black as he slowly leveled himself up onto his feet. Black gave him an unimpressed look but allowed him to walk towards the med bay on his own feet; she did however stick close to his side. Her tail waving as she walked, her yellow eyes trained on her Paladin, she liked this one more than her last one. He didn't have an evil bone in his body and she was determined to make sure Zarkon didn't get him again to get any of them like when he got Red.
"There you are Shiro, you're pod's all ready for you." Coran took the appearance of the smaller Lions very well; perhaps he had seen this before with Coran you can never tell.
Shiro looked around at his fellow Paladin's, they were all already in the cryo tubes, looking pale yet peaceful as their bodies were being healed. Their lions were lounging or curled up in front of their Paladin's tubes. Black nudged the back of Shiro's knees growling at him.
"I'm going." Shiro gave a small laugh and stepped into his awaiting tube, he could see Red and Blue mock fighting in front of Lance and Keith's tubes and he smiled letting it freeze on his face when the tube slid shut and he fell into the healing sleep as Black settled down in front of her Paladin's tube.
"The bond between Lion and Paladin is very mysterious and amazing, isn't it Coran?" Allura asked the redhead Altean in a soft voice watching the smaller forms of the lions guarding their Paladin's.
"My father used to tell me that the Lions could do this if the bonds with every Paladin was strong enough, but no Paladin team have managed to do this." Coran said in awe.
"Until now. They are the true Paladin's of Voltron, perhaps they were just waiting for them this whole time." Allura said softly.
"Perhaps, much is still unknown about the Lions Princess." Coran conceded.
"I look forward to finding out more." Allura smiled before she left to check on how the repairs to the Castle was going, trusting the Lions to look after their precious Paladins.