Disclaimer: Characters/factions/items that were not mentioned in the Voltron franchise belong to me. I do not own any characters/factions/items that do belong to the Voltron franchise (e.g. Voltron Lions, Allura).
A/N: Yay more brainchildren! I thought this might be a fun thing to write. I don't know if I want to head in a crackish direction, or my go to angst one. Maybe both? I can do both? I might do both.
How Many Crab Jokes Can You Make in One Go?
"Watch your left!" Hunk yelled into his comms' mic, when he saw the Robeast's claw pulling back for a jab.
"Who's left?!" Lance yelled back just as the claw hit him square on his Lion. "Nevermind!"
"Careful Lance!" Shiro ordered, his lion dancing back when the other claw swiped at him. "Everyone spread out, it can't hit us all if we're all over the place."
The five lions dodged more of the Robeasts attacks, a hook there and another grab there. It shrieked in frustration as the pilots outmanoeuvred it. Lance, being the asshole he is, made several trick moves around the monster.
"Can't catch me crabcakes!" He laughed. "Hey Keith, what'd you think of that last move?"
The Red pilot scoffed. "Aren't you cutting it a little close Lance? Don't answer that." He cut the Blue pilot off when he heard an answering intake of breath. "We got it messed up but we're not taking it down anytime soon guys."
"I've got an idea," Pidge replied, popping up on the visual feed. Another screen popped up on the Paladins' screens, depicting a cable and hook mechanism. "Our lions' got some tools that might come in handy. You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
"One crustacean Maypole coming up!" Hunk caught onto Pidge's plan, keying in the commands to unlock the weapon.
The yellow Lion roared, before the inner workings of its' mouth glowed. Then a large hook appeared, silver, pronged and attached to a reel of thick wire. The other Paladins followed suit, with different designed hooks appearing in their Lions' mouths too.
"Why a Maypole though?" Keith wondered under his breath. He heard Shiro chuckle, and made a face. "What?"
"Nothing buddy." Shiro said, smiling despite the situation. "Let's just kick some robot butt."
Lance and Pidge were first to dive in, swinging around the claws twice before launching their hooks at it. Each managed to twirl around one leg before securing itself onto it. The two Lions flew diagonally past each other, crossing the two appendages beneath the crab-like creature's body. It screeched and pulled at the cables as hard as possible, tugging the two lions backwards.
"Uhh, a little help here guys!" Lance called out.
Keith throttled towards the thing, ramming his Lion's frame right at the centre of the metal body. No dent formed where he hit but the strength of the impact forced the Robeast downwards. Pidge and Lance yelped when their Lions were pulled back further.
"I said help us you loser!" Keith fumed as Lance made his insult. "Who's side are you on anyways?!"
That made Keith mad. "Don't you dare question my loyalty Lance!"
"Guys!" They quietened down at Shiro's bark. "Focus."
Keith gritted his teeth. 'Stupid Lance and his stupid mouth running a mile a minute', he thought.
Hunk came up next to him, the yellow Lion giving the red one a friendly nudge on the shoulder. "C'mon, Keith," Hunk grinned at the boy through the screen, "Let's make a meal out of this shell face."
While he didn't get the quip, he returned the smile. "Yeah, let's do it."
Red and yellow swooped downwards to where the Robeast was still struggling out of the tangle it was in. Their own hooks launched, hooking onto two more appendages. Manoeuvring underneath the monster, they managed to cross another pair of legs, effectively suspending it in mid-space.
"Team! When I get one of those claws down, we're making sure it won't budge again!" Shiro flew towards them, readying his hook. When it twirled around one claw and anchored, it clamped the pincers shut. He pulled a heavy right, bringing the claw around into a half-hug. "Let's tie this thing down."
The Lions flew into motion, each one pulling the wires along and about the still screaming Robeast. As the ticks passed and the last of the wire in the reel was used, they cut off their connections and formed up into formation, a little ways from the struggling Robeast. Once a mass of powerful limbs and diamond-hard shell, now nothing but a wrapped up piece of metal.
"Time to form Voltron guys."
Forming Voltron was one of the highlights of them being a team. It was a sense of togetherness, of unity, of coming together and then becoming one. There was a streamline of knowledge and understanding that passed into their minds, touching their consciousness, but never fully allowed to be delved deeper into. And each Paladin had a different sense of how they united together; of how they formed Voltron.
As she felt it, Pidge saw images of data flashing through her mind. A computer's mind, the deciphering of numbers and equations. There were bits of information on a malfunction here and the code of a programme functioning there. Data flew from one lion to another, trying to work itself out despite the different programmes running, specially for Voltron's formation.
For Hunk, it was the mechanisms and machinations of their robots themselves. Gears and cogs meshing along each other. A piston pushed into position, clamps grabbing hold onto it. The metal parts and pieces fitting together, some stored away, others broken up. All the little and big pieces connecting together to form the mighty Voltron.
Keith imagined, rather than saw. He imagined the feel of the flight through space. The drop of his stomach as he lurched forward with speed. The feel of the thrusters, hot as they burned through fuel. The rush of space dust in the vacuum around him, brushing along the outer plating of his Lion. The overall power and pace of Voltron.
Lance could sense the thoughts and emotions of the other Paladins. They were raw, broken and incoherent sentences. One stray phrase would cut off into another. Sometimes their feelings would spike through. Someone would feel excited and ready to go; another felt passive and patient, waiting and bidding their time. It gets all jumbled up when they finalise into Voltron though.
Shiro felt a connection with something...sentient. A pulse of thought, a sudden adrenaline burst; pain that flared from a hit taken to the hull of his Lion. Fear when he saw someone else spiral out of control. There were shouts of joy and worried calls. There was an approving presence at the back of his mind. Like five souls watching over him as they formed Voltron.
And as the last phase of their combination passes, the five pilots sense a harmony of different sensations. The mechanical components, the data analysed, the soulful and instinctual feelings that course through them.
Their connections to their five lions and their unity as Voltron.
"All right team," Shiro smiled, ready to win this battle. "Let's do this."
Keith locked his bayard into its holder, activating the sequence to unlock their blazing sword weapon. The sword appeared in hand, where the mouth of the red Lion was. Voltron gave a quick swing of the sword, testing its balance, before flying over to where the Robeast was.
"Goodbye Mr. Crabs!" Lance declared, as the large robot brought their sword up and swung it down right on top of the Robeast.
A bright flash enveloped them, blinding their on-board cameras and the ones connected to the castle-ship.
And then, the battle ended.