A/N: Timing-wise, everything up to the Reunion episode remains the same. Complete explanation below in an unusually huge A/N.
I use "Earth time," for the most part, unless Matt's talking to an alien or vice versa.
I threw a desk into Matt's outpost. XD
Matt Holt was bored to death.
He was stuck at a tiny listening outpost of the Resistance, which he had named the Post inside the Rock. The Rock was the asteroid that concealed the outpost.
There was only three rooms in the Post, and the largest room was taken up by his scanners, sensors, and communication equipment. The two smaller rooms was living quarters and held supplies that were brought once a month if the rebels could risk it.
He had been sent to the outpost after "the incident" on Marchanda. For security reasons, that was all the Resistance would call that day. "The incident" was never described over the radio and usually forbidden in any sort of conversation.
In the tiny outpost, Matt had been outfitted with some of the simplest types communication tech, but it hadn't taken him long to upgrade. Matt had set up a system that monitored Galra activity and radios, allowing him to keep tabs on Galra across space. Using the system helped the Resistance safely travel and make the rare attack on prison camps.
It was important work, but lonely. Aside from the supply ship, Matt's only interaction with others was over the radio. And that was highly restricted to him as well, since it only took one slip for Galra or other unsavory characters to intercept the transmissions and track him down.
Matt spent most of his days fine-tuning his machines and exercising drills with his metal fighting staff. The pipes and beams supporting the higher parts of the main room -where the gravity generator's effect was weak- was an oversized and complicated jungle gym to Matt that he soon was able to easily navigate.
Finally, after six months, he received the command to move out.
"Your position has been compromised."
"It's about time."
Olia's face on the screen gave him a stern look. "This is no laughing matter, Tof."
Again, because of "the incident," Matt wasn't called by name over the radio. As if there wasn't more than one Matt in the universe. Still, he was referred to by his fellow rebels as "Tof," a suggestion he had made as a joke because of his hair color.
Much to his dismay, it had stuck.
The toffee-haired boy chuckled. "I know. It's just kind of boring on this rock. Hey, does this mean you can stop calling me 'Tof' now? I've got suggestions!"
Matt had learned that being a spy for the Resistance sometimes meant bouncing from alias to alias as events necessitated. Some rebels had changed names so often, that they couldn't remember their birth name. So far, "Tof" had been Matt's only alias.
That didn't mean that he didn't have ideas for a new alias, though. Matt's favorite so far was "Reach." Other rebels were always teasing Matt for using his staff to reach things he couldn't grab or to fight from an "unfair" distance, so he figured he might as well use that.
"We'll have to see" Olia said, shaking her head. "In the meantime, you'll have plenty of excitement if you don't pack up and leave soon. Meet up with us at Outpost 6 in the Gnar System two quintants from now."
"Aye, cap'n," Matt said with a grin and playful salute.
Olia rolled her eyes in amusement. "Just pack up your stuff."
Matt nodded and signed off. He pulled up multiple holo-screens and rapidly typed in several lines of code, then pulled up a new screen that flashed yellow. He typed in a new code that made the screen turn red, then pushed himself away from the table.
He replaced his helmet and leaped to his feet. Despite the severity of his position being discovered -by Galra or bounty hunters, there was no telling nor did it matter- Matt was glad to be rid of the Post.
"I hope I'm not alone at the next post," Matt said to himself -a habit he had developed since his stay at the Post. "It's well and all to listen in to everyone else's conversations, but it's boring when I can't participate."
Matt withdrew a slim data-pad from his desk, and tucked it into a pouch hidden between his shoulderblades before heading to his living quarters. He shoved a ragged rug on the floor to the side and knelt. He felt the rough floor until he found the barely noticeable ridge on the floor and pressed on it. A section of the floor popped up, and Matt lifted it and pushed it to the side. Underneath was a short passage that led to Matt's little escape pod.
Matt dumped his armload inside the pod and went back for supplies. He was sorting through his meager choices -the last supply ship had been delayed- when a low beep on his wrist-com alerted him that someone was approaching the top hatch to the base.
"Shoot!" Matt whispered.
He darted from the storage room to his living quarters. He snatched up his staff, then pulled up his security video feed.
A single alien was inspecting the outside surface of the Rock. It wore a large cloak, but Matt could see a thick tail from under the cloak and a scaled face under the hood. Its clawed hands rubbed across the ground as he searched for the entrance. A bounty hunter, likely seeking out a reward for bringing in a Resistance member to the Galra.
Matt smirked. This wasn't the first bounty hunter to try and take him, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
He glanced at the passage to his escape pod, but knew the bounty hunter would simply follow if he left then. Matt preferred disarming bounty hunters and leaving them for members of the Resistance to pick up later. A surprising amount of bounty hunters actually joined the Resistance if the situation was handled right.
Matt frowned, realizing that the bounty hunter likely wasn't the one to have intercepted the messages. The Resistance was always good about finding out about compromised rebels with plenty of time for them to escape. Someone else was coming, so Matt would have to be quick this time.
Matt slid out of the living quarters and hid behind a pipe in the main room. As time was of the essence, Matt hoped that he would be lucky enough to knock out the intruder before they realized he was there.
A few ticks later, the bounty hunter stepped into view.
As the bounty hunter scanned the large room, Matt held himself still until it moved past him. Matt tightened his grip on his staff and prepared to step out, then froze when a sniffing sound reached him.
The bounty hunter's large head tipped back, muzzle twitching as he sniffed the air. Very slowly, he started to turn.
Stifling a grunt of frustration, Matt raised his staff and lunged. The bounty hunter spun around and caught the staff in one hand. Matt blinked at the effortless block. He tugged at his staff, but the bounty hunter's grip was firm.
"Is that really the best you can do?" the bounty hunter asked in a male, rumbling voice.
Matt smirked. "Nope."
Matt jerked his body forward and slid his body down so that he was on the ground. Before the bounty hunter could respond, he shoved off with his hands and let go of the staff to slide under him. He kicked the back of the bounty hunter's knees, causing him to go down.
Matt then rolled to his knees and launched himself onto the bounty hunter's back to knock him forward. Unfortunately, the bounty hunter didn't fall forward all the way, managing to catch himself on his hands. Matt scrambled onto his shoulders and grabbed the top of his staff.
Giving an infuriated roar, the bounty hunter surged to his feet and threw his body forward. Matt was flung over his shoulder, just barely managing to keep hold of his staff. His momentum was enough to jerk the staff from the bounty hunter's hands, but it slipped out of his hands and rolled away when Matt hit the ground.
Flat on his back, Matt coughed. "That usually works better." His eyes widened and he was forced to roll away when he saw the bounty hunter's fists coming toward his face. "Hey, hey, don't punch a guy when he's down!"
"You'll be lucky if that's all you get when I'm done with you!" the bounty hunter growled as he tried to step on Matt.
Matt rolled to the side and, snatching up his staff, leaped to his feet. He took a moment to lean against his staff. "You know, that's what the last guy said. Is there a bounty hunter manual or something that you use for lame one-liners?"
The bounty hunter snarled and went after Matt, fists swinging. Matt dodged away, staff batting away the attacks and mouth still going.
"Oh, growling, that's original." Matt ducked. "I really hope your reputation isn't riding on catching me, just saying." Matt darted around a pipe and peeked around the other side. "I mean, what bounty hunter only fights in fisticuffs? Tell me, did you fly here or slowly swim your way across space?"
The bounty hunter threw his whole body into the pipe, causing it to split and steam to hiss out. Matt jumped away and tightened his grip on his staff.
"Not much of a conversationalist?" Matt slapped away the bounty hunter's fist with his staff. "That's okay. I'm kind of on a timetable here, anyway."
Matt spun behind the bounty hunter and swung at the back of his skull. The bounty hunter turned quickly, catching the staff once again.
The bounty hunter swung the staff to the side. Matt held on tightly and was smashed into the dented pipe, knocking his breath away. The staff slipped from his fingers and he fell to the floor. Matt looked up in time to see the bounty hunter bend his staff into a "u."
"Hey!" Matt squawked in protest. "That was my favorite staff!"
The bounty hunter wordlessly dropped the staff with a clatter, and reached into his cloak. He pulled out a whip.
Matt had to roll to the side when the bounty hunter snapped his whip at him. His eyes widened at the arc of electricity that leaped from the staff to the pipe. Matt quickly stood, becoming serious in light of the new threat.
Without a weapon, Matt was in major disadvantage to the large bounty hunter. At least, on the ground he was.
Matt activated his jetpack and leaped up. "Catch me if you can!"
Matt reached the rafters, grabbed one, and swung his feet into a gap. He felt a bit lighter than he had on the ground. A crackle of energy made his hair stand on end as he pulled the rest of his body forward and scurried through the posts. He reached where he stashed a spare staff, grabbing it and turning just as the bounty hunter pulled himself up with his whip.
"Really?" Matt said with a sigh, scrambling higher when the bounty hunter snapped his whip at him. "Can't a guy catch a break?"
"Tired already?" the bounty hunter asked with a sneer.
Matt smirked. "I was talking about you."
Matt leaped over an "x" of pipes and caught himself with one hand. He kicked his feet at a forgotten toolbox balanced across a girder. The low gravity meant that the rain of tools on the bounty hunter wasn't quite as satisfying, but the his clumsy movements to get out of the way of the whole mess made up for it.
Matt swung onto a lower girder and extended his staff. He used the end to jab the bounty hunter, throwing him further off balance. The bounty hunter swung a fist, but Matt's staff kept him safely out of reach.
The next tick, though, Matt had to leap backwards when the bounty hunter threw a hammer at him. Matt half-floated five feet before he grabbed a pole to stop himself. Without giving time for the meager gravity to set him down, Matt kicked off again to crouch under a tangle of pipes that gave him a brief respite. As soon as the bounty hunter moved his position, though, Matt was forced to dart away.
The two went back-and-forth for several doboshes. Matt rapidly ran out of surprises to throw at the bounty hunter, and the intruder quickly adjusted to the gravity level.
Matt hunched on one of the lower posts, panting. The bounty hunter was methodically moving through the rafters where Matt had given him the slip. He had only a few ticks before the bounty hunter spotted him again.
Matt looked down to the main computer, where the screen still glowed red. His eyes flicked up toward the bounty hunter. It was going to be close.
Matt retracted his staff and put it on the holder on his back. He swung silently so that he was briefly hanging on the underside of the pole like a bat, then kicked himself toward the ground.
Halfway to the ground, Matt knew the gravity was at the full effect again. He spun his body around so his feet were towards the ground again, and activated his backpack.
Matt's fall briefly slowed, then there was a snap and a loud pop from Matt's back. He looked quickly to see smoke rising from his jetpack. He abruptly went back into a free-fall, fifteen feet from the ground!
Matt hit the ground first with his left foot. His attempt at a tuck and roll turned into a crack as the one leg broke the fall. He yowled as he crashed to the ground on his side and slid into the desk legs.
His vision went dark for a tick, but Matt couldn't let himself pass out. He forced his eyes wide, just in time for the full of the pain to hit him.
"Ow!" Matt screamed, clutching at his upper leg.
Below his left knee, the leg was bent weirdly to the side. His armor was likely the only thing keeping the leg reasonably in place. His foot felt numb and, considering it had taken the first of the impact, Matt was grateful for it.
A thud caught Matt's attention. He quickly lifted his head to see the bounty hunter had landed across the room and was walking closer.
Matt's eyes flicked up to the desktop. He squirmed his right knee under his body and slipped his staff free while he pushed himself to his left hand and right knee.
"Done running?" the bounty hunter asked with a sneer.
Matt bowed his head and counted the bounty hunter's steps. When he was a step away, Matt pushed up to stand on his good leg. With all the force he could muster, he swung the staff up and into the bounty hunter's chin. The bounty hunter stumbled back, hand to his face, while Matt put his staff against the ground to brace himself.
Matt had been hoping to make a run for his pod once he was on the ground and try his luck in space, but there was no chance of outrunning the bounty hunter on his busted leg.
Instead, he drew himself up and took a deep breath. At a mental command, the screen flashed from red to blue. The screen flickered and went blank, then a countdown appeared on it. The same countdown appeared on the inside corner of Matt's visor. There was a clang as the entrance to the Post sealed shut.
"In five doboshes, this whole outpost is going to be reduced to rubble," Matt informed the recovering bounty hunter. "And it looks like we're both going with it."
Matt didn't really want to kill the bounty hunter, and he wanted to die himself even less. But, with a broken leg, there was no way of escaping on his own. And he couldn't let his tech into Galra hands. The only solution was to blow the whole thing to pieces, even if he was still inside.
"You little-"
"I wouldn't waste my time," Matt said calmly. He leaned against the desk to take the strain off his arms and leg.
"What's the trick?" the bounty hunter asked. "There has to be a way out, unless you plan to die today."
Matt silently stared at the bounty hunter. He mentally pulled up a side screen in his visor, and entered in a code the same way that sent a message to the Resistance.
The simple message, "I won't be making it," would tell them all they needed to know.
"I'm not going back to the Galra slave camps," Matt finally said.
The bounty hunter snarled and snapped his whip at Matt, who whipped the staff up. The whip caught on the staff and wound around it several times.
"Seriously? I think you would want to spend your last doboshes doing something other than trying to hit me," Matt said, exasperated.
The bounty hunter's muzzle twisted into a sneer. "Who said I was trying to hit you?"
Matt's eyes widened. He tried to jerk his staff free, but it was stuck in the whip. Before he could let go, a crackle of energy shot through the whip, across the staff, and into Matt.
The surge of electricity shot Matt backwards, flipping him over the desk. Between the shock and abrupt motion on his broken leg, Matt blacked out before he even hit the floor.
A/N: I've never claimed to be able to write cruel characters, so sorry if the bounty hunter is kind of lame.
As of March 22, 2019, the first five (not counting prologue, which remained the same) chapters have been updated. Nothing much has changed, just a few added details. The plot, however, has taken huge bounds in my head. Thus the updated synopsis that may change yet again. Not to jinx myself, but this story may finally be the one to breach 100,000 words! And even then, there are further plot bunnies that could turn this book into a trilogy or even a five-parter! But for now, I'll focus on just this one story. XD
Okay, explanation time. If you're reading this story for the first time, then you obviously won't have seen the earlier A/Ns and synopsis. This is pretty much going to be a self-indulgent fic where I get to play around with Matt in the background of the show plot, and plop him into the company of Lotor and the generals while I do so.
People who have been here since the start may be wondering if the good Lotor AU is still in play. Well... I'll let you decide that for yourself.
As I said before, this originally wasn't going to be super complex, but the plot has really evolved since I first posted this story. It's going to be my usual fare of humor, drama, and ill-timing, plus a huge dosing of insanity. Either mine or the characters, I'm still not sure.
Up to this point in the story, everything remains the same as canon. The only exception is the events on Puig, and the only change there is that a Blade of Marmora member was "missed" by the generals and he contacted Voltron. A tweak in canon detail that I've made is that the paladins' visors are like a one-way mirror, so Lotor and the generals have never seen the paladins' faces. (It's a plot point later, trust me. XD)
Right now, I will be messing around with Matt, Lotor, and the generals in the free time allowed by the Voltron Show episode with obviously non-canon events. Once I rejoin the canon time frame (you'll know when I do, trust me), then it will be a mix of canon and "what if" indulgences on my part.
Well, I've had my say. Thanks for reading if you put up with it all! Now, that's enough talking. Let's get going with this!
