Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
Author: April Richards
Fandom: "Voltron: Defender of the Universe"
Rating: M (for language, sexual situations)
Category: Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U
Summary: After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.
Author's Notes: *text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.
Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The King's Lab was build into the rock that the Castle sat on top of. A long tunnel led to the Lab. Water trickled down the walls. Lance swung his flash light around. "You know what this reminds me of?" He asked Keith.
"That time we got lost in those tunnels under the City?" Keith responded. "Me too."
"What happened?" Allura inquired.
"Well, it started two days after our thirteenth birthday and we were finally allowed half day passes off Talos Island…" Keith started.
**********
Cadets Keith Kogane and Lance McCastlin strolled through the streets of their beloved San Francisco in their white cadet uniforms. It was two days after their thirteenth birthday and they were allowed half day, unsupervised passes off Talos Island. Each boy carried a bag from Empire Records. Keith looked at his wrist Com, which also doubled as a watch. "It's almost lunch time. How about we go to Mama Chin's Cafe?" He ran his credit card through a reader attached to a stand that sold crystals and herbs. After looking at the total, he said "I have enough on me for lunch."
"I do too," Lance said after checking his card. "But I'm not in the mood for Chinese. How about Space Burgers? There's a place right across the street."
"Okay. I haven't had a Cherry-Lime Galaxy Milk Shake in ages!" Keith agreed quickly. The boys started across the busy street. Suddenly, a police hover car stopped in front of them and two officers jumped out. The officers grabbed the boys and threw them onto the floor of the back seat. Then, the officers got back into the front seats of the car and sped off.
"Hey, we have legal passes!" Lance protested.
"Yeah! I want a lawyer!" Keith added. "Where are you taking us?"
"You'll find out when we get there, now stay down!" The Black Officer said. His tag proclaimed him to be Officer Martin Green.
The police drove the boys to SFPD 630 on Valencia Street. The Officer led the boys past people paying parking tickets and people waiting to be booked. He took them down a long hallway that ended in a set of steep steps. "Go down the steps," Green ordered. He gave the boys a shove. Keith and Lance stumbled down the steps and paused at a heavy door. "This is our secure holding area. You'll stay here until your parents pick you up." He opened up the door and waved the boys inside.
"Don't we get a phone call?" Keith asked. "We'll be AWOL in three hours!"
"You'll get one soon enough, now, get into that cell," Green pushed the boys into a cell and locked the door. "I'll be right outside of the door if you need anything." With that, Green left the room.
Keith slammed his fist into the wall. "I can't believe this!"
"Calm down, Keith. It's probably just some crazy mistake. I'm sure they'll let us go before we're AWOL. I hope we get some lunch, I'm starving. And they have to feed us! It's part of the Geneva Convention," Lance said and sat down on the bed.
Keith continued to pace back and forth. "I hope so. I don't want being AWOL on my record. Tony's gonna be pissed."
"What for? We didn't do anything wrong. We had legal passes!"
Three hours passed with no food much to Lance's chagrin. Keith looked at his watch. "15:01. It's official. We're now AWOL," Keith slumped down into a corner.
"And, we're going to miss dinner. It's chocolate cake for dessert tonight!" Lance groaned.
"You sound like Hunk," Keith chuckled. Keith paused. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Lance asked, cocking his head towards the door.
"I swear I just heard laser fire."
Just then, Officer Green ran into the secure holding area. His dark face was ashen. He threw open the cell door and pushed Keith and Lance ahead of him. "Go down the hallway!"
"What's going on?" Keith demanded as they ran down the hallway.
"Several people are shooting up the station and they're heading this way!" Green yelled. The hallway lead to a dead end. Before Lance and Keith could protest, Officer Green pushed a button on the wall and a panel rolled up, revealing tunnels. "These tunnels go all over the city. Get in them and hide. Here, I know you boys know how to use these," Green handed the boys laser pistols.
Suddenly the door blew off its hinges. "GO!"
Keith and Lance jumped into the tunnels while Green covered the door. A laser bolt shot through Green's chest and into the pipes behind the boys. Water, sewage and shrapnel slammed into the boys. "OW!" Keith exclaimed and grasped his shoulder.
"C'mon!" Lance grabbed Keith.
The boys ran into the tunnels. The tunnels twisted and turned with many avenues branching off the main tunnel. Water dripped everywhere and rats swam through the murky water. Keith and Lance scurried through the tunnels, taking different turns with each pass. Soon, the boys were lost in the maze. Keith paused and leaned against the slimy wall. "Keith?" Lance asked.
"My shoulder. Hurts," Keith panted through gritted teeth.
Lance examined Keith's shoulder in the gloom. "You've got a lot of metal in there, but at least it's not bleeding, much," Lance said, trying to cheer up his friend. "I probably got some metal in me too."
Suddenly Keith shushed Lance. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Some one else is in these tunnels," Keith whispered.
"One of the guys who shot up the police station?" Lance whispered back.
"That's my guess. C'mon, let's get moving."
"Sure," Lance agreed then yelped. "Something bit me!"
"I think it was a rat," Keith knelt down. "Yep. Rat bite."
"Great, just great!" Lance seethed. "I hate rats!"
**********
"How did you boys get out of there?" Allura looked at her fiancée and her friend.
"Turns out, Tony was looking for us…" Keith answered.
**********
Unbeknownst to the boys, Tony Winnelli had slipped into the tunnels shortly after the assassin. Dressed in black fatigues with the skull painted on his face, Tony was hunting the hunter. He had already killed the rest of the shooters in the police station. He paused then ran in the direction of Lance's yelp. He knew the assassin would home in that noise. *Damn,* He thought as he took the twists and turns, following the almost invisible trail of the assassin. As he neared the assassin, he heard Lance exclaim "I hate rats!" Soon, Tony could hear Lance and Keith's foot steps echoing in the tunnels. *Kids don't even know how to walk quietly,* Tony groaned mentally.
Keith and Lance ran through the tunnels and into a dead end. "Great, double back?" Lance asked.
"We have to. You'd think we would have found a door or a grate or something by now," Keith sighed and rubbed his shoulder.
"We don't even know where in San Francisco we are... are we even in the City still?" Lance said.
"I don't know. And we won't know until we find a way out of here."
Before Lance could answer, a tall figure blocked the entrance to the rest of the tunnels. "You boys aren't going anywhere," A gravely voice informed them. Instinctively, Keith and Lance flattened themselves against the sides of the walls. Laser fire echoed through the tunnels as the assassin fired two pistols. Laser bolts grazed passed the boys. Before the assassin could fire again, a figure in black grabbed him.
"You just made your last mistake, asshole," Tony growled. He pulled out his trusty, black K-Bar knife and slit the throat of the assassin. Pinkish Drul blood sprayed over the tunnels. The assassin made some odd gurgling sounds as he bled out and died.
"TONY!" Keith and Lance exclaimed with relief. The boys limped over to Tony and clung to him.
"Hey there, Little Brothers, it's okay. Let's get out of here," Tony rubbed their backs.
"What about that guy?" Keith asked.
"Leave him for the rats," Tony kicked the corpse. "C'mon," He lead the boys out of the tunnels and back to the police station. With a mighty heave, he pushed up the panel. He picked up Keith and Lance and set them back into the police station, then he jumped up into the station. "Try not to disturb anything," Tony said, guiding the boys past markers that indicated where a body fell.
Soberly, the boys walked up the stairs and into the main part of the station. Markers littered the floor while CSI teams gathered evidence.
"Did anyone survive?" Lance asked, a lump in his throat. "Officer Green?"
"You two did. Officer Green gave his life to keep you two safe," Tony shook his head. "He left behind a wife and two small kids." Keith and Lance looked down at their dirty feet.
"Will you let us know when the funeral is?" Keith asked.
"I will. And I'll pick you up at the ferry landing. Wear your cadet dress whites, this will be a police funeral," Tony said.
"Yes, Tony," Keith answered for both of them.
"Now, let's get both of you back to Talos Island and to the Infirmary," Tony said as the trio walked outside.
"KEITH! LANCE!" Charli McCastlin yelled as soon as she saw her wayward sons. "We've been so worried about you!" She hugged them both close to her. "Oh, dear, you're both bleeding!"
"I was just about to take them back to Talos Island. Two medical teams are standing by, Aunt Charli," Tony said.
"We're coming with you boys," Charli said firmly. Caleb nodded his head in agreement.
"Of course, Aunt Charli, Uncle Caleb. I have a car with me we can all use," Tony motioned to a heavily armored vehicle. "And don't worry about getting the inside all mucked up. It's designed to handle that sort of thing." Tony ushered the boys into the car. Tony jumped into the driver's seat. Caleb sat up front with Tony while Charli sat with the boys. After a quick drive to the docks, the boys were helped into a hover craft. Tony maneuvered the craft through the choppy waters of the Bay. Silently, Keith thanked God that they had not had any food at the police station. As it was, he felt like he was going to throw up at any moment.
"Mom, Dad, Keith's looking kinda green!" Lance exclaimed.
Caleb grabbed a trashcan and held it for Keith while the boy emptied the contents of his stomach, not that there was much for Keith to throw up. Charli rubbed Keith's back while he got sick. Lance edged away from his best friend, his own stomach starting to get queasy. Charli looked over the boys. "Tony, hurry up, they're going into shock!"
"Okay, Aunt Charli. Hang on, everyone!" Tony increased the speed, pushing the craft to the limit. A few minutes later, the hover craft landed on a sandy beach, near the Island's hospital. Just as Tony promised, two medical teams were standing by. The teams carried Keith and Lance out of the hover craft and put them onto gurneys. Then, the boys were hurried off to the hospital.
Tony did not wait for news on Keith and Lance. Instead, he went back to the City, to help in the hunt for the people who had hired the assassins. Caleb paced back and worth in the waiting room.
"Dammit, it was close this time. Very close. If Tony hadn't found the boys..."
"I know," Charli shook her head. "What possessed the boys to go out in their uniforms?"
"It was probably Keith's idea. He loves the uniform. Oh well, we'll have to talk to them about it," Caleb answered, still pacing.
"Tony'll probably talk to them. They'll listen to Tony when they won't listen to us, especially Keith," Charli said honestly. "Maybe if we told Keith the truth he'd be more careful," She suggested.
"No. He's only 13. He's not old enough to understand. And, it would frighten him and he'd ask questions. Questions that we can't answer for him right now. No, we've done fairly well protecting him for the past seven years. There's no need to change anything."
"But he'll be grown up soon. I heard his Mecha piloting teacher, Captain Ichijyo, says that Keith's the most skilled pilot he's had in ages. Ichijyo is saying that Keith could be sent on missions as soon as next year. How can we protect him then?" Charli sighed.
"What? Keith out on missions at fourteen? That won't happen. General Winnelli won't let it happen. We'd better talk to Ichijyo and see where he's getting the pressure from."
"I can guess where he's getting the pressure from. Graham," Charli spat out the Space Marshall's name.
Before Caleb could respond, a nurse came out. "Mr. and Mrs. McCastlin?"
"That's us," Caleb said, finally stopping his pacing. "How are Keith and Lance?"
"They'll be fine in time. They're going to be spending the next few days in the Infirmary, though. Thanks to the sewage they were exposed to, they'll need a few days of high-powered IV antibiotics," The nurse said.
"Can we see them?" Charli asked.
"This way. They're still asleep from the medication we gave them."
The nurse lead Charli and Caleb into a room with a Storm Rider guard in front of it. The guard gave a subtle salute to Charli and Caleb once the nurse was not looking. Inside, in two separate beds, Keith and Lance rested. Nasal canulas supplied the boys with supplemental oxygen while IVs pumped the antibiotics and fluids into their veins. Charli stroked Lance's short, light brown hair.
"My poor babies."
"Momma?" Lance murmured, briefly waking up.
"I'm here, sweetie," Charli said softly.
"Keith okay?"
"Keith's fine. He's in the bed next to yours."
"Kay," Lance drifted back off to sleep.
A few hours later, Keith woke up and looked around with glazed eyes. "Keith?" Caleb whispered. Keith looked confused at his uncle and nodded his head. "You're in the Infirmary on Talos Island.
Lance is in the bed next to you. You'll both be okay." Keith nodded again then fell back asleep.
**********
"So, what were Mr. and Mrs. McCastlin protecting you from, Keith?" Pidge asked, interrupting the tale. "They didn't mention anything when they told us about your parents."
"I don't know," Keith sighed. "Sven, do you know?"
Sven frowned. "I know, but it's not my place to tell. It's up to Tony. He'll tell you when he sees you again," He said after a moment's thought.
"Boy, you Storm Riders sure love your secrets," Lance grumbled.
"What happened next, Keith?" Allura asked, holding Keith's hand.
"We spent four days in the Infirmary. After our discharge, Lance wanted to go back to his room but I wanted to see Tony…"
**********
Four days later, the doctors released Keith and Lance from the Infirmary. Sven brought clean uniforms for the boys to change into. "So, you two ready to go back to your room?" Sven asked.
"I am. I'm even looking forward to food from the mess hall!" Lance rubbed his stomach. "What about you, Keith? You barely ate anything at all."
"I'm just not hungry. Look, I'm going to go and see Tony," Keith said.
"Sure. I'll meet you back at our room," Lance nodded his head.
Keith smiled then walked out of the Infirmary. The stroll towards Tony's small house on Talos Island was short, but the cool air felt good after several days in the Infirmary. Tony's house was on the beach and away from the Officer's Housing that took up most of the beach front property that was not given over to military practice. Keith knocked on the door once and opened it. "Tony? Gio?" He called out. He walked into the living and stopped dead in his tracks. Tony and his fiancée, Giovanna MacDonald, were kissing passionately on the couch. Keith's face turned red and a trickle of blood escaped from his nose. "Um...I'll just go."
Tony and Gio separated and laughed. "It's okay, Little Brother. Get your ass in here," Tony said. Still blushing, Keith stepped into the living room. Gio went into the kitchen for a cold wash rag.
She cleaned up Keith's face. "So, Little Brother, did you sneak out of the Infirmary?"
"No, I was released. I just didn't feel like going back to my room," Keith answered honestly. He sat down on Tony's easy chair. The massive chair, designed to hold Tony's 6'6" frame, swallowed Keith up.
"Is something bothering you, Little Brother?" Tony asked. Keith nodded his head. "Is about what happened in the Police Station?"
"Yeah. I don't understand why the Police Station was targeted like that. And the guy you killed in the tunnel. He was a Drul."
"What I'm about to tell you, doesn't go beyond here, got it, Keith?" Keith nodded. "The some sects of the Russian Mob have made alliances with the Drules. It was one of those families that shot up the station," Tony answered.
"But why?" Keith persisted. "It doesn't make any sense!"
"The Russian Mob doesn't care who they hurt. That's how they are. They have no sense of honor or patriotism. Anything else bothering you, Little Brother?"
"There is," Keith looked down. "Why did Officer Green grab us off the street like that?"
"Because I asked him too. The area you were in is a hot spot for the Russian Mob. There has been some friction between the Russians and the Chinese lately and it's spilled over into the streets in that neighborhood."
"You were following us?" Keith asked.
"Two kids out on a half day pass in the City? What do you think, Little Brother? Officer Green told me he found two cadets in uniform wondering around in that area. So I ordered him to grab you two and keep you until I could get there," Tony looked sad. "I wish I had gotten there sooner."
"Lance thinks that we shouldn't have worn our uniforms," Keith said.
"Lance was right, Keith. You don't see me wearing my uniform when I'm in the City. Next time, clear it with me on where you two plan on going and wear street clothes," Tony ordered. "I'm serious, Keith."
"Okay, Tony," Keith agreed. "I guess I wanted to stick out. Silly.... and it almost got me and my best friend killed. I doubt we'll ever get another pass before Graduation."
"Don't worry about it, Little Brother. You'll get another pass. You okay, Keith?" Tony asked suddenly, noticing that during their conversation, Keith kept rubbing his injured shoulder and sweat beaded on his face.
"I don't feel good," Keith admitted.
Tony went into the kitchen and opened his massive first aid kit. He picked out a strong antibiotic and an immune-boosting home remedy that he learned from Keith's parents. He added in a powerful sedative. He mixed it all together and went back into the living room. "Here, Keith, drink this. Don't worry, it's natural."
Keith drank the dark mixture and blinked his eyes. He leaned against Tony and fell asleep. Tony carried Keith into his bedroom. Tony removed Keith's shirt and examined his shoulder. The shoulder was red and the stitches had stretched out. "Gio, call my uncle and have him get over here immediately."
"On it!" Gio ran to the video phone and dialed a number. After a few seconds, Dr. Nigel Tumbletea answered, wearing a simple blue and yellow dress. "Uncle Nigel, get over here fast and bring your black bag." Gio said.
"I'll be right over," Dr. Tumbletea said and signed off.
A few minutes later, Dr. Tumbletea ran into the house. "Where's the patient?" He asked.
"In our bedroom," Gio said and pointed the way.
In the bedroom, Tony ran a scanner over Keith's shoulder. "Damn it! There's still metal in his shoulder!" He growled. "What was it amateur night at the ER?"
"That's what I'm wondering," Dr. Tumbletea read the results of the scanner. He pulled on gloves and handed Tony a pair. Tony cut out the old stitches and Dr. Tumbletea dug out the offending pieces of metal. Then he flushed out the wound and restitched it up. Tony smeared a pink gel, made from one of Akira Kogane's home recipes, on the wound. Dr. Tumbletea bandaged it back up.
"Don't tell Keith about this. As far as he knows, he came here and fell asleep. And, he's allowed to stay here whenever he wants. Lance too," Tony ordered.
"No problem, Tony," Dr. Tumbletea nodded his head in agreement. Dr. Tumbletea ruffled Keith's short, black hair. "Poor dear. Hard to believe he's going to be King of Arus in a few years."
"What if he doesn't survive, then what, Uncle?"
"Then Arus, the entire sector, is doomed."
**********
"You heard them?" Sven stopped in his tracks. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I thought it was a crazy dream. I didn't even know where or what Arus was. So, I just shrugged it off as a nutty stress dream. I have a lot of those," Keith admitted.
"Like one about the disembodied head of Kermit the Frog going "Hi, ho, I'm going to kill you!"?" Lance asked his best friend.
Keith blushed. "Yes, like that one."
**********
Keith woke up the next morning feeling better than he had since the day in the tunnels. He looked around, confused on where he was at first. Then Gio stuck her head into the room. "Well, Sleeping Beauty about time you woke up. Come on, get a shower and I'll have breakfast for you. Tony went and got you some new clothes."
"Okay, Gio," Keith got out of bed. "I slept in my uniform?"
"It's okay, we won't tell anyone," Gio laughed.
Keith scurried into the bathroom. He carefully took off his uniform and straightened it out. He hung it on a hanger then stepped into the hot shower. He quickly washed up then dried off. He changed into a new pair of jeans, a red sleeveless tee shirt and a new pair of steel toed combat boots. Keith stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen. Gio smiled at him. "You look good, Little Brother."
Keith blushed. "Thanks," He sat down to a plate of southwestern omelet, lean country ham, and a large glass of milk.
"Now, eat everything on your plate. You need to build up your muscles," Gio said.
"Yes, Gio," Keith smiled and dug into the food. He was hungrier than he wanted to admit. "This is good. I didn't eat much in the Infirmary. The food was worse than the Academy's food!"
Gio roared with laughter. "Once you finish up, I'm taking you to Ma and Pa Winnelli's place. All your home work is there, waiting for you."
"I must have a ton! Not to mention all the class work I have to make up!" Keith moaned.
"Nah, you only have to make up some sim time for class work. You've got about four hours of home work and a few tests to take," Gio shook her head. "Let's go, Little Brother."
Gio got onto her 2100 Harley S-Sportster. "Hop on, Little Brother." Keith jumped onto the bike, behind Gio and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gio sped through Talos Island and onto the bridge that connected the Island to the City. She drove Keith to the Winnelli's restaurant.
A shocking sight awaited him inside the restaurant. Sitting at a table were Jin Tanaka, the Oyabun or the leader of the Yakuza in San Francisco, Chen Sun-Li, the leader of the Chinese Triad, Marco Colonna, the head of the Italian Mafia in the City, Anna Winnelli, an SFPD officer, and her husband, then Col. Gabe Winnelli, all have coffee or tea and eating Anna's home made fudgy brownies.
Keith politely bowed to Tanaka and Sun-Li, then shook hands with Colonna and Winnelli. He hugged Anna and received a brownie for the hug. "Your homework is in the back room, Keith. If you need anything just ask. Oh your tests are open book."
"Thank you, Aunt Anna," Keith smiled at her. Keith walked into the back room of the restaurant. As he left, the conversation he had interrupted resumed. Keith could not shake the sneaky suspicion that he was the topic of the conversation...
**********
"So did you ever find out what the conversation was about, Sir?" Iain asked.
"Nope. Every time I asked Aunt Anna or Uncle Gabe, they'd clam up about it and offer me candy instead," Keith answered. "But I remember Don Colonna visiting me in the hospital after my parents died. He brought me a big cooler filled with food. To put meat on my bones, he said. And, Tanaka-San helped me with my Japanese while Mr. Sun-Li helped me with my Chinese when I got older and wanted to learn more about my heritage. In fact, Tanaka-san taught me to fight with two Katanas like my father did. Apparently, they trained under the same weapons master."
"More Storm Rider secrets," Lance said.
"Lance, maybe things are kept secret for a reason," Sven supposed.
"Well, Keith and I aren't little kids any more. We can be trusted, but Tony keeps treating us like children!" Lance snapped. Sven fumed.
"Keith, I think Lance is upsetting Sven," Allura whispered in Keith's ear.
Keith nodded his head. "Lance, cool it, now."
"No, Keith. I'm tired of being treated like I'm too stupid to understand things or worse like I'm going to turn traitor at any moment!"
Tiredly, Keith said "I don't like secrets either, Lance, but I'm sure our family had a good reason to keep things secret."
"No, Tony just wants to keep us as his Little Brothers. He refuses to see us as adults. Ones that are quite capable!" Lance shouted.
"Don't talk about Tony like that!" Sven growled.
"Oh I forgot, you're one of Tony's men. So, Sven, how did a Storm Rider end up on the Voltron Force? Are you a spy for Tony? Making sure his Little Brothers stay out of trouble?" Lance snapped.
"Lance, I said chill out and I mean it!" Keith ordered.
"No, Keith, Sven was a Storm Rider and didn't tell us until Mom and Dad came out of the closet!"
Before Keith could answer, Sven balled up his fist and punched Lance in the stomach. Keith stepped in between the pair. Sven's second punch landed square on Keith's jaw. Sven backed off in horror. "Keith, I'm sorry…"
Keith spat out blood. "Forget about it. Lance, Sven, both of you chill out. Lance, don't talk about Tony like that. He's bled for our sorry asses more than a few times. Sven, punching Lance was uncalled for."
"Keith's right. Tony wouldn't want us fighting amongst ourselves," Pidge spoke up.
"Besides, we have a mission," Hunk added.
Lance looked down. "I'm sorry, Sven, Keith. I forgot."
"Forget about it, Lance," Keith rubbed his sore jaw.
Sven shook out his hand. "That punch shouldn't have hurt my hand, but it looks like your bones are already denser."
"Denser?" Keith asked. "What do you mean?"
"Didn't Dr. Tea tell you? The medication they give you when you have a cybernetic implant put in causes your muscles and bones to become denser," Sven explained.
"How do you know this?" Lance asked, curious.
Sven sighed. "After Hagar's attack on me, my heart and eyes were damaged beyond repair," He said quietly. "I was still recovering from the surgery when Zarkon attacked Planet Ebb. Dr. Tea barely escaped the attack. He left after doing my surgery to tend to victims of an earthquake on Planet Xorrinne."
"Sven, I'm sorry we didn't rescue you from Planet Doom, but we didn't even know about the attack on Planet Ebb," Keith apologized.
"That's okay. I suspect Tony kept you from hearing about it. I heard the Storm Riders conducted several raids trying to find me, but I was in the tunnels by that point. If I had been rescued, I wouldn't have been there to help Romelle," Sven said.
"Why would Tony do that?" Allura asked. "We could have helped the people there."
"He had his reasons," Sven said. "I can't go into them though. It's up to Tony to tell."
"I guess I'm going to have a talk with my Big Brother," Keith shook his head. "Should be interesting."
"You'll be riveted," Sven said.
"So, how did you become a Storm Rider, Sven?" Keith asked.