"Hey, Shiro," Pidge called waving him down, "My brother just contacted me and was wondering, since we'd be in the same quadrant later this week, if Hunk and I could come see this new gadget he's got!"

Shiro nodded, "Why don't we all go? If its new it might help us in the fight-"

He stopped when Pidge pouted and sulked.

"See," she said, "I almost didn't tell Hunk that he was invited. I don't get to see Matt all that often, so I really don't want to share anymore than I have to."

"I understand that," he said, but then he scowled, "Now that I think about it, I don't remember Matt contacting the castle."

"Oh, Dad, Matt, and I have our own way of talking," Pidge grinned holding up her computer. "It keeps us close."

"That's not the problem, Pidge," Shiro said, clearly irritated, "Protocol says that communications should happen in the open. Unless you have something you are hiding from the rest of us?"

Pidge froze for a moment, then shrugged.

"Everyone has their own business, Shiro, its not that big of a deal."

"It IS a big deal," He countered and marched to the bridge.

"Coran, contact Matt."

"Will do."

"What's going on," Allura asked looking from moody Shiro to nonplused Pidge.

"Just setting the record straight," Shiro said as Matt appeared on screen.

There was no one in all the galaxy that looked more guilty than Matt Holt did at that very moment. He seemed to pale by a few shades as he looked at Shiro.

"Umm, Sh-Shiro! What's up?"

"What's going on, Matt?" He asked, "You feel the need to communicate behind my back over something as silly as a new gadget?"

Matt started to sweat.

Allura leaned over to Pidge and whispered, "Matt doesn't lie very well, does he?"

"He's terrible," Pidge said deadpanned.

"Ok, ok," Matt said, "Truth is, I'm way over my head with this new development and I wanted Pidge and Hunk to come help me figure it out. I wouldn't say no if Allura wants to come either."

He winked at her, she rolled her eyes.

"We can all come to help, Matt," Shiro said, "That's why we're here. Can you tell us about it?"

"Oh," Matt looked nervous again. "Well, its hard to say…describe. Its more of a 'seeing is believing' kind of problem. Plus, I thought it would be good for them to leave the castle for a while, you know, do something else other than fighting or…grieving."

Pidge scowled, what was Matt on about?

"Protocol says they have 48 hours," Shiro said after a moments pause, "Make sure they're back by then."

He turned and left in what could only be described as a 'huff'.

"Matt," Pidge started, but Matt shook his head.

"Later, Pidge," he said, "I'll explain when you get here. And Allura, I was serious when I said-"

"Oops," Allura said as she hung up the communications.

()

"So you notice how Shiro's becoming more like Iverson?" Hunk asked as they flew to the rebel base Matt had told them he'd be at.

"I'm sure he's just trying to prevent anymore of us from dying Hunk," She said, but it was annoying how by the book he suddenly became.

"Think protocol woulda kept Lance from leaving?"

"…"

"Right, stupid question."

The base was one of the rebels larger ones. It served as a pit-stop and supply distribution center. They landed on the take off line and walked their lions to the holdings.

Matt was waiting for them.

After a quick hug Matt asked, "How are the two of you holding up?"

They knew what he meant.

"The lack of poorly timed jokes is something I don't think any of us will get used to," Pidge said with a small smile, "Even if we don't really miss it."

"I'm slowly realizing that no one will enjoy my puns anymore," Hunk said with a sigh.

"I enjoy them," Pidge said, slightly offended.

"Not the same," Hunk shook his head.

"Well," Matt said, "Allow me to take your minds off of one problem and onto another."

He watched as they got super excited.

"I've been dying to get my hands on something new for a while," Hunk said, "Is it crystal based tech or wires? What kind of wires?"

"Its…not really a gadget," Matt said and gestured for them to follow him. "I only said that so that Shiro wouldn't know what we have here."

"You're keeping things from Shiro?"

"I thought I'd try to finish what Lance started," Matt said opening a door and showing them inside.

Sitting at a table was Shiro.

"Hey," he said, his smile shaky. "Long time no see."

They stared, jaws slightly ajar.

"I-um, I see you found Matt, and he told me you found Sam too!" Shiro said to fill the silence, "I'm very happy for you."

"I'm so confused," Hunk said looking behind him as if he'd be able to see the castle and the other Shiro right there for comparison.

"What is going on?" Pidge asked.

Matt pushed them to sit down, which they did reluctantly. Then he told them how they found this Shiro just floating by himself in space with only his suits life support keeping him alive. Shiro pitched in with what he remembered and his side of the story.

The paladins sat there for quite a long time while this sunk in. Then all at once they threw their hand up in the air.

"Hunk!"

"It all makes sense!"

"the fight!"

"It was right there in front of us the WHOLE TIME!"

"The fight, communications, the-the Keith thing!"

"He knew!"

"HOW!?"

Then they stopped as they realized the more darker implications of what they'd just figured out. Pidge looked at Shiro who had apparently been told ahead of time because he looked like he might be sick.

"I'm gonna kill him," Hunk seethed. "I don't care what mask that freak is wearing, I'll kill him."

"Calm down for just a moment," Matt said tentatively. Hunks face was enraged; they didn't even know Hunks face could look like that.

"Hunk," Shiro tried to say something, but Hunk wasn't having it. The big guy leapt to his feet.

"That freak killed Lance! Its his fault! I'm going to skin that bastard alive and feed him to a weblum!"

"So you're going to just toss aside everything Lance tried to do?"

They all looked at Pidge. She was no less angry and she glared at all of them.

"That idiot didn't tell us for some stupid reason probably because he thought we'd be safer left in the dark. So you're just going to rush over there and undo everything?"

Hunk sat down and took a deep breath.

"Fine," he said, "let's come up with a plan so long as that plan allows me to shoot him in the face."

()

Keith sat in silence as he waited. He tapped the desk in front of him and wondered if he was doing the right thing.

He had no proof.

"Hey, what's up?"

Hunk and Pidge entered his room and shut the door. The two of them had found a note telling them to meet Keith in his room after everyone else went to bed. They both took a seat on the bed and waited for him to talk.

"I," he stopped. He hadn't actually thought about how he was going to word what was on his mind. He'd been too worried about how they'd react.

"Deep breaths, Keith," Hunk said sagely, "oxygen is life and peace."

"Right," Keith said, nothing Hunk said really made much sense to him. "I just wanted to know if you guys, you know, noticed anything strange, you know…

"No," Pidge said, "No we don't."

"Do you think Shiro is ok?"

There he said it.

The other two looked at each other and shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Like," Keith floundered, trying to find the way to say it, "Like he changes in the middle of a conversation! I was just talking to him about how we could flank the enemy Galra. At first he was fine, even supportive, and then out of the blue he tells me I don't know what I'm talking about. When I tried to reason with him he got angry! I know he's stressed and upset, but I've never seen him like this."

Hunk looked away while pidge was suddenly interested in her nonexistent nails.

"You guys know something," Keith said and they grinned sheepishly at him.

"We were just talking to see if we should let you in or not," Hunk admitted.

"Does it have something to do with why you were so excited about Lances to-do list?"

They nodded.

"Found out why he wanted to talk to you."

"You're not gonna like it."

"But there is an up side."

"I really hate it when you guys do this," Keith said meaning the back and fourth; it didn't leave any room to cut in and didn't get anyone anywhere.

They apologized and then told Keith everything from the beginning. How everything made sense if you just plugged in the fact that this Shiro was a fake. They did leave out Matt and the real Shiro since they didn't know how Keith would react to them pointing the finger at Shiro.

"But you say Lance figured it out?" Keith asked, which to him was the most unbelievable part of the theory. "I found Shiro, there's no way he's fake. I was here as well and I know Shiro better than all of you and I didn't notice anything strange."

"But you are now," Pidge reminded him.

"You see," Hunk elaborated, "We don't think Shiro knows he's a fake. He probably thinks he's the real deal, but because he's programmed with only a few of the real Shiro's memories he's incomplete. He follows the orders that are given, but they have to be followed in a way that Shiro would behave, right? So what happens when the order given to him goes against everything the real Shiro would do?"

"Like what?"

"Like say," Pidge said, "'Get rid of Lance'."

Keith couldn't respond to them immediately, but when he did, he was angry.

"You think Shiro would kill Lance?! He would never-"

"Not the real Shiro," Hunk said, "The fake one."

"He's not fake!"

"He is and somewhere in your gut you know its true," Pidge said. "He doesn't remember getting rid of Lance because the order was something that the real Shiro would never do, so the Galra just had to take control of their perfectly placed puppet."

"That's-"

"You were the first one he got rid of, Keith," Hunk snapped and got in Keiths face, "think about it. When you were still the leader and Shiro kept badgering you and confusing you after you'd already made a decision, it made it look like you weren't a good leader, but you were! Because we'd been doing just fine until he came around and stuck his nose in! And then you left! The one person on this ship that could tell the real one from the fake because you knew him longer! Ask yourself Keith! How hard did he try to make you stay when you came to us and said you were leaving?!"

"Hunk, back off," Pidge tugged on his arm.

"But if I didn't notice then, how did Lance?" Keith folded his arms.

"That's the only part we've not puzzled out," Pidge admitted. "I mean, he hero worshiped Shiro, but that doesn't make you an expert in playing 'spot the difference'."

Keith let this all sink in. He hated that it actually made sense. He hated more that it was an angry Hunk that made all that sense. But more importantly, he didn't WANT Shiro to be fake.

"IF this Shiro is fake," Keith said slowly, "Then where is the real one."

"With Matt."

"Pidge! We agreed not to tell him!"

"He looked like he was gonna cry! It just came out!"

"Hold it!" Keith glared at them, "You've had another Shiro as evidence and weren't going to tell me?"

"We needed to make sure we knew how you'd react-"

"You yelled at me!"

"Yes, but-"

"You got angry and yelled at me!"

They apologized. Keith huffed and sat back in his chair.

"Right," he said, "I'm convinced. So, do you have a plan to get rid of the fake that includes me shooting the guy in the face?"