Keith caught himself.
He couldn't sleep.
Hunk had stopped responding a while ago.
He couldn't sleep till he found help. His radar still didn't show any planets or systems nearby. How long had be been flying? Had he been flying in one direction? Or in circles? was he actually getting anywhere?
"Come in," Keith cleared his throat as he tried the com again, "is anyone out there?"
The com came to life with abundant static, but nothing else.
"Please?" Keith sighed and sat back.
"Hello?"
the paladin almost yelled and he jumped. Through the static was the first sound of another voice.
"Hello! Hello! Who am i talking to?"
"You called us, who are you?"
Keith, too tired to think much of it, replied, "This is the Red paladin of Voltron. I have an injured teammate. I'm looking for a place to land and get help. What are your coordinates?"
"…is this a joke?"
"What? No!" Keith almost sobbed, "please, we need-"
"What are you doing in my room?"
Another voice came over the com system. More muffled, but clear even through the static.
"Don't touch my things."
"But a voice is coming through your helmet! I was just answering!"
"What?"
"He say's he's a paladin of Voltorb or somethin' like- OW! Don't snatch!"
"Hello?" the second voice while the first one yelled that he was going to tell mom.
"Hello?" Ketih answered back, too tired to figure out anything else to say.
"Oh my gosh, Keith! Are you ok? Where are you?"
"…I don't know…how did you…" Ketih didn't remember giving out his name, then it finally sunk in, "Lance? Is that you?"
"Duh! Are the others with you?"
"Hunk is really hurt," Keith rubbed his face, trying to get his brain to work, "we've been lost for… a long time…can't find a place to land."
"Keith, listen, stay put. I'll come and get you, ok?"
"but, i can't stay put, Hunk-"
"Keith so help me, stop moving! Blue has a further scanner than you do, so i'll find you faster than you'll find us. You also sound like crap."
"What's that for?"
"Just stay put, k?"
"fine," Keith sighed and pulled back on Reds levers. The absence of movement was making his head spin a little.
()
Lance turned to Milo who was scowling by the door. It had been about three weeks since Lance had been back and two days since their parents left on their trip.
"As upset as i am that you went into my room and played with the one object in here that WASN'T a toy, i'm glad you did."
"You're leaving?"
Lance grinned, "Not for long. I'll be back by dinner time. Don't let Victoria in the kitchen."
"Is the Red Voltorb guy ok?" Milo asked watching Lance get changed into his paladin armor, "are you a blue voltorb?"
"Very observant, Milo," Lance said nodding, "And its Voltron, not Voltorb."
"Whatever."
Lance walked out and down the stairs with his helmet tucked under his arm.
"Mary!"
"Yeah?" She looked up from the couch and frowned at his outfit.
"You're in charge, Mary, ok?"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to help a friend. I'll be back tonight, promise, k? I need you to call Dr. Rand and ask him to stand by until i call him later tonight."
"Ok," Mary got up and ran to the kitchen. Victoria narrowed her eyes at him.
"Can i come with you?"
"Not if you want to spend the night in the hospital until mom and dad get back," Lance said, "I'll be right back. I just need to help them."
"Need to?"
"Need to…and want to."
"Fine," she sighed, "I'm going to get the guest bedroom ready."
Lance grabbed the van keys off the hook by the door. pulling out his phone he had half of Iversons number punched in before he thought better of it.
Better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
()
Keiths eyes snapped open. Did he fall asleep? Did he pass out? How long was he out?
"Keith! You hear me?"
"…Lance?"
"You need to make sure you keep hold of Hunk," Lance said positioning himself above the red lion, "I've got hold of you, so you need to make sure you don't lose hunk,"
"Roger…"
Lance grabbed Red and flew as quickly and carefully as possible back to the planetary system they all knew so well.
()
"Oh man…" Lance sighed as Keith stumbled out of his lion, "I hate to see what Hunk looks like."
Keith just scowled at him and staggered to the Yellow lion. Lance quickly followed and when they saw hunk, Lance let out a string of curses.
"Both of you are so grounded," he said lifting Hunk out of the seat.
Ketih grabbed Hunks other side and Lance sighed in irritation, but didn't say anything else.
It wasn't until they had gotten Hunk into the back seat of the van that Keith noticed anything wrong.
"…where are we?"
Lance laughed, "We're on Earth. Now get in and put your seat belt on before the Garrison realizes where i've parked the lions."
"Earth?! how?!"
"Just get in! Its late and I know Vik is trying to cook something. Her and Coran could make their own Worst Cooks in the Galaxy tv show."
Keith climbed into the passenger seat and fiddled with the belt. It was all so surreal. Familiar, yet out of place.
"We need to get hunk to a hospital."
"Gosh Keith, you think?" Lance shook his head, "My family has a doctor on call that will come to the house, so we'll go there. The less people know we're back, the better."
"…i see…but Hunk is-"
"Keith, i've got this, promise. Take a deep breath and relax for once."
Keith was about to argue, but exhaustion took over and he just sighed. How had they managed to get all the way back to Earth?
()
"Are they dead?!" Marco cried as Lance and Keith struggled to get Hunk out of the back seat.
"No," Lance grunted, "go get Mary."
"MAAAARRY!" Marco screamed running back inside.
"You're house?" Keith asked, trying to bring it into focus.
"Yup, hold still until my sister gets here."
"What-"
"Are they dead?!" Mary shouted running from the front door to the three boys.
"Not yet," Lance said, "I need you to take Keiths place, Marco, i need you to help Keith up the stairs."
"I can walk just fine-"
"Dude, have you looked in a mirror?" Lance snapped, "do as i say or so help me i will carry you like a two year old!"
That was the most efficient threat Keith had ever heard. He snapped his jaw shut and let the younger boy lead him to the house. When they reached the steps up to the door Keith noticed something was wrong.
"Here you go," Marco said lifting Keiths right leg and setting it on the step, "you're going to have to lead with your left until Dr. Rand can look at this gash in your side."
"Gash?" Looking down he finally noticed that he'd been bleeding the entire time. Why hadn't he felt anything?!
"On second though, Marco, get them to the couch. We'll let the doc determine weather or not they go upstairs."
"K," Marco grinned up at Keith, the same grin Lance wore all the time, "Doc is nice, so no need to worry."
"..i'm not…?"
Marco lead him in and set him down on the smaller couch while Lance and Mary set Hunk down on the longer one.
"Get out the emergency tote," Lance instructed, "I'll call Dr Rand."
Mary ran upstairs and Lance wiped out his phone.
"…Hello? Dr. Rand? Yes, i know its late, but this is an emergency- No, Vik is ok. Two friends of mine are injured…heavily. one is unconscious and they both are bleeding openly. I can't bring them in without alerting the Garrison. I'll make a call to them, but i would like it if i could keep this on the down low as much as possible…you're the best, see you in a bit."
"Here it is!"
Mary nearly fell down the stairs carrying a large clear tote of medical supplies. Dropping it on the floor between hunk and Keith, the red paladin just stared.
"Why…so much?"
"We're an accident prone family," Lance said opening the tote while Marco came in with two re-purposed ice cream buckets of hot water, "Marco, keep helping Keith out with getting his armor off. the cloth will have grafted."
"Ew," Marco made a face, "I hate it when it does that."
"Where's Milo?"
"He went over to Philips house to spend the night," Mary said trying to dab the blood out of hunks hair, "Vik is upstairs. You might want to go and calm her down. She got irritated when you left."
"alright, you got this?" Lance asked and Mary gave him a long-suffering look as her answer. Lance nodded and ran upstairs.
Victoria sat in the guest room , on the floor, hidden behind the bed.
"I'm back," Lance said laying width wise on the bed so that he hung a few inches from her face.
"I heard," she said and grinned.
"I didn't worry you too bad, did I?"
"You're going to leave again, arn't you."
Lance sighed, "I've got to, Shalott-"
"But you just got home!"
"And people still need help," he countered, "there are people i can help so they'll be happy and smile…like us."
"Its dangerous though," she said looking at his hand.
"So was breaking the mirror," he said lowering his voice.
"Yeah, but we did that together," she sniffed, "What if i need you?"
Lance sat up and slid completely to the floor so his sister and him were smooshed together between the wall and bed.
"You're scared of the evil king?"
She nodded, "I heard when Aunt Janet called mom with the news. I don't think mom knows that i heard."
"Vik," Lance held her and kissed her head, "evil can't pass between worlds. we escaped the dark lands and we now live in a land of hope and dreams! Also, I know you know where Paul keeps the gun safe."
Victoria gave a sheepish grin, No one was supposed to know. they all knew Paul had a gun, but he never told any of them where he hid it. But Vik and Lance knew because they made it their business to know everything.
"Lancelot?"
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes it feels this is also a mirror…and it will shatter easier than the first."
"But I'm sure you remember what to do with shattered glass?"
Vik chuckled, and together they quoted, "gouge the left eye out."
"Vik, Once the others are healed and ready to go, we have to leave. But i'm sure before we do, Hunk can make something where you can contact me no matter what. I'll ask him about it, ok?"
She nodded.
"Good, so stop pouting. It ruins my beautiful face."