Chapter 18: The Rescue Mission
Part 3: Pidge and Hunk's View

Within the shadows, neither of the paladins has noticed that they've been watched. With a cold giggled as its observers the paladins and the newcomer do their tasks.
Within the hall that leads towards the cells, both Pidge and Hunk have begun to breathe for a moment. "W-we're…we're here," Pidge breathed.
"Whoa," Hunk exclaimed. "I think I need to work out," he stretched.
"No kidding," Pidge narrowed her eyes. "Okay," she scans her computer again. "It said that Keith is in one of these cell blocks."
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Well," Pidge began. "Keith's in one of them, so all we have to do is to call out his name and break him out."
"Why?"
"It takes very long to open all of them," Pidge crossed her arms. "And we don't even know where the control bay is."
"Okay, you got a point." Hunk sighed in defeat, "Well, you go do that. I'll keep on watch at this entrance, just in case anyone comes by."
"Good idea Hunk," Pidge smiled as she began running. "I'll make this quick as I can, make sure that you don't miss anything. Or we all are in trouble."
"Yeah," Hunk nodded as he activated his bayard. "No pressure," Hunk's bayard expanded and turned into a blaster. 'Hope that I don't throw up my lunch out this time,' Hunk prayed as he gulped as he silently watches the hallway.
While Pidge is running through the hallway, she too has activated her bayard as she looks at every ceil from left to right. "Keith!" Pidge called out, "Keith, where are you? Keith?"
"Pidge?" a familiar voice shouted from behind the door cell onto her right, "Pidge, is that you?" Pidge suddenly stops as she looks at the cell door with the number FN-2187.
"Keith?" Pidge walked towards the door, "Keith are you in…there?" before she knew it, the window is high above her where she stands. "Ah, quiznak. I hate this height."
"Pidge," Keith's voice got closer to the door. "How are you here? What's going on?" Due to his voice, has sounded like Keith has his guard up. To Pidge, she understands how he brings up his guard. Just in case there is any danger.
Pidge nodded as she looks at the key panel, her bayard disappears from her hand. "No time," she hooked up her computer to the key panel. "Right now, I need to bypass the main frame of this lock to get you out. It will be difficult for me to decode the system to bypass it, but just give me a few dobashes before getting you out."
"Yup," Keith's voice sounded more relaxed. "That's you alright."
"Of course, it is me, Keith," Pidge spoke. "Who else do you think it is, instead of me?"
"It's a long story," Keith replied. "And there are some parts of it that you don't even want to know about."
"That bad, huh?" Pidge asked.
"Yup," Keith answered. "Most of it," then Pidge continues typing on her computer.

While Pidge is decoding the lock, Hunk continues to look around the entrance as he guards it. Suddenly, he started to hear footsteps that are coming at him. Hunk held onto its blaster tight as footsteps approach even closer. Before he knew it, the footsteps have brought shadows and a lot of figures than he had first expected to be. Hunk jumped as his eyes widened, "Uh Pidge," Hunk shouted. "We got company," he began to shoot.
"Hunk?" Keith's voice jumped.
"Hey there Keith," Hunk shouted. "No time to talk but being busy for a moment."
"Hold on, Hunk," Pidge called out. "I'm almost done," Pidge typed as fast as she could.
"Well, you better hurry." Hunk uses his gun to slow the enemy down instead of hurting them. "The enemy is coming from the shadows and it seemed to be approaching here really fast."
"The vents!" Keith shouted, "Hunk, they are using the vents and the passages from the walls to get to you."
"Uh…" Hunk turned and saw one appear right next to him. He punched him and knocked him out. "Thanks for the heads-up Keith!"
"No problem," Keith replied as Hunk continues to slow the enemy down. But he didn't realize that only one has already passed him and heading right towards Pidge and Keith's location.
While Pidge is typing, she finally got to the point to the door began to unlock. "Got it," she smiled as the panel lock dinged for access granted, and the door slowly began to open. Pidge unplugged her computer and started to put it away. Before knowing anything, Hunk finally turns around with eyes widened.
"Pidge!" Hunk called out, "Look out!"
"Huh?" Pidge turned into a strange person wearing all black and wearing a long black hood covering his face. The person was about to pounce on Pidge. Pidge quickly dodges it and summons her bayard. She activates it with static forming around the tip of her laser. The stranger was about to attack, Pidge quickly brought a swing right at him. With one slap at the hand, the stranger knocked Pidge's bayard from her hand. Flew across the floor and landed almost near Hunk. Hunk tried to use his blaster to slow the others down but looked back. He felt helpless for seeing Pidge defenseless.
What would I do? Hunk wondered. What would I do?
Pidge trembled as her back hit the wall. The stranger crept closer to her as he held a knife in his hand.
"Hey!" a voice shouted at him from the cell FN-2187.
The stranger jumped as he turns around, within a blink of an eye. A sudden quick kick has hit him in the gut. The stranger cried in pain, suddenly he felt a pair of hands has grabbed both of his shoulders. Picked him up and tossed him to the wall. All at once, the stranger collapsed and blacked out as the figure is standing right in front of him.
"That will teach you a lesson for hurting one of my friends, you quiznaker." A familiar voice has spoken from the figure's mouth. The figure is in fact galra with purple fur, a scar-like mark is in deep purple on his left cheek. A mullet hairstyle is in a color of dark indigo-blue, purple cat-like ears, fangs sticking out in his mouth, and the eyes are bright purple that is shining against the light-yellow cornea. But he is wearing a familiar pair of prison clothes that once belonged to the empire wars that the Paladins once in. Standing strong and firmly, he looks at the stranger on the ground in anger. Hearing a growl in his throat, left a warning to others that are with him.

Before long, the enemy has scampered off. Leaving Pidge, Hunk, and the galra alone in the cell halls. Hunk left his mouth open as he deactivates his bayard. "N-no way," Hunk spoke in awe as he picked up Pidge's bayard. The galra turned to Pidge with a worried look on his face.
"Pidge," the familiar voice from the galra has spoken to her. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes," Pidge nodded. "I'm okay, but…how…?"
The galra chuckled, "I know what you are thinking," he spoke. "You don't recognize me but wonder if my voice can."
"Uh…" Pidge nearly feel her mind spinning with questions.
"Keith?" Hunk jumped, "Is that you?"
"Yup, it's me." The galra, who is Keith has replied with a nod.
Both Hunk and Pidge were silent for a few ticks, suddenly. They jumped in shock.
"Keith!" Pidge nearly stuttered. "What did they do to you?!"