Katie was both pleasantly surprised and concerned that the easiest part of the mission was getting in.
She was a little impressed with how Keith had memorised guard rotations and routes, along with all the commanders usually eating time. Things she couldn't really know from the outside.
Keith carefully guided her to an office without anyone spotting them, the two of them sharing a quick nodded as she swiftly ducked into the room and guided over to the computer.
Keith walking down to the south side of the hall. The south side had a three-way hallway crossing that leads towards the office while the other way only had two. It would have been ideal to have a third person as look out on the north side but neither of them had anyone they could rely on… not for something like this.
They had talked a few times before today, getting all the plans right and the meeting times. They both agreed that as long as she got the information they needed, it didn't matter if she got caught. It was more important that Keith didn't get caught, so even if she was kicked out, they would still have a person on the inside.
Katie worked quickly; Keith's insight and tricks to get her in, had given them more time than she originally estimated, but neither of them could be absolutely sure how much more.
Katie used her computer talents in the dark with only the glow of the screen to help her navigate, slipping a flash drive no bigger than a hair clip into one of the ports. Her fingers started flying over the keys, occasionally clicking and tapping on the mouse to speed up navigation.
The more she uncovered the more she had to look for; every bite of worded data, every transmitted video from the probs around Kurobos, images that were sent from her father's ship... all leaving her with more question. Quickly sending anything she found to her flash drive, before digging further.
Hearing Keith's signal; an alarm noise from his phone, her fingers froze for only a split second. She quickly made a calculating choice, ejecting the flash drive and hiding the clip in her hair tie, and her nimble fingers took the next precious moments to hide any trace of the flash drive, and make it look like she was still digging.
"What are you doing in here!?" A man's voice shouted as the lights flicked on.
Katie blinked a few times her eyes adjusting to the new light, glaring up at the man as her vision cleared; Commander M. Iverson.
"You said the spacecraft went down due to pilot error but I've checked the video's from your probs; there is no evidence of a crash anywhere on Kurobos" She shouted at him, gesturing to the computer.
Hopefully, her yelling would give Keith time to leave, and if others were around hoping they would pay more attention to her voice than a student walking through the halls.
Katie taking a little pride making the man take a step back in shock, probably never imagine a girl her age would ever be able to hack the highly classified system. The Commander quickly straining himself out, able to compose his expression back to the ever-present stern scowl.
"that is classified, I could have you trialled for treason for hacking into that" He growled down at her, grabbing Katie by the arm, dragging her out of the room, tossing her into the arms of a guard waiting in the hall.
"Throw this child out and heighten out security, so another child doesn't get in" he ordered before turning away as if she wasn't his problem anymore.
Katie glared up at the man trying to dismiss her like a child having a tantrum "You Can't keep me out, I will find the truth, I will never stop!" she shouted at him, her blood boiling.
The Gaurd started to pull her away, Katie dragging her feet, she couldn't stop them, but she was going to make it as hard as possible.
It wasn't long before she was handed off to another pair of Guards, underlings to the first one, she assumes.
"Oh great this is going to mean extra shifts" One groaned, gripping her arm far too tightly making her yelp in surprised from the sudden jolt of pain "I had plans for this weekend" the guy was clearly unimpressed.
"all because of some Shiro groupie conspiracy theorist" the other grumbled, Katie, gasping and hissing, as the other one twisted the skin of her arm, taking his frustrations out on her, or at least as much as he could get away with. "Stupid brat" he growled, twisting her hand far up her back, muscles surging in pain forcing a pitiful cry out of her.
A moment later Katie heard two thumps as her left wrist became free, another wamp, thunk and her right arm was free. The relief of pain was the first thing she registered, the next was the two guards on the floor.
The warmth of a gentle but unfamiliar touch was placed on her shoulder, instinctually turning to face the source.
Keith...with an expression somewhere between angry and worried looking over her.
"Katie, are you okay?" he asked, his gentle touch carefully examining her arms, as she stared at him dumbfounded.
Why had he come back, why had he followed her after being caught, why didn't he stick to the plan, why…. Why did Keith defend her, protect her…
Why did Keith care?
Shiro gasped waking up with a jolt, an echo of pain going through his shoulder and arms, especially the left one. It didn't hurt too much but it was enough to wake him from his desperate attempt to sleep on these cold hard floors.
"Shiro are you okay?" Matt asked just above a whisper, looking down at this friend concerned and scared.
"I'm alright just a little pain from my soulmate...Keith might have gotten into another fight" Shiro explained.
"Oh…" Matt said softly, relief in his voice but his body never seemed to relax anymore, always tense, and ready to jump like a frightened kitten.
They took turns sleeping in this place, too afraid to let both of them rest and take the chance that one of these robotic guards would drag them away with no warning.
Especially after Commander Holt was separated from them only a few days ago. It was right after they went through a bunch of strange tests…No more like assessment.
He and Matt separated into one group and the Commander into another.
They had not seen him since, and though Matt kept assuming the worst he couldn't let himself do the same. Matt was emotionally and mentally breaking down, they had gone through classes about how to handle being captured, but being taught and actually going through it were two very different things.
Shiro had to stay strong, for both of them, he couldn't let himself think too much about never seeing Keith again, or how alone Keith must feel. Being subjected to another person he cared about leaving him, was probably putting him through an emotional rollercoaster.
The three of them were most likely presumed dead by the garrison or at the very least MIA.
He couldn't let himself linger on the fear that Keith's bond with him would fade and Shiro wouldn't be able to feel him anymore… Though he also worried about Keith being forced to feel his pain for whatever these aliens have planned for him next, Shiro couldn't let go of his bound, having a soulmate meant so much to both of them, he could never give it up.
He couldn't drown in thoughts of never being in the holt household again, never getting the chance for him and Matt to work on another project or just hang out. Never being around the motherly and gentle kindness that Colleen always showed him as if he was family. Never getting another moment to banter with Katie again, or tutoring her, though more often than not she ended up teaching him just as much as he taught her.
He had to keep stopping his mind from repeating his regrets over and over again, the most prominent one now being how he never pushed Keith to interact with the holt family more.
Yes, Keith interacted with Matt as the three of them often spent time together at the garrison and occasionally talked to Sam Holt when Shiro had meetings with him.
Keith and Katie crossing paths through their combined anti-social behaviour often led to them exchanging no more than glances or acknowledging nods. Keith had never really met Colleen either.
If only he had dragged Keith to holt dinners with him, or to their house when he was invited for barbeques or long project sessions with Matt. He didn't like to force Keith out of his comfort zone too much or too often. But maybe if he had, maybe if he urged Keith to join him more, his soulmate could of at least gotten to know Colleen and Katie.
So Keith wouldn't be alone right now.
"I wonder how Katie's doing…" Matt wondered out loud.
Shiro glanced up at Matt, inwardly contemplating for a moment before sitting up stretching his back and arms. Clearly, his mind being in no mood now to let him fall back asleep.
"She doesn't really have any friends…" Matt went on, it was a worry both him and Matt shared when it came to Katie and Keith. "Sorry you mentioned Keith and it just got me thinking about…"
"How alone Katie and Keith must feel" Shiro concluded and Matt nodded.
"I wouldn't say me and Keith were close but I do consider him a friend and Katie's my little sister, she been my best friend since she could walk and talk," Matt says as the corner of his lips twitching up in a slight smile, that seems to just as quickly fade.
Shiro knew the two holt siblings were close, seeing the way they interacted sometimes made him a little envious and wish he had a sibling of his own.
"But that's the problem" Matt sighed "Katie's never been good at getting along with others, it's not that Katie is a bad person, she just hasn't really… developed her social skills as well as her computer skills. I know how hard it can be when you're the smartest kid in school, the teachers either praising you to the point the other kids resent you, or worst you get teachers that have no idea how to handle how smart you are and treat you worst than the kids, you still get good grades but they treat you like your invisible or punish you for correcting them or-" Matt trailed off as they both heard footsteps, their bodies tensing hearing the thump of metal feet approaching their door, but the sound didn't linger and kept moving.
It was just the patrol, no one was here for them...yet.
"I know how you feel," Shiro said trying to draw Matt back to the conversation, it was easier to worry about others, think about them over thinking about themselves and their current situation. It was most likely why it felt easier for Shiro to stay strong for Matt than it was being strong for just himself.
"Keith's very talented but doesn't work well with others, and it takes a lot of effort before Keith will let anyone pass the emotional walls he's put up." Shiro had some personal experience with that "I'm pretty sure he's only let you in because you were so persistent" the taller of the two lightly teased.
"Well you know I have a way with people" Matt lightly joked "plus wall climbing is pretty much the only sport I'm semi-good at"
Shiro let out a small laugh, the ache in his arm and shoulder lingering but it was gradually fading.
"But… it seems to be more than just being socially awkward, don't get me wrong he is" he could name several instances where Keith couldn't understand a social cue or completely missed it all together, "but it always felt like he-" Matt paused trying to find the right words "kept people an arms reach away from everyone as if he's scared to let anyone get close."
"Yes, I've often wondered if he realized we were soulmates before I did" Shiro wondering if Keith would have trusted him and open up to him if they weren't "and sometimes I think the only reason he let me in-" Shiro glanced down at his right arm "is because we are soulmates" the tall man lifting his sleeve up, looking at the carnation on his arm, the symbol of his connection to Keith.
Matt looked at his arm having seen it a few times before.
"Well he seems to always keep his mark hidden and you only occasionally wear short sleeves," Matt seeing how one thing could of lead to the other, without Shiro's knowing.
"It's not unusual to keep your soul mark hidden, I haven't seen yours" Shiro countered feeling a little defensive about Keith keeping his mark hidden, Keith had kept it hidden from years which never really bothered him till he discovered they were soulmates.
"Well that's because mines on my back, all us holts have our Soulmarks somewhere along our backs" Matt explained. "My Mom always makes jokes that all our marks appeared on our backs because if they were anywhere easily visible we would spend half our time examining them"
"I could see that happening" Shiro agreed with a slight smile, all the Holts seem to have an unquenchable curiosity to them. "My mother used to always tell me; keep my mark out in the open until the day I found my soulmate, and once I found them, to always keep my mark hidden in public and only have my soulmate see it, that way no cursed thirds could ever find me"
"Guess that explains all the long sleeve shirts but you've been wearing long sleeves shirts, long before meeting Keith" Matt pointed out a little confused.
"Well all the garrison uniforms, have long sleeves as a standard" Shiro replied.
"Oh right," the shorter brunette said bashfully, sometimes Holts seem to over think things.
A thought suddenly seeming to pop into Matt's mind as his head suddenly perked up "hey what if Keith didn't show you his soul mark for years, was because Keith saw himself or thought he was a third"
"Keith's not a third" Shiro quickly replied.
"I know that but he might have thought that after meeting..." Matt went quiet, biting his lip not sure if he should say more.
"Adam?" Shiro finished, Adam was always a sensitive subject and was thankful Matt had enough tack to not bring him up too often.
Matt nodded, glancing over at his friend, seeming to watch his reaction.
"It's a possibility…" Shiro softly sighed, it was always a headache and heartache to think about Adam.
"Maybe you should try getting a little more sleep," Matt suggested.
Shiro shook his head "no I'm fine, you should get some rest and I'll keep a lookout"
Matt tiredly nodded knowing this subject didn't need to be diving into any deeper than it already had been. The shorter brunette staying close as he slowly moved himself to lay down.
Shiro knowing it was going to be a struggle for Matt to convince himself to fall asleep. and get a little rest. The least Shiro could do was watch over him and make sure he was okay while he slept.