What happened next after they escaped their prison was a whirlwind of adrenaline-driven memories that barely assisted their complete escape from the god-forsaken warship. Hunk remembered it the most among them: them being led by the transformed Green Paladin into the eerily silent corridors of flickering lights and still bodies, the smell of ozone and blood lingering pungently in the air, and the screams and shouts and ear-deafening screech of metal against metal. Lance was going in and out all throughout, barely staying in his feet and on his wits, as the three other Paladins could only watch as the Galra aboard the ship was decimated into nothing. Their helmets and bayards retrieved; only Pidge's was different, where the lower part of visor usually materializes to fully close the helmet in an oxygen-deficient environment, a part of the helmet has covered and two triangular ears stood erect at the top of the gear. Hunk suppressed the shudder in his spine because Yellow warned him never to show any sign of weakness before the possessed Paladin because she will not tolerate it. Not in that form. Not in her vengeful state of mind.

For the first time since they left Earth, the Green Lion led the procession as it tore a part of the ship's hull, uncaring for anything or anyone that gets vacuumed into oblivion. Its yellow eyes boring on their tiny forms and reflected on the honey-colored eyes of her Paladin. It was a memory none of them could ever forget.

Shiro jolted awake from another recurring nightmare. His eyes flying open to see his hands reaching up to something nonexistent in the air. It took him a moment to remember where he was and where is now. He was no longer in that Galran warship, being tortured helplessly in the hands of a druid and mourning if he has failed Matt in protecting his little sister. He is safe. Away from the Galran. Away from those who wanted to hurt his makeshift family.

Safe. Safe. Safe. Safe. Safe.

He recited the word like a mantra in his thoughts, pushing down the recent, horrific events down in his mind as he slowly sat up. His left hand brushing Keith's hair who was sleeping perpendicularly from him. Hunk's head has found a pillow on Shiro's legs where he was curled uncomfortably under his blanket like a burrito. The holopad that was left open by his backside indicating that it was already noon by Earth time – exactly a movement since their capture and a day and half since their escape.

After being quarantined in the healing pods for a day, the three decided to camp out in the very same room. Shiro doubted none of them had any strength to get some pillows and blankets as he himself barely stood upright after he emerged from one of the pods. Allura and Coran must have brought in the sleeping materials for them yesterday and decided to postpone daily training for them to rest and recover. The Alteans were exhausted as well, exhausted from fear and worry of what might have happened to them. They need to rest. They all do. He barely made out the nest of honey-colored hair peeking by the doorway before he conked out for the second time.

The next time Shiro woke up, it was past three in the afternoon. He sat up groggily, wincing as his bones creak at the movement. His eyes flitting to the still occupied pod in front of them. Lance, who has suffered the most injuries, is still under strict observation. From where he is, Shiro could see the bruises blooming on his face and the misalignment of one of his ankle joints that has been healing slowly over time. His sleeping face looked serene, as if he finally found safe haven. Shiro was inclined to agree.

Brunch rolled with less than four residents on the dining table. The Alteans have busied themselves taking over the bridge while they fill their empty stomachs. Lance has yet to wake from his coma-induced sleep while the other was nowhere to be found. Shiro once asked Coran where the youngest Paladin is but Coran simply shook his head and told him that the Green Paladin wanted to be left alone for an indefinite time. Shiro didn't know what to feel about that but simply nodded in understanding. It was enough for him to know that Pidge was unscathed for the most part and spent lesser time in a pod than the rest of them. What worried him was how withdrawn she has been, how she would flinch away when Allura or Coran would come in physical contact with her, and how she could not be found in her usual hanging spots. The older Altean was genuinely concerned as he recounted these to the rest of the Paladins and Shiro agreed to address these should the opportunity arises.

The opportunity came sooner than any of them expected. Coran's holopad beeped into life as they were doing a routinely scan of the nearby star system in the bridge. The beaming in the Altean's eyes was told them enough that Lance was now due any moment to come out of the pod. It was Hunk who led their procession scrambling toward the pod room, leaving the scan temporarily behind.

They at least expected to see Lance staggering already out of his pod with a disconcerted look in his face. What surprised them was to see the Green Paladin curled up on the polished floor – her back leaning against the side of Lance's pod. Her treasured laptop lying open beside her and a few papers filled with her handwriting by her feet. Shiro was the first to pry himself off his spot and knelt beside Pidge. She was asleep, given her slow and steady breathing. How long she has been there? That's anybody's guess.

He closed her laptop and pushed it out of the way. Wrestling his mechanical arm under her knees, he lifted her up off her position as he supported her back with his flesh arm. Pidge stirred in his arms, groggy eyes cracking open slightly. "Shiro…?"

"You shouldn't sleep here." He said softly. "You'll catch a cold."

"Lance..." Shiro noted the dark bags under her eyes and how light she seemed for someone her age. Or was she lighter than he remembered? "He'll wake up soon…I wanna see…"

"You need to rest, Pidge."

"Green wanted to know…" Her eyes slowly becoming alert now. "She's really worried."

If Pidge noticed any of them stiffen at the Green Lion's name, she didn't say. Pidge wiggled in Shiro's arms, prompting the Black Paladin to gently put her back to the ground. She stood unsteadily as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. Coran was hovering next to the console at the center of the room while Hunk and Keith waited in front of the pod to catch Lance. The papers scattered on the floor seemed to catch the Altean princess' eye and were soon being read with a frown evident on her face.

"This is…" Allura turned to Pidge with disbelief. "Where did you get this, Pidge?"

The Green Paladin has decided to lounge by the steps. She still seemed out of it but she managed to process the princess' question well. "Inside the Green Lion." She answered. "There was a secret compartment inside the cockpit. There's a lot of stuff there – I think King Alfor left them in Trigel's care. I just cross-referenced some of them. Haven't finished them all."

Now curious, Hunk peered over Allura's shoulder. His eyes bugging out as he scanned the paper. "Are those what I think it is?"

"Yep." Pidge nodded. "Schematics of the Lions. It's the scaled diagram of every Lion from ear to claw. Lots of details, I think…" She murmured dazedly, almost swaying. "I was looking into that one time…that time when Green kinda possessed me, I guess, and the nightmares too…I had nightmares of it…every night…"

She ran her palms on her face. "Uggghhhh! I fucked up real bad."

The others looked at each other. The Alteans looking more or less understanding in letting the Paladins sort this by themselves. They weren't there to witness the Green Lion rampaging; all they got was when Shiro recalled the events to them. Allura has no knowledge whatsoever of such phenomenon, thus cannot offer any advice.

Shiro sat down beside the female Paladin. "Pidge, it wasn't your fault. Neither is the Green Lion's."

"You don't understand, Shiro…" Pidge murmured. "I let Green in. I was the one who let her rampage! I was hurting and she was so angry and I…" She gritted her teeth. "I fueled her rage. All that bottled-up, fucked up feelings of ten thousand years, I let loose in just one snap!"

She burrowed her head in the nest of her arms. "All those memories…all the despair, the betrayal, the deaths…I keep seeing them whenever I close my eyes. Keep replaying as nightmares in my sleep. It was so tiring. Green…she was tired of losing those important to her, exhausted of being betrayed, and cut off from freedom. And you know what's the worst part? I…I understand. I could see myself in her. I am the same as her."

"It was all fucked up."

Shiro stared at the small frame of the youngest. He tried to open his mouth to say something, anything to make things better for Matt's younger sister, but he couldn't. What should he say? What could he say? Even his arms refused to offer even a gentle pat on the back. Hunk was twiddling his thumbs as he looked helplessly at Pidge. Keith was looking away, unable to offer even a nervous glance.

"Oh, it was all fucked up, alright."

They almost jumped three inches off the ground at the sudden quip. They all turned to see Lance standing unsteadily outside his pod that opened a couple of doboshes ago. Their focus on Pidge contributing to their unawareness of it. Hunk and Keith sidled to Lance's sides and supported him as they veered him toward a chair. Lance, however, has other ideas.

"Not gonna happen." He shook his head. "The Pidgeon comes first."

"Will you stop with the nicknames?" Pidge scowled as Lance settled next to her. She's definitely not in high spirits nowadays. The Blue Paladin wisely ignored her statement.

Lance took his time to stretch a bit before leaning languidly to the smaller teen. "Will you stop being a sad puppy?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Pidge, I might be woozy and doozy during that time but I'm sure as hell that you and the Green Lion were just trying to protect us. Yeah, we could make do without the blood and the Galran intestines spilling out-"

Hunk made a gagging sound as he covered his mouth at the memory.

"-but if me and Blue were in your places, we might do the same. Well…I personally think Keith and Red are most likely to do that being the Sword of Voltron and all that jazz, but the bottom line is, you guys saved us. We're in an intergalactic war and you saved us! If you didn't bust us out Wolverine-style, who knows how much the universe will miss my handsome mug?"

"I'll pound your handsome mug to the ground, Lance." She growled. "Trust me, I would."

"That's my Pidge!" He squeezed her in a hug. "Always with a sassy comeback that we know and love. Come on! Where's the group hug? Hunk! Initiate emergency group hug!"

"Hunk! A little too tight!" Pidge complained.

"Sorry!" Hunk smiled sheepishly. "I just missed my tech buddy so much."

"Keith! You're included!"

"Do I have to?" Keith groaned. "You all looked like an oversized ball already." But he relented and squeezed between Shiro and Coran before awkwardly wrapping his arms around the youngest Paladin.

"But seriously," Hunk said, breaking the fond moment. "Please don't do that again."

"…Probably, until I get to study it."

"Pidge!"