Hello everyone! Sorry for the long update! almost 2 months (YIKES). I had finals and then came home and tried to find a job and had to fight off a little bit of writers block, but I think I know where I want this story to go now. I am still in the process of connecting the bits and pieces that I write together and so updates should happen a little more often than 2 months... anyway, without further adieu here is chapter three.

P.S Thanks for everyone that reviewed last chapter. In answer to that question, the "Jace" I was referencing is from a book series called Five Kingdoms by Brandon Mull, who is an author I love.

Warning: This chapter does get a little dark, but threats are about as dark as it is going to get. Just be informed.

Previously...

"Grab the other paladins but bring the black and green ones to me." Lotor stated to the guards. "I have another experiment I need to run."

The guards came in and Hunk stood protectively in front of Pidge sending a clear warning.

"Stand aside and no one gets hurt." the guard stated.

"There is no way I am letting Pidge out my sight."

"All right, hard way it is."

In an instant, Hunk was subdued and Pidge was dragged out of the cell. As she was dragged around the corner, she watched Hunk be dragged off as well, but in the other direction from her. She tried to keep track of the twists and turns, but the ever present color of purple did not make that easy. A set of doors opened and she found herself in Lotor's throne room. The guards threw her down in front of Lotor. She was not cowed however.

"I am very fascinated by you, Pidge or should I say Katie."

Pidge flinched at her real name. How did he know that? Only Shiro knows that. Well only Shiro and….."

"Where's my family?" she snarled.

"Settle down." Lotor said, motioning to some guards to come hold her still. "Your story fascinates me, Katie. A girl brave enough to act and dress like a man just to find her family. I wonder how far that bravery and loyalty extends."

Pidge did not like where this was going.

Lotor motioned to a door where Shiro was brought out, gagged. When he saw who was in the throne room, he fought with everything he had until he was subdued by a druid's electric pulse. He tried not to show the pain, but a painful groan drafted through the air to Pidge's ear.

"No, stop!" she said pleading with the creature in front of her. Lotor motioned for the torture to stop.

"What do you want?" She yelled back at him.

"You." Lotor said simply as he held up a pair of chains connected to his throne. Pidge felt sick and Shiro began to fight again, this time you could hear the "NO!" through his gag. It morphed into another grunt of pain as the druids electrocuted him again.

"Stop."

Lotor motioned for the druids to stop. He looked meaningfully at the chains. After a few minutes of indecision from Pidge, Lotor threw a switch on his throne. "Maybe this will help make up your mind."

Three screens came up, each with a paladin and a druid on it.

Pidge ran up to the screens. "Keith! Lance! Hunk!"

"They can't hear you." Pidge heard from behind her. "But you can hear them." Pidge looked back to Lotor in confusion but was drawn back to the screens as she heard Keith's scream as Druid electricity lit up his screen. Pidge looked away but then looked back at the screens when Lance's screams joined the fray. She looked at Lotor, horror in her face as she realized what he was doing. She turned away from the screens and made the mistake of looking for Shiro. He was now receiving the same treatment.

"Please stop!" She closed her eyes but opened them again as one last sound entered the fray. Hunk! They were torturing him too. Her entire team was suffering because of her.

"Choose girl, or they might not make it."

Shiro had somehow managed to get his gag off. He yelled "No Pidge, don't listen. We're fine, we're fine. Don't do it. Don't..aaaggh." Shiro was cut off as a guard punched him, knocking him to the ground, dazing him. A duet of painful gasps from Lance and Keith permeated into her ears. She was sobbing wholeheartedly now.

"Please, please make it stop."

"You know how to make it stop."

Pidge looked up at Lotor with as much hate as she possibly could put into that gaze. It all melted away in a second as a scream came from Hunk. She turned and looked and saw Hunk passed out in his cell, screams from the rest of her teammates fading as their bodies started to follow Hunk into unconsciousness. She broke.

"Fine, I'll do it. Just please, stop hurting them." Lotor smiled and pushed a button. The screams of her friends stopped and the screens retreated back to where they appeared from. Pidge walked to where the chains were.

"Katie, no." Shiro whispered, trying, but failing to get up from the floor.

Pidge turned around and saw the pure concern and despair on Shiro's face. She hated to do this, especially when she saw how much it was hurting him. Shiro never used her real name.

"I'm sorry, Shiro. There's no choice." She turned to Lotor.

"Kneel." Lotor said.

Pidge did so. Two guards came and twisted her hands behind her back chaining her wrists to the arm of Lotor's throne. Lotor smiled. "Take the black paladin back to his cell and make sure that him and the others are well fed tonight as a reward for their good behavior." He got off his throne and knelt down in front of Pidge, petting her face. "Now, stay here my sweet. I'll be back for you later. I have another paladin to visit."

Lance's body collapsed on the table. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. He was confused as to why Lotor was doing this now, when he wasn't even in here to ask questions. But, he was just glad that it was just him and not anybody else on his team receiving this treatment, as far as he knew. He still hadn't seen Keith after he had been dragged out, but he hoped he was ok. He let his head fall back against the metal table, trying to get comfortable. Usually, he would be done by this point and the Druid would release him to go back to his cell. It seemed, however, that this was not a usual situation. After what seemed like forever to Lance, the door opened revealing Lotor. Lotor walked up to Lance as if inspecting a piece of meat. "So Lance, how are you feeling?"

"Just peachy." Lance fired back. A druid lit up their hand meaning to punish him for the outburst but Lotor told him to not to. "Lance knows the punishments for talking out. Besides I'm not here to cause more pain. I'm trying to help."

"Help? If you wanting to help, you have a weird way of showing it. Weren't you trying to break us apart?"

"I want to help Keith and you are the key to that."

Huh? That was not the answer he was suspecting. "Help Keith with what?" Lance asked confused.

Lotor just laughed. "Are you not aware of Keith's special DNA?"

Lance tried to keep his face neutral. Sure, the whole team knew that he was half Galra, but they swore not to tell anybody because who would trust a Galra as part of Voltron. However, only Lance knew how much insecurity that one fact gave the Red Paladin. Not knowing who you are and then finding out you are part of the enemy is a hard pill to swallow. Add on to that that aliens exist when for most of your life on Earth they didn't can really make a person rethink their life.

Lotor smirked. "I take it by your silence that you do know about his heritage. I am just trying to help him with that."

"Help him how? By joining you? He will never join you! We are his family now!" Lance shot back.

Lotor grabbed Lance by the hair and brought his head down on the table, hard. "Well, that's why I have to break all of you. I'm not going to stop until he does and trust me I have lots of ways to manipulate your team. You all care for each other too much. The lovely green paladin just proved that to me."

Lotor reveled in how fast Lance's face morphed into horror. "What did you do to her?" he yelled, fighting against his restraints.

"Oh nothing. I just gave her a choice and she picked her team over herself. She must care for you all a great deal." Lotor scoffed. "Weakness if you ask me." Lotor turned to walk out but not before Lance's voice wafted through.

"Caring for people is not weakness. It's what makes us human."

Lotor turned on his heel. "Humans are weak. It's amazing that your planet has survived this long. Nothing wears you out more than caring for people." With that, Lotor gave a signal to the druid, prepping the electricity bolts. He started to walk away when Lance's voice floated over to him.

"But that also makes us stronger. There must be a reason why you haven't beaten Voltron yet."

Lotor continued to walk out of the cell, not rising to the bait that the blue paladin was giving.

"And you never will." Lance smirked.

Lotor turned around to glare at the smirking paladin in front of him. He looked back to the Druid "You know what to do."

Lance gritted his teeth in preparation. But nothing could have prepared him for this amount of druid energy. Lotor smirked as he left the cell Lance's screams like music to his ears.

Special thanks to one of my friends who beta read this chapter and said "Lance should have the last word." I changed it and I was so happy with that whole part. As always, leave a review with things you liked and/or didn't like. They are really the best way to know if people enjoy what you are writing (and they make the authors happy too.)