Don't Ask, I'll Never Tell

The Rescue

"Now is as good a time as any for Lance to show up." Pidge grunted as she fought off yet another Galra soldier that was twice her size.

Keith doubled over, pressing one bloodied hand over a wound in his abdomen while fending off a Galra soldier with the other. "Tell me about it."

Keith grimaced after the soldier dodged his defenses and raked its blade down his arm. In a last ditched effort to fend off his attacker, Keith spun on the ball of his foot and round house kicked the Galra soldier square in the chest. The force threw the soldier to the ground with a heavy clang. The soldier attempted to stand again, but instead scrabbled uselessly against the floor. The movement reminded Keith of an upturned beetle. He noted that he would have found the situation comical if he wasn't fighting for his life right now.

In that moment, a deafening roar echoed through the corridors like a rolling thunder. A chunk of the ship was peeled away just enough for Keith to see the face of the Red lion before the change in pressure sucked them toward the gaping hole in the ship. The Galra soldiers struggled as they were flung on top of one another. An unlucky few found themselves launched into the vastness of outer space.

Keith, thinking fast, gripped the inside of the ship tightly with one hand while holding Pidge in a death grip with the other. He dared not move for fear of losing her to the strong force that pulled them now.

The Red lion leaned in with its mouth opened wide. Keith nodded in understanding and finally allowed the hand that tethered them to the ship to loosen.

The two were instantly sucked into the gapping mouth of the Red lion before the mouth clamped shut. They were bathed in darkness for a tick before the lights came on. Pidge rose to her feet and let out a sigh of relief.

Keith smiled warmly and stroked the inner walls of the ship as he made his way to the pilot's chair. "Good kitty." He said proudly.

Meanwhile, as Keith navigated away from the Galra ship to return Pidge to the green lion, he sent out a comm from his own lion. "Hey, Shiro. Long time no see."

Shiro grinned. "Good to have you back, Keith."

"Glad to be back."

"Lance, are you out yet?" Shiro added over the comm.

"I'm almost--Oh Quiznak!"

Keith started. "Lance? What happened?!"

"I'm good. It's cool. Just a minor surprise but Sharp-Shooter Lance took care of it."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously talking about yourself in third person?"

"Okay guys, enough arguing. Time to get out of here." Shiro interrupted. It wasn't long after he spoke when a wormhole formed and all five lions soared into it.

This time, Keith knew with absolute certainty that this wasn't some false reality. He wasn't sure how he knew. Everything just seemed... right, somehow. He couldn't explain it even if he tried. All Keith knew was that there was something odd about his experience as a prisoner of the Galra soldiers. Why would they attempt to keep him contained in a sleep-like state? And why would they attempt to create such a realistic false reality in the first place? It baffled Keith to no end and he knew that he could never allow these questions to go unanswered.