Hey, Brother? {a Voltron fanfic}

Chapter 22

The Paladins, Allura, Coran and Kiera were all in the eating room. Each had their own conversations to pay attention to.

Except for Kiera. She was staring at her bowl of goo and deciding the best way to tell the crew that she and Keith were twins.

She interrupted their conversations and said "Hey, um, I'd like to introduce you all to someone."

The talking stopped and Allura said "Who is it?"

"My brother." Kiera said. Keith's eyes widened and he grinned. She pointed at him and said "My twin brother Keith."

Silence fell upon the room. Everyone who didn't know was staring at her as if she'd gone crazy. Keith, Pidge and Lance were smiling smugly.

Shiro broke the silence "So that's why you two look so alike." He shook his head "Why didn't you tell us, Keith?"

He raised his hands in surrender "I only found out the day she went into the healing pod. I was as shocked as you guys are."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Coran asked.

"I figured it was her secret to share." He shrugged.

Allura was looking between Keith and Kiera as if one of them was going to explode but she wasn't sure which. Hunk was smiling.

"I thought so." Hunk said "I noticed you two looked alike right away. So does that mean you're part Galra too?"

That was a sore spot for both twins. Kiera winced and looked down at the table before saying "Yes. That means I am part Galra too. Our mother was Galra."

"I wonder who she is. Maybe we could find her." Hunk said. The twins jerked their heads up to stare at him.

"I don't really want to go looking for her." Kiera snarled a little "She abandoned Keith and I. She was the reason our father split us up. He wanted us to be safe."

Keith looked at her "Why didn't he tell me about you?"

Kiera shrugged "No idea."

"Wait, so, you're Keith's sister, a thief and Galra?" Allura asked then mumbled "Don't really know if we should trust her."

Kiera shot to her feet, eyes blazing "What did you say?" Her voice was loaded with venom.

"You're Galra and a thief." Allura said "Should we trust you."

Kiera had to physically grab the table so as not to lunge out and attack the princess. She growled "Listen, Your Highness, remember when I told you about me being in Galra prison a few years back? Remember me sacrificing myself for Pidge and going back to prison to be taken advantage of and tortured some more? Do you remember any of that?" She was seething.

Allura started to say something but Kiera cut her off.

"No, you don't get to defend yourself." She yelled "Galra may have destroyed your planet and everyone on it and I may be part Galra, but I am not allied with them. You hear me? I AM NOT! I'm not allied to anyone. Not even you guys." She stormed from the room.

Kiera heard someone stand up behind her and run through the door. She sprinted away, running through hallway, turning all the time to confuse whoever was following her. She had no idea where she was. Her legs burned a little as she leaped up a set of stairs and turned left.

"Kiera wait!" Someone called behind her. She turned quickly down another hallways and slipped into a room, closing the door quietly.

Whoever it was ran past the room.

Oldest trick in the book but it worked.

She leaned hard against the door and slid to the floor, panting. Her face was sweaty.

Kiera picked up her long cloak and wrapped it around herself, like a blanket. Allura had seemed so nice. To automatically assume someone was with the Galra empire just because they were part Galra was just plain rude. And it hurt. She knew she was a thief and wasn't a good person but nobody had the right to assume ones loyalties just because of their ancestry.

A tear trickled down her cheek. Her thoughts were filled with memories of the prison.

Kiera felt the panic rising. Her breathing quickened and tears formed in her eyes. A cold sweat broke out all over her body.

Haggar's spoke in her head You are nothing. You are a threat to the Galra empire. Bow to him and we shall not harm you.

She clutched her head, hyperventilating. A sob escaped her throat as images flashed in her head.

Kiera broken, hanging from the chains on the wall.

Scientists surrounding her and sticking needles in her as she thrashed in pain.

Haggar commanding the man to take her innocence.

More sobs came from her throat and more tears rolled down her cheeks. She breathed faster. Kiera buried her head in her knees and squeezed her legs to her body.

"No, please." She whispered as more images of her time in the prison flashed in her head "Make it stop."

She lay down and rolled onto her stomach. She whimpered like a kicked dog and crouched over her bent knees, hugging her chest. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard that she could feel it through her hands.

"P-p-please." She choked. Ace wasn't there to help. Nobody could help her.

A scream ripped from her throat as she clutched herself harder. Breathing heavily, choking on sobs, she crouched on the floor, wishing for the memories to stop washing over her.

The door banged open.

She looked up, fear glowing in her eyes, expecting to see Haggar.

Shiro stared back at her. He quickly shut the door and came to kneel next to Kiera "Kiera are you all right?"

Kiera backed away and whimpered "P-please don't hurt me." Before hiding her face in her hands and crying.

"Kiera." Shiro said "Kiera its all right. You're not in the prison. You're on the castle ship. You're okay."

Kiera looked up and her cloudy vision cleared. She realized it was Shiro and not Haggar and sobbed in relief "I'm sorry, Shiro."

"Don't be sorry. It's going to be okay." He moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder "I know exactly what it's like to be in those prisons. You can trust me."

Kiera placed a shaking hand on Shiro's and whispered "Thank you."

"What Allura said was uncalled for." Shiro said "You didn't deserve that. Keith didn't either. After you ran out, she felt so bad. She told me to tell you that she is sorry and wishes you can forgive her. She understands if you don't."

"I..." Kiera hesitated "I don't know... I want to talk to her first. But I'm terrified, Shiro. What if one of you guys gets sent to the prison? What if my brother or Pidge get tortured? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they were captured and killed." She was yelling by the time she finished.

"They won't get captured, Kiera." Shiro assured her "We will all be fine."

Kiera nodded slowly and Shiro got up to leave. He said "Oh, Keith is waiting outside. Should I send him in?"

"Yes please." She whispered.

He walked out and Keith walked in. He immediately ran over and knelt in front of her and pulled her into a hug. She buried her head in his shoulder.

"It's okay, Kiera." He said "You're okay. We're all okay."

"I know, Keith." She felt a few tears run down her cheeks "I can't lose you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

He squeezed her a little harder and whispered "Nothing is going to happen to me or you or Pidge or Shiro or anybody. We will all be fine."

Kiera clung to her brother for dear life. She started to feel her head get light. He lifted her up in his arms and she nestled her small body into his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

She finally let herself fall asleep in her brothers arms.