Long Naps (klancelot) (bxb)

Chapter 17

Word^^
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Keith followed Hunk into Pidge's room. Their eye bags stretched halfway down their face at this point. The Green Paladin barely looked up when Hunk sat on their bed. "Pidge," Hunk said softly. His voice was dry from crying.

"Not now," Pidge recited, as if in a trance. Their eyes stayed trained on the screen in front of them.

Hunk looked to Keith, who shrugged. "It's about Lance," he tried again. "Do you..." he trailed off.

"We need the chip," Keith grumbled. He sat next to the feet of the sleeping Commander Holt. Keith was feeling anxious. He'd been feeling anxious ever since he had killed Lance, but now he was really on edge. Lance had stopped talking to him. Now he was just there. He followed Keith everywhere around the castle, but he would only stand silently. When Keith would try to sleep, Lance would stand next to the bed and watch. Keith preferred the accusative taunts to the silence.

Pidge paused in their typing for less than a tick to contemplate. "You can't have the chip," they muttered. "I don't trust you to use it for just purposes."

Hunk looked sick. "You don't trust us?" he asked, broken. Keith thought that the big guy was going to start crying again.

Pidge spared him a glance, but they didn't stop typing. "What? No, I mean...I-I actually...I don't know anymore..." There was a notification on their computer they turned back to it immediately and typed even faster. "She's filming!" they exclaimed.

Keith felt bad that Pidge couldn't trust the rest of team, but he couldn't argue with them. He couldn't even trust himself. How could he expect the others to? "Whose filming?" he said, subconsciously trying to reconnect with the Green Paladin.

"Haggar," they answered. "She's Zarkon's witch. I still haven't managed to access her archives, but I can get into the droid she uses to film. Once she stores the footage, I won't be able to access it anymore. I can only watch stuff live."

Keith had clicked enough links on the internet to know not to watch random livestreams. "What have you seen so far?" Maybe they had some dirt that would help them take out Lotor.

"Nothing yet," they said. "I'm going to screen record so that I can study it later. I just need the audio to... Aha!" A room came onscreen. Nothing was happening. A lone table sat in the middle. Pidge watched the still room with intrigue.

Hunk and Keith shared a look. "What's-"

"Shh!" Pidge hushed.

"But nothing's-"

"Shut up, or get out!" they whispered harshly.

Keith rolled his eyes. Then he heard groaning. He thought it might be Commander Holt waking up, but he realized that the sound was coming from the screen. He watched as druids dragged a half-conscious figure onto the table, strapping him to it. It wasn't until the table was cranked to an upright position that he recognized Apollo. He didn't look like the figurine. His curly white hair went down to his shoulders and it was more wavy now. He had wrinkles and scars. Most unsettling, though, were his clothes. Instead of royal Altean robes, Apollo was wearing skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel.

"The Galra have been to Earth," Hunk squeaked.

A druid injected something into Apollo's arm and he groggily opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before realizing his situation. He started struggling against his restraints.