Take Over

Chapter 3

Keith P.O.V

Pidge was the first to hug me when I woke up. Then everyone else followed, squishing me in a tight group hug. I wanted them to get off, but my body was too weak to push them away. I looked at Shiro and he nodded, understanding my silent request.

"Guys, give him some space," Shiro said, resulting in the paladins to back away, though I could tell they didn't want to.

"Are you feeling alright?" Coran asked, checking my body over. I tensed at the touch, making him let go, not without raising an eyebrow at me.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled, standing to leave.

"We need to run some tests first, to make sure you're fully healed," Allura gestured to the table, "Can you lay on that, please?" I looked at the table and panicked, but I slowly made my way over to it, I can't show weakness. I hesitantly hopped up on the table, images of what Haggar did to me flashed through my mind. My breathing quickened and I bit my lip, waiting for this to be over. No one seemed to notice the little panic attack I was having, and I was glad. The scanner passed over me and I scrambled off the table, trembling a little.

"Keith are you alright?" Pidge asked, reaching her hand to me.

"D-Don't touch me!" I yelled, pushing Pidge away. I was shaking now, and tears threatened to spill out. I looked at Pidge and saw her on the ground, Hunk cradling her wrist. She winced in pain and I felt my heart drop.

"What the heck Keith," Hunk looked at me and I froze.

"I-I'm sorry," I panicked, "D-Don't hurt me, please, d-don't hurt me," I whimpered, tears streaming down my face.

"Keith we would never hurt you," Pidge smiled at me and I tensed, remembering how Haggar smiled before cutting me, over and over and over again. The paladins won't hurt you. They're your family. The paladins won't hurt you. They're you're family.

I looked around the room and everyone was staring at me, trying to get me to calm down. The paladins won't hurt you. They're your family. The paladins won't hurt you. They're you're family. The paladins won't hurt you. They're your family. The paladins won't hurt you. They're you're family. Shiro reached for me and I yelled, "S-Stay away!" He froze and I ran out of the med bay, straight into my room. I locked the door and curled up on my bed. I cried, I cried until I ran out of the small amount of water I had left in my body. My body felt numb and sore from all the crying, but I couldn't stop, my sobs wracking my body as I curled tighter.

Third Person P.O.V

"Pidge are you okay?" Hunk asked, helping the green paladin up.

"Yeah, it's just a cut," she placed a bandage on her wrist and looked at the med bay door, "Is Keith going to be alright?"

"I don't know, his scans show something in his bloodstream," Coran answered, looking up from the computer, "Maybe the Galra put something in him, or he could be suffering from the trauma."

"Maybe we should check on him," Allura suggested.

"Alright, I'll go," Shiro offered, "Pidge make sure you clean that cut." She nodded and the black paladin exited the room, heading towards Keith. He knocked on his door, receiving no response.

"Keith? Are you in there?" Shiro called.

"No," Keith answered.

"Can I come in?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm coming in," Shiro unlocked the door with a password Allura gave him. As captain, he could enter any paladin's room in times of emergency.

"I said no," Keith mumbled from under his blankets.

"I know, but you can't be alone right now," Shiro sighed, sitting on the bed. He felt the smaller male flinch but he didn't say anything in protest.

"We missed you," Shiro smiled, "Lance was the worst out of all of us. He kept asking Pidge if she had anything on the scanner every three seconds," He felt Keith move and knew he was listening, "Hunk was so worried his stress baking got worse, he fed us so much food. I thought my stomach was gonna explode," Keith sat up and Shiro saw he was crying.

"I'm sorry for getting captured and worrying you guys," He whispered.

"No, uh- Don't apologize for being taken by the Galra, they're monsters," Shiro spat, "We're just happy you're back."

"They tortured me," Keith mumbled, but Shiro heard every word, "It hurt so much Shiro, b-but I knew you guys would save me s-so I tried to be strong, I really did," Keith clutched the blanket, tears spilling down his cheeks, "but it hurts so much, so, so much. I want the pain to stop, make it stop Shiro," He sobbed, and Shiro pulled him into a hug. The red paladin flinched, but accepted it, sobbing into Shiro's shoulder until he fell asleep.

"You need to sleep," Shiro said, laying Keith's limp body on the bed. He flicked off the light and left, leaving the sleeping Paladin.

Keith P.O.V

"Get over here," I looked and saw a guard pulling me out of my cell, tying a blindfold around my eyes. Everything was dark, then the pain kicked in. It felt like a thousand tiny knives were cutting my skin and I screamed and thrashed, wanting it to stop. Make it stop, I pleaded. I didn't get a chance to breathe until I felt myself being picked up and thrown back into my cell, hitting my head on the ground. I ripped my blindfold off and saw that everything was still black, no light anywhere to be found. I was floating, my cell becoming a small speck as I floated away, something pulling me towards it.

I tried to move, but my body was frozen, I could only scream and yell and cry while I floated towards an unknown. I was brought to a mirror, and I screamed at the horror of my reflection. The Castle of Lions was on red alert, the lights flashing in my eyes. Something sparked and I jumped, landing on something squishy. I looked down and screamed. I was standing over the paladins, their bodies bloody and unmoving. Shiro looked up at me, hatred in his eyes.

"Why Keith? Why did you kill us? You're a monster. A monster!" Shiro screamed, his body falling limp. I looked around, my eyes falling on a mirror. I saw a fuzzy purple body matted with red stains, claws dripping with blood, and fangs glinting in the flashing lights. Yellow eyes stared back at me, and I realized.

That's me. I'm turning into a Galra.