𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐚 ⊳ vld

two. air

AMANI'S SMALL HANDS BRUSH the shabbily-made coffee table in the middle of Keith's shack located in what seems the middle of a wasteland. Her wide brown eyes examine the musky inside of the small shack. If Keith decided to live in this place instead of driving the one and a half hour drive to the nearest city, then he must have a really deep connection with this moldy old place.

   "Are you done mentally making out with this old shack," comes Lance's voice to cut through her thoughts, "or should we give you two some time?"

   Just as Amani growls and turns to the older boy with a snarky retort on her tongue, the door creaks open and Keith and Shiro walk in. Shiro's eyes dart around the room before coming to rest on the cork board that makes itself known when Keith pulls down the sheet that had been covering it before.

   "What have you been working on?" Shiro asks incredulously, looking up at the board of graphs and drawings.

   "I can't explain it, really. After getting booted from the Garrison, I was kinda... lost and... felt myself drawn out to this place." The expression on Keith's face becomes more contemplative than the look someone would have as if they were teaching a lesson. "It's like something... some energy, was telling me to search."

   "For what?" Shiro presses curiously.

   "Well, I didn't really know at the time... until I stumbled across this area." Keith points to a picture of a rock formation that would normally resemble mountains. "It's an outcropping of giant boulders with caves covered in these ancient markings. Each tells a slightly different story about a blue lion but they all share clues leading to some event, some arrival happening last night." The Asian-looking boy turns to look at Shiro. "Then you showed up."

    "... I should... thank you all for getting me out." Shiro turns to the Cuban boy beside Amani. "Lance, right?"

   Shiro offers Lance his prosthetic hand, and the younger boy hesitates, but shakes it anyway. Shiro offers to shake Pidge and Hunk's hand, but Pidge is the only one who does. The pilot of the Kerberos mission then offers his prosthetic hand to Amani, who smiles kindly and shakes his cold metal hand - a stark difference to the warmth of Shiro's smile.

   "The nervous guy's Hunk - that's Amani." Pidge points at the girl, who gives Shiro a small smile and a peace sign. "I'm Pidge. So, did anyone else from your crew make it out?"

   "I'm not sure," Shiro answers. "I remember the mission and being captured. After that, it's just bits and pieces."

   Hunk, despite his words, interrupts anxiously, "Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but back to the aliens. Where are they now? Are they coming? Are they coming for all of us? Like where are they at this very moment?"

   "I can't really put it together. I-I remember the word Voltron. It's some kind of weapon they're looking for, but I don't know why. Whatever it is, I think we need to find it before they do," Shiro finished with a frown.

   "Well last night, I was rummaging through Pidge's stuff, and I found this picture." Hunk raises his hand with a picture of Katie and Matt Holt in it. "Look, it's his girlfriend."

   Amina refrains from saying exactly what's on her mind about the picture. She stifles the oncoming grin my pressing a fist to her mouth.

  "Hey, gimme that!" Pidge jumps, grabbing the photo from Hunk's hand. She turns and stuffs it back into her backpack. "What were you doing in my stuff?"

   "I wa-I was looking for a candy bar. But then, I started reading his diary." Hunk pulls out Pidge's diary, and the younger teen steals it back with a resounding and outraged, "What?!"