Form Voltron!
Pidge was going to kill those idiots if they didn’t pick up their comms, oh like, NOW! A growl rippled through her throat as Green pulled away, back hunched and claws sharp, to stand between the fighter ships and the comet hurtling between her and Hunk at light speed. It was like the most indecisive grim reaper’s ping-pong ball to ever exist, and it was going to drive Pidge off the walls if it kept doing that for much longer.
“ALLURA, KEITH, LANCE! COME IN!” Roared Pidge, unleashing a volley of vines at the comet as she body-slammed Ezor’s battleship away from its clawed strike. “THE COMET IS WREAKING HAVOC OVER HERE, WE NEED YOU NOW! RIGHT! NOW!”
A strange fizzling pop echoed from their comms, and Pidge wondered if it would be possible to vaporize someone by glaring through a comm hard enough.
“It’s no use!” Called Shiro, swooping in to escort another battalion of ships to safety on Mars. “Something’s definitely interfering with our connection. Pidge, you’ve mind melded with them before, you can do it again!”
“I never did it before by wanting to rip their throats out!” Cried Pidge, nails biting into her palm. “I never meant to at all!”
“But you succeeded,” replied Shiro gently as he guided another group away. “You can do it again, Pidge. Give yourself a little more credit.”
Pidge had also strung Keith to the ceiling with her bayard for making one too many jabs at Lance’s work ethic during practice at the beginning of their time together (and for dropping her headphones), and she was honestly more inclined to replicate that right about now! They needed these guys! Pidge was not a fan of needing people, and even less so when they weren’t around to be needed!
And yes, this was a battle strategy they had all agreed on, so she really shouldn’t be complaining, BUT THAT WASN’T EXACTLY STOPPING HER, NOW WAS IT?! Keith and Lance were supposed to take on Zarkon, Allura was supposed to handle Haggar, the rest of them were in charge of blitzing the fleet alongside Lotor, and they would all come together when the comet showed up. And that last part was kind of crucial.
“Come on, you guys, get over here!” She cried out silently, hissing as the comet circled back in for another hit. “Come on!”
She braced her shoulders, tightening her grip on the controls, and her eyes lit up a blazing amber. “There are people we need to save! We need Voltron! Please…!”
The comet jerked across the sky, barreling through a Galra battleship, and Pidge dove between the shrapnel and a fleet of rebel fighters. Her skin flashed white-hot, her body moving before she could think about it, and she lashed her tail into the comet, sending it hurtling through another Galra battleship with a roar.
“Don’t you dare come near us, you piece of quiznakery!” She shouted, pouncing after the comet as wildfire licked through her veins, drowning out the shouts of her comrades.
She was sick of this, of watching the people she loved vanish, of being in the group of ones left behind. She was done watching grief consume the ones she loved, done praying that everyone would still come back home, done listening to the constant hum of the cryopods late at night. And she was sick of saying goodbyes like they were their last!
I’m not going to lose anyone else.
Enough was enough.
I can’t just wait for help to come.
Pidge pounced on the comet, grappling with it and clawing at its surface, sinking her teeth in and unleashing a laser straight into it. Hunk lashed his tail nervously, biting his lip as his sister wrestled with the thing that had sent her shooting up with nightmares ever since she made it back to them.
“Be careful, sis.”
Pidge snarled, flinging the unfazed comet into a command ship as her eyes melded with Green’s in a flash of golden amber.
I will not anyone else get hurt!
Pidge’s breath caught in her throat, and tears flooded her eyes as three familiar presences flooded her mind.
“Pidge?! Thank god, we couldn’t get in touch with you at all!” Cried Lance, and Pidge stifled a sob at the tight hug his astral arms pulled her into. “Are you guys okay?! I’ve been freaking out ever since we beat Zarkon! We had our comms on the whole time, scout’s honor!”
“Were you a boy scout?”
“Yessir, I was an Eagle Scout by the end! Hunk still has photos, we were in the same group!”
“…I think scouts mean a different thing on Altea.”
“Eh, proba—”
“The comet’s here!” Interrupted Pidge, whipping around Lotor’s retreat effort and pulling one of Lance’s soccer kicks on the interdimensional space comet, sending it flying as a thrill of pride ran through their bond, and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t get all smug about that kick, Lance! Look, Shiro and Lotor are evacuating everyone off the battlefield and Hunk is still standing guard, we need you all here now! I can’t keep it away from our guys for much longer!”
“Then we shall be there immediately!” Declared Allura. “…So, about that strategy we discussed before…”
Pidge groaned, flopping back in her chair with a poomf, and Allura giggled.
“I was really hoping you’d forgotten that.”
“Not a chance of that, Pidgey,” chirped Lance, a soft undercurrent washing over her like the first time she had ever been to a beach. “‘Lura remembers everything.”
Allura did a cosmic hair flip, and Pidge joined Keith in trying to roll their eyes out of their skulls.
“Okay, so there’s a shot at that,” Pidge admitted, running a hand down her face with a groan. “But I just can’t get a bond with Hunk. It doesn’t make sense! We’re really close, we’re completing each other’s sentences half the time, and finishing the other’s thoughts the second half.”
Pidge stared at the ceiling, a pout curving across her lips. “I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
“Pidge, do you remember why I said you were always the crux of the mind melds?” Asked Allura gently, and Pidge could practically hear Lance and Keith cocking their heads.
“Yeah, I’ve been curious about that for a while, actually,” admitted Keith. “I mean, we all have a soft spot for the short gremlin, but…”
“I’m going to string you to the comet and punt you out of the galaxy soccer-style,” threatened Pidge, snatching the controls and whipping Green around as the stupid rock hurtled back towards the battlefield. “Oh boy, this thing just doesn’t know when to quit.”
“Neither do you,” teased Allura. “That is why you’re the one who is always able to connect to the rest of us. From what you have said, these links are consistently formed by a mutual goal that is the sole, crucial focus of both paladins. It must be what that matters more than anything else in that moment. Pidge, you are very goal-driven and passionate, and you have so many objectives that you are quick to meld with us both on and off the battlefield. Hunk is your counter, he has very few goals that he is intensely driven on, though he gives his whole heart to those he has,” she added as a seething rush stabbed through their bond, “but, most of all, he does not lose sight of his surroundings. If he has a goal, he also has each of the steps to reach that, and those are designated as goals themselves. He is thorough and gentle, very supportive and strong in his own right, but not the type to throw away anything and everything to reach a certain height unless it is truly near and dear to his heart. It is both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. Just as your ability to do that for any goal is your greatest weakness and your greatest strength.”
Pidge could hardly deny that last part, though she hadn’t heard a good half of what Allura said over the sound of her engines grinding out a breakneck pace to keep time with the comet. She swerved, cutting off its flight path, and Green let out a roar.
“…Sooo, basically, Pidge gets super tunnel vision?”
Pidge groaned, and Lance flashed some cosmic finger guns at her in response. “Aww, come on, you know you love me.”
Green flung a web of vines at the comet, but the stupid rock wove through it like a veteran fly, and darted off into the fray again. Pidge cursed. It wasn’t like the comet was actively targeting them. If anything, it was targeting the Galra, but it was producing more collateral damage than she could take.
“Pidge, we have arrived!” Cried Allura and, right on cue, a blast of lava lit up the darkness. “We have eyes on the comet, but our communications are still out.”
“What? Why?!” Replied Pidge, spinning Green around to charge towards the battle once more. “Are your Lions okay?!”
“From what I know, both are fine,” reassured Allura, the echoes of explosions ringing in Pidge’s ears like she was the one in the middle of the fray. “I am guessing it is simply due to the large amount of quintessence the three of us have displaced in order to defeat Zarkon and Haggar. Remnants are likely still in the air around us, thus interfering with some of our controls,” theorized Allura. “Communications are always one of the first things to go down.”
Lance let out a yelp, and Pidge arced into the battlefield just as the Black Lion spun past, Keith’s familiar hiss filling her ears.
“Holy crow, that thing is fast!” Cried Lance, and Pidge winced at the flare of pain in her right shoulder. “Alright, Hermosa, let’s pick up the pace!”
Pidge’s jaw hit the floor as Black began to glow, purple lightning ingrained into its surface, and wings unfurled almost defiantly. Their eyes were a smoldering yellow, and a staunch crown sat atop the Black Lion’s head that flashed in the moonlight as they raised their head to let out a battle roar.
“Dude,” she breathed. “Sweet upgrade! How’d you pull that off?!”
“………………………………………”
“……………………………………………………”
“…………………………………………………………………”
“……………You know what, you’re right, I don’t want to know.”
Hunk gave a yell, streaking between Earth and the comet for what felt like the thousandth time in the last ten dobashes this thing had been around, a cacophony of sparks erupting from their contact. He shoved his shoulder into the comet’s side, growling in the base of his throat and praying silently for backup. From Pidge’s seemingly steady one-way conversation floating over the comms, Hunk was guessing she got in touch with the others, although she had dropped deadly silent for some time now.
“Uh, hey, can anyone lend a hand over here?” He called, wincing as a sharp grinding sound ripped through Yellow’s body, and his Lion groaned under his touch. “We can’t hold out like this for much longer!”
Yeah, a comet dive-bombing Earth tended to make that rather difficult.
“Be there in a tick, buddy!” Replied Shiro, the comforting blue glow of his cabin popping up on Hunk’s screen. “This is the last convoy, and Lotor’s rounded up his troops. They’ve agreed to let Voltron handle this one.”
“Yeah, that’s great, really great, but I need help!” Grunted Hunk, flinging his bayard into the glowing console and twisting to engage his rocket boosters. “Yellow’s getting hurt by this thing!”
A chill flooded through the comms, and Hunk blasted full power into the boosters as he rammed into the comet, catapulting it away from Earth with one fell swoop. Yellow was panting under him, and Hunk couldn’t do anything but reach into their astral link and run his fingers through the Lion’s mane.
“Hey, everything’s going to be okay,” he promised. “Shiro will be here soon and, when the others get here too, we’ll knock that comet into smithereens.”
Yellow rumbled under his touch, melting like his tina’s freshly baked biscuits in Hunk’s mouth after a long day at school. He couldn’t wait to be back with his moms again.
“Hola, Hunketh! Coming in hot!” Chirped a familiar voice that gave Hunk’s heart wings and blew a fresh wind of tears into his eyes.
“Lance!” He choked out as Black swooped in, nudging Yellow affectionately. “Keith! You guys are alright!”
“Yeah, glad to see you’re all okay!” Replied Keith, his face flickering in, and Hunk nearly choked at the beautiful crown carved into his friend’s helmet.
“What, you actually thought Space Garfield was going to be able to take us out? Hunk, you wound me,” teased Lance, his trademark grin bright as ever, and Allura let out a very harrumphing cough in the background. “Okay, so maybe Allura had to save our lives, but Keith and I still beat Zarkon!”
Hunk got the feeling there was a lot more to it than that and there was absolutely zero chance of him asking right now.
“That’s awesome, buddy!” He cheered, pumping his fists in the air and whooping. “I can’t believe it! We finally defeated the evil overlord kitty!”
“And now we have a comet to deal with?”
“Keith, sweetie, you’re ruining the mood.”
“No, I mean, I thought we had a comet to deal with. Where’d it go?!”
Hunk frowned, pulling forward a little bit to peer into the dark expanse stretching out in front of them.
“That’s weird, usually it comes back by now,” he muttered. “Hey, where’d Pidge and Shiro go?”
“I’m coming!” Shrieked Pidge, clawing her way along Mars while trying not to squash anyone. “The comet sent me flying a few dobashes ago, but I haven’t seen it since!”
“Right beside you, Hunk,” called Shiro, lowering into position next to him with a wink. “I dodged the fireball of death.”
“Okay, you know what, you perfectionist little snowball-head—”
Keith burst into a flurry of laughter at that, his screen enlarging as Lance cackled off his seat.
“Oh my god, I’m totally going to make him dye his hair white when we get back to Earth,” he managed between laughter. “I still haven’t cashed in that bet, after all!”
Shiro let out a shoulder heaving sigh, and Pidge pulled up alongside them with a maniacal cackle.
“Yesssssssss, you know you have to do it to ‘em!”
“Grounded.”
“But Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!”
Hunk guffawed, doubling over laughing and nearly faceplanting onto the floor. Allura was clutching her stomach, and Shiro looked so very tired.
“He really will be Space Abuelo for my kids then!” Joked Lance, and Hunk froze.
Wait. No. Nonononononono! Pidge didn’t know yet! Lance had forgotten to tell her that Nadia and Sylvio were his children holy quiznak his best friend was about to murder his other best friend—
“Oh my god, they call him that?! That’s god tier!” Cheered Pidge. “I’m going to give those two my old Bakugan Battle launchers when we get back!”
“Nadia’s going to love you forever,” replied Lance, gasping and clutching his chest. “She might love you more than me!”
“Nah, no one can top her papi.”
Hunk’s eyes bugged out.
“Wait, you knew?!” He cried. “I thought Lance forgot to tell you!”
“Huh? Ack! I forgot that I forgot to tell her!”
Hunk facepalmed, and Pidge dissolved into cackles as Lance blushed a searing red and, for just that tick, it was like they were all back at the Garrison together. They even had Keith twisting to gaze at Lance with the most lovestruck expression that ever could be.
“Pfffft, wasn’t it obvious? I mean, with how much he talked about them at the Garrison, he was pretty clearly more than an uncle to them,” said Pidge with a shrug. “I may not be good with feelings, but I know those two always made him happier than anyone else.”
“Awwww, soft Pidge,” cooed Lance, and Pidge reached across the astral plane to flick his forehead.
“Shut it, McClain.”
“Okay, but seriously,” chimed in Hunk, the hair on the back of his neck rising as the silence in front of them continued; the longer they couldn’t assess the situation, the longer they couldn’t figure out whether to form Voltron or not. “Where did the—OH QUIZNA—IFOUNDITRUN!”
Hunk let out a screech, tearing out of the way as the comet charged, wings sprouting from its back and pure metal legs cracking out of the rock. A helmeted head tore free of the top, and two arms punched out, ripping away the remaining rocks caging it in and brandishing a sword that looked like it was made from the tormented souls of Haggar’s experiments. It might be. Pidge’s eyes blew wide, all breath dissolving in her lungs, and her hands went limp against the controls.
She could still feel that inky living tar pit crawling over her mind, snaking back to try and sever her connection with Green, to forge a bond with her that she didn’t want to have. She growled, low in her throat, the sensation of her igniting her shield to banish the demon from her mind still hot in her hand. She was not letting this thing touch her family.
Hunk snarled, pivoting in front of Pidge and letting out a roar that blew the comet back like a tornado. His eyes flashed a seething brown, like an earthquake about to tear down a city, shoulders rising to protect his family and jaws sucking in quintessence to unleash a barrage on the one that had hurt his sister so badly. And, a single thought fixed in his mind like a shining star, Hunk raised his head high and unleashed a stream of comets at the metal knight glaring death at them.
I will not let this thing touch my family!
Hunk nearly shrieked as Pidge, Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Allura’s thoughts all crashed over him in a tidal wave, their quintessence nearly blinding him, and the soft glide of their hands on his shoulders. Their thoughts weren’t jumbled, they seemed to flow alongside one another’s, overlapping and drawing apart whenever they saw fit, like a thousand streams of lights drifting by to mix into an arching rainbow across the dark sky of the astral plane. Now, it was just up to him whether he joined in or not. And that was already a foregone conclusion.
Hunk opened rainbow flashing eyes, his family surrounding him, and the Lions tore across space towards the comet before Keith and Lance even let out their roar.
“FORM VOLTRON!”
It was unlike anything Hunk had ever felt before. Their armor lit up, rainbow auras swirling over them like mirages, and he felt himself sink not only into Yellow’s mind, but into everyone’s. Stars swirled around them, flashing trails of light streaming out from behind them as if slowly connecting each paladin to one another. Green was already merging into Pidge, her amber hair shortening and curving into something like a bob cut made for a guy, and teeth lengthening into fangs. Her eyes flashed with all the colors of their family behind her brother’s glasses, thick green metal gauntlets securing themselves around her wrists, and mini jetpacks spun like anklets around her boots. She shot a crooked grin at Hunk, raising a hand for a fist bump, and Hunk chuckled as their knuckles collided.
“Let’s show ‘em what Team Punk is made of!” She cheered, and Hunk giggled as she dashed into her glowing green hexagon above him.
Lance threw an arm around his shoulders, hip-checking Hunk as he passed and spinning to almost float down with that signature sunshine smile of his. His hair was chopped into an undercut, every color imaginable glowing in his eyes, and wings sprouting from his back as a crown blossomed up across his helmet. His teeth were already curved into fangs, but they did nothing to dampen the joy ringing through his laughter.
“Let’s end this with a bang, buddy!”
Keith placed a soft hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on those lips that used to look so angry, and his hair curling down into a longer ponytail held taut by a red band. His eyes were a rainbow mosaic behind thick black glasses, glowing all the brighter against the white wings flapping from his back, and a crown rising up from his helmet to catch the light. His fangs were longer than the others, probably because of his Galran heritage, but he fluttered to Lance’s side and intertwined their hands fearlessly, glancing over his shoulder to give Hunk a reckless grin.
“Let’s bring home the gold.”
The two of them took their position at the head of Voltron, and Allura swept past with a tender smile. Her hair grew tighter, thicker in the style her mother had blessed her with, fangs glittering in the light, and a larger red chestplate seared across her armor. Launchers creased themselves into her gauntlets, and her eyes swirled with all the colors that had brought them to this point.
“We can do this.”
She squeezed his shoulder and dashed into her position to the right of Lance and Keith, raising her chin high until her circlet caught the light of the astral plane and nearly blinded Hunk. A heavy hand clapped him on the back, but Hunk didn’t even have to look to know it was Shiro. His hair had gone pure white, growing in thick atop his head now with just the fewest strands sweeping across his forehead, and the faintest traces of stubble on his chin stood out all the more in contrast to his fangs. His eyes were waterfalls of their family’s colors as blue shin guards clamped atop his armor, an extra visor sliding in place over his irises with data analysis flashing through it.
“Come on, let’s clean this up and go on home.”
Shiro stepped into his spot alongside Hunk and the vision shimmered like a mirage, flickering back and forth between the Shiro he knew now and the one he…might, hopefully, eventually know. The one who had smile lines creasing his cheeks as well as worry lines imprinted in his forehead. Hunk’s rainbow eyes flitted across his teammate’s, his breath stuttering as he saw the same effect for all of them, a little staggering between the time they would one day spend together and what had brought them to this moment.
He wondered what he looked like.
“Quite dashing,” promised Yellow as the Lion melded into Hunk, a flashing illusion of him fluttering before his eyes for just a tick. “Shay would be most flustered.”
“Yellowwwwwwwwwwwww,” whined Hunk, but his Lion only chuckled as yellow armor curved across his back, steadying him further while a tool belt folded over his waist.
His hair was almost identical, except his two bangs had been folded into one thin one that fluffed over his orange bandana, and just the barest shadow of a beard swept his chin. His eyes were a glowing rainbow, the colors dancing and blending together in his irises, and fangs slipped over his lips as the image fizzled.
“Time is relative in the astral plane,” explained Yellow, purring contentedly within his chest. “Especially when Black’s Princes are this powerful.”
“Wait, Princes?”
But before Yellow could answer, Hunk felt a tug in his gut. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back in time with his team, and he felt their movements rush over him as natural as his own. It wasn’t just the Lions that were Voltron, after all.
Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Allura, Keith, and Lance were also their own Voltron.
The comet drew back as the Lions fused, a blinding light tearing across the universe like a supernova, streams of color exploding out in waves and casting a shimmery glow over the cosmos. And, when Voltron emerged, they stood taller than ever. Their horns were curled like a ram’s, both sets of golden eyes lit up like galaxies were contained within, and wings spread wide across space as if they could hold all of this cosmos within their arms. The Green Lion was heavy, gauntlets shielding it in preparation for holding up the shield of Voltron, and the Artificer of Voltron smirked from within. The Red Lion was light, shedding its armor to encompass the chestplate instead, and a rocket launcher ready to spring up at a tick’s notice from it as the Alchemist of Voltron raised her chin inside her Lion’s jaws. The Blue Lion’s shin guard was sturdy, protecting the analyzing devices hidden within that connected the smiling General of Voltron up to Green. The Yellow Lion would be almost completely stripped of armor, transferring it instead to the back, if it weren’t for the thick belt of interlocking gears clinking over the armor while the Castle of Voltron whooped from within. And, above them all, with four wings sprouting from their backs and their crowns fusing into a helmet to guard two pairs of golden searing eyes, the Princes of Voltron grinned together.
And, for the first time in Voltron’s history, a heartbeat thundered through the robot in time with its paladins.
“LET’S END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!” Roared Keith and Lance, their voices merging into a Lion’s battle cry, and Hunk knew he wasn’t the only one who tilted his head back and bellowed in response.
After all, his family always had his back. And, as they lunged towards the roaring comet knight, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that none of them were going to let him down now.
They had a whole future to explore together, after all. And it all began with this first strike on the comet surrounded by a thick purple and black miasma, their blazing dual swords swirling with the roars of Pidge and Allura while Shiro and Hunk engaged their booster engines. Keith and Lance spread their wings, swooping down on the comet and, hearts pounding in unison, Voltron descended upon its final foe with a united battle cry.
“WE WILL NOT LET ANOTHER REIGN OF TERROR BEGIN! WE WILL STOP YOU HERE AND NOW!”