Matt stared at the prison planet, his expression unreadable in the eerie green light filling the interior of Pidge's lion. He didn't like to think about her often, as the loss was still in his heart. He had lost a few family members when he was younger, the beloved grandparent here, the odd uncle there, but he wasn't as close to anybody as he was to Katie.

"Here's the plan." Keith said suddenly, attracting everyone's attention. "We have the lion go on stealth mode, cut a hole in the floor of Haggar's cell, and take her. It should be simple and fast. Our only problem will be the mass amount​ of guards who are trained to stop the universe's most dangerous individuals."

"Aren't you trained to stop the universe's most dangerous individuals?" Matt asked suspiciously, warranting a nod from Shiro.

"There are going to be large squads of them and only four of us."

"Four?" Matt questioned.

"You're staying here." Shiro said sternly. He looked at Matt with an expression that clearly read, I'm not losing you too. Not again.

"Fine." Matt gave in, slumping into the pilot's seat. He quided the lion towards the prison, and it activated its cloaking on its own.

"The map says Haggar should be right there." Lance said, pointing at a newer looking piece of metal bunker.

"You know what to do." Hubk whispered to the green lion, who began to cut through the metal.

"Go, go, go!" Shiro yelled as the alarms began to blare. He, Keith, Lance and Hunk slid out of the Lion's mouth into Haggar's cell. Before she could think about the situation, they lifted her into the green lion and Lance plunged a syringe into her arm.

"Lance!" Keith scolded. "That for for an emergency - now we only have one left."

"Sorry. I just don't trust her." He explained, shying away from Keith's legendary eye roll.

"That was easy." Matt said happily.

"You jinxed it!" Hunk whined, pointing out the fleet of fighters emerging from the prison.

"They can't see us, though." Lance argued.

"But we'll come up on a heat scan any minute now. Please, go, Green!" Hunk pleaded, and the lion finally opened a worm hole and left the prison planet in the dust.

--

"Where am I?" The witch rasped, waking to the unpleasant and unwelcome faces of the black and red paladins.

"The green lion."

"If there is one thing I an still proud of, it is that the weakling is dead. I cannot say I am proud that you remain alive." She spat, earning an uncharacteristic slap on the face from Hunk.

"Don't you dare call her weak." Matt whispered, his words echoing earily in the lion.

"What do you want from me?" Haggar asked, cutting to chase and ignoring the boy.

"We want your help in bringing her back." Lance said coolly.

"Why should I help you?"

"Because if you don't, we'll jettison you into space. Or maybe return you to the prison, saying we caught the escaped prisoner. If you want freedom, you have to help us."

"But if I help, I'll be free?" She inquired eagerly. Shiro nodded.

--

"We can't let her go free!" Keith whispered angrily after Haggar had fallen asleep (still in shackles).

"I know." Shiro answered wearily. "But that's the only way she'll help us. We never said how or where we'll let her be free."

"Are you saying-"

"That we drop her off next to the prison planet once this is over? Unless Pidge has other ideas, then sure." Shiro heard his voice break at the sound of her name. Matt looked at the floor, an odd sort of smile on his face.

"I still can't believe we'll be seeing her again soon." He said quietly, staring at the floor.

"Me neither." Hunk said, placing a large hand on his friend's shoulder. "I can't wait to talk to her again."

"We'll be a team again." Keith agreed.

"It isn't the same without her, or without any of us. Even going on this journey without Allura and Coran seems wrong, in its own weird way." Shiro added.

"Where are Allura and Coran, anyway?" Lance asked.

"Coran picked up an old distress signal from an Altean escape pod that landed on a habitable planet. There's a chance that there's a colony there, and Allura was hopeful. They left the night after Katie's funeral." Keith answered, still insistent on calling her Katie. He liked it better than Pidge, if only slightly...

"Great for them." Matt said hollowly, a wave of sadness reminding him once again of his missing family member.

"You'll see her soon." Shiro comforted him, reading his mind. "We all will."

A/N - Shiblofferschnob

If you guys can guess what that word means you get a shout-out! Or if you can guess my favorite Marvel character. Hint: the answer to both things starts with a 'B'!