https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/4b32e6de066057b367b6d6c34a9a0f1f/5D9BAE84/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c152.0.775.775a/s640x640/52319410_121801388937756_2740123735231453471_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com

Keith and Lance ran down the maze of hallways after their two mystery heroes, not questioning where they were going or what was happening. Sirens blared around them and an automated voice Anything was better than getting under the skin of an investigator who had guns pointed at you as he interrogated you. 

As they ran, Keith looked around the facility, catching minimal glances through the tiny windows on the doors that lined the hallways, but most just led to more stark white hallways. "Where the hell are we? Are they gonna come after us?" Keith asked Lance, but the Blue Paladin shrugged- he didn't know anything either. When he'd said that the Investigator hadn't answered any of his questions, he meant it. 

The taller of the two mysterious boys turned around and jogged backward, facing Keith and Lance. "It's kind of like a glorified police station. There's a lot of rebels so there's a lot of jail cells waiting for them here, but that also means that they're not going to be too concerned with a few breakouts. You guys are the ones who have the bigass lions, right?"

Keith nodded, eyebrows furrowed. "Are the Lions in a safe place? How do you know about them?"

The masked man chuckled, "They're hard to miss." He turned back around as the group jogged down another hallway, then through a heavy metal door to a fire escape. Going in a single file line, they began descending to the asphalt below. Keith swallowed hard- flying in Red had become second nature to him, but he definitely wasn't a fan of heights when outside of the robotic lion. 

Keith took the opportunity to take in their surroundings. The fire escape was mounted on the side of the building that faced out over a city. From what Keith could see, everything was neon. Bright, flashing lights, the muffled bass of music in clubs, sirens and horns honking and the sounds of traffic. It was like New York City's younger, cyber-punk, futuristic sibling, and looked a hell of a lot more exciting. 

The Red Paladin looked up at the sky and was promptly surprised to see vehicles. All different shapes and styles and models, hovercrafts and weird motorcycles and big square boxes that looked a bit like floating cars. At first, it looked like they were all going to crash in some horrific explosion, but then Keith realized that it was more of organized chaos. 

If he squinted, he could see floating stop lights (or something that resembled them) but with orange, magenta, and blue colors as opposed to the traditional red, yellow, and green. It looked to be about dusk in the city, the sun sinking below the tops of the skyscrapers that surrounded the group.

"Cool, huh?" the shorter of the two masked figures asked Keith quietly. 

"Yeah," Keith replied, smiling slightly. He was becoming increasingly curious about the identities of the two figures as they climbed down the final few steps, landing on the cement of the alley. 

"So, do we get to know who our knights in shining armor are?" Lance asked, casting a sly smile to the two boys, the shorter one pulling back a few layers of tarp off a bulky object leaning against the alley's brick wall. 

The taller of the two, who wore the olive green trenchcoat, shrugged. "I mean, I guess it's better now than ever, dontcha think, love?"

"Hmm?" The shorter of the two hummed, pulling the last of the tarps off the object, revealing the most beautiful motorcycle Keith had ever seen. It was sleek and futuristic with no brand name on it, which was odd but intriguing, and a deep, glossy red. The seat was long enough for two people and was made of dark, clean leather. Keith finger's twitched, aching to run his hands over the bike. 

"Holy shit," he whispered. 

"I know." Keith had been so busy admiring the bike that he hadn't even noticed that the two boys had taken off their masks. His jaw slackened in shock. 

The boy in the olive green trenchcoat and turtleneck was this reality's version of Lance, but he was so much different than Keith's Lance that he was slightly taken aback. This Lance had the same exact shade of brown hair, but he had an undercut that left the sides of his head shaven and the top with a wavy mop of curls. His freckles dotted his whole face and swept down his jaw and there was a line-up of piercings down his ears. 

The shorter of the two was the alternate reality of himself, but just as with the other Lance, Keith had to double-take. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and Keith noticed that they had matching scars on their jaws, but it looked like they were caused by different sources. The alternate reality Keith crossed his arms over his chest. 

"The name's Leandro," the unfamiliar Lance said with a small smile, his tone identical to how Lance had introduced himself to Keith that night when they'd saved Shiro so long ago. 

Leandro sidled closer to Keith's alternate self and wrapped one arm securely around his waist. "And this is Akira."

Akira jerked his chin towards the other end of the alley. "Your Lions are waiting for you over there. If you follow us, we can show you to the other one."

Keith and Lance looked down the alley and, sure enough, through a wrought-iron gate, a large courtyard was visible and Keith could see the edge of Red's metal body waiting for him patiently past the building. 

He turned back to the two boys and frowned. "What other one?" he asked as Akira and Leandro mounted the gorgeous motorcycle. 

Leandro holstered his guns and grinned. "The black one, duh." He slid his arms around Akira's torso and laid his head on the driver's shoulder. 

Akira pulled the goggles up over his eyes and pointed to the open street just beyond the alley. "We'll wait for you here. Can you follow us?" He kicked up the bike's kickstand. 

Keith nodded, still a little bewildered. He beckoned for Lance to follow him and they both began jogging down the narrow street, eager to take the two Lions back.

"Are they...?" Lance asked, glancing over at Keith as they ran. Together?

Keith nodded, trying not to look at Lance head-on. "Yeah, I think so."

Lance didn't say anything but Keith wondered if they were both thinking about the same thing. First, the Lions choosing the two of them specifically for the mission. Then, the Altean Prince Lance in a relationship with the Galran Guard Keith. And now, this version of them, their affection obvious. 

It was like the universe wanted them to be together. Keith wanted that. He'd had feelings for the blue-eyed beauty since they first met, but the bonding moment was what had confirmed it. He was in love with Lance. 

Keith opened the gate slowly, wincing at how loud it screeched at him as he pushed it open. Letting Lance in first, then following, the two Paladins scouted for any guards that they'd run into. The courtyard, however, was suspiciously silent. Red and Blue sat upright, alert, alive, a sight that made Keith's heart happy. 

"Ready? Go."

The two ran across the tarmac to the Lions but, upon leaving their hiding place by the gate, lasers and lights flashed around them, the air full of the noise of futuristic laser guns and whatnot being fired consecutively at the two Paladins. 

Keith narrowly dodged one shot, but as he swerved to the side, a beam hit his arm. Keith howled in pain but kept running towards Red. Lance had reached Blue and was almost safe, which was a relief to Keith. He spared a glance over his shoulder and noticed their mistake- he and Lance had failed to recognize the possibility of sharpshooters on the roof. Stupid!

Red was only a few meters away and Keith pushed his legs faster, trying to escape the raining fire of lasers. Before he'd made it to safety, though, another searing blast grazed his shoulder. He winced, but in a moment, he was in the safety of Red. 

Keith jammed his helmet on and yelled to Lance over the comm, "Let's go!" 

The two Lions of Voltron launched into the air, gracefully jumping over the large brick building and then taking off, lasers bouncing off their reinforced sides. As Blue and Red gained speed, Keith spotted Leandro and Akira weaving through the traffic on the dark streets easily. 

They weren't hard to spot- the motorcycle was bright and sleek as it slid between the cars and trucks stopped on the road. Keith figured that Akira was just as experienced with bikes as he was. 

As the two boys led the giant Lions through the city, Keith and Lance had to maneuver through their own traffic: the vehicles in the sky. For the most part, the vehicles just swerved out of the way to avoid the giant Lions, but Red growled whenever she saw that a particular car or hovercraft wasn't moving fast enough. 

The city really was futuristic. It reminded Keith of a rundown version of Altea, all technology but broken, all bright lights but faded and haunting. It was eerie. Soon enough, though, they were exiting the city, cruising over the outskirts, Leandro and Akira speeding up considerably as they turned onto a long, flat road that stretched out towards the horizon. 

Keith looked up past the road to their destination. The sun was sinking below the mountains in the distance, which were coated in trees, but the wide, golden desert looked strangely similar to Texas'. A warm, bubbly feeling swelled in his chest at the thought of home. Maybe their realities weren't so different after all. 

And then, like the sun emerging from behind a swathe of clouds, Keith saw him. Red roared in delight and beside Keith, Blue let out a triumphant rumble of a purr. 

There, right before them, his chest thrown out in pride as he looked out over the landscape, was the Black Lion. 

...

alllrighty hahaha

qotd: hows your summer been so far? 

stay hydrated!! i love u all <33