Whoo! Okay, so next episode. This is gonna be fun. Hope y'all enjoy! BAI

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I sit up straight in my bed, screaming. I'm trembling and sweating, my breathing ragged. I'm shaking in fear at a nightmare that I had, but I can't quite recall what it was about. I pull my covers off and check my watch.

3:15 am.

Great.

I lay back down and stare up at the ceiling. It's been a while since nightmares had been the cause of my insomnia. Usually, stress wakes me up. But it's common for me to be awakened by nightmares and kept awake by stress.

I groan, putting trembling hands over my face.

I'm not tired so I stand up on shaking legs and walk to my bathroom. I turn on the shower and wait until the water's warm before taking off my clothes and stepping in. I take my time. I wash my hair and, when I'm done, relish in the warm water for a few more seconds.

I finally turn the water off and dry off using a towel. I wipe the condensation off the mirror and stare at my face. I look tired, with dark bags under my eyes which is prominent on my tan skin, which is a few shades lighter than Lance's. My usually sparkling purple eyes seem more dull, a usual occurrence when I wake up from insomnia.

I dry my wet hair and brush it, deciding to let it dry on its own. I like to do that because then my hair curls naturally, and I like it. I splash some water in my face before going back in my room.

I decide to put my pajamas back on in case I get tired. Also because they're comfortable. They consist of some black sweatpants and my older brother's Killers T-shirt, which is so big it reaches mid-thigh. I'd totally forgotten that that shirt was in my bag and only found it as I was rummaging through my bag looking for some Advil. I honestly have no idea how it ended up in my bag. I decide to go in the lounge to watch some Doctor Who episodes on my computer.

I rummage through my messenger bag and find the waterproof compartment where I store my computer. I pull it out along with my MP3 and plug in my earbuds before turning on some Owl City songs and stuffing it in my sweatpants' pocket. I gather my computer, my blanket and my pillow under my arm and open my room door and peek out.

No one.

I sigh and walk out, my music blasting. I don't even remember singing along to the song playing.

"I can see, you above with the ocean around me. If I could only stay, overhead in the airway. You sail through endless sky with the evening around you. When I'm out on the bay, you're aloft in the airway..."

I reach the lounge a few minutes later and turn off my music and pull out my earbuds. I take a seat on the ground, my back leaning against the group of couches and set my computer in front of me. I get comfortable, my pillow behind my back and my blanket across my legs, I open my computer and turn it on.

My dad, who was an engineer back at the Garrison, built this computer along another for me and for him when he left on his first mission, on Mars, five years before the mission where he never came back...

It was our way of communicating without the need for a signal. I discovered that it could also download movies and stocked up on my favorite TV shows and movies when I left for the Garrison. It can't do much else because it's still a prototype, but it works on batteries that can last a whole year. I have a few spare batteries in my bag, but I never thought it'd come in handy until now.

The computer lights up and I click on Doctor Who and turn on one of my favorite episodes, The Day of the Doctor. I like this episode because both the 10th Doctor and the 11th Doctor meet and just these two adorable dorks in one episode together is the best thing. And this hilarious episode never gets old for me, no matter how many times I've watched it. I turn the volume all the way up, not worried that I'll wake anyone up- the rooms are too far away anyways- and watch silently with a smile hovering on my lips.

***

I wake up to alarms blaring. I open my eyes and rub my aching neck. Ow. I look around, all bleary eyed, before I remember where I am.

"Everybody up!" I hear Allura scream over the PA system. "Zarkon is attacking!"

I shoot up to my feet and run out towards the control room, but take the time to gather my stuff and toss it on my bed before grabbing my chest plate, one of my leg guards, one arm guard, bayard and helmet.

"The Castle's about to be destroyed!" I run out, not even taking the time to put on more armor or grab my shoes. "Go, go, go! We need Voltron now!"

I run down the hall, my bare feet slapping the cold metal floor, strapping on my chest plate and arm guard over my shirt and pulling my helmet on, my messy, softly curled hair getting in my face and mouth.

"Hurry! We can't survive much longer!"

"Oh, no!" I hear Alien Weasley screech. "Allura is dead! Ah, it's horrible! Her head fell off!"

I rush inside the control room, hopping on one foot as I struggle to get the guard on. I trip and fall, but pick myself up fast and activate my bayard, swinging it around, not being able to see clearly because of my hair all over my face.

"Wha... what?" I yell, still only half awake. "Where's... where's the evil alien?"

I look around, but everything seems normal. I lower my bayard and see Keith, Shiro, Hunk and Pidge staring at me. I'm standing between Keith and Pidge, the former who scoots to the side to give me more room. I blush and pull my helmet off, brushing my hair out of my face.

"We got here a minute ago," Pidge tells me. "I don't know what's going on either."

"Wait, what?" Alien Weasley continues. "Her severed head is trying to speak to me! What is it, Allura's head? What are your final words?"

"What's up with crazy over there?" I ask, pointing at Alien Weasley.

They shrug.
"Coran," Allura says.

Alien Weasley is still on his knees, probably thinking the ruse is still working. "Oh, yes, Princess, I'm listening."

"It's over."

Oh, I know!" He's acting even more over-dramatic, now fake sobbing comically. "If only Voltron had been formed." He sees us and stands immediately. "Oh. Time!"

He throws the microphone over his head, and it bounces back a few meters away.

"I guess this isn't an actual attack," Shiro says.

"And it's a good thing it wasn't because it took you... Coran?" asks Allura.

"Seventy-five degrees," comes the reply.

I blink. What?

"Oh, sorry," he corrects himself. "No, this is a meat thermometer."

I don't even want to know what he's doing, walking around with that.

"However long it was, it was too long." Allura doesn't look happy at all. "You must always be ready to do battle with Zarkon."

I'm still tired because of my insomnia and I start leaning sideways. I hit someone's shoulder and close my eyes. Just for a minute. I'm still listening to Allura. In the back of my head, a voice is telling me that this could be Keith's shoulder. I tell it to shut up, but I can feel my face growing warm.

"Look at you!" she continues. "Only Shiro is in uniform. Keith, Pidge, Hunk, where are your bayards? Nova, where is the other half of your uniform?"

"Fish fingers and custard!" I yell the first words that comes to my mind, startled. I jump up in surprise, raising my arms in sparring position. "What? What?"

"And where is Lance?" Allura asks.

Just then, the doors open and Lance steps in, wearing blue lion slippers found who-knows-where, a blue pajama, a blue bathrobe over it and a cup in his hand. What the actual heck? Where'd he even get the slippers?

He yawns. "Good morning, everybody. What's going on?"

"Coran and I have been up for hours getting the Castle back in order."

Yeah? I've been up from 3am until I fell asleep sometimes during the end of my second episode, almost two hours. I. Need. Sleep.

"We had to run a test on the alarms, and we decided to test you as well." Allura puts her hands behind her back. "Guess which one failed."

Welp, guess I failed. Don't know, don't care, too tired. I yawn.

"Hey!" Hunk protests before yawning. "You got to sleep for ten thousand years, man. Monday night, I was on Earth. Now I've flown through space, fought some evil alien named Zarkon, eaten goo in some weird castle. That's a lot to process in, uh... I don't know. What day is today?"

"Wednesday," I reply, checking my watch.

"It's the third quintant of the Spicolian movement. Hump day!" Alien Weasley says at the same time.

"Or that."

"It's a lot to process," Hunk finishes.

"You must understand the stakes of our mission," Allura insists, turning on a holographic projection of the stars. "Over the last ten thousand years, the Castle picked up distress beacons from the following locations." A good two thirds of the stars blink red. "So we have to assume Zarkon has conquered almost the entire known universe. Earth is here." She swipes the air, making the stars move. "An attack on your planet is inevitable."

"Oh no," Hunk mutters.

I know I should care, but there's no tea nor another caffeinated drink around to wake me up, so I'm not ready to deal with people and their problems just yet. I'm gonna have to ask Allura or Alien Weasley if there is any kind of coffee substitute around, or I don't think I'll make it through the week without murdering someone just for saying 'good morning' at the wrong time. I yawn against, nearly unhinging my jaw in the process.

"Exactly," Allura replies. "Our mission is to free all those planets."

Yup, definitely gonna need some coffee. And maybe some Redbull. You can never be too certain.

"Coran and I are getting the Castle ready to leave Arus," she continues.

How? By summoning a transportation spaceship bigger than this place? Is there, like, a spaceship shop where you can buy one big enough for this? It's probably taller than the Eiffel Tower.

"During that time, you have to learn to form Voltron, so we can begin fighting Zarkon."

"The Princess is right," Shiro says. "Let's get to our lions and start training."

"Can I train in bed?" I ask, stretching my arms.

"No."

I grumble a bit as I stifle another yawn.

"Wait. But I want to talk to the prisoners we rescued from the Galra ship," Pidge says.

"Negative, Number Six," Alien Weasley says. "I have you ranked by height, okay? The prisoners need to remain in the cryo-replenishers until tomorrow."

"That's right," says Allura. "Now, get to your lions."

Alien Weasley points at one of six pillars where a white and silver door stand.

"These will change you into your armor and lead you straight to your lions," he informs us. Then he rattles off which one is whose.

I walk to mine and the door opens automatically. I step in and the floor sinks down, like an elevator. Robot arms help me undress and get into my uniform, without forgetting the undergarments, of course. Since I have part of my armor on, it takes them off and then puts it back on the correct way. I didn't even realize that I had my arm guard on backwards.

Finally, the elevator/dressing room stops and the doors open. I see a zip line and shrug before jumping on it. I always loved zip lines. I reach the end of the room and let go, finding myself sliding down a tunnel slide. Everything around me is glowing a pale purple. It seems like the color is everywhere now.

The tunnel slide drops me in some sort of automatic vehicle, which stops upon entering a room at the end of the hall. I'm guessing the room is an elevator, and I'm not disappointed. I rise up for a while before stopping once I reach my lion's hangar. Well that was tedious.

The vehicle is lifted into my lion, who rumbles once I reach the control room.

"Good to see you too, Vi," I reply, patting my dashboard. "I hope you're more awake than I am. Let's roll."

I fly my lion out of my hangar and outside the castle. I land next to Shiro. He, Pidge and Keith are already here. I see Lance arriving, but Hunk is still not here.

"Um..." I purse my lips, but don't finish my thought.

We wait one more minute.

"Should someone go in after him?" Lance asks.

Just then, the Yellow Lion flies out of the Castle and towards us.

"Hi, guys. Sorry, everybody," I hear Hunk over the coms as he lands clumsily. "Seriously, though, can't they park these things, like, a little closer to the bridge?"

We all turn around, facing away from the Castle.

"All right, guys," Shiro says. "Let's just fly in tight formation until we're totally in sync."

"Feel the bond with your lions and fellow pilots until six become one unit and you form Voltron!," Allura says in a very optimistic voice, trying to help us.

"YEAH!" we all yell as we take off.

We all continue flying in formation.

"YEAH!" we yell again with enthusiasm.

We turn around and fly in formation in the other direction.

"Yeah!" we yell, but I can feel myself losing some of my previous excitement.

We turn around yet again and keep flying in formation.

"Yay," we all say flatly.

I'm just annoyed now. This is obviously not working.

We try one more time.

"Whoo," Hunk says. No one joins him. "Am I the only one who's still pretending to be excited?"

I just keep looking straight ahead wearing an expression that's a mix between boredom and annoyance.

"Clearly this isn't working," Shiro says.

No kidding Sherlock. What a sensational deduction you made there.

"Let's set down for a bit."

Oh, no way. I was not awaken at 7am by an alarm that nearly gave me a heart attack to just not do anything. Otherwise, I will get very angry. I do not like being forced awake if I'm not gonna do anything with my day.

"Maybe we should be building Voltron from the ground up," Keith suggests.

"What do you mean?" Shiro asks.

"I mean, let's try literally building Voltron, like, stacking on top of each other."

"Like a cheerleader pyramid?" Lance asks mockingly.

"Come again?" I ask nervously. I never liked cheerleader pyramids. Personally, I'm not afraid of heights, but cheerleader pyramids were a big no-no.

Keith appears on my screen just to give me his seriously? look before he replies to Lance.

"You got a better idea?"

I smile faintly. "He's got you there."

"It's worth a try," Shiro cuts in.

We set down on the ground and start building our very own Voltron pyramid. Pidge and Lance are on the bottom, Keith is balanced on them, Shiro has his lion's hind legs on Lance and Pidge's lions and his front legs on Keith's, I'm actually stuck in between Shiro and Keith, my lion small enough to stand on Keith without bothering Shiro, and Hunk is lowering himself on top of Shiro.

"Steady, steady," I mutter, feeling my lion creak and slide a bit with every movement. I'm afraid that my lion will slip off Keith's and fall.

Hunk lands heavily on Shiro's lion, making the whole pyramid quiver.

"Hunk, what are you doing?" Shiro asks.

"What do you mean?" Hunk asks, confused.

"You're supposed to be the leg over there."

"What? No. No, no, no. I'm pretty sure that when we did it last time, I was the head. Right?"

"No, you weren't," I reply with a slight frown.

"You even yelled, 'I'm a leg!'," Lance adds.

"Yeah, I was yelling a lot of things," Hunk defends himself.

"And that was among those things," I reply again.

"Shiro's the head," Keith says.

"All the time?" Hunk asks.

Poor Shiro. If this is annoying for me, what's it like for him? I sigh. It's probably just me. Too much peopling without caffeine makes me cranky like this.

"Let's just try it my way for now," Shiro suggests.

"Okay, but next time, I call head."

We try the Voltron pyramid again. Hunk and Lance are on the bottom, Pidge and Keith are on top of them, I'm in between the two, and Shiro is lowering himself on top of them.

"Okay," he says. "Arms, legs, chest... and I'll form the head."

He lands his lion on top of Keith's and Pidge's, standing right above me without being bothered. That's how small my lion is.

"Okay, okay," I mumble. "Nobody's falling yet, so we're good. This is why I stay away from cheerleading."

"Feel the bonds with your lions," Shiro recommends. "Now channel your energy into forming Voltron. Focus. Focus."

I furrow my eyebrows, but my eyes remain closed. I bite my lip. I'd be focusing a whole lot more without a certain someone saying 'focus' every five seconds.

I concentrate. I picture my energy flowing all over my body and into the others as if trying to merge all of us into one. I try the same with my lion, but I can't sense Vi's energy. I try again, this time focusing more on connecting with Vi. After a minute, I start feeling something. I lean towards it. It's another source of energy. I can feel it all around me, forming my seat, my dashboard, my lion. I mentally reach towards it...

"Is everyone bonding and focusing?" Shiro asks.

Verdammt!" I yell, banging my hand on my dashboard. "Yes, for crying out loud! YES! I was just about to bond with my lion, Donnerwetter!"

"Oh. Sorry about that," Shiro apologizes sheepishly.

"S'fine," I grumble, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest.

I say that, but I'm still fuming a bit. That's to be expected though. I seriously hate it when people break my concentration like this.

"Why was this so much easier before?" Lance asks.

Shiro sighs. "Let's take a break."

"Sorry to interrupt," Allura says.

"No, no," I reply. "Go ahead. I've already been interrupted plenty of times today. One more time can't hurt."

"Anyways," Allura continues. "As I was saying, I may be able to help. Yesterday, you weren't able to form Voltron until you were in the heat of battle."

I really don't like where this is going.

"Yeah," Pidge agrees.

"I'm listening," Lance says.

"You're right," Shiro says.

"Yeah, I guess." Keith seems more reluctant. Finally, someone with common sense.

"Perfect," Allura says, a bright smile on her face. Uh-oh. "Because I need to run a diagnostic test on all of the Castle defenses. This should help."

I really don't think Voltron can be achieved through battle, and I'm really not desperate enough to find out just yet. Or ever.

The particle barrier activates. "This is going to hurt," I mutter, already dreading whatever Allura plans on doing.

Just then, the barrier starts shooting bolts of light blue at us. I start running when the bolts hit the ground, causing explosions, making dirt fly everywhere and just causing general mayhem. Soon, I can't see the blue sky. Only brown dust, brown dirt, black smoke, and red-orange explosions. It's a miracle I can still hear the others through the loud blasts.

"I REALLY HATE THIS!" I yell as I dodge the bolts.

The others are screaming, some are yelling words, but it gets lost in the cacophony of screams and explosions.

"Allura, what are you doing?" I hear Keith yell.

"Yeah, what's up with the blasting?" I yell, Keith's and Allura's faces appearing on my dashboard.

I jump to the side when a blast nearly hits me. I get blown away by the explosion and clumps of dirt covers part of my windshield. I wonder if there's some windshield wipers.

"Running a diagnostic test on the Castle defenses and inspiring you."

I stare at her incredulously. "Inspiring us to do what?" I holler. "Run away? Or practice our evasion techniques?"

"I believe in you, Paladins!" she says, trying to lighten my mood, giving me a bright smile. I don't reciprocate it. "Let fear be your guide! Form Voltron!"

I bark out a wry laugh. "Fear will definitely not guide us into forming Voltron, I can tell you that."

Allura's face disappears.

"Forget this!" Lance yells. "I'm headed back to the Castle!"
Lance turns his lion around. I push Pidge out of the way of a blast and turn to Lance, bounding away towards the Castle.

"No!" I yell. "Don't! The particle barrier is-" Lance jumps up, trying to get past the barrier, but bounces off and lands heavily on the ground, sending up a tiny mushroom cloud of dust. "- activated," I finish with a heavy sigh.

"Please stop! Please have mercy on us!" Hunk begs.

"You think Zarkon is going to have mercy on you?" Allura aks calmly. "He's probably on his way right now to destroy us all!"

"Allura, don't over-dramatize, Lance, you are so dead, and Keith, STOP RAMMING INTO MY LION!" I yell as he bumps my lion and makes me trip for the fifth time. I'm getting seriously annoyed right now.

"Sorry!" Keith yells back. "I'm trying to avoid blasts and you're running too close to me!"

I grumble a bit about crazy Altean princesses trying to kill us into forming a giant robot as I dodge more attacks.