Keith's POV:

Hey there. Umm, I'm back again, sorry about that, I just had to deal with something.

Anyway where was I... right my story.

The bang was just the beginning of my life falling apart.

Little did I know it was or that worse, much worse was yet to come.
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Shiro's POV:

"Keith! Keith!!", I yelled, as Keith cut off the communication.

I stared at the dashboard and lowered my head in defeat as I pounded it in frustration.

Why? Why?!? Why did Keith have to be such a stubborn bullhead?

I sighed as I kneaded my brow in stress and worry.

"Well, at least we know he's alive!", Coran chirped cutting the device off.
I sighed again and looked at him in annoyance.

I knew the orange haired man was just trying to make me feel better, but it just made things worse for me.

"Listen, Coran. I know you think you're helping, but it's not really making me feel any better.", I voiced before I could stop myself.

Oops.

I'd meant to keep that to myself.

Coran looked a little hurt, "I understand, I'll just umm groom my mustache for a while.", he said twirling his mustache while walking away.

I blinked and mentally scolded myself, I needed to get a grip.

I paced the room a bit before sitting down in my chair, putting my forehead down in the palm of my hand.

"Hey Shiro, you haven't seen Keith anywhere have you?", Lance asked walking into the room.

I kneaded my forehead, only Coran and I knew Keith had run off on this mission and I had only just found out a couple of doboshes ago.

He had gone on this mission completely by himself and without permission, I was worried and angry that he'd gone and gotten himself hurt.

I looked at Lance and shook my head, "No, I haven't seen Keith, Lance because he ran off on some mission and now he has cut off all communications where no one can help him or do anything!", I ranted.

Lance stepped back a little and blinked, surprised on how I lost my cool.

I blinked and took a deep breath, "Sorry, I'm just really stressing out here."

"Wait.", Lance said holding up his hands, "Did you just say Keith snuck off on some mission! No fair! Who does that hot-headed mullet think he is!"

I looked at him annoyed, "Lance, not now!"

"So where did he go? At least tell me that!", Lance asked crossing his arms.

I ran a hand over my face in utter frustration, "That's the thing, I don't know. I would have sent help immediately if he hadn't shut off the tracker as well."

Lance looked put out as much as I did, "So you're telling me Keith is off all by himself on some fancy secret mission, you don't have any contact with him and you don't know where he is? Doesn't this seem a little suspicious?"

I immediately sat up straight, "Listen here Lance, I'm not going to sit here and listen to you place false blame on Keith when he did nothing to make you think that.

"I believe he's trying to get that quintessence prototype we got wind of earlier or maybe it's something completely different, I don't know.

"But I'm not going to listen to your suggestions of Keith doing something against the team, you got that?", I finished dead serious.

Lance nodded, "Sorry Shiro, I guess I kinda overreacted, but Keith's been acting a little different ever since he fought Zarcon. I'm just worried.", he said rubbing the back of his neck.

Hunk suddenly came into the room who was closely followed by Pidge.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought I was the only one.", Hunk admitted looking at me and Lance.

"I know, right?", Lance said throwing his hands in the air.

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably as Hunk looked between us, "You've noticed it to, right Shiro?", Hunk asked.

Pidge nodded, "Keith's been avoiding us lately and he never wants to talk about what happened when we got separated after we escaped in the wormhole.", she said flashing her glasses.

"It's like he's trying to hide something!", Lance pointed out.

Hunk and Pidge nodded in agreement.

"I don't think he's up to no good, you know Keith guys, he just doesn't like to talk much.", Hunk pointed out to Lance trying to find the silver lining.

Pidge raised an eyebrow, "He's still hiding something Hunk and being kinda secretive. I mean Shiro told us his part of the story, but Keith hasn't told us anything! Don't forget you've noticed Keith acting suspicious too Hunk."

Hunk shifted, "Well yeah, but it doesn't mean he's going to do something bad."

"Oh, give me a break! Keith doesn't just act suspicious for no reason!", Lance said looking at all of us annoyed.

"Guys! Keith isn't hiding anything, okay?!?", I yelled over them having enough of this conversation.

It boiled me up hearing my team converse with one another, talking behind one member's back as soon as the member was gone.

That wasn't how a team was supposed to work and by no means was it operating that way as long as I was around.

The group stopped talking and looked at me.

"How are you so sure?", Pidge asked me crossing her arms.

I stopped and looked at her.

She had a point, how was I sure Keith wasn't hiding something?

I breathed it out, that was ridiculous.

I would know and believed Keith was just uncomfortable with my request when we had crashed-landed on that planet a while ago.

That was a lot to ask of him and I think I might have stressed him out a bit by asking.

Going on this mission must have also been a opportunity to get away and get some breathing room, even if that breathing room could be fatal.

I took a deep breath, (wow, if I kept this up I might break a record or something), and looked at them all.

"I know Keith isn't hiding anything because I'm sure he's been acting funny because of me.", I said as all their eyes trained on me.

"Wha, what do you mean?", Hunk asked scared pulling on his fingers.

I sighed, "When I was on that planet me and Keith crashed landed on, I asked and told him some things.

"I was hurt, as you all know, and I was worried for the safety of the team. I wanted to make sure there would be a clear leader if something happened to me.

"So, I asked Keith to watch and lead you if well, something happened. It was a lot to ask of him and a lot of pressure.

"I guess Keith was afraid and uneasy, though he's never mentioned it to me privately or otherwise. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, I don't know, but I do know Keith isn't acting like this for some illegal reason. He's just overwhelmed.", I explained.

Lance, Hunk and Pidge were real quiet processing what I just told them.

Hunk was the first to break the silence, "Wow, talk about pressure. I guess I would be kinda've uncomfortable around you guys if Shiro told me I'd have to take his place one day."

"Yeah.", Pidge nodded.

Lance kicked the ground with his shoe, "I don't know. Keith isn't one to chicken out."

"Seriously Lance?", Pidge shot him a look.

"I'm just sayin', no need to get all worked up.", Lance said putting his hands up in surrender.

I cleared my throat getting their attention again, "I didn't tell you all this so you would argue more. I told you this so you would stop arguing and maybe put yourself into Keith's shoes."

Lance decided to be literal as he made his infamous comments.

"I'm pretty sure Keith's shoes would be to big for me be in. I mean, have you seen his shoes? That mullet has some huge feet, I'm pretty sure he's part Bigfoot.", Lance commented.

I shook my head and looked at Lance. Did he always have to be so literal, goofy and somehow cynical?

"Lance, can't you be serious for once?!", Pidge asked as she smacked him in the arm.

"Ooowww!", Lance whined rubbing his arm, "Do you have to be so violent? And isn't that Keith's thing?"

That earned him a kick to his shin from Pidge as I held back a smile. Lance had it coming.

"Okay guys, that's enough.", I said standing up.

The two shot each other a look, but turned and looked at me along with Hunk.

I forced a smile, "You know, enough of this serious stuff. How about we do a training session or something that builds teamwork?", I suggested.

Lance groaned, "Do you all think about is work?"

Pidge frowned, "What about Keith? And where the quiznack is he?"

Hunk nodded, "Yeah, where is Keith?"

Lance sighed and looked at them exasperated, "Keith apparently decided to go off on some mission by himself a while back and has cut off all contact and trackers in the process."

"What!?!", Hunk and Pidge said in unison.

They both looked at me and I nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, Keith's gone off on his own and we have no idea where he is or how he is doing. I didn't know he was gone until it was to late.", I said as I kneaded my brow for the seventh time that day.

Hunk coughed, "Soo umm I'm guessing Keith went on this mission without permission?"

"Of course Hunk! You think he went on this mission with permission without Shiro knowing and turning off any clues of what he is doing?!? Do you really think that?", Lance yelled.

"Lance!", I said as Hunk's eyes watered a bit, "That was completely uncalled for."

Lance slumped down a little as Pidge glared at him across the room as she patted Hunk on the back.

"Geez Lance, what's your problem?", Pidge scolded.

I looked away from the group and as I turned away I'm pretty sure I heard Lance mutter something about a stupid mullet.

No doubt Lance was referring to Keith.

I sighed again,(how many more times could I sigh?), and turned towards the window praying Keith was okay.

I heard Pidge whisper something incoherent to Hunk and then make her way over to me.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Allura could track down Red.", she stated, "Have you tried that yet?"

I blinked and felt like an idiot.

"Pidge, you're a genius!", I cried swinging her around with joy then quickly setting her down.

"Yeah, I know.", she said smugly.

I smiled and shook my head. So much for humble. Humble wasn't even a word in Pidge's dictionary.

I quickly ran out of the room and knocked on Allura's bedroom, trying hard not to burst it down myself.

After a few moments I knocked again, growing anxious now that Pidge had given me the idea.

The door opened finally, revealing the pretty Altean princess who had a cucumber mask and bathrobe on, who was clearly having a spa day.

"Oh Shiro, can I help you?", Allura asked brushing a strand of hair away.

I nodded and pulled her down the hall to the main room as I explained what had happened recently.

Allura to her credit was able to keep up with me and by the time we arrived back in the main room was able to start her search.

"Why wasn't I told this earlier?", Allura asked as she drew up the altean hologram computer.

I grew a little red in the face, again feeling like a doofus for not thinking of it before.

"Umm the thought never occurred to me. I don't know why. I guess I was blinded by worry and stress.", I said.

Allura rolled her eyes, "Well you would have saved a lot of valuable time if you would have gotten a grip, but I understand.", she said becoming a little kinder.

Suddenly the holograms went red and flashed to black and purple, throwing Allura in the process.

"Quiznack!!", Pidge exclaimed as Allura crashed to the floor.

A Druid suddenly appeared on the screen as the all the other holograms disappeared in his place.

"Hello paladins.", he sneered.

I stood in front of the hologram and narrowed my eyes at him, "Who are you and how did you hack our systems?", I questioned.

I saw Lance help Allura up from the corner of my eye as Pidge and Hunk stood beside me.

The Druid snickered, "My name is Zhantic and I hacked when the princess found the lion, quite simple."

"What do you want?", I demanded.

"The real question is, or shall I say statement is, I've got something you want and are you willing to get him back?", Zhantic said.

He then stepped aside showing Keith looking like he had suffered a torture chamber, which with the Druid he probably did.

My breath caught as the rest of the team gasped.

Zhantic laughed like the evil maniac I knew he was, "Yes, the red paladin Shiro. And if you want him back, come and get him."

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