The Difference Between You And Me [Voltron WA 2017]

Perseverance

"We have to get Lance, Keith and Hunk back!" Shiro said to the green paladin as he sliced through another wave of drones with his hand. Pidge wasn't doing nearly as good. Sweat poured down her face, and it hurt to run and to move her arms. Shiro noticed her heavy breathing as she paused to wipe the sweat off of her forehead.

"Watch out!" She cried suddenly, slamming into Shiro from behind.

"Thanks." He said, hearing the tractor beam behind him. "Pidge?!" He asked, turning just in time to see her disappear into the hole via the tractor beam that she helped him avoid. Shiro scowled, shook his head and dived into the beam, struggling to breathe​ as he was lifted off the ground.

"Shiro, what the hell?!" Pidge exclaimed as she saw him enter the small room that must have been beneath the platform. She and the other four paladins were shackled to the wall, and a drone forced him to the wall next to them.

"Shiro, what do we do?" Lance asked timidly.

"I... I don't know." He answered, knowing it wouldn't be enough. He was the leader, and he couldn't give them half-baked answers of "I don't know."

"So we're doomed." Keith said quietly, hanging his head down.

"Don't think like that, I'm sure there's a way out!" Hunk said. "We could contact Allura and Coran, they're coming down to Earth right now!"

"We don't have our helmets, remember?" Keith replied.

"I wish we hadn't left Earth in the first place." Hunk answered, sighing.

"If we stayed, so many others would be dead right now. Without Voltron, there may not be a universe to protect." Pidge said.

"What do we do, then?" Lance asked, leaning against the wall.

"We escape." Shiro answered, pulling his metal arm away from the wall.

"Why didn't you do that when you got here?!" Lance asked.

"Nobody ever uses their convenient and useful superpower until it's less convenient and useful. Have you never read any fanfiction?" Pidge answered, rolling her eyes.

"Who would read fanfiction these days?" Hunk asked as Shiro freed him.

"I don't​ know, maybe some fangirl who watched the first two seasons of a show and couldn't bear to wait until the third season to know more about the show? It's called a fandom, Hunk." Pidge answered, rubbing her wrists.

"Enough bickering. We're all free, so what do we do now?" Keith asked.

"You listen." Zarkon's voice entered the room. "Voltron has fallen, and now the universe will see how weak the so called 'legendary paladins' are." A drone walked down the steps, grabbing the nearest paladin by the arm. It dragged her up the steps as her teammates attempted to follow, unable to get past the force field by the stairs. Outside, a lion roared.

"They just took Pidge, again." Keith said angrily.

"That's gotta be some bad luck." Junk said. "But we're not going to give up! Right team?" He looked around to see the other three paladins looking at the floor.

--

"Let go!" Pudge screamed, ripping free of the drone as they surfaced. The floating platform was flat, with markings on the floor, ropes and floating camera drones. She was in an arena.

"I will gladly battle the weakling." She heard Haggar say to Zarkon, who shook his head in response.

"Let me. If I am seen to let my lackeys do the work, I will be seen as just as weak as this creature who dares call himself a paladin." Zarkon turned to face the girl with a sickening smile. "I will fight you personally, and I say I shall win. And to prove my strengths are not dependant on weapons, you will be granted your Bayard while I will have a simple blaster."

"My Lord, I would advise against this variable." Haggar said.

"It is my choice. And with all the universe watching," Zarkon gestured to the drones above, "I will seem strong. I will have Voltron. I will have power." He grinned wickedly, taking a blaster from one of the soldiers guarding the staircase.

"You'll never win." Pidge said, scowling at him. "We'll always find a way. Good always finds a way."

"Oh, end it with the propoganda." He said, raising his weapon. "Get your Bayard and begin the fight." Pidge glared at him as she put her hand at her side, bringing her bayard into her hand.

"Begin." Haggar said sourly.

--

"How do we get out?!" Lance asked, still slumped against the wall.

"We could start by all getting up." Keith said, ramming his shoulder against the force field again.

"He can't get up because of his leg." Hunk reminded him.

"I know, Hunk. I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Well, stop trying!" Lance said.

"Stop bickering. If we want to get out of here, we have to work together. We have to be a team." Shiro said, helping Lance to his feet.

"We need a plan before we try to go out there. We don't know what's up there, and it's unwise to attempt to go out there without some knowledge." Hunk said irritably.

"Well, we don't always have the information that we want. It's not ideal, but it's how life works. This may be our last chance to save the universe. If we give up just because we're scared to go out there without a plan, are we really ready to be the paladins that the universe needs?" Shiro asked.

"But what if we're not the paladins the universe needs? What if our lions were wrong? What is Allura was wrong?" Hunk asked.

"We may not be the paladins that the universe needs," Keith said. "But we're the ones that Pidge needs, and that's good enough for me." He looked up at Shiro. "What's the plan?"