Closer to the Ground (Kidge One Shots)

Chapter 2: Detectives of Garrison

     Pidge somehow got to Hunk first, on her bike.  Lance, Keith, Coran, and Allura parked their motorcycles and walked inside the labs. They walked through the empty halls of the lab until they came to Hunk's room, the only one with the lights on.

     The group walked into Hunk testing and Pidge running around doing something.

     "Hey, Lance! How are you guys doing!" Hunk said looking up from his petre dish. 

      "Hey, Hunk! What are you two doing!" Lance said as he walked over to his best friend.

       "Well Pidge is cross-referencing the fingerprint with the FBI's system, don't ask, and I found something weird on the glass so I am checking it out," Hunk said.

        "GOT IT!" Pidge said happily. "Oh, my. Well, this is going to be a problem." 

         "What is?" Coran asked. Pidge closed her laptop and turned.

          "Nothing, I said nothing," Pidge said.

           "Hey, if it has anything to do with my brother, it is something," Keith said.

            "Ah, you must be Keith. Good, I will need an assistant and the police have other matters to attend to. Come on," Pidge said as she walked out of the door. Keith awkwardly followed her down the hall.

          "Where are we going?" Keith asked as he caught up to her. "And why do you need me?"

          "Allura is the only one willing to do felid work and she hates me. Everybody does. Except for Hunk and Lance. And we are going to the house of the other two kidnappings."

        "They lived together?"

         "Father and Son. Samuel and Matt Holt." Pidge said. There was something about the way she said it that made Keith think there was something up, but he couldn't place it.

         They got outside and Pidge went for her bike.

         "Wouldn't it be faster to use mine?" Keith said.

          "Yes, yes it would," Pidge said as she pedaled away. Keith sighed. He saw why she was so hated. He got on his motorcycle and drove off after her, easily catching up. But he had to say, she was keeping up with him on a bike.

      They got to the house, and Pidge put her bike inside the garage.

      "Pidge, you can't put your bike in someone else's garage!" Keith whisper shouted at her as he walked towards her.

       "Is it your house, no, so don't tell me what to do," Pidge said then she proceeded to the front door. 

      "It's not your house either! Fine," Keith whisper yelled. He gave up and walked to the door with her. Pidge opened to the door and walked in. "Pidge! You can't just walk into someone else's-"

      "Mom! I'm home!" Pidge called softly. The house was dark and a bit creepy, and it didn't help when Mrs. Holt came downstairs. She was in a nightgown and her eyes were puffy from tears. She looked defeated. "I'm going to fix this okay? Go get some rest," Pidge said holding her mother's hands before sending her off to bed.

      "You're- " Keith gapped as he walked in.

       "Katie Holt? Yes. I am. Pidge is just a nickname," Pidge said. "That's not the point though, we need to go to the lab," Pidge said.

      "The lab? Weren't we just there?" Keith asked. 

       "No, I mean the Holt lab, it's an old shack out in the woods behind my house," Pidge said. "I just need to grab a few things first, stay here," Pidge ran up to what Keith assumed was her room. She is so annoying, why didn't she tell me?  Why is she so closed off? 

      Pidge came down with a backpack that looked like that humans' from Adventure Time. 

      "Ready?" She asked. Keith shrugged and Pidge led him out the back door and down a worn down trail. They entered the dark woods and Pidge took out a flashlight and gave Keith one as well.

      They shined their light on the path and entered deeper into the woods. The forest started to get darker and the underbrush got thicker. They got to the edge of a tiny clearing and they saw the run-down shack. Pidge grabbed Keith shirt collar and pulled him into a nearby bush. They were crouched behind the bush and they were very close to one another.

     "Look, Keith, before we go in there I need to tell you something," Pidge said in a hushed voice. "I think I know why are families members were taken. Sam, Matt, and Shiro were all working on project Altea remember?" Keith nodded, "When my dad and Matt were taken I noticed the file on whatever project Altea was missing too. I knew if that was the case Shiro would be next, but I didn't tell you. I am so sorry, it is my fault he is gone, I second-guessed my deduction. Hate me all you like, I'm used to it, I just thought you should know,"

    Pidge kept looking at the shack through the bush and Keith just looked at her. WHAT! SHE-I hate her. I hate--wait do I? She is rude at times and isn't the prettiest in this town by far. But she is smart and funny, so why should I be just like all the rest and hate her?

      Keith reached over and gave Pidge a quick hug then he let go.

      "Let's sneak around the side," Keith said to a shocked Pidge.

       "Y-yeah, good idea," Pidge said. The two traveled through the underbrush and snuck up to the shacking, hiding underneath the window. Pidge held a finger to her mouth, signaling for them to be quiet.

      "I've had it, old man! Tell me where Voltron is! Project Altea will be destroyed and Zarkon will have your 'Voltron', so TELL ME WHERE IT IS!" A woman's raspy voice said as she pounded her fist against something.

     "He'll never tell!" Matt yelled followed a gunfire and a scream.

       "Hold your tongue boy, or next time you won't be so lucky," The woman said. She left the shack and Pidge and Keith was stuck listening to Matt whimper like a wounded dog.