[Today's the day. Mom and Kolivan have been talking about an upcoming meeting with some team who's also fighting against Zarkon, and how they hope to form an alliance with its leaders. Keith, who's only ever ventured outside the HQ for missions and has never gotten to know anyone beyond the organization who isn't Matt, is quite nervous.
He's not entirely sure why he's coming along, either. Matt is their tech guy, Kolivan is their leader, Thace and Ulaz and Mom are important warriors, but Keith is just...Keith. He's never really led any missions himself, plus he's a half-breed. Still, he was asked to accompany them, so he didn't fight it.]
[In some ways, Matt has no clue why he's tagging along on this one. Supposedly this other team's tech person has been working on some spy tech of their own, and they're hoping to combine it with his. Sure. He just doesn't know if he's going to be able to explain his... odd method of encryption to someone from a planet he's never heard of.
However, most importantly at the moment, he can tell Keith's nervous. Reaching over, he squeezes his hand gently.]
Hey. Just stick with me, ok? It'll be fine. We'll do the thing and then get home quick as can be.
[Keith nods, squeezing back, sticking as close as he can to Matt.]
Kolivan hasn't told us much about these people, other than they're headed by an Altean...one of the only two still in existence, in fact.
[They're not on Zarkon's side, but he's heard a lot of planets loathe all Galra for what Zarkon did. And an Altean, a planet Zarkon personally destroyed...]
Oh dear. Let me guess. Zarkon decided to be an ass and get rid of their entire planet?
[Matt shakes his head, sighing.]
It never works. It's a one-way trip to being dead. Everyone else just gets even more pissed off at you. But... hey. We'll be alright. I'm sure between your mom and Kolivan, we'll convince these people that we're ok.
Yeah. That was one of the first parts of history I was taught, about why the Blade exists. Zarkon nuked the entire planet, then went on a rampage subjugating others. Any of his own who tried to stop him ended up dead or enslaved.
[Among them people Kolivan knew personally. Plus the majority of his fellow Blades when he got started.]
[Matt giggles, and sighs, just staying quiet until they're docking with the castle. He leans over and kisses Keith gently before putting his facemask up.]
I think keeping up the mystery of my... humanity is probably the best for now.
For now. It's not a bad look for you, but I'll miss seeing your gorgeous face.
[Keith breathes deeply before he slowly gets up, Krolia giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. You'll be fine, dear. Everything's going to work out just fine.]
[They're soon approached by an Altean, a young woman looking roughly around Keith's age, maybe a little older. Beside her is a tall, muscular man with a scar over the bridge of his nose and mostly-black hair, with a shock of white at the crown of his head.
My name is Princess Allura, formerly of Altea, the young woman says. Princess?! Great, now Keith's really nervous.]
[There's a tiny squeak from beside Matt as he freezes. Shiro. It's Shiro and he's alive. He's not sure what to do, just stands there, frozen, watching him and the Altean.
He watches as Kolivan and Krolia greet the Altean and Shiro, giving the Blade's greetings and promises of alliance and help.]
[The man introduces himself as Takashi Shirogane, I was rescued by a member of your organization. So he's the one Ulaz rescued, Keith thinks. He remembers Ulaz speaking very fondly of him, saying he "gave them hope," and Keith can see why. He looks like someone you could feel safe with.
The others are soon introducing themselves: a dark-skinned man with glasses in red, a stocky smiling boy about his age in yellow, a skinny guy in blue.
And this is our team's resident technology expert, Princess Allura, gesturing towards a short kid in green. Keith blinks, something about the kid reminds him of Matt.]
[All everyone can do is stare for a moment, before Keith realizes this must be the sister Matt was talking about. It would be easy to assume she was a guy, but she looks just like Matt, and Matt's reaction pretty much said it all.
Hey, HEY, what're you doing to Pidge?! the blue guy shouts. Shiro, make this Galra guy cut it out! The kid-Pidge- squirms and struggles, not necessarily scared but clearly surprised.
[Pidge's eyes widen behind her glasses, and she flings herself into Matt's arms, wailing happily. You're alive, you're alive, I always knew you were even if no one believed me! And this gets the one in yellow bawling, too, Keith feeling a bit awkward but happy for Matt as he watches.]
The Blade's made it one of their priorities. Er, sorry for butting in, but-
[It's okay. Shiro smiles. I'm glad you guys were the ones to find Matt...even after I knew he'd be safer away from the arena, I still worried, especially... He looks down, biting his lip, and the man in red places a hand on his shoulder. Shiro looks gratefully towards him before returning his gaze to the Blades. Thanks for taking such good care of him, when I couldn't.]
[He untangles from Pidge long enough to point up at Keith.]
That's Keith. He's my boyfriend.
[And then he realizes who the man in red is and smirks a bit, completely disentangling himself from his sister, standing up and saluting.]
Good to see that you both have made up... sirs. To everyone else, I'm Matthew Holt, formerly of the Garrison, now tech support to the Blade of Marmora ... and Pidge's brother.
[Pidge glances between Keith and Matt, eyeing Keith for a long moment before she smiles. Somehow I had a feeling you'd hook up with an alien, she says. Shiro and the other man exchange a soft look.
Took us a lot of stupid arguments and a food fight, but yeah, we did, says the guy in red. Meanwhile, Blue and Yellow just stare at Matt, Lance clearly boggled.
YOU'RE the dude in the picture?! Blue yells.
No wonder Pidge looked familiar. We just thought she was some huge Matt Holt fangirl-er, fanBOY, who stole his look, Yellow adds. Pidge gives the two a dirty look, and Princess Allura and Kolivan just...watch this, not sure whether to be amused.]
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