#all the animals are so well-taken care of and pampered and the regulations are so strict

[ruthlesslistener]

love how aras will paint animal testing as this 100% cruel inhumane thing where the subjects are kept in dirty cages and tortured endlessly meanwhile at my actual animal testing facility we have to tell the professors to cut back on the enrichment items for the peanut butter lab because they've stuffed the cages so full of colourful shredded paper and hides that we can no longer easily locate the animals to do a health check without disturbing them

[bellamyblake]

The perfect sleeping arrangement

for @star-sky-earth

Alternate Universe-Canon divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Mommy!Kink, Nightmares, Anxiety Disorder

Bellamy always tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders but at night he's breaking apart-anxiety and nightmares are tearing him up, yet he won't let Clarke take care of him. Unless she insists and he starts opening up to her. 

The only time Bellamy ever allowed Clarke to take care of him was at night.

During the day it was all about him doing everything he possibly could-going hunting, passing by medbay to bring her lunch, toss a scarf over her naked neck so she doesn’t get sick, ask her mom if she got anything for breakfast over her rolling eyes, make sure she comes back home before ten even though there’s a council meeting that night that he won’t attend because of his guard shift.

And it wasn’t just about her really-still, two years after they set their camp and started actually building it, he was taking care of the hundred as if they were his own children just like when they first landed-he brought Jasper a new jacket, fixed the roof of the co-joined cabin that Harper, Monty, Miller and a few other kids used, made sure to raid long-forgotten bunkers for winter supplies, participated in the shoveling of the snow, smoaking the meat from the game he had caught, helping Raven with the electricity solutions she needed figuring out as well as taking up as many guard shifts as he could especially during the winter when it was harder for the delinquents.

He even volunteered once a week in the small day care they opened last fall, reading books and telling stories to the kids in the midst of giving them a few history lessons here and there.

Overall he was stretching himself a little too thin and Clarke hated it even though whenever they fought about it, he always made sure to remind her that she’s no better than him.

And that may have been true but the thing was, he refused to let anyone ever take care of him, even her.

Even though he made sure she was fine all the damn time and it was the little things that broke her-him making her tea in the evening, bringing her hot water for her freezing feet and making sure she warmed up after her enthusiastic run in the back yard when the first snow hit, him tucking her up at night even when she kicked the blanket or finding the right kind of animal skin so he would sew her gloves for the winter.

He had even learned how to knit from a grounder woman during the summer festival and when they got back to camp he secretly traded a few sweaters for some yarn, only to start working on a beautiful blue scarf for her that he wrapped around her once the first winter days arrived.

It was great being with Bellamy but it was also heartbreaking, watching him give all of himself away and never expect anything in return.

Even when they kissed or had sex he always made sure she’s came first, always made sure to show her just how much he loved her, whispering words about her beautiful body in her ear as he teased her clit and bring her over the edge.

But when Clarke wanted to do the same, he’d try to get away, refusing the attention.

Some mornings she’d feel his hard cock against her butt and reach over to take him, turn around and kiss him, try to give him a good time but he’d kiss her forehead, mumble something like “I’m fine, princess, have to get to work, maybe some other time.” and slip away leaving her angry and sad that he just denied himself pleasure.

She knew why he did it, she had seen it from the moment back at that tree on their unfortunate day trip-he didn’t think he deserved it even though she had tried to make it known, even though she always made sure to show him how much he means to her, how much she loves him-but it wasn’t about that, it has never been about that-the fact remained-he didn’t believe he was worthy of being loved, of pleasure, even when it came from the person he cared for most in the world and who cared for him just as much in return.

The thing was, he tried to hide his problems away from her as well and that had been the last straw to turn things around.

At first it was his inability to sleep because of anxiety-he had a few days or even a week sometimes every month when he couldn’t sleep-nightmares plagued him and left him weak and exhausted but he would try to hide it from her at first until one night she came home and found him so tired that he had passed out by the hearth, having only just started the fire.

She can't even move him no matter how hard she wants to. She kneels down, puts her hands under his armpits and tries but he's so heavy. On top of everything he's all wet from the snow-his jacket's peppered with fastly melting snowflakes, his hair was drenched-the curls stuck to his forehead, he was freezing and she knew his boots leaked too, so she had to get him out of it and warm him up.

”Come on, Bell, wake up, let's get you to bed.” and he manages to wake up, get to a half-awake state but he's so out of it, like a drunk five year old who had absolutely no idea what was happening to him.

”C-larke?”

“Yeah, come on, please I can't lift you on my own."

“I'm tired.” he mumbles.

“I know, but you need to get to bed.”

“Why?”

“Because it's cold out here you'll get sick”

“I'm fine...it's by the fire...just...leave me”

“No, I’m not leaving you, come on, please.” she’s desperate at that point, feels her own tears picking up at her eyes.

“It's okay, I like it here.”

“It's the wooden floor, your back already hurts, it's time for bed, please help me, please,” he groans a little, too tired to even lift his head and look at her but then she adds “for me.”

And that does it.

He manages to lift his feet just a little so she can drag him to bed and spray him diagonally at first, then she starts undressing him slowly, he's moaning everything hurts him-he's absolutely exhausted, tired to his very bone, hadn't slept in days, worked all through it too on top of it.

He's a baby when she undresses him he goes “I’m cold.”  when he doesn't have clothes on or “Ohh, my feet!”  when she takes his boots off and finds his blisters.

She’s pretty sure he’s only ever saying that because he’s not coherent of anything happening around him and he’s just a child speaking his mind.

It wasn’t just a one time deal, though-it kept happening and it worsened significantly with the change of the seasons-when winter settled he got bad, really damn bad and his anxiety made him jumpy, sad and insomniac.

In the spring it was a little better but still quite hard and the hot summer nights would throw him into another nightmare spiral that could last a month and leave him absolutely exhausted until the autumn winds hit and allowed him to breathe somewhat.

She takes him to Jackson when she comes home one night to find him passed out in his work clothes again. This time he's too tired to fully wake so she has to pile the blankets and pillows on the floor and sleep with him there to make sure he's warm enough.

Clarke figures out quickly that he loves being spooned, held, kissed-he groaned content when she ran her fungers through his hair-he liked being warm but he didn’t wear clothes in bed except for his boxers and he enjoyed most of all when she tucked him in first after taking all of his clothes and then sliding in bed, wrapping herself like a monkey around him and holding him tight.

Jackson had prescribed him some anxiety meds but after talking to some grounders at the summer Polis trade between clans, Clarke found herbs they could use to brew as a tea for him to drink.

It didn’t always do the job but it helped significantly.

Still, she figured out he had a need for her late at night in those vulnerable moments and the more they occured, the more he allowed himself to be like this despite the constant battle in his heart.

He liked being pampered, liked her momming him, taking care of him like that.

But there was still something that tips the scales and it comes from the most unexpected places of all.

Second year around when the camp is up and running, all of them have to go through the mandatory health check ups.

Of course, Bellamy had tried to get away with his, sneak out but Clarke had grabbed him by the collar-literally and dragged him there for his mom to do it, knowing if it was her, they probably would end up with her pinned on the cot, him on top, pushing into her, instead of her taking in his pulse.

And that’s when it happens-her mom takes in his blood pressure and finds it too high, listens to his heart carefully and furrows her eyebrows as she focuses. Clarke feels the cold spread through her from her back through her entire body when her mom tells them things are out of norm but that if he takes some blood pressure medicine to regulate it, everything will be alright.

Clarke hates herself for it though-she should’ve noticed it sooner. She always let herself be held by him and she had noticed, as she rest her head over his chest, that his heart beat too fast but she thought it was just him being too tired or maybe the anxiety was making it worse for him but she never once thought something could be wrong.

That’s when things changed and she refused to let him get away with being taken care of anymore.

His heart beat became her good night lullaby.

During the day he was still Bellamy the guard, Bellamy the hunter, Bellamy the protector of his silly kids starting with Jasper, Bellamy the love of her life who brought her lunch.

But at night things shifted.

He’d sit in bed and wait for her to come out of the bathroom.

“Took your anxiety meds?” he nods seriously “The blood pressure ones?”

“Yep.”

“You sure?” he had  stupid phase where he tried not to take them for a few weeks so they could save recources and ration them and she hadn’t talked to him for days after.

“I’m sure, Clarke.”

“Good boy.” she praises as she comes over “Time for bed now.” she lays him down covers him up and he looks at her with big brown beautiful eyes.

”You coming?”

“Right in, you big baby.” she promises as she leans over and kisses his forehead.

“Can you hold me?” he’s learned to ask for that with time and she had made sure to show him how proud she was of it.

“Of course.” she tucks him in and then quickly slides in on the other side of bed, wrapping herself around him, her arm over his chest and leg thrown over his. Her other one sneaks under his neck and she pushes his head to her chest so that he’s a little lower than her and her chin cover his head. That way she had quick access to his hair and she runs her fingers through his curls gently, helping him relax.

Because at night she sleeps deep, she doesn’t always hear when he wakes up from his nightmares or terrors and the only thing betraying him would be the dark circles under his eyes in the morning, so she has to ask every night how the previous one had been because only then would he be honest.

“How was last night?” he knows the question will come so he shivers a little as she holds him.

“Not too bad.”

“How many times did you wake up?”

“Once” he lies. She tightens her grip on his chest.

“Your shirt was soaked, Bell.” he shrugs and closes his eyes but she insists ”So? How many times?”

“Three.” he lets out quietly and she wraps herself tighter around him

“Why didn't you wake me up?”

“You know I can't.” she knew he wouldn’t, he never did. Unless she was there to scold him and force him to lay still while she took care of him after a night terror, he wouldn’t say a thing.

He had admitted once that he would wake up gasping for breath but force himself not to move too much and instead just stare at the ceiling while he calmed down so he wouldn’t wake her up.

She hated it. She hated whatever made him hate himself so much that he’d refuse to reach out even to her.

She knew it was about the way he was raised-his mom loved him according to his words and fond memories of her, but she was stern and had expectations for him especially after Octavia was born when the real hell began.

He had anxiety then too, night terrors as well, he may have developed this heart condition just because of the constant stress he was put under, he just had no way of knowing it.

One night as she was holding him he admitted he wouldn’t sleep at night after O was born, he’d check on her and his mom all the time, then sleep by the door when they knew there would be random check ups in Factory.

He’d fall off his bed as he tossed in his nightmare sleep, he’d shake all the time, grow restless or too tired, get angry sometimes-all signs of what he was still suffering from now.

Something else that happened lately as she came to find out-because he was so exhausted from his lack of sleep, he’d take short naps in hiding, away from her, so he wouldn’t bother her with his pain.

He’d go to the small overhang they had in the backyard where they kept the woods and sleep there and she’d hate it when he did that because it was so cold there she worried he’d get sick or he'd hide out in the kitchen while Murphy prepared dinner after bringing in the game he caught with the hunting party outside. He'd even spray on one of the metal tables at Raven and Monty's tent where they discussed plans for the camp.

So she knows, comes to figure out that spooning him and holding him helped a lot so all of this didn't have to happen. So he wouldn't have to hide away.

But something else did too.

Clarke would ask him if he’s okay, if she could do something else besides holding him but he’d of course shake his head and grumple a soft childish “I’m fine.”

She’d know better do, could always tell by the way he folds into her if he’s more vulnerable than usual, if it’s worse that night than the previous from the way his hands tremble or how he pushes his head into her hand looking for her touch.

In those nights, like tonight, she slides her hand down to hix boxers, digs in and pumps his cock to hardness.

He gasps a little, pushes his back into hers and looks up, searching for her eyes.

He doesn't want her to worry so much, so he tries to tell her it's okay but she wouldn't hear it and she jerks him off like this from behind. She knew exactly how he liked it by now-starting slowly, teasingly from the tip of his cock before sliding all the way down and cupping his balls for a moment before taking him in again.

His legs kick off the blanket just a little, he arches his back and she reins him in, calms him down, by kissing him softly, starting from his cheek, to his chin, sliding down to his neck, peppering him with her love, making sure to pay attention to all the freckles she sees in her way.

Her other hand is still in his hair-tucking at his curls, moving his head just the right way to expose more of him to her, give her a better angle as he gasps into her arms and calls for her untill he comes gasping, head buried in her chest, begging to be held, tighter, to be cuddled.

Finally, she lets him roll over when he's spent and he buries his head in her chest.

Clarke knows what he wants.

He loved sucking her tits after a good blowjob like this but she teases him a little like a boy who wants to be fed in the middle of the night but his mom's sleeping.

Bellamy buries his nose between her tits, breathes her in, lets her run her fingers through his curls, soft talk him, baby him until his quiet moans turn to desperate ones and he starts sucking, searching for her through her thin shirt.

“So impatient.”  she jokes “You want some of that big boy?”

He whines, writhes against her just a bit, searching for more like a desperate hungry kid.

“What's up?” she runs her fingers through his hair once more while he keeps trying to bury deeper into her, probably hating the fact that she decided to wear a shirt tonight but it was winter and she was cold. “You hungry?”

He groans, buries his head even closer, searches for her nipple but can't find it through the awful angle that her tits are in now that she’s laying on her side “Want me to lift that up for you?” she asks grabbing the hem of her shirt that is in fact one of his “Want to suck on mom's tits?”

He looks up then, moves away a little and she wants to laugh at how cute and adorable he is-his mouth hanging a little, saliva drooling on his chin from his desperate attempts to get to her tits.

He gives her a soft hurt look, his eyes so lost and desperate, the barest of nods and she just can't deny him when he does that-he’s so sweet, so gentle, so broken.

And so exhausted.

“Maybe this will help him fall into a fitful sleep.” Clarke thinks as she cups his cheek and runs her thumb over the dark circle under his eye.

He's so tired, it's the absolute picture perfect of a boy turned baby needing his mom and a hungry for his partner man.

She can’t handle it, would be lying if this wasn’t doing things to her too, so she raises herself up just a little and pulls her shirt off.

His reaction is immideate, he doesn’t even wait for her to fully lay back down when he takes the nipple of her right breast in his mouth and sucks on it hard.

He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her up closer to him, wants to feel all of her pressed to his body, needs to have her there with him.

He doesn't just kiss her he sucks on her like a baby that's expecting for milk to come and it leaves her gasping and thrusting into his leg at the feel of her own wetness pooling into her but it is him that breaks her heart- he's so desperate for love and affection it's absolutely devastating for her.

It's noisy, he's smacking on her like a hungry baby and he's beautiful, so damn beautiful.

But he also never forgets about her-he sneaks his hand down to her ass and squeezes it, which makes her panties drench with her wetness and she grinds a little into him but she doesn't need release-this is about him, just him.

He gets a little hard again but it's not about that either now-he just wants to suck on her breasts and move his hands down her ass then up her back, then to her stomach-he loves touching her stomach, the softness there, the round curves that make her arch her back a little, makes her moan above him, reach out and put her hand on his shoulders, looking for something to support her.

Then he goes down to her panties, sinks in a finger into her making her gasp as he moves to her other breast, smacking just as hard, desperate for her beautiful breasts, desperate to beheld in her arms, to be vulnerable around her but also to love her, to let it pour out of him in any way possible.

And when he's had enough of touching her he brings his fingers up, pulls away for just a moment so he could spread her wetness around her nipple before sucking onto it hard again.

“Bellamy-” she gasps and he moves away from her nipple for just a second, peppers her chest with soft little kisses, moves to the valley of her breasts, drags his tongue there before sucking onto the skin just above her right breast and pulling her closer to him by the waist.

“Bell-”

He moves away a little, looks up at her asking if he did something wrong, worrying like always but she just takes his face in her hands and pulls him in for a kiss. She’s as desperate to have him as he is her but Clarke knows this is about him, so after she lets him go they just pant a little, breathe with hurry and desperation after their recent endeavours.

Her hand falls to his chest, his fast beating heart and she wants to command it to slow down.

“Ready to fall now?” she asks and he sneaks a glance down to her chest again before he looks right up, not daring speak out his desires but trying to silently ask for them anyway.

Without words.

He could never speak for himself.

But she would.

“You can take one if you want to.” she prompts him gently tugging at his neck and pushing him back to her chest.

“You don’t mind?” he asks and his voice comes out too small, too scared for her liking.

Clarke hurries to shake her head.

“In fact I love it.” he tilts his head a little as if asking “Really?” and she smiles “I love having you so close at night.”

HIs head falls and he looks down for a minute, accepting her answer, but trying to gather up the courage to ask something else.

“Will you still hold me?”

“Of course I will.” she promises and he smiles, beams really in a way she rarely sees on him which makes her sad because he should be like this all the time.

He quiets down after but not before slipping his hand back in her pants and sinking three fingers into her again, it's like he just wanted to be there, always, being the Bellamy that he is, to always give in return.

She grinds a little into him, he pumps her some but then they settle.

She watches him, cups his cheek runs her hand through his curly bangs smiles and kisses his forehead.

He gets a little shy like what he wants of her is too much, too weird maybe but she confirms again with a little nod that says ”It's okay, you can go ahead” and he wraps his mouth around her nipple again and smacks like a baby until finally he quiets and they fall asleep like this-his fingers in her and his mouth on her-the perfect sleeping arrangement.

[mischiefandspirits]

She Never Felt Alone

Part of the Cat of a Different Color series

With Allura all healed up, the team decide on their next move. It was supposed to be a quick in and out mission. Instead one of their own ends up captured while another ends up at deaths door. Can the team save them both before it's too late?

Part 1: Just Kitten and Get Out

Things seem to be going fine, then they don’t.

“Come on. Hold still for just a few more seconds.”

<Why did I agree to do this, again?>

<You said you wanted to spend more time together.>

<More time with you. Not him. And certainly not while playing dress up.>

<You look adorable though!>

“He’s right, you do!”

Merla hissed at both Blue and his paladin.

“Yeah, yeah. You're all done, mopey cat. What do you think?”

Merla turned to the mirror and looked herself over.

“Has she always been like this or is it Keith’s influence?” she heard Lance whisper.

<If anything, she influenced Keith. Also, you know she can hear you, right? Cat ears.>

Merla snorted and turned to the side, still looking in the mirror.

Well, she supposed it wasn't nearly as constricting as the armor, and the train felt light enough that it wouldn't tangle with her legs or weigh down her tail if she needed to run.

She'd still rather not wear it.

Lance’s bedroom door opened and the three looked up to see Keith standing in the doorway.

He blinked at the scene in front of him, bemused. “What are you doing? And what is Merla wearing?”

Lance smiled and reached over to adjust the train of the cheetah’s red and white dress. “I'm making the cats fancy clothes. You know, so if we have another party like on Arus.”

“Why would they need fancy clothes?”

“So they'll look fancy. Look at them, running around naked like wild animals!”

“They technically are wild animals. Physically, at least.”

“That doesn't mean they have to look it. They don't even have collars!”

“Merla bit Shiro the one and only time he tried to put a collar on her. He almost needed stitches. Speaking of which, how did you get that on her in the first place?”

Lance winked at him. “What can I say, I have a way with the ladies.”

Keith sent him an unconvinced look. “Blue talked her into it?”

“He may or may not have had a hand in it,” Lance shrugged.

“Thought so.”

“So what do you think? Merla likes it!” Lance said, holding his arms out.

<I did not say that.>

Keith shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “I think it's unnecessary and pointless, but by the looks of it you're going to be making the cats entire wardrobes.”

“Why not? Blue’s practically got his own closet back at home filled with lil cat clothes.”

<Seriously?>

<I like looking pretty, thank you very much. And don't act like you don't like to be pampered in your own ways.>

<That is not the point!>

“That's… I don't know what that is,” Keith chuckled. “Anyways, play time's over. Allura and Shiro want us all on the bridge.

<Freedom!> Merla cheered, phasing through the clothes and darting out the door.

The three stared after her before Lance carefully picked up the dress. “I guess that's one way to get it off without messing up the pins.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, did you say we ?” Keith asked, turning to Allura.

“I’m going with you. I’ve traveled through the Galra transportation hubs many times with my father before the war began. I know more about them than any of you.”

<She’s got a point,> Pua agreed.

<Oh please, she walked around with an escort. She’s never had to be sneaky. Hunk has way more experience sneaking through military buildings than her. Plus that was a long time ago. They’ve probably changed floor plans since then,> Merla snorted.

“Princess, I’d rather you stay here,” Coran said.

<Agreed,> Ryou huffed.

<By the Anodites, Merla and Ryou agree on something,> Chip hissed quietly to Blue and he shook with witheld laughter. <Is it time for the Great Shadowing?>

“I’m a part of this fight against Zarkon as much as anyone. I’m going. Does anyone have a problem with that?”

The paladins all looked away from the princess.

<Me!> Merla chirped. <Ryou too. Keith, tell her that!>

Keith glared down at her. No, he mouthed. He liked living, thanks.

Coran turned to Shiro with a worried look.

Shiro shrugged. “Fine. Suit up.”

Coran shrieked and the paladins shot Shiro shocked expressions.

<Come on, guys. The princess knows how to fight. She’ll be fine,> Blue growled.

<Love, being able to fight is low on the list of necessary skills for a spy. The best spies don’t even have to fight.>

<I’m with Blue, you guys are being too hard on her,> Pua snorted.

<I have a bad feeling about this,> Chip sighed.

“He’s still looking. I think he’s waiting for a signal or something,” Lance whispered.

“I got it.” Hunk crawled out from under the console and held up one of the sentinels. He used the wires on it’s disconnected arm to make it greet the Galra on the screen, pretend to type at the console, then point at the Galra, then give him a thumbs up.

The Galra held his hand up in acceptance before ending the call.

<I can’t believe that worked,> Chip said as Hunk sighed.

“Nice job, Hunk.”

“Thanks,” Hunk said, giving Lance a high five with the robot hand.

“Okay, download complete,” Pidge announced and everyone crowded around her.

“What’s it say?” Keith asked.

“Nothing. This place doesn’t have any useful information. Just a schedule of the ships coming in and out.”

“Well, I guess this mission was a bust,” Lance said.

“Let’s get back to the Castle,” Shiro commanded.

“Hold on. Pidge, do you know where that ship is headed?” Allura asked, pointing at the one that had just arrived.

“Um, it’s scheduled to be here for about a half an hour, then head off to Central Command.”

“That’s where they have the information we need, and I’m going to sneak aboard that ship and get it for us.”

<By the Anodites,> Merla groaned.

<Called it,> Chip sighed.

“What? No way!” Lance exclaimed.

“How are you going to get in?” Keith asked, looking skeptical.

Allura pulled off her helmet. “I’m going to walk right through the front.” She closed her eyes and her skin faded to a soft violet and her limbs stretched until she was more than a head taller than all the paladins.

<That’ll help,> Ryou noted as the paladins gasped. <Still a terrible idea.>

“How the heck did you do that?” Hunk asked.

“The Alteans are a chameleon-like people who can blend in with the local populations. It’s the ability that’s made us great explorers and diplomats throughout our history.”

<Actually, chameleons change color mostly in response to mood or to regulate temperature. A better comparison would be certain cephalopods, like cuttlefish.> The cats turned to Blue, who held up his nose. <What? Yeah, I know things. You got a problem with that?>

<Once an organic nerd, always an organic nerd,> Merla purred, cuddling up against him.

<Got that right!>

“No, just one at a time, and I will need a change of costume,” Allura replied to Lance, Hunk, and Pidge as the cats refocused. She turned to the Galra Shiro had knocked out. “I can use his uniform as a disguise.”

“I can’t let you go in there alone.”

“Excuse me?” Allura turned to Shiro with a defiant expression.. “I do not need your permission.”

<Oh snap!>

<Chip, no.>

“It’s too dangerous. I’m going in with you.”

“You will stick out like a choferiak’s nose.”

“You’re going to need that nose, princess,” Pidge stepped in. “Shiro’s hand is made from Galra tech. It’s the only thing we have that will allow us to interface with their systems and gather intel. I can monitor the download remotely from here.”

<If only we had someone properly sneaky that could work Galra tech!>

Merla bit down on Blue’s ear.

“Fine, you can come.”

“Uh, you guys better hurry up if you want to get on and off before the ship leaves for Zarkon central,” Hunk pointed out.

The two turned to go and Keith asked, “How are you going to get Shiro on board?”

The two shared a look.

“Oh! Laundry cart!” Lance explained, earning confused looks all around. “Like, you know in those break out movies when the prisoners hide in the laundry carts in order to sneak out! Shiro could hide in one of those crates they’re loading onto the ship and Allura could push it onboard! Like a laundry cart!”

Keith and Allura still looked a bit confused, but Pidge nodded. “That could work. Might be a tight fit. I'm pretty sure those things aren't filled with cloth.”

“It's our best bet though,” Shiro sighed. “Alright, Allura, get changed.”

The princess got to work pulling the Galra’s armor off while Shiro turned to the others.

“You guys stay here and stay hidden. Pidge, try and see if you can get any other information out of here.”

“Right.”

He turned to Ryou with a smirk. “You wouldn't stay here even if I told you to, would you?”

Ryou snorted and pressed up against his side.

“Didn't think so. Just stay close. We don't know what would happen if the Galra got their hands on one of you.

<Could they even keep us contained?> Pua asked.

<Doubtful, but we still should be careful,> Ryou replied.

“I’m ready,” Allura said, coming in fully armored.

“Alright, let’s go.”

<I wanna go on record saying that this is a terrible idea.>

Merla couldn’t say she hated being right. Actually, she loved it. What she did hate, however, was when being right came with a cost.

Things had been going fine. They’d snuck in, quietly taken down the sentinels guarding the room, discovered that the Galra had somehow been able to tap into a new source of quintessence (or at least she hoped it was a new source. If they had once more reached the Lifelight then the team had more problems to worry about then they’d thought), and stolen a vial of refined quintessence off a cart.

And then the weirdo in the hood that reeked of dark magic appeared next to Keith and everything went downhill.

<Keith!> Merla growled. She pounced at at the druid that blasted Keith, but they teleported away.

They appeared next to the vial of refined quintessence Keith had dropped when he flew back and picked it up.

“Okay, plan B!” Keith shouted, leaping to his feet and drawing his bayard. They both charged the druid, only for them to teleport away again after setting the vial on a new cart.

After nearly getting her head sliced off on accident, Merla fell back, watching Keith chase about the appearing and disappearing druid until they disappeared and didn’t come back.

<Where’d they go?> she hissed, looking around.

“There,” Keith called, jumping aside as violet lightning rained down on them.

With the druid’s focus on Keith, Merla jetpacked to where the druid was. She latched onto the shocked druid just as they tried to teleport again.

She felt her armor fall away and her physical form disintegrate as her quintessence was pulled along with the druid. She felt her quintessence brush against that of the druid. She felt their pain-surprise-confusion-pain-fear-curiosity-pain-anger-curiosity-pain-fear-anger-pain-curiosity. She felt them return to the physical plane and she returned to her physical form, digging her fangs into their shoulder.

They let out a shout and blasted her off with magic. She flew backwards, slamming into a case of quintessence. She heard Keith call out to her as the glass shattered and the quintessence poured over her.

Then everything went white.

“I think we’re in trouble.”

“You think?”

<Now’s not the time for fighting,> Ryou huffed.

Allura looked around the room before taking a few steps back. “Okay, stand aside.”

“What? Why? What are you-”

Allura rushed forwards, slamming the door off the track and plowing into the guard standing outside. The boys followed her out as she yanked the gun out of the unconscious Galra’s hands. Ryou sent an impressed look to the helmet embedded into the wall before turning to his paladin, who was gaping at the princess.

Ryou snorted as she asked, “What?”

Shiro just looked her up and down.

He finally snapped out of it as a group of sentinels turned a corner and began charging them.

“Let’s go!” They took off down the hall and Shiro called into the comm, “Pidge, fire up the Green Lion! We’re coming in hot!”

They stopped as a pair of sentinels appeared in front of them. Allura tried to shoot them and Ryou dropped to the floor to avoid the blasts that flew out and hit one of the sentinels behind them. Shiro quickly stepped in to take down the two. As the others approached, Allura grabbed one of the fallen and tossed it, knocking down the others.

“I thought you said you’d traveled around the galaxy,” Shiro said, grabbing the gun from her and turning it around. “I mean, you fly a spaceship. How could you possibly not know how to hold this correctly?”

“I’m tense. This is a tense situation,” Allura snapped, grabbing the gun in one hand and his arm in the other before dragging him away.

They paused as the realized no one was following them. They turned to see Ryou still collapsed on the floor.

“Black, come on. We need to get moving.”

The liger whined, but didn’t move.

“Ryou, what’s wrong?” Shiro asked, coming to his side.

“Secure hatches. All personnel take positions for departure.”

Allura looked up at the announcement before shoving the gun back into Shiro’s hands. She scooped Ryou into her arms, saying, “We can’t stay here.”

“R-right.” Shiro took the lead. He made sure Allura was keeping up before calling into the others. “Guys, something’s wrong with Ryou.”

“He’s not the only one. All three of ours suddenly just collapsed before disappearing on us. Pua and Chip were gone right away and Blue only stuck around long enough to tell Lance they’d gone back to the lions before disappearing as well.”

“It’s not just Ryou. Chip, Pua, and Blue were also affected,” Shiro explained for Allura’s sake.

“What could be causing this?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Ryou, you should head back to the Black Lion and rest.”

Ryou gave a weak growl and pawed at Allura’s shoulder.

The princess gave him a sad smile and pressed her head against his. “We’ll be okay Black. Go on. You’re in no condition to fight.”

“She’s right. We’ve got this. Head back. Once we get back to the castle, Pidge can run a diagnostic and hopefully figure out what happened.”

As Ryou finally relented and disappeared, Pidge called through the comms, “Shiro, we’re at the Green Lion. We’re going to-”

Shiro gave her a moment to continue before calling her name.

“Sorry, I'm fine.”

“You collapsed! She collapsed, Shiro!” Hunk added with a worried voice. “Lance is helping her into her seat because she can barely stand on her own!”

“I'm fine. It's just Chip. I can feel her better in here. It's… They're hurting bad. It’s like pain and exhaustion and numbness and lightheadedness all rolled into one. I… I don’t…”

“It’s okay, Pidge. Can you guys fly?”

“Yeah, we’re heading out.”

“Good.” Shiro ducked as laser fire shot past them. “This way!” he told Allura turning them down a side hallway.

“Are you alright?” Allura asked.

“Yeah, just worried about the lions. Do you have any idea what this could be? I didn’t think they could get sick.”

“Neither did I. But then, we never thought they could speak or create other forms either. My father had always just assumed it was an odd result of mixing the material the lions were made of with Altean science. A sort of accidental AI. To think that they could be thinking, feeling creatures capable of intelligent communication is… astounding! I don’t think my father ever had any idea of what they are capable of, let alone Coran or I.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

Allura bowed her head a little. “I suppose all we can do is what you suggested. Have Pidge, Hunk, and Coran run some tests and hope for the best.”

Shiro nodded with a shaky breath. A shot nearly grazed his side and he shook himself. Right, focus. We need to get out of here and then I can worry.

Allura turned to shoot at the sentinels chasing them as Shiro turned a corner and called out, “The escape pods are up here!”

“Formulating navigation. All crew assume secure hyper-speed positions.”

Panting, Allura pulled the Galra helmet off her head. “Hurry! We can't leave once the ship goes into hyper-speed!”

“Sh-Shiro.”

“What is it?”

“I… I think we know why the lions are so messed up.”

“Why?” They ran into the escape pod hanger and Shiro set his hand on the door controls to shut them. “Hunk?”

“Shiro,” Lance said. “I think Merla’s dying.”