Hope you like! More Klance to come later. This may be a bit angsty (in my opinion, but may not be for some), but please read! Also, feel free to check out my other fandom works! Thanks, and enjoy!

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After their huge battle with Zarkon, everyone seriously wanted a break from any and all Galra. Keith agreed at first, practicing combat with the gladiator to pass a bit of free time here or there. Other times, he'd mess around with his Marmora blade, with a little help from Kolivan here and there.

But, this was a bad mistake. Without Shiro around to take charge and keep everyone calm, the team that took so long to build started to unravel. Shiro had asked Keith to lead Voltron if something happened, but Keith still thought Shiro was delirious.

He did try to take charge, but whenever he did, he got disgusted looks from everyone. He knew it wasn't towards his leadership skills, but more like what he couldn't change, something he couldn't improve over time.

They were mad at him, just like all the other Galra. Even though he was only half Galra, on his mother's side. Hunk wasn't angry, like Allura and Pidge, but he was rather fearful and more nervous around Keith. Lance was just always disappointed towards Keith. Even the Red Lion was reluctant to admit Keith now.

Keith was left in his room again, gazing at his knife before packing his few belongings and jacket. He left his paladin armor and bayard in his room. He wouldn't need it.

He heard all the others shuffle by through the door, before sneaking out and creeping down the corridor the other way, away from the other dorms and the command center.

He had already prepared an escape pod, one without Pidge's explosive additions. He would go find Shiro, even if he had to scour every planet, across every galaxy. Even if he had to tear apart every Galra ship, fight even Zarkon himself...

Keith tossed his bag into the cockpit, but froze when he heard footsteps behind him.

"And where do you think you're going, Keith?" Shit, it's Lance!

"I--I...uh--" Keith stammered before his foot slipped off the wing and he crashed right on top of Lance.

"Seriously? And they called you one of the best pilots at the Garrison? You can't even board an escape pod!" Lance grumbled as he shoved Keith off of him.

Keith was the first to his feet. "At least I was a good pilot--"

"Yeah, who washed out--" Lance countered.

"Enough, you two," Allura shouted. They froze, foreheads pressed against one another, as they watched Allura, Coran, Hunk, and Pidge stroll forward. "Keith, why are you preparing another escape pod?"

Keith sighed irritably as he ran his hands through his dark purple, almost black hair. This is exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"I'm going to find Shiro," Keith muttered. "Without him, the team is falling apart."

"But didn't Shiro ask you to lead Voltron--?" Coran recalled.

"Yeah, and it's obvious how well that's gone," Keith muttered. "I know how much we need to stop the Galra, how much you hate them, and me," Keith whispered, his last side note inaudible to the others. "You guys are like siblings to me, but I have to do this."

"No, no, n--no, we already can't form Voltron without Shiro," Hunk protested, tears streaming already.

"Yeah, losing the Red Paladin as well as the Black Paladin?" Pidge noted as they adjusted their glasses. "It's not the best strategy--"

"You're not losing the Red or Black Paladins, I'm bringing them both back to Voltron," Keith replied.

"What do you mean, 'them'?" Coran noted. "You're the Red Paladin--"

"Was the Red Paladin," Keith snapped. "Ever since we found out that I'm part Galra, all of you, even Red, have kind of shunned me. I'm gonna bring Shiro back, and a better Paladin--"

"The Red Lion will only let you pilot it," Allura argued.

"The Black Lion let me pilot it to save Shiro, so Red can adjust too," Keith argued as he stepped back up onto the wing and opened up the cockpit.

Lance grabbed his arm. "You're not going, or at least not without the rest of us. We are Voltron. You can't just abandon us."

"Watch me," Keith growled as he kicked Lance back, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to force him to release Keith's leg. Keith leapt into the cockpit and revved the pod to life, speeding out of the Castle as the others rushed to stop him.

He spotted the Green, Blue, and Yellow Lions diving out of their bays to stop him, but thankfully, the pod had enough of Allura's essence for one wormhole jump. And Keith knew exactly where to start looking.

Keith inserted the coordinates he knew by heart, and his stomach churned and leapt into his throat as he was sucked into the portal. He was going to find Shiro. And his first destination, was home.