Chapter 2

"Wait, please, my friend is hurt-" The cell door was slammed shut before Shiro could finish, and he sighed as the guard walked away.

"Thanks for trying." Pidge mumbled, dropping onto the metal cot with both arms tucked against her chest. "Kinda not surprised they don't have medical treatment for off-world prisoners, though."

"Was worth a shot," Shiro replied as he sat beside her. "Now come on, let me see your hands."

Reluctantly, Pidge held them out, cringing as she did so. Shiro bit back a hiss at seeing the damage his arm had caused. Both the younger paladin's gloves had been melted away, the first couple layers of skin on her palms and fingers burned through as well.

"Well, the good news is that I think these are only first degree," he murmured, allowing Pidge to tuck her arms in again. "Bad news is, I don't have anything to treat them with right now, and I know you've got to be in some pretty serious."

"'S not that bad."

"Liar."

The girl glared up at him through her bangs, and Shiro couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the belligerent expression.

"Well, regardless of how much they hurt, thank you for putting on a brave face, Katie." She huffed, but didn't respond otherwise. As the two of them waited longer and longer in their cell, Pidge eventually started to tip over, until her head was resting against Shiro's arm. He took that as a signal to go ahead and rearrange their positions a bit, turning to sit sideways on the cot with Pidge in his lap and leaning fully against his chest.

That was how Allura found them when she arrived a couple hours later, quietly fuming. The Altean immediately launched into a furious tirade over Shiro's unnecessary and dangerous attack, and how they were all in trouble because he'd clearly misinterpreted something, and the leader of the paladins of Voltron ought to be better behaved than this-

"Allura. That merchant's minion was Sendak."

Pidge's quiet words immediately caused the princess to deflate, her mouth opening in an oh of understanding.

"Well. That's- that's much more understandable. I apologize for fussing at you so, Shiro."

"It's alright, I deserved to be fussed at." The man sighed. "So, just how much trouble are we in now?"

Allura sighed, slumping slightly where she stood in the middle of the cell. "There are two methods of recompense, which these people are expecting us to choose between. The first would be a simple monetary transaction, but, Altean currency isn't exactly useful after ten thousand years."

"And we don't have much else in the way of valuable trading materials," Shiro said. "What's the second option, then?"

"...For one of you to agree to serving that cloth merchant as a minion for three years after your natural death."

Both humans stared at her in horror. "Okay," Pidge said. "One, gross. Two, why do I get the feeling that such a thing means we'd have to still be on this planet at the time of our natural deaths?"

"Because you would. The authorities here would place you in a specialized housing development, where you would live and work until such time as your natural lifespan ended."

"That's not an option, not if we're going to form Voltron and defeat Zarkon." Shiro rubbed at his eyes, thinking furiously.

"...I'll agree to it." He snapped his head down to stare at Pidge.

"Katie, no-"

"I said that I'll agree to it, not that I'll go through on that promise." She interrupted. "But you guys had better come bust me out of this 'specialized housing' as quickly as you can, or I swear I'll kick all your butts."

"I can't ask you to-"

"You're not asking! I'm volunteering!"

"What about your hands?"

"They'll be fine for a while longer, you worrywort!"

"What's wrong with Pidge's hands?" Allura cut in.

"They- got burned." Shiro lost some of his ire as the princess stepped closer to inspect the injuries.

"Did the guards do this?" She demanded.

"No. I was holding onto Shiro's hand to keep him from punching Sendak again when it lit up and burned me." Pidge said quietly, not meeting either of their gazes. "They don't hurt all that bad, honest."

"Hmph. I'll speak to the guards here on my way out, make sure they give you something for these. And," Allura sighed. "I'll discuss the terms of the deal as well."