Ships Any duo or trio in Lance/Allura/Keith/Hunk/Matt is possible, though some variation of Kallurance is the likeliest. There may be a one-sided crush by Pidge on Lance, Keith, or Hunk, but that is less likely to happen in this fic. I am open to shipping Lotor with Shiro or Ryou (Kuron). Shiro/Matt is also a possibility, though not a likely one.
Rating Teen and Up (possibly Mature), no explicit sexual content
Tags Graphic Depictions of Violence, (Temporary) Major Character Death, Graphic Panic Attacks, Topics of Suicide or Mental Illness, Topics of Abuse (mostly child abuse in regards to Lotor and medical abuse in regards to Shiro and his clone), Holodeck Malfunction, Video Games, Coran's Got Game, Crossover, Soccer, Quidditch, Coffee Shop AU, Zombie AU, Fake Honerva, Chess, Unexpected Friendships, Harry Potter, Dream Daddy, Overwatch, Rhythm Games, Marvel Comics
Summary
The Castle's hologram and simulation programs were top notch, and even after ten thousand years, they were among the most advanced in the universe. Now, with help from a source that knew more about the foremost scientific advances of the Empire than almost anyone save for Haggar and her Druids, Pidge was going to push those programs even further. With Lotor's help, she'd managed to set up a system that was immersive beyond belief, and even had some significant psychic elements. Given the number of video games and franchises that Pidge had saved to her computer, she could have set up a simulation based on anything from a war game to a rhythm game, for, ah, reflex training! Yeah. That.
It was the perfect upgrade to an already amazing training tool!
Of course, when the program glitched under the weight of too many minds, it began tossing them from franchise to the next with no way out. Pursued by a shadow of a villain taking the shape of Lotor's supposedly long-dead mother, aided by a person who should not have, by any rights, existed, and guided by a tutorial program that took the face of Shiro's Scandinavian double from another universe, Team Voltron (and friends) needed to find an escape... and fast.
Excerpt
“A bit higher, please!”
“Alright.”
Lotor had many faults. At many times, these faults included his height. Today, however, Pidge was very much enjoying the fact that the tallest semi-permanent resident of the ship also had Altean strength and a decent enough understanding of mechanics to know which tool she was asking for, or even bounce ideas off of. It meant that Hunk didn’t need to act as her ladder instead of working on his own projects, which meant higher efficiency. The workshop had gone from being just her and Hunk, with Coran occasionally popping his head in, to Pidge, Hunk, and Matt near constantly, with frequent appearances by Lotor and less frequent but greatly appreciated appearances by Coran and Ryner. Granted, they were fiddling with the training room right now, instead of the workshop, but still.
Turned out Lotor was a nerd of epic proportions. Who knew, right?
“Okay, drop time,” Pidge said. “The Lance version.”
“…the cradle, yes?” Lotor asked. “Isn’t that a little dangerous?”
“Dude, you’ve got me up in a cupie or whatever,” Pidge said. “And we’ve done thi—okay, be boring then.”
Lotor placed her on the ground, and probably a little more gingerly than he had to. “Humans are fragile, and I would rather not risk my place on this ship by engaging in reckless behavior.”
“Fiiiiiine,” Pidge said. She dropped into her chair and pushed herself over to her computer. “We’re probably good to go for the simulator upgrades, I think.”
“Do you have programs in mind?” Lotor asked, hovering over her shoulder and staring down at the code. Pidge shifted uncomfortably, and then released a tense breath as Lotor grabbed the other chair and sat down, leaning forward to rest his chin on crossed arms.
(She felt almost bad about it, but… well. They all had reasons to not trust Lotor, and he’d adjusted to their difficulties on that front with a surprising amount of grace.)
“There’s some video games,” Pidge said, swiping through the files she’d flagged in the gaming folder, and even a few in other franchises. “I can’t play all of them from here, since they’re MMORPGs and need an internet connection, but I like data-mining, so I’ve got a lot of the programs here on my computer anyway.”
“Is that legal on your planet?”
“…anyway,” Pidge said, clicking through to a new folder and ignoring the amused smile she could see on Lotor’s face from the corner of her eye. “Some of them are war games, or hunting games, or have other elements that we need to practice, like agility. By turning them into immersive simulations instead of just screen games, we can use them for training instead of just fun.”
“And the psychic elements are necessary?” Lotor asked.
“Hey, if you’ve got it, use it, right?” Pidge shrugged. She turned to look at him. “Besides, you were the one that helped me figure out how to get the system to do psychic immersions without relying on the headgear. Why worry now?”
“I’ve had more than a little trouble with psychics before,” Lotor said drily. “Or have you forgotten my story regarding Narti, Kova, and Haggar? Or your own regarding that, ah, artificial intelligence based upon the memories of the late King Alfor?”
Pidge made a face. “Point. Still, the psychic elements are opt-in and controlled from above, not just by voice. Any time the simulation is using a psychic element, someone’s going to be up in the control booth to make sure it goes alright.”
“I would suggest more backups and emergency off-switches,” Lotor said.
Notes
Ships Hunk/Lance, Shiro/Keith
Rating Mature, no explicit sexual content
Tags Drag Queen AU, Offscreen Familial Abuse, PTSD, Self-Esteem Issues, Eating Disorders, Depression, Panic Attacks, Homophobia, Coming Out, Neutral Pronouns for Pidge, Drag Queen Paladins, Drag Queen Allura, Drag King Coran, Lip Sync Battles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending
Summary
Shiro has PTSD from years of abuse. Pidge can’t find the courage to come out to their brother. Lance only falls in love with those who won’t ever love him back. Hunk can’t stand his body. Keith’s insecurities give him regular panic attacks.
Welcome to Club Altea, home of the most talented drag queens in the city. Enjoy your stay.
Excerpt
Shiro held Pidge close to his chest as they cried. He softly ran a hand through his sibling’s hair, trying to comfort them.
He cared so much about them. They were siblings in every manner but blood, and it hurt to see them in pain.
“I just don't understand,” they sobbed, their voice cracking from the raw anguish. “People call me a girl when I'm in drag, and it doesn't bother me at all. I like it!! So why does it hurt so much when I'm out of drag?!”
“Because the girl you are in drag isn't the real you,” Shiro told quietly, “You're quiet and clever, and you don't like to stand out. You're non-binary. That’s who you are, Pidge, and that's not who Katie is. She's a character. A performance.”
“I love being Katie,” Pidge told with a sniff. “I just wish that I loved being Pidge even half that much.”
“I know how you feel,” Shiro confessed, “I wish I could be Keiko all the time, because I like being her a hell of a lot more than I like being Shiro.”
Pidge blinked. “But you're amazing, Shiro. You're so kind and brave.”
Shiro laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Where you see bravery, I see weakness. I can't stand myself. That's why I fell in love with drag in the first place. I can be anyone I want to be.”
Pidge was silent, a solitary tear all that remained of their meltdown. “And so can I. Thank you, Shiro. I think I'm ready to go out there.”
Shiro kissed their cheek and grinned. “Knock them dead, Katie.”
Notes