#this will be a slow burn pidgance fic so aye

[pinkstarbeam]

Walking computer. Chapter one: Shocking discovery

It’s finally done! A huge thanks to @justpidgance  @thenerdbeast and  @tory-b for helping me finish this after a good month and a half of writers block

Lightning struck the ground miles away from the Holt family home and soon after a boom of thunder sounded, Katie Holt, the youngest of the Holt household was unfazed as she typed away on the keyboard of her desktop computer. Opening her skype after a quick youtube song search she noticed that one of her friends had messaged her, opening up the chat she quickly scanned over the simple message

HunkaHunka: Hey KatieKat: Hey, enjoying the storm? :3c HunkaHunka: Eh, I don’t really mind it, but anyway how is your history report coming? I just finished mine. KatieKat: I’m working on it as we speak, JFK was one scandalous man. HunkaHunka: Oh you’re working on your laptop then, unplugged I hope. <.< KatieKat: No, I’m on the desktop. HunkaHunka: Katie! It’s storming what if lightning hits near us and fries your computer then electrocute you? KatieKat: Hunk pls that’s just a myth, and besides the storm is miles away.

Another rumble of thunder sounded though this time it seemed louder, the storm had been miles away a mere few minutes ago, shaking her head Katie figured it must have been some kind of echo.

HunkaHunka: Did you jinx the storm or something? That thunder was crazy loud!

Katie went to type her response when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a bolt of lightning strike the power box outside, but before she could react the electricity coursed its way through the electrical circuits and into the tips of Katie’s finger, the zap so powerful that she went flying back all the way across the room, the last thing she saw before blacking out was her desktop going up in flames.

-

A month-long coma and multiple physical therapy appointments later Katie was back to her normal self, the incident that had happened in late November seemed so far away now that it was mid-February. She had felt weird ever since the incident but never brought it up thinking it was probably just her body still getting used to the metal pole in her left arm after she broke it from slamming against the wall that night. “Geez you’d think after almost two months my body would feel better.” she mumbled as she slouched back against the number of pillows she kept on her bed for comfort. Looking to her left arm she poked at the area that she knew was now metal and no longer bone, it made her feel like some kind of cyborg which in her book was pretty fucking cool. Picking up her laptop she felt a strange jolt in her left arm, dropping the computer back onto her bed she quickly grabbed her left arm whilst stringing out a line of mumbled curses as she waited for the pain to dull. “What the hell was that-” she began, but cut herself off as she pulled her right hand away from her left arm to reveal that her whole left inner forearm was glowing, and not just glowing but, looked like a digital keyboard. She had to be dreaming...Right? Poking the T key on the keyboard she heard a subtle tap and nearly jumped out of her skin. Grabbing her laptop she quickly opened it and brought up a blank Google Doc, looking to her left arm again she began to type out her name, once finished she felt a cold chill run down her spine as the google doc read simply ‘Katie Holt’. Shutting her laptop she quickly scrambled away from it feeling as if she had just committed some kind of crime. ‘What the hell is going on?’ she thought and picked up her phone. Once again the same jolt came once her left hand came in contact with the smartphone, hissing loudly she began to dial hunk and put the phone to her ear. “Katie! What’s up?” Hunk answered cheerfully. Katie blinked as she heard an echo “Are you in a tunnel?”. “What? No, I'm in the living room watching my twin sisters why?” her best friend asked confused. Katie’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion, moving the phone a little away from her ear she spoke again “Are you sure?”. “Yeah, I mean I can snapchat you them watching lion king right now,” he laughed. The sixteen-year-old questioned how hunk heard her so clearly and why there was an echo. Sitting her phone on her bed she began to speak again. “Can you hear me?” Katie asked. “Uhm yes? Loud and clear why?” Hunk asked sounding as equally confused as she felt. Biting her lip she got up and walked to the other side of her room, she had to be slightly drowned out there right? “What about now?” the sixteen-year-old asked one more time. Her best friend groaned “Yes Katie, crystal”. “Hunk, I am literally walking down the hall to the kitchen and my phone is in my room.” she said walking out her door. “No way, did you invent something?!” he asked excitedly. Katie looked her right hand that she had been holding against her chest and moved it away “No.”. “What was that? You faded out.” Hunk replied. Feeling sick Katie brought her right hand up to her mouth as if to cover it and started speaking “And now?” “Good again.” the older boy declared. Katie started to shake horribly, what was going on? Why could she hear phone calls in her head and type on her computer using her left arm that was now a subtle green glowing keyboard for some reason. Running to her room she quickly locked the door behind her in an absolute panic as she tried to search for some kind of logical reasoning for this, but the only one she could come up with was she was dreaming and after multiple pinches she was fairly certain she was wide awake and living some kind of nightmare or one of Matt’s childish pranks that sometimes went too far. “Hunk I gotta go.” she said and hung up on Hunk before he could object. Opening her computer she began to type using the normal keyboard into Google ‘I can hear phone calls in my head’ which made her sound like some kind of crazy person. A thing called phantom ringing came up, but that wasn’t what she meant and the rest was useless voicemail and speakerphone stuff. This was something out of one of Lance’s comic books and though she enjoyed the stories she knew they were all fictional, science fiction if you will, but what was happening to her right now wasn’t fiction, she had become some kind of computerized human in the few months after the incident. “Relax Katie.” she spoke out loud to herself whilst taking a deep breath “Just go to sleep, everything will be fine after a nap.” she mumbled the last part whilst tucking herself under her green comforter. Beginning to close her eyes she blocked out any thoughts from entering her mind as she focused solely on things that made her feel sleepy, but her focus was quickly changed when there was repetitive loud knocking on her front door. ‘You have to be kidding me.’ Katie thought as she slid out from under the comforter. “Katie it’s me!” she heard Hunk’s familiar voice call to her as she descended the stairs. The brunette blinked in confusion as she opened up the door to see Hunk holding the hands of his little twin sisters “The heck Hunk!?” she said being mindful of little ears. Hunk walked in quickly and gave his sisters a bag of toys he had brought “You can’t just sound all panicked and hang up on me like that!” he declared puffing out his cheeks. Katie couldn’t help but smile a bit at her best friends behavior, he had been protective of her and Lance since they were kids so she should have seen all of this coming. “Alright, Ronda and Rachelle stay here and play with your toys alright?” Hunk said looking to the twin girls that were currently looking through the bag of toys. The brown eyed girls nodded signaling to both Hunk and Katie that it was safe to go talk in the next room, for the time being, walking into the kitchen Katie felt her anxiety rise at the thought of explaining all of this to Hunk, but she rather it be him than some doctor who would probably make her some kind of human lab rat. “Alright, so what is going on?” Hunk asked as he helped himself to a glass of water. Biting her lip the sandy-haired brunette began to search for the right words “Well you see…” she began “Something or well, I think the accident did..something to me.”. The ebony haired teen blinked “I mean you have a metal pole in your arm so.” he said sipping his water. As she began to fidget with her hands she remembered her left inner forearm had turned into a keyboard “Okay I'm going to show you something, but you can’t tell ANYONE about this, and I mean anyone Hunk, that includes Lance and your Moms.”. Sitting down his water as he felt the air get more serious the older boy then gave a nod but was confused as to what could be so serious from the girl who literally sends alien memes to the group chat at four A.M. Taking a deep breath Katie stretched out her left arm and gently poked at her inner forearm, suddenly the digital keyboard came to like and Hunk’s tan features went pale. “Th-That’s one convincing tattoo.” Hunk nervously laughed. Katie shook her head taking Hunk’s hand “Touch it.” her tone serious. Gulping he gently poked at one of the keys and noticed it turned darker like an actual digital keyboard would at touch “What the fu-” he began to yell but, Katie cut him off by slamming her hand over his mouth. “That’s not the only thing, remember the phone situation?” Katie asked not removing her hand from the other mouth. Hunk nodded. “I could hear the whole call in my head and my right wrist was acting as the transmitter.” she said removing her hand from the male’s mouth. Hunk stood silent for a good minute not sure how to exactly reply to the fact that one of his childhood best friends was now some kind of cyborg, yet not, more or so like a walking computer. “What else can you do now?” he finally asked. “I-I’m not sure…” Katie answered as she raked her sandy brown locks through her fingers “All this happened after I touched my laptop and phone.”. “Wait after you touched them?” Hunk asked. She nodded “I picked up both and in doing so I felt this really painful jolt, but after it happened I had a usable keyboard on my skin and could hear phone calls in my head.”. “Have you tried any other electronics?” he asked. Katie blinked “Didn’t know you saw me as some kind of masochist.”. Hunk rolled his eyes “I didn’t mean it like that and you know it, I mean can you like get powers from other people’s electronics.”. The sixteen-year-old shrugged “Give me your phone and we’ll see.”. “What? No!” the male squeaked as he held his phone protectively “Use Matt’s laptop or something!”. “And have his search history seared into my brain?! No way!” she nearly gagged at the thought of what could possibly be on Matt’s computer. “Wait for what?” he asked, “You would get the stuff off his computer if you touched it?”. Shrugging Katie closed her eyes “Let me check something.” she then began to think about files on her computer and suddenly a file of pictures simply title ‘friends’ popped up and began to come into view one by one as if she was looking a computer screen. “Well?” Hunk asked. Opening her eyes to answer she was quickly cut off by Hunk’s scream “What?!” “Your eyes are glowing!” he yelped. Katie looked at him like he was insane, but the noticed on the wall behind them was a projection of the picture she had been viewing when she opened her eyes, it was one of their group of friends at the beach last summer. Seeing her shock Hunk turned to see what Katie was looking at “You’re doing that?!”. She nodded and closed her eyes again thinking of something else other than the photo and when she opened her eyes there was a youtube video of a kitten playing in place of the picture as Hunk watched in astonishment and slight horror. Closing her eyes one last time she cut off any kind of thought that could project and when she opened her eyes again there was no longer any kind of projection on the wall. Hunk brought both of his hands together and held them in front of his mouth as he drew in a deep sigh “Katie this is…”. “Weird, strange, freaky?” Katie suggested. “Awesome!” the older boy declared. The brunette shook her head a bit in shock “Come again?”. She asked seeing as a minute ago Hunk looked like he was gonna faint. “I mean yeah it’s weird, but like, you’re a walking computer!” he cheered happily. “Wouldn’t cyborg fit better?” she asked. He thought for a moment “What is the definition of a cyborg?” Katie felt a strange shiver go up to her spine “Cyborg, noun, a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body.”. Hunk blinked “Did you just…” “I just fucking did a web search with my brain!” she squeaked holding her head as panic overtook her. “Alright calm down, it’s new information to this already shocking development, but I'm sure with time we can figure this out.” the male spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Sighing Katie threw herself into one of the bar stools her family had around the breakfast bar, all of this was making her head spin, had she really turned into some kind of superhuman? It would explain why the shock hadn’t killed her, but still how was it scientifically possible? Raking a hand through her hair once more she let out an annoyed groan as she placed her head on the bar as her head continued to spin. Rhonda walked into the room, her dark brown curls bouncing around her face as she tugged at Hunk’s leg “I’m hungry!”. Shortly after Rachelle ran in “Me too!”. Hunk laughed “Well maybe big sister Pidge wants to go out to lunch with us?” he asked using Katie’s nicknamed. Katie raised her head and managed a smile at the two girls who were currently giving her puppy dog eyes “Alright, let me go get my bag.”

-

Entering the small diner in downtown Altea was always a pleasant experience, the air always smelled of delicious foods and the staff was friendly and polite which made you want to return in the future. Walking over to a booth both teenagers slid into either side accompanied by one of the twins, as they sat there Katie couldn’t help but feel like some kind of freak of nature that didn’t belong around normal humans anymore. Hunk noticed Katie shift uncomfortably “Katie relax, you look normal as long as you don’t, ‘ya know.” he said addressing the glowing eye situation earlier. “Know what?” a familiar voice asked. Looking up Katie seen Shiro, her brother Matt’s and Allura’s boyfriend holding two normal menus and two kid ones “I forgot you worked here!”. The older male laughed “Wow I'm hurt Katie, to think I grew up with you.”. She stuck her tongue out at him as she felt a wave of calmness wash over her, Hunk was right, as long as her powers or whatever you wanted to refer to them as didn’t act up she looked like a normal teenager. “Alright what will we be having to drink today?” Shiro asked as he pressed his pen into the writing pad. “Two fanta oranges for the twins and just a tea for me.” Hunk said as his eyes scanned the menu. “Okay, and for you Katie?” the eighteen-year-old asked. Katie thought for a moment “Just a glass of water.”. “Alright, i’ll be right back with those,” Shiro said with a smile as he walked back towards the kitchen. Relaxing back against the red-padded booth Katie watched as Ronda and Rachelle doodled on the paper menu with the supplied crayons, taking out her phone she went to turn on her camera, however when she did her vision changed to be as if she was looking into a camera. Hunk noticed how pale Katie had grown “You okay?”. Katie quickly exited the camera setting on her phone and closed her eyes, when she opened them again everything was back to normal ‘No. No, I am not.’ she thought laying her head down. Shiro approached the table and sat the drinks down before casting a look of worry at Katie “Are you okay? Should I call Matt to come get you?”. Sighing she shook her head “It’s alright guys, just tired.” she lied faking a smile. Both males gave her a look that basically said we don’t believe you, but we will let it slide for now to which Katie was very thankful for. Shiro took their orders and left for the kitchen once more leaving the twins and the teens alone once more. “Katie are you sure we shouldn’t talk to an actual-” Hunk began, but was cut off. “No!” Katie said covering her face with her hands. Her best friend frowned “Katie how else are we gonna figure this out?”. “I don’t know.” she replied honestly “All I know is that if I tell an actual doctor what is going on I'm either gonna get thrown in the loony bin or become a human lab rat.”. “Isn’t Allura studying bio-med?” he asked sipping his tea. Sighing the sandy-haired brunette glanced out the window “I don’t know Hunk.” she repeated herself. Hunk gave a sigh of his own he crossed his arms over his chest “We can’t just ignore this and you know it.” “Well can we at least just talk about it later?” Katie hissed in annoyance. Rachelle picked up her coloring page that was inside her menu and showed Katie “Look Katie! I gave the cat glasses like yours!”. A smile crossed the older girl’s face “That’s really cool Rach’!”. Ronda held up her coloring page, it was the same picture except this cat had Hunk’s signature working headband on rather than Katie’s glasses  “I have mine bubba’s headband!”. Both teenagers smiled feeling the worry of all the techno mumbo jumbo leave their thoughts for a little while thanks to the girls, they even joined in on doodling on napkins with the crayons while they waited for their food. Needless to say, the afternoon was saved thanks to the twins, but Katie and Hunk both knew, in the end, they would have to really talk all of this through in order to reach a conclusion even if Katie wished to just ignore it.

-

When Monday came Katie felt as if the whole world was watching her and waiting for her to mess up and reveal that she was now some kind of superhuman. Staring into the full-length mirror in her personal bathroom she felt like she should look slightly different, but she didn’t she still had the same mid back length sandy brown hair, hazel eyes hidden behind reading glasses, and pale freckled skin. “I can do this.” she mumbled to herself as she nervously ran her brush through her hair one last time. “Katie!” Matt yelled from outside her bedroom door “Hurry up Shiro is almost here to take us to school!”. “Coming!” she replied and quickly gathered her things. Shiro taking the Holt siblings to school wasn’t anything new, he had been doing it since he got his permit back when Katie was in her last year of middle school so that none of them had to ride the dreaded bus anymore. “Bye Mom! Bye, Dad!” Katie yelled as she ran past the kitchen and towards the front door. “Oh! Bye, sweetie!” her Mother called back. “Have a good day sweet pea!” her Father replied after. Quickly slipping on her shoes that were at the door she then exited the house to see Shiro’s black SUV parked in the driveway, Matt already in the passenger seat as the two talked about who knew what. Opening the passenger side back door Katie climbed in “Talking about me?” she joked. “Oh definitely.” Matt played along with a snort. Shiro shook his head with a smile on his face “We were talking superheroes.”. “Never took you for a superhero fan, Shiro” Katie said buckling. “I mean I really wasn’t until Matt showed me this one, his name is Barry Allen and his super ego is known as The Flash, pretty cool dude.” he replied as he backed out. “How insane would it be if stuff like that could actually happen?” Matt added. Katie gave her best attempt at a laugh trying to hide her nerves “Yeah, it would be pretty insane.”. Keith, Shiro’s adopted younger brother and one of Katie’s best friends took his headphones out “You guys are both nerds.”. “Says the guy who's listening to five years old All Time Low songs.” Shiro snorted. Katie and Matt stifled a laugh while Keith shot a death glare towards the rear view mirror so Shiro could see it. Katie was thankful Keith was with them, he was easily her third best friend next to Hunk and Lance even if he and Lance didn’t really get along all that well, he was her cryptid and alien buddy. Once they were at the school Katie quickly hopped out of the SUV and made a b line for the school’s front doors, Keith easily keeping up with her as they entered Altea High with it’s oh so familiar smell of sub par cafeteria food and teachers lounge coffee. “Hey, Pidge!...Mullet.” Lance called out their nicknames as he approached them. Keith groaned “You’re annoying. See you first period Katie.” he said ruffling his friend hair before walking off to his locker “Man, what’s his issue?” Lance asked as he walked with Katie towards the cafeteria. Katie shrugged “I mean you could call him by his actual name you know.”. He smirked “Mullet isn’t his actual name?” he joked. She elbowed his side as a small smile crossed her face “Come on at least try to be nice McClain.”. “Ouch last name! That hurts Holt.” he said putting an arm around her shoulders as they entered the cafeteria. Removing his arm from around her Katie sat down across from Hunk and Shay at their table while the two lovebirds were sharing a cutesy moment of debating who loved who the most, it was enough to make her lose her appetite. Lance faked a loud cough causing the pair to look up “Hey.”. “Oh hey, Lance.” Hunk waved with a smile then looked to Katie “Hey to you too.”. Katie nodded and looked to the side signaling to Hunk that she needed to talk to him. “Ah, I'll be right back okay?” he said looking to Shay. Shay nodded “I need to go find Allura anyway to give her back her notes.” Hunk nodded and told Lance that he and Katie would be right back which earned a questioning eyebrow raise from the other male. “You two hiding something from me?” Lance asked. Hunk shook his head “It’s just robotics club stuff.” he lied. “Yeah!” Katie added. “And you can’t talk about it around me?” the Cuban asked. “Lance anytime we mention robotics you either fall asleep while we talk or change the topic.” she replied placing her hands on her hips. “True, alright see you guys later!” Lance said heading for the lunch line. Hunk and Katie both gave a sigh of relief and made their way outside of the school and to the back alley way where they could talk in private. “Alright, so any new discoveries?” Hunk asked leaning against the wall. Katie shook her head “No, but that doesn’t mean whatever this isn’t going to act up today.”. He nodded in agreement “Yeah I mean if you do that google search thing again you’re bound to look suspicious.” Groaning the brunette slid down the wall burying her face in her hands “Hunk what am I gonna do?”. “I really think we need to tell Allura.” Hunk answered. “Tell me what?” A familiar feminine voice asked. Katie yelped in surprise as she looked up to see the one and only Allura, her light blond nearly white hair was braided and thrown over her shoulder giving the full view of her curious and suspicious blue eyes. “N-Nothing!” Katie squeaked out waving her hands wildly “It’s nothing!”. Allura frowned “Katie you know you can tell me anything.” ‘Except this’ Katie thought. Hunk couldn’t hold it in anymore “Katie has super powers!” “Hunk!” Katie hissed. “I’m sorry, okay, but this is just weird and Allura is the only person we know who could possibly help!” He said throwing his arms out on either side of him. Allura has a small chuckle “That’s a funny joke guys, now what’s really going on?”. Katie sighed running her hands through her hair “It’s...It’s not a joke.”. The older female’s eyebrows knitted together “Katie it’s physically impossible for super powers to be well real.”. Looking around to make the coast was clear first Katie touched her inner left forearm causing the keyboard to light up “Well they are.”.