Fic/AU idea guys wait-
Adam is able to convince Shiro to sit out the Kerberos mission (or it never happens?). Meaning, Keith never gets kicked out, Pidge would probably join the Garrison under her own name, and Lance would stay in cargo class. All is going swell, until Shiro’s disease starts to get worse. This fucks Keith up, who starts verbally and physically lashing out- but only to the extent of a suspension or less, not an expulsion. Lance, being the kind-hearted boy he is, decides to set aside his rivalry and reach out to his classmate who’s obviously hurting. Over time, Keith let's him in and they become friends. After Lance has humanized Keith in his mind, his inferiority complex is no more and he's able to graduate to pilot class. There, they loop in Hunk and Pidge and become a tight-knit group.
Still, Shiro is getting worse and worse. After a bad bout that ends him in the hospital, Keith starts feeling something pulling him- the blue lion. He takes the gang with him to investigate ("wow my best friends are all conspiracy theorists" - Lance, probably) and they find the blue lion, and they're taken to the castle like in show. now it's time to form voltron but... there's no Shiro. Keith goes for Red, Pidge Green, Hunk Yellow, and now that Lance has been able to really settle in as a pilot in the Garrison without the need to compare himself to others, he's able to step into Black. Allura takes Blue. From here, Voltron continues pretty much as normal, but the found family trope is Founding More Family (basically it's better, they're more connected, etc). Lance gets to be the great leader I know he can be, no crazy lion swapping needs occur, galra ass gets kicked, and of course, Klance gets to be canon king.
and okay i'm not killing Shiro off I just don't know how to solve that whole Problem. maybe some alien tech/magic can help him (that could be a whole keith sideplot? trying to find one thing in the galaxy that could save his brother?). Also adashi stays together!
basically. i'm a mastermind















