Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.
Rating/Setting: Rated T for mild swearing and some violence. Setting is DotU.
Chapter Three
0459
The Force is assembled and waiting in Castle Control. Everyone can see that Keith is seething when Lance strolls in and looks at his watch.
"Well, here I am, and look," pointing to his watch, "it has just turned 0500. Punctual. That's what you can call me."
Turning on his heel, Keith strode towards his chute calling out, "To the Lions!"
The practice went downhill from there. Keith yelled at and criticized all of them. After berating Allura for a slow response to an order, Lance retorted, "Stop picking on the princess, Keith. You know there was nothing wrong with her response time. You're just looking to nitpick things."
"Oh really, Lieutenant? Well, your performance has given me plenty of things to talk about in the debriefing. And why didn't you speak up when I was correcting Hunk or Pidge?" Keith was irritated at all of them, but at Lance in particular. After seeing Lance and Allura in the gym together, he had gone back to his office and brooded over their behavior. Now, here Lance was once again, putting himself in the role of Allura's protector. Were they playing him for a fool? He stopped his ruminations when Lance responded.
"I spoke up because she won't say it herself. You've probably made her too nervous by your erratic behavior."
"Is that true, Princess? Are you too timid to speak up or is there more to Lance defending you?" Keith rejoined angrily.
"Hey, Captain, I'm sure that Lance didn't mean-"
"Not now, Hunk, I was speaking to the princess. Well, Princess?" Keith keyed his monitor to Allura's. "Is there something I should know?"
"Keith, I don't know what you mean! There isn't anything 'more' with Lance. And no, I'm not too timid, but you haven't been acting like yourself for days."
Infuriated, Keith called out, "Practice is over. No debriefing session today."
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Exiting the medical wing, she didn't have any answers. Dr. Gorma didn't have any ideas regarding Lance and Keith. He suggested that they come in for some blood work. Perhaps it was something viral. Allura had almost laughed at the thought of asking either of them to submit to any type of medical exam. She hadn't laughed, but it was funny in its own way. Unfortunately, something more serious would have to happen for them to submit to an exam.
Walking absentmindedly toward the balcony overlooking Castle Lake, she didn't notice that she was being shadowed.
Keying her com unit, Allura called Lance and asked him to meet her at the balcony.
Keith tensed up when he heard her call Lance for a private meeting. Why would she be calling Lance to meet her on the balcony if it wasn't for a romantic rendezvous? He didn't think Allura was to blame, in fact he still loved her, but Lance was known for leading women on and then dropping them after he was done with them. Well, he'd make sure that Lance paid for trifling with the princess. Keith didn't realize that all of his thoughts didn't fit together, but that was the nature of the drug that he had unknowingly taken. Not wanting to see the woman he loved in a romantic situation with his former best friend, he decided to go back to his room and plan what he would do to make Lance pay.
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"What is it, Princess?" Irritation radiated from his person as he stood beside her on the balcony.
Thinking she could reason with Lance better than Keith, she had called him to the balcony. Now she wasn't sure.
"Well, Princess? What is it? I've got things to do."
"It's just… well, it's just that you've started to act unusual, just like Keith-"
"You think I'm acting like that jerk?!"
Startled at his tone, she took a step back. "It's not that you acting like him so much as you aren't acting like yourself. I've never seen you this angry before."
"With the way the commander has been acting, don't you think that I have a right to be angry? I don't know why you, Pidge, and Hunk think I should be happy with how Keith is treating us."
"What do you mean Pidge and Hunk?" Allura didn't realize that Pidge or Hunk had said anything to Lance.
"After Lion practice they actually asked me about seeing Doctor Gorma. Like I had something wrong with me. Keith's the one that needs to be examined… and by a head shrink too if you ask me." With that he left her on the balcony.
Sighing as she watched him stalk away, Allura turned to look out at Black Lion. She was glad that Hunk and Pidge had tried to get Lance to see reason; it just didn't look like he wanted to. Her gaze lingered on Black. What was going on with the man she secretly loved? What could she do to get him back and help Lance too?
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Both Lance and Keith had skipped dinner and neither had joined the team in the rec room that evening. Keith had also done the unthinkable – he had canceled Lion practice for the next day. But no one was going to miss a repeat of this morning's Lion practice. Allura just hoped the doctors could find something to cure her friends.
So, Allura, Hunk, and Pidge spent an unproductive evening talking about the two men that were the center of the drama. When Allura left the rec room, she had a headache from all the worried thoughts that were in her head. Even with the headache, she didn't want to go to her chambers yet. It wasn't like she was going to fall asleep anytime soon with her friends acting so erratically. She walked once again onto her favorite balcony that overlooked the lake and Black Lion. However, this time she wasn't alone when she arrived and it was too late to escape.
Keith turned to look at the beautiful woman he loved. His imagination had run wild that afternoon thinking about Allura and Lance on the balcony. He was certain Lance had kissed her, but had he done more? Had Allura allowed more?
She watched as the warm look in his eyes turned cold. It was a look she had never seen directed at her and she involuntarily put a hand to her chest and fingered her necklace. It was a nervous habit and it did nothing to help.
"Is something wrong, Princess?"
'Oh Keith,' she thought, 'there is so much wrong.' She knew he wouldn't acknowledge it, so she didn't try to reason with him. "Why yes, I have a headache, Keith. I thought a little fresh air would do me good." She walked up to stand next to him and looked out over the lake. "This is one of my favorite views. I love looking across the lake at your Lion. The moonlight makes it even more magical, don't you think?" She was hoping that he would notice that she singled out his Lion.
Moving so that he was standing behind her, he placed his hands on her arms and felt her shiver under his touch. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "That's nice, Allura, but what romantic words did you say to Lance this afternoon?"
Allura's eyes had closed as he had touched her arms. For so long she had wanted to be on this balcony, with him, in the dark. The spell was broken with his words and she gasped as she turned to face him. "What are you talking about? What romantic words? I didn't have romantic words with Lance!"
He admitted to himself that she sounded truthful, but the potion wouldn't let him accept it as truth. "Do you deny that you were on this balcony with Lance this afternoon?"
"No, but I-"
"Do you deny that you called him here yourself?" He moved back in towards her so that she was against the railing and they were almost touching.
"I admit that I called him, but you haven't let me explain why I did!" She was angry that he kept cutting her off.
"I don't need an explanation, Allura, I know what the two of you were up to. You led me on, Allura, I thought you cared about me and it was Lance the whole time!"
She couldn't even speak. What was he talking about? It was ridiculous.
"I think I deserve something, Princess, so I'm going to take it." His arms reached out to pull her into a crushing embrace and then he kissed her.
It was a moment that Allura had dreamed about – kissing Keith. But this wasn't her Keith. His mouth wasn't gentle, it was rough and demanding. This wasn't about love; this was about jealousy, possession, and anger. She pushed back from him and slapped him, leaving a red handprint on his face.
He looked at her ruefully as he put a hand to his face. "I probably deserved that, but I figured that since Lance has done that… and maybe more, it was the least I deserved."
Seething with fury, Allura lashed out, "Lance has never kissed me! He would never dare to insult me as you have. What is wrong with you?! You aren't the man I fell in love with," she spat at him. "Get out of my sight and never dare to touch me again!" She turned her back on him and looked back into the dark of the night. Her whole body heaved with the emotion she was feeling. He hadn't responded and she was happy that he hadn't. This version of Keith would have no good answers for her. Tomorrow she would go to Coran and they would contact Galaxy Garrison and get them to order evaluations for Keith and Lance. She just hoped the doctors could find something to cure her friends of whatever had afflicted them.
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Lotor and Haggar looked at each other over the crystal ball. She had been able to snag a few images from the castle. There was a bond between her and the potions that Keith and Lance had taken. It allowed her to see things from time to time.
"Well done, Witch. Do you think we should attack them with a robeast now? I'm not sure they would be able to function." Lotor was smiling as he spoke. He could sense victory in the near future and he pictured the princess in his arms.
"Not yet, my Prince. If McClain were the Black Lion I would say yes, because his anger would cause him to act rashly. However, the commander is better able to control his anger and he would still be motivated to protect Princess Allura. Voltron would still be a functional weapon with him in control."
"So you're saying we should wait." It was obvious that this wasn't his first choice.
"You have seen them in the crystal. Do you really think we have a long time to wait?"
Leaning his head back and laughing, Lotor said, "No, I don't think we will have to wait very long. I doubt they can control themselves for even a day or two more."
"Tomorrow will prove to be an interesting day, my Prince. I think it will be one that leads us to victory."
