AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry I suck at updating! I just wrote so damn slow, and I have all these stupid real life responsibilities. Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy this update! Thank you again to everyone who has commented and liked my story, it really means alot!
Jason and Phil are character owned by nuinuichen and revolocities respectively. I own absolutely nothing!
Chapter 2: Reunion
1 Year Ago
Adam sat alone, hunched over the bar counter as he nursed his glass of whiskey. Shiro had been gone for a couple months now, and Adam had taken to drinking at the local town bar. It was a bit of a ways from the Garrison, but it didn't take long to reach on a hover bike. Adam had started to frequent this place to drown his sorrows when he was overcome by his emotions and guilt.
"Adam," he heard a man call from behind him.
Adam turned to see who it was, hoping against hope that just maybe Shiro had come back. But that was only false hope inspired by the alcohol clouding his reasoning. Instead, he saw an incredibly tall young man wearing a cadet's uniform. He had large broad shoulders, and his hair was an orangish-peach color that looked flame red in the dim bar lighting.
"Hey Jason," Adam greeted before turning back to his drink. Jason Stein Sinclair. He was one of Adam's best friends at the Garrison, and a member of Adam's flight squad as well. He was a kind soul, but sometimes he could be too soft for his own good. But that didn't stop him from being a soldier. He as a determined and dedicated person that always looked out for others and tried to protect the people closest to him. No doubt that was why he was here now.
Jason sat down on the stool next to Adam, his voice full of concern, "Adam, come on. You can't keep doing this."
"I'm not hurting anyone," he declared, taking another swig of his drink. It was technically true. Adam only went out drinking when he had no prior engagements to follow through on. And it's not like he ever got black-out drunk. He just needed something to take the edge off every now and then. Although, maybe it was becoming a little more frequent than it used to. And not only that, but he had started to blow off his friends to go out drinking these days. He should have figured the others would notice.
"You're hurting yourself. And that hurts me, and Phil!" Jason insisted, placing his hand over the one Adam had wrapped around his drink, keeping him from taking another swig and forcing him to look Jason in the eye.
Jason's eyes were pleading, seeing worry in them the second he looked over at him. Adam's eyes must have looked tired based on the expression Jason made. He noticed that Jason was here alone, even though he mentioned Phil. It was unlike him not to accompany Jason in these kinds of situations.
Phillip Choi was Adam's other best friend. He was a relatively short compared to Adam and Jason, but he was one of the brightest at the Garrison. Adam had also met Phil through flight training, and he was now also a member of Adam's squad. However, Phil wasn't exactly the most physically imposing, as his true strengths were in academics. Which was probably the reason why he was so fiercely loyal to Adam. Unlike some of the other jock types like Shiro and Jason, Adam was the only other one who had a strong hand both in being a flight team member and an academic. Considering that, it was strange that Phil wasn't here as well trying to pull Adam from his drunken stooper.
"Where is Phil?"
Jason sighed, giving Adam a sense that he was disappointed in him for something, "He's covering the class you were supposed to be teaching."
Adam inhaled and buried his face in his hands, "Crap… I completely forgot."
Jason leaned forward and put his hands on Adam's shoulders, "I am so sorry about what happened between you and Shiro. But you can't keep doing this."
Adam brushed Jason's hands off of him. He didn't like to be held or touched in such an intimate way. Not since Shiro. And Jason reminded him so much of Shiro in a lot of ways. He didn't need to be reminded of what his touch might feel like as well, "There's so much more you don't know Jason. So much I can't tell you."
"You don't have to," Jason resigned to resting a hand on Adam's knee, noticing the way he flinched away from his touch the first time, "But let us be here for you."
Adam smiled softly, picking his head up to look his friend in the eye, "You're a good friend Jason."
Jason's lip quivered, his eyes watering at Adam's honest appreciation. Oh no. Jason lunged forward and pulled Adam into a smothering hug, "You're a really good friend too!"
Adam laughed lightly, pushing Jason off him and back into his seat before he was smothered, "Why are you the one crying?"
"Sorry, I just love you so much!" He sniveled.
"Okay, come on big guy. You're gonna start a scene," Adam grabbed a napkin from the bar counter and handed it to Jason to blow his nose, "Here."
"Thanks."
"You can be way too sensitive sometimes," Adam leaned against the bar counter as he watched his friend clean himself up. To think someone so large and potentially intimidating could be so delicate. It was funny in an ironic sort of way. Jason was easily the strongest of them all, and yet he was also the weakest.
"Yeah. Phil keeps telling me I feel things way too deeply. I guess it's my flaw," Jason said, balling up the napkin and tossing it into the trashcan behind the bar.
"No, it's a good thing," Adam shook his head, "You know exactly how you feel, and you're not afraid to express that. And it's not like you can't be serious. I've seen you during training."
Jason noticed the way Adam phrased that statement, piquing his interest, "Thanks, but what about you? Don't you know how you feel?"
"Not always. When Shiro left…. I felt so many things. I couldn't get a handle on it. And now, I'm not really sure how he felt either," Adam rested his hand against his heart, his chest feeling heavy under the weight of his guilt, "What if everything I did….. what if it was all a mistake?"
"Well, he's going to come back in about 3 years. Things will be different then. You'll have time to grow and change. I think that will give you plenty of time to figure out your feelings," Jason offered a kind and supportive smile.
Adam scoffed, "Maybe even that's not long enough…" he quipped, "Still…. I want to talk to him again."
"Do you know what you want to say?"
"I don't know. I think maybe…"
"Jason!" Adam was cut off as someone barged into the bar crying out.
They turned to see who was at the door. It was their friend Phillip. He looked desperate and rushed, his glasses were askew and his Garrison uniform was covered in dust. His short black hair also looked frazzled. The desert wind must have caused his disheveled appearance. Most likely he rode he much faster than he needed to. He did get here very quickly since he was supposed to be at the Garrison still. Wait? Didn't Jason say he was covering Adam's class? Why was he here now?
"Phil? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Jason asked, rising to his feet to meet his friend, and voicing Adam's thoughts.
Adam stayed seated, letting the scene play out before him. Phil placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, giving him a look that told him that he was okay. He brushed past him and turned his attention to Adam. His look was sympathetic, and full of heartache. Adam recognized that look. He had seen it a long time ago, on the worst day of his life. And now, it was happening again. So many faces made that damn look. And he prayed he'd never have to see it again.
"Adam…" Phil tried to speak, his voice cracking on his name. He knew what delivering this news would do to him. But it would be better to hear it from his friends instead of the Garrison officers or the cadets that gossiped in the halls.
"What happened?" Adam asked, tears beginning to run down his face. It was a pointless question. He knew exactly what Phil was going to say, even before he said it. And once he heard those words, he would never have the chance to fix things ever again.
"It's Shiro….."
Present Day
Adam sat perched on the windowsill of the front room of Keith's cabin. After escaping the Garrison, they had doubled back through the canyon maze to cover their trail. It would take quite a while before anyone would be able to track them down. The damage Adam and Keith had done to the main generators would leave the Garrison crippled for a while, and the path they took back to the cabin would leave anyone trying to follow them lost in the valleys. But what was the point? That was the question that Adam pondered as he watched the sun begin to rise over the horizon.
He had acted purely on impulse and desire. Once he saw Shiro on Veronica's computer screen, all rational thought and reasoning had went out the window. He defied the Garrison. Made himself and Shiro deserters. And for what? Because of the possibility they might keep Shiro in quarantine for a long time? Who's to say they wouldn't have let him out eventually? The more Adam considered his actions, the more he started to feel regret over them. Story of his life really.
Adam looked over to the short hilltop where Shiro was standing outside, overlooking the landscape. Adam could see him perfectly from where he sat. The sunrise cast a long shadow across the valley, making it look like Shiro was standing at the edge of the world. It made Adam think of his dream from the night before. The difference here was Adam was sitting inside, watching Shiro afar while Keith talked with him. As he watched them, he came to understand the bond between them was stronger than he ever realized. Keith rested his hand on Shiro's shoulder to comfort him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. And Shiro's body seemed to relax under the contact, looking more at ease in his presence. Them two of them truly were…. brothers. Keith was the one comforting Shiro, and Adam was just a passive observer. A third wheel….
Despite all that, at least Shiro was here now. After a year of being gone, and being presumed dead, he was back. There was no telling what kind of trials and hardships Shiro had been through in the time that he was gone, but at least he was healthy, for the most part. When they first got back to the cabin, Adam took the opportunity to examine Shiro's condition. Aside from the obvious metal prosthetic that replaced Shiro's right arm, there were some scars that covered his torso here and there. As for his white streak of hair, Adam wasn't quite sure whether or not it was the result of mental trauma that had caused a physical reaction, or if it was caused by whatever experiment he had undergone that replaced his arm. Survival had obviously been a large part of Shiro's life lately. How unfair, Adam thought. Shiro didn't deserve any of that pain. He was always such a kind and compassionate person. A dedicated soldier, and a man who had to overcome the adversity placed on him by his own body. He shouldn't have had to suffer like this.
But maybe now, Shiro would have a chance to rest. He had slept for awhile due to the sedative he had been given. It gave the others a chance to rest as well until he awoke. When he did, Keith provided him with some of his father's clothes, which luckily happened to fit Shiro's large frame. Adam had mentally scolded himself for not having the foresight to bring some of Shiro's own clothes. It was just another way Keith was able to look out for Shiro where he could not. Adam contemplated all this as he watched them from the window. The real question that needed to be answered was what their next move was going to be. According to Pidge and the others, Shiro was trying to deliver a warning of some kind. They would just have to wait and see what he had to say and decide what to do from there. And more importantly, he had to figure out what he was going to say to Shiro.
VVVVVVVV
"So, what happened out there? Where were you?" Keith asked. He stood with Shiro a short distance from the cabin, hoping to get some answers from him.
After waking up from the sedative, Shiro was completely overwhelmed by the change in scenery and all the people surrounding him. Keith helped him get dressed and led him outside to regain his bearings. Keith couldn't help but notice how Adam hung back the whole time once Shiro got up. It was odd, considering how much effort Adam had gone through to arrange his rescue, but Keith supposed it made some kind of sense. The two of them didn't exactly leave things on the best of terms. Adam had said as much anyway. So that meant it fell to Keith to check on Shiro.
"I wish I could tell you. My head's still pretty scrambled. I was on an alien ship, but somehow… I escaped. It's all a blur," Shiro admitted. Whatever he went through must have had a serious impact on his mental state if he was having trouble with his memory. Still, he seemed to be acting like himself, at least as far as Keith was concerned. Shiro turned to look at him, genuine curiosity gracing his features, "How did you know to come save me when I crashed?"
"Actually, it wasn't me," Keith admitted reluctantly, "It was Adam. He showed up here at the cabin and told me you were being held by the Garrison."
Shiro scoffed, which was almost a chuckle, "Stubborn as ever," Shiro remarked of the man he once loved, "So are you two actually getting along better these days?"
Adam and Keith had a bit of a strained relationship even before Shiro went into space. They never really saw eye to eye on a lot of things, but there was a level of mutual respect between them at least. The only thing they could really agree on was that they both cared about Shiro. Maybe that was the only reason they tolerated each other. Shiro thought it was funny considering how similar they actually were, although he doubted either of them would ever realize it.
Keith shook his head, "No, not really. If anything, our relationship is worse off since you left. I only listened to him because he had information on where you were, and I needed his help."
Shiro's cool expression turned somber, "You shouldn't be so hard on him," he insisted. It was the same thing Shiro always told him whenever him and Adam were at odds. It made Keith feel a little guilty. All Shiro wanted was for the two of them to get along. But that just wasn't possible. Not anymore. This was about more than just a petty fight or squabble. It was about something Keith didn't think he could ever forgive.
"He gave up on you Shiro. He forced you to choose between him and your dreams. He could have waited for you. He should have waited for you!... It's not right," Keith was adamant in his stance, only turning away slightly because he felt bad about raising his voice in front of Shiro. Although Shiro wasn't sure his outburst was entirely about Adam. The way Keith was acting, it was like he was personally invested in what had happened. But that wasn't true. There had to be something more to it. Shiro decided to let it go for now until he could discern what it was.
He sighed heavily, "It's not that simple Keith. My problems with Adam….. they're not as black and white as they may seem. They're complicated," Keith crossed his arms and looked away, reluctant to accept the idea. Shiro went on, "I know it's easy to make someone else the villain, but he's not the bad guy Keith. You have to understand that relationships are mutual, and ours ended because of the choices that we both made. Okay?"
Keith thought for a moment. He assumed that Shiro would understand where he was coming from, and would inevitably side with him. After all, he was on the receiving end of Adam's unfair choice. But from the way Shiro was acting, the look on his face and the melancholy in his voice, Keith could tell he didn't really blame Adam. He didn't blame him at all. What was the missing piece? And why was Shiro upset that there would be understandable tension between Keith and Adam? It perplexed him, but he decided to concede for now. After all, he owed Shiro so much, he doubted that he would steer him wrong now.
"Sure," Keith agreed with some resentment. Sure, he would try and get along with Adam, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Still, Adam did go to a lot of trouble to get Shiro out of military custody, so Keith supposed he could work with that for now, "But you should talk to him at least," he told Shiro.
"I will," Shiro nodded, relaxing now that Keith had agreed to let things be.
"Come on. You should come see this," Keith said, leading Shiro back into the cabin.
As they entered, Shiro finally had enough of his bearings in place to really absorb his surroundings and the people there. Three young faces he didn't really recognize were all staring up at him as they entered. And then there was Adam. He sat perched on a window sill, looking out at the horizon and intentionally avoiding looking at Shiro. Shiro smiled internally. Adam always brooded when he didn't know how to act or what to do. For being a young prodigy capable of adapting to anything, he was a rather big mess of emotions, and rarely knew how to handle them. He would either explode, screaming and yelling at whatever was the cause of his frustrations, or he would sit around and sulk until he could figure out what to do.
Shiro decided to put that off until Adam was ready to talk. Usually when he got like this he just needed a minute alone with his thoughts before he figured things out. Shiro turned his attention back to Keith, who pulled a sheet off a giant display board that was standing against the wall. On it were pictures and maps with strings connecting them. Sticky notes were plastered to the board too, voicing Keith's thoughts sporadically.
"What have you been working on?" Shiro asked, trying to grasp the purpose of the board.
"I can't explain it, really. After getting booted from the Garrison, I was kind of lost and found myself drawn out to this place," Keith said, pointing out to one of the maps, "It's like something... some energy, was telling me to search."
"For what?" Shiro urged him to continue. Keith smirked. That was one of the reasons he really appreciated Shiro. He never judged Keith for anything he did or said. He was willing to listen to whatever Keith had to say, supporting his choices and showing him how to improve when he was wrong.
"Well, I didn't really know at the time... until I stumbled across this area," Keith flipped the board to reveal the other side, showing pictures of cavern walls and drawings of symbols, "It's an outcropping of giant boulders with caves covered in these ancient markings. Each tells a slightly different story about a blue lion, but they all share clues leading to some kind of convergence event. I was looking over all this when Adam showed up, asking for help to rescue you," Keith said, drawing attention to Adam.
Adam looked over at them as all eyes turned on him. He made eye contact with Shiro for a brief second before he lowered his gaze and turned to look back out the window. Shiro frowned slightly at the reaction, deciding to take it in stride and focus on the others in the room.
"I should thank you all for getting me out. Lance, right?" Shiro said, smiling as he held out his hand to Lance. Shiro didn't actually know him, but he remembered hearing his name when everyone was clamoring around him after having just woken up. He might have been able to catch a few more names if Keith hadn't practically smacked them all and made them give him some space. Lance shot up and gleefully took Shiro's hand, beaming at the acknowledgment.
Pidge came up to next to him and started speaking, "The nervous guy's Hunk. I'm Pidge. So, did anyone else from your crew make it out?"
"I'm not sure," Shiro said, trying to get a hold on his memories, "I remember the mission and being captured. After that, it's just bits and pieces."
Hunk dove in between them before Pidge could follow up, "Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but back to the aliens. Where are they now? Are they coming? Are they coming for us? Like - where are they at this very moment?" Hunk babbled on incessantly, letting his panic and anxiety show.
Shiro spoke calmly so as not to agitate him any further, "I can't really put it together. I remember the word 'Voltron.' It's some kind of weapon they're looking for, but I don't know why. Whatever it is, I think we need to find it before they do."
"Well, last night, I was rummaging through Pidge's stuff, and…"
"Hey, give me that! What were you doing in my stuff?" She screamed, snatching her bag out of Hunk's hands and sitting on the couch.
"I - well, I was looking for a candy bar or something. But, then, I started reading his notebook," Hunk pulled out a small journal from behind his back.
"What?!" Pidge yelled, even more offended than before. She shot up trying to grab the journal back.
Hunk, just held it away from her, continuing on as if she wasn't even there, "And I noticed the repeating series of numbers the aliens are searching for looks a lot like a Fraunhofer line."
"Frown who?" Keith asked. He wasn't the most scientific person. He was more of an instinct type of guy, rather than an educated one.
"It's a number describing the emission spectrum of an element. Only, this element doesn't exist on Earth. I thought it might be this Voltron. And I think can build a machine to look for it, like a Voltron Geiger counter."
"Hunk, you big, gassy genius!" Lance praised.
"It's pretty fascinating, really. The wavelength looks like this" Hunk said, handing Pidge her notebook back and unfolding a piece of paper from his pocket, holding it to show a wave of lines.
"Give me that!" Keith quickly snatched the drawing from Hunk's hands, turning to his board and holding it up to a cave drawing he had taken a picture of. As he held up the drawing, it was clear that it matched one of the symbols drawn on the cavern wall.
"Okay, I admit it. This is super freaky," Lance said, seeming to lose any sense of doubt he might have had over the connection between Keith's search and Voltron.
"It will take awhile to make it though, so everyone just sit tight for a while," Hunk said, grabbing some tools out of Pidge's pack, which he clearly had familiarized himself with.
"If I help, we'll finish quicker," Pidge said, moving to snatch her bag back and gather the necessary materials.
"I'm going to get some fresh air," Adam said to no one in particular, standing up from the windowsill and walking out of the cabin without looking at anyone.
Shiro looked on as Adam left. It was evident that this was all too much for him. One of Adam's habits was to run away from something he just couldn't handle. It didn't happen often considering he had one of the most stubborn personalities that Shiro had ever seen, but when he did, he removed himself from the situation completely. Hell, he even tried to run away from Shiro when they first met. Still, Adam had only prepared himself to rescue Shiro and become a deserter from the Garrison. At no point did he sign on for alien invasions and conspiracy theories. That would be a lot for anybody to take, regardless of who it was. But for Adam, it was an especially painful idea given his past.
"You should go talk to him," Shiro turned to see Keith with a sympathetic look on his face. He could tell just how much Shiro was dying to go and say something to him, but he needed a little push. Shiro was selfless to a fault, and Keith didn't want that to get in the way of a reconciliation that Shiro clearly wanted for himself, "Adam and I may not get along very well, but he did all this for you."
"Yeah," Shiro agreed. Spurred on by Keith's words, Shiro followed Adam outside. Maybe, they could clear the air after all this time.
"Lance, come over here and help me double check these maps," Keith said, wanting to direct attention away from Adam and Shiro so they could have a moment.
As Shiro walked outside, Adam was sitting perched on the hood of his hoverbike. He had his arms crossed across his legs, one hand fidgeting with the ring he wore as a necklace. Adam heard footsteps approaching, but he didn't react.
"Soooo, Keith tells me you're the one who staged my breakout," Shiro said, walking up next to Adam and leaning against the bike.
Adam's body stiffened at the sound of his voice. He turned his head slightly and looked at Shiro out of the corner of his eye, speaking with a flat and unfeeling tone, "Well, I have classes in the morning and was looking for a convenient way to get out of them. Rescuing my supposedly dead ex-boyfriend from the Garrison and becoming a deserter in the process seemed the easiest way to do that. Although, all things considered, maybe I should have just called in sick," he sighed with feigned disinterest and a sarcastic tone. Only Adam could sound that apathetic.
Shiro smiled down at him. Adam always resorted to sarcasm when he was feeling uncomfortable. It was the same way he acted when they first became friends. He only ever did it to cover up the way he really felt. Sometimes it was a little too mean or annoying, but right now, Shiro was just glad that he could be here to hear it all, "I missed you too," Shiro replied, reading into Adam's response.
Adam opened his mouth to say something, but he was at a loss for words. His mouth hung open for a moment before he closed it, water welling up in his eyes. He jumped up from his seated position and pulled Shiro into a fierce hug, making Shiro stumble slightly as the force knocked the wind out of him. Once he regained his composure, he melted into the hug, embracing the warmth of Adam's body. It had been so long since he felt comfort of any kind. His memories were still fuzzy, but everything he could remember was full of pain and suffering. It was so nice to relax in the arms of someone he…..SMACK!
"Ow! What was that for!?" Shiro whined, falling away from the hug and rubbing the top of his head where Adam had just hit him, tears springing to the corners of his eyes in response.
"What was the one thing I told you before you left!?" Adam yelled, his right hand balled in a fist and his expression furious.
"Um, don't go on the mission?" he guessed.
"The other thing!" Adam yelled again.
"I love you…?" Shiro asked, unsure of what he wanted to hear.
"I told you to come back safe you idiot!" Adam yelled even louder, grabbing Shiro by the hem of his shirt and throttling him.
Shiro dropped his hands from his head, placing them on top of Adam's to make him stop, "Well, technically I did come back…" he smiled awkwardly.
Adam scoffed and pushed him away, "Yeah, with a streak of white hair, a robot arm, and, oh yeah, an intergalactic alien threat on your heels!"
Shiro crossed his arms. Okay, this was the part where Adam's outbursts started to get annoying, "Well if this was such a burden on you, why didn't you just let Keith save me?" Shiro said, taking a stab at Adam's ego.
Adam made an offended expression, his words cutting surprisingly deep, "Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? Well if it wasn't for me, that little twink wouldn't have even known you were here! He would just be out in the middle of the desert twiddling away with his maps and drawings like some kind of emo caveman!"
"Well I'm not the one who went running to him for help to save my supposedly 'despised' ex-boyfriend!" Shiro said, making air quotes with his fingers. Adam subconsciously noted the way Shiro's mechanical arm was able to make precise finger movements. But he was too fueled by anger to pay any real attention to it.
"Oh you better believe I despise you for fucking off to space!"
"Really!? Because I seem to remember you crying and throwing a fit begging me to come back!"
"Yeah, and you fucked that up too!"
"How is it my fault that I got captured by aliens?!"
As Shiro and Adam continued to argue, or rather, throw insults and quips at each other, Lance and the others sat on the floor watching them from the window. Keith's attempt to distract them had failed once the yelling had started. However, he decided to stay focused on his work board to figure out where they should start their search.
"So, what's the story there?" Lance asked the room.
"It's none of our business," Keith said flatly, paying no mind to what was going on outside. Even if the others weren't going to give them privacy, he was still going to respect it.
"Looks like a lover's spat," Hunk said. None of them could fully hear what they were saying, but they did manage to catch a loud phrase here and there. And their body language suggested a strong familiarity with each other.
"You think so?" Lance asked, genuinely surprised by the implication.
"Lance, don't you idolize Shiro?" Pidge criticized, "Why don't you know anything about this?"
"Well don't you idolize Adam? How come you don't know anything?!" Lance fired back.
"I only idolize him by reputation. It's a little different. I don't know anything about his personal life," she explained.
"I wonder why we never heard anything about it. They're both basically celebrities at the Garrison," Hunk wondered out loud.
"They were pretty private about their relationship," Keith said, drawing their focus towards him, "Not so much that they were trying to keep it secret, but they wanted to maintain their professionalism in front of others. Besides, they were together for a long time, so it was nothing new for people to gossip about."
"Were together?" Pidge asked.
Keith turned back to his work board, "Like I said, it's their business, not ours"
Shiro and Adam continued their futile tirade at one another. What they were saying didn't really matter. It was more important that they were finally able to vent all the frustations and negative feelings they had been holding onto for the past year. It was therapeutic in a way. Even though they were yelling at each other, it came with a wash of relief from not having to hold anything back anymore.
"What happened to you not being here when I came back, huh!?"
"I was angry at you asshole!" Adam cried.
"So why even make the effort to save me!?"
"Because I…!" Adam stopped, realizing he couldn't say he still loved him. There were way too many complications between them now. The way they had left things had been bittersweet, but that was a year ago. Since then, Adam had gone through various stages of trauma and depression over Shiro's disappearance and presumed death. And now he was still alive, right here in front of Adam, having gone through who knows what since he disappeared. It was impossible to tell how Shiro felt about their relationship now, and Adam knew that his own feelings had changed since then as well. He decided to settle on, "You suck, and I hate you, but I had to make up for my mistakes. I pushed you away. So much so that it ended our relationship. So when I found out you were still alive…..I have too many regrets as it is."
Shiro calmed down as Adam spoke in a more serious and honest tone. Having pushed through his anger, he was finally ready to tell the truth, "Adam, it wasn't your fault. It was my choice to leave."
"You know damn well that's not the whole story Shiro," he chastised.
Shiro was taken aback by his response, "Shiro?" the sound of his own name on Adam's tongue bothered him. It sounded like a foreign word coming from him, and Shiro would be lying if he said it didn't hurt a little, "You haven't called me that in years."
Adam looked at him with a somber honesty, "Doesn't really seem appropriate to keep calling you Takashi when we're not together anymore," he leaned back against his bike, starting to fidget with his necklace again. Shiro understood, but it still hurt. He watched as Adam twirled his fingers on the chain around his neck.
"What's that?" Shiro asked, trying to steer the conversation away from something so painfully awkward.
Adam followed Shiro's gaze to the ring he was spinning in his fingers. He dropped it, letting it fall against his chest, "It's my stress toy," he said defensively.
"I just don't remember you ever wearing it before," Shiro told him, sensing the impertinence in his voice. He didn't want to come off as judgmental or accusing, he was just genuinely curious.
Adam sighed, realizing he was being too oversensitive, "Well after you left, I couldn't keep wearing your dog tags around my neck. It was…. too much," he turned his head to the desert horizon so he wouldn't have to look at Shiro as he spoke.
"They're not just my dog tags Adam," Shiro reminded him.
"I didn't want to keep wearing a memento of everything I'd lost," Adam cut in, "I wanted to hold onto what I had, and all the good times we spent together. Wearing those tags just kept reminding me of the pain. So, I took them off. But I felt like I was missing something without them on, so I bought this instead," he said, motioning toward the ring around his neck, "And then I just kinda, developed a habit of fidgeting with it whenever I need to take my mind off things. And it helped keep me from giving into bad habits."
Bad habits? Shiro wondered what that could mean. Maybe Adam was drinking too much? Could the serious and responsible coffee drinker have given into the temptation of alcohol while Shiro was gone? Or was it something even worse than that? Shiro decided it was probably best if he didn't know. Adam didn't seem to want to talk about it anyway.
"What'd you do with the dog tags?" he asked.
Adam looked up at Shiro, looking a little mortified before reaching into his pocket and pulling out two metal tags on a chain, "I guess I couldn't let them go after all, huh? Pain must just be a part of who I am," he reached out for Shiro's human hand and held it up, placing the tags in his palm, "Here."
Shiro was a little astonished, trying to refuse what he had given him, "Adam, I can't. They have your…"
"Please," Adam said, a desperate look on his face as he held his hand over the tags in Shiro's palm, "Hang on to them for me, and then you can give them back after everything has settled down. Because I know if you owe me something, you'll have to come back to give it to me," Adam moved his hand away, leaving the tags in Shiro's hand. He then cleared his throat, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, "After all, it'd be a pain in the ass to have to go and rescue you again. I doubt I'd work up the motivation to do it again. I can't be bothered with those kinds of things all the time."
Shiro chuckled lightly, "I thought you didn't believe in things like fate and such?"
"I don't. But I believe in people having to pay back their debts. Especially when they're debts owed to me," he sneered.
Shiro laughed, "Okay. I'll hang on to them." He looped the chain over his neck, putting the dog tags on and tucking them under the collar of his shirt to hide them from sight. Shiro pulled Adam in for a proper hug, one that didn't result in any physical pain. As they parted Shiro noted how Adam seemed to tower over him ever so slightly. Things really had changed. He remembered how they used to be the same height, "You've gotten taller."
"I guess so…. You've gotten stronger," Adam pointed to Shiro's frame, taking the attention off himself, "Your shoulders are broader."
"Are they?" Shiro asked, not really having noticed the difference. He turned his head to look at his own body. He hadn't really paid much attention to his physical state other than to stay alive while he was being held prisoner. As Adam looked him over, he realized that maybe Shiro's old clothes wouldn't have fit him so well anymore. Maybe it was for the best that he forgot to bring them. But what started as a passive observation became a genuine curiosity. Shiro's body was more muscular and broad than it used to be, and Shiro's disease should have advanced to a stage that would prevent that from happening.
"I thought that wasn't possible given your condition," Adam asked, starting to let his medical expertise take over.
"I don't know. I think they did something to me. Something to slow the progression of my disease," Shiro said, holding up his metal arm, as it was the most noticeable change to his anatomy, and the one where he used to inject his medication.
Adam grabbed ahold of Shiro's arm and looked it over as he spoke, "It would explain why they replaced it with such a sophisticated prosthetic. I took a look at it while you were unconscious,"
"Diagnosis?" Shiro asked, curious as to what Adam thought about it.
"It's fully functional. Considering it can make precise movements it must have some form of a neural link to your brain," Adam was a jack of all trades when it came to academic accomplishments, but one of his greatest talents was his medical expertise. It was a way that he could care for people and have complete control over the outcome. Any good psychologist would say it was his way of compensating for the horrible things that happened to the people he cared about. But really, he just had a natural talent for it. Shiro recognized that it was one thing that Adam really enjoyed without feeling like he had to play it off.
"Also, there's hardly any scaring around the area where it is attached to your body," Adam went on, "So that suggests it increases your body's ability to repair damage. I'm assuming you weren't able to take your medication while being held prisoner, so whatever this arm is doing for your body, I have to assume it's what's suppressing your condition. But these are all superficial guesses. I can't say anything for sure without a proper lab or supplies," he looked up at Shiro, who's gaze was transfixed on him. He watched the way Adam carefully looked over every detail of his arm, tracing his finger over the lines where the plates joined together. Adam felt a rush of embarrassment, his cheeks flushing red as he let go of Shiro's arm and stepped back, "Sorry."
Shiro gave a warm and comforting smile, "It's okay. I'm happy to see you again, even if you're not entirely happy to see me."
Adam started to fidget with his necklace, "I wouldn't say that."
Shiro nodded his head toward the cabin, "Come on. Let's go back inside with the others."
Adam followed after him, feeling a little more at ease with himself knowing that Shiro was okay and that they had a chance to talk. Sure, they hadn't talked about everything they needed to, but they managed to get a lot of their frustrations off their chest. Or at the very least, Adam did. And that would have to do for now. Because despite the fact that Adam wanted no part of the alien threat that Shiro had brought with him, he wasn't going to let him go at it alone with a bunch of wayward kids. Shiro was the most important person in his life. Whether they were together or not, he wasn't going to lose him again. And he would do anything to make sure that didn't happen. Anything.
VVVVVVVV
As Pidge and Hunk finished up the device to help them detect the wavelengths that Keith had been tracking, they decided to take some time to rest first before heading out. Their run from the Garrison had kept them awake all the way into the next day. Of course, most of them were running high on adrenaline and the mystery that was set out before them. It would still take some time before they were tracked down by the Garrison forces, so they had a little bit of leeway.
As Adam lay on Keith's couch, he hoped that Veronica would keep his secret. If she decided to rat him out, then Iverson would send out forces after any of his known associates. That would lead them right here to Keith's cabin, since he had a history with Keith, thanks to Shiro. Not only that, but they might even detain and question his closest friends. Adam's stomach turned at the thought of Jason or Phil being taken in without even knowing why. He thought about the expression on their faces when they learned that Adam had gone missing and was most likely a fugitive and a deserter.
Adam shook his head. This was the plan. This is what he had to do. He had to leave his friends behind. And because he didn't tell them anything about where he was going, they would be safe. It was the best thing he could do for them. He couldn't fall into his regrets now.
As the others awoke, they began to prep for their departure. Adam loaded up his duffel bag and satchel. Keith brought a pack, and Pidge stored some extra water and food in hers. The others didn't have anything to carry though, seeing as their involvement in the rescue attempt was a last-minute fluke. Keith grabbed one of the maps off his board, laying out the best path to one of the caves that had drawings in it. Adam wasn't really sure what they would find, but the pieces seemed to be falling into place, at least from a logical standpoint.
Finishing their preparations, they all got back on Adam and Keith's hoverbikes to set out on their path to the caves. Adam offered to let Shiro drive his, thinking it might be relaxing for him after everything he went through. Shiro just politely shook his head. Adam jumped onto his bike, the others getting into the same formation as they did before. Shiro got on behind Adam, wrapping his arms around his waist. Adam's breath hitched at his touch, as he hadn't expected such an intimate embrace so suddenly. He could almost feel Shiro smiling behind him from his reaction. Cheeky bastard! If he thinks he can just pull that crap, he's got another thing coming! Pidge climbed on behind Shiro, setting her hands on his shoulders before they all took off for the caves. Keith sped off first, Adam following closely behind him as they made their way.
VVVVVVVV
It didn't take long to reach the caves. Keith had obviously been there dozens of times as his maneuvers through the complex valleys were practiced and steady. It was easy to see why the caverns had gone unnoticed for so long. When everything more or less looks the same, it can be nearly impossible to spot anything significant. It was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles.
As they all followed Keith inside, Hunk started tuning the device him and Pidge had made. Adam and Pidge brought their packs just in case since they had no way to gauge just how deep the caves would run.
"I'm getting a reading," he said, moving to the front of the pack to lead. Keith and Pidge were hot on his heels, while Lance hung back to chat with, Adam and Shiro.
"So Adam, you and Shiro used to date?" he asked, taking an interest in their obvious displays of tension. The fight outside the cabin and the way Adam cringed up when Shiro got on behind hm was more than enough to pique his interest. He knew they had been together after what Keith had told him, but there was something way more complicated going on now. And with nothing better to do, he might as well try to get the whole story.
"Yeah, back during our Garrison days," Adam confirmed, "That was until someone ran off on a space mission," he side-eyed Shiro as he spoke.
"You know, it wasn't exactly a picnic for me up there," Shiro responded, unamused.
"Yeah, you were up there battling against an evil alien race. I bet you met some cute renegade space soldier and hooked up with him too, right?" Adam said with a bored tone. He had recited the basic plot of almost every sci-fi action flick, and it was just too predictable for him. All that was missing was an intergalactic space princess and he could chalk up their current situation to a B-movie space adventure.
"What? No, I was fighting for my life," Shiro said a little bewildered, dumbfounded that Adam thought he could even have the time for romance. Sometimes Adam came up with the most ridiculous things. Emotional and distressed Adam? Shiro could read him like a book. But calm and composed Adam? He might as well be a mystery book written in French.
Upon hearing Shiro's response Adam burst out in a fit of joy, jumping on Shiro's back and wrapping his arms around him, "Oh Takashi, you really are faithful!"
Shiro and Lance stopped as Adam pulled himself into a piggyback position on Shiro's back. Shiro didn't really seem to be bothered by Adam's weight, but he was completely confused by his weird behavior. Just a few hours ago Adam made it clear that they were no longer together, and that he was still upset over Shiro leaving for space. Now he was acting like his friend Jason all of a sudden, who had a reputation for being so bright and cheerful that he would tackle people to the ground in excitement. Adam's friends must have rubbed off on him more than he realized during the year they were apart. Lance just stood and watched, enthralled by the strange display.
"What? But… we broke up?" Shiro struggled to find the words for this weird situation as he turned his head to look at Adam.
"Yeah, but I still wouldn't have approved," he responded flatly, staring Shiro straight in the eye.
"Wha…" Shiro's mouth hung open, his brain seeming to malfunction at Adam's response.
Lance took note of how Adam was able to render Shiro speechless. There was definitely a long and complicated history here. They claimed that they weren't together anymore, but they also seemed to be at their most comfortable around the other. Adam had literally jumped on Shiro's back, and Shiro didn't make one remark or objection toward that fact. He just held him there. Their relationship was so strange, it was like watching a soap opera. It was just way too interesting!
Their attention was pulled back to the others as they heard Hunk's device beeping up ahead.
"Whoa!" Hunk and Pidge exclaimed.
Lance and Shiro rushed forward to catch up with the others. As Shiro broke into a jog, Adam lost his grip and fell to the ground with an, "oufff!"
Catching up to the main group, they saw the intricate cave drawings covering the walls. A mix of symbols and lion depictions decorated the cavern. It was one thing to see them in the pictures, but it was quite another to see it in person. It was mesmerizing in its own way, to see the intricacy of art displayed in such an encompassing manner. All the time and work it must have taken to tell the story it was trying to convey. It was… beautiful.
"These are the lion carvings I was telling you about. They're everywhere around here," Keith stated.
"Ow, damn it. Get back here!" Adam called out, picking himself up off the floor and dusting off his clothes before running after them. Before he could berate Shiro for dropping him, Lance touched one of the cave drawings, making the whole cavern light up as each drawing glowed a bright blue.
"Whoa. Whoa!" Lance fell back on his behind in surprise.
"They've never done that before!" Keith exclaimed.
As they all stood in awe of the luminescent cave drawings, the floor beneath them began to glow as well. It formed a perfect circle before cracking and caving in. They all fell through the hole, hitting a slope deep within the cavern that had water running down it from some hidden stream. It was like a makeshift waterslide. They all screamed as they slid down the slope, caught off guard by the floor literally giving way under them and having no idea where they were going to end up.
Hitting the ground sooner than expected, the slide ended and opened up into a large pond. They all splashed into the water in a pile, drenching their clothes and supplies. Adam fell into the deepest part, completely soaking everything, even his satchel bag. He sat up out of the water, taking off his glasses and trying to dry them off to no avail. Shiro had plummeted face down next to him. He lay there in the water for a moment, unmoving, before shooting straight up on his hands and knees gasping for breath.
"Shiro, hold still," Adam said, grabbing the collar of Shiro's shirt and drying his glasses off on it. He put them back on and readjusted them, "Thanks."
"I almost just drowned. Were you really going to leave me?" Shiro raised an eyebrow in irritation.
"What? You got up okay," he said simply.
"Guys," Lance said, making them all look up at him. He was the first one on his feet and was standing at the edge of the puddle. They all rose and stood behind him, looking ahead to see the incredible sight before them.
They stood in a giant open cavern. At the other side was a giant mechanical blue lion. It was surrounded by a large blue transparent orb. It was amazing, and so unreal. If it wasn't so prominently displayed right in front of him, Adam wasn't sure if he'd even believe it. It must have been some kind of attack vehicle for land-based combat based on its design. But then how did it get to Earth if it was alien tech like Shiro claimed? And how long was it here for? Adam couldn't see any openings in the cavern as far as he could tell. Was it possible it's been here so long that the rocks built up and formed around it?
"Is this it? Is this the Voltron?" Pidge wondered aloud.
"It must be," Shiro told her.
"This is what's been causing all of this crazy energy out here. Looks like there's a force field around it," Keith observed. It was strange to admit, but Keith was absolutely right. Although, that in itself was sort of strange. How did Keith know to search out here in the first place? If it wasn't for Hunk's device, they may not have stumbled across the blue lion. And yet, Keith had been in these caves dozens of times already. He said that something drew him out here, but he never said how or why. Was the Blue Lion exerting so much energy that Keith was able to sense it out in the desert alone? The questions and variables were endless.
Lance swayed back and forth as they walked toward the mechanical marvel, "Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them?"
Shiro and Adam looked up at its eyes, squinting before they both responded, "Mm... No."
"Yeah. The eyes are totally following me," he insisted, walking from side to side as if he was trying to escape its gaze.
"I wonder how we get through this," Keith said, all of them coming to a stop just in front of the blue force field.
"Maybe you just have to knock," Lance walked straight up to the field and knocked twice before anyone could warn him. The field could have been electrocuted for all they knew, lucklily for Lance, it wasn't. Surprisingly though, his knocking actually worked. With a loud pulsing sound, the energy field dropped, completely disappearing in front of them.
The floor beneath it light up as well. Adam thought for a moment that it might collapse again, but then like a rush of wind, a wave of energy surged over them. The lion's eyes shone a bright yellow, and it was like they could all see the same thing. The lion was sending out a psychic signal to all of them. They could see that there was more than just this blue lion, but there were four more lions as well. Each one a different color and all of them capable of soaring through the air. Overtaken by the energy, they were all shone an image of the lions merging together, forming a giant humanoid robot.
As the images ceased, the room quieted down, and the energy stopped.
"Whoa," they all exclaimed.
"Uh, did everyone just see that?" Lance asked, unsure if the psychic vision he had just seen was shared among the group or not.
"Voltron is a robot! Voltron is a huge, huge, awesome robot!" Hunk spat out without missing a beat or taking a breath.
"And this thing is only one part of it! I wonder where the rest of them are," Pidge inquired.
Shiro stepped forward, "This is what they're looking for."
Adam looked on with some reservations. He knew that tone. He knew, that this had become Shiro's mission now. Wherever this was about to take him, he was going to follow through with it to the end. It was the one thing Shiro had over everyone else. Belief.
The lion whirred and moved, lowering its head right in front of them and opening its mouth. The bottom panel of its mouth unfolded into a ramp, laying out a cargo entrance for them all to enter it.
Lance, who was already ahead of the pack, decided to be the first one to jump inside. He made his way straight up to the head of the lion. It looked like a cockpit, with one chair set in the center and a control board a bit too far up ahead from the seat. Straight ahead was a black screen that must have somehow indicated what was in front of them. Kinda like a tank, Lance assumed.
"Mmm... hmm. Here we go," he said, sitting down in the chair. Once his butt hit the seat, the chair rushed forward making Lance scream like a girl from the unexpected movement. He soon realized he was in front of the control board, and he leaned forward to look at it. A hologram screen came up in front of him, and the front wall that had looked like a black screen transformed into an image of the cavern in front of them. The others huddled around Lance, cramming themselves into the small space.
"Okay, guys, I feel the need to point out, just so that we're all, you know, aware. We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head right now," Hunk said.
It was true, if not a little obvious. If only that was the strangest thing that had happened recently. Honestly this was just a check on the list of weird coincidences at this point. The others just let Hunk talk, but didn't really feel the need to comment on it.
Lance suddenly felt himself being pulled forward, yet he remained still in his seat. He could almost feel something washing over him, a deep purr ringing in his ears like a far away echo.
"Whoa. Did you guys just hear that?" Lance exclaimed.
"Hear what?" Keith asked, as him and the others seemed to have no idea to what Lance was referring to.
"I-I think it's talking to me," Lance told them.
Great, giant mechanical robot also speaks to people telepathically. Check. Adam mentally noted.
Lance examined the controls and pressed several buttons. The lion stood and roared, making the head shake from the vibrations. Pidge and Hunk exclaimed their surprise, while Keith, Shiro, and Adam just watched on from behind him.
"Okay. Got it. Now, let's try this!" Lance grabbed the two handles on either side of his seat and pushed them forward.
The blue lion took off, crashing through the rock wall of the cavern and speeding off into the sky. The lion spun around until it was upright, thrusters shooting out from beneath its paws and launching it upward. The lion spun around unpredictably with Lance at the controls. Adam braced himself against the wall and Shiro's metal arm, which he had placed against the ceiling. Keith was leaning into Shiro for support while trying to hold onto Hunk. Pidge was pulling on Lance's hoodie to keep from falling while he was sat somewhat uncomfortably in his chair, with Hunk pulling on his hair for his own stability.
Pidge and Hunk screamed the loudest, while Adam and Shiro gritted their teeth to brace themselves. This thing didn't look like it could fly. Psychic vision or not, how could any of them predicted that!? Keith screamed at Lance, "You are - the worst - pilot - ever!"
They all continued to scream as the lion touched down to Earth and began running across the open desert plains. It evened out the lion, and they no longer had to struggle for balance.
"Isn't this awesome?" Lance shouted with glee. He was getting a thrill out of this. It was a freedom like no other. The kind he had always suspected flying would give him.
"Make it stop. Make it stop," Hunk cried, his eyes watering and looking like he was about to be sick. Which was nothing new. It was just surprising he hadn't puked yet.
"I'm not making it do anything. It's like it's on autopilot," he explained. The lion jumped back into the air, and the thrusters came back on, shooting the lion toward the atmosphere.
"Where are you going?"
"I just said it's on autopilot! It says there's an alien ship approaching Earth. I think we're supposed to stop it."
"What did it say, exactly?" Pidge spoke with some irritation, holding herself in a bracing position in case they started to spin again.
"And when did it say it!?" Adam yelled. He was getting real tired of this. How had saving his ex-boyfriend turned into such a complicated mess!?
"Well it's not like it's saying words, more like feeding ideas into my brain, kind of," Lance said, obviously unsure of how it was working himself.
"Well if this thing is the weapon they're coming for, why don't we just, I don't know, give it to them? Maybe they'll leave us alone. Sorry, lion. Nothing personal," Hunk reasoned. He didn't have the heart for battle, that much was clear. He must have been an engineer, or something to that affect considering his knowledge in science and mechanics.
Shiro spoke with a heated fervor, "You don't understand. These monsters spread like a plague throughout the galaxy, destroying everything in their path. There's no bargaining with them. They won't stop until everything is dead."
Hearing Shiro's description of this alien race, the others glared at Hunk in disappointment.
"Oh. Never mind then," he raised his hand in surrender, not realizing how bad giving up would be in this situation.
As they broke the atmosphere and hovered in deep space, a giant alien ship appeared out of nowhere in front of them. It was like it had traveled so fast that it was suddenly just there. The design was long, and not very practical. It was probably a command ship of some sort.
"They found me," Shiro whispered to himself. He seemed more than familiar with this kind of ship. Keith thought it was curious. Shiro told him how much of a hard time he was having to remember what happened to him, but it looked like he was getting those memories back quickly.
Floated adrift in space, the alien ship fired energy blasts from its starboard side directly at them. Thanks to the distance and how relatively small the lion was, the shots missed them, but surrounded them as well.
"We've got to get out of here!" Pidge screamed, being the first one to be the voice of reason.
"Hang on!" Lance punched the controls as everyone braced themselves again. He managed to dodge the blasts and gain some distance from the assailant by zig zagging through them. It was sloppy, but effective.
"All right. Okay, I think I know what to do." Lance turned the lion back around to face the ship, flying forward toward it.
"Be careful, man. This isn't a simulator," Pidge screamed.
Lance laughed, "Well, that's good. I always wreck the simulator."
"Oh that's comforting!" Adam said sarcastically. How could this kid be smiling right now!?
"Let's try this," Lance punched one of the throttles forward, making the lion open its mouth and shoot out a giant blue laser. The laser cut across the starboard side of the alien ship, causing small explosions to erupt from the damaged areas.
The ship shot out another stream of blasts from the front end of their ship, which Lance managed to quickly dodge by diving forward underneath it. The lion swiveled up, landing on the enemy ship and dragging its claws across the surface, breaching the hull and creating more explosions in their wake.
"Nice job, Lance," Shiro praised. Lance was rough around the edges, but he had talent. Shiro was always good at seeing the best in people and what they were capable of. It was one of his best and most frustrating qualities in Adam's opinion.
"Okay, I think it's time to get these guys away from our planet," Lance turned the lion. Having more than captured their attention he zoomed as far away from Earth as he could, as fast as possible. Yet, somehow, the were immediately pursued. How could such a large ship turn and follow them so quickly? It was almost inconceivable.
"They're gaining on us," Pidge warned, keeping an eye on their pursuers.
"It's weird. They're not trying to shoot us. They're just chasing," Lance observed.
"Okay, seriously, now we think having aliens follow us is good? I am not on board with this new direction, guys," Hunk whined.
Adam leaned forward over Lance to address Hunk, "Shiro said they want the lions, right? Shooting us down didn't work, so they're going to tail us until they can figure out a way to catch us."
"Where are we?" Keith asked, unfamiliar with all the open space around them.
Shiro looked around, pointing out a planet covered in ice ahead of them, "Edge of the solar system. There's Kerberos."
"It takes months for our ships to get out this far. We got out here in five seconds!" Pidge was astounded. The capabilities of this lion were absolutely incredible!
"Kerberos…" Adam stared wide eyed at the icy blue planet. Seeing the cause for so much of his pain, it was haunting. So much loss, just to get here. To a tiny little blue rock you couldn't even see from the sky. And yet for this feat of alien tech, it was like it was nothing at all. What was his life anymore?
"Adam?...Adam?" Shiro called out to him, shaking him out of his daze.
Adam shook his head free from his thoughts, "Sorry…. I'm fine," he lied.
Once he finished speaking, a wormhole opened up in front of them, just past the ice planet. It was strange though. The wormhole was a swirl of purple, surrounded by what looked like a blue circle composed of symbols. It looked like a magic circle or something. No. An alchemist circle would be more fitting. Adam would have found it hard to believe, but at this point, he was pretty much ready to take anything on as truth. If someone where to tell him werewolves were real, now would be the time that he'd probably believe it.
"What is that?" Hunk panicked.
"Uh, this may seem crazy, but I think the lion wants us to go through there!" Lance told them.
"Where does it go?" Pidge asked. It was a good question. This wormhole just appeared out of nowhere. They could end up inside a black hole or in an active volcano for all they knew. How could they trust the psychic advice of a giant mechanical vehicle?
"I-I don't know," Lance admitted with some hesitance, "Shiro, you're the senior officer here. What should we do?
"I still outrank you?" Shiro said with surprise as he turned to Adam. With Shiro supposedly dead and gone, the Garrison should have offered him his position. Adam was easily the best pilot after Shiro, it would only make sense to do so. So why wasn't he?
"They offered me your position as first officer, but I turned it down."
"But you…"
"Shiro," Lance interrupted with some urgency. There was definitely more to that conversation, but they were all running out of time as the lion drew closer to the wormhole.
"Uh, sorry," Shiro refocused his efforts on the situation at hand, "Whatever is happening, the lion knows more than we do. I say we trust it, but we're a team now. We should decide together."
"Well I guess we don't have any other choice," Adam conceded. The others nodded in agreement. Seriously!? If this situation wasn't so crazy already, he would seriously question the sanity of everyone here. But there weren't a lot of options. Going back to Earth would just draw fire and attention to it. And despite the damage Lance had already done, it was doubtful they could take down that giant ship before getting blown out of the sky or captured themselves.
"All right. Guess we're all ditching class tomorrow," Lance pushed forward on one of the controls, making the lion accelerate toward the wormhole. The alien ship that had been hot on their heels sped up to follow closely behind, obviously having figured out what they were planning to do. Lance zoomed ahead as fast as he could, and as they drew closer the wormhole started to get smaller. It was closing! If they could just get inside right before it closed, they could escape the alien ship.
Adam closed his eyes and braced himself, his grip on Shiro's metal arm tightening. It was a good thing Shiro couldn't feel anything in that arm. Wait, could he? Adam would have contemplated the question longer if he hadn't heard a loud whooshing sound that caused him to open his eyes. They were inside the portal, surrounded by massive waves of energy that formed the wormhole. They looked behind them and had obviously outrun the enemy ship. Unfortunately, the portal entrance had also disappeared, and that meant one thing. There was no going back.
AUTHOR NOTE: I was trying to get to Allura by the end of this chapter, but my writing went on way longer than I expected. So next time we'll get Allura and the castle of Lions. Once we get through the introductions and paladin assignments, I'm going to start getting into more unique and interesting stories as they apply to Adam.
And for anyone wondering why I featured Jason and Phil so prominently in Adam's story, since I am expanding upon his character it only makes sense to give attention to his own friends and people that care about him.
Stay tuned for the next update! I'm hoping to update at least one or two more times before the final season comes out.