Chapter three: Seeing Things?
A crash shattered the silence over the com. Keith on the screen looked back, and jumped up out of the screen's view. The Yellow and Blue Paladins shared another blank stare, before scrambling back out of the Red Lion's cockpit. Tumbling over the bed once more Lance began to hurriedly dress himself.
"Ok, you go check on Keith in the Black Lion. And I'll go check on Allura." The Blue Paladin instructed.
"Got it." Hunk nodded firmly. Having finished getting his armor on, the two stumbled for the exit.
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"Shiro, what are you doing? No one's here." Keith was saying, as Hunk entered the Black Lion's cargo hold.
"What's going on here?" The Yellow Paladin asked, then he caught a glimpse of Shiro and stopped short.
The former Black Lion pilot fidgeted nervously, his demeanor was anxious, overly alert and clearly agitated. He would mumble something that at times didn't make sense.
"Zarkon... ...s..stay away! Y..you don't deserve- the Black lion!" Shiro gasped, his tone more threatening and constricted than anything. His attention shot to his right, as did his focus, hinted at by the dynamic change in his voice. "You're not gonna get to me witch!" Shiro sneered breathlessly. "You've broken me enough once, you will never get to do it again!"
"Shiro, what are you talking about." Keith questioned, gazing at the places in which Shiro was looking. All he could see was empty space, but to Shiro all his enemies had completely surrounded him. All of them blocking his escape from all sides; and his arm no longer there for him to defend himself.
Hunk and Keith stood there staring at him, both trying to decipher this unusual behavior. As they stood there, Shiro seemed totally unaware of their presence; holding his head in his hand, and mumbling something to himself continuously. Hunk began to feel a bit dizzy himself and subtly stumbled back a couple of steps, reaching a hand up to stabilize himself against the wall. Suddenly his vision slightly blurred and proceeded to slowly spin; like he, himself, were sitting still and everything was revolving around him.
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Lance's feet skidded across the floor, as he burst into the Blue Lion. The Blue Paladin and Red Lion Pilot's eyes were immediately drawn to the floor. Allura was knelt on one knee beside a crying Romelle, who was kneeling with her body fully composed over her legs; which were folded under her, sitting on her ankles. She hands in her lap, and her shoulders jerking from the many uneven sobs abruptly forcing their way from her throat. She then brought her hands to her face and sobbed into them some more, uncontrollably crying like she wasn't ever gonna stop.
"What happened, Allura?" Lance finally asked.
"I don't know." The Princess replied, hauntedly. "She was just suddenly like this. She kept looking around frantically when I found her, but I didn't see anything. And now she's crying, I'm not sure what to do." Lance stared, his confusion of what had happened to him the night before; and the things Allura and Hunk had said, perplexing him further.
"Hey..uh, Lance? What's- your status?" Hunk's voice cracked through the com link in his helmet.
"Not great? Why?" Lance asked, finally jerking himself out of his trance.
"I think there's.. something up with Shiro." The Yellow Paladin responded.
"Hang on, I'll be right there." Lance told him. "Come on, let's get her to the Black Lion." He said, turning to the Princess. Allura pulled Romelle up off the floor and helped her follow Lance, when he suddenly froze just short of the door. "Wait a minute... Where's Pidge?"
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The Green Paladin snuggled deeper into the sea of blankets, all that was showing was her light umberish-brown hair and left hand. She lay on her right side, almost on her stomach, peacefully snoozing away. The peace that was in her was mostly generated by the feeling of being home on earth, and the anticipation of seeing her family again. Especially her mom; whom she hadn't seen since she'd left with the other Paladins in the Blue Lion. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she thought of this in her slumber; a smile cracking across her sleeping face. A chattering noise interrupted her peaceful sleep and she slowly peeled her eyes open. She heavily rolled onto her back very slowly, almost as though she were protecting a very tender injury. Her eyes blinked, seemingly, in slow motion as she became aware of her surroundings. She stared at the ceiling, the chattering noise returning and she shifted her head to the right. As soon as she did, two golden slits for eyes stared back at her; and rush of a gassy substance puffed in her face. Nearly choking on it, she thrust herself upright to cover her mouth with both hands. Dropping her hands into her lap she heard another sound; one that was similar to the previous, but clearly different too. Pidge felt a sense of anxiety creep into her; like the clicking noise she'd heard, as it came toward her. Her eyes inconsistently darting around the room searching for the source of the sound.
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Allura and Lance set Romelle against the wall of the Black Lion's cargo hold. Her hands nervously grasped her biceps across her chest, and her knees nearly pulled up to it. Shiro was now pacing back and forth, still agitated, still self-conscious. Hunk had his back pressed to the wall of the cargo hold, his hands up near his face. He was breathing a bit staccato and was muttering stuff to himself; begging himself not to throw up.
"Keith, what's going on?!" Allura asked, searching his face; only finding an equally confused pair of eyes.
"Yeah, Hunk was fine a few minutes ago." Lance agreed looking at Keith as well.
"I don't know." Keith groaned, looking at Shiro, Hunk, and Romelle. "All I know is that something is not right here, and we need to figure out what." He looked at Lance. "Is everyone here?"
"All except Pidge." Lance confirmed, holding his blaster diagonally across his upper body. "Haven't seen or heard anything from her. I'm about to go looking for her." Allura dropped her gaze away from him.
"Of course you would." She said, a hint of bitterness catching him off guard.
"What do you mean? Of course I would; she's a part of the team." Lance told her innocently, his expression uncertain and quizzical. Allura just scoffed dryly, half laughing.
"Sure, part of the team." She sighed sarcastically. "And perhaps Kaltinecker is our lookout."
"Allura, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?" Lance asked, struggling to understand where this attitude had come from.
"You think this is my fault?! You think I'm responsible for this?!" Allura snapped getting to her feet.
"No, no, I didn't say that! I-" Lance stammered, backing away as Allura came over to get in his face angrily.
"You were thinking it?! You were suggesting it?! You were going to say it?!?!" Allura shouted, her eyes flaring with rage. "I can't believe that after all we've been through together, you're more concerned about anyone else but me!! And instead you believe that I am to blame for all this!! How could you, who do you think you are?!..."
"No, please, Allura stop!! I don't blame you I swear?! I do care about you, please!!" Lance cried nearly on the edge of crying; trying to defend himself.
"Lance, what are you talking about?" Allura cried, her hands pressing his shoulders to the wall, panic in her eyes. "What is going on with you? Lance!"
"He's starting to act just like them." Keith observed, as Lance continued his blind babbling. The Red Paladin gazed around at the strange behaviors being exhibited around him.
"Keith, what are you thinking?" Krolia asked her son, placing a hand on his shoulder from behind.
"I'm not exactly sure." He admitted, glancing over at her. He looked back at Shiro, still blinded by his oblivion. "But something's not right here."
"Hey guys what's-" Pidge entered the Black Lion with a smile on her face, but froze as soon as she saw the chaos that awaited her.
Here's the next chapter!! So excited to hear your thoughts!! This story is by far one of the most fun stories to write to date. That and LHBMV(Let Hands Be My Voice) and SOB(Shades Of Black). Hope you guys feel the same.. enjoy!! Thx!!!
