Lance was having another 'flashback'. He had recently gently untangled himself from their hug, and headed to bed. With so much emotional strain, he fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow.
Lance's eyes fluttered open, sleep slowing his mind. When he gained full awareness, however, he saw he was in his homeland, Cuba.
It was a disaster zone. The hurricane wrecked everything in sight, and the only life visible was a group of three humans, crying for their lost home. The humans were Lance, his mother, and his darling brother, Amias. His father was gone.
As he walked closer, he could hear the conversation the three were having, words interrupted by broken sobs. Young five year old Lance, and three year old Amias, simply couldn't understand what had happened.
"-ut Mama, why do we have to go?" Cried Lance.
"Carino, America has so many more opportunities! We will be happy there, with lots of beaches and animals!" His mother replied.
"But I like the beaches here! And the animals! Can't we just go home, mama?" Asked Lance, confused. He frowned further when his mother burst into more sobs.
"Mama, why are you crying? We're gonna go home!" His mother sobbed harder. Amias spoke up.
"Don' cry mama. Don' be sad." His words were undeveloped, but the message was clear. He spoke again, confused this time.
"Where dada? Where dada go? Want dada." It was Lance's turn to cry this time. He witnessed his death, after all.
"Dada's g-gone. N-no m-more dad-a," His words were halted by hiccups and sobs, and his mother drew both of them closer.
"No dada? That silly Lany. Dada hidin, right?" Lance sobbed and fell to his knees. Amias was just too young to understand.
"My dear boys, we will find a new home, make a new, happy, life. Doesn't that sound nice?" His mother tried to smile and reassure them.
"O-Okay, Mama. When w-we get t-there, c-can we g-get churros?"
"Of course, Carino. All the churros you want."
"T-then let's go now! Come on Mama!" Lance said, smiling and wiping away his tears as he dragged his mother towards a new life.
Lance bolted out of bed as soon as his eyes opened. He rushed to settle his pounding heart. He got up and out of bed, not wanting to risk another 'flashback', and got ready. He checked the clock. 4:30 A.M. Early enough. By some miracle, Lance remembered his skin cream, and washed his face, making it as flawless as before. He took time to comb his hair, and stepped out for food goo.
To his relief, there wasn't a welcoming committee at this time, so he could eat in peace. He grabbed a plate, and loaded up the green goo that was his sustenance. He munched while he thought. It always pained him to think about his family, especially his father and Amias. He wondered if his mother was okay. She must think he's dead like father! He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he didn't notice a certain mullet-headed palladin walking in the room.
Until he fell off his chair.
He didn't realize he was slipping, either. Luckily, his food goo didn't spill, but he was cursing the ground a bit until he saw a hand in his sight. He looked further, and found it was connected to none other than Keith, trying to help him up. He looked at the hand quizzically, until its owner spoke up.
"Are you just gonna sit there? Cause' I'm gonna leave to get food if you are."
Lance quickly accepted the hand once he realized its intent. He was pulled up, and grabbed his food goo plate to clean it off. It was a kind of awkward silence. Until Keith cleared his throat.
"Why are you here this early? I thought it was your job to be 'fashionably late'." Keith commented, making air quotes.
"What do you mean? It's already five. That's pretty late compared to the normal times we wake up."
"Fair point, I guess. You seemed pretty tired yesterday. Why was that?" Wow. Keith seriously had no filter to his questions.
Lance decided to humor him.
"I mean, who wouldn't be after somebody unexpectedly group hugs you and tells you they're sorry. A lot of emotion at once, mullet. Kind of stuff tires you out." Lance quipped.
"No, I mean before you got ambushed. You looked to be in pretty bad shape." Now Lance needed to dodge the question.
"Aww, Keith, you do care! I'm so flattered! Did your favorite Cuban teammate finally grow on youuu?" Annoyance always did the trick, and it got Keith to take the bait.
"No! I'm just supposed to be caring for the welfare of my teammates! Honestly Lance, we get it you love yourself! Get over it!" Ouch. He felt that one. Before he could retort though, Keith had already stormed off.
"Well he didn't stay long." Lance muttered under his breath, and walked out of the kitchen. But of course, before he could rest, the castle alarms blared loudly throughout the structure, and he was on his feet. He threw on his armour, grabbed his bayard, and ran to the bridge, desperate not to be late this time. Luckily, he was the third one to get there, upped only by Keith and Shiro. Hunk and Pidge showed up mere seconds after.
"Princess, what's going on?" asked Shiro.
"We have received a distress call from a race called the Yssae. They are preparing for an attack from the galra. Normally, because of how strong a race they are, they would be well equipped to fight back-" Allura was interrupted by Keith.
"Then why do we have to help them! It sounds like they can handle the situation, and we're already spread thin with the recent invasions on more vulnerable planets!" Allura was clearly annoyed by Keith's rude interruption, and finished her sentence.
"As I was trying to say, yes, they would be well equipped for a battle, but they are currently facing a problem with immigrating aliens, and simply aren't able to fight, and help them all at the same time." Allura finished. Lance's blood ran cold.
"We have to help them." Said Lance, unusually serious, and his demeanor scared them a bit.
"Lance wait!" Someone called behind him. But Lance had already ascended to his lion, and was preparing to launch to the coordinates of the distress signal.
"Lance! What's the rush man? You usually aren't so excited for a mission." Hunk joked, but he was a bit concerned, Lance didn't usually act like this.
"We need to help those immigrants. They're gonna need rations, water, shelter, and medical help, and with the galra attack, that may not be possible. Do you know how many immigrants die trying to find a new life?" Lance asked, already in the process of leaving the hangar.
"No. And you do?" Keith retorted.
"..." Lance stayed silent. He hated remembering what they had to do to make it to America. Amias, Dios Mio, Amias. He was too young to die. Fate was truly cruel. His mother probably thought he was dead like father and Amias. He usually joked, but there was nothing fun about immigration.
Nothing fun about holding your sick ten year old brother and watching him die before you.
Nothing fun about fighting for your life every day. It's either you or them, his mother told him. He learned to fight. He fought. He fought so hard for his new home, and he was taken from it. When his mother remarried, he thought he could have a normal life. He had new brothers and sisters, new grandparents, new aunts and uncles, and a new, just as loving father.
But they could never replace his real family.
He held back tears, and took off towards the planet.
"You didn't answer me Lance!" Keith shouted. Lance remained silent. He knew how hard it was for immigrants. He wanted them to get help, to have the chance he never got.
"LANCE!" Keith was becoming furious at being ignored.
"Keith. Let it go." Said Shiro, concerned by the usually talkative boy's silence. He didn't comment on it though, he would bring it up after the mission.
When the landed on the planet, Lance was the first one out, and with surprising vigor, talked with the Yssae. Everyone was shocked at how he started tending to the alien immigrants as if he knew what to do by experience.
No one saw the glimmering tears in his eyes as he saw a little alien child crying over a lost loved one. He walked over to the kid, hugged him, and whispered something the alien would never forget.
"I know how you feel. I lost everything too. You will pull through. You can be strong, and gain a new home, a new life. I promise."
The child in his arms hugged back and smiled.
"Thank you."
Heya! I made an actually long chapter! It's sorta angsty, but don't worry, it's only because I have been planning this for a while, and don't want it to seem sloppy or rushed. Life's been super busy, but I wanted to at least get this chapter out.
Luv, RMH~