Only a day had passed since Lance had been threatened by the intruder. The others were blissfully unaware that he was among them. Lance was the only one who was on edge, the others seemed to only think it was because of what happened in the tunnels. He himself wasn't fully over what he had experienced. He could still feel the blood on his hands, the sticky warm liquid draining from Pidge's body.
Lance wiped his hands on his jeans as if it would remove the memory from his mind. Rising from his bed he made his way over to 'Coran'. He was currently looking through the several compartments to pass the time.
"What did you do to Coran?" Lance asked following him as he flipped through the items in a drawer.
"He's out of the way for as long as I need him to be," he replied with a smirk on his features. "Don't worry he's still alive if that's what you're wondering."
Lance dropped a wrap back into the drawer leaning close "I will stop you. Soon enough the others will discover who you really are and you will be defeated," His voice was a threatening whisper, although inside he was crying like a lost child looking for it's mother.
"Please, If anything the only thing that would be happening is you being sedated," he replied nonchalantly, "Besides they're going to believe me over a traumatized little boy." With that he started to walk away before turning back, "Oh by the way you can call me Cana."
Lance slid the drawer close with a little more force than what was necessary as Cana walked away. This had gone on long enough. One way or another he was going to end this.
Across the room Pidge was typing away on a tablet. She appeared to be distracting herself from anything. Lance didn't blame her, if he could do that he would. Unfortunately he knew something that the others didn't, and he knew if he told any of them directly Cana would not hesitate to kill them all.
He paused an idea coming to him. He crossed the room over to Pidge settling next to her.
"Hey," she said, not bothering to look up.
"You like hypothetical situations right?" he asked, glancing over to Allura and Cana talking. He impersonated Coran so well. No wonder it was impossible to see otherwise.
"Depends on what it is, but yes I guess you could say that."
"So, hypothetically if the intruder can shapeshift, then what would the possibility of him being one of us?" he asked.
Pidge paused, adjusting her glasses. "I suppose it is possible but it would be really hard to tell unless they slipped up. Since he is really practiced in impersonating people it would take a lot for him to break character."
"So maybe like a huge confrontation?" he suggested.
"That could work, yes, but also depends on how skilled he is as a shapeshifter." she set her tablet to the side finally focusing on the conversation at hand, "Lance I know that a lot has happened, but you don't have to worry about any of us being the intruder. Alright?"
He shrugged, not giving a direct answer to what she said. Things would be so much simpler if he could just right out say it, but that's not how stories work.
"Well hello there!"
Lance looked up to see Cana standing there a smile on his features. His stomach dropped as Cana took a conscious step forward.
"Hello Coran!" Pidge greeted. She waved her hand at him.
"Pidge would you mind if you gave Lance and I a moment?" Cana asked, twisting his mustache in perfect imitation.
"Of course," she then turned to Lance, placing a hand on his thigh, "remember what I said."
Lance nodded. If only she knew. He thought to himself as he followed Cana out into the corridor. As soon as the door closed Cana was all over him, just short of pinning Lance against the wall by his neck.
"What did you say to her?" He growled.
"I just gave her a "hypothetical situation" to analyze," he replied annoyed, "For someone who says that they're always one step ahead you do sure seem to be insecure about this one little thing."
That was the wrong thing to say because Lance was pinned against the wall, his shirt gathered in Cana's hand. Neither said anything at first they simply glared at each other merely seconds away from starting a fight. They would have to if Keith hadn't triggered the door causing them both to leap apart.
"What are you guys doing out here?" he asked. Keith had been quieter than usual around Lance. The bruise around his neck had all but faded, but you could still tell it was there. The fact that he wanted nothing more than to apologize, Lance had no idea how to bring it up. He hadn't been himself, and he knew that Keith wouldn't fault him for that, but it would make Lance feel better if he could apologize.
"Ah, just having a friendly chat," Cana replied, patting Lance on the shoulder. Lance pulled away slightly adjusting his shirt as he did so.
"Yeah just a chat." Lance echoed.
"Well get back in here we may have an idea on how to defeat the intruder for good." Keith said, motioning for them to join the group.
"I think it would be a good idea if Coran kept watch out here." Lance suggested, "That way we don't have to worry about the intruder sneaking up on us."
Keith shook his head, "No can do. Coran is the majority of the plan. We need him in here, you can stay out here and keep watch if you want," Keith suggested.
Cana smirked as he followed Keith into the room, giving Lance a little wave as the door slid shut. As soon as the door closed Lance placed his hands against his face, groaning.
He was running out of time and Cana knew it. Lance had to think of something fast, before their plan had no effect and Cana killed them all. He paused the dread flooding him like a tidal wave. He had no choice but to expose Cana.
The minutes dragged on as the door remained closed. Lance didn't mind too much as it gave him time to formulate a plan. Soon enough the doors slid open and everyone stepped out all headed in the same direction.
Lance joined them, finding a place next to Keith. He didn't say anything at first, just walked with them.
"So what's the plan?" He asked Keith, voice low.
Keith stopped and the group continued on, "Coran doesn't think that it's a good idea to include you in it. You know, with everything that happened in the tunnels, It's unpredictable to how you would react."
Lance could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Keith, Coran isn't who you think he is." Lance tried pleading with him, but he got nowhere.
"I'm sorry, but this is the exact reason why he said you shouldn't be included," Keith replied. His gaze was distant, eyes cloudy. Fidgeting with his sleeves Keith glanced behind him before turning back to Lance, "Look I know you've been through a lot, we all have, but I think it would be a good idea if you sat this one out. Focus on getting better."
There was no response that Lance could think of, and could only watch as Keith turned to catch up with the others.
Cana was making sure that Lance couldn't have anyway to sabotage his perfect little plan. He had the other paladins convinced that he was Coran, but what if Lance were to find the real Coran?
The kitchen looked the same as if from that first day. He had left after being in there for only five minutes. He had left the room to do a favor for Hunk. While he had been headed back he heard the PA system squeal on.
"Attention all members aboard this ship. You have been one of the lucky few chosen for a game. The game you may ask is quite fun actually." Snickers could be heard on the other side of the comm. "It's a game of survival. Every man for himself. No teams and no truces. The object of the game is to be the last one standing. To become the last one standing you must kill your comrades. You make think "No there's no way I'd kill one of my crew members" well think again. Because if bodies don't start dropping within 30 minutes….." there was a slight pause, "...then we'll start dropping them for you."
The fear that had run through his body was used as fuel for his adrenaline. In a few seconds he had found himself in the vents, a place usually only Pidge was found.
His somewhat broad shoulders made it difficult to fit, but he soon found a system that got him moving. Lance had weaved through the vents trying to find his way back to the kitchen.
Hours later he never found the kitchen, instead he found Pidge completely broken down in tears. She was curled up in the vents the same as he was. He had called her name and the relief that had flooded her face practically tore him in two.
It was made clear that she was on her own when she crawled over to a bag filled with the team's Bayards. Where they were he had no idea. Pidge offered him his bayard and he took it gratefully, but not before he noticed three freshly burned scrapes on her torso. They had been sealed closed to stop the bleeding. He knew this as the dried blood on her made it clear that she had encountered some trouble.
He was going to say something about it, he really was. But by the time he opened his mouth he found himself saying something completely different. She's clearly trying to hide it.' He thought to himself, "I think I'll wait until she tells me. She may have it under control.'
Looking back he wished he would've stopped her. Asked her that simple question. Then they wouldn't have been in the tunnel at that moment. They wouldn't have been attacked. She wouldn't have almost bled to death. He wouldn't have almost killed the others when they found them.
One simple question. Things could've gone so differently if only he had asked.
Lance fell against the door frame, tears falling down his face. He placed a hand against his mouth muffling the sounds of regret as he realized with only one question he could have changed the outcome of everything that's gone down.
It took him a few minutes to pull himself together. To refocus on the mission that led him to this specific room. He crossed the room to the far wall, his hand touching it as soon as he was close enough.
The search for the plate took less than three minutes. The door slid open and he was through it. The trek down the steep incline was not as nerve wracking as trying to wake Pidge up for early morning training, but it was up there.
Now Lance hadn't been in the tunnels until Pidge dragged him in. Even now he was entering from a completely different entrance which meant a completely different route. In any normal situation he would have picked one and guessed, however, he didn't have time to be wrong.
Hands up to his face, cupping them around his mouth ready to call out to Coran in the unlikely chance he was awake. He stopped short however when a blue flash drew his attention to farther down the hallway.
He followed. Each time he would get close the light would appear farther away leading him to a right turn or to go straight. It was at least half an hour before he came to the bunker.
Upon entering he found his bayard on the floor from where he had dropped it when Cana had first attacked Coran and him. Cana had gone for Coran, first throwing him against the wall to stun him while he broke his legs one right after the other. Lance had been easy to take. Cana only hit him across the head with a heavy object that practically threw him across the room. After that Lance had no idea what happened, because the next thing he knew he was waking up on top of Keith.
Walking farther into the room Lance noticed the pile of crates had collapsed forward as if they had been pushed. Closer inspection allowed him to see drag marks from where Coran would have been. Peering over the crates Lance found the man lying on the ground, eyes closed, lips and face a deathly pale.
"Coran!" Lance cried out kneeling next to the Altean.
In response, Coran only groaned. His hand moved slightly in one specific direction. Lance turned to look and found a first aid kit. He immediately grabbed it, popping it open.
The contents ranged from small wraps to Large pieces of what looked like gauze. Underneath it all was two syringes with a glowing sea foam green substance. It reminded him of the blue accents throughout the castle as well as the healing pod.
He picked up the syringe rolling it over. On the backside was a label reading Concentrated Healing Pod Particles. Lance didn't give it a second thought he just jabbed it into Coran's thigh.
From that one syringe Coran's left leg was healed as well as the start of his right. In a few short minutes Lance had administered the second one and the color was beginning to return to Coran's face.
With his strength returning to him Coran managed to get himself to a sitting position. As soon as he was settled Lance went to grab a bottle of water and some food. Coran took the items gratefully munching on them quietly.
"Are you okay," Coran asked, pausing from the food and switching to his water.
"Are any of us really okay?" Lance replied, "What about you? You took more of a beating than I did."
Coran shrugged, "I'm doing better now. I thought I was gone there." He looked at the far wall, "No one seemed to hear me whenever I called out, so I just stopped calling altogether."
"I'm sorry," Lance started, "We were all distracted with Cana."
"Who?"
"Cana is the intruder's name. "He's been posing as you. Everyone seems to believe him, only I know the truth."
"We need to stop him." Coran said, "I'll walk in there myself if I need to."
"That was the plan, but the more I thought about it the more I realized Cana will not hesitate to kill everyone."
"We may not have any choice, Lance,' Coran says. "The others will want to know. Whether it leads to bloodshed or not."
Lance knew that Coran was right. He himself shouldn't have had second thoughts about a plan that was the right thing to do. No matter the outcome Cana must be exposed.