Sendak takes a step closer, and Lance scrambles back on the floor. He doesn't know if he's trying to stand up or to get away, but whatever it is, he manages neither. Hunk shakily climbs to his knees and tries to shield him, but Sendak pushes him away with the back of his hand. Lance gasps as Hunk falls to the floor again with a low groan.
"It's time to come home," Sendak says simply and offers Lance his hand.
Lance looks up at Sendak with a scowl, apprehension forgotten.
"Why did you do that? He's already injured!" He snaps and climbs onto his knees next to Hunk, trying to shake him awake. But Hunk is out cold, and the blood from his forehead just kept on flowing.
Sendak looks down at Lance with what might be a pitying expression before reaching down. He wraps an arm around Lance's waist and pulls him up to his feet before lifting him in his arms.
"He will recover," he says dismissively. "Come, Vhix is waiting."
Lance tries to pull away, to slip out of Sendak's hold, but it's as firm as ever. And despite how upset he feels, he finds some comfort in the familiarity of being held like this. As Sendak says Vhix's name, Lance stops his struggling altogether. He ignored the unfamiliar, raw feeling growing in his chest the longer he remains in close proximity to Sendak.
"Vhix?" Lance repeats sharply. "Where is he?"
Sendak's expression softens as he looks down at him.
"Safe, not here," he assures and brushes his hand against Lance's hair. His eyes widen for a split second before narrowing.
"Who has defiled you?" Sendak demands with a growl.
Lance winces at the sudden tightness of Sendak's grip. His mouth goes dry and his pulse thuds in his ears as he tries to think of what to say. What not to say. All while battling the ever growing distress spreading through his body.
"I don't- I wasn't defiled!" Lance protests, body trembling from the stress.
Sendak sneers.
"Then explain this," he jabs at the mark on Lance's neck. Lance gasps in pain and recoils, though Sendak's grip does not allow him to go far.
"Who has done this to you?" Sendak demands. "Tell me!"
Lance's mind goes blank.
He'd had a plan. He was going to slowly, gently explain to Sendak what had happened. Say how it wasn't anyone's fault. Appeal to his sensible side and then part ways as amicably as possible.
He hadn't counted on Sendak invading the ship and finding out on his own.
"I'm not saying a word until you calm down," Lance eventually says, folding his arms stubbornly against his chest and ignoring the way Sendak's claws were starting to pierce his skin.
Sendak lets out a growl of frustration.
"Very well," he says coldly and throws Lance over his shoulder.
Lance chokes as his chest hits Sendak's armor, knocking the air right out of him. His heart beats wildly as Sendak carries him down the hall at an alarming, determined pace.
"Where are we going?" Lance asks over the ruckus of fighting and explosions. He feels sick. He's the reason Lotor's ship is in ruins. The reason his friends are fighting for their lives.
"Home," Sendak says shortly.
"No, stop," Lance squirms and beats his fists against Sendak's back. "There's no point! I already belong to someone else!"
Sendak lets out a guttural growl and his grip on Lance tightens.
"You belong to me," he replies. "You will always belong to me!"
Lance opens his mouth to fire back something along the lines of Sendak needing to face reality, but he can hear the despair in Sendak's voice. Lance swallows his harsh words and his heart hurts.
It shouldn't have happened this way.
"Sendak," Lance tries again, in a gentler voice, "please stop. I'll tell you what happened, just put me down and listen."
Sendak slows, his grip on Lance tightening before loosening. Cautiously, he lifts Lance from his shoulder and sets him down on the floor. Lance considers it a win.
Sendak tilts his chin up and frowns down at him.
"You may explain later," he says, a large finger brushing over Lance's lips. "For now we must go."
Sendak releases his chin and grabs his hand.
"You are mine. No claim can defile that."
Lance bites his lip at Sendak's words, wondering how exactly he should go about this. Coming to a decision, Lance squeezes Sendak's hand as much as his smaller hand can reach.
"Wait," he says quietly and looks up to meet Sendak's eyes. "I need to tell you now. Here."
Sendak looks down at Lance, and for a moment Lance thinks he'll be denied. But Sendak's resolve apparently wavers and he sighs.
"Fine," he states, looking down the hall, smoke billowing as they stand. "But we must move."
Lance takes a perfunctory step before stopping again. There, he moved.
"I was really upset when they brought me here," Lance says. "And super stressed. I was missing you and Vhix and all I wanted was to go back but they kept saying no. And then my body started acting up. Lotor said it was a... 'Survival heat' or whatever. But the main thing is that I was in pain. And..."
Lance takes a deep breath.
"I basically kinda forced Keith to mate me," Lance admits, face flushed. "He's… isn't dead, by the way… He was the nearest alpha at the time and he didn't want to, but then it... Happened."
Clearing his throat, Lance meets Sendak's eyes again.
"So it was my fault. And Keith has been nothing but good to me. I know this isn't what we'd planned, but... I can't go back with you. I belong to Keith."
Sendak looks down at him pensively before shaking his head.
"You are mine," he repeats, "and I will ensure that."
Lance's eyes widen in alarm as the grip on his hand tightens and he's suddenly tugged down the halls in the opposite direction of the exit.
That, with the combination of Sendak's words, fills Lance with cold, icy dread.
"What do you mean?" Lance asks, voice an octave higher than usual. "Where are we going?"
Lance swears his heart stops beating in his chest as they round a corner and run into Keith, supporting an injured Pidge. They were probably on their way to the medbay, where Lance should've brought Hunk. Instead, he'd left his best friend unconscious on the floor.
His hand is suddenly released, but Lance doesn't care about his newfound freedom. All he can focus on is Sendak's metal arm lighting up and his furious gaze, aimed at Keith.
At his mate.
"Sendak, no!" Lance yells and grabs Sendak's flesh arm, hoping to hold him back.
Sendak doesn't look at him.
"This is the only way," is all he says over the groan of the ship.
The heart that Lance swore had stopped in his chest starts beating wildly, pumping fear and adrenaline through Lance's veins. He changes tactics, rushing to face Sendak and grab his metal arm from the front.
"This won't change anything!" Lance says desperately, shaking his head. "What's done is done!"
He hears someone stumble behind him, and when he looks to the side, he can see Pidge rushing past them as fast as she can, in the direction of the medbay.
Good.
Sendak lowers his hand.
"It must be done if you are to return, if you wish to come home. Isn't that what you want, Lance?"
Lance's lips tremble. And to his shame, his resolve wavers for a split second.
Because he can see himself back in Sendak's room. In their bed. Reunited with Vhix, guiding him down the best path for him. Because Lance knows he'll never be able to convince Sendak to give up on their son. Not with the way things have gone down.
But Lance looks back over his shoulder at Keith and his resolve strengthens. Keith. His Keith. So brave. So kind.
He got Keith into this mess. Lance won't allow anyone else to be hurt on his account.
"I don't want you to hurt Keith," Lance says resolutely. "I won't go back with you. I'm sorry, but we have to move on."
"You don't belong with them," Sendak hisses. "You were nothing with them. I cannot give you Vhix," he states firmly, "so you must come home so that you may be with him. Where you belong."
Lance takes a step back, winded by Sendak's verbal punch to the gut. He knew Sendak wasn't going to give Vhix back to him. But hearing it brings tears to his eyes.
"Don't you think Vhix will be happier with me? With his-" Lance lowers his voice, face flushed, "-mother? He's mixed, and you keep going on about how Galra will not tolerate half-breeds. Look at Lotor! If a prince isn't being treated with respect, how is Vhix going to survive?"
Sendak looks down at him with an unreadable expression.
"All the more reason for you to return," he says and raises his gaze to look over Lance's shoulder.
"Step aside so I may handle this," Sendak states and sets his hand upon Lance, roughly pushing him away just as Keith lunges towards him with a growl.
Lance stumbles from the push, his back hitting the wall as the cruel sound of clashing iron echoes through the hall. He watches, face ashen, as Keith and Sendak try to land a blow, both of them going for the kill.
And the worst part is that Lance doesn't know who he wants to win. He doesn't want either of them to die.
How can he stop this?
Keith hurriedly brushes sweat off his brow just as Sendak raises his arm. Keith quickly angles his sword and Lance cries out as he sees red blossoming on Sendak's arm. It vividly reminds him of the way Sendak had lost his eye.
For him.
He thinks of Vhix, sleeping in his cradle on Sendak's ship. Waiting for his father to come home.
"Stop it!" Lance shouts desperately, voice hoarse. "Both of you, stop it!"
Sendak growls, applying pressure against Keith's sword as they clash. For a split second, Lance thinks Sendak will succeed in piercing Keith with his own blade and he tries to yell out, but no sound leaves his throat. He's only heard of fear rendering people mute- Lance never thought he'd experience it himself.
Luckily, Keith yields before the blade touches his throat and quickly pulls away, putting distance between him and Sendak. Lance watches with wide eyes as Sendak immediately chases after Keith, swinging his arm forward, trying to disarm Keith or knock him off his feet. Lance can't be sure.
Keith's pupils dilate as Sendak's blade scrapes across his cheek, but he ducks away just in time and aims between the cracks of Sendak's armor.
Bile burns in Lance's throat as he sees more blood. Blood on Keith's cheek, the cheek he'd just playfully pinched earlier that day. Blood on Sendak's shoulder, the one Lance preferred to lean his head on whenever Sendak carried him around. He can see the way his distress is affecting both Keith and Sendak. Their movements are quick, more desperate than Lance has even seen before in a fight.
Though maybe they always fight like this. Maybe this is what Sendak looks like when he's out conquering planets. Maybe this is what Keith looked like in the arena.
He squeezes his eyes shut as Sendak roars.
Keith twists his blade in his hand and ducks at another well-aimed blow. His breath is hot and fast and Sendak seems to be worn as well, but neither cease the fight. Eventually, he gets close enough to land a kick.
All color drains from Lance's face as Sendak hisses from Keith's kick and reaches out to push him. Keith's back hits the wall with a slam and Sendak doesn't waste the opportunity to raise his weapon, clearly intent on landing a killing blow.
Lance's body moves before his mind fully registers the situation. All he knows, all he can feel, is that his mate is in danger. He rushes over to Keith and stops in front of him, standing in the way between him and Sendak's raised arm.
"Please," Lance pleads, eyes blurry with tears. "I'm begging you, don't do this!"
Sendak's arm immediately powers down and he lowers it with a scowl.
"Step aside, Lance, this must be done!"
Lance can barely hear his thoughts over the rapid pulse in his ears, but he shakes his head resolutely. He takes a step back, completely shielding Keith from Sendak's arm.
"No," he states. "If you want to kill Keith, you'll have to kill me first."
Keith sets his sword down behind him and reaches for Lance's hand. Sendak's gaze falls on their clasped hands, and his anger visibly fades.
"Do you know what you are asking of me?"
Lance blinks away his tears, emboldened by Keith's hand squeezing his own. He meets Sendak's gaze, mirroring his sorrow.
"I love you," he says softly. "And I want to be with you and our son. But if we can't all live together peacefully," Lance exhales, "then I'm asking you to let me go."
Sendak's expression shutters and he reaches out to tuck a finger under Lance's chin.
"You will regret making that decision," he says in a cold voice. "You will always be mine."
Lance feels a bit of his heart break as Sendak takes a step back. He supposes a part of him had still held out hope that Sendak would accept his relationship with Keith and would still want him to maintain a connection with their son. They could, theoretically, work something out if they wanted to.
But Sendak sounds like he's cutting him out of his life for good. And keeping their son.
"...you'll tell Vhix that I love him?" Lance asks, sounding pathetic even to his own ears.
Is he being a bad parent, giving up on his child like this? Should he fight more, even if it meant losing Sendak? Should he give in and reunite with Vhix, even if it meant losing Keith?
There is no good choice, and Lance is losing someone no matter what he decides. But at least no one dies this way.
Sendak meets Lance's gaze once more, and Lance can feel Keith wrap his arm silently around his waist.
"You have lost all right to speak to my son."
His eyes move to meet Keith's and they stare at each other for a long, tense moment before Sendak gives a curt nod and turns away.
Lance's lips tremble and he can't hold it in anymore. He starts to cry. He tries to keep it to quiet, hiccupping sobs, but they're still there. He turns his head to the side to bury his face in Keith's shoulder.
He's an awful human being. He'd abandoned his son.
Keith lifts Lance up, tucking him against his chest and kissing his forehead. They don't exchange words as Keith runs.
They need to find their friends.
They need to go.
Keith skids to a stop when they reach an empty corridor. He looks down at Lance and meets his eyes.
"Thank you," he whispers.
Lance doesn't say anything. Or, well, he tries, but nothing comes out. He just... Doesn't really want to exist anymore. In this moment, at least. And saying something would be acknowledging that he'd really just given up on Sendak, abandoned his son, and that the ship was literally on fire and his friends might be dead.
So he closes his eyes and clings a little bit tighter to Keith. If he's ever needed someone to take care of him, it was now.
Keith sets Lance down and carefully wipes away his tears. More follow, but Keith cups Lance's cheeks regardless.
"I know you just sacrificed a lot, and for me. I don't know if I can ever repay you. But it-"
He swallows.
"This isn't the end," he says fiercely. "We're going to get through this because we're together," he whispers, kissing Lance's head.
"You don't have to respond. Just... I'm here, okay?"
Lance silently nods and wraps his arms around Keith, soaking up whatever comfort he can get to carry on through this mess. He takes a deep, shaky breath and pulls away from the hug just enough so as to meet Keith's eyes.
"So what now?"
"Now," Keith looks around and coughs, "now we get out of here." He takes Lance's hand and squeezes. "Okay?" He asks with a smile.
"Okay," Lance tries to smile back, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He looks around and frowns. "Where is everyone? Are they okay?"
"I told Pidge to go to the medbay, I hope Hunk and Shiro got there too," Keith says, biting his lip. "If we're not all there..." He exhales.
"If we need to find someone," he reaches out and brushes Lance's hair, "we'll go look for them. Then we'll find a pod."
Lance thinks about Keith's plan for a moment before shaking his head.
"That'll take too long! We need to split up. I know where Hunk is, so I'll go get him. You go get Pidge and try to find Shiro. We'll regroup in ten minutes by the pods."
Keith opens his mouth to argue, but Lance pushes him away.
"Go! We don't have much time!"
Keith hesitates for a second before his mouth presses into a thin line.
"Fine," he says stiffly. "But I'm not leaving without you."
Lance watches Keith go, a grim smile on his face before he turns to run in Hunk's direction. The implication that someone might be missing from their regroup haunts him.
This is all his fault. Always was, always will be. A part of him wishes Sendak had just ended him right then and there. At least he wouldn't be burdened with all of this guilt.
Lance turns left, keeping his head down to avoid looking at all the damage he'd caused, when something shiny catches his attention. He looks up and freezes as he comes face to face with a sentry.
What was it doing here? Did Sendak forget it? Were Sendak's soldiers still on the ship?
Or was it sent to finish him off?
Lance's breath hitches in his throat as the sentry takes a step towards him and he looks around, frantically searching for a weapon, anything he can use to defend himself. The sentry was too close to run.
When it raises its arm, Lance raises his hands to cover his face and lowers himself to the floor in a crouch, but a second passes and there's no sound of a shot. No pain. Cautiously, Lance opens his eyes and startles as he sees a piece of paper shoved in his face.
Paper. In space. The only time he's seen actual paper in the last two years was in that notebook Sendak got him in the Earth store during one of his sprees.
Lance blinks at the paper, looks up at the otherwise immobile sentry, and slowly takes it out of its outstretched arm.
Lance yelps as a shot is suddenly fired from behind him and the sentry falls to the floor, barely missing him. He quickly stuffs the note in his pocket before four arms wrap around him, Hunk hugging his head and Pidge hugging his arm.
Lance smiles.
"Hey guys," he says, voice still hoarse from his crying. "Are you okay?"
Hunk nods and Pidge squeezes him tighter.
"Yeah, we'll survive," Pidge mumbles and reaches out to pat Lance's cheek. "Will you?" She asks, blunt as ever.
Lance nods.
"I'll try," he promises and accepts Hunk's offered hand, pulling him up to his feet. He looks behind them.
"Are the others on their way?"
Hunk smiles and brushes some hair from Lance's face.
"I woke up after… y'know," Hunk mumbles, concern on his face, "And, mm, Keith went looking for Shiro." He looks around, glancing at Pidge to confirm what he had said. "We haven't seen Lotor or his generals... They probably abandoned us."
Pidge rolls her eyes and Lance frowns. After all the effort Lotor and his generals put into gathering all of them together, he didn't think it was likely that they would abandon ship. But then, he doesn't know Lotor all that well.
"I see..." Lance trails off and shakes his head. "Well, let's go wait for them in the pods. If there are any left."
Hunk nods and gives Pidge a quick look before they both grab Lance's hands and silently walk down the hall. When they find the escape pods, there are two left. Lance doesn't remember if there were more to start with.
He climbs into the pod and sits silently with Hunk and Pidge, waiting for Keith and Shiro to join them. It's tense, and when Keith finally appears in the doorway supporting a semi-conscious Shiro, Lance jumps up and rushes to help them climb into the pod.
Slinging Shiro's other arm over his shoulder, Lance experiences déjà vu. He'd done this before, hadn't he?
Things have changed, though.
A lot.
Once they set Shiro down on one of the seats, Keith grabs Lance and pulls him into a kiss. Lance's lips tingle and he stumbles back into his seat as the pod roars to life. He takes Keith's hand and guides him into the empty seat next to him.
"Did you see Lotor or his generals?" Lance asks loudly over the countdown.
Keith shakes his head.
"No, Shiro didn't either, they just," he shouts louder as the engine noise grows, "disappeared!"
Lance's grip on Keith's hand tightens and he squeezes his eyes shut as the pod launches into space, leaving the burning ship behind them.
