Shiro closed his eyes as a pulse of energy shivered through his lion. He grit his teeth as the turbulence rocked the cockpit violently. Black maneuvered into a roll and Shiro quickly recovered. As he barked another order, the lion swerved around one of the taller snow-covered peaks. "Do not attempt to fire on the mountains. Something is sending the energy back at us."
Pidge chimed in. Her light voice held the sharp edge it usually took when she was unravelling a challenge. She said, "The mountains seem to be streaked with a mineral that reflects our energy weapons."
"How are we going to lure that creature from the mountains?" Lance asked, nervously.
Shiro's jaw tightened as possibilities ran through his head like numbers. One particular idea seemed to show itself. "How does the creature traverse through the mountain? Smell?" He guessed.
Pidge was silent for a second before replying, "I would assume it navigated via sonic rhythms going through the rock, like a whale in the ocean."
Shiro gave a tight nod, restraining a curse. Of course, Allura wasn't here. Blue was the only lion with the ability to fire sonic assaults. He was deep in thought when Hunk interrupted his formulating.
"What if we make our own sonic traces? Since, Allura is not here, we can fire in front of it and herd it elsewhere with the tremors," Hunk suggested.
"It may work, but we would have to be cautious of destabilising the range," Pidge warned. She did not sound totally averse to the idea.
"Wait, you mean fire on that mountain even though Allura is still down there?!" Lance's alarmed voice cut through the comms uneasily. He was not liking the way this day was turning and he certainly felt wary of shooting at the very mountain Allura was reconnoitring.
Making his decision, Shiro finally broke into the conversation, first offering Lance some comfort. The young man had a genuine soft spot for the princess, Shiro had seen it, and Lance would function better with some relief. "If we attack carefully now, we may not have to get any closer to the princess. Lance, this may work."
His only response was silence. "We have to fire along the trajected pathway," Pidge said as a blue line popped up on Shiro's HUD.
"Be careful about the ricochet," Shiro warned as he moved his lion onto the trajectory Pidge had calculated. The others also guided their lions in a crescent to make a run over the terrain with their lasers. As the pristine peaks came closer and the rising puff of dust slowly chugged in a line across the granite, Shiro took a deep breath. He had never fired a weapon meaning for it to bounce back at the wielder. This would have to be quick.
"Why are you taking so long?" Lotor's brow furrowed. He was going insane being unable to put weight on his blasted leg. He was debating on whether forcing himself to stand would be beneficial, but he waived the notion away. In any case, they would have limited air in this place and having another person moving around would spend their precious oxygen more quickly. Even now, breathing was difficult, and he could not imagine it becoming any more arduous. He scowled, squinting his eyes into the darkness. "Allura?"
"Here I am," said her small voice. She sounded further than he had expected.
"Did you find your pack yet?" He asked, feigning impatience. A sharp bite of pain shot through his chest, but he ignored the sensation and a flicker of dry wit took its place. "I would have been faster."
A smile was in her next words. She was glad someone could be taking this entire ordeal somewhat lightly. "The tunnel is long, and I can only move so surely in the dark," she complained… "Ouch!"
Lotor felt a spike of alarm shoot through his mind and his stomach twisted. "What happened?" He demanded. At the moment, standing was once more looking to be a better option.
The princess chuckled lightly after a pause. "I think so, I may have scratched my hand a little. Don't worry," she attempted assuredly. His concern made her blush slightly and she wasn't sure if it was the extra carbon dioxide or lack of visual stimulation that made her heart speed up.
The half breed prince let his eyes roll back into his skull. Being unable, helpless, was driving him insane. He shifted his position and immediately regretted the decision. His fangs sank into his tongue as he stifled a hiss. "Be careful," he found himself saying. Somehow, worrying for her safety was an effective way to keep his mind off his own injuries.
The smile was still in her voice as she replied. "I am being careful," she said, suddenly and starkly close to him.
He felt her presence sit next to him and subsequently heard her rummaging with fabric. Lotor unconsciously swallowed hard and cursed himself for the thoughts the sounds conjured. Even the smell of her was suddenly and fiercely distracting. He shifted once again and decided to ask what she was doing. "Did you find your pack?" What a stupid question. Of course, she did. What else would she be doing?
"Yes," she said cheerfully. "It was by the cave in. We have about twenty feet forward before the path is blocked with stones," she went on.
He could hear her fiddling with something hard and metallic now. "How is the transmitter?" As the words left his mouth, a soft click echoed in the space and a tiny blue light flared to life. It blinked in a slow mesmerising pattern.
"I hope it can penetrate the stone walls," she said uncertainly. Their plight was dawning on her now. She could do nothing else in this blackness. It was up to the tiny machine sitting in her palm and her friends far above to get them out. Whether that would be in time… She shook the dark thoughts from her mind. She guessed that there was enough oxygen in the space for them to last maybe two days, but she had no idea how to calculate how much co2 the pair would be creating… "I think if we don't hear a response from the others within a few minutes, we try to get out of here," she said apprehensively.
Lotor nodded but a surge of feelings was running through him as he watched her in the extremely dim blue light. He could barely make out her grainy shadow, but the closeness between them was intoxicating. She was concentrating on figuring out something. It was probably their next move to escape this predicament. He chastised himself, knowing he should be concentrating on brainstorming with the princess. It was all a vain attempt. She was horribly distracting right now, and he had no idea why.
The half-blood prince fought the urge to shift positions. He blamed the high concentrations of waste gases and his poor breathing on the light-headedness he was feeling. Indeed, his breath came with more difficulty when she turned towards him.
She sounded so uncertain with her next words. "Do you think it will get through? Maybe we should just try to clear a path now."
He bit his lip, so grateful for the darkness. Just the thought of standing was enough to make him wince, he could not imagine clearing a path. He lied, "We can try that."
Allura leaned her head back against the wall as if a thought occurred to her. "But you cannot," she stated.
Lotor pursed his lips suddenly feeling ashamed and angry all at once. He squashed the emotions with sheer determination. "I may be able to do some work," he insisted. Lotor hesitated before continuing. "I may require assistance making it there, however. I have not attempted standing."
The princess thought about the proposition for a moment before nodding. "I don't want you to get hurt," she reiterated.
He stared at where he guessed her eyes were. "If I cannot make it, I will speak up," Lotor reassured. He wasn't sure if he himself even believed the hollow words.
However, his internal debate was thrown to the wind when her small hand snaked around his forearm. "Alright," she said dubiously.
Lotor barely heard the syllables over the thudding in his chest and a trail of bumps passed over his lavender skin. He hoped she didn't notice them. She did, judging by the sudden change in her tone.
"Are you alright?" She asked carefully. Butterflies fluttered deep in her belly. She could feel the heat spreading across her face and perspiration made her palms tacky.
He wanted to answer but his tongue sat heavily in his mouth. He had no idea what was happening, but an overcoming sensation was dragging him along like a bobbing float lost in a raging river. A panicked whisper still echoed deep in the recesses of his mind, but for once something strong kept it at bay. It was relieving and entirely terrifying at the same time. Her touch seemed to ignite the strength within him or was it something else? Somehow, some way, she silenced that accursed voice in his head. Did it matter how? He cast the thought away, relishing the second of peace.
He felt instinct and the power of the moment pull him forward. Nervousness rose like a wave, but he couldn't help himself as his face inched forward. Her scent drove his senses into a frenzy. Lotor could feel her breath. It made him heady. He was unaware of his talons unsheathing as his hand tentatively caressed her bicep, sharp claws ghosting over her smooth flesh. She was so close. His heart was thudding.
Allura's grip tightened on his thigh as his hot breath assaulted her. The contact gave him an exhilarating rush, finally pushing him to give in. He was easy, timid, as he parted his mouth and brushed his lips against hers. The novel sensation of her heat and texture took a moment to settle in before his advances became more thorough and he kissed her properly.
He could sense her aching through the contact. She yearned but held back, as if a long-buried need was being slowly uncovered. She let him take the lead.
And as Lotor became bolder, he was content to take it. For a long moment, he kissed her, and the flame of pleasure overwhelmed him. They hovered in that flash of bliss together for several long seconds even as Lotor gently broke the kiss.
His breath was coming ragged and pressure was pooling below his trousers' waistband, but he pushed the calling anxieties away from him. He wanted to keep the moment and lock the feeling deep within him forever. He relished the feel of her. It was so damn calming. For once, he was—
A powerful tremor shattered the instant. All the old memories flooded back, and the voice berated him for taking advantage of the beautiful princess sitting next to him. He coughed, meaning to apologise but a sharp pain from his chest made him grunt out the words.
She giggled, a noise that he had not expected, and gently patted his hand. "It's okay... we should get to work."
As she stood and carefully helped him to his aching feet, he tried to sort through a million feelings, thoughts, and speculations.