When the threat came in, it was just after Pidge and Matt had gotten back from their failed attempt to rescue their father.
The timing was a little too perfect.
Prisoner exchanges were common in war. And normally each side kept their side of the bargain. But Lance didn't have much faith in Zarkon keeping any deal, even the ones he made himself.
But on the other hand, Pidge and Matt needed their dad back. It was the reason both of them were out here.
"We can't trust him," Shiro stressed, "We can't just hand Lotor over."
"Don't include me in that 'we', shiro, I can happily send that pompous jerk to the firing squad for a bag of chips!"
Lance nodded, "I'm with Pidge on this. This is our only opportunity to fulfil one of our missions, "Get Sam Holt Back", to let it go to waste is kind of ridiculous, don't you think?"
"But Zarkon will never give him back," Shiro stress and Allura nodded.
"We can't rust him and Lotor still has information that is vital to our cause."
"I do love how you all are talking as if I'm not here," Lotor said candidly from behind prison energy field.
"Shut up, boy," Lance said, "Sit and behave, and you may get a treat when we're done."
"And you say I'm the pompous one?"
"I'm 'condescending', there's a difference."
"Enough!" Hunk yelled. He had been listening and watching them all fight for the last day and a half, "if we don't go, Shiro, Allura, then he'll Kill Sam, right? So we just have to make sure that we cover all our bases…right? We'll go, but we need to think of all the ways it can go wrong so that we're prepared for it and have a counter strategy. I mean, we only have a few more days to prepare! Let's not waste it fighting!"
"And that's why we're friends," Lance grinned.
()
He gave him a weapon…
Lance stared long and hard at shiro, long after they had made it back to the castle in one piece. They had been duped, of course, but they had done what they had to do. Shiro had his bayard with him just in case.
What they didn't expect was for Shiro to pass it on to Lotor!
Lance could think of about a hundred ways why that was the dumbest idea ever. Maybe even more. It was so…DUMB that he couldn't even picture KEITHS reaction to it all! Then again, being Keith, he'd accept anything shiro did.
"Something wrong?" Shiro asked leaning away from him.
"Mmmm, just wondering what you were thinking when you gave Lotor the bayard."
"I was thinking," Shiro said slowly, "That we were sending him to stand right next to our target, so why not?"
Lance thought for a moment then nodded. That was sound reasoning.
Too bad Allura didn't think that way.
She raked Shiro up and down the coals and then up and down them again. After a while he began to argue back and the others had to step in and stop them.
"It all worked out," Hunk said, "let's not dwell too much on what could've happened and just be grateful that it didn't!"
Allura shot Lotor a dirty look. Shiro had claimed that he was trust worthy enough by his own actions. Lance could see Shiros point, but he still wanted to put a shock collar on the former enemy.
Lance looked over at Pidge and her family. They had been together since they got back and probably had ignored everything what was happening outside their little happy bubble.
Lance didn't dare even think about popping it.
()
While Lances family were running to make a train, he got lost and ended up in a separate car.
Not being one to panic, he obeyed the rule that if you get lost, you should stay in one place. He sat on a seat and waited patiently for someone to come to the back and find him. While he waited though, he observed his surroundings.
"What is a child doing here?"
"How did he get here?"
"Did you let him in?"
"Don't accuse me."
"This is a disaster…"
The whole section of the train seemed to buzz with these whispers. And Lance caught more than one passenger staring at him.
"Hey kid."
Lance looked up into a dark skinned face. The man was young with light brown eyes and Lance observed that he wore a cadets uniform from the Outreach Garrison facility in the next town over.
"Where are your parents?"
Lance shrugged.
"Are they on this train?"
Lance nodded, paused, then shrugged.
"I see…" The mans face fell slightly, "My name is Mitch Iverson and I'm going to see if I can't find your parents, ok? Can you tell me your name?"
"Lance McClain," Lance said, totally unafraid of telling a complete stranger his name, "I'm eight years old. My moms name is Lilly and she's wearing her gray jacket today. The one with the beads."
"…do you get lost often?" Iverson asked, thoroughly impressed by how calm the child was.
"My sisters say I do," Lance shrugged again, "They always complain about it."
"Are they the ones that go looking for you?"
"I prefer them," Lance nodded, "I'll hide if my brothers have to come."
"You're brothers scary?"
"Marco is really scary when he has to stop working. His eyes bug out, like that guy over there." Lance pointed to one of the passengers whose wide brim hat wasn't covering enough of its large insect-like eyes. Especially from the childs lower angle of view. The Alien quickly hid its face behind a book…which was upside down.
"huh…" Iverson looked down at the child who didn't seem creeped out or scared at all, "tell me kid, how many people in this car do you think are…weird?"
"Most of them," Lance said, "That one had his pants on backwards and the lady next to him, well, I don't know any lady that nice looking who would leave the house with that skirt and those shoes. My Sisters would die before clashing that badly. And his feet-"
"Okokok, I get it," Iverson grinned, "don't they scare you?"
"Why?"
Iverson wasn't expecting that.
"Because they're scary?"
Lance looked around and then back to Iverson, "I would be scared if they hurt me, but they're not doing anything. One time, a monster ate my spoon, but even a dog with nip your fingers getting at a treat, right?"
"…one…ate your spoon?"
"He was sitting by himself and didn't have any ice cream," Lance stressed in the child-like way that made what he said seem more like a tragedy, "So I tried to give him some and he ate my spoon."
"That didn't scare you?"
"He musta been hungry," Lance said, "But monsters that eat plastic spoons aren't really that into eating people, right?"
"You thought a lot about this."
Lance shrugged.
"Tell you what, Lance," Iverson said shaking his head, "I know for a fact that your parents aren't on this train. This train is heading to an airfield. But when we get to the next station, I'll personally escort you back home. How does that sound?"
"Will the lady you were sitting next to come too?" Lance asked looking back at Iversons empty seat. The 'lady' was draped in a muumuu that hung awkwardly on thin bones. The bottom half of her face was covered in a scarf, but her eyes were like two empty sockets that glittered.
"Naw, She'll stay," Iverson said and the 'lady' nodded.
"Mom's gonna be really angry," Lance said, "Don't say anything about monsters. She doesn't like that either."
"Got it," Iverson nodded and went back to his seat.
"You're thinking." Said his partner through her scarf.
"I think this is the opportunity we've been waiting for," Iverson said in a low voice, "and it just waltzed right in the door."
"be wary of timed gifts."
()
"So," Iverson said as he and the small child settled down of the train returing to where they'd come from, "do you always notice the…monsters?
"Yeah," Lance said, "Am I not supposed to?"
"No, no you're not."
"oh, sorry."
"Don't be."
Iverson watched as Lane casually observed his surroundings. He watched a woman and her kid for a while, and then moved on to a man reading a book. He watched them with curiosity and Iverson felt even more sure than ever that his proposal was going to work. He just had one obstacle left.
"Oh you are in BIG trouble now," Marco and Veronica glowered down at him as their mother spoke to the police. She had called them right away and now she was settling the finer points now that he'd been returned.
"I didn't mean to," Lance complained, "I just went with the crowd! Is not my fault that Rachel let go of my hand!"
"We ride that train every weekend! How could you not know which one is which!?"
Lilly sighed as she watched her children argue.
"Excuse me, Mrs?" Iverson tapped her shoulder. Lilly looked up and smiled.
"Oh, I'm sorry I've not had a chance to thank you yet."
"No, it was my pleasure," Iverson used his best smile, "You son there is really amazing."
She laughed, "He's got quite the imagination, yes?"
"More like unnaturally observant," Iverson said, "In fact, I'm starting a program at the Garrison that would allow very young children to begin training in whatever field they want. It wont take away from their normal school, it more like a weekend and summer program. Very extracurricular. I was thinking Lance there would be amazing in this program."
Lilly searched the young mans face and Iverson realized the boy got his attention to detail from his mother.
"I'm afraid I don't have the time to drop him off and I'm sure I can't afford anything the Garrison has to offer," She was apologetic. She'd realized that this really was a golden opportunity and if she wasn't a single working mother, she would've grabbed it immediately.
"That's not a problem ma'am," Iverson beamed, "The program requires every child to have a mentor and that mentor will pick the child up and drop them off. As for what the cost will be, you have to take a test to get in, and the higher the score, the less the family has to pay. It's a new program, and I understand if I'm being too pushy, but I really, really think Lance should at least take the test. I can come pick him and whoever else wishes to come."
"You are being pushy," Lilly said bluntly, "why?"
"Because I've just started it and if I don't at least have five children show up they'll cancel it," Iverson said truthfully, "Its part of my…training that I come up with a working program to benefit the community. This is mine. So far I only have three children for sure coming. If I can get at least one more I know the powers that be will bend the rules a little and let the program take off."
Iverson was practically begging and Lilly sighed, "just the test? Does the test cost anything?"
"Nothing," Iverson said quickly.
"When is it?"
"One month from now on a Saturday."
Lilly frowned, "We visit my mother on the weekends, but I'm sure we can figure something out."
Iverson clasped her hand, "Thank you ma'am!"
She tugged her hand back and made shooing gestures.
Iverson walked over to Lance to say good-bye.
Chapter Managemen