Keith Shifted uncomfortably and tried to ignore the fact that his mother was standing right behind him. It felt like one of the instructors at the garrison judging his way of flying all over again.
"The signal is stronger here," She said leaning forward and pointing at the star map, "think we should go or wait for Kolivan to give the order?"
Keith was about to say 'screw kolivan, let's go' but then thought maybe she was testing him somehow. Was she seeing if he would think things through? Was she wanting him to wait for Kolivan or not?
Somehow, Keith answered her the way he would anyone else, "I don't care either way."
That – albeit childishly- forced the ball into her court.
"Then let's forget kolivan and just do the job," she said and when Keith looked sideways at her saw she was stoic, but there was rebellion in her face she couldn't hide.
"fine with me," Keith said, putting the plane into a faster setting…were they called 'gears' out here, "so…you are not a fan of Kolivan?"
"He's a good fighter," Krolia said simply, "even if he can't see past the nose on his face."
Keith decide to drop the topic. He'd only been trying to start a conversation, but realized that wasn't the road he wanted to go down.
()
Lance continued to watch Lotor, making sure the man didn't change his mind about being allies. His relationship with Allura was…aggravating. Disgusting. Abhorrent. All the bad feelings.
He'd never quite crushed so hard an anyone before, but it was clear that there was no room for him to cut in. And, grudgingly, he had to admit they made a good couple. IF and only IF Lotor could remain a stable ally.
They we nearing the space mall again when they also received a call from a nearby planet. The situation wasn't dire and Pidge offered to just take care of it on her own.
"Take Hunk and Allura with you," Shiro said, "I'm sorry, I'd go as well but-"
"We got it," Hunk waved away Shiros apology, "just so long as you feel better."
"Lotor said he'd be coming by either today or tomorrow morning," Allura said picking up a few of her things from the bridge, "I hope this doesn't take that long."
They were exchanging private messages now? Lance almost gaged. Once he had accepted the fact that he'd lost for good, the view of Allura and Lotor was now equivalent to his sister and her boyfriend.
"Gross," Pidge stuck her tongue out and Allura scowled at her.
"We'll pick up the stuff for Shiro and you guys will just meet us back here then," Lance said, "if lotor shows up we'll feed him and keep him in the dog house till you get back."
"Why must you be so immature?" Alura asked and Lance laughed. His sister had asked him the same question!
"come one," Hunk said pushing Allura and Pidge out of the room, "the sooner we go, the sooner we can get back."
()
Shiro wanted to wait until Lotor arrived before heading to the mall. Lance tried to convince him otherwise, but no doing. So, while Coran went to take a nap, he chose to clean his Pride and Joy in the lounge. Pride was the name of his primary weapon while Joy was his secondary. The third planet in the council was fond of naming their weapons and had once asked him what his were called. Pride and Joy seemed more than fitting and the pun made it THAT much better.
When he'd finished with Pride he strapped the belt on, feeling the familiar weight of his gear. The bayard was nice and it was nice that you could store it inside the suit, but its just…FELT safer to have the weight where it was supposed to be.
Lance sat back down and started to take apart and clean Joy.
"Lance," Shiro entered the room and, if possible, looked worse than before.
"Hey, hey, hey," Lance stood and helped Shiro to sit, "I know you want to wait for lotor, but how about I just leave and get the stuff, ok? You really shouldn't be traveling anyway."
"Wait," Shiro gripped Lance arm and Lance bent down again, seriously concerned, "I need to know…what it means…"
he paused, as though listening to something. Lance waited.
"I need to know…B…1…U…3…what does-?"
Lance didn't stick around to hear anything else. He ran. He ran as fast as he could and didn't look back for a second. When he reached the bridge he ripped the panel off the wall to get to the wires beneath, breaking three nail right down to the quick. Ignore the pain, adrenalin pumping, he locked and then jammed the doors onto the bridge.
Taking deep, and controlled, breaths, Lance tried to stand, but felt his knees knock together. There was a loud bang on the opposite side of the door and Lance screamed as he flung himself back. He scooted backwards till he hit the dais.
He pulled out his issued com unit and saw the message from Frok:
The Witch is watching.
Watching? Like…how? But…
Lance could feel the panic rise and he took deep breaths to force it back down. He had to think. Frok went to Haggars ship. He messaged him a warning. And Shiro…
"Nononononononono," Lance curled into a ball and shoved his face against his knees. The banging continued for a while and Lance, finally got the courage to crawl to the control panel.
With shaking fingers he tried to contact Hunk and the others.
Nothing.
The shaking was getting worse as he tried to contact the Blades.
Nothing.
When his communicator flashed with a new message, he knew it wasn't Frok who wrote it:
What does B1U3 mean?
Lance heard the involuntary whimper rise in his throat and forced himself to cough to cover it up. He had to hold it together. He had done it before, he could do it now.
That's when he thought of Coran. Coran was still on the ship and didn't know the danger. Reaching for the castles com button he hesitated.
Shiro was at the bridge door. If Coran could stay asleep and out of the way, Lance wouldn't have to remind Shiro that Coran was around.
There was a groan behind him and he turned back to see the door, now red and yellow form Shiros hand, was starting to warp inward.
"I'm cursed," Lance said in an attempt to be blithe even though he could feel the panic start to take over again. Only very few people knew how much he actually meant the statement.
()
This time it was Krolia piloting while Keith stood by. The ship they'd started out on didn't exactly make it. But they were able to secure a new one. A better looking one.
The Altean that traveled with them was quiet and Keith could tell she was the stubborn type. The only sign that she was nervous at all was when she'd twist her blond hair between her fingers.
"I'm picking up signals," Krolia replied, "these look familiar?"
Keith looked and bristled, "that's the castle, can we open a channel?"
"Negative. The signal is too unstable."
"Right, of course it is. How fast can this thing go?"
Keith had turned to look at the Altean. She lifted her chin, "I have no idea."
"We're about to find out."
()
The room had been bright before he tried to break in. Now the lights flickered and dimmed erratically. Lance was using a piece of broken glass to unscrew the bolts holding the vent grate in place. His fingers had trembled and were cut up well and good by the time he'd gotten it open.
"Go, go, go," he hissed getting out of the way as other kids around his age filed into the escape.
"you go first," said one who was about two years older and Lance shook his head.
"I don't think he wants to kill me, you need to go."
"but-"
"Go get help, got it?" Lance snapped, "I can stall him for a little bit, but you guys need to get the councils attention. Get help, k?"
The older boy hesitated and nodded. He pressed a knife into Lances hand.
"This isn't much, but make sure it counts with you do use it."
"Right, thanks," Lance was grateful for the weapon, no matter how small it was. Anything that gave him courage was going to be a life line for him.
Lance covered the vent back up and then hid as the door opened slowly.
()
Lance panicked. His breaths coming short and sharp as Shiro broke through the door.
GUN! He reached for Pride, but Shiro was quicker; knocking his hand back and grabbing his jaw, Shiro slammed him down against the floor.
Lance gasped, panic still robbing him of actual air. He looked up to see empty eyes…Brown? No…they were hazel, and full of pride…
()
Lance cried with pain as the man broke his other ankle. The knife on the other side of the room.
"I told you," he said with a sad look, "remember? This was a one time opportunity. It is do or die. This is for the greater good, Lance."
Lance sobbed as the man bent over to be face to face with him, black hair plastered to a sweaty forehead – the only indication that the man was trying hard at all – and the kindest, most trust worthy face anyone could ever have. The hazel eyes showed pitty, but they were also determined.
"We wont win, we CAN'T win unless we form this alliance," he stressed, "We sacrifice the few to save the many. That is the number one law of the universe. Even the other planets think this way! Only humans- only earth is selfish enough to think they can just have it all. That their actions have NOTHING to do with everyone else. Are you getting this?"
Lance nodded and choked as the motion sent pain shooting down his back and shoulder. The man was talking as calmly as a teacher showing a student a butterfly and explaining the process of transformation.
"Good, so you'll understand what the law dictates now, right?"
Lance shook with fear and knowing as the man grabbed a handful of his hair and dragged him out of the room and down the hall.
()
"What is your code?" Shiro asked, his hand still grabbing Lances jaw. Lance was starting to feel dizzy from the lack of air getting to his lungs.
"Cod-code?"
"For your PIN."
Lance felt ice penetrate his senses and furry followed close behind, "Don't you DA-"
Shiro pulled his head forward and slammed it back down. The only way the witch could know these things is if Frok had told her. Each pin had a code, which was why a fake could never be made and if one tried to pass off a fake as a real one, they would meet a very messy end.
Shiros other hand began to search his pockets. Every time lance tried to push him back, he was slammed into the floor again. Until finally, shiro had the pin in his hand.
"You're code."
Lance couldn't stop the shaking, but the anger helped slow his breathing a little, "if you…kill him…I will end you…"
Slam!
As he'd been lifted this time he could see red on the floor. His head was bleeding. Seeing the blood made his vision spin again and the fear take over the anger.
"You..want a…code?"
"I want THE code."
Lance didn't know if Frok could hear him or not, but it was a shot, "Bevel3-…vixs2-…O1…"
"What does that mean?"
"I have no idea," Lance said and surprised even himself with the chuckled the bubbled forth. He didn't feel like laughing, but he was.
Slam!
This time, Lance felt his shoulder give. Shiro tilted his head again, as though listening.
"The beast dies if you do not tell us the code."
"…Can't…" Lance gasped, "…some…times…the sacrifice…of a few….is needed to save…the many…."
"Last question, then," Shiro replied, his face natural, and eyes empty, "what is B1U3 mean?"
Lance grimaced, "…tasteless…"
"What?"
Lance stared long and hard into the eyes he was sure Haggar was watching out of, "It means…'traitor'."