When Lance opened his eyes, he outwardly groaned, mist escaping from his mouth and nose. Had he really been hurt so bad they had to throw him in the healing pod? Surly they could've just popped his shoulder back in, threw a bandage around his head, apply some bruise balm to his throat and- yeah, yeah, he could see why they would throw him in.
He'd hated the healing pods because they gave you the worst nightmares. Because they were nightmares that had been real. Reliving the worst moment of your life was in no way 'healing' so Lance saw this whole process as counterproductive.
In fact, even though he knew he was healed, he sunk down and sat on the bottom of the pod. No one had rushed to exclaim he was 'ok' so he knew he was alone, for now. Which gave him time to calm down even though he could still feel the panic building again.
What they hell just happened?
How long had he been in there this time?
Was Frok ok? Was there time to save him?
Lance heard a door swish open and Pidges squeal. She didn't do that often, but when she did it normal made him laugh, now it made him wince.
Her small arms, much stronger than anyone would give them credit for, dragged him out of the pod and into a hug. Hunk was right behind her and soon his feet were no longer touching the ground. He patted their shoulders and tried to tell them that he was fine, but he stopped when he felt his breaths becoming shorter.
Forcing himself to take deep breaths was now his top priority. So far he'd kept this issue in the dark and he was determined that it remained there. When they put him down he was momentarily relieved until they both got his face.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Who's the president of the united states?!"
"What's your first and last name?"
"Can you remember how old you are?!"
"What's your favorite movie that isn't Top Gun?"
"How are you feeling? Do you want to eat?!"
Too late. The panic griped his gut as his brain tried to sort out the questions and know which to answer first.
He was saved when Ketih came and grabbed them both by the ear an dragged them back, giving Lance the much needed room to breathe.
Wait…since when was Keith the same size as Hunk?
Lance sat on the steps and tried to get his breath back. He needed to know…
"Hey," Lance huffed, "How long was i…"
"Only about two days," Allura said relieved, "I thought maybe something much worse was wrong if you'd stayed in there any longer."
"Umm, well, can we…I need…that's…" Lance couldn't quite get what he wanted to say out of his mouth and the harder he tried the more the panic started to take over again.
"Calm down, Lance, we're not going anywhere," Keith said, "what is it?"
But Lance was now past the point of no return. He was breathing fast and no matter how he focused on each word, it didn't come out the way he wanted it too.
Then he felt a large hand rest on top of his head.
"It doesn't matter how slow you speak if you can't get the air behind it," Frok scolded. Lance looked up to find his partner looking down on him, "it seems you did not get my warning it time."
Lance was up and giving Frok a large hug before the alien could protest. He was not one for displays of human affection. The closeness made his fur bristle uncomfortably, but he also knew his partner never hugged him unless it was absolutely necessary, so he didn't complain.
Frok patted his head and slowly, Lances breathing became less sharp and more even.
"…not cool," Lance said, "that…was SO not ok…"
"I chose a code that would make you react quickly," Frok justified, "I didn't think that puppet person would be stronger than Agent Blue."
The paladins watched a little awkwardly. Hunk was feeling a little replaced and was not happy about it one bit.
"Frok arrived a few hours ago," Allura said, "insisted we let him see you, but he didn't have proof that he knew you."
"Your pin?" Lance asked pulling away. Frok shook his head. Lance reached to check his pockets, but found that they'd taken his jacket.
"Where's my pin?"
Keith rolled his eyes and tossed him the tiny object. Lance caught it and then looked back up at Keith.
He looked fine. Perfectly fine.
Why?
Keith wasn't one that could successfully hide his emotions, and he'd just had to kill his brother…right? Or did shiro get away?
"What?!" Keith snapped. Through experience he knew that Lance staring was not a good thing.
Before Lance was able to ask the door opened and Shiro walked in. He was moving slowly, and a little lopsided without his right arm. Lance stiffened, ready to bolt, but Frok gripped his shoulder.
"Its fine," Frok said quietly. Lance swallowed hard.
"What's going on?" Shiro asked looking around and then giving a shy grin added, "did we get Zarkon? How long was I out?"
There was a long silence and Keith let out a long breath.
"Come on," he said, "There a LOT we need to talk about."
"Keith," Shiro said leaning back away from the other boy, "When did you get so tall?"
"I'd like to know that as well," Lance chipped in and Frok took his hand away from his shoulder. He could tell his partner was relaxing ever so slightly. His fingers still twitched, ready to grab a gun, but he wasn't going to freak out any time soon.
Frok looked around and noticed Hunk glaring at him. When the alien raised an eyebrow in what he'd assumed was a human expression of inquiry, Hunk just looked sharply away.
Had he raised the wrong eyebrow?
()
They moved to the lounge and Lance sat as far away from Shiro as was possible without making it look awkward. Hunk and Coran left to get everyone a drink. Frok took his place next to his partner and since Lance was at the end of the couch, Hunk and Pidge made do with sitting across from them. Then Coran Left to take care of Romelle, the Altean that had come back with Keith.
First, Keith introduced Krolia, and left out the part where she was him mother. Krolia eyed her child for a while, but let it slide. These were his friends, she'd let him deal with them.
Next, Lance introduced Frok.
"How did you guys become partners?" Pidge tried again, thinking the alien would have a looser tongue. But Frok simply stared at her and didn't say anything.
"Through a game of tag," Lance muttered into his cup as he took a drink. Frok gave a lop sided grin and elbowed the human.
"Its classified," Frok said at last.
"Yeah, I don't care about that much anymore," Lance sighed, "but I wont say anything if Lotor is here."
"Why not!" Allura snapped, "He helped-"
"I don't care, Allura," Lance said staring her down, "he is still a potential threat. He could change his mind at any time. So far, the only thing keeping him here is your relationship. What happens if you break up? Or go through a 'rough patch'? Lotor is the type of person that can turn on a dime, and I will not give him information that will compromise our standing."
Frok nodded firmly in agreement. It was a good thing that Lotor had left before Frok had arrived. Coming face to face with the man he'd been spying on for the last month would've been awkward and not safe.
Allura sat back and scowled. She was blushing furiously. She knew they were in a 'relationship' but it was never said out loud till now.
"Who is Lotor?" Shiro asked the silence, "And are you ok, Lance? I've never heard you talk to Allura like that, or anyone else for that matter-"
"AND THAT!" Lance shouted pointing at Shiro, staring down Keith now, "EXPLAIN THAT!"
Frok put his hand back on Lances head. The team watched as again, Lance seemed to calm right down. It was a wordless gesture but had almost immediate affect.
Shiro, more than a little stunned at this point, realized that something was very, very wrong. He didn't know what anyone was talking about. When did Lance make such a friend and HOW did Keith get so tall?
"Lance," Keith said through clenched teeth, "we're going to explain things simply, and in order. Got it?"
"Fine," Lance waved Froks hand away, "then start already."
The hardest part was starting. How was the best way to explain to someone that they had died? So after a long silence, Lance decided to take over.
"I don't know what happened, but I do know you disappeared after the fight with Zarkon."
"Lance!"
"What? You can take over now, cause I sure don't know why you think the guy the other day and this one are different."
"Huh?" Shiro looked from Keith to Lance and back again, "…what other guy? And I disappeared?"
Keith glared and Lance glared back.
So Allura took over and told Shiro about how Keith had taken over, how Lotor had taken over, how they had found him again, How Lotor changed sides, the defeat of Zarkon, and the Holt Family situation.
"this is kind of…strange, and hard to get my head around," Shiro said.
"It will get weirder," Pidge promised, "we haven't even gotten to the REALLY weird stuff yet."
Shiro was now starting to get a little worried, "well, from what I'm told, I am more in line with what Lance is saying. This Lotor person needs to be watched a little more closely."
Lance's fists clenched.
"Why don't you spill your secret, Lance?" Keith said folding his arms, "now Its your turn."
Lance was working his jaw as he stared into Shiros face.
Shiro, had never known the teams goof-ball to be capable of such a look.
"I'll tell all of you a bunch of stuff if you can convince me that this is the REAL shiro."
"I'm …REall…as least I hope," Shiro said, trying for a joke, but it fell flat, "So, what, I have amnesia or something?"
"No…" Keith said slowly, "you had already…died…"
"I'm confused," Shrio and Lance said at the same time. So Keith explained what they had found when they came onto the ship.
Shiro couldn't believe it.
"I did…that?"
"No," Keith said.
"NO?!" Lance snapped, "What do you mean 'no'?!"
"I mean, the Shiro that attacked you was a clone," Keith said, "Our Shiro had died and his consciousness was locked inside the black lion. Allura was able to move our shiro into the body of the close after I cut off its arm and disabled it."
There was another very long silence as Lance and Shiro digested this information.
"You knew this?" Lance turned on Frok, who shrugged.
"From everything you've told me about your friends…call it a hunch?"
"You stopped me…because of a hunch…"
Frok nodded, "it was an educated hunch."
"…you have stayed way too long on Earth," Lance said shaking his head but then he started to laugh, "I really am cursed…"
Smack.
Frok slapped Lance on the back of his head, nearly throwing him forward to the floor.
"Wha-"
"It sounds worse than it is," Frok assured everyone who had half stood in defense of their teammate.
"Say's you," Lance grumbled, but he was grinning, so they all sat back down.
"So, I'm not-" Shiro needed the reassurance that he'd not done something so horrible.
"You're not the same," Allura assured him, "Haggar used that body, but I made sure you have full charge of it."
She sounded a little prideful, but they all handed it to her. What she did was pretty amazing.
"Did I prove it?" Keith asked snidely to Lance. Lance rolled his eyes.
"Fine fine," Lance repositioned himself so he was facing Shiro a little more instead of hiding behind his partner, "most of this is just review for all of you, so save all questions till the end."
()
"…that…makes more sense than I would like to admit…" Shiro said after Lance had told him everything he'd told the other Shiro, even the stuff he'd told him while the others weren't around.
"What do you MEAN?!" Pidge cried using both arms to point at Lance, "HOW does THAT say Secret Agent Man?!"
"…I like that song," Frok said quietly.
"Lance didn't even hesitate when we found the Blue lion," Shiro said, "that was our first clue. I just didn't realize it till now."
"I'll inform Superior Iverson that you need to take supplementary acting courses in the future," Frok replied, "again."
"I can act just fine, thank you very much," Lance snapped, "I mean, Pidge is about to have an existential crisis because my acting was so good! And Hunk still can't believe it completely!"
"I can!" Hunk protested.
"then stop looking at me like I'm about to fall apart," Lance challenged, "the other day wasn't my first 'bad day', ok? Bouncing back is what I do best."
Shiro stood, "I'm sor-"
"Shut up," Lance snapped his fingers to stop shiro from finishing the apology and Shiro sat back down, "Do NOT apologize for what you haven't done. You apologize and you're basically taking responsibility. If you WANT me to shoot you, then got ahead and finish what you were about to say."
Shiro felt he should apologize. Not doing so went against his nature. But what Lance had said also made sense…
"Just let him," Keith sighed, "He'll explode if you don't."
"Good," Lance said, "teach him a lesson for dying on us like that."
"So?"
Hunk and Pidge sat there waiting expectantly.
"Sooo…"
"You said you guys met over a game of tag, I suspect there a better story under that."
"You said you were going to tell us."
"You said-"
"okokok!" Lance cringed.
"Agent Blas disobeyed orders," Frok answered for him, "I was dispatched to hunt him down."
"I wouldn't've put it like that…" Lance muttered.
"Those were my orders," Frok shrugged, "Superior Iverson was NOT pleased."
"Iverson is never 'pleased'," Lance waved the comment aside, "I was told to stay put…because of extenuating circumstances, aaaand I was more than a little tired of looking at the same four walls so I went for a walk."
Frok snorted and Lance blushed.
"Ok, a stroll. I went for a stroll," lance said and this caused Frok to lower his head and Lance blushed even harder, "I got…stuck…"
Frok was now making audible snorts.
"I don't know why you're laughing," Lance said revenge all over his red face, "get this; this guy was sent out to get me back and when he found me he's all like, 'I have orders to take you back', and being the moody ten year old I was back then I told him, 'over my dead body'. THIS GUY spent FIVE HOURS just standing there figuring out the balance between 1) following orders, 2) my conditions, and 3) the over reaching rule of not injuring your comrades and the law concerning homicide! Five. Hours."
"I had been on earth only two weeks at that time," Frok said in his defense, "and after 7 years, humans are still very confusing."
"How did you get back, then," Hunk asked not sure if he understood the story. It was full of inside jokes and Hunk was sure that no one else in the room was getting anything out of it either.
"Two other agents came to aid me," Frok replied, "and informed me that Agent Blas reply was not to be taken seriously."
"I asked them if they were sure…" Lance said, "and that threw him into another cycle of confusion."
"He bullied me for two years."
"It took you two years to realize that."
"I got my revenge."
Lance raised his hands in a shrug, "And that's our relationship. He over thinks everything, I don't think at all, and we balance each other out."
"QUESTION!" Pidge raised her hand, "Why are you calling Lance 'Blas'?"
It took a moment for Lance to realize what she was asking and that he'd never explained himself that far.
"Every agent has a…'face value' code," Lance said, "Mine is B1A5. Froks race has a difficult time separating numbers and letters. He's a lot better now, but he still calls me Blas for kicks."
"It used to make him angry," Frok said, "its less entertaining now and more habit."
"What's the point of having a 'face value' code?" Keith asked, "wouldn't that just be your given name?"
Lance thought hard about how to word the answer, "There are three layers of code. Using the first layer, the face-value layer, is the green area. Its safe and it lets other agents know that everything is normal. If anyone over hears or sees it on paper, then fine, whatever, they're not seeing anything that will get you killed or put anyone else in danger. The second layer is our pin codes. Its our person, our jobs in detail, our clearance, and everything we know about the agency plus some. The third level is the crap Frok pulled the other day. Codes only those in the know will understand and react to."
"What did he use…" Allura trailed off when it was clear that Lance was not going to answer that one.
"Speaking of that," Lance said narrowing his eyes at his partner, "spill your side of the story."
Frok huffed a little. He did not like being put on the spot.
"I had found an opportunity to infiltrate Haggars ship shortly after our conversation. I have already dispatched of the traitors in Lotors footmen, but didn't get to them all. I used them to get on board and spied on her for almost a full day. I sent you that message then, hoping it would reach you before I finished. I was found shortly after."
"It was five days between being on Lotors ship and getting that call!" Allura gaped, "Were you-"
"My nerve system is not the same as others," Frok cut in, in an effort to dispel any unease the other may have upon hearing about his experience with the Witch, "Most of your nerve systems are fibrous and there is a lot of them. Mine…are not. So when she tried to get information out of me, well, I put on a good show for her. I passed all my acting classes…the first time."
Lance rolled his eyes, "When did you tell her about the pin?"
"I believe it was day three," Frok replied, "any sooner and it would've been suspicious. I told her we were partners and that you held the code for both our pins."
"And she believed that?!" Lance was horrified, and incredibly offended.
"indeed, when I watched her watch all of you, I wondered when she'd actually ask me a question that would be useful. Interrogation games are so difficult. When she finally seemed ready to play her hand, I put on another show, kept repeating the same code over and over again. She thought, while I was watching you through the spys eyes, that I had lost my sanity and was trying to call you."
Lance made a gagging noise and shuddered.
"While she was engrossed with her spy, I made my escape and up loaded the marker onto her ships server. Her servants were busy elsewhere. I thought it was too easy so I took an extra day to make sure I wasn't being followed."
Allura stood up then and walked over. Placing her hands on either side of Froks head she felt for the witches presence. Not sensing any she nodded and sat back down.
"Just in case she started to make you her eyes," Allura explained, "it would not be the first time."
Frok nodded, "Than you."
"So…you were in contact with Iverson from the very beginning?" Shiro asked, everything just starting to really sink in.