Title: More

Chapter: 2

Rating: T

Summary: The need to be stronger, faster, better…the need to be MORE can drive someone. What if it drove them too far? What if it drove them right off a cliff?

Season 4

Shiro came and took Lance from Red. Matt lingered behind. There was blood on the seat. Katie didn't need to see this. He slipped out of Red, found some cleaning supplies and proceeded to clean the seat and the area around it. Blood wasn't something he was unfamiliar with. More than a year in a Galra prison, followed by his time with the rebels, he had seen more blood than he cared to recount. It was a part of his world now. He remembered when his world was numbers and science and exploring. He signed as he stood and carried the supplies from Red. He imagined her purring at him as he stepped down back into the hanger. Shiro was there waiting for him. He smiled in greeting.

"Thanks," Shiro put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "Are you okay? No injuries? You don't have the same armor we do." Shiro's eyes raked over Matt's frame checking for injury before settling on a burned hole in his pants leg.

Matt shrugged and Shiro snagged him by the arm dragging him to the med bay. Really, Matt hadn't much noticed the graze. It hadn't slowed him down and it would heal without any issues.

"Coran, I've got one more for you to check over."

"Shiro, it's a scratch." Matt protested as Shiro had him sit on one of the tables.

"Everyone gets checked, all injuries are reported." Shiro noted. Matt rolled his eyes. Shiro was not his commanding officer.

"Matt?" Pidge came over.

"It's a scratch, Pidge, nothing." He protested the concerned look on her face.

Coran, hummed as he cut the pant leg away and took in the three inch long burn on his leg. He pulled some cleaning clothes and healing ointment.

"This may burn a bit, but I think with a cleaning and some salve there isn't need for the cryopod." Coran offered as he began the cleaning. Matt didn't even cringe. Like he had said this was nothing and he wasn't really used to anyone making a big deal over such a small wound.

Pidge, laid her hand on his leg, gently. "You used to cry over papercuts." She smiled sadly looking at his wound. Then she was looking up into his eyes, her hand brushing his scar.

"Things change, Pidge, I'm fine." Matt tried for reassuring, but he thinks he must have missed the mark as a sob hitched her shoulders. He pulled her into a hug. "I'm fine. This is nothing. I'm fine."

She cried into his shoulder and he wasn't entirely sure why, but he held her like a big brother should and rubbed circles on her back.

"Silly, Pidge." He mocked softly trying to get her out of the tears.

"Stupid Matt." She snarked back through tears. "No getting hurt allowed. I'm making you a suit of armor tomorrow. Something more protective than stupid pants."

"Okay." He'd let her do what she could. It wouldn't hurt to have a little more coverage.

Lance emerged from the cryopod the next day. Shiro was there waiting for him with a warm blanket. He said they were on their way to return the prisoners to their homeworld. Lance accepted the blanket and headed to the kitchen. He was hungry. The pods always made him hungry. He was walking to the kitchen when he met up with some of the refuges.

"You!" A voice shrieked in his ears and he turned toward the person who had yelled. She looked like a bird, a bird that was human sized and had arms instead of wings. He cringed at her shriek. He was still feeling wobbly from the pod. She pounced on him, pounding hands beating his arms that he raised in defense. "You let them die. It's your fault."

He cringed. He curled into a ball. Other aliens added to her attack pounding against his body. Kicking and punching. He cried out. "Stop, please, why are you doing this. Please." He flinched with each hit. It was ironic to be healed and then beaten to death.

"Ssstop. Sssstop! What'ssss the matter with you!" He felt hands pull him back and there was a voice he didn't know fending off his assailants. "He ssssaved you. Do you have no gratitude? He nearly died!" The voice and hands pulled him upright. A tall thin gray alien held his shoulders. "He isss a Paladin, give him ssssome resssspect." The alien yelled sharply. "You would all sssstill be prissssonerssss if it wassssn't for him." He yelled into the crowd.

"He let my mate die!" The alien yelled. "He let him die!" Other aliens were holding her back now as she screeched. The gray alien pulled Lance into the common area. Pidge and Hunk were already there, looking alarmed.

"Lance are you okay," Hunk came over and took him from the gray alien.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Lance choked back sobs.

"No you're not." Pidge came over and wrapped her arms around him. "What's with all the macho bullshit around here, first Matt and then you. Fuck that."

"I'm sorry we should have cleared the hall. She's been very upset. She lost her mate and keeps attacking people." Hunk patted his back.

Lance nodded and leaned into Hunks arms. "I…was he in the last group?"

"Yeah." Hunk nearly whispered the word.

"Paladinsss pleasssse forgivvvve Morbeth. She isssss not herssssself. Her grief blindssss her." The tall gray alien answered. His words hissed. He was nearly six feet tall and had scaled skin that was gray tone and slick looking. His tongue was forked and he didn't have hair, but a skin-like hood over his head.

"It's okay Sax. We know." Hunk ushered Lance over to a stool and Pidge plopped a bowl of food goo in front of him.

Lance couldn't stop the tears from falling. It was his fault. He was the one that had failed the woman. He had failed her.

"Lance, please, it isn't your fault." Hunk gave him a squeeze. "Come on man, you're just out of the pod. You're not to blame. You almost died." He took a deep breath and gave Hunk a watery smile.

"I'm okay." Lance tried to make his hands stop shaking, but they wouldn't.

"Hey, it'ssss okay." The gray skinned alien gave him a smile. "Not your fault. There issss only sssso much a huuuman can do."

"Yeah." Lance answered, spooning up the food goo. He had done what he could. It just hadn't been enough.

It was later that evening when Keith arrived. He had been away on a Blade mission. There were aliens crawling around the castle. It took him forever to track Shiro down.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Prison break." Shiro answered. "We are on our way to take them home."

Keith grimaced he wasn't big on crowds. "It go okay?"

"No." Shiro looked over Keith's shoulders not making eye contact, "but everyone is okay now."

"Okay now? As in out of the pods already?" Keith questioned eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." Shiro shuddered.

"Lance?" Keith asked, somehow he just knew.

"Yeah and Matt had a pretty good laser burn, too." Shiro answered sadly.

Keith signed. "At least you are all good now."

"Yeah." Shiro gave Keith a quick hug. "Good to see you kid, what have you been up to?"

"Just got back from a mission for the Blades. We infiltrated a ship and downloaded some info. I've got a copy for you. It looks like it might have prisoner information, maybe something for Pidge and Matt." Keith handed the data stick over to Shiro.

"That's good. Thanks Keith. Are you okay?" Shiro looked him up and down trying to catch sight of any injuries.

"I'm good Shiro, it went really smooth. No injuries on anyone." Keith patted his over protective brother figure. "I'm fine." He said again and Shiro backed off with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, Okay." He held his hands up. "Don't blame me for worrying about you when we aren't together."

The next morning, Keith decided to join the paladins and a few of the rebels for training. They were doing hand to hand and there was a lot of cheering going on. It seemed they had turned it into some sort of contest.

Lance was in the training circle with a blue alien with long ears, kind of like Nyma, only a male. He had his hands up and was circling warily. He ducked suddenly leg flying in a long circle and the other fell. Lance pounced on him and held the training knife to his neck. The alien yielded.

"Who's next?" Lance stood with a smile. He had clearly been doing some winning.

"I suppose I could take you?" Keith offered. He was dressed in his Blade uniform.

"Keith?" Lance looked surprised, he supposed Shiro hadn't gotten around to telling them all he was here yet.

He stepped into the circle. Lance tossed him a training staff and grabbed one of his own. They traded jabs for awhile testing each other out. It had been a few months since they had spared. Keith swept low and Lance jumped his attack coming down from up high. Keith parried and knocked him to the side. Lance got his balance and hung back waiting for the next attack. Keith drove forward and Lance countered, hit after hit after hit, but Lance was backing up. Keith was gaining the advantage. He tried the leg sweep again and Lance jumped, but Keith expected it this time and brought his staff around up high catching Lance in the gut and knocking him to the ground.

There were cheers all around and Keith reached out to help Lance up. Lance waved him off and got to his feet. The look on his face chilled Keith. It was so…defeated…

"Lance, you okay?" Keith asked, and suddenly the look was gone replaced with a good natured smile.

"Sure, good fight." Lance reached out his hand to shake Keith's. Several of the rebels crowded around wanting to find out more about Keith's technique. He caught sight of Lance slipping out the door and leaving the training area.

"Paladin." The gray skinned snake like alien stopped him in the hall.

"Sax, right?" Lance asked.

"Yessss. I was hoping to catch you. I know you feel badly about the lossss of the prissssonerssss." His body wove bonelessly as he spoke. It was a little unnerving Lane decided.

"Yeah, of course, we don't like losing anyone." Lane answered self consciously.

"I have sssssomething that could help." He pulled something out of a pouch and held it out to Lance. It was a bottle. "A sssssupplement."

"Supplement? Like a pill?" Lance looked at the bottle cautiously.

"Yesssss, compresssssssed herbsssss, very common on my home planet. It makessss your musssssclesssss sssstronger and fassssster."

"Faster?" Lance looked at the alien with questioning eyes.

"Yesssss, all of my people take it and many othersssss acrosssss this region of the galaxsssy." Sax offered smiling. "I, mysssself, take it any time I go on a misssssion. It givesssss me the edge I need."

"It's safe? No side effects?" Lance asked looking longingly at the bottle.

"Not unlessssss you count being fassssster and better assss a sssside effect." Sax handed the bottle over to Lance. "You take one in the morning, no more, and you will be an even better Paladin."

"One, huh? You sure there is no side effects for humans?" He asked looking concerned.

"Not at all. I even checked your friend, Matt's physsssssiology to be sure. It's perfectly ssssafe."

"And why are you just giving it to me?" Lance asked.

"We are on the same team now, yesss. I only wish to help."