"Lance there's a wall to your left, reach your hand out and touch it."
"What?! Why would I do that? It'll shock me."
"Trust me, that wall isn't lit up with electricity. Lean against it to catch your breath, this maze is way longer than the others and it's got way more obstacles." Pidge said, scanning the screen, her eyes landing on a weight-activated tile, which would result in falling into a pit. There were a few of those hidden throughout the maze, each having different consequences. Eight out of the ten pressure plates have already been activated by Lance and it was clear that the boy was exhausted. So Pidge may or may not have shut off the power in that one wall, to allow him to catch his breath.
Pidge looked up at Lance who was pushing himself off the wall and getting ready to continue. "Careful," Pidge inquired. "The tile in front of you will drop out from underneath you if you step on it."
"Sounds great." Lance huffed backing up and taking a leap of faith to soar over the pit. Pidge laughed as he gained too much air, flying straight into a wall.
"Careful Sharpshooter, you'll end up getting more damage if you keep on overdoing things."
"I can't help it," Lance said with a laugh. "I'm an overachiever."
Pidge smirked, shaking her head. She said "You'll wanna turn left, to the right there are a few more spiked walls, don't want you to lose your head, now do we?
Lance shook his head before turning sharply to his left and running down the path.
"Always in a hurry." Pidge huffed, turning around at the sound of Shiro's footsteps.
"Death by training exercise, that's a new one," Pidge said with a snort.
"I heard that!" Pidge turned around making a face at Lance, even though he couldn't see her, but thankfully, he had slowed down and was no longer running headlong at a hidden mine that would have electrocuted him.
"Lance, you'll need to put your entire body against the floor and army crawl through the next area. It'll be hard because there's a wall above you, it's a tunnel, and there's um a few hidden mines in the tunnel."
"What? I thought this was the easier way." Lance said, dropping down onto his stomach.
"Go to your right side first, there's a mine directly to your left." Pidge watched as Lance complied with her orders. "Alright, now you'll have to go at an angle towards the right side, so you won't hit either of the mines. You don't have a lot of space to maneuver soooo good luck."
"Thank you soooo much," Lance said in response, clearly irritated yet he wasn't mad. "How much longer until I'm out of here?"
" You're almost there," Pidge said with a smirk. "I'm guessing about another 4 hours and you'll be out of there."
"What?!" Lance exclaimed and Pidge burst out laughing as he set off an explosion.
"I'm kidding!" She said, trying to catch her breath, glancing at Shiro. He was shaking his head, but there was a slight smile ghosting across his face. "You'll be out once you're done with the tunnel. Speaking of that, the exit is direct to your right.
Lance huffed a few curses as he pushed his way out of the maze. Making a beeline for the tech room, Pidge and Shiro were lounging in. Pidge leaned back in her chair. "He wants to kill me." She said with nonchalance.
Shiro put a hand on her shoulder. "And you brought that onto yourself." He nodded at Lance before excusing himself from the room.
Lance waited for the door to close before spinning the chair around and glowering at Pidge. Pidge looked up at him as he towered over her. She smirked and crossed her arms. Wrinkling her nose. "You need a bath." She said ducking underneath his arms and making a beeline for the door.
"Oh no you don't" Lance grinned, grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling her back.
"I know I don't," Pidge said, trying her best to free her shirt from his grip. "You do."
Lance released her shirt only to let his arm go around her neck, locking her in a chokehold. With that, he gave her a very intense noogie.
"Lance, stop torturing her and get out here." Keith's voice came out of the intercom, resulting in Pidge being released from her torture. She made a face at Lance before bolting out of the room and entering the control room, where the others gathered.
Pidge hastily patted down her hair as she turned to face Allura. Lance followed after her, still glaring at the girl, before forcing his attention to land on Allura.
"There's been a distress signal and as paladins, we must go help those in need."
"Is that in the manual? Cause I didn't see that in there? On that same note, do we have a manual?" Hunk said, before shrinking back as everyone's attention switched onto him.
"Sadly, we do not have a manual," Allura said with a nod before opening her mouth to continue.
"But I could make one!" Coran exclaimed, proudly pointing his finger into the air as he made the declaration.
"Focus," Shiro said, his arms folded across his chest, as he kept his attention on the Altean queen. Everyone's eyes slowly followed after him and the room fell silent.
"As I was saying, a distress signal has just been received from Ibos. A dwarf planet that is inhabited by a few species. The most commonly known are Vulgare." A picture of the species appeared on the screen.
"They kind of look like Rollie Pollies." Lance pointed out with a laugh, only to get elbowed in the gut from Pidge.
"The Vulgare are in distress and so you must answer the call. Stay safe, my friends."
With that the paladins were dismissed, as they charged towards their hangers, meeting one another outside of the castle.
"Alright! Who's ready to go kick some butt."
"Lance, there might not be any fighting involved, and you still need to shower," Pidge said, shaking her head, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face.
"Will you two stop it?" Keith huffed. "We have actual problems to focus on."
"Keith is right. Allura, will you open the wormhole." Shiro asked, facing his lion towards the wormhole that opened.
"Germano!" Lance cheered before plummeting into the wormhole. Earning mixed responses from his teammates before they followed after him. The desert planet filling the window in front of them.
"It's so dry." Hunk said. "My mouth is getting dry just from looking at it."
"Don't suppose we packed any water," Pidge muttered, pulling closer to the planet.
"Let's just go in and find out where the signal is coming from," Shiro said before diving into the planet's atmosphere, not waiting for the others to respond. Keith sighed before diving after Shiro, getting quickly followed by the other three.
The lions surrounded a small hole slowly lowering into it. The landing gears activated letting the paladins sit there scanning the area.
"No life forms detected," Pidge muttered scanning her screen as it repeatedly scanned for life. "Are we too late?"
"No, that can't be it. We have to go out and check." Hunk said, sounds of movement following his voice.
"Be on your guard paladins, we don't know what else lives on this planet." Shiro agreed Quickly the paladins were on the ground, ready to search for danger.
"There's nothing here," Keith said, turning back to the group.
"Uh, guys." Lance's voice stuttered as he turned back to the group. "I found the distress signal." He said holding up a box emitting the signal.
Shiro started before pulling out his bayard. "Be on guard, whoever put it there can't be too far."
"Actually I'm right here." A voice taunted from above them. They all turned sharply, weapons pointed at a girl sitting on top of the red lion. Her chin length white hair swayed slightly in the wind. Soft strands of purple mixed in. Her dark purple eyes trained on the device, the golden flecks glistening from the sunlight. A smirk. At her side lay what looked like rope, simply resting on the lion's head, as if she had been there the entire time. "I was wondering when I'd meet the legendary paladins." She tsked as if disappointed. "Have to say, I'm not impressed."
"Who are you," Keith growled, stepping forward, his bayard pointing at her menacingly.
"I'm Enyta" She said, standing up and stretching. Causing the paladins to tense. She casually leaned down and picked up the ropes. "And 3…"
"What?"
"2"
Shiro's eyes shot towards the device seeing how it was blinking a golden color. "Lance!"
"1"
Shiro dived forward as Lance realized what was happening. Dropping the device as it beeped rapidly before exploding, throwing the paladins apart and sand into the air.
Multiple purple devices were seen in the cloud of dust as a hoard of galra moved in, out of hiding places.
"I call dibs on red!" Enytra's voice called out before she giggled. The sounds of weapons firing filled the air.
Lance stepped back bumping into Pidge. He stumbled away. "Who's there?"
"Lance?" Pidge asked, waving her hands in front of her, accidentally swatting the blue paladin.
"That's my face!"
"Sorry!"
"What the?!" Pidge exclaimed as a purple rope wrapped around her waist and yanked her away from lance.
"Oop, wrong one." Enyta sighed, pulling the rope back as Pidge got up. "Guess you'll have to do. Small but mighty right?"
"Hey don't touch her!" Lance yelled racing towards the purple glow of the whips. It shot upwards scratching his arm. Pain shot through his body before he fell, unable to move anymore.
"Lance!" Pidge exclaimed, heading towards her teammate.
"Uh uh uh" Enyta smirked, the whip snaking around the pidge and throwing her against the wall. "You're coming with me," Enyta said walking towards the girl. "And don't worry about them, when we're done, you won't even remember who they are."
Pidge lifted up the bayard getting ready to attack when the butt of the whip smacked her in the head. Pidge didn't realize her helmet had fallen off and darkness overtook her.
"Pidge!" Voices shouted, the dust had settled and the youngest paladins were gone. Lance lay on the ground, blood surrounding his arm where he got cut. His eyes were unfocused as he twitched there.
"Lance!" Shiro cursed, noticing the wounded paladin. "Hunk and Keith, spread out and try to find pidge"
Voices calling for the green paladin filled the air, but it was no use. Pidge was already off the planet heading towards the galra's safe haven.