Happy Holidays everyone! I do hope everyone is well this season. One of my resolutions for 2014 was to finish this bad boy and be done with it. Seeing that the new year is right around the corner, I decided that the other projects that had taken priority should be put on the back burner, so I could finish. Mission accomplished! I proudly present to you the last chapters of Band on the Run all together in one shot. WHOO HOO!
I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me (even when I appeared to disappear at times, lol) and leaving me feedback. It has really meant the world to me.
Okay, I will shut up now so that you can get to reading. Enjoy!
The Castle of Lions was eerily quite as the sun set over the Arus landscape, casting deep hues of purples and blues over the darkening sky. Most of the residents of the castle had retired for the evening, laying down in their own beds, looking forward to the early morning when they could wake without the constant fear of invasion looming in their thoughts. While no one in the castle really made an issue of it – and tried to keep their spirits up as best they could – the fear had lingered over them all the way back to the first invasion of the Drules when King Alfor sat on the throne. Even when the young space explorers had literally landed on their doorstep, most living in castle, and all living outside the walls, still harbored that fear. Voltron had kept them safe for the most part, but the constant threat of attack never really went away. Not with Lotor still casting his gaze on controlling Voltron and Arus. Would they ever be able to go back to living the peaceful lives that they had enjoyed before Zarkon and Lotor's tyranny? Or would they still look over their shoulders in fear, waiting for the day when they would be at war again?
These thoughts weighed heavily on Allura as she tossed in her own bed. She stared at her chamber ceiling, trying to make out the various shadows that created blotted images across the room. It all seemed so pointless, she thought. She should be pouring over Arusian law books, trying to find an answer for the men that she held in such high regard. After all they were more than just her saviors, they were her family. She should be doing doing everything in her power to help them. As it was, she had been ordered by Dr. Gorma to get some rest. He had even threatened her with sedation. Nanny, now more overprotective than ever, had stayed one step behind her all the way back to her bed chamber.
She sighed loudly as she rolled to her side, roughly tucking her pillow under her head. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if Nanny and Coran hadn't posted a full security detail outside of her door. She hadn't really seen much of the others since Coran had whisked her from the landing outside the castle to the med bay to be poked and prodded by the doctors. The only news she got was from the kind nurses who gave her what information they could.
Hunk was patched up and doing well, and, barring any infection, would be back on his feet in no time. Everyone else had received a clean bill of health with the incidental bumps and bruises. Everyone except Deirdre. Deirdre was still in the med bay for observation. Dr. Gorma was still at a loss as to her condition. He still had no idea how she had miraculously returned from the dead, or any explanation for any of the mysterious feats that she had performed since she had returned from her time on the Inferno.
Allura's mind flashed back to the Great Hall. Slices of memory strayed into her thoughts like a gale force wind. There were no stopping them. She could feel the warm blood dripping down her hands. She could see the life drain out of Lotor's eyes as he lay at her feet. Hagar screaming. The powerful shield that had manifested itself to save her and Deirdre from the witch's rage.
Allura involuntarily jerked in bed causing her nightgown to twist around her legs. Angrily, she threw the covers aside and wrestled with the irritating fabric, finally launching herself from the bed to let the gown untangle itself around her ankles. She drew in a frustrated breath and willed her brain to find some answers to her predicament.
Finally deciding with a huff that sleep would not come, she snatched up the robe laying at the foot of her bed and slid into it. She stuck her head out the door and, relieved to find that there were no guards posted in the hallway, she slipped into the corridor and walked quickly in the direction of the medical facility.
The infirmary was located on the second floor of the castle – three floors down from her bed chambers – and she was grateful that she didn't run into anyone else on her way down on the lift. As she walked purposefully down the corridor, she saw Pidge walking toward her away from the infirmary. His head was down and he appeared to be completely lost in whatever was on his hand held computer. He was so engrossed that he nearly ran right into her. She stepped aside quickly, so that he only shouldered her lightly.
"Sorry, Princess," he said, not looking up and continuing on his path.
Allura stopped and turned. "Pidge," she called.
As if his brain finally registered her presence, he glanced back at her.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, just working on some stuff," he answered vaguely.
She raised an eyebrow skeptically. Pidge only had that concentrated look on his face when he was working on something very important. It did not appear that he wanted to share the information, so she didn't pursue it. She simply asked, "Are you coming from the med bay?"
He only nodded, trying very hard not to glance down at the lit up screen in his hand.
"Is there any news?" she asked pointedly, mildly irritated at his distraction.
"Nothing yet. Lance and Richie are still with Deirdre."
"Okay, thanks."
"No problem," he said quickly, and, turning his attention back to the device, he was back on track to his destination – wherever that might be.
"See you later," she called after him.
"Yep." he waved without looking back.
Allura inhaled a deep breath and started back on her own path. When she arrived in the medical bay, she found that Pidge had been right. The room was quiet save for the low hum and occasional beeps from the machines that were hooked up from the sleeping Deirdre. Even with lights set very low, she could make out a figure on the other side of the room. On the far side of the bed, by the window, Richie was asleep, his large frame was sprawled uncomfortably in a chair that was clearly too small for him with his hands folded neatly across his stomach. If the situation had not been so somber, the sight would have been comical.
Walking to the foot of the bed, Allura watched Deirdre's breathing. There were still so many unanswered questions. As far as she knew, Deirdre was nothing more than a run of mill humanoid. No one had ever mentioned that she had any kind of magical powers, and the team had been genuinely stunned at the powers that she had manifested. So, how had she been able to activate the main core of the castle? What was her connection with the lions? And how in the hell did she managed to ward off Hagar's powerful dark magic? Allura rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling the beginning of a headache seeping into her head.
She was glad when the sound of someone clearing their throat silenced the confusion. Lance was standing in the doorway, holding a cup in each hand.
"Coffee," he said, offering her one. "I brought it for Richie, but it appears that it wouldn't do him any good."
Allura gave him a weak smile and accepted the steaming cup. "Thank you." She took a drink and relished the near scalding sensation as the liquid traveled down her throat. "No change?"
Lance took his own sip and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "She woke up for a few minutes. Said she felt fine. Then she got pissed because Gorma told her that she had to stay overnight for some tests. So, he sedated her." He let a small laugh slip out. "If Gorma thought she was a handful tonight, wait til he gets a load of her in the morning."
"Why are the two of you here? Shouldn't you get some rest?"
He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. And from the looks of it," he regarded her with a raised eyebrow, "insomnia seems to be going around."
She nodded and sat gingerly on the bed so she could face him. "I guess it is. Have you seen Keith?"
He shook his head. "Not since earlier." He paused to take another sip of coffee. "You know how he is. Probably holed up somewhere, banging his head against a wall, trying to figure out a way to get us out of this sorry mess. That's how he copes." He watched her for a moment before setting his cup on a nearby table and rising to stand in front of her. "Speaking of coping, how are you doing?"
Allura blushed slightly. He knew what had her awake at the late hour. "Am I that easy to read?"
He shrugged. "After everything that you've been through, it's not really surprising that you can't sleep." He reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "Listen, we've all been there Allura. We've all had that first time, and anyone who isn't a cold hearted son of bitch is affected by it." He paused, as if remembering some distant memory. "It changes you a little bit."
Allura looked down at her hands as tears began to brim in her eyes and was grateful that the lights were so low.
In an uncharacteristically gentle manner, Lance took her face in his hands to lift her eyes to meet his. "Hey, if you ever want to talk about it, you know we're all here for you. Me, Keith, Hunk, Pidge..." She nodded. "When you're ready," he added.
"C-can I just sit here with you for a little while?" she asked in a small voice.
Lance gave her a broad smile. "Of course." He left her to pull another chair next to his own.
Allura sat next to him and reached over to take his hand that was resting on the arm of the chair. Without needing to ask, she laid her head gently on his shoulder. There was no need to say more. They both sat into the night lulled into silence by the low hum of the machines.
Lance's eyes burned as the early morning penetrated his eyelids begging him for just a few more minutes of rest. Adversely, his back and neck were screaming at him to move. He finally opened his eyes and focused on his surroundings. The beige walls and low beeps of the monitors told him that he had fallen asleep in the chair in Deirdre's room. A heavy movement on his shoulder prompted him to glance down only then to notice the fair haired princess resting comfortably on him, still holding his hand. Shit, he thought. How long had they been sleeping there like that? And a more important question was who had seen them?
Lance tried to straighten himself up, jarring Allura, who stirred. She blinked up at him, obviously trying to figure out where she was and how she had gotten there. When clarity came, she sat upright, promptly dropping Lance's hand. He chuckled. "Good morning."
She smiled sheepishly at him. "Is it morning already?"
He nodded toward the window. "It appears so. But I have no idea what time it is."
Allura stood up, stretching her arms over her head, and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh! It's five o'clock!" she squealed, securing her robe around her. "I better get back to my room before someone notices that I'm gone."
"Someone meaning Nanny." Lance clucked his tongue at her. "When are you going to stop worrying about what Nanny thinks, Allura? You are an adult, after all."
They both looked toward the window when Richie groaned loudly and tried to turn over in the small chair that he occupied.
Allura narrowed his eyes at Lance and lowered her voice. "For your information, I don't care what she thinks. But now is not the time to go on some rebellious tirade. I would rather just keep the peace for the time being, if it's all the same to you."
"Fine by me." Standing up straight, Lance mimicked her stretch only to grimace when the muscle in his neck caught suddenly. "Ow," he complained, rubbing it gently. He glanced at Allura who was still watching him. "Well, get going."
She turned on her heel to leave only to run right into Keith as he entered. He grabbed her arms to steady her. "Oh sorry, Keith." She purposefully walked around him, stopping only to glance at him. "You never saw me here." she whispered before continuing on her way.
"What?" Keith looked thoroughly confused.
Lance snorted to keep himself from laughing out loud, earning him a scowl from the princess as she disappeared around the corner.
Keith shook his head. "What was that all about?" Lance shrugged innocently. Then something registered on Keith's face. "Were you guys here all night?"
They both glanced down at the two chairs sitting side by side. "Uh, yeah, I guess we were. We just stayed up talking mostly. We must have fallen asleep." He smiled, well aware what he was getting himself into by his admission, which was confirmed when Keith narrowed his eyes at him, but for some reason, he couldn't help needling him when he got the chance.
Keith looked as if he was going to say something but was interrupted when Richie spoke. "Hey, can you keep it down, you ingrates?" He stretched in his chair nearly falling out of it in the process.
Lance crossed his arms. "You have your own room, you know," he said pointedly.
Richie got to his feet and wrinkled his nose. "So do you."
"Aright, you two, cut it out." Keith commanded.
"Yeah, yeah," Richie murmured as he crossed the room to leave. Lance grabbed his arm. "Hey, I'll give you a call if I hear anything." Richie's expression softened and he simply nodded and left.
"Well, that's certainly a change from the two of you wanting to bash each other's heads in." Keith commented.
Lance rubbed the back of his neck again. "Yeah, well, I think we've come to an understanding." There was no need to fill Keith in what that understanding was. He already knew. "How's she doing?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" came a voice from the bed. They both turned to see Deirdre staring at them sleepily.
Lance grinned at her. "Hey, you're awake."
"Congratulations, Captain Obvious." she sneered. "What are you two doing in here?"
"Just checking up on you." Keith said, trying to be cheery.
"Watching me sleep? Kinda creepy, guys." She tried to sit up but only got tangled up in the wires attached to her. "As you can see, I'm fine. If someone would get me some coffee..." she struggled with the lines hooked up to her hands. "and get these damn things off of me so I can go to the bathroom, I will be even better."
Both men blinked at her. "Uh, okay," said Keith, "we'll go get a nurse. Come on, Lance, I need to talk to you anyway." He turned and ushered Lance out the door.
"Can I at least get something to eat?" Lance was begging as they left. "I'm starving."
"Tell someone to bring me some coffee!" Deirdre called after them.
It was only a few weeks after their arrival on Arus that the team had decided that they did not much like eating in the royal dining room. It was too large, and having the castle staff waiting on them hand and foot was a little disconcerting for most of them. So, Allura had convinced Nanny to let them have their meals in the rec room where there was a small table and a kitchenette. Since Nanny had never found it appropriate for the boys to be eating in the dining hall reserved for royals, she was more than happy to provide them with baked goods and the occasional hot meal for breakfast. Of course, she threw a tantrum when Allura had decided that she wanted to dine with her teammates, but the princess quashed that when she agreed that the dining hall would be used for special occasions.
When Lance arrived, Sven and Romelle were sitting at the table, each with a muffin and a cup of coffee in front of them. They were both engrossed in some word game on Sven's hand held computer. Hunk sat across from them digging into a bowl of cereal with a napkin full of pastries next to him. They all glanced up as the second in command entered.
"Hey," Hunk said, between bites.
"Morning." Lance replied. He glanced around quickly. "Where's Pidge?"
Hunk shrugged as he swallowed another bite. "Haven't seen him yet."
Lance walked to the kitchen bar where Nanny had laid out breakfast. He grabbed a biscuit. "Allura said that she saw him last night," he said unapologetically with a full mouth. "Said he was preoccupied with something." He shoved the rest of the biscuit in mouth before reaching for the jug of purple juice sitting next to the baked goods.
"Even so," Hunk said, "it's not like him to be late for breakfast. He loves Nanny's fruit turnovers."
Romelle set Sven's hand held on the table to turn her attention to them. "He did seem pretty upset yesterday after the run in Wade."
Hunk chuckled. "Yeah, he's probably taking out his frustrations on some first person shooter game. I'll check on him after breakfast."
"I'll take care of it." Lance countered. "Keith wants you in the control room ASAP to run diagnostics on the security system. He wants to make sure that everything is in working order after the Drules were tinkering around in there."
Sven collected his dishes and Romelle's and walked back into the kitchen. "Where is Keith? I haven't seen him since we were all cleared by Dr. Gorma yesterday."
"He said he was taking Black out this morning. He wants to check out the damage from the battle."
This time Hunk huffed. "What is this? Business as usual? Shouldn't we be trying to figure out how to deal with Wade?" He slammed his spoon down on the table. "It's not really like Keith to ignore a problem. What's up with him?"
"Give the guy a break, Hunk," Sven cut in. "It's not easy carrying the fate of people that you care about on your shoulders. I'm sure whatever he is doing, he's trying to figure this mess out."
Lance nodded in agreement. He had experienced first hand the weight of Keith's responsibility. It had almost broken him. The Commander's shoes were not something that he wanted to step into again any time soon. Nor did he envy the choices that Keith was going to have to make in the next two days. "I agree with Sven. Let's all just give Keith some breathing room and do what he needs us to do. He's got enough on his plate right now without worrying about our insubordination."
When no one responded, Lance noticed that Hunk, Sven, and Romelle were all staring at him like he'd grown another head. Romelle was trying unsuccessfully to hide a small smile. "What?"
Hunk was the first to speak. "Who are you? And what have you done with Lance?"
"Huh?" Lance cocked his head, thoroughly confused.
"Oh, it's nothing," Sven joined, smirking at him "It's just that you're usually complaining that Keith does too much thinking and not enough doing. Now you appear to be defending him."
Romelle clucked her tongue at Sven. "Now, now, I think what we have here is a case of what regular people call empathy. Now that Lance has had a taste of responsibility, I think he might have an idea about what Keith is going through."
Lance scowled at them. Mostly because he knew they were right. "Okay, yeah, so, maybe I do feel a little bad for him," he said, hoping that it would end the conversation. They only smiled at him which made him want to punch them each in the mouth. He cleared his throat. "Alright, alright, you got me to admit it! Now can I go back to enjoying my breakfast." He shoved another pastry into his mouth. "I've got work to do, too, you know."
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Lance had been tasked with putting together a team to inventory all of the castle's emergency rations. On his way to castle control to get his group together, he stopped by Pidge's quarters to check up on him, honoring his promise to Hunk that he would do so. Pidge had not answered the door, citing that he was not feeling well, and he promised Lance that he would see Dr. Gorma. Lance was not so sure that Pidge hadn't told him that just to get rid of him, but Lance left him alone as requested, gathering his team and leading them down to the underground bunkers.
Traveling the halls underneath the castle was a tad more unnerving than Lance would have admitted to anyone. So much had happened down there in such a short amount of time, and each step that the team made was another reminder of the near tragic events. They rounded another corner where the corridor split into two directions: one leading to the central control area, the other toward the den of Green Lion. Lance stopped suddenly, unbidden images flashing before his eyes, as he glanced down the corridor where the lion slept. It was down that dark hallway where he had shot one his own friends. He had nearly killed Deirdre. No, he did kill her. She had been killed upon the impact of his blaster, and somehow, by the mercy of the gods that Lance had never put much faith in anyway, she had been brought back to life. That fact seemed quite trivial next to actually shooting and killing her. He had killed her, and he knew deep down that he would probably never be able to forgive himself.
"Sir?" a voice pulled him away from his own somber thoughts. Lance glanced behind him to see the team of castle guards watching him curiously. He shook his head, forcing the reflections of past events to the recesses of his mind.
"I'm fine," he answered the unasked questions. "Let's go." He quickly started down the corridor, away from the ghosts, toward central control.
With just a quick break for lunch, he and his team had spent the majority of the day in the underground bunkers, counting the essentials that needed to be replaced should another emergency arise.
It was nearly dinner time when they finally finished and climbed back into the welcoming walls of the main castle. Lance thanked the men for their help, dismissed them, and headed to the stairwell leading to the second floor.
Deirdre was still mildly irritated that she was still being "held prisoner" in the med bay via Dr. Gorma's orders. From her weak appearance – her skin was pale even compared to her normally fair complexion and dark circles had settled under her eyes giving the tell tale signs of exhaustion – Lance couldn't disagree with the doctor for keeping her under observation. Of course, he would never voice his opinion out loud to her, lest he incur her wrath. So, he sat quietly in the chair by the window, while she and Richie, who had been camping in the chair that Lance had woken up in that morning, reminisced about the old days. Richie was trying to keep her mind off of her current circumstance by recounting stories of their time at the academy. Lance was barely listening to the chatter as he idly gazed out the window over the darkening landscape and wondered how many more times he would actually get to see an Arusian sunset.
His thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Gorma poked his head through the door. He had Deirdre's test results. "Are you okay with them here to hear this?" he asked as both men stood.
Deirdre nodded. "What did you find?"
Dr. Gorma took a brief moment to collect his thoughts. "I have isolated the cause of your new found abilities. The parasite that was implanted onto your brain stem – the one that resulted in the mind control – was pumping what we previously thought to be some sort of neurotoxin into your brain. That, in fact, was not the case. As it turns out, the substance contained strong magical properties that are still a mystery to me." He paused briefly. "Our hypothesis was only half correct when we surmised that the parasite would leave on its own in the event of your..." he paused, "brain death."
The room was quiet for a moment. Lance stole a glance at Deirdre who was looking at him, but there was no emotion in her expression. She knew what had gone down. She knew that he had been the one to do it. As the acting commander, it had been his decision. He wondered if she blamed him as much as he blamed himself – if that were even possible. Would she have chosen a different outcome?
Richie cleared his throat. "What do you mean only half correct? The thing is gone, right?"
Gorma nodded. "Yes, the parasite is gone, but it did not remove itself. It desintegrated. When that happened, all of the properties of the parasite were absorbed into the bloodstream. What happened next has never be comprehended to our medical knowledge."
"Well?" Deirdre spat. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"The substance that you absorbed altered you on a molecular level."
Lance tried to wrap his head around what the doctor was saying. "Meaning?"
"It changed your DNA, Deirdre. Whatever it was, it is now permanently a part of you."
The warm breeze of the evening zephyr blew gently across the turrets at the top of the castle. Leaning heavily on the rails of the turret, Keith closed his eyes to let the air blow across his face, barely mussing his hair. When he opened them again, he stared out at the ink black sky, dotted with pin pricks of lights. His gaze dropped, and from where he stood, he could make out Black Lion, standing as the ever vigilant guarding of the castle. He had lost track of how long had been standing there, but it had been long enough to watch the sun dropped lazily behind the pink horizon and the large moon of Arus shed its light over the landscape.
He had gone to top of the castle to clear his mind, hoping that clarity would offer him some answers. He had failed miserably. Too much had happened for him to simply shut it away like he was accustomed to doing. Locking away emotion and doubt, focusing on what needed to be done and doing it was something in which he had always excelled. Lance would chide him for it. He would say that Keith was more like a super computer than a man the way he could so easily compartmentalize things. Now he found himself struggling to do so.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Coran standing at the entrance of stairs leading back to the interior of the castle. Keith let out a breath. "It's you."
Coran cocked his head. "You were expecting someone else?"
Keith shook his head and turned back to the landscape. "Not really. I was just hoping that it wasn't someone from the team." He felt rather than saw Coran move to stand next to him.
"I would have thought that you would be spending time with them right now." Coran said gently.
"They want answers, Coran, and I have none to give them." Keith was surprised at his own admission.
"The truth is, I have no idea what to do."
Coran silently followed Keith's gaze out past the Arusian horizon. When he spoke, his voice was soft and earnest. "Keith, it is very rare to meet a man with powerful conviction. Even less so to meet a man who can instill that conviction in others." He looked at Keith and waited for the younger man to return his gaze. "They are qualities that make you such a great leader, Commander."
Keith snorted. "Yeah, what a great leader. I seem to lead my team from one life threatening situation to another." He stopped and pondered his own statement. His decisions had been the direct cause of so many tragedies as of late. Deirdre, aside from giving herself to Lotor's twisted fantasies, had been subjected to who knew what kind of torture, the least of which was falling under Hagar's mind control. Lance and Hunk had risked their lives to save them from his own vain and careless decision to give himself to Lotor. And then there was Allura. When he thought about her, visions of the young woman who he had pledged himself thrust themselves into the forefront of his mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago. The memories made him sad. She would never again be that young girl, so alive and full of hope and optimism. Lotor had seen to that, even in his own death.
Coran seemed to sense his inner turmoil. "You are not responsible for the hand that life has dealt you. Or to anyone else. You are only responsible for how you respond. You would give your life for those under your command."
"And they would do the same for me." Keith responded.
Coran nodded. "I know that you hold onto your oaths above all else. To go against such a pledge would go against the man that you are." He pause briefly. "And I know that you are torn between your loyalty to Galaxy Garrison and your promise to Princess Allura." Keith was silent. "For my part, I will tell you that you have more than fulfilled your duty to Arus, and I am sure that Her Highness would agree with me."
Keith contemplated the older man's words. Coran was giving him an out. He was letting Keith know that if he chose to go back to Earth – to stay loyal to Garrison – that neither he nor the princess would find fault with his decision. He felt his shoulders ease as a slight weight lifted. It was then that he finally made his decision.
"I'm going to make a deal with Wade," he said simply and waited for a response. When Coran said nothing, he continued. "I'm the one he really wants. If I go back to Earth to stand trial without incident, I can probably convince him to drop the charges against the others. If not, he goes home empty-handed. In his mind, he would be disgraced. If I go, he saves face."
"You would take full responsibility for General Graham's death? Even though you had nothing to do with it." Coran seemed surprised.
Keith shook his head. "There will still be a trial. I will still have a chance to prove my innocence."
A large white owl-like bird glided effortlessly through the air, watching the ground for any sign of what might be it's evening meal. Both men watched it float in circles.
Coran rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "From what I understand, Wade has quite a bit of evidence against you. The odds are not in your favor."
"I know," Keith said, "but I would rather take the odds with my life alone than the whole team."
"That is very noble. Every bit of what I would expect from you. Won't the others fight you on this decision?"
Keith gave him a wan smile. "Probably. But I'll convince them that this is best option." His expression fell as he looked out once more at the proud Black Lion below. "This is how it has to be."
"What? Are you out of your goddamned mind?"
Keith stood still and absorbed Lance's expected tirade. He had waited to tell the team the next morning, but when he had gone to the rec room at breakfast time, Lance and Hunk were the only ones there. No one had seen or heard from Pidge. Hunk had gone to his room several times, but was always met with the same excuses. He wasn't feeling well. The fact that the youngest member of the team had blatantly missed a call to a meeting was a bit of a concern for Keith, and he decided that he would deal with Pidge when he was through. Allura, he presumed was still resting, and he was grateful that she was not there at that moment. He knew that she was still reeling from the recent events, and listening to Lance and Hunk spout off at him for his decision to go with Wade was not what she needed to hear.
Hunk was every bit in a rage as Lance. "Keith, if you think we're going to just let you give yourself to Wade..."
"The decision has been made, Hunk." Keith said matter of factly. "I've already contacted Wade. They'll be coming for me in a couple of hours."
In the kitchenette, Lance was pacing like a caged tiger in the small space between the stove and the island counter top. "And you couldn't even be bothered to talk it over with us? You son of a bitch!" He stopped just long enough to pick a fruit turnover and pitch it at Keith's head, who sidestepped it sending it splattering on the wall.
Keith rolled his eyes at the childish antics, but refused to engage. "It's for the good of the team, Lance."
"Oh, the good of the team, he says." Lance mocked him.
Finally, Keith moved to stand in front of his second in command. "Yes, for the team. If I go back to Earth, I need to know that people I can trust will still be here to protect Arus. Lance, you are perfectly capable of leading this team, and you guys need to keep the team together. Especially if Wade is calling the shots at Garrison. He will not stop until he either gets his hands on Voltron, or dismantles him for good."
Lance opened his mouth to retort, but stopped, and seemed to mull over Keith's words. It was all the time that Keith needed to know that he had finally reached his sense of practicality.
Keith was convinced that Lance was about to concede his position when the door opened and Pidge sprinted into the rec room, hopping around like a two year old who really had to use the restroom. "Guys! I've got it!"
"Pidge, where have you been?" Keith scolded him. "We've been..."
Pidge shook his head frantically. "Stop whatever it is your doing," he said excitedly. "I got it!"
"Got what?" Hunk said. "Take a breath, Pidge."
The young man finally calmed himself enough so that he could actually stand still. He took a deep breath then proclaimed, "I've got a way to get Wade!"