Chapter thirty-four: Take Two!
"Ok, guys, here we go." Coran announced from the controls of the training deck. "Invisible maze training, take two."
"Pidge, you will be guided by Hunk. Followed by Lance for Hunk, Keith for Lance, Shiro for Keith, and Keith for Shiro. Everybody got that?" The Altean man continued in that deja vu tone of a theatrical-type voice. "Just listen carefully and he'll get you through."
Pidge adjusted her helmet on her head and waited. Soon the maze went up then faded to nothing.
"Alright, Let's do this!" Hunk chimed, looking over the maze on his screen.
"Yeah, Team Punk is like one mind. This is gonna be a cinch!" Pidge beamed.
"Just don't get too comfortable and then get yourself zapped." Lance quipped with a smirk.
"Oh, so..don't be you." Pidge deadpanned, and a series of chuckles and snorts rippled over the com link.
"Alright, alright, in my defense that was Keith's fault." Lance deflected sheepishly.
"I gave you clear instructions!" Keith defended.
"What's great about right now is that we've all grown as a team," Shiro mentioned. "And that should mean that these exercises should be just a little easier too. Maybe we might even build new skills from this as well."
"Copy that Shiro,.." Pidge confirmed. "Ok, Hunk, let's get to it."
"Ok, you'll wanna start with a few paces forward then turn to your right." The Yellow Paladin began.
So Pidge took three steps forward and turned right, feeling just a little nervous about the potential for a shock,.. but was relieved that nothing happened.
"Great, now slowly start walking forward." Hunk instructed. Then watching carefully, he kept an eye on how close she was getting to the next wall before making a determination.
"Ok, stop right there, and turn left." Pidge crept to her left, almost like she were tiptoeing through a haunted house, but kept her feet firmly planted on the floor.
"Pretty soon you'll need to turn left again for about three paces before taking another left." Hunk continued.
"So.. basically a bit of a uey.." Pidge reasoned. "Got it." And after a few more paces in silence..
"Now.."
One,.. two,.. three,.. turning left again she was reasonably relieved to still not receive a shock.
"Ok, turn right, then keep heading that direction." Hunk said, but turning immediately yielded a less than desirable result as shockwaves rippled through her.
"Ope, sorry, should've been more accurate on the timing. My bad." Hunk apologized quickly. "Just one step to the left and you'll be back on track."
So Pidge side stepped like a stiff soldier and kept walking forward.
"Alright.. just keep going,.." Hunk began again, eyeing the Green Paladin's position on the screen carefully. "Keep going.. there, now turn right."
Pidge felt more confident in turning this time, but kept a steady pace for safety's sake.
"And.." Hunk mused.. "Stop right there.. now, I'm gonna tell you to do something weird, but I want you to walk directly to the left at a sixty-degree angle to your current position.
"What? Are you sure?" Pidge wondered in confusion.
"Just trust me." Hunk affirmed.
Tapping the calculation on her com link the angle showed up on her screen. Then letting the screen retract, she stared in the direction indicated to her. And beginning to walk that way she kept a slow, apprehensive pace waiting and hoping not to get shocked again. But as she walked, she was becoming increasingly surprised by her success, and that much more appreciative for the trust she had in Hunk's careful navigating.
"Excellent work so far, you two." Coran commented, standing back from Hunk with crossed arms among the other Paladins and Allura.
"Never had any doubts." Lance remarked, crossing his arms now with a respectable grin across his face.
However Hunk remained focused, hardly seeming to notice the bantor going on behind him.
"Ok, Pidge, you're almost there.." the Yellow Paladin went on. "In about two ticks at your pace, you can turn left the other thirty degrees for two or three paces, then turn directly to your left and continue down that way for a bit."
"Roger that, Hunk." Pidge responded. Counting in her head, her careful stalk loosened slightly as she completed the diagonal path making three small steps before turning left again, walking with much more ease.
"Great," Hunk smiled. "Now turn right.."
Pidge turned right for four paces.
"Then left.."
She turned left for three.
"Then left again.."
The Green Paladin turned left for another eight paces.
"Perfect, now a right.."
She walked for some time now before..
"Another right.."
Three paces later..
"And another right.."
Again, some time passed between instructions..
"Then a left turn toward the finish." Hunk finished.
"And as she strode out from the Maze's exit, it appeared in visible detail and she looked back to turn and face it with a smile.
"Excellent, number five!" Coran praised.
"Yeah way to go, Pidge." Hunk agreed proudly.
"It was a team effort, Hunk, great work." Pidge replied. "Now Hunk? You're up!"
"Wait, me?" Hunk echoed.. shaking his head into a double take. "Why me?"
"Cause you're the lucky lad at the mic." Lance smirked, taking pride in the Yellow Paladin's confusion. "And guess who's guiding you through.." and all Hunk could do was blink.
xxxx
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Hunk wondered, as he steadily creeped forward. And keeping his eyes open for anything, as if he could see the invisible walls that surrounded him.
"Relax, Hunk, Just keep heading straight, you'll be fine." Lance sighed loosely, leaning back his crossed arms gently folded in front of him. "I can see the map and I'll let you know when to turn right. You're almost there."
"Easy for you to say.." Hunk muttered. "You can see the walls."
And having let his gaze wander back to his right as he walked, he veered off a little and hit something that gave him a shock.
"Hunk! What are you doing! Eyes front, stay focused on your target and rely on your guide to get you through." Lance corrected as the shock wore off.
"Right,.. eyes front.." Hunk breathed to himself, then lifted his gaze to the guide booth above the training deck. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"Just slow down and turn right in about ten paces." Lance emphasized, with a growing frustration.
Hunk followed the instruction and turned right exactly when Lance had expected him to.
"Ok in eight more paces you'll need to her left and left again in another three.."
"So a U turn?" Hunk asked as he mentally counted in his head using almost robotic paces all the way around.
"Whatever you wanna call it." Lance sighed, placing a hand across his forehead dryly.
"Hey, you two aren't doing too bad,.. 'Bet you can't do any better than me and Hunk.." Pidge teased, after leaning in on their maze panel.
"Oh we'll see about that.." Lance remarked, becoming more determined. "Faster buddy!"
"What?! Are you serious? No way!" Hunk declined.
"JUST DO IT!" Lance screamed, and Hunk broke into a slow jog. Lance's gaze on the screen narrowed as he watched the speed of the little yellow dot that slid through the visible walls on his screen.
"Hunk! Another 'U' turn, same as before!" Lance called out. And becoming more brave, the Yellow Paladin calculated his way around the turn.
"Galra fire, comin' at you from behind. Step on it, Hunk!" Lance called.
"What are talking about?" Hunk wondered in confusion.
"It's supposed to motivate you, now get moving!" the Blue Paladin replied. "Before you get shot down."
"Right turn!" Lance called. "Now right again,.. Now left.. Now left again!.. Come on, buddy.. Let's GO!"
Hunk was panting pretty heavily, by now, but Lance's screaming kept him going.
XXXX
"How did we get stuck doing this again!?" Lance half complained, holding his blaster up across his body.
"'Just got lucky, I guess." Keith answered bluntly. "Now put your weapon away,.. you're not gonna need it for this."
"Though that could be arranged." Coran mentioned brightly, pointing a finger to the air when elevating himself to one toe so he could peer over the rest of the group(especially Shiro, the tallest among them).
"For the last time, Coran." Lance groaned dryly, "No thanks! We had enough difficulty getting through this maze without worrying about getting our head shot off! Even if it's just a practice shot that doesn't do anything damaging."
"At least you'd be motivated." Allura commented.
"Motivation's got nothing to do with it." Lance shot back. "Getting shot at by bad guys doesn't normally happen much other than when we're safely in our lions. Which is pretty much not the same as what we're doing right now."
"Then why'd you bring it up?" Pidge wondered bluntly, shrugging.
"I didn't, Allura did." Lance deflected.
"Lance, focus,.. you need to turn right up here." Keith reminded him.
"Got it.." Lance veered right and sharply swiveled front to march straight on.
"Left turn coming up.." Keith warned.
"Not another dead-end wall, right?" Lance wondered.
Keith's shoulders dropped and some might even have seen a slight eye twitch.
"Ugghhhh! I-.. -THAT WAS ONE TIME!" Keith blurted out in his heated frustration.
And as he slumped stiffly over the panel, some slow movement to his right inclined him to finally look. Only to find some members of the group leaning a little bit further over for them to view him better. But then they smiled awkwardly at him, having been caught observing him a bit closer.
Sighing away the heat, he cooled his thoughts at just the right time to look back at the small blue dot traveling up the top corridor to the top edge of the maze.
"Ok, turn left.. Now." and since Lance turned at just the right time, he could immediately track him for the next instruction.
"Another left.. then you've got a long stretch to cover before the next turn." Keith informed his teammate softly.
"Long stretch?.." Lance echoed. "Not for long!"
Then breaking into a run, his dot started to also speed up.
"What are you doing?!" Keith gasped, raising his voice only a little.
"Killing time.." Lance replied arrogantly. "What else?"
"You remember your ameteur comment from the balmera?" Pidge queried dryly.
"Not the same thing, Pidge!" Lance cried.
"Ok.." the Green Paladin sighed loosely, studying her fingers carefully as if she were trying to make sure they were clean or well polished.
"You guys worry too much, besides when Keith says 'long stretch'.." but two seconds later..
"Ahhh!"
HELLLLOOOOOO! Uuugggghhhh, you don't know how frustrated I have been leaving you guys hanging for so long, but… I'm still here! And still wanting to finish this story as much as I possibly can! Believe me, I have not forgotten about it, just been crazy busy and other things have taken priority unfortunately.. as life would have it.. /
But I hope to get updating ALL of my stories and hopefully continue preparing any new ones so that posting will go smoother with them..
Thank you, to anyone who is still reading and welcome to anyone new! I hope you enjoy this new chapter and I'll try to get back to you guys soon! Thx!