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Then:
Lance had grown up with many good role models. His dad for being caring and good with his hands, his mom for having Patience, his Pa for courage and justice and pretty much most of the Overwatch crew for one thing or another. Lance liked to be inspired and take what he learns and integrate it into his life.
This definitely applies to his goddess. She was big, bad but could pull pranks with the best of them. She could lift Lance AND Pa if she wanted to, and break them in half without breaking a sweat.
Who was this goddess you ask?
Aleksandra Zaryanova. Weightlifting champion of Russia.
Currently Lance was in the weight room, practically drooling at the awesomeness of Aleksandra as she was lifting 200 pounds of weights. After twenty reps the weights clanked into their holds. She sat up and took a breath, a pleased smiled gracing her face.
“Zarya, you totally rocked that!” Lance cheered handing her a water bottle and a towel and Zarya laughed heartily.
“That? That was nothing!” She patted her shoulder, over her 512 tattoo. “This, this is my pride and joy! I should show you one of these days. Before you leave.”
Lance beamed, “That would be awesome!”
Zarya grinned back, “Come! It is almost dinner. Let us eat like champions!”
In the Gibraltor headquarters it’s interesting when it comes to the meals. Three members of the team generally take turns who makes what meal. (Pa can make some killer flapjacks!) but tonight was Reinhardt’s turn which mean’s there’s going to be an ungodly amount of food as the man doesn’t know the difference between cooking for 12 vs cooking for 200 (there were more than 12 people on the team Pa assured it’s just most lived in in other areas or were currently on missions.
Zarya was getting much of the food and pilling them high, putting it away like it was no problem.
“What the cheese, Zarya?” Lance said stars in his eyes. Does this woman have no limits? “Weightlifting, awesome hair, muscles AND you can pack away so much food? How can you do so many awesome things??”
Zarya swallowed and looking at him seriously pointing a spoon at him, “Three words: Visualize, then execute.”
Lance nodded, inscribing those words into his brain. Those words can spit in the face of the impossible. If Zarya can be where she is with that phrase, Lance would live by them.
Now:
Allura stood before all of the Paladin’s of Voltron, her battle uniform on and her expression stern, and a glint of something mysterious in her gaze.
“Paladins, teamwork is important. And since most times you will often times have to split up to complete a task, and as they say: who know’s better your weaknesses better than your friends?”
Each team member blinked and looked at each other silently asking each other what the quiznak was going on but Allura continued.
“And so the 6 of us will be split up into teams of two. Coran has hidden 5 flags about the castle and chosen the teams that will be working together. The teams to get two or more flags will qualify as a success, and will be rewarded with not having the train this evening; however the teams that do NOT qualify will experience a training session specially designed by Coran. Trust me, if you thought my training regimes are bad. Coran’s will be much worse.”
“Wait.” Keith said after she stopped talking. “I get why you’re having us do it, but why are you tagging along?”
Allura took a moment, her hands folded in front of her in thought, “Really it's because we needed 6 players, but also I could use the practice and exercise. I also want to show you that I am a capable leader and am not asking you do you anything I wouldn’t be willing to. Alright. Coran, I’m handing the reins over to you.”
Allura stepped in line with the rest of the paladins.
“Alright everyone!” Croan greets over the intercoms as he sits in he observation box, “Here are your teams:
Hunk and Shiro!
Allura and Lance!
Keith and Pidge! Now step next to your partner and I’ll tell you when to start.”
Each pair stood next to their partner sizing each other up and generating their plans. Lance wasn’t worried. The princess knew the ship like the back of her hand, and with how Lance prided himself on being able to make plans on the fly they would be able to get through this no sweat. Lance tried to share a grin with Allura but all she had for him was a wry smile. Not a good sign.
“Alright. Now that we’re all grouped together I’ll start a 3 dobosh timer. When it ticks down to 0 you start! From there you have to find at least 2 flags. The flags look like this:” Coran pressed a button and a flag materialized from the floor to reveal a glowey blue and white flag. The actual flag part was a triangle and it was attached to a rod, kinda like something you would see at a football match. “You can find more than two flags in order to stump your teammates, don’t hesitate to do so. This is after all to spare yourself from having to undergo my training session this evening. If you’re desperate enough you can fight other teams to gain their flags. You will have 4 vargas, which at that time the flags unclaimed will loose their light and whatever paladins or princess is holding them will change to your appropriate color- so no cheating! Starting the timer: now!”
The timer started ticking and the group started whispering together. “Alright Princess, what’s the plan? Where are we gonna look first?”
Allura hummed crossing her arms over her chest. “Coran will place the flags in area’s we are familiar with but in places harder to get to.”
“Hunk and Shiro will probably head to the mess hall, Pidge and Keith will probably head to the hangers….we could head up to the bridge or-“
“We’ll head down to engineering near the Teludav.” Allura said decisively. Well then.
Lance frowned, “That’s a good thinking princess, but the bridge is much-“
“We’ll start from the lowest point and work our way up. We can do this Lance. This isn’t my first time playing this game, I know exactly what Coran has in mind. We’ll get those flags, just you wait.”
Okay then. “Whatever you say princess.” Lance grins, trying to hide his nervousness. The princess had to know what she was doing right?
--
Two vargas later Lance followed behind a frustrated Allura. “All of the places we have searched had been useless! Engeneernig, Coran’s quarters, where he keeps his favorite mustache curler! Nowhere. Even the mice won’t give me any hints.” She glared balefully at the mice on Lance’s shoulder who were innocently whistling.
Lance sighed, “Princess if you would just let me-“
“Hush Lance, I’m trying to think!” Allura turned her back to Lance arms crossed, tapping her foot in thought. Okay. Lance sets his jaw, this has gone on long enough.
“Allura.” He asserted, “If we want to get the flags we have to work together. You’ve been trying to do this on your own for two hours- I mean, Vargas. Let me do the thinking. In fact: let US do the thinking. Coran wouldn’t try to make this about himself, so going to the places HE would doesn’t help us. Where does the team hang out? Where do we go every day? Places that are we would know. Where do you like to go when there’s nothing to do?”
Allura who at first looked furious at Lance’s outburst relaxed into a soft steaming indignation huffing. “Places I go to when I have nothing to do? That hardly ever happens.” She presses her lips in thought. “Well, I suppose there’s the arboretum. On the planet Dara when we visited. I bought a large amount of foliage to try and nurture it back to-“
“Where is it and how do we get there?” Lance interrupts and Allura frowned.
“Honestly Lance, why would Coran even place a flag there?”
Lance shrugged, “A hunch, I guess.”
Allura sighed, her shoulders slumping, “I suppose it’s worth a shot. This way.”
--
“Allura. Your definition of an arboretum and my definition of an arboretum are VERY different.” It was a borderline forest!! Tree’s and grass with bushes and flowers- did that purple and white spotted one have teeth??
Allura gave Lance a confused expression, that one wrinkle in her forehead coming to play with her expression. “Do arboretums on your planet not try and recreate nature in its most purest form?”
Well that was an interesting question, “I uh, haven’t exactly been to many myself but I guess ours are a little more…organized? There’s like, sections and there isn’t that many uh, tree’s or carnivorous plants.
“Lance please, those Canivorus lupslikes are hardly the most dangerous things in here.” Allura attempted to reassure. “Now. Where should we start?”
That also, is an excellent question. “Uhh…what’s your favorite spot?”
“Why would that matter?” Okay, clueless Allura was starting to get a little annoying.
“Because this is Coran we’re talking about. He’s sentimental. Extremely so. Now, where’s your favorite spot?”
Allura led the way and Lance looked around just in case. The jungle like pathway opened up into a more field kind of section where a single tree sat in the corner, a flag waiting for them up in the branches. Lance grinned and jumped to the first branch, easily making his way up and up and up the tree and- grabbing the flag!
Lance cackled and swung himself down, “Eureka! One flag down, one more to go then back to the training room!”
Allura smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “Excellent work Lance. I should have relied on you sooner; however we have only about a Varga left to find another one, and who knows what the others are up to, and what progress they have made.”
Lance grinned, “Don’t worry princess, I have a plan.”
“Oh really? What plan would that be?”
“Easy: Visualize, then execute.” He winked and waved finger guns at her, to which Allura responded with a huff and rolling her eyes, following behind lance as he headed for the pool that he and Keith had to climb the elevator shaft towards. Knowing Coran, he probably put it there as some sick joke.
Sure enough there was the flag, innocently hanging from the ceiling, taunting Lance with the pool and a familiar grudge creeping back up. “How does anyone even get up there?”
Allura chuckled, “Oh, that? Well all you have to do is-“
“Freeze.” Keith said from out of nowhere. Holding his bayard in a threatening fashion, “Hand over your flag and no one will get hurt.”
Really? A stick up? Lance held up his hands in mock surrender. “I guess there really are no ally’s in war.”
Pidge was holding Allura hostage, “War is hell Lance, and we definitely don’t wanna face what Coran’s got cooked up, now hand over the flag.”
Lance looked at Allura, and Allura looked back. Lance looked to Pidge, then looked down, then up to the ceiling where the treasured flag was located. Then he blinked. Allura blinked back.
“Alright.” Allura sighed, “You want the flag? You’re going to have to fight for it.” And then she kicked Pidge’s legs out from under them. Pidge flailed with a shout which thankfully distracted Mullet and so Lance could sweep him off HIS feet (that thought came out wrong, moving on.) “Allura! I need a lift!”
“Coming right up!” Allura called back and steeples her hands together, Lance took a running start, he made a small jump, landing in her hands and then he was FLYING through the air!! He grasped the pole and fell back to the ground, doing a roll so he wouldn’t hurt himself.
“RUN LIKE THE WIND ALLURA” Lance shouted and ran for the exit.
“I’m right behind you!” Allura shouted, standing up but Keith grabbed her ankle.
“Oh no you don’t!”
“Lance!” Allura shouted, “You have the flags, run while you still can!”
Lance stopped running and shook his head, “Oh no, princess. I’m not leaving you behind!”
“Just go- it’s over for me.” Allura struggled against Keith, trying to keep him away from lance, “Take them back to the sparring room! The time is almost up! I’m ordering you to go!”
Lance was frozen in place. “Allura.” He murmured, “NO, no man left behind!! We either leave together or loose together!”
"Prepare to loose then!” Pidge announced and Lance ducks and rolls.
The struggle was one for the books, Flags changed hands over the next few doboshs and Lance would spin epic tales of trickery and battle strategy. Keith would tell the more realistic version and Pidge would grumble about how it was unfair to use tickling as a weapon.
In the end the final ticks were counting down, and lance was on the ground, struggling to keep ahold of his flag, Allura holding onto her own (it having been tossed across the room by Pidge to Keith that Allura had caught.)
Lance kicked Pidge off, and the final buzzer blared.
“ALRIGHT EVERYONE, THAT’S IT. THE CAPTURE THE FLAG GAME IS OVER. COME TO THE TRAINING ROOM AND WE WILL DISCOVER THE QUALIFIERS AND THE VICTIMS.” Coran called over the intercoms and Pidge groaned, flopping onto the ground, and Keith sighed.
“Come on Pidge, let’s face the music.”
Pidge stared up at the ceiling, “Just…let me rest for now. Before facing the hell that is to come.”
Keith sat next to Pidge, “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”
Spoiler alert: It was that bad.