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Lance stoods in the hangar, looking at the black lion. “You guys go first, so it’ll go, Keith, Allura, Pidge, Coran, Hunk, and then me. Any complaints?”
“Lance. Why are you not going first?” Hunk asked, rather confused.
“Hunk, I don’t think I’m very, leader-y. I’m better at being the second in command,” Lance stated like a fact, Coran tried to retort but Lance opened his mouth first. “I’m not arguing with any of you. Look, if the Black Lion chooses me, so be it. I just don’t want to go before anyone else, okay?”
They all nodded in response. There’s no use arguing with him.
“Keith. You’re up first, Black might want you back. Since you’re the only one who has piloted him,” Lance smiles.
It’s not Keith. There was no feeling other than rejection. It was obvious the ravenette was a bit down on not being picked, but it didn’t show too much. He was rather good at hiding his emotions.
Allura was getting the same response. Nothing at all but coldness and rejection from the lion.
Again, Pidge couldn’t reach the controls, and Black made absolutely no try to make them in her reach, so it couldn't possibly be her.
Coran and Hunk both didn’t want to try, yet they still did. Neither were chosen.
Lance? He was currently in his room, he had left saying he wanted to get a snack real quick, he knew it had to be him. He’s not a leader, he knows this. So, he sat in his room, crying.
“Are you in here? Lance? Black put up his particle barrier, you haven’t—”
Lance interrupted the Korean, “Yeah, okay, so no one here is the black paladin, so we can start our search for the new paladin,” Lance wiped his eyes, opening the door.
“Lance, you haven’t even tried yet?” Keith asked, rather confused. “You should at least try, man.”
“And I don’t need to try Keith. We already know it’s not me, I’m better as a second in command, a leader has to be strong and I’m not there yet. I always failed at the simulations at the Garrison because I couldn’t lead my team like a real leader should. So it can’t be me who’s the leader.”
“Are you serious? You have three bayard forms! Literally the only other person who can do that was Zarkon!” Keith slammed his hands on Lance’s shoulders. “Who kept me in line? Who brings a smile to everyone’s face by just being themselves? Who is a great friend and companion to everyone on the team?” Keith was looking for more words to say, to try and compliment Lance.
But instead Lance takes that moment to drag on himself. “Who fidgets so much the team yells at him to stop? Because it’s annoying and messes with their focus even though it helps mine? Who makes too much noise? Who’s the only one that can’t do both long and short range? Who’s the one that made you leave the team because they went to you and moped around?” Lance stiffens. “I am the second in command, which means right now, I’m in the one in charge until we find a new leader that’s better suited for the job. Understand? We’re going to try and find someone who can lead us.”
Keith laughed— he straight up laughed.
“Why are you laughing? I’m just saying the truth!”
“You’re just— uh! I mean you’re already leading so why not try the black lion?”
“Because I’m not worthy of being leader, Keith! I’m not worthy of being second in command, but there’s nothing I can do about it! It’s not even like I’m second, Shiro, well, Not-Shiro, never listened to me! So just shut your mouth and let’s just see if there’s anyone we can find to pilot Black!”
“No! Lance, we need a leader and we need one now, you’re going to at least give it a try! If it’s not you then we will go and find a new leader, but for now it could be you and we might waste time trying to find a new one when you’re the one Black wants!”
Lance makes a sound somewhere in between a scoff and a yell. “Not happening, Mullet. I’m not setting myself up for disappointment.”
Hunk walked over to the scene, ready to help his best friend.“Did your mom always say? ‘Pase lo que pase, siempre darle una chance’? Whatever happens to just give it a chance?”
Lance snickered, but sees the look on Hunk’s face, making his smile falter. “Fine. I’ll give it a chance. But if he rejects me and I start crying, it’s you two’s fault!”
“Thank you,” Keith smiled. “And if Black does pick you, I’m taking Red back, okay? I missed him more than I realized. That’s if he takes me back, though...”
Lance weakly smiled as they started to walk to Black’s hangar, the whole entire walk was silent. No one said anything. The only sounds were the very quiet hum coming from Hunk, but that was being drowned out by the sound of the armor as they walked.
“Ah! There you are my boy! Black seems to have put up his particle barrier. You need to give it a try, young paladin,“ Coran said with a smile on his face. “Just touch it, and if he accepts you it’ll go down.”
“I know how this works, Coran,” Lance takes a deep breath, walking up the barrier, not able to put his hand up to it.
"Dude? You okay?” Hunk walked up to him. “Just touch it. It’s gonna be okay.”
“I can’t do it. I’m not a leader so there’s no reason for me to even start trying!”
Pidge made an annoyed face. “Stop being so self deprecating and touch the barrier before I slam you against it.”
“Pidge, come on.”
“I mean it. Touch the barrier or I will use my tiny body to slam you up against it, you hear?”
And with that, Lance put out a shaky hand, touching the barrier. It fell. Black lowers his head opening his mouth.
“Well, this is, certainly a surprise, but it is not a bad one. What did I tell you Lance? You have greatness within,” Allura smiled. “He knows how you took charge as second in command after Shiro was gone, and he wants you to be the leader full time.”
“Why me, Black?” Lance whispered.
Keith walked over to Lance, hand on shoulder. “Hey, team leader,” he smiled. “You can do this.”
Somehow hearing this from Keith made it so much easier to believe. Lance smiled. He thinks how proud his grandma and mother would be, how jealous Marco and Luis would be, and how supportive and comical Verónica would be.
“Yeah, you’re right. I can.”