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Keith felt something was wrong the moment they left the Garrison base. Sweat was dripping from his face and onto the screen of his helmet, and his hands shook profusely. The Black Lion flew unmanned directly above their plane, shadowing it with its massive size.
The Red Lion wasn’t responding to Lance - a problem Keith had faced before - but this time was worse. This time, the fate of their home planet was at stake and the giant mechanical beast wouldn’t help them. Lance was in trouble because Red wasn’t there.
This wasn’t good.
Shiro’s voice suddenly echoed into Keith’s plane as it zipped through the clouds. He grit his teeth tensely.
“Lance, where are you? Can you hear me?”
No response.
He knew that Lance was in a Garrison ground vehicle, which proved highly more difficult to maneuver in when being shot at compared to air flight. Galran laser beams could be heard through Lance’s comms. The tires squealed loudly, and Keith kept a tight ear to understand what was going on.
“Whoa!” Lance yelped, sounding frantic. “Veronica, look out!”
Keith’s heart went cold when a thundering set of noises rang through his speakers. He gripped the side of his seat with white knuckles as Veronica and Lance began to scream while the explosions continued, and the line cut out.
“Oh, no.” Shiro whispered.
“Lance!” Allura cried out, panic wracking through her body. The rest of the team gasped in horror, and Keith couldn’t control the burst of air that left his lips.
No…
Team Voltron was left with a terrifying silence. Panic held tight to Keith’s chest, heart rattling his body like a bird stuck in a cage. Lance’s scream was still echoing through his mind. He was tempted to fly the plane over to the Red Paladin to help, but knew that sticking to the plan was the only option at this point. He urged his heart to calm, but the most he could do was take deep breaths.
“Lance, are you there?”
“Lance, where are you, buddy?”
“Lance, can you hear us?”
Keith could feel the tremor in his body for every second Lance remained silent. Something very, very bad happened.
“Lance?”
I just don’t want to be stuck here for eternity with Lance.
He remembered Lance’s warm palm pressed against his after their first battle with Sendak. A soft lit smile that was too genuine for Keith not to mirror. The Red Paladin’s injured body leaning onto Keith’s after he passed out. Gripping his waist as he carried him toward the healing pods.
We are a good team.
He remembered Lance smiling at him as he left his bedroom after confiding in him, something Keith would always hold unselfish pride in.
Lance grinning widely as he made a perfect, clear shot to save Keith’s skin.
I got you, buddy.
Keith’s throat ached. He shouted out to Lance, hoping to God that he’d receive a response.
Please. Please, respond.
“Lance , come in!”
The panic was clear in his voice now, ripping up his esophagus, tearing through his mouth. He felt the urge to break something, anything at all, to make the helplessness fade away.
He could hear Shiro speaking to the Garrison team through the comms, along with the rest of the Paladins still calling out frantically.
“Lance, you can do this. Get up. Get up.” Keith said, leveling his shaky voice.
He’s our leader, plus he’s half-Galra, so I think he’s, like, the future.
“ Lance!” He shouted, tightly squeezing his eyelids shut.
Keith had never been happier to hear Lance’s voice again.
“Red lion, checking in!”
He let out a sigh of deep relief, grasping at his chest as he exhaled - evening out his breath. Keith let his eyes open again, black dots disappearing from his sight as he focused on the situation at hand.
One day, he’d tell Lance how much he meant to him.