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Part I
Lance was four when he first met death. It was a sunny afternoon in Playa Ancón where his family had come for summer. His mother, Ana, was doing her best to take care of all her seven children. It was a holiday but his dad was working as always. Lance had never quite understood why his dad was hardly ever home; It had just become a constant in his life. Ana had decided to take the kids to the beach for a change. Her sister, Sofia, who was in a similar situation, had also come with her own five children. Thus, it was two moms trying to handle twelve kids between the ages of 2 and 14. Lance never blamed his mother for what happened that day but she would forever blame herself. (You’ve got a lot of long sentences in this paragraph. Try to use both long and short ones instead. It flows better! c:)
It was a dare. While playing with his six-year-old cousin Caio, he was dared to swim to the end of the ocean. Yes, his mother had told him thousands times not to go into the water past his waist. However, a dare was a dare. Caio was a big guy who never let Lance play with his Legos and always rubbed his presents on Lance’s face. I have the Millenium Falcon, loser Caio would say I bet you don’t even know what that is. Of course Lance knew what the Millenium Falcon was; the most awesome spaceship in the entire universe! Just because he didn’t have the Lego Millenium Falcon it didn’t mean he was a loser! Oh, how awesome it would be to prove Caio wrong; to wipe that smirk off his face so he could never rub things in his face again! Sure, Caio could try but then Lance could always say Well, yeah but I swam to the end of the ocean and you didn’t. Lance was gonna become the coolest kid in the neighbourhood.
So, Lance went; he swam and swam and swam, coming up every once in a while to look at the horizon and convincing himself that he was getting closer, if only a little. When Ana noticed the absence of her child he was too far away for her voice to reach him. Lance swam on, completely unaware of the commotion happening back at the beach. He swam until his arms and legs were burning. Looking at the horizon he wanted to scream. It still looked just as far away as it had when he started. Stupid Caio! How was he always right? It was so unfair! The worst part was that now he would go back and Caio would rub it all on his face.
Admitting defeat, Lance turned around to swim back to the beach. Except… Where was it? He couldn’t see the sand or even the houses and buildings from the city. He couldn’t see the mountains circling beach. All he could see was the ocean; blue water all around him. Despair kicked in. He was in the middle of the ocean, completely lost. His limbs felt heavy as he started flailing around, the water trying to pull him down to its dark depths. No. No he didn’t want to go down. It was getting harder to breathe and his legs were burning from all the swimming. No. Nononononono. He didn’t want to sink! What if there was a monster underneath him, just waiting for him to sink to eat him up? No! Lance didn’t want to be eaten by a monster! He had to get away. Had to. But where to? He didn’t even know which way was the beach. There was so much water, enveloping him and constricting his very being.
Lance started sobbing. It made breathing even more difficult but he couldn’t stop. He was alone and lost and he just wanted to go back into his mom’s arms. His legs failed him and he started to sink, bit by bit. For every inch he sunk he sobbed harder and tried to kick his way back to the surface, only to sink even further. He was underwater, looking up as the sunlight grew more distant by the second. A sharp inhale brought water flowing into his lungs, hurting every single inch of his body. It was just water. Water around him, water in his eyes, water in his lungs; water, water, water, water, and then: nothing Then there was water and water and more water and everything was water. And then there was nothing.
Lance woke up shivering. It was so cold and he was still wet. Everything around him was dark. He was in an enormous room of nothingness. Bringing his knees to his chest, he buried his face between them as he tried to lessen his body’s shivering. He vigorously rubbed up and down his legs to try and get some warm into his freezing libs but it was futile with his soaking clothes.
“Hello, Lance,” called a voice.
Someone was there too; someone who hadn’t been there before. Sitting down before him was a boy no older than 17. His hair was dark and parted into three fringes on his forehead – which really confused Lance because how could someone have three fringes? The rest of his hair was hidden under a black hood attached to a black cloak. Actually, the boy was dressed in all black, from his robes to his shoes. Lance was once again confused – why was this boy wearing only black? He looked like his cousin Lucia. His mom told him she dressed in black because she was a goth but Lance had no idea what that meant.
His eyes were cold and distant, making lance jittery. Something about him was very wrong. He didn’t look like the older guys in Lance’s school and neighbourhood. There was something very different about him. Not just different, bad. A knot formed in Lance’s throat but he pushed it down. His father had told him once he had to be a brave boy to be able to take care of his family if they ever needed him. He had to go back home. He had to go back to his mom.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice trembling, despite his effort of keeping himself together.
“I’m Death.”
Lance frowned because that made no sense.
“Are you a goth too?” he asked. If he was like his cousin Lucia then Lance had no reason to be afraid, right?
“A Goth? What? No. No, I’m not a goth. I’m Death.” The guy furrowed his eyebrows.
“Lucia says that too. Mom said Lucia isn’t Death – she just wants attention. She also said Death is a thing, not a person. So, since you can’t be Death: what’s your name?”
The guy – Death – looked taken aback. It was something Lance was used to at this point. Many adults had told him he was very smart for his age and needed to learn to keep his mouth shut, but he didn’t care; he liked speaking his mind. His ‘wise’ words always got him in trouble. Sometimes he wished he could just keep his mouth shut but not saying what he liked made him very upset. This was one of those times. He was in a dark, scary place with Death himself and he insisted on knowing his name.
“I… I don’t have a name…” Death whispered.
“What do you mean you don’t have a name? Everyone has a name! Even pets have names! My hamster is called Javier. So is my cousin. Aunt Sofia was really mad at me for naming my hamster after him but I refused to change his name. They look alike!” Lance defended himself.
Death blinked at him. Something about his eyes made a shiver run down Lance’s spine. The air around them grew colder. His lips were sealed shut by the rowing uneasiness inside him. Why was this guy so pale? Why was everything black? Where was he? Lance didn’t like this. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mom. Lance opened his mouth, ready to call out for her when Death spoke.
“I suppose I had a name once. That was a long time ago, though.” His eyes moved from Lance to a point in the distance.
“Well, if you had a name what was it?” Lance prompted. He was glad the guy talked because his voice made him feel less lonely in the empty darkness.
Death’s eyes unfocused. It was like he saw straight through Lance and into the distance. Something was definitely going on in his head. Lance figured it would be best not to interrupt. He hated when people interrupted him while he was trying to do his homework. It was already hard on his own, but with people talking all around him it got a billion times harder. So, he let Death have his space.
“Keith,” the guy whispered after what felt like an eternity. “My name used to be Keith.”
Looking up, Lance noticed that his eyes were back on him.
“Keith! That’s a nice name! I’m Lance. Though… You already knew that, right? Right… Why am I here... Keith?” Lance looked away from him for the first time since his appearance to observe his surroundings once more.
The guy – Keith – shook his head and looked away. “It’s nothing. It’s not your time yet, Lance. I’m letting you go. I’m buying you time.”
“Time?” Lance tilted his head to the side. “Time for what?”
“Time to live.” Keith’s voice was barely above a whisper. Lance was surprised he was even able to hear what he’d said. “Can you promise me something?” He looked back at Lance, straight into his eyes. Strangely enough the shiver didn’t run down his spine that time.
“Of course!”
“Don’t let me forget my name… Please,” Keith whispered.
“I won’t! I’ll remember your name forever!” He yelled with conviction. It was such an easy job. He knew he could do it.
“Okay, Lance. Take care.” Keith put his palms together and everything went dark.
**
Lance woke up coughing violently, purging the water from his body. There was light and noise and the sand beneath his back. As his senses returned he was rushed to the hospital and well taken care of. Even after his mom explained that he had almost drowned and nearly died he still couldn’t recall the incident itself. All he remembered was the sea and the boy in black.
Part II
“Lance, no!” Hunk’s words echoed through the empty street.
Lance was pretty used to these by now. Ever since his accident 7 years prior his mother had kept a watchful eye on him, always keeping him from doing dangerous things. When Elementary School rolled around he met Hunk in Elementary School and they hit it off instantly, but the boy was just as overbearing as his mother, if not more.
“Oh, come on,” Lance turned around to face him. “I’m just going to check it out. I promise it won’t take long.”
“Lance, that house is abandoned for a reason. Daddy told me the floors and walls could fall at any moment!” Hunk wore that pout of his that made him look like an injured puppy.
“Well, tell your daddy he was wrong, because I’m going in and I’ll be fine.” Lance turned around, avoiding Hunk’s gaze.
“Your mum said you should go straight home after the sleepover. She put me in charge!”
“I’m older! You can’t be in charge of me!”
“Please, Lance! It’s dangerous!” Hunk sounded close to tears and Lance almost faltered. Almost.
With a sigh, he turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. “I promise it’s going to be quick. I just want to know what the big deal is!”
“It’s not a big deal, though! It’s just a stupid old house!”
Lance shook his head and turned to face the house again. “You’re not talking me out of this. You know that, right?”
Silence followed, and then a heavy sigh. “Yeah… Just be careful, okay? I’ll wait here.”
The front entrance with its rotting wooden steps was locked, but Lance knew another way in. He walked to the side and slid in through the broken living room window. The floor was so rotten it was mushy under his feet. The living room was empty except for an old couch and broken glass from the window. To his right was a flight of stairs that led to the top floor. What could be up there? As he made his way up the steps creaked - a good sign, meant the wood hadn’t rotted as badly.
Dread overtook him as soon as he finished climbing the stairs. The first thing to hit him was the putrid smell, as if someone had died there decades earlier. There was something very wrong with this place, and it wasn’t just the structure.
The windows were all barred shut, but not from the inside to stop vandals from entering. They were barred up from the outside, as if to stop something from getting out. Taking a step forward, Lance felt a gelatinous substance under his feet but couldn’t tell what it was due to the dark. As he walked through the room the smell got worse, but he couldn’t find its source.
A glimmer caught his attention and he faced the center of the room. There was something drawn there – a circle with a weird star in the middle. Lance had never seen anything like it before and it felt incredibly wrong. In the center of the circle laid the source of the glimmering. A ring, it seemed, covered in blood which explained the substance under his feet. His stomach churned and he decided he’d had enough.
A loud crackling noise sounded from the circle and a figure materialized before his eyes, tall, dark, and faceless. It had no specific shape, almost as if it were still trying to decide what it wanted to be. Warmth slid down Lance’s legs and he did not need to look down to know what it was - pee. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound would come out. His eyes filled with tears, making it even harder to see anything. His limbs felt heavy and impossible to move. He watched, petrified, as the figure made its way toward him, its shape becoming no clearer. It reached toward him, its arm-like limb outstretched inches away from Lance’s face.
“Get away from him,” a voice sounded to his side, snapping him out of his trance.
The creature was flung across the room by an invisible force and collapsed against the wall. Lance turned to the source of the voice only to find a familiar hooded figure standing there, his arm outstretched. Lance knew that guy! Where from though? Was he some kind of superhero?
A growl on the other side of the room caught Lance’s attention. The creature charging at the hooded man. Before it could reach him it was sent flying at the wall again. The creature was not discouraged. It charged again and again. The hooded man stood still while making gestures with his arms. With each movement of the man the creature was flung from side to side. Lance was still frozen in place, watching it all, too terrified to move.
“I’m sorry.” The man said to him.
Lance’s body flew through the room, slamming against one of the walls and going right through it. The last thing he heard was Hunk screaming his name, and then his body hit the ground.
**
Lance woke up screaming. His entire body hurt and he wanted to rip it apart to make the pain end. As he screamed his lungs out the intensity faded, first to a dull-ache, before disappearing completely. What the heck? He had never felt such intense pain in his life.
He looked around, trying to catch his breath, but could see nothing. Darkness surrounded him. Lance screamed when the hooded boy materialized before his eyes. He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. He knew this guy!
“D-Death!” he squealed, instinctively moving back.
“Hello, Lance.”
“What- Why- What?” Lance stammered, trying to form his thoughts.
“Ah… It’s quite complicated. Why don’t you calm down first?”
Lance eyed him suspiciously. Why on Earth would he ever be calm around Death himself? He was going to die! He should be begging for his life, not staying calm and trying to catch his breath. Still… Something about Death soothed him. The silence around them was filled with patience and understanding as Lance finally calmed himself down.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You walked into a demon lair,” Death explained.
“What is that?”
“It’s a demon’s home in a different dimension than yours.”
“Like the upside down?”
“I have no idea what the upside down is.”
“It’s from Stranger Things! It’s where the Demagorgon lives. But I don’t think the Demagorgon is a demon, he’s just an ugly monster.”
“Okay…” Death frowned as he looked down at him. “Either way, this is my fault. I’m sorry. I should have ended that demon long ago.” He bowed his head slightly and took off his hood, revealing the worst haircut Lance had ever seen.
“Is that a mullet? I thought only old people had those.” Death stared at him, tilting his head to the side and not saying anything for a while. “What?” Lance broke the silence, not liking the tension that was forming.
“I just apologized to you. Death has just apologized to you and the first thing you talk about is my mullet?!” Death glared at him.
“Was I not supposed to say it?”
“Wow. How annoying.” He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.
“Hey! You’re the annoying one!” Lance frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.
“How can you call me annoying when I just saved your soul?” Death bit back.
“How can you save my soul if you’re Death?”
“The demon was going to take it, idiot.”
“But didn’t you just say this was your fault? Then it was your responsibility to save me!”
Death’s face fell and he looked away. “You’re right. It was my fault.” He whispered before looking up. “How old are you? 10?”
“I’m 11 in three days.” Lance puffed up his chest.
“Lance… you remember me, right?” Lance nodded. “And you remember our last encounter?” Lance nodded once more. “Then… Do you remember that you asked me for my name?”
Lance bit his lip and thought about it. He did remember talking to this guy, but didn’t really remember the specific words spoken. “I… I don’t. I… Should I? It was so long ago.”
Death sighed. “I suppose it was. Human memory is quite selective.”
“Why?” Lance scratched the back of his head.
“Lance… do you like living?”
“I suppose. It’s pretty fun when I get to hang out with Hunk or eat mum’s food.”
Death chuckled, a small smile gracing his face. “Would you like to make a deal, Lance?”
“What deal?” Lance squinted at him.
Death paused and took a deep breath. “You remember how we met when you were four? Well… You were supposed to have died back then.”
Lance frowned and pulled his knees closer to his chest, resting his chin on top of them. He was supposed to be dead? “What? Why?”
“It’s part of life. People die all the time,” he said.
“People die when they’re old. Why did I have to die when I was four? That's not fair!”
“I know it's frustrating, but people die at all ages."
Lance tsked and looked down at the black floor. This wasn't just confusing, it was annoying, too. “That’s not fair,” he mumbled through a pout.
“I died young too, Lance,” Death said, sitting down in front of him.
“How can you have died when you’re Death himself?” Lance looked back up at him. Why was this guy teasing him like that? Where was the fun in it?
“I was human onc..”
“What? How?”
“I don’t have a lot of memories from that time, but I was human before I became Death.”
“How does that even happen? How does one become Death?” Lance raised an eyebrow. This sounded like some grade-a bullshit right there. He had never heard of someone becoming Death.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, Lance. But I can’t. I don’t remember how I died. I have memories from the time when I was a human. And then after my seventeenth birthday I remember nothing else from my human life.”
Lance’s heart ached for him. Maybe Death wasn’t playing with him after all.
“Next thing I knew I was here in this endless black space, taking the lives of others.” Death’s voice choked up at the end and he looked away.
“Can’t you just not kill them? Like you did to me?”
“I’m not killing them!” he yelled, glaring at Lance. “They die and my job is to guide their souls to Heaven.” he took a deep breath. “I would never kill children.”
“What would happen if you stopped guiding their souls? Wouldn’t they go back to Earth?”
“No. They would be lost in a limbo… Much like me.”
“And… You don’t want to be Death anymore?”
“No! I just want to rest. I’m tired of this.”
“Fine. What’s the deal?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Death looked up and Lance could swear he saw a brief sparkle of hope in his eyes.
“I need you to find out how I died. I feel like that’s the first step to finding out why I became Death.”
“But… Once I find out… Will I die?” he asked. Lance didn’t want to die.
Death went silent, his brows furrowed. “I don’t want to take your life, Lance. So no, you won’t die while I’m Death,” he explained. “But I can’t promise that the next Death won’t take you.”
“Wait, so do you guide every soul? How do you even have time to be talking to me?” Lance asked.
“I don’t guide every soul. There must be another Death or something. I only get a handful of souls every now and then. I spend most of my time here, trying to find an exit.”
Lance hummed in thought. “Well, you came back to Earth to save me from the Demagorgon, right? Then why can’t you just go back to Earth and live there?”
“First of all, there is no such thing as a Demagorgon. What you saw was a demon. Second, I can only stay on Earth for so long. It gets to a point where I start flickering in and out of existence and it’s painful.”
Lance sighed and flopped onto the ground. “This is so complicated. Why me?” He looked up at Death.
“I’m not quite sure. I just… Out of every soul I’ve guided… I’ve never met someone as determined as you. I just knew you’d be the one to do it. You’ll be the one to free me, Lance.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Lance pouted and looked away.
“I’ll still send you back home. I’m not forcing you, Lance. But please… Please think about it…” he pleaded. “I know you can do this.”
Lance closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He really shouldn’t have to do this but… Death was so nice. He wasn’t like Lance’s family who kept pushing him to do things he didn’t want to, or be someone he wasn’t. Death accepted him for who he was. Death gave him a choice. Fuck. Lance would never be able to live with himself if he denied his request.
“Fine. I’ll do it. How do I start?”
“From what I remember I used to live in San Francisco. Chinatown.”
“Do you remember your name?”
“Kogane. Keith Kogane.” Death said, and the memory sparked in Lance’s mind. Keith. Keith.
“Keith…” Lance whispered, testing the name on his tongue. “Okay, Keith. I’ll help you.”
“Good. It’s time for you to go, Lance. Please remember me,” Keith whispered and reached forward, covering Lance’s eyes with his hand.
**
“Lance!” a woman was screaming. “Lance! He’s awake! Get the nurse! Lance! Come back, baby. Come back to mom!”
A pair of arms wrapped around him. His mother.He’d missed her warmth.
Part III
“Jacket?”
“Check.”
“Medicine?”
“Check.”
“Underwear?”
“Check.”
“Tampons?”
“Mom, I don’t even have a vagina!” Lance exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. “You seriously have to chill.”
Ana took a big step forward and pulled Lance into a suffocating hug. “My baby! I don’t want you to go!”
“Mom, you’re killing me.”
“Oh…” She let go. “I’m sorry for embarrassing you in front of your friends,” she waved at Hunk and Pidge who were waiting in the car.
“I meant that you were choking me to death but sure, embarrassment kills, too.”
“Lance… Try not to die on this trip. I need you to come home safe and sound.” She cupped his cheeks.
“I know, mom. I plan on coming back. Don’t worry. I’ll call you when we get there!” Lance got in the car.
“Ready?” Hunk asked from the passenger seat.
“Please don’t kill us,” mumbled Pidge from the backseat without looking up from their tablet.
“Let’s get this party started,” Lance smirked and waved at his mom one last time before pulling out of the driveway.
**
“What do you mean you’re not coming with us?” Hunk asked from the kitchen as Lance finished packing up his small backpack.
“I’ve told you, I have a couple of things to solve.”
“In Chinatown?” Pidge asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, Pidge. In Chinatown. I shouldn’t take too long.”
“I can’t believe you came all the way to San Francisco and you’re going to Chinatown.” Pidge shook their head and took a bite of their toast.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I might never get to see the San Francisco Chinatown ever again!”
“You’ll be back by night, right? You have to be here by eleven pm max,” Hunk said.
“Yes, mom.” Lance grinned before waving at them. “Try not to miss me too much,” he chuckled and walked out.
**
Finally, Lance thought as he got off the bus in Chinatown. This was his chance. He could finally help Keith. After he recovered from the demon-incident (which he only told Hunk about) he had pretty much forgotten about him. He only remembered him around four years later after a dream Keith had appeared in. He’d begged Lance to remember and he’d had woken up determined to get to San Francisco and find out what happened to Keith Kogane.
Here he was, at the ripe old age of 16 years and 364 days, showing people a clumsy sketch of Keith. Most people ignored him and the few who stopped didn’t recognize the boy. After five hours of standing under the sun, Lance was about to call it a day when a couple walked by and stopped.
“Hi. Do you happen to know this boy?” he asked them.
The guy was big and toned, black hair with a white fringe. The girl was tall and beautiful with long, curvy silver hair. Lance had to make a conscious effort not to drool and embarrass himself in front of the gorgeous couple. The guy’s eyes widened and he froze up. The girl looked at the drawing and at her boyfriend before looking back at Lance. The pain hit before Lance could register what had happened.
“How dare you?! What gives you the right to show him this picture? Is this amusing to you? Do you enjoy triggering other people’s PTSD? You’re sick!” the girl was screaming at him.
Had she slapped him? Damn, she was strong.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I’m just trying to help a friend!” Lance raised his hands. What was her problem?
“You are sick! Why would you do this? Have you no conscience?!” she continued yelling, ignoring anything Lance tried to say.
She raised her arm and Lance braced himself for the impact of her hand on his cheek but it never came. When he opened his eyes he saw the guy holding her wrist.
“Allura… It’s okay,” he said in a soft voice that did not match his size.
“No, Shiro, it’s not! He can’t just show you a picture of Keith and walk away!”
“It’s okay, Allura. I’m fine,” he looked back at Lance. “Where did you get that?”
The pieces of the puzzle started clicking in his mind., “This drawing? You know Keith?”
“I knew him… Why are you showing a drawing of him to strangers on the street?” he asked.
“Oh… uh… it’s a bit of a complicated matter. Would you have some time for a coffee?”
Shiro looked down at Allura who had pulled away and was now glaring at Lance. “Why should we?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I really need your help,” he whimpered. “Please.”
Shiro took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“Thank you!” Lance couldn’t help but squeal. “Thank you so so much!”
“Shiro…” Allura uncrossed her arms and looked up at him.
“It’s okay. I’ll just listen to what he has to say. You should head home.”
“Fine. I’ll get lunch ready.” With one last glare at Lance, Allura left.
“Where should we go?” Shiro asked.
“I don't know the area well. You know any good… private places?”
“I know a place..” Without another word Shiro turned around and started walking away.
Lance followed him, staying silent the whole way there. He didn’t want strangers hearing about the situation. They walked past the bright busy shops until they reached a narrow solitary street. The atmosphere was colder than the rest of the neighbourhood. Lance wrapped his arms around himself and followed Shiro through a door and down some stairs.
They were in a reclusive underground café. There were quite a few tables but only three were occupied by what Lance would describe as sketchy-looking people. Although, who was he to judge? Shiro picked the table in the far corner of the room and took a seat, Lance following suit.
“Let’s cut to the chase. What business have you with Keith?” Shiro asked.
“Oh… uh… This is going to sound impossible. I promise everything I’m telling you is the truth, okay?” Lance said.
Shiro nodded and Lance took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage. He opened his mouth and told Shiro everything: from his first encounter with Death, the second, all the things Keith had told him, their deal, Keith appearing in his dream - everything. Now that he was recounting the story out loud it did sound ludicrous. He had to do it, though. He needed Shiro to know. He needed Shiro to believe. He needed him to help.
“So Keith died and became… Death itself? Is that what you’re saying?” Shiro asked and Lance nodded. “And he’s asking you to help him find out how to set himself free?” Lance nodded again.
“I know it’s hard to believe, Shiro. I know! But I need your help! You don’t even have to investigate with me. I just need to know everything there is to know about Keith. I need to help him, Shiro!” Lance was getting desperate. How was he going to get Shiro to believe him? He couldn’t do this on his own.
“Why should I believe you? How do I know you’re not another reporter wanting to ride on the fame of Keith’s tragedy?” The look Shiro had sent shivers down his spine.
“Why would I make this whole thing up, Shiro? I’m just trying to help! Please! Don’t let Keith stay trapped there,” he whimpered.
Shiro took a deep breath and looked around. For what felt like eternity he didn’t say a word; just closed his eyes and breathed in and out very slowly. Lance’s entire body was trembling with anxiety. He didn’t have all the time in the world, but he felt like pressuring Shiro might fuck it all up. Still, Lance couldn’t take it anymore. He opened his mouth to talk again when Shiro finally spoke.
“Fine. I’ll tell you what happened. You have to promise not to tell anyone, though. If you do I’ll make sure you regret it.” Shiro said. “At this point all his family wants is peace. We want to mourn in silence, so we don’t want any more commotion around his death, okay?”
Lance nodded, promising not to tell anyone. Thus, Shiro told him what happened to Keith.
**
To say Lance was nervous would be an understatement. He felt sick, his entire body trembling with fear and disgust. His stomach was crumpled up in a tiny ball of nerves. Sweat was leaving his pores only to evaporate in the heat on the Sun. Was he really about to do this? This was the site of a cruel murder. Was he really about to waltz in there like Nancy Drew to gather clues about some unsolved murder? Yep. Yes, he was. This was for Keith, he tried reminding himself, but it didn’t do much to assuage his nerves.
The moment he stepped into the abandoned warehouse he got sick, barely dodging his own shoes. Once he recomposed himself he stood back up and looked around. The smell of the place was absolutely putrid, abusing all of his senses. The walls were lined with what looked like rotten pig carcasses hanging from hooks. The floor was covered in dried blood. It was an abandoned slaughterhouse after all. This was the place.
On the night after his encounter with Shiro Keith showed up in Lance’s dream. The boy couldn’t help but sob upon seeing Keith’s face. Through his broken sobs Lance managed to tell Keith of the horrible things he had found out. As painful as it was for him to recount the story it sparkled a memory in Keith’s head, apparently. His eyes went unfocused, like they always did when the memories resurfaced, and he repeatedly mumbled: “(coordinates). Fake floorboards.” Lance tried to make him snap out of his trance to no avail, so he held onto those words with all he had. Upon waking up Lance immediately knew the meaning of those words. Coordinates and direction.
Bracing himself against the smell Lance stepped forward and started looking. Sure enough, on the right corner of the warehouse the wooden floorboards felt different, newer than the others even. It was easy not to notice, but since Lance was actively looking for them he didn’t have a hard time finding them. Pulling out the crowbar he had not-so-discreetly brought in his bag, he pulled the floorboards up and there it was. A secret room with a ladder that led downstairs. There was no need to go down, Lance had already seen the wretched rotten corpse on the ground. He pulled out his phone and with shaky fingers called 911. He gave them his location and hung up before retching again.
**
After hours upon hours at the police station Lance was finally let go. He had given his best alibi of “I was investigating this hunted warehouse when I found it! It was a total coincidence!” Somehow, after a ridiculous amount of bureaucracy, they believed him and told him to go home. Lance got in his car and took a deep breath. This was it. He’d done it. The men who had hurt Keith would finally be brought to justice. Lance started up the car and drove away. Maybe he could enjoy this vacation now. He would be able to go explore San Francisco with Hunk and Pidge, follow them to their weird cons, go check out the awesome piloting technology. Lance felt a weight lift off his chest. He was done. This was it. He let out a loud laugh and grinned widely. He was free! Keith was free! Life was good! He barely had time to process the blinding headlights as the truck slammed into his car.
Part IV
When Lance woke up this time it was bright. He could hear birds singing and the sound of running water somewhere to his left. He sat up, captivated by the breathtaking place he was in. With bright green grass and the most exquisite animals prancing around. The Sun was hot and right on his face but he didn’t feel the need to squint, he could see perfectly. He stood up and noticed he had never felt this good in his entire life. His entire body felt brand new and ready to go. As he took in the beautiful scenery he spotted a familiar figure sitting under a tree.
“Keith!” he screamed out and sprinted, all but throwing himself on top of the boy and hugging him close.
The spun on the grass and so Keith was on top of him, a smile on his face that Lance had never seen before. “You did it, Lance. You saved me.”
“I did. I guess I’m pretty great, huh?” he chuckled and reached up. He wanted to touch Keith, feel him under his fingerprints, know that this was real.
Keith met him half-way, intertwining their fingers. “You really are, Lance,” he whispered before leaning down and pressing their lips together.
At last, for the two of them, all was right in the world.