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Chapter Text

Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.

Henry Miller

He saw them at the space mall.  Things always got wrong when the paladins went there.

 But after all that had happened - the loss of the Castle of Lions, the betrayal of Lotor, the return of Keith, the clone, the death and resurrection of Shiro - Allura had thought the team deserved a break.

  She had forgotten the disaster last time.

 It didn't matter, Lance won't waste the opportunity, proving to Keith I'm too mature for these childish pastimes Kogane that he was able to fend for himself.

 But who did Keith think he was?  Two years on a space whale, he returned unrecognizable, and he didn't even have time for hugs. 

Keith was treating them all as strangers, only with Shiro he was less sulky.  Obviously.

 Shiro was the reason Keith had done most of the things, their bond stronger than anything.

 And no, Lance wasn't bitter about it.

 "Hey man, why that long face?"  Hunk asked as he came out of an electronics fence.

  Before he answered, Pidge laughed, "Are you stupid? It's simple. Allura isn't here. She's with Romelle doing Altean stuff."

"I wasn't thinking about Allura!"

 Hunk rolled his eyes, "Dude, you only think about her."

 "And he's lucky too, now Lance has a chance with Allura. With Lotor out of the way, he has the field free."

 Lance was about to reply when he noticed that three old ladies were sitting alone in a corner of the shopping center.  It shouldn't have been strange, Lance had seen much stranger things since he became a paladin.

 But the thing that he had immediately noticed was a long blue thread that the old ladies were holding in their hands, passing it between them. 

A blue thread and gold scissors ready to cut it.  It didn't take a genius to understand what it meant.  Someone will die, and it was likely that it would be him.

"Acxa saved us. I can't leave her behind."

 Lance bit his lip.  Since when did Keith care about Acxa?  Until now, they were enemies, the Galra mass had also tried to kill Lance! 

It didn't make sense! 

"Hey dude, are you alright? We have to get away," Hunk's voice reached him, but it almost seemed like there was an infinite space between the two.

 All Lance could think of was Keith is going to save Acxa. Why all of a sudden Keith seemed to care so much for her?

 "Hey, Lance, are you listening to me?  We ... "

He didn't let Hunk finish: Lance sprinted forward in pursuit of Keith.

 He fired at all the soldiers coming towards him, feeling his body burn.

 Lance was in full battle mode, for Keith. 

Ah, he was sure mom was extremely delighted with it.

He continued like this for a while, until he was hit in the leg by a ball of fire.

The paladin hissed in pain and lifted his head to see who had hit him: it was a woman in her forties, human, dark-skinned, and black hair.

 She had the beauty typical of models, ethereal and almost arcane, the kind of beauty a coral snake could have: mesmerizing but dangerous.

 "Hi son of Aphrodite. I was waiting for you."

 Lance's heart skipped a beat as her face lost all traces of color. How did that woman know? Was she a monster? Lamia?  Circe?

Paralyzed as he was with shock, he barely noticed when the stranger bent down and gently took his chin between his fingers.

The sensation of the cold hands on his face reminded the paladin of the coils of a snake that gradually crushed him.

 The woman smiled sadly, "I'll have fun disfiguring this cute little face.  It would be a gift for the woman who ruined my life. "

Hearing those words, Lance's brain and body started working again: the paladin slapped the woman's hand away and moved a couple of meters away, albeit with a leg that was in danger of giving him at any moment.

He gave a lopsided smile and point the blaster at her, "You should be more precise. My mother has ruined the lives of many people."

 "Are you so foolish that you haven't already figured it out?"

 "Ehi, I can't know all the psychopathic dudes in Greek mythology."

 The woman's eyes turned red, the flames began to surround her, "I'm not a psychopathic dude. I am a descendant of the Sun, granddaughter of the great sorceress Circe. Hecate taught me the secrets of magic, I was her best pupil. I was adored by my people, but I lost everything because your mother and Hera thought of using me to help their hero. Does it remind you of something? Or do I even have to tell you how  I killed my children and ran away with the chariot of the Sun? "

Quiznack. Now Lance understood who she was.

There could be no worse person to meet, both on Earth and in space.

" Medea ?! What are you doing in space? "

  Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Well, it was true that monsters had an unpleasant tendency to never stay dead for too long, but Medea was human.

She was a witch, but she was still human. She shouldn't have been reborn.

 "I'm here thanks to my new friend. You must know her, she's a pretty brilliant witch: she goes by the name of Haggar. "

 A shiver shook the paladin's body. Medea broke into a smirk, "Haggar is an interesting person with clear goals in mind.  We have made a pact of mutual help.  But don't worry my dear, she doesn't concern you.  Also because you will soon die. "

  "I wouldn't be so sure," the paladin replied with a confident smile, although the only thing he wanted to do was run away and put as much space between himself and the sorceress as possible. 

Medea just laughed arrogantly, "Do you believe that? You won't even get a chance to hit me with that toy of yours."

 “But I'm  not going to shoot you.”

 Before Medea could figure out what was going on Lance raised his blaster and fired over her head, hitting the cables.

He broke them in half and ran away before they could hit him.  Medea was not as fast and was electrocuted. 

Despite the pain in the leg, he run away from her, hoping to find Keith before another mythological being emerged.

Lance found him with Acxa, face to face with a Galra soldier.

He was ready to intervene when the Galra said scornfully, "What a cute couple we have here." 

"Do we want to fight or gossip?" 

Keith didn't deny, Lance's traitorous mind told him. Keith didn't deny that he and Acxa can be a couple. He called it gossiping, but that doesn't mean he doesn't think about it.

Lance shouldn't feel so upset, Keith was just a  friendly rival. But why did his chest hurt?

Medea wanted Lance dead. 

The worst part was that Lance couldn't tell any of his teammates.

They could not believe him: it was one thing to accept the existence of the aliens, another to accept that the gods of Ancient Greece were still around and having children with unsuspecting mortals. 

Pidge would have laughed at him, and the others would have followed her example, why, come on, Lance, what stories are you making up?

  But Medea was not only a threat to Lance, but to the whole team: she and Haggar were working together for a common purpose.

 Whatever it was, it was no good. 

The others had to know about Medea, to be prepared when they inevitably meet her.

 Lance just had to find a story to tell them that was credible enough. 

He tried to talk to Shiro and Allura first. 

The paladin cleared his throat nervously, "Um, Shiro? There's one thing I should ..."

"Sorry, Lance, I can't listen to you now," the man replied hastily as Allura's hands were lit up in white.  Ah, a medical checkup.  Bad timing, his fault.

 Shiro didn't need to hear about Haggar right now.

 "Excuse me, I ... I'm going." 

Neither of them thought of stopping him and asking him to tell everything as soon as Allura had finished. 

He tried not to think about the implications when he went to Hunk and Pidge, busy fiddling with what appeared to be a cross between an old radio and a combustion engine. 

"Guys, I was looking for you. I have to tell you something important and ..."

 "Not now, Lance, we're busy," Pidge interrupted sharply, giving him a dirty look that meant shut up if you don't want me to punch you.

Hunk didn't even raise his head. "Hey, it's important! I have to talk to ..."

 "If it's about your love life no, we don't care." 

"It's not about my love life." 

"Does it have to do with a way to allow us to talk to my father on Earth?"

 "No, but ..."

"Then we don't care."

  "You must care, we are all in danger, we ..."

 As if by a sign of fate, the radio began to emit signals at that moment, and Lance realized that they would not pay attention to him even in a million years. 

 Did they consider him so little that they minimized what he had to say even in cases like this? The answer was yes.

Now, who was that was always listening to him and who didn't ever judge?

He had to talk to Keith. Unfortunately, Coran was busy with the Lions, so Keith remained.

Lance found him with Acxa, chatting peacefully among them. Lance didn't know why, but he felt his face catch fire, and an acid sensation rise in him. 

 Those two would have been good together: they both come in control freaks, they loved to fight, they were half Galra, and they liked knives.

 There was alchemy between them, he could see it.  Lance hated it.

 Before he knew it he stepped forward and called, "Keith!"

 He interrupted their conversation without the slightest sense of guilt.

 Keith's gaze immediately hardened, "What do you want now, Lance?"

 Oh, with Acxa he smiled, but as soon as Lance wanted to talk to him, Keith got grumpy.

 Lance was his teammate, not Acxa.  Acxa was just a recent addition that had come with them for convenience. 

"I have to talk to you."

 "Now?"

 "It's important." 

"Then it's best if I leave you alone," Acxa said, standing up.

 "There is no need, you can stay.”

  No, go away, I don't want you, Lance thought meanly.

  At that moment, he was just his mother's son.  Unlike Aphrodite, he couldn't turn people into animals if they bothered him.  But he would have loved to do it.

 "Are you sure?"

  "I insist."

  Why don't you just send her away?  Why are you never bothered with her?  As soon as I open my mouth it looks like you've swallowed a toad.

 Despite the unwelcome presence, Lance said, “Haggar has a new ally.  It is a witch. "

  "What?"

  “It is not possible - Acxa intervened - Haggar would not ally with anyone."

  Lance was right not to want her there.  But the paladin didn't give up, “This time she did it.  Her new friend tried to kill me, and she also bragged that she and Haggar had plans. "

 "Plans?" 

“I have no idea what they want to do.  I just know it must be something big, otherwise Haggar certainly wouldn't have wanted someone to help her. "

Or bring someone back to life to do it.

 "She may have lied to you," Acxa commented.

 Keith said, "That seems more likely to me." 

"Um, I'm pretty sure that's not the case."  

But they weren't even listening to him.  Acxa was explaining to Keith, "If there was a plan, why reveal it to an enemy?"

  "A trap?" 

"Maybe.  Or it was an excess of security.  "

" Would Haggar trust someone who talks too much about her plans? " 

"If it's not something important, I think it is." 

"So we are dealing with a plan B."

 "I think…"

 “But it's not plan B!  Here it is about something more important!  “ Lance protested.

 Keith snapped, “Lance, let her talk.  "

 "Just because she is a former enemy doesn't mean she knows more!"

 “Certainly Acxa has more analytical skills than you!  "

 “I'm your right-hand man!  "

 “I need someone with a brain, Lance.  Not brute force alone! "

 And that someone is not you, it was implied.

  Lance provocatively asked him, "So you want her to be the red paladin?"

 He didn't expect an answer.  He didn't want it.  But Keith didn't hesitate for a moment to say, "Maybe yes."

 Getting hit in the face by a gladiator robot during training had done less harm.

 He gave Keith a cheerless smile, "Well, thankfully, that's not your choice."

And if Lance sought Red's reassurance later, it wasn't anyone's business.

That night, Lance dreamed of Varadero beach.  It wasn't the first time he'd done it, there were days when homesickness was unbearable, and even Hunk's food couldn't lift it.

 But this time next to him was a woman with long black hair and amethyst eyes, with a parasol with her to cover herself from the sun.

 As he watched her, her features changed, making her more like his ideal of beauty.  He had never seen her before, but even an idiot like him understood who that woman was.

 “Ah, Varadero.  This is where I met your father.  It was an unforgettable summer. "

 "So unforgettable that you came back even after Veronica was born, mom."

 Aphrodite sighed dreamily, “Your father gets older, but he is still irresistible.  Of course, I came back for him. "

 Lance made a face.  Here's one thing he didn't want to hear at all.  He preferred to change the subject, “How can you be here?  I thought you couldn't get away from Earth. "

 “But I'm still on Earth, my dear.  Dreams are like a social network, they connect distant people.  It's easier for me to talk to you here than to come directly to you.  At the moment ."

 He didn't like it.  Lance thought she was saying "be prepared to see me more often."

Perfect. At eleven, Lance wanted his mother's attention, and at seventeen he had finally gotten it. Too bad that when Aphrodite cared about a son or daughter, it usually meant heartbreak assured.

 Aphrodite's voice roused him from her thoughts, "Anyway, are you giving up already?"

 Lance shrugged, “Nobody believes me.  Even if I warned them about Medea ... "

 Aphrodite interrupted him, “But I wasn't talking about the paladins.  I was referring to Keith. "

 "What's Keith got to do with it?"

 The goddess chuckled in delight, “My dear, you like that boy.  Sure, you could have better, but the heart has reasons that reason does not understand.  And sometimes it is also a bit masochistic. "

 “Keith is my rival.  "

 "I always love the troops enemies to lovers."

 “We're not even friends!  I mean… we were starting to be, before he left.  But now it seems that for him I don't exist!  "

 Urgh, he wasn't going to say it out loud.  Was that one of the side effects of being with Aphrodite?

 “In two years he has developed the unhealthy idea that a leader shouldn't have emotional attachments.  He didn't understand the visions he had about his mother and Shiro.  "

 The goddess wrinkled her nose, “He thinks love is useless!  Ah!  He didn't understand anything!  "

 "He doesn't seem to think that with Acxa," - Lance retorted, his voice full of resentment.  - "He likes being with her."

 “It doesn't mean you don't have a chance.  "

 "He doesn't like me, Keith made it very obvious."

 Aphrodite retorted, "With some people, you have to look after actions, not words."

 "I'd prefer someone who recognizes my merits and doesn't offend me every time he opens his mouth."

 "So you admit you like him?"

 "No!"

 But Aphrodite ignored him, “Ah, the phase of denial!  So exciting. "

 Lance explained, “I'm not denying.  I realized that things between me and Keith cannot work, neither as friends, nor as ... anything else. "

 "Are you sure?"

 "Yeah."

 "You hesitated."

 "I didn't hesitate, mom!"

 But the goddess continued, “Don't be afraid of what you feel, Lance.  Love is the key to doing great things.  "

 "But I don't even know what I feel!"  Lance exclaimed in frustration.

 “My dear, this is part of the fun.  Don't hesitate with Keith.  You will have great satisfaction before ... "

 "Before what?"

 "Before the Fates decide what they want to do with you."

So Lance was right, he was going to die. The Fates were undecided about when to cut the thread.

 Any moment could be the last. It was terrifying to think about it. But this allowed him to reflect: when he dies, what will be his legacy? How will his friends remember him?

 Will they remember him as a hero or as a fool? Will they recognize his value?

 All the demigods thought about it. It was an obsession, along with the desire for glory. Lance was no exception.

He had always known that he would not live long. Why delude himself otherwise? The demigods' lives were short, bad luck haunted them. 

 Lance was not afraid to die. He was ready.

 "At least, none of them will be sad," the Cuban thought, and that awareness hit him like a boulder.

 That frightened him more than the thought of dying.

 Aphrodite spoke again, “However things turn out, you have earned a place in the Elysian Fields, my son. But don't think about wasting your life, not when you might have Keith with you. ”

“ Mom, Keith hates me. ”

“ The line between love and hate is very thin, dear. Don't be discouraged. Especially now that Bob is testing you. "

" Who is Bob? " he asked her.

 “He is someone boring. Don't worry about him. “

“ But… ”

“ Focus on Keith, and take out the competition. You are my son, it should be easy for you. "

" Mom! "

Don't worry about Bob my ass! That guy was a sadistic bastard! He would have made Mr. D. cry too.

 But it was over, they had won.

 But why didn't the others move? Lance was alarmed, and he was about to touch Keith's shoulder when Bob popped up in front of him, “See? Now you know you have to sacrifice yourself for a higher purpose. ”

 Lance blinked, confused,“ What are you talking about? ”

 The god rolled his eyes,“ Don't be stupid with me. We both know you're smarter than that.

 "The question of who was the dumbest on the team may have misled me," Lance retorted sarcastically.

 "Hey, I'm not the one to answer. If your teammates are wrong it's not my fault. "

" But you said ... "

" I lie a lot - the alien god admitted without difficulty - And in that moment I needed it for my purpose. ”

“ To humiliate me? ”

“ No, to make you understand that, when the time comes, you won't have to sacrifice yourself for any of them. You are the one who will save the gods, son of Aphrodite. ”

 No wonder Bob knew who he was. What amazed him was something else, “What do you mean to save the gods?”

 Bob explained, “Haggar has an ambitious plan, he wants to take advantage of the cracks that have opened in the space-time continuum to change history. Medea wants to do it too, but she also wants to eliminate the presence of any divinity from the universe. To do this, however, she would have to become a goddess. Ironic what needs to be done to keep the balance, and avoid destruction, isn't it?”

 Lance felt that his head was about to explode. He said, “And how am I supposed to stop that ?!”

 The god shrugged, “You have to kill Medea. She is the real mind behind Haggar's plan. Kill her, and you will save the gods. Unfortunately, due to her prophetic powers, Medea knows it and will try to use your love for your friends against you. Don't let her do it.This is why I have subjected you to all this, to make you aware. When the time comes, let them die. Especially Keith. Why do you like him so much? This one didn't want to be with you! ”

“ You can't ask me this! ”

“ Are you still defending your teammates, even after everything they've told you? ”

 Lance opened his mouth, but couldn't find an answer that convinced him too. Bob smiled, “Just like I thought. Your life is too precious to waste it for them.”

 Lance felt the ground fail under his feet. It couldn't be true. Medea was too powerful to leave her to him. Lance did not even have half the power that his sister Piper had, the only one who had managed to kill the witch. 

 “It's a bad choice.” 

 “I didn't choose you. It's fate, son of Aphrodite. “

“ What about Haggar? ”

“ Well… a paladin will stop her, but it won't be you. You… ”

“ I will die fighting against Medea. Defeating her will also lead to my death. I'm right, am I not? ”

 Bob's expression turned serious,“ You're smart, boy. You already know the answer. "

Chapter Text

When told about Bob, Coran's eyes lit up, "Did you survive Bob's trials? That's amazing!"

 Pidge frowned, "Amazing? That guy was a sadist."

 "Don't you understand? Anyone who meets Bob and survives is destined for great deeds! I remember a story that my great-great-grandfather ... or was it my grandfather? ... well, I know this story .. . "

 Whatever the story was, Lance didn't listen to it: his mind was on something else.

 You must kill Medea to keep her from erasing all the gods, Bob had told him.

 Chance of survival: zero.

 He chuckled hysterically, attracting the glares of Keith and Allura.

 Lance was waiting for a lecture later, but he didn't care, he didn't care anymore. Hunk and Pidge might start teasing him about his old crush and he wouldn't even listen to them.

 He'd just figured out why he'd seen the Fates and he wasn't well at all.

 He always knew that demigods' lives were difficult: hunted by monsters, premature deaths, and if you crossed the threshold of maturity you were not even sure you were left alone by monsters.

 There were demigods who, as they grew older, had ruined themselves with their own hands, dying in misery: Amphion, Minos, Bellerophon, Theseus, Pelias, Orpheus, to name a few.

A peaceful death was a rarity.

 Lance had had a quiet life after all, despite the troubles he inadvertently got into. But he was happy, in Cuba, with his family.

 A simple life, even if he felt the need to do more.

 The eternal curse of the demigods, the impossibility of stand still and not do something.

 And look where it had taken him: in space, light-years from home, and with the concrete possibility of dying before seeing the Earth again.

 Oh, and he mustn't forget that he was with a bunch of people who couldn't tolerate him.

 Well, he was in shit.

 The fate of the entire Western civilization on Earth depended on him.

 He couldn't talk to the other paladins - if they'd listened to him - without going crazy.

 "I might as well try to tell them, and they would believe a joke. - the red paladin thought with a half-smile - There is nothing more fun than joking about his imminent death. "

 He was alone, and it was terrifying.

 Lance put a hand to his face: the cheeks were wet.

 Dei immortales, he was acting like a child.

 Hurriedly, he got up, "The fire is going out. I'm going to get more wood."

 Without waiting for an answer, Lance walked away.

 Once away, Lance realized that he could hear no one behind him or any calls from the group.

 He swallowed a bitter mouthful: apparently, no one cared enough about him to see if he was okay or not.

 "Bob made it clear what everyone thinks of me ..."

  When he dies, it will be easy to find a replacement. Keith wanted Acxa, and if the Lion didn't accept her, there were Romelle, Matt, Krolia, several members of the Blade of Marmora ...

Lance thought he caught a movement in the vegetation out of the corner of his eye, but he paid no attention to it, taken as he was by his thoughts.

 It was not wise to go too far on an alien, potentially hostile and with an unknown fauna, but Lance had the bayard ready for any need.

 Something hit him in the neck, and the paladin groaned in pain.

 Drops of blood fell to the ground and shadows flew up from the branches of the trees.

 Harpies. Great, just what he needed now.

 The brown and black wings were filthy, full of remnants from their previous meals, the squat chicken bodies would hardly have made one think of a creature too dangerous at first sight, but to these must be added the raptor's legs with long, sharp claws and the ugly faces of sour old women.

 Lance wiped the blood and grabbed the gun as he asked in a low voice, "What are you doing here? We're light-years from Earth!"

 One of them made answered, "Medea called us here. She promised us the respect we deserve in the new world she will create."

 "We won't have to hide anymore."

 "We will have all the food we desire!"

 "No god to fear!"

 "And we will have this for the price of your life. "

" It will be simple. You're pathetic. "

" Yeah. "

 And they laughed at him, continuing to circle and throwing steel-sharp feathers at him.

 Lance avoided them, and they stuck to the ground.

 "Quiznack!"

 If he got hit, he could have more holes than a Gruyere.  Lance took the bayard and fired, but he couldn't hit any of them.

 They were moving too fast, it was impossible to aim.

 They laughed, " Let's have fun with him before we kill him! "

" And then we'll eat him! "

 The flock split up and the four began targeting him from all sides. Lance snatched around, changing direction to make it harder for the monsters to aim, but despite the precautions,  some feathers hit him.

 The harpies laughed with their ill and piercing voices, making fun of him.

 Lance wanted to stop his ears not to hear them again, but if he did, the bayard would fall from his hand and the paladin would be at their complete mercy.

 "Is he the child destinated to save the gods?"

 "What a disappointment. He can't even hit us. "

" What did you expect? He is a son of Aphrodite! "

" He is as good for nothing as his mother! "

 They felt confident enough to insult a goddess and not fear the consequences.

 And the only thing Lance could do was suffer.

 If at least someone came to help him ...

 Lance immediately chased that thought. It wouldn't do him any good.

 He gripped the bayard's handle and begged the twin gods to let him hit the targets.

 Lance fired, and managed to hit one, which immediately dissolved into a golden cloud. The others wailed in pain.

 "Damn!"

“We'll make you pay!”

 “Your death will be slow, demigod!”

 Monsters had an unpleasant tendency to always say the same things. Eventually, their threats didn't even take effect.

 He loaded the weapon, “What are you waiting for?  Come here. ”

Lance killed them, risking losing an arm and getting a bad scratch on his cheek. A harpy had even tried to tear out his eyes with her claws. Creepy.

When he came back, the others were asleep, the fire is long gone

 "They didn't even wait for me," he thought, trying to ignore the pain. to her chest. That was the reality, he had to come to terms with it.

 Lance wasn't a key member of the team.

 He yawned.

 Dei Immortales was tired and needed something to cover the cuts on his face. The cut on the neck had stopped bleeding, but it burned like hell.

 When he reached his Lion, he found Keith with his back resting on Red and the arms crossed over his chest. It was dark, and Lance couldn't tell if he was looking angry or worried.

 Most likely, the other paladin was furious. It seemed he could only get angry with Lance.

 "Where have you been?" Keith asked him without preamble.

 "What are you doing here?" Lance asked him back.

 “I wanted to check something. You didn't answer me. "

" I walked around, nothing to worry about. "

" You're hurt. "

" I fell  ”

“ It's a pretty bad cut. ”

“ It'll heal, ”he said, although he would rather have nectar and ambrosia with him. Lance would have recovered his strength right away.

 Keith shrugged, "If it's like that time with Nyma ..."

 "What's Nyma got to do with it?"

“You always tend to get in trouble when it comes to girls. I don't want that to happen again.“

 The implication hit him like a train. He said, "Wait, do you think I left to meet a girl ?!"

 "Didn't you do it?"

 "No! I don't know if you noticed, but the time available to us is zero. We are racing against time to get to Earth before the Galra! How…"

 Lance broke off," Wait a minute. You came to see if the Red Lion was still here, didn't you? You thought I was going to meet someone with Red! "

 Keith didn't answer. It didn't matter, the silence was more than enough admission. Lance felt furious, the adrenaline of the battle with the harpies flowed through him. He didn't care about the unequal strength: he wanted to beat him.

 How dare he believe that Lance was so irresponsible to do such a thing?!

 He made one mistake with Nyma, and everyone kept blaming him for it.

 To them, it was proof of the red paladin's unreliability.

 As if all of them were perfect at the start of their mission. But they could be forgiven for everything, couldn't they? He didn't have that privilege.

 Finally, Keith said, "I had to consider all the possibilities. . "

" Were there more? "

" I ... "

" They weren't there, were they? You jumped to conclusions, as always. "

" Lance, it has already happened that you ... "

Lance wasn't in the mood for bullshit and interrupted him, "The incident with Nyma only happened once, then it never happened again. I didn't trust the first beautiful girl who smiled at me, but nobody cares! You like to remind me of my mistakes, it's too bad you forget yours! You or Allura were more likely to run away with your Lions. "

" We did it out of necessity. It never happened again. "

" Neither did mine incident with Nyma. Yet no one tells me it! Everyone says Oh Lance how silly you are, don't you remember Nyma? Lance, be careful, we don't want another Nyma. “

 Keith opened his mouth, but didn't answer right away. Something like understanding passed on his face - shame perhaps, but even that was as unlikely as Keith cared about Lance - and he said, "It's unfair."

 "Exactly. The whole team made mistakes, but who knows why I'm the one who passes for the idiot of the group. I wish I was taken seriously! Is that too much to ask? "

 Keith was about to answer, when Pidge arrived at that moment, "Ah, I thought I heard your voice. So Lance, how was your date?"

 At that moment, the demigod understood his mother's predisposition to turn people to stone when they bothered her.

The roof of the Garrison was their favorite place: no professor ever thought to check them, it was inside and you could see the stars.

 Lance shivered slightly as a shooting star passed.

 Keith put it on his shoulders a jacket, "How many times have I told you to bring a blanket?"

 "I was in a hurry, I forgot it."

 "Like you forgot your telescope."

 Lance smiled, "What is the telescope for? The sky is magnificent! In the desert there is no light pollution and you can see the stars! Over there you can see Venus!"

 "Are you sure? To me, it just looks like a bright dot . "

" All the stars look like bright dots to you. "

 Keith shrugged," It's not my fault that I don't like looking at them down here. I want to go there, among the stars. And I'll get you one. . "

" A tribute to my beauty? " Lance joked.

 "No, a present for one of the greatest nerds I've ever known."

 "Is that how you talk to your boyfriend? I'm offended! I'm hurt! I'm ..."

 A kiss silenced him immediately. When Keith pulled away he asked, "Are you still offended?"

 "You know, I'm not sure. Could you give me another kiss? Just to be safe."

 Lance woke up suddenly, the feel of the phantom kiss still on his lips.

 He blushed at the memory and held the head in his hands.

 It was his mother's fault. Somehow, she had sent him that dream. There was no way it was Lance's wish.

 Unfortunately for him, his mom was likely to have him do more. Damn!

 Going back to sleep was impossible. He might as well take the opportunity to do something he had been putting off for a while.

 Lance got up and tiptoed towards the Red Lion, being careful not to wake the others.

 The Red Lion was alert, as if she knew he was coming.

 Good girl. He patted her and she let him in.

Lance sat down, turned on the recorder, and said, "Hey there, this is the first time I've recorded something in the Red Lion's memory. I hope I do it right. Where do I start ... first of all, this is for my family ... all of them. For the one in Cuba and the one at Camp Half-Blood. So if you don't fit into one of those categories, turn it off, it doesn't concern you. It's personal. I'm baring my soul here. Sort of. Anyway, girls, I discovered a fantastic face cream, it makes the skin smooth and soft. Not that you need it, you already have perfect skin. But I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't share my beauty secrets with you. I would do it personally but ... I believe that, while you are listening to it, I am dead. Maybe it happened to stop Medea, or because of a monster. I have never suffered as many attacks as during this week. At least no one has paid much attention to me ... anyway, Medea has every intention to eliminate me. I guess after Piper, her hatred for us Aphrodite's children has increased ... well, she already hates all heroes, and her sanity is low. What was I saying… ah yes, I'm probably dead. I hope it was at least a heroic death, I don't want to be remembered for something embarrassing, like the guy who died falling on his weapon. Quiznack, that would be humiliating. Above all, I wish it was worth it. It would not make sense to have sacrificed and then poof, surprise, it was useless. It would suck. But it seems to be destined that I have to do at least something good before I die, so… crap, I'm making it more depressing. These are my last words to you and I can't even make a decent speech. The truth is, I wanted to see you again before… well, you know… and I wanted to tell Mark of cabin 7 that there is a way to travel faster than light and that it's not just theory. I'd like to see his face when the Lions arrive. He could replace me, but I don't think he would get along with Keith. I don't get along with him most of the time either, and I would both like to strangle him or… I'm not even sure what the alternative is. Keith is…unique. In many ways. He could fight with Ares and win. He does these crazy killer ninja moves, you never know how he'll knock you out. He is ... "

 He didn't know how to continue. Lance tapped the console, briefly wondering if he shouldn't erase everything and start over.

 Lance didn't even know why he started talking about Keith.

 Probably it was that dream's fault. He put his fingers to his lips. Briefly, he wondered if Keith's lips were as soft as in a dream Immediately he told himself that it didn't matter, he would never find out.

 He continued the recording, "As I was saying, with Keith it's complicated ...."

Paladins landed on Apophis9 after being surprised by a Galra fleet. The fight had been pretty bad, and Lance had been under fire several times. 

He got away with pure luck, thanks to Hunk. But this was proof that the longer he stayed with the paladins, it weakened them and exposed them to more risks.

 He hadn't made any progress in figuring out how to stop Medea and the only thing he could do was…nothing,

 It was depressing.

Lance didn't see many possibilities: either he went in search of Medea, or waited for her to get tired of watching and decide to solve the problem with him on her own.

The options were one worse than the other. If Lance decided on the first option, he should leave the team and start scouring the galaxy quadrant by quadrant for a single undead sorceress who wanted his head and the destruction of the gods.

 But if Lance stays, he'll put the paladins in danger. 

 "What should I do, Red?" he asked his lion in a low voice as she roared.

Stay. Don't die.

 Lance smiled, "I don't have much choice, girl."

 There's always a choice .

 “Not now.”

 He felt the lion's irritation, the urge to fight. Red would have no difficulty with Medea. As powerful as she was, what could a witch do against a mega robot?

 A smirk was popping on his face at the thought of Medea running away screaming while his Lion played with her like a cat and mouse. Then a noise like the thunder of a storm exploded above his head.

 He blanched to see what that noise had made. It was a drakon, with bronze scales, resembling a gigantic snake, the size of their Lions and with teeth so sharp that they could have severed the steel of a space battleship. 

 Quiznack.

 The drakon spat acid at him and was driven away before being hit. Above him, Keith had already pulled out his bayard.

 Lance saw the others coming, ready to fight, but Lance yelled, “Stop! It wants me! ”

 Keith turned to look at him,“ What do you mean? Why does it want you? ”

“ It's complicated. ”

“ Lance… ”

 Oh no, he was using the same tone as Shiro. But Shiro could use it, Keith was out of place, like a child trying to imitate his father in front of the mirror.

 Keith would do better if he didn't try to be like someone else.

Lance was about to answer when the drakon landed between them and pointed its nose at him.

 Now that it was in front of him, Lance noticed that the skin near its eyes was lighter, as if someone had pulled them out or attached to a power generator.

 Dei immortales.

 That was the Lydian Drakon. A monster that only a son of Ares could kill. Ergo, Lance had no chance.

 Keith took his hand and started running away, immediately chased by the monster. At least he hadn't thrown himself at him, heading for certain death.

 "What the hell are you doing?" Lance yelled at him.

 “I took you away from the others. If that creature rents you, it will chase you. “

Ah, heroic Keith always thinks of others first. He is the one who has to clean up Lance's mess, hen his only fault is that he is a demigod!

 "So I'm your bait," he said, avoiding another rush of acid from the drakon. Fortunately, that monster had a bad aim.

 “No, but I can't put everyone in danger for…”

 “For me. Yeah, I get it. ”

“ I didn't say that. ”

“ But you were going to say it! I know you think I'm just a problem and I'm useless to the team! I know you'd rather someone else as the red paladin. ”

“ If it's that about Acxa… ”

“ It's not about Acxa! - Lance cut him off, trying to shoot the drakon. He hit it, but the monster didn't slow down. Damn. He turned back to Keith. - You made it clear during Bob’s trials! You can't stand me! I don't want to be stuck here with Lance for eternity. You said so! Of course, I'm going to reconsider my place on the team! "

 Keith snorted," That's absurd. "

 “Absurd? First you tell me that maybe Acxa would be a better red paladin, you don't listen to me, you think I use the Red Lion to fly to meet an alien girlfriend, you say I'm stupid and ... you know, I could say more, but it's not really the right time for… ”

 Taking advantage of his distraction, the drakon opened its mouth and spat the acid at Lance. Keith was quick to intervene and pushed him away.

 In doing so, he was hit in the shoulder.

 The acid had devoured the armor and caused a severe burn. If he didn't have that protection, Keith's shoulder would be in worse shape.

 Lance helped him up, "Come on, if it hits you again, it's the end."

 "Go away."

 “Not without you.”

 “Leave me behind.”

 Lance ignored the lump in his throat. Keith understood that if he stayed by his side, he would risk more, and he must think it wasn't worth it.

 Maybe he'd better listen to him for once and leave him.

 “As soon as I find a safe hiding place, I leave him there. Then… ”

 That thought did not end: they had come to a waterfall that fell into the void. It was spectacular, honey-colored waters and lights swirling around it.

 Too bad they can't enjoy the show. The drakon was above them, their eyes shining. He was looking forward to victory.

 Lance looked at Keith. Bob had said that none of the paladins deserved his sacrifice. Probably, the god was right.

 But Keith was too important to die now. Lance took a quick look at the waterfall: it also seemed to have the same consistency as honey. Good chance of not crashing in the event of a fall.

 He gave KeKeith forced smile, "It’s time to split up."

 "Lance, what ..."

Lance didn’t let him finish: he pushed Keith aside and threw himself down, followed by the drakon.

Chapter Text

The pain in his shoulder was unbearable, but Keith kept walking, clinging to the trees for support. He was dizzy, the nausea was strong, but he couldn't stop. He had to take his Lion and find Lance.

 The first to see him was Allura. She came up to him screaming his name, followed by Coran and Romelle.

 The princess was yelling, asking him things, but he couldn't understand half of what he was saying.

The images were dancing in front of him. He had to make a last effort and take his lion.

 It was almost there, but his legs couldn't hold anymore and he fell to the ground on his knees.

 “Keith! Good heavens, your shoulder… ”

“ Lance… ”

“ What? ”

“ Lance fell off the waterfall. The monster followed him. I… I couldn't… ”

“ Keith… ”

“ I need Black. I have to find him. ”

“ Not with the shoulder reduced in this state. Pidge and Hunk will go. “

“ No, I… ”

“ Keith, you're hurt. ”

“ You don't understand. I allowed it to happen! Lance… ”

 Lance might have died as in his vision, and Keith couldn't stand it.

He was back in Bob's TV studio, but this time it was empty, there were no colored lights and no audience.

 It looked like it was being set up for a new show, and Lance wondered who was going to be there.

 "What part of you don't have to sacrifice yourself for someone else was not clear to you?"

 Bob appeared before him, holding his arms crossed over the chest and his frown. He was dressed in white, in contrast to the outfit of the last time. It almost made him look respectable.

 Lance shrugged, "What else could I do? I couldn't kill that monster."

 "And your solution was to throw yourself down a waterfall? "

" Well, if I can't kill it, at least I can make it lose track. "

" You didn't even know if you'd survive the fall. "

 "It was an acceptable risk," Lance replied, thinking of Keith. It didn't seem like a difficult choice at the time. Keith was the leader of Voltron, proof that a peaceful existence with the Galra was possible.

 Lance was just Lance, a not-so-powerful demigod, destined for an early death away from home.

 Bob ran a hand across his face, "You didn't even think, did you? You demigods are all the same. You throw yourself headlong into a situation without knowing if you're going to get out of it."

 "Have you met other demigods?"

 "Paladin, I'm old. I've known other demigods. And don't think that the Earth gods are the only ones with the unpleasant tendency to seduce mortals. "

" Great ... "

" That's not what we care about. What matters now is ... "

" I haven't found Medea yet, I'm a failure, there's little time, blah blah blah ... I understand, I'm a disappointment, you don't have to remind me. "

 Bob wrinkled his nose," Paladin, don't rush to conclusions. You didn't let me finish. "

" Well, everyone thinks so. Also, I don't know where Medea is, all I managed to do was become a target for monsters and endanger my teammates. "

 Bob was silent for a few moments. Lance swallowed. That god was unpredictable and he was pretty sure he didn't like him. He feared what he would say.

" What fool. Of course, you have made some progress. I helped you. "

" Huh? "

 Bob rolled his eyes," Do you think the path you took was random? I directed the black paladin, making him take the long way not to Earth, but Medea's hideout. "

 Lance bit his lip. Pidge had complained that it was taking too long. but Keith had told her it was the right path. They had argued, they hadn't even listened to him when he tried to placate them.

 As usual.

"You manipulated him."

 "If anything, I drove the black paladin in the right direction," Bob corrected him, as if it weren't the same in the end.

 "You couldn't tell me directly where to go? Without involving a mortal? "

 And maybe doing something useful, for once.

" Well, you should have walked away with the Red Lion, putting unnecessary suspicions in your teammates, who would follow you and Medea would use them against you. It is logical. “

“ I would have found another way to leave, without the Red Lion. So they wouldn't have followed me. "

 Red was the only important thing for them.

" Paladin, even if you had left the Red Lion behind, Keith would have followed you. "

 Lance choked," Ne I doubt. He is bothered by me. ”

“ For being a child of the goddess of love, you're pretty oblivious. ”

“ Mhm? ”

“Nevermind, it's not a question to be addressed now - Bob dismissed it with a wave of his hand - What matters is that I allowed you to get close to Medea. She realized this and sent monsters to stop you. "

" How close am I? " he asked.

 “Enough to send the Lydian Drakon to you.”

 Lance's eyes widened, “Medea is here? On Apophis9? ”

“ Yes. ”

“ I thought… I don't know, I thought she would stay on a Galra spaceship next to Haggar. ”

 “It would have been difficult to do it on a ship.”

 “What is she doing?”

 “The witch hasn't learned from her mistakes. She thinks she can be successful even after the first failure. "

" But what is it?! " Lance burst out irritably. Was there at least one god who did not speak in riddles? Or help a hero? Was that too much to ask?

 Bob narrowed his eyes, "Do you know how your sister Piper killed her?"

 "Piper threw her into the flames."

  "Yes, but where did these flames come from?"

 Lance struggled to remember. At the time, Medea was working for Caligula and she promised him that she would become the new sun god. Apollo was needed for that purpose, but in addition to trying to steal his divine essence, the witch had also fished out what was left of her grandfather from Tartarus.

 Lance stiffened.

 " Did she recover the divine essence of Helios? Again? "

" It seemed like a good idea. And to do that she couldn't stay in space. Too much movement. And she couldn't even wait to return to Earth. not to waste time. Haggar needs the extra power now. "

" Does Haggar want to become a sun goddess? "

 Bob shook his head," Quintessence is no longer enough for her. She needs more power for her insane plan. Medea is providing it to her, but she knows that Haggar will not be able to handle it. She is manipulating her to get what she wants. "

Medea's fidelity was reserved only for those who could serve her. As soon as she saw that she was in bad shape, she ran away. She had become an expert at that.

 "So what does she want to do? Overload Haggar?"

 "Sort of"

 " It's insane. "

" What did you expect from her? "

 He got a point. Lance rubbed his eyes, "Piper threw her into Helio's fire. She won't even let me get close."

 "Maybe. But as you see, she has a tendency to never learn. Take advantage of her fatal flaw, as she is doing with you. "

" Ah ... sure, let's outsmart Medea. It'll be that easy, "Lance said, his voice full of sarcasm.

“I’m not like Piper or Keith. I'm not a hero.”

"Do you think your sister was like that from the start? Do you think the black paladin was born with that confidence and charisma? And what about the other past heroes of your planet, huh? Remember, you are not born a hero: you become one. And the first step is always to have confidence in yourself and your abilities. "

 Nice words from someone who took so much effort to make him look like an idiot in his stupid game. There was a purpose there too, but he didn't trust his words as much.

 "Too bad I'm not like other heroes. I'm not as powerful as Piper, nor am I a warrior like Keith. Therefore tell me: how do you expect I can defeat one of the most powerful witches in history? "

 Bob walked away crossing his arms" Don't think about what you don't have. You inherited your best traits from your mother. Those will make you win. "

" And what are they? I'd love to know! "

 Bob smiled at him, as slimy as he remembered from the game," That's up to you to find out. Now wake up. "

His head hurt like hell. But hey, the good news was that Lance wasn't dead. Now, who had saved him? And above all, where was he?

 It took him some time to regain consciousness and to adjust his vision to the darkness.

 Lance was in a cave of sorts. He was wet and shivering.

 He tried to move but something tied him. He lowered his head and saw a rope squeezing him.

 Perfect.

 He inhaled again and this time in addition to the damp smell of water and wet grass he also smelled something much less pleasant: wet wool, sweat, and another stench he usually associated with monsters.

 He was about to make another attempt to move when he heard someone calling him from somewhere, "Hey, you. Are you awake?"

 Lance blinked. a couple of times, but you couldn't see anyone, "Yes, I'm awake. Where are you?"

 "Here."

 "Where? I can't see you."

 "In front of you. Or maybe beside you. I don't know. It's too dark. "

" Mhm. Actually ... who are you? "

" My name is Vorn. Who are you? "

 "Lance."

 "Hi, Lance. Can you move?"

 "No, I can't. You?"

 "Me neither. They tied my hands and feet."

 "Who?"

 "The ones who brought you here. The one-eyed men."

 Cyclops. Great.

 "It's going to be okay, isn't it?"

 Lance could feel the tremor in every word. He felt his heart tighten in his chest.

 "Yes, don't worry, I'll be able to get us out of here," he reassured him trying to put as much confidence and cheerfulness into his voice as possible.

 He sat up and fumbled around the ropes, looking for a way to rub and break them.

 After a couple of minutes of little success, he heard heavy footsteps followed by two deep, guttural voices. The cyclops had arrived.

 "Gyges, I think we should eat them both."

 "We can't. We have to bring them to her."

 "The witch said we had to bring her the kid. The demigod instead ... "

" She wants to kill him. "

" Why? She doesn't even want to eat him! It's a waste! "

" Candual, don't be a brat. "

" But I'm hungry! I haven't eaten since we got here! "

" Me neither. I'm going crazy. "

" Listen Gyges, let's cut off his arm and eat it. we'll kill. "

" No. "

" You didn't say it had to be whole. "

" Actually ... "

 Crap. He was getting sick.

He continued to segregate the ropes and squinted when the monsters lit their torches. dried meat and a single entry, which has been in fashion among the Cyclops since the time of Polyphemus. Lance moved and saw on the ground beside the boy who had been taken prisoner with him. He would have liked to know what he looked like, but his face was completely covered by a hood, but judging by his condition he seemed to be quite battered.

 The two Cyclops stood in front of him, completely drawing his attention. ugly as most members of their race: big thick and hairy, wearing a jumble of rags that could pass for clothes, greasy and stringy hair, hands and feet the size of manholes and with black and chipped nails, unfriendly grins and yellowish and, of course, a single large eye in the center of the face that oozed evil.

 One of them frowned, "Is it him the demigod?”

" Of course it's him, Candaules! Can't you smell it? "

" Meh, the smell of Aphrodite's children has always been faint. "

 Wow, that helped his self-esteem. Candaules leaned over him, and Lance was hit by a wave of stink.

 He bit his lip not to say something stupid, even though he was so tempted to advise him to take a damn shower.

 If that was part of the best traits inherited from his mother, the Universe was doomed.

 The Cyclops said, "I don't understand the hatred of the witch. You don't seem dangerous."

"She hates Aphrodite's children even before she was killed by a daughter of the weakest goddess of Olympus ... "

" A great setback. "

" In my opinion, she is not even so powerful. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been defeated so many times. "

" Do you want to test her? "

" For Tartarus, no! I'm not crazy. "

" Crazy no, but you're certainly stupid. "

" Hey! "

 Well done, keep talking, Lance thought, while he races against the wall. As long as they argue, they won't pay attention to it.

 But he heard a low gurgle coming from their bellies, and Candaules said, “You know what? I don't care what you think. I'm hungry. Get the machete, quick. "

 Lance felt his heart beating madly, his mind struggling to find a plan to buy time.

 "These two don't get along. Gyges is smart enough, his brother is not. It doesn't take much to make them discuss. Mhm ... "

" Will you just take one arm? " he asked, feeling the ropes behind his back loosen. Damn, it was still a little while.

 Candaules nodded absently, “Yeah, we can't do otherwise. So don't make a fuss, demigod. ”

“ Oh, but I won't make a fuss. I think you're going to do me a favor. ”

“ A favor? ”

“ Well, the Lydian Drakon bit me, and now his arm and it hurts me terribly. “

“ Huh? But I don't see blood! "

"This is because the water washed it away. But I'm afraid it couldn't do the same with the poison. ”

 Candaules cursed in ancient Greek, and called his brother,“ Gyges! The demigod has poison in his body. ”

“ Don't be silly. ”

“ He told me now. ”

“ And you think he'd be so good if he had Lydian Drakon's poison? It doesn't look like he's dying. ”

“ What do you know? He is still in bad shape. “

“ He has already fallen from a waterfall. I believe he is a bit bruised. But the armor has no bite marks. "

" The armor has a lot of dents. How do you see if there is a bite mark? " Lance teased him.

 Candaule muttered, “Indeed it is true. It is not clear. “

“ Are you listening to him? ”

 The cyclops turned to his brother, allowing the paladin to rub harder against the part. Damn, it hurt so bad!

 “Brother, I care about my life. The poison of the Lydian Drakon is lethal to us too. ”

“ He wasn't poisoned. He's a liar, like his mother. ”

“ What if he's telling the truth? I don't want to get poisoned by the arm. ”

“ Then let's cut off his leg. ”

“ You think the poison hasn't spread all over my body yet? ”

 “There's no poison!”

 “What if there is?”

 “No, there isn't.”

 “We can't be sure. "

" Cut and see if it's purple. "

" Purple? "

" If the flesh is purple, it means he's been poisoned, and we'll have no choice but to take him to the witch right away. If he's red, we'll cut off his leg too, so he learns to try and fool us. ”

“ Mhm… it doesn't sound bad, I… ”

 Lance cut him off by passing the rope around his throat and squeezing. He had scratches on his hands caused by rubbing and they hurt, but despite his pain, he continued to squeeze until the other was reduced to golden dust.

 “Candaules!”

 Lance wiped his face with the back of his hand, “Ah, I'm afraid the menu just changed. “

 Gyges screamed with all the breath in her body and charged like a raging bull. Lance was quick to dodge it. In one corner, he saw his bayard, piled up with unidentified rubbish. He still looked in good shape.

 He dived sideways, avoiding another attack from the Cyclops. He grabbed the bayard and activated it, "Oh, now you think."

 It took one shot to kill Gyges, shot right where her eye was. It was a perfect shot.

 As the monster dissolved, Lance lowered his weapon and sighed in satisfaction. He had made it.

 “Wow. You were incredible. "

Holy Zeus, he had forgotten  Vorn. Lance went to him and started untying his hands.

Vorn said, “I've never seen anyone fight like this. You were incredible! Were you a slave in the arena? I don't think I've ever seen you in Haggar's labs. Where did you learn to shoot? You… ”

 Lance froze,“ Can you repeat? ”

“ What? ”

“ What you said earlier. ”

“ You have exceptional aim. ”

"No, the other thing."

 "I've never seen you in Haggar's labs."

 "So ... are you a druid?"

 Vorn shrugged, "Lo I was. But I ran away after we got here. I… I didn't want to become one of her experiments. I should have expected Medea to send someone to find me, she can't stand deserters. If they'd brought me to her… ”

 Lance wasn't listening to him anymore. Vorn was a druid. An enemy.

 No, he was no longer: he had escaped and had become a deserter.

 Who was reassuring him that he wasn't lying? It could have been a Medea trap. Pidge would leave him in the cave without thinking about it. Also Shiro and Allura. She wasn't sure what Hunk was going to do. His throat felt dry.

 Vorn was a little boy. He would starve here.

 Better, one less enemy,  he heard Shiro's voice in his head.

  He wasn't an enemy at that moment, just someone who needed help. Lance took pity and decided to free him.

 Vorn rubbed his aching wrists while Lance moved on to free his feet. The druid said, “Thank you, you saved my life. How can I repay? ”

 Initially, Lance didn't want anything. But then he remembered a phrase said by Vorn, I ran away after we got here. He had come with Medea. So there was a chance she knew where he was.

 "Well, there's one thing you could do," he started saying.

"What do you need?"

 "Do you know where Medea is now?"

 "Yes, I know."

 "Perfect ... take me to her."

Chapter Text

The shoulder burned like hell, the pain was unbearable. Above him, Allura was saying something to Coran and Shiro, but Keith didn't understand.

 The world turned, the images didn't stop before her eyes.

  "I shouldn't be here."

 "Don't be silly - it was Shiro who spoke - With that wound, you can't go anywhere."

 "You don't understand. I shouldn't be here - Keith repeated, trying to emphasize the sentence - I shouldn't have come back. "

" What? What are you talking about?" his brother asked him.

 “I tried to avoid it. I tried. But it ended up like this anyway. I ... I never get it right. How the hell did you do it? I'm not like you, I can't… ”

“ Keith, calm down. What have you tried to do? " Shiro cut him off, using a gentle tone.

 “Not now - Allura interjected - Keith, be silent. Your wound is… it's nothing I've ever seen. "

" Princess, can't you heal it? " Krolia asked her,  apprehension in the voice.

 "I'm trying," Allura answered through clenched teeth, pressing her hands on the wound with greater force. Keith didn't know what his shoulder looked like, but it must have been ugly. Whatever that creature had thrown at him was deadly.

 It was a miracle that he was still there.

 A miracle that Lance had allowed.

 Idiot. He didn't have to sacrifice himself for Keith. Keith shouldn't have let him. If he died, it was Keith's fault. He hadn't been able to be a leader, he hadn't prevented all that mess from happening.

 Keith had seen It, and yet he hadn't been able to avoid it. What was the point of having a vision of the future if it could not be changed?

 He was stupid, wrong, and…

 "Damn," Allura hissed.

 Dark figures came out of the trees, shapeless masses she couldn't make out. Soon, they were surrounded.

Pidge and Hunk had descended to the bottom of the waterfall, looking for traces of Lance.

 The Lions hummed in concern, reflecting the mood of their pilots. Hunk was more agitated. After half an hour of fruitless searching, he said, "What if he ended up in the water?"

 "It's not possible, I should at least detect his presence on the radar."

 "What if ..."

 "Don't you dare finish the sentence with and if he's dead?"

 "Pidge, it was a bad fall," the yellow paladin said, clutching the lion's controls.

 The green paladin replied, "The texture of the water is different than the Earth. The fall must have been muffled."

 "But ..."

 "Seriously Hunk, you should know that Lance is too stupid to die. He's fine. "

 She said it as an insult but she attempted to silence the growing anxiety.

 Pidge would never admit it, but she was worried about Lance as much as Hunk. She couldn't tell the yellow paladin, at least he would start sobbing.

 Also, she would die before admitting she was worried about the other paladin, even if he was her friend.

 Feelings weren't her strong suit, she preferred to be snarky than affectionate.

 Suddenly, the radar warned her with a slight blip, but to her ears, it sounded more like an explosion. Hurriedly he began to take a look at the screens.

 "Hey, Hunk"

 "Did you find him?!"

 "No, but the radars indicate the presence of a cave below, too small to fit in with lions, definitely big enough for a human to be used as a shelter, maybe Lance is there. Let's land and take a look. "

 They land and went to the cave.

 The first to enter was Hunk, holding his weapon loaded. Pidge followed him.

 The cave was dark and smelly, and Pidge grimaced in disgust.

 On the ground were unidentified carcasses, remains of clothing and weapons.

 "Hunk, Lance isn't here. "

" We don't know yet, "the paladin insisted.

 Sometimes Pidge didn't know who was more stubborn, if he or Lance.

 She said," Hunk, Lance don't you can stay here. This is some beast's lair. "

" If it's here, we have to save him. "

" He would have eaten it already. There is no fresh blood. "

 And it was relieved to say it meant there was hope.

The two took a few more steps and both Pidge and Hunk couldn't hold back a shiver as they saw more clearly what was around them: remnants of ropes frayed, knives, bones, loads of bones.

 Pidge had to put a hand to her face as she struggled to hold back a retch.

"What is this stench? It looks like ..."

 "Decomposition,"  Hunk said, swaying slightly.

 Pidge was about to tell him to get out of there when she heard a noise behind them. Right where there was the only exit to the cave.

She turned ready to fire, but a hand the size of a tray hit her, sending the blaster across the cave. Another then grabbed the legs and dragged her, leaving her dangling unarmed several inches from the ground upside down.

 Hunk started to scream her name, but another hand came out of nowhere and hit him. head behind.

 Disoriented the paladin knelt and let go of the weapon.

 A punch hit him sideways, sending him flying several meters and causing him to collapse with a gasp of pain. The vision was blurred. Above him, a massive figure. He couldn't see his face, but his voice was hoarse and throaty.

 "The bastard will surely come for you."

 Then, the dark.

It was too late to keep walking. Vorn was tired and limped. Lance decided to stop for the night in a clearing, the moon illuminating everything, making it useless to start a fire. He didn't want to attract unwanted attention.

 "Are you hungry?" Lance asked the young druid.

 The other shook his head, "I'm fine. Haggar trained us too fast. I can not eat for two weeks."

 Lance wrinkled his nose, "Why?"

 "To better focus on our magic."

 Lance just stared at him for a few seconds, undecided. His first reaction would have been to tell him to send Haggar to the devil and forget her completely, but seeing him like this, looking almost lost, he bit the tongue, opting for a less direct attempt.

 "You know that you no longer have to do as Haggar taught you? "

 Vorn just stared at somewhere on the ground, while his hands moved nervously," It's hard. All my life I always knew what to do, how I should have behaved, and what to believe. Now I have nothing. "

" You are free. "

" Freedom scares me. I ... "

 Lance walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, breathe. You're going to have a panic attack."

 "I'm a traitor. My ancestors would be so disappointed in me."

 "If anything they'd be proud that you survived. "

" Proud? "

" Well yeah, you're saving their legacy and stuff. "

 Shiro would be better at that than he is. Quiznack, Allura could make a long speech about how important it is to protect your past and make it survive. It was a concept he was familiar with, the demigods lived to pass on the legacy of the Greeks.

But it was still harder to explain.

 He continued, "If you died, everything your ancestors did would be lost. Through you, their legacy lives on."

 "But it would be an honorable death. "

" It would be a useless death, albeit an honorable one. It's harder to stay alive, listen to me. "

 Lance knew enough about trying to stay alive. Even though he did a bad job and had no survival instinct. But he wasn't suicidal. He was reckless, but all demigods were.

 "You're a hypocrite," Vorn said, surprising him.

 Lance looked at him blankly, "What are you talking about? "

" You jumped off the cliff, didn't you? I heard those monsters say it. You weren't even sure you weren't going to die. "

 "I made a bet, but it doesn't matter now."

 "Seems so to me. If I don't care about my survival, doesn't it apply to you too?"

 "I never said that."

 "It was implied."

 "Do you always argue like this?" Lance asked him.

 "Not usually. But I think I'm starting to do new things now. Kind of like you suggested."

 "My fault, I guess. At least I see you more at your ease. "

" It's enlightening to talk to you, even though I'm still confused. "

 Lance shrugged," It's not possible to fix everything in a short time. It takes effort to understand what you want. . "

" And you? "

" Mhm? "

" What do you want? "

 And to that, Lance couldn't answer.

The fire was everywhere. He couldn't move, he was burning and it hurt. It was all engulfed in flames, but there was no escape.

 It was as if Lance were a flame. In front of him, there was Medea with a dagger in her hand, blood dripping onto the floor.

 What was she doing? Lance squinted to see better, but she couldn't.

 A Cyclops entered the room, "My lady, we found them."

 "And Aphrodite's son?" Medea asked.

 “The druids are looking for him.”

 “They are many, and he is alone. They shouldn't have any problems. “

 She looked into the flames and stared intently at them as if she knew. She smiled, crazy eyes in which there was the reflection of the fire. That woman was insane. It happened when you were resurrected one too many times.

 “Soon, we'll meet. And there will be a surprise waiting for you. ”

 Lance woke up suddenly and sat up. It was dawn, the sky was coloring with the soft colors of the morning.

 A fascinating sight that he did not have time to admire. He got up and went to Vorn. He shook him to wake him up, "I'm sorry, but we have to go."

 "Why?" the boy asked, yawning.

 "Well, we're about to have visitors."

 "Eh?"

 "No time to explain. We have to go now. ”

 With no further questions, the young Druid got up and followed Lance. Their movements were clumsy, but they had to move before they were reached.

 Medea had said there was a surprise waiting for him. What was it about?

 Suddenly, he remembered the Cyclops's words.

 We found them.

 He had a bad feeling.

 The sound of footsteps behind him made him stiffen.

 Quiznack .

 The druids had found them.

 "Vorn, faster!"

 The boy obeyed and ran in front of him. Lance stayed behind and fired into the bush, hoping to hit someone.

 It was hard when he couldn't even see who he was hitting.

 He heard a scream: it was Vorn.

 Heart in his throat he rushed forward: Vorn was between two druids, one of them had his lighted hand turned to the boy's face.

 Lance pointed his bayard at him, "Let him go!"

 "You are alone, paladin. you can do it against all of us. "

" There are only two of you. "

" Take a closer look. "

 Footsteps and soon the paladin saw four other druids arrive who took him in what seemed to be a pincer maneuver. He was surrounded. His hasty while he began to make a quick calculation to see if, in case, he would be able to forcibly tackle the druid who was threatening Vorn to distract them and concentrate the attacks on himself and thus give the other time to escape, however, he soon discarded the idea. He did not know whether or not he was physically stronger than a single druid, but with half a dozen of them around, a situation with a similar hostage and the magical power of the druids on their side, the possibility of getting out of there by force was zero.

No, he had to think and be able to find another way to get out of there without any problems.

 He thought he heard Bob's voice, "You have to use his mother's gifts. Only then can you make it against Medea."

 Aphrodite never used brute force. She was not a strategist like Athena, but she was a manipulator. She understood people's feelings and used them against them.

 The Druids were loyal to Haggar until their death. But what about Medea?

 Born was afraid of her and hated her. Did the others hate her too?

 Lance decided to make a bet, "I thought the druids only obeyed Haggar."

 "We do."

 "Yet you're serving that other witch. "

" Haggar told us to do it, "one of them replied, but discontent was evident on his face.

 Bingo.

" Your loyalty to Haggar is admirable, but tell me: does your new mistress deserve the same respect and loyalty? "

 He saw the doubt spreading its way across the faces of the druids present.

" She does not respect you, does not knows your traditions, is not one of you, and yet she arrives and demands that you carry out her orders without question, even at the cost of your life. "

" He is not completely wrong ... "a druid murmured before be silenced by a companion.

 Lance continued, "To achieve her goals she has come to tear apart her brother and kill her children, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Trust me, I'm not asking you to fight her, but if you let us go, she won't be your problem anymore. ”

 The druids looked at each other, in a silent search of directions to the comrades on what to do, none of them who wanted to risk-taking.

 Finally, the one who had spoken before cleared his throat and stepped forward, "The paladin might be right."

 “Don't be silly. Haggar told us… ”

“ Haggar could be wrong. Relying on that woman is a mistake. Her experiments… ”

“ They have a purpose. ”

“ They are destructive. And dangerous. ”

“ Calculated risks. ”

“ I wouldn't worry if Haggar did it, at least she's more sane. But Medea is not. ”

 The discussion degenerated, the seed planted by Lance was bearing fruit: The druids were so busy arguing that they let Vorn go. arm, dragging him away.

 "They'll follow us!" the boy screamed.

He heard an explosion behind him. Lance sighed, “No, they won't. How long is it from Medea's refuge? ”

“ We're close. ”

“ Then lead me. ”

 Lance had to hurry: she had the unpleasant feeling that her friends were in danger.

 Keith woke up with the unpleasant sensation of a cold blade on his neck. Above him, he could barely make out a woman with long black hair, and a crazy smile.

 "Oh yeah ... I think I'll have a lot of fun with you."

Chapter Text

A harpy came flying to Medea.

 "My lady!  Aphrodite's son is here!  We saw him a few meters from the cave "

 Medea raised her head, the hands stained with the blood of the black paladin.  She looked at her blankly, as if she didn't understand what she said.

 After a few moments, she said, “Ah, interesting.  Are your sisters still guarding the entrance? "

 "Yes, my lady."

 “Do they remember that you don't have to kill him?  I want him to come here alive.  "

 "We will try to do so," was the diplomatic response of the harpy.  Ah, she had to expect it.  Those creatures hardly left a prey.

 She would be very disappointed if Aphrodite's son couldn't see the surprise she had prepared for him.

 "Other orders?"

 "No.  Go back to the entrance and welcome our guests with due regard. "

 The harpy was happy to obey her order.

"You're bleeding."

 "It's just a scratch - Lance said, wiping the blood from his face with the back of the hand - I won't even have a scar."

 "But…"

 " Everything is alright.  Now pay attention, Vorn.  There could be others. "

 The boy finally said no more, and they entered the cave.  Internally, Lance snorted.  Medea's lair was hidden deep inside a cave, hidden in the middle of a forest.  She liked to remind me of her home.  Probably, originally this was how the Golden Fleece was hidden.

 It wasn't just the gods who dug up the past.

 Lance took a deep breath and straightened up.  The harpies at the entrance to the cave had been a problem, but the boy suspected that, if she wanted, Medea could make it even more challenging for them.

 Was she waiting for him?  Dei Immortals, she bode well for him.

 They went on in the dark, being silent, the tension very high.

 Suddenly, he heard a hoarse voice, "... do you think you can do it against her? Your friend's quest was doomed. No son of Aphrodite can hope to win."

 Lance stiffened.  He had a bad impression.

 He motioned for Vorn to stay behind him and continued to where there was a faint light from a torch.

 Hidden from the wall, he saw a Cyclops looming to its full height, as big as a wall and just as heavy.  In front of him, there were Shiro and the others.

 How the hell did they get there ?!

 Medea had managed to get her hands on his friends to use them against him.

 Or to kill them to do Haggar a favor.  With that woman, it was hard to tell.

 Most troubling was that Keith wasn't there.  It was not unlikely that he had managed to escape.  But Lance feared that Medea had made a conscious choice and she wanted the black paladin with her.

 Like she had done in the past.

 "... he will die as planned. And you will follow him soon."

 He shook himself when he saw that the Cyclops had raised his weapon in the air: he was tired of talking and now he wanted to act, and his target was Shiro.

 Lance reacted before he thought and took the blaster, hitting the Cyclops right between the shoulder blades.  The distraction worked as the Cyclops turned and exclaimed, "You! Damn brat! You killed my brothers!"

“ Ah, are you their brother?  I see the resemblance, you are ugly alike.”

Lance fired two more shots, which didn't seem to scratch the monster.

 The monster was about to lash out at him, but it dissolved into a golden cloud.

 Shiro cuts his outstretched arm, lit up in purple.  It had been quick, thank goodness.

 Vorn arrived, standing beside Lance.

 "Who are they?"

 "They are the other paladins ..."

 "Are they your friends?"

 "Yeah ..."

 They all looked at him as if he were a ghost.  He didn't blame him, the dragon had nearly killed him.

 Suddenly, Pidge came to him and punched him in the side.  Lance groaned, "Hey! What ..."

"Idiot!"

 "Huh?"

 "You deserve it! You're a sacrificial idiot and ... damn it!"

 She was beside him, her shoulders shaking.  She was trying to hold back the tears.  Lance hadn't expected this: when was the last time Pidge had shown concern about him?  He didn't remember.

 “Why didn't you tell us?  Why didn't you tell us you're a ... damn ... "

 "Why didn't you tell us about your mother?"  Shiro ended up for her.

“What about my mother?”

*She is a freaking goddess! Oh and that you have a goddess quest.”

The Cyclops had talked too much.  He sighed, "Would you have believed me?"

 “Lance, dude - Hunk said - We are in space, fighting a ten thousand year war with giant cats.  We have seen very strange things.  I think the existence of the gods is just the icing on the cake. "

 "I doubt it."

 "Do you have so little faith in us?"  Allura asked, and Lance shook his head.

 "No, but the mind of mortals has a hard time understanding certain things."

 "Are you telling us we're stupid?"

 “No, Pidge.  I'm saying your minds would not have held the truth and the Mist would have altered your memories. "

 And you would have thought I was kidding, a part of himself added, but this was not the time for the bitterness.  Keith had ended up in Medea's clutches, and the more time he spent, the more he risked his life.

 "The Mist?"  Romelle repeated, confused.

 “It separates the two worlds.  I didn't think it worked even in space until that first attack ..."

 He paused, hoping no one would notice his hesitation.  Hunk sadly did, ”What are you talking about?  Have they tried to kill you yet? "

 "It's not relevant."

 "Since something about you is not important?!"  Pidge screamed.

 "Since when have you been worried?"

 The question left everyone dumbfounded, and Lance cursed his big mouth. 

 The first to recover was Shiro, "Lance, why shouldn't we worry about you?"

 Lance suppressed a nervous laugh, “Why?  Perhaps because you all have made it clear in recent months that you find me annoying.  You don't even consider me a decent paladin.  "

 "If that's what the clone said ..."

 “The clone made things worse, but no one ever fixed it.  Not even once.  So sorry if I don't think you care about me, not when I know you'd prefer someone else.  "

 "That's not true - Allura intervened - You are a precious member of the team and ..."

 "That's not what you told to Bob."

 Hunk looked horrified, "Oh, Lance, we ..."

 Lance interrupted him, “You want to tell me you didn't think so?  Didn't you all agree that I'm the dumbest member of the team?   Didn't Keith say he'd rather vote for me than be stuck together for eternity? "

 Shiro's expression was strange, "Is that what Keith said?"

 “Don't be surprised, he hates me.  I thought things had improved, but he's back mature and serious and no Lance, I don't have time for you.  Just like everyone else! "

 Crap.  He had screamed.  He didn't intend to lose control like that.  Allura had a shameful expression, but she didn't speak.

 Instead, Pidge said, “And you accepted the quest for it?  To prove you're worth it?  You're a damned idiot who ... "

 "I didn't want it."

 "Eh?"

 “It is my destiny.  I didn't choose, nor did I want to.  But a demigod has to stop Medea, and the only one who can do it is me. "

 The others looked at him speechless.

 Pidge violently shook her head, "No, that's not possible. I ... I don't want to believe it."

 "Lance - Hunk tried hesitantly, a hand outstretched, as if he wanted to draw his friend to him in a hug but was afraid that the slightest contact would break him definitively - There is another way, right? There is always a plan B in these cases, isn't it? "

Pidge was desperate, it was the first time she felt this way, and Hunk ... Hunk seemed torn inside as if part of him wanted to start kicking himself but the other was telling him that now they had other things to think about.

 Allura came forward with a raised hand to calm the other paladins, "Guys, let's not panic. The only thing to do now is to think clearly and understand what lies ahead. There are far too many obscure points in this affair. Lance, why don't you tell us what's going on, without neglecting any details. The more we know about our enemy the better we will be able to devise a counterattack strategy. "

 The demigod refused, "No, the only thing you have to do is get away from here as far as possible. You haven't nearly become a cyclops meal yet, I won't let you get involved in any other way."

 "We're already involved! You can't shut us out!"

 "Why not? You haven't had a problem doing it with me!"

 "Lance ..."

 "No, Pidge. He's right-Hunk said softly, as if it cost him a lot to say it-We weren't good teammates. Nor good friends."

 "But..."

 "There is no excuse. Any excuse will not repair the damage done," he cut her off, and awareness seemed to hit Pidge with the force of a hundred Galra guns.

 The green paladin lost all her composure and wept over Lance.

 Lance couldn't console her, and maybe a petty part of him didn't want to.

 Pidge continued to shed her tears, yelling at him.

 Shiro said, "You don't want to involve us, and I understand your choice. I don't agree with it, though. We really can't help you in any way?"

 "I doubt it."

 "We could catch her from behind."

 "It could be done using one of the secret passages," Vorn said.

 Lance looked at him, torn between wanting to shut him up and wanting to keep him going.

 He asked, "Are there any secret passages?"

 "Yeah, they are used to reach the various places of her experiments. For some it takes isolation."

 "Experiments?"

 "You don't want to know, Allura - was Lance's reply, who turned back to the former druid - Could you lead them?"

 "I think so. "

 "You may have some unpleasant encounters."

 "And we don't know where it is," Shiro added.

 Lance thought he knew.  He asked, "Have you ever seen a room with a big fire in the center?"

 "Fire? Mhm ... oh yes, fire is what will make Haggar a goddess. She's talked about it often, even though I've only seen it once."

 "Could you drive them there?"

 "I can try."

 Well, better than nothing.

 Shiro was looking at Lance with a weird expression, "Why do you think he's there?"

 "I dreamed it."

 "Ah ..."

 "Guys, if you don't trust it you can ask Vorn to take you away from here. I know Keith is the priority now ..."

 "No, Lance. You both are. Paladins leave no one behind."

 Lance smiled sadly, "It would be nice if it were always like this, wouldn't it? But one of us cannot be saved."

 "Who says that ?! Stop this pessimistic attitude and react! We will help you, whether you like it or not!"

 Pidge's outburst almost made him pick up.  It was a short-lived feeling, but it was pleasant.

 "If so, you'll have to do it this way ..."

It was a gamble, a risky plan that put not only Lance at risk but the other paladins as well.

 Ah, he would prefer to do it alone. But they didn't let him do so. What a moment to remember they are a team.

 The corridor was dark, almost looming over him.  He felt the air fail, but he forced himself to keep walking, the loaded bayard in his arms.

 He had to face his fate.  He wasn't ready.

 Finally, he was in front of a wooden door, decorated with images of the moon and two torches on either side.

 The symbols of Hecate.  Even after a long time, Medea still considered herself a follower of him.

 Well, now it would be convenient for Hecate to deal with Medea, perhaps the only goddess that the witch still respected.

 Lance took a deep breath with his eyes closed, before snapping them open, a determined flame shining within them.

 He couldn't hesitate: with all the courage he had managed to muster, he kicked the door.  It opened with a sinister creak, then hit the wall with a dull thud.

 Lance stepped forward and nearly gasped.  He was inside what looked like a temple room, complete with columns on either side and an altar in the center with ceremonial offerings placed in front.  It would also have been a normal vision if it weren't for the clear and powerful flames above each other, so hot and intense that the heat had bothered his eyes and mouth even from the distance he was standing.

 The fire of Helios.

 It was impressive.  It was as if the titan was trying to regain vitality.

 It must not have been easy to recover a divine essence from Tartarus, it must have fought a lot to be left alone.

 And this was already the second time that Medea had tried.

 Elio had to wonder why his nephew wasn't leaving him alone.

 "I was wondering when you were coming."

 From behind a column, he sprang out of her Medea, her black hair loose, a chaotic mass that, in the light of the flames, gave her more disturbing traits.

 At that moment, she reminded him of a mania, too obsessed to leave the world of the living.

 Medea was in a sense a mania, even though she had a body;  her hatred for the heroes and gods was so intense that it had resurrected her twice.

 "The most important guest always arrives late," Lance said, forcing a smile.

 "How arrogant you are. Do you think you are the most important?"

 "I correct myself. I was the most awaited. I bet you can't wait to burn me alive."

 Medea let out a laugh, "I wouldn't waste my grandfather's fire on you. No, I have other plans for you."

 Lance bit his tongue, swallowing a very rude remark.  He took on a more combative expression, and asked in a harsh voice, "Where's Keith?"

 Medea smiled at him, one of those smiles she probably had given to her brother before stabbing him or to her children before killing them, before bursting out laughing in a feminine and delicate laugh, which clashed with the crazy aura that her entire figure exhaled, "Funny that you ask me this question, my dear, since your dear leader is right here."

Having said this, she gave an imperious gesture with one hand and the paladin came out from behind a column.

 Lance was about to breathe a sigh of relief to see that he was fine, but that sigh stopped and I died in his throat in a choked verse as the other entered the cone of light and became visible.  He seemed to be fine if it weren't for the life-proof expression on his face and the mass of living flesh and blood to which his left shoulder was reduced.

 "Quiznack."

 "We were having fun before your arrival-Medea said with false candor-A very pleasant hour. His screams reminded me of the slut who tried to marry Jason. It was nice."

 "You are..."

 Lance could not finish the sentence which Keith charged forward and tried to hit him with the sword.  Lance was faster and avoided becoming a skewer, and yelled, "Keithen, what the hell are you doing?"

 "He obeys me - Medea said - It was difficult, he was tenacious. But in the end, he gave in. The loss of blood makes a person more malleable, doesn't it?"

 Crap.  He hadn't considered where to fight Keith.

 He had to figure that things weren't going to be as easy as a simple fight with the witch.

 Medea is known as one of the most cunning and ruthless figures in mythology, if she has a way to take a psychological advantage over an enemy, she will.  And using a Keith under charm speak to deal with him is exactly one thing she would have done.

 Lance didn't want to fight the other paladin, he didn't want to hurt him, but he knew that his friend wouldn't have as much regard for him.

 He was about to look around for the slightest way to avoid confrontation when the dark was on him, sword high above his head.  Lance could barely touch him, and when he tried to turn around to talk to him he saw that he was back on top of him.  Lance dodged, but each time Keith returned to attack with increasing enthusiasm.

 Lance couldn't avoid it forever, he knew it.

 He had to face it, and hope not to hurt him.

 Keith was damn fast.  He was able to keep up a frenzied pace, and more than keeping up with him, Lance could hardly keep himself from getting hurt.

 Although Allura was an excellent teacher, she could not work miracles.  Lance was not a swordsman.  He wasn't even a decent warrior.  He was a lucky shooter, but nothing else.

 Against Keith, Lance had no chance.

 “I have to wait for them to arrive.  I have to resist a little longer. "

 Medea watched from a distance, a ferocious expression, more terrible than that of any monster that Lance had ever faced.

 “Why are you taking so long, Keith?  Kill him. "

 Keith's only response was a grunt.  For a moment, Lance thought he saw a flash of unhappiness in the other paladin's eyes, but it was soon replaced by the complete absence of emotion.

 The black paladin lunged forward to hit him, Lance was not fast enough and was smeared in the throat.  The wound burned like hell.

 The demigod put a hand on his neck, cursing.

 Medea smiled, “You're not even a decent challenge.  Pathetic."

 "Shut up," Lance growled under his breath, narrowly avoiding a swing from Keith.  Where were the others?

Medea laughed louder, “Shut up now?  When can I see one of her children destroyed by who he loves most?  Never.  This is something I've been waiting for for years.  You won't ruin everything for me, son of Aphrodite. "

 Lance blocked a blow from Keith with his sword but trembled: he was unable to hold.  She had to step on his foot and kick him to get away from him.

 “You are not loyal.  Obviously.  But no matter how many tricks you use, he is superior to you.  He will kill you and wake up stained with your blood.  How amazing, isn't it? "

 "You are crazy."

 "Yes, I am.  And it's all your mother's fault.  "

 “It was not she who killed your brother and your children, nor made Aegeus a useless old man.  It's all your doing, and no one else's. "

 “What I have done is the consequences of her manipulations!  Fault of her and Hera!  But don't worry, they too will get what they deserve.  But first, you must die.  Keith, what are you waiting for?  Kill him!"

 Keith complied, launching himself on Lance.

 Lance dodged the blow, but his vision began to blur.  He backed away, putting a hand to his forehead.  Keith took advantage of this to attack, and Lance parried.  The other, however, was too strong, and he was starting to feel bad.

 The wound in his neck throbbed, and his vision was blurred, as if he had drunk too much.  It wasn't a good sign.

 The blade must have been poisoned.  Ah.  Medea was famous for her potions.  Even if Lance managed to get by until the other paladins arrived, the poison would kill him anyway.

 Ironic.  He had always thought that Keith was going to be his death.  He was right.

 He was about to give in when the wall behind Medea exploded, and debris hit her, wounding her.

 Reinforcements had arrived.

 Medea growled, "Keith, get away from him and come to me"

 The paladin followed the order, while the others surrounded the witch.  Hunk was right next to Lance, “What's going on?  Why is Keith helping her? "

 “It's not his fault.  Medea used the charm to speak. "

 "What?"

 "It's a skill that allows you to manipulate people ... some of my sisters have it too."

 Helios's fire was crackling, and Medea looked at him with an angry frown.

 “No, you are not going to ruin everything for me.  Not now that I am so close to obtaining all the divine essence of my grandfather. "

 "You better give up, Medea .- Lance told her, leaning on Hunk - You are outnumbered.  "

 “Oh, that's right.  But the two of us together are much stronger than all of you.  Don't forget that I am the most powerful sorceress that has ever existed.  Also… I know how easy it is to pit you against each other."

 Guilt was visible on everyone's face.  They knew she was right.  Their team was a mess, they were children with the weight of the universe on their shoulders.  They weren't perfect, and the tension had broken them.

 Medea smirked, “I know your weaknesses, paladins.  One word from me will suffice, and you will slaughter each other.  "

 "Can she do it?"  Hunk asked him.

Lance didn't answer him.  Instead, he turned to Medea, "They won't."

 Medea looked at Lance with superiority, "Are you sure, son of Aphrodite?"

 No, he wasn't.  But he needed time to bluff, “I am.  They are stronger than you think. "

 "The black paladin is strong too, but look at him, now he's just my puppet."

 Lance looked at Keith, “It doesn't matter.  He can free himself. "

 “Don't talk nonsense.  If you think you have a more powerful charm speak than mine, you are crazy. "

 “It's not me: Keith can free himself because… he is the most stubborn person in the Universe.  I'm sure he's trying to break free from your control right now.  He needs encouragement. "

 "This is ridiculous for you too."

 “It's true, I'm ridiculous, they often tell me - at that sentence, Hunk lowered his head, full of guilt - But I know Keith, and I know that if there's anyone who can do it, it's him.  Because… he's a hero.  He is one of those who save people, and he doesn't leave them behind.  He takes care of the team, even if he does it his way.  Under the guise of a tough guy, in reality, there is a good person who would sacrifice himself for the greater good. "

 Lance pulled away from Hunk and walked over to Keith.  The friend tried to stop him, but Allura said, "Let him do it."

 "But ..."

 "We have to trust him."

 Lance continued, “Keith is our leader, our friend, and the future of the Universe.  I haven't changed my mind, even though he pisses me off.  I know that he is capable of great things, and I have seen him shine, be above all.  I used to be jealous, but now ... now I love all these things because they make it what it is. "

 Keith's eyes were no longer blank, but it didn't mean much.  Lance patted him, "Show her what you can do."

 And don't kill me yet.

 Medea lost her patience, “Kill him.  Cut his throat, so he will finally stop talking. "

 Keith did not obey.  Medea tried again, “Are you listening to me?  I said…"

 He didn't finish her sentence: Keith cut off her arm cleanly, and Lance took the opportunity to push her into the fire.

 Medea did not have time to understand what was happening.  Her screams rang through the room as the flames devoured her.

 An end worthy of a witch.

 Lance felt his head spin again, and he fell backward into Keith's arms.

 "Ah ... what a nice place to die."

 He closed his eyes, the sounds muffled.  The last thing you heard was Keith yelling his name.

The afterlife was more static than he expected.  When Lance had opened his eyes - could the dead open their eyes?  - he was in a wasteland, surrounded by darkness.

 He felt light, almost worry-free.  He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so calm.

 There were little lights around him, but there was no guide to take him to Charon or a judge from hell.

 Nothing.

 Quite disappointing.  He had sacrificed his life for the universe, and that was his welcome?

 He had to fend for himself and find the judges himself.  It shouldn't have been difficult.

 Not a surprise, after an indefinite lapse of time - a few minutes or maybe hours, time no longer mattered - Lance was still at square one, zero progress made.

 He was maddening.

 Was that his punishment?  Was Hades punishing him for being too frivolous?  Bad news for his sisters at Camp.

 "Hey there! Hades! Don't you even let me cross the Styx? Was I so bad as a hero?"

 "The opposite."

 That voice.  Crap.  Not even there!

 In a flicker of colors, Bob appeared before him, a brightly colored car in that wasteland.

 He was accepting all that color.  He would almost prefer to be blind not to see it.

 Bob smirked at him, "Good show, Paladin. I couldn't have done better. Who knew the power of love would solve everything? Your words awakened the black paladin"

 "You didn't do anything," Lance scolded him, ignoring the part about the power of love.

 "You met Vorn thanks to me."

 "What?"

 Bob rolled his eyes, "How do you think he got the urge to escape?"

 "He was afraid of Medea and her experiments."

 “But he was still a loyal Druid who believed in Haggar - the god revealed, fluttering around him.  - He would never disobey her.  If Haggar had told him to cut off his arm for Medea, he would have done it.  A real drag.  I had to work hard on him to finally make him decide to escape. "

 "I guess I don't want to know what you did to him."

 “Nothing so drastic.  In the end, he didn't even remember me.  But when I finished, he was ready to help you.  More or less."

 “He was terrified.  You brainwashed him, ”Lance hissed, acrimonious.

 "I put him on the right path."

 "He's just a child."

 “A child who, under other circumstances, would have been your enemy.  I wouldn't be so bad for him.  His help allowed you to get to Medea and save the universe. "

 "I did not save the Universe.  Haggar is still around. "

 Bob corrected him, “For a little while.  Furthermore, she has lost her most precious ally.  She doesn't have much power now, not to do what she planned.  You gave the other paladins an advantage.  Now it's up to them to use it well, so as not to make your death vain ... even if ... "

 "Huh?  What's up?"

 Bob gave a weird smile, “I'm curious what your mother is planning.  I'm sure it will be something theatrical, as usual. "

 "What does Aphrodite have to do now?"

 “Paladin, now that she has taken an interest in your story, it is difficult for her to want it to end.  And now that you're here, the black paladin will have to take it upon himself to entertain her. "

He didn't think it was possible, but Lance felt his chest tighten in an iron grip.

 “Keith is mortal.  He has nothing to do with the gods. "

 “It seems to me that there have been many mortal heroes on Earth who have affected the gods.  It didn't always end well, but it looks like the black paladin is extremely lucky.  He might even get something… a less sad end, for example.  Like that woman ... ah, it seems to me that she was called Alcestis. "

 "I do not understand."

 Bob dismissed him with a wave of his hand, “Don't worry about these things.  All you have to do is wait here for a while.  It shouldn't be too long a wait, time in the astral plane flows astrally. "

 "Astral plane?  What am I doing in the astral plane?  I thought I was in the Underworld. "

 A nod of laughter, “Consider this my farewell gift.  You have always saved the Universe.  I must at least reward you. "

 "Um ..."

 “Don't be so suspicious, you'll like it, you'll see.  In the end, you'll even thank me. "

 "Somehow, I doubt it."

 “Ah.  It remains to be seen if the black paladin will complete his quest. "

 "Quest?  What quest? "

 But Bob disappeared, leaving him alone and with so many questions that would not soon be answered.

Time passed, and Lance didn't do much.  The astral plane was boring, and although he occasionally saw something - of an unspecified nature and with which perhaps it was better not to have anything to do with - there was not much that entertained him.

 He was afraid of going crazy.

 You shouldn't put a guy with hyperactivity in a world where he can't vent his energy.  He was stupid.

 The only thing he could do to burn energy was to walk in the void.  After a while he became useless, he never went very far, but at least he gave him something to do.

 It wasn't enough, and his mind was beginning to waver.  Was this how souls felt on the Aspholide Prairie?  They did not remember their past, but they still felt loneliness.

 Suddenly, it seemed to him a destination as depressing as Tartarus: Tartar's torture was physical, but Prairie's was psychological.

 It didn't matter that the souls didn't remember, they still had feelings.  And the sense of loneliness must have been terrible, especially if felt for centuries.

 Will he also remain there for centuries?  The thought of him depressed him.

 Was everything he had done useless?  Were the gods still enjoying themselves at his expense?

 He wanted company. Dei immortals, he would have been okay with talking to that psycho Bob too.

 But the god had never returned to visit him, and Lance wondered what his latest gift was.

 It was in this state of affairs that he began to hear his voice.

 "... there is no other way ..."

 "Keith?"

 He looked around, but the paladin was nowhere to be seen.  So where did his voice come from?

 “I don't know if you can hear me, but I'd like to tell you… I'm sorry… I was wrong.  I thought I was going to get stronger by giving up all my weaknesses.  I considered you my weakness ... and I pushed you aside.  It was easier.  I had to be the leader of Voltron, I didn't have time for anything else.  I took Shiro as an example.  Which, thinking about it now, was stupid, especially considering Adam and ... that's not the point ... "

 "And what would it be?"

 Silence.  Had he heard him?  Impossible.

 But then, how did Lance hear Keith speak?  And where was Keith?  Was that Bob's gift?

 "Ah ... I guess this is your way of telling me I'm an idiot."

 “At least you know.  "

 "I guess I deserve it."

 Lance chuckled, “Gods, we can fight even when we're not talking to each other.  I'm not even sure you hear me.  If you could, I ... "

 What would he do?  Better be realistic, there was no way he would open his heart to Keith now.  It would have been too painful for both of them.

 “I didn't think you could do that.  Allura and Chiron had said it was a possibility, but ... "

 "Chiron?  What does that have to do with anything?  Wait, are you back on Earth?  How ... no, how long did it take? "

 "... it is strange to see that this is so."

 "What?"

 “I guess there is still a chance.  It wasn't a lie. "

 "Lie?"

 “I will recover it.  And I'll be able to fix it.  Wait for me. "

 "I'm used to it by now ..." Lance said with a sigh.  Keith said no more, and Lance was alone again.

He waited to hear Keith's voice again.  It was comforting, in his way.  But he didn't hear Keith again for a while.

 He wondered what was going on.  The most likely guess was that his mother was enjoying herself at Keith's expense.

 Very typical of her.

 Lance wondered what the goddess had for him: a tragic love, perhaps?  Will Keith and Acxa not be able to be together until Keith passes all the tests?

 He wanted to ignore the sense of satisfaction she felt at the thought, a meanness that suited his mother more than him.

 Lance wanted Keith to be happy.  If he finds that happiness with Acxa, Lance could only approve.  Happiness for heroes was a rare thing, and when they got it, they had to preserve it with all their might.

 "Lance."

 Above him, a golden light appeared so intense it hurt his eyes.  Lance covered his face with his arm, feeling a sensation of warmth pervade his entire body.

 "Damn, Lance!"

 Pidge?

 "Why it does not work?  It had to work! "

 Hunk too?  Where is he…

 “Last time it didn't work right away.  We need to be patient."

 Veronica?  He wasn't imagining.  It was them.

 "If anyone can do it, it's him."

 Shiro too?  And was he paying him a compliment?  Gods, was he going to go to the Elysian?  Was the wait over?

 “Lance, dude.  Just this once, follow the light.  "

 Well, it was worth trying to follow the advice.  It was worth a try.  So he jumped into the light.

 He didn't expect the pain, nor the intense heat, as if he were fire.

 It burned everything, but it was not destructive.  His cells seemed to be coming together, along with the flesh and bone.

 "I see something."

 " It is not possible."

 "Watch it!"

 It all ended, the light, the pain, the intense heat.  And Lance opened his eyes to find himself on Keith's lap.

 He was in Camp, near Thalia's tree.  His friends were there.  Veronica and his sisters were there.

 And he was alive

 He had come home.

 "Hey ... I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

 "Was I in the Blue Lion?"

 “Yes. Allura noticed it shortly after we arrived on Earth.  She tried to extract your soul, but she couldn't.  You became the Blue Lion. "

 “Here's what Bob's last gift was.  Yet…I don't understand how I am here. "

 “We used the Golden Fleece.  It was ... difficult to find it. "

 "Wasn't it  at Camp Half-blood already?"

 "No, it's a long story ... and it's partly your mother's fault."

 "What did she do?"

 "She made my life hell."

 "Eh?"

 " It's a long story.  Better to start from when we arrived on Earth ... "