[The message from Nurray had been concerning for obvious reasons, and though he's not certain of what he can do to help in practical terms, there's no way he isn't heading to Nadril to investigate. Allura had shared similar sentiments, so the two of them make the long trip to the coldest region of El Nysa together.
Confounding readings from regions of the galaxy. On some level, it almost sounds like something that would have been said back home while they were on the castleship. Considering the nature of what was causing any disturbances in the galaxy there, this is probably more ominous than he's willing to acknowledge openly.
They arrive in Nadril in due time, and make their way to the virtual reality consoles that have been prepared. If he knew what to expect, he probably wouldn't be smiling, but ignorance is bliss and he cheerily turns to Allura.]
See you in the past, Allura.
[The simulation loads though, and as the world around them blurs and fades, he's actually a little enthused. What's there to see from this planet's past? Castles? Things that are so weird that he can't even begin to imagine them?
Well, as it turns out.. they get to be in a castle. If by castle, we mean a freaking cell, with all the proper treatment that goes along with being a prisoner.]
Huh? [He looks down at his new shackles and chains, too confused to feel much of anything else. Head up, he immediately turns to Allura.] Hey, you okay?
[These VR simulations can be pretty unexpected. Through them, she’s been thrown into all manner of situations — repeats of the fight with Yversai, near perfect remakes of parts of the planet. But they never felt deadly and learning more about the history of this place was intriguing enough to sooth the majority of her reservations. And Lance’s positive energy is infectious, as always, and the last thing she remembers is returning his smile.
The next thing she knows she’s on the ground, wrists bound together and for the slightest second, she was back on board the Galra command ship, awaiting her fate at the hands of Zarkon. But this isn’t the command ship, she quickly ascertains. The heavy, metal cuffs around her wrists is clear enough indication, and dare it to say, but their current surroundings made Allura’s old cell look like a luxury resort.
She shakes her head out of it as she looks around. It’s a shared cell with multiple prisoners, all shackled in the same way. In the distance, screaming that turns her blood cold.]
I’m fine. [She sounds shaken, but steels her resolve, eyes narrowing as she tries again,] I’m fine. This is only a simulation.
[Said just as much for her benefit as it is his. It’s a little bit of a challenge, to sit up with her hands bound, but she manages it, and offers Lance another (smaller) smile.] I guess there is something we need to learn here.
[What they’re supposed to learn from the inside of a cage is still a mystery, but they’re just getting started.]
[With his major point of concern addressed, or at least as close to addressed as possible in this crummy situation, it's time to take a deep breath and try to get a handle on everything else happening.]
I know it's just a simulation, but...
[There's only so much that knowing this can do to lessen the intensity. He looks away from her, wincing a little as the faint screams from beyond the walls of their cell seem to reach a peak and slowly die down. None of the other prisoners are familiar to him, but they all have a distinct look in their eyes, like frightened animals.
If he were going to be conspiratorial, he'd be wondering if they've been set up in some way because there really doesn't seem like there's anything that can be learned here other than this would appear to be a pretty gruesome moment in El Nysa's history.]
Maybe we're supposed to help them?
[He awkwardly pushes himself upright, taking a closer look at the heavy chains binding his wrists and ankles to the stone wall. But if they're supposed to be learning something rather than this being some kind of training exercise, it would suggest that they're meant to be passive observers instead.]
[Allura nods. Regardless of what the simulation intends to show them, it’s impossible for her to just sit back while other people suffer, even if these people are just bits of data or memories or whatever the simulation was pulling from.]
I think I might be able to- [Before she can finish the thought, there’s the sound of footsteps in the halls, and metal on metal as the cell doors are wrenched open. To her surprise, their captors are not human but some sort of… reptile? A species she has never seen before on El Nysa nor anywhere else for that matter. This definitely feels like something important.
Any revelation is quickly chased from her mind as a pointed finger is aimed in her direction, and the other prisoners shrink back as two of them come forward. There’s only a moment to feel the sudden spike of panic when clawed hands grab at her arms, hauling her to her feet with surprising strength,]
[He's still peering around the cell, trying to work out what the purpose of all this is, when things escalate in just a matter of seconds. All the signs were there. The way that their fellow prisoners were all collectively holding their breaths at the sound of approaching footsteps, avoiding eye contact, turning their backs to the door like this was all a matter of life and death -- it's hard not to feel suffocated by the tension.
His eyes go wide with surprise when the creatures enter the room, but he doesn't even have the luxury of unpacking what he's seeing because--]
Allura!
[He has no idea what's happening, but that's not important. These alien creatures aren't taking her away. No way in hell. He doesn't have any weapons on him, and even if he did have his bayard, it's not like he'd have been able to use it freely, chained up as he is. That's still not stopping him from acting entirely on instinct and throwing himself bodily at the closest guard.]
[Belligerent prisoners apparently isn't too uncommon, as the second guard seems largely unbothered by Lance's sudden movements, ready to toss him back to the side, but what they aren't ready for is the opening Lance's outburst gives Allura. Her arms may be bound, but her feet are free, and they definitely aren't expecting her to come towards them, which she does, shouldering the first guard with enough strength that she can hear his breath get knocked from out of his lungs. (Or whatever breathing apparatus lizard-men use).
The next few moments are utter pandemonium, filled with the shouts of prisoners and guards alike. The next thing Allura knows, she hits the ground hard, a guard's knee digging into her back until it's hard to breath. Next to her is Lance, in very much the same situation, as nearly half a dozen of the guards scramble to collect their prisoners.]
Lance...!
[Her voice comes out as a croak, the breath knocked from her lungs. The look she tries to give him is one of grim determination, hoping that maybe it will help him have courage — maybe this is the thing they're meant to see — but her heart is hammering so hard in her chest, she's not sure if the look on her face is anything except fear.]
[Right, so his attempt to tackle one of the guards didn't quite go as planned. He takes a hard elbow to the gut, crumpling as he goes down. Still he can't stay down, so as soon as Lance catches his breath again, he attempts to get back on his feet to help Allura in any way possible.
She's never really needed his help in physical combat before, and some overly optimistic part of him wants to believe that this is still true. Grass is green, the sky is blue, Allura can thrash just about anyone with her hands tied behind her back. But overwhelmingly it becomes obvious this isn't the case, and his second attempt to help is made all the more desperate for it. He attempts to jump one of the guards, hoping to choke it or something with the chains on his wrist, but the guards are even more alert this time around, and he finds himself thrown to the ground, gasping for air and stinging just about everywhere.
He turns when she calls his name, smiling through a wince.]
It's gonna be okay.
[That's the truth of it, isn't it? "Just a simulation" and all, but it still feels like a blatant lie as he says it. He wishes it didn't.
The next instant, the guards yank at the chains binding his wrist, forcing him up to his knees. A spear is pointed at the small of his back: the message is clear enough: get up and walk. He never takes his eyes off Allura during this, his whole body turning to lead as he watches the guards do the same to her.]
It's gonna be okay.
[He repeats the words with as much conviction as he can muster, for the both of them. Gingerly, he gets up on his feet, and the two of them are marched out the door. Where they're being taken is a little unclear, but you don't need much of an imagination when the stench of blood and decay gets stronger as they walk down a darkened hallway.]
[Maybe it should be a point of pride that it took so many of the lizard-men to take them down, that they felt the need to re-bind her arms — behind her back, wrist to opposite elbow — to keep her from getting leverage. Maybe later she'd think to feel anything except for the cold dread curling in her stomach right now. It's only a simulation, but the feeling isn't too different from when she'd been captured and on her way to see Zarkon oh so long ago.
And just the same, she walked with her chin high and her eyes hard, somehow still regal despite the grime of their cell smeared on her clothes nor the bruise already forming from where her head hit the floor. The only flicker in her expression comes from when her eyes meet with Lance's and she's equal parts scared for him and selfishly glad that they're in this together. Maybe this is what they're meant to see from the memory after all...?
The hallway opens into a large room, and it's immediately obvious what has been going on in here. The floor of the room is more red than anything else — blood pooling and spattering and telling a gruesome tale of the fate of the other prisoners. Some of which were still present, so to speak, their bodies discarded at the edge of the room, blank eyed and with their throats slashed—
Allura's vision turns white, as finally panic starts to bubble up over her resolve, visions of the young boy in Olympia, his life cut short by a blade to the throat, and for a second she swears she can see his face among the victims. Ancients, not again. Please not again.]
i think i closed this tab like 3 times cuz i got too sad lmao
[The execution room is a ghastly sight, and not one that even the metallic stench that's thick enough to make him gag as he's marched towards it, truly prepares Lance. They've fought a challenging war together for months, liberated planets that've been turned into little more than labor camps for the Galra and even the worst they'd seen still doesn't come as close to being as viscerally nauseating. The humidity from the too-pale bodies alone makes the room fetid with the early stages of decay and congealed blood bathing the floor It sticks to the bottom of Lance's feet, squelching under his weight as the guards march them through the doorway. One wide eyed look at the lifeless bodies to Allura is all it takes before it all falls into place with ice cold clarity.]
No.
[Nobody's talking to him, nobody's said a word, but Lance shouts it anyway because simulation or not, he is not about to watch them do this to Allura. Without another moment of hesitation, Lance whirls around and aims an elbow at the guard behind him. The attack doesn't connect; their executioners are simply too prepared for last minute outbursts like these. But that doesn't stop Lance from attempting a second strike as he aims a desperate kick.]
You don't need both of us, let her go!
[Their captors guffaw and a third guard delivers a swift blow to the side of Lance's head that sends him reeling towards the wall. He slowly slumps forward, tasting blood that isn't his own when his face hits the ground. Again, he's yanked up by the chains, grimacing as he's dragged off towards the center of the room.
His head feels heavy, but Lance raises it enough to catch Allura's eye. Spitting out blood, he attempts to shout to her: Run, please run, but his voice comes out hoarse, scratchy.]
[It's about the same time that Lance begins to fight back that Allura does in kind, throwing all of her weight into it, even managing to knock on guard off of it's feet. But they're just too ready, and by the time Lance catches her eye, Allura is shoved face-down into the grime, pinned down by three of the guards, in blood that isn't hers. She hardly notices the way her hair hanging in her face is stained red, panic settling deep in her chest in a way that it never did, even when she was deep in the holds of the Galra command ship. Her chest is heaving and she's screaming-]
Stop the simulation! Stop- Please! Don't do this-
[It's a desperate attempt, but it doesn't stop. They're still there and ice chills her to her bones when Lance reaches the center of the room, where the glint of a serrated knife catches her eye, even in the darkened chambers. There's a dizzying sense of utter helplessness, and she doesn't realize that tears are streaming down her face until they lock eyes,]
[The next couple of seconds pass in a blurry haze. The guards are swift and efficient, wasting no time as the push Lance down on his knees before a steel drain in the center of the room. It's anyone's guess just how many prisoners have been processed this way that the drain is overflowing with half coagulated blood. If Lance had taken even a second to look down at it, he'd see that there's movement beneath the grates from the maggots that are burrowing into their meal, but he doesn't take his eyes off Allura.
He watches as the guards hold her down on the ground in silent horror, blinking back tears when her pleas fill the execution chamber. Thoughts like it's just a simulation, it's not real, we'll be fine, she'll be fine fail so utterly to provide any sort of comfort or relief because the fact of the matter is that they still had to experience all of this in some way.
She had to experience this, and he hates the fact that he's utterly powerless to stop any of it from happening. He grits his teeth, trying hard not to cry. The only thing he can still do for Allura is to go out like a true paladin, not like a scared farm boy from Cuba.]
Allura, it's - it's okay.
[His voice is shaky -- even shakier when a guard pulls his head up to expose his neck.]
Don't watch, ok? Run if y--
[He never finishes that sentence. The guard slashes his neck with a serrated blade, severing both carotids. Even Lance seems stunned by the spray of his blood at first, then he sways. The guard releases his hair and tosses him to the side.
In his mind, at least, Lance is still saying things to her as the room gets darker and darker. It's okay, it'll be okay. They'll stop the simulation now.... but all his words are nothing more than incomprehensible gurgling caught in the back of his throat.]
[The next moments are like a blur, figuratively and literally. She can feel her blood turn to ice in her veins when the blade finds Lance’s throat, and her voice in her own head is just a mantra of no, no, no, no, please, anything but this-
But she’s powerless. Just like so many times before. Powerless to save her people, powerless to stop this from happening. Her vision swims as Lance’s form drops to the floor, and she’s numb, staring at him, even as she can feel herself picked up off of the ground, dragged to the center of the room. It’s not until there’s fingers in her hair, dragging her head back, that her eyes finally focus on a pair of reptilian eyes.
There’s a scream as she fights back with everything she has, vengeance burning in her eyes, but it ends the same way. With a flash of a blade, and a white hot pain, epithets dying on her lips as the color drains from her face.
It’s only moments later that her eyes flash open, and it’s no longer the execution chamber, but the cell. And his face.]
Lance-! [Her voice cracks and there’s already tears at the edge of her vision. The chains behind her back rattle as she instinctively goes to try and wrap her arms around him, but all she manages is to lean her shoulder into him, face against his shoulder.] I'm sorry- I couldn't-
[Give her a moment, she'll start breaking chains in a tick.]
[Lance doesn't know what exactly he was expecting after getting his throat slashed open in a simulation. In the best case scenario, he thought it'd mean waking back up in the real world where he could then hopefully turn the damn thing off before Allura had to go through anything similar, but in actuality it's more like respawning at the last save point in the world's most depressing video game. He startles in the cell, earning himself several dead-eyed looks from his fellow prisoners.]
Allura!
[Likewise he immediately turns towards her, and attempts to give her a hug... but turns out chains are incredibly good at thwarting these kinds of attempts. He settles for pressing his cheek against her shoulder, panic slowly receding.]
Allura, I'm so glad you're okay.
[Visibly anyway. Or at least as close as to okay as they can possibly be in this horrid situation. God knows he's going to have nightmares about this for a while.]
We can't let this keep happening so we have to get out of here. I- I think I know how. You think you can like... free one of my hands?
[It only takes her a moment to kick her brain back into gear — it would be so easy to get wrapped up in the trauma of what just happened, but determination is a much stronger driving force, and as Lance speaks, her eyes narrow, and she gives a firm nod.
They will not go through this again. She cannot lose him a second time.]
Just give me a tick- I think I can-
[Though her hands are bound behind her back, the will to live (and an Altean's sheer physical strength) is more than a match for the old fashioned chains. With her eyes squeezed shut, she pulls her arms away from each other with all of the strength she can muster. They cannot chance another mistake. Sure enough, there's the sound of metal-on-metal as suddenly one of the links in the center snaps so suddenly she almost topples right back into Lance.
Mission accomplished, except now the other prisoners are starting up quite the stir. They won't have long before someone comes to check on them.]
Give me your hand
[And she'll make quick work of the chains binding Lance as well, leaving them free of their tethers.]
[Under a different set of circumstances Lance would be watching Allura snap chains like they're made out paper in slack jawed awe, but there's just a little adrenaline in his system for this, and the other prisoners staring at them has him feeling nervous.]
Thanks, Allura. I think if we can bust the door down, we should be able to just walk on out of here using those invisibility powers. I can turn you invisible, too, as long as you hold onto my hand.
[,small>Tense, he holds his hand out to her.]
Dunno where we might be able to escape to, but any place is better than this dump, right?
[That’s right, she nearly forgot about Lance’s new powers. In the tense of the situation and just by wont of knowing him for so long without them. She doesn't question his plan, nodding as she climbs to her feet.]
I can take care of the door.
[He stretches out his hand, and she takes it. Despite the fire in her eyes, and the tension pulled at her brows, there’s a tremble in her hand that becomes obvious when she places it in his, amped up on adrenaline and fear in equal amounts. After a moment, she shifts their hands so that their fingers are laced — to calm her nerves and to make sure that they wouldn’t be easily pulled apart.]
They won’t capture us again. I swear it.
for space padre (cw: body horror / eventual death)
Lance's eyes are wide as he and Shiro make their way into the wild forests of Wyver. Bayard in hand, he holds the scope of his sniper rifle up to his eye to check their immediate surroundings for any danger. The paladin in him, the fighter who's been in countless battles back home, is efficient, focused and ready. It's just another series of battles to keep a planet safe from all the monsters that've invaded their new home. The boy in him that misses Earth and starts to complain about space dust when he thinks too long about his mom's warm hugs, is terrified.
It's hard to fathom just how lighthearted he'd felt at the start of all this. One message urging people to come to Nadril to help study some "anomalous readings" coming from deep space. Even then, in the pit of his stomach he knew that this would all turn to shit -- a full year of "anomalous readings" in a space war have taught him that this is never a benign finding. But he wanted so desperately for this to just be normal, for all of them to just catch a break, especially since Shiro only just woke up.
But sometimes life just doesn't give you what you want.]
Coast is clear.
[His voice is tense, everything about him is tense from the way he's holding that rifle too tightly in his hands, to the way he's carrying himself like any second now some aberration is going to pop out of nowhere to kill them. That's the reality they live in now.]
Do we advance?
[As if they really have a choice. They're able to fight, this is what being a paladin's all about. Defending the universe. He can't help thinking that the lions would make quick work of all these mutated creatures that are neither animals nor machines but awful hybrids of the two, but that's another bit of wishful thinking isn't it.]
( life rarely gives you what you want — even if you go looking for it, hard, and deserve to have it. with all the things they've been through, all the things they've seen and heard and felt and everything else that have led them to now, to be around to witness the end of the world isn't all that surprising.
even when they both deserve to have things settle down, maybe lance especially, because he's been dealing with all of this for much, much longer than shiro has. he knows what's going on. this one is still trying to make sense, find his footing, make himself useful where he can.
( and yes, they would probably go round and around and around some more on which of them deserved more of a break. shiro will always say lance. there will be no changing his mind. )
anomalous readings have never been a lead-in to anything good, if their past has taught them anything but he likes to think they're well-prepared enough for it, at least in the sense that while they might be going in a little blind, they know to keep their eyes peeled. their senses sharpened. to utilize every little thing that has kept them alive in the past and kept them moving forward.
( … in lance's case, anyway. but that's neither here nor there. )
shiro watches the other with his bayard and he thinks, not for the first time since the black lion had been passed to keith for good that it feels strange not to have one of his own; he's still getting used to this new arm, too, and what a time to be doing it. he'll do what he can, because of course he will, he always will, and watching lance despite the tension threaded through him, pulling him taut as a wire, he's glad it's the two of them together here.
he nods to himself, clears his throat. ) Slowly. I don't think there's going to be a very large margin for error out here. ( understatement of the century much?
but. again. at least they're prepared.
and before they begin to move forward again, he has to ask: ) You holding up all right?
[That's a funny question to be asked in the middle of the planet going straight to hell, and it actually gets Lance to laugh just a little humorlessly. The truth is? No. No, he's not holding up alright. For months it'd been something of a comfort to think that ~the storm~ was just some bullshit cover story that the Natha had made up and that Earth was still out there, unharmed and beautiful. In his mind at least, he could still spend a nice, full day at Varadero beach, shove his face full of garlic knots at his favorite place right by the shore and share all of these things he loves with the other paladins when they eventually returned home and got that parade they so clearly earned for themselves.
And true, while the storm being real doesn't necessarily mean Earth has been consumed by it, his mood's gone grim and grey, like he's finally been snapped out of this childish day dream and had his face pushed straight into a sea of unforgiving truths. And he doesn't have the time to think about any of it because that's not going to solve Wyver's current monster apocalypse. It's not going to solve the threat of their imminent extinction.
Everything that's wrong has to be carefully buried, vacuum sealed and repressed because right now he has to focus. They could get killed out here if they aren't careful and if there's anything that experiencing those hideous simulations with Allura and Shiro have taught him, it's that he can't lose them. He won't lose them.]
I'm holding. [In the world's lamest attempt at a joke, he raises the sniper rifle,] See?
[Eh? Ehhhh? Is that encouraging? Probably not. But he's going to redirect the subject.]
Isn't that my line? I mean.... you just woke up in the middle of this whole mess.
[He can't imagine how much harder this has to be for Shiro. As in literally he can't do it, otherwise he might have to start crying over the unfairness of it all that the guy had to wake up at such a crummy time. Even if he is secretly so selfishly glad that Shiro's around to help bring a sense of stability to everything.
There's a beat, then he looks back down through his scope.]
...You probably can't answer that for real. But when we get out of this, I'm bugging you for your workout routine, kay? Last time I ever get caught in the apocalypse without bigger guns.
( it is kind of a ridiculous question to ask in the middle of all this, isn't it? and whether it's more out of habit than anything else is anyone's guess — it isn't, because of course it isn't, because he cares so much about all of them that he has to ask, even if he thinks he might already know the answer — but still, there it is, hanging in the air between them as they scope out how they should progress from here.
it's. uncanny, really, to think of earth as being gone when he'd only just seen it before he'd come out of stasis; it might have been taken over, overrun by the galra but there had still been hope to bring it back from the brink and make it whole again, even if it hadn't seemed very. likely.
( no, he can't think that. because he's always managed to maintain a positive outlook in the face of whatever lies ahead of them, and this isn't about to be any sort of exception. he won't let it be. )
the attempt at a joke is met with a an easy half-smile, because of course he can't think to give anything else when lance is the one trying to lighten the mood. he shakes his head anyway with a small breath out, a short sort of chuckle making its way out of him. ) Yeah, I see. ( don't ever change, lance. don't ever change.
he pauses, though, and makes a contemplative sort of sound in the back of his throat. ) Maybe, but at least I'm here. ( there's another beat of a pause. ) I wouldn't want you to go through this by yourself. ( not that that's supposed to mean he doesn't think you can, mind. make no mistake about that — he's always going to have faith in you — but he does find himself breathing a little easier knowing that you aren't about to try whatever you're both about to try all by your lonesome.
oh, and that last little bit? actually makes him laugh. because: )That's what you're thinking about right now? I don't know … it looks like you've got a pretty big one right there. ( oh. you both aren't allowed to make jokes, you know. there are rules against that. somewhere.
but. ) But. Okay. I don't want to disappoint you, but there's not a whole lot to it. ( just cardio. alternating leg days with arm days. more cardio. regular protein intake.
You sure you wouldn't rather be getting more of that beauty sleep right about now, Shiro?
[Because absolutely nobody would blame him for wanting to not be dealing with the apocalypse right upon waking. It's an earnest enough question, asked with just a tiny smile -- something earnest in the midst of some of his more forced attempts to keep them both from wigging out.]
Cuz I was starting to feel a little bad for being glad about having you around. Y'know... leading like you used to.
[There's a lot to dissect there. For starters, Shiro being a whole lot less touchy and moody than Lance had gotten used to is just such a wonderful change, even if he always cared about Shiro regardless and wanted to do his very best to prove himself in his hero's eyes. But that isn't what Lance is getting at primarily, and what he is getting at leaves him feeling just a tiny bit guilty in the pit of his stomach. After all this time, he just doesn't really know if he trusts Keith to lead their group through this mess. But he does trust Shiro.
But as for that final question, he furrows his brow, then sighs and lowers the rifle a bit to look over.]
...Well, it's something I guess I've been thinking about for a while. I just. [He breathes out heavily, biting the inside of his lip.[ It's silly, I totally get it. I just want to be stronger so that things like what happened in the simulation don't happen again. Guess I've been having nightmares about losing you and Allura.
I think I've had about as much of that as I can stand. ( he's being perfectly honest, here, and it goes without saying that he would probably say that regardless of the situation, not only to lighten the mood; it's never mattered if he doesn't want to deal with something, because he's always going to be the kind of person that rises to whatever is needed from him at any given time, and especially where lance is concerned, he doesn't want to find himself falling short. in any capacity.
that next bit catches him behind the ribs, though, and his heart aches for the span of its next handful of beats. ) Hey, you don't have to feel bad, okay? I'm glad to be around. ( there's a beat of a pause, and he doesn't want to hesitate, but he catches himself thinking what next comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. ) Wouldn't think so far ahead about the leading part if I were you, though.
( he hasn't been here long enough to lead anyone, even if he's sure to fall into the role as he always does when he inevitably finds his footing. it hasn't been long enough, nowhere near long enough, but. it can still happen.
he goes quiet, then, at what lance says next. he knows what it means to want to protect the ones you care about with everything in you, being terrified it isn't enough — and wanting to do everything in your power to ensure it is. lance has come a long way in his development, shiro having watched him grow and mature with the others in the time they've spent together, and he breathes out a knowing sort of sound that he hopes begins to get his point across. )
Wanting to protect the people you care about doesn't make you silly. It makes you a good person. ( he pauses again, watching lance's profile, the way his expression shifts. ) As soon as we're finished here, I'll give you all my secrets. Promise.
[The middle of an apocalypse really isn't an apt time to be having a heart to heart and Lance knows that. As much as he wants to continue talking to Shiro because god knows if there's realy going to even be a tomorrow when Thesa crash lands on the planet and the Storm grows ever closer, they have to focus their efforts on doing what they can to stop it, right?
So instead of prolonging the many conversations he's been wanting to have with Shiro, he instead smiles softly -- genuinely, in that honest, kind of shy but appreciative way that he reserves for when he's grateful from the bottom of his heart.]
You're always gonna be someone I look up to, Shiro. Even if you're not our "leader", you know?
[The smile grows a little more light hearted when he adds:]
That another pinky promise?
[Just then, however, something catches his attention on the scope's display, and all semblance of levity fades abruptly.]
Movement at 10 o'clock. Half a smile away -- it's big. [A beat, and with a slight note of alarm:] Fast, too.
[And sure enough, there's a crunch as distant trees in that direction topple -- collateral damage in a monster's rampage. Other trees simply blacken on the spot as if hit by some kind of laser fire. Lance steadies the sniper rifle:] If I get a clear shot at it, I'll take it!
( he's never had to worry too much about whether or not there's going to be a tomorrow — figuratively or literally, in any case — and while it goes without saying that right now isn't the best time to be making any confessions, or engaging in the depth of conversation they're currently making their way toward, it. the words lance gives him burrow deep into him, somewhere in the middle of his chest where they settle behind his ribs and make a place for themselves like something tangible, something alive might.
it feels good in the middle of all this uncertainty, like he's managed to keep lance's trust even while he's been in stasis, even while he hasn't been there for the others like he would have preferred. he might not be the leader anymore — he'd always wanted keith to take his place one day, if it ever came to that, and he's proud that it has — but that he still feels like he has a place with them is comforting in a way that it maybe shouldn't be.
he relies on them too much. more than he'll ever admit out loud, and while he's always preaching that there's never anything wrong with that ( there isn't, there never has been and there never will be ) he likes to maintain some level of being able to stand on his own. because he's always been a pillar of strength for them. has always wanted to.
but he nods, chuckling lightly, low under his breath. ) Definitely. ( pinky promises are going to be their thing, now, apparently. he's pretty okay with that.
he hears the movement before he catches sight of it — big, indeed — and while he's been ready ever since they paused, he steels himself even more, gritting his teeth without realizing. )Only if you get a clear shot. ( that tone? leaves no room for argument. some things aren't ever going to change. ) I don't want you putting yourself in danger if you don't have to.
( never mind that's a sniper he's holding, long-range like whoa and powerful. still. it just goes without saying.
there's more of that movement, and he doesn't need a scope to see how quickly it's advancing. ) ETA less than five minutes, max, if it keeps moving like that.
omg i just caught "half a smile away" and now im cracking up so hard
[Lance has his attention focused squarely on keeping the sniper rifle steady, waiting for whatever the thing is to advance through the thick tangle of forest obscuring the clear shot. Despite the sheer chaos surrounding them, this all feels familiar. Fighting alongside Shiro, getting orders.. and okay, well they don't have the lions and it's been ages since he's heard the phrase "Form Voltron" from either Keith or Shiro, but that's not the point.]
Copy that, Shiro. What's the plan if I can't? Distract it? Split up and attack from different directions? Redirect it? Retreat?
[His mind's working a little on autopilot, letting Shiro handle the decision making while he concentrates. As the thing advances, Lance catches small glimpses of it through the scope lens. It's a purple and black humanoid looking mecha that appear to be fusing with the surrounding wildlife.]
Uh, Shiro? [That's definitely some moderate alarm.] I know this sounds crazy but it looks like a Robeast. It's absorbing everything!
[How it's able to create fire is apparent when Lance spots a dragon head fused into the aberration chest. He fires several quick shots at it, trying to at least neutralize that threat. The dragon head recedes into the Robeasts torso, though it doesn't slow it down at all.]
Edited (ultimate html fail) 2019-01-29 21:07 (UTC)
( it's been long enough since he'd been in charge of the team that it's gotten … a little more familiar-feeling to be the one not calling the shots all the time, even with the memories that don't belong to him slowly creeping back into his mind; that is an entirely different can of worms to be sure, and maybe one of these days he'll properly reflect on them but for now, the only thing that matters is getting through this debacle in one piece, relatively unscathed, but it remains to be seen if that's even possible.
mostly, he wants to ensure the other's spirits stay up. morale is important in situations like these, and he knows lance knows that, but he'll never not want to do what he can just to be sure it all doesn't fall too low.
he's focusing so hard on the approach of the monster that it takes him a second to think out what plan b might be if they don't manage to take the thing down before it gets too close. ) Splitting up is a bad idea, I think. So not that. ( he's usually pretty darn good at thinking on his feet, on the fly, but somehow this time around his thoughts are coming to him slowly, and they don't have time for that. he needs to get himself in gear. focus. focus.) Distract and redirect might be our best bet. Lure it somewhere that allows you to get a better shot. ( there we go. that sounds like a solid plan.
but then. ) It — what? ( that doesn't sound even remotely possible, but then again, he hasn't been out of stasis long enough to properly think of what sounds possible and what doesn't, but a robeast …
he tenses, unconsciously gritting his teeth. he doesn't see what lance sees, not to that extent, but he still zeroes in on the movement and doesn't feel at all sure that they're going to manage to move before it reaches them. it's still moving dreadfully fast. ) Okay. We need to move. If it is a Robeast, we're not even close to being prepared for it.
( great leadership, shiro. you're great at this. you're doing fine. )
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Closed to Allura
Confounding readings from regions of the galaxy. On some level, it almost sounds like something that would have been said back home while they were on the castleship. Considering the nature of what was causing any disturbances in the galaxy there, this is probably more ominous than he's willing to acknowledge openly.
They arrive in Nadril in due time, and make their way to the virtual reality consoles that have been prepared. If he knew what to expect, he probably wouldn't be smiling, but ignorance is bliss and he cheerily turns to Allura.]
See you in the past, Allura.
[The simulation loads though, and as the world around them blurs and fades, he's actually a little enthused. What's there to see from this planet's past? Castles? Things that are so weird that he can't even begin to imagine them?
Well, as it turns out.. they get to be in a castle. If by castle, we mean a freaking cell, with all the proper treatment that goes along with being a prisoner.]
Huh? [He looks down at his new shackles and chains, too confused to feel much of anything else. Head up, he immediately turns to Allura.] Hey, you okay?
:D
The next thing she knows she’s on the ground, wrists bound together and for the slightest second, she was back on board the Galra command ship, awaiting her fate at the hands of Zarkon. But this isn’t the command ship, she quickly ascertains. The heavy, metal cuffs around her wrists is clear enough indication, and dare it to say, but their current surroundings made Allura’s old cell look like a luxury resort.
She shakes her head out of it as she looks around. It’s a shared cell with multiple prisoners, all shackled in the same way. In the distance, screaming that turns her blood cold.]
I’m fine. [She sounds shaken, but steels her resolve, eyes narrowing as she tries again,] I’m fine. This is only a simulation.
[Said just as much for her benefit as it is his. It’s a little bit of a challenge, to sit up with her hands bound, but she manages it, and offers Lance another (smaller) smile.] I guess there is something we need to learn here.
[What they’re supposed to learn from the inside of a cage is still a mystery, but they’re just getting started.]
it's trauma time
I know it's just a simulation, but...
[There's only so much that knowing this can do to lessen the intensity. He looks away from her, wincing a little as the faint screams from beyond the walls of their cell seem to reach a peak and slowly die down. None of the other prisoners are familiar to him, but they all have a distinct look in their eyes, like frightened animals.
If he were going to be conspiratorial, he'd be wondering if they've been set up in some way because there really doesn't seem like there's anything that can be learned here other than this would appear to be a pretty gruesome moment in El Nysa's history.]
Maybe we're supposed to help them?
[He awkwardly pushes himself upright, taking a closer look at the heavy chains binding his wrists and ankles to the stone wall. But if they're supposed to be learning something rather than this being some kind of training exercise, it would suggest that they're meant to be passive observers instead.]
Oh boy!
I think I might be able to- [Before she can finish the thought, there’s the sound of footsteps in the halls, and metal on metal as the cell doors are wrenched open. To her surprise, their captors are not human but some sort of… reptile? A species she has never seen before on El Nysa nor anywhere else for that matter. This definitely feels like something important.
Any revelation is quickly chased from her mind as a pointed finger is aimed in her direction, and the other prisoners shrink back as two of them come forward. There’s only a moment to feel the sudden spike of panic when clawed hands grab at her arms, hauling her to her feet with surprising strength,]
What- No!
Help
His eyes go wide with surprise when the creatures enter the room, but he doesn't even have the luxury of unpacking what he's seeing because--]
Allura!
[He has no idea what's happening, but that's not important. These alien creatures aren't taking her away. No way in hell. He doesn't have any weapons on him, and even if he did have his bayard, it's not like he'd have been able to use it freely, chained up as he is. That's still not stopping him from acting entirely on instinct and throwing himself bodily at the closest guard.]
Get away from her!
this is already terrible
The next few moments are utter pandemonium, filled with the shouts of prisoners and guards alike. The next thing Allura knows, she hits the ground hard, a guard's knee digging into her back until it's hard to breath. Next to her is Lance, in very much the same situation, as nearly half a dozen of the guards scramble to collect their prisoners.]
Lance...!
[Her voice comes out as a croak, the breath knocked from her lungs. The look she tries to give him is one of grim determination, hoping that maybe it will help him have courage — maybe this is the thing they're meant to see — but her heart is hammering so hard in her chest, she's not sure if the look on her face is anything except fear.]
You say, as if not delighted.
She's never really needed his help in physical combat before, and some overly optimistic part of him wants to believe that this is still true. Grass is green, the sky is blue, Allura can thrash just about anyone with her hands tied behind her back. But overwhelmingly it becomes obvious this isn't the case, and his second attempt to help is made all the more desperate for it. He attempts to jump one of the guards, hoping to choke it or something with the chains on his wrist, but the guards are even more alert this time around, and he finds himself thrown to the ground, gasping for air and stinging just about everywhere.
He turns when she calls his name, smiling through a wince.]
It's gonna be okay.
[That's the truth of it, isn't it? "Just a simulation" and all, but it still feels like a blatant lie as he says it. He wishes it didn't.
The next instant, the guards yank at the chains binding his wrist, forcing him up to his knees. A spear is pointed at the small of his back: the message is clear enough: get up and walk. He never takes his eyes off Allura during this, his whole body turning to lead as he watches the guards do the same to her.]
It's gonna be okay.
[He repeats the words with as much conviction as he can muster, for the both of them. Gingerly, he gets up on his feet, and the two of them are marched out the door. Where they're being taken is a little unclear, but you don't need much of an imagination when the stench of blood and decay gets stronger as they walk down a darkened hallway.]
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And just the same, she walked with her chin high and her eyes hard, somehow still regal despite the grime of their cell smeared on her clothes nor the bruise already forming from where her head hit the floor. The only flicker in her expression comes from when her eyes meet with Lance's and she's equal parts scared for him and selfishly glad that they're in this together. Maybe this is what they're meant to see from the memory after all...?
The hallway opens into a large room, and it's immediately obvious what has been going on in here. The floor of the room is more red than anything else — blood pooling and spattering and telling a gruesome tale of the fate of the other prisoners. Some of which were still present, so to speak, their bodies discarded at the edge of the room, blank eyed and with their throats slashed—
Allura's vision turns white, as finally panic starts to bubble up over her resolve, visions of the young boy in Olympia, his life cut short by a blade to the throat, and for a second she swears she can see his face among the victims. Ancients, not again. Please not again.]
i think i closed this tab like 3 times cuz i got too sad lmao
No.
[Nobody's talking to him, nobody's said a word, but Lance shouts it anyway because simulation or not, he is not about to watch them do this to Allura. Without another moment of hesitation, Lance whirls around and aims an elbow at the guard behind him. The attack doesn't connect; their executioners are simply too prepared for last minute outbursts like these. But that doesn't stop Lance from attempting a second strike as he aims a desperate kick.]
You don't need both of us, let her go!
[Their captors guffaw and a third guard delivers a swift blow to the side of Lance's head that sends him reeling towards the wall. He slowly slumps forward, tasting blood that isn't his own when his face hits the ground. Again, he's yanked up by the chains, grimacing as he's dragged off towards the center of the room.
His head feels heavy, but Lance raises it enough to catch Allura's eye. Spitting out blood, he attempts to shout to her: Run, please run, but his voice comes out hoarse, scratchy.]
this thread is upsetting
Stop the simulation! Stop- Please! Don't do this-
[It's a desperate attempt, but it doesn't stop. They're still there and ice chills her to her bones when Lance reaches the center of the room, where the glint of a serrated knife catches her eye, even in the darkened chambers. There's a dizzying sense of utter helplessness, and she doesn't realize that tears are streaming down her face until they lock eyes,]
Lance-! If you hurt him I swear-
max upsetting ._.
He watches as the guards hold her down on the ground in silent horror, blinking back tears when her pleas fill the execution chamber. Thoughts like it's just a simulation, it's not real, we'll be fine, she'll be fine fail so utterly to provide any sort of comfort or relief because the fact of the matter is that they still had to experience all of this in some way.
She had to experience this, and he hates the fact that he's utterly powerless to stop any of it from happening. He grits his teeth, trying hard not to cry. The only thing he can still do for Allura is to go out like a true paladin, not like a scared farm boy from Cuba.]
Allura, it's - it's okay.
[His voice is shaky -- even shakier when a guard pulls his head up to expose his neck.]
Don't watch, ok? Run if y--
[He never finishes that sentence. The guard slashes his neck with a serrated blade, severing both carotids. Even Lance seems stunned by the spray of his blood at first, then he sways. The guard releases his hair and tosses him to the side.
In his mind, at least, Lance is still saying things to her as the room gets darker and darker. It's okay, it'll be okay. They'll stop the simulation now.... but all his words are nothing more than incomprehensible gurgling caught in the back of his throat.]
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But she’s powerless. Just like so many times before. Powerless to save her people, powerless to stop this from happening. Her vision swims as Lance’s form drops to the floor, and she’s numb, staring at him, even as she can feel herself picked up off of the ground, dragged to the center of the room. It’s not until there’s fingers in her hair, dragging her head back, that her eyes finally focus on a pair of reptilian eyes.
There’s a scream as she fights back with everything she has, vengeance burning in her eyes, but it ends the same way. With a flash of a blade, and a white hot pain, epithets dying on her lips as the color drains from her face.
It’s only moments later that her eyes flash open, and it’s no longer the execution chamber, but the cell. And his face.]
Lance-! [Her voice cracks and there’s already tears at the edge of her vision. The chains behind her back rattle as she instinctively goes to try and wrap her arms around him, but all she manages is to lean her shoulder into him, face against his shoulder.] I'm sorry- I couldn't-
[Give her a moment, she'll start breaking chains in a tick.]
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Allura!
[Likewise he immediately turns towards her, and attempts to give her a hug... but turns out chains are incredibly good at thwarting these kinds of attempts. He settles for pressing his cheek against her shoulder, panic slowly receding.]
Allura, I'm so glad you're okay.
[Visibly anyway. Or at least as close as to okay as they can possibly be in this horrid situation. God knows he's going to have nightmares about this for a while.]
We can't let this keep happening so we have to get out of here. I- I think I know how. You think you can like... free one of my hands?
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They will not go through this again. She cannot lose him a second time.]
Just give me a tick- I think I can-
[Though her hands are bound behind her back, the will to live (and an Altean's sheer physical strength) is more than a match for the old fashioned chains. With her eyes squeezed shut, she pulls her arms away from each other with all of the strength she can muster. They cannot chance another mistake. Sure enough, there's the sound of metal-on-metal as suddenly one of the links in the center snaps so suddenly she almost topples right back into Lance.
Mission accomplished, except now the other prisoners are starting up quite the stir. They won't have long before someone comes to check on them.]
Give me your hand
[And she'll make quick work of the chains binding Lance as well, leaving them free of their tethers.]
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Thanks, Allura. I think if we can bust the door down, we should be able to just walk on out of here using those invisibility powers. I can turn you invisible, too, as long as you hold onto my hand.
[,small>Tense, he holds his hand out to her.]
Dunno where we might be able to escape to, but any place is better than this dump, right?
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I can take care of the door.
[He stretches out his hand, and she takes it. Despite the fire in her eyes, and the tension pulled at her brows, there’s a tremble in her hand that becomes obvious when she places it in his, amped up on adrenaline and fear in equal amounts. After a moment, she shifts their hands so that their fingers are laced — to calm her nerves and to make sure that they wouldn’t be easily pulled apart.]
They won’t capture us again. I swear it.
for space padre (cw: body horror / eventual death)
Lance's eyes are wide as he and Shiro make their way into the wild forests of Wyver. Bayard in hand, he holds the scope of his sniper rifle up to his eye to check their immediate surroundings for any danger. The paladin in him, the fighter who's been in countless battles back home, is efficient, focused and ready. It's just another series of battles to keep a planet safe from all the monsters that've invaded their new home. The boy in him that misses Earth and starts to complain about space dust when he thinks too long about his mom's warm hugs, is terrified.
It's hard to fathom just how lighthearted he'd felt at the start of all this. One message urging people to come to Nadril to help study some "anomalous readings" coming from deep space. Even then, in the pit of his stomach he knew that this would all turn to shit -- a full year of "anomalous readings" in a space war have taught him that this is never a benign finding. But he wanted so desperately for this to just be normal, for all of them to just catch a break, especially since Shiro only just woke up.
But sometimes life just doesn't give you what you want.]
Coast is clear.
[His voice is tense, everything about him is tense from the way he's holding that rifle too tightly in his hands, to the way he's carrying himself like any second now some aberration is going to pop out of nowhere to kill them. That's the reality they live in now.]
Do we advance?
[As if they really have a choice. They're able to fight, this is what being a paladin's all about. Defending the universe. He can't help thinking that the lions would make quick work of all these mutated creatures that are neither animals nor machines but awful hybrids of the two, but that's another bit of wishful thinking isn't it.]
takes ... a deep breath ...
even when they both deserve to have things settle down, maybe lance especially, because he's been dealing with all of this for much, much longer than shiro has. he knows what's going on. this one is still trying to make sense, find his footing, make himself useful where he can.
( and yes, they would probably go round and around and around some more on which of them deserved more of a break. shiro will always say lance. there will be no changing his mind. )
anomalous readings have never been a lead-in to anything good, if their past has taught them anything but he likes to think they're well-prepared enough for it, at least in the sense that while they might be going in a little blind, they know to keep their eyes peeled. their senses sharpened. to utilize every little thing that has kept them alive in the past and kept them moving forward.
( … in lance's case, anyway. but that's neither here nor there. )
shiro watches the other with his bayard and he thinks, not for the first time since the black lion had been passed to keith for good that it feels strange not to have one of his own; he's still getting used to this new arm, too, and what a time to be doing it. he'll do what he can, because of course he will, he always will, and watching lance despite the tension threaded through him, pulling him taut as a wire, he's glad it's the two of them together here.
he nods to himself, clears his throat. ) Slowly. I don't think there's going to be a very large margin for error out here. ( understatement of the century much?
but. again. at least they're prepared.
and before they begin to move forward again, he has to ask: ) You holding up all right?
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And true, while the storm being real doesn't necessarily mean Earth has been consumed by it, his mood's gone grim and grey, like he's finally been snapped out of this childish day dream and had his face pushed straight into a sea of unforgiving truths. And he doesn't have the time to think about any of it because that's not going to solve Wyver's current monster apocalypse. It's not going to solve the threat of their imminent extinction.
Everything that's wrong has to be carefully buried, vacuum sealed and repressed because right now he has to focus. They could get killed out here if they aren't careful and if there's anything that experiencing those hideous simulations with Allura and Shiro have taught him, it's that he can't lose them. He won't lose them.]
I'm holding. [In the world's lamest attempt at a joke, he raises the sniper rifle,] See?
[Eh? Ehhhh? Is that encouraging? Probably not. But he's going to redirect the subject.]
Isn't that my line? I mean.... you just woke up in the middle of this whole mess.
[He can't imagine how much harder this has to be for Shiro. As in literally he can't do it, otherwise he might have to start crying over the unfairness of it all that the guy had to wake up at such a crummy time. Even if he is secretly so selfishly glad that Shiro's around to help bring a sense of stability to everything.
There's a beat, then he looks back down through his scope.]
...You probably can't answer that for real. But when we get out of this, I'm bugging you for your workout routine, kay? Last time I ever get caught in the apocalypse without bigger guns.
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it's. uncanny, really, to think of earth as being gone when he'd only just seen it before he'd come out of stasis; it might have been taken over, overrun by the galra but there had still been hope to bring it back from the brink and make it whole again, even if it hadn't seemed very. likely.
( no, he can't think that. because he's always managed to maintain a positive outlook in the face of whatever lies ahead of them, and this isn't about to be any sort of exception. he won't let it be. )
the attempt at a joke is met with a an easy half-smile, because of course he can't think to give anything else when lance is the one trying to lighten the mood. he shakes his head anyway with a small breath out, a short sort of chuckle making its way out of him. ) Yeah, I see. ( don't ever change, lance. don't ever change.
he pauses, though, and makes a contemplative sort of sound in the back of his throat. ) Maybe, but at least I'm here. ( there's another beat of a pause. ) I wouldn't want you to go through this by yourself. ( not that that's supposed to mean he doesn't think you can, mind. make no mistake about that — he's always going to have faith in you — but he does find himself breathing a little easier knowing that you aren't about to try whatever you're both about to try all by your lonesome.
oh, and that last little bit? actually makes him laugh. because: ) That's what you're thinking about right now? I don't know … it looks like you've got a pretty big one right there. ( oh. you both aren't allowed to make jokes, you know. there are rules against that. somewhere.
but. ) But. Okay. I don't want to disappoint you, but there's not a whole lot to it. ( just cardio. alternating leg days with arm days. more cardio. regular protein intake.
jogging for miles. you get the idea. )
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[Because absolutely nobody would blame him for wanting to not be dealing with the apocalypse right upon waking. It's an earnest enough question, asked with just a tiny smile -- something earnest in the midst of some of his more forced attempts to keep them both from wigging out.]
Cuz I was starting to feel a little bad for being glad about having you around. Y'know... leading like you used to.
[There's a lot to dissect there. For starters, Shiro being a whole lot less touchy and moody than Lance had gotten used to is just such a wonderful change, even if he always cared about Shiro regardless and wanted to do his very best to prove himself in his hero's eyes. But that isn't what Lance is getting at primarily, and what he is getting at leaves him feeling just a tiny bit guilty in the pit of his stomach. After all this time, he just doesn't really know if he trusts Keith to lead their group through this mess. But he does trust Shiro.
But as for that final question, he furrows his brow, then sighs and lowers the rifle a bit to look over.]
...Well, it's something I guess I've been thinking about for a while. I just. [He breathes out heavily, biting the inside of his lip.[ It's silly, I totally get it. I just want to be stronger so that things like what happened in the simulation don't happen again. Guess I've been having nightmares about losing you and Allura.
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that next bit catches him behind the ribs, though, and his heart aches for the span of its next handful of beats. ) Hey, you don't have to feel bad, okay? I'm glad to be around. ( there's a beat of a pause, and he doesn't want to hesitate, but he catches himself thinking what next comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. ) Wouldn't think so far ahead about the leading part if I were you, though.
( he hasn't been here long enough to lead anyone, even if he's sure to fall into the role as he always does when he inevitably finds his footing. it hasn't been long enough, nowhere near long enough, but. it can still happen.
he goes quiet, then, at what lance says next. he knows what it means to want to protect the ones you care about with everything in you, being terrified it isn't enough — and wanting to do everything in your power to ensure it is. lance has come a long way in his development, shiro having watched him grow and mature with the others in the time they've spent together, and he breathes out a knowing sort of sound that he hopes begins to get his point across. )
Wanting to protect the people you care about doesn't make you silly. It makes you a good person. ( he pauses again, watching lance's profile, the way his expression shifts. ) As soon as we're finished here, I'll give you all my secrets. Promise.
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So instead of prolonging the many conversations he's been wanting to have with Shiro, he instead smiles softly -- genuinely, in that honest, kind of shy but appreciative way that he reserves for when he's grateful from the bottom of his heart.]
You're always gonna be someone I look up to, Shiro. Even if you're not our "leader", you know?
[The smile grows a little more light hearted when he adds:]
That another pinky promise?
[Just then, however, something catches his attention on the scope's display, and all semblance of levity fades abruptly.]
Movement at 10 o'clock. Half a smile away -- it's big. [A beat, and with a slight note of alarm:] Fast, too.
[And sure enough, there's a crunch as distant trees in that direction topple -- collateral damage in a monster's rampage. Other trees simply blacken on the spot as if hit by some kind of laser fire. Lance steadies the sniper rifle:] If I get a clear shot at it, I'll take it!
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it feels good in the middle of all this uncertainty, like he's managed to keep lance's trust even while he's been in stasis, even while he hasn't been there for the others like he would have preferred. he might not be the leader anymore — he'd always wanted keith to take his place one day, if it ever came to that, and he's proud that it has — but that he still feels like he has a place with them is comforting in a way that it maybe shouldn't be.
he relies on them too much. more than he'll ever admit out loud, and while he's always preaching that there's never anything wrong with that ( there isn't, there never has been and there never will be ) he likes to maintain some level of being able to stand on his own. because he's always been a pillar of strength for them. has always wanted to.
but he nods, chuckling lightly, low under his breath. ) Definitely. ( pinky promises are going to be their thing, now, apparently. he's pretty okay with that.
he hears the movement before he catches sight of it — big, indeed — and while he's been ready ever since they paused, he steels himself even more, gritting his teeth without realizing. ) Only if you get a clear shot. ( that tone? leaves no room for argument. some things aren't ever going to change. ) I don't want you putting yourself in danger if you don't have to.
( never mind that's a sniper he's holding, long-range like whoa and powerful. still. it just goes without saying.
there's more of that movement, and he doesn't need a scope to see how quickly it's advancing. ) ETA less than five minutes, max, if it keeps moving like that.
omg i just caught "half a smile away" and now im cracking up so hard
Copy that, Shiro. What's the plan if I can't? Distract it? Split up and attack from different directions? Redirect it? Retreat?
[His mind's working a little on autopilot, letting Shiro handle the decision making while he concentrates. As the thing advances, Lance catches small glimpses of it through the scope lens. It's a purple and black humanoid looking mecha that appear to be fusing with the surrounding wildlife.]
Uh, Shiro? [That's definitely some moderate alarm.] I know this sounds crazy but it looks like a Robeast. It's absorbing everything!
[How it's able to create fire is apparent when Lance spots a dragon head fused into the aberration chest. He fires several quick shots at it, trying to at least neutralize that threat. The dragon head recedes into the Robeasts torso, though it doesn't slow it down at all.]
I DID NOT EVEN NOTICE LMAO
mostly, he wants to ensure the other's spirits stay up. morale is important in situations like these, and he knows lance knows that, but he'll never not want to do what he can just to be sure it all doesn't fall too low.
he's focusing so hard on the approach of the monster that it takes him a second to think out what plan b might be if they don't manage to take the thing down before it gets too close. ) Splitting up is a bad idea, I think. So not that. ( he's usually pretty darn good at thinking on his feet, on the fly, but somehow this time around his thoughts are coming to him slowly, and they don't have time for that. he needs to get himself in gear. focus. focus. ) Distract and redirect might be our best bet. Lure it somewhere that allows you to get a better shot. ( there we go. that sounds like a solid plan.
but then. ) It — what? ( that doesn't sound even remotely possible, but then again, he hasn't been out of stasis long enough to properly think of what sounds possible and what doesn't, but a robeast …
he tenses, unconsciously gritting his teeth. he doesn't see what lance sees, not to that extent, but he still zeroes in on the movement and doesn't feel at all sure that they're going to manage to move before it reaches them. it's still moving dreadfully fast. ) Okay. We need to move. If it is a Robeast, we're not even close to being prepared for it.
( great leadership, shiro. you're great at this. you're doing fine. )