The New Champion

Chapter 6

<Lance>

With a groggy start Lance began to wake up. His eyes were heavy, like they were glued shut but with some effort the boy managed to open them a crack. The pitch blackness of the room helped his heavy eyes adjust to his surroundings.

The blue paladin glances around the room, tiredly questioning where he was for a moment. The short lived bliss of not remembering came to a quick halt as he tried to lift his arms. "Ah, the Galra ship I remember." The boy tugs his arms lightly on the straps, no use, they are still stuck to the table. Now covered in speckles of.. "Is that blood?" The boy questions, as he lifts his heavy head up a tad bit to look. As his eyes drift lower down his body he sees something worse.

"Oh my leg's gone." Lance thought as he laid his head back down only for it to shoot straight back up. "MY LEG'S GONE!" The shock that his body was in helping the blue paladin not feel anything, was soon ripped away at the realization that his leg was gone. The painful throbbing sensation on what was left of his leg made his breath escape his lungs in a sharp gasp.

The boy's hands were quickly balled into tight fists, twisting and pulling at the leather straps tied around his wrists, trying to shimmy himself out of them. After about five minutes of rubbing the skin on his wrist raw, and bleeding he stopped. Instead he laid his head back with a thud, clenching his jaw as he looked up at the dinghy looking ceiling, trying to get his mind off of the pain. He was unable to describe the sensation that he was feeling, other than it hurt like a bitch.

After about an hour of Lance taking deep breaths like a pregnant woman in labor, there was a sound on the other side of the door. Like heavy boots coming to a halt Infront of it. The sudden noise created thick tension in the air, making Lance hold his breath, forgetting about the pain entirely. Without a moment of hesitation the door hissed open, the annoying sound puncturing Lance's eardrums with a deafening pop.

Light from the corridor shining in from behind the figure, hurt Lance's eyes before he could shut them. The silhouetted figure gracefully stalked it's way into the room standing at the base of Lance's feet… foot. With a few quick blinks the boy adjusts to the change, realizing that a light to his room was also turned on. The dim purple light in the center of the room only casts its colors over a select few things. One particular thing intriguing Lance as he saw it from the corner of his eye.

On a small table there was what Lance could only assume was a prosthetic leg underneath a black cloth. The size and shape seemed to fit the description of a leg. Lance's eyes gaze over the shape, ignoring the individual near him, as his eyes wander they land on another table next to the first one. It's contents seemed slightly ominous, there was an alien version of what looks like a drill and long metal rods.

"You are the Blue Paladin are you not?" The person that stood before him spoke out quietly as if they did not want to get caught talking to him. Lance gazed up at the figure still hidden by the shadows of the room, he could tell they were still Galra, but much shorter than any of the other soldiers he's seen.

"Well duh… Have you not been paying attention?" Lance questions as he furrows his brows. The shadowed figure took a few steps to stand at the right side of Lance, their face shielded by a mask, but their eyes gaze over the invisible limb. For some reason the boy didn't feel threatened by this presence, almost more calm and curious."What is it you guys are going to do this time?"

The stranger ignored him, unreactive to the questions asked. Their glowing yellow eyes still focused on the table where Lance's leg should be.

No more words were spoken between the two, just an awkward silence filled the room. After a few minutes the stranger abruptly walked to the door, pausing before leaving.

"Stay strong." They said before the door hissed open and they left. Leaving Lance just as confused as he was when they came in. The Paladin lays his head down, tiredness taking over the poor boy, as his eyes grow heavy. Shutting them he silently hopes he can get a few minutes of well needed beauty sleep.

But to his luck just as the darkness of sleep lulls him in, the sound of the hissing door snaps him out of it. Groaning tiredly Lance lifts his head to see two druids standing around the tables to Lance's left. Getting his new leg ready to be put on.

The hooded figures lift the dark fabric off of the new leg to reveal a shining white material underneath. The soft elegant edges almost had a slight sparkle to them under the purple light. In-between each crevasse was matte black, contrasting to the white. It was very beautiful and eye-catching in Lance's opinion.

As the two bring the tables over, Lance tries to mentally prepare himself for the pain again by clenching his jaw. Druid number one roughly grabs hold of Lance's new nub, making him wince slightly. The second druid brings over the new leg, sliding it over top of his leg. Lance looks down to watch, noticing that his nub was slightly healed over. "Haggar must have done some magic to make it heal faster, doesn't make it hurt any less though." He thought to himself.

The new prosthetic leg gets put into place, druid one holding while the other grabs the alien equivalent to a drill and the metal rods. Lance lays his head back down, not wanting to watch this part. Instead he tries to think about something positive. As the sound of the drill turns on, images of his family flash through his head.

His Madre y Padre, Abuela y Abuelo, sus hermanos y hermanas. Everyone, he thought of every fun adventure they went on. From camping in the back yard to watch the shooting stars, to surfing at the beach and collecting seashells for his little sobrina.

Soon flashes of his new space family filter in. His new space Uncle Coran, the two of them telling each other stories of their families while Lance helps him clean.

Allura and Lance having their spa days doing facials while Lance braids her hair and paints her nails.

Hunk and Lance baking in the kitchen, making Lance's favorite garlic knots when he started to feel home sick.

Lance getting mad at Pidge because she is obviously cheating on the game console she fixed up for the two of them.

Keith and Lance's stupid rivalry getting the better of them while they train together ,bickering at each other the whole time. And the "bonding moment" Lance, remembers but will never tell Keith.

And lastly Shiro, the team leader that Lance looks up to the most. His good leadership skills and sweet personality make the man so intriguing to Lance.

Don't get him started on his appearance, the way his shirts fit him just right, or the way the tuft of white hair falls into his face while he's training. Sweat trickling down his forehead and neck soaking into his shirt… Lance lifts his head and drops it back down, thumping it against the metal trying to get these intrusive thoughts out of his head. "Okay I might have a bit of a crush on Shiro" Lance realizes.

After snapping himself out of his thoughts the boy realized that the druids had finished and left the room. "I didn't even feel it." He looks down to his new leg, the connected part having some blood on it but otherwise it looks pretty good. Completely different from what Lance thought he was going to get. Moving his eyes further he notices they didn't strap the new leg down.

Unsure if what to do Lance just pretended he was lifting his normal leg in the air. When he did so, the new leg moved how he wanted it to.

"This is freaky" He says to himself. His eyes still feelIng heavy he decides to take a nap, closing his eyes. An image of Shiro contently reading a book in the ship's lounge helps lull him to sleep.

Word count 1444