Hi all!!!! Hope all well, I'm hoping to get back to some of my other stories but health issues are really annoying me! So plus side is I am slated for surgery in a month or so, thereby I'm hoping I will be able to have even more time to write! There's a plus to everything!
Pidge found herself standing in the middle of a brightly lit structure-very similar to an Earth stadium. A very, VERY large, or more accurately ginormous stadium. Not that she has been in many super stadiums or domes back on Earth but she has watched tv. The sound echoed around her, effectively making her deaf. She could feel the sound...pressing in on her from all directions. It soaked into her body. It felt suffocating.
As she stood on the stage, she tried not to wonder where her friends were. Tried to not imagine if they watching her from above, like in a box or even front row seating. Tried not to picture if they were still in the room under lock and key, huddled around a screen? Worse, did the princess just go and marry Keith? Because at this point, she wouldn't be surprised if this was all a trick. Like some elaborate ruse to get her out of the way so she could get her tentacles on Keith.
Standing in the middle of the area's main floor section, she didn't see the princess, or anyone else that she recognized. Not even the last guards. Not that it meant anything. Instead, she actively pushed down thoughts of how her mom and dad were. Of how she could once again...die in space far away from those she loved. God, knows her mom would be pissed! She closed her eyes and tried to mute her surroundings, mute her feelings. She knew she really could not let herself get distracted at this point, it was critical in fact. She had a purpose and goal. She would not lose. She could not! She needed to block out her surroundings and get ready. Focus. Breathe. Repeat.
While waiting and feeling awkward, she thought back over to the last hour or so, when she had been fed something just a half step above food goo and then been made to shower and change. Unfortunately they didn't let her wear the clothes that Lance so diligently picked out for her. Instead she was wearing something that looked straight out of a Marvel movie. She had on a Black Widow...esk full black body suit. Unfortunately no guns included but it was tight and black, thankfully not the white suit! While she was fully aware she did not have Scarlett Johansson's curvy figure, she was grateful it was black and had long sleeves and pant legs. The material wasn't half bad either, felt like it had moisture wicking and fast drying properties. Best of all, she had full range of movement and it felt soft against her skin. She did not think it would cause her to overheat or hinder her in any way. While she knew it would not stop an attack it at least it wouldn't slow her down or impede here in any way.
She hoped it was a promising fact that they gave her an actual outfit and not just threw her out here in garbage. After her shower she was able to pull her hair into a bun and had to suffer through some aliens putting some all natural make up on her! To be honest, Pidge had to admit they did a better job than if left in her own hands. She was a little afraid to ask what the products were made out of but figured, they wouldn't kill her before the show. Ratings and all.
Absently, she pondered if this was considered a pay per view event or just a regular occurrence. After all, for all she knew, this was a regular occurrence. Trap some poor sap...fight for their hand in marriage. Shaking her head, she tried to pull it together...again. Typically had no trouble staying focused when working on a project but that obviously wasn't the case now. Thankfully she still had her translator, granted their shit version of it, but she could still understand what the emcee was talking about.
Here it goes, time for battle. Best being won, hand in marriage etc. She frowned over the brief version of her history but let's be honest, she wasn't surprised that they left out the part of her being the green Paladin, genius or officer of Earth. Not that that mattered to her but she also held her head high secure in the knowledge of who she was. It didn't matter that they put her down or that they made fun of her size. Recognizing she did not have the luxury of worrying at this point, she focused instead on the description of the first event.
After the talking died down, the main event or home team montage for the princess started. Shit, Pidge was tempted to turn off the translator. Sh was so full of herself!! Stuck in her own head, she was shoved towards the maze. Looking around she quickly figured out that the mazes were supposed to be mirror images of each other so hypothetically she had an equal chance of getting a faster time. Cracking her neck, she focused-she could do this.
When the buzzer rang and the door opened, she took a deep breath and strode forward. No fear. No worry. Just determination and a concrete confidence in herself.
For all that, she strode through the entrance carefully, making sure to look so she didn't immediately fall into a trap. The air felt cooler here than outside. She also absently noticed the silence when the doors slid shut abruptly. She had originally thought the top was open but now she realized it was like a window so the crowd could see them. She walked in and quickly filtered facts that she could easily discern. No sounds. No wind or drafts. The ground and walls were the same color, placing a hand to the wall, no discernible temperature. Not wet and there was no discernible light source. Hmmmmm.
She stood, looking around and recognized the skill in creating this labyrinth so, not just a maze, it was like a test, a puzzle. She grinned, oh, they so did not do their homework! If they thought this maze would defeat a Holt, they seriously underestimated her and she couldn't wait to prove them wrong!
