Taking A Chance

Taken

The sun was setting by the time Allura came to collect them. She was grinning and excited for the feast. She lead them to the front doors of the Castle where they were met by Alfor.
Alfor threw an arm around Keith's shoulders and pulled him out the doors, to reveal hundreds of people staring up at them. Keith tried to pull back, but Alfor held him tight and guided him down the stairs and into the waiting crowd, who pushed in around them.
Keith flinched each time someone touched him.
Lance could see the panic in Keith's eyes.
‘Not good,' said Lance. ‘He's panicking.'
The rest of the paladins moved all at once. The crowd was so thick they couldn't push their way through, so Lance started to shoulder his way through the crowd, and the other paladins followed him. The crowd began to part and glare at them. Lance finally reached Keith and pulled him into his arms. Keith was breathing fast, and shaking.
‘What are you doing?' Alfor demanded.
‘Can't you see he's panicking?' asked Lance. ‘He doesn't like crowds, or being constantly touched like that.’
The others got the crowd to step back.
‘It's not for much longer,’ said Alfor, ‘30 minutes…’
‘No,’ said Lance. ‘He's done, now.’
'You can't coddle him, he has duties to perform here,’ said Alfor. ‘He's a grown man, not a child.'
‘He's someone who's had a difficult childhood because of your brother, someone who is an introvert and can't deal with crowds and strangers. Just because he's an Ancient Altean, doesn't just make all that disappear,’ said Lance. ‘You don't know anything about him, so don't tell me how to treat him.'
The crowd had gone quiet and those close by listened to Lance's words and whispered conversation rolled like a wave back through the crowd. Without being told, the crowd moved back and cleared a wide path to where Keith was meant to go.
There were shocked gasps when Kosmo appeared at Keith's side, and growled deep in his throat.
‘Do you want to keep going, or do you want Kosmo to take you back to the Castle?’ asked Lance.
Keith shyly looked over his shoulder at the path that had been cleared.
‘I'll keep going,' Keith said.
Keith took a moment to pull himself together, before continuing on, still holding Lance's hand tightly. There were shocked looks now they could see Keith markings mirrored on Lance's face. Another buzz of conversation raced through the crowd. Alfor didn't look pleased about it.
The other paladins fell in behind Keith and Lance, separating them from AIfor.
Coran and Allura joined Alfor.
‘This is unforgivable,' Alfor murmured to his daughter.
‘Father, we told you Keith didn't like crowds,’ Allura said just as quietly.
‘How can the Ancient Altean be so weak?’ asked Alfor. ‘They are a symbol of strength for our people, a leader, not someone who's broken.'
‘That's unfair, father,’ said Allura. ’Keith is one of the strongest people I know. He's been thrust into a world he knows nothing about, into a culture he didn't know he was a part of.’
‘Why do you defend him?' asked Alfor.
‘Because, despite everything that's happened between us, I still love him,’ she murmured.
By the time they reached the square where the feast was set up, the sun had set and the colourful lights took over.
There was one long table on the other side of the square, and there were two rows on either side that would seat 80 of the leading Alteans. The crowd surrounded the square while those being seated at the feast made their way into the square.
An explosion rocked the square, and the lights went out, plunging them into darkness. Kosmo yelped, and Lance was punched in the face as Keith's hand was ripped from his.
‘KEITH,’ Lance yelled.
There was no reply and by the time the light came back on, Keith was gone.
‘Pidge, you and Hunk get back to the Castle and see if you can find Keith,' Shiro ordered.
They turned and ran towards the Castle.
‘Damn, we should have worn our armour,' Lance said. He dropped to his knees next to Kosmo, relieved he was still breathing. He ran his hand over his fur and felt something, and pulled it out. ‘Shiro, look.'
Shiro took it. ‘It's a tranquilizer dart,’ he said. ‘The Galra used these to subdue the creatures they used in the fight arena if they got out of hand.’
Shiro's datapad beeped. He pulled it out and read the message.
‘The Castle has no power,’ he said. ‘Let's get back there.’
‘Wait,' someone called.
They turned and saw a man running towards them. Lance's stomach turned to ice when he saw what he was carrying; Keith's belt, with the blade still in it's sheath.
The man handed it to him. ‘Thank you,' Lance said.
Allura and Coran turned and ran back. Shiro and Lance picked up Kosmo between them and made their way back as fast as they could.
Alfor barked out orders to the Alteans as he followed them.
Minutes after they got back to the control room, Coran burst in.
‘All the healing pods have been destroyed,’ he said.
‘Look,' Lance said, pointing out the window.
A ship was headed to space. The Castle shook as the lions roared their anger, and a look of shock passed over Alfor’s face.
Pidge's hands flew over the keyboard of her computer as she worked to get the power back on.
‘I've got power to Black's hanger,’ she said.
‘Lance, get your armour on,’ Shiro ordered.
They ran from the room, changed, then headed down to Black lion. Minutes later, Black shot from the Castle in pursuit of the ship.
‘Pidge, let me know when you have power restored to the Castle,' Shiro said.
Pidge: Will do.
Allura: Coran is working on getting a healing pod repaired.
‘The ship is heading to a battle cruiser,' Lance said.
Allura: You can't take on a ship like with only Black lion.
‘We'll have to, because they're not having Keith,’ Shiro said.
Alfor: You can't risk losing Black lion for one person, its too valuable.
‘And so is Keith's life,’ snapped Shiro. ‘Not because he is some Ancient Altean, but because he's a valuable member of this team, and this is what we'd do for any of them.’