Taking A Chance

Confronting Lotor

They followed Keith down the corridor, and Lance found himself struggling to keep up. His side throbbed with pain, and he was becoming weak with blood loss.
He stopped and placed his hand against the wall next to him.
Keith was suddenly at his side.
‘I'll be fine,’ said Lance. ‘Just need a minute.'
‘We're almost there,’ Keith said. He took Lance's arm and put it around his shoulders and helped him down to the door at the end of the corridor.
‘Maybe you should stay out here,’ Shiro said to Lance.
‘No, I'm fine,’ said Lance. ‘I'll hang back and keep you covered.' Lance readied himself with his blaster in his hands.
Keith opened the door, and they rushed in startling Lotor.
‘You paladins are infuriating,’ snarled Lotor. ‘How did you even find me?’
‘It wasn't hard,’ said Shiro, ‘What are you doing here?’
‘As if I'd tell you,' Lotor said. He pulled out a sword, and he instantly turned his attention to Keith, and there was something in his eyes that made Lance uncomfortable. ‘And you, I've heard a rumour, that you’re an Ancient Altean.’
‘Do you always listen to rumors?' asked Keith.
‘After what you did to my ship, yes,’ said Lotor. ‘I can help you reach your full potential. The right mate can enhance your power.’
Keith laughed. ‘As if I'd have anything to do with you.’
‘Together we could be invincible,’ said Lotor, ‘I am strong enough to support your magic, to keep you grounded, the wrong mate could be your death.'
‘No thanks,’ Keith said.
Shiro and Lance spread out behind Keith, ready to make their move.
‘Back off creep,' Lance said.
‘Or what, sharpshooter?’ Lotor laughed. ‘Haven’t you worked out yet that you are just along for the ride. You bring nothing to the team, and just the butt of everyone's joke.’
‘Yeah, I know that,’ Lance said.
While Lotor looked at Lance, Keith made his move and lunged at Lotor, swinging his sword. Lotor jumped back and brought up his own sword. The fight moved go fast, cutting, thrusting, and blocking, that Lance had a hard time keeping track of them.
Shiro stayed back, cutting of Lotor's only escape route.
Lotor stabbed at Keith, who connected a side kick to Lotor’s stomach, sending him flying backwards over one of the consoles. Following him, Keith leapt over the console and stabbed his sword down, but Lotor had already rolled away.
Jumping up, Lotor pushed Keith against the console, grabbed his hair and pulled his head back and kissed him.
Keith brought his knee up between Lotor's legs and pushed him away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Furious, Lance brought up his blaster and looked through the site, and locked on Lotor and shot. Moving at the last minute, the shot hit Lotor in the shoulder, and it knocked him from his feet and sent him slidding across the floor.
Lance advanced on Lotor, and neither Shiro or Keith tried to stop him.
‘Hands off my mate, asshole,’ Lance snarled.
Lotor's eyes widened, and Lance pulled the trigger, spreading Lotor's brains over the floor.
Lance stepped back and collaped to the floor. The movement had opened Lance's wound and blood pooled on the floor.
Shiro and Keith ran forward.
‘Keith, get to Red and get back to Earth, with Lance,’ said Shiro. 'I'll bring Blue back with me.’
Bending, Keith picked up Lance and they hurried down the corridor. At the last door, they activated their helmets and continued to the lions.
Pidge: Damn it, will someone answer me.
Shiro: We're on our way back.
Pidge: Oh my god, what happened, you all disappeared.
Shiro: I'll explain when we get back. Keith is bringing Lance back in Red.
Hunk: What, why? Lance, buddy talk to me.
‘I hear you, buddy,' Lance said, weakly.
Keith kept Lance on his lap as he took off and pushed the controls forward, pushing Red to her limits.
‘Baby,' said Lance softly. ‘Tell my family I love them.'
‘You can tell them yourself,' said Keith. ‘I'm not letting you go.’
‘We're still so far away,' Lance murmured.
‘Stay with me,’ said Keith. ‘I'm not living without you.’
Soft sobs came over the comm, as Earth got bigger in the screen.
‘Stay with me,' Keith said, again.
‘I'm trying too,' Lance said.
From somewhere, Red found an extra burst of speed.
As soon as they landed, Keith was on his feet with Lance in his arms and he ran out of Red.
The others came out of the Castle, as Keith sat on the ground with Lance. He quickly removed their helmets.
Their eyes and marks glowed, and Keith drew on the quintessence around them.
Keith ran his fingers through Lance's hair while they stared at each other, lost in each others gaze. Their heartrate beat in sync and their emotions intensified. Tears ran from Lance's eyes at the intensity of love Keith had for him. His body grew warm, and the pain left his side. The ground shook beneath them, but that was all they remembered.
Shiro ran forward and proped Keith and Lance up before they fell backwards unconscious.
‘Hunk,' called Shiro. ‘Come and take Lance.‘
Hunk and Pidge ran to them. Hunk picked up Lance and Shiro picked up Keith and they took them to their room and placed them on the bed.
‘Shiro, what happened?’ asked Allura.
'Outside,' Shiro said. In the corridor he told them what happened.
‘Lotor's dead?' asked Allura.
‘Yes,' said Shiro. ‘Now, let them rest…’
‘The Blade ship is ready,' interrupted Allura. ‘They are waiting for him at the base.'
‘Then they can wait a bit longer,’ Shiro snapped.
‘Yes, of course,' said Coran. ‘We will send a message to say there is a delay of a couple of hours.'
Shiro nodded, and Coran pulled Allura down the corridor after him.
Inside the room, Keith lay on the bed listening to the argument outside the door. Warm fingers turned his face and he gazed into Lance's eyes.
‘Ignore her,' Lance said.
Keith rolled onto his side, and into Lance's arms.
‘Just hold me,' Keith said.
‘Always, baby,’ Lance said.