Don't Ask, I'll Never Tell

The Deadliest of Planets

"We're getting close. Proceed with caution." Shiro's voice over the comm snapped Lance out of his thoughts.

"I think I see a clearing. We should be safe to land there." Pidge added.

"Good eye, Pidge." Shiro responded.

After they touched down and regrouped, Shiro addressed the rest of the group. "Now I know I've already stressed this but--"

"--I know, I know. Proceed with caution. Don't worry. We've got this." Lance cut in.

Shiro sighed. "As I was saying." He continued. "We need to split up to cover more ground. Lance and Hunk"

"Yeah?" Hunk asked, toying with a small machine in his hands.

"You will search for Keith in that direction." He pointed toward the easternmost section of the jungle.
"That's where the escape pod should have ended up but I doubt that he would have stayed in one place for long. That's why Pidge and I will search near the mountains. If Keith figured out the danger that this planet poses, then I know that he wouldn't stick around for long. The mountains are the only other place free of vegetation."

"Sounds good. We'll see you guys in a bit. Don't get eaten." Lance called as Shiro and Pidge ran to their lions.

Lance was just about to move before being pulled back harshly by Hunk.
"Don't you think about going in there without a plan." Hunk said with a hint of concern. "I know how important it is to find Keith but let's try not to get eaten in the process."

Lance crossed his arms. "Well, we can't just wait around for Keith to magically materialize right in front of our eyes, now can we?" He replied with a scowl.

"Of course not." Hunk replied. " I was just thinking that we don't have to step into the jungle at all."

Lance paused. "I'm listening." He cocked his head to the side.

"So, I was thinking that, since all the lizards and mammals on this planet are relatively small in size, that Keith would appear much larger on the coordination map."

"Well obviously."

Hunk held up the small machine that he had been toying with only moments before. "What I mean to say is that I've been working on this heat sensor. I mean, it's not exactly top of the line equipment. But it can detect an animal or person from, I don't know, about twenty feet away?"

Lance grinned. "Hunk, you're a genius."

"Oh, well, thank you." He replied awkwardly.

"So how are we going to get this baby to work if its max range is about 20 feet?" Lance asked.

"I... I'm not sure. Wait. What if--"

"--we had a person handling the heat sensor hovering, oh I don't know, about twenty feet above the jungle?" Lance suggested.

"But--"

"AND, we had the other person in question steering the lion that would be carrying said person?"

"I'm not sure if I like where this is going..."

Lance clapped his hands against Hunk's shoulders. "Hunk! I have a brilliant idea!"
___________________________

"I knew I would regret this." Hunk said from the mouth of the blue lion. They were at least thirty feet above the jungle and descending fast.

"Just think of it as a trust exercise." Lance replied over the comm.
"Allura's all about that team building stuff. Are you picking anything up?"

"Nothing but plants on this end. WHOA! Would you please slow down! That tree almost clipped me!"

Lance pulled upward slightly. "Sorry about that, buddy. You alright?"

"I would be fine if the trees weren't trying to turn me into lunch!"

"Okay, relax. I'm at the controls."

"That's exactly why I'm panicking."

"You know, sometimes you're worse than Kei--"

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold on a sec! I'm getting something!"

"Can you make it out?"

"It's... hold on... I think I can just barely make it out. It's... OH NO! Lance! Pull up! Fast!"

Lance didn't hesitate for an instant. He launched upward but not before encasing Hunk in Blue's mouth to keep him safe from whatever it was that he saw.

Only when they were a good seventy feet or so above the trees did Lance let his white knuckled grip loosen from the wheel.

"You alright, Hunk?" There was no answer. "Hunk? HUNK!"

"Yeah. I'm here." Hunk replied weakly.

"Just a bit sick to my stomach."

Lance sighed in relief. "You better not have gotten sick all over Blue."

"Um... I'll clean it up once we get back."

"That's gross, dude. So anyway, do you know what you saw?"

"Well, you know those carnivorous squirrels that Coran was talking about?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they're flying squirrels and..."

"And what?"

"Well, it would appear that they hunt in groups, much like a school of piranhas or a pack of coyotes."

"Do piranhas swim in schools?"

"I don't know. I'm just an engineer that was almost mauled to death by a pack of carnivorous sugar gliders!"

"Okay, new plan... um..."

"Switch places?" Hunk suggested.

"No thanks." Lance interjected. "Can we just try it out one more time?"

"What part of 'I was almost mauled to death by a pack of carnivorous sugar gliders' don't you understand?"

"Oh come on, Hunk! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I prefer the adventure of living."

"Fine, let's go back and switch places. Maybe then you'll stop complaining about a few killer squirrels."
___________________________

"Alright. Ready to try this again?" Lance asked from the yellow lion's mouth.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Don't get all nervous on me, Hunk." Lance tried to keep his voice steady as the canopy loomed closer.

Lance pulled the machine over his eyes, watching the shapes fade and materialize before his eyes. Most of the shapes appeared blue with a slight purple or greenish tint. A few dots of red and orange speckled the ground here and there. Lance scanned the vast jungle below carefully, in search of a shape that was much larger than the rest. After about an hour or so of searching, Lance came across a mass of orange with a reddish tint in the center. At first, he assumed it was another pack of carnivorous sugar gliders before the figure moved to stand.

"Hunk! I found him! Bring me down."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's him, alright." Lance zoomed in on the figure. "Yep, I'd recognize that mullet anywhere. It's definitely Keith."