The New Blue (A Dark Lance AU)

The Switch (Chapter 5)

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a bit, but here you go, hope you enjoy!!

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'Hang in there'... sometimes, Lance just had a unique sense of humor. Or irony, depending on how you want to look at it.

All Keith could do was hang. His arms were chained to the wall, keeping him on his feet. He kept his gaze to the floor, even when the door slid open.

A hand slammed the wall by his head, the air moving his hair. Keith didn't flinch. "Aw, is the Black Paladin broken already?" Lotor. "And here I thought I'd have to play with you a bit before you'd cooperate for Acxa's interrogation. Or maybe I could just do it."

Keith growled at him, his knife tucked in his scabbard at the back of his belt. Lotor hadn't seen it yet. If Keith could only reach the knife...

"You wanna play? Release me and I'll give you a show," Keith threatened. Lotor's smirk only widened.

"Fiery, but we both know I won't fall for that," he smiled. "And that's not the kind of play I had in mind. I've seen you fight, you're skills are nothing compared to mine. It would be a shame to kill you so soon."

"What did you say--?!" Keith demanded before he froze, his pale face glowing bright red. Lotor only smirked at the boy's bashful expressions as he ran his hands under the paladin's grey t-shirt.

Keith struggled to jerk away, especially as the prince's hands slipped around to his back and lower. They reached the back of Keith's belt and paused.

"What's this?" Lotor cooed, grabbing the knife and sliding it out of its scabbard. "A Galran blade? Where could you have gotten this?"

Keith was silent, his eyes narrowed. "Hmm, and if I can recall, a druid reported that you had attacked him with your blade unlocked. Is it possible that you're not fully human?"

Keith only growled at him again. He wouldn't talk. "Stoic I see," Lotor sighed before dragging the dagger across Keith's cheek, leaving a bloody cut. "Well, I know a way I can get you to talk."

Keith spit blood out of his mouth, preparing for a new round of insults at the bastard, but he froze again. Lotor's clawed hands slid under his belt and started exploring.

Keith raised up a foot, giving Lotor a harsh blow to the ribs and knocking him back.

He only grinned, before slashing Keith's other cheek with the knife.

"Ezor," he ordered. The general stepped in with a small black case. Lotor flipped it open, assembling a syringe of some glowing yellow substance.

Keith recognized the liquid. Coran called it... quintessence. Keith was splashed with some when he fought a druid before Allura was captured a while back.

Lotor looked like he was going to do more than just splash Keith with it though. The grin on the Galra's face truly made Keith a little afraid.

"I'll make you a personal offer, Black Paladin," Lotor hissed, so close that Keith could feel the perverted prince's breath on his neck. Lotor rested the needle on his skin too. "Join me, and I won't have to painfully prove a theory of mine. You know what this is, yes?"

Keith managed a single nod.

"This substance in small quantities has incredible power, and can reveal any hidden truths about you. So you see, I already know you're half-Galra, sadly with a human, its wasted potential. I normally accept only female generals, but I could make an exception. You join me, and I'll leave your pitiful human appearance alone. Refuse, and this quintessence will turn you into a monster I can't even begin to imagine."

Keith was barely breathing. He didn't know what to do. Sure, he was a Galran hybrid, but only Voltron and the Blade of Marmora should've known.

If Lotor leaked, or if the quintessence really did change him, people would lose faith in Voltron, especially if a Galra monster was the leader.

Of course, Lotor could've been bluffing, but Keith wasn't too thrilled to call Lotor on any bluff.

The door suddenly burst open and Axca leapt in. "Sir, move! The Red Lion is barreling straight towards us--!"

Lotor leapt back as the side wall imploded. The Red Lion's open mouth occupied the hole that it had blown in the wall. Lance leapt out, and in two quick blasts, Keith was free.

Keith snatched up the dagger and quintessence knocked from Lotor's hands in the explosion. Keith didn't have his bayard, but he didn't need it. He elongated his knife into a sword, and lunged right at Lotor while Lance's blasts kept the generals at bay.

Lotor dodged every swing with a triumphant smirk. Keith had unknowingly proven his theory right.

"Keith, let's go!" Lance called as he backed towards the lion. Keith shoved Lotor away and dashed for the lion. He wasn't fast enough though.

A purple arm wrapped around Keith's chest, pinning his arms at his side and holding him back. Keith thrashed, kicked, snapped, did anything he could to get away, but Lotor held firm.

"Keith!" Lance shouted, taking aim at the trapped paladin. Lotor was behind him, using Keith as a human shield. One smallest miscalculation in Lance's aim would cost Keith his life.

Lance took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger. The blue blast shot right past Keith's head, singeing a few hairs as it sailed straight at Lotor.

Lotor released Keith in order to avoid the deadly blast, and Keith sprinted into the Lion's maw.

Lance's bayard slid across the floor to his feet. Keith whirled around and saw that the Red Paladin was now trapped in Zethrid's grasp. Keith snatched the bayard and started rushing towards his boyfriend, Lance's gaze stopped him.

"Lance!" Keith yelled.

"Red GO!" Lance shouted. Keith leapt towards Lance, just before the metal jaws clamped shut. The Lion shuddered as it took off, taking Keith and leaving it's Paladin behind.