Not So Human

Chapter One

Years Later, in the Castle of the Lions

"He is not the only alien on this ship," Lance scowled at Allura. "You need to stop treating him like he is."

Coran and the other paladins subtly scooted away from the seething blue paladin. Allura glared at Lance with a fire in her eyes. The two people fighting stood up, getting closer to one another - they were challenging one another.

"He is the only Galran on this ship," she snapped back. "His kind destroyed my home."

"He wasn't even alive when that happened!" Lance screamed, raising his voice to the point that he wondered if Keith could hear him from his lion. "He didn't do anything to you or any altean, ever."

With that, Lance shoved at the princess and trudged angrily for his own lion, wanting the comfort of Blue. The mechanical being seemed to sense something was wrong, and she immediately opened up her mouth. He climbed into the cockpit and curled up into a ball on the pilot seat.

Blue let her mechanics whir softly. My paladin, are you alright? Lance couldn't help but smile despite his sour mood.

"I've been better," he muttered. "Allura isn't treating Keith right. I'm worried she'll scare him away."

I thought you hated him. Why are you worried about him now?

"I may hate the kid, but no one should be discriminated against when it comes to their race," he sighed softly. "We don't discriminate against Allura and Coran because they are Altean. Keith doesn't deserve this."

Blue whirred soothingly, making Lance smile at her attempts to calm him down. He didn't really have a place among the other paladins, but he knew he had a place inside his lion. She always made him feel a little better when he was having a bad day. Her mechanics creaked again as their telepathic connection sensed his feelings towards her.

Lance, someone is coming! Shall I let them in?

"I guess that depends," he said, staring at his feet. "Who is it?"

"Lance, I know you're in there," Shiro called from just outside. "Can I come in? I want to make sure you're okay."

Lance didn't answer, hoping Shiro got the hint that he didn't want to talk. Blue remained quiet, too, as if she hadn't just made noise a few seconds ago. There was a soft knocking on Blue's mouth.

"Lance, please?" the black paladin called again.

He doesn't want you in here, Black Paladin. You need to go away.

"He can't understand you," Lance couldn't help but giggle.

I know.

Lance let out a quiet chuckle, sitting back in his chair. "Shiro, I don't want to talk," he called out after a moment. "Can you please leave me alone?" Lance heard him curse softly to himself before quietly talking to someone outside the lion.

He's trying to get me to let him in.

"Can you push him away? What about nudging him with his paw?" Lance grunted, getting annoyed. It wasn't like Shiro to bug people when they wanted to be alone. He typically respected privacy. There was a moment of silence before Blue made a new sound.

"I get it, mom," Lance huffed. "Yeesh."

It sounded like the robot was laughing. There was silence outside the lion, and the blue paladin hoped Shiro finally had enough sense to let him in. He should have thoughts quiet. There was another knocking sound, but this one sounded different.

"What do you want Shiro?"

"It's Keith."

The voice of Keith overpowered the telepathic voice of his lion.

9/27/17