The flying Paladin

Chapter 13

The sound of my armor cracking filled my ears as my wings burst through them. Keith and Shiro stared, my wings out in their full glory. I fought the panic that was threatening to let loose. They knew, there was no taking it back now. All that mattered was that I got them out of here. 

"L..Lance?" Keith asked, his voice small. "Is that....are those--"

"Not the best time, Keith," I said. I pulled him and Shiro closer to my chest. "Hang on!" 

"Hang on? Why--AUUUUGH HOLY SHIT!!!" Keith screamed as I shot off, my wings pushing us out of the hangar doors on time. The doors close with a loud click and we fly off towards out lions. Thank God our helmets remained intact or we'd all be dead by now. 

I let out a hysterical laugh. It's been so long since I've flied. Like really flied. The last time I really let this loose was when I was younger, six or seven. And we were at a safe house and my mama said it was okay. I flapped my wings harder, shooting us out deeper into space. 

I reached the Black lion first. The black lion's eyes glinted and jaw opened. I let go of Shiro and directed him into the mouth. "T-Thank you Lance." Shiro said, his eyes still wide.

"You got it bud," I answered. "C'mon Mullet, let's you get back to red."

"It's not a mulle--AUUUUUUGH FUCK, GIVE A WARNING NEXT TIME!" 

"What makes you thiunk there's going to be a next time?" I asked as we shot out once more. Keith scrambled in my arms, tightening his hold on my neck. I was almost to Red when I realized what a large piece of shit I had just stepped in.

I wasn't wearing my armor. And I was flying through space with another person, someone who I was in love with, and I was completely vulnerable. And I was surrounded by enemy drones. "Ah shit!" I screamed as I had to veer to the right to avoid a blast.

"Lance?" Keith cried, looking up at seeing how many bots were quickly making their way over to us. "Oh shit."

"Hang on tight, Keithy boy," I said before I flew straight up, hoping to confuse the bots. It didn't work, these things are like torpedoes, following my exact movements.  

I flew in a zig-zag maneuver, trying to get the bots to crash together. It worked, sort of. A couple of the bots crashed but the others continued their onslaught of shots. I turned sharply to the right, avoiding one shot, only to crash into another.

"AUUG!" I screamed, as one of the lasers clipped my shin. 

"Lance!" Keith cried. "Oh my God, Lance!"

"I'm okay," I said through gritted teeth. "It's just a graze."

"No, it's not okay!" Keith said, freaking out. "You just got shot!"

"It's fine, I'll deal with it," I said, seeing a small opening to the Red lion. I flew towards it, passing several broken drones in the process. "I always do."

"What are you talking about? Do you get injured in battle and not tell us?" Keith demanded, his face morphing into a furious expression. It was cute. "Why would you do that--"

"Again, not the time Keith." I answered. I was almost there...yes! I reached the jaw of the Red lion and all but shoving him into the lion. "We'll talk about it later."

"Damn right we will," Keith muttered before the jaw closed. I sighed, grateful that he was safe. I then turned my head, looking for any possible way to get back to Blue with dying. 

Blue was really far away from where I was currently, and it was covered by drones. "Fuck." I muttered. "Okay, Lance, you can do this. Just...go!" 

I shot forward, my wings curling as they flew. I could do this, I just needed to avoid getting shot. My shin ached, the blood seeping down my leg leaving a trail in space. It actually looked fucking cool, but now was not the time to think about the anti-gravity affect of space. 

I was so close to Blue now, maybe a few seconds away from reaching her when I felt something pull me back. "What the fuck.." I looked back to see my entire body in a fucking tractor beam! 

The galra had me locked in some sort of light that was pulling me back towards their ship. "Shit shit shit, no!" I cried, desperately trying to break free from his hold. "No!"

Suddenly Red jumped forward, her body slamming the ship, breaking me from the hold. "Lance!" Keith cried. Oh right, the comms. They must still work. "Are you okay?" 

"Just peachy." I said, making way back over to Blue. Damn, that beam pulled me far. 

"Thank God," Keith said. "I don't know what we'd do without you." I fought the happiness that wanted to build in my chest. No, he didn't see me that way. He loved Shiro, not me. I needed to back off. I'm not allowed to love him.  Either of them. 

"I don't know, get a new blue paladin," I suggested.

"What?" Shiro asked, his voice heavy with...concern? 

"Well, isn't that what you'd do?" I asked, as my wings took me closer to Blue. "If I died, I mean. You'd just replace me?"

"What? Lance is that really how you think we feel--" Keith asked before Shiro interrupted him.

"Lance, we will be having a very serious discussion about all of this when we get back," Shiro said. I frowned, of course we were. "But right now, I want you to concentrate on getting to Blue safely."

"You got it, Space dad."

"Don't you mean 'daddy' Lance?" Pidge snickered. I hear Shiro choke on air on the other end of the comm and Hunk chuckled.

"Pidge stop being an ass," I said.

"Do you deny it?" Pidge asked.

"....no comment?" I said, enticing another round of sputtering, this time from both Keith and Shiro. Shit, I shouldn't have said that. "I'm just messing with you guys, relax."

"Sure you were." Pidge said.

"Pidge, I swear I'm going to come over there and kick your puny ass--" I started but I never finished my empty threat. Because I was so distracted I failed to notice a bot heading straight for me. 

I turned my head just in time to see it shoot at me. I blanked for a second before the blinding, hot pain brought me back to reality. I could see the blood that was pouring out of me, float around my body. 

I closed my eyes, too tired to stay awake.

"LAAAAAANCE!!!!"