Connections - klance

>>20<<

Lance stared ahead blankly. Lotor had been parading him around at various meetings for a considerable amount of time now, although he hadn't really kept track. It all blurred together anyways.

A familiar blank buzz filled his mind, and he blinked slowly at the prince standing at his side. His master, or whatever. It didn't really matter.

"Welcome... entertainment... small, but...--taking." The prince was saying something, but he couldn't seem to force his foggy mind to focus. They were at another conference, and small furry creatures were chittering to one another incessantly. He couldn't help but frown at the obnoxious noises.

"Lancey-Lance." He started at the sound of his name and turned to the prince. "Why don't you show these wonderful people what you can do?"

Of course Lotor had figured out he could dance. It had been a cruel day. Lotor had been parading him around as usual, and a band had been playing in the background. His hips had started to sway without him even realizing it, some buried instinct rising in spite of his situation. Lotor had picked up on it immediately, and then it was over. Now he was not only a sex-toy, but a full-fledged physical source of entertainment that only existed for the pleasure of others.

He felt some buried emotion prickle at these thoughts, and he immediately shoved it down. Emotions were not something he could manage. It was better to just drown it all out with blank static.

Stepping to the front of the room, he turned to face the small crowd. Their faces blurred together, melding with the countless eyes that had seen him before. It was always the same. The only face he could distinctly pick out was that of the prince. His yellow eyes flashed triumphantly, sick pleasure twisting his features.

The music slowly drifted through the room, strange instruments blending together into something Lance could feel a slight pull to. He let his mind take a back seat, relaxing into the static of his brain as his body took over. He'd always been a good dancer, and he was grateful for the opportunity to let go of himself. On Earth, he'd made it a point to pour his soul into his dancing. He'd loved expressing his emotion and feelings through twists of the hips and tilts of the chin. This, however, was not like that. He kept his soul as buried as possible, mechanically performing the movements. If he could keep himself and his dancing separate, he wouldn't have to dredge up the repressed emotions he'd been shoving away for months now. Or maybe it had only been days. Really, he didn't know.

The music drifted to a stop, and he forced himself to regain control of his body. Back to work.

The creatures were clapping politely, staring at him with their beady eyes. He turned his foggy head towards Lotor, cringing at the obvious lust he could sense present there. Perhaps he'd performed too well. Tonight was going to be painful.

Lance stumbled as a distant rumble shook the conference room. The small creatures chattered nervously, not sure how to react. He turned to Lotor, his glazed eyes recognizing the confusion and rage evident on his face.

"Guards... explosion... ship... --ediately!" Lance stared at the prince blankly. Something was obviously happening, but he couldn't bring himself to focus on the potential threats. His mind felt blissfully empty.

"Lance!" The prince was shouting his name, and he blinked slowly at the Galran man. "We need to leave here at once!"

Suddenly the prince's fingers were gripped tightly around his wrist, and his brow furrowed. When had he moved?

They were running down the corridor, Lance stumbling more than anything else. A faint sense of worry was drifting through his mind, and he desperately tried to force it away. If he let even one emotion in, they'd all break through his fragile barrier.

Lotor screeched to a stop, and he felt his arm jerk as the prince pulled him back. The pain throbbed dully, and he looked to Lotor in confusion. Why did he stop?

A flash of red and white flew before him, and he tried as hard as he could to focus on the sudden movement. What was this creature?

"Lance!"

The sound of his name made him freeze. It had almost sounded like... No, it couldn't be. He immediately shoved the thought out of his mind. His team had abandoned him. He needed to break out of this hallucination.

Sinking to the floor, he muttered encouragement to his own mind in Spanish. He had to wake up. He'd been through episodes like this before, and it never ended well. He needed to force himself awake.

This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. He needed to wake up. Wake up.

Why couldn't he wake up?

(807 Words)

Sorry for the small delay! I wasn't quite sure where to take this chapter, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. Thanks for reading!