Connections - klance

>>21<<

Keith growled, sprinting down the corridor. He could hear his team yelling at him through his helmet, but he switched it off in a fit of rage. He needed to find Lance.

Throwing himself around a corner, he stopped abruptly.

It was him.

Lotor was dragging Lance along, jerking him back immediately when he noticed Keith standing there. There was a moment of charged energy as Keith and Lotor panted, glaring at each other.

Keith let his eyes dart to the blue paladin for a split-second. He was wearing nothing but a small drape of fabric to cover himself, and a golden chain fell from his neck to Lotor's clenched fist. His ribs rose and fell rapidly, and his eyes seemed unfocused and distant, gazing at Lotor questioningly. Allura hadn't been lying.

Keith felt his blood boil at the sight, and he turned back to the Galran prince with a growl. His bayard appeared in his clenched fist, and he darted forward to engage the prince.

Lotor release his grip on Lance's wrist, drawing his own sword. They clashed in a burst of sparks, frighteningly close to Lance's head.

"Lance!" he called, trying to warn him away from the raging duel. However, instead of throwing himself out of harm's way, Lance slumped to the floor. Keith couldn't help but stare in surprise. The blue paladin was cowering on the cold ground, murmuring something incomprehensible under his breath. A sharp flare of anger filled his chest, and he turned to Lotor with renewed vigor.

"What did you do to him?" he forced out, clenching his jaw painfully. The prince only smiled.

"It really didn't take much. Your blue paladin was easy to break."

Keith felt a burst of rage, and he swung his sword towards Lotor with as much aggression as he could muster. The prince barely blocked his attack, stumbling a little. Keith swung his bayard again, pounding the Galran with as many deadly blows as he could. The prince was frustratingly good at this, blocking every swing with an equal amount of vigor.

"I don't know why you bother," the prince snarled, sword clashing with Keith's bayard painfully. "He'll never trust you again."

Keith faltered at that. Lance wouldn't trust him? What was that supposed to mean?

Lotor took advantage of his miniscule hesitation, turning to the offensive. Keith was suddenly faced with a barrage of attacks, barely bringing his bayard to meet each jolting swing.

Sweat dripped down his face, and he grunted as the prince made his first hit. His left forearm stung, but he pushed the pain away. Darting underneath Lotor's raised arms, he placed a solid kick to the prince's backside, pushing him off balance.

The prince stumbled with a grunt, and Keith took full advantage of his weakness. Swinging his bayard around with a sharp shout, he felt the blade sink into the prince's undefended left rib. Lotor let out a harsh yell, lurching to the side. To Keith's horror, he tripped over Lance's prone figure, landing on the blue paladin with a grunt.

"¡No! ¡No me p-puedo despertar, no me t-toques, nec-necessito d-despertarme!"

Lance was screaming, writhing under Lotor's weight. The prince groaned, trying to force himself back up. Keith didn't give him the chance.

With strength that surprised even him, he grabbed Lotor's collar and flung him away from Lance. He landed almost ten yards away, screaming in pain. Keith couldn't find an ounce of sympathy to give. Lance was covered in Lotor's blood, the red mixing with sweat as he shook on the floor.

"Lance, Lance, listen to me. I'm here, I'm here." Keith fell to his knees, shakily reaching out to the blue paladin. Lance was still screaming something, trembling and wailing harshly. His sobs shook his frail frame, and Keith scooped the paladin into his arms. Lance tried to push him off, but his attempts were weak and uncoordinated. Keith slowly lifted him from the ground, cradling him against his chest. They needed to get back to the castle.