Demolished

Chapter 2

"Thanks, again, Acxa." Keith told the woman, holding out his hand.

Acxa clutched his forearm, nodding to him. "I hope our paths might cross again, Keith."

"Keith." Lance's voice broke through their farewells, and Keith glanced up to the Red Lion, where the Paladin was waiting. "If you're done saying goodbye to your sweetheart, we need to go!"

"Oh my quiznak." Acxa rolled her eyes, able to hear Lance's voice through the comm clearly from where she stood.

"Lance, she's not my sweetheart!" Keith hissed, turning from Acxa. "She's just a friend."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Now can we just get GOING?!"

"Lance." Keith sternly glared, very much aware that Lance couldn't see his face. "It's going to take one and a half years to get home. Why are you in such a hurry? It'll take us a while no matter what we do."

Lance flicked off his comm, not bothering to answer his leader.

"Farewell, Keith." Acxa told him, positioning herself into the classic Galra salute. "May God guide your path, and give you speed."

"You too, Acxa." Keith smiled. "God bless."

Acxa smiled gently, pivoting and heading back to her cave.

"So...is anyone else going to say it?" Hunk asked, mirth in his voice.

"I swear, if-" Keith began, but Coran interrupted.

"Oh! Is this your Earth-song about the tree? And the rhymes, and the marriage?"

"Um. Yeah. Anyone going to sing it with me?"

"Hunk." Keith groaned, face-palming. "I swear, if you begin singing..."

"Keith and Ac-xa, sitting' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes marriage, then comes Keith, with a baby-"

Keith choose that moment to shut off his comms, thankfully for the blissful silence that emanated from his helmet. After a few moments, in which he climbed into the Black Lion, he turned them on again, regretting it immediately.

Hunk was teaching Romelle and Coran how to sing the teasing song, and Keith sighed, angry that they were still using him as the victim.

"Okay, guys, that's enough." He told them, grabbing the controls. The Black Lion flickered to life, and he groaned when Hunk only increased his out-of-tune singing. "GUYS."

"Hunk, if you don't shut it right now, you'll have two training simulators to do in the morning." Krolia barked, and silence immediately filtered through the comm.

Keith glanced at her with admiration, and she smirked back.

"Okay. We're all ready to launch." Shiro told them, probably checking one of the screens that gave him all the Lions' stats.

"Good." Keith repositioned his grip on the controls. "Lance, if you can hear me, turn on your comms."

The comm on Lance's end flicked on, and Keith nodded sharply, controlling the Black Lion. His lion, turned, took a five step running start, and then his thrusters flared, dragging the Green Lion, who was still limp, behind him. The Yellow Lion had to grab the smaller lion's tail to keep her airborne, but, with a bit of luck, they broke the atmosphere.

Shiro kept Pidge in his arms until they cleared it, bent over her figure carefully as he braced himself, eyes squeezed tight.

She whimpered slightly at every jolt, but did not rouse from her slumber, instead murmuring things incoherently.