Heavens Flare

Grounded

The next day the Paladins checked to see if the lions were stable enough to go on as Axca stayed down by Lotor to make sure he didn't try anything. Lance barely acknowledge of Lotors consciousness as the two haven't spoken a word to each other. Lotor only asked once more the next day, Axca and hunk declined the request as hunk knew lance wasn't in a rush to see Lotor.

No one asked why either. Despite lance being so urgent to save him as well.

Nor did Allura say a word about Lotor when Axca gave them all updates before the flight, she looked angry the whole time as lance looked depressed. Quiet, barely said a word until Axca joined him on red as they switched passengers and Coran went to blue.

They all fell asleep around the same time as krolia kept watch in the black lion as everyone had their lions on auto pilot and connected. Catching up on sleep that many have missed or enjoying for once not being in constant battle for the time being.

"Everybody up!" Keiths voice rang through all lions speakers.

"No..." hunk covered his face with his pillow but glanced over seeing Lotor still awake in the bed as he was reading a book, not seeming like he slept either way.

"What's the point? We're just floating in space," lance yawned as Axca sat up in the bed across the room from Lances as he laid on his stomach.

"There's no day or night here," he rolled over covering his body with the blanket, axca was awake enough to start getting ready for the day.

"I have to agree with lance, we should sleep for 15 more doboshes," Allura didn't bother opening her eyes.

—

"Guys we can't let this long journey make us soft or dull our skills," Keith smirked as he sat in the pilots chair with his mother behind him and looking through the screen. "Routine will keep us sharp,"

"Keiths right, routine is what got me through being the galras prisoner and being in the infinite void of the black lion," shiro agreed as he was in the green lion with Pidge.

"I guess that does make you the expert on killing time," lance mumbled.

"Okay everyone, to your stations, running battle simulations now," Keith commanded rolling his eyes.

Everyone groaned.

"Can't we just have breakfast first?" Hunk yawned as his eyes slowly drifted back to sleep.

Everyone got into their armor as it was quiet since no one was to excited or awake to make conversation, getting into their seats and taking control of their lions instead of auto pilot, Krolia used the time to make the training sequence for the Paladins.

"I programmed a new battle simulation, I think it's going to be especially challenging," krolia hummed as she sent the simulation to all of them as it took over the screen to make it seem they were on a different planet.

"Why do you seem happy about that?" Hunk yawned.

"Like mother like son," lance leaned on his fist unamused while Axca stood behind his chair quietly.

"you're on a planet with double gravity, dense volcanic fog and eight blovar raptors are attacking, what do you do?" Krolia asked them all as the simulation begun.

"Do these raptors have eggs? I say we steal some and we make a little breakfast," hunk said flatly as he was zoning out.

Suddenly a beast popped up from no where making hunk scream and fall out of his chair and fell to the floor.

"A blovar raptor just melted your face off hunk, now it's eight on four," Krolia called through the speakers.

"That's fine by me, I'm eating," hunk rolled to his side to get up.

He walked down to the hangar where he kept his supplies and where Lotor was staying for now as well. Until lance told him what the next move was, he was happy to let Lotor stay with him, giving his friend time to heal for now.

Bt the time he got down there, Lotor was already awake and the mice were with him squeaking as he listened, letting it entertain him as the space wolf of keiths laid at the bottom of the bed, curled up.

"Can you understand them too?" Hunk asked as he grabbed some food to make everyone breakfast.

"No, but they have quite a show to perform," Lotor told him softly as he seemed paler than usual, sick almost but probably from not sleeping more of the less. Hunk knew he didn't rest well, he remembered what one of Lotors generals told him when Lotor was once in the pod after the big battle with zarkon. Lance nor Lotor slept well without the other.

He stayed silent, keeping to himself more, Lotor knew they weren't friends, he didn't want to push his luck. He knew the Paladins hated him.

"Lance, Allura and Pidge were the last to make it in the simulator," hunk kept his back to  Lotor. He knew he's been cold lately to the galra, he didn't want to stay like that.

"It seemed difficult," Lotor nodded as he took the blanket off and spun himself slowly as he hissed holding his ribs but let his leg dangle off the bed.

"What are you doing?" Hunk sighed looking over as he was in the middle of cutting up some veggies.

"Stretching my legs," Lotor paused. "Leg," he corrected.

"I won't be moving much, the burns still hurt enough for me to not want to even try hobbling," he glanced up at hunk and the Paladin gave him a pitiful look.

"Is that the look I'm going to get now? Pity and sadness?" Lotor frowned annoyed.

"Your missing half your limbs, no ones going to be trembling before you," hunk snorted but pursed his lips keeping his head down.

"Sorry, that was unnecessary of me," he poured the egg and veggie like foods into flat bread to make burritos for everyone.

"Well you wouldn't be wrong, I am pathetic," Lotor leaned back against the wall as he couldn't help but touch his amputated arm.

"Don't guilt trip me," hunk pointed the spoon at him.

"My apologies," Lotor looked down.

Hunk inhaled deeply and rolled up a burrito and set it on a plate, he walked over and handed it to Lotor gently.

"You know you did a terrible thing right?" Hunk knelt to him so he wouldn't be over towering Lotor as he only could sit.

"Yes," he whispered looking down at hunk.

"I don't hate you Lotor, it's just... your basically grounded, you did a bad thing and now your grounded," hunk sighed setting the breakfast next to Lotor.

"Grounded?" Lotor made a face.

"Like a parents way of punishing their child for misbehaving, you can ground them to their room or take away something they like to get the point of discipline, we all grounded you to here," hunk smiled a little and Lotor nodded understanding.

"It must be an earth term, I've never been grounded before," Lotor bit his lip clenching and unclenching his fist at his side.

"It is..." hunk stood up as Lotor held the plate in his lap as keiths space dog came got up and hunk put the burritos into a carrier to tie it to the wolf for everyone else to get one.

"So what did your parents do if you misbehaved as a child? I mean the galra way?" Hunk asked as they are together in the cockpit of the yellow lion.

"My father sent me to the arena to fight for victory or death, and exiled me," Lotor said after swallowing his first bite.

"That's not parenting!" Hunk screamed.

"So I've been told," Lotor shrugged a little.