The Monster in the Sky. Klance AU

Chapter 13: What Really Happened to Henry Griffin

"Lance? What are you doing here?" was the first question thrown at Lance when he landed on the planet where all of his friends were hiding out. He raised his fists to his eyes and rubbed them, hoping to dispose of any evidence he'd been crying whilst also checking that the people in front of him were real. "Is everything okay?" Shiro stepped towards Lance, raising his arm- and a new prosthetic- to pull Lance into a hug.

Lance couldn't help it as he jolted back with a sob. As soon as the others saw, they backed up to give Lance the space they thought he needed. He appreciated it to an extent but it didn't stop the fear and confusion from swirling inside the pit of his stomach. For a moment, Lance wondered if he was going to throw up over himself.

"I don't..." He started but found himself unable to finish. It was difficult- nearly impossible, even- for his brain to comprehend that his friends were standing there, on an alien planet. He was either dreaming and his brain was making it all up or... or his gut was right. Voltron was real. He actually went to space. "Is this real?" Lance held both of his hands up into the air as he began to back away, shaking his head out of disorientation.

"What do you mean? Of course it's real." Shiro spoke in a soft voice like a parent comforting their child would. Lance let out a cry as Shiro stepped closer so he ended up taking even more steps back.

"This is a dream and- and I'm going to wake up in my bed at any moment," Lance's breath hitched. He let his hand hover over his heart as his breaths spiraled even further out of control. "Just wait for it. It- It's weird that you're all here but, I get it, my brain's fucked up."

Every single one of Lance's friends exchanged identical concerned look that Lance had grown accustomed to over time. That urge to puke rose in his throat again. Somehow, Lance was able to feel the green tinge as it spread across his face in time with the nausea. "Lance, this is real and we need you."

Lance covered his ears with his hands and hunched over, mumbling, "I know, I know. Keith is the one who usually says it but- but-"

"Lance, all of this is real," Lance slowly lowered his hands so he could hear what Shiro was saying with the hope that his soft voice would help calm him down. Stuck on the precipice of a panic attack, all Lance wanted was a spark of hope to cling onto and stop him from falling. "The rebels are loose on Alkafa and we think they plan on infiltrating the ball tonight." Shiro held out his hand and raised his eyebrows as a silent plea for Lance to take it. He didn't.

"Why is Voltron so important? Surely you can hold them off without me."

"The Alkafans are very technologically advanced. Their weaponry is unlike anything we can imagine so it's best we all go."

"I'm sorry but I can't..." Lance stared holes into his shoes as he felt everyone's gazes focus on him. "I- I need to wake up."

"No, you don't. You're awake now, alright?"

Lance shook his head with so much strength that his hair flew in all different directions around him. "I'm at home. In bed. I'll wake up any second," Lance clenched his hands into fists and hit them against his forehead with enough strength to tint his skin a deep red. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"Look," Keith started, stepping forward. Despite Lance feeling like he had known Keith the entire duration of his escapade in space, Lance didn't think he knew him at all anymore. He knew Keith, the red paladin who was socially awkward but would protect the ones he loved by all means. He knew the guy who couldn't formulate a simple Voltron chant and who he shared a bonding moment with but proceeded to 'forget' it to hide the potential feelings that were hidden beneath the surface. Lance didn't know the guy who had stalked him and drew doodles of him when he wasn't looking. He didn't know Keith Kogane, the wanted murderer who had probably stabbed a Garrison teacher to death and then hid the evidence.