Down Memory Lane - Voltron

Chapter 13 - The Tunnel, Part 2

/* There's one more tunnel part after this.  TW: Panic attack */

Pidge's POV

Pidge feels the commotion first as it trickles quickly up the line.

"Keith! Keith!" Lance is screaming. What happened now? Shiro, wondering the same thing, asks Lance.

"It's Keith. He was in my arms, then he just disappeared," Lance sobs.

"Disappeared?" Pidge pipes up. The idea that they can disappear here terrifies her. She cranes her neck every which way, but the darkness doesn't let up. Not even her thermal scanners or anything work.

"Yeah. I don't know how; I had a tight hold on him," Lance whimpers.

"I think the Entity is playing with us again. I'm sure Keith is safe somewhere," Allura says.

"If we don't find him by the time we get back to the Lions, we'll come back full-force," Shiro adds.

"Ok. I'm just scared. What if he's still in the dark somewhere, but can't find us? He almost had a panic attack earlier," Lance says.

"He's a tough dude. He'll be ok until we find him again. For now, we need to stick together. Keith needs us to stay together," Hunk replies, comfortingly.

Shiro gestures with his hand clasped in Pidge's to continue, and she does so, grudgingly. She's scared that if they keep going, they really will lose Keith. What if the others disappear?

Pidge leads everyone down the never-ending tunnel, praying that she'll hit a wall or a door soon. The paladins keep a steady conversation. Everyone is telling random stories, desperately trying to keep the silence at bay. After what feels like several hours later, there is another commotion.

"Lance! Buddy, where did you go?!?" Hunk cries out. Lance is gone, too? Not good; not good. Pidge breathes heavier, trying not to dissolve into panic; her heart thumps faster. Lance is missing; are they all going to one-by-one disappear? How will they ever get out of here? How will they find each other again? Pidge doesn't want to die alone.

The Shiro and Allura are busy calming Hunk and each other. After a while, Shiro asks, "Pidge are you ok? We need to keep moving."

Pidge nods before she remembers they can't see her and she tells them yes. Pidge continues trooping down the tunnel. She feels like she is walking in circles, but that is impossible; she never once turned.

Lance's POV

Lance falls through the hole. His stomach rises to his throat as he spirals down. He's gonna hit the floor and be smushed into oblivion. Great, Lance is going to die alone in the dark. Light invades his vision, burning his eyes painfully. He squeezes them shut and braces himself for a hard impact.

Except he doesn't land on stone hard ground; he lands on a soft cushion. He feels a figure sitting next to him, and arms wrapping around his body as he shakes.

"Lance, you're ok. I've got you," Keith's husky voice breaks through Lance's tired mind. Keith is here! He's alive and safe. Lance returns the hug with fervor, clinging to Keith like a lifeline as he sobs on the boy's shoulder. Keith pats his back gently, then starts rubbing circles on his back and making shushing noises.

Eventually, Lance calms down enough to take in his surroundings.