Intruder Alert

Chapter 16

No one moved. They watched each other communicating about what they should do without saying anything.

The knock at the door sounded again. "I know you're in there." The muffled voice on the other side of the door said.

Pidge, in her corner, had dropped the blade to her side when the knock first sounded, but know she raised it up once again. She knew that she had no choice now. If she killed herself she would save her friends from the pain of having to kill her themselves.

Allura noticing this leapt at her. Pidge surprised dropped the knife from her hands. She was about to yell out, once again telling them about how they were making a big mistake, but Allura covered her mouth.

Coran picked up the knife and placed it back with the other weapons. Shiro dug through the containers and found some rope. With Allura's help they were able to restrain Pidge's hands. Which allowed them to focus on the matter at hand and not have to worry about Pidge.

"I'm telling you there will be no mercy," Pidge said for what felt like the umpteenth time. 

Farther back in the room, Keith carefully slid himself from Lance's tight embrace. Stirring from his sleep Lance noticed that the warm body beneath him had moved, he sounded a slight whimper. Keith froze when he felt Lance latch onto him tighter than before. He gave a pained expression to the others as he glanced down at the blue paladin who was begging him not to go. Keith didn't want to leave him, but at the same time he knew that he needed to help the others.

"I've got to help the others," he whispered even though he knew Lance probably wasn't listening. "I'll be back. When I do come back we can cuddle all you want alright?" 

Lance seemed to have understood what he said despite his current sleeping state and loosened the grip he had around Keith's waist. Keith then stood up stretching from being in the same position for so long. Without a second thought he removed his jacket and draped it over Lance before joining the others by the door.

"The tunnels are too narrow to fight in." Allura stated, "Besides we don't even know what kind of creature is out there."

"I do." 

The whole group turned to look at Pidge again. They glanced at the girl unsure as to whether or not they could trust this person who had just tried to kill themselves in an effort to save them from supposedly being slaughtered as she had put it.

"Pidge what do you mean?" Shiro asked.

"I mean that I know who or what is behind that door." She adjusted are hands bound behind her. "They're the same person."

"I don't follow."Allura said. She shifted back and forth from one foot to the other.

"The intruder can split into as many copies of himself as he so desires." Pidge explained, "I found out when I was first shoved out of the tunnels by Lance's impostor."

"Wait Lance had an impostor?" Hunk asked glancing over at the sleeping Cuban.

"Yes, but that's not important right now." Pidge growled adjusting her restraints.

The knock sounded at the door again. "I'm counting to thirty and you better let me in."

"What's important is stopping the intruder, which is to give him what he wants."

"No. I refuse to negotiate with him. His stupid little game ends right here right now!" Keith said. Shiro nodded his approval.

"Keith is right This thing, has done enough damage to all of us. We don't even know what happened to Lance in the tunnels or if he'll ever be the same." Shiro commented, "We have to come up with a plan and fast.

"This is never going to work." Pidge whispered from her spot on the floor behind the others. 

"Shh." Keith whispered back.

Seconds later the door that was supposed to be invisible crashed to the floor and in walked the creature that they all had been running from. He glanced around the pitch black room.

"Green Paladin. I know you're in here." He said spinning around to survey the whole room.

Back behind the crates Pidge began to shake her eyes clenched shut. The hairs on the back of er neck stood on end as she heard him moving around the room. 

"I know that you haven't listened to what I told you to do," he chuckled to himself, "now there must be a punishment."

Pidge buried herself into Allura's embrace muffling her sobs and to stop herself from shaking. The creature heard her and turned towards them.

"Gotcha."

"Now!" Shiro cried out.

Simultaneously him and Keith pulled onto two separate ropes. Ropes that tightened around the creatures ankles and sent them towards the ceiling. 

Cautiously the group revealed themselves from behind the crates just as the creature let a string of curses leave his mouth. The group looked with disgusted curiosity at his caked mud like skin. Pidge not able to move from her spot stayed hidden but that didn't stop the creature from calling out to her.

"Green Paladin. You and your team may have stopped me from hurting them this time but just you wait. Next time will be the last time and I'll be going for you first."

No one was able to respond before wind came in from no where. It blew sand all around making it impossible to see. As quick as it had come it was gone leaving them coughing the hell out of their lungs and two ropes hanging with no intruder.

The group said nothing as they returned to check on their frozen companion. She was staring at the ground her hands clamping onto her upper arms until her knuckles were white.

"We have no choice now." she said quietly, "You must kill me."