Dick had been the pilot of the Black Lion for three months. He, Wally, Artemis, M'gann, and Conner had been sucked into a portal and teleported to some castle. They were thousands of galaxies away from their home, which was starting to aggravate Dick. He just wanted to see his family again.
"Report to the mission room, paladins. It's time for training." Coran said over the intercom. Dick sighed, getting up from his bed. He was tired of training. Every day, they did the same thing over and over again. He just wanted something different for once.
He pulled on his armor, hurrying towards the mission room. He knew it wouldn't be good if he was late, and he had to be a good leader. He had to set the example for the others, despite only being seventeen and being the youngest of the group.
Dick stood in front of Coran and Allura, exhaustion dripping from his body. He swore he could actually see it, although it was probably just sweat. The castle had been really warm recently, and he didn't like it. He often sat under cold showers just to cool down. It was way too hot, and it felt like the castle was constantly spinning.
"Today is a bonding day between you and your lions. You'll each be picking a planet and going there with your lion. You'll spend a few vargas getting closer, then return here. Try to be back within six vargas, or you may be at greater risk of being found and attacked. Good luck." Allura told them.
Dick chose a small and quiet planet, free of intelligent inhabitants and filled with beautiful forests. He landed in a clearing and sighed, pulling off his helmet and setting it on the floor. "What do you say we rest for a bit, bud? I'm exhausted." The lion purred, making Dick smile. "Wake me after an hour has passed, okay? I promise we'll work on bonding. I just need a little sleep."
Dick fell asleep easily, trusting his lion to keep him safe. Besides, he felt horrible, and wondered if he'd caught some Altean disease. It probably wasn't too farfetched. Who knew what was still living in that castle?
A gentle rumble woke him from his sleep, shaking his body. "I'm up, bud. I'm up." He yawned, stretching. The lion purred again, sending Dick images of joy. "What do you wanna work on today? How can I get closer to you?" The lion sent an image to Dick. "That's good with me. We'll do what you want."
Dick put his helmet on again, letting the lion show him what he saw. "The forest does look nice. You wanna fly a little?" The lion nodded, making Dick smile. Even if he felt bad, he could make his lion happy. If only he could do the same for his boyfriend. Wally and Dick had gotten so little private time together that it was driving them insane.
Dick directed the lion as they flew, letting himself be free. He missed being free. Now it was improvement in a cage that had a large space. A giant castle and one of the best things he could've asked for, but with no way to go home. He just wanted to see his family again.
"I'm sorry, bud. I can't keep doing this." Dick sighed, bringing the lion down and taking his helmet off. It rumbled in confusion, asking Dick as best it could what was wrong. "I miss them. I miss them so much, and I can't keep going without them. I miss my family. I miss being alone with Wally. But I don't want to leave you." He said shakily, holding back tears.
Everything felt like it was crashing down on Dick. He pulled his knees to his chest, hiding his face as the tears fell. He missed them too much. It hurt too badly. He didn't want to keep missing them. As strong as he could stand on his own, it was nothing compared to when others stood next to him. He wanted to stand with his family next to him, he wanted to stand with everyone he missed.
Wally was with the Red Lion on a planet full of ice, zipping through the caves. He and Red loved to go as fast as possible and push their limits, see what they could manage. It was how they bonded, by being absolute idiots together. They just had a need for speed.
The lion suddenly stopped, surprising Wally. "What is it, Red? Is something wrong?" Wally asked, straightening his helmet. A message appeared in front of Wally. "The Black Lion? Do you mean Dick?" Wally got the feeling the Red Lion was telling him no. "We need to check on them. You have their location?" The Red Lion sent an image into Wally's head. "That's really close. Let's go, Red."
Wally landed next to the Black lion, running out of his Lion to Dick's. "Dick? Are you alright?" Wally called, putting his hand on the Black Lion's nose. No response came from inside. "I need to get in there. Please. I need to inside there." Wally begged.
The Black Lion opened its mouth, allowing Wally in. "Thank you." He sighed, hurrying up to the cockpit. He could faintly hear crying, and felt his heart leap into his throat. Was Dick hurt? Had something happened?
"Dick? Are you okay?" Wally asked, coming into the cockpit. Dick was still curled into a ball, crying and shaking. Wally picked him up, sitting in the chair and setting him in his lap. "It's okay, Dickie. I'm here now. I'm here, you're okay." "I miss them." "I know, Dickie. I do too." "I can't keep doing this." "Don't say that. I'm here. As long as I'm here, you can keep going." "I don't get to see you anymore." "I know. I'm going to get better about that."
Wally kissed Dick's forehead, grabbing one of his hands and connecting them. "I love you, Dick. I'll always love you." "I love you too, Wally." "We're going to defeat Zarkon. We're going to kick his ass, then we're going to go home. We're going to see our families again. That's a promise, Dickie." "Promise you'll always be there?" "I promise. Even if I have to get in a space lion and find you, I'll always be there for you." "Thanks, Walls." "It's no problem, Dickie. Go to sleep for now. I've got you. I'll always protect you."
