The Secrets Within Ourselves (KLANCE)

8: Consequences

Song Of The Chapter:
Eye Of The Storm - X Ambassadors

Lance was mad.
He didn't come back to the dorm until late after the sun set, and even then he dreaded going back to the room.
The place where Keith would be.
Lance did realize that it wasn't entirely Keith's fault. He had snapped at Keith, which wasn't exactly fair. Even if so, Lance was still mad.
Mad at Keith.
Mad at himself.
Lance sat on a bench in the park, staring silently ahead. The park was dead silent - the only thing heard was the faint sound of cars rushing by on the roads surrounding the park.
Out of nowhere, Lance yelled and hurled an ice ball at the nearest trashcan, watching as it topppled over. Lance closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath to steady his thundering heart.
He wanted all this pain to just... stop.
He wanted to slip away, never to be seen again.
Maybe the world would be a better place without him lurking around.
No, stop thinking that way, you weak piece of shit, Lance fought in his mind. You are still worth something.
Right?

After easing his mind, he walked back to the dorms, right before the clock struck 11:00.
Lance unlocked the door, silently slipping into the dark room. As he turned to put his jacket on the hook on his closet door, a voice spoke from the pitch dark room.
"Lance?"
Keith's voice sounded uncertain and quiet, as if he was slightly afraid that Lance would snap at him any second. Instead, Lance let out a long exhale.
"Yes?"
He turned from the closet as Keith's lamp flicked on, casting a warm glow around the room.
Lance sat down on his bed.
"I, I wanted to say I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have argued with you, and I can understand why your upset with me."
Lance notice Keith look down, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. Lance couldn't help it.
He smiled.
"It's okay, Keith."
The black haired boy looked up at Lance, as if he didn't believe what he heard.
"It's okay. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at you. It wasn't fair to treat you like that. I guess... I'm just having a bad day."
Keith's nodded his head in understanding.
"Did you stay up just to tell me that?" Lance asked, seeing how tired Keith looked.
The boy shrugged.
"I suppose, but that doesn't really matter."
Lance smiled at the thought, and the two left the conversation at that. Keith leaned over and turned the light off, the room consumed with darkness once again. Before Lance drifted off into sleep however, he heard Keith whisper from his side of the room.
"Goodnight, Lance."

The next morning, Lance woke up to Keith standing over him. On instinct he sat up in his bed, ready to defend himself. Keith was caught by surprise, and almost fell in attempt to dodge Lance's flailing arms.
"Wh- What the hell Keith!? Why are you standing over me?!"
Keith regained himself and gasped, "Dude, you almost killed me!"
"Reflexes, it's not my fault! You were the one who was standing over me!"
"Reflexes? Lance, I didn't even touch you!"
Lance shrugged, but began to laugh.
"I can't believe you," Keith said with a snicker, putting his palm to his forehead in fake irritation.
Once the two calmed down from their laughter, Lance asked, "But seriously, why were you standing over me?" Keith looked slightly uneasy before replying.
"You were talking in your sleep, and I decided I should wake you up." Lance felt embarrassment creep up on him, and he looked away.
"O-Oh, sorry."
When he looked back over to Keith, the boy looked slightly worried.
"What um, was I saying exactly?"
Now it was Keith's turn to look away.
"Well, it was a little hard to understand - it was a mix of Spanish and English slurred together. It seemed like you were angry in your dream, or scared, like you were yelling at someone or something."
Lance sighed.
"I'm sorry, Keith."
The black haired boy shrugged.
"It was no big deal."
Lance didn't reply, however he still felt uneasy as he got up to change. He fetched his backpack, and then left the building with Keith by his side.

Neither would be prepared for what would happen next.

Lance sat quietly reading a book for Language Arts when he heard a loud band down the hall.
A sound all too familiar.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up, tension growing in a matter of seconds. The sound had pierced the air only once, but everyone could sense something was so terribly wrong. Then, there was a scream, echoing down the hallway, and a series of repeated bangs.

It was a school shootout.

(A/N: SO I ACTUALLY STARTED WRITING THIS PART BEFORE THE FLORIDA SHOOTING SO IM SORRY UM.... YEAH.... Yikes. Anyway, continue.)

By now everyone in the classroom was panicking, and the teacher was struggling to keep everyone calm. Lance's heart pounded in his chest, and he looked wildly around.
The first thought that popped into his head was: he had to get his suit.
Yes, he was a villain, but he couldn't stand by and watch innocent people - his friends - die. It was his school. He had to do something about it.
Without hesitation, Lance ran to the window and hurled himself against it. He was thankful for his strength as the glass shattered and he toppled out onto the grass on the other side, letting out a low groan of pain as the glass shards lodged into his shoulder. He knew this way his class could evacuate safely, while he planned to run back to the dorm.
His classmates cried and screamed, racing to climb out the window and evacuate. Lance followed for a small amount of time.
Everything was going according to plan.
As everyone was running away, Lance made a beeline to the dorms. He knew right away the doors would be locked, so he scaled the side of the building to reach the room on the second floor.
Thankfully they had left the window open to freshen up the room, so he quickly popped open the screen with ease, climbing inside. His side ached slightly and glass littered his shirt and left cuts in his skin, but he didn't care at the moment. He quickly slipped off his clothes, changing into his suit and letting his body change form.
Taking a deep breath, he left the room.

As he jumped from building to building, terrible thoughts were brewing in his head.
He had to find Keith, Pidge, and Hunk to make sure they were okay.
And, as Lance thought about it, he realized the school shooters weren't some normal messed up teens taking out hate on their school.
It was his father's doing.
And, in a way, this was all Lance's fault.
He hid his mother from his father.
And in return?
His father would make innocent people die.
Just like he promised.
His school was the target, because he knew Lance would make friends there.
Oh man, this was bad.
Lance burst back into the hallway, hoping to clear as many people out as possible, all the while searching for the shooters.
He inwardly prayed they hadn't killed any of his friends. If they did, Lance would never forgive himself.

A/N: ohboyohboyohboyohboy. This is exciting, right? RIGHT? PLEASE TELL ME IT IS BECAUSE I WAS SUFFERING TRYING TO WRITE THIS. I was actually starting to plan out something different instead, but I guess I will just see how it goes? Oof, my inspiration changes over time and it kinda can murder me. And sadly enough, I might redo the draft chapters I have ahead of this one? C r a p :')
Well hope you are continuing to enjoy this story! I'm in the process of making another story (rip xD) and may post the first chapter soon? Maybe??? Lol.
~Squemon <3

ALSO- should I make some art for this story???