The Paint On Our Skin (A Klance Fanfiction)

Chapter 19

(A/N: WARNING: Descriptions of fighting, violence and wounds in this section)

Slowly, Keith creeps down the hallway towards the light, taser at the ready. With each room he passes, he quickly checks for any signs of Lance but gets nothing. The only place to go to now is the source of the light. With each step he takes, he can feel his pulse race faster and faster, the anxiety and fear increasing with each moment. Soon, he finds himself in the doorway of the room. Poking his head in, he's greeted with a Victorian-decorated living room. Large paintings of strangers cover the walls; a large chandelier is the only light source. Dusty couches are scattered across the room, and a large desk and chair are turned away from Keith in front of the boarded-up windows. He sees a figure in the chair, slumped over. Keith hesitantly makes his way to the desk, thinking Lance could be chained to the chair.

"Lance?" Keith whispers. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, darling," a voice says as the chair spins around to reveal a grinning Lotor.

"How nice of you to join me; unfortunately, Lance is preoccupied elsewhere, but none of that matters right now because you are what I want."

                                                                                           _____

Lance was panicking. Keith was here and in grave danger. Repeatedly Lance tugged the handcuffs, trying to get them off his wrists and ankles. He didn't have much time; he needed to leave this room and find Keith before Lotor did. Minutes passed, and Lance still hadn't gotten the handcuffs to become any looser. Suddenly, the door burst open again, expecting to see Lotor again; Lance was shocked when a girl with bright pink hair poked her head through the door.

"He's still here, Acxa!" the girl exclaimed.

"Oh, thank god," Acxa says as she pushes past the girl and rushes to Lance's side. She retrieves a key from her back pocket and quickly unlocks Lance's cuffs before finally removing the tape from his mouth. Rubbing his wrists, he looks over to Acxa.

"He's here, my soulmate,"

"I know; Ezor heard them arrive," Acxa says.

"Them?" Lance asks.

"Your soulmate and friends." Ezor pipes in.

"Fuck," Lance says.

"Yeah," Acxa sighs. "Fuck."

Lance rubs the back of his neck before looking over at Acxa again.

"How do we get out of here? I've gotta find Keith before Lotor does."

"Follow us," Acxa says as they book it out the door and towards a stairwell.

"This will lead us to the third floor; from there, we just need to cut through the sitting room to find the closest staircase that will get us closer to the backdoor exit. If we're lucky, we'll find your friends and soulmate."

Lance nods and takes the first step down the staircase, determined to escape with him and Keith out of harm's way.

                                                                                              _____

"Why so scared?" Lotor says as he stands from the chair and walks around the desk, "You should be overjoyed; your soulmate is standing right before you."

"No," Keith says as he backs away. "You will never be my soulmate."

"Oh, don't be like that, sweetheart," Lotor says scoldingly. He stops before the desk and watches as Keith tries to dash for the doorway.