Hidden Messages [Klance AU]

25: When Things Take a Dark Turn

Lance barely made it out of the castle before he was caught.

The one-armed mer-human clenched his robotic fist when he saw him. He pulled out a quintessence-energy sword with a zip from his arm as Lotor screamed at Lance to "Halt!" He tried to swim away, but the prisoner was faster than him. He watched as Lotor pulled the human towards the shore, a deep gash in his shoulder.

I have to hurry, Lance thought while he swam as fast as he could. He needed to get there before Lotor did. He knew the prince would stop at the border stones to check his weapons, make sure he had everything that he needed. That would be the moment Lance could get in front of him.

It took all of his energy to not focus on the blistering pain in his shoulder. It was an ugly wound, his skin searing from the heat of the human's weapon, the top of his burn scar reopening. He could still remember the day he got it as if it had happened less than a day ago. Lance had been fourteen at the time, a bundle of lighthearted energy and excited to become the guard he hoped to one day. Every kid has dreams. It was on that day that Lance lost his.

The young mer decided to explore around the castle, maybe even get to see the royal guards at their posts. Little did he know, it was that same day that some members of a Galtean(that was the name used to refer to groups of Galra and Alteans) gang was hiding in the shadows. He was the first to hear the beeping. It was only when the sound sped up that he'd acted impulsively, that he'd jumped in front of the mer guards to warn them, and the bomb went off. The treasury had been raided that night, the bomb a mere distraction. If only I'd realized what it was sooner. I could have gotten out of there, Lance's regret rang through his mind. He brought himself back to the present when he realized the surface was only two feet above him.

The current was strong that night, the waters black as if they were stained by ink. Lance pulled himself up onto a jagged rock, hoping that Keith would somehow see him. There was no time to wait for himself to dry off and turn into a human— and the current was almost too strong to swim closer. He closed his eyes, his vision stained by the raindrops that were starting to fall. Focusing, he lit up every luminescent marking on his body, hoping that Keith would see his beacon.

"Lance?" The voice sounded almost in disbelief, as if it wasn't quite sure what it was seeing was real. Lance opened his eyes, his lips twisting in a toothy grin when he saw Keith standing there, Hunk and Pidge running onto the beach behind him. He slowly, hesitantly, waded into the water, but froze when he got up to his knees.

"I can't go any further." His voice was apologetic. He still blames himself. Lance met Keith's eyes, which shone with caution and hurt. His heart pounded. Their last interaction had not gone so well, but now Keith seemed almost relieved to see the merman. Lance nodded in understanding. When lives were at stake, they couldn't dwell on the past. They would talk it out later.

Lance pushed on until he dragged his body in the shallow water up to Keith. The boy lifted him, his hands shaking a little under the mer's weight. Lance was met with an alarmed expression when Keith noticed the wound in his shoulder. It quickly soaked his clothes in blood.

Lance didn't give a moment to explain. "You need to get inside!" He warned, glancing quickly out to the black waves. "He's coming. Lotor's coming."

"What?"

"Lotor, the prince, he's coming here. Now! There's no time, Keith!" Lance looked into his eyes desperately, his anxiety coming to the surface with every second. Keith's pupils shrunk when he realized what Lance meant.

"Okay, I'll—" he slowly stumbled out of the water, his steps unsteady while cradling Lance. Both boys would have been red in the face given a different situation. "What happened to you? You're bleeding. Here." Keith ripped the sleeve off his shirt with his teeth. He was surprisingly strong, from holding Lance two times now, to being able to rip his shirt with ease. Keith wrapped the fabric around Lance's wound. It wasn't a very clean job, but it would do for the time being.