Not a Participation Game

Lance dashed around corner after corner, scanning for signs that he was going the right way. When he started seeing sentries on the ground with scorch marks across their armor, he figured that he was. "Shiro?" Lance called out. He didn't want to sneak up on Shiro when he was fighting for his life. "Shiro, it's Lance," he said. Lance rounded a few more corners before he ran into Shiro.

"Lance," Shiro said, relieved, but straining to speak. "Th-the other one, he's-" Shiro suddenly gasped in pain and fell to his knees. Lance rushed over to him and fell in front of him.

"Shiro, it's-you're gonna be okay." Lance took Shiro's head in his hands. "Listen, we're gonna make it out of this."

"He's taking over," Shiro rasped. "I-he's killing me, I'm losing-" Shiro's voice trailed off and his eyes began to close.

Lance shook Shiro's head. "Come on Shiro, don't give up now," Lance pleaded, tears forming in his eyes. I am not losing Shiro when I just found him. "Shiro, listen to me." Shiro's eyes opened again, and Lance breathed a sigh of relief. "You with me?" he asked. Shiro slowly nodded. "Okay. You're gonna win. Breathe. Focus. I'm gonna get us out of here."

"I'm doomed," Shiro said weakly, with a half smile on his face. Lance laughed for the first time in a long time, and he knew Shiro was going to be fine.

The guards entered the hall. "Prince Lotor, the prisoners-" The first guard started before being cut off by the gun Lance stole. Lance shot the other guards before they could react.

"We've gotta move," Lance said, helping Shiro to his feet. "Can you walk?" He asked. Shiro attempted to take a step on his own, but his dizziness caught up to him and he almost fell. "Well, that answers that," Lance muttered. "Just lean on me, okay? I'll get us out of here." Lance stumbled off in the direction of the escape pods, carrying Shiro with one arm and readying his gun with the other.

*

Shiro screamed out in pain again. The Black Lion had been stationary for the duration of the battle, its pilot unable to take the controls. Hunk and Allura had been hovering over him, protecting him from the fighters who saw the opportunity to take down the Black Lion.

Keith and Pidge had been doing most of the real damage. Lotor's ship had been leading a small fleet, so the two of them had their hands full. They also had to be careful to avoid doing damage to Lotor's ship. Lance was still on there.

The sound of Shiro's cries rang in Keith's ears once again, and this time Allura's joined in. "He's dying," She called out in fear. "Quiznack, Shiro's dead. The Black Lion just spit him out."

*

As Lance guided Shiro towards where he thought the escape pods might be, he noticed that Shiro was needing to lean on him less and less, and his breathing was gradually becoming less strained. Soon, he was running along with Lance. "You good?" Lance asked, a bit worried. He didn't really know what to do in this situation. He didn't know if this was some kind of adrenaline rush or if Shiro was actually getting better.

"For now, yeah," Shiro said, smiling. "The Black Lion helped me. The other one's gone." Lance smiled up at him, and the two of them reached the escape pod.

"Are you going to be okay flying?" Lance asked, launching the pod and aiming for the Black Lion. He could tell that Shiro was already exhausted. Understandable, he thought. He was fighting for his life. He must not have much energy left.

"I don't think so," Shiro muttered as they approached the Lion. He placed his hand on Lance's shoulder. "I'm going to need your help."

*

The Black Lion shook to life after launching Shiro. Keith had immediately changed course when he heard Shiro was dead, rushing towards the Lion. He was so confused. Why would the Black Lion reject Shiro? Why was he dying? How could I have stopped this...

Hunk was the first one to notice the escape pod flying towards the Lions. "That might be Lance, don't shoot it," Keith warned.

The Black Lion flew towards the escape pod and opened its mouth, securing the pod inside of it. Almost immediately, it turned to face the other Lions and a comm opened up, showing Lance's exhausted face in the pilot's seat, Shiro sitting in the background, not moving. "Hey guys," Lance said casually. The other Paladins shouted all at once, telling of their relief that he was back and asking for answers. "Look, I don't have time to explain right now, but that wasn't Shiro that just died. The real one is with me." Lance gestured back to the sleeping Shiro. "He's kinda been through a lot."

Keith smiled more now than he had in a long while. "You're back," was all that Keith managed to get out. Lance smiled up at Keith on the display.

"Okay team, it's been pretty weird, but let's save the reunion for after we show Lotor what Voltron is made of. You guys up for it?"

"Yeah!" The four other pilots yelled in unison.

"Alright," Lance said, grinning. Keith's heart swelled when he heard Lance's next words.

"Let's form Voltron!"