The New Champion

Chapter 11

Paladin Team pov

Pidge and Hunk worked all day on building a dish strong enough to get a signal to lance's helmet so that they could track him. They've had a few successful attempts on getting a signal but it wasn't Lance's signal. 

While the two worked on that, Shiro and Keith trained together with Allura. She was teaching them different Altean fighting styles. She was surprised on how well they were learning them,  as she stood off to the side. Watching the two spar with the new technique they learned.

After a few tics Shiro was the one to prevail by pinning Keith to the floor. Keith groaned as Shiro pressed his foot into his chest roughly.

"And Shiro is our winner for tonight." Allura said as she clapped her hand. "Why don't you to go get some rest and I will check on the prisoners you guys rescued. They should be coming out of the cryopods."

Allura took her leave and headed towards the med bay. Shiro took his foot off of Keith's chest and offered his hand down to help him up. Keith happily took the offer to get up off the floor and stood up, brushing his pants and shirt off.

"Sorry about that Keith. I've just got so much pent up aggression. And when we find the Galra that have Lance, I'm not holding back on them." Shiro walked over to the bench and grabbed a water pouch, tossing it to Keith, who caught it and thanked him.

"Shiro, I don't blame you. You know I feel the same way. God it's my fucking fault he got captured in the first place." Keith sighed in defeat as he sat on the bench, leaning his head back against the wall. " That's why I have to get stronger, so that nothing like this happens again."

Shiro didn't even feel like reprimanding him for his bad language as he sat next to him. Reaching his hand up Shiro ruffled Keith's hair, getting a disgruntled groan from the boy.

"And your doing a good job in training so you are definitely improving. If you keep up the good work nothing is impossible... But remember to take breaks and don't over work yourself." Shiro drank his water pouch and stood up walking to the door of the training room. "I'm gonna get some grub and hit the hay. You should do the same." All Shiro got was a nod in response as he walked out and towards the castle kitchen.

As Shiro walked in he saw Hunk making a tray of food. There was an assortment of different things he has made recently.

"Making a food run Hunk?" Shiro asked as he grabbed the equivalent of a space apple from the bowl on the counter.

"Yeah, Pidge won't stop what she's doing to eat so I'm bringing the food to her.... It's funny. Normally if me and Pidge are working on a big project, Lance is the one to bring us food and make sure we eat while we're busy. You never realize how much someone does until you don't have them anymore." Hunk had a tight grip on the tray, his knuckles turning white as he turned and left the kitchen, leaving Shiro standing there with a knife in his heart.

He was right. Lance has done so much for this team. To making sure they are fed, that they take breaks in training. Or even comforts them when they are upset and tries to cheer them up. Shiro out the space apple back in the bowl and gripped his hands on the counter as her lowered his head, trying to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

As his vision went blurry he blinked it away, a few of the tears dripping onto the floor. Pushing himself away from the counter Shiro made his way back to his room and turned the water on for a shower. As the water warmed up he took his clothes off and looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked at all of his scars again and remembered back on how each one of them were given to him in the arena when he was champion.

"For the love of all things good, don't let Lance turn out like me"