Terminal Velocity • Voltron x Terminal List

VI

Contrary to Keith's concerns, Coran was an excellent pilot, and he had them touching down in a small town an hour and change outside of Monterrey just several hours later. Lance's headache was still throbbing but manageable after he'd taken a few pills during the ride. He tried to ignore the fact that he'd nearly finished off the bottle. Coran had noticed but hadn't said anything.

"So, what brings us out here, my boy?" Coran asked after they'd gotten out. Although his tone was friendly, his eyes were sharp, and Lance knew that lying wouldn't be appreciated.

"I'm here to kill the man that killed my family," Lance replied without flinching, meeting Coran's eyes and holding eye contact.

"Right, then," Coran said with a single nod, and he didn't look an ounce surprised or, Lance noted with a small amount of relief, disappointed. "I suppose you'll be needing these," he said, pulling a duffel bag out of the helicopter and presenting it to Lance, who peered inside.

Several automatic guns, plenty of ammunition, several grenades, and a handful of other toys to play with. "You know, I'm starting to think Keith has skimped out on my birthday every year," Lance said thoughtfully as his eyes picked through the ordinance.

"And there's one other thing, my boy," Coran said, hesitating for a moment before producing a small white bag. "Number Five informed me of your...condition," he said, his eyes faltering for a moment before he looked up at Lance in sadness. "And she requested that I passed these along as well."

Lance accepted the smaller bag and looked inside to find several prescription bottles.

"She said that they might...assist in reducing some of the symptoms."

Lance just nodded but didn't say anything, instead sealing the bag, tossing it in the duffel with the rest of his supplies, zipping up the duffel, and slinging it over his shoulder. That way he didn't have to look at the pity in Coran's eyes. He paused to send a brief message to Pidge letting her know that they'd landed and that he'd call in a bit.

"You boys up for a walk?" he asked after a moment.

--

Lance had instructed Coran to set the helicopter down about two miles out from a small town. They met up with a road and followed it into the town limits, and once there, Lance instructed them to wait while he procured rooms for them to stay in. He spoke with a landlord, the two of them exchanging rapid Spanish, and Lance returned to Keith and Lance a few minutes later, holding up a single key.

"All they had open for tonight," Lance said. "Mi habitación de motel, nuestra habitación de hotel. You two settle in. I've got to chat with a genius scientist-slash-hacker-slash-researcher."

--

"Hey, Pidgeon," Lance said. He was up on the roof of the motel, scanning along the street and paying special attention to anyone that either looked suspicious or looked like they might have some answers for him.

"Hey, rampaging military-experiment supersoldier," Pidge greeted back.

"I take it you found out what RD-4895 is all about then?" Lance asked.

"More or less," she hummed. "And it's- well, it's rather fascinating...potentially even revolutionary in the healthcare industry. No offense," she added as though having suddenly remembered that the miracle mystery drug had given Lance a death sentence.

"None taken. Tell me about it."

"Well, this guy - Matthew Scopek – has spent pretty much his entire career researching the human memory. He's done a lot of work with Alzheimer's in the past, and RD-4895 was his most recent project."