Gargoyles/Voltron
Part Five
Lance’s blood ran cold but he didn’t
flinch under the scrutiny of Xanatos and his aid. Instead he smirked,
“I didn’t think you were an author of fairytales, Xanatos, but I guess
looks can be deceiving.”
Xanatos’ eyebrow rose slightly.
“So you’re denying it, then?”
“What’s to deny? I don’t
even understand what you mean.”
Owen just looked at him strangely.
“You will. Destiny can’t be avoided.”
“Quite right Owen but if you’ll
excuse us, we do have work to attend to. Do feel free to stop by
and chat Lance. I’ll welcome a visit whenever you feel like one.”
With that the two left and in
his head Lance was remembering the day his family had died. The day
the Elder had held him back, preventing him from trying to help his family,
all in the name of destiny.
“Lance?”
His fists were clenched so tightly
that he couldn’t feel his fingers. He jerked away from Goliath’s
hand as he reached out to him. He didn’t even have to try to form
a cold glare; it was already in place. “Don’t touch me!”
“Lad! Pray tell an ole
Gargoyle what has gotten inta ye?”
Lance just shook. “I’m
not! I can’t be! The Elder was wrong! He-he had to be…”
Brooklyn’s face was furrowed
in worry. “What are you talking about?”
Taking a deep breath Lance shoved
the raw emotion into a dusty box, locked it and threw the key away.
It wasn’t the time to rehash old memories and regrets. He had to
find Hagar and get back to Arus, that’s what REALLY mattered, and that’s
what he had to concentrate on. “Nothing, Brooklyn. It’s nothing.”
He’d have to be careful. Xanatos and Owen were planning something
and letting them find out what he did and did not know would be trouble.
“It’s not nothing Lance.
If it was you wouldn’t be upset.”
“I’m just tired Brooklyn, that’s
all. Well, that and Hagar and worrying about the team. It puts
me on edge when things are out of my control.” With that he gave Goliath
a sheepish but apologetic smile. “I’m really sorry Goliath.
It’s just sometimes I act before I think.”
“Sometimes?”
He laughed and rolled his eyes
at him, thankful to be on familiar ground. “Well you know, I HAVE
to make a few mistakes so I don’t shame you with how perfect I am.”
…………………….
Goliath perched on the wall of
the castle; Lance had fallen asleep a few hours earlier, and he was waiting
impatiently for Elisa. He hadn’t liked the way Xanatos had acted
or what Owen had said. He might have thought less of the whole incident
but the flare of emotions from Lance had put an end to that. Owen
had spoken of Destiny, he’d even called Lance the ‘Lion’s heart, the inner
fire’, whatever that meant he wasn’t sure and despite what the young man
had said to Xanatos, Goliath had a strong feeling that he knew more than
what he’d admitted to.
Whatever ‘Lion’s hear, the inner
fire’ was in reference to, he knew one thing for certain and that was that
if Xanatos was interested in Lance the best thing to do was get him as
far from the castle as possible. And that depended heavily on whether
or not Elisa would be willing to help.
“Goliath? You wanted to
see me?”
He turned to see her standing
in the archway, watching him and jumped down, moving to meet her taking
her hands in his larger ones. “Elisa, it is good to see you again.
Are you well?”
She smirked up at him, removing
her hands and sliding them into her jacket pockets. “Nice to see
you too big guy and I’m fine – thanks, but something tells me that this
isn’t a tea and crumpet session. So what’s up?”
As always, Goliath marveled at
her intelligence. “I hate to ask favors of you Elisa…”
She laughed, moving casually
to lean a hip against the place he’d been perching when she’d arrived.
“I know Goliath. If there was any other way you would have done it
first so just spill it and stopping dancing.”
“Dancing?”
“Never-mind, just an expression.
So, stop being a tease and tell me what you need?”
“There is a young man staying
with us presently who is not from around here, but I have come to the conclusion
that during the day this may not be the best play fro him.” He carefully
worded what he said to be on the safe side in case anyone was ‘listening’
and hoped she’d understand the silent message.
Almost impermissibly Elisa’s
eyes narrowed. “I’d be glad to Goliath. I have a few days off
so I could even show him around a little. Just fly him over a couple
of hours before sunrise and I’ll have everything ready.” She patted
his upper arm as she passed him and stopped at the door. “Oh and
Goliath don’t be a stranger okay? You and the others are welcome
at my place any time.”
“I will Elisa and thank-you.”
………………………….
Lance felt like someone was using
yellow lion’s rock blaster on his head but he opened his eyes slowly when
it became apparent that whatever it was, wasn’t going to stop. “Wha-?”
A large mauve face was hovering
in front of him. “Sorry to wake you Lance but we have to go.”
“Go?”
“I’m taking you to meet a friend.”
“But - ?”
Goliath didn’t give him time
to think about anything as he scooped him up into a pair of vice-like arms.
“Goliath!”
But they’d already stepped out
or more precisely Goliath had stepped off the wall. His mind whirled
as he tried to calm his stomach and nerves. Back at the castle he
could hear the others chuckling, especially Broadway, and he planned revenge
when he got back. He was silent for a few minutes, giving the Gargoyle
plenty of time to explain and when he didn’t Lance lost his patience.
“So?”
“So what?”
“So what on Earth are you doing?!”
“I’m taking you to a friend.”
“Yes, so I’ve been told.
Care to elaborate. Maybe tell me WHO this mystery friend is and WHY
I’m going to see him?”
“Her.”
“What?”
“Her. You’re going to see
her. Her name is Elisa and I’m taking you there because Xanatos has
something going on and is showing WAY too much interest in you.”
“A girl! You’re taking
me to a girl?!”
Goliath looked at him quizzically.
“Yes. Is there something wrong?”
“Wrong?!” His voice squeaked.
“Wrong, he asks. Goliath you could have let me shower, or put on
a t-shirt and pants! I’m in my boxers for crying out loud!”
“That is why I wrapped you in
a blanket.”
Lance just stared at him but
couldn’t see so much as a hint of laughter or malice. Goliath really
didn’t see anything wrong with it, but then what did he expect from a guy
who ran around in a loincloth?
“I’ll still need cloths.”
“Yes. Elisa’s brother, Derek,
left some of his cloths there a while ago. I’m sure you’ll be able
to wear them.”
“Isn’t this going to look suspicious
to Xanatos? I mean it’s the day after he brings up that whole ‘Lion’s
heart’ thing and he doesn’t seem to be a stupid man.”
“It’s the best for now.”
“And what about Hagar and Demona?”
“We’ll handle that after your
wounds are less severe.”
“But…”
“We’re here.”
Lance felt a jolt as Goliath
landed on the balcony of a high rise. The sliding door opened and
a woman who seemed to be half Native American and half African-American
motioned them inside. Frantically he tucked the blanket tighter around
him as Goliath moved inside the neat living room.
He felt stupid as Goliath set
him back on his feet, but he forgot all about it as pain shot through his
shoulder. Not expecting it he doubled over, in the process loosing
his grip on the blanket.
Elisa was at his side, as was
Goliath, when the world stopped imitating a top.
“Geez Goliath what happened?
This dressing needs to be changed, and where’s his cloths?”
At the last Lance dived for the
blanket and quickly pulled it around himself, cheeks burning. Not
daring to look at Elisa he glared at Goliath, instead, but the Gargoyle
didn’t seem to notice.
“Goliath I think you should introduce
us.”
“Of course. Elisa, this
is Lance. Lance, this is my friend Elisa.”
The introduction forced Lance
to look at the woman or be rude so reluctantly he did. Her smile
took his breath away. “Uh, hi.”
“Hello Lance. It’s a pleasure
to meet you. I don’t have a shower but I do have a bathtub, if you
go wash up, I’ll fix that dressing and get you some clean clothing if you
like.”
“That sounds great. Where
is it?”
Elisa smiled as she moved over
to the closet and came out laden down with clothes. She handed them
to him. “The bathroom’s down the hall, first door to your left and
the cloths may be a little big for you but don’t worry. I may not
sew but I know a few people who do.”
“Uh, thanks. I’ll be back.”
Lance made short work of a bath,
careful not to irritate the wound too much, and slipped on everything but
the shirt and the sweater. The jeans were a size too large but that
wasn’t so bad. When he re-entered the living room he found that Goliath
was gone.
Elisa looked up from a first
aid kit she had laid out on the coffee table. “Sit on the wooden
chair and I’ll fix you up as good as new.”
Having had Paramedic level first
aid training he watched as she quickly and deftly completed the act.
His shoulder felt much better.
Lance threw her a grin.
“Thanks Elisa.”
She grinned right back, “No problem.
If you throw on your shirt and sweater I’ll get my jacket and we’ll get
some breakfast before we hit the town.”
“Breakfast?”
This time she laughed, Lance
liked it, it was like his sister’s had been. “I don’t cook terribly
well and I REALLY don’t recommend the consumption of anything I concoct.
Much safer to go out.”
Lance grinned as he pulled on
his sweater and the pair of shoes she tossed at him. “Ready when
you are Boss.”
“Then let’s go.”
………………………….
He’d never thought a day just hanging
out with a friend would be so good. It was near to impossible to
get either Keith or Sven to do anything and Pidge was always with Hunk
building something. True he didn’t know Elisa well but his gut said
she was fine and his instincts hadn’t lead him wrong yet so he wasn’t about
to start second guessing it.
He might have felt guilty about
not looking for Hagar and Demona but he was, and he was noting plausible
hideouts.
“Hey Earth to Lance. You
there?”
Grinning sheepishly Lance turned
to his guide and host. “Sorry Elisa. What’d ya say?”
“It’s ok, I was just asking if
you'd like to go to a museum. I know it’s not a ‘cool’ thing like the
fair, or roller-blading or the amusement park or…”
“Actually I think that would
be VERY cool.”
“You do?”
He shook his head at her startled
expression. “I happen to find history interesting but the nearest
museum to where I come from is too far away to get to.”
“Well this one’s only around
the corner. Come on!”
She burst into a run and Lance
had to jog to keep up. He’d had a lot of fun with her, she was like
the perfect mix of fun and seriousness.
…………………….
They’d covered most of the exhibits
and were going onto the Medieval one when warning bells went off in Lance’s
head. The reason for it became clear when they stepped into the room.
A thousand things popped into
his head at once. Way to handle the situation, complications, reasons
but none of it prepared him for what happened next.
“Stop police!”
Lance’s jaw dropped as he stared
at Anita, holding an old-fashioned gun on Hagar. He was starring
for two reasons. The first was because he hadn’t known she was a
cop or had a gun and the second was because using a gun against Hagar was
like using a butter-knife against a tank. If he’d only hung onto
the laser gun…
He just barely knocked Elisa
out of the way as a bolt of energy flew through where she’d been standing.
His sore shoulder complained at the action but he ignored it as he got
back on his feet, making sure to stay out of Elisa’s line of fire while
not moving too far away.
“Well, if it isn’t the pilot
of Red Lion. Aren’t you dead yet?”
Lance smirked cockily.
“Hiya Hagar. You know if you’re not careful I’m gonna start thinking
you missed me.”
The witch sneered. “This
is no concern of yours Arus scum. Stay out of it and you may be allowed
to live.”
Lance spotted the clay jar under
her arm. “PLEASE tell me that’s beauty cream. Cause you sure
need it, you should probably use all of it and quickly!”
A bolt flew towards him and he
shifted out of the way.
“Tsk tsk Hagar. You should
really learn how to control that temper of yours.”
“I haven’t any reason too control
it, not if it gives me opportunity to put an end to your meddling.”
Lance had to dive out of the
way to avoid a ball of fire and he had to grit his teeth from crying out
as he hit his shoulder. He rolled into a crouch, eyes never leaving
Hagar as he listened for Elisa. She was an unknown to him and if
things became interesting he wasn’t sure what to expect from her.
After all, what could someone expect from a woman who was a cop as well
as friends with living Gargoyles?
A shot was fired but the bullet
stopped two feet in front of the witch. Hagar’s green face twisted
into a hideous scowl. “You’re a troublesome woman, almost as bad
as that pink princess. Do well to remember that it is ill advised
to choose me for an enemy.”
Lance almost laughed out loud
when Elisa answered with another gunshot but his good humor left him at
Hagar’s parting comment.
“You’d do well to explain to
her what happens to those who defy the Drule Empire, pilot of Red Lion.
I believe you are well acquainted with the results.”
If she hadn’t disappeared seconds
after her comment Lance might have tried ripping what passed as the witch’s
heart out.
As he stood, Elisa grabbed a
hold of his arm tightly, growling in his ear as they moved quickly to the
exit. “You’re going to explain everything to me as soon as we get
to the car.”
………………………….
No sooner did Elisa put the car
in gear and peel into traffic before she was demanding an explanation.
“I want to know what’s going on, from the beginning.”
Lance ran a hand through his
hair. “You’re not going to believe me…”
“Try me.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t
warn you.” Taking a deep breath he spoke bluntly, “I’m from another
dimension. In my world there’s a war going on between the Drule Empire
and the Galaxy Garrison, which is made up of numerous planets. I
am the pilot of Red Lion and the second-in-command of Voltron Force.
Voltron is a large robot that is formed by combining the five Lions together.
It’s the main force preventing the Drule from taking over the universe.
As to how I got here, I’m not entirely sure. One second I was tackling
Hagar and the next I was on a castle, which was on top of a skyscraper.
Though I put together that Demona and Hagar are acquaintances and it was
Demona’s spell that brought Hagar here with me tagging along by accident.”
“So it’s Hagar and Demona who
are after you, but that doesn’t make sense because the safest place for
you to be is with the Gargoyles and Goliath said he thought you might be
in danger at the castle if you stayed.”
Lance frowned slightly, “I think
it has to do with what Owen said and Xanatos’ apparent interest in me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Owen said something about destiny.
He called me the ‘Lion’s heart, the inner fire’ and Xanatos was asking
all kinds of questions. Goliath got over-protective. He’s almost
as bad as Keith. Keith is my best friend and the commander of Voltron
force, Goliath’s a lot like him in some ways.”
“One more question before we
get back to my apartment. How old are you?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not you want the
age everyone thinks I am or the age I really am.”
“Both.”
“I’m really sixteen though everyone
thinks I’m eighteen. Everyone except Keith, my Uncle, Ditch, you
and the Gargoyles that is… oh and Xanatos and Owen.”
“Do I want to know why?”
“No.”
“Alright. We’re talking
to Goliath as soon as he wakes up.”
“Yes ma’am.” He liked her,
she was like a female version of himself.