The New Paladin

53: Trapped

Finding Allura wasn't hard, all he had to do was follow the black stains that the tendrils had left in their wake.

An old building stood before him. Shaky in its stance but it remained regardless.

There his suit told him Allura was, he could see her now too, still battling strong to keep the tendrils at bay.

Lance frowned his Bayard forming as a blaster. He had no idea what he was doing.

"Lance? Lance you there?" Pidge asked over the coms.

"I'm here." Lance assured.

"You have to find the center of it, hit it with everything you've got." Matt explained.

Lance groaned softly. He then pushed himself up and then started running towards Allura.

He blasted several of the tendrils back before he jumped off the ledge he was next to.

His shot hit dead centre of the gigantic black mass.

The tendrils curled then launched grabbing anything it could before it began to collapse inwards.

Allura caught his arm and dragged him back as the walls of the old building collapsed.

A tendril reached for them catching his helmet pulling it off but Allura didn't stop pulling him away.

The two slipped down a small hole as all the rubble fell heavily.

Dust rained down on them as Lance lifted his shield ready to protect Allura's best he could but the roof didn't give.

Lance glanced up, the hole was covered almost completely by the rubble. They were trapped.

"No." Lance breathed feet firmly rooted to the ground. "No, no, no, no."

"Lance! Don't doodle ally."

"Don't what now?" Lance frowned his panic momentarily stalled by his confusion.

"Doodle ally." Allura said frustratedly. "The earth phase you use."

"Oh don't doodl- no, dodally... Dawdle?" Lance asked with a groan. "If you're gonna use earth phrased get them right, otherwise I don't understand you."

"I hardly ever understand you." Allura shot back.

"Then you finally know how it feels." Lance snapped throwing his arms wide.

Allura sighed with a faint smile. "Lance, we have to get out of here, so please, hurry."

"Better." Lance nodded with a smile. "But I don't see how we're gonna get out."

"There has to be a way." Allura said determinedly as she hit the rocks beside her.

Lance glanced around the small cave they were trapped in. Their exit had collapsed and somewhere left in the rubble was Lance's helmet.

His head burned from where the dark quintessence had snagged his helmet.

"Why are you so optimistic?" Lance asked poking the wall, a few bits of dust fell making him flinch back.

"Lance? Are you alright?" Allura asked taking ahold of his arm.

"Not really." Lance admitted leaning into her. "This is um... Not great for me."

AlLura guided him to sit down, she sat opposite him allowing him to focus on her.

"You asked me why I was optimistic."

Lance nodded.

"Well, it's because I believe that we are a major part of this story, this fight. We have to make it."