Chapter 4
"Come on, follow me." Fernando said as all three alteans entered the small storage room through a hole in a wall. The kid froze as he realized...every little bird was gone.
"What...? But the birds were here!" He said. Allura looked around with a saddened looked and Shiro scoffed.
"Yeah, sure they were, kid." Shiro said. Fernando frowned.
"l swear, the birds were right here!" He insisted. Shiro was growing impatient.
"Well, how do you know?" He asked, irritated. The kid looked away.
"Because...l'm... l'm the one who took them." Allura covered her mouth in shock.
"You!" She said, horrified. Fernando backed away.
"l didn't want to hurt anybody, l needed the money..." Allura held back her tears.
"But Fernando, l trusted you!" She said. That's when Zethrid and Ezor could be heard. The two bigger alteans hid behind some boxes and Fernando stood there, awkwardly.
"Hey, guys." he greeted the two. The galrans looked at him, confused.
"What are you doing here?" Zethrid asked. Fernando gave the best smile he could.
"l just wanted to see if you had any work for me." He lied. Ezor hummed.
"Well, if you were here two hours ago, you could've helped us load the-- OW!" Ezor said as Zethrid cut her off by smacking her behind the head.
"Shut up." She gritted through her teeth at the smaller galran.
"So, why are you guys dressed for Carnaval?" The kid asked. Ezor answered again.
"So no one will notice us when we smuggle these-- OW!" Ezor said, as she got hit again.
"Shut up! We made a float." Zethrid said. It was true...they both had costumes with feathers.
"A float!" Fernando said loudly, trying to let the two behind the boxes know what was happening.
"So you guys are going to the parade. Can l come? l'm a great dancer." Fernando asked.
"Can he come? Come on, please. Three is better than two." Ezor pleaded. The bigger galrans snarled and rolled her eyes.
"Fine. We got to hurry though." They were about to leave when Ezor gasped and turned, going towards the boxes. Fernando froze in worry.
"l almost forgot. Where did l put it? l thought it was right here." Ezor said, reaching right next to Shiro and Allura. Shiro looked around him and spotted a small hat out of newspaper. He handed it to her and finally she took her hand away.
"There it is. Got it. Let's go." Ezor said, walking out the door.
"Hurry up, kid." Zethrid barked to him. He eyed the boxes and followed the two, closing the door.
"Can he ride on the plane with us, too?" Ezor asked, too loudly.
"Shut up!" Zethrid barked again. The two hiding alteans looked at each other with wide eyes.
"No. We can't let them get on that plane." Shiro said. They crawled out and looked at the motorcycle.
"You can drive a motorcycle, right?" Allura asked. Shiro scoffed.
"You insult me." They both got on but they fell as soon as Shiro tried to drive, the motorcycle going off without them and hitting a wall. Allura frowned.
"No, l can't drive a motorcycle." Allura jumped on it and Shiro got behind her, holding onto her waist.
"A-Are you sure about this-- WOAH!" Suddenly the motorcycle started going and Allura started cheering.
"lt's just like riding a snowmobile! Lance, here I come!! WOO!" Allura roared the engine and Shiro grabbed onto her tighter. She won't lose her friend...
Lotor was walking in the mess from after the fight. The monkeys all fallen down. He was angry. FURIOUS. He made a disgusted noise and got to the leader.
"What happened?" He asked, grabbing the monkey and pulling him up. The monkey looked at him with half lidded eyes.
"Papa?" He asked. Lotor was losing his patient.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" He screamed as he shook him but he just fell unconscious. That's when he spotted it. A small bird. Lotor smirked as it tried to fly away but he stroke and pinned it down. The fear on their faces was priceless.
"Oh, no! Let me go!" The small bird protested as it started talking gibberish out of pure fear. Lotor chuckled slightly.
"Stop your chirping and talk to me!" He said. The bird looked at him with wide eyes.
"No, no. l don't know anything. Help!" The bird screamed. Lotor looked at it amused and smiled, a cruel evil psychopathic smile.
"When l bite down on your head, will it go "pop," or will it go "crack"?" He asked, as he started slowly adding pressure on their skull. As the pain increased the birdie was horrified.
"Where are the cerulean birds? That means blue, by the way." Lotor said. He stopped pressing on their skull and the bird panted.
"They escaped. Went to Coran!" The bird said, their voice cracking. It was pitiful.
"Anything else?" Lotor asked. The bird gulped.
"They said you were very nice." The bird added. Lotor hummed.
"Did they? Liar." His feathers ruffled as a dangerous look passed his face.
"And handsome, too?" The bird tried again. Lotor scoffed and picked them up, effortlessly, then threw them right on the pile of monkeys, earning a scream.
"Never send a monkey to do a bird's job." Lotor said, dusting himself, then took off flying to catch his victims. They WON'T get away!
The trolley was nice. Lance has never experienced something like it before. The wind was slowly blowing and the sun was going down. The view was beautiful and Pidge was just as beautiful as it. She was enjoying the view and the wind through her feathers. Lance was sitting next to her, dangling his legs over the edge like her, the chain falling down with them. Lance glanced at Pidge and started looking at her. It was kind of awkward. And it didn't help those three pee-brains were behind him on the other end of the trolley. And a cough let him know just that as he turned around to see Rafael gesturing for him to get closer to Pidge. Lance frowned and mouthed an 'I'm TRYING!' He looked again at Pidge and inhaled, summoning courage to get closer. He slowly scotched over to her as she was admiring the view.
"There he goes~ That's my boy!" Rafael said to Keith and Hunk. The two snorted at the tukan's affirmation.
"Sure thing, Rafael..." Lance was closer now. He could see Pidge very well. She looked even more stunning up close. He slowly tried to put his hand around Pidge's shoulder and she turned to him with a raised brow.
"Is it hot? l think l'm sweating." She smirked wit ha knowing look. Lance chuckled warily and awkwardly, blushing a bit as he was caught.
"Y-Yeah! I'm sweating! Look!" He raised his arm. Pidge leaned back a bit and blinked in surprise and confusion.
"Oh- Umm- Wow." She said, awkwardly. Keith spurted and started howling with laughter as Hunk looked at Rafael.
"Yeah, that's your boy, all right." Said the yellow bird, sarcastically as the red one was trying to breath.
"I'm SwEaTiNg LoOk- I CAN'T BREATH! PFFFFT-" Keith said. Hunk face-palmed.
Okay, so he needs a little help..." Hunk and Keith looked at the tukan amused.
"A little?" They both said, amused. Rafael groaned.
"Come on, let's give him some. Set the mood." Rafael said. Hunk gasped.
"OH! All right, look, l'm on it.
l know how to set the mood. Check it out: -AHEM-
Get a, Get a, Get a
Get a girl
Get, Get, Get
Get a girl
Take her, take her to the fIoor
Show her, show her how you roll
Drop it, drop it, drop it low
Drop it low, drop-drop it low--" Rafael and Keith looked at Lance with wide eyes. Keith hit him with his bottle cap.
"OW!" Hunk said. Keith frowned.
"What kind of mood is that?!" He asked. Hunk shrugged.
"This is PIDGE we're talking about, Hunk. Jesus...It's a little umm... too aggressive." Hunk pouted. Keith sighed.
"l'm not hating on your creativity, but l think l got this one. Follow my lead." Keith said. Keith started whistling softly. Hunk made an 'o' shape in understanding and looked on the trolley. He spotted a few strings and plucked them gently, making them vibrate in a nice tune.
"Now, THAT's more like it." Rafael said as he took of and started flying through the trees, letting the pink flower petals growing in them cascade down on Pidge and Lance. The soft music, the petals, The sunset? What a mood indeed.
"Wasn't really thinking
Wasn't looking
Wasn't searching for an answer
ln the moonlight
When l saw your face." Keith sang.
"Wow! What a beautiful sunset...Technically millions of sunsets happen everyday- yet....heh...can't help but get lost in them, you know?" Lance smiled softly as he watched her lean forward a bit.
"Yeah..." he said, practically like a lovesick puppy.
"Lance!" Rafael called to him. Lance raised a brow and turned to him.
"Down here. Just tell her, "You have beautiful eyes."" Lance gasped.
"That's good. Great idea- l have beautiful eyes." Lance said. Pidge looked amused at him.
"Yeah, okay. Sure, they're nice." She said, chuckling a bit.
"No, her eyes. Her eyes!!" Rafael insisted. Lance face-palmed at his stupidity.
"Right, yeah. Your eyes, your eyes are great, not mine." Pidge looked at him with a small blush and a smile on her face.
"l mean, mine are okay. But yours, l bet you can see right through them." Pidge snorted, her shoulder shaking a bit as she was holding in laughter.
"Actually...that doctor said I might need glasses like alteans..." Pidge said. Lance wanted to slap himself. Rafael smacked himself.
"Just tell her how you feel!" Rafael said. Lance inhaled and looked at Pidge.
"Pidge..." She turned to him. They eyes meeting.
"Yeah?"
"l've been wanting to tell you that l...That l--" He opened his mouth and suddenly a petal got in his throat and he started chocking. Pidge snorted.
"How sweet. You're getting choked up--You're choking! Okay! All right!" She started doing the Heimlich maneuver. Keith, Hunk and Rafael looked in shock. Keith made a falling motion and sound and then imitated an explosion. Hunk nodded.
"Couldn't say it better...."
"Ladies and gentlemen, l give you Coran's garage." Rafael finally said.
"After you." Lance said, doing a small bow. Pidge giggled.
"No, no, you first." She said. Lance frowned a bit.
"Please, l insist."
"Okay." They both walked out at the same time and hit each other. They chuckled awkwardly.
"Guess this is it." Pidge said. Lance nodded.
"Yeah. Quite an adventure."
"End of the line."
"Yes."
"Guess things like this don't happen in Tiny-soda..." Pidge said, trying to lighten up the mood. Lance raised a brow then snorted.
"Tiny-soda? Wait, Minnesota. That's very good. That's very funny actually-- Ok ok- pfft-" Lance started snickering.
"Coran! Are you here, Coran? Hey, buddy!" Rafael called out.
"l got some friends l want you to meet-- WOAH!" Rafael was passed by a big dog that jumped Pidge and Lance. They both stared in horror at the dog. He was wagging his tail.
"l got you's good!" The dog chirped laughed. Pidge and Lance looked at each other confused.
"What?" They both asked confused.
"l could've ripped your throats out, but l didn't. But l could've." Coran mused, twirling his mustache.
"Hey, Coran! Stop scaring my friends" Rafael said, amused. Hunk and Keith chuckled.
"Hey, Rafi, come here!" Coran said. The bird and dog laughed and hugged. Pidge dusted herself as she sat up.
"Where you've been. You look good.?" Coran asked. Rafael laughed.
"Wait. Coran is a bulldog?" Lance asked.
"You got something against dogs?" Coran asked. Pidge crossed her arms after she helped Lance up.
"l do when they're tackling me to the ground." Pidge said. Coran laughed awkwardly.
"Oops." Rafael sighed.
"Hey, amigo, we really need you. Come on, please, please. We need your help!" Rafael said, pointing to the chain.
"l think l know what to do." Coran said, rubbing his chin. Next thing they knew, they were in front of a chain-saw.
"I know what the name says....B-But that isn't used for c-chains..." Coran scoffed.
"Of course it is. NOW GO!" Rafael pushed the lever and suddenly the saw started spinning. Pidge and Lance were being pushed towards it.
"W-WAIT!! NO!" Pidge said, flying and catching onto the lamp hanged on the ceiling and her eyes widened as Lance was about to fall into the saw. She jumped back, the chain pulling him back as well and hitting Coran in the mouth. The three tumbled back and Lance and Pidge handed from Coran's mouth at the edge of the table. Coran started drooling and the drool got to their feet. They both fell off the table and Coran threw the chain into the chain-saw, blocking it.
"Gross....But l'm free..." Lance said, looking at his leg. His eyes widened.
"PIDGE! We're free! Slimy, but free. Contaminated probably, but free. Can you believe it's finally--" A blue figure went right past him.
"WOO-HOOOO!" She screamed as she was flying around. Keith, Hunk and Rafael watched with smiles on their faces.
"over...." Lance finished his sentence.
"OH YEAHHHHH BABY! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! WOOOOO!" She laughed and cherred as she was looping in the air. Hunk and Keith stared at her with wide eyes and their smiles stretched even more.
"OH YEAH! THAT'S OUR PIDGE!" Keith said, flying up as well.
"What are we standing around for? lt's Carnaval!" Hunk said as he took of as well, followed by Rafael. They flew out through the garage's open roof and they all cheered and laughed in the night sky, Lance slowly making his way out to watch them, melancholically. They were doing loops in the air and having so much fun. Coran slowly made his way next to Lance.
"Oh, yeah! Yep. l know just how you feel. Watching them up there makes you want to chase them and grab them in your mouth and bite their heads off, huh?" Lance looked at Coran with horror. The dog snorted.
"l'm just kidding, bro. Yeah, chasing them is plenty." Coran said. Lance looked up again and scoffed; he started leaving.
"l'm flying, flying just like a bird!" Pidge sang.
"Pidge, but you are a bird!" Hunk said. Pidge laughed and then looked down to see a walking Lance.
"Hey! Where you going?" She said, landing down and smiling. He ignored her.
"Lance?" She tried again. He just stopped with a saddened look.
"Lance, what's wrong?" She asked, worried. Lance turned to her with a fake smile. She hated it.
"Nothing. Everything is perfect. You'll be off to the rainforest, l'll be back with Allura, just like we planned..." Lance said. Pidge opened her mouth to say something when Hunk came down.
"Hey, birds! Stop yapping and start flapping!" Hunk called. Pidge looked at Keith and Hunk who were waiting for her. And Lance. She then looked back at the other blue bird and then looked down.
"l-I guess, l thought, maybe..." Pidge said, not able to finish her sentence.
"What? That you'd come to Minnesota? Great, l guess l'll knit you a scarf." Lance said, sarcastically.
"No, that's not what l meant--" Pidge tried to say. Lance was growing annoyed. He didn't know why he just HATED seeing Pidge right now.
"Look, Pidge, l can't spend my life walking around following you wherever you're going--" Lance froze dead in his tracks. Shit- what did he say. Her eyes searched him for any bit of remorse. He was just froze. She looked saddened then frowned in annoyance.
"Hey, it's not my fault you can't fly." She said back. Lance's mouth fell open at that. Keith hissed.
"Awkward..." Hunk muttered.
"Okayyyy~" Rafael said, intervening.
"You know what? This is good. Just clear the air. Just be completely honest with each other." The tukan said. Pidge and Lance were looking away from each other.
"You want honesty? Fine, l can be honest. l don't belong here. ln fact, l never wanted to come here in the first place. And... And... And you know what? l hate samba!" What a fat lie was the one at the end. What a big lie was the sentence as well. He didn't want to come at first but after the beautiful things he had seen and the adventures? He didn't regret it. He didn't regret being tied to Pidge. But he surely regretted the fit of anger he was having now for the dumb shit he was slipping.
"Hey! That's a little too far!" Keith said as Hunk started pouting and the red bird had to hug him.
"Make the mean bird take it back..." Hunk said sniffling. Pidge shook her head in disbelief as Rafael was covering his mouth in horror. Oh no- Just stop talking, Lance-
"Yeah, l said it. Every song sounds exactly the same.
Tico, taco, ya, ya, ya
Tico, taco, ya, ya, ya-
l'm tico, taco out of here!" Lance said. Pidge stepped back and snarled. She turned away and extended her wings and flew away. Lance watched her fly away then frowned. He turned around and started walking away.
"No no no- Pidge! LET ME AT HIM!" Keith said, Hunk holding him back.
"No, wait, wait. Come back! You belong together! You are Juliet to his Romeo! Sure, they both die in the end, but you get my point!...Young love. Always so melodramatic." Rafael said. Keith and Hunk looked at the tukan and all three nodded. Rafael flew after Lance and the two birds flew after Pidge.
"lance! Come back here. Come on!" Rafael called out.
"PIDGEY! PIDGE, COME ON!" She was crying while she was flying. Everything was a blur. That's when something grabbed her by the neck.
"AGH-" She choked and something stroked her chin. She gagged as the hold on her got worse. Keith and Hunk froze and looked with horror at the tall white bird, holding Pidge.
"Going somewhere, pretty bird~?" Lotor purred.
"Yeah... l was just on my way...to claw your eyes out!" She managed to hit him and the two started brawling.
"PIDGE!" The two friends called out to her. And then she punched him in the face. Lotor stared with wide eyes as he put a hand on his jaw.
"You....bitch...." That's when Lotor immobilized her. She screamed in pain as his claws dug into her flesh.
"Temper, temper. Now come along, my dear~. We're going to a parade. Everybody LOVES a parade." Lotor laughed like a maniac as he was flying away.
"Let go of me! HUNK! KEITH! NO! YOU LET GO OF ME! NO!!" She screamed as she was taken away.
"PIDGE!" Keith and Hunk flew after her the best they could.
"Ain't nobody messing with a friend of Keith, l ain't having it- Hell no-!" Hunk grabbed Keith after they flew a while.
"BRO! Did you see the talons on that guy?!" Keith froze.
"Talons...?" He asked with wide eyes. The two stared at each other and started flying away.
"Help! Help! Little help!" They both screamed as they flew away to get some help. Pidge was in trouble.
Lance was walking around with a sad face. Why did he say all that crap...?
"Rafael, quit following me." Lance grumbled as he felt the tukan behind him.
"You're going in the wrong direction. lsn't Carnaval that way?" He said, sarcastically.
"l'm not going to Carnaval. No, l'm going home." Lance froze.
"But l thought you loved Carnaval...?" He asked, confused.
"l do. But l love my family much more..." Rafael said with a smile.
"And that's a choice l made with this. Not with this." He said, pointing at his heart, then at his head. Lance stared with wide eyes and let the words sink in when suddenly-
"LANCE! RAFAEL! OH THANK GOD!" Hunk called out. Keith and Hunk both landed next to them, panting. Rafael looked confused, just like Lance.
"l was flying and then l saw this big cockatoo-!" Hunk said.
"With big ninja talons-!"
"This cockatoo was ugly-!" Lance and Rafael looked at each other as the two were describing the bird. And ugly cockatoo...?
"Anyway, that's not the point- Pidge was there and then--" Lance's eyes widened in horror.
"And he snatched Pidge up!" Keith finally screamed. Lance felt his soul drop. He WHAT?!
"Like, he snatched her up. And then he was like, "You're coming with me, you little princess."" Hunk said. Keith was looking at Hunk, unimpressed. Lance could feel his blood boil. Lotor.
"And Pidge was like, "l ain't your princess, leave me alone."" Hunk said and then made some fighting noises and motions. Keith, Rafael and Lance were still unimpressed.
"And l was like, "What?" Then he was like, "What?--" Keith smacked Hunk over the head.
"JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED, HUNK!" Lance screamed.
"HE'S GOT PIDGE AND HE'S TAKING HER TO THE PARADE!" Both Keith and Hunk said at the same time. Lance ran a hand through his hair, his eyes widening.
"This is all my fault....Oh God, PIDGE!" Lance said, feeling his chest hurt. God- what even was this feeling?!
"Let's fly!" Lance said. Next thing he knew, he was riding on Coran's fruit hat as the others were flying around them.
"Pidge, hold on. We're coming!" Lance said, more to himself than the others. He won't let Pidge get taken god knows where in a cage and end up a shuffle or something. Hell no. As much as he hated to admit it, that blue bird with temper and annoying remarks had actually caught his attention. For fucks sake- HE LOVED HER!