Chapter Text
“The Red Paladin does it again, folks!”
“The Red Paladin takes down The Garrison’s biggest enemy yet!”
“The Red Paladin-”
“The Paladins of Voltron-”
“The Voltron Paladins-”
Lance groaned as he leaned over the countertop in the kitchen. “Keith, turn that off, for God sake!” He groaned out as he dragged his hands across his face.
“The Voltron Paladins were spotted last night off The Garrison Tower! Our cameras were able to capture The Red Paladin taking down Zarkon! You won’t believe this!”
Pushing off the counter, Lance marched into the living room. Keith was sitting on the couch, arms folded as he watched the television. Sighing loudly, Lance leaned over the back of the chair, plucked the remote from his hand and turned the tv off.
“Hey!” Keith yelped, turning around to face Lance.
“This stuff is so stupid, Keith. You should know that by now! We live in a world of supers, so what? This stuff is day-to-day stuff. Besides, I’m pretty sure Zarkon wasn’t The Garrison’s biggest enemy.”
Keith clicked his tongue, falling back on the couch. He put his arms behind his head and crossed his ankles. “I mean, it’s not stupid. But yeah, you’re right, Zarkon wasn’t their biggest enemy,” he agreed, eyes closing.
“Then who is? I don’t keep up with that stuff.”
Keith kicked his feet. “I read from one of their interviews that The Paladins agreed their biggest enemy so far has been Frost.”
At that, Lance rose an eyebrow. “Frost, really? That guy? Isn’t he the one who has ice and water powers or whatever?”
Keith shot up, eyes snapping open and turned over to Lance. “Have you seriously never watched footage of him? He’s insane! He has high tech weaponry like anti-gravity blasters, lazer guns, and a bunch of katanas. He never goes to a fight with the same weaponry. And yes, he has water and ice powers. It’s also been a shit storm for Voltron and any Police figure to track him down because he’s able to change his physical appearance!” Keith rambled on, using obscure hand gestures as he did. Lance simply nodded at his blabbering, leaning against the couch.
“He wears this wear visor thing that may have like, special technical abilities that helps him with his shooting and attack ranges. The head piece has cat ears attached to it, it’s weird. He wears this mask over his mouth too. He has like, frosty white hair and pointy ears, and his skin glows where he has tattoos! And so do his eyes! It’s so weird!” Keith raised his hands above his head, flopping back down onto the couch.
“Yeah but, Zarkon was worse, wasn’t he?”
Keith shook his head violently. “Zarkon didn’t have weapons like Frost does. He used his own powers, which made it easier for Voltron to figure out his weakness. Voltron suspects Frost keeps a lot of his abilities hidden and that's why he uses weapons instead. The worst part is Frost is much younger and new to the villain files, so it makes it ten times harder.”
“Oh,” Lance hummed. “I didn’t know that,” he commented, laying his head down on the back of the couch. “Are you like one-hundred percent sure he’s their biggest villain? He looks like a popsicle. Not much of a threat.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “Big threat! Sometimes I’m personally scared that Frost will out do Voltron and take over the city. It terrifies me.”
“Hey, don’t be scared,” Lance reached out, patting his roommates arm. “I doubt he’ll try to do that. Besides, you got me, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
“You’re not even a tiny bit scared of him?”
“Of that popsicle boy? Of course not!”
“Give me their status, Pidge,” Lance breathlessly spoke into his comm system in his mask.
“They’ll be at your location in exactly two minutes.”
Looking up at the exact building where Zarkon had been taken down days earlier, he stopped. Citizens in their cars and on the sidewalk were screaming around him. With a sly and hidden smile, he spun quickly, icing the road and sidewalk around him in a circle.
With that done, he began running up the skyscraper like a piece of cake. He used his hands to create a strong enough current to keep him upright as he made it to the top of the building.
Creating a ball of air, he sat on it, spinning around as he landed on the top flawlessly.
“Wildfire, incoming on your two.”
Lifting his head to the sky, a familiar flash of purple came soaring over him. He circled around him before nose-diving at him.
With a distasteful smile, Lance crossed his wrists into an x, creating a forcefield of ice and current of wind. Wildefire was caught in it as he attempted to dive at Lance, hands on his side, wrapped around his katana.
Lance watched with satisfaction as Wildfire’s purple ears blew around in the wind, his eyes closed, jaw barred.
“Oh, is my favorite grape stuck?” He taunted, creating a more forceful current of air that caused Wildfire to soar backward. “Let me help him before he prunes!”
Smashing his right foot onto the roof, a spike of ice rose into the air, hitting Wildfire’s back as he came crashing down onto the roof.
“You bitch!” Wildfire growled, trying to stand up instantly.
“Huh? What’s that? I can’t hear you! There seems to be a storm brewing!” Lance taunted, hands raising to blast cold ice around Wildfire, trapping him.
“You have exactly a minute and five seconds for him to melt the ice. Mania is coming in on your left right about-”
A loud smash grabbed Lance’s attention.
“Now.”
Icing the roof around him, Lance folded his arms behind his back, skating around the tip of the building. Hanging off the spike of the building was the familiar yellow-power ranger kind of get-up.
“Initiate blasters, aim for the right shoulder and neck, that’s where the weak points of the armor are.”
On his visor, two red circled showed up, narrowing down on the two spots Pidge ordered. Pulling his blaster out from its holster on his side, he aimed up at Mania, still skating around flawlessly.
“Get ya’ some of this!” He shouted, hitting the two points flawlessly. Mania froze up, his right hand letting go of the building. Instantly, Lance rose his left hand in the air, icing the building bellow him to catch his fall somewhat.
“Status on Wraith and Kuron?” Holstering his weapon, Lance shot around the building again. Water was pooling around and he could hear the distinctive growling of Wildfire.
“I only have status on Wraith. No Kuron.”
“Looks like Takashi is going solo today,” Lance laughed, turning the corner just in time to watch Wildfire burst out of his ice cage.
“Wraith has the Rose Katana. Wildfire has no weapons on him today. Get rid of him in-time for Wraith’s arrival in five. Lotor insists on that Katana.”
“On it.”
Squinting his eyes, Lance made his normal eyes glow a brilliant blue, enhancing his powers. The two markings on his cheeks began glowing too as he speed headfirst at Wildfire.
Pulling his arms over his head, Lance transformed the two bayards he had into two large flaming Katanas.
He watched as Wildfire’s yellow eyes grew a bit wider. He attempted to fly and miss the hit, but Lance was sure to make him stay. Twisting his neck slightly, a heavy gust of wind came bursting down on Wildfire, causing him to stay in place.
The first Katana hit Wildfire’s ankle, making the purple grape man’s fur burn. He yelled in response, turning and aiming a fireball at Lance’s head.
Blowing out harshly, a gust of ice hit back against the attack. Using his other Katana, he chopped through the ice he created in front of him, taking another dig at Wildfire. This time, the blade hit his side.
Allowing the wind to stop, Lance watched with satisfaction as Wildfire went flying down the side of the building, fingers grasping at the open wound in his side.
“Fatal?”
“Negative.”
“Good... How much-”
Lance found himself at the edge of the building, back burning. His eyes scoured the area, easily catching Wildfire’s figure on one of the ledges.
A shaky breath escaped him as he turned, Wraith’s purple sword not even inches from his neck.
“Any pleads, Frost?” He bit out, edging the blade closer to Lance’s neck.
“Well, Takashi, I do have one plead,” he laughed out, staring at Wraith’s blank face. He wondered why Takashi Shirogane didn’t wear a face mask and allowed his identity to be out in the open. It didn’t seem practical, especially seeing as Lance knew of his family and could easily use them to his advantage.
“Activating hypnosis technique, available in five... four... three... two...”
“What would that be?” Takashi bit back.
Raising his hands slowly in the air, as if he was giving into defeat, he smacked his right hand onto the side of his visor.
The visor lit up automatically with purple. A type of purple that left Lance with a gasping “ooo” smile.
Wraith paused, arms going limp at his sides.
“Hypnosis seems to be working... sweet! Wait until I show Hunk this one!”
Lance’s smile got a little brighter at that. “Wraith, hand over the Rose Katana and your Meteorite sword.”
“Understood, Frost,” Wraith responded like a zombie, throwing his sword to Lance’s feet. He reached a hand behind his back, unsheathing another Katana. It shimmered pink in the air as he threw it to Frost’s feet as well.
With a dignifying smile, Lance bent down, grabbing both weapons. “Pleasure doing business with ya!” He waved him off using the Meteorite sword, his visor returning to its normal color.
Without staying to watch his reaction, Lance went speeding down the side of the building. As Pidge liked to call it, “the naruto run.”
The day Lance always dreaded finally came after seven months of worrying.
Running into Keith Kogane, his amazing roommate, while at work. Lance would be lying if he said he didn’t love Keith, because fuck, he did. Keith was the sweetest, cutest boy Lance had ever met!
There was no way in hell that Lance wanted to see Keith while as Frost. But today, it happened. And he hurt Keith while he was at it.
He was zooming down the streets, icing the sidewalk in front of him as he skated through when he had struck a citizen with an ice ray.
He stopped, startled when he saw someone had literally ran into him instead of running away from him.
That’s when he saw Keith, arm covered in ice and blood, staring at him like he had just seen a ghost.
Without thinking, he scooped Keith up in his arms and turned right back the fuck around back to his hideout.
“What are you doing !” Keith screamed, cradling his ice-covered arm. Tears were in his eyes as he thrashed in Lance’s grip. “Let me go! Let me go! Fuck!”
“Change in plans. I hit a citizen,” Lance said into his mask as quietly as he could. He was sure Keith couldn’t hear him, seeing as he was screaming in hysterics and trying to escape him.
“What the fuck do you mean you hit a citizen?”
“Just as I fucking said!” Lance boomed, catching Keith’s attention, who now had tears streaking his cheeks.
Keith remained silent now, staring up at Lance with curiosity.
“How did you hit someone?! You’re usually very careful about that stuff-!”
“I didn’t mean to! That’s why I’m turning around so I can fucking fix this situation!” Lance screamed back at Pidge, attempting to keep himself from crying.
“You can’t bring them into the hideout!”
“If you think I don’t know that, you’re literally an idiot, do you hear that? You’re an idiot! I know I can’t do that! Tell me where I can so I can go and fix this and not kill K- the person in my arms!” Lance shouted back, glancing down at Keith.
Keith went dead silent now, hands shaking as he stared up at Lance’s mask.
“Think you’re going to live, pretty boy?” Lance questioned, which caused Keith to snarl in response.
“Ew, don’t call me that- where the hell are we going?!”
“Calm down, everything’s going to be a-okay!”
“No- no it’s not ! You’re fucking insane!”
Lance sighed, looking back up at the street and tried to keep his mind off the pain in his heart. His visor turned red with directions in a matter of seconds.
“Empty alleyway. Take them their, patch them up, and head back here pronto. I have no visuals on Wildfire but the rest of the Voltron team is on their way.”
“Understood, how far away-”
“Voltron won’t get to you for awhile. The alley way is right- yep, right there.”
“Thank you.”
“Whatever.”
Lance flew into the alleyway, making it all the way into the back before sitting Keith on the ground. He was shaking, jaw barred, eyes wide.
A very similar expression to something...
“Don’t move, okay? I’m going to fix this up and I’ll let you go. I’m not going to hurt you-”
“I can fix this myself!” Keith yelled in response, motioning to the literal ice block attached to his arm. “And besides, you already hurt me-”
Without warning, Lance bent down in front of Keith. His markings turned red slowly, as well as his eyes. Wrapping his hands around the ice block, he watched as it melted quickly under his touch.
“Holy fuck- you have fire powers!” Keith screamed, flinching.
“Shh, that’s our little secret. I wouldn’t be Frost if others knew, now would I?” Lance teased, pulling away when the ice was fully gone. Keith’s pale skin was burned red now.
“Here, one last thing...”
Reaching into his holster, he grabbed a small container of water. Popping the lid off it, he slowly poured it over Keith’s arm. Hovering his hands over his arm, he waited for his markings to return blue, as well as his eyes. Closing them, he placed his hands slowly onto Keith’s arm.
“It has healing properties, you should feel all better now,” Lance declared as he let go of Keith’s arm, opening his eyes.
Keith stared at him with hard eyes, biting his bottom lip. “Why did you help me? Aren’t you, you know, the bad guy?”
“Well sure, you could put it that way. Or, you could put it as I’m in a tight spot and trying to fix some things. Ya know?” He shrugged, standing up.
“Well, I’m deeply sorry for icing you. I never use my powers on humans. It seems terrifying and- yeah, you get it. Okay, be safe, bye!”
Lance’s next time seeing his all time enemy, Wildfire, was days later in front of his apartment building. A string of “fucks” left Lance’s mouth as he iced the ground around him, dodging the fire daggers that were being sent his way.
“Pidge, help me here. We’re in front of my apartment building- and my roommate is supposed to be home and there are kids here!”
“Try to leave the area, you have ti- nevermind. Looks like you’re going to need to get through Kuron, The Altean Princess, and Wildfire first.”
Another string of fucks escaped Lance. He was in no way prepared for a fight today.
Another flame dagger was sent at him, grabbing his shoulder unaffectedly.
“C’mon, Frost!” Wildfire taunted, zooming closer to the ground. “Come fight me! Shoot some ice at me, or, you know, fire! ”
Keith told them.
Keith told them-
Keith told them!
“Pidge, situation. So, the citizen I iced a few days ago was actually my roommate, and he’s obsessed with supers- and I used my fire powers to get rid of the ice on him instead of bending the water because it was faster- and he told them! Wildfire knows I have fire powers!” Lance hurriedly said into his comm.
“You know what, fuck it, expose a few more while you’re at it, Lance!”
A smile popped up on Lance’s face. “Will do!”
“Wait, no, not actually!”
Without hesitation, Lance shot up into the air. An unfamiliar jostle greeted his stomach and he heard Wildfire give a shout.
“Equal playing grounds?” Lance smiled as he hovered a few feet away from Wildfire in the air. The two stared at each other, brilliant yellow eyes meeting electric blue ones.
Before Lance could react, Wildfire came barreling at him, burning fist colliding with his side. “Payback!” Was all that came from him as Lance’s middle burned.
“Fuck!” He shouted, zooming around Wildfire in order to miss another fist.
“Look, maybe we should take this fight away from the apartment building-”
Lance’s plea went unheard as Kuron came flying into Lance. The wind was knocked out of him, and the next thing he knew, Lance was being thrown into the apartment building.
Glass broke all around him, cutting deep into his skin.
He hissed, trying to catch his breath as he tried to sit up.
“Fuck, Lance, are you okay? You got sucker-punched real hard and thrown into glass-”
“Back off! Back off! You threw him into one of the apartment windows!” Wildfire’s frantic voice came ringing into Lance’s ears.
Blinking hard, Lance looked around him. There was glass everywhere, and blood. But he recognized the room he was thrown into.
Of all apartments...
He sat up as quick as he could and pulled his mask down.
“Keith?!” He shouted. Standing up, he realized his vision was blurry and out of sorts.
“Fuck... Keith? Keith- are you here?”
Stumbling around the apartment, he dashed down the hallway where his and Keith’s rooms were. Quickly, he slammed open Keith’s and saw nothing but an empty room. He opened his own room, again, nothing but emptiness.
“What the hell are you doing?” Wildfire’s granny voice caught his attention from the hallway.
The two stared at each other, Lance’s vision still blurry and hazy, his hand still on the doorknob of his bedroom door.
He saw Wildfire’s eyes glow bright yellow and the next thing he knew, he was being thrown down the hallway.
“Lance? Lance?!” Wildfire started screaming, causing Lance’s heart to thump faster than before.
Within seconds, a warm fist had a fist full of his shirt. His vision was spotty, the world spinning in several directions.
“What did you do to him? Where is he!” Wildfire growled in front of his face, clenching the front of his suit tighter.
“Who...?” Lance mumbled, looking cross-eyed to catch Wildfire’s yellow ones.
“Lance! The boy that lives here! You were in his room- where is he? What did you do to him?!” Wildfire screamed louder, pulling him up and smashing him into the wall, hard .
This time, he saw white. The blue glow from his skin vanished.
“I didn’t do-”
“Don’t give me that bullshit! Where is he? Where is he!” Wildfire screamed, grabbing another fist full of his shirt.
Lance tried to focus on the purple face in front of him, eyes hazing in and out of focus.
“I just got thrown in here...”
“Lance was supposed to be here! He should have been here- where- where is he-”
That was when he saw the glow from Wildfire’s eyes disappear, this time, normal eyes reappearing. Familiar large dark purple eyes blinked owlishly at him, tears streaming down his face. His purple ears were flush against his head.
A string of “where is he? where is he!” kept playing through Lance’s head on repeat. His ears were ringing, eyes fluttering shut without his doing.
It took a few moments of haze and ringing for several things to click in Lance’s head.
There was no way Wildfire would have known he should have been here, in his home, right now if he didn’t know him well. Those big purple eyes were awfully familiar. Keith wasn’t in the apartment, where he should have been at this time. And the voice shouting at him was becoming weaker and weaker, and more and more familiar.
He took a shot in the dark.
“Keith...?”
The screaming stopped, and Wildfire’s eyes continued to fill with tears.
“You’re... Keith... Kogane?” Lance lolled his head to the side. “Wait- fuck... You’re Wildfire...”
“How the hell did you know?!” Wildfire- Keith , spat at him, holding him tighter against the wall.
“Should’ve... recognized the mullet...” Lance mumbled. He heard cracking in his ears, the familiar cracking when his ears returned to normal shape.
His bones were on fire as he slumped forward, visor and glasses slipping off.
The last thing he heard was a sobbed “Lance!” before everything went black.