A New Dream...?

Chapter 9

Varian freezes at the man's words, but he's too dizzy to get up and do anything about them. His eyes are wide and unfocused, breath coming in heavy bursts and hitting the deceptively clean smelling tile floor.

"What are you talking about?!" Rapunzel yells, and Varian wants to scream at her, warn her that these people are evil and will not hesitate to slit her throat if she acts out.

Andrew's laugh, the sound that twists the knife further and further into Varian's heart with every repetition, actually eases him this time. The man still feels in control, and therefore won't kill anyone (not yet).

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we? Your Majesty?"

Varian cradles his middle, using all his strength to push himself up the best he can. He flinches at the unsheathing of a sword, the sound driving him to move faster.

But the voice that follows is not at all what he expects, and he frantically lifts his head to the source.

"Command your followers to release their hostages, then wait for backup to return you to your cells, prisoner."

Havilah levels a threatening glare at the Saporian leader, the length of a sword Varian has never seen before against Maise's neck.

"Havi, what are you doing?" Eugene mutters.

"Your Majesty, did you really think cooking was the only thing I could do?" she responds coolly, eyes never leaving Andrew. "Prisoner, I will not repeat myself."

The next few minutes happen faster than Varian can keep track of properly. A shriek pierces his ear and he watches as Ruddiger appears from nowhere and latches himself onto Juniper's face, who drops her sword in shock. Rapunzel dives for it. Havi knocks Maise's sword away from Eugene's throat with a clash of metal and Eugene uses the distraction to take out his own sword and charge at the man responsible for this mess. Angry and Catalina run out from behind Lance and jump Clementine, successfully taking her wand and snapping it in half. Quirin launches away from Kai. Some guests join the fight. Most scream and run and make things more difficult.

And Varian is caught in the middle of it.

He knows he has to do something. Andrew may be quickly losing the upper hand, but Varian knows the man has something else planned, and he has to stop it before it's too late.

He uses his adrenaline to stand up, arm still wrapped around his stomach as he staggers to his now overturned desk. He miraculously dodges the chaos around him and collapses behind it, one knee against his chest and the other splayed out in front of him, a groan and ribbon of blood escaping his lips.

He just needs a second to think, think of a way out, think of a way to fix his mistakes, think Varian, think-

"Varian!"

Varian realizes his eyes have slipped shut and he flashes them open. Someone is leaning over him and he jolts, pressing his head against the wood in panic.

"Hold on, it's just me," calms a familiar voice, and suddenly it clicks. The kind face of Xavier hovers above him patiently.

"Xaves..." he breathes.

"I flipped your desk for some cover, if you don't mind," the older man admits with a small smile, loud enough to be heard over the sounds of a battle surrounding them.

"Yeah, no sweat," Varian laughs almost deliriously.

Xavier's expression deepens with concern as he seems to really take in the boy's state.