The Raccoon and His Boy - A Varian x Reader story

XXIX

It was uncanny how much of your surroundings you were able to process as you and Rapunzel slowly approached Clementine, trying to hide behind your friends so you could take her more by surprise. Every attack thrown at Clementine or your friends registered perfectly in your mind, and you were shocked it wasn't overwhelming you. Maybe it was the boost of strength from Rapunzel, or the fact that Clementine was still managing to fight back while duplicating herself, but you knew that you couldn't get distracted while processing your surroundings.

She had already spewed out another copy and was tipping the vial of Perduvum over for the third sip when one of Varian's chem-balls suddenly crashed into her chest, and thick red smoke exploded all around her, giving Lance the opportunity to come a little closer. His burly body was spotted just as the smoke began to clear, however, and soon he was blasted back against the wall by a spark from a short wand in Clementine's hand.

Sylvia charged at her next, taking the side angle while Clementine started to sip from the Perduvum vile once again, and she managed to slash the thief in the hip before being shot back like Lance. Even so, it appeared Perduvum was not supposed to be taken in small helpings, because every time Clementine was interrupted in sipping the potion, she shuddered strangely, as if only getting the pain aspect of it and not the final duplication result.

You were a little surprised when a group of guards suddenly charged up beside you and did their part. In all the commotion you'd forgotten that Claude and Eugene were off freeing them, and it felt like the backup had spawned out of nowhere. You weren't complaining, though.

As Clementine finally downed another gulp of Perduvum and her clones started attacking alongside her real figure, Rapunzel signaled to you that you should start moving. You carefully adjusted Star in your satchel to the position that would have her least likely to get hurt, and took a deep breath when she let out a worried whine. Just focus on your target, you reminded yourself, your gaze closing in on the compass around the real Clementine's neck.

Right before she took off running towards the short woman, Rapunzel tossed a frying pan directly into your hands. You looked it over for a moment, confused by the intricate designs across the metal. You only understood its purpose as you followed the princess into battle, when one of the clones charged right at you, and with only a small swing of the kitchen utensil, 'Clementine' was sent crashing to the floor.

Having a weapon of your own definitely made the task of taking back the compass seem much less daunting, if only for a while. Varian was right about Clementine – she really wasn't the smartest woman out there, only actually starting to use the compass and its powers when the alchemist trapped her in a giant blue bubble. Summoning a large gust of wind, she pushed the bubble towards Sylvia, popping it with the tip of the latter's outstretched blade, and then threw Varian back against the wall with a pillar of stone that hit him square in the chest.

You wanted to run over to him, to see that he was okay, but there was no time to lose. With four clones present by now, not only was the battle getting harder and more intense, but Clementine was also slowly approaching her goal, so stopping her was becoming more and more crucial. Still, you waited a second to see Varian sit up a little before turning back to attack, clutching the frying pan with a newfound hatred for the witch before you.

You whacked the clones over the head and slashed at them with the tip of the pan, but it was as if they were incapable of serious injury. Your annoyance began to block out the rest of the battle, so when Pascal suddenly swung onto your shoulder and stuck his tongue in a duplicate's ear, you almost jumped out of your skin.

"Y/N, what are you waiting for?" Rapunzel demanded, stepping up beside her pet and hitting the clone with her own frying pan. "You have to get to that compass, we're running out of time!"