Clive Dove (Reverse!AU)

"Emmy? Isn't she a journalist for the World Times? Ah, but maybe she's something else in this universe.."

Clive silently glanced at Desmond and Alana before slowly closing his eyes, feeling exhausted.

"Are you doing alright, Miss Daae?"

-going to find something to relieve your pain. You're safe now."

Surprisingly, he wasn't bad at feigning confidence, though that last part was probably for himself.

He looked to @lillian-daae.bsky.social , his eyes black but his pupils were brown due to the werewolf transformation.

All Clive did was tune out the banter. He was too rattled to begin processing their words, so he placed @acidicmechanic69.bsky.social on a free sofa close to Alana's own.

Did he even know he transformed?

Once putting Archer in a comfortable position, he tiredly sat next to him.

"The professor's-

Before Desmond could tease her further, a little boy with wolf ears comes into frame, clinging onto @acidicmechanic69.bsky.social , along with @lillian-daae.bsky.social .

"Professor! We don't have time for this! Do you know how longer we have to walk to Stansbury?"

-breach through the woods. Surprisingly, no Targent in sight from the back of the manor.

The boy slows his steps, finally speaking up.

" @acidicmechanic69.bsky.social . w-where do we go?"

behind. So he kept going, until-

He hunched his shoulders, suddenly feeling tense.

Then, something popped out from his cap and back. He could feel himself getting itchier too..

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱! The protege growled as he trudged on, not letting these problems stop him.
The two-

The moonlight was shining brightly towards them. Acid and Clive had fully left the manor's grounds, grass now tickling their shoes. Ahead of them was the forest.

The boy flinched at the scream that was let out, ringing in his mind. He wanted to go and turn around, but he was too afraid to lag-

Clive doesn't register Acid charging towards them, practically too focused on lifting Archer off the ground. By the time he realized Alana wasn't walking alongside them, he had made distance. He turned his head.

"Alana..! Come on!" The kid pleaded.

The full moon was looming.

"𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙍!"

Clive snaps out of his frozen state. Instinctively, he reaches for Archer, holding around his waist to support his balance.

4 steps and they had passed the door, entering the back garden.

He is barely keeping it together, unable to cry as he searches for any Agents in the vicinity.

By then, his frozen state was enough for @acidicmechanic69.bsky.social for Acid to round around the corner.

𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴?!

Clive had stopped fleeing entirely.

The thought of 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘢 finally being back for once made him 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, forgetting his rational decisions.

𝘕𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴.
𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵..!
𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵!

Clive sighed in relief at the sight. "We're almost out..!"

Clive let himself be dragged away from the Agents' view, mortified. That wasn't Mr. Hues!

He held his breath as he heard them. Without looking back, he grabbed Alana's wrist and rounded around the corner to get out of sight.

He led them to a corridor, with the exit not so far ahead.

Clive tensed his shoulder but nodded to Alana's command. He turned to look behind him to make sure that..--

Oh! Isn't that-?!

The boy smiled, happily waving over 𝘈𝘤𝘪𝘥 that was some distance behind them, assuming it was Mr. 𝘏𝘶𝘦𝘴.

Clive moves towards the room, avoiding the windows by being low.

He peeks his head through the doorframe, checking the kitchen, and..

..immediately retracts his head back.

"W-Who is that?!" He whispers to them.

@lilliana-shedra.bsky.social

Clive squeaks as he crouches down instinctively, "They are?! Shoot! What are we going to do? We haven't found the professor yet..!"

The kid glances at the kitchen. "Let's see if the exit to the kitchen is available instead.."

Meanwhile, inside the manor, Clive was frantically running down the stairs with Alana.

"Come on, Miss Woods! The exit to the back of the manor is around here somewhere..!"

Clive looks left to right after reaching down the stairs, looking worriedly over @alanaorchid.bsky.social .

"Alright! You lead the way, Miss Daae! This manor is humongous! We can tell him about who we found too!

Hmm, now that I think about it, she 𝘥𝘪𝘥 look like Miss Woods, like a lot.. maybe she's another alternate?" Clive pondered out loud as he followed Lillian.

"Yeah, that's how me and Miss Nephrite found the place! I'm not sure what happened either.. Hmm, maybe this 'Descole' guy knows something.

Should we go ask?"

"Woah, so your curse is to be a kid again! I see, I see." Clive scratched his chin.

"Wait, Miss Woods? Is she gone?"

-only protégé!"

He struck a confident pose.

It took some seconds for him to realize that someone was talking to him. He quickly turned around.

"Oh, yeah! I'm sure he'll be alright.."

Clive finally took a good look at the kid in front of him.

"Ah, sorry for not introducing myself sooner; my name's Clive Dove, and I am the professor's-

He carefully closed the door.

The kid stood there, facing the entrance. Thoughts whirred in his head.

The protege wanted to ask his mentor a ton of questions; 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦? 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?

However, his brain acted almost instinctively, the professor's orders wired in his brain.

"Certainly, professor. If you need anything, please ask."

"Oh! Of course, professor." He eagerly took the umbrella, trying to shield the professor from the daylight.

Clive could only furrow his eyebrows on the meaning behind Nephrite's words. Clearly, she'd experience something, judging by how she acted. Perhaps loss or betrayal?

He kept silent as Nephrite opened the door, wanting to see before calling out.

@authorityonazran.bsky.social

-supplies on the table, ready to assist the professor.

The kid glanced to the other two, gesturing a look of 'What's going on?'

Clive followed suit, having broken away from his trance. He had never seen the professor so.. distraught. Well, he did see him sulk over something from a book he wasn't allowed to read. The professor's raw emotions were uncanny, but nothing he should be poking in too much.

He placed the medical-

Different 'Shedra'? Well, he was Archer, so he couldn't be wrong.