Fall Into Me

..X..

Minerva was holding her head in her hands, fingers digging into her hair and massaging her scalp. The headache was minor, easily staved off with paracetamol, but she'd needed to step away from everyone for a minute, needing the quiet of her library. The buzz of activity since they found out Mona was alive was a permanent thing and it didn't help her head. Neither did the brick walls they kept running head first into.

Every single time they made headway, something happened and they were back to square one. This institute was proving impossible to find, and Minerva was furious that Elodie had given them the name but not the location. Apparently she didn't know, but Minerva was calling immense bullshit. Elodie had asked her friend, but she hadn't answered in days, which made Elodie worried, but her worry pissed Minerva off so she had her removed from the castle entirely after threatening to shoot her in the skull if she didn't shut the fuck up. The last she heard, Elodie was staying at the hotel in the village. She'd also heard that they'd given her the worst room, and all her meals were served cold.

Iona was another matter entirely. Minerva knew exactly where she was, and Atlas had flown over to talk sense into her. The only reason Minerva hadn't flown out to beat the woman into a pulp was because Mona was being hurt and she needed to focus on getting her back. Iona would get her due, Minerva would make sure of it.

The door opened and a wash of noise slammed into the room. Minerva glared furiously at the suspect - Esme - but the glare disappeared when the noises became clearer to her. Diana was out there, and she was arguing with someone.

"You need to come out," Esme said firmly. Minerva stood up and briskly left the library, eyes locking onto Diana, who had a huge suitcase pressed between her and the wall, gesturing wildly at the security man in front of her.

"You ain't gettin' in it!" She shouted at him.

"What part of 'people are trying to kill the countess' do you not get?!" He shouted back.

"I said no!" Diana was fighting valiantly over this suitcase, but those three words were all Minerva needed to hear, raising her voice above the shouting man.

"The last man who didn't stop when a woman said 'no' ended up with his skull caved in and mixed with his brain matter," she slowly moved forward, everything about her posture threatening. "Unless you want to become the demonstration for everyone else on just how willing I am to do it again, back the fuck away." The room fell deadly silent, everyone watching her carefully. The man glanced at her nervously.

"My job is to keep you safe," he said bravely, making a vicious smile curve on Minerva's face, eyes lightening up at the opportunity to pummel someone else to death. "There could be anything in that suitcase. I have to inspect it."

"Whatever is in that suitcase is of no concern to you."

"My job is to-,"

"Be a hindrance to our efforts to find my wife, no doubt," Minerva snapped, "You and every other fucker in a suit in this castle. Do you know how I killed Broe?" Minerva asked, making the man pale slightly as he shook his head. "I dug out his eyes and punched his skull into the ground. You bastards might've taken my knives and guns, but that doesn't make me any less of a threat to you."

This mans interest in Diana's suitcase made Minerva interested in it. There was a reason they didn't want her to get into it, to see what was inside, and that meant she was going to get into it, no matter what. Diana was trembling against the wall, but the defiance in her eyes when that man looked back at her earned her a lot of respect from Minerva. Diana may be frightened, but she wasn't going to back down.

"Allow me to clarify," Minerva quickened her pace, "if you don't get out of my wing in the next four seconds I'm going to have you shot and turned into pig food. Move!" She bellowed the last word and he jumped back, falling over his feet to get as far away from her as he could, but he wasn't quick enough. Minerva supposed it was unfair of her to give such time frame; it would take at least ten seconds if not more to get from where he was to the doors of the wing. Even if he had made it in time, Minerva had decided he would be shot the second she saw the fear in Diana's eyes. No man would ever make a woman fear for their safety in her presence ever again. She positioned herself firmly between him and Diana.