《 Skip a Beat 》

Two steps behind

A trap.

It had all been a trap.

The files, Grindelwald, Avalanche Pass... it had all been a trap, and they fell for it.

Tina scrubbed vigorously at her face, leaning across Theseus' office desk with her head in her hands.

How could we be so stupid?! We should have seen it coming, we should have known!

She groaned in frustration and slumped forward in his chair, massaging her temples.

It was infuriating. Of course he'd set a trap! They'd waltzed right into it! The files, the entire mission... it all somehow seemed too easy.

Damn Grindelwald and his acolytes. Tina hoped that they'd all rot in hell.

The sound of scuffling shoes reeled her back into the world. Tina wearily dragged her eyes upward towards the door.

Theseus stood there, leaning against the door frame to his office. He surveyed his work space, each book and paper positioned perfectly in its correct spot, not a speck of dust anywhere in the room... and Tina slouching miserably at his desk.

"What's wrong?" he asked mockingly.

Tina sighed deeply, dropping her gaze. He knew full well what was wrong. He'd been almost as angered as her by it, when he found out.

Despite him already knowing what was bothering her, Tina launched into an explanation, needing to vent out her fury.

She pushed up out of his chair and ambled around the desk so she was in front of him.

"The files were empty," moaned Tina, crossing her arms. "Nothing in them. Just stupid, empty files. It was all a trick."

She paused for breath.

"We thought we were one step ahead, but Grindelwald got us good. We were two steps behind. It was all a waste."

Theseus' eyebrows flicked up, and Tina began to feel irritated at his lack of reaction. And why was he being so damn smug?

"All a waste?" he mused, crossing his own arms. Tina scowled.

"What do you know that I don't?" she snapped. "Why are you acting all..." Tina gestured emphatically in his general direction. "... Weird?"

He only pushed off the wall and beckoned her with a finger.

"Come on. You need to see something."

Without waiting for a response, Theseus turned and began down the corridor.

Tina huffed loud enough for him to hear, but he payed her no heed, simply continuing to stride away from his office.

Her own damn curiosity got the better of her, and Tina found herself, to her bitter shame, following Theseus along the purple carpet.

"What? What is it?" she hissed, still vexed toward his unusually lax attitude. He only shrugged.

"You'll see."

Tina huffed again to notify him of her growing annoyance, though he could probably already tell. Theseus' mouth quirked into a smile, and he kept his eyes straight ahead.

Turn the corner, take the elevator up, get out at the ninth floor... Tina had no idea where they were going. As they filed out of the elevator, she caught the robotic voice informing the passengers that they'd arrived at the department of mysteries.

"Theseus..." she glowered in what she hoped was a warning tone. He didn't so much as turn around.

The pair of aurors continued down the black-tiled corridor- eerily darker than the rest.