《 Skip a Beat 》

A perfect storm

Theseus' breathing was strained after bolting down just two flights of stairs, though he hardly noticed. Next to him, Tina was breathing just as heavily.

The cracked pavement echoed their slapping footsteps, charging across the ground level.

Blood was pounding in his ears. A growl of thunder sounded outside, the noise ricocheting through the walls of the building.

They skid around a corner, and the magic lurking around the side hit them like a gust of hot air. Theseus and Tina stumbled to a stop, breathing raggedly. The files were here. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt this time. With this charged magic suddenly fizzing all around them, they had to be.

Theseus focussed through his blurred vision, at what lay just ahead.

It was another staircase.

This one descended into darkness, the end of the stairs swathed in shadows. The only way in or out.

"It's a cellar," said Tina, fingering her wand. Theseus sniffed, craning his neck to see the stairs.

"Travers and Andrew already searched the cellar."

"There might still be something there." Tina edged closer to the doorway, moving in front of Theseus.

The latter rubbed his neck, weighing their options. Stronger magic in a certain area didn't necessarily mean that what they needed was there. The explosive was in a room with high levels of magic.

We most certainly do not need that, thought Theseus bitterly.

If the files weren't down the stairs, which was likely, they would've wasted time. If they were, would they be able to make it out in time? Would they be able to make it out at all?

Theseus found his gaze lingering on Tina, still facing the depths of the stairs. He shouldn't have assumed she was coming with him.

Waves of guilt washed over him. What if she died? Would that make it his fault? What if they both died?

"Oi! Daydreamer!"

Tina snapped her fingers in his face, and Theseus abruptly reeled back to reality.

"I said that it's worth a shot. Are you coming?" she whispered.

Her partner nodded, starting to relax again, then suddenly stopped dead. His blood chilled, until he was sure he started to shiver.

"Tina," Theseus breathed softly, growing predatory still.

Picking up on the hushed note of panic in his voice, Tina tentatively, slowly stepped back until she was standing adjacent to him again, still facing the staircase.

"What?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Don't turn around," he murmured, almost inaudible. "Someone's watching us."

He felt, rather than heard, Tina's breathing hitch, but she swiftly schooled her actions into neutrality, to her credit.

They only had seconds, so, deciding finally to bite the bullet, Theseus moved smoothly down the staircase, prompting his partner to do the same, and praying all the while that whoever was behind them wasn't following.

The person didn't follow.

Theseus didn't see where they went. Didn't see if they moved at all.

It didn't matter, though. Once they found the files and got out, what could that person do? How could they stop what had already happened?

It didn't matter, so Theseus led the way, with Tina hot on his heels.

The magic was growing stronger.