The small group creaked into Theseus' flat using the gold of the rising sun to guide them. Lally hadn't really thought much of the summons but now Theseus had shared his concerns a rolling sense of fear engulfed her senses. She didn't like the idea of it at all but for some reason, it ebbed a little as they stood in the living room.

Theseus' flat was easily twice the size and twice as expensive with even his own bathroom that was warmed with heating charms. The living room had several leather seats in the most fashionable style and while everything Newt owned had a sort of aged and battered charm, Theseus' was filled with elaborate patterned rugs and a large fireplace sparsely decorated.

It also had the very heavy undertones of a grieving bachelor, there were a few pictures dotted around but they were mostly of Leta and several of them were face down. There were a couple from when he and Newt were children but as Lally walked into the dining room and kitchen where the room that was intended to be a tiny dining room was filled with auror case files and a desk. Something which seemed a lot more natural than the rest of his home as they entered.

Albus lurked in the living room, looking at the few sparse photos, while she stood in the doorway watching Theseus pick up a large folder with MACUSA written neatly across the top. It landed with a thud on his desk and he beckoned her over so she could see what he was flicking through. The moment he opened it she could see most of it was official correspondence between Tina and Theseus about 'enforced task manoeuvres' and 'European defence belts'.
"Don't you people have storage places at the Ministry"
"Yes but if I spend too many hours at work my bosses get twitchy"
"Why, surely that's a good thing?"
Theseus suddenly ducked his head as he flicked rapidly through the letters mumbling to the bottom of the folder
"I've been forced to take leave a few times after a few incidents after Paris. They say it's because they care about me but in reality, the place is such a mess they can't have their Head Auror going mad-" he then paused on a simple inquiry of when he would be attending some sort of summit and Theseus exclaimed "Ah- this is Bove-"
However, his face suddenly fell as he held the letters side by side.

They both had the same swooping letters but while Boves was a little uneven the letter they received had longer and more regular swoops.
"They don't match."
Lally stated bluntly and Theseus shook his head
"No."
"Maybe it was his secretary?"
He hummed in response, sounding unconvinced, as he picked up the folder only for something to slip out of the back. It fell daintily to the floor and Lally stopped to grab it. She studied the letter momentarily then looked at the letter on the desk before shoving it under Theseus' nose.
"That's the match!"
Lally exclaimed, looking at the date 26th November 1926. The bottom was signed by Percival Graves. She expected Theseus to be pleased but instead his eyes had filled with terror, voice choked on nothing as he stated.
"Yes, but Percival died over two years ago"
"He was rescued-"
Lally began and Theseus let out a hollow laugh
"No one could save Percival in the end. We may have gotten him out of that cell but three months later he took too much dreamless sleep and never woke up"
"Mercy Lewis, how does no one..."
"MACUSA all but covered it up. As I said, a mental head auror doesn't look good and well- so many people see it as the easy way out but this- This is when he was Grindelwald"
Her heart fell through her feet
"Grindelwald sent that letter?"
This seemed to shake Theseus out of his stupor a little and he stated
"It was a trap. He's infiltrated again and I- I don't think he's going to let my brother and Tina go this time"
"We need to get over there"
"We need backup" Theseus declared before muttering under his breath "There's going to be pushback on running into a foreign ministry's issue again"
"This isn't Britain's problem. This is the worlds. They're going to have to play their bureaucratic games another time. Aurors help people, don't you?"

"Of course."
"So let's try and get Bunty and Kama and then an entire auror department then we're gonna go save all of them"
He rose with a sudden sense of power and Lally was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden switch into a man of strategy, straightening his tie as he replied.
"Quite right"

-*-

Since she had made her quiet declaration, there had been no more talking in the damp cell and Newt's legs were starting to go numb. He was alternating between looking at the bars, the distant shadows of the caged Aurors opposite and Tina who had been rapidly pacing since he had been able to settle without throwing up. Queenie and Jacob were silent, leaning against one another with Queenie's eyes closed, yet Tina was muttering under her breath moving faster and faster in the cramped space so that he couldn't even see her facial expression.
"Tina, please sit down"
"How on earth am I meant to sit down when it's my fault my people are going to die! That we're going to die!"
"Tina-"
He began but she pivoted on her heel, whirling around so he could finally get a look at her face. Her eyes were burning and her cheeks were stained with tears, her once sleek hair was now ruffled up from her constant moving. She bit her lip, clearly holding back a sob before she exclaimed
"What else am I meant to do!"
His comforting skills were still rather lacking but he staggered to his feet and took the two steps forward before opening his arms.

She crashed into his chest and he coiled his arms around her so her sobs were muffled by his chest.
"Sh sh shhh it's okay Tina, we've escaped before"
"It's not- we can't"
He pulled away, holding her gently by her arms as he looked into her eyes.
"We've been in tighter spots than this, have we not"
"Newt- We almost died"
"Yes almost being the operative term- Tina-"She refused to look up so he ducked his gaze "You are the Chief Auror of MACUSA, you were the first person to duel Gellert Grindelwald and survive, you Tina have led this department through the beginnings of a war" Finally she looked up, "If anyone can do this, it's you"
She locked eyes with him, eyes wide, before sniffing and wiping her face on her sleeve.
"You're right- Of course you're right"
She sniffed again then cleared her throat and walked up to the bars, peering down the hall and he joined her to see where the two guards, one unknown and one rather unfortunately Abernathy, were standing lazily against the wall with their backs to them.
"You gotta plan?"
She whispered and he kept his eyes fixed on Abernathy
"They do teach hand-to-hand combat over here for the auror department, don't they?'"
"Yes- Do you know hand-to-hand combat?"
"Only the necessities from War, being out in the more rural areas we were taught slightly differently to the western front"
"Right..." He heard Tina mutter, slightly stuffy, before turning to Queenie and Jacob
"We've just gotta get out of here"
At that moment Pickett appeared out of his pocket and let out a chirp

"They really don't learn, do they?"
Jacob chuckled lowly and Newt lifted him to the lock where he began to work on it.
"No they do not but the fact this has continuously worked in our favour makes me inclined not to complain" His words tailed off a little at the end as he reached around, ready to move the moment the lock gave way.
"Jacob?"
Both he and Jacob turned to Tina who was already trying to placate a distraught-looking Queenie.
"I ain't leaving you!"
Queenie whispered, voice breaking and Tina raised her hands
"I want you guys to try and get out and bring as many civilians with you as we try and draw them out of the auror office, okay? I ain't having you two hurt" Queenie hugged her and Jacob nodded solemnly, taking Queenie's hand when she had released her hold on her sister and Tina's gazed turn to him. Instantly he turned back to the Bowtruckle and muttered
"I never intended to leave you to die at MACUSA the first time around, I'm hardly going to leave this time"
He chanced a look back at her and to his relief, she was smiling slightly
"Okay-" The lock gave way with a slight thunk and Newt whipped his head around to see that the auror opposite had purposely knocked something at the same time, watching with renewed fervour. The only response of the guards was from Abernathy who lisped
"Silence! And enough with the chatter! You've all lost!" Before turning back and returning to puffing his chest out at such an 'important' role.
"Oh you gotta let me have Abernathy"
He heard Tina whisper and they shared a nod before he plucked Pickett off of the door and slowly pushed it open. By some miracle, it made barely a creak and he and Tina slipped out into the shadows.

The cells surrounding had completely ceased in their shuffling and murmurs and as Newt looked around he noticed they were the sole attention of everyone surrounding them. Trying not to let a strange feeling of stage fright at being about to perform a very old military tactic in front of a room of trained aurors affect him he crept until he was directly behind the other guard. Tina had moved at a faster rate and was watching him, waiting to give a signal. He offered her what he hoped was an encouraging nod before she raised three fingers and counted down. The moment the final finger was down they both dealt a blow to the back of the neck, not enough to sedate but enough to daze them long enough to grab their wands. Hoping beyond hope it counted as the wand being won Newt stated
"Petrificus Totalus!"
At the same time, Tina shouted a containment spell that had both of them tied up on the floor. Abernathy was still conscious and Tina stalked towards him, wand aimed between his eyes as she tilted her head.
"It's funny how people don't change, isn't it Mr Abernathy?"
"He will show you, Goldstein! He'll kill you, just you see!"
"Oh shut up."
Tina stated, rolling her eyes and then whipping her wand causing them to be thrown into their just vacated cell, locking the door behind them as Queenie and Jacob stood just outside.
"Let's get these guys out" Tina called and Newt moved to the first occupied cell with three battered-looking aurors
"I always knew you were the perfect girl Goldstein"
An auror called as she stooped down to unlock one side of the cells while he began on the other.
"I am still your boss Fredrickson"
Tina replied, offering out an arm and pulling him up.

It didn't take long to unlock all of the cells, the wands while not as loyal as their own seemed to have deemed them as worthy victors and soon the corridor and stairs were filled with aurors, himself and Tina at the front facing them.
"The Vice President is dead and the president is unaccounted for so at this moment our focus is the people and people alone" Tina began and there was a smattering of gasps from those who were obviously taken out beforehand and unaware of the current situation "Those of you who are still able I want you to split into groups of two and try to take out as many guards as possible, remember your training and I suspect most of the acolytes are currently within our private information files as well as no maj relations that kind of thing. I want a few of the more mobile of you as well as the injured to go with my sister and Jacob and wait on the floor below the Auror office. I'm assuming Grindelwalds going to stay with the hostages for at least a little longer so Newt and I are going to kick up a fuss and use the emergency communication vessels to get him out and after us. Peterson I want you to try and floo call every possible Ministry that will help us, try England first then France, It's a long shot but they are our allies. Are we all clear?"
There was a chorus of "Yes ma'am" and Newt would be lying if he wasn't a little bit in awe of how quickly Tina had squashed her fear in exchange for becoming the woman more similar to the one he first met.

One of anger and determination but unlike the one he first met it wasn't him it was directed at him. The Aurors began to leave in their pairs, some producing blades and the like out of pockets and sleeves, one muttering

"My kids bought this me for huntin'"
As they crept up the stairs and began to split, the distant thud of eliminated acolytes occasionally disrupting the silence. Once the mobile Aurors had left Tina turned to Queenie and Jacob who were now heralding the small group.
"You can hear me wherever in here, remember?"
Tina reminded her sister and Queenie nodded, replying
"Just don't do nothing stupid Teen"
"Don't worry, I won't"
They shared one last strained smile then the group went slowly up the stairs. However, Jacob lingered momentarily, a hand on his shoulder.
"We just gotta get through this and it'll just be like old times, remember?" Then he dropped his tone to a whisper "and I tucked that case of yours under one of the desks by the door, if you're looking' for some reinforcements"
"Thank you, Jacob"
He replied sincerely, silently adding a 'for everything' as the man smiled and turned to catch up with the others.

Leaving just himself and Tina in the corridor.
"Tina-" He began but before he could get out whatever the mess of thoughts was she cupped his jaw and pulled him into a gentle kiss. They didn't remain embraced long, it was barely longer than a peck, before Tina pulled away to rest her forehead against his
"After this, No more goodbyes."
"D-do you mean?" His voice caught in his throat at what she was possibly suggesting but she just sighed, feeling her exhale across his cheek.
"I don't know, I just know that I can't keep saying goodbye, not like this"
He swallowed harshly and then kissed her one last time
"After this, we'll sort something out, I promise"
She nodded more firmly then and took his hand.
"The main monitoring charm is in the president's office"

Newt had a rough idea where the President's office was having been caught in the same lift as them in several of his travels between the Auror Office and his own but nothing could have prepared him for how long they went up. Seemingly continuing forever until they finally tumbled out into a giant circular office, complete with a golden chandelier which would send a Niffler into a tirade.

Tina however didn't spare a glance as she walked straight over to where a bell sat unassuming on the desk. She beckoned him over and then she slammed her hand down onto the bell. Strangely it didn't ring but rather caused a cloud of smoke to go floating over to the front of the desk and form a screen rather reminiscent of what he had seen in Bhutan at the bowing of the Qilin. Then the Auror department came swimming into view.

The triggering of the screen had clearly announced their appearance already as Grindelwald was standing proudly, the broach controlling MACUSAs wards and loyalty gleaming on his chest, if not looking a little bit surprised. The image only gave a small window with Rosier and the beginning of the hostages just visible.
Grindelwald went to open his mouth when Tina let out a mocking chuckle
"You guys just never learn"
"You're unarmed! Injured!" He straightened at that, trying to pretend that the only reason he was conscious right now was a potion with a very limited usage window. "Do you really wish to prolong your deaths this way?"
"It hasn't stopped us yet"
Newt replied and Grindelwald took off out of the room, shouting instructions at the few remaining guards as Vinda followed him out. The moment the door shut Tina shut down the viewing screen and muttered
"How are we gonna get a message to Queenie?"
"Well... She can hear you anywhere in MACUSA, can't she?"
Tina closed her eyes and took a deep breath before whispering "I can feel her in my brain, she must be feeling out for me," then she jumped.
"I think she's got the message- Let's go"
She grabbed his hand and they ran in the opposite direction to the lift, rather strangely towards the bookshelf as she sent the lift back down with a swift wand movement.
"Tina what-"
"Emergency evacuation route for the president, there's stairs all the way down- we wanna get to the atrium but after everyone has gotten out, there's enough room for a firefight there"
She kicked the bookcase open with her boot and he took the hint and lead the way down into the darkness.