Ebony glanced at Lights when she appeared. "Any idea where the last member of our team is?" he asked. He had seen him at the Picket Line, but they weren't needed there anymore.
He nodded while concentrating. "Hmm...I don't know how we are going to do that? Any ideas?"


Hawk turned to the wizard. At first he thought it was their last member of the team, but he shook his head. Who was this guy? It didn't seem as if Lights knew him either. "What department are you in?" He asked him quickly. If this was a Cultist...

Lights glanced at Ebony, not taking her wand or most of her attention off the man in front of her. "I don't know where Ben is, actually. Do you think he's okay?" He was probably still at the picket line ... Lights turned away from the two men and pointed her wand to the air, summoning the happiest memory she could. Making that Unbreakable Vow with Ethan ... the memory was four years old, but it was still fresh in Lights' mind. She smiled as she said firmly, "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery labrador shot from her wand and turned to look at her. Lights nodded, and it bounded away in the general direction of outside. "It's gone to get Ben," explained Lights, turning back to Ebony.

And as for the second question ... Lights furrowed her brow. Hmm. An idea crossed her mind and she grinned. "Do you know what Ren Sakura smells like?" she asked. "What cologne he uses, maybe? Because if I know, I can work out if he's actually in there. Same with Wrekin and Provel."
Lights winked at her colleagues, and then transformed into her Animagus form: a labrador with fur exactly the same golden colour as her hair. She shook herself, and then trotted over to the doors leading to the Work Area. They were locked, of course, but that didn't matter right now. Lights pressed her nose to the crack under the door - all door have one, however small - and took a good sniff.
GOOD MERLIN!!! Someone in there need a bath! A few hundred baths in fact! Lights backed away, shaking her head and whimpering. Merlin, merlin, merlin! Once her nose had stopped stinging, she tentatively went back to the door and took another sniff. The smell was more bearable this time, and around it, Lights could detect definite human scents. A lot of them.
Lights barked and wagged her tail. There were people in there.

Ben popped into the Department of Mysteries, he'd been dealing with the imperiused at the Picket Line when he'd received Lights' message. He looked around, "Ebony," he nodded at the other man. "Where's Lights?" he asked, observing the Golden Labrador, it looked a lot like Ligts' patronus... "What's happening then?" he asked, not taking too much notice of the dog, he'd been in stranger situations.

Lights barked as someone else apparated in, but relaxed when she saw it was Ben. She went over and wagged her tail. Oh, wait - he didn't know about her Animagus abilities.
Lights transformed back into a human. Glancing down quickly, she saw to her relief that she was still fully clothed. Sometimes clothing was left behind mid-transformation. "Hey," she said casually. "I was just making sure there are people in there and we're not on a wild goose chase." Although geese were good to chase ... no, no, Lights, stay on target.

Oh so she was an animagus, that made more sense... Ben felt immensely relieved, he had something against using a dog in a potentially dangerous operation. "Hey there Lights," he smiled at the woman. "So, what's the plan?" he asked. He didn't quite get why he was there, the patronus didn't exactly explain what he was needed for.

Lights grinned. "We know they're in there," she said. "So we go in after them." She pointed her wand at the door. "They've probably got protective charms around the place, but hopefully we can break through them. I can go in first as a dog to confuse them. They might be expecting Aurors, but they won't be expecting a dog. I'm pretty sure Sakura's in there, and possibly Wrekin and Provel. Wrekin seems to follow Sakura. But first, we need to break down the door." Lights grinned. She loved blowing things up! "Anything to add?"

Ben listened to Lights' plan intently, she'd certainly put a lot of thought into her plan. He shook his head, "Sounds completely good to me," he nodded in approval. "There are 3 of us, so are we going to enlist more people so that we aren't ganged up on?"

Lights smiled when Ben approved of her plan. She nodded. "We'll send a few patronuses. I thought I saw a few MLE'ers near the watercooler before." Sh raised her wand and thought of her wedding again. Happiness surged through her as she said, "Expecto Patronum!" The silvery labrador dog, exactly like her animagus form, burst form her wand and turned to her. Their eyes met, and the dog wagged its tail like it understood what Lights wanted. Then it bounded away in search of the rest of MLE. Lights smiled after it, but suddenly winced and pressed a hand to her stomach. She passed off the movement by adjusting her belt buckle, which was a bit tilted. She didn't need any attention drawn to that, not yet anyway. "We can't wait too long, though," she warned. "Sakura, Wrekin and Provel won't stay long - they'll want to get out as quickly as possible. They're probably working something out as we speak." Lights gritted her teeth. If there was one thing she hated, it was people getting away with doing wrong.

Hawk nodded. Too true. The Cultists would just escape if they were reckless. "Yes, good idea." He said that when Lights sent the patronus to find team two.
"There is something we haven't considered, however. We are assuming that we will simply be fighting THREE Cultists. Sakura is head of this department. Are they loyal to him? I assume so, because if not, he wouldn't have come here. Or maybe he has them under his controll like the people at the Picket Line."

Ben nodded in agreement with Lights, though he registered the sudden movement to her stomach. He shrugged, "We will act once more MLE members arrive," hopefully that'd be soon.

Ben nodded, "You've got a point, we can't assume. That's why Lights has sent off for more MLEers, we can't take any chances at this point." he said to the man.

The silvery dog bounded back towards Lights. It stopped in front of her and whined. "What is it?" asked Lights quietly. The dog pressed its muzzle into her hand, and Lights closed her eyes. The patronus relayed images to her like a video playing in her mind. When she finally opened them again, she looked troubled. "They're not coming," she said in a low voice. "There's about three other people nearby, but they're not coming to help. They're going in by themselves." She looked up at Ben, Ebony and the still unnamed man. "So we're going in after 'em." There was three of those guys, and while the patronus had told her one was an Auror, she still couldn't help feeling worried about them. Well, Team Four had Ben, and he was good. So was Ebony, of what she'd seen. But herself ... she wasn't so sure. It didn't help that she had another person to worry about. Lights shook her head. Not postitive thoughts. "Let's do it," she said determinedly. "Combined Finite Incantatum on three." She raised her wand, pointing it at the door to the Department of Mysteries, hoping the others would do the same. One spell wouldn't take done the protective charms. "One ... two ... three! Finite Incantatum!" Please let it work ...

Ebony raised his eyebrows as Light's patronus returned. "Not coming/" he said surprised and a little harshly. "Why is that?" Not even a reason? They were supposed to be working together! What did the other team think they were accomplishing by not even giving an answer?
"All right then." He raised his wand and at the same time as Light and Ben: "One ... two ... three! Finite Incantatum!"

This was NOT going well. Alex was running like a frightened bunny through the tunnel when suddenly he heard VOICES. POO! With no time to waste he aimed a stunning spell through the end of the tunnel and emerged with a PUSH. He was NOT going to stop here. Not at ALL.

With a wordless cry he aimed his wand over his shoulder and cast a nonverbal Colloportus spell and smirked. They would have to follow him now. BWAHAHAHA!

Hell, it was the least he could do. Leading them away from his brother.

Lights was about to suggest they try again, just to be sure, when she felt a spell whizzing past her ear. "Look out!" she warned, just as Alexander Wrekin burst through the doors. They seemed to lock behind him, although Lights was pretty sure it was nothing a simple Unlocking Charm couldn't tackle. Nevertheless, she was more focussed on the escaping Wrekin that the door. Damien and his team were probably on their way into the work area anyway. "Ebony! Ben!" she called, already running after Wrekin. "Get into the work area and help the others! I'll take Wrekin!" She could handle it, but she had a feeling that there was going to be a fight of epic proportions in the work area ... Too bad she'd miss it.
Hey, she could go faster than this. Lights smoothly transformed into the golden labrador mid-stride, and put on a burst of speed, snarling at the Cultist. Just picture him as a duck. Ha, that worked.

Ebony raised his wand, but then Wrekin was already being chased by Lights. And she actually wanted him to stay here? True, Provel MIGHT be in there, but Damien had his whole team in there! And they seemed to have the upper hand. And even though Lights was good...could she handle him? She was about to have a baby!
He ran after her.

Gina stood in the visitor area with a basket of pastries. She waited a few moments.

This was ridiculous, her not being able to get into the Office of the Department head.

... Mysteries... as if they were so much better... but at least that Ren Sakura person was no longer there. He was weird... and just... yeah.

"Heeeeellllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?" She said hoping someone would hear her. "I'm here to see the new Department Head..." She let that linger before saying... "I have goooooodies..."

She waited another moment and then said "Yodle Hey Heeee Hoooooooooo" and then giggled to herself like a schoolgirl.

Oooh. She knew who this singing person in the reception area was. It was that Gina woman. From international co-operation. Isobel remembered her from that picket line a year ago. She had goodie though. So that meant she was very welcome in Isobel's department. Also because they clearly had the same political view point.

"Hello Gina." Isobel smiled, stepping out of her office, to greet the department head. Mmm. Izzy's eyes did wander to the pastries. Yummy. "Do you want to come in?" She mused, motioning to her office. "Wesley, and my sister are in there..." So it was kind of like a party.

"Party?" Gina said and lit up like a Christmas tree! She tapped her head and conjured a party hat. "I do great streamers and confetti" She said making her way in the office.

Why in Lord Borr's glorious mustache had there been a literal maze of corridors in order to reach level nine's reception area?

Seriously, why was the Department of Mysteries so WEIRD?!

Armen Recard had made the regrettably exhausting journey down to the strange and cold level in order to check out who had taken over. Corin had been the Head the last time he had checked and was an employee of his before he had been promoted so it was sad to see him go.

Regardless, the Transportation Head needed to see if the new guy was going to be a prat or someone he could get along with.

Walking out into the Receiving Area, Recard waved off the receptionist before they could stop him and walked towards the area that would lead him further into the level and hopefully the Department Head's office--but he was stopped. He ran into an invisible wall and his arms began to itch like crazy.

"What is this? Someone take whatever blasted charms are on this walkway down so I can speak with the new Mysteries Head!" The man shouted to no on in particular as he scratched uncontrollably

There was someone making an noise in her reception room. Isobel looked up from her notes. She recognised that voice. She really did. And it seemed that the person who was making a noise was stuck in one of her charms. Perfect. Isobel was glad that they had worked. She left her notes on the desk, and approached the door of her office, opening it up. Ooh. Ooh. Ooh. Look who it was. Armen Recard was stuck in one of her charms. This was so funny. Isobel also had a feeling that the man wasn't going to realise that she was the new department head. This could be fun.

"Feeling a little stuck Recard?" Isobel smirked, leaning against the doorframe. She wasn't about to let him out of the charms. Not just yet.

As Recard's arms continued to itch he was becoming livid. How in someone's right mind would this level's department head, new or not, allowed such charms be put up that reacted this way when people of importance tried to get through? He could see the blasted things attacking lowly, entrance level employees or random passerbys from the street who wandered in but he was a Department Head for Merlin's sake.

Just before the man went completely beserk and was pulling his wand out to stop the wards himself, one of the last people in the world he would have expected to see, showed up. Isobel Montegue or was it Ferguson now? He didn't really care at the moment he just needed the blonde to get someone to help him get free.

"Izzy, be a good girl and fetch the Department Head to stop these charms. The Mysteries kooks are practically itching me to death." Yes, he was over exaggerating but he needed to get his point across.

This was quite amusing, and Isobel was sure that her husband was going to be quite upset that he had missed that. Another memory sharing session would have to be organised because this was pretty much hilarious. Izzy did try to remain professional though, and not burst out laughing. She didn't exactly want any of her employee's witnessing that. But then maybe they could come and have a good laugh at Armen too. She was sure many people would like to laugh at him. He did make rather humorous moves. Just like he was doing now. Isobel had no intentions of letting him go. Not just now anyway. Oh no. She was going to enjoy this. It was finally time for payback. And this was a long time coming.

"One...do not call me Izzy." He had lost the right to call her that when he had dumped her. "It is Mrs Ferugson." And that alone. Or you know Ma'am. But she was good with either. "And....I could go fetch the department head..." She paused, looking like she was thinking about it. "But as I'm already here it would be a bit of a wasted journey."

Don't call her Izzy? That was her bloody name! "I am NOT calling you Mrs. Ferguson you are my collegue and not my superior." He sneered, then went back to scratching.

The next thing she said almost went right over her head. She was being insulent and and not getting the Mysteries Head on purpose so he would suffer more but--

"You are the Mysteries Department Head now?" Wow, Alexander. Way to pick them...but it seemed characteristc leaving a well established relationship to head off to another.

*COUGH*

He wasn't going to call her that? Oh. How tragic. "I wasn't asking for that." Isobel just glared at that man. It was quite funny thinking how well they used to get along. "I waws asking you to be polite." Which the man was cleary not at all. She was pretty sure that Althea was not going to put up with Armen using her first name. So naturally Isobel was going to demand the same. Maybe she'd just ignore Armen until he started calling her by the name she requested. That could work pretty well. And she didn't mind ignoring Armen that much. She hardly cared for most of the stuff he said anyway.

Isobel just smirked at him. Well. Was he stupid? Isobel would not be down here if she wasn't. She had never ventured far from level 2, so it was obvious this was her new department. "Yes." And did he have anything to say about it? "And may I ask you why you are down here?"

To be polite, when wasn't he polite? It was polite not to cause your visitors to have to scratch themselves to death with charms you placed to keep others out of your level. "Calling you by your name is polite." Recard grunted, pushing his shirt sleeves back down to cover his forearms. He could have called her a brainless blonde but he didn't...that wasn't polite.

"Oh you mean besides getting stuck in what I presume is your little trick for trespassers? I came down here to see who replaced Corin, seeing as he was a former employee of mine." He said, to show her he did have business here after all.