Take it?

Why did Simon get the impression that Rainey wanted to hear from him instead of speaking with his fellow department head? The auror-turned-security man remembered what Jasper had said recently and vaguely remembered bits about the original prophecy, but not everything in its entirety. He hadn't exactly planned on speaking of it to that extent but merely to bring it to the elder man's attention like Jasper had prodded.

"I'd have to get back to you with a copy of the exact words," he remarked at first, hoping Rainey didn't take the wait badly. "But the gist is that finding deTalone involves finding something that's deeply connected to her, to lead us right up to her. The wording was originally taken as meaning a person, either someone loyal to her or a nemesis, but Jasper has come to believe its an object of some sort." If only it had been in the shop they searched but logically that would have been too easy?

Honestly she didn't know why she bothered to come all the way to the office. Chances were the bossman wasn't EVEN here. Where the man disappeared to for most of the day, she didn't know but see, that was the problem. Lex didn't know where to begin looking for one Elliot Rainey if he wasn't in his office making this her best bet.

Just in case by some great miracle he actually was there, she went ahead and gave a few brisk knocks before stepping back. Just to be sure, she would wait a few minutes before deciding he wasn't in.

If only she could find that damned PA of his. Merlin knew the woman wasn't of much use but if anyone knew where the Department Head was off to, it would be her, yeah?

As if summoned, Rainey rounded the corner after taking the scenic route through the holding cells. He couldn't say he was displeased, but nor could he say that he was thrilled... high standards, he had them. With that in mind, his lips twitched into a smile at the sight of Alexa Cambridge. She really was quite useful.

"Looking for me?" he teased casually as he gained them entrance to his humble office, gesturing for her to take the lead. He peered over his shoulder briefly before turning back and continuing, "Good news? I've had a terribly disappointing morning." Dull. Disappointing. Dreadful. He could think of a great number of adjectives to describe his day thus far, none of them were the slightest bit positive.

Well would you look at that. Not even a minute and the boss man was making himself available. If he wasn't the epitome of efficiency, Lex didn't know who was.

"As a matter of fact, I was Sir." She wouldn't even dignify the question of whether she brought good news with a response. Didn't he know by now that she always delivered? Lex wanted him understanding how serious she was about this Head Auror thing and had come to terms with the fact that she didn't have to be the one to kill Legend. That being the case, she just needed Rainey to start seeing it which meant a whole lot of extra work that she didn't mind doing.

Anything to please this guy.

Lex walked into his office, opting to stand even with the available seating. "Been keeping busy like you asked, Boss, and I thought you'd like to know what I pulled up before I ask you the tiniest of favours." Miniscule really. Strategically, she cleared her throat, not allowing him to dwell too long on the favour before she could 'wow' him.

"Been taking that spying job real seriously ever since you gave it to me. As we talked about, I got Aron to agree to me being something of a Personal Assistant and Bodyguard to him when I don't have my own duties to attend to. Been listening around the corridors too." There was a pause in which her hazel eyes regarded the man curiously. Did he know what people were saying about him? Did he want to know? "Not much confidence moving around the level. Those that don't think you're leading the cult think you're up to something else entirely questionable." Gosh, if only. "I've heard a few people questioning my motives cause they think we're up to no good together and I'm 'eager to please'." Which, don't get her wrong, she WAS but that wasn't the point. "Wouldn't be surprised if we got a coup sooner or later."

Closing the door behind them, so that they could speak without concerns of being overheard, Rainey skirted his office and positioned himself behind his desk, first removing his coat before granting himself a seat.

Nothing in Cambridge's tone nor her words surprised him. Of course she was keeping busy, he would expect nothing less of his favourite protege. However, the term favour was not one he heard on a frequent basis. Brows raised, he had time enough to pull a face of amused contemplation before focus was brought back to her work.

"HA!" This really was amusing. "Excellent work," he interjected at hearing the news regarding Aron. That was delightful progress indeed, a wonderful project. But before he could truly realise the possibilities, she continued.

Not much confidence. Questionable. Fascinating, truly. At her conclusion all he could do was grin.

"Funny that, see a coup d'etat is a beautiful thing. Change is a beautiful thing... and you know what Lex?" he questioned, grey eyes glinting, "It matters not whether you're the instigator or pacifier, what matters is that you come out on top." Outcomes mattered, the path to them are inconsequential.

But a serious question, one he wanted an answer to. "Does this concern you?"

The brief look that swept across his features at the mention of the favour wasn't missed. If nothing else this offered just a little hope that after all was said and done the man wouldn't turn her down. It wasn't like she was here today to ask that he offer her a big promotion. Hardly, she just wanted a little more than Ministry Babysitting duty. Surely he could understand that when the appointed moment came.

Lex was all but beaming when the compliments started but that was cut short by the boss man...being okay with mutiny? Wait what?

She blinked a couple times, wondering where it was going until it all hit her at once. "Huh. Never really thought of it like that." And Rainey actually had a point...everything would be fine so long they won and what were the odds they wouldn't? With all she'd heard about that Emily woman, she'd have only handed this place over to someone CAPABLE so when asked if she was concerned, the young woman found the shrug came easily.

"No." When she thought about it, it really didn't. "Most of them lack initiative; not really into that go getter lifestyle and the ones that are tend to have other things to do besides organize the indisciplined. Reckon it's just talk from disgruntled workers who are easily kept busy." Just a general observation which kinda brought her back to the first thing. "I like being kept busy. If I can be honest, 'm not feeling all that challenged. I walk the Ministry everyday hoping someone will drop dead so we can have something to do," or was that NOT the right thing to admit, "and I'm starting to think Aron's right about this glorified babysitter thing. If you read the reports they force us to write after patrols you'll see my point. Report after report is absolutely nothing which...I guess...means we're doing a good job but..........................." He WAS seeing where she was going with this, yeah?

And this was one of the joys of working in the public service. Watching the penny drop for those who were less experienced. At least Cambridge was a fast learning, a smart cookie beneath her bravado. "People seldom do, which leaves them at a disadvantage." Truth.

It was music to his ears to hear that Lex too didn't seem troubled by the disgruntled workers. They would always be disgruntled about something, he knew from experience, he had been amongst them for a long time after all. But here it seems they got to the favour that she wanted. She was speaking an awful lot at this point.

"Which case do you want?" he asked quickly in case the pause was to fill her lungs only to have her continue. He would be happy to oblige her. Throw her a bone of sorts. One that was well deserved.

Lex was all for agreeing with Rainey, it came quite naturally to her by this point despite her general aversion to authority and butt kissing. Sometimes it got you further and she was learning this more and more. Like right now, she was about to continue agreeing with the boss man when he suddenly cut her off to ask what case she wanted.

That was it?

Just...just like that? No lecture about still being a YATI and needing to focus on the training being administered by the YATIL? None of that thinking she was bigger than she actually was and needing to learn her place like he'd done with Sky? No. Freakin'. WAY.

For a moment Lex was so stunned at how easy it was that she didn't know what to say. It was like she'd completely forgotten everything she'd come here to discuss with the man....whoa, but it only lasted that brief moment before the young woman composed herself and began laying out files on his desk. "Remember that gossip I heard about those foreign diplomats coming in--the one I wasn't sure about? I looked into it and there's hardly any records to say WHAT they'll be doing here, just that they're coming but it doesn't seem to be business with Level 5. So I went and dug a bit deeper, skulked around Knockturn Alley a little and found out they've got some business going on down there. It was pretty hush hush, trade from what I'm hearing. Planning something big and it sounds like they've made the wizards down there their middle men." While she spoke, she began laying out report after report for him to review at his leisure. "I want in on this; think we have an actual chance of busting them and filling the cells the way you like at the cost of possible disgruntlement with the Russian Government." Risky but worth it.

He was waiting for a response, something, anything to come from Cambridge's mouth. And then as if someone flicked a switch she was laying out files on his desk and launching into a rundown of it all.

Well then, this was interesting.

Rainey lazily pulled one of the files closer to his person and flipped it open, scanning the documents within before pushing it back and reaching for another.

What piqued his interest the most was that it involved business in Knockturn, and business there was business for him. How fascinating.

Grunting, Rainey nod his head, his lips downturned in a grimace that clearly indicated he was impressed by the amount of research that she had put into this already.

"Then it's yours," he replied simply, "but..." he had conditions. "I want you to take this to Branxton, she's working on Peverell, we need to pool our resources if we're to implement anything in the Alley." Because he was certainly planning something, there was only so much they would be able to get away with. "Also see what Chosen has on the whole fiasco with that reporter, we're going to have to make this big, there will be no room for error."

Speaking of, he needed to rally the troops, the ones he could trust at least.

...

......

*DEADPAN*

What just happened there? One minute the boss man was telling her the case was hers and the other...there were a whole bunch of higher ups being mentioned and people she had to be running things by. As trained as she liked to think she was with her poker face these days for the most part everything was forgotten when she heard THAT. There wasn't enough will power in the world to keep the look of disappointment from her face.

Vivi wasn't so bad, she didn't think her friend would ultimately take over the whole thing after all the hard worked she'd put in so far but then you added Legend.......and he was HEAD FREAKIN' AUROR which meant he'd probably end up calling all the shots and deciding who got to help with the take down and so on. The young woman would most likely throw a three year olds tantrum if the man outed her for 'more reasoned agents'. Most. Definitely. Likely.

It was yet another moment before she could rein her expression back into something acceptable for professionalism. "Will do, Sir. Nothing in the files indicate the man has a direct hand in this but he runs the alley so something'll come up on it." Keep it professional Lex. Still had to impress the boss. Couldn't have him suddenly thinking she couldn't take orders when directed. "Chosen's meant to take me on a patrol later so I'll run that by him too--which reminds me." Very serious looks right now. Very serious. "Can you please impress upon Legend that I don't need a babysitter for every patrol. He's had me banned from independent patrols for Circe knows how long now. Must be almost a year." A year of no proper patrols unless Legend was there or she snuck out anyway.

That look. It was as if he'd stolen candy from a baby, ate it in front of them and then kicked them in the gut to top things off. Not a nice look. Resisting the urge to look away, Rainey waited for the YATI to say something, and sure enough after a moment the ice was broken and she had surfaced for air again.

...

Moving on.

As for whether or not Peverell was involved, he had his suspicions. "If there's business in his district, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a part of it." However small or great that part was. She got a nod of approval, he trusted her to be thorough, and Branxton would prove useful with the work she's put in regarding the man.

Lex's feedback about Chosen and patrols, was somewhat disappointing, if he was being honest. Not to say the Head Auror didn't have his reasons or didn't know what he was doing, but he did want his recruits to have ample experience in the field. What was the point in babysitting if they could make toast without burning the house down? Lex was fine, some of the others, perhaps not, but that was another matter. "That I will, in fact if we're done here I'll speak with him now." Yes?

Taking it all in strides, that's what the former Gryffindor was doing. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they'd still mention the fact it was her find and she wouldn't be dismissed as simply the YATI that brought it up. If not, well that wasn't a problem either. It would just be all the conviction she needed to run independent and covert operations from there are out at the risk of losing her badge.

No big deal. Calm Lex was calm.

Know what made this all a little easier to take in? The fact Rainey was ACTUALLY gonna make Legnend remove that ban he'd placed on her. Sure she liked going on patrols with him but he didn't always wanna take her along and she didn't always wanna have to sit and wait for him to feel like it was time to walk a pet he'd newly acquired.

"Brilliant! I'll leave you to it then." Said with the widest of grins as she began scooping up her files and folders again. These she would need to get Vivi briefed. "Have a good one boss man." SHE had a case to go brief people on and she would get on that.

Cambridge was on board, and not jumping ship, this was all he needed to know.

Rising from his seat, he watched as she gathered her things, content with leaving their conversation where it was. A good employee. "Thank you Lex, keep up the great work," that, because he was beginning to rely on her efforts, and the department as a whole would benefit.

Now.

He needed to sort out Chosen... and see what he was working on.