You had better hold your tongue sir! Wesley mocked Armen in his head, sniggering to himself at the expression on this guy's face. Well well wasn't he the nervous type? Perhaps he would grow a little more nervous at what Wes had to say next.

"Is it really your pleasure, puppet, or that of your Cult master's?" he asked coolly and calmly, staring down the Transportation Head. "Even your girlfriend admits that you're nothing but a marionette for D'Insigny and Gevrik."

After meeting this...man Armen couldn't wait for MLE to fall already. He was beginning to think it was impossible to be more annoyed with the people of that department but it seemed that this recent round of new hires to the Ministry also had the common traits of stubborness and a not so subtle stupidty. This guy was definately in the ranks of dislike where Armen had mentally placed Emily, Evander, Damien, and the Lacosta woman. He was annoyed by others but that group were especially sickening.

Armen stared hard as the man called him a puppet. His nostrils flared slightly and his mouth turned into a hard line. He knew nothing, he was completely ignorant to their cause, he was speaking nonsense trying to trip him up; auror tricks! Then he mentioned Izzy. He had met her?! That was a lie she would never speak about him that way.

"Liar! Izzy would never say that! She's competely loyal to me and wouldn't stoop so low as to speak to your sorry hide on matters of importance." Armen practically shouted at the man. He had touched a nerve and really shouldn't have mentioned the Dept. Head's girlfriend. His wand was now clutched in his hand. "I don't expect you to understand the Cult's ideas and plans for the future." he spat out. He was not a puppet! He had moved up in the ranks from that looong before he was hired at the Ministry; he was no longer the Cult's lackey delivery boy.

Mwahahaha Wes had found Armen Recard's nerves and touched them with a burning match. Excellent. His smirk turning into a sneer, Wes calmly watched as the Department Head lost his temper and turned his wand on him.

"Careful now, puppet, you don't want me to have to use force on you," he growled, tapping the fingers of his wand hand on his large bicep. "Izzy revealed quite a lot about you to me, really, and expressed her severe disappointment with the way you allow yourself to be used."

That was... mostly a truth. Heh. Wes was going to continue in this vein as long as he could, however, if only to have an excuse to curse the heck out of this guy.

"The only plans for the future I see for the Cult are the whole lot of yeh ending up in Azkaban." And if he had anything to do with it, they would be there before the end of this year.

Armen included.

Again with this puppet nonsense!?

Recard watched as the guy touched his biceps...really? Armen could blast this guy through the wall against those biceps. They weren't muggles. Geez was this the calliber of wizards Evander hired these days. Oh right he was just a figure to sit in the chair, per se.

"For your information I do what I do for my own reasons. I am no more a puppet than you are for your boss." Yeah, that's right. Armen wished so badly that he could shoot a hex or two at this guy but he of course had to hold his wand.

Aww boohoo Azkaban, yeah right. Armen wouldn't end up there. "Oh yeah well the Cult has their own way of dealing with resistance as well." He said with a sinister end. Yep they had taken out the folks in DA maybe it would be the ministry next?

Wesley scoffed. He scoffed loudly at Armen. "You aren't even in the same league as Van," he informed the other man, pushing past him and continuing down the stairwell. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was OVER.

He did pause, however, near the bottom of the stairs when the other man said something mighty suspicious. "Do you?" he asked coldly, raising a brow. "Is that a threat or a promise, Recard? Because either way I look forward to dealing with you."

Now usually Isobel took the lifts up to level two, but today she was feeling like using the stairs. She'd just come off her patrol, and so was wanting to get back into office to note down what had been going on. Not that much had really been happening. After that she was going to head back out and get some lunch, she would've got it before she came back up, but she kind of needed to write these things down before she forgot them. She was in a little world of her own, so as she began to climb the spiral staircase she nearly walked into someone, who was stood at the bottom of the stairs. This person didn't seem very happy.

Wait a minute...she knew this person. "Wes?" Izzy frowned, stepped up onto the step he was on, and then glancing up the stairs. "Armen?" Woah. This felt a little awkward. "Whats...going on?"

Biggest understatement of the past year. "Ummm I know that. I wouldn't want to be in the same league as him." he spat. Merlin, why would he be blatantly rude to the Minister of Magic and lead his employees down the path of destruction.

Heh. Now he was getting at the pushy guy. Armen sneered as the guy turned from his spot down the stairs a bit and looked back down at him after his question. "Oh we will just have to see, won't we?"

But before he could turn and leave with that sinister comment hanging in the air, the person he was least expecting to show up, did.

*grumble*

"Isobel, I was just meeting one of your new collegues. He's the new Cheif Investigator." he said the title as if it was something big and important.

"Even if you tried... you're half the man of Evander Bole." Yeah, Wes said it. He had to stick up for his bro; he was a loyal dog and owed the man one, after all. Also, Armen Recard was one of those thin, bony types so he probably was literally half of Van. Heh.

He turned and his expression relaxed slightly at the sight of his favorite coworker. "Hey, Izzy. I just had the unfortunate experience of meeting your boyfriend." Wes rubbed at the back of his neck. "I caught him going through our department's files..." for no good reason, too.

So what if he was the Chief Investigator? "At least I'm not a Cult puppet," Wes shrugged simply, tossing a glance from Armen to Izzy. His expression clearly said, 'I can't believe you're dating this prat.'

Something was definetly going on now. Isobel frowned, crossing her arms. It really did suck that her boyfriend and her collegues couldn't get along. She got why though, it was just kind of annoying. "I can see that" She mused with smile, glancing between them. It was a shame nobody could get along here. She felt like she was torn; between her love for Armen, and her love for MLE. It really did suck. She was always loyal to MLE though, because she adored her job.

"I know what his job is Armen..." Duh. She did work in the MLE after all. She smiled up at Wes. "I think he's doing a fantastic job." She clearly had a very different view to her boyfriend, but she really didn't care. She caught Wes' look, and shrugged. "Later..." She mused with a nod. "Where are you going anyway?"

Adding Izzy to this situation was not helping in the least bit.

Recard straightened the folder he had been going through and had finished picking up from the floor and tapped it with his wand, sending it safely to his desk back on level six. There was no way they were taking those files from him. "I was going through your Department's files but with just reason and well within my rights." he nodded and then looked at Izzy as she stood closely to this other man.

He eyed her.

"So Izzy what brings you here?" he ingored her question of what he was doing there. Wasn't it obvious that he had picked a spot to go over the files alone?

Wes smiled back at Izzy but his grin turned grim as he turned back to Recard. "I was just exploring the workplace... I should probably head back to Level Two. Are you going up or down?"

He rolled his eyes as Armen spoke again and then vanished their files. Hmmph. "That's what he keeps saying," he commented to Izzy in a low aside. "But if it were really within his rights, why does he have to hide in a shady stairwell to read them?"

HMM?

Isobel eyed her boyfriend. Hmm. Why was he reading their files. "That is a point...." She mused, glancing between Wesley, and Armen. "Can't you just read them in your office? This isn't too good for your image." She mused, shaking her head. Armen was not very professional today. She was surprised actually. What was she doing? Hmm. "Going to work?" Because what else would she been here. Armen was being a bit silly really. "I'm heading back to level 2." Because that was clear. Seeing as she worked there.

Hmm. "Don't get lost..." Izzy smirked, looking up at Wes. That would not be good at all. "I'm heading back to Level 2....Want to join me?" Seeing as they were going to the same place. It seemed logical really.

Armen glared at the dude and then ignored what he had to say. Of course he kept saying that it was within his rights to read their records because it WAS in his rights. Geez.

O___o

What was Izzy deal? She was acting rather strangely. "I was actually thinking about doing that when Wes here decided to so rudely intrude." He said trying to calm himself down, yet the appearance of his girlfriend into the hostile situation that was occuring strangely made him feel worse.

"Oh would you mind coming with me to my office Izzy?" he said matter-of-factly, they needed to talk. "Good day." he looked at Wes and then started to head down the stairs, pausing to wait for Izzy.

"Well don't let me intrude on you further," Wes grunted toward Armen, sweeping his hands out with a little bow. "I'll see you later, Izzy." He gave his coworker a clap on the shoulder and shook his head, continuing on down the staircase and out to the first floor alone.

Isobel decided to not comment on the situation any further. She didn't want to annoy either of the men, because she knew that wasn't going to any good. Isobel was not stupid. Oh. He wanted her to go to his office? Interesting. "Sure..." Because it seemed she had no choice, considering the way that he had spoken. It seemed he wanted to talk about something interesting. She smiled at him, before turning back to Wes. "See you later Wes..." She smiled, before following Armen down the stairs. "He's really not that bad Armen..." She shrugged at him, once she got to where he was waiting for her.

A staircase? Seriously? This was where the stupid passage led to. Legend frowned. Stupid plant people! They had set him up!

Without even looking back, Legend made his way down the stairs. Maybe these stairs would lead him to their hiding place?

Alysson wasn't entirely sure what she was doing here but somehow she had found herself on this spiral staircase which led...yes, where DID it lead to actually? Did the Ministry have something like secret tunnels too like Jeremy had told her Hogwarts had? Probably. Maybe it was also part of this whole horrible Cult-thing. But then again it hadn't been THAT hard to find. At least she didn't think so.

Standing at the bottom of the staircase, Alysson moved forward a little and looked up in an attempt to see where this stair was leading to. Without much success though. There wasn't even anybody there she could've asked. Huh. That only meant one thing: she had to find out for herself. Heh.

One thing that Inez Gray had neglected to mention to them during their meeting was about the location of the Ministry Cafeteria. Didn't she realize that as a retired Quidditch Player, his appetite was still quite large? And even though he'd only eaten breakfast two hours ago, he was starved. Thus Andrew left Level Six in desperate search of the cafeteria. The cookies and coffee in the break room weren't quite enough.

Spiral stairwell? Weren't there supposed to be lifts in the Ministry? At least that was what he was told. Shrugging, he shook it off as he began his descent on the stairs, ignoring the subtle growl in his stomach. Maybe he should ask someone. Like that redhead going up!

"Excuse me?" Andrew asked, hoping she wouldn't be one of the snappy, workaholic types who got annoyed when someone interrupted them. "May I ask you something?"

Alysson was still standing at bottom of the stairs, staring, no more like squinting up in an attempt to see what was going on upstairs. Still, nothing much was going on. Nothing that would give away where this staircase would lead to anyway. Did she have enough time to go upstairs? What if this WAS some secret "tunnel" and she would end up somewhere in Africa with no means of getting back. But then again, she could still apparate back.

She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't even see nor hear a man coming down the stairs. Not until he spoke to her anyway. "You!" Alysson grinned at him after whirling around to face him. He HAD to know what was upstairs. She didn't even care what it was, she just wanted to know.

Oh, he wanted to ask her something?! "Sure. Only if I get to ask you something too. And I'll go first, 'kay?" Alysson continued to grin at the man, taking a small step into his direction. "Where did you just come from?" For emphasis she even gestured up the staircase, without averting her gaze from the man's face.

Andrew wondered for a fleeting moment whether or not she had heard him. He contemplated just brushing past her and looking for someone else, but then all at once, she exclaimed you and grinned in all too familiar fashion. "Me!" he teased back.

But wait... what?! That wasn't fair! He was supposed to ask HIS question first! But he supposed, in a way, he had asked a question first. Just not the one he wanted to know. Huh? Glancing back behind him up the stairwell, he blinked and then turned back to the woman. "Um... up there? Level six, to be precise. But somehow I found my way down to level four... and from there.... I'm not exactly sure, but I was searching that level for the cafeteria and I found this stairwell. It was intriguing." So he descended. And came face to face with her. Obviously. "which brings me to my question; where is the cafeteria?" Because well, he wasn't exactly into cannibalism and all.

Slightly surprised by his reply to her 'you', Alysson just paused for a moment to let out a small giggle, rolling her eyes at him. Yes, him! Duh! And then she was all in his face about her question, apparently taking him a little by surprise seeing as it took him a while to reply. But hey, she had just been faster to ask her question. Plus, he was a gentleman, wasn't he? Heh.

Oh, so it just led to another floor? Huh. Even though this wasn't exactly a very exciting answer, Alysson was still glad she had finally found one. Now she didn't have to go check it out herself. "Oh. Okay." Level 6, huh? That was...Transportation, right? The department who lost their Department Head to the Cult some time ago or something. She still didn't know what exactly happened, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to. Those past few months had been depressing enough as it was.

The Cafeteria? "We have a Cafeteria?!" Alysson turned around as if the cafeteria was going to pop out from under the staircase or something. "Huh. I didn't know." Facing the man again she smiled at him while prodding the tip of her nose slightly, considering his question. "Well, there's a restaurant outside...and a café. But I have no clue where we could get something to eat in here." And that was a we as in him. Even though, she was starting to get a little hungry too from all this talk about cafeterias and restaurants.

Heh. She liked his little remark. And somehow her small giggle had actually brought the smallest of smiles. Something he hadn't really experienced since.... he took Oliver to King's Cross on September 1st. Yup. That was the last time.

Why did she seemed so surprised that this stairwell wasn't anything 'special'? She seemed almost disappointed, actually. "But apparently the lifts are still more widely used here. For some reason, many employees seem to find the concepts of walking up a flight of stairs hard to grasp." Really, it could be worse. They could have them dodging random bludgers in the hallways. Actually, that wouldn't have been worse for him, but for majority of employees, it probably would have been.

"Don't all places of work have cafeterias? They can't expect us to walk into town every time we want something to eat." Andrew said, following her gaze around the area. Not that he was in any hurry to get back to work; he could use the fresh air, after all and he was sure Inez wasn't the type who would have complained over him being gone too long. "The café sounds fine. If you want... you can join me?" Maybe. If she wasn't too busy. But if she was too busy, that was cool too.

Yes, the lifts. They were definitely more widely used here. Which was why she took them too normally. Because there were interesting people there and all. "Yeah, I know. These look a little...abandoned." Alysson commented, glancing up the stairs again absently with a small almost pout on her lips. She liked stairs. But not when they were dull and empty like these.

Alysson shrugged and nodded at the same time when he continued to state that there just had to be a cafeteria. He was probably right though. "Maybe that's the plan, though. Make us go outside to make sure we get enough fresh air and all, you know." She joked with a small smile, glancing around them again. She should get a floor plan of this place or something some time.

Aw, he was inviting her to come along? She wasn't really all that hungry but then he seemed to be a nice guy so. "Sure, why not." Alysson replied taking a small step into his direction. "Oh and I'm Alysson by the way." She introduced herself while waiting for him to lead the way. It had been his idea after all.

Rafael didn't often take this staircase, in fact he hadn't done so in over a few months.... it was occasionally convenient, but fighting through all sorts of plants that fought back didn't always make it appealing, despite it's secrecy. Really it's secrecy was the only appeal this staircase held. However, he wanted to get back to his office with little distraction, except maybe from his plants and Botanists, and this was path was always guaranteed to have little distraction.

The Spaniard moved with careful purpose up the stairwell, mind visibly elsewhere though not so far into his other thoughts that he didn't have time to eye the railing. No, he would be going up without it's assistance.

She was sure that this staircase wasn't here when she last worked at the Ministry, but that didn't say much really, since it was over ten years ago now. Althea followed the staircase- which had started near one of the store rooms- and took note of the fact that it was going down. So... presumably she would end up somewhere on level 4? Creatures? And that new department, the Envrionment one.

Which really, in her opinion was the only truly positive thing to come from the Cult presence for the past few years. She was lucky, Althea reflected, that all that rubbish was over with now. She'd not have taken the job elsewise.

And.... she could hear footsteps? She stopped walking and waited for whoever it was to appear in front of her.