MINISTRY PRESS CONFERENCE

Now, Audriana had never been one to keep her mouth shut when she should have. Not truly. And yes, it had gotten her into some trouble, but she wasn't exactly adverse to it. Trouble was actually quite effective when brought about at the right time. Luckily, someone had asked just the right question. Stepping forward, Audriana pushed herself towards the front but off to the side of the crowd of onlookers. It felt strangely like cattle being stood about waiting to make their way to the slaughter.

"Yes, Mr. Pierce," She called loudly, not even bothering with a sonorous charm, though it perhaps would have helped. "Explain to us how someone who went to that vaccine trial is dying! Who has no medical allergy and has never had more than a cold in their life." Setting her hands on her hips, Audriana scowled up at him.

It clearly wasn't the most... subtle route, but then, no one had told her she had to act sensibly when she took over for Hallie. It had been sudden, and she had been forced to call in help. She hadn't even wanted the job, really. Worse yet, her partner in... um, stopping crime, was the one unable to even fall out of bed, considering he could barely move. She had no real proof about the so-called vaccine, but what could she do? If it made Gideon sweat a bit, she could hope to get her answer. After all, she might not have been the best reader of people in the world, but she certainly knew how to soak up information and use it the right way to make someone squirm.

"I'm sure the people would love to know why they're allowing their children to be vaccinated if it might lead to death!"

Michael wasn't surprised Jack had brought extra fire power, and he was glad of it. If they needed it, it was now. He smiled and shook Kip's hand.

"Its always nice to meet more family members," Michael nodded. "Welcome aboard, Kip." He listened to Jack's plan. "Nice," he grinned. "Mr. Pierce doesn't strike me as a man who allows much chaos around him except what he can generate and control. It should be interesting to see how he responds to a bit of heat."

He watched Kip leave to go set the chaos in motion. He thought the distraction was a good thing, but he had other thoughts going through his mind. If Pierce could stand up to the bullying, that was all well and good. If, however, he could not, what if Pierce retaliated?

"I have to make sure that Piece doesn't go berserk when and if Robert shows up. I want to make sure he's at least partly covered if Pierce draws on him, and I don't know that he won't. What do you think about positioning ourselves on either side of the platform? Just in case, well, in case worse comes to worse. We might be able to hold him off from there if we need to. Maybe." He looked at her. "If you have a better plan, don't hold out. I'm all ears."

Michael wanted Robert to hurry the heck up. Wherever he was, he seemed to be taking his sweet time. It clicked with him. He'd missed it, but Jack had not.

"Man, am I slow," he sighed. "You ever go fishing, Jack, and get a really feisty fish? You set the hook, give it slack, and reel it in--patiently. I think that's what he's doing. He's let Pierce get himself good and caught in it first. I think your plan for heckling is precisely what Robert needs to happen."

An amused grin slid across his face. "You being on the very same page with Robert? That might be the most dangerous thing our Mr. Pierce has ever faced. Very nice."

Gideon held his cool. He gave the crowd a charming, relaxed smile.

"Good," he said, "It's certainly important that we clarify any misunderstandings. First of all, I'm not certain where the misinformation has come from that the vaccine is dangerous, because that's just not true. We have carefully researched the vaccine." He opened a file folder and held up a thick document. "Our research clearly shows that if the vaccine is given in time, prior to the onset of illness, that it wards off the contagion. However, there are some poor unfortunate souls who have apparently not received the vaccine and have become quite ill because of the lack of the appropriate preventative medication in their systems. Henceforth, the very reason why we and the staff at St. Mungos are urging all the citizens to get the vaccine."

He looked over the crowd and his eyes fell upon Khaat Lupin. Oops. Even from a distance he saw the anger in her eyes. She was not a happy camper. She seemed to already be aware that there was no cooperative arrangement that existed between the Ministry and the hospital on this matter, no mutual recommendation of compliance with the vaccine.

"Now," he said, redirecting the topic, "moving onto the next agenda item. We will be stepping up law enforcement effort at increasing the safety in our world. We have increased funding to law enforcement for the apprehension of dangerous magical creatures that pose a threat to the safety of our citizens. England needs to be a safe place for all witches and wizards.

"Now, for the next important order of business." He picked up a parchment with a large red wax seal bearing the Minister's insignia. "Our minister has sent to me his resignation based on his continuing medical problems. We will, of course, make his statement available to the press so that everyone can read it. In this instance, according to our laws, as you all well know, the Deputy Minister assumes the authority of Minister of Magic."

Robert had been standing towards the back of the room.

"Mr. Pierce!" he bellowed.  He drew off the cloak and tossed it to the floor. He walked through the crowd towards the platform, taking strong, commanding strides, his wand drawn.  "Do I look like I am still medically incapacitated to you? And besides, you are not sworn to office yet, so do take off my robes!" He fired his wand at Pierce, causing the robes to fall apart and fall to the floor.  

Pierce looked utterly flabbergasted, his eyes wide, as he stood frozen, looking at Robert.

"You!" Pierce said, stunned.

"Me." Robert said. "Quite well again, thank you.  As I see it, the people and I have two orders of business today. Most importantly, we need to unwind this web of twaddle in which you've been trying to ensnare everyone. First, though, there is the matter of your position and where you really belong."  

He snatched the alleged resignation parchment. He looked at it, and laughed out loud, truly amused. "That has to be the worst forgery I've ever seen.  You didn't even try to make it look like mine."

"I didn't need to," Pierce hissed back at him, the Deputy Minister's charm gone and Pierce's wand now leveled at Robert's heart. The previously charming, suave Pierce now seemed cold and full of venom and hatred. "You're nothing but a senile old man! Do you know how long I planned this?I mapped the game out, made each move step by step. It was perfect. You weren't supposed to be here today, but no mind.  I have you in check...."

"Mr. Pierce," Robert said calmly. "You picked the wrong opponents. The British people are smarter than you give them credit for.  Allow me to translate their message for you. Checkmate."

Jack felt righteous, and as she took up her place among the crowd once more, feeling rather than seeing the dispersal of Kip's people among the crowd, she felt the strength that Michael had attributed her with, regardless of the reality of their situation. On one hand, they were all against a huge government that had proven itself capable of dictating the lives of its citizens. On the other hand, like Michael had pointed out, she and Robert were on the same page, and that could be a very dangerous combination.

Pierce began speaking, and began to claim himself Minister. Jack knew this could not be apart of the Lupin's plan. She did not bother looking to Michael, instead pulling out her wand and letting it rest alongside her leg. She saw her half brother shift, and she knew he and his friends were all preparing. As a cry rose from the audience in surprise and uncertainty, shifting in confusion, Jack slowly moved through the crowd, nearing the podium. She sure hoped Pierce felt scared.

He should be.

A voice rang out and Jack turned, looking across the crowd. A large smile split her face and she swallowed it back, turning back to face Pierce, an undeniable smug gleam in her eye at the panic taking over Gideon's features. He knew he was caught. He might not know the specific threat she and her friends had in store for him, but he knew exactly what Robert Lupin meant to his authority and legitimacy. Gideon Pierce was in trouble.

That's when it hit her. He was in trouble. He had to know that. Her head snapped towards Kip to find he was already looking towards her. She felt her mouth twitch upwards - great minds.

She looked back to Gideon and felt arms rise around her from the crowd. It was her brother and his friends. As ropes shot out to bind him, Jack shoved her way through the crowd. Gideon Pierce was a strong wizard - but he had probably never been a scrappy kid like she had been. She got to the front of the audience and jumped towards the podium, ready to take him down.

Back up. That was something Robert hadn't honestly expected on having. As he watched the ropes entwine around Gideon, it passed briefly through his mind that he didn't know why he hadn't considered he might have it. He'd rethink his own self doubts that had formed that miscalculation later.

"I hate you," Pierce's hissing voice got his attention again. "Loathsome old man! I hate everything about you."

"Indeed," Robert said. "But I'm not held by ropes. Oh, and so there's no misunderstanding, you are fired. Your permissions here are immediately disabled."

Gideon flashed a wicked smile, and Robert realized that this wasn't over. Not yet. Damn. Could he have possibly miscalculated again?

"I do love the dark arts," Gideon laughed. Robert didn't like the sinister tone it held. "I learned a trick or two over the years. It used to be in the restricted section in the library. Now its in my personal collection."

Robert noticed a black mist beginning to swirl up around Gideon and the ropes were already loosening.

"I don't need permissions anymore," Gideon laughed. "I have all the access I need. You can try to catch me, but good luck with that. I'll don't plan on leaving until I have every classified document and artifact in all your little safes and vaults. There won't be one part of England I don't own, you old fool."

Gideon disapparated and became nothing but black mist that seemed to become a thin rising plume and seemed to be heading off to the department of mysteries.

Damn, damn, damn. Stopping smoke wasn't such an easy thing to do. If Robert didn't stop it, Gideon could infiltrate every single crack and crevice in the building and destroy them all.

Robert didn't see that he had any choice left. Pierce had to be stopped at every cost.

He raised his wand and began to cast a spell, in a calm, clear voice. He watched the atmosphere around his wand start to create sparkles of magical energy. Once cast, the spell could not be stopped. He had hoped he would never have to use this spell. Never.

He glanced once, for a mere instant, at Michael. This was serious. He was casting a spell he had created as only a very last resort to protect the wizarding world in England, if it ever came to it. He fired his wand in the direction of the department of mysteries. For him, it seemed as if time had stopped. He saw the blast leave his wand, feeling a bit of dread.

Claire Bishop had been waiting quietly, calmly. In theory, this should have been great for her. Sure, Lee Shepard was a friend of the British government, but she had direct orders from the Head of Law Enforcement, Gordon Graham, that there were direct threats among those in government, threats potentially against Shepard himself. If her objective truly was for the betterment of the American government, then she should be pouring some champagne and toasting the failure of a threat to her job and security.

But something had changed when she had moved here. She could not ignore how her only real family, Elsie Norton, was so happy in this new country. They had not talked much of the months they had spent apart, so Claire could not assume that Elsie was satisfied only because of Claire's company. Claire had her issues, but she had made friends. She had made connections. And, strictly speaking, she had a fiancee here.

Don't remind me.

This country had sort of, in some small way, become her home. She could not be happy thinking about its destruction.

And that's what she realized was about to happen. Her deeply analytic mind could see it unfolding before her. All of those secrets, the very reason she had ever come to Britain... If they were all gone, all of the fear and anxiety would have been for nothing. And then there was the reason she did not want to consider... Fred. He really loved his work. It was one of the only things that Fred actually did, actually seemed to engage him. And if the Ministry was gone... she had no one. No purpose.

Her head turned and she saw Jack Dyllan, her hands gripping the podium as though she had just been about to bring it down single-handedly by itself. The women made eye contact, both seeming to share the same thought. At Jack's shoulder suddenly appeared a dark haired man with the same look. Claire did not have friends in them, but they had allies.


Jack could not give it all up without a fight. Kip was at her shoulder in a second, speaking quietly and quickly. "So much progress has been made and in the wrong hands our government could be destroyed. But without intelligence, what government do we have?"

This was the stupidest thing Jack had ever done. But she and her half brother thought the same thing, and they immediately began tearing through the crowd. Kenna screamed "Kip!" But the three people did not stop their progress. Jack turned her head, locking eyes with Michael Tremaine. She held up two fingers. Two minutes. It was all she needed.

Two minutes. That was all Jack had asked for. He didn't know if the building had two minutes left. He made a small gesture, spinning his index finger forward in a spiral, as a gesture to hurry it up, whatever she had on her mind.

He tried to scan the crowd, some of who were heading for floos and lifts, and he looked for Kate. If Robert destroyed it all but lost his wife, he'd never forgive himself.

His eyes landed on Kate as Lee reached her, sweeping his arm around her protectively.

"Time to go, Kate," Lee said.

"Like hell," Kate said defiantly. "I'll leave when he does."

"And if he doesn't?" Lee asked. He had to ask if she were prepared to let the building crumble down around her if he stayed.

"I appreciate it, but you should go," she said. Lee decided the best he could do was to try to look out for her, and he helped her push against the crowd to get up to the platform to Robert.

"I can't find Brian," Khaat told Marcus softly, trying not to panic.

"He's over by the north floos. He's making sure people get out," Marcus said.

"Robert," Lee asked, as he and Kate reached the platform. "Can I help?"

"No," Robert said automatically, preoccupied. Michael watched where Robert was looking. He seemed to be watching the light and the popping that continued. He was watching the sequence, counting it, department by department, making sure that nothing was going to be left behind.

"What happens if he goes down with the ship?" Michael asked Khaat quietly.

"Then we're all screwed, I think," she said, watching the same disappearing sequence that her father was.

"Oh," Michael said dryly. "Good to know. Did he plot it out past this point?"

"No clue," Khaat said.

"Bloody hell," Michael sighed. How, again, did he get into these messes? He was starting to think he should rethink his choice of friends. "There's no contingency plan?" He was hoping that if Robert had thought enough about Armageddon that he had also thought of a way to survive it.

"I think this is it," she said.

"I should have gone with Jack," he sighed sarcastically, shaking his head.