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Chapter Text

He didn’t know how to describe the feeling in his chest. It couldn’t have been pain; she hadn’t hit him that hard when he had pulled her out of that alley. However, it definitely felt as though he couldn’t breathe. It couldn’t have been heartbreak- could it have been. Did seeing her like that really break his heart. Honestly, at that point, he wouldn’t have been surprised. His feelings for her had always been all over the place. He could never pinpoint just what she did to his heart. It was frustrating, and it sort of made him desperate to understand it. Maybe that was the beating inside his chest. It was desperation.

How else could Michael describe the rush of anxiety that overcame him when he realized the junkie doing whatever she could for a hit was Nikita. It shouldn’t have been possible. Yet it was, and the fact nearly killed him. He had to do something to help. He needed to keep protecting her- even if he had broken that promise already. The best he could come up with was dragging her along with him to his safehouse. Hopefully locking her in a steaming bathroom would get her clean. It worked for recruits who had relapsed. But she had always been different. He had to be careful as she finally came to, “Relax, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Let me out, Michael! Let me out now,” Nikita screeched. Although she was clearly going through withdrawals- shaking, sweating, eyes clouded over- she managed to muster all of her strength and push harshly against her bonds. Michael probably shouldn’t have zip-tied her wrists to the handle of the cabinet. She wasn’t his captive; he was only trying to help her get clean. However, he knew how dangerous she could be- high or not. Her bonds were for both of their protection, especially since he was determined to be with her every step of the way.

“Not until the drugs are completely out of your system,” From his perch on the toilet across the bathroom, Michael informed her sternly. He could’ve been anywhere else in the safehouse, waiting for Nikita to sober up and fight her withdrawal. But he didn’t think he could leave her alone. His heart was already pounding furiously against his chest from the sight in that alley. Leaving her only made it worse. So he suffered the steam from the hot running shower filling the closed off room with her. It was the only way he could remotely feel better.

What was it that had Michael so wrapped up in her that seeing her high nearly ripped his heart out. He and Nikita had tried to hurt one another on a mission months ago- she was probably even trying to kill him. So why was he risking everything to bring her to his safehouse. Sure, she had been unconscious for the journey. But that didn’t mean it was any less of a stupid idea. That would be what Birkhoff said once he found out. However, Michael couldn’t have left her like that, not that Nikita cared, “Ugh! You fucking bastard! Just let me out and give me a hit!”

“No. I’m not letting you get high again,” Michael’s voice was grave, stern, unflinching, even if he did shift away from her when she lunged again. Fortunately, Nikita didn’t notice. She tugged at her bonds, kicking at the cabinet and yelling. It was as though she was a caged animal. Her dark hair was frizzy and wild, her brown eyes were blown wide and unfocused, and her bronze skin had paled, track-marks appearing faintly on her arms. If she could break out of that room and run away, she would. He hadn’t helped her; he deterred her.

“Why the fuck not?” Her scream was hoarse, the words as desperate as Michael was feeling. What the hell had happened to her. Months ago, Nikita was the star of Division. She was their best and brightest, and she did everything she could to take out their rogue agents. She had almost succeeded in that mission by brutally maiming Birkhoff and shooting Michael. However, both managed to escape and survive- just barely. So how in the hell had Nikita gone from being a ruthless killer back to being strung out on Ketamine. What could’ve possibly made her relapse.

“You did not work so hard to get yourself clean only to fall back off the wagon,” Shoving his questions aside for a later time, Michael replied. That certainly was a reason why he wouldn’t let Nikita take a hit. She had fought against her addiction years ago and won. All of that hell she had been through couldn’t be repeated. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Except, Nikita only glared at him. She knew Michael enough to know he was holding back. What he had said wasn’t the full truth. There was another reason for kidnapping her and locking her in an improvised steam room. It was the same reason he stayed by her side and kept staring at her like he was.

“No. You don’t get to care. You left,” However, Nikita didn’t give two shits about what that reason was. Her voice dripped in venom, and she did her best to hold a steady glare. The harsh pants of her heavy breath made it difficult, yet she wanted her lividity to be palpable. Michael had to know how much he had fucked up by leaving. And not just in regards to the fact that Division was hunting him down. He needed to realize that he had burned every single thing there was between them when he had left her to the wolves.

Michael couldn’t play dumb- he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know what had happened to Nikita when he escaped from Division. The first time he saw her on a mission meant to kill him, he knew how deeply that hellhole had sunk their claws into her. That bright gleam of gold he had seen in her brown eyes disappeared. Amanda and Percy had beat it out of her. Yet that was even more of a reason for him to continue his fight. He couldn’t allow Division to destroy all of the good in the world, “That doesn’t mean I’m not still fighting for you. For all of you.”

“You promised to protect me. But you left. You lied. Just like everybody else,” There were tears in Nikita’s eyes. Whether they were from the pain of her withdrawal or the weight of her words, Michael honestly didn’t know. Her tone was like fire. It was so harsh and destructive, it could burn them both. He had broken that promise. By escaping from Division, he had left all of his recruits unprotected to the full torment of Amanda and Percy. Although guilt ate away at him, he didn’t regret leaving. It was his best chance to protect more than just the agents.

“Ending Division is the only way to keep people safe,” Michael wouldn’t lie to Nikita. There was no use in it. He had never lied to her about his mission to burn Division to the ground. It was mostly so she would understand why he had turned his back on an organization he once fought for, but a part of him also hoped that she would one day join him. Birkhoff eventually had, after all. Maybe she could too. He doubted that then, however. The way she regarded him was so full of bitter hatred. There was no way she would ever budge from her current position.

“Why?” It was more of a demand than a question. What was Michael thinking when he left. He had to tell her. A part of him was yelling to tell Nikita the full truth, every ugly bit of it. Yet he held back. His excuse was that Birkhoff didn’t know the full truth. However, that was a stupid reasoning to fall back on. He just didn’t want to admit it. Admitting it brought more pain and heartbreak than he was currently in, and he couldn’t face that. Besides, it was supposed to be about Nikita and helping her get clean. They could focus on him later.

Nikita appeared to have calmed down more. She continued to shake, sweat, and regard her surroundings in bewilderment and fear, but she had stopped screeching and yanking at her bonds. It was possible Michael was getting through to her. Or, her withdrawal was subsiding. Either way, he thought it was worth the risk to turn the conversation back on her. He was beginning to believe she wasn’t at Division anymore. The time she had been absent from the field, and the fact that she was high proved something. She had to have escaped like he had- for some reason. Her motivations were just so confusing to him, “Why did you leave too?”

If she was surprised that he had figured that out, she didn’t show it. Nikita regarded Michael for a long time, as if gauging if she should be truthful or not. He hoped that she would be. All he really wanted was to understand her. He had always wanted to understand her- what made her so different, why did he always feel things so powerfully around her. Her answer could help him realize why she was so special to him. Or, she could remain vague, frustrating him even more, “I was in danger. But I survived on my own. Just like I always do.”

“You call this surviving? Strung out on Ketamine and whoring yourself out?” He shouldn’t have said that. Michael should never have said that. He wasn’t thinking. His anxiety and desperation choked out of him harshly. The Ketamine was really only a guess. He knew that had been her drug of choice before Division, it couldn’t have changed after. But the ‘whoring’ comment was based entirely on what he had seen in that alley. In an effort to get drugs, she had offered herself up to a dealer. Michael had stepped in to stop it, resulting in a fight. Except, that wasn’t something he should’ve called her out on. He had to help her, not shame her.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” It was too late to take any of that back, though. Launching at Michael with a pair of scissors, Nikita screamed. She had distracted him by engaging in conversation. While he was preoccupied trying to talk sense into her, she had freed her wrists from the zip-ties and grabbed scissors that were on the counter (Birkhoff used them to trim his growing hair). Michael leapt to his feet, prepared to fight her off. However, Nikita surprised him, as she always managed to do.

Quickly, she turned the scissors on herself. She flipped open the blades and held them firmly against her throat. A slow streak of blood fell from the opening cut. Michael pulled himself back instantly. He was afraid if he rushed Nikita, she’d slit her throat right in front of him. Panic and desperation clinched his heart so tightly, he couldn’t breathe. All he could do was gape at her for a second. Her glare and stance were unwavering. She was really going to do it, unless he stopped her. He had to stop her, “Whoa, hey, Nikki. Give me the scissors.”

“Don’t call me that,” Nikita snapped, pressing the blade deeper into her neck. Her blood spilled faster, the dark stream halting Michael’s heart. She was willing to die right there in front of him, for a reason he still didn’t understand. Then wasn’t the time to dwell on that, however. He had to act immediately. Her withdrawal symptoms made her weak; she was on her feet, yet she was unsteady. He had to use that to his advantage. Before she could dig the scissors into her throat again, Michael lunged at her. He wrestled the scissors out of her fierce grip, and threw them across the room. Nikita tried to chase after them, yet he pulled her tightly into his arms.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Whispering gently into her ear, Michael brought her with him to sit back on the floor. Nikita fought, screamed, and struggled the entire time, but she couldn’t break free of his hold. He had her arms locked in his own, and once they were seated her legs were trapped in his as well. There was nowhere for her to go, and no way she could escape. That didn’t mean she’d stop trying, though. She thrashed against him violently. If her body wasn’t so weak and sick, maybe she could’ve broken free. She was losing steam fast.

“Why won’t you let me die? Why won’t you ever let me die?” With harsh, panted breath, Nikita seethed. She attempted to keep squirming, but her head was swimming and her stomach was churning. She couldn’t fight anyone; she could barely fight what the drugs had done to her. Michael wouldn’t let go of her, though. He kept his strong hold, especially after what she had admitted. All she wanted to do was die- it didn’t matter how many times he had tried to save her. She didn’t want to exist anymore.

“Because this world needs you, Nikita,” He quit thinking. To get Nikita to absolutely, one hundred percent believe him, Michael spoke from the heart. The effort might have earned him an attempt to thrash her head against his, but he could feel her anger waning. Actually, he could feel a lot of her. Her skin was flushed and burning, her heart raced as her body shook, and each intake of her breath was more labored than her last. There was a chance the improvised steam room wasn’t helping her get clean at all. In fact, it might’ve been making it worse.

“You’re such a terrible liar,” Nikita huffed. Although she ceased fighting, she remained tense in his arms. She wouldn’t allow herself to relax- if she even could relax with the way her stomach burned. Cramps were painfully rolling through her, worsening the migraine that pounded her head. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. She had to close them, and she had to lay her head back. It was more comfortable to rest it on Michael’s shoulder than to lean forward.

The rest of her body involuntarily relaxed at the sensation. Nikita hated that she found Michael so comforting, but she was too exhausted to fight it. The way he held her more gently and securely made her emotions worse, but her situation better. She sighed. He brushed her wild hair out of her face, green eyes studying her in concern. Whispering once more, his voice was soft despite his commanding words, “Then tell me why you want to kill yourself.”

“Because I deserve it. All monsters deserve to die,” The answer was full of conviction. Nikita believed in what she said, and there wasn’t room for argument. She cracked open her eyes to stare at Michael, daring him to contradict her. He knew what she had done. He had been on the receiving end of the terrible things she could do. There was no redemption left for her. The end of her story was a quick and meaningless death.

“You’re not a monster,” Michael just had to keep fighting for her. His green eyes bore in hers, pleading with her to believe him. Nikita wasn’t the horrible person she thought she was. Sure, she was an assassin and a bit of a bitch. But she wasn’t a monster. He had seen who she really was all those years ago. The woman who smiled and laughed as brightly as she did wasn’t a monster. The woman who was willing to sacrifice her heart to save others’ couldn’t have become a monster. He wouldn’t believe it.

“Then explain everything I have ever done. I killed so many people, Michael. Most of them were innocent. And for what? Not for this damn country. I’m a murderer, plain and simple. And I should be killed,” Twisting in Michael’s arms so they were face to face, Nikita seemed desperate. It was as though she wanted to prove she was a monster. She wanted it known that she didn’t deserve forgiveness or a happy ending. She never did, and she never would.

“I never thought that. I know you are more than what Division made you. You are stronger than that hellhole. Hell, you’re stronger than me. You deserve to live, to fight. You always have,” Pulling her ever so closer in his grasp, Michael argued fiercely. He didn’t know what Amanda or Percy could’ve said to her to make her believe otherwise, but that wasn’t what he had taught her when he was her handler. Nikita always deserved her second chance. Even after the missions she had done, she still deserved to eventually be happy.

Violently, Nikita slapped Michael, “You son of a bitch. You dumb, stupid son of a bitch.”

Chapter Text

Five Years Earlier

She felt sick. She wasn't even sure how she managed to hold it together during her debrief with Amanda. Her heart beat against her chest so harshly, it began to hurt. She couldn't even take a full breath of air; her chest wouldn't expand. Everything was shallow, including her vision. Things around her were splintered- nearly shattered in appearance. She couldn't concentrate on anything. It was all too much, even if she was hardly processing anything at all. She felt sick. Her stomach shook, and her throat closed off. Thoughts were racing in her head, but she couldn't concentrate on them. They were just too damn loud.

Nikita fucked up. She had fucked up, bad. She knew that, and the knowledge was killing her. Although she was trained to lie, to hide her emotions, to operate without her feelings overwhelming her, she had reached her tipping point. How she managed to slip past Amanda without landing on the inquisitor's radar was beyond her. She had fucked up so badly, she was certain the world was going to open at her feet and she would be swallowed immediately- she would be canceled immediately. If anyone knew what she did, she'd be killed. The target she saved would be killed.

How could she have possibly thought that saving that thirteen year old girl was a smart decision. Had Nikita actually saved her. The instant anyone discovered Alexandra Udinov was alive, it'd be a death sentence for the agent and the girl. Alexandra couldn't live a full life. She'd have to hide, lie, and survive in fear. She also lost her whole family, despite Nikita's interference. The girl was alone in a world that hated her. Maybe death would've been a mercy, even if she was innocent. How could anyone survive after such a tragedy.

Alexandra was saved, but at what cost. Nikita had entrusted her to a family friend who swore to care for her. But what was that care worth when she couldn't live. She was alive but not living. And it was Division's fault. There was no other way to spin it. The girl's death and survival all hinged on Division agents. They killed her family. And because of one rogue element, she was left alone to suffer the pain. All Nikita had done was prolong the moment Alexandra would die, and she sealed her deadly fate as well. Her decision didn't lead to a happy ending. Only pain and destruction came with that tale.

However, not once and possibly never in a million years, did Nikita regret her decision. She defied orders. In a hellhole that forced loyalty or death, she had been brave enough- strong enough- to break ranks. She did the right thing, despite the potential punishment of death. Alexandra didn't have a happy, peaceful life anymore, yet she could still live. She didn't have to die in another person's war. She was only a girl. She didn't deserve to die, no matter the hell awaiting her. Alexandra could keep breathing. She could have the opportunities no one had given Nikita. The thirteen year old could survive for the both of them.

Some of the anxiety lifted from Nikita's shoulders. She let herself relax, taking in a deep breath. Things could be alright. Saving Alexandra was a good thing- a great thing. No one would find out the truth. Percy and Amanda would remain in the dark. Though, if they ever did find out, the world would surely burn. Nikita quickly shook the fearful thoughts away. She wouldn't allow it to continue destroying her from the inside out. She was stronger than that. She had proved just how strong she was. She had actually risen above the ashes of Division.

As Nikita warred with herself, wrestling with crippling doubt and sickening anxiety, she wandered aimlessly around Division. She had managed to escape her debrief of Operation Pale Fire with Amanda once things turned personal. However, she remained within the bunker's halls, lost and afraid. She needed to shake herself free and return to her apartment. There, she could have a break, feel more like herself. But she just couldn't get out. She kept circling, spiraling, until she slammed into a solid, sturdy, warm wall, "Watch it… oh. Hey, Michael. Sorry."

"Hey. It's okay. All my fault," Michael reached out to steady Nikita, strong hands resting on her defined biceps. There was something about the touch that grounded her. She could focus on her surroundings- settle into place. The two were in the hall outside of the old shooting range. Birkhoff had provided some virtual reality upgrades to target practices, lending a more realistic and practical feel to the training. That left the range practically abandoned. Only a few still used it, mostly those looking for some sort of privacy.

Privacy didn't actually exist in a place like Division. Recruits and agents could only pretend as they hid in their rooms and apartments. Sometimes, a vacant room no one wandered into could provide a sense of privacy. Nikita certainly found that in the air vents that led to the silo. Michael must've found his solace at the old target range. He definitely appeared as though he needed a moment alone. His skin was flush, and he gripped her tightly. It was as though he needed her to help him stay connected to where they were. He seemed just as sick and lost as she had felt, "Yeah, I can see that. Where's your head, Space Cadet?"

"Could ask you the same thing," With a twitch of his lips, Michael flipped the question on her. He didn't quite wear his usual half-smile that always managed to draw her near. His expression was pained, forced. Nikita wanted to demand an explanation for it, but he soon dropped his hands from her arms. The loss of warmth left her in a bit of empty shock. Her body wanted to chase after his touch, feel his heat all over her skin. But her mind reeled at the idea, stumbling to catch up with her abrupt change of emotion. She had been so scared not two minutes ago. How could she feel a quiet peace all of a sudden.

"Oh. You know. Post-mission exhaustion. Did you know Roan snores?" Instead of confronting any of the confusing and complicated things around her, Nikita changed the conversation entirely. The surprise of it caused Michael to laugh. It was a bright sound, easing the air around them. She smiled softly. Her lips couldn't help but lift as he expressed such joy. He smiled along with her. Maybe seeing her relax helped him calm as well. That was a stupid thought for her to have. She couldn't have that much sway over him. They were as close to friends as Division would allow, fellow agents, nothing more.

"Unfortunately I did. But what's really on your mind, Nikita?" God, how was it that he could always read her mind. Michael's gentle grin remained, yet his green eyes bore into her. He was attempting to study her, understand her. Whenever Amanda did that with her cold, piercing eyes, Nikita felt the need to run away and hide. But as Michael looked her over, she felt safe. He wouldn't use what he discovered to hurt her. He could help her if she let him. She was tempted. She was really tempted to tell him what actually happened at the Udinov estate. But it wasn't just her life at sake. She couldn't risk Alexandra's safety.

"What's on yours?" Nikita shot back. Michael had done that to her; it was only fair she did it in return. His smile faded and his gaze dropped. He didn't seem as frantic as before, but his skin remained flushed and his hands tightened into fists. A darkness settled across his brow that made her want to pull away from him. She didn't, however. That would only make things worse. She brought herself ever so close to him, resting a tender hand to his cheek. The motion was more instinctual than actual thought for her, and it caused surprise to replace his darkness. He stared hopelessly at her, melting a little at the soothing touch, as she whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Just… tired… It's exhausting waiting for you to come back. Who knows what stupid thing you could've done," Stumbling through an excuse, Michael eventually settled on a distraction. He took her hand in his, squeezing briefly yet tightly before dropping it back to her side. Another fake smile appeared on his face. He hoped poking fun of her rashness would return them to their banter. The two were great at light conversation. Circling the point was their forte. Anything deep frightened them off, even if they were overwhelmingly concerned for the other.

It was Nikita's turn to avert her gaze. She finally took that step back from Michael, retreating into herself. Doubt ate away at her once more. She really had been stupid on that mission. Although she had been planning to save Alexandra from the moment she was briefed about the operation, she had been incredibly rash. She didn't consider the consequences until after the fact. Nikita had done great- she did such a wonderful thing in saving an innocent girl. But she and Alexandra were going to experience repercussions for that act, "Pretty stupid."

"What?" Michael asked. Fearful that he had heard her mutter and understood what she meant, Nikita's brown eyes shot back up to meet his. He just kept staring at her, however, more confused than he had been. Words tumbled on her tongue, pressing forcefully at her mouth. She had to tell him. She could trust him with her life, maybe she could trust him with Alexandra's as well. But she quickly swallowed the urge down. The risk was too great. And she didn't want to endanger her friend's life like she had endangered hers.

"Yo, Nikki, Mikey, what are you two still doing here? The bunker went lights out an hour ago," Birkhoff's voice immediately drove Nikita and Michael apart. She cleared her throat and he clenched and unclenched his fists as the hacker approached. Whatever moment was occurring between the two agents disappeared. All that was left was the powerful look they briefly shared. Brown and green eyes locked in a strong connection and silent conversation. They weren't done. They had to return to that instant once the nerd left them alone. If they would ever be given the time alone again, that was.

"Debrief," Nikita mumbled as Michael choked out, "Research." Birkhoff didn't believe them. Though, she wouldn't have believed them either. They were far too uncomfortable, far too anxious, and far too close. Anyone that knew the two would assume they had been up to something inappropriate. After all, the way they sparred was a bit more emotionally compromised than it should've been. Nikita was aware of that, even if she had no idea what it meant for her and Michael. Maybe they really were more friendly than Division would allow.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I won't share what I was up to either," Birkhoff rolled his eyes. The agents should take the out the hacker was giving them. If anyone else in Division had caught them alone in a practically abandoned hallway, they'd have reported the two instantly to Amanda or Percy. Birkhoff, on the other hand, had Michael's and Nikita's backs. They could all forget the moment and take the opportunity to joke around instead. The agents leapt at the chance.

"Probably cause it'll get you canceled," Smirking, Nikita nudged Birkhoff. She had meant the comment offhandedly. It was the kind of dark humor recruits and agents were used to after their lives were threatened on an hourly basis. The joke got the hacker to laugh and nudge her back; however, she froze. When would she ever learn to think before she spoke or acted. Her own fears over what she had done tumbled loose. The slip up could get her caught. Or, the fear of everything could continue to cinch her heart and make it harder to breathe.

Michael stared at her deeply again. She must've paled as realization struck her. Either that, or he was catching on to what was bothering her. Nikita had to distract him, at least until she could collect herself. Fortunately, they weren't the only two in the hallway. Birkhoff was a great third wheel. He could obliviously continue the jokes as if nothing had occurred. They were just three agents making fun of each other, "Don't joke. You know you'll miss me."

"Yeah. I'll miss being able to blame shit on you," It was a struggle, yet Nikita was eventually able to shake off her dread. She was probably going to be fighting her anxiety for a long time. But she was fairly certain it was worth it. Defying orders, saving a life, it had to be worth the aftermath. She gave an innocent girl the chances no one gave her. It was a good thing. She just had to breathe. If she relaxed, then everything would be okay.

"Well, you could always find a new fall guy," Michael scoffed. Again, Birkhoff reacted to the quip as Nikita froze. The hacker's eyes rolled while hers bore into her handler. From all the time they had spent together (too much time), Nikita had learned to read the slight shifts in Michael's tone and expressions. He was always so serious, but she had managed to crack the code to read him like a book. And at that moment, his tone and expression were filled with bitter hatred. It wasn't directed at his fellow Division agents. No, it was directed at something darker.

He did a great job at hiding his lividity from Birkhoff. The hacker didn't notice a thing. Yet Michael's knuckles were bone white as his nails dug into his palms. Nikita wanted to comfort him like she had before. She wanted to touch him once more. But she shouldn't with the hacker right there. Also, she began to believe her handler's comment had to do with why he had been so upset. Something about a fall guy pissed him off. If that was the case, she shouldn't broach it. She should just let Birkhoff keep joking, "Haha, you're hilarious. So we grabbing late night takeout together, or not?"

"Ew. Why would I ever eat with you?" Feigning disgust, Nikita returned to lightness. It was so much easier to joke and play around. She didn't feel as sick with Birkhoff and Michael nearby. They were a strange comfort in Division- in a place that didn't have any form of peace. If she focused on them and the possible fun she could have, she'd finally move past her anxiety. She'd be back to herself. Actually, she didn't think she could ever be herself again after what she had done. But she could be something better. She could be more than what was around her.

"Go on without me. I still have work to do," As Birkhoff and Nikita bickered about whether or not her comment was a 'yes' or a 'no', Michael attempted to leave the hall. Unlike his agent, he hadn't been able to bounce back from his anger and ill feelings. It was too much to handle. His moroseness was palpable then. Nikita and Birkhoff quit their teasing to study him. There was no chance for them to change his mind. He was stubbornly set to pull away.

"You sure?" Nikita closed the gap that had grown between her and Michael. Hanging out and eating food wasn't an immediate fix to their problems, but it could be incredibly helpful. Besides, she and Birkhoff had gotten him to smile despite himself before. If he spent more time with them, they could do it again. She was feeling better and so could he. She just wanted him to smile at her again, keep her grounded to that world.

"Yeah. I'm sure," Refusing to look at her, Michael left. Nikita and Birkhoff shared a silent, concerned glance, yet neither chased after him. They knew better than to poke the bear. However, Nikita regretted that decision. She should've gone after Michael.

Chapter Text

If he was going to do it, he'd better do it then. There was no better time or place or opportunity. The damage and backlash could be limited; he wouldn't hurt the ones he had begun to care for. Well, he wouldn't hurt them past the grief over his initial absence. Guilt settled in his stomach over that fact. He was abandoning everything he had fought for- everything he set his values around. Over the years, he had molded himself into a role, and it was all going up in smoke. But it was for the best.

Michael had to leave. He had to break out of Division. He had to escape. The lies, the misdirection, the false moral superiority had caught up to him. In one fell swoop, it all changed. His foundation had crumbled and he was left stranded. The only solution was to run. He couldn't stay in that place; he couldn't continue working in that hellhole. Not after what they had done- not after what they'd continued to do.

Alexandra Udinov was the tipping point. Division's activities couldn't be ignored when a child was a part of the kill package. She was innocent. She shouldn't have been involved. The target on her father's back shouldn't have been an issue either. Division was supposed to be government sanctioned. They weren't guns for hire. They did the things other agencies couldn't. Operation Pale Fire shouldn't have happened. It went against everything Division was supposed to be. It went against everything Michael thought he was doing.

He thought he was continuing to serve his country. It was more morally grey than serving in the Navy, but it was something right. At least, he had believed it was something right. If not that, then it was something to do while he sought revenge. That seemed hopeless at the moment, however. He was lied to. He was led around by his blinding anger, and he had been duped. Michael had sold his soul to the devil, and he hadn't even known it. He didn't even let himself know it. He'd rather believe what he'd been told, allowing the pain wash over him. Until Alexandra- until he saw the little girl's picture in ops.

From the beginning, he had wanted nothing to do with Pale Fire. He heard it was a mission for hire, and he backed off. Percy let him, probably knowing that his silent protests were easier to deal with than actual dissent. Michael should've fought back. He shouldn't have kept his mouth shut when he caught sight of the dirty dealings. But speaking against Percy could've ruined his chance at finding the man responsible for destroying his family. In hindsight that was a stupid reasoning. He should've known better than that. At least he had a different excuse to fall back on; he was responsible for more than just his life inside Division.

The recruits and agents relied on him. Focusing on them helped him turn a blind eye- helped him stay sane at times. Maybe he stuck his neck out for them more times than he should've. Yet they truly deserved the second chance Division claimed to offer them. Michael couldn't let them be ruined by a system that didn't care for them again, especially when he could see just how hard they fought to survive. They couldn't lose that; they couldn't lose themselves. The recruit that stuck out the most in his mind was Nikita.

She probably shouldn't be on his mind as much as she was, yet there was something about her that simply drew him in. Michael never really gave himself the chance to think over why that was. He assumed it had to do with her strength and the fact that she hadn't allowed Division to break her spirit. He wouldn't delve into the more complicated and confusing emotions. That would've been too much. It was easier to think of Nikita as the epitome of why he had to protect his recruits and agents. They were more than their circumstances made them.

That kind of thinking was no doubt how he became too emotionally invested in the first place. Amanda would accuse him of such. Except, Michael didn't care. Being mindful of his agents let him help them succeed. He could also tell when they were unfit for a mission. And although he had stepped away from Pale Fire, he knew Nikita had been selected for the operation; it was all over her face. She came out of the briefing more distressed than he had ever seen her, and that included every time she was sent on a seduction mission. Whatever she had learned had deeply upset her. He had to know what it was.

His first thought was that he could help settle her. An emotionally compromised agent was a dead agent. And he definitely didn't want her to die. Nikita wouldn't talk, however. She ignored Michael, set in her ways about something. He should've dropped it there, moved on and simply let events unfold. Yet he couldn't. He had to know what was on her mind and calm her. He figured the mission was upsetting her, so he decided to find out more about it.

Stepping into ops was his first mistake. Michael knew better to involve himself with those types of missions- the ones involving corruption and innocence. If he ever had to learn about it, he'd prefer it'd be after the fact. That way, he wouldn't be so racked with guilt. That should've been the case that time. Forget Nikita, forget Percy for just a moment. He should've kept his distance. Instead, he went snooping and saw Alexandra Udinov along the list of targets.

Hayley would've been eight. Had she not been so violently and unfairly taken from him, his little girl would've been eight years old. Alexandra was thirteen. The five year difference between them was substantial, however, it was still close enough for Michael to envision his daughter on the board instead of Alexandra. How could anyone kill a child. What justification could there be for taking away an innocent life. Hayley shouldn't have died. Alexandra shouldn't be set to die. What kind of world could allow such cruelty.

All original intent and purpose left Michael's mind. He stormed out of ops on an entirely different mission. There was nothing he could've done for Alexandra, not with the strike team well on their way and Percy running the op. Besides, something unexpected might happen that could change everything. He had no control over that situation. But he could control the information he was receiving about his daughter's killer. He wouldn't sit back and let the intel trickle down towards him. He was going to attack immediately. He would hunt down Kasim if it was the last thing he did.

Everything began to fall apart as he dug for answers. He couldn't gain anything new as he poured through Division files and utilized his limited hacking abilities. Even scouring (and risking) Birkhoff's hacks into the CIA provided nothing. Michael couldn't escape the dark Kasim threw him in four years ago. The rat killed his family, then disappeared. No one could touch him. That was more frustrating than anything else- the fact that he knew the terrorist was the one to take everything from him, but he couldn't touch him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

More desperation than he thought possible began to seep in. He was frantic to put an end to it. Michael had to stop Kasim. No more innocents should die because of others' need for power and corruption. He had the ability to stop it; he just couldn't get the information. Not from the things he could access anyway. But maybe there was something in the files Percy kept in his office. Under normal circumstances, Michael would never try to steal them or poke through them. That was Percy's business. However, that wasn't a normal circumstance. He had to know.

Fortunately with Percy in ops and his full attention on Pale Fire, Michael had the opportunity to break into his office. If he got caught, he was certain his reasoning would save him from severe punishment. Amanda and Percy knew what Hayley's and Elizabeth's death did to him. Desperately seeking answers shouldn't surprise them. At worst, he'd lose his position. But he wouldn't lose his life, he was too valuable to Division. He didn't care about that anyway. All he wanted was Kasim dead. And he'd do whatever it took to accomplish his goal.

Breaking into Percy's office wasn't difficult when he knew the clean code Birkhoff used to sneak around Division (at least that was better than the security badge Nikita thought no one knew she stole). Opening the safe behind the desk was a lot more difficult, but Michael wouldn't have been able to call himself a spy if he didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve. After some time, he got the damn thing open. He ignored the big black drive, sure he wouldn't be able to decrypt it, and pulled out the files instead. That had to have been a goldmine of information, full of things too top secret for anyone to read.

For once, Michael was going to disobey orders and chain of command and clearance levels and all of that bullshit. Why would those even need to be put in place when a child was at risk, when innocent lives were lost. It was fucking stupid. Determined, he flipped through the different files until he came across his own. Weird that it was among the more sensitive materials. Maybe Percy was going over it recently to help him find some sort of lead on Kasim. Wouldn't that have been a pleasant truth. It certainly would've been easy to swallow. And it would've been far better than the actual truth.

Blood froze in his veins as he read the words over and over and over again. They just wouldn't click in his mind. They wouldn't connect to anything. Michael had already known he was Kasim's intended target. The bomb was placed in the briefcase so he could carry it inside the base, not leave it in the car. Because of his mistake, Hayley and Elizabeth died. However, according to the file, it was more than that. The terrorist wasn't the only one who wanted a Naval intelligence officer dead.

Percy and Division did too.

Bile jumped to his throat. Michael thought he was going to be sick. Division wanted someone inside Al-Qaeda, so they planted Kasim. Lieutenant Michael Bishop was the target to make it all happen; he knew too much. Killing his family was an accident. But it still put a Division agent where Percy wanted him. The Naval officer that survived was going to be a problem, however. So the fucking bastard decided to control him. He'd recruit him, lie to him, dangle promises that would never be fulfilled. He'd own the poor man's soul.

Blinding rage filled Michael's vision, replacing the nausea in the pit of his stomach. That was it. He was going to kill Percy, then Kasim, then everyone else who knew the truth. How dare they fuck with him. How dare they destroy his life. They all had to pay. Revenge had always been his one and only goal. His wife and daughter had to be avenged. They lost their lives for nothing, and he wouldn't let anyone get away with that. No one involved should live.

And he was going to kill them all immediately. His grip was on his gun and he was ready for his suicide run. But then he heard Nikita's voice. She was speaking to Percy outside of his office. During Michael's time researching and processing his shock, Pale Fire must've came and went. The strike team had already returned. Nikita was debriefing with Percy right then. Michael couldn't involve her in his revenge crusade. He knew she would join his side, and he knew that decision could get her killed. He had to wait.

Most importantly, he had to be smart. Despite how distraught she was before the operation, Nikita was emotionless as she talked with Percy. She must've been hiding her true feelings. Smart girl- she knew to keep her real thoughts from Percy and Amanda. Michael could copy her example; he should copy her example. He had to hide the evidence that he had ever learned the truth and sneak out of there. Luckily, Percy wasn't heading into his office as planned. He decided to follow Nikita to her debrief with Amanda so they could continue their conversation. That gave Michael time.

After that, he just needed to think. The best place to do that, somewhere he could be alone, was the unused shooting range. Michael could formulate a plan of attack. He could solidify an actual revenge plan. Breathing or relaxing or even settling his racing mind wasn't an option. He couldn't do anything until his mission was complete. He didn't think he could do anything if he wanted to. He was consumed by his rage, and he let it control him.

Destroying Division and those that sanctioned the black ops group was his only plan. It made the most sense. His family could be avenged, no more innocents would be lost. Corruption wouldn't fill the world anymore. Division and all those in power had to be taken out. Michael was sure of it. He was also sure that he wouldn't be able to do it from the inside. The only way to attack Percy would be from outside the walls he controlled. He had to escape the hellhole. He had to leave. And death was the only way he could do that.

Well, faking his death would be the only way to do that. His next mission was shaping up to be a dangerous one. Maybe he could plan his escape to occur during that op. It was overseas, there would be tons of chaos. He could slip away and remove his tracker without anyone noticing. It seemed perfect. He could die and then haunt Division like a vengeful ghost. They wouldn't know what hit them. It'd be such a great 'fuck you' to Percy.

As Michael settled on his plan and finally stumbled out of the target range, he ran into Nikita. He held onto her to steady himself, and for the first time since seeing Alexandra Udinov on a kill order he was able to breathe. He almost told Nikita everything, especially when she touched his cheek. He could've melted into that warm affection and never left. But he had to go. Michael needed to stay on mission. Innocent lives depended on it. Besides, once Nikita knew the truth she'd go running at Percy as well, and he needed her alive. She had to live.

Not joining Nikita and Birkhoff for dinner that night was difficult. Yet he didn't have time to waste. He had to solidify his plan and actually execute it. Michael also hoped that if he began to distance himself from his friends, they wouldn't be as heartbroken when he left them. He couldn't believe he was going to leave behind those he cared about, those he protected. But it was a sacrifice he had to make to set the world back in order. They would be alright, however. She would be alright. If anyone was strong enough to survive that hellhole, it would be Nikita. God knew she was stronger than him. He was running away to start a war, after all.

Chapter Text

"Psst, Nerd. I wasn't paying attention. Why are we here?" Nikita whispered in Birkhoff's ear as they walked into Ops. She knew she should've listened to the phone call she received, but in her defense it was three o'clock in the morning. She was barely awake. The fact that she even made it into the bunker in actual clothing was a feat unto itself. However, the frantic activity in Ops snapped her into alertness. Some kind of emergency or disaster was occurring. The current major operation must've gone to shit.

"Something about a blown mission? I don't know," Shrugging, Birkhoff admitted. He was in the same puzzled boat as Nikita. It was way too late, early, whatever for any information. He also didn't want to be in Division if he didn't have to. His time at his apartment was a great reprieve from the constant bombardment of stress. To be thrown into craziness unaware was just an extreme level of anxiety he despised.

"Where's Michael when you need him?" Quickly Nikita muttered before entering into the fray. Birkhoff chuckled and followed. Whenever the two were up to their antics or not paying attention as much as they should, Michael covered for them. Unfortunately, he wasn't in Ops. it was a bit strange considering Amanda, Percy, and more techs and agents that have ever been in Ops before were present. Maybe he was doing something else important that they were unaware of. Although he knew everything Birkhoff and Nikita did, they didn't know much about his Division duties or off time.

"Birkhoff, I need you on satellites now. Nikita, lead our agents out of there," Amanda's command didn't help orient the two. They stared blankly for half a second. They were called in on a mission they weren't involved in; that didn't make sense. Yet Amanda's expression left no room for questions. Birkhoff plopped into his chair, instantly hacking away, and Nikita grabbed a com. She didn't waste any time catching herself up. She'd love the full information, but she doubted she'd get it. She didn't even receive every bit of intel for operations she worked on. Division just had to control everything and everyone in every way they could.

That shouldn't have been her concern at the moment, however. She had some kind of mission to complete. Birkhoff secured her the satellites while techs and agents worked damage control around them. Nikita had the sickening feeling that the dramatics had nothing to do with the major operation, but how horribly it went wrong. To be fair, she never spent much time in Ops. She didn't know of the chaos that occurred behind the scenes whenever she was out in the field. But she suspected that time was different. Both Percy and Amanda were involved, after all.

Although she desperately wanted to, Nikita couldn't ask questions- she shouldn't ask questions. The best way to survive in Division was to keep your head down and do as your told. Whereas Birkhoff was excellent at that, she struggled to just shut up and operate. Usually she had Michael there to back her up or sate her curiosity, but he was still missing. There was no one to stop her from blurting out as shit continued to spiral out of control, "What happened? Who was running point?"

At first, all she received in response were stares. She should've remained quiet. There was a firefight she had to lead agents out of (though, why her and not any other agent continued to bewilder her) and potentially life threatening intel that had to make its way back to Division. What had gone wrong and who was supposed to be in charge wasn't important anymore. All that mattered was escaping a warzone with vital information. At least to the people in Ops that was the only importance. Nikita needed more. She always needed more than what Division fed her.

"Michael. He made a sacrificial run at the intel and now he's gone. You're our last hope of securing the information. This country depends on it," After a moment, Percy decided to tell Nikita the truth. Or, really, his version of the truth. Silence snapped through Ops- even Birkhoff's aggressive typing stilled. Apparently, not everyone knew why they were there. They simply narrowed in on their individual tasks, unwilling to ask why they had to impede other agencies and mitigate an active warzone. Since they knew, however, shockwaves washed over them.

Nikita felt the biggest shocks. The ground shook underneath her, and she pitched forward, clinging to the back of Birkhoff's chair. She couldn't breathe. She actually couldn't breathe. Air wouldn't fill her lungs no matter how hard she tried. Michael was gone. Her eyes stung and the pit of her stomach dropped. Her focal point in that godforsaken place was gone. It didn't seem right. Her ears rang. Maybe 'gone' meant missing in action. That happened sometimes. Her vision blurred. He hadn't disappeared from her life, just that mission. The world seemed to stop spinning. She could find him. She'd complete the op and she'd find him.

As Nikita pushed forward with a renewed drive, calling orders and bringing the agents in the field to attention, Birkhoff slumped at his workstation. Despite his mind stopping in its tracks, his fingers moved slowly across the keyboard. Other agents, including Amanda, were just as slow and halting to get back to work. Nikita's near desperation and insanity in her shouts were bringing people out of the fog, though, giving them some sort of twisted focus to get it in gear. But it didn't work on Birkhoff. He was too focused on the word 'gone'. Michael was gone. That was it, no more. He wouldn't come back.

The other agents in the field would, however. The reason Nikita was called in was the reason the rest of them made it out alive. She saw paths out of complicated situations no one else did. She knew ways to survive that others didn't even realize. No other agent was gone. Some were injured, and a few might not live through the journey home. Yet they weren't gone. Which meant resources could be spent on finding Michael.

Birkhoff wasn't certain what possessed him to follow Nikita's request. The intel was secure, meaning Amanda could pull Percy aside to talk to him in private. The enemy combatants weren't a problem anymore, so agents could abandon their task and head home. And other agencies had been misdirected; the techs could leave. Nikita and Birkhoff were the only two remaining still in the thinning crowd. She couldn't understand why they were leaving. They had to find Michael. Fuck the rules that stated they had to leave a man behind. Michael was worth the risk. He was always worth it.

Yet, when Birkhoff pulled up the information on Michael's tracker, time stopped. He shouldn't have done it. He knew what the result would be. He should've told Nikita instead of following her order. Except, a part of him wanted her to be right. He desperately wanted it all to be a dream, and Michael was actually missing, not dead. The hacker never got what he wanted, though. And neither did Nikita. The tracker was offline. It was near where the others were, but it was offline. That only meant one thing. There was no saving Michael.

Somehow, Nikita stumbled after Birkhoff into an area of Division he had claimed as his own. He led her away from Ops, needing to be somewhere else, and she could only hopelessly follow. The room held a couch, a TV, and many computer servers. However, neither paid attention to that. The hacker was worked up, pacing back and forth with an energy he couldn't pinpoint. And the agent stood there, frozen solid. She had seen the truth. She had heard the fact. But nothing would process. Why wouldn't it process. Everything just felt numb and cold.

"'This country depends on it'. God, Percy is so full of it. He lost an agent and all he cares about is the damn intel. What would've happened if we didn't succeed? Would he be able to rationalize death then? I bet he could talk out of his ass all day long," Birkhoff's ranting eventually broke Nikita out of her spell. He was stomping, and raving, and mad. Ferocity fueled him, quelling the shock that had filled his veins. She, on the other hand, felt sick. Bile filled her throat and choked her words. In fact, bile coursed through her entire being. She was going to burst from it- explode in the worst possible way.

"Michael's dead, Birkhoff! Don't you get it? No one cares about us anymore," Nikita snapped. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop the scream, or the collapse on the couch, or the tears that finally fell from her eyes. She hadn't wanted to admit it. She never wanted to admit it. But it was so undoubtedly true, all she could do was accept the defeat it brought. Michael was dead. She couldn't save him. No one could save him.

"I care," Softly, barely above a whisper, Birkhoff confessed. It was of no use, however. Nikita curled in on herself, tears quietly falling down her paled cheeks. The fact that she had held herself together that long surprised her. She thought she would've broken much sooner; though, denial did stave off the melt down. Birkhoff had processed the grief far more quickly, yet his own tears were beginning to form. It was all just too much. Sure Division agents died all the time. Yet that was different. Michael was their friend. He had saved them, but they couldn't save him. Unfortunately, Division wasn't the place to mourn, "Nikki. If Amanda sees you crying…"

"She'll do what? What will she do? She can't lose two of her stars in one day," Violently springing to her feet, Nikita shrieked. She was so sick and tired of everything around her. Why couldn't she demand information (she still didn't know what the intel was that Michael died for). Why couldn't she fight to save someone. Why couldn't she save a thirteen year old girl and her handler. Why couldn't she be human and grieve the loss of her friend. She was Division's rising star, after all. Shouldn't she be given more freedom.

"I think he was my best friend," It was the first thing on Birkhoff's mind. He couldn't reply to anything Nikita said. He could only be overwhelmed by the same sadness. It was the only thing circling for a while after Percy told them what had happened. Michael had been the closest thing to a best friend the hacker had ever had. With him gone, he didn't know what he was going to do. Division would be harder to survive, that was for sure. And a part of him would forever feel empty.

Sinking onto the couch, Birkhoff let his tears overcome him. Nikita was right, what would Amanda do if they cried- try to kill the last remaining bit of human left in them. They couldn't all be as emotionless or self-aggrandizing as Percy. Only he could rationalize death to serve the country. The rest of them were left shattered. Nikita tried to fill the emptiness of her cracked heart with anger. It was a sudden and quick decision. But that was all she had left to feel. She kicked the nearest trashcan across the room and screamed her emotions, "That dumb, stupid son of a bitch!"

Whereas Nikita continued to rage, sobbing and kicking, Birkhoff cried on the couch. God, they were a mess. But how else were they to deal with Michael's death. He was their grounding force. He reigned the two in when they were crazy or too much. They were left stranded, unable to adjust to his loss. Several hours passed before either were remotely okay with returning to their apartments. That was the only option left for them, anyway. They couldn't stay in Division, not any longer. Their pain would eat them alive if they did.

"Nikita," Amanda instantly called as she spotted Nikita leaving the nerd cave. The young agent didn't bother trying to hide her tear stained face or her reddened eyes. She turned towards Amanda, silently daring her to say something. Instead, she laid a gentle hand to Nikita's cheek and swept away the tears. She nearly cracked all over again at the soft affection. It was nothing more than a caring touch, but it was enough to push her over the edge. She had to bite her lip to not fall apart and to listen to her advisor's words, "Take the next few days for yourself. Go on a vacation. Sleep. Do whatever you want. You deserve a break."

Managing a nod and a very grateful thanks, Nikita left to escape to her apartment. There she remained for days, alternating between staring blankly at a wall and holding back tears. She had to get herself together. Yes, Michael was dead and it was gut wrenching. But it wasn't life destroying. It shouldn't have been life destroying. Except, it felt that way. She couldn't understand why. Why did it all hurt so much. A friend's death wasn't that painful. Or was it. Was opening her heart to someone really that detrimental. She believed it was. She felt as though a part of herself faded away with Michael.

Her break from Division only lasted those few days. She was ordered into Ops for yet another emergency soon. Instead of franticness, however, there was only lividity. Nikita and Birkhoff glanced at one another warily. The sudden call wasn't about a blown mission that time. It was something worse- if there could be something worse. The fact that Percy appeared so pale and Amanda looked so concerned said there was. No quips were voiced by the nerd or agent.

They didn't even dare to speak once they noticed what was on the board. Michael's picture and information was plastered everywhere. But his status didn't say 'deceased'. It said he was alive and dangerous, "This is top priority. One of our own has gone rogue, and we need to clean up the mess. Who knows the kind of secrets he'll sell or destruction he'll cause. Michael Bishop is Division's number one enemy. You see him, you kill him. No questions. We cannot afford to have this kind of a rogue element."

Percy's infuriated voice left no room for questions or arguments. Birkhoff and the other agents and techs gathered could only nod. However, Nikita had a million things to say and scream. A warning look from Amanda helped her hold her tongue, yet she still wouldn't believe what was right in front of her. How could Michael be alive and rogue. He was dead. She had done her best to process that fact. But in reality he was alive and trying to destroy Division. That didn't make sense. How could it be real.

He left her. It was more than that- Nikita knew it was more than that. But Michael was gone. He promised to keep her safe. It was years ago, yet he swore nothing would happen to her while he was around. What would happen with him gone. Percy was already on a warpath for anyone close to Michael that might be working with him. And Amanda seemed to be pulling away, lost in thought and shock. Where did that leave Nikita and Birkhoff. Were they left to the wolves, alone and unable to protect themselves with their smart mouths. Alone and unable to survive because they wouldn't follow the kill order against their friend, despite his rogue status.

A part of Nikita really did disappear with Michael's absence. It was the part that made her feel safe.

Chapter Text

For a year, Birkhoff didn't feel like himself. Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement. He felt as normally as he ever did within the confining walls of Division. There were just moments where the weight of the world seemed to crash down around him. In those moments, he watched Nikita close in on herself while he hid out in his cave. She had been sent on more and more missions; the hacker hardly saw the agent. He simply heard her annoying voice in his coms, taunting him for something. Everytime, he fired back with his own quip. Recently, it was the only thing that grounded the two- it was the only thing that made them feel like themselves.

With Michael gone, Amanda's and Percy's control went unchecked. The amount of missions they had Nikita running was ample proof of that. No one was there to advocate that their 'rising star' had had enough; it was just her raised voice that was quickly squashed. Amanda had even begun pulling her into her office to discuss her behavior and performance. The lengthy conversations always left Nikita dazed. Birkhoff probably should've stepped up for her, be her support. But what could he do from behind his computer. He was stuck there, forced to keep hacking until his fingers were sore. There was no chance to escape for either of them.

Their only solace were the missions they worked together, the ones where they could tease and joke around and feel as close to free as they could ever be. So what if it annoyed Percy and Amanda, and caused some threats to fly. It was the only break Nikita had from constantly killing or seducing or both, and it was Birkhoff's only time to be stupid (well, playfully stupid). His hacks always had to be perfect. He had to be the best no matter what. The pressure of that was too much even for the amazing Shaddowwalker. He didn't want perfection, just greatness. But there could be no less inside Division.

There could've been around Michael, but again, he was gone. Having to hunt him was just another thing weighing down on Birkhoff and Nikita. They were ordered to kill their friend. How were they supposed to follow through with that. Even if he left them for a reason they still didn't understand, they couldn't hurt him- not after everything he had done for them. Neither Amanda nor Percy would listen to that, however. Instead, they made the two lead on the mission, since they knew the rogue the best. As if that actually got them anywhere besides more pain and confusion. Everything was so frazzled and frayed. There was no time to settle.

Michael had only come out of hiding a few times. But those few times had ruined substantial operations. The pressure from Percy to kill him increased to terrifying heights. Anytime Division received intel on his whereabouts, the alpha team was shipped out. Nothing had resulted from those excursions yet. But the latest might be different. Nikita was forced to take the lead, and Birkhoff had to hack on site. The rogue couldn't slip their grasp that time. Except, he almost had. He was one step ahead of them, until he ran right for Birkhoff's hacker van, "Whoa, hey, Mikey. Don't make me do it."

Gun raised shakily in hand, Birkhoff jumped out the open door of the vehicle and blocked the rogue's exit. Michael actually stepped back. He could've easily taken the hacker, ripped the gun from his hand and used it against him. Both knew that, and both were prepared for it. But Michael let it be. Birkhoff hadn't called for backup, after all. It was only the two of them. And it'd probably be that way for a while, based on the run around the rogue had given the agents. Maybe the two could use the time to talk, "It's a kill on sight order, isn't it?"

"Well, what did you expect? You left Division. You screwed over Percy. You're a dead man walking," Birkhoff snapped, his grip tightening on his weapon. His finger still wasn't on the trigger, however. He couldn't place it there. He didn't think he could ever place it there. He wasn't bred to kill like the others. Although he knew how to fight, computers were his domain. Killing didn't happen face to face; it was behind a screen or through a com. Things wouldn't change for him then, especially not against Michael. His threat was empty and the rogue knew it.

"I know. I know. But I had to," Despite knowing he wasn't in any danger, Michael raised placating hands and spoke softly. He didn't need Birkhoff on the edge, ready to fall at any moment. The frantic look in the hacker's eyes was concerning enough. He didn't know what was occurring or how to react. Michael couldn't answer all of those questions- he probably shouldn't. But he could get Birkhoff to see that he wasn't the enemy. He was never the enemy. It was all about Division and the vile things it did in the name of so called righteousness.

"What were you even thinking, making a run at Division? You know it's too powerful to be taken down. We're stuck in that hellhole for the rest of our lives," However, Birkhoff refused to listen. It wasn't that he didn't think Michael made some valid points in his rogue stance; he just didn't believe it was possible. What could one man do against the might that was Division. The black ops group was too powerful- too corrupt. The few missions the rogue had ruined didn't have much of an impact in the long run. He was only scratching at the surface. Michael was going to die for nothing. Hopefully, Birkhoff didn't have to watch.

"Come on, Birkhoff. You know that has to change. We can't let Percy control everyone's lives," Michael argued, taking a step forward. Birkhoff stepped back, but he didn't raise his gun again. The rogue took that as improvement. He could get the hacker to open his eyes, see the truth, and understand his actions. After that, well, he wasn't so sure what to do after that. He couldn't have Birkhoff join him in any capacity, that would've been too dangerous. Maybe just understanding would have to be enough. There wouldn't be any hurt feelings, and the line between enemy and friend would be clear.

The point of their conversation wasn't clear to Birkhoff, however. He didn't know what Michael was getting at, or why he was even listening. Sure, he wanted to understand the rogue. But that wasn't going to help him. It would've been simpler to follow orders and hate his friend for what he had done. Instead, he held onto hope that things would be alright like they used to be. It made everything complicated and painful, yet he wouldn't let go. He'd rather be confused than accept the clarity Percy tried to force on Division, "Is that what this is about? You don't want Percy in command?"

"No. I don't want anyone in command. Division is evil. It rationalizes baby killing. That can't exist. Innocent lives are at stake," Lividity shook Michael's gruff voice. He couldn't go into detail- shouldn't go into detail- not on a mission against Division. Yet his choice of words captured Birkhoff's attention. His stance softened, and he regarded the rogue agent in cautious curiosity. There was definitely more to the story, just as he had suspected. However, Michael wouldn't open further. He remained closed and distant, pissing the hacker off. After everything, he was still going to push him away.

"Since when did you get so righteous?" Birkhoff scoffed. Michael had no problem partaking in Division's dirty operations before. He let Percy take those jobs for money, remaining completely silent. The rogue didn't get to change his mind all of a sudden. It wasn't fair, at least not without an explanation. That was all the hacker wanted by that point. Michael could do whatever he liked, as long as Birkhoff knew why he left him and Nikita behind. If it made sense, then he wouldn't feel so shattered.

"Since I opened my eyes. You're not stupid, Birkhoff. You're just a coward. You know Percy is corrupt. You just turn a blind eye to save your own skin," Michael's anger continued to wash over him. It wasn't the time or place to allow that to happen, yet he couldn't help it. For the past year, his fury over the situation had deepened. The truth of his family's death hadn't set him free; it sent him spiraling for control and vengeance. He hadn't gotten anywhere substantial in his destruction of Division, and the frustrations were rolling over him in harsh waves.

"I just find it semi-disturbing that the one person I could trust is trying to kill his friends," Matching the rogue's lividity, Birkhoff shouted. His gun remained at his side, the handle gripped tightly in his clenched fist. The training he had endured had his muscles twitch to raise it once more and aim it at Michael. But he fought against the urge. His words did far more damage than any bullet could. The two had been friends. They trusted one another. Yet Michael threw that all away for some damn crusade.

Anger dulling into a deep ache in the pit of his stomach, Michael stared at Birkhoff. That was all he could manage for a moment. The hacker honestly thought he wanted to kill him and Nikita. The rogue wanted to blame Amanda and Percy for that; they manipulated agents and twisted facts before. But Michael's own actions had hurt the two. He needed to own up to it. He had to fix it, "I couldn't… you're safe there. I'm only going after those in command, not the agents or recruits. You guys will have a chance at a real life once it's over."

"But we're not safe. Percy watches our every move, thinking we're with you. And Amanda is turning Nikita into her pet," Birkhoff's lividity melted as well. Except, he sounded desperate without the frustration marring his voice. It was more hell than usual inside Division with all his moves watched and Nikita never having a break. However, they couldn't return to how things were. Michael couldn't come back. He was dead no matter what. But maybe there could be another solution.

"Trust me. Being rogue isn't… Come on, man. You know Nikita. If she was rogue, she'd get in way over her head. She'd be dead in a second, soaring too close to the sun," Reading the hacker's mind, Michael shook his head. Birkhoff and Nikita had to stay where they were. That crusade was his. He had to set things right, not them. They should focus on living their lives and having the kind of happiness he couldn't. The two deserved that. He couldn't ruin it for them.

"Alright, fine. Nikki's too self-destructive for her own good. But what about me? I can handle it," Since Birkhoff was on that course, he wasn't going to give up. It was ridiculous to consider, he was well aware of that. But he also knew it was the best option for him. Division would eventually kill him with Michael gone. It was leading to that point- he could see it written on the walls. He might have been an incredible hacker, but his smart mouth and soft heart were a liability. Once Percy and Amanda found a more efficient hacker, he would be canceled, and no one would be there to vouch for him- save Nikita, who faced the same fate.

"You've never stood up to Percy or Amanda before. I don't want you to get hurt," Michael wouldn't consider the idea, however. Above all else, Birkhoff and Nikita couldn't get hurt; that would go against his 'save the innocents' motive. Besides, the whole point of talking to Birkhoff wasn't to convince him to go rogue. It was just to make him understand what was happening, and see the light. He couldn't have the hacker stumbling into the dark with him.

"Yeah, well. You hurt me enough," Muttering, Birkhoff admitted. The outside world started to creep in around him. His com was alive with agents shouting their locations. Nikita was the closest to him; though, she wasn't as concerned for his safety as the others. Michael didn't scare her. In fact, she wanted to see him again so she could have the same conversation he was having with the hacker. Although Birkhoff knew it would be good for her to have, he wasn't sure if he wanted it to happen. He had to agree with Michael's assessment of a rogue Nikita.

It was time to leave; Michael could read that all over Birkhoff's expression. He had to wrap up his point, then run off into the unknown once more. Despite the chase with the black ops group, his mission hadn't been a complete failure. He was able to find some sort of peace with Birkhoff. If only he could do the same with Nikita. She deserved the same apology, "I know, and I'm sorry. But you have to understand why I did this. I can't let Division keep killing innocents. No more thirteen year olds on kill orders."

His statement threw Birkhoff off for a second. He had to stretch his brain just to comprehend what Michael was saying. But then he remembered- Alexandra Udinov, the kid who Division killed. Operation Pale Fire occurred right before the handler went rogue. That was obviously the last straw for him. Birkhoff couldn't blame Michael. His reasoning was sound. Anyone with a heart strong enough to survive Division would've done the same. It was about time Birkhoff became that strong. He couldn't cower behind a screen anymore. The world needed more from him; his friend needed more from him, "You need a hacker."

He wasn't asking. Birkhoff holstered his weapon and scrambled to grab as much of his equipment from the van as he could. Michael, once again, could only stare. He didn't think he could argue against him. No talk of safety or whose fight that was would deter the hacker. He wanted to join his crusade, no matter the costs. Whether that made him noble or insane, Michael didn't know. Maybe he was insane too, "Seriously? You want a target on your back?"

"It's better than that hellhole. And I'm not a coward," Birkhoff lifted his chin in haughty defiance. It was a move he stole from Nikita, yet it served its purpose. He and Michael were going to team up to defeat Division. God, it was such a terrible idea, but the hacker shoved the doubt away. If Michael could go against everything he had worked for, then so could he. It was the least he could do after all the pain he had caused by staying silent behind his computer.

"Michael!" Nikita was the first Division agent to catch up to the rogue. She didn't try to complete the kill mission, however. At the first sight of Michael in a year, she holstered her weapon and chased after him and Birkhoff. Wherever those two went, so would she. After all, it was always bound to be better than Division. The three could escape the hellhole together, be an unstoppable team in whatever they did. Except, as she excitedly sprinted towards them, Michael drew his gun. Nikita stuttered to an abrupt stop, nearly falling. And Birkhoff gaped at the rogue, surprised that he had had a gun the whole time, but only pulled it out then.

"I'm sorry, Nik," Michael choked on a whisper. Nikita's expression fell into confused despair. She didn't understand what he was doing, and it broke her heart. It broke his heart too. But he had to do it. Birkhoff would be alright with him (a fact he was begrudgingly admitting), but she was safer staying away from his crusade. He had already lost his family and his life, he couldn't lose her as well. Squeezing the trigger, the rogue shot at the agent. He aimed his gun off her shoulder and the bullet only grazed her hair, but the damage was done. Division rushed the scene at the noise, supplying enough chaos for Michael and Birkhoff to disappear.

Nikita stared after them, unmoving, unblinking, and unwilling to feel.

Chapter Text

By that point, she should've been desensitized. She should've been so used to the heartache, that it shouldn't sting anymore. Her birth parents, countless foster parents, Carla, Michael, Birkhoff, they had all left her. Nikita shouldn't have been able to feel the gut-wrenching pain it caused anymore. She should just reset her shoulders, lift her chin, ignore the ache in her heart, and continue on as though nothing had ever happened. Everything was always too much. It constantly felt like she couldn't breathe. So why couldn't she simply move forward and keep treading water. Why did she have to be dragged down by the waves and drown.

She wasn't going to find any answers while she was forced to be with Amanda. Nikita's brown eyes were downcast, unwilling to look at herself in the vanity mirror. She also wouldn't relax, her body curled in on itself despite the cramped position. The other woman didn't mind as she moved around her. She simply fussed with the dark locks of the young agent's hair. The only sounds in the room were the snip of scissors and the quiet hum that was Division. No one spoke- Nikita afraid to, not wanting her thoughts to slip out. Amanda had to break the silence nearly an eternity later, "There. All perfect. Now you'll remember to tie your hair up before a mission."

Glancing briefly at her reflection, Nikita wasn't a fan of what she saw. Her hair wasn't the issue. Amanda had to cut and restyle it after Michael's bullet ripped through the strands. When she was done with it, the dark locks fell in layers above her shoulders and she even sported bangs. It was shorter than the young agent was used to, yet, again, that wasn't what made her upset. She hated herself and the lost look in her eyes. She would've smashed the mirror to pieces if she could, never have to look at herself ever again. Instead, she hung her head and sighed, "Yeah. That was pretty stupid, huh?"

Rushing to Michael thinking he would involve her in his roguish schemes really was stupid. Why would he take her with him. She didn't mean anything to him; he had said as much when he shot at her. He only wanted the super hacker on his side, and he got his wish. Nikita was left in their dust, their friendship shattering on the ground. At least it felt that way when her heart dropped at the sight of them leaving. Maybe she was only overreacting. She tended to do that at times. She was drawing way more conclusions than there needed to be. Even if Amanda saw it too, "There's nothing stupid about grieving your friends' absence."

"They went rogue. How good of friends can they be?" Nikita snapped to her feet and pulled away from Amanda. She didn't need comfort; she simply had to get over herself. Michael and Birkhoff left her in Division, despite knowing what that place did to her. Her heart shouldn't be broken over the matter. It wasn't worth it. They didn't deserve that kind of grief. It was simply another instance where she had to take a breath and shove it all aside. She had done it before, she could do it again. What was one more thing to add to her list of heartache.

"They made you laugh. And I know you still rather be around them than Kelly," Amanda wouldn't give up on the topic, however. She didn't chase after Nikita, yet her icy blue gaze was set firmly on her back. The young agent couldn't help but stop in her tracks. She was right. Even after everything, she'd rush to Michael's and Birkhoff's side before going on another mission with Kelly. If that made her a traitorous rogue also, then so be it. She'd gladly take the punishment. She wanted it.

"Yeah, well, she's a bitch," Turning back to her superior, Nikita held her chin high in haughty defiance. Let her sharp tongue get her in trouble. Let her refusal to follow Division's asinine rules leave her for dead. She didn't care. What was even the point, anyway. Why should she keep fighting to live when no one had ever deemed her worth living for. She was always cast aside. She was always left behind. Something else was bound to be more important than her. Well then, if she didn't matter, so didn't her actions. She was inconsequential. Division could swallow her whole and no one would care.

"She is rough around the edges. But so are you," Chuckling softly, Amanda attempted to lighten the mood. She was only met with a blank stare. Sighing, she slowly approached Nikita. The young agent didn't flinch or move away. She stubbornly held her ground, unwilling to be shaken from her stance. Her superior was willing to put up a fight, however. Amanda wouldn't allow her to slip from her grasp, "Getting burned when you open your heart hurts. It's what makes us grow another protective layer. No one can hurt us if they can't get past our walls."

"Is that your expert opinion?" Nikita knew she sounded like a brat. She hadn't talked back to Amanda like that since she was a recruit. She had more or less grown out of that idiotic rebellion when she became an agent and spent more time with Michael and Birkhoff. Except, she couldn't help herself in that moment. So much hatred was boiling inside of her that it had to be lashed out somewhere. Her thoughts were already belittling her very existence; her words needed to find another target. The ice cold woman was their only option.

Amanda took the biting comment in stride. The amount of times she had heard that response from recruits and agents whenever she attempted to comfort them could fill a book. Trust was always hard fought inside Division. However, it was worth the effort. Nikita was just a tougher nut to crack than others. A person would get past one wall, only to find thousands others. Amanda simply had to keep digging, get her to see that they weren't different. In fact, the two could be seen as the same in certain lights, "From experience, yes."

"Now you're gonna tell me all about how men suck and us women have to stick together. I get it, alright. There's a reason Division outlaws personal attachments. We can't cry whenever we have to pull the trigger," Rolling her eyes, Nikita huffed and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. She wasn't going to cry over Birkhoff and Michael leaving, that moment had long passed. However, she wasn't certain if she would pull the trigger if she ever saw them again. She knew that was her orders- that was everybody's orders- but for a multitude of reasons she didn't think she could harm the two. Their time together had to have meant something.

"Men do suck, I won't lie to you there. But the reason we don't want personal attachments isn't just because your head needs to be clear on a mission. It's also to protect your heart. We don't want our agents hurt. I don't want to see you hurt," Softening her gaze, Amanda closed the gap between them. Nikita's tense hold loosened against her will. A part of her really wanted to believe her superior. After all, wasn't that what Michael had preached. He had cared about the recruits, maybe Percy and Amanda did too- in their own weird way. No, that couldn't have been right. In what world did egotistical monsters care.

"Yeah, right. It's all about Division, never the agents. We're always hurting. We just suffer and do. We don't get what we want," Quickly, Nikita shook away the effects of Amanda's lie and pulled away from her. She wasn't going to get swept in. Her stance had to hold firm. She didn't care; she was ready to drift. Division couldn't use her for their countless missions anymore. She wasn't their chew toy they could throw around and spit up. She wasn't anyone. It was better just to let go and drown.

"And what is it that you want?" Amanda asked. Her tone was difficult to discern. It appeared almost stern, an order that the young agent answer her immediately. However, her gaze held warm and soft. She seemed to genuinely want to know how Nikita felt. The young woman fought with herself to not fall for the look in those blue eyes. She was aware of how deceiving they could be; though, she was also aware of how kind her superior had been to her. She offered her time off, she helped her see her potential, she actually gave her a cake on her birthday. It couldn't have been all a lie- could it have been.

Although Nikita's tense stance and stubborn hold melted, she maintained her distance. She knew better than to fall so easily. It wasn't as though she hadn't been burned before. Except, had she actually been burned by Amanda. Besides terrible ops and senseless mind games (that could easily be blamed on Percy and Division as a whole) she hadn't done anything to hurt the young agent. It was all ill feelings that could be resolved if they actually talked to one another. The words slipped past Nikita's tongue without any further thought. They were barely a whisper, just a plea on a held breath, "To go home."

Silence followed the confession. Nikita panicked for a quick second over what that could mean. Could that have been it for her. She didn't go out screaming and cussing, but because she expressed what was deep within her heart. That did seem more accurate for Division. However, the young agent's admission wasn't what gave Amanda pause. It just took her a second to register the hardly spoken words. Once she did, though, she nodded, "You don't want to go on another honeytrap mission? I understand that. No one wants a man touching them after a long day. I'm sure Kelly will gladly take your place on the op. You can rest until we need you again."

It wasn't exactly what Nikita wanted. She didn't want one mission off, she wanted all of them off. Except, both she and Amanda knew that was the best she was going to receive. After her debrief over her failed mission to kill Michael, she was handed yet another operation. She had a few days to prepare for it, but it was still a gross seduction op she didn't want to go on. She shouldn't have to after all she had done. Shouldn't she be allowed to rest as well. Though, things didn't go that simply for her. She was meant to suffer. That kind of offer had never existed for her before, "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Amanda smiled warmly. In disbelief, a slight gasp escaped the young agent. There was no way she actually got what she wanted, not within Division. Yet Amanda didn't take it all back. She just stepped forward and tucked Nikita's newly short hair behind her ear, "Nikita, I was serious when I said you could come to me for anything. If you need a break, you can take a breather outside of Division's walls. If you need a moment to rant and scream, you can talk my ear off. And if you need support, I'm always here for you. You're not alone here without your friends. You can always come to me."

The back of Nikita's mind screamed at her to run away. She was in Division, even something like a break had monstrous strings attached. She was allowing herself to be sucked in instead of continuing to fight, to accept that she didn't matter. But Amanda was showing her real care. All the other times she had been shown that kind of affection, it had been fleeting. The ones who cared for her always left, even if they promised to stay. Amanda wasn't going anywhere, however. Nikita at least had to be grateful for that, "Thanks. For the break and the haircut."

"Of course. I can't have someone I care about walk around with uneven layers and split ends," Instead of replying sincerely, Amanda played off the lightness Nikita ended with. The young agent smiled and chuckled. Her deafening thoughts and emotions of betrayal, hurt, loss, and hatred began to quiet. It wasn't all bad. Maybe she had been overreacting. She was still there after everyone else had left, but that wasn't an atrocious thing. It just meant she was stronger, more resilient. She wouldn't have been sent on all those missions if it weren't true. And Amanda wouldn't have fought for her as much as she did if her potential for greatness wasn't real.

"Then you should definitely bring Kelly in here," Smile brightening, Nikita quipped. A burst of laughter erupted out of Amanda, her surprise at the joke taking over. She certainly wasn't expecting that. However, the suddenness made the two laugh harder. It was a shockingly bright moment that pierced the darkness that had enveloped the young agent. She felt more sturdy and calm. She felt like her feet were steadily on the ground. The fact that Amanda was one to help her settle didn't sit right with Nikita, but she didn't have any other option to latch onto. She held tightly to the feeling the conversation gave her, determined to never let go.

Chapter Text

Four Years Later

It was all she could do, curl on the couch and stare at her hands. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't even think. Numbness washed over her. Her fingers traced the red smears on her palms and picked at the dried, caked red under her nails. Drops of red had trickled down her arms. A finger followed the path to the crook of her elbow, then back to her wrist. The red almost seemed to follow her vein. It appeared as though it wanted to flow into her heart. But she wouldn't let it. The red had to remain on the surface. Any deeper, she would die.

Nikita was lucky that she wasn't thinking. She blasted music so loud it drowned all emotion, and slipped her mask into place. She forced herself to check out. One too many times her emotions had gotten the better of her, and it took nearly everything she had to pull herself together. That time had to be different, mostly because she didn't think she could survive if she let it all go. It was too much. What she had done was too much to handle. She had let that thing out of her, and the resulting destruction damaged all she had left. If she allowed her thoughts to drift towards that fact, she would've crumbled with no hope of salvation.

Maybe she had reached that point already, however. Maybe Nikita could never be saved from her sins- return to the young woman she once was. She was a messed up girl, turned into a broken woman. What else explained the way she numbly traced the blood on her hands. A normal person would've scrubbed it off hours ago. Although she had tried to wash away the stain, it remained a seemingly permanent fixture on her bronze skin. She'd rather stare fixedly at it then move on past the tragedy. It was the only thing that kept her mask in place, after all.

That damn mask. God, did she hate the person that took over during Division operations. Amanda had dubbed her the 'other Nikita'- her protector. Yet Nikita only regarded her as a monster. Amanda was right about her being a protection mechanism. Nikita was aware enough to know that letting something else take over protected her mind and soul. What it did to her heart, however, she wouldn't dare put thought into it. It was better to stay distant. She had learned that time and time again. Her heart was held in a cage as her mask slipped into place. The last remaining real part of her was shoved deep inside while the evil escaped.

"I'll be honest. I had my doubts about you, about your commitments to the program. But you showed me something here I haven't seen before. Something evil. You have evil in you."

An innocent died because of that evil. She hadn't considered her actions to be that evil. She was attempting to be normal. However, Amanda reminded her how selfish she had been. Nikita had been taught how detrimental personal relationships were. Connecting with Michael and Birkhoff had ultimately hurt her, after all. Personal relationships only brought pain to Division and its agents. It also endangered innocents, who had no purpose in their affairs. Everything needed its distance. Distance helped save everyone. And wasn't that what she wanted, to be able to save people.

But Nikita hadn't been able to help herself. He was just so sweet, normal, and goofy. Daniel Monroe was the greatest man she had met. She couldn't help but fall in love with him. Or, at least think that she fell in love with him. Amanda claimed it had only been a deep attraction; she had simply fallen in love with the idea of him. That was probably true. It wasn't as though Nikita could actually imagine a life with Daniel. Their future only held fear of getting caught and constant danger. It was better that Division killed him instead of him having to live that life.

Daniel being happy during their brief time together was the only thing that helped Nikita through his death. She shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place. Their relationship jeopardized Division and her mission in Chicago. An innocent was killed because she just had to taste normalcy. Her own selfishness had hurt her once again. She had been weak. If only she had listened to Amanda's advice and kept her emotions in check. If only she had held that evilness inside her back. Then, an innocent would still be alive, and her heart wouldn't have another crack in it.

"Relax, it's a good thing. There are monsters in this world. The only way to beat them is to get down there with them and fight fire with fire."

The only time her evilness should escape was on missions. Only villains and corrupt men would suffer, not innocents and loves like Daniel. Kill missions and seduction missions one after another and another and another solidified that fact for her. She'd brief with Percy and prep with Amanda, and she'd have enough strength to carry out her orders. Nikita was their best and brightest, as stated by Percy and as nurtured by Amanda. She could do anything, especially without the distraction of her friends or attempted boyfriend. As long as her priorities were straight, she would succeed.

Her priority was and always should be Division. Sure, she took crazy risks and changed plans on the fly in the field (as an annoyed Kelly complained about). Yet, it was always in service of Division. Nikita's quick thinking and fast action secured intel, killed adversaries, and saved the country. She might not have been a perfect agent, but she was remarkable and one of a kind. She was the black ops unit's most valuable agent, which was why she was handed the most valuable of missions.

Nicholas Brandt was a goddamn motherfucker. Nikita didn't think she had ever hated anyone as much as she hated him- and that included herself and Gary. He was a vicious arms dealer that had somehow gotten his hands on nuclear material. The CIA couldn't touch him, but Division could; specifically, Nikita could. Brandt had a weakness for women that were just as vile as he was. She could play that role perfectly. And once she had him under her spell, she could steal the plutonium and hand it to the authorities.

Of all the missions she had been a part of, Brandt's was the most righteous. Nikita was taking a terrible, horrible man out of the world. She would save millions with the act. It helped her rationalize her actions and gave her a drive to keep pushing forward. Her inner evil seeped out bit by bit as she dove deeper undercover. However, it was worth it. Brandt trusted her, relied on her. And soon enough, she would have the plutonium and kill him. God, was she looking forward to that moment. She couldn't wait to violently and efficiently end his horrific reign.

Unfortunately, he never told her about the plutonium. Nikita knew Brandt was going to use the nuclear material soon, but she had no idea where it was. So, she had to bring him into Division so the CIA could take over and torture him at a blacksite. At least the attack could be averted and he was still taken down. Yet he couldn't be killed. Anger simmered in Nikita over that fact. The hell she had endured with Brandt, the hell she had seen him inflict on others, had to be paid back. He should experience the same wrath he imposed on others. He should face hell a million times over.

Evilness grew so viciously inside Nikita that she lashed out. She had a moment alone with Brandt, and her vision blurred. All she was aware of was the blinding red and the deafening screams. She wasn't even certain she was the one to have caused it until she left the room. She was covered in blood, and Brandt was missing an eye. Fury had exploded out of her. She had made Brandt pay for the hands he had lain on her and on others. He needed to know what it was like to be the victim. Although the sight behind her was horrible, even making Percy flinch, she didn't regret her actions. She'd let the anger consume her again. She'd let the evil escape.

"That's why Division exists. There are monsters out there."

She knew to keep her emotions in balance. She knew when to be kind, when to be herself. And she knew when the monster could come out and play. Amanda commended Nikita on her growth. She had matured and grown into a powerful and beautiful young woman. Nikita had only Amanda to thank. Her mentor had shown her how to wear her mask and how to be perfect. She could destroy the most vicious of men and survive until the next day all because of her guidance. It was a debt she knew she had to repay.

Amanda never asked for it. She simply continued to care for Nikita and help her. However, the young agent wanted to show her gratitude. She followed her advice for missions, and went on the ops she ordered her to. Her mentor received less pushback and snark than Percy did; it was only fair. Percy praised the monster within Nikita, while Amanda helped her control it. That was far more beneficial for the difficult and heart-wrenching missions, the missions that left her questioning- like the one where she had to chase down Michael and Birkhoff.

Michael and Birkhoff continued to resurface here and there. The two rogues would manage to catch word of an op, spring into action, and ruin it. Percy had put a task force in place to stop them, but their efforts never worked. Nikita hadn't been allowed to join the hunt, her talents were better utilized elsewhere. Besides, the last time she had faced them, she had been so distraught she needed a week to recover before her next operation- and that was simply far too long. The latest round of failures changed Percy's mind, however. He needed his strongest and most capable agent to take care of the threat. He needed someone who couldn't fail.

As soon as Nikita was added to the task force, she decided Division should go on the offensive. Agents had only been attempting to stop the rogues when they ran into them on the occasional mission. But what if they were to meet Michael and Birkhoff first. They could know their moves and attack before the two even knew what hit them. Amanda praised her for the great idea, and told her to set a trap immediately. Finally, Division would be able to control their rogue elements and kill them.

So wrapped in the constant praise and admiration she was given, Nikita almost missed the part where she had to kill Birkhoff and Michael. Almost. Even after years of being told how awful they were for endangering those they claimed to protect and care for, and after years of feeling like more loved ones had abandoned her, she didn't think she could kill the two. Her heart couldn't do it. The monster might. Except, her heart was stronger than that. It had to have been. After all, she saved Alexandra Udinov, and she didn't kill Ari Tasorov in front of his son (she claimed her gun had jammed when Amanda asked, and there were no further inquiries).

Those incidents were years ago, however. Things had changed; she had changed. She had let the monster and her evil out more and more. Something else almost always took charge on a mission, especially when she was in danger. Nikita had to protect herself above all else. Even if it was at the expense of an old friend. She wished she would've been able to stop herself. Yet once the trap set for Michael and Birkhoff was sprung, Division was on the attack. She had to follow orders. And she had to protect herself from the bullets the rogues fired in return.

While the Alpha team cornered Michael, Nikita caught up to Birkhoff. She had him right where she wanted. She could pull the trigger and it would all be over. However, the nerd had been training with his roguish partner. He was able to disarm the young agent and they wrestled to the ground. She continued to have the upperhand with far more experience in the field. She had him subdued quickly, pinning him to the ground. But he wouldn't go quietly. He squirmed under her, reaching for a gun. She had to stop him.

They were outside, and there was a rock. Nikita knew how to stop Birkhoff's fighting, and end his hacking for a long while. She picked up the heavy rock and slammed it against the hand reaching for the gun several times. Howls of pain ripped through the air. At first, she didn't know that she was the cause of that sound. The young agent was just so focused on saving herself and the mission. Raging emotions blinded her once again. Then, her eyes refocused on Birkhoff. He was crying, beaten and bloody. And he stared at his old friend with pleading eyes.

Trapped by his gaze, Nikita didn't notice Michael slipping past the Alpha team and sprinting towards her direction. He tackled her off of Birkhoff, and her mind snapped back to the moment. She fought and wrestled against her old mentor, snarling in an attempt to match his strength. Hatred coursed through her; though, she wasn't certain if it was directed at Michael for always hurting her, or directed at herself for what she did to her nerd. It didn't matter which was true. Lividity filled her every vein and fueled her attack. The rogues would pay, just like Brandt and all her other victims.

"Stop it! This isn't you!" Michael had Nikita pinned to the ground. He didn't make a move to kill her or hurt her. He just shouted in her face, trying to snap her out of whatever he thought was controlling her. She yelled a string of curses in response. He blinked at her, hold loosening as his expression shifted into something unreadable. The young agent didn't want to spend the time figuring it out. She simply reached for the knife she knew he kept hidden in his boot and slashed at his wrist.

He crumbled against her with a yelp of pain. Nikita shoved Michael aside and scurried for her gun. She hadn't killed either rogue yet, only maimed them. Maybe that was proof that she really couldn't kill them. But her monster rationalized she just incapacitated them so killing them would be easier. She reached for her gun and aimed it at Michael's heart. As she pulled the trigger, he recovered just enough to kick her legs out from under her. The bullet caught him in the shoulder while she fell. He screamed again. She couldn't relish in it, however. Her head slammed against a rock when she hit the ground.

"Kill her, Mikey. She'll keep coming after us until we're dead. Kill her," Between harsh pants, Birkhoff frantically ordered Michael. Nikita's eyes were barely held open. She fought unconsciousness and the feel of blood trickling out of her head. Her fingers inched towards her gun once more, but stopped at the sight of Michael ditching his own weapons. He could hardly stand, bleeding out and suffering, but he still made an effort to throw aside the things that could kill her and end the threat on his life. Turning his back to her, he helped Birkhoff to his feet and the two stumbled out of there. Nikita stared after them once more, the world soon turning black.

After returning to the bunker, visiting Medical, and debriefing with Amanda, Nikita went home. She was ordered to stay in Division so her concussion could be monitored, yet she snuck out to return to her apartment. She knew Amanda would cover for her anyway. She could take a second to herself, reflect on the blood that marred her skin. All she could see was red, however. And all she could feel was the numbing ache her monster left behind.

Chapter Text

Alex woke in a far too bright room. Her head pounded, her body ached, and she was so unbelievably cold. The chill seeped into her bones and emptied the pit of her stomach. It all felt so wrong. Ever since the robbery, everything she experienced was a new and painful whirlwind of hell. She hardly knew what was happening. Ronnie left her alone. She was thrown into a cell. No one believed her. She woke in pain and emptiness with nothing recognizable around her. She thought she was dead.

That made sense. She had overdosed. She managed another hit of heroin, got too high, and her heart couldn't handle it. Maybe her mind couldn't handle it either. Alex finally faded away like she had always wanted. The years of barely living were over. She could melt into the abyss and be free. Though, as her senses slowly snapped into focus, she didn't think that was the actual case. Everything around her was too real. The bedsheets she woke on were stiff and scratchy. The clothes she had been dressed in hugged her just a bit too tightly. Her throat was dry and painful. Her skin and hair were oily and damp with sweat. And her eyes couldn't adjust.

They tried to take in the world around them, but it was almost as if her sight wasn't working. The room was too bright. It was too bare, the only colors a blend of white and gray. Alex wanted to claw her eyes out at the nothingness. Just like the rest of the situation, it burned her from the inside out- it made it all so wrong. She couldn't figure out if she was in hell or not. She definitely wasn't in heaven. The things she had done- the things she had experienced- there was no way she'd make it to heaven. Angels were far more holy than her.

Besides, she didn't think an annoyed woman sitting backwards in a chair would be a part of heaven. Her presence probably wouldn't have been a part of hell either. Maybe Alex was in limbo- half-dead and half-alive. That was how she had been living her life anyway. She had been a ghost drifting from place to place, waiting for her inevitable death; sometimes, she begged for it. She thought that had been the only way to escape the brothel. Death was the only escape to the torment she had faced.

She was already surrounded by death, so why couldn't she simply fall into those arms as well. The other girls in the brothel were embraced by the darkness, some of the runaways she encountered on the streets faded away, her parents vanished from the light of the world, so why couldn't she. What was so special about her that she had to live. There were multiple opportunities where Alex could've overdosed like the others, committed suicide like those she had grown close to, gotten shot like her parents. But she didn't. And she was left in purgatory, wishing for it to end.

Maybe then was her moment. Maybe the woman in the room with Alex would be her salvation and kill her. However, the woman seemed disinterested in her. She flipped through a file, sighing. Some guardian angel she was. She wouldn't help Alex in the slightest. If she was going to pull her out of prison- at least, that was what the teenager thought had happened- she could kill her. Everything could be fixed with the simple pull of a trigger. The wrongness in the pit of her stomach would vanish. She'd finally die, and the universe would be set right.

"Evening, Alex. It is Alex, right? Never Alexandra," Unfortunately, the woman just spoke, her voice hollow with boredom. She barely glanced up at Alex. She wouldn't give her the time of day. The teen would've been irritated, if her mind wasn't jolted so violently into reality. Her surroundings felt so real, because it was. She wasn't in limbo or another in-between state. She really was on that stiff bed in that bare room with that harsh lighting. Fear quickly replaced the emptiness in her stomach. What the hell was going on.

"Who are you? Where am I?" The voice that spoke didn't belong to Alex. It was so full of fear and uncertainty. A second ago she had begged for death, but at that moment she feared what the woman might do to her. She just seemed so apathetic. More pain than death could come from that woman. Alex attempted to make herself smaller on the bed. She wanted to hide, to escape like she had so many times before. There had to be a way out, there was always a way out. She had to get away from that woman and that place.

"Well, you're not in prison anymore. You're not even in Michigan. Though, we're the only ones who know that. Your death was officially ruled a suicide by the prison board on November first. Your ashes are stored right here," Tossing the file she had been reading on the bed, the woman listed off the facts emotionlessly. She paced the room, eyes roaming everywhere but never landing on Alex. The teen didn't care, however. All her focus had narrowed on the picture of her false tomb. She was dead. She was finally dead. Except, not really, "My name's Nikita. I work for the government. We've decided to give you a second chance."

The woman, Nikita, stilled in front of the bed. She crossed her arms and studied the teenager with judgmental brown eyes. Alex could only stammer. Give her a second chance, how. The government faked her death to get her out of prison to do what. Certainly they couldn't expect her to live. That was the one thing she couldn't do, not after the night that took everything away from her. Wait, did the government know who she was. Did they know she was the lost heir, supposed to be dead. What would they do with the information. Would she be given back to those who tried to kill her. Would she go back to the brothel, "Why? Why me?"

"Because you're a young, attractive, white female with virtually no personal ties or paper trail. Now, those do exist, but they're hard to come by. What really grabbed our attention, though, is how you managed to kill a criminal we were about to take out," Shrugging, Nikita explained. Alex felt like sighing in relief. They didn't know she was a Udinov. They couldn't make her go anywhere. The government had no power over her. She could escape and find her own way to be free.

However, the instant her bare feet touched the cold ground, Nikita grabbed her. She was so fast, Alex didn't see her coming. She hadn't even sensed that the woman had moved until her wrist was twisted sharply. With a pain filled shriek, Alex fell to her knees. Nikita stood over her, expression blank and grip fierce. She had all the control and power. It didn't matter who the teenager was. She was nothing. The world she was thrusted into cared less about her than the places she came from, "His name was Kyle, by the way. He was a part of a smuggling ring. Stand, and your wrist breaks."

"I didn't kill no one! It was Ronnie," It was all Ronnie. He convinced Alex to steal the oxycontin to sell and use. He butchered the job. He shot the man. And he left her alone. The police were easily able to grab her and throw her into prison. No one listened to her side of the story. She was just another junkie runaway- an illegal one too, with a fake ID and a forced American accent. That was why she was thrown in jail so quickly, and grabbed by the government just as fast. She really was the ghost she had always thought she was.

"Your boyfriend's body was found next to his apartment, dead from an overdose. No one showed up for his funeral either," Letting go of Alex's wrist, Nikita admitted. She shared the fact as though it was nothing. It was simply one more thing to remind the teenager of her insignificance. She wanted to be defiant against the woman, show her that she couldn't get through to her that easily. But it would've been false. She knew she was meaningless; the brothel had taught her that. She didn't have a thing to fight for, or against. It was only her and the death she hoped would come for her.

Slinking to the bed, Alex retreated back to trying to hide. She curled in a ball and stared at Nikita with frightened blue eyes. What was to happen to her if death wasn't an option and neither was a full life. Was she going to be the government's tool. Or was she going to be some sort of experiment, a tortured victim of power. Considering what she had been through, that seemed more likely. Yet, Nikita's gaze softened ever so slightly. For a brief moment, she didn't appear so dangerous, "Your life is over, Alex. I'm here to offer you a new one. But you have to be willing to earn it."

A new life, that shouldn't have been possible. There was no reason to live. What could she possibly do. What kind of shit was the government going to put her through. There was no use in arguing with Nikita, or trying to pry answers from her, though. She simply picked up the file she had dropped and patiently waited for Alex's reply. The teenager either accepted the offer or faced the consequences. What were the consequences anyway. She didn't believe it was death. That seemed like too good of an option for that place, "What do I gotta do?"

"Learn. How not to sound like a teen meth whore, for starters. Learn to stand up straight. Learn how to walk right. Learn how to talk right. Learn how to serve your country instead of just yourself," The emotionless finally left Nikita. Her voice shook in slight anger. However, it wasn't directed at Alex. She could tell that much by the way the woman's focus shifted towards the door. She must've had anger for that place, wherever the hell they were. However, before the teen could figure any of that out, the woman shook off her frustrations and opened the door. She didn't look behind her as she left. She was done.

"I'm not even American," In muttered Russian, Alex huffed. So, she was going to be used as some sort of government operative. How did that make any sense. Nikita's explanations made sense with that enlightenment, though. The teenager was expendable and a suspected killer; she'd make the perfect agent. She simply had to learn how to not be herself. Was that where she was, spy school. She kept bouncing from one prison to the next, never able to return to her parents. Alex wasn't dead, yet she still remained in hell.

Nikita's head snapped up at the words she heard. She turned towards the door, but it was already closed and locked. Alex would be shut off to her until she met her on the training floor. But Nikita still had access to the new recruit's file. She instantly poured over the words again. It claimed the teen girl was Ukrainian; she came on a boat, like so many other girls, from Ukraine. That was what Amanda had said. She said Alex was just like her. She had been orphaned, abandoned, abused, neglected, and a junkie. And Division was able to trace the boat she could've come over on with other forgotten girls to Ukraine. So, why would she speak Russian.

Russian. Just like her. Lost everything. Given a second chance. Teenager. Oh. Fuck.

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No, no, no, no, no. That couldn't have been right. That wasn't possible. She left her with a family friend. He swore he would protect her. He promised no harm would come to her. She had saved her. She was safe and sound and alive. So how the hell was she in Division. How the hell did Alexandra Udinov end up in Division. Nikita couldn't wrap her head around it. It didn't make sense. Alexandra was supposed to have stayed safe. She was supposed to live a better life than her. She was supposed to have been free of all the pain the world had inflicted on her. Why the hell was she in the very place that tried to destroy her.

Maybe Nikita was simply seeing things that weren't there. Alex was a common name, and a troubled girl with a terrible past was Division's favorite kind of agent. The fact that she was an illegal Eastern European immigrant was strange, but the black ops group had had stranger. Nikita simply took Amanda's words and twisted them. So what if she and the new recruit were alike. That didn't make her Alexandra Udinov. Besides, how could Division recruit a former target and not know her real identity. That would've been ridiculous. Alex wasn't Alexandra. There was no possible way that was true.

Blaming hellish missions for the heart-stopping thoughts that were crashing through her mind was the simple solution. Her emotions had been all over the place since her recent encounter with Michael and Birkhoff. She must've finally snapped and fully gone insane. She was drawing parallels and conclusions after briefly talking to the new recruit, just because Amanda insinuated that they were similar. Nikita had to shake those thoughts loose. She couldn't allow them to drown her like so many other thoughts had. There wasn't any weight to them. Her assumption was wrong.

God, she needed to be wrong about Alexandra. What could she even do if she was right. No, she wasn't right. Alexandra was safe. Nikita had made sure of that. Maybe Kelly should've welcomed the new recruit instead of her. She didn't want to involve herself, anyway. And the hell she was experiencing afterwards wasn't worth it. Amanda should've asked Kelly to step up and lead. She wasn't doing that great on her missions anyway- those who couldn't do should teach. It might finally get her off of Nikita's back. She had been relentless recently, "Why is it that you always get the fun missions?"

"Yes, because facing certain death is such a joy to experience," Grumbling, Nikita tried to ignore Kelly. She had just debriefed with Percy after yet another assassination op. She didn't want to talk to a partner she hadn't worked with in months. As the young agent's stardom rose, her partner was left in her dust. She probably should've cared about that more than she did; she and Kelly could've considered each other friends at some point. But Nikita was done with close connections. She just wanted her and everyone else to go away.

"Oh, come on. Assassinations are always so much better than counterintel," Kelly didn't catch Nikita's hint, however. She kind of didn't want to. She followed the rising star as she made her way through the training room, complaining about yet another boring intel mission. Kill jobs always had more action and risk involved than downloading something from a computer. Who cared about the spy game and being a ghost, when you could be loud and brash and make a statement. That was the best part of running free from the basement. At least, to Kelly it was.

"If only your skills were that much better," Nikita bit. It was a low blow, but she'd say anything to make Kelly disappear. It also wasn't as though she was wrong. Her partner's skills were better suited for the smaller missions. She wasn't cancel worthy, but she definitely couldn't handle leading a large mission. Nikita dropped that information with a shrug and continued walking away as if her words didn't have consequences. Kelly immediately lunged. She meant to tackle the rising star and break apart her ego. Yet the young agent was too quick. Countering the attack, she slammed her former partner onto the mat, "Don't talk about things you don't know."

Kelly struggled to break the grip, but she was stuck to the mat. Even while exhausted, Nikita had the better of her. She had to tap the ground to make the young agent let go. Huffing, she got to her feet and shoved Nikita. Kelly probably should've let it go, but she couldn't take the superiority the rising star held over Division. Who cared if she was Amanda's favorite. She wasn't a god. There were definitely ways to make her bleed and fall from grace, "Ever since your last encounter with Michael, you've changed. You're bitchier."

"You've been a constant idiot since Turkey, but you don't hear me say anything," Turning her back on her former partner, Nikita attempted to keep the emotion out of her quip. She had changed since that mission a few weeks prior. She felt as though she still couldn't scrub the blood off her hands. Percy had been right about her. She had embraced the monster within. There was no going back. She was evil and she had to accept it. The 'bitchier' she was, the better. No one else would get close to her- no one else would get hurt because of her.

Well, no one would get hurt that didn't deserve it. Kelly lashed out at Nikita once more. She didn't appreciate any of the young agent's candor. She wanted her to shut up once and for all. Kelly at least managed one strike before she faced retaliation. The rising star wrestled her former partner to the ground, and pinned her down with her full body weight. No matter how much she thrashed and struggled, she couldn't get the superior agent off of her. Nikita didn't gloat, however. She simply seethed, "See. You don't learn your lesson."

"Get off me!" Kelly tried to kick. Although it didn't do anything, Nikita bounced to her feet. She didn't even attempt to hold out a supportive hand to her former partner. She wouldn't have taken it anyway. She struggled to her feet, her gaze furious and spiteful as she glared at the young agent. It increasingly wasn't fair when it came to her. Nikita got what she wanted; she got to run the place with Amanda at her back, while the rest of them suffered. Kelly wasn't going to take it any longer. Things had to change, "One day, your actions are gonna catch up to you."

"Nikita! Amanda wants to talk to you," Before Nikita could utter a sarcastic comment about how that would never come to be, an agent called to her from the walkway. Kelly rolled her eyes and muttered an 'of course', but she was mostly ignored. The young agent just harshly nudged her former partner as she ran off to follow the order. She had no idea what Amanda wanted to speak to her about, yet she prayed to whoever was listening that it was another mission. The more she was out in the field, the less time she would have to think and reflect. And that was the last thing she wanted.

She was aware of all the fucked up shit she had done. She knew what she had become. But Nikita didn't want to face it. She'd much rather shoot yet another victim of Division than think about where her actions had led her. Amanda had been her salvation in that regard for some time; she always gave her something else to focus on, a way to ignore the darkness encircling her heart. She was also a great person to talk to no matter the circumstance, "Nikita, perfect timing. We have a new recruit waiting to be welcomed into Division."

"Okay. So why do you need me?" As Amanda beamed at her, Nikita felt the tension in her shoulders relax. She wasn't going to get yelled at for fighting with Kelly, again. It was just another mission, or help with a mission. She wasn't sure as she glanced around Amanda's office. All she spotted was a file and a freshly pressed suit. The clothes appeared in Nikita's size, and she had the sinking suspicion she was going to be required to wear it. She had been dressed more comfortably than fashionably as of late, and she didn't want to go back. Besides, wearing leggings over pantsuits always made jumping from mission to mission easier.

"The leadership skills you have been demonstrating on your most recent operations have captured mine and Percy's attention. We think you could fill the role of head of agents well," Her brilliant smile never waning, Amanda further explained why Nikita was called into her office. Big plans were constantly evolving around the young agent's head. She was instrumental to Percy's and Division's more delicate and ambitious matters. No wonder she was being thrust into a leadership role. That would only give her more power to lead a greatly successful op.

"And…" Although Nikita was surprised she was considered for a leadership role with her attitude, she knew there was another reason she was being asked to usher in the new recruit. Usually, Amanda took that job upon herself. Agents didn't interact with the recruits, not even ones being shifted into higher leadership roles. The recruits were in the hands of the trainers, while the agents and techs ran around under Percy's and Amanda's whim. Michael used to bridge the gap between them, yet no one had filled his role since he left. No one really cared.

"And, the new recruit will need someone she can relate to when she wakes. She has had a hard life, bouncing from one place to the next. If she sees a kindred spirit, she might relax and not want to harm anyone," Amanda easily clarified. She handed Nikita the new recruit's file, letting her read over it before she made her decision. Though, it wasn't much of a decision. Amanda had made the choice for her with the suit, the similarities between the two, and the offer of more. Nikita couldn't deny any of that. She was pulled right in, despite her objection to being a part of a welcoming committee.

"So, she's just like me," Skimming the contents of the file, Nikita came to the simple conclusion. Division had found and recruited yet another junkie runaway. Yet she wasn't any other teenage girl strung out on the streets, she came from an intense background of abandonment and abuse. The new recruit was another Nikita. The young agent tore her eyes away from the page to stare at Amanda. Her mentor didn't answer her right away, though. She simply presented her the suit she was forced to wear.

"More or less," Eventually, Amanda shrugged and sent a reluctant Nikita on her way. God, had that been an understatement. She and the new recruit were too much alike, far too much alike. They were connected, if Nikita's assumption was correct. But she wouldn't allow herself to be right. She couldn't be right. Except, as she kept replaying the events over and over and over again in her mind, one thing became strikingly clear: the girls had the same eyes. Alex and Alexandra both glanced up at her with frightful blue eyes- the same frightful blue eyes. There was no mistaking that. Alex was Alexandra.

Nikita couldn't walk anymore. After welcoming the new recruit, she headed towards Amanda's office to return the file and suit. That was when the realization blindsided her. She slumped against the wall and tried to catch the breath that had escaped her lungs. As much as she wanted to deny the fact, she couldn't. She hadn't saved Alexandra Udinov at all. She never had a better life than her. The girl followed exactly in her footsteps. Nikita never made a difference. She was exactly what Division had made her. Nothing could deny that then.

A monster was what she was and always would be. She didn't save Alexandra, only gave her a worse fate. Being forced to do what Division wanted had to be worse than death, especially when they were the organization that killed her family. God, why did she have to be so fucking stupid. She should've never interfered; it only brought more hell. The sound of footsteps forced Nikita to snap herself out of her shock. She managed to collect herself just in time for Amanda to join her in the hall. Her mentor didn't appear to notice anything amiss. She simply asked, "How was it? Is Alex going to be alright?"

Unsure of what to say at first, Nikita cleared her throat and fumbled through a nod. She didn't need the inquisitor watching her every move and reading her mind. That would only lead to danger and death. Though, wasn't she approaching that territory anyway with her past actions. She felt sick. She had fucked up. She had fucked up, bad. And everything was going to crumble at her feet. There had to be some way to fight, but she had no idea how. All she could do was hollowly respond with a half-truth and hope it was believable, "Uh, yeah. I'm sure once she sees the training room she'll relax more."

"What is it?" Amanda read her whirlwind of emotions instantly. She stepped forward in an effort to soothe the young agent. Nikita tried not to flinch. Her body language was going to reveal more than her words ever could. She had to slip her mask into place; she needed to shield herself from prying eyes. Nothing had been destroyed yet. She could still keep it together and figure a way out of there. She had done so before on countless operations. That situation couldn't be any different, despite the fact that the world had shifted from underneath her.

"You said she was Ukrainian. But she spoke Russian," Nikita couldn't help but mutter. She shouldn't have said anything. Her mouth should've remained shut, and she should've returned to her apartment for the night. Amanda couldn't be clued in on her torment. The hell that would rain down on Alexandra once the truth came out would be unbearable. Nikita had to keep protecting her. However, Amanda had always been so helpful before. She could help the young agent solve her problem and save Alex. No, no that wasn't possible. The thought needed to be shaken away. Nikita was on her own.

"We think she's Ukrainian. We were able to trace a possible boat she was shipped over on to there. But she could be Russian, and was transported multiple times. That's the heartbreaking thing with human trafficking victims, no sense of home," As she contemplated the information, Amanda attempted to find an answer. Nikita wanted to believe her, but she knew better. She also knew better than to fall for the inquisitor's emotional baits. It just took her a while to remember, "But we can be that home for Alex. And you can continue to welcome her in. Be like a sister."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll talk to her, show her around," Nodding, Nikita decided. She didn't agree, though. She had her own ideas in mind for talking to Alex- Alexandra. She could finally figure out how the heir to Zetrov wound up in the very place that tried to kill her. And she could figure out just what the hell she was supposed to do next. Obviously, Alex's identity had to remain a secret. She had survived that long under a false identity, she just had to survive a little longer. How much longer, remained a mystery. How was Nikita supposed to help her then.

"Good. I'm glad. You're filling this role nicely, Nikita. I can see great things for your future," Squeezing her bicep reassuringly, Amanda smiled and continued on her way. Nikita slumped against the wall again, and stifled a scream. If only that were true.

Chapter Text

The woman, Nikita, was back. She appeared far more distressed than when Alex saw her a few hours ago. She definitely wasn't apathetic anymore. Her bronze skin was also a bit paler, and her brown eyes were panicked. Alex almost wanted to ask her about it; she knew something was drastically wrong, and was afraid of what that might mean for her. However, ultimately, she didn't care. She had her own shit to worry about. The situation was insane, plain and simple. And she wanted any further part in it, "Now, what? You're gonna show me my potential?"

"Cut the shit. Being an angsty teen isn't cute," Rounding on her, Nikita snapped. Alex took a step back from the fury brewing in those brown eyes. The fear she thought she had battled after her first encounter with the woman returned with a vengeance. She knew she needed to take the words back, despite the fact that she hadn't even been that snarky. To her own ears it seemed that way, at least. The teen only responded to the attitude the woman had previously given her. But that had been a terrible decision. Just when Alex thought she knew what was occurring, the world shifted out of her control.

She didn't know what else to expect from Nikita in retaliation for her sarcasm. Would it be more yelling, would she actually break her wrist that time, or was there a punishment far worse than that. Considering that place was run by the government, Alex settled on the last option. As she prepared herself for a horrific blow, however, Nikita turned her attention away from her. She searched around the bare room, looking high and low for something. Alex could only stare at her. Why could she never figure out just what the hell was going on, "What…"

"How did you get here?" Nikita's harsh whisper was demanding and desperate. She didn't find what she was looking for, so all of her focus returned to the teenager. Urgency radiated off of the woman's body as she moved closer. Alex backed away again. She had believed waking in that government facility after being thrown in prison for something she didn't do was enough of a whirlwind. Hell, her whole life had been a hectic vortex of death, destruction, and cruelty since the night her parents were murdered. But whatever was happening with the woman seemed worse. Nikita had all the control, leaving Alex scrambling.

"Shouldn't you know that?" Somehow finding her courage, Alex bit. Her voice shook, yet she held her ground. She tried to make herself appear taller and stronger than she felt. Yet she was fairly certain the attempt fell flat. The woman was in a suit and she was in sweats, after all. There was also something in Nikita's eyes that the teen couldn't reflect in her own. It was frantic and nearly insane. Alex's blue eyes only showed her fear and confusion. After everything she had been forced to face, she had finally met her match.

"How did the heir to Zetrov end up here?" The words were strained as if Nikita was afraid she would be overheard. Her gaze cast around the room once more, and she cautiously closed the gap between them. Alex remained rooted in her spot. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. Her breath halted in her lungs. Her mind fizzled and froze. She hadn't heard the name 'Zetrov' in over five years. She hadn't mentioned it, and she had actively avoided the topic, knowing any connection between her and that empire would get her killed. Or worse, get her sold back to the Russians as another object to be used and abused.

Alex couldn't allow that to happen. She hadn't escaped, forced her accent and other Russian qualities away, and survived all those years on the street to be tossed back into hell. She had to be stronger than that. She had to go out on her own terms. Unfortunately, the anxiety of where she was and the dangerous woman she faced rattled her core. Fighting and remaining strong had become increasingly difficult. Her refusal of the truth broke apart on her lips, tumbling awkwardly to the ground, "I… I don't… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Shit. Fuck. Shit. Dammit," A slew of curses escaped Nikita. There was no denying it then. She had hoped startling Alex and demanding answers from her would reveal a different truth; the teenager was just another abused and discarded girl, that was all. But Nikita had never been lucky. Whenever she had a handle on things, it crumbled apart at the seams. She couldn't succeed at anything she wanted to- anything good. She only ever made things worse. Maybe that was why people always stayed away from her, "You're not supposed to be here."

"You're the one who brought me here!" Tears threatened to spill while Alex screamed. She just wanted to know what was happening. Why was she in that place. Why wouldn't anyone listen to her. How did the woman know who she was. Why was Nikita so terrified of her identity. Why was she still alive while everyone else was dead. Shouldn't that last question at least have a solution by then. Alex was revealed to be the lost Udinov, so didn't that mean it was finally time to die. She could return to her parents' arms and there would be no more pain. She could sink into oblivion, and the confusion and hurt that surrounded her would disappear.

"No. I gave you to a family friend. He was supposed to keep you safe," Whether lividity or anxiety shook the woman's tone, Alex couldn't tell. And neither could Nikita. She still couldn't understand how Alexandra had wound up in Division. Was the story in her file true. Had she actually been smuggled into the country by sex traffickers. How the hell could that happen to the heir to Zetrov, especially when there was someone watching over her. She wasn't supposed to have gone through more hell. The girl deserved to be protected and safe, not eternally punished for things she never did.

Although she fought against them, hot angry tears spilled out of Alex's simmering blue eyes. What was she hearing. The woman had been there the night her family was killed. How was that possible. How was anything that was even happening to her real. It didn't make any goddamn sense. She just wanted to scream, sob, collapse on the floor, and wait for the nightmare to be over. Maybe it was all just a bad trip; though, that was too much to hope for. Besides, the terror she felt was far too powerful to be synthetic, "What? Who are you? What is this place?"

"This place is Division. It killed your family, and it tried to kill you too," Nikita confessed. There was no use in lying to Alex. She deserved the truth a long time ago. She should know everything that happened to her family and why her life had been so atrocious from that night forward. Being kept in the dark only amplified things in the most horrific of ways, "Division is a hired gun, and an enemy of your father's contacted them to wipe out everybody in your house that night. But I got you out. I made sure you stayed safe. So how did you get here?"

Somehow, Alex wasn't as shocked by that statement as she had been by everything else. It made sense, in a fucked up way. She knew her father had enemies. She also knew her family's life had been threatened before- why else would she have been enrolled in a private school under an alias. Of course someone vying for more power caused the destruction of that night with mercenaries. Though, the fact that Americans were involved was confusing. Yet Alex didn't dwell on that. Her anger had reached a tipping point, "That person you thought I'd be safe with sold me to traffickers. But I escaped. I survived. Now I'm here, when it wasn't even my fault!"

Nikita blinked. It took her thoughts a second to catch up to her instant anger. How dare he. How dare that rat bastard of a driver sell an innocent girl he promised to protect. Who the fuck cared about any excuse he came up with so he could sleep at night. How dare he hand Alexandra over to monsters. She really had lost everything when her parents were murdered. Nikita had to ensure she didn't lose anymore. Although she had failed Alex the first time, she wasn't going to abandon her again. If she wanted to believe she had saved an innocent's life, then she'd actually had to do it. She had to help her escape, "No. Now you're getting out."

"I'm not going back to the brothels," Alex forcibly ripped her arm away. She didn't fight when she was sold to the traffickers the first time; she wasn't going to go quietly anymore. She would raise hell until somebody finally listened to her. She was going to be in charge of her own life for fucking once. She was so sick and tired of others dragging her around, telling her where she had to go and what she had to do. Her father had taught her better than that. She was better than that. It was about time she proved it.

"Alex, if they know who you are, they will kill you. Division will not let a job go unfinished. You need to run," Nikita yanked the teen towards the door, nearly pleading with her words. Saving her from the fire and the strike team had been so much easier when she was unconscious. Yet carrying an unconscious recruit out of Division would be impossible. The two had to escape through the silo that led to the deserted farmland. From there, they could run and never look back. Alex just had to agree to do so.

"I don't want to go back," Shoving Nikita away from her, Alex regained her composure- and her stubbornness. Her strength surged through her once more, granting her the courage to stand her ground and refuse the woman. Division seemed like the better option, even though they destroyed her life. She'd go anywhere but the brothels, or that crackhouse where she had met Ronnie. She hated the person she was forced to be in those places. At least as a government trained agent she could have a choice. She could be the one in control of all the pain.

"You don't have to. I can get you a new identity, a better one. I can help you stay clean. We can survive out there together. This place can't take any more lives," It wasn't just a promise. Nikita put her entire soul into the vow. She extended her hand to Alex, completely open and serious. The teen almost didn't take it, yet the promise of getting clean was too great. She had tried and failed so many times to quit the junk the sex traffickers had hooked her on. She didn't want to keep shooting up, but the drug had her in a chokehold. Horrible pain overwhelmed her body and mind whenever she wasn't high. She desperately wanted to get rid of that.

With more determination and surety than her anxiety would allow her to feel, Nikita led Alex to the opening of the silo. She had found it once when she was a recruit, and used the maze of air ducts as a way to escape the hell of training. Hopefully the path to the outside was still clear. She and Alex could slip through Division's defenses and escape its clutches. They weren't moving that quickly, however. Not only did Nikita have to watch for others, the teen trudged slowly behind her. She continued to debate following the woman into the unknown. After all, she didn't know her, "You were on that mission too. How am I supposed to trust you?"

"Honestly, you can't. But it's either work for the people who killed your family, let them kill you too, or run," Nikita couldn't believe she was saying that. She couldn't believe she was so willing to escape. All she had ever known was inside those walls; she had reached her greatest potential there. Yet she couldn't stay. Once Amanda and Percy knew Alex had escaped and who she really was, Nikita would be killed. She couldn't leave Alexandra alone again. If the teenager was going to be safe that time, then she'd need a partner. The two needed each other to survive.

"What if I want them to kill me too?" Coming to an abrupt stop, Alex mumbled. Her thoughts kept returning to the question. What was the point of getting clean if she was still running from everything that was trying to hurt her. What was the point of continuing to live if she had to have yet another false identity. She could be strong and fight, but she couldn't be herself. She could never rest. Yes she was sick and tired of being controlled, but she was also just tired. Couldn't she just start to let go.

"What? No, no, no, no. Death is not a solution. I know it hurts, Alex. And the only thing going through your mind is to end it all. But that won't fix anything, trust me. The best way to fight is to survive. You can't let these people win. You need to prove that you're stronger. Get revenge for what happened to your family by living. Be the strong girl they knew you could be," Gripping tightly to Alex's biceps, Nikita nearly shook the words into her. That couldn't be it for Alex; Division couldn't be the thing that broke her. That place didn't get to keep winning.

Managing to nod, Alex followed Nikita down one last hallway. The woman led her to a sizable air duct in a secluded section of the maze they just walked through. She wanted to ask her about it, and about how exactly they were to escape. However, Nikita was too focused on forcing open the vent. It was a bit stuck, and it made a terrible sound as it opened, yet their chance at freedom was finally available. For a second at least. Soon, footsteps echoed down the hall followed by Amanda's voice, "Nikita, you were supposed to take Alex to the training floor."

"Go, Alex. Now," Muttering just loud enough for Alex to hear, Nikita shoved the teenager behind her back towards the open air vent. She set her feet firmly into the ground, prepared to fight off Kelly, Amanda, and the armed guards that were filing into the hallway. She shouldn't have expected things to go as smoothly as they did. But she at least thought they could've gotten outside before disaster struck. Again, she never had that much luck. It'd be a fight to the finish, just like it always was.

"What is going on?" Bewildered, Amanda attempted to study the scene before her. When her ice blue eyes landed on the girl hiding behind Nikita, her confusion increased. But only for a moment. As Alex stared at her, her gaze softened. The teen felt strangely assured by the look. She couldn't help but recall the conversation the two had had after Nikita introduced her to her new life. Amanda had offered her a home, a place to finally stop running. Alex wanted to believe it. Even after learning the truth of Division, she still wanted to believe the comfort she was extended. It had been so long since she was home. Could she really stop running.

"Александра, мне нужно, чтобы ты бежала. Теперь!" Why wouldn't Alex move. Nikita shoved for her to go, yet the teenager remained still. Maybe the guns frightened her too much. Maybe the sight of men threatening to kill her sent her right back to the brothel, or that fateful night. Regardless, Nikita's urges meant nothing. Alex was glued to her spot, staring fixedly at Amanda. There had to be another way to escape- somehow get out of that moment alive. Except, that possibility was quickly slipping away. The two were fucked.

"Alexandra… as in Alexandra Udinov… oh, Nikita. What did you do?" Amanda actually seemed hurt by the question. She came to the same conclusion about Alex Nikita had, and realized her protégé had betrayed her five years ago. Her heart shattered. That didn't stop her from sicking the guards on the rogue agent, however. As Kelly ripped Alex away from Nikita, she shouted and tried to hold onto the girl. That couldn't be it; they had to keep fighting. But then the guns rang, and destruction and loss fell on her one last time.

"No!"

Chapter Text

She had forgotten how good it felt- the instant relief that flowed through her veins and numbed her thoughts. For the first time in a long time, her lips lifted in a smile. Maybe it wasn't a real smile, but it was good enough. Her eyes could slip closed, and she could drift off without her thoughts. Finally, nothing was screaming at her too loud to be silenced. The anxiety and guilt rotting her stomach was replaced by artificial bliss. She knew it wouldn't last long, yet how could she care when she felt so great. Freedom felt as though it was coursing through her veins. She was free for one infinitesimal moment.

Gunshots had rang in her ears for a week. Nikita kept hearing the panic and the screams and the chaos that had echoed off the walls. She had been so fucking stupid. It was all her fault. If she had thought, if she had planned, if she had just been smart for once in her goddamn life, none of that would've happened. Everything that had gone wrong wouldn't have happened. Nikita was to blame for everything that occurred to Alexandra after that night at the Udinov estate. She couldn't deny it. She had thought she had saved the girl, given her some kind of life. Instead, she prolonged her death sentence.

Alex was gone, trapped inside Division because of Nikita's choices. The teenager was dragged off by Amanda while the new rogue did everything she could to save them both. It was a long shot no matter what she did, however. The fact that she had managed to escape had been a miracle. She hadn't left Division completely unscathed. A bullet had been lodged deeply into her shoulder. At least she was able to slam Kelly's head into the wall and shoot some guards. That gave her enough cover to scurry through the air vents, grit her way up the silo, and run for her life. Except, who cared about that when Alex was lost. She was dragged into hell and kept there.

Nikita didn't know if Amanda had dragged Alex off to kill her immediately, to torture the both of them as they died by Division's hands, or to do something else equally horrific and unimaginable. She didn't want to put any thought into any possibility. Nikita could only focus on her own survival. Maybe if she made it out alive, Alex could too. She could go back for the girl; rescue her one last time. The bullet in the new rogue's shoulder said otherwise, though. There was no point in returning to Division. She and the teen would die instantly- if the girl wasn't dead already. She had lost so much. She had been such a goddamn idiot.

For a week, that was all Nikita could think about. She caused death everywhere she went. She couldn't escape that even if she ran from Division. The bodycount she had left behind expressed how monstrous she was. No one was safe from her; everyone was dead. She would be dead next once Division caught up to her. Although she removed her tracker and dropped entirely off the grid, she knew at any moment she would be next to die. Nikita hoped for it. It was what she deserved. No one who had caused the same amount of pain she had should be allowed to live. Maybe the state of New Jersey was right in issuing her the death penalty.

Attempting to be righteous and moral had gotten her nowhere. Alexandra was dead anyway. Michael and Birkhoff were suffering regardless. Look at what Nikita had done. So what if being a monster allowed her to destroy Brandt and so many other terrible people. That had only made her despicable in return. Innocents were in agony. She hurt them far worse than Division ever could. She hadn't been their star and head of agents because she saved the country. She had destroyed it just as Percy wanted. God, Michael would love that she began to think like him. Percy was a villain, and she had been his ultimate weapon.

Though, not everything could be blamed on Percy and Amanda. Nikita was equally villainous. She could've said no. She had fought back by not killing Ari Tasorov in front of his son. She had fought back by not killing Alexandra Udinov that night. She had fought back by being in a relationship with Daniel Monroe. She could've made a bigger impact. There were many chances she could've just bolted; she knew how. Yet she chose to stay. Nikita chose to be Michael's and Birkhoff's enemy, Amanda's pet, and Alex's killer. She was just as awful as the people she had murdered in the service of Division.

Her thoughts needed to fucking shut up. Nikita had been stuck with them for a week. She attempted to survive on the run, stealing money and supplies whenever she could. She had to forge a new ID, and stay so below the radar that Division couldn't even dream of picking her up. Without Birkhoff in charge of the tech, that was fairly easy. She used the black ops group's training against them. Wasn't that a great 'fuck you'. Except, it wasn't enough- it wasn't enough for her sanity. She was running without rest and it was driving her insane.

The Ketamine was just to make it all stop. After a week of screaming hell inside her mind, she needed to relax. Nikita couldn't survive on her own if she was thinking about the death she deserved every two seconds. Ketamine had been her way to silence the demons before. She hadn't learned any other way to kill them. Besides, finding and robbing a dealer had been easy. She had enough to keep her going until she found a better solution. It was only to settle her nerves. Once that was over, she'd be fine.

However, the second she had a taste for the numbing mindless elixir again, she never wanted to go back to her pain. The Ketamine made her smile; it made her laugh and feel so fucking good. Who the fuck cared about Division or the hell she had caused. Nikita had escaped, and she could melt away into bliss. She didn't have to be a part of the harmful world anymore. She could drift along from one point to the next like she used to. That had worked so wonderfully for a couple years in her childhood; she had forgotten all about Gary in that time. What was so awful about doing it again. Maybe she could forget more- slip into oblivion more.

In hindsight, Alex should've escaped with Nikita. She should've kept running and never looked back. She had just been overwhelmed by fear, doubt, and a hope that she could return home. That was such a stupid thing to cling to. After five years, there was no chance of her ever returning home. The estate, her family, it was all gone. Everything burned to the ground that night, except for her. Alex should've just accepted the fact and moved on. She couldn't go back; she couldn't be happy again. She simply had to carve out some sort of life from the shit she had been given and pray for the best she could manage.

Stuck inside the walls of Division, Alex doubted any of that could happen. She was going to be trained as a killer. Was that the kind of life her parents wanted from her. She was going to kill for a foreign government, her autonomy and identity completely erased. And once the hired gun was done with her, they'd kill her. She saw it happen to Nikita. The woman dared to defy them, and she was murdered for her efforts. Nikita was murdered for Alex, and she had just let it happen. She should've followed the woman. They should've saved each other.

Why wouldn't she move when Nikita wanted her to. If she had, could they have both survived and been free of their pasts. Alex doubted it. Division was formidable. They killed her entire family and their head agent. They were going to kill her next. Except, the blow never came. She waited hours, but nothing happened. She just sat in a plainly yet elegantly decorated office while Amanda dealt with the fallout of the situation. Alex wasn't told anything, and nothing was done to her. Only a guard watched her as she sat stiffly on a sofa. It was as though she was in limbo, awaiting certain death.

Anxiety clawed at her throat and rocked her stomach. Waiting for death was so much worse than facing it. Alex had always hoped that when she died it'd be peaceful. She'd get too high and simply drift off in her sleep, her body not able to handle the amount of heroin. She didn't want to die in a rage of bullets and fire like her parents. The panic and screams echoed in her ears whenever she closed her eyes. She didn't want to go out like that. She'd rather live her shitty life than experience that hell.

Fortunately- or unfortunately, Alex hadn't decided yet- none of that rained down on her. Amanda returned to her office calmly. She smiled at the young woman, a sickly sweetness washing over her. Alex couldn't help but be somewhat drawn in. Maybe she could blame the whirlwind of a day- month- she had been forced to endure. She hadn't been able to relax since she was thrown in jail. But Amanda's smile seemed nice enough for her to melt into. She could forget for a moment. She could allow herself to breathe. There was a reason she had hesitated in following Nikita's orders. Amanda had offered home.

Actually, she continued to offer home; her sales pitch simply shifted since she knew who Alex truly was. Yes, Division had killed her family. But they were only a weapon hired by an enemy of her father's (Nikita had said the same thing). Division and the group that ran it had made a deal with Sergei Semak, her father's best friend and right hand man, in exchange for power and control (Nikita hadn't said that). Semak backed out of the deal, however, leaving the black ops group in the lurch. Percy and Amanda and their bosses wanted their revenge. And Alexandra could be their way to achieve that.

Staring blankly at Amanda, Alex had no idea what to say. She didn't even know what to think. Why couldn't things be simple again. What was with all the conspiracies and vies for power. Couldn't she be involved in something normal. Though, revenge did sound nice. How dare Semak turn on her father. Papa had given him so much; he had loved him. And what did Semak do to repay his gratitude, he killed everyone and stole Zetrov. Alex wanted to kill him. She thought her Uncle Sergei had been as much of a victim as she had been. Yet he had caused her all her pain. He destroyed everything.

So he had to be destroyed in return. Amanda's smile appeared to turn sincere as lividity washed over Alex. She said that it was good for her to feel angry. The anger meant she was still human- that Semak hadn't stolen too much from her. In fact, Alexandra could steal it all back. She could attack Semak like he had attacked her, and everything would be hers again. She could get revenge for her pain, and the anger in her veins would be replaced with happiness and satisfaction. Amanda could promise her that much. Revenge would feel oh so sweet.

And, most importantly, Division could help Alex reach her goal. Their training, resources, and information could make her indomitable. Nothing could stop her with the might of the black ops group behind her. Amanda's grin turned too sugary again at the offer; however, the young woman was already swayed. She couldn't deny how angry she was. She had been so angry since that night. That was her chance to finally express it. There was something constructive that she could do. She could take hold of her life and fight like her father had wanted. Her enemies would pay for all they had done to her.

It was a terrible idea, though. Alex shouldn't fall for it. There had to be a catch. Division wouldn't just train her to kill Semak then let her go once it was done. They had to want something in return. Maybe it was the power and control they had wanted from Semak. However, she wouldn't listen to her own thoughts. All the pain she had experienced could go away- and without the use of drugs. She'd kill the man responsible for her ruined life, and it would be okay again. Alex's world would be set right. Amanda extended her hand out to the young woman, and she took it. Without hesitation, she agreed to be an agent of vengeance.

Birkhoff continued to nurse his hand. He wanted to push through the pain and suck it up, yet the damage was too great. He had to continue to suffer. Michael did his best to help, even setting up a speech to text software for the hacker. However, he was suffering just as badly. It wasn't his injured shoulder, though. He couldn't get Nikita out of his head. The look she had given him haunted his nightmares. She wasn't his Nikita- not that she ever was his. The young agent he had left in Division wasn't the same one he faced against. She had been molded into something else. She had been destroyed.

What had Michael done. Going rogue hadn't done as much damage against Division as he had thought. He and Birkhoff had only ruined missions here and there and saved potential targets. The black ops group was still operating at full strength. The two had to do something to change up their game. They had to find a real weakness in Division and exploit it. All they could come up with were Percy's black boxes. Yet, they had no idea how to begin finding and using those. It was becoming hopeless. They couldn't give up, but there was nothing for them to do besides wait for divine inspiration.

Michael spent months working on just that. While he and Birkhoff healed their wounds, they gathered as much information and resources as they could. It wasn't a lot. They were drowning in nothingness. Whereas Birkhoff was slowly accepting their reality, letting it drift him towards giving up the crusade, Michael held firm. He couldn't give up. There were innocents to save, and he couldn't let them down. There had to be a way for them to triumph. The underdogs always won in movies, so why couldn't they in their war. Victory had to be possible.

After a few months, Michael thought he was onto something. He potentially found a way for him and Birkhoff to attack Division efficiently. He just needed the supplies- and intel. Information would be difficult to obtain, yet equipment he could buy in the city near their latest safehouse. Wandering the streets, Michael ran through different thoughts and ideas that rested heavily on his mind. He couldn't rest when there was so much for him to consider and plan for. He could never relax until his job was done. However, Michael could be distracted. Noises from a dark alley pulled at his attention. Cautiously, he glanced over.

A junkie appeared to be soliciting a dealer for drugs with sex. The dealer, however, was more interested in taking what he wanted and leaving the junkie with nothing. Michael wanted to step in and help the junkie. She appeared to be hurting; she needed somebody to intervene. Surprisingly, though, she didn't need anyone to help her. As the dealer lunged at her, she knocked him unconscious with a single move- a Division move. Michael rushed over, abandoning his belongings in the street. That was his chance. He could use the agent for information. Except, as he drew closer, he nearly dropped to the ground in shock.

He hadn't expected the junkie to be her. Although she was too high to recognize him, Nikita glared at Michael like he was a threat. The world seemed to freeze before it shattered.

Chapter Text

Slowly gathering his thoughts, Michael couldn’t talk Nikita down. Even when he told her who he was, she continued to glare at him like he was going to hurt her- or like she was going to hurt him. Either was possible in her condition. God, how could she be high. Wasn’t she in Division. Didn’t Amanda have things in place so addicts couldn’t relapse. Wouldn’t Percy kill her instantly if he knew. What was Nikita doing. And what was Michael doing just standing there. She needed his help. There had to be something he could do to make up for the pain he caused her. He had to be able to protect her like he hadn’t before. Maybe then was his chance.

If only he could get her to understand that he just wanted to keep protecting her. When Michael tried to approach her, Nikita went for the attack. Honestly, he was lucky she was high. Although she was still extremely dangerous, he managed to dodge her sloppy fists. Her stance was wobbly, and he could take advantage of that. He swept her off her feet and quickly knocked her unconscious. What he was to do with her after that escaped him. He could take her to the safehouse and help her get clean. But how the hell was he supposed to do that. He guessed he’d just have to improvise something; though, that eventually earned him a slap to the face.

“At least I’m not stupid enough to get high the second I split,” What was wrong with Michael. He knew better than to stoop to her level. She was angry and hurting; of course she slapped him when things got too real. He had to remain calm, help Nikita understand no one was going to hurt her ever again. Snapping at her simply made things worse. She struggled to pull out of his hold and run away from his sight. He refused to let her go. That only made her start screaming again, however, “Stop fighting me. You’re only going to get hurt.”

“You have no idea how much pain I can take,” Nikita seethed. She was probably right. Michael didn’t know what had happened to her since he left. She more than likely went through hell and back a million times within the horrid walls of Division. However, that didn’t take away the fact that she was experiencing terrible withdrawal and constantly fighting him. She violently twisted one last time in his grasp, her shoulder popping. The sound of it shocked him so much, he let go of her to see if she was alright. That was when she slammed her head into his and sprinted out of the bathroom.

Michael had to take a second to recover. His head throbbed and his thoughts were scrambled. But he had to fight through the fog so he could chase after Nikita. Birkhoff hadn’t returned from obtaining some new computer tech, so at least that wouldn’t be an issue. Yet she still couldn’t escape. Who knew what kind of disaster could befall them- her. Fortunately, she couldn’t go far. Her sudden movements and the pain in her shoulder caused bile to rock her stomach and her head to swim. She stumbled in the hall, crashing against the wall. He easily caught up to her and pinned her in place, “Will you just talk to me?”

“Why did you leave Division?” Instantly, Nikita spat. Her face was pale and her eyes slipped closed to fight the ringing in her ears, but she was resolute in her demand. She didn’t care about herself or wherever the fuck she was. She just wanted answers from Michael. She needed to know why he left her and Birkhoff. She wanted an explanation for her anger- a reason to actually hate him. Yet, most importantly, she wanted to know what was so damn important to him that he broke his promise to her.

“It’s not about Division, and it’s not about you. It’s about my wife,” Matching her intensity, Michael finally admitted. The fierce suddenness of his confession surprised even him. Nikita’s eyes snapped open to look at him in panic. Her gaze dropped to his left hand, half-expecting a wedding ring on his finger. Confusion marred her features deeper when she didn’t see one. She couldn’t comprehend what he was telling her. And neither could he.

He hadn’t expected to tell Nikita anything about his family; he hadn’t expected to tell anyone about them ever again. The truth just slipped out of Michael. It forced itself to be shared, filling the air between the two. Maybe it was so she would finally understand him. He needed her to understand his point of view. She had to know what was occurring. Though, Michael was aware that being honest with her was about more than that. It was a compulsive need of his to tell her everything, and he couldn’t figure out why. At least she couldn’t either, “Your what?”

“And my daughter,” Michael continued as though Nikita hadn’t spoken. He couldn’t remember the last time he had spoken about Hayley and Elizabeth. It had to have been right after they had died, when Amanda was helping him process the pain. Those asinine therapy sessions didn’t last long, however. He buried the memory of his loved ones so deep, that once they resurfaced, he was shocked they were still there. Except, they still needed to be felt. They needed to be shared with someone else he cared about.

“You’re married and you have a daughter?” Unsure whether to be livid, concerned, or what, Nikita barely breathed. What the hell was Michael telling her. Since when did he have a wife and daughter. Did it happen after he escaped. He had fallen in love and started a new life outside Division. Or, had he always had them, and those moments he had had with her were false- a figment of her imagination. She honestly didn’t know which truth was harder to swallow.

“No. I… I did. They’re gone. They were killed in a car bomb, March 21st, 2001,” Michael let Nikita go. He didn’t have the strength or energy to pin her against the wall anymore. What was the point anyway. If she ran then, so be it. At least she was learning the truth. He was able to be honest with somebody. Some of the pain that had gripped his heart slightly lifted at the thought. He wasn’t struggling alone. He had someone that could be there for him, if she would accept the burden. He didn’t expect her to. She had her own shit to deal with. To take on his as well would be too great. It might’ve been better for her to just hear it and let it all go.

However, Nikita wasn’t going anywhere. She stepped cautiously towards him. Every ounce of fury had drained out of her, and she could feel the gut wrenching sorrow that etched across Michael’s face. It had been a little less than ten years since he had lost his family, but the pain of it was still so present. It was almost like he couldn’t bear the weight of it. God, did she understand that. A part of her wanted to reach out and soothingly stroke his cheek, yet she held herself back. She didn’t think she could touch him, “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Nobody knows. Only Percy, and Amanda. Now you,” Michael wouldn’t look at her. Nikita shouldn’t give him her sympathy. He wasn’t exactly looking for it. He was simply trying to help her. In fact, his focus shouldn’t even be focused on his own pain at the moment. Her shoulder was still dislocated. He should help her pop it back into the socket, ease the discomfort coursing through her body. As he gently moved her arm and slipped it back in place, she didn’t flinch. Maybe that was a good sign. Or, she was simply enthralled by his words, “And Kasim.”

“As in Kasim Tariq?” That was a fact Nikita actually knew. That name made sense to her, and she could hold to it to ground her. So much was coming at her so fast. She wasn’t sure what to process first. The amount of Ketamine flushing out of her system didn’t help. In fact, it made everything worse. Her body slumped back against the wall, needing to rest. Since her shoulder was fixed, the bile in her stomach made itself known again. She fought to control it. Michael hadn’t finished expressing what he had been holding back.

“In 2001 Kasim wasn’t a famous terrorist. He was a low level snitch. And all that changed when he betrayed me. After he killed my family, he became a hero in the ranks of Al-Qaeda. That’s the reason why I joined Division in the first place. To find him and kill him,” Finally, Michael connected his ever-so serious green eyes to Nikita’s imploring brown. She was hooked on his every word. She wasn’t fighting him anymore. He probably should’ve told her everything a long time ago. It was obvious then that she would’ve been far better off on his side of the war. Yet, what was hindsight if not a cold hearted bitch.

“And did you?” Quietly, Nikita wondered. That would definitely explain why he left. Michael had completed his mission; he could then spend the rest of his days destroying what he knew to be evil. He had used Division, and he was willing to ensure no one else could. Nikita could somewhat see the nobility in that. Since he had avenged his family, he was going to avenge others as well. It was far more heroic than she had ever been.

“No. But I did find out he was a Division plant, ordered to kill a Naval intelligence officer so he could be a mole inside Al-Qaeda. He missed, killing the officer’s family instead,” There it was, the full truth. Boiling lividity filled Michael’s veins. He didn’t think he would ever not be furious with what Division- with what Percy- had done. It was beyond unforgivable. There was no reason for it, no justifiable excuse. Hayley and Elizabeth had died for nothing.

Nikita couldn’t stand any longer. Whether it was the shock of his statement or her swimming headache, she wasn’t sure. It was possibly an awful mix of both. As she slipped down the wall to the ground, Michael held her arms in support. Why the fuck was he comforting her anyway. He was the one going through hell. She was just a bystander to his pain. She had thought what Alexandra had gone through was appalling. But apparently, Alex wasn’t the only one who lost everything to the hellhole she was forced to work for, “Division killed your family.”

“Alexandra Udinov reminded me of my daughter. She’s only a couple years older. She made me take a deeper look into Kasim. I couldn’t let any more kids die. That was when I found out the truth. So, I left. I have to destroy Division, Nikita. They can’t hurt anyone else,” Sitting in front of Nikita, Michael practically pleaded with her. She had to have known that by then. She seemed as distraught by the truth as he felt. She was also there, at his safehouse, instead of at Division. He still didn’t understand why she finally left. But there was a chance it was for a similar reason he and Birkhoff had.

“I know. You’re not the only one who saw their past through Alexandra,” Nikita muttered. Although she didn’t want to, it was only fair that she told Michael her truth as well. He had shared so much of his heart while she just sat there. The sentiment had to be returned. Their understanding had to go both ways. Maybe if it did, he’d let her return to where she was. She wasn’t exactly sure she wanted to go back there. However, she knew she couldn’t stay wherever she was with him. Her presence only ruined things. If Michael and Birkhoff wanted to keep whatever they had going for them, then she had to leave. She had to leave them for good.

“What are you talking about?” Michael’s hands remained on Nikita’s forearms, keeping her from going anywhere. He should’ve removed them. He didn’t need to be touching her, or gently running his thumb across her bronze skin. That had to cross a line. They weren’t at that point; they were nowhere near it. Just because the two were sharing their stories, didn’t mean he could hold her like they were friends- like they were closer than friends. He should let her go and give her space. Except, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull away from her.

“I thought I could save her. No one ever saved me, but I could be that chance for her. I gave her to a family friend that night, hoping she would live as normal a life as she could,” Although Nikita refused to look at Michael, she didn’t slip out of his hold. She knew she shouldn’t, but she found comfort in his touch. It was almost like how things used to be for them. They could pretend for a moment that nothing had been ruined. Division and her actions had never stepped between them. They could be friends again.

For the briefest of seconds, Michael thought about kissing her. She was still his Nikita. She hadn’t let Percy or Amanda completely claw their way under her skin. She continued to raise hell and act from her heart. Except, she wasn’t his. He had to remind himself of that. Nikita wasn’t his, and he couldn’t kiss her. Michael didn’t even know why that thought had been his initial reaction. It was probably just the euphoria that an innocent really had been saved from Division. The hellhole didn’t always win. He was so in awe, “You saved Alexandra Udinov?”

“She was sold to sex traffickers. She escaped, but not the junk they hooked her on. Now she’s just like me. She’s too much like me,” Immediately, and tearfully, Nikita negated. She didn’t do anything. Alex was never saved. Her death was only prolonged, and she was thrown through incomprehensible hell beforehand. Nikita had made everything worse by playing the hero. She was possibly a worse villain than Percy and Amanda.

“She’s in Division?” Michael felt as though the air had been stolen from his lungs. That had to have been what Nikita meant. Alexandra was just like her because she was a tortured junkie turned Division recruit. Fighting the strong pull of tears, Nikita nodded. How was that possible. How did a victim end up inside the hellhole after being saved. That had to have been the cruelest twist of fate imaginable. Michael was fairly certain that it was worse than what he had experienced. At least he had some control in his actions. Alexandra never stood a chance.

Shoving herself away from Michael, Nikita did everything she could to not break down. Where was another hit when she needed one. She had to get out of that safehouse. She had to keep running, keep forgetting. All of her pain and guilt had to vanish. She needed to kill the monster within, “I tried to get her out, but she wouldn’t come. Amanda caught me and I had to run. I never saved anybody. I made it worse. I’m still a monster.”

“No, you’re not. You did the best thing possible. Trust me. You did something good,” Michael reached for Nikita again. She couldn’t slip away when they were moving so close. That would’ve been a grave mistake; saving someone’s life definitely wasn’t. She had to see how amazing she was. There was good mixed in the bad. He was completely aware of that. Ignoring everything only made the pain worse. There had to be a balance in order to live.

“Just shut up,” Struggling to her feet, Nikita bit. She just felt so weak. She couldn’t handle anything, nor did she want to handle anything. The best thing for her to do was drift off, never to be seen again. Whether that was with the help of drugs, or just wasting away until she died, she didn’t care. None of it actually mattered. As long as the monster that resided inside her heart was destroyed, then all would be right with the world.

“No. Not until you believe you’re worth it,” Fiercely grabbing hold of her arm, Michael yanked Nikita back to him. It might’ve been easier to just let her go, but he refused. He wanted to save the people hurt by Division, didn’t he. Then he should start with her.

Chapter Text

Although her brown eyes flashed in lividity, there was no fight left in Nikita’s weary body. Her head pounded, her stomach rolled, and her shoulder continued to throb. She couldn’t fight against Michael if she wanted to. And, God, did she want to. She tried to shove away from him as he closed the gap between them; however, his grip was so strong and her muscles were so weak. All she could do was curse and struggle as he easily picked her up and carried her to another room, “You fucking bastard! You stupid son of a bitch!”

The curse didn’t have as much of a stinging effect anymore. Not that Michael was used to (or even okay with) Nikita yelling and kicking at him, he was simply too focused on other things. Namely, he couldn’t believe how light she was. She had looked thinner than when he last saw her- sickly thinner- but the ease at which he could heft her over his shoulder was striking; she had even been that light as he carried her unconscious deadweight out of the alley. Her relapse wasn’t, as he had believed, only about forgetting the horrid hell of Division. All she really wanted was to kill herself.

Another crack made its way across his already damaged heart; except, he couldn’t let that overwhelm him. Nikita’s pain wasn’t about him. Michael could help her carry the burden, supply ways she could heal herself, yet ultimately it was all up to her. There were going to be times where he had to step back. Not right then, however. She needed to rest. His and Birkhoff’s latest safehouse had enough extra rooms for her to crash in one of them, yet- for some reason- he carried her to his bedroom. He wasn’t able to place her gently on the mattress with all of her thrashing. He did his best, but she ended up plopping down with an annoyed yelp regardless. 

It took Nikita a moment to recover. Yet once she did, she attempted to scramble off of the bed. Michael shoved her back down immediately. Whether he intentionally applied pressure to her injured shoulder or not, was lost on her. She fell back against the pillows wincing. Her eyes shut closed to block out the pain and the rest of the hell her body was going through. That wasn’t a good idea. The mattress and comforter were so soft, and the pillows smelled so much like Michael. She could melt into the comfort. Her body finally began to relax, even though her mind revolted against the idea. She shouldn’t find any of that soothing. She should keep fighting.

“Just sleep, Nikita. Just rest,” Softly, Michael urged. Nikita didn’t want to follow his orders. She tried to sit up once more. Yet the pull of the bed was too great. Her head buried into one of the pillows, and she began to drift off. He sighed in relief. For a moment, he continued to watch her, ensuring she truly was falling asleep. He knew he should leave her alone, but he was afraid to. What if something were to happen as she slept. She was stronger than that, though. He had to remind himself that she had always been stronger than the shit thrown at her.

Eventually, Michael forced himself to leave Nikita’s side. She had begun to shiver; she needed a blanket. She’d also need water and a change of clothes once she woke. A shower should also be in her future, yet they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. He wrapped her in the biggest and softest blankets he could find, placed several water bottles on the nightstand next to her, and set aside his old sweats (that would no doubt dwarf her small frame) for her to use. Thankfully, she slept through all the movements around her. She was well and truly out of it.

A small smile pulled at his lips against his will. He was just glad she could have some semblance of peace as she slept. Unable to help himself, Michael reached out to brush her wild, dirty, dark hair out of her face. Nikita hummed slightly at the feeling, but otherwise didn’t stir. With her hair out of the way, he could see the angry, bloody mark on her neck left behind by the scissors. The cut would have to be cleaned and disinfected when she showered- if she was willing to take care of herself that much. He had no idea how he was going to convince her to. How could he make her believe she was worthy of living, when all she wanted to do was die.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t spend the time thinking that over. Michael had to clear his head first, get his own raging emotions in check before he dealt with hers. His heart was still raw after he shared his family with Nikita. The way she had looked at him as he did so, full of sympathy and softness, only made it worse. How did she manage to grieve for his loss when she was experiencing her own pain and hell. She simply proved how much better than him she was. While he let Division destroy who he was, she kept fighting. She always kept fighting.

Maybe he could use that fact to help her see her worth. Yet, in the meantime, Michael had to allow himself to breathe. He also had to clean the mess that was left behind in the bathroom. Doing something active like that could give his frantic mind a chance to settle and relax. He could just think as he tossed the broken zip ties, straightened out the cabinets, put everything back in its place, and scrubbed at the blood that stained the scissors. His thoughts betrayed him then. They moved from simple to menacing in a second. Nikita had been right about the destructive force of Division. Going rogue hadn’t been the fight for justice he believed it was.

Innocents still weren’t completely saved, and the recruits he wanted to protect kept getting hurt. Nikita had been so destroyed by Percy and Amanda that she no longer thought well of herself. She wanted to kill the monster she believed she had become. Though, if Michael was being honest, it wasn’t just her belief. He saw the person Division had made her months ago. He couldn’t pretend he was the proponent of good becoming rogue was supposed to make him. He was as shitty as ever. After all, he still hadn’t gotten vengeance for his family.

“You good?” Birkhoff suddenly appearing in the bathroom doorway startled Michael. He jumped, and almost dropped the scissors in his hands. The agent hadn’t realized how long he had been standing there, staring at Nikita’s blood, until the sudden movement made his joints pop. Cleaning hadn’t been the catharsis he thought it would’ve been. The concerned glance the nerd shot his way expressed as much. He had been so wrapped up in his morose thoughts that nothing else appeared to matter. It was difficult to readjust his mindset to a more positive outlook.

“Jesus, Birkhoff. Don’t sneak up on me,” Although grateful for the interruption from the dark turn his thoughts had taken, Michael nearly shouted at the nerd. He forced his voice to stay low, however, ever conscious of Nikita sleeping in his bed down the hall. The last thing he needed was for her to wake and escape while Birkhoff was standing in the hall. It especially wouldn’t have gone over well with his muddled headspace. Michael had desperately wanted Nikita to rest, but maybe he should too. The only surefire way to work through his shredded emotions was to stop everything and simply be; though, that was an arduous task to undertake.

“Alright then. Good talk,” Grumbling and rolling his eyes, Birkhoff tapped on the doorway and left. He was only going to inform Michael of the new hardware and tech he had bought (and sort of stole). Yet, when he found him in the bathroom, he instantly became worried. The agent was definitely going through something as he held the scissors. Something terrible was on his mind, and the hacker wanted to know what it was. If Michael wasn’t going to let him in, though, then Birkhoff wouldn’t put in the effort.

“Wait. We do need to talk,” After a moment, the agent threw the ruined scissors in the trash (he’d just have to buy another pair) and followed the nerd down the hall. It wasn’t fair to shut him out. The two had grown incredibly close over the years they had been rogue together. They were a team. They were friends. They were brothers. Michael had to be honest with Birkhoff. Spilling his closely guarded secrets to Nikita had been freeing. Letting his friend know his reasons for everything would be even more so. His mind could finally be free of the damaging thoughts that plagued him.

Birkhoff took the news of Hayley and Elizabeth well. He needed a long moment to process the fact that Michael had had a wife and daughter who were killed by Division. Yet, he instantly understood the agent’s aggressive need to protect people against Percy and the hellhole. The hacker had figured something had occurred in his friend’s past to make him so determined to save and protect people. The tragic loss of his family wasn’t a possibility that had crossed his mind, but the truth of the universe was always harsher than anyone’s imagination.

Despite the support Birkhoff showed him for Hayley and Elizabeth, Michael chickened out on telling him about Nikita. He really should’ve told his friend about the woman sleeping off her withdrawal symptoms in his bed. But dumping the truth about his family was shocking enough. The agent didn’t want to place more weight on the nerd’s shoulders, especially when he didn’t even know what to do with Nikita. Michael had to figure that out soon, however. None of them deserved to remain in limbo. There had to be something they could do to fix their current state. At least his head was starting to clear enough for him to set some plans in motion.

Amanda kept Nikita’s escape under tight wraps. No one was to know the full truth of what happened, not even the agents and guards that had witnessed it. They were led to believe that Nikita had snapped and thought taking a recruit with her as she ran away would ensure her safety. Everyone was convinced that she had finally chased after Michael, his pull on her too great. Alex wasn’t entirely certain who that man was or what that lie meant. But she did know that her true identity had to remain a secret. Only Amanda, Percy, and whatever Oversight was were to know who she was. She would stay safe that way.

As they moved forward, Alex’s safety was the most important thing on Division’s mind. She had to stay alive if they were going to finally take what Sergei Semak owed them. The young woman didn’t necessarily care about that, though. She needed to keep living so she could kill Semak. What happened to Zetrov after that didn’t matter. Percy, Amanda, and Oversight could have her father’s old business. Her revenge was the only important thing to her. Her so-called uncle needed to pay for what he did to her family. He betrayed their trust and their love. Since he was too corrupt to be taken down by the law, she was going to be the one to do it.

Nevermind that she had never killed someone before. It couldn’t be that hard. All Alex had to do was pull the trigger. She was filled with enough rage that she could handle that without any problem. The fact that Division was going to train her to become an efficient spy and assassin and give her the resources she needed to have her revenge was simply an added bonus. She should probably keep in mind that the organization was the weapon that killed her family, and Nikita had tried to save her from them twice. Yet she had her goal in mind, and a means to achieve it. After that, who cared what happened to Division or anyone else.

Alex still had to train with everybody else, however. In order for her identity to remain a secret and for the mission to kill Semak be under control, she had to act like a normal recruit. She did have special breaks where she and Amanda would discuss her mission. But otherwise, she had to follow the same rules, go through the same program, and adhere to the same schedule. After the adventure she had already been through with Nikita and discovering the full truth about Operation Pale Fire, that just seemed tedious. It got to the point that she was almost excited when another recruit approached her table, “You’re gonna die in here. You know that?”

Annoyance quickly replaced Alex’s almost excitement. She glared at the other young woman, not interested in the mind games. The recruit didn’t let up, however. It was as though she wanted to assert herself as the bully in the underground bunker. She wanted to put the newbie in her place, despite not knowing anything about her. Alex couldn’t take it. Maybe it was the stress of the last few days, or maybe her anger really had reached new heights, but she snapped at the recruit. Her lunch tray went flying and she brandished her plastic fork like it was a weapon.

Before the recruit could do anything, a young man grabbed her and pulled her down in the seat. He ordered Alex to sit as well, warning that the guards would have to take action if she didn’t. Although she doubted any harm would come to her, she did as she was told. The recruits introduced themselves and explained the situation, but Alex wasn’t listening. She didn’t intend to make friends. She was only going to be in and out of Division. She didn’t want to care for the people inside, even if the man, Thom, tried to make her, “Look, we’re recruits just like you. I’ve been in almost a year. They brought Jaden in two months ago. None of us are volunteers.”

“Meaning, whatever they got on you, whatever your big bad past is, it’s nothing we haven’t heard before,” Jaden built off of Thom’s statement, still attempting to intimidate the newbie. Alex only smirked. She nearly blurted that they had no idea, yet she bit her tongue back. Just because she was treated as more special, didn’t mean she could flaunt it in front of the others. That could expose her identity; it could also ruin her chance to get revenge. She had to play it cool, despite the fact that wiping the smug grin off of Jaden’s face would be so satisfying.

“Meaning, we need to stick together if we want to make it through training. Now, you can start by telling us your name,” Thom revised, actually extending a welcoming hand to Alex. For a second, she thought about accepting it. She had been brash with the other recruits out of self-preservation or whatever, but maybe she didn’t have to. She had to make it through training in order to kill Semak. If Thom and Jaden were her way to do so, then she should rely on them. She was using Division for her own means, why not its recruits as well.

“Alex, Amanda’s ready to see you,” Just as Alex was about to respond, she was called away by a guard. Her blue eyes rolled, but- again- she followed the order. Jaden’s glare was like a dagger in her back, except she only giggled. The other recruit couldn’t stand that she was the new and interesting person in Division. Messing with her was going to be fun, especially as she spent more and more time in special meetings with Amanda. Everyone grew to suspect that Alex wasn’t a regular recruit (the rumor that she was the one Nikita tried to escape with helped) and that fact urged her to one up them all in training.

Over the months, her talent and stardom rose. Alex could feel herself closer to avenging her family. Semak would be dead within the year- she just knew it. However, her exceptionalism came at a price. Not only did Jaden (and, for some reason, the agent Kelly) have a target on her back, Percy wanted her on other missions to test her faithfulness and diligence. All of a sudden, she was reminded that she was still Division’s pawn to use; she didn’t have full autonomy. Alex had made a deal that was way over her head. What exactly had she gotten herself into.

Chapter Text

How was Michael supposed to care for someone who didn't want it. It wasn't as though he could force Nikita to let him help her once she woke. If she was determined to run right back out of the safehouse and forget everything that had occurred, then that would be what happened. He could only hope that she stayed. She had stayed throughout the rest of the night. Though, that was mostly because she was dead asleep. Michael was lucky he didn't need much sleep. Besides catching a couple of hours of rest on the couch, he was able to spend the night thinking about what to do with Nikita. His best plan was to just take it one step at a time.

What else was he to do when she would fight him on everything, and the situation could change in an instant. He had to keep adapting, keep thinking, and keep showing up when she needed him. Nikita was awake when Michael checked on her in the morning. She sat groggily in his bed, attempting to make sense of her surroundings. Instead of explaining anything- that would have to come with time- he simply told her she could use his shower and wear his sweats. He'd wash her clothes for her and make her some food. She stared at him in silence before slipping off the bed and tumbling towards the bathroom. He'd consider that a win.

Unfortunately, the feeling of success didn't last long. Nikita took less time getting ready than Michael had thought. In the time it took him to strip the bed, gather her clothes as she threw them out the bathroom door, and begin the laundry, she had scrubbed off her filth, cleaned the cut on her neck, chugged one of the water bottles on the nightstand, and redressed. He wanted to intercept her before she left the bed and bath area; he still needed to tell Birkhoff she was in the safehouse. Yet, he never got the chance. The stray woman walked into the livingroom, and the startled hacker shouted, "Whoa. No. What's Amanda's demon spawn doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Nerd," Nikita mumbled. Her voice was hoarse from all her screaming the day before. The one bottle of water she drank hadn't helped anything; except, she didn't intend to drink more. She stayed away from Birkhoff and everything else, arms crossed and eyes downcast. Regardless, the hacker scurried as far from her as possible. The commotion drew Michael hurriedly into the room. He feared he would have to diffuse a dangerous situation. He didn't want to think that Nikita would instantly hurt Birkhoff, yet she had been unpredictable with him. The nerd's panicked surprise probably wouldn't have made it any better.

"Back off. You're not crushing my hand again," However, Birkhoff was far more on edge than Nikita. There was a bite of fear and warning in his voice that made her stiffen. Her arms crossed tighter over herself, and she remained as still as possible. At the sight of her standing in the middle of the spacious livingroom adorned in oversized clothing, Michael couldn't help but think how small she looked. Without the drugs or her terrible withdrawal symptoms providing her anger, the weight of what had happened to her was evident. The world had beaten her down.

"Relax. I'm only a danger to myself," She wouldn't allow her words to portray that, though, even if her voice was quiet and scratchy. It was difficult to tell if she meant to joke sardonically or not; she didn't know herself. Avoiding both men, Nikita's gaze bore into the ground. She refused to meet Michael's concerned eyes and address Birkhoff's anxiety. Not only was it too much for the morning after she violently detoxed, she also wasn't planning on sticking around for long. She just needed her cleaned clothes (she didn't have that many of them) then she'd be gone. It was clearly the best for everybody.

Crossing towards Nikita, Michael continued to attempt to help her. Getting her to eat and drink more water wouldn't happen until after the current situation was resolved. But who knew when that would've been. She had closed herself off, and Birkhoff stared at the two incredulously. The nerd could never make sense of their dynamic when they were in Division. Outside of the hellhole, however, it was even more confusing, "Are you… Mikey, why is she here and in your clothes? You're not actually stupid enough to lead Division here, are you?"

"She's not with Division anymore. They burned her, just like they burned us," Finally, Michael clarified. He glanced at Nikita, hoping she would continue the story. She didn't. He sighed. He could probably just explain for her, yet he wasn't sure how much of her story he was allowed to share. No doubt she wouldn't want him telling everybody she had relapsed; that fact should come from her. As for everything else, well, even he was still trying to wrap his head around it. Alexandra Udinov surviving the attack on her family only to wind up in the very place that tried to kill her was too horrific to be true. What kind of cruel twist of the universe was that.

Birkhoff continued to glance between Michael and Nikita, still not understanding what was occurring. For a solid moment, he believed his friend had been duped. He had always had a soft spot for her, potentially even feelings for her. She probably played off of that, feeding him lies about being dumped by Division like they had. It was all a ploy to sneak into their safehouse and alert the strike team to their position. She had been that devious with her past targets, so why not with them. Though, Nikita didn't look like she was on some kind of seduction mission. She looked incredibly ill- a fact Birkhoff couldn't help but point out, "You look like shit."

"Yet somehow I still look better than you," Nikita was quick to fire back. For a brief second, humor flashed in her gaze. And for a brief second, a smile pulled at the corners of Birkhoff's lips. It was almost like old times. There was a small moment where they could pretend they were friends again. However, just as quickly as that feeling appeared, it disappeared right back into the ether. The nerd and the stray regarded one another in contempt. Their bodies tensed, and they pulled away from one another even more.

"There's no way Amanda's lackey went rogue," Returning to his original point, Birkhoff turned to Michael. He wouldn't believe the woman that had tried to kill them in the service of Division had willingly left the hellhole. Nothing could've made her change her mind in just a few short months. She had been completely brainwashed- one hundred percent believed the rhetoric Amanda and Percy spewed. How else could she have turned on her friends and hurt them in such horrific ways. She had been sucked in deep, and there was no chance for escape.

"You escaped and took out your tracker. Can't be that hard. Nice place by the way," Lacing her response in sarcasm was easier than replying with a real answer. Besides, Nikita was serious about the place. She had remained rooted in her spot, but she let her eyes take in her surroundings. Whereas she had been crashing at an abandoned loft in the city (mostly chosen because of its many windows to gaze out of), the two rogues had a spacious cabin in the woods. The trees that were just outside the expansive windows (that were more impressive than the ones in her loft) were breathtaking. It made her feel like she could take a full breath of air.

"Birkhoff, come here," Before Birkhoff could even utter a word, Michael dragged him out of Nikita's earshot. He really should've told him about her earlier. It might not have done anything to make his friend believe the truth, but at least the nerd and the stray wouldn't have been fighting. Birkhoff could've been more understanding of Nikita's presence. Though, Michael still wouldn't tell him of her drug use and suicide attempt. Again, that was something for her to share on her own, "She escaped months ago. We ran into each other in the city, and she needed some help. I'm just making sure she's safe."

The hacker was well aware there was more to the story. Nikita's pale and thin appearance, the way she slightly shook and scratched the crook of her elbow, and the fact that she wore Michael's old clothes clued Birkhoff onto that. Maybe she really had escaped, and she had been found in a worse place than Division. That could explain Michael's lack of explanation and anxiety. Whatever it was, the hacker needed the full story immediately, "Right. Anyway, what the hell happened to make Golden Girl there escape? It doesn't make sense."

"Amanda found out I wasn't the perfect soldier she thought I was. It was either leave Division or die a gruesome death. I chose to go out on my own terms," Some of her bravado came back to her as she explained her escape. Allowing her anger for Amanda and for her own choices gave her enough drive to approach the men. However, Nikita refused to talk about Alex. Once had been more than enough. It was a type of pain that couldn't be explored over and over and over again. All she had done was hurt the girl when she should've saved her.

"What'd you do? Tell her she looked ugly in one of those dresses?" Birkhoff couldn't stop himself from scoffing in disbelief. Nikita had nearly killed her old friends. That sounded like a perfect soldier to him. Nikita matched his glare, though, struggling with whether she should raise to his taunt, share the truth, or say nothing at all. Michael thought she would settle on silence. Her voice had shown the wear of her previous screaming, and after a night of sleep she might've learned to put more stock in her stubborn silence. She used to do it as a recruit, much to his, Birkhoff's, and everyone else's annoyance.

"I saved my target's life," Yet, Nikita decided on surprising the two rogues. Chin lifted in haughty defiance, she admitted the truth- at least, a part of the truth. Birkhoff actually shut up for once. He was stunned into silence by the confession. Out of everything that could've made Amanda potentially turn on her, he hadn't expected that. Not even he nor Michael were that openly defiant in Division, and they had gone rogue. But Nikita had always been more reckless with her life than them; she had always not cared about what Amanda or Percy would do to her.

While Birkhoff finally stopped talking, Michael took his chance to convince Nikita to stay. He was aware that her slipping out of his bedroom without him near was another escape attempt. Although he wouldn't draw attention to it, he was still going to convince her that she had to eat, wait for her clothes, and heal. Taking care of herself more than likely was the bigger challenge. But if he gave her a goal in mind, then maybe she'd listen. Maybe she'd stop fighting the people who cared about her if she had some kind of hope, "And that target's in danger now. We need to focus on saving her."

"She's already dead, Michael. Give it a rest," Nikita had to fight to keep the lividity out of her voice. She didn't want to lose it in front of Birkhoff. She was still so tired and weak, and she honestly wanted to keep sleeping. Crawling back into Michael's bed was appealing. Except, she shouldn't fall for that temptation. Being surrounded by his warmth and comfort did something to her that she didn't want to explore, especially after their talk the night before. She just wanted to collect her cleaned clothes and leave. Staying any longer would cause trouble.

"You don't know that. Having Alexandra Udinov gives Oversight an edge. They're not going to let Percy or Amanda kill her. They need her. So we're going to save her, again," His words were far more determined than he felt. But with all of the uncertainties and desperation around them, continuing to protect innocents from Division was the best goal to have. Michael was certain they could eventually defeat their enemies. They just needed more resources. They needed more passion, drive, and motivation. Michael's ever growing anger for that hellhole was certainly a motivator. He had to make Percy pay for what he had done to so many people.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bewildered, Birkhoff demanded Michael explain whatever conversation he and Nikita were having. The nerd only barely recognized the name Alexandra Udinov. He could've sworn she was a Division target or something. If that was the case, why the hell would Oversight have her. Nikita might've been able to answer that if she knew what Oversight was. She thought she had once heard Percy and Amanda talk about having to follow people's orders. But she thought that was just the government. More than likely, however, it was another corrupt group.

Michael was quick to provide clarity. As he briefly told Birkhoff about Alexandra Udinov surviving the Division attack on her family, he gave Nikita space to express her involvement. She didn't. He didn't exactly blame her. Instead, he focused on informing her about Oversight, and how the members were unknown corrupt government officials. Once she heard that, she nodded and began to leave. That was about it for her. She didn't want to learn any more harsh truths, "Have fun with your crusade. I wish you all the best. But I should probably get going."

"No, stay. We need your intel. We lost our eyes and ears in that place, and you're the only person who can help us now," It was a last ditch effort to make Nikita stay, but Michael still tried. He and Birkhoff had had a backdoor into Division's system that allowed them to gather information as they planned for their missions. However, when things went to hell and back months ago, the backdoor was destroyed. The two continued to scramble for intel. Nikita on their side could be their saving grace. She was the black ops unit's former star; she'd know how to tear that place to shreds. And if anyone deserved to set fire to that hellhole, it was her.

"That's unfortunate. But I really don't care what happens. Thanks for the clothes and everything," In all honesty, Nikita didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. She was grateful for the shower, the clean clothes, and the water. She was also grateful Michael had been honest with her about why he had to leave Division. What she wasn't sure of was if she actually didn't care about Division and the people the hellhole hurt. She cared enough to have fought for Alex twice. Yet look at where that got her. Alex was dead, and Nikita hoped she was next.

"You don't want to hurt the people who did this to you? You don't want revenge against Amanda for turning you into a monster?" Nikita only managed to turn her back on the men before Michael's words stopped her cold in her tracks. Birkhoff backed away once more, but more out of fear for his friend than himself. That crossed the line. The hacker knew it, the agent knew it, and the stray knew it. She marched back up to the rogue and shoved her face in his. She didn't have the appearance of being small anymore. She was rage itself.

Whether that rage was directed at herself, Michael, or Division was left to be seen. Nikita simply seethed, "Damaging intel only. After that, I'm gone. And you don't try to find me."

Chapter Text

The entire time Nikita informed Michael and Birkhoff of the damaging intel she had against Division, she paced. She couldn't stand still. She also couldn't look at the two. She just let her rage fuel her, unwilling to focus on anything else. Her growling stomach and scratchy throat certainly called for her attention. But she wouldn't give in to their demands. She didn't want to eat or drink. She only wanted to keep moving- keep running. And the sooner she told the rogues everything, the sooner she could escape their damn safehouse, "That's all I know."

"That's all you know? Or that's all you're willing to share?" Michael challenged her. Nikita finally stopped moving to glare at him. She didn't even have to tell him and Birkhoff about the changes in Division or the operations that were in the works while she was there. She could've left them in the dark- left and never seen them again. They didn't get to be picky about what she told them. The two should've been grateful she decided to talk, especially after what Michael had said to her. She should've just slapped him and been done with it. But a part of her knew he was right. She wanted Division to burn for what they did to her.

"They're gonna kill General Safwani at the Wykland Hotel today at six. There will be four agents. Who they are, I don't know. I was supposed to pick them out, but I bailed. Figure it out when you save him," Highlighting the most important information, Nikita bit. She gave Birkhoff and Michael enough intel for them to form countermissions and cause real damage. She completed her side of the deal. She could be done, even if the part of her that wanted to burn Division screamed, "Oh. And if you really want to stick it to Percy, tell Safwani the oil companies hired Division."

That was it. Nikita had said what she needed to; she could leave. So why did she have to force herself to pull away. She was going to blame her exhaustion, and the fact that she had to find the laundry room to collect her cleaned clothes. Although she didn't have a lot of clothes (so, any pair of underwear she had counted), that shouldn't have been her concern. She could make up for her loss. Without even a nod of goodbye to the rogues, she began to head towards where she thought the exit was. Michael tried to reach for her as she slipped from his grasp, "Where are you going? We need your help planning."

"And, if we want to interfere with Division's frequency tonight, I need to set something up at the hotel," After a moment of tense hesitation, Birkhoff added. His words actually got Nikita to stop in her tracks. She knew Michael would say anything to make her stay. Maybe she should listen to him. He obviously had her best intentions in mind. What was that moment in the hallway, after all. She didn't want to think about it. Everything was easier if she focused on rage. It would be simpler if she could finally escape it all.

"Fine. I'll show the nerd around and what the proposed entry points are. After that, I'm serious. I'm gone and you don't find me," Nikita agreed to one last stipulation. She made certain Michael stayed away from her, however. Something about him kept pulling her back- kept easing her anger. She had to shake him loose. She also had to get out of his sweats. While she changed into her cleaned clothes, Birkhoff gathered the equipment he needed. Michael didn't say anything, yet the look in his downcast eyes clued the hacker in on his thoughts. They had to do everything in their power to make her stay. The nerd sighed.

It wasn't his intention to help Nikita. Birkhoff couldn't understand why Michael wanted to so badly. It wasn't as though they were friends. That bridge had been burned long ago. Maybe it was simply because having a rogue Nikita as an ally gave them an edge. Her knowledge was power. The Safwani countermission was already shaping up nicely with her intel. The rogues could have a real shot at Division with her help. A lot would have to be worked through to reach that point, however, "Look. I don't trust you. But Michael thinks you're worth it, for some reason. He needs you to help take down Division. I can't be both a super hacker and his partner."

Nikita didn't react to his words. She stayed focused on assisting Birkhoff set-up his tech. She hadn't uttered a word beyond what was necessary. Most of that was her anger. Yet she was also deeply confused about what she was doing, and what she intended to do next. Yes, she was going to run. But, was she really going to get high again. That didn't sit right with her. The only thing that did seem right was giving intel to the rogues, "After the Safwani hit, Percy will be in DC at that Senatorial fundraiser. I was supposed to go as arm candy. Glad I dodged that bullet. But, uh, if you really want to kill Percy, that's your chance."

"Thanks, Nik," Birkhoff was genuine with his appreciation. He was also surprised. Nikita just shrugged. She had to tell him. Killing Percy in a public place was a longshot, especially with only one day to plan. But the chance had to be taken. She wanted the two rogues to take it. The bastard would die, then Amanda, then Division. Everyone could have revenge, and there would be no more suffering. Nikita was content with that, turning to walk away for good. Except, once more, she was stopped by good intentions, "Mind telling me where you're going next?"

If Nikita's back wasn't turned towards Birkhoff, he would've seen her smug 'I have a plan' grin. He should've expected it, regardless. Of course she wouldn't tell him anything. She would stalk towards him, however, eyes alight with mischief. Weight had been lifted from her shoulders; she could feel a piece of herself again. The nerd barely caught a glimpse of it, however. The next thing he knew, he was gaining consciousness in a park, his tech bag around his neck, and his body taped to a rocking horse. At least his cellphone was turned on. All he had to do was tap the screen with his foot, "Hey, Mikey. We're all good to go. But I need your help."

Michael was quick to answer the call. He tracked Birkhoff's location, and sped on his way to meet him. The hacker had been far too quiet far too long for the agent's liking. He feared something had happened- he feared it involved Nikita. Yet, when he arrived at the park, he had to stifle his laughter. Nikita struck alright. Fortunately, it was a harmless move. She more than likely duct taped Birkhoff to the springy rocking horse so he wouldn't follow her as she finally ran. Michael rolled his eyes and hid a chuckle, "Good to know she's still excessive."

"Why were you trying so hard to help her anyway?" Birkhoff huffed. Michael didn't respond. As he focused on cutting through the duct tape and ensuring his friend didn't fall flat on his back, the reality of the situation weighed down on him. Nikita might've shown she could still be ridiculous and playful, but she was long gone. She refused help or a life to live. She'd rather run than find comfort. Though, what he was doing wasn't finding comfort either. At least he knew he was worth living- somewhat. Michael was lucky Birkhoff was there to interrupt him from his thoughts. At least enough to read them, "She relapsed didn't she?"

"I just hope she doesn't do anything else destructive," Quietly, Michael muttered. He should've known Birkhoff would've come to that conclusion eventually. It wasn't as though it wasn't obvious. Unlike them, going rogue had broken Nikita. She was forced to escape hell again, and again she didn't believe she could handle it. Shaking his head, Michael cleared away those thoughts. There was nothing he could do about that then. Freeing his friend had to take precedence. He swiped his pocket knife through one last layer of tape, and Birkhoff went flying backwards. Both probably would've laughed had grave seriousness not settled on their shoulders.

Aimlessly wandering the city was a bad idea. Nikita strived with goals in mind. She'd do one thing, then the next, then she'd reap the rewards. What real rewards came from running from the rogues, however. She was exactly where she was after escaping foster care and Division. She was alone on the streets, susceptible to anything she could use to harm herself. Except, unlike the past, she knew she was better than that. Michael somehow got that through to her. He let her know she was better, and that she could have a goal to set her sights on. Revenge had felt blissfully amazing when she had gouged out Brandt's eye. What other bliss could she achieve.

Helping save Safwani and giving Michael a chance to kill Percy covered Nikita on the Division front. But, her rage extended deeper than that hellhole. Amanda couldn't be touched just yet- mainly because she had no idea how to get to the bitch without getting killed first. And the concept of Oversight alone was over her head. Fortunately, there was someone far more local she could enact her vengeance on. Years of pain could be eradicated with one simple act. She could feel bliss with the pull of the trigger. She actually had the power to kill Gary, "Hi, Daddy."

Pouring all of his attention on the mission distracted Michael from Nikita. He had to wrap his head around the fact that some people just didn't want to be saved. He had tried his best. He spoke from his heart; he helped get her clean. But if she was going to run, then she was going to run. Despite the fact that she had opened up to him in return- that she had been so soft and sincere when she saw how much he was hurting- he couldn't force her to stay. He just had to hope his words got through to her. He also had to hope that the intel she gave him and Birkhoff was solid enough for a damaging mission. He bet it was, though. She wouldn't lead him astray.

All of her intel and assistance held up during Safwani's rescue mission. Michael did hit a snag when he ran into Roan, but luckily Birkhoff was able to run interference and help him out. The General was saved, and was able to present the information of what happened to the UN. That should shed some light on Division and make Percy scared. But Michael couldn't get too far ahead of himself. He had to intercept the bastard at that Senatorial fundraiser. It wasn't to kill him as Nikita had believed he would do, however. He had to get intel from him first.

However, as Michael made his approach towards Percy, a surprise waltzed through the door. Nikita marched up to the bastard, plastering on a fake smile. She cleaned up well; she looked nothing like the woman he had found on the streets. Michael was stunned. Percy didn't flinch. Until, she detonated a car bomb outside and pulled her gun. Chaos erupted. Undercover Division agents emerged, prepared to kill Nikita before her mission was complete. She attempted to fight, but the other rogue in the room shoved her away. He dragged her with him to the back alley, while the guests rushed to the front. She tried to evade him, but he persisted, "Nikita!"

Although she didn't want to stop, his voice held her back. Why couldn't she figure out how Michael had such an effect on her. Nikita wanted to completely blame the moment they had had in the hallway. Two people couldn't have a heart to heart like that and expect things to be normal between them. Except, she knew the weight of their relationship extended past that. There were years of push and pull that drove her insane. Why couldn't he make his intentions clear right off the bat. And why couldn't she think straight enough to understand him, "What the fuck, Michael! I had him. All of this could've been over."

"No it wouldn't have. We can't kill Percy. Not yet," Michael shouted in return. He probably should've told her that before. Hell, Birkhoff could've said something when she gave them the tip. Except, in their defense, no one expected Nikita to try and kill Percy. She had been laying low for months. One day with the rogues couldn't have changed her mind that much. She had dragged her feet in assisting them that morning, so how was it by night that she was willing to kill Percy. Something else was going on with her. If only she would talk to him.

"Then why are you here?" Nikita sounded as though she was accusing him. Accusing him of what, even she wasn't quite sure. Michael could guess that it was the fact that he wanted her to talk when he wouldn't either. But, really, she simply couldn't get control over her emotions. She hadn't healed from the stress and hell she had put her body through- she still hadn't truly eaten or drank water. She was only jumping from one point to the next, never allowing herself to think, be, or heal. Her confusion and rage had reached its peak, and she was ready to explode. How had she rationalized that that was better than drugs.

"To bug him. Find out where the black boxes are," Keeping his voice low, Michael admitted. Nikita stared blankly at him. It surprised him how much she didn't know about Division. Although she was the star agent, she wasn't allowed into Percy's or Amanda's inner circle. Maybe they had learned their lesson after he went rogue. They controlled the amount of information, so no one could come after them. That was part of the reason the rogues were dying for more intel. Nikita could still help with that, "Percy has evidence of all of Division's jobs on harddrives. The second his heart stops, those secrets get released. This country won't recover."

"Who cares?" Attempting to match his hushed tone backfired. People were going to overhear, and the protection of the alley wouldn't last. But, again, who cared. Nikita wanted her revenge. She wanted Michael to get justice for his family. She wanted to save others like she couldn't save Alex. The only way to do that was to kill Percy. That clarity came to her after she shot Gary. Monsters needed to be removed from the world. Since she was a monster too, she was perfect for the job. Vengeance and justice would be met, and she'd fade away for good.

"I care. You think killing Percy is the only way to save innocents? First his secrets go away, then him. You can help us do that," How had they gotten so close. Somehow, without the two even noticing, they had moved so close that their chests brushed with each heated breath. Michael suddenly became aware of Nikita's proximity as he pleaded once more for her to stay. He should've pulled away- given her space. But he couldn't. She had to see the sincerity in his eyes. She had to know what he was offering her was real.

A part of her was very much aware of what she should do. To actually serve justice, to save people, to be better, to take care of herself, she knew she had to go with Michael. Yet Nikita hadn't allowed herself to think for so long, she wasn't sure how to start then. Her emotions were guiding her. Instead of another hit for relief, she was grasping for revenge. It was the same kind of destructive bliss. She simply had more control over it. Nikita was cognizant of her choices. Her head was clear enough for her to know just how much she was shoving Michael away from her, "You destroy Percy and Amanda your way. I'll kill them mine."

Chapter Text

"Got something. Nikki's tip about watching major news paid off," Birkhoff immediately called Michael over to his computer station. It had been a week since either of the rogues had seen the woman, but they didn't talk about it. When the agent returned to the safehouse from DC, the hacker almost asked how the mission went. Then he saw his friend's conflicted expression and the car bombing on the news. He thought it best to keep his mouth shut afterwards. The mission to bug Percy had been a failure, and they would have to leave it at that. How Nikita factored in or why Michael was so upset, Birkhoff didn't dare ask.

Besides, it was better for the rogues to focus on their mission. Tracking Division operations, ruining the black ops group's chance of success, and somehow finding the black boxes needed to be their priority. Michael had to constantly remind himself of that. His mind shouldn't be drifting towards Nikita. She didn't want to be helped- she didn't want to be saved. He had to let it go. Other people needed his help. He had the power to save them while stopping Division. The woman just needed to be ignored, "What is it?"

"Mirko Dadich was released from prison. And guess who helped him escape the mob of reporters," Rewinding the newsfeed and zooming in on the most important part, Birkhoff explained. Nikita had mentioned that Percy was making bolder reaches for power when she informed the two rogues of what she knew. If they were paying close attention, they'd spot Division's movements in the news. That time, they just so happened to catch an agent in the periphery of the camera, ensuring the man the reporters thought they saw was a fake.

"Nice move, Kelly," Slightly impressed, Michael muttered. While the reporters and paparazzi were distracted with the diversion (that was only discovered when a woman grabbed the imposter), Kelly moved the real Dadich to an awaiting Division van. It was a solid plan that definitely got the press off the black ops group's backs. But the rogues knew enough to stay on their ass. Birkhoff was quickly able to locate the vehicle the agents smuggled the convicted former dictator into. Michael proudly smacked his shoulder, and ordered him to keep up the work, "Track the van. Tell me where they take Dadich."

"Where are you going?" Already hacking into the street cameras, Birkhoff wondered. Michael had moved to hurriedly gather his mission bag and a whole lot of cash. The hacker normally prided himself in being able to fund most of their rogue business through untraceable and unhackable online transactions. It kept them from having too much money lying around in case disaster struck. If the agent was grabbing the few stacks of cash they did have at hand, then he was up to something his nerdy partner didn't have access to. After their experience with Nikita, that wasn't a fun thought to dwell on.

"I'm going to grab some new hardware from that weapons dealer, Trevor. I have to make this kill count," Michael admitted. Whereas he was equipped for countermissions and saving Division targets, he didn't have the weapons to accurately get the jump on the black ops group; he didn't have a sniper rifle. Normally, he didn't like the idea of sniping a person. Something about it sent terrible chills up his spine. However, he knew that was his only chance at Dadich. The former dictator would have 'round the clock guards. A long range kill was the only option.

Birkhoff didn't reply for a second. At first, he didn't question Michael's need to kill Dadich. He was a bad guy, and the two were in the business of taking out terrible people. However, they didn't do anything without a purpose. The rogues weren't mindless killers like the organization that trained them. They were better than that. Or, at least, they thought themselves better. They wouldn't let any past or future action drag them down to Division's monstrous level. If they were going to kill, the reason needed to be sound, "And why exactly are we killing him?"

"Obviously, if Percy's going through all this trouble to protect him, he wants something. Considering Dadich was a former dictator, it's gotta be something bad," Voicing his thoughts, Michael recounted the money he had grabbed. He was certain he had enough for a sturdy and superior sniper rifle. If not, he could always convince Trevor to lower the price. The rogues had been working with the weapons dealer for some time. He wasn't within Division's grasp, and he could get the two remarkable equipment. Despite the necessity, Michael felt the same about working with the smuggler as he did being a sniper. But being rogue required illegal activities.

"So we kill Dadich, we stop the trade, and Percy gets screwed over," Birkhoff nodded along. That was a reasonable enough plan. Besides, it wasn't as though the world was going to miss Dadich. He was supposed to be rotting in jail. The fact that he was out was possibly another one of Percy's tricks. The bastard would pull any string he needed in order to get what he wanted. If he had pulled that many strings, and risked getting a hated dictator back into the open, he had to have had something terrible in mind. The rogues didn't want to fathom it.

"And hopefully he gets frustrated enough to do something with the black boxes," The last part of the plan was simply wishful thinking. Michael hoped the black boxes would make an appearance in the world. He knew they were scattered around- one in Percy's office, the rest around the globe. He just needed access to them. Once they were destroyed, so would be Percy. It was all a long shot, though. How did one even begin collecting all those dirty secrets. The rogues were lost on that front. There was no easy answer.

"Yeah. We still need a lot of help there," Birkhoff sighed. The expression Michael gave him in response said it all. The rogues were nowhere closer to tracking down the black boxes than they had been when they first set their sights on them. They simply had to continue stopping Division one mission at a time, until they figured something out. Pissing off Percy by ruining his schemes wasn't enough to bring out the black boxes. At least it felt good to see the bastard so annoyed and agitated. One day, his fury would have to make him slip up. And the second it did, the rogues would be ready to pounce.

Jaden still had it out for Alex, but she could understand why. Although she was the newest recruit, she had gained the most attention. She did well in her training, most of her sarcasm wasn't challenged, and Amanda had placed a special interest in her. Even agents like Kelly were wary of her. The young woman was growing sick and tired of it. She wanted all the people who stared at her- who judged her- to just shut up and go away. Her only solution to make that happen, however, was to fight back whenever Jaden pushed her. If that got her in trouble, so what. It wasn't like Division could take out their golden girl, "Alex. Amanda needs you."

As the guard shouted for her, a quick jolt of panic coursed through Alex. Jaden grinned smugly, excited that the other recruit was caught fighting instead of her. The young woman did her best to glare, but her thoughts were racing about what might happen in Amanda's office. How could she have forgotten about Nikita. Division would kill their star agent without hesitation. It didn't matter what she meant to them. Alex had to remember they ultimately didn't care about her. Both she and the organization were using each other. Maybe focusing on that would save her from punishment, "Do you have any more information on Semak?"

"Unfortunately, no. You're being activated for an op," Amanda replied simply. Alex almost let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't in trouble- thank God. Jaden would probably be even more pissed that her actions didn't have consequences. But the young woman was certain she could finally make her shut up. She was the one going on an op, after all. She had been there for a far shorter time, yet she was chosen for a mission. The pride of that crashed and burned the more Alex thought of it, however. Her activation didn't make sense. She had barely been trained.

"But I've barely been here. And I should be focused on my own mission," While she negated the statement, Alex did her best to sound firm. She really shouldn't be involved in Division operations. If she was going to be ready and prepared to face Zetrov and Semak, she needed to be focused on her own tasks. Another mission couldn't distract her. Also, she didn't want any part of the black ops group's dirty dealings. Using their resources was one thing, but working with them was wrong. They had killed her parents; they had wanted to kill her. What kind of person would she be if she actually joined those monsters.

"You still need training. And we can't have everyone believing you have special treatment. That'll blow your cover. Besides, you're perfect for this op. All you have to do is sit, smile, and speak a little Russian," Smiling sweetly, Amanda explained. Alex wasn't sure how to respond. Obviously, Amanda and Percy wanted her on other missions to test her faithfulness and diligence- it wasn't just about training. The young woman was reminded that she didn't have the full autonomy she thought she had. She used Division, and they used her. She had no real choice.

A week had gone by since she had left the rogues, yet Nikita wasn't feeling better. She was certain she had gotten her strength back. Actually eating and drinking water had granted her that. Her mind, however, remained mush. It was possible she was pushing herself too hard too soon. She had just gotten clean. She should be resting. She should be with people that would look after her. Instead, she was chasing a different high- one only revenge could satisfy. She was so close, she could taste it. After all, she had managed to track down Division's invisible movements, "God, Kelly. You're so predictable. Bet you're moving Dadich to a hotel next."

The news had been a fountain of information in regards to the black ops unit's activities. Since Nikita knew what to look for, and she knew of Percy's schemes to gain even more power, she was able to pinpoint the next illegal operation. It was unsurprising that they were protecting Mirko Dadich. Percy always had a way to leech information, money, and favors from powerfully corrupt leaders. Using Kelly as lead agent was surprising, but it did work in Nikita's favor. She knew what to expect next, "Alright Dadich, lead me to Percy."

Gathering enough weapons and ammo to kill everyone in sight, Nikita rushed out of her safehouse. Compared to the rogues' place, hers was basically a squatter's hole. But that wasn't important. The abandoned loft was just a roof over her head between missions. She didn't have to think about it as she rushed to intercept Division at the hotel she tracked Dadich to. Hopefully, she'd get there in time to shoot Percy. He had to have shown up to collect on his investment of helping the former dictator. If he had, though, it was before the woman arrived. The only ones there were guards she easily took out, Dadich, and a girl he was abusing, "Get off her!"

Instantly, Nikita forced Dadich away from the girl he had overpowered. She pistol whipped him, sending him crashing to the floor. She didn't bother to check on him. Why should she give a shit about that vile man. Instead, all her attention was directed towards the girl. Nikita gently helped her to her feet. Although she was livid about what she had witnessed- about what Division had allowed to happen- she kept herself soft. The girl didn't need to be more frightened than she already was. Except, as the helpful woman cradled the injured girl's cheek to examine her bruises, brown eyes locked with blue. Shock washed over both of them, "You're alive?"

"Division really can't kill you," Alex was breathless, and not just from being roughed around by Dadich for not wanting to sleep with him. She was aware of the rumors that Nikita hadn't been killed during her escape attempt. Yet the young woman couldn't believe them. Division had managed to kill her entire family. They had the power to kill a rogue agent. The fact that Nikita had survived seemed like a miracle. Alex was in complete awe of it. That strength was amazing, especially as she came in to help her at just the right moment. Kelly had abandoned her, the guards had ignored her, but the woman saved her once again.

"Come on. I know a place where you can go. You'll be safe," Nikita instantly offered. She wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking. Seeing Alex again simply made her offer salvation. She didn't ask why or how the teenager was there. She didn't wonder why Division didn't kill her when they found out the truth. She just wanted to keep her safe like she had promised. Alex glanced at her outstretched hand as though it were a godsend. Maybe the trauma of what had just occurred was clouding her judgement. It didn't matter if it was. Lividity coursed through Nikita regardless. She turned towards Dadich with a cocked weapon, "As for you…"

"Dadich!" Before Nikita could pull the trigger, another woman burst through the doors of the hotel room. It was the same woman on the news who had accidentally discovered that the person the press was following wasn't the real Dadich. In hindsight, the agent of vengeance shouldn't have killed the Division guards. She could've used at least some of their assistance. The other woman looked ready to kill, and not just the man she had shouted for. There were more armed people behind her. And at the sight of Nikita and Alex, they started shooting.

Frantically, Nikita got Alex covered behind some furniture. Alex was in shock, obviously still reeling from being assaulted. The former agent shouldn't expect anything from her. She just had to protect her, and fight off the random group of killers. Although they were shooting at her, they were trying to drag Dadich out of the room. Nikita couldn't allow that to happen. She didn't understand what was occurring, but she did know the former dictator couldn't live. She went after him, slamming her body into one of the men who had intervened. As they fought, Dadich made his escape. She tried to go after him, yet Alex screamed in warning, "Nikita!"

She ducked. Just as she did, a powerful rifle shot took out the man she had been fighting. Immediately directing her attention towards the window, Nikita scanned the buildings for snipers. She expected Division, yet what she saw was Michael. The two stared at each other completely baffled. Except, neither had time to dwell on it. He had to chase after the random killers who escaped in the confusion to a nearby van, and she had to refocus on Alex. She'd let Michael have Dadich. The teenager deserved her attention. She could still get her out, "Alex!"

"Go! Division will be here for me at any minute," Alex shook her head vehemently. She managed to gather enough control of herself to shove Nikita away. The woman was even more confused than when she saw Michael. However, there was a determination in the teenager's blue eyes that made her follow the command. Alex seemed to know what she was doing, despite the horror she just experienced. Nikita couldn't argue with that, especially with Division nearby. She would simply have to trust her, and hope whatever answers were out there made sense. God, what hell had they all wandered into.

Chapter Text

Alex was hyperventilating. She put her head between her knees and tried to even her breathing, but it was of no use. She sat in the back of the windowless van, unsure of where she was headed besides Division. That was possibly their intention; if no one knew where they were, no one could escape or attack. Except, it didn't help calm Alex in the slightest. She was already reeling from the wine Dadich forced her, and from the greedy hands that had been all over her. She couldn't take any more reminders of the brothel. It was all too much. She felt like she would die before she caught a full breath of air.

She had to pull herself together. If Division saw her like that, they would never give her the opportunity to kill Semak. They might deem her unfit. They might kill her. But Alex couldn't stop panicking. Things almost got so bad with Dadich. Things almost got so bad, and the thought of it rotted her stomach in fear. If it hadn't been for Nikita, then who knew what would've happened. Alex couldn't allow herself to dwell on it. Yet it was all she could do. She rocked back and forth in the van, desperately trying to catch her breath.

If she had gone with Nikita when she offered safety, would she have managed to control herself better. Would running away with the rogue keep her safe and calm, and would she be able to survive. Alex doubted it. Her revenge mission gave her drive; it helped her focus. Maybe not so much in that moment, yet she survived the sufferings of Division because of it. Her need to kill Semak drove her forward. She just had to get her head straight. She wasn't in that hotel suite- she wasn't in the brothel. She was heading to a place where she could be safe. As long as she kept her wits, she would be safe.

By the time the van reached Division, Alex managed to get her breathing under control. Her body still rocked, and tears continued to build in her eyes. But she could attempt to pretend she was alright. That was all that mattered as she changed back into her recruit sweats and prepared for her debriefing. Due to her injuries and the alcohol that continued to shake her veins, Amanda and Percy met her in her room. She could at least have the pretense of comfort while they interrogated her. As she glanced up at them from her bed, however, she felt anything but peace, "Did you get a good look at the other rebels?"

"No. It was just chaos. I don't know what happened," Shaking her head, Alex did her best to calm her voice. She was lying. She knew exactly who caused the mission to go awry. Yet she couldn't tell Amanda and Percy. She wasn't sure why. Protecting Nikita and the man with the rifle (she assumed that was Michael) didn't benefit her in any way. She could rat them out no problem. In fact, if Percy and Amanda knew the rogues were responsible for the ruined operation, then Alex wouldn't be in trouble- no one was expected to beat the two of them. But she couldn't bring herself to mention them. She didn't want to paint a target on their backs.

"How can you expect to run your own mission if you couldn't handle this one?" Percy bit, glaring at Alex in disappointment. Division had managed to capture one of the people (they called them rebels) that had kidnapped Dadich. Another had been killed, and the rest managed to escape. Alex helped spin the story that the Division guards had been the ones to fight back before succumbing to their injuries. Again, she wouldn't mention Nikita or Michael. She didn't care if that made it seem like she couldn't recount events or handle a mission. The op had been blown regardless of who intervened. And Dadich deserved whatever pain was coming to him.

"I was forced to drink a whole bottle of wine. Kelly left, the guards didn't care, and I was thrown around the room like a fucking rag doll. I had no support," Sitting straighter on the cot that was supposed to be her bed, Alex argued. She should've bit her tongue. She shouldn't have tried to defend herself. Lying to Amanda and Percy was horrible enough. Trying to contain her panic and fear over what happened with Dadich already had her on the verge of hyperventilating again. Arguing only made things so much worse. She should've known her place and shut up.

"Yet you managed to survive the rebels," Interrupting Percy before he could teach Alex a lesson, Amanda studied the young recruit in intrigue. Alex averted her gaze, afraid that the woman would glean too much. She knew how odd it was that well-trained agents died but not a recruit on her first mission. That fact was possibly made even worse by her unreliable retelling of events. She was screwed; she was going to lose everything. Except, Amanda simply smiled at her, "I think that shows some improvement."

"She needs more training before she's sent out again. Zetrov and Semak will just have to wait," Alex was so busy trying to figure out what Amanda's smile meant, that she almost missed Percy's declaration. When her thoughts and his words caught up to her, though, she snapped her head around to look at the man in shock. Percy was resolute. She wasn't ready for her own mission. Division would have to keep using her until they decided that she was. Alex shouldn't have been as surprised as she was at the decision. Of course an organization that had been so willing to kill a child would renege on their deal. She was stuck powerlessly fighting for revenge.

Nikita crashed back into her safehouse and unceremoniously dropped her mission bag on the ground. She would've thrown it if it wasn't filled with guns. Ruffling her dark hair out of her face, she ended up gripping the strands tightly. It was the only thing she could get a hold of. It all felt so wrong. Not the armed people, rebels, whatever; she could make sense of them, and she didn't really care about their motives. It was Alex and Division that were driving her insane. How the hell was the young woman with them. Shouldn't she have been dead. Wouldn't they have killed her the second they knew who she was. What was going on, "What the fuck!"

The screams did nothing. Her curse simply reverberated around the spacious room, echoing her confusion. Nikita felt herself start to hyperventilate, yet she forced the panic away. She had nothing to be scared of. Alex seemed sure of her place in Division. That made somewhat sense if she had managed to stay alive. Nikita was dying to know the exact details, however. There was something else going on. She was missing so much information, it made her head spin. She clutched her hair tighter and paced the room. Black boxes, Alex, another secret group that rescued Dadich. What other mysteries lurked in the shadows, ready to tear her to shreds.

In order to battle all the raging thoughts in her head, she needed another hit. It was the only way Nikita knew how to calm down. She was anxious, she was scared, she was so confused it hurt. All of those negative emotions had to vanish. Maybe that was a sign she wasn't ready to go on her revenge mission. She was fighting too soon after getting clean. Biting her lip, she decided to resist that urge. Getting revenge was better than drugs. If she could stay off that shit, she could successfully kill Percy and destroy Division. She just had to focus on a singular point.

Dadich seemed like a great person to pour all of her attention on. Nikita needed to know where he went. She still believed he could lead her to Percy. No doubt the bastard wanted to locate the dictator as well. She could use Dadich to find her target. Fortunately, she knew how to access street cameras. She could search the area for the van she had seen the armed people escape in. She was aware Michael was employing the same trick, needing to kill the dictator as well. That meant the two could run into one another again. For some reason, the thought pissed her off. Her hands balled into fists and she cursed once more, "Michael, I swear to fucking God."

"What the fuck is wrong with Nikita?" Michael stormed back into the safehouse, nearly throwing the rifle case on the ground. He had enough control of himself to set it down gently, instead. But, rage and anxiety continued to course through him. He couldn't make sense of what had happened. Who the well were the people that had taken Dadich. How the hell had Nikita been there with them. And why the hell had she been so focused on saving a Division agent's life. Everything about that mission slipped from his grasp, and he couldn't make sense of how.

"Do you want me to seriously answer that, or…" Letting his sentence drop, Birkhoff watched Michael pace around the safehouse in concern. The hacker hadn't heard much over the coms. All he knew was that Dadich had been taken by a random third party, and that Division had been wiped out. He had no clue how Nikita figured into all that. Though, when did she ever really figure into anything. She was a continual mystery and unknown variable. And she continued to have Michael's thoughts completely fixated on her.

"Either she's working with fucking Division again, or some kidnappers. I don't know," Michael couldn't keep his voice under control. He shouted as he paced the livingroom. He had thought he had Nikita figured out. He had thought their conversation in the hallway- their heart to heart- had meant something. But she kept pulling away from him. She was making poor decision after poor decision, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. She didn't want his help. Maybe that was valid. It wasn't as though he was the pinnacle of good decision making. But she was going to get herself killed. He couldn't let that happen.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Birkhoff had to shout himself in order to get through to Michael. The last thing either of them needed was a complete and total meltdown. The agent appreciated it. He needed to focus on the ruined operation. He couldn't let his thoughts spiral down the rabbithole of Nikita destroying herself for the thousandth time. Taking a steadying breath, Michael informed Birkhoff of everything that took place. Even though he couldn't make sense of half of it, he spewed all of it out on the nerd.

Birkhoff took it in stride. He attempted to theorize what could've possibly happened, yet the events were lost on him. Mostly, the third party kidnappers confused him. Nikita's presence could be explained by that whole revenge narrative Michael claimed she was following. But who else was willing to risk their lives to take out Dadich. The rogues' lack of information could be dangerous at times. Yet that moment seemed especially maddening. Michael's stressed voice exemplified that, "Whatever is going on, they have Dadich and we have to stop them."

"Alright. I'll trace the van. As for Nikki…" As Birkhoff began to trace the license plate number Michael had been able to give him, one of their burner cellphones chirped. It was the one they used to keep in touch with the arms dealer, Trevor. Cautiously, the hacker answered the call. A part of him feared that Division had been able to trace their presence back to Trevor. If that was the case, he shouldn't have answered. He should've hung up and found a new place for them to stay. But it wasn't Division on the other end. It wasn't even the arms dealer. Nikita's voice rang loud and clear- and demanding, "She wants to talk to you."

"Mind explaining what the hell you were doing today," Michael instantly barked into the phone. He didn't wonder how she tracked him to Trevor, or how she convinced the arms dealer to call the rogue (she probably beat him up). He simply wanted Nikita to explain herself. He could practically hear her eyes roll as she scoffed. So, they continued to be inexcusably irritated with one another. Perhaps that was where their heart to heart led them. There wasn't any closure to their emotions. There was simply more pain and raw feelings to sort through.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Teaming up with guns for hire. That's not your style, Mikey," Pushing a bloody and bruised Trevor into a chair, Nikita paced the arms dealer's hideout. She'd have to grab some weapons and ammo before she left. She had heard he had great custom equipment. She could utilize that in her warpath. For the time being, however, she had to figure out what Michael and Birkhoff knew. Tracking the armed people's van was taking too much time. She needed answers immediately. Since the rogues had more resources than her, they had to be the ones she turned to- despite her thoughts about them.

"What are you talking about? They're not with me. And if they're not with you, I can assume you went back to Division," Michael quite possibly put his foot in his mouth with the assumption. Why would she return to Division after the hell they put her through. But he didn't have any other explanation for what he saw. Nikita had saved a Division agent. Sure, she could've done so because she didn't want an innocent person getting hurt. Except, it was more than that. She extended her hand to the young agent. She wanted her to go with her.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Hell no I didn't go back. I was there to kill Dadich, same as you. Though, I was hoping to get Percy too," Nikita seethed into the phone. Her pacing stopped, and her fist clenched tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Trevor flinch. She rolled her eyes at his reaction. She hadn't roughed him up that much. She just gave him enough motivation to call Michael for her. He was lucky she had been the one to trace the rogue's rifle back to him and not Division. The black ops group would've actually killed him.

Michael had been wrong about Nikita; he'd admit he had been so swept up in bitter confusion that he let it cloud his judgement. She wasn't working with anybody, and neither was he. Yet that couldn't be the end of their conversation. She couldn't make a run at Percy. Just because she was rogue, didn't mean she could automatically get her revenge. The world unfortunately didn't work like that, "Nikita, you can't kill Percy until we take care of the black boxes. They contain secrets going back five administrations. If one thing slips out, more innocents will die. We can't let Percy win like that."

"Then figure out how to find a damn black box and stop bothering me," Ending the call, Nikita huffed. She almost forgot that she was supposed to have called for information. However, she doubted Michael knew more than her. If he had, he would've freely given it. They were all scrambling to understand what was going on. She thought that would've made her feel worse, but she strangely found comfort in the fact. If no one knew what was occurring, then it'd make it easier for her to strike. She could find the upperhand, and use it to her advantage.

Tightly holding the silent cellphone, Michael attempted to get his breathing under control. How could one conversation with Nikita turn his insides out. And how come he hadn't learned his lesson when it came to dealing with her. He was always left so upset he wasn't quite sure how to feel. It wasn't quite anger or sadness or disappointment. It was just hell. Birkhoff stared at his partner a moment, unsure what to say. Eventually, his computer beeped and he luckily found an excuse to diffuse the tension, "I think I got some intel on those kidnappers."

"Show me," Michael refused to think anymore. He just had to act. If that was good enough for Nikita, then it was good enough for him.

Chapter Text

Those kidnappers were rebels from Dadich's home country. Birkhoff mostly found information on their leader. The woman who had attempted to grab the former dictator as he slipped past the press had also revealed herself at the hotel suite. She was easy to track after that. Apparently, she was the daughter of a nuclear scientist who had worked with Dadich. When the dictator went under, he made sure everyone who worked for him couldn't speak out against him. The woman obviously wanted revenge. Michael and Birkhoff understood her motives well. It was keeping the bastard alive that confused them. Why kidnap when she could've killed him.

Michael theorized it had to do something with nuclear material. Maybe it was the dramatic leap Birkhoff claimed it was, yet that was the clear link the agent could build between the kidnappers and Percy. They both wanted something from Dadich- why else would they make a deal with him, or kidnap him. If the former dictator had worked with a nuclear scientist, then he must've been in possession of nuclear material. The rebels would need that for their revenge, and Percy would need that for whatever sick power play he had in mind.

A battle for nuclear material made sense, even if it was horrific to think about. Both Division and the kidnappers had to be stopped. Birkhoff couldn't argue with that point. He used street cameras to track down the rebels and their van. If Michael could intercept them before the black ops group could, then the supposed nuclear material would no longer be an issue. That was the best possible outcome. No one should have had the perverse power nuclear weapons gave, especially not Percy and an uncontrollable group of rebels.

Birkhoff followed the kidnappers' van to a subway station in the city. The rebels shoved Dadich deep underground at gunpoint. No doubt, whatever they wanted was in that station. Michael quickly geared up to follow. If he hurried, he'd be able to beat Division and find some way to get rid of the nuclear threat. His partner helped as best he could, manipulating traffic lights in his favor. The hacker also tried to clear out the station and deter any cops or security guards. They didn't need innocents hurt on top of everything else. Also, if the police found out what was occurring, Division's attempt to stop the information spill would be disastrous.

Nikita managed to track the people with the guns fairly quickly. She remembered the license plate number and reported the stolen van to the cops. They believed her false story and her false panic easily. All she had to do was listen to her police scanner for when they found the van for her. The entire time she waited, she paced her safehouse and cleaned the weapons she had stolen from Trevor. She should've relaxed. The pressure she was forcing on herself was burning her out. She was already stressed and anxious over recent events. She needed to lay down- breathe. But she was too worked up. Staying active was the only thing she could do.

Fortunately, there was a hit on her missing van before any thoughts could invade her actions. Nikita was able to run off again into the unknown. She wasn't that interested in the armed kidnappers. She didn't care what they wanted with a former dictator. She only wanted Dadich. Whatever he was up to could lead her to Percy. She'd need all the information she could gather before she could go after the bastard. Maybe Michael was right in waiting until those stupid black boxes were out of the way; it would give her a chance to actually plan. She should slow down and think. That could be the difference between her living and dying.

She found herself not caring either way, however. Nikita took off towards the subway station, stealing a car along the way. The faster she arrived, the better chances she had at ensuring Dadich led her to Percy. She couldn't risk the chance of running into Division, or Godforbid Michael. Both would deter her. Only one would kill her; though, she'd rather face that option than hear another plea from Michael. She knew his heart was in the right place, which made it worse. He was always the good guy- the hero. And she was always going to hurt him.

Kelly knew more was going on than what she was being told. She knew that would always be the case with Division. Percy and Amanda loved to control the information agents and recruits received; it kept them loyal and in-line. She had made her peace with that a long time ago. She was perfectly fine only being told what she needed to in order to survive. Only caring for herself kept her alive that long. It could continue to be her saving grace. She just needed to keep her mouth shut and her focus shifted towards her next mission.

However, the newest recruit, Alex, continued to be a troubling mystery. Something about her was off. First of all, Nikita tried to make her escape. Kelly's Russian might have been subpar, but she at least knew the rogue had wanted the teenager to run, and she had called her 'Alexandra'. The situation didn't make sense. Why would a star like Nikita risk everything for some random recruit. She couldn't have just snapped. Kelly didn't believe that for a second. Something about Alex drove Nikita away from Division.

Attempting to know what that something was never went in Kelly's favor. Percy and Amanda had her shut out. Although they gave her the position that was supposed to go to Nikita, she wasn't appeased. Alex unnerved her. Not only was she almost forced to escape, Amanda paid her special attention. It was more than normal new recruits would face. It was as though the teenager was the woman's pet. She was clearly the favorite. She received far more special treatment than the rest of them, and she knew it. That fact made Alex so superior- so seemingly untouchable. It was annoying.

And it was made so much worse when she was activated for an op. Alex had barely been in Division, yet off she went to join Kelly at the hotel with Dadich. Kelly thought it was ridiculous. She didn't care that the recruit was only there to make the former dictator comfortable so Percy could obtain something from him. She was activated too soon; it was unfair. It was also puzzling that despite her lack of training, she managed to survive the attack that had occurred. Everyone else died, but she remained. Obviously, she lied about how that came to be. She was holding back. Kelly was determined to discover what she was hiding.

Maybe if she had stayed at the hotel with Alex, she would've known exactly what had happened. But Kelly had more important things to do than wait for Dadich to give up the information Percy wanted. She needed to figure the young recruit out. That continued to be her mission even when Division had one of the rebels who kidnapped Dadich to interrogate. She didn't care about the former dictator or whatever Percy wanted from him. Her sights were on Alex. Once that mystery was solved, she'd make certain that little recruit wasn't so superior.

Unfortunately, Kelly was called away before she could corner a recovering Alex in her room. Division's hackers were able to locate Dadich and his kidnappers. They had taken him to a subway station where- according to their captive- he had hid a way to find the nuclear material he had buried. Percy wanted that material, so Kelly and a team had to steal the coordinates. She couldn't disobey the order; it never mattered what she wanted instead. But maybe she could use that mission to her advantage. She could ask Dadich what really happened in the hotel room. All of Alex's lies would come to light, and she could steal her stardom.

Gun at the ready, Michael weaved through the halls of the subway. Chances were, the kidnappers and Dadich were at the storage lockers. Where else would they be if he had something hidden for years. No one touched those lockers if they didn't have to. Birkhoff watched Michael's back through security footage as he made his approach. He warned him of nearby police and of the possibility of Division. The rogue didn't have to worry about either, however. As he rounded a corner and spied on the rebels and former dictator, he ran into a whole other problem. Nikita was there.

Her gun was drawn, and she was formulating an approach towards Dadich. Except, the instant she spotted Michael out of the corner of her eye, she stopped dead in her tracks. Both glanced at one another in shock. That could not be happening again. The universe must've loved fucking with them. They couldn't stay away from one another if they tried- and God did they try. However, the two didn't have time to hash that out or run away from each other. Dadich passed a duffel bag to his kidnappers.

That must've been the nuclear material. Michael had to intercept it immediately. He signaled for Nikita to help him flank the kidnappers. She glanced at them then at him before she nodded. He was actually surprised that she had agreed, but he didn't question her help. Together, the two trapped the rebels and Dadich at gunpoint. Michael grabbed the duffel from them, while Nikita held them in place. He was relieved to see that nuclear material wasn't actually inside the bag. It was simply coordinates that more than likely led to nukes. But that didn't matter. He could neutralize the threat and everything would be over.

Sadly, Michael was never that lucky. First, Dadich decided to make a run for it. Then, the rebels started shooting. And finally, Division arrived on the scene. Birkhoff's warning was a little too late on that one. But Nikita managed to get herself and Michael behind pillars. They were shielded from the flying bullets as they shot back. They wouldn't be able to hold there for long, though. As soon as Kelly spotted the two, she was on a warpath. She wanted them dead more than she wanted the duffel. The rogues had to get out of there.

It was a good thing neither of them were alone. Birkhoff sent cops down into the station as a distraction, and Michael and Nikita covered each other as they sprinted from the storage lockers. Whereas he wasn't sure where to go to completely escape, she pulled him after her. She spotted the best exit for them amidst the chaos. Sprinting across the tracks, the two headed towards the service tunnel. With the oncoming train, the rogues would be able to slip away unseen. Although Kelly caught up to them, she couldn't reach them.

Both Nikita and Michael flashed smug grins at the fact. They shared the smiles with one another before turning towards Kelly. She had her weapon aimed at the rogues, but it was of no use. The train was coming, and they were going to make their escape. Before they took off, however, Michael tossed the duffel onto the tracks. The passing train destroyed the coordinates to the nuclear material and covered the rogues' disappearance. They slipped out of the station completely unseen.

The two couldn't help but laugh as they reached the surface and ran away from the scene together. Birkhoff informed Michael through their coms that Division was trying to spin the botched mission as an FBI operation, and that Dadich was working with the rebels before he died. The rogue didn't care what kind of cover story Percy created and Kelly had to enforce. He stopped the bastard from gaining even more power. And Nikita had helped him. They had made a wonderful team. They saved each other and the day. That was worth celebrating; it was worth holding onto as they slowed to a walk on the sidewalk.

He held her hand. She glanced at their interlocked fingers, then at his determined green eyes. He didn't say anything; he didn't need to. He just squeezed her hand. She canted towards him, unable to stop herself. But her feet remained planted where she stood. She stared at him and his pleading green eyes for far two long. She tried not to portray anything in her brown eyes. Yet it was of no use. He knew her too damn well. The look she gave him was an invitation. He squeezed her hand tighter and stepped closer to her. Her chest beat for her to close the gap between them, and she almost followed the call. Except, as she moved, a truck blared past them.

Michael and Nikita were violently ripped from their moment. Green and brown eyes split to stare at the honking truck. It wasn't worth their curiosity- the honk meant nothing. Yet their hands dropped regardless. She pulled away from him. His attention snapped back to her, and he took another step in her direction. She pulled further away. He had to stop. The look they gave one another was different than before. So much so that he couldn't put a name or feeling to it. He just had to watch her turn around and walk away. The urge to follow her was strong; it took everything in him to fight against it. And she fought the urge to look back at him.

Chapter Text

Despite the many things stacked against the rogues, the lack of movement on the hunt for black boxes, the limitations in the resources they could acquire, how their war against Division seemed ever ongoing and never ending, Michael couldn't help but be cheery. Maybe he suffered one too many blows to the head- that was Birkhoff's assumption. Maybe being on the run for so long made him snap. Yet Michael knew it wasn't any of that. There was one singular thought that made him smile. His mind should've been on other things, but he couldn't shake it. Even when Birkhoff questioned him about it, he couldn't stop grinning, "What has you so happy?"

It would've been easier if Michael just shared his thoughts with Birkhoff. It wasn't like it was some big secret. The hacker knew what happened on the Dadich mission. Nikita had helped destroy the coordinates to the nuclear material. She also saved Michael. There was a moment where everything seemed normal again for the two rogue agents. They worked as perfect partners, screwing over Division together. And afterwards, when they stood hand in hand on the sidewalk, there was another moment between them- a better moment. Although she pulled away, there was so much promise and something like hope in her eyes. It made him smile, "Nothing."

"Whatever. I think I got another Division target," Birkhoff simply decided to ignore the dopey grins. That was always best whenever Nikita was brought up- or even when she wasn't. Since Michael had found her on the street, she was constantly on his mind. The hacker couldn't completely blame him. She did have the uncanny ability to show up wherever he was. It was impossible to escape her, especially when Michael never let her go in the first place. Birkhoff never pushed him about it, or tried to have a serious talk about the complicated mess of a situation. Letting it go and only focusing on the mission was better for everyone.

"You sure?" Controlling his features, Michael neared the hacker and his computer set-up. He was right to focus on Division. Ruining missions and saving targets were things the rogues could actually control. Though, it was the things he couldn't control that enraptured Michael. He wanted the black boxes destroyed, and he wanted Nikita… he wanted Nikita on his team. That was his only motive for having her join him and Birkhoff. The three would be safer and stronger together. He just wanted those he cared about safe. That was all that was about.

"Shadownet is always sure. I set up an algorithm to pick up Division chatter in the news, or random breaks in police procedure and patterns, basically all the tricks we pulled before missions and the new ones Nikki told us about. Their next hit is going to be a journalist. Jill Moretti," Birkhoff was thankfully too focused on his prized computer program to notice Michael's whiplash of thoughts. The agent took the opportunity to ignore whatever was running through his mind and pay attention to the new information.

"First, Shadownet is still a stupid name. Second, give me the name and place," With a pat on the nerd's back, Michael moved to prepare for the new operation. A mission to save a Division target's life would be a great way to get his priorities back in order. He should be placing all his energy into stopping the black ops group and destroying their harddrives full of secrets. He had to remember that he went rogue to save innocence from corruption of power. Nikita had become a distraction. She didn't want his help, so he had to focus on those that did.

"Shadownet says 'you're welcome'," Shouting after him, Birkhoff did as Michael requested. Division was making movements against a freelance journalist in a parking garage downtown. At least that was what the new algorithm he plugged into Shadownet stated. He really hoped his hard work paid off. They were running short on information against Division. Saving innocent people, getting revenge for what Percy had done, even Nikita wouldn't matter if the rogues just spluttered out. If the new upgrades to Shadownet didn't work, they'd start to drown. Michael was about to save a journalist, though, maybe that could help them.

Alex stared at the computer screen in utter confusion. She didn't do something right. She hardly ever did when it came to computers. That was the reason she had to stay behind while the others were given a break. She couldn't leave her chair until she got it right. Amanda couldn't save her that time- at least, that was what Jaden snarked as she left. Alex sighed. Each new step forward sent her further over her head. She had to gain her footing. Figuring out how to hack seemed like a simple step to take. Yet, she couldn't do it. All she managed to do was pull up a chatbox. Hopefully, she could pass that off as something right, "Is this a test or a chatbox?"

A chime from her computer startled Nikita out of her daze. She had been staring off into space, attempting to think of her next move. Following the news wasn't helpful. The only recent story that could possibly be Division was a journalist murdering her boss. But that wasn't substantial. She had to rely on something else. Maybe since she was getting vengeance for herself, she could do the same for her victims. If she found the people who hired Division to kill them, she could find a link to Percy. That seemed plausible. Except, she became too distracted by the message. How did anyone discover a way to contact her, "Depends how you found this."

"Made some mistakes while hacking. I don't think this is how you run a cyber intrusion," Shrugging, Alex admitted. She figured she was talking to someone in Division. No one else could access the terminals; she had been told that countless times. Apparently, not even the famed Birkhoff who created the system could hack back in. If Alex was talking to an agent or another recruit, then they could possibly help her with her hacking. She needed allies besides Amanda. Since everyone seemed to hate her, an anonymous chat could work in her favor.

"Definitely not. This is a shell program. It's a two-way chat, but only if you have the code. Or stumble upon it accidentally," Nikita's fingers typed faster than her thoughts could process what was occurring. When she had set-up her computer, she installed the shell program she had left on the Division terminals as a recruit. She wasn't completely sure why she did; she sort of hoped she could find a way to utilize it. Though, the shell program was only a paper cup phone into Division. It wasn't actual hacking. She'd need someone to feed her information if she was to use it. But maybe if she pretended to be an agent, that could happen.

So Alex definitely didn't do anything right. She groaned in defeat. She was never going to understand that intrusion thing, she was never going to get a break, and she was never going to kill Semak. All the trials and games and hoops Percy was making her jump through were going to burn her out before she could ever enact her revenge. All she wanted was to return the hell Semak put her through. She couldn't do that if Percy kept dangling the prize just out of her reach. She had to find a way around him. The person she was talking to could possibly help her- hopefully, "Who am I talking to, then? Are you going to rat me out? Or can you help me?"

"As long as you don't rat me out first," Nikita wasn't pretending as she responded. There was no use in engaging with the recruit- it had to be a recruit, no agent was that bad at hacking to not understand a simple cyber intrusion- if the conversation was only going to be reported. She could logout of the program, and her messages would disappear. But how could she gain any new intel if the recruit was only going to turn her in. She needed to build trust. And she had to get rid of the pang of guilt she felt about tricking someone into being a mole.

"Don't worry. I have pull. We won't even get punished," There was a chance Alex was laying it on thick, but she really needed to make the agent help her- she figured it was an agent, they seemed to know what they were talking about. She was sure Amanda would give her leniency if she found out, though. She knew how much the young recruit was struggling. The woman was also the one to tell her that there was power in trusting other people. Alex couldn't get in that much trouble, and she could extend that nicety to whoever helped her.

"Well, these messages disappear once we logout. As long as we do that, we're good. As for your intrusion, rely on those flashdrives they gave you," Quickly, Nikita informed the recruit. The sooner they got what they wanted, the sooner she could gain intel. After a few minutes, the recruit typed what seemed to be a hundred 'thank yous'. Nikita found herself smiling for just a moment. It was a simple joy, brought on by the young recruit's excitement. She couldn't let the feeling completely distract her, however. She had business to attend to, "What kind of pull do you have, by the way? You know what's going on?"

"Just that they're after some journalist about a possible leak. Though, I think Michael and Nikita are far more dangerous leaks," Alex wasn't sure why she responded so easily. It was probably just her excitement about finally getting the training hack right. Besides, no harm could come from telling an agent. They might be activated for the op later on. With the journalist still on the run, more of Division's resources would be utilized to find her. Sooner or later, everyone would know about the blundered op. Alex mostly knew about it through rumors, anyway.

Nikita could pat herself on the back for guessing the latest big news story was Division related. Though, that wasn't too hard to guess once you knew the black ops group's pattern. It was getting more intel to be able to do something about their missions that was the problem. She had to keep pressing the young recruit. Or simply warn them about the actual dangers out there, "At least Michael and Nikita know they'll get killed if they tell. This country won't recover from Division's secrets. That poor journalist has no idea what they stepped into."

"I heard Michael stepped in and helped her," Although Alex knew she needed to logoff and leave the computer lab, she continued to talk to the stranger. It was the realest conversation she had had with a person in a long time. She didn't have to lie in any capacity. There wouldn't be any repercussions, not with an anonymous chat. She almost felt as though she could express her true feelings about Division. The agent seemed to have reservations about what they were doing. That made them better than judgmental Jaden and Kelly, and too-nice Thom.

"He does that," Glancing at her television, Nikita typed. The news continued to cover the story of the dead newspaper editor. The journalist that was suspected to kill him was on the run. Division must've framed her for the murder and then were planning to kill her too. Fortunately, Michael was there to stop it. He and Birkhoff were getting better at jumping ahead of Division's plans. Her information must've helped a lot. She should've gone back with them. No doubt they'd be an indomitable team. But there were some things she had to do on her own.

"You know him?" Alex just had to wonder. Michael had gone rogue a long time ago. Only the older and far more experienced agents knew him. There weren't that many left of those. The high rate of turnover in Division kept information on former agents limited. That probably worked in Amanda's and Percy's favors. The less the agents knew about the rogues, the less likely they were to follow them. But Alex wanted to know about the agents brave enough to defy orders. They were able to break the chokehold Division had on them.

"I know Nikita and Birkhoff too. Those three aren't ones to mess with," Nikita wasn't bragging. It was a fact. It was also a little bit of a warning. The young recruit shouldn't involve themselves with the war against the rogues. The missions were only going to get more messy and destructive. That was fine if Percy or Amanda were getting hurt. And Roan too; Nikita never liked or trusted Percy's attack dog. But the recruits that were being used and abused just as she had been didn't deserve to be caught in the crosshairs. They deserved freedom.

"I know. I ran into a rogue Nikita. I can see why Kelly hates her," Alex shared too much. The agent could guess who she was. Hardly any agents had run into Nikita since she went rogue. But no one knew what truly happened in the hotel with Dadich. So maybe her identity was safe.

Except, Nikita knew about the hotel. She also knew which recruit was still new, and wouldn't know who Birkhoff or Michael were. She cursed as she typed, "Alexandra?"

"Wait. Are you Nikita?" The thought was instant. She was the only person to have called Alex 'Alexandra' inside of Division. Not even Amanda called her by her full name. Nikita was also the only agent she could think of that'd talk about Michael and Birkhoff like that. Either no one talked about them at all, or- like Kelly- they'd rail against them. Alex didn't just stumble across a random chatbox; she discovered a rogue's attempt to invade Division. She should've said something. Regain the favor she had lost. Instead, she decided to have Nikita's back. She had saved her first, after all, "Don't worry. All your secrets are safe with me."

"Why?" The three letters were the most difficult to type. There was a lot Nikita wanted to ask. Why was Alex still alive. Why was she still with Division. Why does she seem so sure and confident in aligning with the group that killed her family and nearly killed her. And why was she not completely loyal to them. None of what Nikita could rationalize made sense. If Alex was so afraid of Division that she'd rather work for them than run, then shouldn't she be willing to rat the rogue out. Keeping her a secret didn't benefit the young recruit in any way. None of that did.

"I made a deal. I get recruited and they use me as an agent, and in exchange they give me what I want most. But, I know better now than to give them everything they want," For some reason, that was all Alex was willing to share. She trusted Nikita to level some serious blows against Division. And she trusted the rogue's desire to keep people safe. But she didn't trust her with her mission. Alex wanted that to stay a secret. Her family had been for a long time. She wasn't going to break it over a chatbox.

"Be careful," It was the only advice Nikita could give. She wanted to ask a million more questions. She wanted to be biting and admonish Alex for what seemed like a stupid decision. Yet she understood. She sold her soul to Amanda after Michael and Birkhoff went rogue. And Michael sold his soul to Percy after his wife and daughter died. It took them years to realize their mistakes. Hopefully it wouldn't take Alex that long. She'd snap out of it, and realize there were other ways to get what she wanted. Whatever that was.

"You too. Jill Moretti needs you," Alex quickly logged out of the shell program. Panic just as quickly shot through her. She gave a rogue agent information. If Amanda or Percy found out, she was dead; it didn't matter who she was. Telling Nikita about the reporter was worse than hiding her involvement with Dadich in the hotel room. However, as Alex continued to think about the consequences, she became proud of her actions. The more the rogues hurt Division, the more pressure they would feel to complete their operations. Alex's revenge mission could be fast tracked. Helping both the rogues and Division could get her everything she ever wanted.

Chapter Text

Even before the police officers walked into the diner they rested at, Michael had been on high alert. He had been narrowly missing Division the majority of the day. First, when he saved the reporter, Jill Moretti, from the hit. Then, when the two called her source at her office. It was only a matter of time before the black ops group caught up to them again. With the BOLO out on Jill, Division could use the cops' resources to help them. Birkhoff's assistance over the computers could only extend so far. The instant the officers waltzed in, Michael knew they had to run. He pulled away the 'fugitive' reporter's food and whispered, "We have to go."

To Jill's credit, she was becoming better at staying calm and not asking too many questions as she followed Michael's order. Maybe the break to eat and rest did her nerves some good. Except, the rogue wasn't concerned with that at the moment. He had to slip them past the cops to their stolen car. He also had to get a clean vehicle, but that'd have to wait until they reached a place without a police presence. Especially since Jill was spotted and they had to run. He managed to delay the cops, yet he definitely had to steal a new car then. Fortunately, as his thoughts began to spiral over that fact, a car was delivered to him, "Need a ride?"

The last person Michael expected to see was Nikita. Sure enough, however, there she was poking her head out the car window. A knife was next to her in the center console, yet there was no malice to it. The weapon seemed to have been thrown there. Judging by how low to the ground the police cruiser next to them was, Michael was going to guess she popped the tires. For a last second rescue, she really had thought of everything. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was, though. She always had the ability to show up whenever he needed her the most. She was his saving grace, "It's alright, Jill. She's with me."

"I thought rogues worked alone," Although Jill gladly accepted Nikita and the getaway car, she had to question Michael's statement. She thought he was working alone- he had been the only person she interacted with since the hell began. Sure, he had mentioned something about tech support. And the woman's timing with the car was amazing; they were able to drive away from the diner without the police following. But all those teammates didn't fit the sullen Batman vibe she had gotten from the rogue. Maybe it was just the sound of his voice.

"You'd be surprised," Glancing over at Michael in the passenger seat, Nikita muttered. She hadn't expected to keep working with him and Birkhoff. The universe simply seemed to have other ideas. She never intended to run into the other rogues. She knew they'd probably be on the same missions, but she didn't expect to run right into them. For instance, that time, she only planned to track Jill Moretti and provide backup in protecting her. Michael and Birkhoff alone couldn't stop Division when they were on a manhunt. Nikita never would've guessed she'd save the reporter and Michael from the police. She just kept involving herself.

"Why don't you get some rest? It's a long drive to Richmond," Michael turned to Jill and suggested. He mostly said it so Nikita would know where they were headed. Just because she found the 'fugitives', didn't mean she knew what came next. She had to turn around to access the backroads to Virginia, after all. But Michael also told Jill to sleep so he could talk to Nikita in private. There were so many things the two had to discuss- what better chance than being trapped in a car for hours. It wasn't ideal, yet it was the best they had.

Jill was too wired to sleep, however. She wanted to keep asking questions- namely who Nikita was. She gave the reporter the basics ('I'm Nikita, I'm also a Division escapee'), but other than that, she didn't talk much. After a while, the adrenaline keeping Jill awake left her, and she began to drift. Within an hour, she was asleep. The rogues ensured she was in a deep sleep before they started talking. They also turned on the radio. Then wasn't the time to be overheard or interrupted, even if Nikita started with a simple question, "So, what exactly is going on?"

"Some hiker caught a Division coverup on camera. Remember that Air America plane crash in the mountains? Apparently, it was to cover up a huge cocaine smuggling ring. A cocaine smuggling ring men in black helicopters cleaned up," Michael informed Nikita instantly. It was the least he could do if she was going to assist him and Jill. She deserved his gratitude, and the right to know what exactly she had stepped into. Sharing intel easily could also help their conversation. If he was willing to share, then she would be as well.

"So the CEO hired Percy to clean up his mess," Nikita nodded, her eyes remaining on the road ahead. She was too fed up to be pissed. None of what Michael told her was that surprising. If a reporter was on Division's kill list, then obviously there was a coverup involved. And since the black ops unit had turned more into rich men's weapons than a tool for the government, of course a corrupt company and CEO was involved. Percy was certainly making a killing financially. He could continue his actual killing with no dent to his wallet. God, Nikita hated the bastard. She couldn't wait to kill him.

"The guy who captured the footage is scared. He reached out to the one person he could trust, now look what's happening," As important as it was to stop Division, Michael was more focused on the innocents who had gotten roped into the madness. It was easy to forget about them when hunts for black boxes and nuclear materials became more important. But there were so many people out there being hurt by Percy and Amanda. They needed to be protected. That was all Michael was ever trying to do, even if he made mistakes and bad choices along the way. Those caught in Division's schemes had to be helped. He needed to be the one to save them.

"Where's the meet?" Sharing another glance at Michael, Nikita understood what he meant. Jill and the poor hiker who recorded the Division mission were scared beyond belief. They just wanted the truth to be revealed to the public. Air America was dirty, and the world had to know. It was a noble act. Far more noble than Nikita. She knew the path of revenge wasn't the act of a hero. Jill, the hiker, Michael- hell, even Birkhoff, were the heroes. She was simply necessary. The evil had to be defeated, and she was the person to do it.

"The college up in Richmond. I think he's a student," That conclusion was simple to make. He wanted to meet in the middle of the day. He went hiking in the afternoon. Only students were free at those times, not people with jobs. It was a fact to keep in mind as the rogues confronted him. In the meantime, they just had to figure out how to reach him. Michael was able to find a map in the glove compartment of the stolen car- the joys of making sure they didn't steal a vehicle with GPS. He helped Nikita make some course corrections, and helped determine the best route they could take on the backroads.

Giving directions filled the silence the two had fallen into. Nikita was caught up on the information pertaining to the mission, all that was left was to share information about themselves. That, of course, was where they stalled. Nikita began to tap her thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat of the radio. Michael stared out the window. Their awkwardness to start talking wasn't helping. They were delaying the problem. One of them had to say something. They wanted to fix what was between them- didn't they. Or, as her comment suggested, they were fine dancing around each other, "So, Birkhoff's got a new algorithm going."

"Yeah. Shadownet. It tracks Division patterns based on all our information," Michael admitted. Upon learning the name of the program, Nikita burst out laughing. She was well aware of Birkhoff's obsession with naming his tech creations after himself. He was the famous Shadowwalker, after all- the best hacker in the whole world. The brilliant things he created had to be attached to his name. She couldn't wait until she saw him again. She was going to taunt the nerd so much for the stupid name. However, the thought of that sentiment made her pause. She and Birkhoff hadn't returned to that point yet. There was still so much hurt between them.

There was hurt between Nikita and Michael too. But they had had the time to make some improvements. The conversation in the hallway, his efforts to help her, and the two partnering on missions allowed them to return to where they had once been. Where exactly that was, however, remained a mystery. Their relationship had always been loose in definition; it was always more than whatever they could label it. That was why they could jump so easily back into things. He could ask her for the truth, and she would give it to him, "How'd you know how to find me?"

Nikita was lucky she was driving. She could stare at the road instead of at Michael as she figured out what to tell him. She couldn't just say she had a mole. She and Alex didn't have that much trust between them. Maybe they could if they continued talking. But for the moment, Alex was only a recruit who needed help. Nikita couldn't turn her back on her or let her down. Although she was only talking to Michael, she couldn't reveal Alex's secret. Nikita just had to give him a half-truth, "Remember when Birkhoff made us make those Shell programs when I was a recruit? I never took mine down. And I remembered the access code."

"But those are just chatboxes…" Letting his sentence drop, Michael attempted to rationalize what Nikita was telling him. Shell programs couldn't have supplied her any information- he knew that much about computers. Unless, of course, there was someone on the other end of the program giving her the intel. That was the only way the Shell could be operational. Nikita had someone on the inside. Michael's head whipped around to face her so fast. He couldn't believe it. She had a mole, "Wait. You have a mole? How? When?"

"Well, when you don't fake your death before leaving, you don't burn bridges. People still care about you," Nikita knew she shouldn't have said that. It was unfair of her to try to wound Michael like that. Faking his death was the only way he could secure his escape. And he had to escape. Staying in Division would've killed him in every possible way. However, she couldn't deny that there was still a sting of betrayal cinching around her heart. Despite how noble or understanding his intentions, he still left her. He didn't give her an explanation; he just left. Although she forgave him and stopped hating him once she knew why, the fact continued to hurt.

"Nikita, you know I had to," Shifting to face her better in his seat, Michael kept his sincere gaze locked on Nikita. They had already had that discussion. He didn't want to leave everyone in Division behind, but he had to. He had to escape the place that killed his family and used him. Percy, Amanda, Oversight, the whole organization had to pay for what they did. And they had to not destroy any more innocents and families. Being rogue was his only solution. He was doing good work on the outside. He was in control of his own destiny for once.

"I do," She squeezed the steering wheel tightly in order not to look at Michael. It was so tempting to look over, but she couldn't. Nikita knew looking at him would cause too many pent up thoughts and emotions to spill. She didn't need that dam to break. Not while she was trapped in the car with him. Not while a reporter was asleep in the backseat. She had to keep herself in check. Understanding her feelings with Michael wouldn't have been the best move for her. Too many things about herself and them had to be fixed first.

Finally turning his gaze away from Nikita, Michael nodded. There was understanding between them, at least. She knew why he left and pulled Birkhoff along with him. And he knew why she relapsed. That could be enough for the moment. The silence of the car, however, caused him to fidget awkwardly. The two had to keep talking. If not to discover something new or break better ground between them, then to at least keep their relationship moving forward. They had to keep smiling and laughing, "Someone who cares about you, huh? So not Kelly."

"The second that girl goes rogue, the second Hell freezes over," Nikita couldn't help but laugh. Michael easily chuckled along with her. The sound of it made her relax in her seat. As he laughed, she didn't feel the need to be so tense or check over her shoulder. She could be at peace. She could be reminded of what joy was like. That was another reason the two were mending bridges so quickly between each other. They had a hold over one another no one else had. However, they didn't want to explore it; they simply wanted to feel it.

"There was a point when I thought the same about you," Although he wanted to keep the light banter going- laughing and smiling with her again felt amazing- Michael had to say it. Nikita needed to know about his and Birkhoff's previous thoughts. When she had smashed the hacker's hand and tried to kill the rogue on that mission half a year ago, Michael thought she was long gone. Obviously, he had been wrong. Thank God he had been wrong. She was just as rogue as they were then. She had helped them and saved them. Whatever Division did to her didn't last. It couldn't last, not when she was so strong.

"Then you didn't know me that well," In a low mutter, Nikita bit. Well, she wanted to yell and snap at Michael. Instead, her tone was muted. There wasn't as much anger inside of her as she believed. That was possibly because her mind and body were finally readjusting after her relapse. She could think more clearly. Her emotions were in better control. And she could rationalize the information given to her. She couldn't stay mad at Michael and Birkhoff when she knew why they did what they did, and why they thought what they thought. The two were just being human. They were driven by their heart- like she was.

Michael shouldn't have opened his mouth. Nikita didn't need to know that. He had been wrong. Sparing a glance at her, however, he noticed that she was alright. Well, as alright as she had been recently. It was his honesty that didn't make her rip his head off. Him being honest meant he trusted her. She needed that. After being alone for so long, she needed friends and a partner. So, he was going to give her that, "We should probably rest and switch drivers about half-way. We don't want to be exhausted in case Division catches up to us. Also, I'm going to need to take over the radio. Your music taste hasn't improved over the last few years."

"Hah. Yeah right. You get to listen to this all night long, Mikey," Flashing him a wry grin, Nikita turned the radio up louder (well, loud enough to annoy Michael, but not loud enough to wake Jill). He chuckled. She tore her eyes away from the road for a second. His green eyes met her brown in a spark. She thought that would've made her jolt away. Instead, she smiled brightly.

Chapter Text

Whether or not Alex truly did the right thing was unclear. She felt great about her actions. She knew it was something she had to do. But there was bound to be repercussions. And there was a possibility she only delayed the inevitable; everything was just going to get worse. She didn't know for certain. Maybe the rogues would've managed without her help. They had before. All she did was provide a distraction. She didn't sway the operation in any direction. It was a thin defense, but she'd stick with it. What else did she have.

Division had been scrambling even before her intervention. Michael had successfully saved their target and disappeared from their radar. He was almost caught a few times, but kept slipping away. Soon, the black ops group couldn't even track him. That was when they turned to their recruits. They had them sort through the report's belongings, hoping to discover who her source was. If they found the source, they found their rogue. Then, they could kill everyone. Although the recruits were told they were only participating in a training exercise, Alex knew it had something to do with the latest op. And she knew she had to do something about that.

Thom made her work with Jaden in an effort to stop them from fighting; though, Alex didn't mind. She was too focused on attempting to understand what was occurring. She also kept thinking about the chatbox with Nikita. Communication with the rogue was dangerous, but she knew it was necessary. It could lead to her getting everything she wanted. The rogues would increase the pressure on Division, which would make her mission rush to the start. She could be far closer to her revenge with the rogues' distractions. Then, she could leave Division for good.

In the meantime, during her attempt to figure out what was going on, she wound up helping Division. Alex found the reporter's source for them. Digging through the belongings and picking up a trail was easy. Unfortunately, that led a black ops group to a college student's door. And Alex had to watch. They said it was a privilege to see the rewards of her work, but she only noticed horror. She didn't want to lead to an innocent's death- even if he was going to out Division. She needed to do something. At least Nikita and Michael crashed onto the scene.

So, Nikita had followed Alex's information to help Michael. That was good. That meant the young woman did something she believed was right. She had to expand on that. When the hackers in Ops were distracted, she decided she had to help the rogues once more. All she did was tip off the police in the area. But that problem let Michael, Nikita, and the reporter Jill escape from Division agents with the evidence they wanted. Silently, Alex celebrated her success. The rogues' victory should definitely freak them out and force them to start her Semak mission. Except, as she smiled, Amanda called for her, "Alex, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Elation quickly seeped out of Alex. What had she done. Yes, she helped save Michael, Nikita, and Jill. But she disobeyed Division to do so. If they found out, she'd lose her chance at revenge; she'd also lose her life. Was what she was doing really worth that. How right could saving people be if it wasn't going to last long. Was it even worth it. Everytime Alex thought she found her footing inside Division, she wound up slipping and falling. She was never going to get what she wanted that way. She had to keep being smart. She had to know what was occurring. And she had to understand her role in all of that, "Do you have any updates on Semak?"

"He continues to keep a low public profile. We are searching for a way to get to him. We'll possibly have to focus on his closest employees before we look at him," Amanda barely had time to enter her office before Alex blurted. She sighed and led the young recruit in, silently asking for her to sit on the couch. The young woman stood. Anxiously, she paced the room, her fingers fidgeting with her sweats. Amanda attempted to not make her observations known. She simply sat, smiled sweetly, and offered tea.

"Then why do you need to talk to me?" Her intense stress and sudden relief mixed into frustrated annoyance. Glaring at Amanda, Alex snapped. She had tried to play off what she had done in Ops by asking about Semak. She didn't think it would work. She thought Division knew about the chatbox and about her notice to the police; except, it was none of that. The mercenary group was in the dark about everything, including Semak. They didn't know she had helped rogues. And they didn't know how to approach her enemy. She worked herself up over nothing.

While she glared, Amanda cast her a warning look. For a brief moment, Alex thought she was being scolded by her mother. She could picture it so clearly. She had snarked about something, or had used bad language, or had gotten a bad grade, and her mom would tell her to sit as she sternly lectured her. Alex was drawn by the powerful memory of all those moments to collapse on the couch and stare at Amanda. There was no fight left in her. She had to listen to what the woman said, "Your attitude has gotten out of hand."

"I'm doing everything you asked. I even found the journalist's source for you. Though, you did just say that it was a training exercise. Not an active op," Although annoyed, Alex ensured she kept her voice even. There were many things she couldn't allow her voice to convey. Amanda couldn't know that the young man's death hurt her- she didn't want the source to be killed. How she helped the rogues had to remain a secret, especially since she planned on using the shell program with Nikita again. And her true feelings about Division had to stay hidden. If they knew how she really felt, they wouldn't help her.

"Information is dangerous here. Everyone cannot know everything. Unless, you want someone like Jaden knowing you're a lost heiress," Of course Amanda found a way to spin why the recruits were lied to. However, Alex found herself having to agree. Information was definitely dangerous where they were. Nikita used it to foil a Division mission, after all. No one could know the wrong thing. As Alex slumped against the couch in defeat, Amanda offered her tea again, "We're trying to help you, Alex."

"By forcing me through pointless trainings and missions that have no relevance to Semak?" Alex took the cup. She thought it would make up for her complaint. She'd comply with Amanda's niceties, if she explained her motives. Training her to kill so she could take out Semak made sense. But why did Alex have to hack as well. Why did she essentially have to be a prostitute for Dadich. And why was she getting in trouble for arguing with Jaden. She wasn't recruited like the others, so she shouldn't be treated as such. She was privately, at least.

"Those 'pointless' trainings are meant to prepare you. Do you think you could survive against Semak if you barely broke away from Dadich?" Despite Amanda's smile, her tone was beyond condescending. She was right, and she knew it. Alex barely survived her encounter with Dadich and those rebels. She couldn't fight them off. If Nikita hadn't been there, who knew what could've happened. The young recruit was lucky to still be alive. She might've been able to hold her own, but she couldn't kill a man. That would've been too much.

"Semak is a shrewd businessman. I can take him no problem," Setting her cup back on the coffee table, Alex attempted to argue. She knew her 'Uncle Sergei' (though, he had lost that title once he tried to kill her). She knew he couldn't be too difficult to kill. Dadich was a former dictator, a weasel, and was kidnapped by other mercenaries. There had been a lot going against Alex. But against Semak, it should be an easy match. She was learning new fighting skills everyday. In no time, she could be ready to kill someone- someone who deserved it. She couldn't do Division's dirty work and harm an innocent. What happened to the young source was enough.

Wordlessly, Amanda reached for a tablet on the stand table next to her. Alex watched intrigued as she pulled up a file and scrolled through the screen. When she found what she was searching for, her penetrating gaze returned to the young recruit. She felt the need to hide from it, yet Alex forced herself to stare back. Amanda continued to hold the tablet, not sharing the screen and tapping her nails on the back. Eventually, she asked, "Do you know which organization became Zetrov's security force after your father's death?"

"No. I was too busy escaping from a brothel," Alex deadpanned. She had no idea what happened to Zetrov after her father was murdered. She knew Semak took over and rapidly expanded the corporation. But that was all. She didn't really care to know the rest. What did it matter what men in business suits behind a table did. The fate of Zetrov wasn't anything she ever worried about. The company could fall to ruin for all she cared. She just wanted the man that destroyed her family to suffer. That shouldn't have been so hard to achieve, not when she was supposed to be getting help from a governmental black ops group.

"They're called Gogol. They are ruthless mercenaries, former KGB. Even Division agents struggle against them. Percy tried to take out their leader, Ari Tasorov. But the agent failed. You'll need to be better than the best to face them," Amanda handed Alex the tablet. She let her scroll through the contents as she spoke. Her voice portrayed no emotion. She was unflinching as she relayed the facts. Gogol wasn't an organization to mess with. If it could hold its own against Division, then it was something to fear.

Alex absorbed the information silently. She wasn't sure how she should take it. Obviously, she'd have to plan around Gogol. But with her limited skills and knowledge, that seemed impossible. She'd have to train more, gather more resources, and delay her revenge. God, she hated the last thought. However, what else was she to do. She couldn't go after Semak if he hid behind Gogol. She might not have cared about a suicide run, but only if Semak died with her. That wouldn't be the case with his security force. He was too protected, "So trying to kill Semak would be like trying to kill Percy."

"Not quite. You'll have resources to help you. And you wouldn't be rogue," Amanda couldn't help but chuckle. She took the tablet back from Alex and smiled. The young recruit studied her. She wasn't entirely sure what that was about, but she decided not to dive into it. Percy wasn't her concern. Another woman on another revenge mission could handle him. The recruit and the rogue weren't exactly alike. For starters, Alex wasn't being hunted. And secondly, she had a whole force behind her back.

"I'd have information and a team?" Leaning forward, Alex hoped she was reading Amanda correctly. Resources from Division would mean more than weapons and tech. She could receive information on Semak and Gogol. And she could have a full team of well-trained agents backing her when she finally put her revenge into action. A strike team could handle security while she focused on her main target. They could all escape easily together. If anything went wrong, she could have backup in all its forms. It seemed too good to be true. Yet, she had it.

"Of course you'd have a team. I wouldn't send you in there alone. I don't want you getting hurt," Amanda grinned warmly once more. Except, that time, it seemed genuine. Alex didn't believe the woman was scheming or trying to get something from her. She was real. The young recruit was unsure of how to proceed with that. Why would Amanda suddenly be nice to her. It wasn't as though she had stopped being a brat. And the two were still fighting over who had the true control in the situation. Alex couldn't allow Division to get away with everything, after all. Yet, she was being cared for like none of that mattered.

"Why?" Alex didn't want her voice to sound so small. She meant to be judgmental. She meant to try and call Amanda on her bullshit. But hurt just had to express itself. It had been so long since anyone had cared for her. Even if the woman had ulterior motives, she did seem to care. She wanted the teenager safe. In their other talks, Amanda wanted to know if she was comfortable and happy with her decision for revenge. When was the last time anyone had asked her if she felt okay. Alex couldn't believe she was being cared for again.

"Because I like you, Alex. You have amazing potential. You can be wonderful, strong, brilliant, beautiful, and special. You just need to listen," Gently, Amanda moved next to Alex on the couch. She kept her distance, but she sat close enough that the young woman had to turn to face her. Nothing in her gaze gave away that she was lying or trying to deceive her. Amanda spoke the truth. Even if Alex didn't believe that about herself, someone else did. It seemed impossible. Yet so did a conspiratorial hit on her family, and there she was.

As she thought, Alex had to tear her eyes away from Amanda. The woman was offering so much. If she took it, she had to be better than she had been. She needed more trust in Division. She couldn't be distracted by the rogues or by what they could bring her. And she had to get along with others (how annoying and awful and mean they were didn't matter). Alex had to put in more of an effort if she were to receive everything she wanted. There wasn't a shortcut to killing Semak. Plans, information, training, and patience were her only choices. She had to comply, "If I stick with the training, and not be a brat, I can have Semak and my team?"

"You can have everything you want. I'll make sure of it," Amanda squeezed Alex's arm. It wasn't a strong hold, trapping her in place. The touch was comforting; it was kind. Once again, the young recruit thought briefly of her mother. She couldn't help but grin softly and melt into the touch. Amanda moved closer to her, warmth radiating off of her. She was so soft and kind, Alex had to hang on to every word she said, "Why don't you take a break? You did great today. I'm proud of you, and I can't wait to see what you accomplish for yourself and for Division."

Chapter Text

Taking a steadying breath, Nikita approached the woman. She didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that helping Jill Moretti felt good- it felt right. For once, it wasn't about destroying Division or killing Percy. She helped someone in need and ensured the truth was known. Although she left Michael to deal with Jill after escaping from Division at the college with the damning videotape, Nikita thought for just a moment that she could be considered a hero. It didn't last long. However, she learned that she could do something good; she wasn't all bad. She knew she could do something else right.

So, Nikita approached the woman in the park. She had no right to be there. In fact, she was fairly certain that when the woman saw her, it'd make things worse. But she couldn't leave the woman and her daughter in danger- not again. Nikita was full of apologies as she spoke to her. The woman wouldn't hear a single word of it. She had done the worst thing possible to the family. She didn't deserve forgiveness. Except, that wasn't why the rogue was there. She only wanted to offer safety to the woman and her daughter. It was the least she could do.

What she was doing hardly even made sense to herself. All Nikita knew was that it was right- and smart. The woman could recognize that as she accepted the escape to safety. The rogue was going after the person who had hired her to kill the woman's husband. She wanted to find whoever wanted Division to kill Homeland Security Agent Victor Han. His wife and daughter shouldn't be caught in the crosshairs. The two had suffered enough. Nikita had made them suffer enough. Then was her chance to give them vengeance, just as she was doing for herself.

Victor Han's murder never sat right with Nikita. It wasn't just because it was her first kill. But also, why would Division kill someone who worked for the same government as them. There was no rationality behind that besides Percy and his money. The people who hired him were just as bastardly as he was. Nikita had to take them out; get justice for Han's family. If she was going to be rogue, she might as well be a vigilante as well. She'd need help, though. Then wasn't the time to be alone. After debating with herself over that fact, she ended up at the damn safehouse in the woods. She entered and sighed as she approached the other rogues, "I need your help."

"What is it?" Michael immediately moved to her. He had grabbed his knife when he believed Division had found the safehouse and broken in. Upon seeing Nikita, however, he set down his weapon and rushed to her. She appeared distraught. After all, she wouldn't be going to him or Birkhoff if it was a simple problem or just nothing. She always left them after encounters and missions. Something had to be wrong. She could've gotten herself in trouble chasing down a lead or doing something reckless. No matter what it was, he had to be there for her.

Nikita didn't answer Michael right away. She was distracted by Birkhoff. Whereas the agent rushed to her and put aside his tasks, the hacker remained by his computer station. He clutched a desk toy in his grip as though it were a weapon. He could easily throw it at Nikita if he had to. Which, based on the look in his eyes, he believed he was going to have to defend himself. She deserved that look. Yet, she couldn't face it. She'd much rather turn to Michael and his too-concerned gaze than stare at Birkhoff, "Well, as you know, we're in this for revenge…"

"We're in this because it's the right thing to do. People deserve freedom and life," Michael couldn't help but interrupt. He just had to set the record straight. It wasn't only revenge he was after. Yes, he wanted Percy to pay for what he did to his family, what he did to him, and what he did to others. But it had become far more than that. All of Division and Oversight had to be destroyed. The whole world was being hurt by their actions. Saving others from the pain he had experienced became the priority. No one else should have to die or lose their loved ones.

"Right. But you know who's responsible for Hayley's and Elizabeth's deaths. Birkhoff, you know who used and abused you. And I know who… did this to me. But what about Division's other victims? Shouldn't they know what happened to their families?" It was better if Nikita just ignored Michael's comment about being heroes and got straight to her point. They were sure to get into another argument that would've led them nowhere. There were more important things out there than whatever they were trying to prove to themselves or to the other. When it came to the two of them, focusing on missions was for the best.

"You want to release black box secrets once we have them?" Birkhoff pulled Nikita's attention away from Michael. He had let go of his desk toy, but he continued to keep his distance from her. She didn't dare approach. Just as it was best that she and Michael only focused on missions when they were together, it was better if Nikita and Birkhoff kept their distance. They weren't anywhere near what their friendship had been when they were inside Division. Too many things had been burned between them. The two had to take baby steps back towards each other. However, they hadn't quite figured out how to do that yet.

Michael glanced between Nikita and Birkhoff, attempting to decide if he should step in on mending their relationship or not. He chose to leave it alone for the moment. He had to focus on what Nikita was planning. If she was thinking about releasing black box secrets, he had to stop her immediately. Just because they helped Jill share the video of the Air America cocaine scandal, didn't mean they could share all Division's secrets. Nikita was well aware of the danger, however. She stared at Michael and shook her head, "No. This country won't recover. And you guys are in there. You could get hurt if the public knew what you were forced to do."

"So what do you have in mind?" Michael asked. He tried not to dwell on the fact that Nikita used his words as an explanation. He knew she listened to him sometimes; some of his warnings and guidance got through her stubbornness. But that was different. She was at the safehouse with him and Birkhoff. She was asking for help. And she actually cared about reckless and dangerous consequences. Nikita was coming around to Michael's side of thinking. Hopefully, that was a sign of better things to come for the rogues.

"Victor Han. He was the Homeland Security agent I killed. His family still doesn't know what happened. I want to give them closure," Taking another settling breath, Nikita began to explain. She knew better than to tell Han's wife about Division, yet she had to know about the person who hired the black ops group. She also had to know that that person would no longer be on Earth. That path of revenge was alright with her and Nikita. There was just Michael and Birkhoff left to convince. And who knew how exactly they'd think about it.

"Victor Han, as in your first kill? You really want to revisit that?" Second guessing Nikita's decision, Birkhoff studied her over. He knew how bad her first kill mission had been for her. He was there for the aftermath. She had to pose as a baby's nanny, then plant a bomb while mom and child were out of the house. She betrayed trust. She was used as a government agent to kill another- a seemingly innocent one compared to those inside Division. Her actions tore her up. It gave Birkhoff emotional whiplash as well. What happened was fucked up. The mission wasn't something to delve deeply into.

"There were rumors it had to do with the Triad. That's who Han was working on taking out," Michael, on the other hand, was instantly ready to help Nikita. At the mention of getting closure for Victor Han's wife and daughter, he was willing to jump right into the mission. The original operation had never sat right with Michael either. He hated that Division had gone after a seemingly clean Homeland Security agent, and he hated that a baby was almost harmed in the process. It was about time the rogues set things right.

"I want to start with a local sweatshop of theirs and work my way to the top. It should be easy to find out who hired Division from there," Nodding, Nikita explained what she had thought about already. If Han was waging a battle against the Triad while he was in Homeland Security, then it made sense that one of the Triad leaders would want him dead. Percy wasn't above working under criminals' orders. As long as he gained money or power from the deal, he didn't care. Division was only a weapon for others to exploit, after all.

As Nikita and Michael discussed the Triad controlled sweatshop they could break into, destroy, and follow any of the workers to their headquarters, Birkhoff gaped. He couldn't believe the two were actually considering it. He was all for helping people and screwing over Division. But they had to draw the line somewhere. Not everything had to be a crusade or a path of vengeance. Going after the Triad was definitely somewhere the rogues shouldn't go. Weren't they in enough danger, "You want to go after the Triad?"

"That's why I need your help," Nikita practically pleaded as she faced Birkhoff once more. She wasn't going to be reckless and rash on that mission. Facing the Triad wasn't a joke. And she wanted to survive that operation. She wanted to do something right again. The family she had hurt so long ago needed their chance at vengeance too. She had the power to help them. It wouldn't absolve her of any of the pain she had caused. But she wasn't looking for retribution. She only wanted to give others what she couldn't have. They deserved more than her.

"Do you have any information from your mole?" Although he wanted to ask more about Nikita's mole (and so did Birkhoff, based on the confused look he cast his way), Michael kept his question brief. Maybe the mole inside Division could get them an old mission file or past information they might not have. There was no doubt that Percy only told them the basics when it came to the Han kill mission. After all, they didn't know who ordered it and why. The secrets had kept them in line, and the threat of death kept them from asking questions. Fortunately, the rogues weren't under those conditions anymore. They were free to get all the intel they needed.

"I don't want to put them in danger over something like this. Besides, Shadownet would be more useful here," Nikita smiled softly at Birkhoff. She didn't want to involve Alex into the mess that was Victor Han. How much information could she really obtain anyway. All she could relay were Division's movements- if that. Nikita shouldn't bother her with that operation. Birkhoff, however, well she could maybe start to apologize for all she had done to him by recognizing his genius with Shadownet. It was an amazing program and tool. The rogues definitely needed it, just as they needed the nerd who ran it.

"Oh no. You're not buttering me up. It won't work. I'm not fighting the Triad. The target on my back is huge enough with Division. This is above and beyond the call of duty," Shaking his head, Birkhoff held his ground. There wasn't a chance the Triad would know of his involvement if he used Shadownet- his hacks were too good to be tracked. Yet he didn't want to risk it. Besides, there had to be other ways to discover who hired Division to kill Han. Maybe when they got a black box they could peak inside; though, that'd be like opening Pandora's box.

"Come on, Birkhoff. We're helping a family," Michael pleaded the same case that had won him over. He approached Birkhoff, needing him to understand that going after whoever hired Division to kill Victor Han was the right thing to do. Burning Division and Oversight to the ground was about helping and protecting the innocents they had hurt just as much as it was about black boxes and destroying their sources of power. Michael and Birkhoff (and Nikita) had to be heroes as well as rogues. They had to help the Han family.

Birkhoff was almost swayed. He could recognize how important the mission was for Michael. Of course he would do whatever he could to help him. It was just the thought of the Triad that held him back. Nikita was the one to fully persuade the hacker. They shouldn't keep focusing on the Triad or on families. Percy was involved as well. And the rogues would do anything to get under his skin, "It'll piss Percy off too. If we find out who hired Division, he might go running to a black box to check on its security."

"And your mole can tell us when he's off and running," While Michael flashed Nikita a half-smile at her brilliant plan, Birkhoff attempted to catch up on the 'mole' conversation. That was the second time his partner mentioned the other rogue having a mole inside Division. The hacker couldn't make sense of it. When did she have someone on the inside, and why hadn't she mentioned it before. Shouldn't that be something they could use to help them in their war. However, Nikita was too focused on smiling back at Michael to answer Birkhoff. He just sighed.

"Whatever. Just gear up and get out of here," Waving them away, Birkhoff plopped back down at his computer. He'd get the agents the intel they needed and help out with any tech support, but he didn't want to be directly involved with an attack on the Triad. He was smarter than to wage war on two criminal organizations; Division was enough. Nikita and Michael were perfectly fine with his decision. Once the nerd gave them information, they could take it from there. The two could handle the fieldwork themselves- having a partner certainly helped. They gathered the necessary weapons and protections and took off.

Attacking the sweatshop was easy. While Nikita battled the guards, Michael helped the enslaved workers flee. His Mandarin was rough- Nikita had to help him- but he was able to inform them of a shelter that would provide safety. When he returned to his partner (was that what they were in the field) she was already dosing the place in gasoline. Only one guard was left, yet she let him go with a bug on his jacket. When the building went up in flames, he'd run to his boss, and the agents would be able to track him. Michael had the feeling that she hadn't needed his help taking the Triad. What she needed was someone to ensure she didn't go too far.

He had seen it in the way she fought. Nikita fought like something was trying to claw out of her. It was as though with every punch, a demon could consume her whole. She had to keep herself in check, or else- Michael was very aware of what could happen when she allowed her demons to control her. Having him around seemed to help. So, he would undoubtedly stick by her to ensure their mission for justice went perfectly. Unfortunately, he didn't have as much of a say in that as he thought. When Michael and Nikita traced the Triad to their headquarters and fought their way to the boss's office, they were met with a surprise on the computer.

The head of the Triad, who had facetimed his workers from China, was none other than Victor Han. As Michael took a step back in surprise, Nikita scowled, "Why am I not surprised?"

Chapter Text

While Michael stood stock still, Nikita was already on the move. She threw some snide remarks at Victor Han, and tracked where his video call was originating. By the time Division arrived on the scene (Percy was probably called after the mess the rogues made at the sweatshop) Nikita had everything she needed. She pulled Michael along with her as she escaped. There was no doubt that she was handling the news of a former Homeland Security agent working for the Triad better than him. He couldn’t shake his shock and feeling of betrayal. It wasn’t until the two were rushing down the street that he came to his senses, “Where are you going?”

“To get Han,” Nikita stormed down the sidewalk, searching for another car they could steal. They had to abandon their vehicle at the scene, and Division would easily track their movements in a taxi or on the subway. As long as they didn’t hold onto the car for long, stealing one was always better for rogue activities- especially in a city like New York. No one would think twice about a stolen car. But Nikita knew that wasn’t what occupied Michael’s mind. He was distracted by more important things- things she didn’t want to think too hard about.

“Without a plan?” Stopping her in her tracks, Michael finally got his thoughts to work for him. The situation was rapidly getting out of control. Obviously, Victor Han still had Percy working with him if Division was tipped off to the rogues’ presence. The two must’ve had a long standing deal. Han had his death faked to cover his dirty dealings. He probably took the job with Homeland to gather information for the Triad. When it caught up to him, he reached out to Percy. That was a kind of cover up and scheming the rogues couldn’t handle on the fly. They had to be smart. They had to be safe if they were going to see things through.

“I have a plan. It’s called ‘follow your guts’,” Quickly, Nikita broke away from Michael and hurried to a potential car they could steal. He sighed as he followed her across the street. He should’ve expected something like that from her. Men in power being corrupt and people getting screwed over as a result always pissed her off. The fact that she believed she had killed the man involved, and had carried that guilt around for years, didn’t make it any better. She wanted heads, for herself and for all the others that had been hurt. Although Michael agreed with Nikita about revenge- he was pissed too- they wouldn’t be able to do anything if they got killed.

It’d take a miracle to stop Nikita, though. Her murderous gaze was set. Michael should’ve learned by then not to mess with her when she was on a warpath. But he wasn’t going to hinder her; he was going to help her. The first thing he had to do was get her to think. However, that was a mission all on its own. For starters, her focus was entirely on stealing a car. He helped where she would let him. She kept shoving off his attempts to assist her. So, to get her to listen, he forcefully turned her to face him, “Nikita. You can’t go after the head of the Triad.”

“Yes I can. We have to do this, Michael. We’re the only ones who can. We get justice for the wife and daughter he just abandoned here. We take a shitty man out of his position of power. And we fuck with Percy. We take out Han now. It’s what his family deserves,” Once again, Nikita ripped away from Michael. She jumped into the car and began to hotwire it. Once they returned to the safehouse, they’d have to find a way to ditch the car. Maybe she could take it to the airport with her and ditch it there. That’d certainly kill two birds with one stone.

“I’m not arguing with you. I agree, we have to do this, and we’re the only ones who can pull it off. But we have to have a plan first. We can’t just waltz into China and start shooting. They know we’re coming. The instant we land, the Triad will know we’re there. And they’ll kill us without a second thought,” Michael hopped into the car before she could drive away. He’d have to remember to text Birkhoff so he could help wipe them and the stolen vehicle from street cameras. Yet stealing a car still wasn’t his concern at the moment. Being rash wasn’t going to work in their favor. Going after so much power required a lot of planning.

Nikita sighed as she peeled off. She knew Michael was right. Rushing to the airport immediately wouldn’t get her anywhere. Even if she schemed on the long plane ride like she planned on doing, it wouldn’t get her far. She had to start thinking then. She had to start thinking several steps ahead of her enemy. Fortunately, a criminal group like the Triad was easy to predict. She knew the sweatshop guard would run to his leader, after all, “You’re right. They’ll know we’re there. But they won’t kill us immediately.”

“I know that look. What are you thinking?” If Michael was being honest with himself, he was excited for the mission to continue. Yes, the situation was beyond awful. Someone in their government played the system, abandoned a family, and got away with it- again. But he and Nikita were working together to knock people out of their corrupt positions of power. The two were actually working as partners, not two separate people who were forced together because the circumstances called for it. They were planning and listening like they were a team. He hoped there were more moments like that in the future.

“Han will want to handle this himself. So, he’ll have his men take us from the airport, and probably bring us down to the docks. There, he can kill us in private, or sell us to a sweatshop. Really anything to keep us quiet. Men in power will do anything they can to stay in power… they’ll take what they want…” Nikita had started out rational (and angry) but the more she spoke, the more new ideas came to her. Alright, she had to admit that having Michael with her was a huge help. Although they had to move slower than she liked, he got her to think. That was a good thing. She was fairly certain she had a brilliant idea.

“Nikita?” As she grew silent, Michael grew concerned. He knew nothing was wrong. He was just all too aware of what Nikita was thinking. She definitely had a plan in mind. Whatever it was, it was going to be a great one. However, it was also going to be risky. If everything didn’t go perfectly, then it was going to all fall apart. She was smart enough to ensure it went perfectly, though. No risk, no reward- that was what she always said to him whenever he called her out for being reckless in Division. Without having anyone to keep her in check, her insane plans had grown exponentially. He’d just have to go along for the ride.

“What are the chances Han will finally want his way with the young, attractive nanny?” Stopping at a red light, Nikita flashed Michael a sly grin. He quickly abandoned his text to Birkhoff to gape at her. She nearly laughed. She forgot how easy he was to mess with. Despite being a very serious man, he was always the best to joke with. He either had the best reactions, or fired back with his own teases. At that moment, though, she was just looking to get a rise out of him. Of course her plan didn’t exactly involve what she had insinuated. That was only a part.

Michael, however, couldn’t read Nikita’s mind. Her question had completely thrown him off guard. He didn’t know how long he gaped at her until she started driving again. Finishing his text to Birkhoff, he tried to shake himself out of his shock. Surely, she wasn’t seriously thinking about what she said. There was no way she’d suggest seducing their target. She always hated those missions. Nothing could’ve changed her mind all of a sudden. The thought that something might’ve had him choking on air, “You’re going to seduce your way out of this?”

“No. But I remembered that Han is allergic to peanuts. If I put peanut oil on my lips then get him to kiss me, he’ll go into anaphylactic shock. We can take out the guards in the distraction, and then deal with him,” Since their target was a supposed dead man, the two couldn’t get new information on him. Luckily, Nikita had spent many weeks with Han in the past. The intel she had gathered then could help her and Michael with their mission. After all, sometimes the simplest of things could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

“Good in theory. But, that might work better if you’re alone. The two of us bring more complications and more unpredictability,” Nodding (and a little relieved that he was wrong), Michael tried to think of the downsides of her plan. What Nikita had was brilliant. He was sure it would work. He just wanted to ensure it was airtight before they put it into action. As rogues, they didn’t have the same resources their adversaries had- they just had stolen equipment, a couple safehouses, a computer nerd, and an anonymous mole. None of those would do them any good if they made a mistake against the Triad. They had to be more than perfect.

“Birkhoff has a private jet, right? You fly in privately, then follow wherever Han takes me,” Nikita was fairly certain she had heard Birkhoff mention that he had his own jet. When they had staked out the hotel before the Safwani mission, he told her about the things he had purchased on Division’s dime that they didn’t even know about; mostly so she knew how they got the safehouse, and to brag about how good he was. A plane was among those items. If that was true- which it more than likely was- then Michael could use that to get into China while she flew commercial. She’d be the bait, and he’d reel them in.

“And provide support with a rifle,” Finishing her thought, Michael was completely for that amendment. Birkhoff could give Nikita a com when they geared up and finalized their plan at the safehouse. Michael would be able to follow her and the Triad easily. The two agents could also communicate in case anything went wrong. Both doubted it would. They were on the exact same page for that mission. When their capabilities were combined like that, they were unstoppable. It was almost like old times. They were partners in crime once again.

Alex had already been having a rough day. That morning, the recruits had a training exercise where they had to diffuse a bomb underneath a car. The stress of that mixed with a person stalking around her hiding place nearly drove her to a panic attack. She managed to fight it off in order to finish the training. But immediately afterwards, she ran away. Once Amanda talked to her, there would be no denying that she was still fucked up from what happened to her family. She couldn’t keep her emotions in check. And getting her ass handed to her during the sparring session later that afternoon wasn’t helping. She was ready to explode.

She almost took her anger out on Thom. He was only trying to help her. But Alex was so stressed and overwhelmed with everything that was happening. Running only on the thought of revenge was catching up to her. She didn’t give herself time to think or breathe about anything else. If that kept driving her towards more panic attacks, she was screwed. She had to get a handle on herself. She couldn’t allow her past to continue fucking with her head. She was in control then; no one else. When she was going to put that thought into action, however, Thom got distracted by the commotion around them, “You know what’s going on?”

“Something with Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff I’m sure,” From the sparring mat, Alex watched Kelly and two agents rush out of Ops. The head agent seemed rattled. Whatever was occurring appeared to have shaken her to her core. A part of Alex wanted to sneak off to the computer lab and ask Nikita about it over the shell program. But she managed to shut that part up pretty quickly. The rogues didn’t need her involvement. They were obviously handling it just fine. If anything, Division needed her more in that situation. She should simply play her part as a loyal recruit. She was bound to be more rewarded for it.

“The second I’m out in the field, they won’t even be a problem. Division needs someone who’s not afraid to give the rogues what they deserve,” Jaden’s comment was ignored by Alex. The other recruit was probably making good points about how some Division agents were clouded by their emotions for Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff, yet the young woman didn’t care. She seriously had to only focus on herself. If she got herself in check, if she got herself in order, then things would go her way. Playing rogue was just a death sentence.

Though, helping Nikita and working against Division was the only time Alex felt calm. She was sure of herself in those moments. She was in control. The stress of being discovered as a liar tore her up inside. But it was outweighed by the sense that she had done something right. She wasn’t stupid. She knew how terrible of a place Division was. They weren’t the heroes of the story, but the villains. Even if Percy and Amanda helped her get revenge, it wouldn’t erase the evils they had done. The rogues were in the right. However, Alex quickly shook that thought away. She couldn’t be distracted, “They’re not our priority. We need to train.”

“What’s changed your mind?” Thom shot her an odd look. His confusion was warranted. Alex was usually the one to push off training to talk about the rogues or break some kind of rule instead. She had never been a model recruit, despite her skills. Jaden and Kelly would be the first to tell her that. She was stubborn; she fought back. Maybe because that part of her that knew what was happening was wrong kept fighting for dominance inside her. If that was true, she had to silence it. She had to focus on her goal. Amanda made a promise to her, after all. It would only come true once Alex calmed down.

Her revenge was so important to her, of course she had to calm down. Sometimes, getting vengeance was the only reason she still breathed. Alex needed to focus, play along, and train both her body and mind so she could kill Semak. He had taken everything for her; she had to do the same to him. Since he had used Division to get what he wanted, then so would she. It was all a matter of control. If she controlled herself and her emotions, she’d control her surroundings. Then, she’d control the outcome of her mission. That was what mattered. Not rogues, not other recruits, not Division’s actions, but Alex and her revenge, “I know what’s important.”

Chapter Text

The news spread across Division like a wildfire. As soon as Kelly and the Alpha team returned from China, everyone knew what happened, including the recruits. Michael and Nikita slipped past Division's grasps again. They escaped awaiting agents, took down a Triad leader, and exposed the fact that a Homeland Security agent worked for a mob and faked his death- an act Division helped with. That part didn't make the news, but it spread throughout the black ops organization. It became no secret that Percy had made a deal with the Triad. The missions the agents were sent on weren't all sanctioned by the government.

Some agents struggled with that fact. They knew Division wasn't perfect, but weren't they not supposed to be criminals anymore. Others were completely alright with that fact, however. What did it matter to them what Percy did; as long as they lived, who cared. Kelly struggled between those two thoughts. On one hand, she didn't care. On the other, she hated having her world rocked with new information. What she believed continued to slip away from her. It was as though she kept spiraling. Maybe that was why Nikita kicked her ass so much in the field. At least, that was what Kelly told herself. She had to get her head straight.

Alex clearly saw Kelly's conflict, even from across the training room. Though, that was mostly because she felt the same. Division could do whatever. If she could kill Semak, then so what. However, she couldn't ignore that Percy made a deal with the Triad. He was involved with a criminal organization that was similar to the one that forced her into sex slavery. She couldn't move past that. What Percy had done was unforgivable. She still needed Amanda and Division to get what she wanted, but the bastard should go. Fortunately, as she watched him leave the safety of the bunker, Alex had someone to reach out to for help, "Percy's going to Montreal."

Nikita jolted away from cleaning her equipment at the chime of her computer. She hadn't expected a message from Alex. After Han and China, she thought Division would slow down and recoup. No doubt, Percy had to do damage control. A new mission so soon that Alex deemed important enough to involve her was surprising. Yet the rogue didn't question it. Immediately, she checked the young recruit's message- good thing that she did. Percy finally left his hideout. Nikita had to chase after- just as soon as she expressed her gratitude, "Thanks."

After a moment of thought, Nikita also sent Alex her burner cell number. It was for emergencies only, just in case something happened. If Percy was going out into the field, then the rogues' game was ramping up. She didn't want any blowback to land on Alex. She had been through so much already, and she continued to involve herself in the thick of it. If Nikita could lessen things for her, she would. Yet, as soon as she received an answering 'thanks', she dove into her mission. There had to be a reason Percy was risking leaving the safety of Division. Hopefully, the news would give her some clue, "Alright Percy, what's in Montreal?"

Telling Michael and Birkhoff what was occurring probably would've helped her. But Nikita didn't want them ruining her plans to kill the bastard. She had a great thing going with the other rogues. They worked amazingly together to take down Han; all their planning was perfect. She didn't want to ruin things by going against what Michael wanted for her. Nikita had to forge her own path. For her, that meant destroying those in charge of Division. She might have her chance if she could locate Percy in Montreal. Scouring the news, she was fairly certain she found something. The way a man turned on bank robbers and the police screamed Division, "Gotcha."

"Mikey, text from Nikita. She thinks she has a line on a black box," Birkhoff called for Michael the second he received Nikita's text. He had attempted to have a relaxing morning with his energy drink and updating Shadownet. But, of course, Nikita had other ideas. Although she kept running to her own safehouse and distancing herself from the others, she continued to ruin their peace. She should just live with them if she was going to be a part of their team. Though, honestly, Birkhoff was alright with Nikita staying away. He knew she was okay with that too.

"What? Where?" Michael, however, wanted them all together. It was his idealized team. They could work as one, be great, be friends again. The missions they had worked together had been nearly perfect. The three were making great strides against Division- much more than when it was only Michael as a lone rogue. They could be an indomitable team. There were just things they had to work out first. If Nikita finally joined the other two, then they could start working on that. It could be quick work. She was already involving them in her schemes, after all.

"Percy's going to Montreal. Nikita believes it's connected to a bank robbery and a man freaking out. He attacked both the robbers and the police," As he received more texts over the burner cell, Birkhoff shared. He didn't understand how Nikita knew all that. It wasn't as though she bugged Percy. It also seemed like a leap to connect a black box to a bank robbery. But, if Percy was leaving the safety of Division, then it could be over something as important as a black box. And, a man going crazy at a simple bank robbery could be a paranoid agent.

"I'm going to meet her at the airport. Look into the robbery for us," Grabbing the burner from the hacker, Michael texted Nikita where to meet him. He was taking her keeping them in the loop as a good sign. She could've easily slipped away to Montreal and killed Percy; it was what she wanted most. Instead, she told the others about her hunch. She actually intended to follow what Michael had said. Destroy the black boxes first, then they'd destroy Division. It was the only way to keep saving innocents. Thankfully, she was starting to understand that.

"Already on it," Typing away on his keyboard, Birkhoff nodded. He didn't need to be instructed to dive into the bank robbery. As soon as Nikita mentioned her suspicions about it, he pulled up the news report. He didn't necessarily do it because he trusted her instincts again; it was mostly to prove her wrong. The more he read, though, the more he doubted he would. The crazy man on the news coverage definitely moved like a Division agent. Something was going on in Montreal. How did Nikita get tipped off to that when Shadownet, which scoured the news, didn't, "Hey. Is she getting this intel from her mole? How does that work?"

Michael paused. He had been gathering his mission gear, and ensuring Birkhoff's private jet would be ready for him and Nikita. However, the hacker's question made him stop to think. He knew he had to tell him about the mole inside Division. That wasn't information to keep secret. Yet Nikita hardly shared anything about it, and she seemed hesitant to even tell Michael. It was a sensitive subject. But he was just telling Birkhoff. If they couldn't trust him, they couldn't trust anybody, "I don't know. Nikita hasn't said much about it. Only that she left a shell program open and that's how they communicate."

"A shell program? From when she was a recruit? How did I not notice that?" Birkhoff had way more questions than that one. He wanted to know who the mole was. How Nikita had maintained solid relationships in that hellhole. And just how much information was being shared between the two. However, Michael wasn't the person to ask. Birkhoff would simply have to interrogate Nikita the next time he saw her. He had more things to ask her than just about her mole. So that might work out for him.

"Maybe that's why she didn't tell you. She didn't want to break your fragile ego," Michael quipped, a crooked smile lighting his features. The jab brought Birkhoff out of his confused musings. He glared at the agent and tossed a desk toy at him for good measure. Michael just laughed. Birkhoff had to hold back a smile. It was a good joke; he just didn't like the idea of Nikita one upping him. Fortunately, he didn't have to dwell on it long. Soon, everything was ready for their next mission. That could steal all their attention once again.

As Michael hurried to meet her at the airfield, Nikita sighed. She didn't know what she was doing there. She should've just raced after Percy on her own. Except, when she began to suspect the black box's involvement, she knew she had to inform the others. Killing Percy was their mission too; they simply had more steps. She would've ignored them, but after their great work in China- when hers and Michael's plan to take out Han went exactly as they said- she knew she needed the two. Just as they needed her, "Hey. Thanks for believing my hunch."

"Hey. Of course," Michael greeted instantly. After all, the more he read about the bank robbery and the man's strange reaction, the more he suspected Nikita to be right. A person moving and acting like a Division agent in Montreal right before Percy flew there couldn't be a coincidence. The bastard never went out into the field. He'd leave the safety of Division to go to congressional meetings or other governmental bullshit, or even to make a deal with a powerful 'client'. But he'd never meet an agent in the field. Unless, of course, it was a threat to his power.

On the jet to Montreal, Michael and Nikita further discussed their ideas of what was occurring. They were on the same page in regards to Percy and a potential black box. How it all connected to a robbery, however, that was where they differed. Instead of arguing, the two decided to stake out the robbed bank and see what kind of intel Birkhoff could dig up for them. They didn't have to wait too long for the latter. As soon as they reached the bank, Michael's phone buzzed, "Birkhoff got the owner of the safety deposit box that went berserk. His name is Owen Elliot. He's a landscaper, who lives near the bank. You think that's a Division cover?"

"I know that is. Owen Elliot's definitely Division," Ripping the phone from Michael's hand, Nikita seethed. She had no direction of where she was going. She simply stormed off towards Owen's address. She never thought she'd hear that name again. She thought she had seen the last of him years ago. Of course that little rat had to resurface. And of course it was doing something stupid. Percy was right to have the need to go after him. Left to his own devices, Owen's stupidity could lead to the downfall of them all.

"Do you know him?" Hurrying to catch up to her, Michael wondered. The instant he said Owen Elliot's name, Nikita became livid. Her rage was clear, and not just in the way she clutched his phone. She must've had a past with the other Division agent. Michael didn't know much about what happened inside the hellhole after he went rogue. Birkhoff told him some things, but he only stayed a year after him. Nikita had nearly five more years on him. A lot had happened to her and those around her. Owen Elliot must've been one of them.

"He wouldn't go back to his apartment. But I bet we can find a phone bill that'll let us trace his number," Nikita ignored Michael. She didn't want to explain herself to him- not then, not while she was so angry. She'd rather just track down Owen and force him to give them the black box. Michael attempted to be the voice of reason there. They couldn't rush to Owen right away. Both the cops and Percy were looking for him. Nikita didn't care, however. Her mind was set on her mission, "Good thing we have Birkhoff."

While Nikita rushed to Owen's apartment building and slipped past the police guard, Michael was left to follow her lead. He searched for a bill in the Division agent's mailbox that he could give to Birkhoff for intel. It was a long shot, yet they didn't have anything else to go off of. Nikita didn't gain anything from talking to Owen's neighbor- other than a sense of normalcy she knew he was bound to destroy. He was great at destroying normal happiness. Before she could spiral into that thought, however, Birkhoff responded to Michael's text. It was time to rush off again, "Got him. Owen's in an abandoned school on the outskirts of the city."

"Probably the best place to hide and recover from an injury," Once outside the apartment building, Michael decided it was better to roll with Nikita's rashness than fight against it. They didn't have time to think or accurately plan. Soon enough, Percy would know they were in Montreal and after the black box. All hell would rain down on them once that occurred. The two rogues had to be quick as well as efficient. That was where Nikita's skills could come into play. Michael would improvise along with her. He just had to trust she was as deadly fast as ever.

"Great. He's injured. We can use that to our advantage," Nikita nodded in determination. If Owen had been injured during his fight with the robbers and police, then that'd explain his need to hide in an abandoned school. Stealing medical supplies from a hospital or drug store would be noticed. But taking things from a forgotten science classroom, not so much. No one would look for Owen there. That boded well for the rogues. They could take out their target and easily grab the black box Then, they could escape the city before Percy even became aware.

If Nikita was being honest, having Michael with her helped settle her lividity. She thought more clearly with him by her side. She could also focus on her main goal. Yes, she wanted to hurt Owen for what he had done. But she also wanted the black box so she could kill Percy. She had to take it one step at a time- something Michael was great at doing. She had to follow his example. The two worked together to break into the school and locate Owen. Soon, they had him in their sights and Michael commanded, "Relax, man. We just want the black box."

"Give him the box, and I'll make it quick and painless," Cocking her weapon, Nikita dared Owen. She didn't spare a glance at Michael. She knew he didn't like her choice of words. Except, she didn't care. She wasn't going to listen to the better rogue. She kept telling him she wasn't a hero like him. Then was just when she proved it. After all, Owen only had his eyes on her. Horror struck him the instant he saw her. He knew what was coming, and it wouldn't go well in his favor. He just had to hope he could slow Nikita down.

So far, that didn't work for Owen. He might've been able to disarm her and Michael, but Nikita struck him instantly. She tossed her partner the abandoned black box and attacked her target with all her might. Michael attempted to help, yet he was shoved away by them both. He should've used that to his advantage and ran off with the black box. But he couldn't leave Nikita. Especially since Owen seemed to have the skills, stamina, and strength they didn't. She needed a partner to help fight him. Except, even with his intervention, their target managed to take back the box. And, surprise backup crashed in to help the Division agent, "Nikita! Division!"

Cursing, Nikita regretfully followed Michael's order to run. They lost that time, she had to admit it. The two couldn't take an agent that seemed to be on steroids plus an alpha team led by Roan. They had to regroup and rethink. At least they had been right about Owen having a black box. Maybe they could use other information they had gathered to make another attack. After escaping to safety, Nikita believed she had that intel. Owen had overreacted when he saw the butterfly sculpture she had taken from his neighbor slip from her pocket. She could definitely use that to get to him, "Come on. I know how we can still get the box."

Chapter Text

Nikita's idea panned out. Sort of. Returning to the neighbor where she had gotten the glass butterfly sculpture, the rogues hoped to draw out Owen. He obviously had a connection to her. He had known where the butterfly had come from when he saw it. If the rogues talked to his neighbor, he'd be tempted to rush in and stop them. After all, they were a threat- a highly skilled threat. Without Division with him, Michael and Nikita could easily take Owen. They'd finally have a black box, and everything would start to go their way. That was the idea, at least.

That wasn't at all how it panned out, though. Owen arrived at his neighbor Emily's apartment, ready to kill the rogues. Michael attempted to reason with him as they fought, yet Nikita was pure rage. She wanted him dead, and the black box to be hers. None of them got what they wanted, however. Although Owen had escaped from Division to reach Emily, Roan followed him. His targets were the rogues and the newly disobedient agent, except the person closest to the window was hit first. Silence filled the apartment as Emily fell down dead.

Owen rushed to her, trying in vain to bring her back to him. Nikita and Michael stood helplessly to the side. That wasn't what they had intended. The two were trying to save innocents, not lead to more deaths. Emily shouldn't have gotten shot. Yet there was nothing they could do about it then. Division's Alpha team was coming; the rogues and Owen had to go. Whereas Michael and Nikita were ready to leave, the agent stayed. He wanted to remain by Emily's side. And he wanted to kill whoever had hurt her. It was a sweet sentiment. He really cared for her. But then wasn't the time.

Only Nikita and Michael managed to escape Division in time. Owen wouldn't leave with them. He thought he could get vengeance for Emily. The two rogues knew that wouldn't have been possible. Not without a plan. Not when Division had the drop on them. Yet Owen wasn't thinking (as predicted by Nikita). He rushed Division, and subsequently got grabbed. He was back in Percy's hand. It was almost as though the rogues never interfered. Percy got what he wanted. Though, it wasn't exactly what he wanted. His agent had caused a huge mess. He'd have to cancel him in order to set things right.

Michael assumed that would be the case anyway. After all, Owen didn't have the black box when he met them at Emily's. He had hidden it, believing he could protect her better without it on him. That sadly hadn't worked for him. He was going to be tortured for the information then killed. Michael was determined to get to him first. He and Nikita could secure a black box and have a new teammate to help them in the field. Sure, they'd have to also pry the black box location out of Owen, and Nikita wasn't technically on a team with the rogues either. But it could all work out great for them. That was their chance for more.

Although Nikita would rather let Owen die, she agreed with Michael. They needed a black box. Destroying it got them one step closer to destroying Division. So, with Birkhoff's help, the two rogues tracked down their agent. They found him beaten to a pulp in an abandoned ship along the St. Lawrence river. They also found him with Percy and Roan. Michael and Nikita were lucky they had one another. The two were able to take out the Alpha team and escape without harm. Well, almost without harm. They did have to jump into a freezing river. And they had to drag Owen with them. After the torture he had received, it was a wonder he was alive.

But he never gave up the black box. It still had to be located. Whereas that was horrifying to Percy, Nikita and Michael could take the great advantage. Owen just had to wake up first. Considering his injuries, that wouldn't be anytime soon. The rogues had to patch him up and look after him, which meant bringing him to the safehouse. Birkhoff didn't like the idea at first. But it wasn't as though they had any other choice. Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff were stuck with a potentially dangerous Owen, all in the sake of a damn black box.

At least there were three of them to watch him. Nikita handled patching up his wounds. She had always been the best healer. Yet, she let Michael give Owen the morphine. She wouldn't even look at the drug. Her fingers twitched at her side as though she might reach out and steal it. He helped distract her by asking her about her stitching process. Nikita's voice was stiff as she discussed Owen. She appeared so livid with him- like by just existing he pissed her off. Michael couldn't understand it. Fortunately, he had a way to question it without her tearing his head off. It'd be another way to distract her, "You gonna tell me how you know Owen?"

Slowly placing the last bandage on Owen, Nikita stiffened. She knew Michael had noticed her hatred for the agent. She didn't hide it. Her harsh feelings lessened after his reaction to Emily's death, however. She did feel sorry for him. And she knew he wasn't any different than her. It just hurt. Except, it wasn't until a while had passed before she decided to tell Michael. The words came out halted and broken. Not from grief and sadness, though. But in bitter anger, "He killed my boyfriend. His name was Daniel Monroe. He was so normal, and so goofy. I think I actually loved him. As much as I could ever love anybody inside Division, that is."

"Oh, Nikita. I'm sorry. I didn't know," Quietly, Michael wasn't sure what else to say. He had no idea Nikita had attempted to date someone while inside Division. That wasn't unheard of. Agents falling in love had happened before. Yet it was always met with dire consequences. Either the agent or the one they loved would die. Nikita knew that. She had also bought into the 'Division was the only family you'd ever need' narrative. At least, that was what Michael had thought. He never suspected her to try to find a life outside of all that.

"I discovered who Percy ordered for the kill job. I think that's why Owen was reassigned to guard the black box," Casting a glance at Owen, Nikita turned her back to Michael. She was honestly becoming ashamed of how angry she still was. Daniel wasn't like Michael's Hayley and Elizabeth. He wasn't even like Owen's Emily. She didn't mourn his death as much. It didn't affect her. What did was that her one chance at finally having something normal was taken from her. And that anger grew the more Percy and Amanda stoked the fire, making her a hate filled killer. It wasn't Owen's fault, though. He was just following orders to stay alive, like she had.

"Yeah. That'll do it," Michael wasn't sure if he meant that in a light tone or not. He tried for one, at least. The way Nikita had turned on him and Birkhoff, there was no doubt that if she had gotten her hands on the agent that killed her boyfriend it would be worse than hell. Her fury had just been twisted inside of her so much, all she knew was rage. There was no rationality, simply the need to hurt like she had been. No wonder Owen was sent away from her. And no wonder she used drugs to try to fix herself. She couldn't let the anger continue to consume her.

The team of rogues could help her with that. Michael knew that Nikita was calmer being around him and Birkhoff. Even after everything, the three had a solid connection. They managed to be friends in a soul stealing hellhole like Division. They could repair the damage that had occurred. Their friendship could be stronger than ever. Michael knew it could be. Yet Nikita knew it was going to take a lot of work. A lot of harsh conversations had to happen first. One was burning on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be spoken. She just had to summon the courage. With her back towards him, she could finally and softly ask, "Why didn't you take me too?"

Suddenly, Michael remembered the look in Nikita's eyes when he had left with Birkhoff. She had run towards him. She put down her gun, put Division behind her, and sprinted towards him. She didn't know why he was rogue, but that didn't stop her from knowing he was right. She had to join him. Yet then he shot at her and left her all alone. He knew he had hurt her. Michael knew he messed up. He simply believed Nikita would be safer in Division. She wouldn't be hunted, she wouldn't be a target, she could stop running for two seconds of her life. She deserved at least that, "I thought it'd keep you safe. I just wanted you safe."

"Well look how well that turned out," Sharply, Nikita turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Michael tried to call her back. But it was no use. She was gone. He was left alone with an unconscious Owen, who would no doubt be glad he missed that conversation. Maybe Michael didn't screw up too much, however. He had spoken from his heart before. That time couldn't be any different. Maybe it just wasn't what Nikita wanted to hear. He cared about her, that much was obvious. It probably would've been easier if he didn't. He knew that feeling well.

Stomping to the other room, Nikita didn't want to know why she got so angry with Michael. A part of her did know, but she refused to let herself think about it. Just like with the morphine, she needed something to distract her. And fast. Fortunately, that was when Birkhoff came through the front door. She could easily talk to him instead. Well, in theory she could. There was a lot left unsaid between them as well. Then could be her chance to fix it, find the courage like she had with Michael. But she had hurt Birkhoff more. She really fucked up, "Hey. This is long overdue. But, Birkhoff… Seymour, I'm so sorry for what I did to your hand."

"Don't worry about it. I'm stronger than ever," Birkhoff brushed Nikita off. He seriously didn't want to talk about it. He had just spent the last hour or so revamping the safehouse's security (again) because of Owen. He understood why the Division agent had to be there- was it ex-Division agent then, whatever. It was important for the rogues to get a black box. However, with a dangerous man in his house and Percy on high-alert, he didn't want to deal with anything else. Enough was on his mind without her attempt at apologizing.

Regardless of his brush off, Nikita continued. Maybe Birkhoff didn't want to hear what she had to say, but she still had to let it all out. Keeping it in would only make the words fester and die out. She really was sorry for all she had done. She never meant for people to get hurt, even though it kept happening. She just never stopped to think, and everyone else paid the consequences except her. It was unfair. She had to do something to set it right, "It was wrong. I shouldn't have followed those orders. I should've fought against Amanda and Percy. I did it before. I should've again. I'm so sorry. You're my nerd. I should've fought harder."

"Hey, no. They made me do terrible things too. I know how hard it is to fight. I did horrible things too," All irritation left Birkhoff once he heard the rest of Nikita's apology. He knew she meant it, mostly because it was the same thoughts he once had. He should've fought against Percy and Amanda while he was in Division. He didn't want to hack for evil, yet fear kept him in line- made him do things he didn't want to think about. Having been in hell longer, of course Nikita would've done worse. He couldn't completely blame her. They had all been manipulated. It was breaking out of that cycle that mattered.

"I'm still sorry. I'm also sorry I duct taped you to a horse," Daring to approach Birkhoff, she just kept going. It was probably a mix of surviving an encounter with Percy and Roan, being exhausted from traveling, talking to Michael, and thinking about all those who suffered because of her carelessness- Daniel, Emily, Alex- but Nikita had to keep apologizing. Birkhoff was her friend. He should've been one of the last people she hurt. And she kept doing it, even when she knew she shouldn't. She didn't deserve forgiveness, just acceptance.

"Don't worry about the horse. It was pretty funny afterwards," Nearing Nikita as well, Birkhoff chuckled. Nikita cracked a small smile. Sure, he was pissed about it for a bit. But overtime he found the prank funny; she got him good. Besides, playing him like that and him laughing it off later proved they could still be friends. It was refreshing to know. Especially because Birkhoff knew Nikita wasn't the only one to have screwed up. He had done something awful to her too. Something he wished he never said, "I never wanted Michael to kill you. I don't want anyone to kill you. I was in pain, and scared. And I thought you were already gone."

All Nikita could do for a moment was nod. She and Birkhoff weren't completely healed. Their apologies were just a start- like Nikita's and Michael's conversations were. There was still more to do. If they continued working together, though, then it could be better. Smirking, she held a hand out to Birkhoff. He scoffed and shook it. Soon, the two laughed as though nothing had happened. They were just a nerd and an agent messing with one another again. She squeezed his hand tightly and offered more peace, "Do you want popcorn, pizza, and potstickers?"

"As long as we watch a shitty movie," Birkhoff squeezed back. He and Nikita didn't let go until they hurt one another. Then they pulled apart giggling. They'd have to invite Michael into their peace activity; he couldn't be left out. But nerd and agent could keep taunting each other and messing around. They'd get back where they were soon enough. And maybe Michael was right about it being better than before. Only time would tell. Not that time, however. As Nikita and Birkhoff raided the kitchen, they heard Owen stirring in the next room. Their mission had to take precedent for just a moment.

"Sounds great. Just after we deal with him," Sighing, Nikita returned to Owen. Birkhoff followed her. Michael had the man cuffed to the cot so he couldn't try anything against the three. He wanted to, though. There was rage in his eyes the rogues recognized all too well. Being cast aside by Division stung. Having to deal with the ragtag team was annoying. And Emily's death hurt more than anything. He had to enact those hurtful emotions on the three that seemed to be in his way. They'd deal with him, however, just as they managed to deal with each other. They'd find a way to work together, locate the black box, then destroy Division.

Chapter Text

"I love long car rides. I get to stare out the window and appreciate nature. Oh wait," Alex grumbled, slumped against her bus seat. She had been excited to get out of Division. Her latest training exercise hadn't gone how she had wanted. She thought escaping the bunker would allow her to clear her head and breathe. If only she could actually see the sun. Although the recruits were traveling to a larger facility to practice long range shooting, the windows of the bus were blacked out. There was no chance to experience the outside world; they were still trapped.

"You know. Not knowing where Division is helps us. We can't give it up if we're ever interrogated," Thom reminded Alex in an attempt to make her feel better. She just rolled her eyes. She knew why Division didn't want the recruits to know where they were. They spun it as protection. No one knowing where Division was kept them safe from their enemies. The location was also a point of trust the recruits had to earn by becoming agents. That was all a load of bullshit, however. What Percy and Amanda really wanted was control, not protection and trust. The more agents they had under their thumb, the more power they had.

Alex tried to subvert that power. She wanted to be on an equal playing field with Amanda and Percy. Yes, she'd follow their rules and trainings in order to be the perfect agent. But she also didn't want them controlling her. By following their rules, she should be their partner. They were going to take out Semak together. At least, she hoped so. Her latest training revolved around enhanced interrogation. She knew she'd need torture skills to get to Semak, so she entered the training intending to do her best. Instead, her captive escaped and handed her ass to her. She had failed terribly, "If we're interrogated by someone who knows what they're doing."

"Hey. I heard you were doing great before he slipped his bonds. You just have to be more careful next time," Squeezing her hand gently, Thom reassured her. Alex glanced at their joined hands, and he pulled away sharply. She hadn't meant for him to do that. She didn't mind his hand on hers. The gesture really was comforting. And it was nice to have a friend in Division that'd go out of their way to make her feel better- even if that bordered the line of Division's no fraternization rule. Holding hands should've been alright, however. Alex needed the physical touch to ground herself. It helped remind her that maybe she wasn't all alone.

Before Alex could thank Thom, or possibly grab his hand again, the bus came to an abrupt stop. They couldn't be near their destination. The bus didn't slow down before gently stopping. The driver slammed on the brakes, throwing the passengers forward. Shouts also rose from the front of the vehicle. The clearer ones were frightened and shocked. The muffled ones were full of rage. Full of concern, Alex glanced at Thom. He was posed on the edge of his seat, ready to fight. Yet she had no idea what there even was to fight, "What's going on?"

"Everybody get down! Get down, now!" Her question was answered immediately. Masked men burst onto the bus, raising assault rifles into the air. The recruits dropped from their seats with startled shouts. The guards, on the other hand, rushed the assailants. The Division agents attempted to stop them, but they were stopped instead. The armed masked men shot the guards, then stepped over their unmoving bodies. Recruits cowered beneath their seats, unsure of what to do to save themselves. Thom was the only one to try to do something. He stood his ground against the assailants, only to be quickly knocked unconscious.

"Hey!" For some reason, Alex shouted. She shouldn't have drawn attention to herself. She should've kept quiet and done whatever the armed men wanted. But Thom was her friend- well, as close of a friend she could have inside Division. She didn't want him hurt. She didn't want anyone hurt. And with the guards unconscious, someone had to stand up to the assailants. It was a terrible idea for her to do so, however. She could take on one of the armed men- maybe two. But a whole group of them had her beat. A simple swing of a rifle and she was out.

The next thing Alex knew, she was waking strapped to a chair. She felt the sharp binds cutting into her wrists and ankles before she could fully open her eyes. She tried to move and loosen her bonds, but it was pointless. She had nowhere to go. She was trapped wherever the hell she was. Studying her surroundings didn't give her any clue. She didn't recognize anything. All she knew was that the place was dirty and dingy and possibly abandoned. What happened after the assailants knocked her out was clear. She had been kidnapped, "дерьмо."

"Good. You're awake," A man soon stormed into the room. He must've heard Alex moving around and cussing. But as he drew closer to her, she tried not to let him see her fear. She was beyond terrified of the situation she was in. She had been held against her will before, and it was the worst experience of her life. Who knew what would happen that time. The man stalked towards her menacingly. With her hands bound, she couldn't stop him. He could do whatever he wanted to her. Alex tried to put up a fight from the chair, make it hard for him. Yet he stopped right before he reached her and showed her a picture, "What did you want with this man?"

Taken aback, Alex could only stare at the picture. All the man wanted from her was information. That was odd. Except, as she stared at the picture, she understood why. She had seen the man in the photograph before. He was the captive she had interrogated for Division. The group he had worked for probably wanted information on his capture. They probably wanted revenge as well. Yet Alex wouldn't give them that. She knew better than to give up Division. The group was going to get nothing from her, "I've never seen that man before in my life."

"He was my brother. Until your people dragged him from his home and killed him," The man who had captured her waved the picture in front of her face again. Alex forced her features to not betray her. Her emotions could not be easily seen on the surface. The instant her fear was shown, the instant her captor had an advantage. She couldn't give him any power over her. She had to control the situation. It was the only way she could survive. Also, if Percy and Amanda learned she had never given up Division, they'd trust and respect her more. She could be given more freedom, and possibly more advantages to kill Semak with.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have 'people'. And I don't know your brother," Alex simply had to survive the situation first. She was lying through her teeth, but she allowed her fear to help her with that. The man might mistake her terror as a result of being wrongfully kidnapped instead of her fear of being linked to Division. She could fool him until she managed to escape. Though, how she was going to break free hadn't been thought of yet. She had no clue how she was going to break her bonds and escape that man.

She attempted to solve that problem, but her captor distracted her. He put aside the picture and grabbed the box next to her. Upon closer inception, Alex saw that it was a car battery with jumper cables attached. The man clasped the other end of the cables to the wire wrapped around wrists and ankles. He didn't need to explain what he was doing for her to know, "This battery can reach up to a thousand volts. The electricity can shut down your organs and kill you. You don't tell me what I want, I'll send shockwaves through your body until I reach that point."

"I don't know anything! I didn't kill anyone! You have the wrong girl," Horror screeched Alex's voice. She tried with all her might to break her binds. Yet it was no use. The electricity coursed through her. It wasn't the full amount the man had threatened- she knew that. However, the jolt was one of the worst pains she had ever experienced. She didn't want to scream, but that was against her power. The sound ripped out of her chest until the electricity stopped. Her body continued to convulse, however. There was no recovering from what happened. It was going to be a whole lot harder to continue lying.

But Alex tried. She kept playing innocent, despite the constant jolts of electricity that shot through her. She wouldn't give up Division or anything else she knew. She could feel it become a point of pride to stay silent. She could beat her captor. However, it was more than just that. Although she hated Division, it had her loyalty. She needed that hellhole; it didn't matter how much she hated it. Her need for revenge was far greater than anything else. She had to kill Semak for taking everything away from her, which meant she had to survive Division and her torture.

"Maybe your friend can help convince you," Eventually, her captor gave up on electrocuting her. Alex was close to sighing in relief. Then, she realized what the man had said. Someone else was captured with her. And they were about to be hurt because of her. Frantically, she attempted to weaken and break her bonds. She had to help whoever was with her. They had to escape together. It was too late, however. Soon, there was a gunshot. And as she attempted to adjust to her shock, Thom's unmoving body was dragged into the room. Alex shouted despite herself. The man grinned menacingly, "You ready to talk?"

Maybe she would've been. If she hadn't been so filled with spite and fury, Alex might've finally broken. Instead, she broke free of her bonds. She managed to slip one hand free and hastily struck her captor. While he recovered from the blow, she hurriedly released the rest of her limbs from the chair. Once completely free, she attacked the man. She couldn't afford the time to think. She simply acted. She ripped the gun from his grasp. She aimed it at him. She fired. And when he dropped to the ground, she sprinted out of the building.

Shouts of alarm rose from the other men in the building, yet Alex did everything to ignore them. She just had to run. She couldn't look back. She couldn't stop to think about where she was going. She just had to run. Her bare feet stung as they struck the ground, but she needed to fight past it. Thankfully, her adrenaline helped. She was able to run through the nearby woods without stopping. She crashed through branches and underbrush as she sprinted wildly. She didn't stick to a straight path; her father had taught her that. She doublebacked and took winding curves until she found signs of a road. She headed for the asphalt like it was her lifeline.

There was a gas station right off the road, and Alex made a beeline for it. She could hide out in the convenience store for a minute- catch her breath. Or, she could use the pay phone to make a call. She knew how to manipulate it so she could call without paying. She just didn't know who to call. She didn't have a number to contact Division with. All she had was a number to call Nikita. Without a second thought, she dialed it, "Nikita? Nikita, I messed up. There was this training exercise where I had to interrogate someone, and it went bad. I got kidnapped by his organization, and they tortured me. I had to kill someone to escape. I don't know what to do."

Nikita was not expecting that call. She realized when it came to Alex, she didn't expect most things. Yet she certainly wasn't expecting her to call when she was freaking out and in trouble. Division was the best place to call at that moment, especially if she was kidnapped from them. Thinking about that, Nikita started to believe she knew what was actually going on. It wasn't what Alex thought. It was much more fucked up than that, "You interrogated someone inside Division, then was kidnapped from Division?"

"Yes!" Screeching, Alex frantically looked over her shoulder. She didn't know how much time she had before the other armed men caught up to her. Since she had cut through the woods, it was possible that it could take hours for them to reach her by road. They also might not have known where she went. She could be safe for a while. However, that didn't mean Nikita could question her. Alex had to get out of that situation immediately. Sure, she was safe for the moment. But she couldn't relax.

"Alex, your torture was another training exercise. They did the same thing to me when I was a recruit. Division wanted to see how you'd react- if you'd give them up," Nikita explained gently. She moved out of earshot from Michael, Birkhoff, and Owen. They didn't need to know what was going on. Michael and Birkhoff should continue focusing on getting the black box location from Owen. Nikita could help Alex on her own. After all, she still wanted to keep the teenager a secret. It made her feel as though she was protecting her in some way.

"So I killed a Division agent?" Alex thought she had been panicking before. But she didn't know true anxiety until that moment. Well, she had when she was thirteen. That moment was almost the same. She knew she was going to die. Even if Percy and Amanda could use her to kill Semak, they wouldn't let her get away with killing an agent. She had gone too far. They'd deem her uncontrollable; she was unfit to be their partner. They were going to cancel her without a second thought. Her only choice was to keep running.

"Just tell me where you are, okay. I'll come get you. You'll be safe. I promise," Fortunately, Nikita would help her run. She was always so willing to help Alex; maybe that was why she had so willingly called her. Nikita didn't say anything to the men before she left. She could explain herself afterwards. Protecting the teenager was more important. Alex waited impatiently for the rogue. She paced between the gas pumps and constantly looked over her shoulder. It wasn't until she saw her pull up in a stolen car that she relaxed.

"Alex!" She started to run towards Nikita, but another vehicle pulled into the gas station. Amanda called out the window before she climbed out of the car. The instant she heard her voice, Nikita hid. She crouched behind a gas pump and drew her gun. Alex glanced between her and Amanda. She didn't know who was safer to turn to, the rogue or the person who could determine whether she lived or died. Alex wasn't given much time to choose before Amanda reached for her, "It's okay. It was just another training exercise. No one was hurt. It wasn't real."

Freezing, Alex stared at Amanda in complete and utter shock. She knew the kidnap and torture wasn't real. She had believed Nikita when she had told her. But she couldn't believe she didn't kill that man. It seemed so real. He bled. He fell to the ground. It couldn't have been all fake- could it have been. Alex wanted to look behind her to see if Nikita would help her understand. Yet she couldn't give away the rogue's position. She had to rely on whatever Amanda was telling her, "You mean I'm okay?"

"Yes, of course. You proved you could handle yourself well. And I think you are more than ready to take on Semak now. We just need to refine your skill. You're okay, Alex. It'll all be alright," Softly, Amanda squeezed Alex's bicep. Her cold blue eyes appeared warm in that instant. The young woman could believe her; she could be comforted by her and leave with her. As Amanda led her to the car, Alex finally glanced back at Nikita. The look on her face was unreadable. But she did nod slightly. Things would be alright, one way or another.

Chapter Text

When Nikita returned to the safehouse, Owen was gone. She had been out of the house for a while. It took some time to reach Alex, and to switch around cars in case anyone were to track her. She also drove slowly on her war back, needing a moment to think about what just happened. So, by the time Nikita returned, she had missed a lot. Where Owen had been held was trashed. Medical supplies, the sheets from the cot, and restraints scattered the floor. Michael and Birkhoff grumbled as they cleaned it up. Nikita wanted to help, but she simply stood in the doorway confused. Until Birkhoff spotted her and shouted, "Where the hell have you been?"

"Where's Owen?" Still too confused, Nikita asked instead of answered. She couldn't figure out what had happened just by studying the room. Although the area was a complete disaster, neither Birkhoff nor Michael had a scratch on them. A fight couldn't have broken out. And she doubted an injured Owen could slip past the two undetected. Did they let him go, and some other disaster occurred. Or was she completely missing something. God, she hoped for a simple explanation. Nikita didn't believe she could handle more shit thrown her way.

"He managed to escape. Don't worry. It's fine. He's probably going to destroy the black box on his own. He's done with Division," Michael just brushed over what had happened. Apparently, while he and Birkhoff were distracted with where Nikita had gone, Owen broke out of his restraints and ran away. By the time the other two realized what had happened, he was nowhere to be found. Michael was certain Owen was going to destroy the black box himself, though. The rogues didn't have to worry about him. He was on their side. After the conversation they had about losing loved ones to Division, there was no doubt.

"So. Where were you?" Birkhoff brought the conversation back to the point. Sure, Owen was gone. But Percy had lost one of his black boxes. The rogues could claim another win against Division. Which meant they could move past that and focus on why Nikita suddenly disappeared. From Michael's and Birkhoff's point of view, she received a strange call and vanished. She had been fiercely concentrated on interrogating Owen, obtaining the black box, and hurting Percy. Yet the second she answered her phone, she changed course. It was strange, and it honestly frightened the two men.

Although she hesitated, Nikita knew she shouldn't lie to Birkhoff and Michael. The recent repairs to their relationships wouldn't hold if she did. She simply needed a moment to collect her thoughts. She hadn't been able to do that the entire trip back to the safehouse. It had nothing to do with Alex, though. She knew she was safe. It was the other woman at the gas station that had Nikita's stomach in knots. But there was no way she'd express that, "Remember those Division training exercises where'd they torture you? My mole went through one and freaked. She thought she killed an agent, so I went to bring her in. Turned out that was fake too."

"Is she okay?" Softly, Michael wondered. He had a million more questions than that. He still wanted to know who the mole was. He wanted to know exactly what kind of information was shared between the two if the mole had the rogue's burner phone number. He wanted to know what happened during the training and how Nikita knew it was all fake. But mostly, he just wanted to know what was going on with the mole and the rogue. Obviously, Nikita cared about her. She dropped everything to protect her. And she kept protecting her with half-truths.

"Shaken up. But fine. She'll be okay," Nikita just nodded. She refused to go into further details about how she knew that. It wasn't so much to keep Alex's identity protected; Nikita simply didn't want to mention Amanda. Michael would only ask her more questions if she did. She knew she couldn't answer them. She couldn't even tell herself how she felt about watching Amanda care so much for Alex. It wasn't anger or jealousy or anything like that. It was something more hollow- almost like longing.

"Your mole's still a recruit? How'd you turn her? Who is she?" Latching onto the fact that Nikita's mole continued to be forced through Division's asinine trainings, Birkhoff rapid-fired questioned. He always thought the mole was an experienced agent able to help them tear apart Division from the inside. Discovering that she was just some kid was a shock. How did Nikita manage to sway a recruit to her side before she escaped. Birkhoff and Michael were severely lacking in information. But Nikita wouldn't open up to them anymore.

"Later, Nerd. Let's just clean this mess," As much as Nikita wanted to distract herself by talking about Alex, she knew it was better just to clean the safehouse. Anything concerning Division or Amanda was a slippery slope into disaster. She shouldn't allow herself to dwell on it, especially when the morphine was in sight. She should help the other rogues with the mess. She also should ask them about the conversation with Owen she had missed. It was probably more of his hatred for Division since Emily was killed. But maybe that could fit nicely with the rest of the rogues. After all, they were all livid at something the hellhole took from them.

The almost team wound up not talking at all. The three cleaned, reset, and went their separate ways once more. Nikita actually gave an excuse before she disappeared that time. She didn't leave Michael and Birkhoff in confusion. She was simply returning to her loft to check on her mole and find another mission for them to fuck over Division with. She promised Birkhoff they'd have their movie night soon; he joked that Nikita should bring her mole along when they did. Awkward laughter filled the safehouse, but at least it was some sort of sound of joy. The three were getting somewhere together.

Alex wasn't sure what to think. Nothing happened after Amanda brought her back to Division. She saw that Thom really was alive and well, as was the agent who had 'kidnapped' her, and then she went to bed. Amanda debriefed her the next morning, praised her some more for surviving the torture and escaping, but that was it. Everything proceeded as though it was normal. No one mentioned what had happened, not even Thom or Jaden. It was simply another run-of-the-mill training. More just like it were bound to follow.

Except, Alex couldn't shake what had happened. The torture didn't linger on her mind- she had been through worse. And a part of her knew Amanda would rush to her aid; she knew the woman cared for her, and wanted to preserve her self-interest in the Semak kill mission. It was the fact that Nikita kept running to her when she needed her that had Alex stunned. There was no reason for the rogue to keep helping her. She had saved her once, that should've been enough. Yet Nikita continued to have her back. Alex didn't know what to make of that.

Maybe she should use that to her advantage, though. Not for her own personal gain, but to help others. Nikita periodically checked on Alex to see if she was alright. It was possible that during one of those conversations, the recruit could ask the rogue for help. Another girl trapped in Division was in trouble. Surely, Nikita would help her too. Alex just had to explain the situation. Things didn't add up. Something horrible was about to happen, she knew it. So, as soon as the young woman was alone in the computer lab, she typed, "Nikita? Are you there?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?" Nearly instantly, Nikita replied. Alex never knew what she was doing when she responded to her messages. She doubted the rogue was just sitting at her computer waiting for information to reach her. She had important things to do while she attempted to destroy Division and kill Percy. Nikita certainly didn't always have time for her mole. Yet she made time- she always made herself available to Alex. It was weird that two very different women made the young recruit feel so special. Both Amanda and Nikita halted their busy lives for her; though, they paid attention to her in drastically different ways.

Shaking her head, Alex forced herself to refocus. It wasn't about her at the moment. It was about Sara. Once she was called into Percy's office after their failed target practice, Alex knew something was wrong. The feeling only solidified when Sara returned from his office with a mission. As much as she liked her fellow recruit, there was no way she should've been promoted to agent. She hadn't passed a single exercise. It didn't make any sense. But maybe that was where Nikita could come in, "There's another recruit, Sara. She has a good heart but terrible skills. Yet she was sent out on an op before our top recruit. I think something's wrong."

"What do you know about the op?" Nikita didn't question Alex's instincts; she simply asked for the facts. Alex sighed in relief. She knew she could rely on the rogue. A part of her had wanted to ask Amanda for help. The woman constantly assured her and made her feel warm and comfortable. But deep down she knew that wouldn't work for Sara. Amanda would spin the off putting mission as a great opportunity for Sara to prove herself. She'd try to sweep away any of the red flags and paint everything in a false positive light. Alex needed reality. She needed someone who wasn't afraid to express the full horrible truth of Division.

"Only that it involves a bombing and a environmental group," Quickly, Alex shared what she knew. It wasn't much; she wished she had gathered more intel. Yet Sara wouldn't tell her anything. She wanted to be the perfect agent and keep all the details of her mission as 'need to know'. Alex only got so much from snooping and making Sara drop the file and pamphlets she had in her hands. All the young woman was able to obtain was loose information about a bomb and an environmental protest. Hopefully, that would be enough.

"It's probably a suicide mission. Cancel the recruit without them even knowing," Nikita seemed to think so as she told Alex what she suspected. In all honesty, Alex shouldn't have been as surprised as she was. She knew the mission was wrong. Sara was more bound for cancellation than for a promotion. Yet the fact still stung. She had heard of the threat looming over agents' heads- if they didn't perform well, they died. But she had never seen it in practice. The fact made Alex sick to her stomach. It was so wrong.

"No. That can't happen. Sara's a good person. She shouldn't even be in Division. You have to help her. She's worth saving," Alex typed furiously. If anyone could save Sara, it had to be Nikita. Maybe she could bring Michael and Birkhoff in on the mission too. The rogues had saved Jill Moretti and other innocents together. They could do it again- they had to do it again. Alex needed them to make certain Sara was okay. She forgot at times that people with good hearts still existed. Her fellow recruit was one of those people. The world couldn't lose her. Alex knew it lost enough people with pure souls.

"They're all worth saving," After a second, Nikita responded. Alex couldn't argue with her. Even Jaden and Kelly deserved a chance outside of the hellish Division. They were all the victims of individuals corrupt with power. It was one of the reasons the rogues were trying to burn the place down. Alex had gathered that much from what they had done and her conversations with Nikita. The whole world would be free of that evil- from innocents to agents. Sometimes though, they had to focus on just one person, "Tell me everything you know."

Hastily, Alex told Nikita everything she knew- it didn't matter how small. Nikita thanked her before logging off, and with great timing too. Just as Alex pushed away from her computer, Robbie found her. He was another recruit upset by Sara's promotion. But not in the same way the young woman was. He was next in line for promotion. He was the top recruit besides Thom. He was due for a mission. Yet he kept getting overlooked. Alex tried to tell him that that wasn't a bad thing, but he wouldn't listen. He wanted out of Division.

It wasn't in the same way that the rogues had wanted out. Robbie was itching for a mission. He was dying to be an agent like James Bond. Alex couldn't understand it. There was no appeal to being an agent (besides her revenge). From what she had assessed, it was the same as being a recruit; agents simply were allowed to breathe fresh air. Again, Robbie wouldn't listen. He was going to have the adventures he always wanted. He had hope that Division would be his saving grace. Alex tried to convince him otherwise.

He should've listened to her. Later that day, Robbie did get a promotion. But it wasn't what he wanted. He became a guard instead of an agent. He wasn't free; he was even more trapped. Alex watched him slowly lose himself. He was disappointed by the organization he thought would save him. So, he snapped. He turned against those who had hurt him, shooting to kill. Once again, Alex tried to get him to listen to her. She tried to get him to escape and join the rogues. Robbie was set in his ways, though. He wanted revenge.

However, his revenge got him killed. Alex saw the whole scene unfold. While half of Division was focused on stopping Nikita, the other half tried to contain Robbie. He was on his warpath, though- his rampage. It looked like no one could stop him. If he couldn't escape, no one could. But a person couldn't go up against Division alone. Eventually, the black ops organization regrouped and killed him. Robbie never had a chance. He just wanted to be happy, yet Division stole that from him. Alex witnessed it happen.

Things weren't fairing much better for Nikita. She had saved Sara from her unsuspecting suicide mission, involving Michael and Birkhoff in her schemes. But it didn't last long. Division caught up to the rogues and killed Sara. She was always destined to die by the hellhole's hands- but not before a damning video was released that ruined Division's plans. At least, that was what Alex was led to believe. When she checked the shell program later, she discovered how wrong she was. She shouldn't have doubted the rogues. And she shouldn't have been so absorbed by the negative. Nikita's message proved she could hope, "Sara's alive, well, and free."

"Another mission. Assassination. Happening tonight," Immediately, as a way to express her immense gratitude, Alex informed Nikita of an op Thom had confided in her. It was his first kill mission- his final test before he became an agent. He was worried he wouldn't be able to do it, and that he might end up like Robbie. At the time, Alex had comforted him. But since she was alone, she ran to Nikita. Thom was right. No one else should end up like Robbie, or like Sara. Alex had to ensure Division recruits and agents stayed safe. The victims of evil men shouldn't continue to suffer. Not if she had a say. Not when she had Nikita with her.

"What do you know?"

Chapter Text

It wasn't Nikita's week at all. She failed to stop Division from killing their target- a young intern at the White House. When she tried to get more information on the victim, a Division agent was sent to kill her. Nikita then tried to tip off the cops, so the news of the victim's pregnancy would be released, but Division was a step ahead of her there too. Her last step was to tell the young woman's parents about the situation. Unfortunately, they weren't her real parents. They were Gogol. The intern was a plant, and Nikita was left poisoned. At least she wasn't alone, "Hey. You're a nerd. Do you know how to make any of Division's antitoxins?"

Birkhoff was surprised by Nikita's call. The last time she had been in contact with them was when they saved that Division recruit. They helped the girl start a new life, then Nikita disappeared back to her safehouse. She said it was to contact her mole, but neither Birkhoff nor Michael knew what she had been doing since. Her asking about Division poisons and antidotes was definitely a surprise. The hacker wished he could catch up with her train of thought and knew what the hell she was talking about. But he was simply left scrambling, "Uh. No."

"Oh. Okay. I'll just ask my mole," Nikita hung up. She didn't want to involve Alex; she'd be putting herself in danger by helping the rogue. Except, Nikita couldn't rely on Gogol for the antidote. She couldn't help them. She had to stop them- Ari was just another man standing in her way. Fortunately, Alex was all too willing to somehow get the antidote to her. All she asked for in return was damaging intel on Gogol. Nikita had no problem telling her that. It'd just be after she handled the whole mess. If she managed to survive, she'd tell Alex everything she wanted to know. No questions asked.

"Mikey! Come get your girl!" As soon as Nikita ended the call, Birkhoff shouted for Michael. He was pretty sure she was in trouble and determined to solve it all on her own. If she was asking about antitoxins, though, that wouldn't be possible. She was poisoned and in deep shit. That was the time to involve the whole team. Nikita wouldn't listen to Birkhoff, however. She'd just taunt him. Michael was still the only person to ever get through to her. It was like he had magic powers over her. They definitely needed those then.

"My girl? What?" Michael stumbled into the room, playing dumb. He knew Birkhoff was talking about Nikita. Who else could he have been yelling about in annoyance. However, Michael didn't want to admit that he associated 'his girl' with Nikita. She wasn't his anything, besides his friend and somewhat teammate. He knew it was dangerous to think of Nikita as 'his'. It made his heart flip and beat erratically, and his stomach twisted in flutters. Those weren't emotions he could allow himself to focus on. There were many reasons why not. But mostly, he wasn't sure how she felt in return.

"Nikki's been poisoned," Fighting an eye roll, Birkhoff shared his thoughts. Ever since Division, Michael and Nikita had been idiots. Whether it was in regards to each other, their emotions, or how to conduct themselves on a mission, the two agents were dumbasses. Except, Birkhoff couldn't berate them at the moment- as much as he wanted to. Nikita somehow got herself poisoned, and they had to help her. Birkhoff hoped it wasn't anything complicated; she simply survived an attempt on her life. But he doubted it would ever be that simple with her.

"What!" Instantly, Michael surged for the burner phone. Birkhoff had to remotely put the call on speaker. There was no way he was missing that conversation. Yes, because he was concerned about his friend and what kind of fucked up situation she found herself in. But also, he was just nosey about what Michael and Nikita said to each other. They had a habit of overbearing their emotions to each other- or simply running away from them. The hacker had to witness it in action to see where he could help or where he could tease. Things were already starting out strong with Michael's voice crack when Nikita answered the phone, "Where are you?"

Nikita was almost annoyed by Michael's question. She was handling the situation herself; she didn't need his help. Except, the panic in his voice was palpable. He was beyond worried about her. He had every right to be; she did manage to get herself poisoned out in the field. But it was going to be alright. She had already made sure of that, "I'm at my place, planning an op for Gogol. Don't worry. I'm going to doublecross them and screw over Division. My mole's gonna get the antitoxin for me. I'll be okay."

"What the hell is going on?" Michael demanded. Birkhoff nodded. They'd definitely be more at ease if Nikita just explained what was happening. Sighing, she quickly ran through the whole situation. Division killed a young government intern. She tried to stop it, but failed. Later, she found out the victim had an affair with a senator, who was a friend of Percy's, and had gotten pregnant. When Nikita couldn't release that news to the police, she tried the victim's parents. That was when she discovered the intern was also a Gogol spy. Nikita attempted to fight Gogol, lost, and Ari poisoned her in order to make her work for him. But she had a plan to stop him.

Ari Tasorov, Gogol's leader and head bastard, wanted Nikita to help him finish his dead spy's mission. They were going to expose the senator and sell government secrets. She was fine with exposing a corrupt senator, especially one with ties to Division. But she wouldn't let Gogol get away with selling secrets. Nor could she let Division hide the whole thing under a rug. She was going to screw with both black ops organizations. Well, as long as Alex got her the antitoxin first. Michael was determined to help with that, "Stay right there. I'm coming to you."

"No, Michael. You'll only make things worse. I appreciate yours and Birkhoff's help, but I'm in enough trouble as it is with Gogol. I don't want Ari hurting you guys too," However, Nikita stopped him. It was too late for them to meet up anyway. The mission was that night. She was rushing to plan as it was. Adding someone else to the mix wouldn't make anything better. She was putting her life on the line by pissing off both Percy and Ari. And she was endangering Alex by asking her to smuggle her the antidote. Birkhoff and Michael had to stay away. If it went bad for her, at least the other rogues could still be around to continue the fight.

"I'm surprised Percy has never had Ari killed," Cutting Michael off as he began to argue, Birkhoff changed the subject. He didn't want to admit it- he didn't want to leave Nikita in danger- but she was right. They had to stay out of it. There were already too many players in the field. Two more into the mix could ruin everything. Michael and Birkhoff simply had to trust that Nikita knew what she was doing. She seemed to be well on top of things at the moment. Maybe that was because of her mole. If she didn't have that, she'd be well and truly fucked.

"He tried. The agent's gun jammed," Nikita replied to Birkhoff's comment hollowly. She tried to keep all emotion out of her voice. But in doing so, Michael knew exactly what she was holding back. She had been the agent sent to kill Ari, and she had failed on purpose. He would've loved to know what she had been thinking to make that decision. As far as he knew, she had only disobeyed orders when it came to Alexandra Udinov. What made Ari so special too. Unfortunately, before Michael could ask, Nikita was already changing the subject. She didn't have the time to talk, "I gotta go. I'll check in with you guys after."

"She's just as stubborn and annoying as ever," Once Nikita ended the call abruptly again, Birkhoff sighed. She was determined to be alone; they couldn't help her. At least she had a valid reason that time. Michael's and Birkhoff's involvement would only make things worse for her. Gogol wasn't an organization to fuck with. So wasn't Division, yet the rogues had information against that organization. They knew what to expect from that hellhole. Ari, however, was a different ballgame. Which was why Michael rushed out of the room to see what he could do to help Nikita. Birkhoff rolled his eyes, "And you're not any better."

Alex was probably being an idiot. She didn't exactly know what she was doing. Nikita needed help. Alex needed actual information on Gogol instead of the runaround from Amanda. So, the young woman was making stuff up as she went in order to achieve all that. The best she got was intentionally getting her wrist broken so she could go to Medical. While the doctor was distracted, she managed to get the antitoxin Nikita had described to her. All she had to do from there was somehow get it to the rogue. But how the fuck was she supposed to do that.

There was no way the two could meet and do an exchange. What Alex was doing was risky enough. Nikita advised that she'd slip the antidote into an agent's pocket as they went out on the next mission- chances were it was the one she was ruining. Alex didn't know who those agents would be, however. Except for Kelly, who wouldn't let the young recruit near her. And Thom. Thom would be a great option. She could easily put a pill in his pocket without him knowing, and Nikita would be able to grab it in return. Alex just had to distract him.

The best distraction she could think of was to kiss Thom. She knew he liked her a lot. If Alex kissed him 'good luck' before a mission, there was no doubt that he wouldn't think about anything else. Unfortunately, when he kissed her back, she couldn't think either. She was hardly able to put the antitoxin into his pocket. Alex knew she liked Thom; he was a nice guy. But she had no idea that her feelings for him ran that deep. She was in deep trouble if her emotions had. Relationships were dangerous things. They were distractions, and they could be harmful. What had she done with that kiss, "Nikita, I hope you know what you're doing. Cause I don't."

Unfortunately, Nikita barely knew what she was doing. Once in the field, she acted on instinct to put her loose plan into action. She took out the Gogol agents sent to watch her. She grabbed the antitoxin from Thom after knocking him and other Division agents out. She smuggled the senator away from Kelly. And she exposed the whole situation and coverup to the news. That last thing definitely made her a bigger target for Division and Gogol- as expressed by hers and Ari's conversation outside of a bar in DC. Yet Nikita didn't care. She revealed the truth and helped an innocent in her own way. The danger didn't matter.

Although Michael attempted to help Nikita, there wasn't anything he could do. He couldn't get her an antidote. He couldn't get her information on Gogol or Division. And he couldn't join her mission at the last second and expect things to go his way. He just had to sit and wait (or, in his case, pace) until he knew she was fine. Nikita let him and Birkhoff know with a text that she had survived, and that they should watch the news for important updates. Michael had no idea what she was talking about until the next day. Once he saw the information about the corrupt senator plastered on the TV, he had to call her laughing, "You made the news. Congrats."

"I love fucking with criminal organizations that want me dead," Nikita was far too proud of herself. She was definitely riding the high of telling Ari off outside the bar. But it was all going to crash into her eventually. She still had a splitting headache. It wasn't as though she could just walk off being poisoned. It was going to take a minute for her to bounce back. At least she could relish in her success until then. She wished she would've been able to save the young woman from Division. But she exposed a corrupt senator, and she made certain neither Gogol nor Division got what they wanted. She could take the win. It'd be good for her.

"You feeling okay?" Softly, Michael asked. Nikita never made it clear what kind of poison she had been injected with. All he knew was that it was something Division manufactured, and Gogol was able to reverse engineer it. No doubt the drug was a nasty one. There was a chance Nikita barely survived it. How exactly she managed that also evaded Michael. He was so out of the loop on that mission. He wanted to know everything Nikita had faced. And he wanted to know why she didn't involve him from the start. He could've helped.

"Yeah. Yeah. I owe my mole so much," Nikita replied absentmindedly. She knew she had to tell Michael more than that. Yet she was distracted by the messages on her computer. As soon as she finished her mission, Nikita sent Alex the information she wanted to know. The young recruit was grateful for the intel, even asking for more personal information about Ari. The rogue was tempted to ask what that was all about. But she figured it had to do with the reason Alex had stayed alive in Division. She had her own mission to complete. One she would hopefully share with Nikita some day. She'd be more than willing to help her.

Then was Michael's chance to ask Nikita the millions of questions he had. He could interrogate her about the full facts of her dealings with Ari and Gogol. He could make her tell him about the poison she suffered. He could also demand to know why she chose that mission to go alone, why she chose to save Ari when she could've killed him, and why she was hiding so much from him. Instead, Michael repeated a question he had asked Nikita before. After everything that had just happened, he deserved to know who her mole was. Who inside Division had risked their life to help her. Who should he thank for keeping Nikita alive, "Who is she?"

After the two women finished discussing Gogol, Alex wondered if Amanda was right about personal relationships; were they really a distraction and not worth having. Nikita was honest with her reply. Sometimes, Amanda was right. Sometimes, relationships and feelings hurt like hell and dragged you under. But other times, when you let it, they became the most freeing things in the world. Alex's only reply was 'good' before she logged off. Yet it made Nikita grin softly regardless. The two were getting somewhere. They all were. That was probably just the wonders of open communication. But it worked, "I think she's a friend."

Chapter Text

"Nikita, Michael needs your help."

Birkhoff didn't hesitate to call Nikita. As soon as she answered, he ensured there wasn't even a trace of humor or sarcasm in his voice. It wasn't the time for jokes and antics. Michael was bound to get himself killed if someone didn't rush out to help him. Birkhoff wasn't equipped for that job. As great as he was at hacking, he couldn't provide the support Michael needed. Nikita had to help him. She might be the only one who could save him from killing himself.

Normally, Birkhoff would've been overreacting if he believed Michael's mission would lead to his death. Yet that wasn't a normal mission. The instant Nikita heard about it, she believed the same; the hacker was right to call her. Ever since Michael told Birkhoff about Hayley and Elizabeth, Shadownet had been running a search on Kasim and his known associates. It finally got a hit on his accountant. He was going to meet with Kasim to go over the numbers and his money. Before doing so, he'd be open to sharing information at his hotel. That was their chance at Kasim. Of course Michael had to take it. And of course Nikita would help.

She wasn't going to stop him. Michael deserved his justice and revenge just like the rest of them. He had to kill Kasim. But he couldn't do it alone. It wasn't fair for Nikita to say Michael was too emotional and unfocused for the mission, and that was why he needed help. There were plenty of times when she had rushed into the field far too emotionally compromised to be good. It was dangerous and deadly. Someone had to be there to put her head on straight. Yet Michael had always found a way to keep himself composed. He just needed a partner- someone to make the work easier so he wouldn't die.

As soon as Birkhoff gave Nikita Michael's location, she rushed off to meet him. She only brought what she thought would be necessary (weapons, coms, and a change of clothes). She didn't have time to waste. He needed her immediately. Nikita thought Michael would try to deny that he did, however. She believed the second she broke into his hotel room, he'd shove her right out. Instead, he welcomed her with open arms. It had her so taken aback that she nearly missed what he had asked her; he needed her help.

That so wasn't what she had thought would happen when she raided his mission. Michael should've been a lot more stubborn. But he probably realized the usefulness of Nikita. That had helped one another countless times before. Killing Kasim wouldn't be any different. The two just had to find a way to get to his elusive ass.

Michael's idea was to grab the accountant, release him, then follow as he ran to Kasim. Nikita liked the idea, but there were too many unknown variables. It would've been better if they searched his hotel room for any clues. She could distract the accountant at the bar, while Michael looked around. As long as the two stayed in contact, he was completely fine with the idea. It seemed far safer than his, after all. And, he could discover more than just Kasim's location. Intel on his finances and terrorist dealings could be helpful as well.

Although Nikita always hated playing the honey trap and flirtatious distraction, she'd suck it up for Michael. She could hide her disgust for the accountant, pretend to take the shots of vodka he was feeding her (she really shouldn't have been around alcohol), and fake that she was actually interested in the vile man. At least until Michael had what he needed. Then, Nikita hastily gave the accountant a flirty excuse and rushed back to her partner.

They were silent as they sorted through the intel Michael had collected. Whereas he was simply too focused for conversation, Nikita didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure how to comfort him, how to settle his racing mind. She could see by his tight shoulders how stressed and anxious he was. He wouldn't allow himself to relax, but he desperately needed to. She had no clue how to make him. When it came to Hayley, Elizabeth, and Kasim, Nikita never knew what she could say to make it all better. The best she could do was be by Michael's side and do what he needed. Was that help or hindrance, however.

Nikita didn't allow herself time to figure it out. She had to focus on Kasim. Michael was able to discover where the meet was taking place. Kasim, his accountant, and their other terrorist associates would be there. As would all their guards. At least four of those armed men would be surrounding Kasim at all times. They were a heavily protected bunch. Killing the terrorists took a lot of thought and skill. Nikita sighed as she realized they were already down one option, "So a close quarters kill will be…"

"Suicide," Michael finished the thought for Nikita, turning to look at her. When he did, they suddenly became aware of how close they were standing. They must've drifted together while they planned. There were times when that occurred at the safehouse. But there had always been Birkhoff around to keep them focused. The two didn't have a buffer then. Nothing and no one was stopping brown and green eyes from gazing into one another, nor was there anything to stop their lungs from breathing the same air. Nikita and Michael practically stood nose to nose. One little push forward and they could kiss.

Clearing his throat, Michael turned from Nikita. He shouldn't have thought that. Not then, not there. He had to focus on getting revenge for his late wife and daughter. Nikita was only his partner. She was just there as support and to bounce ideas off of. He shouldn't be absorbed in her warm presence. The mission was too important, "That's why we go long."

"Do you have the hardware?" Nikita silently urged for Michael to move away from her and show her the weapon he had to have brought with him. It was messed up that she thought about kissing him while he was working so hard to avenge Hayley and Elizabeth. He shouldn't be around someone as selfish as that. Thankfully, Michael was back to talking logistics with her. He told her all about the sniper rifle he had and answered her questions. They could move past the awkward moment and pour all of their attention into killing Kasim. Though, Nikita was sure she had to be the one who took the shot, "I still have to be within six hundred meters."

"You? And what makes you think you're getting this bad boy?" Michael couldn't help but chuckle. With how Nikita studied the rifle and how seriously she spoke, he knew she was too absorbed with the facts to actually suggest she kill Kasim for him. She was just thinking rationally, trying to find them the safest option like she had with the accountant. He still wanted to know why she thought she was the better option, though.

"I'm the better shot," Responding to his humor, Nikita smirked. For the most precise and efficient shot, she was the person to go to. Granted, he had to be the one behind the trigger when it came to Kasim. She realized her blunder as soon as she had made it. The kill belonged to Michael. She'd be his backup and support, providing a wind gauge and extra eyes. Yet that was all. His revenge mission didn't need her ruining everything.

"I knew you'd gone rogue. Didn't know you'd gone delusional," She was nowhere near ruining anything, however. In fact, Nikita made Michael smile. That was the first time he felt relaxed since Birkhoff gave him the lead on Kasim. It felt as though his heart had finally been taken out of the torture it had been receiving. He knew it probably wouldn't last long. Once the two were finished teasing one another, grief and pain would assault him once more. But that too could be alleviated, once Kasim was dead. Fortunately, that'd be soon.

Returning Michael's grin, Nikita nudged his shoulder. They were too close to one another again. Yet the sniper rifle in front of them helped keep their thoughts from wandering. It was difficult to picture kissing while weapons were around them. When that thought somehow did arise again, however, Nikita turned from Michael. She played it off as a part of her tease, but when she glanced back at him his eyes were alight, "I'm sorry. I remember somebody who set the distance shoot record in Division in her first year of eligibility. Who was that?"

"No respect for the man who's mark you broke?" With a crooked smile he only reserved for her, Michael dared Nikita to contradict him. They were both excellent shots- and fighters. In and out of Division, they gave each other a run for their money. He remembered a time he managed to shoot only her hair from paces away. Except, he wasn't going to bring that up. The two had a good thing going with their taunts. He didn't want to mess with that.

"Sucks to be you," Shrugging, Nikita chuckled. Michael laughed. They continued to smile at one another, shoulders attempting to nudge each other as they crouched by the rifle. Moments like those reminded them of the friendship they were working back towards. They used to tease like that in Division, during late nights as they poured over the intel of an op. It was just like that all over again- only with different stakes.

Glancing back at the sniper rifle, Michael suddenly grew grave. The short break to joke around was nice. But they had to get back to their mission. His chance to finally kill Kasim was only in a few short hours. He and Nikita didn't have that much time to delay. They had to plan, prepare, and execute the operation. He also had to ready himself mentally for the task. He was about to make things right for Hayley and Elizabeth. He couldn't be distracted, "Nikita. You know I need to take this shot."

"I know," Nikita nodded. She wouldn't dare argue with him. She also wouldn't go against his plans. She and Michael worked out everything they needed to for the mission, then took off. They found a spot in the neighboring woods to snipe Kasim from. All they had to do was wait for him and his guards to arrive. It shouldn't be much longer after that for the bastard to be dead.

Except, not even well thought out schemes could go in the rogues favor. Kasim and his guards soon arrived at the meeting place, yet the terrorist was never alone. In Michael's line of fire, there was no clear shot. He attempted to find one. He shifted around. He watched his target closely. Yet there was never a precise shot to Kasim. Even if Michael could hit him, he might not die. He could recover and become even more elusive. Michael couldn't take that risk. It wasn't the target nor the mission to make poor decisions, "No shot."

Spying through her binoculars, Nikita attempted to find Michael an alternative. Although Kasim went inside, there had to be a way to draw him back out. She could force a clear shot for her partner if she had to. There was a gas tank around the corner of the meeting place. If she tampered with it and it exploded, everyone would rush back outside. Kasim would be dead. Michael wasn't a fan of her scheme; they should just wait it out. Yet Nikita didn't care. They weren't giving up when they were so close, "We have to control the play, Michael."

Considering the alternative, Michael had to relent to Nikita's plan. But, he could make certain she stayed safe and smart. It wasn't enough just to blow the gas tank. She also had to take out Kasim's car. If he couldn't run away, then Michael could shoot. Nikita was well aware of that- she didn't need him telling her- and she tried to leave. He held her back. If he couldn't go down with her, the least he could do was give her his knife, "Alright. Take this."

"I have," Nikita rolled her eyes. She had a knife. She didn't need to borrow Michael's. Besides, if she got into any trouble down on the ground, she could take care of herself. She hadn't always needed a partner. She was stellar on her own. Michael should keep his attention on snipping. That was more important.

He only shook his head and tried to give her the knife, anyway. He was covered in the woods by trees and his rifle. With many armed guards around, Nikita needed to be extra careful. She also had to be extra stealthy. His knife was for the best. She just had to trust him, "Mine's better. I don't need it up here. As long as you bring it back…"

"The mission's over. I know Michael. I'm a big girl now. I don't need a good luck charm," It was something Michael used to do when she was a recruit- and even when she was an agent. To help her with her nerves, he gave her something to hold onto until the training or mission was over. If she was able to give it back to him afterwards, then the worst was truly over. She could breathe easily again. Yet she hadn't needed that trick in a long time. She had learned how to find comfort by herself.

"Take it anyway, Big Girl," Michael smirked, handing out his knife. Nikita sighed but took it anyway. It came in handy when she let the air out of Kasim's tires, and as she silently took out one of the guards. She heard Michael praise her over the coms Birkhoff had given her before she left, and she couldn't help but smile to herself. Nikita might've claimed she didn't need Michael's comfort, yet hearing him say 'atta girl' helped settle her far more than she could do on her own. It was as though no matter what, she knew he'd have her back and be proud of her. She hoped he knew she felt the same about him.

Unfortunately, the two's success didn't last long. The next guard Nikita faced wasn't as easy to take down. Her com fell out before she managed to break her assailant's neck. She signaled that to Michael as she continued her way to the gas tank. She didn't have time to look for it; she just had to keep going. He cursed under his breath at their ill fortune, but otherwise did his best to shrug it off. They could operate with a lost com. It was the other problem he noticed approaching the meeting place that had him worried. Things just got so much worse.

"No. No, no, no. Nikita, Division agents are here. I repeat. Division… Sonofabitch," Barely remembering the missing com, Michael attempted to warn Nikita of the new group of armed men sneaking into the area. Division must've spotted the rogues on the hotel cameras and followed them to Kasim. How exactly they were there, however, didn't matter. Michael simply had to stop them, help Nikita, and kill Kasim.

None of that worked out for him. Michael rushed to Nikita's side, shooting at any Division agent he came across. His progress was slow with the hail of bullets, yet he still should've been able to help Nikita draw out Kasim. Soon, though, that wasn't even necessary. The shooting had already brought the terrorist outside. Then was Michael's chance. All he had to do was aim his pistol and shoot.

But with Division, and the guards, and the close quarters kill, it wasn't that easy. Michael took multiple rounds to the vest protected chest before he could even squeeze off a shot. The world turned black around him. The last thing he was aware of was that he failed.

Chapter Text

"Fuck!" Nikita cursed the instant she realized what had happened. She was surprised by the sudden arrival of Division (Percy really was determined to kill them) and had gotten distracted trying to protect herself. By the time she could realize what had happened to Michael, he was already gone. The car with Kasim and her partner was well down the road. She couldn't attack it. Not only did she doubt she'd be successful, but if Michael was still alive, her actions would surely kill him. They had failed. They were fucked.

Yet they weren't alone. Thankfully, Michael and Nikita had another partner they could rely on. Nikita's com had been knocked out of her ear, and she had no idea where it could've landed. Michael's was no doubt still in his ear, yet he was unconscious (hopefully he was only unconscious). However, the two had a radio and extra coms in the car they had driven to the site and hidden in the woods. If she hurried, she could contact Birkhoff for help before it was too late- too late for what, she wouldn't even allow herself to consider, "Birkhoff! Division raided the scene, now Kasim has Michael. He has Michael."

"What? What's going on?" Birkhoff instantly demanded. He hadn't heard from Michael since he had left the safehouse. And, although he gave her the coms, he hadn't heard from Nikita since she had found Michael at the hotel. Birkhoff was completely blind to what was occurring half a world away. He had believed it would've been a successful mission. Michael could've been one step closer to getting justice for his late family. Birkhoff hated that he was wrong.

Nikita fidgeted with Michael's knife in her hand. She had made sure to hang onto it throughout the fight. She couldn't lose it, especially not then. She had to get it back to him. She couldn't believe she was falling for the stupid superstition again. But when she got it back to him, that meant the mission would be over. Michael would be safe and sound, and Kasim would be dead. They needed that good luck charm more than ever.

Clutching the knife tightly in her hand, Nikita fought the negative thoughts clouding her mind. She couldn't grow anxious or pessimistic. Michael needed her to remain as strong as he always believed her to be. Neither she nor Birkhoff could become panicked. They had to think. Studying the road the terrorists escaped on, Nikita thought she had an idea. With Kasim's car destroyed, they took off in the accountant's vehicle. And all of Kasim's accountant's information was back at the hotel. Nikita had access to the car's license plate number. From there, Birkhoff could surely work his magic, "If I give you a plate number you can track the car down, right?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Already hacking into street cameras, Birkhoff huffed. Until Nikita could get him the license plate number, he'd demand to know how exactly the mission got away from them. It was definitely a serious situation if two capable agents got fucked over. Nikita didn't hesitate in telling the hacker everything. She needed to sort through the events herself. She wasn't going to question how Division showed up; that would just give her a headache. The only thing she could focus on was Kasim. Saving Michael from him was one of the few things she could control.

Michael, on the other hand, wasn't in control of anything. From the instant he didn't have a clear shot at Kasim, to gaining consciousness strapped to a table, Michael had no say in how the situation would unfold. He had had such high hopes for the mission. He believed that was finally his chance to kill Kasim and get revenge for what had been taken from him. Why shouldn't it have been his moment. Almost ten years had passed since he lost his whole world. Shouldn't he deserve his revenge. He did everything else for others. Why couldn't he have that.

Division was the simple answer. Although the rogues were actively working to destroy them, the black ops hellhole continued to ruin everything. They ruined the chance to kill Kasim. They ruined innocent people's lives. And they ruined Michael's chance at happiness. He knew all his rage should be focused on Percy. He was the leader of all that bullshit. He was also the person responsible for Hayley's and Elizabeth's deaths. Percy ordered the hit against Michael, and Kasim carried out the act. If Michael hadn't stupidly left the briefcase in his car, he would've been the one to die and not his loved ones.

That meant Michael could only blame Percy for what had occurred. He didn't need to plan a mission to kill Kasim. He should only focus on destroying the black boxes so he could kill the man completely responsible for all his pain. Though, Kasim was a terrorist. He still deserved to die. He also made Michael trust him. He led him to believe he could leave the briefcase in the car and it would be alright. Kasim knew Hayley and Elizabeth would be around Michael. He didn't have to follow his Division orders exactly (Nikita never did). Michael's wife and daughter didn't have to be collateral damage. They could've been safe and free.

Instead, no one was. Michael was strapped to a concrete table in some sort of basement, all too aware that he was going to be tortured. The guards surrounding him with guns didn't even tip him off. Nor did the chains and rusted tools. It was just a feeling deep in his stomach. He knew he was screwed. Yet he was resigned to his fate.

The intense fury he felt as Kasim walked through the door helped him not struggle. Michael was so overcome with rage, he didn't care what would happen to him. He was simply beyond prepared to kill the man who had hurt him so greatly. He didn't care what Kasim wanted to say to him. His motives were nothing; he was still a terrorist who had no problem killing children. Whatever half-ass excuse he had for being a monster, Michael would throw it right back into his face. It was all bullshit.

Except for when Kasim dared to say Hayley's and Elizabeth's names. He had no right talking about them. Just because he had known them, met them, ate dinner with them, didn't mean he was allowed to talk about them. Michael surged in his restraints attempting to reach Kasim. He had to kill the bastard. He had to rip his head off and ensure he could never disrespect Hayley and Elizabeth again, "You don't get to say their names!"

Kasim actually flinched when Michael pushed against his bonds. Michael would've proudly smirked if he wasn't so enraged. And he probably could've used that rage to break his restraints if there weren't guards in the room. They shoved him back on the table and held him down. Michael squirmed, but the force was too great. A towel was placed over his face, then the cold water poured over him.

"See what he knows. Then kill him," Kasim's voice was faint as he ordered. Michael barely registered it as he fought to breathe. He could withhold information despite torture. The Navy and Division taught him that. The waterboarding wouldn't make him say anything to the terrorists. He was only struggling to escape so he could kill Kasim. He wouldn't let it go. The bastard was within grasp. He was so close to his revenge. Although he knew that wouldn't give him the love and happiness he once had, it could be a start. He wouldn't have to feel guilty about living while his wife and daughter couldn't.

Loud crashes outside the basement startled the water bucket out of the terrorists' hands. Michael had one second of reprieve from the torture. He could use that second to try to escape, but he was just so tired. He needed another moment. Thankfully, he was granted that by Nikita. She managed to storm into the room and kick serious ass. He didn't worry about how she found him (Birkhoff probably helped); he just focused on how to break his restraints. Again, his partner helped with that. She held his tortured body gently and tried to pull him out of the room. The last guard had told them where Kasim ran to; they could go, "Hey. Come on. I got you."

When Michael removed himself from her arms to kill the remaining terrorist, she wasn't surprised. Nikita had seen him like that before. On a Division mission years ago, he had been filled to the brim with stoic fury regarding their target. His expression never betrayed him, yet his actions showed how deeply pissed he was. During that operation, Nikita didn't bat an eye at his quiet rage. But in the present, she was worried. Michael wasn't concerned with hiding his emotions. He had let his guilt, pain, and rage control him.

Leading Michael to the car, Nikita wouldn't allow herself to think about that. She had been in the same position once; they deserved moments to let themselves be angry. Yet they couldn't let themselves get killed. The rogue agents had to go. Yet not after Kasim. They had missed their chance. Going after him once more would only get them killed and others hurt. As important as justice and revenge was, it wasn't worth that. At least when it came to Michael's life, Nikita that sentiment was true. She was surprised he agreed with her. He was actually going to call off the mission. He really was so much better than she could ever be.

"Let me drive. I can get us back to the hotel no problem," After a long stretch of silence, Michael suggested. He and Nikita hadn't talked since he had agreed that they needed a new plan to kill Kasim. There wasn't really much else to say. There were a lot of things they had to recuperate from. The two could do so at the hotel- if Nikita knew where it was. She had always been terrible with directions, especially in a new place. Michael, however, was great at getting them wherever they needed to be. She simply didn't believe he was up for it at the moment. He had to smile at her to assure her that he'd be alright soon, "I'm fine. Really."

In hindsight, Nikita shouldn't have listened to Michael. She should've trusted her gut and kept a firm grasp on the steering wheel. But, why shouldn't she be able to trust Michael. He would never betray her. Under normal circumstances, that'd be true. Yet that was about his late wife and daughter. He couldn't ignore that survivor's guilt and rage. He had to set things right. Calling for him on the new com she placed in her ear, she knew it well, "Michael. You can't do this. You go into that airport, and you'll die."

"So will he," Michael was clipped through the com. Nikita wished she could see his facial expression. She wanted to know what was going on inside his head; though, honestly, she didn't have to think hard. She was very familiar with the kind of rage that had taken over him. When happiness was robbed so violently, the only response was to kill the person responsible. Neither the danger nor situation were important. That could be ignored for vengeance.

"But it's suicide. You can't do this. You think you have nothing to live for? What about destroying Division? What about killing Percy? What about Birkhoff and me? You have things to live for. The world needs you. Trust me," She was scrambling. Nikita wasn't nearly as good at talking about emotions and being a comforting hand like Michael was. But what if she threw his own words back at him. He wasn't right when he said the world needed her. However, Nikita knew for certain that the world needed Michael. He was supposed to save it and keep it safe, like he had done with her, Birkhoff, and so many others. He couldn't die. She couldn't let him.

"Why should I?" Michael's voice was flat. It wasn't smoky or light; it was gruff and harsh. He wasn't asking for a real reason to trust Nikita. Either he knew he could, or he knew she would turn on him. She didn't know which was worse. It was as though no matter what she said, he was going to get himself killed. It was his only way to survive the pain.

"You didn't let me kill myself. So what makes you think I'll let you?" Nikita removed all panic from her voice. She was absolutely serious and determined. Michael never gave up on her. While she fought and screamed and tried to end her suffering, he remained by her side as stubborn as ever. He forced her to know he cared about her. He never let her die no matter what. Of course she'd return the favor. Nikita would make Michael live and see that he still had loved ones. The world wasn't all pain, grief, and sorrow. The rogues still had one another.

Whereas Michael ignored her and dumped his com, Nikita kept hers pressed in her ear. She had told Birkhoff to wait for them when she had raided the terrorists' hideout. She thought she'd only need to contact him for a ride home. But if she had ever learned anything in her life, it was that she never received what she wished, "Birkhoff! Michael's making a suicide run at the airport. You have to help me stop him and get him home."

"What's your plan?" Birkhoff didn't hesitate to ask. He wasn't surprised by the dramatic twist in events. He was surprised that Michael was insane while Nikita was rational. Except, it was Michael's family they were dealing with. He was always irrational when it came to them. Fortunately, Nikita had a way to help. Using the guards at the airport, she and Birkhoff could save him and get him home. Once at the safehouse, he could heal and find another way to kill Kasim (he could also find a way to kill Percy). It wasn't as hopeless as he believed. They simply needed a moment to bounce back. Kasim would die. And he could live for his family.

While Nikita and Birkhoff scrambled to stop Michael and have the guards deposit him on a private jet back to the States, Michael was already on the tarmac. He had found Kasim. He had broken a glass bottle and held a shard in his hand, and he had stalked the killer through the gate. Just a few more steps and the shiv would be between Kasim's ribs without anyone knowing. He wouldn't have a clear way to escape after, yet who cared. He finally had what he wanted.

Until the guards grabbed him. Airport security dragged him away from Kasim and his last chance at vengeance. Michael kicked and fought. But after the torture, he was just too weak. It was over. Despite how long he had waited, how much he had planned, how hard he had fought, Michael kept failing to do right by his wife and daughter. He always failed Hayley and Elizabeth, and he had no one to blame but himself.

As he looked out into the crowd, however, Michael realized there was someone else he could blame. She was directing security and glancing over at him with sorrowful brown eyes. Nikita was the reason he had failed. She took everything from him, just like Kasim and Percy.

There was a look in Michael's eyes that Nikita had never seen before. Well, she had never seen it reflected in his evergreen eyes before. She saw that look glaring at her every morning in the bathroom mirror. It was rage and anger and bitter fucking hatred. Her brown eyes told her how much she despised herself whenever she looked in the mirror. However, Michael's eyes never expressed such acid. He always looked at her with kindness and joyful adoration. Except at that moment. As security dragged him away, he looked like he wanted to kill her. A part of her did die upon seeing the expression. It broke her heart.

Chapter Text

Bolts had secured the opening to the air shaft in place after Nikita's escape. The easiest access to the air ducts that traveled around Division and somehow let Nikita escape was permanently closed. No other agent or recruit could access it. Their hope of using it to possibly escape as well was completely shattered. They were loyal to Division, or they died. That was their only two options. After hearing about the tragedy of the rogues, everyone accepted it. They didn't challenge the bolts on the vent.

Alex did. Except, she had never bought into the entirety of Division. She knew the organization was evil. It was hired to kill her family, and it continued to target families. She didn't want to be a part of its ranks. She didn't want to kill for them. She had her own agenda. She wanted to use the black ops unit for her own needs. That was different than joining into the belief that Division was a family or a necessary tool. She didn't want to connect or fix something. She just wanted justice for her family so she could finally feel peace again.

At least, Alex kept telling herself that. Over and over again, any time she had to justify her actions, she would tell herself it was all in the name of revenge. Even helping Nikita and the rogues was an act of vengeance. Just because she was using Division for her own means didn't express that she would allow it to thrive. It was the organization that killed her family and wanted her dead, after all. Percy had to pay for taking Semak's money, just as much as Semak had to pay for ordering the hit. Everyone that had wronged Alex would meet cruel and swift justice. She wanted it so badly, she was doing everything she could to reach it.

Which led to her essentially becoming a double agent. Alex helped Nikita for information and to screw Percy. Then she would do as Percy ordered so she could have the resources needed to take on Semak. The twists and lies were fucking her up. Alex couldn't pretend otherwise. She strived to be the perfect recruit, so she could be promoted to agent and have the freedom and power needed for revenge. But she also rebelled and went rogue, knowing how evil Division was. She couldn't completely play along with that hellhole. She knew she could do better; she could be better than everyone in that place.

It was just too difficult to sort out on her own. Alex wanted to scream and vent to somebody who would understand her. She needed guidance on how to get what she wanted while destroying the very people she needed to help her. She thought about messaging Nikita the whole screwed up mess. She had helped Alex clear some things up before. However, she couldn't convince herself to tell the rogue the full truth. She wanted to keep her vengeance for her family to herself. Somehow, it made her feel like she was protecting them. Alex had been powerless to save them as a child. But then, she could at least protect the memory of them.

As for confiding everything with Amanda, Alex knew that was suicide. She could get away with more sass and rule breaking than the other recruits. Except, that was because of her deal. Percy and Amanda claimed Semak had broken a contract he had made with their higher ups when he ordered the hit on the Udinovs. By helping Alex kill him, they'd be righting a wrong. Division needed her just as much as she needed them. But that safetynet wouldn't catch her if she was discovered as a mole for the rogues. She'd be killed instantly.

Before she had the chance to kill Semak, Alex couldn't let that happen. She had to find a way to balance being a double agent on her own. It was frustrating, it was draining her, and it made her want to lose her mind. She needed a way to escape. She had to get out of hell- literally, physically, emotionally, all of it. She just needed to be alone so she could think and breathe. She needed a moment where she could be her true self, no hiding, no guarding, just herself.

Her recruit room was the last place she could achieve that. Although Alex was alone, she was still in Division. All of her actions were still monitored. She had to escape somewhere else. She had to go where no one could find her- not even Nikita on a computer. Breaking out of the bunker wasn't a real option. But she could get close to it. Alex could settle between pure freedom and pure hell, and finally get her thoughts in order.

Although the bolted vent was the easiest way to get into the ducts, Alex knew she could climb inside from anywhere else in Division. She simply had to make her way to the ceiling. The locker room seemed like the best place to do that. When everyone had been ordered to bed, she could sneak into the room, climb on top of the lockers, and shimmy into the air duct. That was all easier said than done. Alex struggled to sneak around the guards, scramble atop the metal lockers with no noise, and pull herself up into the small shaft. Yet once she made it, and was able to close the grate behind her, she sighed in relief. She could be at peace.

Not exactly where she was at, however. Alex didn't want to lie on her stomach, staring down into the locker room. She wanted to move freely, relax. So, she began crawling. The airconditioning helped quiet her movements, but she still had to be slow in case anyone were to hear her. She didn't believe she'd be killed for sneaking around in the air vents, especially since she was only doing it to be alone; she wasn't escaping. However, she'd lose Amanda's trust and any special privileges she had. Alex had to stay hidden.

Eventually, after what felt like thirty minutes' worth of crawling, Alex stumbled upon another grate. Fresh air appeared to be flowing from the slits. It felt beyond amazing as it hit her sweat slicked skin. The cool air hit her with a soft, fresh breeze, and for the first time in a long time she was able to breathe deeply. Alex had almost forgotten what fresh air was like. Even with her short moments outside, she had gotten used to the sterile stale airconditioning of Division. Since she had a taste for it again, she needed more. It didn't matter where the air came from. Forcefully and urgently, she pushed the vent open and crawled through.

A metal platform met her first. Alex clambered out on top of it, finally able to stand and stretch her tense muscles. Softly pacing around the platform, she breathed deeply and studied her surroundings. Wherever she was was deep, cylindrical, and all metal. More platforms at different levels jutted out of the smooth walls. Ladders connected them, as well as other vents. Alex guessed that a person could access that area from any line of air ducts. The space stretched out far ahead of her, beneath her, and above her. It seemed to be as big as Division itself, expanding across everything and encompassing all.

Staring upwards, Alex thought she could see a light at the top of the area. It wasn't the bright artificial light of Division. It almost seemed like moonlight. That had to be where the fresh air was coming from. The top of the space had to lead to the outside world. Another vent must have opened up to wherever Division was hidden under. A long metal ladder led all the way to a possible escape. Alex could easily reach it from the platform. All she had to do was walk.

Nikita probably escaped Division through that opening. Alex had wondered how her crawling through the vents led to her escape. The rogue must've discovered the opening just like Alex did, by looking for a place to be alone. No one else seemed to know about the opening. All they had closed was the vent she had crawled through. There was still a way to slip past everybody and run off into the night. It could all be so easy.

Except, Alex didn't take the chance. She just sat on the platform, dangling her legs over the side, and breathing in the fresh air. Despite the mental turmoil she was constantly left in, she wouldn't leave Division. Her revenge mission would make all the hell worth it. Once Semak was dead, and monsters were gone from the world, Alex would focus on escape. There was no way she would stay in Division once the deed was done. There was no point. She wasn't their agent or thing to control. She was her own person, capable of her own choices.

Sometimes, though, it felt like those choices were being thrust on her. She wasn't as free as she believed. After all, Alex still had to adhere to recruit training and rules. She still had to play nice with the agents and recruits around her. And she still had to join Amanda in her office to discuss her thoughts and feelings. That last thing Alex didn't mind as much. There were times when talking to Amanda really helped. She felt calm and steady; she also felt like she had the power to do anything. The woman reassured her that Division needed her more than she needed them. She wasn't beholden to anything. Alex could take what she wanted and rule the world.

She just had to be prepared first. Alex couldn't face Semak and Gogol without the training and resources Division provided. The more she learned about her enemy, the more she agreed. She needed to learn how to use a weapon, she needed to learn how to infiltrate and exfiltrate a building, she needed to learn how to work as a team, she needed to learn how to kill, and she needed to learn how to plan. Alex was fairly certain she knew how to do most of those things. But planning a successful kill mission seemed beyond her.

Amanda believed in her, though. After the training exercise where she survived torture and found a way to escape, Amanda believed Alex was ready for her first mission. That was delayed due to the situation with Sara and Robbie, and due to Alex's broken wrist. But finally, the perfect opportunity opened up for her to show what she had learned. She could plan a kill mission, execute it, and finally get what she wanted. It was perfect.

At least, it seemed that way. Percy had expressed that he wanted the mission to go to an experienced agent. Or, if they were seriously going to give it to Alex for her final test, then they should plan the mission for her. Amanda argued vehemently against that. The operation was to kill a powerful mobster who was surrounded by many guards. That would be perfect practice for Alex's mission to kill Semak. They could see if she truly had what it took.

Luckily, Percy relented. He let Alex have that operation. However, Amanda had to approve everything she did. She couldn't just go off on her own. Even with the stipulation, Alex was completely thrilled with the idea. Finally, there was progress on her vengeance mission. She was one step closer to having it all. She trusted Amanda to help her. Although she knew she was capable of evil, Amanda had been nothing but helpful to Alex. She was a warm presence in the bitter cold of Division. The young recruit knew she could lean on her advice.

A part of Alex thought about asking Nikita for help as well. She found herself thinking at times, 'what would Nikita do'. Yet she quickly shook it away. Alex had to think for herself. Yes, she was letting Amanda advise her and approve her choices. But she was still the one making them. Nikita couldn't interfere with the process either. Alex had to make her own decisions without input from anybody. That was her mission. That was her test. She was the one in charge.

It did appear daunting, but Alex was certain she could soldier through. Thom had done great on his first kill mission. Not even Nikita could stop him in time. Alex considered asking Thom for advice on what it was really like to kill someone. But she ultimately decided against it. That was the one question she'd ask the rogue. Alex would keep avoiding her fellow recruit (well, he was an agent then) like the plague. After she had kissed him, he kept looking at her like she was everything. The glances always caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach, yet she couldn't allow herself to hold onto them. It was only going to hurt.

Despite Nikita saying that personal relationships were worth it, Alex wouldn't allow herself one. She tried to be close to Sara and Robbie- she tried to help them- and look what happened to them. Yes Sara was safe outside of Division, but she would always be on the run. And Robbie was dead; he could never have the life he wanted. The same fate fell upon the girls in the brothel Alex had left behind. It happened to the kids she knew on the streets too- like Ronnie. Alex weaved a path of death and destruction. She couldn't do that to Thom. He had been so kind to her when he didn't have to. He deserved better.

Besides, Alex was going to run away from Division as soon as she killed Semak. She couldn't form any connections if she was only going to leave everyone. She didn't want to form bonds with a lot of people in Division anyway. Jaden was a prime example as to why. Although the two managed to work as a team when Alex's wrist was broken, they still couldn't stand one another. Jaden was threatened by her and tried to take her down. Alex always fought back, but most of the time it wasn't even worth it. Not when Kelly felt the same as Jaden.

Amanda continued to be the best person Alex could rely on inside Division. Thom could remain a friend, but Amanda had to be the person Alex confided in. She needed her comfort, strength, and position of power to get anything done. She also trusted her to not lead her astray. Their relationship was mutually beneficial, after all. The two needed one another; though, one more than the other. But Alex wouldn't shrug Amanda off completely. She knew she needed her. And she did want her around as she achieved her revenge.

Sighing, Alex regretfully decided she should return to bed. Her moment of reprieve in the big empty space full of fresh air couldn't last forever. As much as she would have loved to sit on the platform and just breathe forever, she had to return to reality. She had to rest before a big day of training and planning. Her mind had to be sharp and steady for the fresh onslaught she would be receiving. Her moment of peace didn't help her much in sorting her thoughts and emotions. Yet Alex was more ready and determined for the next phase of her operation. She could take over the whole world if she wanted to.

She didn't, however. She just wanted to destroy one man's world after he had destroyed hers. But, she needed rest and training first. Alex made it back to the air vent above the locker room in no time. She'd have to memorize the path she took for future uses. She'd definitely return to that place to catch more air. In the meantime, she'd drop to the floor, close the vent with a broom handle, and sneak back to her room. It was back to being the perfect recruit.

On her way to her room, Alex didn't have to worry about avoiding guards. She heard commotion in the halls about some major news coverage that involved Division. From the snippets of worry she overheard, she assumed it had something to do with the rogues. However, she wasn't going to bother to investigate. Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff could have their fun fucking with Division. Alex would help if needed. She wouldn't go looking for it, though. She wanted to remain on her own objective. She'd succeed on her first kill mission, use Division to kill Semak, then burn the hellhole down. She knew she was capable of doing that then.

Chapter Text

Nikita didn't know whether to kill Owen or herself. She was leaning more towards herself. Although Owen's stupidity created a massive shit storm, her stupidity ruined a partnership, a friendship, a relationship. A shit storm could be easily dealt with. But Nikita couldn't fix what she had ruined between her and Michael. The murderous gaze he shot her way as he was dragged away from his chance to kill Kasim- from his reason to keep living- expressed just that. She destroyed his opportunity for revenge. It didn't matter if it was to save his life. She destroyed him, while Kasim got to live. Michael would rather kill her too than see her again.

Birkhoff told Nikita that Michael hated him for his hand in the ruined revenge mission as well. He moved out of the safehouse and into some random hotel. But Birkhoff also assured that it would be okay soon; they wouldn't stay lone rogues for long. He had the optimism Nikita didn't. Despite wanting to be on her own for so long, she didn't want to be alone at that moment. She didn't want to be alone while Michael, the one person who had always fought for her, hated her. He hadn't let her kill herself months ago, but he was determined to kill her at the airport.

Nikita didn't want to live with that thought alone. She didn't want to keep catching glimpses of her distorted reflection in Michael's knife blade.

She had to get a hold of herself. Wallowing in self-pity wouldn't get her anywhere. Nikita had to stop morosely staring at Michael's knife, and actually do something productive with her time. Birkhoff had Shadownet- bot- whatever program did what- searching for any countermission she could rush out on. And she had her chatbox with Alex open for any information. Nikita could do anything but think about Michael as she waited. Despite the very late hour, she decided to go swimming. Not only was it great exercise and stress relief, she could also hide underneath the water and pray she never came back out.

Finding a rec center with a pool she could easily break into and not be caught using outside of the hours of operation was easy. Nikita didn't have to worry about security or anything like that as she attempted not to think. All she had to focus on was swimming. The rhythm of it, focusing on steadily breathing in and out as her head breached the surface, kept her from spiraling further into dark thoughts. She could actually relax. At least, while she swam she could.

When Nikita finally got out of the pool and made her way to the locker room, her muscles instantly tensed. Something was wrong. Someone was in the rec center with her. She could hear it in the way the sounds reverberated around the room. Someone was there, and they were coming for her. Nikita didn't wait to see who the person was. She grabbed her towel, and as soon as she could, she attacked. Whipping the towel out, she struck the stranger in the eye. Except, it wasn't a stranger coming to hurt her; it was only Owen, "Owen? What the fuck?"

"When are you not ready to kill me?" Holding his injured eye, Owen muttered. He had tried to catch Nikita at the loft Birkhoff said she would be at, but she left the building as soon as he arrived. In hindsight, Owen should've stopped her on the street and approached her then. Yet, they needed to be alone. The information he wanted to share with her was too sensitive to discuss on the street. He had to wait until he could get her alone. The locker room of the abandoned rec center she broke into was a good enough place. If only Nikita didn't try to kill him on sight.

"What do you want? Can't you go bother Michael or Birkhoff instead?" Drying her hair with her weaponized towel, Nikita huffed. She didn't want to be around Owen any longer than she had to. She knew she shouldn't remain upset about what he did to Daniel; he was only following orders, like she had done a million times before. But she still couldn't bring herself to let go of her anger. She couldn't stop hating herself for all the things she had let happen.

"They won't understand what I did. But you're like me. You'll get it," If Owen caught how tightly Nikita wound the towel back up in her fists, he didn't let on. He got right down to business, dropping the duffel bag he had brought with him off his shoulder. He had thought about involving Michael and Birkhoff into his scheme as well. Yet, Owen knew that out of all the rogues, Nikita was the most willing to cross lines. She wasn't afraid to hold back or get down and dirty. That was what they needed to take on Division. They had to do the worst they could.

Sighing, Nikita cinched her towel tightly around her waist. She would've preferred to change out of her wet swimsuit, wash the chlorine out of her hair, and collapse in her warm bed. However, with Owen blocking her way, she was forced to listen to him. She didn't want to. The comparison he made between them didn't sit right with her. Except, she couldn't really argue against him. Deep down, she knew he was right. She and Owen were different than Michael and Birkhoff; they were darker. It was better to accept that and move on than fight against what she believed to be true, "What'd you do?"

"The thumbdrive I was supposed to upload into the box doesn't have the same decryption. So, I leaked information," Owen didn't have time to finish his explanation. Rapidly, Nikita's towel whipped him in the other eye, and she screamed at him. How could he have been so stupid. Releasing Division secrets only led to disaster. Someone was going to get hurt, or worse. Despite the harsh assault he faced, Owen stubbornly stuck to what he had done. He had a very good reason for it, after all, "It could lead us to more black boxes."

"God dammit. Now we gotta do damage control," Continuing to curse Owen out, Nikita stomped to the other side of the locker room. She'd just have to quickly rinse off and throw her clothes back on. Owen's rashness didn't afford them the luxury of time. Alright, releasing secrets was a sound idea to make Division panic and want to beef up the black box encryption. It could eventually lead the rogues to more black boxes. But there was a reason Division operations were kept secret. There was a reason the black boxes were Percy's leverage to stay alive. That information was incredibly dangerous. No one could handle that kind of truth.

"Division's scrambling. What are they gonna do?" Owen couldn't understand Nikita's point. Granted, he hadn't had that lengthy conversation with Michael. He wasn't as aware of the stakes as the other rogues. All he knew was that any attack on a black box was an attack on Percy. There could be no downside to that. The chaos occurring in the news shouldn't have been their concern. The rogues just had to burn Division down bit by bit.

"Blame it on someone else, and clean it up," Months ago, Nikita probably would've agreed with Owen. So what if Division's secrets got released; the sooner the black ops group got shut down, the better. Yet, it wasn't just the rogues versus the secret governmental organization. There were so many innocents that could be hurt by their war- like Jill Moretti and Emily. The rogues couldn't allow that to continue. They had to ensure no one else wound up like them.

Owen didn't make any more arguments as he and Nikita traveled back to her loft. He simply explained the information he had leaked and how that could lead them to other black boxes. Nikita understood that if Percy scrambled to secure his black boxes, the rogues could pick up on the trail. She didn't need to spend time thinking about that. Instead, she focused on how Division might sweep the leak under the rug. She couldn't come up with a possible cover story on her own, so she reached out to Alex for help, "Hey. I need a favor. If Division has you doing anything weird for a 'training exercise', let me know."

As soon as the message was sent, Owen was all over Nikita, asking her numerous questions about her mole inside Division. He had overheard her talking about it with Michael and Birkhoff, and was curious if the mole could help them then. Nikita refused to involve Alex further. The black box situation was hers and Owen's mess to clean up. Besides, Nikita didn't know how above and beyond Alex would go for her. Sticking to the basics was the best way to keep the trust they had. Alex always pulled through with that, after all, "They have us compiling fake intel on a Ryan Fletcher. Something about evidence gathering. Is this guy real?"

"Very real, and very much in danger. Thanks for the info," Nikita quickly replied to Alex before searching the name she had given her. The rogue owed her mole a full explanation later. But she didn't have the time at the moment. Chances were, the grunt work the recruits were being forced to do related to the current situation. They were probably gathering intel on someone Division could blame for the leaked mission. If that information came out, that someone was a dead person. Nikita and Owen had to get to them first and save them, "Ryan Fletcher. In the import/export business based in Chile."

"CIA?" Recognizing the cover, Owen gasped. Wasn't Division supposed to be a division of the CIA. Weren't the agents in that hellhole supposed to do the missions the agency couldn't- at least, until Percy went dirty and started taking mission-for-hire jobs. How could the black ops group frame a company man. Nikita understood the decision perfectly, however. The information Owen leaked revealed Division's hand in rigging a South American election. Who had a worse history of that than the CIA. It was probably easy for Percy to pick an agent to blame.

"See what I mean," Nikita tried not to roll her eyes. She had to stop being annoyed with Owen and just focus on saving Ryan from a fate he possibly didn't even know about. Nikita contemplated just grabbing Ryan first, and explaining everything later. Except, he was in the CIA. It'd be easier if she just told him what was occurring. Her cryptic phone call could be enough to help him, "Hello, Ryan Fletcher. I need you to listen. A whole shit load of hell is about to rain down on you. But I can help… Ryan?"

Shouting rang over the line before Ryan hung up on her. The noises didn't belong to Division, though; Nikita would've recognized those immediately. Ryan was facing a whole other world of danger. Owen and Nikita didn't hesitate before gearing up and jetting out. They did send Birkhoff a hasty message about borrowing his jet, yet soon they were outside the CIA field office in Chile, thinking about a way to handle the situation. Owen wanted to burst right in, and shoot his way to any answers. Nikita, however, was far more rational, "Hold on. We can't just rush in and start shooting. We have to plan first."

"Okay. So what's your plan?" Owen demanded to know. The two didn't have all the time in the world to figure out what had happened to Ryan. If they didn't bring him to a safehouse and sort out the mess the leaked intel created, then Division would find him and kill him. Alright fine, Owen had created the mess. But he was looking for a way to fix it. His actions against Division had already led to one death. He couldn't allow any more.

"We go in there and… alright fine," Honestly, Nikita didn't know how to approach a situation without being a threat. Usually, Michael created the smarter plans. But she couldn't rely on him for that mission. She shouldn't bother him. She and Owen had to figure out what to do on their own, and without relying on their brash tactics. The best the two could come up with was Nikita entering the field office and black badging her way into receiving information. And if that didn't work, then Owen would bust heads and they'd hack into a computer.

A strange mix of both schemes got the two rogues the intel they needed. Nikita was able to discover that Ryan was an analyst who liked to stick his nose where it didn't belong. She guessed that that was part of the reason Ryan was being framed by Division. He probably picked up Division chatter, got too close to the truth, and Percy wanted him silenced. It was a good thing the rogues were there. All his digging wouldn't have been for nothing.

Although Nikita had gathered that information with her false CIA badge, Owen had to help her with the rest of the intel. When the CIA agent grew suspicious of her, Owen burst in and handled it. The two were then free to use the agency's computer. It didn't take them long to discover that a band of political rebels had taken Ryan. They had heard the lie that he was responsible for the rigged election, so they decided to make him pay. Hastily, Nikita found the rebels' location and pulled Owen along with her, "Got 'em. Come on. But, this time, we're staying quiet. We're not saving Ryan from Division only for him to be killed by these guys."

"I can be quiet," As they rushed back to their stolen car, Owen shouted. Nikita shot him a look, yet she left it at that. They had to plan their assault on the rebel camp. Staying quiet was their best play. As long as the rebels didn't know what was truly occurring, Ryan could stay alive. That worked well for the two rogues as they began their approach. They took out several guards without raising an alarm. But then, Owen accidentally caused a rebel to fire off several loud rounds, and all hell broke loose.

Ryan heard chaos erupting all around him. He couldn't see anything with the damn plastic bag the rebels had placed over his face to suffocate him- he also couldn't breathe. But he was conscious enough to know that the rebels were getting their asses kicked. It wasn't the CIA that came to his rescue, however. The way the people fought the rebels was far too unorganized, far too loud, and far too efficient. The struggle hardly lasted two minutes. Soon, the rebels were silent. All that was left were Ryan and his rescuers.

They didn't waste any time breaking him from his bonds. The bag was ripped off Ryan's head, and at long last air filled his lungs. He tried not to gasp immediately; he had to control his breathing. Yet he choked on air nonetheless, too consumed with that to notice his limbs being freed from the chair. A dirty, bronze hand reached out, offering to help the poor man.

That was when Ryan finally noticed who had saved him. It wasn't a full team of agents or mercenaries. Only a burly man and a lithe woman stood in front of him. Neither appeared to have been in a fight at all- they were completely unscathed.

Instantly, Ryan knew the two agents were a part of the 'ghost unit' he had been hunting. No one else in the CIA believed it to be true, yet Ryan knew a secret black ops organization of the government was operating top-secret missions. The agents were good, fast, completely non-existent, and standing right in front of him. The intel he had traced to the 'ghost unit' was very real. And his fate was very much in their hands, "Who are you people?"

"I'm Nikita. You hung up on me."

Chapter Text

"Wait. What? Do you mind telling me what's going on?" Ryan just gaped at Nikita and the man next to her. It wasn't his proudest moment. He was a CIA analyst; he should've at least picked up on a few things that were going on. Though, in his defense, he had been almost asphyxiated. All he knew was that his ghost unit had rescued him. For what purpose, and why he was kidnapped in the first place, however, he had no idea. He hadn't done anything, least of all what the rebels claimed he did. He was framed. He was kidnapped. He was rescued. And he had no clue why. Ryan really hated that day.

"Yeah. As we run away," Taking hold of the poor analyst's hand, Nikita yanked him after her. She didn't have time to explain. More rebels could rush into the camp (or, worse, Division) and they'd be screwed. Ryan would just have to understand everything once they were in the getaway car. Thankfully, he didn't argue with her. He willingly followed her and Owen out of the tent- and right back into danger. As soon as the three stepped into the sun, bullets rained down on them. They managed to duck behind a car before any of them got hurt. Nikita cursed, "Or later."

It shouldn't have been that surprising that Division arrived on the scene. Who else could the gunshot have come from; the rebels weren't that quiet, organized, or sudden. Division had arrived, ready to kill the rogues and the CIA analyst on sight. Either they were there as assurance that the rebels would kill Ryan, or they were following the source of their black box leak. Nikita bet it was both. Just as the rogues knew the black ops group would eventually crash the party, Division knew they'd catch their former agents with Ryan.

That worked out perfectly for the Alpha team. They could kill two birds with one stone. The analyst that had found too much information on the black ops group, which led to far too many questions, would be silenced. And two of their four rogues would be gone forever- maybe that might deter the others. Leading the Alpha team on the assault, Kelly was absolutely excited about the idea of killing the rogues. She could finally be one step ahead, "Come on, Nikita. You know you don't stand a chance. Just come on out."

"Funny. I was just going to say the same thing to you. Difference is, I'm not being too cocky," Nikita knew she was poking the bear. She shouldn't have goaded Kelly. She should've focused her attention on finding a way out of that terrible situation. She, Ryan, and Owen were dead unless they could escape. There was no doubt about it. Division's Alpha team was a well armed and trained army. Owen and Nikita just had pistols. As fun as taunting Kelly was, that moment wasn't the time. Unless Nikita's death wish was worse than even she thought.

A volley of bullets embedded into the side of the car. None made their way completely through- thank God. Yet, things began to look even worse for Nikita, Ryan, and Owen. Kelly was pissed. And as Michael always liked to annoyingly say, an emotionally compromised agent was more dangerous than a jammed gun. Kelly would do anything she could to get back at Nikita- for everything she had done, not just her recent taunt. The two rogues and the poor analyst were baked into a corner with nowhere to go.

Literally, there was nowhere for them to go. Division blocked their path to their vehicle, and there was nothing but dense wilderness around them. They couldn't risk being lost in the forest for days. Well, Nikita and Owen could; Ryan, not so much. The three needed to find a way past the Alpha team and an enraged Kelly. After studying her surroundings, Nikita soon thought she had an idea. There was a gas tank that the rebels had used for fuel nearby. If they played off Kelly's distracting fury, they could blow the tank, cause a huge distraction, and slip away. It was dangerous. But it'd work, "She's pissed. And distracted. Owen, help me with the diversion."

"You're not seriously thinking…" Ryan didn't have the chance to finish his thought. As soon as he realized what Nikita and Owen quietly discussed, it was too late to stop them. Owen crept from behind the car towards the gas tank. He was so close to firing off a shot, causing a fiery explosion that would cover their tracks as they ran away. Yet Kelly beat him to it. She launched a grenade at him. It missed wide and struck the gas tank instead. Both the rogues and Division agents were stunned by the intense explosion. It took a moment for the group to remember themselves. Once Nikita managed to, she ordered her team to run.

Sprinting through the woods was the worst plan Owen, Nikita, and Ryan could resort to. But it wasn't as though they had any other option. They had to run through the wilderness with no real destination, and there was a chance they wouldn't make it back to their car for days. However, at least they weren't fighting Division. They had an even lower chance of survival if they did that. The three just had to avoid them, then circle back. It was awful, but manageable. After all, with all the tree cover, they were able to avoid the flying bullets.

Unfortunately, after a while, sprinting through the forest was even worse than they had thought, and that included the Alpha team still behind them. Ryan was a very popular man. Rebels and Division weren't the only two groups after him. The CIA wanted him back as well. So, they had crashed through the forest hoping to locate him with the rebels. Instead, they found Ryan with the two people that had broken into the field office. Nikita and Owen stumbled right into the CIA operatives and their weapons. Although Ryan attempted to vouch for them, it was pointless. They were dropped to the ground and arrested. Owen glared at Nikita, "Nice plan."

Stopping dead in their tracks, Division slunk back into the shadows. As soon as Kelly saw the CIA, she did one of the smartest things in her life, and silently ordered her agents away. Attacking Nikita and Owen with the CIA present would've only created an incident. They could deal with their rogues once they were held at a blacksite. Actually, they could handle the two once they landed at Langley. Division had that connection, after all. The rogues weren't going to have their chance to talk or plead their case to the CIA. It was all over for them.

Nikita sighed deeply. She let the CIA haul her away, and she warned Owen to do the same. Putting up a fight would only get them killed. Though, not fighting their current situation would get them killed as well. The two were absolutely and completely screwed. It was as though each step of their mission landed them in deeper shit. Of course releasing black box secrets would lead to innocents getting hurt and Division on their ass. But the CIA getting involved, that was the worst. Escaping them was a whole other problem. And if the rogues were to tell them the full truth, who would believe there was that much corruption in their government.

Ryan believed it. He knew something dark was happening behind the scenes. And although that almost got him killed, he didn't stop fighting for the truth. The entire journey from the forest to the airfield, Ryan fought for the rogues. He tried to make his commanding officer understand what exactly was happening. Nikita and Owen stayed silent. Which probably helped their cause. It allowed Ryan to share his side of the story uninterrupted- the side the CIA would take more credence in. However, between rebels and a shadowy unit of the government, it remained incredibly hard to believe.

The two rogues were still trying to wrap their heads around everything; though, more out of a desperate way to escape than to understand it all. They didn't care about all the intricacies. Division had managed to track them, how that came to be didn't matter. Nikita and Owen just had to be aware that the Alpha team was still trying to kill them. Once the CIA brought them back to the States, they were dead. They needed to slip away. But could they actually do that with the CIA agents around them. If they told them the truth, would they be on their side.

Or were there Division moles working for the agency. Nikita believed it. She and Owen couldn't rely on the agents around them- only Ryan. If they were going to make it out of there alive, they had to involve the man they had saved. Maybe they could call it a quid pro quo. Though, Nikita didn't think it would actually come to it. Ryan seemed really interested in Division and uncovering whatever secrets were occurring. If she gave him answers, he'd help her in return. She could trust him.

Her partner (or whatever he was), on the other hand, wasn't so sure. Owen had his reservations about gaining any sort of trust from the CIA. He wasn't convinced that Ryan could actually fight for them. If the rogues wanted out of there, they had to strongarm their way out. They might get injured, but that would just be the price they paid. The two couldn't allow the CIA to fly them back to the states. They'd have to parachute out of the plane they were forced into, and simply figure it out from there. The rest of their mission had been a complete disaster. Why shouldn't their escape be any less of a mess.

Neither rogue shared what they were thinking until they were zip-tied to seats in the CIA carrier plane. The roar of the engine covered their quiet conversation. Owen and Nikita could plan their escape while Ryan kept pleading their case; he certainly was persistent. But given that it wouldn't be enough, the rogues had to focus on themselves. Owen remained too worried about the Division agent Nikita had fought with to fully concentrate- could she have been a problem. Sighing, Nikita told him about Kelly. No, she wouldn't be a problem. Owen couldn't help but chuckle at the fact, "The agent who launched a grenade at us was your partner? Damn."

"You should've seen what I did to mine and Michael's partnership," Nikita mumbled. She really could've used Michael's and Birkhoff's help to get out of that predicament. Maybe Michael would've been stuck just like she was, but Birkhoff could've used his super hacking abilities to help them out. She should've kept him in the loop about what she and Owen were doing instead of just commandeering his jet. There was no need for her to try to fix the mistakes herself. The weight of the world didn't rest on her shoulders.

"Birkhoff said he wasn't at the safehouse," Barely managing to hear Nikita's response, Owen commented. When he had called the nerd about the jet, Birkhoff had mentioned that Michael wasn't at the safehouse. He wouldn't even attempt to join the two on their unspoken mission. Owen couldn't exactly figure out what that meant. The last time he was around the other rogues, they had been incredibly close. Why would they start to pull away from one another at the moment. It couldn't all be because of the black box, "What happened?"

"You want answers, Fletch?" Noticing that Ryan was finally done talking to his boss- or, his commander was tired of listening- Nikita called him over. Although Owen deserved to know what was happening with the rest of the team, then wasn't the time to get into it. They still had to escape. Birkhoff and Michael didn't matter unless they could find a way back to them. As Ryan quickly crossed over to the rogues, Nikita believed a mixture of hers and Owen's plans would return them to the others and to safety. They just needed trust first.

"Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" Ryan didn't care if he seemed desperate. Attempting to understand why he was kidnapped and why people wanted to kill him without all of the information was only driving him insane. He didn't care that the two individuals that held his answers were prisoners of the CIA. He would gather intel from anywhere he could. If it all came down to a conspiracy, like he suspected, then he'd deal with it. Yet for the moment, he just wanted to understand. He at least deserved that.

Owen cast Nikita a disparaging glance. Was she actually about to tell a stranger everything. Considering the hell he had just gone through, and the fact that he continued to fight for the rogues, it was only fair that he knew everything. Besides, the team eventually needed more allies, "There's a black ops unit of the government called Division. They started out doing jobs the CIA couldn't, but now they're just guns for hire. They're the people behind the political assassination you were framed for. You got too close to them with your digging, so they had to take you out. They're also the ones who tried to kill us in the woods."

"The ghost unit's real, and you're a part of them," It wasn't a question. Ryan was able to put the pieces together then. The CIA director laughed him out of the room when he mentioned the chatter he had picked up about the ghost unit- Division-, yet it was completely true. And because he had shown light into the shadows, he was going to be silenced. Blaming him for a mission that got leaked to the public was the easiest way to get rid of him. Yet, why would two Division agents then try to save him. There was more to the story that he was missing.

"We were. We're rogue now," Nikita stated simply. The straightforward fact seemed to appease Ryan the most. He finally had his answers, and they actually made sense. It was in a twisted sort of way. But he knew they would be complicated. Nikita was glad he felt that way. She needed him to see the strange rationality of it as she kept talking. She still needed his trust if she and Owen were to survive the night. Judging by the look in the analyst's bright eyes, there was a good chance of that happening. She just had to keep explaining, "We also have a team waiting for us. We're trying to take down Division once and for all."

"So what's your next play?" Ryan asked, determination crossing his gaze. Nikita and Owen weren't expecting that. They thought he'd be more hesitant. However, they weren't going to question his tenacity. They just dived right into more hell.

Although it was absolute chaos, Nikita and Owen were finally in control of their situation. Ryan was willing to help them, as long as they kept giving him information about Division; he was interested in dismantling the hellhole as well. Owen and Nikita were grateful for the help, but they'd go over it later. They really had to escape. With an overdramatic ruse and a violent grab for parachutes, the two were ready to jump and struggle their way home. Except, before they did so, Nikita whispered a parting line to Ryan- just something for him to know that they were a team from that moment on, "Keep in touch if you want to join the revolution."

"Hopefully our next encounter isn't as eventful," Ryan smirked. It took everything in Nikita not to laugh. She was a thousand percent certain that wouldn't be true. Wherever she went, chaos was bound to follow. Ryan would just be sucked along for the ride. At least he was willing to dive into the adventure. As was Owen as he tugged at Nikita to follow him out of the plane. The rogues' team wasn't made up of lone wolves, even if some of them believed it to be at the moment. They were stuck together whether they liked it or not.

All they had to do was leap into the fray, hand in trusting hand.

Chapter Text

Fortunately, although they had leapt from a plane, Owen and Nikita didn't have to work too hard to find their way home. They had managed to jump before the CIA plane could land in Virginia. They weren't far from New York. All the two had to do was steal a car and drive. There wasn't any conversation as they traveled. Not only were they exhausted after the day's events, they were also both too lost in thought for words. There was a lot to think about and consider. And most of it revolved around Division and the fucking black box.

Once the rogues made it back to the city, Owen suggested they should sleep on those thoughts. They shouldn't make any big decisions while exhausted. They should take time before coming up with any solutions for their black boxes, their war, and how Ryan Fletcher was to be involved in all of that mess (they also had to find a way to get Birkhoff's plane back from Chile). Although Nikita agreed with Owen, she knew she wouldn't be sleeping that night. Her thoughts were too loud, and her emotions were too frayed. She had to do anything but sleep.

So, after dropping Owen off at wherever he was crashing, Nikita went by the same rec center she had broken into earlier (it felt like a month had passed since then, not a little more than a day). Swimming had been a great way to get her mind in order before. Hopefully, that night wouldn't be any different. Exhaustion weighed down her muscles, making her drag through the water instead of glide. Yet the simple exercise mixed with how much she needed sleep silenced her thoughts. Her mind was nothing. She could thankfully be nothing too. At least, for a little while she could- until Owen found her again.

He didn't appear to have been able to sleep either. It was why he had gone looking for her, black box in hand. Sighing, Nikita climbed out of the pool and toweled herself dry. Owen started to say something about how he would be more careful next time. He would think before he acted- be aware of the consequences and the innocents that could get hurt. That was all well and good, yet Nikita stopped listening. They weren't going to worry about black box secrets getting out, because they were going to destroy them as soon as they found them. No one should have the power those damn things contained, including the rogues.

Hidden underneath one of the towels Nikita had taken was her gun. She grabbed it, tossed the black box onto the ground, and shot the vile thing. The rest of the bullets in her pistol were being saved for the remaining four boxes. And after that, Percy. Nothing could stand in her way then. Her vengeance would be had, people would be saved, and her team would be free. The latter two points were beginning to become more important than the first. Nikita just didn't want more people getting hurt. The destruction was too great, as was the weight on her shoulders.

Although Owen was surprised by her quick action, he soon understood it. Destroying the black boxes was their surefire way to get to Percy. Releasing information might've rattled him and led the rogues to potential clues. But the risks weren't worth it. Ryan had almost been killed for Owen's recklessness. Poking around in the box of secrets would never lead to anything good. Destroying them was best for everybody. Though, Nikita didn't have to be so dramatic about it with the quick draw of a hidden deadly weapon, "Lesson learned. Don't fuck with you."

"You think you got a line on another one?" Chuckling quietly, Nikita put away her gun. Owen had mentioned before that maybe with his insights as a former Guardian he could pick up the trail of where the other black boxes were. He had given Birkhoff some intel to feed through one of his programs to see what could potentially pop up. It was possible that the rogues could get ahead of Percy's idiotic Cold War era spy tactics when it came to the boxes. They didn't have much from their preliminary hunt. But what they did have could be enough. It really needed to be enough. Taking their time with the black boxes didn't seem like a viable option.

"Yeah. In London. I'm going to go hunt it down. But don't worry. I won't release any more secrets. I'll just call you," Owen nodded. Birkhoff had texted, claiming there was a possible lead of another Guardian in London. The hacker didn't believe it was anything substantial, yet Owen was determined to discover something. That was the rogues' best chance at making progress in their war. Michael and Nikita would run countermissions. Birkhoff would hack. And Owen would search for their needles in haystacks. The rogues were stretched thin, but they'd be able to work it out. They always managed to.

Nikita made Owen swear he would keep the team in the loop before he did anything drastic. As he left, he promised to report even the quietest of whispers he picked up. He also planned to return Birkhoff's jet as he relocated to London; it was out of the way, but he was traveling anyway. Nikita couldn't stop herself from laughing at the idea of that. Not only was it a point of stress miraculously lifted from her mind, she couldn't believe that she had others she could rely on. It wasn't only her against the world. She had teammates- she had friends.

Not long after Owen left, Nikita decided it was time she returned to her loft. She had to sleep. If she couldn't do that, then she had to clean her clothes and equipment from the mission. A little bit of both ended up happening. After stumbling back into her safehouse, she showered, cleaned some weapons, then collapsed on her bed. Nikita hadn't even known she had fallen asleep until she was woken by a phone call hours later. Sluggishly, she grabbed for her burner cell and pressed it to her ear. Birkhoff's irritated yet snarky voice filled the air, "Next time you want to leave my jet in a foreign country, tell me first."

"Owen should be returning it. Then he's gonna fly commercial to London," Attempting to wake herself up, Nikita caught Birkhoff up on everything he had missed. Her main focus was on destroying the black box and Ryan Fletcher. Those facts didn't stress the hacker out as much as facing rebels, Division, and the CIA did. There was no need for him to worry. Everything had been worked out- for the most part. The team should just focus on their next moves, and how having a CIA analyst as an ally could be extremely beneficial.

"You gonna keep us in the loop next time?" Birkhoff only sighed in response. He was glad Nikita, Ryan, and Owen were okay. He was also thrilled that one of the black boxes was destroyed. Yet he didn't appreciate that he had to find out about everything after the fact. He could've helped on the mission. Michael could have as well. Though, Michael's communication with the others had been nonexistent lately. He was in his world of pain, and he wouldn't let his friends in. They should have probably just kept him out of it until he reached out first.

"It's getting a lot more complicated now," It wasn't an actual answer. Although Nikita had made Owen promise he wouldn't do anything on his own, she wouldn't make the same vow to Birkhoff. Obviously, she would tell him everything before it happened and let him stay in the know. A lot of information was how they were going to get anywhere in their war. Except, Nikita wasn't sure if she wanted her friends to shoulder the same weight she had placed on herself. She was glad they were there to take some of the burden, but too much could hurt them. She didn't want Owen and Birkhoff pulling away like Michael had.

Pushing her groggy body out of bed, Nikita had to keep distracting herself from her thoughts. Continuing to clean her gear seemed like a great way to shut her mind up. However, the more she did the monotonous action, the more chances her mind had to wander. It was the opposite effect swimming had. Nikita was going to have to face her thoughts whether she liked it or not- and she definitely didn't like it. Fortunately, before she had to force herself to come around to the idea, her computer chimed. Alex needed her on the shell program. Instantly, Nikita abandoned everything to see what was the matter, "Nikita. I really need your help."

Alex had debated whether or not she should message Nikita. It was her kill mission. She didn't need anyone's help. If she could do it completely on her own (minus Division's support) then she could prove that she was ready to take on Semak. She had to be ready. However, she couldn't move past the killing factor. Although she knew she had to do it, and she wanted to pull the trigger, Thom had said that taking a life wasn't what it seemed. When she began to doubt herself, he wouldn't elaborate. The only person Alex thought that would answer her was Nikita, "I have a kill mission, and I don't think… I need help pulling it off."

"Whatever you need," The reply was instant, despite the dropped off sentence Alex had typed. The young woman had no reason to doubt Nikita. She had always been helpful and forthcoming, even when she didn't have to be. That was another reason why Alex ultimately decided to reach out to her. She knew her relationship with Amanda was all about how they could benefit from one another. Even though she relied on the softness the other woman could provide at times, Alex needed something more realistic at the moment. She needed honesty.

"Whatever way I can kill a mobster for Division," Alex wouldn't tell Nikita everything yet. She was still a rogue agent trying to destroy the organization she needed to be successful. Yet Alex would tell her enough to get her perspective on things. A mobster was a bad man. Killing him shouldn't be the crisis of conscience Thom was suggesting. It should be just like killing Semak. The evil men had to be taken out of the world. She shouldn't feel overwhelmed by the fact. She shouldn't hesitate. It was a necessary thing to do to remove evil- wasn't it.

Instead of discussing how difficult it was to actually kill someone, no matter how bad they were, or delving right into the facts of the mission and what was at stake, Nikita changed course. Alex probably should've expected it. Staying vague about their activities couldn't sustain their strange partnership. They had to be completely open if they were going to continue sharing intel. Their individual missions weren't really individual if they constantly involved each other. Just like a real team, they had to be in the loop. Which was why Nikita finally asked, "Why kill for Division anyway? I get a mobster needs to be taken out. But if there's another way…"

"I do what Division wants, they give me what I need," Alex didn't wait for Nikita to finish typing her suggestion. She gave her a quick explanation of her deal with Division, hoping that'd be enough to satisfy her. Maybe it was about time Alex told Nikita the full truth. She deserved it after all the honesty she had shown her. The rogue had also pulled through on the missions Alex had given her. She proved time and time again that she only wanted to help. Knowing the full truth wouldn't be hurtful. It'd only be more beneficial.

"And what's that? Why would Division keep a former target alive? What do they need from Alexandra Udinov and vice-versa?" Nikita fired back with the questions Alex knew had been on her mind since the beginning. Percy and Amanda didn't do anything that didn't benefit them. Killing Alexandra in the first place was so Semak would do something for Division and its bosses. The murder of an entire family was a fucking business transaction. So, keeping her alive once they found out she never died couldn't help them- unless a new deal was struck. The hellhole was always in the business of hurting others. If people suffered, they thrived.

Fingers hovering over the keyboard, Alex knew she had to be honest. She didn't have to share every single detail. But she had to explain herself. She shouldn't be concerned with Nikita's reaction. It wasn't about what she'd think or feel. That was about Alex and her life. She was in charge of how much she shared and what that all meant. At the moment, it was about her trust. She needed to be able to trust Nikita. She had to know that together, the two could accomplish what had to be done, "The man who hired Division to kill my family went back on the deal. Percy, Amanda, and their bosses want him dead, and so do I."

That wasn't enough. Alex knew it wasn't. If she was Nikita, she'd demand more answers. She'd want to know more about what was occurring. Or, she might fight the deal she had made with Percy and Amanda. At times, it seemed too good to be true. Somehow, it was going to bite her in the ass. Alex knew it, so Nikita had to as well. Except, there was no message that tried to appeal to the young woman's rationality. Instead, all Alex read was the support she was looking for. Nikita was with her, "You've helped me with my revenge mission. I have your back on this."

"Thank you," Relieved, Alex typed. She didn't know why she had expected Nikita to react negatively to the information. She was on her own revenge mission, after all. She'd understand Alex once she explained herself; she'd understand that helping her escape wouldn't save her, but helping her kill the man who had hurt her would. Nikita felt the same vengeful anger as Alex. It wasn't worth diminishing. They had to help one another control it and utilize it to get what they wanted.

"Of course. Now. What's the plan?"

Chapter Text

“No. No. No. This can’t be happening. This isn’t supposed to go fucking wrong,” Alex couldn’t breathe. The mission shouldn’t have fallen apart. She had planned so well. She worked everything out with Amanda. She bounced ideas off of Nikita. It should’ve been the perfect kill mission. The target should’ve been killed quietly. The Division team should’ve slipped away without problem. The operation should’ve been proof that Alex could run a successful mission. She could kill a man. However, none of that occurred. Everything fell apart, and Alex was trapped in a shed with Nikita. They were going to die without ever getting what they wanted.

Nothing was that pessimistic or drastic days before the operation. In fact, Alex had been so incredibly hopeful. Succeeding on her first kill mission meant she could begin to plan her kill mission against Semak. Nikita advised her not to get too far ahead of herself. She should simply focus on the mission in front of her. She wouldn’t have the future she wanted if she screwed up the present. Although Nikita offered words to listen to, Alex couldn’t stop the excitement buzzing through her. Finally, she’d be done with trainings, done with Division, done with everything. She couldn’t wait until that came to be.

At least, she thought she couldn’t. Once more details of her kill mission unfolded, Alex began to second guess herself. It was easy to distance herself from what she had to do when she was just planning the op. But when the weapon was placed in her hands, realization struck hard. She actually had to kill a man. Yes, he was a very bad man. Yet she had to be the one to kill him. She had to separate the man from his daughter and plunge a needle full of toxins into his veins. Alex had to take a person’s life.

She had rationalized that terrible fact when it came to Semak. He took everything from her, so she was going to take everything from him- it was fair and square. The mob boss, on the other hand- despite being a mobster- gave Alex pause. She was going to kill him at his daughter’s wedding. It was supposed to be a happy moment for the family, yet Alex was going to mar it with tragedy. She was going to gain the family’s trust as a wedding photographer, then she was going to kill a father. Was she really any better than Semak if that was the case.

Yes. Undoubtedly, yes. She wasn’t killing the whole family, only a horrific mobster. She also wasn’t gaining any corrupt power from the operation, just enough to enact revenge. Ruining the wedding wasn’t great, yet it was the best way to attack the mobster while he was surrounded by guards. So what if Division destroyed his daughter’s perfect day and took her father away from her. He was a terrible man. Killing him would save so many lives. And his family would remain untouched, by Division and by his enemies.

Despite how much she rationalized the mission with herself, Alex continued to have moments where she’d spiral. Mostly, those occurred whenever she practiced how she’d kill the mob boss. She had to get him alone under the pretense that he was taking pictures with his daughter, then she had to inject him with the toxin. If she hit him in the trachea, then he couldn’t shout for his guards. It had to be fast. It had to be simple. And Alex had to remain calm the entire time she killed the man.

That was what had Alex the most freaked out. She couldn’t be calm. She knew she didn’t have the control over her emotions she needed to kill the mobster and not alert danger. She couldn’t stop her rage and fear from overcoming her. The op was going to be a disaster because she couldn’t handle herself. Although Alex knew if she talked to Amanda she’d console her, she didn’t want the woman believing she was too weak for a kill mission. So, Alex hurried to the computer lab to vent her fears to Nikita. She had to be able to help, “What if I can’t inject the toxin? What if something goes wrong, and I can’t do it? What if I’m never able to kill Semak?”

“Hey. You got this. I’m gonna watch from above, have your back if anything goes wrong. But you can do this. I know it,” Nikita replied immediately. She had offered to help Alex prepare for the upcoming operation, investigate the grounds of the mobster’s estate and go over security measures. But the young recruit had assured that she had it. Planning wasn’t that difficult. It was the execution that had her overwhelmed. Nikita understood that. The operation was a lot for the recruit’s first. But Alex was right. If her stubbornness and determination was any proof, she had it. The rogue would only be there to provide support if needed.

Taking a steady breath, Alex did everything she could to believe Nikita’s words. She could complete the op. She could pass Division’s final test. Not only would the rogue be there to help her, so would Kelly and a team of agents. Thom was among them, and he made the same promise as Nikita. Alex wasn’t alone. She had many people in her corner, including Amanda; though she wouldn’t actually be on the op. Whatever help she needed, she’d receive. The fact that she had so much support- rogue and otherwise- calmed the last of Alex’s frayed nerves. Nothing would go wrong. She and everyone else would make sure of it.

In an effort to keep everyone in the loop, (despite not telling Alex what she was doing) Nikita told Birkhoff about the mission. She assured the nerd that he didn’t have to do anything. He should just know in case something happened. Birkhoff didn’t listen to her, however. Of course he’d help on the op, even if he still had no clue who her mole was. Any opportunity to hack into and fuck with Division’s systems he’d take. He could watch for surveillance and provide communications with Nikita. They’d make certain the operation went smoothly. Then, hopefully, more things in their war would turn in their favor.

With Nikita observing from the roof, Kelly watching from a nearby van, and backup agents posing as staff, Alex was ready to kill her target. Thom gave her an encouraging nod from his position at the bar. As soon as he triggered the distraction, she would be free to take her target upstairs and in the secluded room. No one would follow her. Alex smiled at Thom and nodded back. She hadn’t turned to him much for help, but he had still been a great support and friend. Maybe she could have him help her with the Semak mission as well. It all depended on that op, though. Alex needed to take another breath and complete it.

“Nikita, where are you? I need you,” The message came through on Nikita’s portable computer urgently. At first, she believed Alex had gotten into a terrible situation and needed her help. She had patched into the security cameras, able to view the whole scene with a careful eye. And Birkhoff had piggybacked off her intrusion, and was poking around in Division’s servers to see what they were up to. The rogues had security and maintenance covered. All eyes could be on Alex. If she needed help, she could rely on the two to pull her out of the fire.

Except, there was no panicked chatter from Division. That wouldn’t be right if something had gone wrong. As Nikita continued to stare at the sudden message, something felt off about it. Alex wouldn’t risk communicating on the shell program mid-mission. Even if she was in trouble, she wouldn’t risk exposing herself as the mole. Her mission meant too much to her. So, Nikita looked through her camera feed to see what was wrong. She didn’t see anything amiss, besides the fact that Alex was walking with her target, nowhere near a computer. She didn’t send the message, “Shit, Nerd. I gotta go. Alex’s been compromised. Get out of their system, now!”

“Nikita! Fuck…” Birkhoff tried to reach Nikita, but she had already taken out her com. That was the smart move if her mole had been discovered (he guessed that was who Alex was). Yet that didn’t do anything for his anxiety. Once he dumped the system, he was completely blind to what was happening on the mission. Nikita and Alex could be in deep shit, and he’d have no way of helping. He believed they could make it out- at least he believed Nikita could, and she’d help Alex. There was just a sinking feeling in his gut that he needed to do something to help. However, even if he couldn’t, maybe he should call someone that could.

Leaving her equipment on the roof (thank God it was untraceable) Nikita raced after Alex. If Division knew about the shell program, then they could know Alex was her mole. The kill mission was about to explode into a gigantic shitstorm unless the rogue did something about it. What exactly she had to do to fix the mess, she had no idea. However, she did know Division couldn’t be around. Not only would they hurt her and Alex, they’d hurt all the people at the wedding. The guests were already going to experience a death, they shouldn’t face more trauma or hell. Someone had to interfere with the horrors Division brought.

Alex experienced enough of it as it was, after all. Everything had gone according to plan. The wedding guests and family were preoccupied. The guards were distracted with another problem. She had the mob boss all to herself. She could attack him, kill him, and slip away successfully. No one would know what had happened until it was too late. At least, that was what should’ve happened. Instead, Alex hesitated. She had her target right where she wanted him, yet she couldn’t plunge the toxin into his neck. She couldn’t not look into his eyes and think about his daughter downstairs waiting for him. Alex couldn’t kill her target.

Once he realized that, he tried to kill her instead. The needle was broken in the process, yet fortunately Alex’s training kicked in. She grabbed the mobster’s gun and got him to his knees. That was her second chance to kill him. It’d be loud and messy. Yet it was her only chance. Kelly told her as much when she reported the issue. Division would deal with the fallout. Alex just had to complete the op. Except, she couldn’t do it. Her finger only played with the trigger of the gun. While it did, the mob boss smirked, and his guards burst into the room.

If Alex hadn’t already been so tense, the guards might’ve been able to subdue her easily. Luckily, she managed to put up a fight. Unluckily, her target escaped. She wasn’t able to chase after. All her focus was on surviving the guards’ attack. Before things became too out of hand, another agent burst into the room and immediately helped Alex take out the guards. At first, she thought it was Thom or maybe even Kelly. She was shocked that Nikita had been the one to come to her rescue. However, she quickly got over her surprise. The two women worked together to defeat their assailants, proving they were an indomitable team in the field. 

There was no time to dwell on that, however. Gripping Alex’s hand tightly, Nikita raced with her out of the house. They took the back exit, as Division was handling the mobsters in front. At least that threat was taken care of; Alex’s target was finally down. But that couldn’t be their concern. Division would be after them next if they didn’t figure out what to do. The farthest Nikita could take them was a shed on the property. The two could lock themselves inside for a bit, yet it wouldn’t last. They needed something big to get them out of that mess, save their lives, and keep fighting Division. Only one idea came to Nikita’s mind, “Take me in.”

“What?” Alex didn’t think she had heard Nikita correctly. There was a good chance she didn’t. She was panicking too much to truly focus on anything. She was screwed. She was so fucked. Not only had she failed her kill mission, but she ran off with Nikita. She was dead. They were both dead. And everyone they had set out to kill would live past them. All life- all vengeance- stopped there. So how could Alex make sense of anything weird Nikita said. It wasn’t as though they had any real options out of that situation.

“If you bring me in, Percy and Amanda will forget all about the kill mission. I’m the bigger prize,” Grabbing Alex by her biceps, Nikita forced her to focus. It would all work out for her. She promised. Percy and Amanda wouldn’t care about the botched mission if their rogue was shown at fault. They wouldn’t suspect Alex was the mole if she brought them Nikita. The young recruit could prove that she could handle more complex missions- such as killing Semak- then. Alex could still have what she wanted. Nikita just had to work a bit harder, “The silo is still open, right? I can escape through there again.”

Silo- that must’ve been the open space connected to all the air vents Alex had found. She was glad she finally had a name for it. However, that shouldn’t grab her attention at the moment. Nikita was proposing suicide just to help her. That didn’t seem fair. Alex had to help her in return. It was the least she could do. Besides, if she could break Nikita out of Division, then she’d prove to herself that she could handle dangerous and intense missions. What she thought of herself was more important than what others thought- wasn’t that what Amanda claimed. If she believed she was ready, then it was true, “The door’s sealed shut. But I can blow through it.”

“Make it look good,” Holding her pistol out to Alex, Nikita tried to make light of the situation. Neither she nor her mole truly laughed- simply smiled uncomfortably and anxiously. The rogue honestly had no idea how she was going to break out of Division again. The silo was a way out of the bunker, but how was she to get there and then back to her loft. Maybe Alex’s idea to blow the damn place would work. That’d definitely give Nikita enough cover to make a break for it. She just had to go through hell first.

Knowing that hesitating had put her in enough shit already, Alex tried not to pause. She pistol whipped Nikita as hard as she could. The rogue slumped to the ground, barely holding onto consciousness. It was good timing too. Division was right outside the shed, ready to storm inside. Alex couldn’t sit back once they did. She had to make the act look good- just as Nikita had said. So when backup finally arrived, the young recruit kicked the rogue in the side over and over again. Until Thom pulled her off and Kelly stoically approached her former partner.

Kelly regarded Nikita blankly. The other Division agents around her stared at the barely conscious rogue in shock, surprise rippling through them at the fact that Alex managed to take her down. Kelly, however, didn’t appear to care about that. She didn’t seem overly emotional about anything. She just stared at Nikita. Though, when the rogue flickered open her heavy eyes, the agent finally reacted. Without blinking, she shot her captive in the thigh. Alex attempted not to flinch at the sounds of Nikita’s painful screams. Thankfully, the attention had shifted from her. All eyes were on Kelly as she hollowly stated into her com, “Ops, we have Nikita.”

Chapter Text

Frantically, Alex followed Percy down the hall. She had been separated from Nikita on the way back to Division. She had absolutely no idea what happened to the rogue. She also had no idea what was to happen to her. The operation had been blown. Alex hadn't killed the target. Everything was a huge mess, and the young recruit could be seen as a liability- disaster followed her. Percy was probably leading her to her death that instant. She had to save herself; Alex had to talk her way out of that shitstorm, for both herself and Nikita, "Listen, about the target…"

"The target was taken care of," Percy brushed Alex off, completely dismissing her concerns. He kept stalking down the hall with long, purposeful strides. The young recruit had to jog to keep up; though, the others that walked with them didn't hurry. Guards hung back, watching everyone's moves. And another recruit lagged behind as well, but she was too full of nervous anxiety to take bigger steps. A pang of sympathy rolled through Alex at the sight of her. Yet she quickly shook it off. She had other concerns at the moment.

Something horrific was going to happen unless she got ahead of the problem. Alex had to extend the lie that Nikita was the one to ruin her operation. She had to keep being the exemplary agent Division wanted from her to get what she needed. She had to remain calculating, smart, brave. The horrors couldn't catch up to her, "I know. It's just that, if Nikita wasn't there…"

"We'll deal with that later. Let's just focus on the positive for now, hmm," Clutching the handle of the door at the end of the dark hallway, Percy sounded far too tense to be thinking positively. Alex and the other recruit stopped dead in their tracks in front of him. They glanced between him and the guards behind them, attempting to understand what was going to happen. Only then did Alex start to question why the other recruit was with her. She was one of the newer recruits that had arrived recently. Alex had really only seen her in the computer lab. Maybe she was in trouble as well. The two were both about to be punished- possibly killed.

"Relax, Alex, Sonya. Don't be nervous," Percy flashed a smile that didn't settle Alex or Sonya. He shoved open the door and led the others inside. The only thing in the dark, bare room was the captured rogue. Of all the things Alex had expected to have happened to Nikita, being chained to the ceiling was not one of them. She thought the torture would've been well under way and there'd be blood everywhere. Instead, Nikita was untouched- besides the bullet wound in her thigh. But even that was patched up- at least enough to staunch the bleeding. Someone had taken care of the rogue. For some reason, that unnerved Alex more than blood would have.

Then wasn't the time to begin to cower, however. Nikita wasn't afraid. Alex couldn't be either. She still had a mission to complete. She still had to prove to herself that she was ready to take on Semak. So while Percy taunted, Alex searched for ways to help the rogue, "Nikita. You know Alex, the young recruit you tried to save from doing what's necessary. Tried and failed, thanks to Sonya, another young recruit you can't stop. You know, once she had access, your little shell program was easy to find. One great rogue taken down by two trainees."

"Their loss," Nikita's voice was thick, deep, and hoarse. Between screaming in pain, being unconscious, and hanging painfully by her wrists, her throat wasn't happy. Her whole body wasn't happy. But she had to fight through it all, especially the agonizing pain in her thigh. She had to keep her head if she wanted to survive the hellhole- again.

"Don't listen to her. She's just jealous of the new models," Percy snide remark didn't get any rise out of Nikita. She just stared. Alex found a sort of strength in it. If the rogue was unbothered, even though she kept shifting her injured leg, then so could the young woman. She could keep searching for an escape route and ignore Percy as he mocked, "Tell me, recruits. How does it feel to have brought down one of Division's greatest traitors?"

Sonya didn't say anything. She- like Alex- was relieved that they were only there to gloat; the two weren't dead. However, Sonya didn't reply to Percy besides a smile and a nod. Alex considered doing the same, but that was her one chance to talk to Nikita. Not only was she certain that she could blow open the silo access with explosives, she could also break the rogue out of her chains with the same method. She simply had to express that, "She's not so tough."

"Little girl, your fifteen minutes of fame starts right now. Enjoy," Nikita forced her voice to remain steely and dark. The pain in her thigh was steadily getting worse. She had no idea how she was going to escape with it, which was probably why Kelly shot her. Well, that was at least one of her motivations. Whatever the reason, Nikita couldn't show how much it affected her. Percy and Amanda couldn't find an easy way to get to her. And Alex couldn't be frightened off.

"I think it's gonna be a little longer than that," Flickering her eyes to the ceiling, Alex silently begged Nikita to understand her. She had studied the air vent routes after discovering the silo. She knew how to access that room. She could plant an explosive above Nikita's head when she planted the one at the grate. All Alex needed was time to pull it all off.

"Fine. Twenty minutes," Barely nodding (she mostly just let her head hang) Nikita understood. She had spotted Alex examining the ceiling. It was easy to figure out what she was thinking after their discussion about explosives in the shed. However, the rogue didn't have all the time in the world to wait to be broken out. Twenty minutes alone was pushing it.

"Alright. Give me a minute," Percy dismissed the charged conversation by brushing Alex and Sonya away. Sonya hurried out, having never wanted to be a part of Percy's schemes. Alex, on the other hand, slowly exited. She deliberately brushed against a guard so she could steal his keycard. She needed at least that in order to start blowing things up. Until she had the chance to, she had to pretend everything was normal. Suspicion had to be thrown completely off her. If she could cause utter chaos in Division without getting caught, then she was ready for Semak. The skills she had learned were tested far more with that op than they were on the kill mission.

Nikita trusted Alex to help break her out. She seemed incredibly determined to complete at least one dangerous mission. The rogue simply didn't believe in herself. Yes, her injured leg was a huge obstacle. But she had gotten herself into that shit situation even before that. Being back inside Division had her beyond fucked. Percy taunting her wasn't even the worst thing, "You know, I have to admit, despite all the trouble you've caused, it still feels good to see you back where you belong. All we need now is Michael and Birkhoff."

"I've never belonged here," Nikita shouldn't have engaged. She shouldn't have let Percy get under her skin. But her head was spinning in pain. Her thoughts pulsed between the barely patched wound in her thigh and plans to escape with each sharp pang. It was becoming far too difficult to focus. Dread seeped into her at the revelation. How was she going to escape when she couldn't think past her pain.

"You were born here. This is where your new life began, and where it was always meant to end," Stalking in front of his captured prey, Percy cracked a snide smile. The expression made Nikita want to launch herself at the bastard and claw the smugness off his face. Unfortunately, even tensing her muscles against the chains caused her incredible pain. She was screwed.

Her whole plan to save Alex by sacrificing herself to Division was fucked up. Of course Nikita would never take back her decision to protect her mole. But did she seriously think she could be captured by Division and then escape easily. That was a grave oversight on her part. She couldn't crawl her way out of hell a second time while injured. Division was ready for everything she'd try. Nikita just had to hope that they weren't prepared for Alex. Her mole- her partner- could help her see the shitty plan through, "It's not over yet."

"Almost. But before you go, you will tell me where you've been getting your intel from," Although Percy attempted to pretend that Nikita's bravado didn't affect him, she could see the cracks in his perfectly tailored appearance. He hated that the rogue had more information, and therefore power, than him. For once, he didn't have everything in his control.

"I think the question is where haven't I been getting it from. Division's got more leaks than BP, and I have friends everywhere," Smirking, Nikita believed she was gaining the upper hand in the interrogation- if what Percy was doing was the interrogation. As awful as it was, Nikita hoped talking to the bastard was all she had to face. She didn't think she'd be able to handle anything else.

"See, and I think you have one, here. And when I find out who that person is, either you or they will tell me where my black box is. Then after that, where Michael and Birkhoff are," Percy actually snapped, stalking so close to Nikita she could practically feel his rage. A part of her wanted to cower away. If she was still an agent or recruit, she would have. But she had to be stronger as a rogue. Division didn't have a hold on her anymore.

"Or you'll do what?" The threatening tone to Nikita's voice surprised even her. She was surprised that much bravado resided in her. Though, it was honestly her rage that made her seethe. She had spent years being intimidated and frightened by Division. Even in the months after she had escaped, she was afraid of what they had done to her. Every aspect of her life had been fueled by the fear others had imposed on her. Until then. She was sick and tired of being terrified. It was everyone else's turn.

"I'm not going to do anything," Stepping away from the rogue, Percy's snide grin returned. He walked back towards the door, his demonic eyes never leaving her. Nikita didn't want to even consider what that was about. She knew it wasn't good- especially when the sharp knock on the door made Percy smile wider, "Now her, I can't speak for."

Amanda entered the room with guards on either side of her; one brought in a television. Nikita struggled to remain strong. She knew all about Amanda's torture techniques. She could get anything out of anyone- especially when she didn't have an audience. Percy and the guards soon left the room, forcing the women completely alone. Nikita tried to smirk at Amanda, yet it fell flat. Her anxiety was palpable, "The inquisitor, huh? This is gonna hurt."

"You have no idea," There was no joy on Amanda's face, unlike Percy's. She wasn't going to enjoy hurting Nikita, which only made it worse. It wasn't going to be any physical torture. The rogue was about to experience gut-wrenching emotional trauma from her former mentor and confidant. No amount of bracing could save Nikita from that pain.

Attempting to ignore her thoughts about what was happening to Nikita at the moment, Alex rushed around Division. She stole as much C4 from the weapons locker as she could, and hurriedly thought of all the places she could plant the explosives. The air vent above where the rogue was chained and the entrance to the silo were obvious choices. But she had to cause chaos in other places. It was the only way Nikita could actually escape and no blame could be placed on Alex. There had to be so much destruction, no one could know what was occurring.

The best place Alex could think of was the cafeteria. She had to be there anyway to eat lunch (had it really not been a full day). She could swing by and pretend she was still following her normal routine. No one would notice her planting the C4 under a table. And if anyone suspected her, they might think she was acting weird after her first mission. As long as Alex stayed smart and kept her head, things would work out. She had gotten that far, after all. She just had to continue her mission and hope for the best.

All hope had left Nikita. The television Amanda had brought in was used to show old recordings of Nikita. She was shown in a happy conversation with Amanda, and in a moment of bliss with Daniel. They were both moments the rogue had destroyed by being the monster she truly was. She wasn't able to be the star she was supposed to be. Division could have made her that, but she chose death instead. Nikita ruined everyone's lives, including her own.

At least, that was all according to Amanda. Nikita didn't want to believe her, but the onslaught just kept coming. The inquisitor was relentless, "I know you think you're fighting fire with fire. But if you keep down that path, everyone will burn, including innocents like Daniel and Alexandra. Or did you forget Alex's one of ours now. You know what will happen if our secrets get out in the open. You will do more harm than good. Give up Michael, Birkhoff, and the black box. It's too late to save yourself, but there may be time to save others."

"Right now, I'd be wondering about who's going to save you," Despite the tears running down her cheeks, Nikita bit. It was difficult, especially with all the things Amanda had said about how she had turned from a star to a monster, but Nikita had been mentally counting down the twenty minute timer she had given Alex. Time was up. Hopefully, Alex pulled through. Nikita really needed her to come through.

Before doubt could completely overtake Nikita, explosions rocked Division. Amanda was startled by them. Yet the rogue collected herself together. She needed all the strength she could muster to push past the agonizing pain in her thigh. And once the explosions reached her, she needed all her will power to break herself out of her chains.

"She's loose!" Amanda shouted for the guards outside. As they burst into the room, she ran away. Nikita was alright with that. She didn't think she had the strength to chase her down anyway. The rogue just had to focus on escape. Using the chains still attached to her wrists, she knocked the guards unconscious. The movements caused her too much strain. But she couldn't dwell on that. She just took the keys, freed herself, and made a break for it.

Adrenaline. Nikita wouldn't be able to make it to the silo or back to her safehouse without adrenaline. The chemical naturally coursing through her body was fine for helping her shake her chains loose and run down the hall. Yet if she wanted to keep fighting, she'd need more. She was already sprinting past Medical. She could slip inside, steal adrenaline shots, and continue running. Crashing into the closest room, Nikita thought that was a good idea. However, her track record on good ideas had run short. As she grabbed the medicine, Kelly found her.

Instinctively, the agent shot the rogue. Because of Kelly's surprise at accidentally stumbling upon her foe, the bullet only grazed Nikita's ribs. The rogue was able to recover from her agony quickly. There wasn't much she could do to fight Kelly- not while she had a gun, and she was severely injured. She just threw nearby medical supplies at the agent. Somehow, that worked. Kelly was too shocked by the feeble attack to do anything but stare. Nikita took that to her rare advantage. Grabbing a nearby syringe, she injected it into her former partner's arm.

Kelly pushed her away and raised her weapon. Nikita braced herself for another bullet. Except it never came. The agent faltered, her arms dropping lazily to her sides. The rogue didn't question what she had injected her with. Nikita simply punched Kelly unconscious and ran. Once she managed to reach the elevator, she shot herself with artificial adrenaline. That should've been enough to get her to the silo and outside. From there, she had no idea how'd she make it back to her safehouse. But she'd just have to figure that out later. More trouble found her on the elevator. Division hackers made it stop before her destination. The doors opened onto the recruit floor.

Thom shoved Alex against the wall. After she had deceived her fellow recruits and planted C4 throughout Division, she placed the last explosive at the silo entrance. Thom caught her in the act. She tried to lie, but it was no use. The explosions started, and the two were fighting. With more strength and field experience than Alex, Thom quickly had the upper hand. She knew he was going to take her out and turn her in if she didn't think of something. She couldn't let everything slip away from her then. Fortunately, another explosion gave her the help she needed. She pushed back against Thom and grabbed his gun. The two wrestled for it.

A gunshot rang in the air.

"Alex!" Rounding the corner to the hall that led to the silo, Nikita heard the gunshot loud and clear. At first, she thought a guard had caught up to her. She had taken out the entire recruit room, but someone could've still been chasing her. Instead, she was met with something far worse. Alex crumbled to the ground after the gunshot. Another person fell with her, yet Nikita's sole attention was on the young woman. She couldn't be hurt. Please. She couldn't be dead.

When she collapsed next to Alex's side, Nikita almost sighed in relief. The young woman was fine. Well, she wasn't bleeding. She was nowhere near fine. Her watery blue eyes were glued to the bloody body in front of her. Thom gasped and struggled for air, a bullet wound in his chest. He wouldn't be able to breathe, though. Nikita knew that instantly. The wound was fatal. Remaining by his side wouldn't fix anything, "We have to go."

"I sh… I shot him," Alex couldn't listen. She couldn't focus on anything besides Thom bleeding out. She should stop the bleeding, shouldn't she. She should help Thom after accidentally shooting him. She hadn't meant to pull the trigger. It happened by accident while they fought for control. She didn't want to shoot him. Except, she had shot him. If Thom lived, he'd tell everyone what he saw. If she saved Thom from what she did to him, he'd kill her.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing you can do. The guards will be here any minute," Nikita tried to pull Alex off of Thom. She remembered when he was first recruited. He was sweet for Division. Yet the women didn't have time to grieve. More armed guards and agents would be on them any moment. If they wanted to live, they had to run.

"I'm not leaving him," Alex shook her head. She couldn't go. She killed Thom. How could she just leave. Glancing at Nikita, she begged to know if the rogue had any answers. However, that was when she finally noticed all the blood Nikita was covered in. She was tortured, and injured, and staying in Division any longer would get her killed. Enough life had been lost in that place. Alex couldn't let Nikita die too. No, there had to be another way. The young woman was determined to find it, "Go. I can handle it."

"They're looking for the mole," Under normal circumstances, Nikita would've taken Alex's word for it. She would've believed her and ran. Yet Amanda and Percy were dead set on finding their mole. If they discovered it was Alex, she'd never get what she wanted. She would've fought for nothing. Nikita wouldn't let that happen. The team of rogues could maybe help the young woman with her revenge if she joined them. They could figure things out together. Whatever it took to ensure none of them died.

Alex palmed the keycard in her pocket. Although she hated the thought that came to her mind, she knew it was her only option. To save herself, protect Nikita, and gain what she wanted, she had to pass blame for the whole thing on Thom. It was a shitty thing to do to a dead man- to a friend. Yet Alex didn't have another choice. She'd have to do other shitty things to get to Semak. Unfortunately, that was just the first, "I know. I can handle this."

"We'll make them pay. Shell's gone. Call me when you're on the outside," Nikita swore, then parted with the order. The two had to stay in touch. Not only did they have to ensure that they survived the terrible situation, but they had to keep working together. Alex and Nikita had each other's interest at heart. They needed people like that in order to complete their missions.

"I'm so sorry… so sorry. I'm so sorry," Alex thought Thom could've been one of those people. She thought he could've been her friend throughout all the hells of Division. Sadly, she couldn't have everything she wanted. No matter how much she apologized, it wouldn't take back her actions. She had to live with the pain and grief, and she had to move on. Once she killed Semak, everything she had done would be justified. Until then, she had to stay on mission. Only afterwards could she spend the rest of her days making up for it all.

Chapter Text

Birkhoff had told Michael about the blown operation. When Nikita dumped her com, he called the other rogue and caught him up on the disaster. He had told him about helping Nikita's mole and how he had lost contact when things went to shit. The hacker didn't know anything else besides that. All he knew was that Nikita was in danger, and she needed help. Birkhoff wasn't skilled enough to help her. And her mole's cover could be destroyed if she stepped in. Michael was the only hope- if he could find anything to do about the crisis.

Pacing his motel room, weapons at the ready, Michael attempted to think of a way to help. Whatever he came up with, though, he didn't have time to implement. Division would've been long gone by the time he arrived. There wasn't anything he could do, unless Nikita gave him more information. He doubted that would happen. Birkhoff had been on the mission and he hardly knew what was occurring. All Michael had the power to do was wait. After a while, he couldn't pace anymore. He considered doing something reckless. Thankfully, a sluggish knock on his door stopped that from happening. He threw it open and sighed, "Nikita? Thank God."

"I didn't know where else to go," Nikita truly didn't. After sprinting away from Division, injecting herself with more adrenaline, and stealing a car, she knew she couldn't go back to her loft. She didn't have the strength to take care of her injuries on her own. Birkhoff's safehouse was too far to reach with her draining energy. The best place for her was Michael's motel. Birkhoff had given her the address and room number. She had just never done anything with the information until that moment; though, she felt like she shouldn't have. Michael had kept his distance from her for a reason. She shouldn't disturb that no matter how hurt she was.

"Hey, hey. I got you. Come on. Just breathe. I got you," Gently, Michael held Nikita so she wouldn't collapse. She couldn't even stand while slumped against the doorway. Her bronze skin had drastically paled. And she was somehow both feverish and cold to the touch. His relief at seeing her alive was quickly replaced with deep concern and fear. She was covered in dark, sticky blood, and she kept trembling. How she had managed to stay conscious was a miracle. But it wasn't going to last long. Michael had to patch Nikita up immediately.

Nikita rambled about needing to clean and dispose of the car she had stolen. Inside was covered in blood, and probably so was the walkway leading to the room. They had to get rid of any evidence that could lead unwanted people to the door. However, Michael didn't listen to her. It was important, but it could all be saved for later. Her injuries took precedence. He somewhat carried her to the bathroom. She wouldn't let him pick her up, but she couldn't walk without resting most of her weight on him. He just hobbled with her, trying to understand what she could've possibly gone through after she lost communication with Birkhoff, "What happened?"

"Alex was compromised. I had to give myself up to keep her safe," Attempting to even her breathing, Nikita did her best to explain. She knew she wasn't doing a very good job. It was hard to focus when she felt so dizzy she was going to pass out at any moment. Michael bringing her to the bathroom and helping her peel off her bloody clothes wasn't helpful. Her body was jostled too much; pain rippled through her. She just wanted to collapse. Except, Michael wouldn't let Nikita. He gave himself clear access to her wounds and sat her atop of the sink.

"What? Okay. I need you to give me more details," Michael fought to keep his confusion and anxiety from his voice. He needed Nikita to only focus on what had happened to her. He had to know the extent of her injuries, so he could know how to help her heal. Through labored breath and half-open eyes, she was able to tell him about being shot and running and fighting. But that was all he was going to get out of her at the moment. He poured her a glass of water as he washed his hands and pulled out his medical kit. She sipped the water slowly. He began to clean the blood and wounds on her thigh and abdomen. She screamed.

Terrified, Michael stopped. He used alcohol wipes to clean the affected areas. Although Nikita had whined at the sting, she didn't cry out until he touched her thigh. Her skin around the wound was feverish. It looked like someone had patched it up. But though the bleeding had stopped, infection had started. Michael did his best to gently care for the wound. Nikita tried not to shove him away. The pain was too much. She had to distract herself from it by talking, "Alex's my mole. She had a kill mission that went bad. I was there helping when our Shell was discovered. To keep her safe, I had her bring me to Division. This all happened in my escape."

"You… Why didn't you call? I could've helped," That wasn't fair for Michael to say. He knew it the second he looked into Nikita's rageful brown eyes. He had left the team. He had separated himself, angry about the 'help' she had given him with Kasim. There was a chance he wouldn't have come running if she had called. He was only worried about what Birkhoff had told him because he knew downed communications meant a dead rogue. Although he was angry, he didn't want anyone dead. The two didn't deserve that fate, no matter what they had done.

"When are you going to realize I can take care of myself?" Nikita spat. She also tried to push Michael away from her, regardless of the stitches he began to place along her ribs. If he was going to be like that, then she'd just save herself like she had always done. However, she was too weak to do anything. Pushing against Michael only caused her to slump further back against the wall. Her arms dropped uselessly to her sides, and she struggled for air. Cruel chuckles slipped past Michael's mouth. Nikita instantly glared at him. What the hell was his problem. He couldn't care for her one minute, then laugh at her the next. Who gave him the right, "What?"

"You don't need me to save you, but you stopped me from getting Kasim in the airport because you just had to save me," Michael was a little harsh as he pulled the stitch through Nikita's skin. His green eyes instantly matched her glare. She came to his door, needing his help, but she was still determined to be her own savior. No one else could save themselves. No one else could be as stubborn or as strong as she was. It was all about what she thought or needed. Well shouldn't he have the same chance at vengeance and redemption.

"That was different. You were committing suicide. I was trying to save you from yourself," As soon as the words left her mouth, Nikita knew how it sounded. How many times had he stopped her from committing suicide. And how many times had she yelled at him for it. That moment wasn't an exception. Telling Alex to give her up to Division was a suicide operation. She was so very lucky to be alive. But she didn't care about that, as long as Alex was safe. Michael felt the same when it came to justice for his family. He didn't care if he died, as long as he made Kasim and Percy pay. How could Nikita yell at him for that.

"God, you just don't get it, do you? Nikita, I had him. I was past security. I was on the tarmac. Five more seconds that shiv would've been between his ribs, and I would've been the one pushing it in, looking at him as he realized it was me. Then I would've been gone, and no one would've seen anything. That is what you took from me," Michael gripped Nikita's waist tightly. He wanted her to look right at him, let his words sink past her thick skull. There was no use in saving him. He had Kasim, and next would've been Percy.

Sitting as still as possible, Nikita tried to get a hold of her ragged breath. She hadn't known any of that. Birkhoff hadn't known it either. As far as they were both concerned, Michael went to kill himself. They didn't think he'd be successful. Nikita didn't have that much faith. She should have. Michael had made her doubt in the past, yet he had more than made up for it by then. He believed in her. She should've believed in him, "I couldn't have known you were that close. All I knew was you could've easily been killed. I didn't think…"

"That is it with you. You don't think. You just do. Nikita the righteous," Michael snapped the last stitch into her side as if to sell his point. She wouldn't have been in that predicament had she not played the martyr in her mole's botched mission. She wouldn't have been tortured, shot, nearly dead, had she thought through her actions and created a better plan. But she just had to save the day. She had to be the hero. If she just thought instead of acting on pure instinct, she wouldn't have shown up at his motel room. And they wouldn't have had to see one another.

"Fine. Yes. That's me. You think you know me so well, Michael? What I did, I did out of…" Nikita and Michael were nose to nose when she blinked. His hands were on her bare abdomen, placing a bandage on her bullet grazed ribs. Green and brown eyes connected in a spark. She inhaled sharply. Could she blame her blood loss and possible infection for the slip of her tongue- for the way she looked at Michael. Maybe Nikita could, but not if she kept staring. She had to avert her gaze, clear her throat, and pretend she was never about to say a certain word, "Not wanting to see you get hurt. I will do anything to help you get Kasim."

When her voice softened, so did Michael's gaze. He lessened his hold on her waist and soothed her bandage. Her body went limp, losing the fight left within her. His fight left soon after. He returned to gently healing her wounds, his focus landing on her damaged thigh. He had to clean it again to ensure any infection was cleared. She winced and cursed, but she didn't push him away. He was able to stitch the bullet wound; though, it was a far messier job than the graze along her ribs. The bullet, whoever had previously patched her up, and her escape nearly ruined her muscles. He couldn't help but wince as well, "What the hell did Division do to your thigh?"

"Kelly," Softly, Nikita chuckled. It wasn't funny, yet she couldn't stop herself. Nikita, Alex, Michael, and even Birkhoff wanted their revenge. Apparently, Kelly did too. She actually got it by shooting her old partner. Having Medical do a pour job of bandaging her wound and leaving her to be tortured was just an added bonus. The rogue would be reeling from the effects for a long time. She was starting to again while Michael stitched her up. Fighting and running and fighting again zapped her strength. She couldn't stay upright anymore. She just wanted to drift off. It'd be easier if she just closed her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa. Stay with me," As Nikita pitched off the counter, Michael frantically reached out to grab her. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, and she grew even paler than before. Maybe he should just let her pass out. With the infection and blood loss, she'd need the rest. However, slipping unconscious wouldn't give her the same rest sleep would. She had to hold on just a bit longer. He was almost done with his stitches. She could last just a few more minutes. He didn't doubt it, "You somehow got this far, Wonder Woman."

"Fake adrenaline helped. I know, I know. You don't have to say it," Nikita wanted to smile at the nickname Michael gave her. But she was too exhausted to think correctly. She could only admit to injecting herself with adrenaline to be able to escape while injured. She was aware of how damaging that was for her former junkie self. Especially after the mind-fuck torture she had received courtesy of Amanda. There was a strong chance of her relapsing because of her decisions. That was something she could never escape from.

Glancing up at Nikita, Michael thought about commenting on the drug use. It was only adrenaline, and it had saved her life, but it still wasn't wise. However, studying her troubled expression, he decided against it. She was beating herself up enough. He should just move on. He finished stitching her thigh, washed his hands and her wound, and poured her another glass of water. She gratefully accepted it. As she slowly drank, he grabbed bandages to finally finish patching her up. He didn't think he should do so silently, though. He should keep talking to keep her conscious. But the only safe subject he could find was her mole, "Is Alex okay?"

"She will be. Division promised her revenge against the man who killed her family, as long as she works as their agent. She's determined to get that deal. I just hope she does," Water helped stop Nikita from slurring her words. However, her eyes couldn't stay open for long. She just had to close them as she nursed her glass. She could hold on a little longer- talking helped. Though, she wasn't sure if she should be sharing all of that about Alex. It wasn't her story to tell. Alex had entrusted her with the secret. Nikita shouldn't tell it to everybody.

"Who killed her family?" Michael didn't know if he was going to get a coherent answer out of Nikita. She was fairly out of it. He should simply focus on wrapping her wounded thigh, finding her medication for the infection, and cleaning up the bathroom. However, that was his chance to finally get answers about her mole. He believed he deserved it after seeing her bloody and at death's door because she had to save her mole. Who was it that had gained the rogue's devotion. Who had the kind of trust and care Michael had rarely seen Nikita give.

"Alex is Alexandra Udinov. She's hunting down whoever hired Division to kill her family that night," Finding her strength, Nikita blurted out the information in a rushed breath. There was no use in hiding that from Michael anymore. He and Birkhoff should know. Since she was determined to help Alex with her cause, it was bound to show up in their rogue missions. The three had been a team, after all. If they were going to work back towards that, information had to be shared freely. Hopefully they could work back towards being a team. Being separate obviously didn't work for them.

Michael blinked. Although he had suspected Alexandra Udinov to be alive in Division after Nikita admitted she had saved her, he didn't expect her to become a mole. He also didn't think Percy or Amanda would make a deal with her. Unless, of course, the two were gaining something from the deal- other than Alexandra as an agent. Whatever the whole situation was, then wasn't the time to unpack it. Nikita was fading fast. Michael had to find her medicine and clothes, and get her in bed. They'd have to have that discussion in the morning, and probably involve Birkhoff in it, "Okay. We're gonna talk about this later. Right now, you need to rest."

"Thank you," Nikita opened her eyes once more. She caught Michael's deep green eyes while he cleaned the bathroom, and smiled. His lips lifted in a crooked grin in return.

"Of course," Tenderly, Michael tucked Nikita's wild hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her chin for just a second. Though, their gazes and smiles held for a lot longer.

Chapter Text

After cleaning the medical supplies and disinfecting her wounds once again, Michael brought Nikita some of his clothes to change into. He had to help her off the counter, yet she managed to change clothes- at least somewhat. He had to supply a hand here and there, attempting to keep her privacy. She didn't complain or push him away. She simply leaned on him when she needed to. That was his first sign that the consequences of her injury had caught up to her. The next was that, although protests bubbled on her lips, she remained silent as he gently, and ever so slowly, carried her to the bed.

With her blood loss and infection, Nikita was easy to put to bed. She made a small complaint about not wanting to take Michael's bed, yet he quieted her with the assurance that he didn't need much sleep. Besides, there were tons of things he had to do in the aftermath of her escape that she wasn't up for. The car she had stolen needed to be cleaned and dumped- as did her ruined clothes. He had to try to erase her path to the motel; though. if Division had followed her, they would've burst down the motel room door by then. Nikita and Michael were in the clear. But precautions still had to be taken. They couldn't suffer any more harm.

Maybe since they were back together- back to working together- the two could be alright. They'd have more assurance of that if the whole team of rogues was back together, however. Michael knew it. Their lack of communication and stupid need to separate themselves nearly got Nikita killed; she could still be in danger, since his limited medical skills might not be enough for her injuries. If the rogues had stuck together, not fewer dangers would have befallen them. It was even possible that they'd be further in their crusade.

Because what did separation cause if not more pain. Michael was blinded by his hurt after what Nikita and Birkhoff had done at the airport. He was so clouded by revenge he couldn't see the help that they were. He wasn't able to see the kind of care they had for him. A part of him was still angry about being denied his chance at Kasim. However, he couldn't punish his team forever. Especially not when he realized he would've done the same thing had he been in their position. When Nikita had been in danger, he didn't think about whether she was succeeding on her mission or not. He only thought of saving her. He'd always try to save her.

She'd always try to save him too (and Birkhoff applied to all of that as well). That had been made clear, which meant the rogues should work together. Revenge could happen later. Michael knew he'd have another chance at Kasim. But when it came to his team, he couldn't flippantly give them up. They were all each other had in their war (and also Alex, if Michael and Birkhoff ever got to meet her). What was the point of a slim chance at revenge if there was no one waiting on the other side- there was no one to go back home to.

That was what the rogues wanted, right. After they defeated the evil that was Division, they wanted freedom and their own lives. That had to include home. What was life without home. The rogues had to be that for one another. No more lack of communication. No more running away. They had to be with each other during every part of their war- easy or difficult. Michael should be the one to take the first step in that. He had a lot to atone for. Although he and Nikita had started on that path, he needed to involve Birkhoff as well. So after he finished cleaning and disposing, and resting a bit, he called the hacker, "Yo, Birkhoff, we gotta talk."

Instantly, Birkhoff agreed. Nikita was still dead asleep, so she was kept out of the conversation. Michael did change her bandages and checked her wounds for infection. Her bronze skin around the areas- notably her thigh- was still hot and irritated. But it wasn't worse than earlier. She was fine. He could step outside as he shared everything with Birkhoff, and not have to worry about her. That allowed him a moment of breath. Weight lifted off Michael's shoulders as he dealt with his team. There was still a long way for them to go, but it was a start.

Michael and Birkhoff weren't able to catch up on much. They needed Nikita to fill in the gaps. Notably, they needed her to tell them about Alex and what happened when she was held by Division. But neither were willing to wake her to make her talk. She'd tell them eventually. And when she did, it'd be in Birkhoff's safehouse. The rogues had to meet face to face in order to fix what had been broken. They also had to actually, physically, be together once more. The hacker's safehouse was the best place for that. It was where they had gotten together in the first place.

While the men waited for Nikita to finally wake, they just talked about themselves. Michael and Birkhoff needed to reconnect. They didn't yell at one another like Michael and Nikita had to get anywhere. The two simply talked. They talked for a while. Laughter and jokes eventually floated over the phone, making the hacker and the agent smile. Yet it didn't last long. When Michael stepped back into the motel room to check on Nikita, she was missing from bed and painful noises came from the bathroom. Birkhoff let him go so he could rush in and help her. She was fine, though. She was only washing her hands, "Good thing I kept the door unlocked."

"You could've waited for me," Anxious muscles relaxing, Michael rolled his eyes. Once Nikita finished, he helped her shuffle back to bed. She finagled her way onto the mattress, not needing his assistance anymore. He knew he should see that as a good sign. After some much needed rest, she was back to her stubborn self. Her injuries continued to be worrisome, yet she was on the mend. Michael should relish in that. Instead, he was annoyed with her need to do everything herself. If he had learned his lesson when it came to that, then so should she.

"I was fine," Settling back against the pillows, Nikita huffed. She just had to go to the bathroom. She didn't need Michael's help torturously hopping across the small motel room. She did appreciate him for changing her bandages while she slept. When she noticed, she smiled softly. There was no way she could've patched herself up on her own. But peeing, she didn't need anyone's assistance in that. Regardless of the fact, Michael scoffed at her. Nikita shot him the best glare she could, yet she wasn't sure how menacing it looked with her wild hair and small frame dwarfed in his sweats, "What?"

"You're something else," Michael just smiled. They had been there before. Nikita had been in his clothes and in his bed, stubbornly refusing to let him help take care of her. Though, it had been a long time since then. She had let him patch up her wounds. She also scooted in the bed so he could join her. The two weren't the same people they were months ago- or even a day ago. They didn't have to keep having the same arguments. Besides, there were times when he found her stubbornness to be endearing. Just as there were times when she considered his overprotectiveness sweet.

"And you're else," Nikita shrugged. The comeback didn't make sense, but it made her crack a small smile. Michael of course had to smile in return. The two were sitting far too close to one another on the bed. She wasn't able to move over much without her muscles spasming in pain. And he sat on the edge of the mattress so he didn't accidentally hurt her. However, they were still so close. Their eyes burned into each other's. Hers lit in golden rays while his darkened like an evergreen forest. Both of their lips parted as though the air had become thinner. It was definitely harder to breathe. Which only made it harder to think.

Nikita's and Michael's hands brushed one another's on the mattress. Each finger was callused and worn after all the battles they had fought. Yet the digits tripped over themselves nonetheless. The movement was so absentminded, Michael and Nikita didn't even glance at their joined hands. They just stared at each other. They watched as their eyes glowed while they drifted closer to one another. Neither was conscious of how close they were becoming until their foreheads brushed. Once they did bump, their lips were close to follow.

The kiss was slow and hesitant at first- almost like Michael and Nikita didn't know what they were doing. As soon as they figured it out, however, their kiss immediately deepened. Her hand slipped out of his to wrap around his neck and pull him down to her. He steadied her with warm hands on her hips. Although their fingers lightly caressed where they touched, all of their focus was on their lips. The two kissed passionately and feverishly, like a fuse had been lit. Finally, everything they had thought and felt about one another made sense.

However, on a brief pause for heavy air, Michael's mind snapped back to him. What were they doing. Nikita was severely injured and in need of more rest; she shouldn't be so active. He knew better than to take advantage of her like that. He knew better than to succumb to his instincts, especially when they had the chance to hurt multiple people. He shouldn't kiss Nikita, as much as he wanted to. He had to pull away, put a stop to their actions. He had to save them both from further hurt, "Wait. I can't."

"Michael, I'll be fine," Nikita's lips brushed against his forehead as she swore. She could handle making out with him. Her injured thigh and ribs wouldn't be jostled too much by kissing Michael. It was something she hadn't known she had wanted to do until they were actually making out in his motel bed. Separating from him only made the desire worse. Obviously, they couldn't do much else besides kissing. But that was a wonderful start. Her body was already alive from the intense feeling. He had to have felt the same. Why else would he have parted their lips but stayed so, so close.

"It's not about your injuries. Okay, it's a little about that. But it's not about you. It's about Hayley and Elizabeth," Sitting upright, Michael explained. Yes, Nikita's injuries played a major role in stopping him from kissing her. But it wasn't only about that. He couldn't be present in the moment with her when he still had his wife and daughter on his mind. Kasim continued to haunt him, as did some of the past actions between him and Nikita. Michael couldn't move on from it. After kissing her, he really wanted to. It just took more strength than he had.

"Your wife and daughter," Nikita sighed. She couldn't be upset with Michael if they were his reason for parting from their kiss. He didn't talk much about them. Besides their names, how they were killed, and some small facts about them, Nikita didn't know his family. However, she did know how much Hayley and Elizabeth meant to him. Michael had his whole world taken away when they died. Years later, he was still trying to build that world back up. If he needed time and space to accomplish that, then of course she'd understand. A destroyed heart couldn't be put back together easily.

As she sat upright as well, Nikita slipped her hand back into Michael's. He stared at their joined fingers that time. He studied the way they fit together, calluses and all. It helped ground him from his raging emotions. He was able to think of a better explanation to tell Nikita. She should know what was going on inside his head. Michael wanted to kiss her- the fact was abundantly clear after he had done so. He just couldn't give her all of him yet. Not in the way she deserved, "It's just… until I kill Kasim, I can't… move forward. I want to. But I just feel… guilty. Like I'm betraying them."

"Hey. I will do anything to help you," Tenderly, Nikita caressed Michael's cheek. Her knuckles scraped along his stubbled jaw, and she smiled softly. He turned to kiss her wrist. It wasn't a romantic gesture. Simply a 'thank you' for her continued support. She had made the same promise before. She definitely intended to keep it no matter how that came to be. He hadn't liked how she had handled it before. But she didn't care. She'd rather have him alive than anything else, "That includes saving you even when you think you don't need it."

"And you'll let others do the same with you," Taking a hold of her hand and clutching tightly, Michael flipped the words back on Nikita. He didn't have to rehash his whole argument. She understood him completely. The two were going to let others help them. They were also going to listen to others when they knew what was best for them. As Nikita and Michael knew well, it was easy to get swept up in their missions and not know what they truly needed. Which was why they needed a partner. That was what they were for.

Falling back against the pillows, Nikita expelled a harsh breath. She rubbed at her tired eyes with one hand, the other continued to cling to Michael's. He readjusted their grip and sat by her hip. She potentially needed more sleep before doing anything else. She also probably needed food and water. Yet, those weren't on her list of necessities. She had far bigger problems in mind- if she managed to think properly while her lips still tingled from the kiss, "I'm here, aren't I? Even though I need to shower, and change clothes, and find a way to talk to Alex."

"I can at least help you with clothes and shower. But we'll probably have to move all our stuff into Birkhoff's," Michael told Nikita what he and Birkhoff had discussed. It was a great topic change. Not only was it something they had to talk about, it also kept his thoughts from drifting to how she felt when they had kissed. Their kiss was so dangerous for his emotions. Although he was sure of some things regarding Nikita, guilt and pain tore him apart. He couldn't keep himself straight. So it was better to just ignore it all.

"We should," After hearing the men's decision, Nikita easily agreed. Staying in one place would help the rogues immensely. They could plan better, communicate more efficiently, and become the team they wanted to be. It'd take time for Michael and Nikita to move in completely, though, especially with her bullet wounds. And Birkhoff's safehouse was so remote. Although that helped keep them hidden, it wasn't useful if they had operations in the city. Having a backup safehouse couldn't hurt. One with amazing windows would be even better, "But we should also keep the loft for a staging ground in the city."

"Who said you could be special?" Michael chuckled. Why was he surprised that she wanted to keep her loft. Nikita had mentioned how much she liked it when he had suggested she move in with the team before. She might've come around to the idea of living together, but she couldn't give up her fabulous loft. At least not all the way.

"You did," Nikita beamed. She nudged Michael with her knee, and he laughed. He definitely encouraged her, yet she made it so easy. The way they smiled at one another made everything so easy, even when they were tearing themselves up inside.

Chapter Text

“How are you feeling?” Amanda asked Alex, snapping her out of her thoughts. The young woman readjusted her fierce grip on her cup of tea, and tried to unclench her tight jaw and muscles. Amanda had asked her into her office a while ago. However, she never stated what the meeting was about. She simply gave her tea and softly studied her. Alex knew she should’ve said something, or at the very least appear that she was completely calm and collected. But she was on the edge. Since Nikita’s escape and Thom’s death, she couldn’t relax. She didn’t know how.

She had to, though. Alex knew she had to get herself together. No one could know how worried she was about whether or not Nikita was alive. And no one could know the guilt she carried regarding Thom’s death. It was an accident. She didn’t mean to pull the trigger. They were wrestling for the gun, and it just happened. He was never supposed to die. He was supposed to help her with her mission. He was a great agent; he would’ve been valuable on her team. Instead, he died. And he helped Alex in an entirely different way.

Thinking of it like that made Alex sick. She had planted the evidence of her sabotage against Division on Thom’s dead body. The security key card, the remaining explosives, he had it instead of her. So when Percy cracked down on who was the mole destroying Division from the inside, Thom took all the blame. All his good deeds were forgotten. How great he was as an agent and friend was diminished by how terrible he was for being the mole. It didn’t matter who he was before the fake revelation was revealed. Thom was only going to be known as the mole, the traitor, the worst thing to ever happen to Division, although he was one of the best.

All of that was Alex’s fault. She was the reason no one believed the truth about Thom anymore. Her actions saved her life. She could continue her revenge mission without anyone suspecting she had helped Nikita. She had proven to herself that she could succeed on a dangerous mission and outmaneuver many skilled and dangerous people. But it was all at the expense of Thom. He paid the price for everything she had done. That wasn’t fair. He had fought her- he had died because of her- serving and protecting Division. And that only made him more hated than Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff.

Guilt ate away at Alex for the days that followed Thom’s death. She believed that focusing on her revenge would make her actions all worth it. She could ignore her guilt if all she had to think about moving forward was killing Semak. But continuing to walk the halls of Division, go through training and lessons, and act like everything was fine, was taking its toll on her. Alex couldn’t focus on Semak and all of that. Which meant, she couldn’t forget her guilt. Which meant, she was starting to drown.

There were moments where she felt like she was drowning before. Between trying to be a perfect recruit and Nikita’s mole, she was hardly treading water. Alex wanted to live in both worlds; she was certain that was how she could obtain what she wanted. She’d be trained as an effective killer, she’d have all the equipment she needed, and she’d be able to destroy everyone associated with her family’s death. Except, to make all that a reality, she had to be smart and perfect and on guard in everything she did. It was too much for her to take. She couldn’t breathe.

The anxiety attack she had had after the entire shit that had occurred proved how little she could breathe. Alex hyperventilated in her too-small recruit room, trying to get a handle on anything. She couldn’t. There was nothing she could control. She helped Nikita escape, but that didn’t mean the rogue managed to survive her gunshot wounds. She planted her evidence on Thom, but that didn’t mean anyone would buy the story for long. And she was moving along greatly in her recruit training, but that didn’t mean she’d become an agent and kill Semak. Those weren’t her decisions. There was only so much she could do. The rest laid in others’ hands.

Alex didn’t have enough trust in the others to know it would all be okay. A part of her did trust Nikita to survive- she was strong enough. However, Nikita wasn’t her biggest worry. What she did to Thom, and Percy’s and Amanda’s reactions to that could have disastrous consequences for her. She wanted so badly to get revenge, she didn’t consider what would happen if her schemes failed. She hardly thought that they could. Yet when her anxiety caught up with her, Alex realized how little she thought things through. Maybe she wasn’t as prepared to take on Semak as she wanted to believe.

But she had to be. Alex had to be better than her anxiety and overcome her attacks. That seemed impossible in the midst of one. Yet once her breathing was under control again, she knew there was a way she could triumph. She simply had to use Division’s trainings against them. She had done some of that while being Nikita’s mole. It was just time she kicked it into overdrive. Her emotions had to be buried. A mask had to be slipped in place over her features. Amanda had mentioned that a mask could be used to separate herself from her acts on gruesome missions. Alex already had some experience with that from the brothels.

All she had to do was employ her mask again. She had to bury Alexandra Udinov deep within herself once more. She wasn’t going to be Sasha or some runaway on the street, however. She was going to be Alex, the cool, confident, capable assassin. She already had one kill under her belt (as horrible as it was). And she had managed to pull one over on Percy and Amanda. Alex could keep that up. She had enough determination and stubbornness to keep fighting. She had enough need for revenge, that she’d do anything to get what she wanted.

As lost in thought as she was, Alex couldn’t not answer Amanda. Her silence had the power to express more than her words could. If she didn’t respond, Amanda would suspect something was wrong. And if she suspected something was wrong, Alex would suffer. The young woman had to share how she was feeling. It definitely couldn’t be the truth. But it couldn’t be a complete lie either. There had to be a mix- a balance. Just like what she had to find in her role as recruit and mole. She needed balance and control, “Shaken. But ready.”

“Ready to continue your mission with us? Even now, when you know the potential damage your course will cause?” Amanda’s cold, piercing, blue eyes narrowed on Alex. She wasn’t exactly scrutinizing the young recruit, she was simply studying everything about her. Alex tried not to squirm. Sipping her tea that had long gone cold, she kept herself still. She wanted to avert her gaze as well, yet she held steadily to Amanda’s. Turning away would mean weakness or defeat. She couldn’t allow her emotions to control her like that. Alex had to stay calm, for calm kept her alive.

“Yes,” Taking a steadying breath, Alex nodded curtly. She was beyond ready to continue her mission. She didn’t want to do anything besides plan and execute her operation to kill Semak. Being in Division was great for teaching her the necessary skills to get her revenge; the organization also gave her the best resources for success. Other than that, the bunker wasn’t anything but pain and torture. Alex couldn’t stand it any longer. She just wanted to get what she could, then leave forever. The sooner that happened, the better. After all, Semak would be dead.

“So you can handle the loss of more people that you care about?” With a gentle voice, Amanda asked and completely destroyed Alex’s mask. The young woman held herself together enough to not cry, yet her chin did tremble. No matter how strong she built her walls, the thought of losing someone else she cared for shot her right in the heart. She thought she had been in enough pain. She thought she had enough scars. Yet there were always going to be more. The path to revenge wasn’t a rainbow. Alex had learned that lesson a million times by then.

Trying to keep herself busy so the tears wouldn’t come tumbling loose, Alex placed her teacup on the coffee table. The movement also let her tear her eyes away from Amanda’s. She could collect herself in peace- or at least some semblance of it. She was surprised that Amanda actually gave her that moment to collect herself. And once she began to speak again, she was even softer, “I don’t say this to be mean or callous. I understand how hard it can be to lose a friend. But I want to know your commitment. I want to know if you are still going to continue your mission with the same determination you had before.”

Percy had asked Alex something similar. He had wanted to know if her conviction to Division was stronger than the effect of Thom’s death. It wasn’t. But her conviction to killing Semak was stronger than ever. She knew getting her revenge would set everything right. It had to. What else would avenging her family bring if not peace to her world. Since she couldn’t bring them back from the dead, that was a great consolation prize. And she wouldn’t settle for anything less, “I am. There should be no doubt about it.”

“Good. Good,” Amanda smiled. It was a real genuine smile that reached her eyes. Usually, she was so madeup and perfect, a crack in her features would never be visible. Yet when she smiled at Alex, the young recruit noticed smile-lines around her eyes. She was happy and free. It seemed like for the first time, the young woman was truly seeing Amanda. The thought wiped her tears away and made her smile as well. Amanda patted the cushion beside her on the couch, “Now come here. Let’s discuss you becoming an agent.”

“Really?” Jumping from her seat across from Amanda, Alex couldn’t believe it. Well, a huge part of her knew that was coming. According to Division, she had managed to capture one of their rogues, and she killed a mole. Although she failed her first kill mission, she had more than proved herself in other ways. Alex just didn’t think it was possible with all the lies she had told. But, then again, being an effective liar showed she could be a secret agent. If she could slip past Percy and Amanda, then she could slip past Gogol. She’d be one step closer to Semak.

“I think you’ve more than proved yourself,” The smile on Amanda’s lips never faded. She patted the cushion next to her again, and Alex soon joined her. The young recruit- the young agent- could feel her anxiety, guilt, and every other ill feelings slip away. She was really doing it. Everything she had been through was actually leading her towards her goal. Despite the pain and mishaps, she had been successful. Her anxiety, and the feeling of drowning, couldn’t pull her under. She survived and came out on top. She was awesome. She was actually going to burn the man who burned down her family.

“So next is Semak?” Alex tried to contain the hope in her voice. She knew being too hopeful would only set her up for disappointment. Yet it was difficult not to be excited. Even with her continued thoughts of Thom and how his death haunted her senses couldn’t dull her buzz. The shooting was a tragedy; it always would be. However, it got her there. The ends justified the means. Although she had thought that was a shitty excuse before, she clung to it then. She had to know what was more important to her, and prioritize it. Unfortunately, Semak outpaced Thom by a mile.

Amanda’s smile soon turned sympathetic. Alex should be given her chance at Semak, yet sadly then wasn’t the time. She might’ve been an agent, yet she still wasn’t ready. She continued to have a long way to go, full of more trainings and bullshit from Percy, “I believe you’re ready. But Percy wants to see you on other missions first. It is important to know how to work and plan with a team before a major operation like Semak. So don’t be discouraged. Just use the other missions to refine your skills to become the best agent Division’s ever seen.”

Of course Percy wanted to keep a tight control on Alex until he got everything he wanted out of the deal. It didn’t matter who she was. It was all about what best served his ego. At least Amanda was in her corner. Alex could continue relying on her (and Nikita if she could find a way to contact her) until her time for revenge finally came. Besides, in the meantime, Alex honestly should keep refining her skill. She could never be too prepared to take on Semak and Gogol, especially when there were so many people involved, “I can wait. The better prepared I am, the less collateral damage there will be.”

“You’re perfectly ready,” Amanda’s brilliant grin returned. Once again, Alex felt herself easing at the sight. She was ready. She could take on the whole world with her conviction. The guilt churning in her stomach was only further determination. She was capable; she was awesome. With her mask in place to shield her from her anxious emotions, Alex could do anything she wished. And if for any reason she couldn’t do it on her own, she had a support system behind her back that’d see her through.

Chapter Text

"Congratulations on becoming an agent, Alex. Too bad Thom had to die to make this happen," Jaden pulled Alex into a hug when Kelly brought her to the elevator. The newly promoted agent didn't know how to react. The hug alone was a surprise. But the biting words Jaden seethed past her plastered on smile dug deep in her skin. Alex wanted to retaliate. She wanted to explode on the recruit, make her feel her wrath. Yet shame and guilt held her back. Jaden wasn't exactly wrong. Alex was an agent because she had killed the supposed mole, Thom. She deserved the hate. Graduating to agent wasn't as victorious as it should've been.

"Ignore her. Rising to the bait won't get you anywhere," Before Alex could act, Kelly led her to the elevator. The path to the outside- to being an agent- was more important than a petty fight with Jaden; though, it wouldn't have been that petty. Jaden would have deserved any punch coming her way. Yet Kelly was right. Alex should refrain herself. Not only would it separate herself further from the incident, but she could hold her position and power as an agent. She was better than the recruits. Her actions had proved as much. Her attitude had to prove that as well.

Alex was officially out of Division that day. Well, out of the bunker. She continued to be roped into the black ops organization, but at least she could breathe fresh air in her own apartment. She could be free- in some semblance of the word. In the days after her meeting with Amanda, Alex had been prepared on what to expect once she became an agent. She'd have her own place to stay in the city to rest and reset between missions. She could do whatever she wanted when she wasn't needed for an operation. It seemed like bliss. If it wasn't tied to Division, then maybe it really would have been.

She shouldn't focus on the negatives, though. Those could weigh her down and drown her out. Alex had a mission to adhere to. Her own apartment could definitely help with that. There wouldn't be any distractions; she could be alone to think. Alex wouldn't have to constantly be on edge, ready to perform as the perfect recruit, or ready to defend herself against Jaden's attacks. She could simply focus on herself and breathe. It'd be like her time reflecting in the air vents, but so much better. There'd be a wide space. There wouldn't be the fear of getting caught. And there'd be moments of peace.

Above all else, Alex hoped she would have peace in her own space. She didn't care what her apartment looked like, or how much time she'd actually be able to hide there between missions. She simply wanted a room of her own to think and plan. As Kelly drove Alex out to the city, however, the young agent stopped thinking about how little she'd care about what kind of apartment she'd have. Her handler didn't drive around the dumpier, cheaper, parts of the city she thought Division would put her up in. Kelly brought Alex to some high-end apartment buildings. She couldn't help but gasp in awe.

Once Kelly parked the car and stomped towards a beautiful high-rise, Alex gasped louder. She scrambled after her handler, hardly able to catch the keys tossed her way. The keyring not only held the keys to her new apartment, but also the keys to the car Kelly had driven. It was all Alex's. She didn't just get her own space. She also got a vehicle and the nicest, coziest place she had lived in in years. Sure, the apartment didn't have food, clothes that weren't gifted by Division, or belongings besides basic furniture. Yet Alex could fix all that. She completely intended to. After all, it was hers, even if she hardly believed it, "All of this is mine?"

"Don't take it for granted," Was Kelly's sole advice before she left. She gave Alex a debit card that would be loaded with tens of thousands of dollars each month by Division; it should've been enough to make her live comfortably between missions. Although it was the most money the young agent had seen in years, there was no way she was going to waste it all. She refused to go without money ever again. She'd only buy what she needed to be able to plan her kill mission in peace. Or, in the very least, shop to relax like she had done with her mother as a child.

"Hey," She had just exited her new apartment with her new keys in hand, intending to go shopping in her new car and with her new money, when a low rumble of a voice captured her attention. Alex's new neighbor called to her. At least, she figured he was her neighbor. He was unlocking the door to the apartment adjacent to hers. The tall, muscular man smiled warmly and brightly at Alex. After the brutishness of the recruits in Division, her neighbor seemed so kind and welcoming. She couldn't help but beam in return. The man chuckled and finally entered his apartment. Alex was left in a smiling haze as she exited the building.

The fresh (sort of) city air outside helped snap the young woman back to her thoughts. She shouldn't be distracted by others again. Her previous distraction led to Thom's death. She couldn't allow that to happen to someone else, especially to an innocent like her neighbor. Alex had to stay focused on her objective. Since she was an agent, she should've been able to achieve it in no time. All she had to do was stay on task, hone her skills on the missions Percy wanted her for, plan, and know when to rely on others for help.

That last point was the reason she had gone outside. Alex had to contact Nikita. She still knew the number to the rogue's burner cell. She should let her know that she was okay and ready to raise more hell- if Nikita was alive as well. The new agent really hoped so. She silently begged that someone would answer the call she made on the payphone. She needed another ally against Gogol and Semak. Also, the more she practiced her duplicity, the more like a capable agent she felt. Alex simply needed Nikita to answer her phone. Thank God she did before the last ring, "Hey, Nikita. It's Alex. I'm outside. We should meet."

"Thank God. Alright, let's get together now. I'll bring some new ways to communicate with me. And a friend," Nikita echoed the sentiment Alex had muttered to herself- thank God they were both alive. Division hadn't been able to kill either of them. Yet their celebration over that fact couldn't last long. There were many things the women had to do before they could reconnect and be glad to hear from one another. A secure line of communication was one of those things. Payphones could only get them so far. Since they were both free of Division (mostly) they deserved something better and more concrete.

After Alex informed Nikita to meet her at a furniture store nearby (Division wouldn't question the charge on her new card), they ended the call. The rogue immediately told her team the update. She had been trying to do better with that since her recent escape from Division. Michael and Birkhoff had to know everything she did. When they were all in the same safehouse again, she had caught the men up on what they had missed. The three rogues wouldn't be able to effectively burn the hellhole or kill Percy and Amanda if they were kept in the dark. Any new piece of information Nikita learned had to be passed on.

Nikita also shouldn't be doing anything alone anymore. She had a team, she should act like it. The same went for Michael and Birkhoff. So when Alex called wanting to meet, Nikita thought she should at least bring Michael with her. Birkhoff could remain in the safehouse, helping the mole have secure communications with them. The two agents should be the ones to meet their mole. They had to talk, go over the changes they had faced, and discuss the new steps moving forward. More importantly, though, Alex had to know more rogues than just Nikita.

Arriving at the store Alex had instructed them to meet at, however, Nikita ran ahead of Michael. She should've had a more calm reaction to seeing the young agent, especially since her wounds were only partially healed. She also should've approached with her partner. Except, she just had to envelope her mole in a tight embrace. Alex returned the hug instantly. The two wouldn't have thought they were close enough to hug. They probably wouldn't have called one another their friend. Yet that was before they had faced death together. Afterwards, they knew they had to have one another in their life.

Michael caught up to the two women by the time they separated from their embrace. Alex's eyes swept over her friend before shifting to the strange man approaching her. Immediately, she went on high alert. Nikita sensed her tension and need to fight just as quickly. She jolted to see what it was about. Upon seeing it was only Michael, Nikita was confused. Until she realized Alex probably had no idea what the other rogue looked like. She had to calm her friend down before things got worse, "It's okay. It's okay. Alex, this is Michael."

"You're really brave," Holding out his hand, Michael didn't know what else to say. He wasn't sure if he should apologize for what Division did to her family, express his sorrow for all the pain she had gone through, promise to help her on her mission, or say a lame 'thank you' for all she had sacrificed to be a mole. None of it sounded right. He hoped sharing his thoughts about her would be good enough. The more he learned about Alex, the braver he thought she was. Surviving all she had, she was absolutely incredible. And she just kept going onward.

"Either you are too, or really stupid," Relaxing, Alex returned the handshake with a smirk. She didn't know how to take the compliment, so she joked. She might not have been shown a picture of Michael (his, Nikita's, and Birkhoff's photo were only shown to agents actively in the field), yet she knew stories about him. She knew he was the first to ever go rogue from Division. He was beyond determined to burn the hellhole, even if all the odds were stacked against him. That was a kind of drive Alex hoped to have.

"The second one," Nikita soon shrugged, breaking any lingering tension between the three. In all seriousness, she wouldn't admit that Michael was stupid and not brave. He had his stupid moments, yet he was still brave. Alex was incredibly brave as well. But they could spend all day complimenting one another. They should stick to what they had intended- meeting, planning, and sharing communication. They didn't have all the time in the world to chat aimlessly in the furniture store. Something was always bound to happen to them.

On the other hand, Michael believed that they should be able to just relax for a moment. Alex had become an agent. She and Nikita had both survived the fresh hell they had just gone through. And all of the rogues were working with the mole. Although a new mission against Division was potentially soon, the three should take a moment to simply be together. It would help build their connection and trust. It could also help them relax as they thought of more pleasant things, like being somewhat free, "What's it like back on the outside?"

"Awesome. I feel like I can breathe again. Though, it'd be better if I wasn't still so sore from surgery," Alex admitted to Michael brightly. She was beginning to love the freedom being an agent brought. It wasn't exactly real. It wouldn't truly be real until she killed Semak and left Division to rot. But Alex did enjoy breathing freely; though, taking a deep breath of air made her tender muscles pull. She was told that the surgery would cause her slight pain for a few days. Yet she hadn't imagined it to be that annoying. Hopefully, the days passed by quickly.

"Surgery?" Michael and Nikita glanced at one another in alarm. They didn't remember surgery after they had become agents. Yes, Michael became an agent differently than everybody else. However, as a handler, he didn't remember recruits going through surgery before graduating. Nikita didn't remember that either. The closest thing to surgery was having a tracker embedded in their hips, but it didn't leave them sore- it was hardly intrusive. Something else must've happened. The rogues prayed it wasn't anything life threatening.

"Yeah. When they put the tracker in me," Turning her back to the rogues, Alex moved her long, wavy hair off her neck. At the base of her spine was a thick bandage. She had been unconscious when they implanted her tracker in her neck, so she wasn't sure exactly what was done. She just knew she was still bleeding, she was sore, and Amanda had been pissed once the tracker went active. The former two things made sense. However, Alex couldn't figure out why Amanda would be so mad about her being tracked. Didn't she want to keep tabs on her. Maybe the rogues could figure that out, "You know, it's weird. Amanda really didn't like that I got one."

"Probably 'cause they put it at the base of your spine instead of your hip," Nikita's voice was hollow. The tone seemed to match how quickly her bronze skin paled. Her reaction had to be because of more than just the weird placement of the tracker. Michael knew that. And Alex was starting to suspect that as well. However, once she grew worried, Nikita shook herself out of her shock. She attempted to be calm for the young agent. She even went so far as to etch a fake smile across her lips, "It could just be the new protocol after our escape. Don't worry about it. Just focus on your freedom and on enjoying yourself."

Although Alex very much wanted to worry about it, Nikita distracted her with the order to go have fun and enjoy her 'freedom'. The young agent didn't want that; she wanted to plan her kill mission. Again, Nikita distracted her with the order to clear her head and relax before she schemed. Michael stopped Alex from arguing against that as well by passing over a burner cell. Birkhoff had ensured whatever calls were made from the device were completely untraceable and encrypted. If the mole ever needed the rogues, or she had intel for them, she should use the burner. Alex's attention remained on that as she finally left the store.

Meanwhile, Nikita's thoughts were running everywhere. She kept thinking about a Division mission she had performed years ago. She had placed a chip in a North Korean official's head, allowing Percy to kill him remotely. The kill was instant. Afterwards, Percy snidely remarked about merging the chip with agents' trackers; that would certainly keep them in line. Nikita didn't think that was possible. But looking at Alex's tracker in her head, she realized she was dead wrong. Michael had realized that too, "You're worried, though."

Of course Michael could read Nikita's thoughts. Since that moment between them in his motel room, the two had been able to decipher each other's thoughts and body language far more accurately than they used to. Neither tried to acknowledge it. They didn't want to discuss what had happened, or the lingering effects, unless there was something they could do about it. At that moment, there wasn't. They had both agreed to not go anywhere with their relationship. There were far more pressing matters to worry about. Muttering harshly, Nikita expressed just one of them, "The fucking bastard, Percy, put a killchip in her head."

Chapter Text

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, what’s a killchip?” Whereas Nikita stormed outside the store, Michael had to take a moment to catch up to what she was saying. He didn’t doubt that Percy was a bastard; actually, he knew for a fact that Percy was a bastard. But what he had no clue about was the killchip. Division usually had some spycraft technologies that were more advanced than other agencies. A killchip, however, didn’t sound exactly real. At least, Michael hoped it wasn’t real. If something like that could be easily inserted into someone’s head, then it couldn’t possibly be good.

Nikita couldn’t slow down. She had to go. She had to discover a way to save Alex from the newest and latest hell. Unfortunately, she had no idea what to do. She couldn’t simply remove the tracker; she could perform brain surgery, and doing so might activate the kill chip. She had to discover another method. In order to find it, and get her thoughts in order, she needed to talk it all out. Pulling Michael into an isolated alley nearby, Nikita tried to do just that, “A couple years ago, Percy sent me on a mission to infiltrate a military hospital and plant a deadly chip in a North Korean Official’s brain, while he was having surgery on a subdural hematoma.”

That was a lot of information for Michael to take in at once. Although Nikita recalled the mission matter of factly, keeping her emotions separate, he had a difficult time adjusting. Percy running a dangerously horrific op, and Nikita managing to complete it made sense. It was the implications of the killchip that had Michael’s head spinning. There was so much he wanted to ask; so much he had to know. All that came out of his mouth, however, was the acknowledgement that he recognized what Nikita had said, “Wait. The official that suffered a brain aneurysm right before making a speech about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities?”

“Glad to know you kept up on the news,” Nikita scoffed. That obviously wasn’t the response Michael wanted; except, she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around what was occurring. Not only was Alex in danger (which was horrible enough as it was) but so many recruits were going to be subjected to the new dangerous technology. Despite the rogues’ efforts, Division kept becoming more powerful. Percy had found new ways to inflict hell and control, “It wasn’t an aneurysm. That chip was some sort of device that let Percy kill the official remotely. It’s completely undetectable. No trace back to anybody. You can pull off the perfect kill.”

“Has it been used on anyone else?” Michael took Nikita’s tactic and tried to remain as emotionless and factual as possible. They could panic over the implications of killchips later. Once Alex was safe, the horror of Percy having such technology could settle around them. Then, the rogues would need to find out how to save the rest of the recruits- and the world- from that hell. By that point, the only option might be to destroy Division. And that continued to be a problem they needed to solve.

“I don’t know. But Percy did ‘joke’ afterwards about merging the agent tracker and killchip together. It would be the perfect way to keep people in line. I hoped it wasn’t possible. But the fucking bastard figured it out,” Nikita wished she had any answers, yet all she could do was shrug. She wouldn’t put it past Percy to have used the killchip on others, especially since he was so willing to integrate the tech with the trackers. That was another thing she didn’t know how he did. But she wasn’t going to spend her time figuring it all out. Saving Alex, and eventually the other agents, was her main objective. That puzzle needed her full attention.

Michael collapsed against a wall in the tight, dingy alley. He couldn’t fault Nikita for not having any answers. But it would’ve been nice to know something. They were already in the dark when it came to the black box locations. It was just increasingly frustrating. What were two rogues actually supposed to do against killchips. They lacked so many resources and so much information. Even if they could think of a plan, how were they to possibly execute it. What could they do against remote killers, “How the hell are we going to save Alex from that?”

“Birkhoff… maybe? I mean, it’s a piece of technology, right? He could know how to at least take it offline,” Ruffling her hair, Nikita paced the small area in front of Michael. Treating the killchip like a regular piece of technology could help the rogues. It didn’t help them when it came to the black boxes. Yet the chip was also a tracker. Maybe the rogues could take the system offline. Alex could be free. Possibly other agents could be free as well. It was a long shot, and it’d probably require more intel on the killer trackers. However, they weren’t looking at a lot of options. Birkhoff needed to hack.

“Yeah, he could do it. By dismantling Division’s servers. They’ll see his hack coming a mile away,” Sighing, Michael argued. Although Nikita was on the right track, Birkhoff couldn’t just hack into Division. If he could, a lot of their problems regarding black boxes would be solved. He had been able to infiltrate the system before to gain tidbits of intel, but it wasn’t much. And he wouldn’t be able to pull it off again. There were too many securities in place. Birkhoff would be caught even attempting a hack, and Division would track the rogues to their current location. It’d be easier to hack the CIA than the hellhole.

The thought of the CIA gave Nikita an idea. It wasn’t the greatest idea in the world. And if she couldn’t convince the key plates to agree to it, then there was no chance of pulling it off. Yet her plan was definitely worth a shot. Obviously, they had to do something to help Alex. any attempt was worth it. However, Nikita was certain her way was surefire. The more she let the thought run, the more successful it seemed. Her first step was just convincing Michael the same, “Okay. I have an idea. You’re gonna hate it. But I think it’s gonna work.”

“Usually, the ideas of yours that I hate turn out to be the best ones,” A crooked grin etched its way across Michael’s features without him meaning it to. He’d love to just outright refuse Nikita’s insane idea. He knew there was going to be something about it that he’d hate. However, he couldn’t dismiss that her craziest ideas were normally the best ones. She was smart. She was capable. She knew what she was doing. He trusted her instincts. If only her instincts didn’t involve a high probability of danger.

“Great. Cause we’re going to the CIA,” Newly determined, Nikita marched out of the alley. The sooner they planned and put things in motion, the better. Mostly, because she didn’t have much of an idea past the CIA. She was certain that if the rogues hacked from a field office, Division wouldn’t notice what they were really doing; they’d be too distracted by the CIA. Maybe another distraction from Alex inside the bunker could help as well. Huge diversions were their best bet in that situation. Their enemies shouldn’t know what they were doing.

“I take that back,” Regretfully following Nikita back to the car, Michael snarked. The last time the CIA was involved, Nikita and Owen were almost killed. The spy organization had no business in their war with Division. Either the other agents didn’t have the right information, and that’d lead to someone getting hurt. Or, the agents were in Percy’s pocket- like the former director had to have been after that disaster with Ryan Fletcher. The CIA was bad news for the team. They shouldn’t trust them to get anything done.

“Just Ryan Fletcher, alright. He owes me. And I bet he’s looking for ways to hurt Division. He can help Birkhoff do what he needs to do on this side, while Alex can help us out inside the hellhole,” While she climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car, Nikita explained herself. Michael was reluctant to listen, yet she had him trapped in the vehicle. Involving all of the CIA wouldn’t work in their favor. Ryan, on the other hand, had already proved he was on their side. The analyst could help the rogues get anything they want. Besides, just like with Alex, it was time Michael and Birkhoff met Ryan as well.

Although he wanted to, Michael couldn’t argue with Nikita. Not only did he not have another idea to propose, he knew she was right. The team of rogues simply had to plan everything exactly to make it all work. Michael and Nikita also had to inform the other’s of what they thought. He called Birkhoff at that moment to catch him up, while Nikita planned to talk to Ryan that night once things were more concrete. She didn’t mention talking to Alex. He thought she would- she should. Except, she remained silent. That concerned him, “You’re going to tell Alex all about her killchip, though. Right?”

She knew informing Alex of everything was necessary. Nikita would hate it if someone kept that huge of a secret from her. She had also just decided to share everything she had with Michael and Birkhoff. Alex couldn’t be the exception, especially since she was her mole. The young woman had to know about the killchip in her brain. However, Nikita couldn’t bring herself to ruin her excitement about becoming an agent. She was so close to her goal. The rogue couldn’t ruin that, “After it’s done. She has a lot on her plate right now. Let her enjoy being an agent for a while. She doesn’t need to be scared for her life again.”

“Nikita, she needs to know,” Michael urged softly. He understood Nikita’s hesitations. He wouldn’t want to tell Alex about the killchip either. That was too much anxiety and fear to place on a person. But if she knew about it, she could do things to save herself. She wouldn’t be stumbling around in the dark, and accidently get herself killed. Alex might’ve had more skills than that. Yet not when it came to a murder chip in Percy’s hands. If you stepped one toe out of line, it was over. Alex needed to know the danger.

“When she’s safe,” Nikita didn’t feel great about her decision. She was well aware of how shitty it was. But hadn’t Alex faced enough death threats. Hadn’t she had enough fear control her. The young agent was only nineteen. She should let her excitement guide her for once. She had so many new things ahead of her. And if it all went right, she’d also have revenge in her grasp. Killchips could wait. Disasters could be put on hold. Nikita would be a terrible liar just to give her that.

Alex couldn’t stop thinking about the horrified look on Nikita’s face when she noticed the bandage on her neck. The rogue attempted to hide her expression, yet the young woman still saw it. It still burned in her mind as she finished her shopping. The look couldn’t have just been because her tracker was in a different place. After all, Amanda had been pissed about it too. Alex just wanted to know what was going on, so she could get back to what was more important. However, that was starting to seem impossible. As she tried to refocus, another neighbor called to her, “Hey. I saw you moving in earlier. You must be my new neighbor. I’m Nathan.”

“Alex,” Grinning softly, Alex accepted Nathan’s outstretched hand. His skin was so warm to the touch, that her grin couldn’t help but grow and brighten. Alex wanted to stick to her conviction that she shouldn’t get too close to anyone again. Yet between Nikita’s urgings, and her nice, welcoming, warm neighbors, it was difficult. The young agent just had to distract herself. She had to keep herself from falling into more friendships that would only get people hurt. As her other neighbor, the one who had called out to her earlier, returned home, Alex figured he would be a good distraction. He’d at least get her eyes off Nathan’s, “Who’s that?”

“That’s Sean, my other new neighbor. Actually, he moved in the day before you,” Nathan dropped Alex’s hand and nodded Sean’s closing door. The thought that he acquired two new neighbors back to back sort of puzzled him. Yet he soon shook it off when he remembered what city they all lived in. He shouldn’t question things, just accept them. And try to integrate them into his life. The three were next door neighbors, after all. They’d have to get use to one another, “You know, my friends and I are having a party at my place tonight. You two should come. It’d be a great way to meet everyone. There’ll also be some awesome music, believe me.”

Alex’s gut instinct was to say ‘no’. She shouldn’t go to a party and make friends. She had to stay on her own, focused on her objective. Though, honestly, with how focused she had forced herself to be, a part of her believed she deserved a break. She should get to relax, breathe, and feel normal for once. Her papa had once taught her that trust in others and self-reliance could go hand in hand. Alex had to rely on herself to kill Semak, but she could trust others to help. Just as she could trust others to help her relax and not become too close. One party couldn’t hurt. A moment of normalcy could be nice, “Yeah. That sounds great.”

Chapter Text

Convincing Birkhoff to go along with their plan was easy. As soon as he heard that they were going to use the CIA to hack into Division, the nerd was all for it. The fact that recruits were being implanted with killchips encouraged him further. He excitedly planned his hack, prepping a spare computer for the incursion. Nikita almost didn't have the heart to tell him the full plan she and Michael had worked up on the drive back to the safehouse. It'd immediately steal his excitement. And he'd complain like no other.

In order to get Birkhoff into a CIA field office, he had to be renditioned. There was a chance Division would catch wind of that. Yet if the rogues pretended it was a result of his Shadowalker past, they might not be suspicious. The three could slip under the black ops group's radar for a bit. Hopefully, it'd be long enough for Birkhoff to do what he had to. With enough planning, it should be. The nerd's whining just had to be dealt with first. And, of course, Ryan had to know what was occurring.

While Michael and Birkhoff worked out exactly what they were going to do, Nikita went to bring in Ryan Fletcher. She didn't doubt that she'd be able to convince him to help the team of rogues. He had been hellbent to discover and stop the ghost unit of the government before; things wouldn't be different then. Nikita just had to convince Ryan that performing an illegal rendition would be worth all the trouble it'd bring. Michael had been quick to tell her how reckless and potentially disastrous her idea was. But he didn't have anything better to suggest. All he could do was help her ensure the plan would work without a hitch.

The half-baked scheme made up mostly on the fly wasn't what had Nikita's stomach twisted up in knots. She normally wasn't worried about how her missions played out; she and her team had enough skills to make it through no matter what. She was just worried about Alex. There was no guarantee that the killchip wouldn't be activated before they could save her- there was no guarantee it could be dismantled. The rogues had to try, though. They had to do all they could. Alex had been the victim of Division too many times.

It didn't take Nikita long to locate Ryan Fletcher. After what had happened in Chile, he had received a sort of celebrity status in the news. He had survived corruption and an attempt on his life. He was a hero; though, he didn't really like it. Nikita didn't blame him. But she was able to use his twenty minutes of fame (that also made him untouchable to Division) to track him down to a nice restaurant. Although he didn't seem to be having much fun, he was on a date with a very excitable and awestruck woman. Nikita couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. However, she didn't make her grand entrance until Ryan's date was in the bathroom, "She really likes you."

"You're alive?" Lamely, Ryan gaped. Nikita just smirked. He shouldn't have been that surprised she was alive. Although the last time he had seen her was when she leapt out of an airplane, he shouldn't have been shocked that the rogue had managed to live. Even from their brief encounter, he knew she was resourceful and stubborn enough to find a way to live. It was just jarring to see Nikita waltz right up to him after the life threatening situation they had faced together. A part of Ryan still clung to the belief that the whole thing had been a shitty dream and she had been a figment of his imagination. Yet the horror in Chile had been real, and so was she.

"You know, I never get tired of hearing that," Sitting in the empty seat, Nikita flashed a proud smile. She didn't tire of her enemies constantly being surprised she was alive. Her unpredictability kept her alive most of the time. However, she didn't like that her friends and allies were so worried about her life. With everything else they had to be concerned about, her life shouldn't have been one of them. They shouldn't be carrying around that stressful weight. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary harm.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Once his shock had passed, Ryan quickly interrogated Nikita. As wonderful as it was to know she was alive, her presence wasn't necessarily a good thing. Another world shattering event was about to occur. Ryan shouldn't have been completely upset by that. Being a CIA analyst should've made him accustomed to discovering secrets that changed his perception. Yet Division and the rogues seemed so different. The threat that had been placed on his life because of his knowledge was probably the reason. That certainly changed things.

"You owe me Ryan Fletcher," Her smirk remained, yet her tone turned dark. Ryan wouldn't be able to escape from Nikita. Besides, if he had really wanted to, he could've left as soon as he noticed her. The analyst was deeply involving himself with the rogues. To get the answers he sought, he'd do anything the three needed. Nikita hoped to not involve him too much, however. That was hers, Michael's, and Birkhoff's (and Owen's, and Alex's- somewhat) war, not Ryan's. He shouldn't put himself in danger. If only he wasn't needed, "I really need your help."

"What is this?" Ryan finally noticed the file Nikita had with her. It was easier for him to focus on that than whatever she and the other former Division agents needed. He suspected it involved defying the black ops unit and raising hell. From his scant amount of information on his ghost unit and of his experience with the rogues, he knew that much to be true. What exactly they had in mind for him, however, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The file Nikita had brought him seemed overwhelming enough. Just flipping through the contents had him frozen. Just what had he gotten himself into.

Nikita had thought bringing a peace offering would help sway Ryan. There was a chance he wouldn't fight her on her plan, if he had more information first- tons more information. He deserved a file full of intel on Division anyway. His position in the CIA could only get him so far. And if he were to survive more battles against the black ops unit, he needed an inside scoop. Neither Michael nor Birkhoff fought Nikita on that decision. In fact, they gave her even more information to share. Ryan would be prepared to handle the new shit that would be thrown at him- hopefully, "It's information you need on Division in order to help us take them down."

"Us, as in you and Owen," Ryan briefly glanced up from the file to ask. He vaguely knew about other rogue agents involved, yet he hadn't heard Nikita talk much about them. Maybe they weren't that important. Or maybe they were involved in other things. Diving into the file was sure to give Ryan all the answers, and he intended to do just that; however, he'd prefer to hear the facts from Nikita. Things could be made more clear. Also, he could discover whatever fact she held to be the most important.

"And Michael and Birkhoff," Nikita clarified. She'd have to go over the team's exact dynamics later. The analyst shouldn't be confused about them and Division. But that conversation would just have to wait for after the mission. Knocking out killchips was far more important. They also didn't have the time to hash everything out. Either Alex could be killed, or Ryan's date would return from the bathroom before they could finish, "You'll meet them later. For now, we need your CIA resources. It's to save a young woman just starting her life."

"What do you have in mind?" Closing the file, Ryan gave Nikita his full attention. She wasn't able to tell him much at the restaurant. She simply gave him a time and place to meet, then left just as his date returned from the bathroom. The rogue didn't doubt that the analyst would meet with her in a few hours. He had poured over that file and became beyond interested when she had mentioned saving someone's life. Ryan was on board. After that came the hard part- it was difficult just convincing Michael of it. Yet there was no other way around it. Nikita had to talk the analyst into abusing his CIA powers.

Since Birkhoff was in on it, it wouldn't be true abuse. But Ryan probably wouldn't see it that way. Nikita would just lay it on thick that all of their actions were to save someone- and potentially more people in the future. The analyst didn't even have to do much besides get the rogues into Division. They could take over from there. Birkhoff had worked up the perfect hack for CIA servers that would let him dismantle Division's, and Nikita had developed a Trojan horse type virus to distract the black ops group. Her plan was to have Alex plant it for her. She had the easiest access, and it'd free up the others to stress about the rest of the mission.

Birkhoff sent Alex the virus while Nikita talked to Ryan. She said she would do it, but the hacker was already messing with the burner phones. Also, he wanted a chance to talk to Alex. It was only fair that he somewhat met the person who had helped the team so much, and who he was helping in return. The team shouldn't have been kept separate from one another, "Alex, this is Birkhoff. I'm sending you a virus Nikita wants you to upload into Division's servers. You can do it at any time; it just has to be before midnight. I don't know what it is. I didn't make it, so if it goes wrong blame her. Also, it's nice to meet you."

Scoffing, Alex sent a sarcastic reply (mostly aimed at Nikita rather than Birkhoff) and prepared to head into Division. She didn't question what sort of virus the rogues wanted her to upload. It probably had to do with a mission they were planning to undertake. After the feats they had been able to pull off, she didn't doubt the kinds of miracles they could pull. She'd simply help wherever she could. As long as it didn't interfere with her own mission, of course. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Alex could run right off with her virus. And nearly knock over Nathan in the hallway in the process, "Hey. Perfect timing. You coming in?"

Alex had to take a second to register what Nathan was talking about. Hearing the music and chatter in his apartment, and spotting the bags of food and drinks in his hands, snapped her memory back to her. There was a party that night. She had agreed to stop by, hoping to relax and pretend like she wasn't a trained assassin. Although the burner phone with the virus burned in her pocket, she considered following Nathan inside. She had time. As long as she got to Division before midnight, it would be alright. She should keep her promises. Especially when Nikita had been the one to tell her to enjoy her time, "Yeah, of course."

Nathan led her excitedly into his apartment. He was all smiles as he told her what was going on and where she could grab food. Alex echoed his smiles easily, until he had to leave her to attend to some things. Once alone, she didn't know what to do. She thought about joining a conversation, meet the other people in her apartment complex, yet she was rooted in her spot. She had no idea how she was supposed to approach normal people. Maybe if she stood still, someone would come to her. She didn't have to wait long for that to happen. A man soon brushed her shoulder with his and snarked, "I expected this party to be way more wild."

"Not lively enough for ya?" Alex shot back with a smirk. She wasn't sure what the man was talking about, but she was certain he was her other neighbor, Sean. she should at least try to be cordial. Even if she didn't want to make deep connections, she shouldn't make her life in her apartment hell. There were also going to be times like that one, where she'd want to relax with those around her. She couldn't do that if she scorned whoever talked to her. She could make connections, just not friends.

"How does this compare to parties where you're from?" It was an obvious fish for information. Even if Alex wasn't aware enough to recognize those sorts of lines, she could spot it in Sean's pained expression. He didn't like what he had said either. Instead of getting annoyed, however, Alex thought it was a little endearing. Sean simply wanted to get to know her, as awkward as he went about it. There was no harm in that. He did believe they were two normal people striking up a conversation. They could talk about anything they wished.

Although Alex loved the idea of that, it could never happen in reality. In order to survive both Division and Semak, her true self had to be locked away. No one could know everything about her, including Nikita and Amanda. Secrecy was her ultimate weapon. But besides that, she also had a Division cover to keep intact. To excuse her need to rush off unexpectedly while she lived in the complex, she was some sort of social media consultant. Her fake job didn't make a lot of sense, yet she could work with it. Where she was from, however, she just stuck with where she had been for the past few months, "Uhhh. I'm from Jersey. So not much fun."

"You're right. Cali is way better," Sean chuckled as he took a sip of his drink. His hazel eyes bore into Alex's blue, somehow both studying her intently and gazing at her in humor. She found herself laughing with him, yet only slightly. She was mesmerized by the way he regarded her. She couldn't quite catch what he was thinking. Normally when men stared at her for so long, they were thinking about undressing her. But that wasn't what was going through Sean's mind. She knew he wasn't leering. There was something else behind his look that had her enthralled.

"Where I could get crushed by an earthquake?" Alex fired off the first reply she could think of. She didn't know much about California besides the stereotypes she had seen on television or overheard from other people. She was sure there was a lot more to the state than just that. But, then again, she had been in New York the majority of her time in America, and it was close to what her father had described it as. Obviously, some of his old Cold War beliefs weren't proven true. But he got the rudeness and crime down exactly. Alex experienced both harshly.

"Oh, you've definitely made this party so much better," Bursting into laughter, Sean claimed. There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice. He generally meant that. Alex beamed. When he glanced at her again, his hazel eyes were all humor; he wasn't studying her anymore. She relaxed more under that look. She felt normal under that gaze. Extending his hand out to her, Sean's full lips lifted into a wide smile. It almost seemed to echo her grin. Immediately, Alex grabbed his warm hand. He chuckled as he spoke, "I'm Sean."

"Alex," Nathan interrupted. He had some friends that he wanted her to meet. Despite wanting to interact with more normal people, she had to force herself away from Sean. It didn't help that he kept his eyes on her the entire time. But she was quickly able to distract herself with Nathan and his friends. They all seemed as nice and kind as Sean was. Alex felt like she could truly belong. Until one of the other party guests decided to get a bit too pushy. Then the Division training kicked in and ruined everything. The party came to a standstill as Alex flipped the man who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. All eyes stared at her in shock and fear, and she froze.

"I'm… sorry," Alex hurriedly sprinted out of Nathan's apartment. She didn't dare look back. She just broke for Division. She should've gone there in the first place. She shouldn't have gone to the party. She shouldn't have tried to be normal. That life wasn't meant for her.

Chapter Text

The rogue's mission went well for a while. After Nikita told Ryan the plan and the purpose for it, he decided to join them. Her schemes had to be shifted to fit what the analyst could actually pull off (like Michael had said would happen), but they were able to execute it that night. Birkhoff was fake renditioned by Nikita, Michael, Ryan and some oblivious CIA agents. Once he was brought to an interview room, he was given his laptop and access to the agency's network. Hacking into Division was a piece of cake after that. Shadowwalker had everything he needed to ruin Division from the inside out.

As tempting as it was to destroy the black ops group with his laptop, Birkhoff had hacked Division for a specific reason. The rogues had to disable Alex's killchip and take control of her tracker. Any funny business could get her or someone else killed. The hacker had to stay on mission. He also had to set his intrusion on a delay. He could set it up while at the CIA field office, but he couldn't send it out until Nikita's virus was in place. Alex was uploading it into Division for them. According to the rogue, it should distract the techs from what was really going on. The last thing they needed was for someone to realize Alex's killchip was offline.

Fortunately, with all the contingencies the rogues had put into place, that wouldn't be a concern. Unfortunately, the three didn't have a clean getaway on that mission. Percy still had contacts inside the CIA, which meant two terrible things for the rogue. One: Ryan was in huge trouble for enacting an illegal and baseless rendition. And two: Kelly and the Alpha team arrived at the field office. Birkhoff barely had time to finish his hack when the Division agents burst through the door. Nikita and Michael fought them off, and soon pulled the nerd with his computer back to their safehouse. Ryan was left behind to deal with the nuclear fallout.

Although Alex had no idea what Nikita wanted her to upload into Division's servers, she had no intention to question it. Anything that'd get her far from her apartment she'd take. A task she could pour all her focus in was the best. Instead of dwelling over the disaster she had left behind in Nathan's apartment, Alex could think about how she was going to upload the virus in Division without getting caught. Being an agent helped a lot there. She didn't have to explain her movements, unlike when she was a recruit. She could enter the computer lab without problem. Sitting at a computer without anyone seeing what she was doing was the problem.

Employing the same techniques she had used whenever she typed in the Shell program, Alex had the virus uploading in no time. No one would bother her. She could be peacefully alone. Although that worked well for her actions, her thoughts suffered. She couldn't stand to be alone with them. There had to be more she could do than just sit, wait, and watch. Maybe she could exercise, or go on a drive. She could do anything. But at that moment, it didn't seem like a saving grace. It just felt like more opportunities where she could make grave mistakes.

Finally, the virus finished doing its thing. Alex ripped the flashdrive out of the computer, hid it in her purse, and prepared to leave Division. She didn't exactly know where she was planning to go next. She just knew she couldn't return to her apartment. She also couldn't stay in that bunker any longer. She had worked so hard to get out of there, she couldn't stay more than she needed to. Dashing towards the elevator, however, the young agent stumbled into Amanda. She steadied her with gentle hands, and studied her with concerned, icy eyes. Alex attempted to avoid her gaze, but it was no use. Amanda had seen all, "Is everything alright, Alex?"

"Yeah. Just a lot to get used to," Trying her best to grin, Alex sighed. She probably just looked tired. But she could work with that. She didn't want to admit to what had happened at Nathan's party. She didn't want to hear a lecture about all the danger she had put others in. She could know her neighbors, but interacting with them so closely only led to disaster. Her reaction to the pushy man was over-the-top. Normal people didn't have those skills. Showing them off could reveal Division, or at least some part of it. Alex was well aware of the mistakes she had made. She should've just stayed home. How could she believe she was actually free.

"You know, normal is completely subjective. There's no standard for it. Odd behavior doesn't automatically make you a freak. Some people might find it endearing," Before Alex could run away from the conversation, Amanda called to her. The young agent slowly turned to face her again, willing her blue eyes to meet the other woman's. At first glance, Alex believed Amanda knew exactly what had occurred at the party. But that wasn't possible. She probably just recognized where her anxiety was stemming from. She couldn't have been the only agent to freak the second they got to be normal again. It was a huge adjustment period, after all.

Signing once more, Alex soon decided to simply go home. She couldn't avoid her apartment forever. Besides, Amanda was right. Who was she, or anyone for that matter, to say what normal was. The whole incident could be brushed off as nothing. If Alex didn't draw attention to it, maybe it would. In the meantime, she'd hunker down in her apartment and do some planning. She didn't get far with that idea. It wasn't any fault of her own. She was focused. There was simply a knock on her door that she had to answer, "Hey, Alex…"

"Nathan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your party," Before Nathan could say anything else, Alex apologized. She didn't elaborate or come up with some sort of excuse for what she had done. She didn't want to dwell on the moment anymore. An apology should express her guilt and move the conversation along. Standing in her doorway, glancing up at Nathan, Alex hoped that would be the outcome. Nathan wouldn't see her as a freaky neighbor, just another new young woman in the city. Then, she wouldn't have to be anxious about that part of her life as well.

"Don't worry about it. Dude had it coming," Nathan quickly assured, grinning softly. Alex instantly relaxed. Her tense muscles softened, and she slouched against the doorframe. So Amanda was right. Some people wouldn't be put off by her weirdness. They'd just see it as something to embrace. Alex should've let herself be comforted by the words earlier. That way, she wouldn't have been surprised when Nathan offered, "My friends and I are going to this new club downtown if you wanna join. Should be a lot more fun; though, maybe a lot less exciting."

While Nathan chuckled, so did Alex; though, a lot more softly. Just like when he had asked her to go to his party, her immediate response was 'no'. She shouldn't go. She was definitely right that people could get hurt if she got too close to them. But, on the other hand, she had learned how to keep her guard up. She knew to expect surprises and be prepared to face them rationally. Those were important skills for facing Semak. It was also important for her to maintain friendships and stay sane between planning sessions. There could be no harm if she was prepared. And she just wanted to have fun, "Yeah, sure. Just let me know when you're going."

Nathan continued to smile warmly as he promised. Alex shut the door behind him and locked it. She didn't want to give herself too much time to question her decision. She didn't want to reconsider and only focus on planning. She was blacked on what to do next for her kill mission anyway. Relaxation and fun could do her some good. That was why she had gone to the party in the first place. Yet it had backfired. And as Nikita's text on the burner phone soon pointed out, Alex didn't have a lot of autonomy, "We now control your tracker. You're free to do whatever. Just let me know, so I can hide you from Division's prying eyes."

"So if I wanted to go to a party?" Alex replied tentatively. Maybe she was asking too much. Maybe she shouldn't try to relax between missions and planning. Although relaxation would keep her from going insane, she shouldn't risk her safety- or anyone else's. She should do as expected. Working with the rogues was already painting a target on her back. If she wanted Division on her side while she hunted Semak, she should be a model agent. Anything that could risk that would be a mistake, even if she really wanted to do it.

"What party? You're at home," With a winking emoticon, Nikita responded. Alex had had her back when she was feeding her Division intel and helping her with missions. The rogue could have her back while she was trying to live her own life the best that she could. Division always made it difficult. The black ops group wanted to impose its control in everything. Alex deserved to live outside of that. She could use their resources to get her revenge, and she could be her own person. Nikita would make sure of it. The young woman had been locked away for far too long. It was about time she was free.

Alex beamed. Relief and elation flowed through her. It truly felt like she could have everything she wanted. She could kill Semak. She could make Division pay for their role in her family's death. She could be normal again. And, most importantly, she could be free. After so long, she had the freedom to do whatever she pleased. That night, she intended to have fun before she delved into planning. Alex changed into a comfortable yet cute outfit (she didn't think she had to commit to the full clubbing aesthetic she had seen while living on the streets) and she rushed to answer the knock on her door. Nathan was probably coming to get her, "Sean?"

"Just making sure you're okay," Sean responded to Alex's shock at his sudden appearance. He had debated whether or not he should show up at her door and ask how she was doing. He probably shouldn't draw attention to what happened at the party. Not only had she abruptly ran out of there, she also just disappeared. Sean had his suspicions about where she could've gone. Yet he was still worried. The last thing anyone needed was somebody to be overly emotional and compromised.

"I'm great. Why wouldn't I be?" Leaning against the doorframe, Alex smirked. Earlier, she definitely wasn't okay. A part of her still couldn't believe that she had attacked a man (even though he did have it coming). But after some time away, and after talking to Amanda and Nikita, she felt far better. She might've had a weird and strong reaction to the man touching her, yet that didn't mean she couldn't be normal. She had that chance, and then some. As long as she didn't overthink all her actions, she could thrive in her normalcy.

"You're a lot cooler than me," Sean chuckled, a crooked smile flashing on his full lips. He copied Alex's stance, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. Their heads rolled close together in their shared position. Alex backed away. She could do normal. She could do friendships, and relaxation, and fun. But she couldn't do close. That was what had killed Thom. The less the people in her life knew about her and interacted with her, the better. They could be safe from the hell she brought if she kept her distance. That shouldn't have been so difficult. Yet Sean kept himself close to her. He stayed right next to her, invading all her senses.

"Don't doubt it," Walking backwards into her apartment, Alex distracted Sean with a smug grin. She didn't need him questioning why she was running away from him. She just reached for her purse, acting like she was about to leave. Well, she really was about to leave. But she needed him to think it was soon, so her actions had an excuse. He kept studying her the same way he had at the party. His hazel eyes caught everything. It was almost as though he was staring into her soul. The feeling unsettled her. She didn't think she could hide herself from him. And she desperately had to if they both wanted to save themselves from danger.

"Alex, Sean, come on," Nathan's voice finally forced the two to separate. He stood waiting in the hallway, a welcoming smile on his lips. Alex and Sean spared each other another glance. They didn't expect that they'd both be going. Since they were, however, there was nothing either could do to stop the other. Alex accepted that first. She grabbed her purse, closed and locked her door, and followed Nathan. After a few seconds, Sean followed her. She ignored the eyes on her back, and focused on all the fun she was going to have instead.

Ryan was not happy to see her. Nikita could read it all over his face as she snuck up on him at the bar. Her mission had gotten him in trouble- gotten him demoted to the basement archives of the CIA. He had every right to be pissed at the rogues. The op had only served them and Alex. The analyst didn't get anything out of the deal besides a file full of information. But how could that serve him without context and without his position and access. All he had was baseless intel. And the ability to rant to Nikita. He did the latter without abandon. She had to hear about all the consequences to her actions, even if it didn't affect her directly.

Nikita didn't know why she kissed Ryan. She didn't know why she thought it was a good idea to stop his rambling by pressing her lips against his. It wasn't the greatest way to make people be quiet. He had a lot to say, reasonable fears and frustrations to get off his chest. She shouldn't have silenced him. But she did want to reassure him. Nikita wanted to comfort Ryan and promise that it would all be okay. The best way she knew how to do that was by kissing him. Regardless if it was a good idea or not, he did relax as their lips pressed together. He soon kissed her back. Nikita couldn't help thinking about how soft his lips were.

When the two finally parted, Ryan just stammered. Nikita chuckled. He was cute; she had to admit that. She wouldn't mind kissing him again. Fortunately, before that thought could completely invade her senses, Ryan managed to stammer out a question. She had caught him off guard for the millionth time, yet he was going to get himself together enough to demand answers. She couldn't just walk away without explanation. He had to know why he was constantly dragged into things, "Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because, Ryan Fletcher, I'm going to make you a hero," Nikita smiled in all sincerity. If anyone deserved to be a hero, it'd be Ryan. The rogues had caused too much damage, done too many atrocious things, to be called heroes. The best they could hope for once their mission was done was to be absolved of their actions; the three could fade away in obscurity. But Ryan Fletcher, he had only done the right thing. He wanted to reveal the truth no matter the consequences. With all the dangerous corruption and shadowy organizations that surrounded them, that was far more heroic. He wouldn't succumb. He'd always fight for the truth.

After Nikita left him, squeezing his bicep as another sign of comfort, Ryan continued searching for the truth. He poured over the file she had given him, not even watching her while she left. He thought about it, though. His lips burned with her lingering kiss, and he wanted to stare after her- at least to discover how she made her seemingly magical entrances and exits. But he had to stay on task. He had to know what was going on with the rogues and Division. He knew he wouldn't discover the whole truth from them. The file was his only source. Although he had derived the truth from less, figuring out Division was a whole other level of difficulty.

Chapter Text

Nikita didn’t say much when she returned from talking to Ryan. There wasn’t much for her to say. The three rogues had rescued Alex, they sent Division spiraling, and a CIA analyst was completely on their side. The rebels didn’t necessarily have to say anything. They just had to prepare for their next operation. That’d be easier if one of them wasn’t so distracted. Birkhoff was digging through Shadownet while Michael took stock of their inventory. Nikita was supposed to be combing through their contacts for any intel, yet she was staring off into the distance. Michael had to whistle to get her attention, “So is Ryan still with us?”

Slowly, Nikita turned towards him. Her fingers kept absentmindedly playing with her bottom lip. The last thing she was supposed to have done was set up a secure way to communicate with Ryan. But after figuring everything out, she got lost in thought. Michael believed her intense thoughts had something to do with the analyst. Maybe he backed out after realizing how daunting the task was, or after witnessing all the disasters Division caused. Yet Nikita didn’t answer Michael immediately; she didn’t seem to even register what he had said. Birkhoff scoffed at her lack of focus, “Are you still with us?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Ryan’s all on board. He’s pissed he got demoted from counter intel to the basement archives. But he’s studying that file like his life depends on it,” After another few seconds, Nikita shook her head and replied. She didn’t mean to let her thoughts wander. She had wanted to contact Alex next, gather intel on whatever Division was up to at the moment. Talking to Ryan, however, left her reflecting. Reflecting on exactly what, she hardly knew. But she did think about normalcy for just a moment. And a lingering tingle on her lips.

“It might,” Birkhoff’s snide comment brought Nikita fully back to the moment. He wasn’t being rude- just stating a cruel fact. Ryan put himself in severe danger by aligning with the rogues. Studying that file to take down Division would be the only thing to save his life. The CIA didn’t offer him any protection. That had been made very clear. Division had agents everywhere. Percy had his hands in pockets everywhere. Fighting a war against the secret black ops unit stacked the odds against you a million to one. Death was more likely than success.

“Don’t remind me,” Nikita sighed, ruffling her hair out of her face. She never wanted to drag anyone into danger; though, Ryan had accidentally stumbled into it first. Working with the rogues could save him a lifetime of further torment for just learning about Division. All of the rebels could benefit from working with one another. There was some safety in numbers. And once the black ops group was demolished, their lives would no longer be in danger. That seemed more like a pipedream the longer the war went on, however. There wasn’t much of a way out. David taking down Goliath was a myth, after all.

While Nikita tried to straighten her shoulders and ignore her morose thoughts, Michael studied her. He wasn’t surprised she had fallen to dark thoughts. He also wasn’t surprised that she was trying to battle them. She had gotten better at trying to find hope in their mission. What Michael was trying to figure out was Nikita’s thoughts surrounding Ryan. She kept worrying her bottom lip. She didn’t do that when she was nervous- she usually messed with her hair. Something else was in her mind. And he had to know what, “What’s up between you and Ryan?”

“Uh. Nothing? Why?” Nikita dropped her hand from her mouth. There wasn’t anything going on between her and Ryan Fletcher. They were simply allies in their war. The kiss they had shared meant nothing. She had only kissed him to shut him up and reassure him. It was entirely platonic. Even though he stuttered afterwards, even though she thought about how cute that made him, there was nothing between them. So why, of course, did that make her so defensive and nervous to tell Michael. It wasn’t as though anything was going on between them either.

“Just… if he had any intel,” Clearing his throat, Michael backed out of his real question. What did it matter to him if Nikita and Ryan Fletcher had anything going on. Michael had made it clear that he and Nikita should stay as they were until he could extinguish the ghosts of his past. He didn’t exactly ask her to wait for him. That would be unfair of him; he didn’t have a claim on her. So why did he feel so annoyed- so hopeless- by the thought that she might move on to someone else. It probably wasn’t true, but the thought wouldn’t escape him. He just wanted to know so he could assure himself.

“Nope. But uh… I should check in with Alex,” Nikita only shook her head and moved away with the burner phone. She and Michael had been so good at talking earlier. So what held them back then. A part of her knew what. However, Nikita didn’t want to explore it. Neither did Michael, apparently. They both just ignored the problem. It would probably just fizzle out eventually. If it truly meant nothing, then whatever they were feeling would just fade into obscurity; there would be no weight to it.

At least, that was what Michael and Nikita believed. Birkhoff, on the other hand, watched as something unnamed- unexplored- brewed between the two. It wasn’t new. The thing had been between them before- almost always had. Silently watching it fester again, Birkhoff felt as though he should say something. The looks, the strained conversations, the refusal to address anything, the two had to knock it off. There was only so much the hacker could take. He wouldn’t be able to live with the others much longer if they didn’t talk. Or if they didn’t acknowledge there was something going on, “What the hell was that?”

“Shut up,” Michael bit maybe a little too harshly. He could’ve simply ignored the nerd like he was ignoring everything else, yet he wanted Birkhoff to drop the subject before it could ever begin. Although that was the worst way to get the hacker to move on- if anything, he’d want to bug the others more- it was too late to say another word. Michael just wanted to refocus on preparing for a potential operation. It had been silent from Division for a while. A new mission had to have been brewing. That was more worthy of their attention than whatever was between Michael and Nikita; though, honestly, both could be disastrous.

In an attempt to keep her mind off of everything, Nikita played with her burner cellphone. She was being ridiculous. Michael was being ridiculous. It was all nothing. It was just a stupid moment that caused silly feelings. It didn’t have to cause them to act so childishly. They were adults. They should talk and address their thoughts and feelings, instead of running and hiding. But it was too late for that. They couldn’t just go back and start the conversation over; it had already been messed up. And other things had begun to take precedence. For example, Alex called before Nikita could even manage to dial her number, “Got a mission for you.”

“Awesome. Is it some international intrigue? Assassinations? Betrayal and romance?” Instantly, Nikita dived into the new mission. Considering the other operations Alex had informed the rogues of, the new one had to be beyond interesting. It could be the perfect thing to distract from complicated emotions. They weren’t that complicated if either Michael or Nikita gave themselves a second to actually think about them. Yet that was where complicity in relationships lied. No one was brave enough to accept truths and consequences. No one wanted to feel uncomfortable. So, they buried it under complicity and attempted to move on.

“Uh, yeah actually. That’s spot on,” Taken aback, Alex replied. She wasn’t certain what had Nikita so eager- and she wasn’t certain if she even wanted to know. Yet, the rogue was right about the type of mission they were going to face. Alex had been planning it with other agents for a while. Since the plan was finalized, she thought it was about time she brought in the rogues. The three could train to stop the operation as Division trained to pull it off. Comparing their skills, it was clear who would come out on top. Once they had all the information, of course.

“So who hired Division?” Instead of diving straight into the mission, Nikita asked about the background information. She didn’t care for it so much. Except, Birkhoff had mentioned that it could help them search for future Division missions. He could log the information into one of his Shadow-programs and create an algorithm that’d lead them to other Division clients, and therefore other missions. He had done something similar before. But with more intel, he could be more accurate. Nikita didn’t understand all the technobabble behind the system, yet she’d help Birkhoff obtain intel. It’d at least stop them from relying too much on Alex.

“That I don’t know,” Alex admitted. She knew everything else about the mission: where it was going to take place, who they were supposed to kill, who all the important people were, and what Division had to disguise the mission as. However, Alex had no idea who asked the black ops group to carry it out. She assumed it was a political rival. The agents were killing a political head; it made sense. Alex just didn’t want to speculate over the phone. Nor did she want to share important intel while pacing her Division controlled apartment. She and Nikita had to meet in person, somewhere safe and secure, “Is there some place we can meet to go over this?”

For a moment, Nikita considered having Alex come to the safehouse. But that might’ve been too much for the young agent. A lot was happening in the crowded safehouse/command center. Also, Alex didn’t seem to be comfortable enough with Michael and Birkhoff to be spilling secrets. They should work on that. But maybe not on huge missions. They could take baby steps. After all, Nikita had kept a place available for the very purpose of having a staging ground in the city. It was about time she returned to the loft, “I’ve got the perfect place.”

Once Nikita gave Alex the time and place, the two hung up the phone. The young agent was relieved to be working hands-on with the rogues. She felt like it could be further practice for her mission against Semak. The more she planned top-secret and successful operations, the better prepared she would be. Yet that couldn’t occupy too much of her attention. Alex had to focus on saving Division’s latest target. She could let her other mission fall to the back burner for once. The rest of her life seemed to. She hardly remembered she had made friends around her apartment building, until they snuck up behind her as she left, “Off to work again?”

“Shopping,” Alex replied with a half-truth (she did intend to go shopping after meeting with Nikita so Amanda and Percy wouldn’t grow suspicious of her activities) before she even registered who she was talking to. It was only Sean. He always appeared to be outside his apartment the same time she did. It could’ve been a coincidence if she wasn’t in and out at weird hours so often because of Division. She was curious about what her neighbor did to be able to talk to her all the time. He had to have worked, “What do you do all day?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Sean flashed a smarmy grin. Alex was instantly put off by it. She didn’t think that sort of question should’ve been given a sarcastic reply. She just asked what he did for work- or even for fun. Most people would have replied with something. It was a basic question, after all. But Sean was just weird, almost as if he was trying too hard at being flirty. It definitely didn’t come off as him being cute. Alex was annoyed. She couldn’t quite figure out Sean, and he just made it worse. She was so ready for another mission.

“Hey,” Thankfully, Nathan entered the hallway, cutting the tension between Sean and Alex. He smiled and waved at both of his neighbors. But Alex received the warmer gesture. She smiled brightly in response and repeated the greeting as she left the building. She could’ve sworn Sean’s eyes followed her while she made her exit. He didn’t respond to Nathan. He hardly even acknowledged him besides a brief contemptuous glance. Alex caught the look over her shoulder when she adjusted her purse. If she wasn’t puzzled by Sean before, that certainly had her perplexed. What was all of that about. What was Sean’s deal.

A part of Alex wanted to solve that mystery immediately. She wanted to march up to Sean and question him about the way he stared at her, studied her, and the irritation he had for Nathan. However, she had more important things to attend to. An overly sarcastic man who was able to look right through her with one glance could wait. At least her feet expressed that as they carried her to Nikita’s staging ground. Alex’s mind, on the other hand, kept running with thoughts of Sean- and Nathan, somewhat. She couldn’t make it stop. When she finally joined the rogue, she was ready to explode. Her frustration became that palpable, “What’s up with guys?”

“Fuck if I know,” Nikita scoffed. She wasn’t expecting Alex to burst into the loft all huffy and upset, but she wasn’t going to complain. The young agent deserved a place to rant; though, Nikita didn’t need to know what Alex was thinking about. She had her own problems with men she had to deal with. They could both bitch and moan about their issues and not get anywhere. They were both too caught up in their own bullshit to help each other with stupid guys. A mission, however, the two women could excel at together. They were both determined to put all of their thoughts into something else, “What do you got for me?”

“More fucked up men,” Laying out her blueprints and dossiers she had hidden in her purse, Alex sighed. She was so willing to join Nikita in forgetting her problems with a mission. She could put her training to the test and see if she was prepared to take on Semak. But even that didn’t offer her the solutions she wanted. She just wanted to forget about the complicated men in her life, so she could clear her head and breathe easier. Saving the Crown Prince of Georgia from getting killed by political enemies after his recent marriage seemed like the perfect head clearing mission. Alex could focus on other people’s complicated problems for a change.

Chapter Text

Alex told Nikita everything she knew about the Division operation. The rogue, in return, told her team the whole plan. Division had been hired to kill the Crown Prince of Georgia as he and his wife presented royal jewels to a museum in New York. Alex and another agent, Stephen, were in charge of leading the Alpha team on the strike. They were to disguise themselves as Georgian rebels, blast their way past security, and take out the Prince as he stepped on stage. The whole thing shouldn’t take more than ten minutes. And in the resulting chaos, they’d be able to slip away into the darkness. It was a solid plan; Alex and Stephen should be proud of it.

Though, honestly, Alex was more proud of the counter mission she and Nikita created. The Crown Prince hadn’t done anything to warrant his murder. It wasn’t like he was a dictator or something. He was a man trying to bring peace to his country. Of course, as a result, power hungry monsters would hire Division to keep that from happening; they simply couldn’t let the people have the prosperity peace brought. Thankfully, there were those like the rogues who could step in and save the day. They could make sure there was some goodness left in the world.

Once they had all their intel and help from Alex, the three rogues soon made a decision on how they would proceed. Due to the quick nature of the mission, only Nikita would go. Michael and Birkhoff would monitor from the safehouse through street cams, satellite images, and their own private coms. Birkhoff quipped that the mission was like how they operated in their old Division days. To which Michael and Nikita just shared a strange look. The hacker sighed and continued prepping for the operation. He seriously didn’t want to keep dealing with the other two at the moment. They could figure it out on their own.

Michael and Nikita didn’t. They just moved past the awkward moment and focused on the mission. They established a cover for Nikita to sneak into the museum under Division’s radar. She also planned on using that cover to tip people off to what was occurring. To control the chaos, others should know that Division planned on killing the Prince. The first thought was to tell the Georgian’s head of security. Yet considering the amount of information the black ops group was given to plan their strike, someone close to the Prince had to have hired them. Nikita’s money was on the head of security. It was always the right hand man that wanted to steal power.

That seemed plausible to Michael and Birkhoff. They had seen security heads, and advisors, and people in positions like that turn on leaders all the time. Crown Prince Erik had to be protected from those that were supposed to protect him. Which was why Nikita believed it was a bright idea to involve others close to the Prince so they could ensure his safety. If the rogue agent told the Princess of Georgia what was occurring, she could help get her husband out of danger. Division wouldn’t know what happened until they crashed the scene.

At least, that was the plan. It unfortunately didn’t unfold like that. When Nikita informed Princess Kristina that the head of security hired Division to kill Prince Erik, the scheme the rogues (and Alex) had created instantly fell to shit. Kristina led Nikita to another room of the museum under the pretense that she was leading her to Erik. Then, the Princess and the head of security overpowered the rogue and left her in a recycling bin. She was taken completely by surprise. Division’s operation wasn’t hindered in the slightest.

Once Nikita was able to climb out of the recycling bin, she was pissed. There went any calm and collected plans. She had to rush after Erik and let hell rain down when the Division agents started blasting. She was lucky to even reach the hapless target in time. As soon as she yanked him off stage, Alex, Stephen, and the Alpha team stormed into the room, immediately firing off their weapons. Erik stopped fighting Nikita and ran off with her. He recognized a source of salvation when he found one. He knew she’d be the only one to get him out of the situation alive. After all, his security force did nothing.

Prince Erik was fairly calm as Nikita snuck him around the museum. He followed her instructions as they avoided cameras and detection. He was able to handle himself well, despite the situation. Nikita was glad. She didn’t think she could deal with the Alpha team searching for them and the Prince panicking. He did ask a lot of questions; though, so did she. While she told him about his wife and head of security hiring Division to kill him, he told her about his marriage. It was only out of convenience. Erik and Kristina came from old ruling families; their marriage could have restored political balance to Georgia. Except, he didn’t want to rule.

After the trip to New York, Erik planned to abdicate the throne. Kristina didn’t like that idea. So, of course, she hired Division to kill him. If the Crown Prince was killed by ‘rebels’ before he could give up the throne, then the Princess would be the sole ruler. She probably cut a deal with the head of security to ensure a smooth transition of power. Although that all made sense, Erik didn’t like the idea that Kristina had tried to kill him. They might not have married for love, yet they were still amicable- still friends. Shouldn’t that mean something more than power did. He couldn’t see himself killing her, “People in love don’t try to kill each other.”

Nikita wasn’t able to contain the incredulous look on her face. She should’ve just left the Prince’s optimism be- he could believe the best in people. Yet the expression overcame her. Even people who claimed they loved you could hurt you. That was a fact as old as time itself. Love didn’t always save lives; sometimes, it ended them. But Nikita didn’t have the time to delve into all that. The crisis at hand needed to be resolved as quickly as possible. Fortunately, she had some backup. The team of rogues could figure out what to do together, “Hey. So I was wrong.”

“There’s police everywhere. What happened?” Michael responded into their private com immediately. He and Birkhoff had been waiting for an update from Nikita, especially as they watched things dissolve from their safehouse. They tried to keep communication to a minimum so Division couldn’t catch onto them. However, it seemed like they already did. The police presence Michael and Birkhoff spotted through street cams and satellite images screamed that something went awry with the mission. Nikita stating that she was wrong screamed even louder.

“The head of security isn’t the only one behind the plot. Princess Kristina is too. Prince Erik wants to abdicate. She wants the throne. It’s a tale as old as time,” Nikita whispered as she stealthily led Prince Erik through the museum. She felt like she couldn’t even complain about how much the mission slipped away from her. She was the one to assume that the head of security would be the only one to make a power grab. Maybe if she had just done more research, or paid just a bit more attention, she wouldn’t have waltzed right into danger with the Crown Prince of Georgia. They could be on their way home, along with Division’s hostages.

“Didn’t you tell the Princess what was happening so you could save her husband?” Hacking into the museum’s cameras, Birkhoff asked. He had tried to stay directly out of the museum’s system, knowing Division would be poking around in there. However, there was no use in hiding anymore. Kristina had tipped them off to Nikita’s presence. They probably figured out that Michael and Birkhoff were involved as well. The hacker could invade their system and finally know what was going on. Watching the Alpha hold the guests hostage certainly put things into perspective. The situation was far more dangerous than they intended.

“Yeah, I’m aware of my mistakes. Division is now hunting us down,” Nikita bit. She knew damn well the kind of hell she had created for herself by trusting the wrong person. Some of it came to bite her in the ass while she and Prince Erik hid in another room. Two Division agents were able to track them down, and there was no way to escape them unscathed. Nikita doubted the Prince had any tactical training, so she handled the two herself. A samurai sword was on display in the room. She grabbed it and used it (feeling not as sorry as she should’ve for using a priceless artifact). The agents went down. She and Erik were able to move.

It wouldn’t be long before they ran into more Division agents, however. And Nikita might not be able to surprise them next time. She was going to need a partner to get her out of the museum. Birkhoff could guide her over coms, but someone else had to be in the field with her to diverge Division. Alex could do that for a short amount of time without blowing her cover. For something substantial, though, Michael decided he had to join her, “Nikita, I’m on my way. Birkhoff, see if you can create a secure channel between Nikita and Alex.”

“Gonna have to piggyback off of Division,” Already on it, Birkhoff warned. He couldn’t magically create a secure channel between Nikita and Alex- contrary to popular belief. All he could do was interfere with Division’s communications. If the rogue and her mole could find a way to talk to one another, then the hacker could ensure the Alpha team couldn’t listen in. He’d have to time it just right so it didn’t seem suspicious. On top of their hurried change of plans, Alex’s cover couldn’t be blown. She shouldn’t have to lose everything on that operation.

“It’s okay. I have a walkie-talkie. Just get us connected,” Nikita had managed to grab a walkie-talkie off one of the agents she had killed. She and Erik listened through it as they snuck around the Alpha team looking for them. She had thought about taunting the agents through it as well. She could possibly get a secret message through to Alex that way- like the young woman had done when the rogue was held captive by Division. But if Birkhoff was going to open a direct line of communication between them, that’d be so much better. The less of a chance there was of a misunderstanding, the better off they’d be.

 While Michael hurried to Nikita, Birkhoff worked on securing communication for the women. Nikita taunted the Alpha team- specifically Stephen- in the meantime. She wanted them to know that the rogues had control. And she continued the torment by only wanting to address the agent who had ‘captured’ her months ago. Alex took the hint to connect to the conversation with her com. After the woman traded a few quips, Birkhoff caused their channel to fizzle out of earshot. They had a minute of privacy before Division caught on. Alex sighed when she realized that. She moved away from the others and whispered, “Nikita? Thank God. Where are you?”

“We’re headed to the roof. Is Kristina with you?” Curtly, Nikita huffed into the walkie-talkie. Her latest scrape with Division left a fairly decent sized gash along her calf. She could ignore the blood and sting as she raced with Prince Erik to the roof of the museum. Her injuries weren’t nearly as detrimental as the Crown Prince’s safety. Or any of the hostages’ lives. The rogues believed that Division wouldn’t actually hurt them; there was no need for collateral damage on that mission. But the innocents could be caught in potential crossfire, especially the woman the Prince kept expressing such concern for- the one he cared about deeply.

“Yeah. Why?” Alex glanced cautiously over her shoulder. Princess Kristina had stayed huddled with the rest of the hostages. Besides certain weighted glances towards the head of security, she didn’t seem too panicked. The young agent believed that was because the aristocrat had been trained to keep her emotions in check while around the public. Alex’s father had taught her to control her thoughts and feelings when others were watching her. She couldn’t appear weak- affected by anything. That had to be the same for the Georgian Princess.

“She’s behind it. She wants the throne for herself. And she might hurt that assistant, Leela,” Nikita quickly changed Alex’s mind, however. The Princess wasn’t stoic simply to save face. She wasn’t afraid of what was occurring because she was behind it. Kristina would have to be dealt with later, as would the rest of Division. Prince Erik still needed to be saved. And after some of the things he had told Nikita about his personal life with the Princess, so did their assistant, Leela. Erik loved her. He wanted to divorce Kristina in order to marry her. That could put a serious wrinkle in the traitorous Princess’s schemes. Leela should then be protected.

“Okay. Got it,” Shifting her focus to Leela, Alex nodded briefly. The assistant was definitely more frightened than the Princess. Alex had to find a way to comfort her and let her know that Erik was looking out for her- it would all be alright soon. But maybe not as soon as the rogues would’ve liked. The Alpha team was informed by Kelly that the FBI agents surrounding the building were actually Division. They were going to break out the ‘rebels’ and kill the Prince. They could be trusted by the Alpha team. Yet if the rogues and the Prince interacted with them, they were dead, “Hey. Watch out. The Feds are Division.”

Quickly, Nikita breathed her thanks. That was all the time she and Alex had for their conversation at the moment. They’d have to try for a longer one later. But hopefully, Prince Erik could make it out of the museum before then. Birkhoff led him and Nikita successfully to the roof. Division wouldn’t catch up to them there. Erik could drop down into safety, and Nikita could find a different way out. She was planning to expose Kristina as she did so, yet she’d need Michael’s and Alex’s help to pull that off. She’d work it out when she could talk to them, which would be after Erik was saved, “Head to the police, not the Feds. They’ll take care of you.”

“What about Leela? I’m not leaving her here. I won’t leave her in danger while I’m somewhere safe,” Refusing to climb down the fire escape to the street below, Erik finally fought Nikita on a direction. He hadn’t just told her about Leela so she’d understand his complicated relationship with Kristina. He wanted the rogue agent to save Leela as well. He loved her with all of his heart. If she died, so would he. Erik couldn’t freely escape to the police if he knew that she was still in danger. What kind of man would he be if he left his love to die.

“Alright. We’re going back for Leela,” Nikita wanted to roll her eyes. She wanted to sigh and express how ridiculous the idea was. But she had to admit that she admired the Prince for his decision. He could’ve easily ran to the police and saved himself, yet he had decided to put himself in more danger just to save the woman he loved. Who said prince charmings only existed in fairy tales. Erik was the walking embodiment of a knight in shining armor. He’d make a great leader to the people of Georgia if he didn’t want to abdicate. His moral compass and passion gave hope. Nikita certainly couldn’t fault it. She dove right into it.

Chapter Text

"You guys copy? There's a change in plans," Racing back down the stairs, Nikita bit into her com. She wasn't being harsh. She just wasn't sure how much time she and Prince Erik had before they ran into Division again. Returning for Leela was a huge risk. The Crown Prince had been free. He could've easily climbed down the fire escape and been safe. Yet Leela was far more important to him. So back to danger the Prince and the rogue went, thus putting the assistant into possible further harm. Nikita needed her team to help them out. She could do it on her own, but it'd be a struggle. With two vital lives on the line, she couldn't afford a struggle.

If he wasn't busy hurrying to reach Nikita at the museum in time, Michael would have responded. As great as the safehouse in the woods was, one downside was how far from the city it was. Nikita was right to keep her loft as a staging ground. Birkhoff and Michael both wished they had moved there for the operation. But, in their defense, they didn't think the mission would've blown up in their faces like it had. The rogues continuously had to scramble for a new plan. Birkhoff was doing his best to keep up with all the hacking. Yet it was difficult without all the information, "I'm going to try and get you in contact with Alex. Where are you now?"

"The basement. But not for long," Nikita eventually shared. She figured she and Erik could hide there for a while. The basement of the museum was a maze of storage. It'd take Division some time to navigate it once they knew that was where the rogues were. And with the amount of things stuffed underground, the noise of it shuffling would alert Nikita to any visitors. She could take some time to formulate a new scheme. She could also give Erik a moment to breathe and collect his thoughts. Then certainly wasn't the time for him to start panicking.

"Yes, for long. That wound needs to be addressed. Sit," Fortunately, Prince Erik wasn't one to panic. Unfortunately, he was one unafraid to boss Nikita around. He made her sit on a crate, then he grabbed a first aid kit he had seen hanging on the wall. The gash she had suffered on her calf had only gotten worse with time. It could get infected, or worse, if no one paid attention to it. Since Nikita had saved his life and was about to save Leela's as well, dressing her wound was the least Erik could do. He was well trained in field dressings, after all, "Don't worry. I was a medic in the service."

"Wow. A prince and a doctor. You truly are Prince Charming," Nikita couldn't stop herself from chuckling. She had never met a man like Crown Prince Erik of Georgia. He was a prince and a doctor; however, he didn't want the power associated with either of those positions. He just wanted to live peacefully with his love and help others. Although he was married to another woman, he went through with the relationship for his family and his country; that could still be admirable. He was an absolutely fantastic man. He didn't deserve to be killed by Division. Hardly anyone did, but someone like Erik shouldn't suffer because of others.

"A Prince Charming who left his love in danger," Muttering mostly to himself, Erik finished dressing Nikita's wound. He didn't mean for her to hear his self-loathing, yet since she had, she wanted to comfort him. It wasn't as though he had intentionally left Leela in a hostage situation. He had argued with his rescuer to turn back and save her. Despite what he thought of himself, or the mistakes he had made, Erik was still very much a charming prince. Not many women could say they had a man actively fighting for their love and wellbeing. Nikita definitely didn't have a knight in shining armor waiting on a white horse to whisk her away.

"I got Alex for you; though, not as long as last time," Before Nikita could say anything to Erik, however, Birkhoff chimed back in over the com. Getting the rogue and her mole in touch had become far more difficult since Division hackers were actively searching for Birkhoff. He could still out maneuver them, yet he didn't want to be too cocky- as difficult as it was for him. The black ops unit was just as frustrated with the situation as the rogues were. They were far more determined to catch their prey, which meant Birkhoff actually had to be careful.

"I need you to get Leela alone from the other hostages. We're going back for her," Quick and to the point, Nikita informed Alex of the new plan. She left it up to the young agent to come up with how exactly that'd work. She knew what was happening on that side of the mission far more than the rogues did. Besides, Alex had proven herself creative and resourceful. Nikita could trust her. She could also trust the young woman to go above and beyond what was asked of her. She was becoming smarter and more capable everyday. Soon (hopefully soon) she wouldn't need Division to get what she wanted.

Glancing between Leela, Kristina, and Stephen, Alex did her best to think of something. She definitely couldn't get Leela alone without tipping her hand. She would be discovered as a mole in less than a second. She had to do things in a roundabout way. And without being able to share much information with Nikita. After some time, Alex managed to formulate the best idea she was going to have. She could turn Division's tactics against them. What they thought were their strengths could be used against them. The young agent had to contain her proud grin as she purposefully crossed to Stephen and shared, "I think I know a way to draw out the Prince."

Stephen readily accepted Alex's idea. They'd bring Leela to a secure location and threaten her to draw out Prince Erik. There were phones that connected rooms in the museum together. If they opened up a line of communication, they could bait either Erik or Nikita into picking up a phone and revealing their location. The idea was so great, that as Stephen and Alex instigated it, Kristina tagged along. She wanted to actively be involved in the Prince's death. So much so that she made the threat, "I know you're still out there, Erik. You want to rescue your one true love. But if you don't turn yourself in, I'll kill her. Then, I'll kill you."

"They're not going to kill her. She's the only leverage they have," Firmly holding Erik back from the phone that suddenly sprang to life, Nikita promised. She knew Division's plays. Although Stephen (even if Alex hadn't told Nikita he was leading the operation, the rogue recognized his voice) cocked his gun and counted down threateningly, she knew he wouldn't pull the trigger. Leela was the only possible leverage Division had against Erik. She was the only person they could threaten to make the Prince do whatever they wanted. If she died, they couldn't make him do anything. For once, Division's death threats were absolutely meaningless.

Alex knew what Nikita was thinking. She had thought it herself. The gun pointed at Leela's head wouldn't do anything. Yet there were other ways to get a message across to the rogue. Without thinking too much about what she was doing, Alex marched up to the captured woman, grabbed her hand, and broke a finger. She tried to ignore her painful screams. She had to remain tough and imposing; that was the only way to reach Nikita with Division around, "This is your last chance, Nikita. Each minute you don't answer, I break another finger. That gives you about ten minutes. I'd take the offer if I were you. There's three of us and only one of you."

"Come on. We got ten minutes, and three agents are coming," The second the phone line closed, Nikita dragged Prince Erik after her. Alex's meaning rang loud and clear. Division had located the rogue in the basement, and they were coming for her and the Prince. The two needed to hurry if they were going to beat their oncoming assault and rescue Leela. The information Alex gave Nikita should be sufficient. The rogue could take on three agents without problem. It was only a matter of time before Leela was safe, and she and Erik were free of that hell.

While Nikita battled her way to Leela's location, Alex put another part of her plan into action. She had opened up the phone call to the cops outside as well. The authorities were well aware of Kristina's plot. However, that might not be enough to stop her. The Princess could bypass local cops. International news outlets, on the other hand, not so much. Alex just had to make sure the truth got out there. She couldn't do it on her own. Yet she knew the rogue hacker had been listening. If she could contact him the same way he reached out to her, she could make him release the information, "Hey, B. Did you get all that?"

"Uh. Yeah. I did. I'll release it to the press when you guys are clear," Birkhoff was surprised that Alex had contacted him directly. He was also surprised that she had called him by a nickname (though, he supposed that was because she had forgotten his actual name). But he was glad she had checked in with him. Exposing Kristina as the villain behind the assassination plot was as important as saving Prince Erik. She couldn't be allowed to return to Georgia. She'd just try to kill the Prince again. Her crimes had to be known. She had to be stopped. And- hopefully- as a result, Division would be deterred.

It wasn't long before Nikita burst into the room Leela was kept in. She was able to take out the agents that had come her way and divert Stephen and Kristina from the room. She and Erik could rescue Leela and escape without anyone noticing- for a while, anyway. Alex had remained in the room with the assistant. She helped the rogue and the Prince secure Leela's safety; though, she'd have to report what had happened soon. She could at least give the others a few minutes head start. That would be all they had anyway before Kelly decided it was time to bust up the operation. The rogue and the innocents had to clear the building immediately.

"Go. I got this. And watch out for the FBI," Alex waved away any gratitude and urged them along. She could see the concern in Nikita's brown eyes. The rogue didn't want to leave her to Division; she was worried the agents might learn of her treachery. Except, there was nothing to worry about. Alex had everything well under control. She ensured there was no evidence that she had helped the rogues and had released Princess Kristina's assassination attempt to the police. The black ops unit would remain completely oblivious of her identity as a double agent. And Alex could keep proving to herself that she was smart and strong enough to take on Semak.

With Division occupied by Kelly and other agents storming the museum posed as FBI agents, Nikita made a clean break for the rooftop. Prince Erik and Leela stayed close to her. They didn't stop for breath or to be concerned about injuries; they just ran to the fire escape. Luckily, the three arrived there safely. Once again, Nikita warned not to trust the FBI but to go to the cops instead. She wished the couple the best. But before she could run off to divert Division's attention, Erik and Leela wished her the same. The rogue smiled at them, sincerely. Then she sprinted back to the basement, drawing away attention and saving herself from the cops.

"Come out, Nikita. I know you're here," As the museum cleared out upstairs, it wasn't difficult for the strike team to catch up to their rogue in the basement. Kelly's voice soon rang throughout the maze of boxes and storage. She didn't have a teasing or playful tone like she was trying to bait the rogue into engaging. Kelly had every intention to kill Nikita in the worst ways possible. The rogue wouldn't even dare mess with that. A part of her wanted to fight her old partner and be as brutal as the Division agent wanted to be. But she knew it wasn't smart. She should focus on escaping the museum and any awaiting authorities- real or fake- instead.

Using the complexities of the basement to her advantage, Nikita snuck around and silently took out the first Division agent she came upon. She dragged his body out of sight of the others and quickly ripped off his gear. It didn't matter that the agent was far bigger than her. She couldn't stalk around in her dress any longer; she'd be caught so easily. In a fake FBI tactical suit, she could pass by unseen- even by Division. Kelly didn't notice what Nikita had done until it was too late. Everyone was outside the museum, and the rogue continued to run away.

Ripping off her stolen headgear, Nikita studied her surroundings to find an escape. Over her shoulder, she spotted Kelly exiting the museum and doing the same. Her eyes roamed the crowd, and once they landed on Nikita, they became murderous. The rogue had to disappear. She used the crowd of nosy pedestrians, released hostages, news reporters, and emergency responders to her advantage. Nikita concealed her escape with a throng of people and ducked into a nearby alley. Quickly, she disposed of her stolen gear and searched for a true escape.

Michael's sudden and smoky voice in her com told her to run behind the museum. Nikita didn't hesitate. She made a break for it, tearing her dress further as she hopped over a fence. She didn't care; she just had to leave the scene. However, when she sprinted along the back of the building, she was met with an unknown man on a motorcycle. She backed away immediately. Division finally caught up to her. Kelly must've seen her slip away, and she had called for backup. Nikita finally caught the end of her luck. Except, while she prepared to run, the man lifted the visor of his helmet- exposing his bright, evergreen eyes.

Nikita would've recognized those green eyes anywhere. They seemed to smile at her, sparkling and shining even in the dark. She smiled in return. Michael straddled the motorcycle and held a helmet out to her. Although it took him longer than he had wanted, he finally joined his partner in the field- just in time to whisk her away to safety. Nikita rushed over to her getaway vehicle and accepted the helmet. Once she was atop the seat and had a secure hold on Michael, he sped off towards their safehouse. She held tight the entire time.

Chapter Text

After Michael and Nikita returned to the safehouse, Nikita cleaned herself up then debriefed with her team. Birkhoff released the audio he had captured of Princess Kristina admitting to planning the assassination attempt. She was soon arrested, along with the head of security who had helped her. Division managed to escape custody thanks to their disguise as the FBI. Despite that, the rogues were still victorious. They saved their target, punished the villains, and dealt a serious blow to Division. Even with the setbacks they had experienced, it was an overall great mission.

The rogues decided to relish in their success the next day as they watched the news coverage of Prince Erik's rescue and Princess Kristina's betrayal. They went to Nikita's loft to meet with Alex and discuss their next moves. It was easier to have their mole meet them in the city. They could hide her location better, and their safehouse could remain secure. Also, it had been suggested that the loft be used to run missions in the city. Not only was it closer to the action, it was also a great place to work.

There were so many windows that had an amazing view of the city; they looked out across the vast cityscape in multiple directions. The loft also had a kitchen, bathroom, rest area, and its own security measures. Nikita was right to keep it around. As he studied the reconstructed abandoned building, Michael had to admit that. The safehouse was a better place to live, especially since the rogues were all together. Yet, the loft was the perfect staging ground, "You're right. We should stage missions from here."

Smugly, Nikita glanced at Michael. He had supported her decision once she had explained herself weeks prior. Yet it must've taken him actually seeing the loft to fully get behind the idea. She wanted to roll her eyes at him and get on him for ever doubting her. She could make great plans and decisions too. Just because it didn't support what he wanted didn't mean she was ever wrong (she was wrong at times for other reasons). She had to prove that to him. But not by regular means. Nikita had to obnoxiously say 'I told you so', "I'm sorry. What was that? I was what?"

"Alright, don't rub it in," Michael nudged Nikita while hiding a small grin. She chuckled beside him, but he managed to ignore it to continue studying her loft. She had outfitted it pretty well for the few months she had lived there. Although it wasn't anything like Shadownet, she had her own computer system equipped with some basic hacks and a signal jammer. She had plenty of nonperishable foods stacked in her kitchen. The bed in the corner wasn't much, but at least it was better than a cot- it'd be more comfortable to pass out on. And she had the amenities to make life more comfortable. The rogues should have a great time running ops from there.

"Or what? You know you can't take me," Gaining Michael's attention, Nikita taunted him. He didn't have to keep studying her loft. They weren't organizing another mission yet. They were allowed some time to relax before they had to rush off and save the world again. She wanted to spend that time playing around with her friends. Since each of them had gone rogue from Division, that seemed like such a rare opportunity; there was no chance for joy. Since they were together again, they should change that. She knew she needed to at least find the good in things. What better way than smiling with Michael- and Birkhoff.

"I'm sorry. I remember kicking your ass just fine in Division," Michael was quick to return the taunt. He could easily jump aboard Nikita's plans to mess around. After all, he had to set the record straight. When he was her handler, he often bested her in sparring matches. Sure, there were times later when she handed his ass to him. But overall, he had the superior track record. It mostly boiled down to experience. With his time in the Navy, Michael had more training than Nikita did. He could utilize his strength better.

"That was years ago. I can take out entire rooms of agents now. Even while injured," Nikita, however, had remained in Division longer. She had gone on far more missions, allowing her multiple opportunities to put her skills to practice. She had also learned how to use her opponents' strength against them. She knew she wasn't that strong or imposing; though, she was fast. If she just trusted her instincts and used her head, she could take anyone down no matter who they were. Michael didn't stand a chance against her anymore.

"It was only a room of recruits. Calm down," Michael flashed a crooked grin. He would by no means devalue any of her accomplishments in a serious conversation. Nikita had done some truly remarkable things. Being able to escape from Division while injured (on multiple occasions) was an absolutely amazing feat. And that didn't even scratch the surface on all the awe inspiring things she had done. However, if he was going to tease her, then he'd definitely belittle impressive exploits. It was the fastest way to get under her skin.

"Oh. It's on," Completely riled up, Nikita launched herself at Michael. He was prepared for her attack. He blocked her fist and parried with his own strike. She was quick to recover and not be surprised by his attack. Both were fortunate that her loft had a lot of space. In their safehouse they had to move furniture around if they wanted to spar. At the loft, though, they could just attack one another. Laughter rang around them as they did. Neither were taking the sparring as seriously as they should've with flying fists and kicks. But that was all part of the fun. Michael and Nikita could give themselves a few minutes to act like idiots.

Besides, sparring like that allowed Nikita to try out a new technique without much consequence. As Michael moved to strike her again, she grabbed his arm and twisted her lithe body around his. She had intended to do a sort of flying scissor kick that would've left him landing on his stomach with his arm wrenched behind his back. But he moved against her, and he landed on his back with her atop him. She could've pinned him to the ground then, yet she was frozen in place. So was he. Their hips were glued together, and their noses brushed. Green and brown eyes locked onto one another, only to be broken apart as they stared at parted lips instead.

Birkhoff had lagged behind Michael and Nikita, needing to bring some of his spare computer parts to the loft to update the computer. He didn't know how intensive the act would be, so he just brought everything he could. A part of him wished that he hadn't. Then, he wouldn't have walked in on Nikita and Michael laying in a tangle of limbs on the floor. Lagging behind had caused him to miss so much. And he honestly didn't want to think about what that entailed. The mess of a computer he saw was enough of a struggle, "This is the computer setup you want me working with? How were you able to function like this?"

"You're right, Nerd. I can't do anything without you," Shaking her head clear of its fogged thoughts, Nikita got to her feet. She held out her hand to help Michael up as well. They were both incredibly relieved that Birkhoff had entered when he did (even if he pointedly stepped over them on his way to the computer). They had put a pause on whatever it was between them for a reason. The two couldn't ruin what they had established. If they did, neither knew where they would go from there. It was better just to ignore it for the meantime.

Focusing on preparing the loft for operations was a better use of their time anyway. While Birkhoff worked diligently on the computer system, Michael and Nikita cleaned and spruced things up. After a while, when the awkwardness had subsided, the team of rogues began to talk and trade jokes. Laughter once again filled the spacious loft. That was the moment Alex walked in on. She honestly wasn't too surprised to join the others while they were so joyful. The rogues always seemed more lighthearted than Division's current agents. That was one of the reasons Alex was so drawn to them, "Now this is the kind of party I should be crashing."

"Hey, Alex. You know Michael. Well, this is Birkhoff," Smiling brightly, Nikita made a quick introduction. The other reason she had called Alex to the loft, besides reviewing the next course of action, was to formally introduce the mole and the nerd. She already knew Michael; though, they weren't that acquainted. Only Alex and Nikita were comfortable enough to call one another friends. That needed to change. The rogues had worked hard to improve their relationships with one another. They had to extend the same energy to their mole. It was the only way they could stay cohesive and strong.

"Thanks for your help," Alex extended her hand out to Birkhoff. It was the least she could do after Birkhoff had helped her on the latest mission. And after he had established safe communication between herself and the others. She wouldn't feel as comfortable being a double agent if the superstar hacker hadn't been helping to cover her electronic trail. Her own hacking skills needed a massive improvement; Division's nerds couldn't teach her like Birkhoff could've. It was great that she had him in her corner. She could really use his skills in the future.

"No. Thank you. You're the one risking your life," Birkhoff shook Alex's hand immediately. The whole team of rogues' lives were in danger. However, it was different with the young agent. The other three had painted intentional targets on their backs. They knew they were there, and they knew their lives could be over at any second. Alex wouldn't know if she was discovered as a traitor until the last horrific second; she wouldn't know if the jig was up until she was actively being killed. That was a vastly different kind of danger. She had to be beyond careful. Birkhoff didn't think he could have that kind of guts or fortitude. The kind of armor Alex walked around with was truly incredible.

She didn't need to be reminded of that, however. Alex was consistently aware of the dangerous tightrope she was walking. Although being a double agent gave her the chance to completely avenge her family, she could get killed in the process. Working just for Division would've been far easier. Yet the rogues could still help Alex. It was difficult, but it could still be worth it for her to play for both sides. Nikita would make certain of that, "Right. Which is why we're also going to help her with her mission."

"Just intel. I can get the manpower from Division. Information's the one thing Percy and Amanda are holding out on," Alex amended. She knew Michael and Nikita could be formidable in the field; however, there were only two of them. She needed a full alpha team by her side to take on Semak and Gogol. She still didn't have a lot of viable information on Gogol, though. That was where the rogues could come in. She needed them for the intel she knew Division was hiding from her, "They only told me that Sergei Semak was behind the attack, he took over Zetrov, and he's surrounded by Gogol agents now. That's about it."

"That's more than we know," Michael shrugged. He had only discovered that Alexandra Udinov was alive and working with Division a few weeks ago. Nikita hadn't caught him and Birkhoff up on much else; besides, of course, that Alex was determined to get revenge- the same as them. Sharing information still wasn't Nikita's strong suit. A part of Michael thought that she still hadn't told the young woman about her killchip. But then wasn't the time to bring that topic up. They had other crises on their hands to learn about.

"But that's not all we're gonna find out," Glancing at Alex, Nikita left it up to her to share the full extent of her mission. It wasn't for the rogue to tell. The young woman had to voice her own story. With a deep breath of much needed air, Alex soon did just that. She told Birkhoff and Michael about her deal with Division and her need to get revenge. Fortunately, the two already knew about Operation Pale Fire, so she didn't have to go into detail there. But she did have to tell them everything else she had learned. Lucky for her, the men were great and kind listeners. It made it so much easier for her to talk to them.

Once Alex had finished sharing all that she could, silence washed over the room. The rogues took a moment to adjust to the information, and the young woman took a moment to collect herself after being so open. Eventually, the first person to get his thoughts in order was Birkhoff. But he didn't have something helpful to suggest like the team was hoping for. He just expressed the one thing on his mind, "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this. But maybe if we had a black box, we could figure all this out."

"One step at a time," Michael instantly sighed. He couldn't say that he hadn't thought about utilizing a black box as well. However, holding onto one had proven to be too dangerous. The rogues should just destroy them so they could finally kill Percy. Of course, they'd have to find the black boxes first. Owen was working on that for them having been a former guardian and thus knowing who and what to look for. But the others hadn't been made aware of any progress. Michael should probably check in with him at some point.

Whether that point should've been then or not was soon lost from his mind, however. Alex's Division issued cellphone began to ring at that moment. She immediately fished it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID. Neither her Division phone nor her rogue burner had any saved numbers in it. She had taught herself how to recognize phone numbers in case someone else ever got a hold of her cells. That skill really saved her ass then. She didn't answer and almost blow her cover. She just glanced at the ID and held back a gasp, "Hold on, it's Amanda."

"You're blocked. We're good," Double checking the computer programs he had been messing with, Birkhoff quickly assured. Nikita already had a perfectly great signal jamming system in place. It blocked both trackers and any traces on phone calls. Birkhoff only enhanced the jamming field from the building to a few block radius. That should provide the rogues and their mole a more substantial safety net. If Division were to ever grow suspicious, they couldn't get anywhere near the loft. It'd be as safe of a place as the safehouse.

Taking another steady breath of air, Alex moved away from the rogues and answered the phone. The three stayed perfectly still and silent while she addressed Amanda; they didn't dare do anything that could jeopardize her cover. Alex stifled her smile at the thought. The team of rogues continued to prove themselves far better than any Division agent. Once she got her use out of the black ops unit, the young woman hoped Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff won their war. In the meantime, though, Alex had to focus on Amanda, "How are you enjoying your day off? You deserve some rest after your performance on the mission."

"But we lost, thanks to Nikita," Although Alex made herself sound disappointed, she cast a sly grin at Nikita. The rogue returned the smile easily. The expression wound up fading fast, however. Having forgotten why they were so silent, Birkhoff began to argue that he had helped on the mission too. He had caused Division to fail as well. Nikita and Michael quickly made him shut up by slapping their hands over his mouth. Alex had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. She moved further away from the rogues, keeping them out of her line of sight.

"Yes. However, you managed to keep your head. You did everything you could to save the mission, and you were almost successful. I'd say you did a great job," Amanda's proud words snapped Alex's attention back to the conversation. There had been a reason behind her call. She wanted to congratulate the young woman on her stellar performance. The success of the operation didn't matter. Alex had proven herself well regardless. It took a lot for a person to stay calm while their plans fell apart. Not once did she give into her frustrations- unlike others.

"Thanks. I've been learning a lot," Alex's smile was more genuine that time. She was learning a lot, and not just from Division. The rogues and being a mole taught her even more spying skills than she could've possibly picked up from the black ops organization. She would be far more prepared to take on Semak and Gogol once she finally got there. She really wished that it'd be soon. Not only was she worried about playing the double agent for long, but she also needed her revenge instantly. The longer Semak got to live, the more enraged she felt.

"Well, enjoy your time at home," Amanda didn't force Alex to stay on the line for long. She quickly said her goodbyes, her tone dropping on 'home'. For half a second, the young woman thought that meant something. A sudden jolt of fear coursed through her veins, warning her that Amanda knew. Despite the fact that the rogues had control of her tracker and had redirected the signal, Amanda knew Alex wasn't home. That fear was abated as quickly as it had arrived, however. There was no way Division could know she was lying. Alex was safe and sound. She was simply being paranoid.

"I will," Cheerily, Alex ended her call with Amanda and returned to her team of rogues. She would enjoy her time planning with the others to complete her mission and end Division. They were going to keep saving the world, protecting innocents, avenging loved ones, and punishing those who wished to do harm. It was like they were a team of superheroes. Though, sometimes, Alex didn't feel very heroic. Instead, she believed the rogues were more like vigilantes. That seemed more like it. They weren't quite heroes, yet they were necessary. They'd take down corruption no matter the cost- especially to their own lives.

Chapter Text

Alex, Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff spent as much time as they could talking, gathering intel, and planning. The four worked well together. They fell into an easy rhythm, building off one another's ideas and relying on each other for information. Although Alex eventually had to leave the loft to return to Division, their time together was great for the team. The rogues continued to not have much in terms of intel, but they were closer and far more comfortable with one another. The team of rogues could continue to work well together as they moved along their way to get everything they wanted.

The four continued to meet to review their plans and information. They worked around Alex's schedule, as there were no active missions to prepare for; whenever she was free from Division, she'd run to the rogues. With their hacking skills, her tracker read that she was at her apartment. She felt freer than ever. However, there were still precautions to take. Communication was the main issue. One set of burner phones wasn't secure enough. They had to rotate them out. After a few weeks, Nikita had Alex come to the loft to do just that. She tossed the mole a new cell as soon as she entered, "Happy Valentine's Day. You can toss the old one in the river."

"Great. More pollution in the Hudson," Alex snarked. Yet she greatly accepted the new burner phone and plan regardless. For some reason, she had expected that helping the rogue agents would've been easier when she was on the outside of Division. She had believed a lot of things would've been easier when she didn't have Amanda or Percy looking over her shoulder. But the extra measures she had to take proved otherwise. She still had to work smarter and harder than anyone else. She knew it'd pay off, though. All of that couldn't be for nothing.

"And a new protocol too. I call your apartment, you hang up saying it's a wrong number, then you call from the burner," Nikita continued to update Alex on what she and the others had discussed. Birkhoff had secured that burner cell as well, but they still felt like they needed more precautions. Surprise pop-ins by another agent or a handler was standard for Division controlled apartments. The rogues didn't want to call Alex when she was having one of those visits. Their new protocol should be safer for her. She shouldn't be in more danger than she already was.

"Sounds good," Committing everything to memory (she'd have to memorize even more cell numbers, so she wouldn't have to risk writing anything down) Alex hid the phone in her purse. Nikita had moved to her computer after tossing the so-called 'Valentine's gift' and was staring at something intently. Alex still hadn't heard about a new mission from Division, so it couldn't be anything concerning that. Nikita must've been working on something on her own. However, as her mole moved to check it out, she only spotted street-cam footage of a chalk heart on a mailbox. She couldn't make sense of that, no matter how hard she tried, "What's that?"

"Ryan Fletcher. We set up a way for him to drop me a discrete line whenever he has intel," Nikita replied immediately, if not a bit distracted. She texted Michael and Birkhoff the update just to keep them in the loop, but she didn't expand or start initiating a plan. She honestly had no clue what Ryan had to tell her. Since he was being watched by both the CIA and Division (and he was only an analyst) it wasn't wise to give him the same kind of burner as Alex. He and Nikita needed a more clandestine way to communicate. After they had set one up, Nikita didn't think he would use it so soon. Maybe he was more than just an analyst.

While Nikita was lost in thought, Alex smirked. The two had grown closer over the months they had been working together. They might not have had the frightening ability to read one another's minds like Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff (mostly Michael and Nikita), but the two women could read each other's expressions well. Alex was certain something was going on between the CIA analyst and the rogue. Even while Nikita crossed the loft to prepare a weapon for the meet, the young woman could see her briefly smiling. She couldn't help but chuckle quietly to herself, "A heart, huh? So are you guys… connecting?"

"We're both trying to bring down Division," Nikita readied her pistol as she glared at Alex. It wasn't difficult to catch her innuendo. 'Connection' was Division's phrase for outside relationships. The team of rogues had made fun of the word choice a few times- Alex was no exception. So, with her limited information about what had happened between Ryan and Nikita on their missions together, the young agent easily made a quip about their relationship. And she easily got a rise out of the other woman. Alex smiled smugly despite the intimidating rogue and her gun. Nikita huffed and rolled her eyes.

That annoyance was definitely an expression Alex wanted to explore more of. She remembered Nikita responding in kind to her irritated comment concerning men. Maybe it had something to do with Ryan Fletcher. Or, maybe it had to do with Michael. Nikita and Michael were far closer than any of the other rogues. Alex was able to notice that in the few meetings she had had with them. It was way more likely that something was going on between them, "Uh huh. And you and Michael aren't…"

"What about you and that neighbor? Which one was it? Sean or Nathan?" Before Alex could make any kind of accusation, Nikita hastily interrupted. She didn't need Alex (and certainly not Birkhoff) knowing about her situation with Michael. They hardly had a term for it or any grasp on it. They didn't need the others making their own assumptions or- God forbid- butting in. Besides, the rogues had other concerns to occupy themselves with. Nikita and Michael were. The others had to as well.

"Definitely not Sean," Alex mumbled. She couldn't get a handle on that guy. One minute, he was her friendly, funny, normal neighbor. The next, he was studying her far too intently for comfort. She didn't like it. She felt as though that he knew her better than she knew herself. With what she was trying to achieve, that wasn't good. She needed to keep herself away from him, and not simply because of the uncertain feelings she experienced while around him. If Alex kept her distance from someone who might've had the ability to read her like a book, then they could stay safe. Sean wouldn't be another victim of the destruction she brought.

Nathan wouldn't be either. However, Alex had a more difficult time wanting to separate herself from him. He was just so nice to her. No matter what she did, he always tried to be her friend and include her. He didn't seem to be judging her or sizing her up like Sean. He was just a sweet and normal guy. She couldn't help but want to be around him. She wanted the peace, comfort, and distraction from the problems he brought. Alex knew it was a bad idea. She had to keep her distance from Nathan. She just had to constantly remind herself and be reminded of the cost, "Connecting's bad for us, right?"

"Not just for us. Innocent people will get hurt too," Nikita responded softly; her voice was barely above a whisper as she admitted the fact. Although agents might've felt so powerful that they were above the entire world, breaking a Division rule meant death. The agent could be right in assuming they were powerful. Amanda and Percy could deem them too worth to lose. But their loved ones certainly weren't. Nothing could be done to save them. Emily, Daniel, so many others, they were lost to Division. And all they dared to do was love a monster. A lack of connection meant no more had to die just because of who they foolishly fell for.

"Happy Valentine's Day. It's for all three of you," Pulling out a small box from her purse, Alex smiled gently. She wanted nothing more than to keep having that discussion with Nikita. She wanted to explore the pain in the rogue's comment and express her own thoughts on the matter. Instead, she presented the artisan chocolates she had bought for her team and prepared to leave. Neither woman had the time to delve deep into that conversation. Nor did they have the strength. It was better for them to express the small act of friendship and go about their day.

After Alex went to check in with Division and do some grocery shopping, Nikita left to rendezvous with Ryan. They already had an established meeting place at the park. She simply had to head over there and meet him, no doubt he was already waiting for her. Yet that was all the easy part. She also had to shake away hers and Alex's heavy conversation and get her head on straight. That took a lot longer than Nikita would've liked to admit. Yet she needed to pay attention to the next big thing. Obviously, whatever Ryan had for her was important. She needed to give it her full attention- and snark, "You couldn't wait to use the Bat Signal, huh?"

"Apparently getting bumped to the basement wasn't a terrible thing after all," Ryan startled at Nikita's sudden appearance (how did she keep doing that) yet he soon settled himself. Although he was punished with the basement archives, he had actually discovered something of interest. Nikita needed to know about it. If anyone had the power to do something about it, it'd be her, "I picked up some chatter about a weapons dealer turning over a dirty bomb to the CIA. His deal with his contact turned south; he turned on the agent. I need your help bringing him and the bomb in before things get worse."

"Who's the guy?" Nikita wondered. She had thought Ryan would've had something Division related for her. He appeared so urgent, she believed he had a lead on some Division ending information. A dirty bomb in the hands of a criminal and making its way to the country was awful too, she guessed. Besides, there was a chance Division could've ruined the deal and not the weapons dealer. Nikita doubted it. Yet she could still humor Ryan. A new mission would at least take her mind off of recent morose thoughts.

"Emil Voss," Ryan began to read the information he had managed to gather on the weapons dealer. Voss had been on the CIA's radar before, yet a classified mission took down his operation and landed him in prison. His sentence wasn't for long, and he was back out in the criminal world making deals. He had eventually made one with the CIA. But why exactly he would do that only to turn was a mystery to Ryan. He hoped Nikita and the rogues could help him understand. However, Nikita didn't seem to be able to handle his intel. As soon as he had said Voss, she froze. She also appeared as though she was going to be sick, "Do you know him?"

Ryan gently approached Nikita. He didn't like that she had gone so pale. He knew he had been taking a risk bringing her information that wasn't directly tied to Division, but he hadn't expected that kind of reaction from her. He was missing some vital piece of information. He hoped it wasn't anything too serious. Though, when it came to their crusade, that would never be an option. Nikita's hollow voice expressed as much when she finally replied, "Yeah. I'm the one who put him in jail. Guess he's out now."

Nikita didn't pay attention to Ryan's reaction. Her thoughts were too consumed with the last time she had seen Emil Voss. It was another one of her many raven protocol missions that she abhorred. She hated what was done to her in the name of an operation. What she hated more, however, was that she soon realized the only way to get Voss was to slip into that mission's role. He'd trust her cover, and she could turn on him once more. The idea hurt, but it was all she had, "I can bring him in. The cover I used should still be intact. And I'll have Michael and Birkhoff look into his deal with the CIA. I don't think Voss is completely to blame for it going south."

"Are you sure? I know this isn't directly Division related. You don't have to do this. I can find another way," Ryan wasn't exactly sure if he could find another solution. The CIA weren't looking at the same angle he was. The dirty bomb would make its way into the country if the rogues weren't the ones to stop it. Except, Nikita didn't appear up for the mission. Whatever happened to her the last time she had seen Voss didn't seem to be something she could easily get over. Ryan didn't want to force her into a situation she wasn't comfortable with.

"No. I have to do this," Nikita just shook her head, however. She didn't want to see Voss again. She didn't want to perform another seduction mission. But there was no other choice. To get to the arms dealer after what happened to his CIA contact, she'd have to be someone he could feel safe with. A former lover would fit the bill. It could also keep Voss distracted while Michael and Birkhoff dug more into what had happened. Nikita had wanted a distraction from hers and Alex's conversation, and there she had one. For the sake of getting a dirty bomb off the black market and into safe hands, she had to subject herself to the worst.

Struggling with her bags of groceries, Alex tried to fit her key in the lock. She thought she could carry her load from the car to her apartment without any problems. Unfortunately, she had seriously overestimated herself. The bags were going to spill their contents all over the hall before she could even open her door. She should just admit defeat and set some of her things down. However, at that point, that might cause her to spill as well. Alex was stuck. But only for a second. Spotting her as he was leaving his apartment, Nathan quickly came to her rescue. He grabbed a bag with a chuckle, "Whoa. You think you got enough marshmallow fluff?"

"Have you had this stuff with peanut butter? It's amazing," Alex beamed. She was well aware that she should've been more responsible with her grocery shopping. She was actually living in her apartment, so she needed actual food. However, she wasn't much of a cook. She never really learned her way around a kitchen. And concerning all the things she had to do for and against Division, she didn't have time to learn then. It was easy to just order out and keep snacks at home. She certainly had the money for that. She could have all the fluffernutter sandwiches- all the comfort food- she wanted.

"Yeah. I've had a fluffernutter sandwich," Laughing, Nathan followed Alex into her unlocked apartment. He set the bag he was carrying on the same counter she set hers, and he began to help her unload them. Despite her attempts to dissuade him- she had it- he insisted he keep helping her. The six jars of marshmallow fluff she had bought intrigued him, after all. He wanted to see what other food Alex enjoyed. All Nathan found her surgery snack foods, however. She didn't have anything substantial, "Did you only get junk?"

"Well, I'm not the best cook in the world. Best to just order in," Alex shrugged. That was partially the truth, so she figured it was a good answer. Both Amanda and Nikita had told her to try to be as truthful as possible while lying. It was more believable that way. It would also help her live the lie until it became her life. She had quite enough experience with that in the brothels and on the streets. But the half-truths she got to share that let her be more of herself were strange. She needed to get used to being herself again. When she killed Semak, maybe she could claim part of that life back. She could be Alexandra instead of just Alex.

"You know, I can teach you. I know a great homemade pizza recipe. It'll at least keep you actually fed," Nathan's suggestion soon returned Alex to the moment. He smiled at her warmly, the slight tease in his words making his dark eyes shine. For a second, she was mesmerized by the look. It was so genuine and kind and adoring, that she felt as though she could dreamily close the distance between her and Nathan. Thankfully, the counter and her groceries stopped that from happening. Alex soon snapped out of her daze and remembered herself.

"I don't…" Alex started to protest. She had just talked to Nikita about making connections with innocent people. She shouldn't do it. She shouldn't have Nathan making pizza in her apartment like it was some kind of date. It was too dangerous. Alex knew how dangerous getting close to someone could be. She didn't want anyone else to suffer because of her. She also didn't want her mission to be affected by the wrong person getting involved. Alex had to start drawing a line between herself and her neighbors. It was the right thing to do.

However, Alex had hung out with Nathan, Sean, and others without any consequences. She had grown closer to the rogues, and they were all doing great. Maybe getting close that time wouldn't be detrimental. She had learned from her mistakes. She knew what she could get away with and what she couldn't. After all, she was playing Division, twisting her deal with them, and no one knew. She could have close friends (maybe even a date) without anyone getting hurt that time. Didn't she deserve the kind of peace that brought her. She could relax between all her planning. She could smile easily with Nathan and breathe, "Alright. Let's do it tonight."

Chapter Text

"You don't have to go alone. You don't even have to be Josephine. I can go with you," Michael followed Nikita around the safehouse as she gathered her gear for the mission. She had returned to inform her partners of Ryan's latest intel, grab some weapons, track where Voss might show up next, and prepare a fake ID. She had a pretty good idea about where her target would be. He had loved a resort in Canada; if he was recently released from prison and was looking for a place to hide after the disaster with the CIA, then he'd head there. Nikita just had to know when he'd arrive.

She'd be prepared to meet him once he did. She'd get him to take her up to his room, gain his trust once more, and intercept the dirty bomb. Nikita didn't like what she'd have to do to achieve all that, and apparently Michael didn't either. Yet she didn't have any other choice. A dirty bomb couldn't wind up on the black market, and a dead CIA agent couldn't be ignored. The rogues needed to do something to help. Since they didn't have much time for anything else, her first idea had to work, "We don't have time to build up Voss' trust. He's spooked, and is looking to get rid of the bomb. A familiar face will get us what we need."

"I'm still going," Packing his mission bag as well, Michael decided. He knew how much Nikita hated playing Josephine. He had wanted to put a stop to those missions for her when he was in Division, but who knew how many times she had to step into that role once he had left. For example, he hadn't been there for the Voss mission. It could've been Nikita's millionth time performing the raven protocol. Whether it had or hadn't been, she was as tense, anxious, and angry as she ever was for a seduction mission. Michael refused to let her walk into that situation on her own. He was determined to be by her side through it all.

"Backup only. Got it?" Sighing, Nikita eventually agreed. She couldn't stop Michael from going on the mission with her; she'd admit that she needed a partner watching her back and keeping her steady. But she could stop him from interfering with her plan. Voss wouldn't trust Josephine or even want to talk to her if she showed up with a tall and sexy man on her arm (not that Michael was especially sexy, just that he would be a stranger that could frighten Voss). Michael would simply have to be backup in case things went wrong. He easily agreed to the stipulation. Whatever Nikita needed of him, he'd do.

"Ryan and I will let you know if we get any updates," Once the two agents settled on a plan, Birkhoff informed them of what he'd be up to. He had managed to acquire the security camera footage Ryan had seen that tipped him off to the whole situation. The hacker planned to review it and uncover any more information about what was occurring. Maybe all the rogues had to care about was the dangerous new missile. Yet Birkhoff wouldn't hold his breath. A feeling deep in his gut screamed they were missing something. He only hoped he could find it in time.

While Birkhoff and Ryan dug deep into their research, Michael and Nikita jetted off for Canada. They established her Josephine identity at the resort. Then, they waited. The instinct Voss made an appearance, Nikita went into action. Michael remained on coms outside in a truck they had 'occupied'. He'd listen to everything he could. If something were to happen, he'd be able to leap into action. For some reason, knowing he had her back helped Nikita settle her racing heart as she became Josephine once again. She wasn't alone. She didn't have to go too far in her seduction. Michael would be with her the entire time.

Michael didn't like what he heard, however. It wasn't right that Nikita had to be something she hated in order to save the world. There should've been other ways. Voss shouldn't have been all over her while she tried to slyly pull away. Michael wanted to burst into the room and stop what was happening. Except, he couldn't ruin the operation. He couldn't make it worse for Nikita. All he could do was sit and listen, fists clenched around the steering wheel. Until he heard silence through the com. Until there was a loud bang. Until Nikita cursed, "Shit. Gogol."

A part of Nikita had expected Division to burst onto the scene; a part of her believed they were involved in what was occurring. Unfortunately, that part of her was dead wrong. Gogol agents swarmed the room, heading straight to Voss. No doubt they were after the dirty bomb too- just for far more nefarious means. Nikita had to jump into the fight and stop them. Although Voss had a gun (when did he start carrying around one of those) he was no match for the agents. She was, though. Better yet, Gogol was no match for her.

It wasn't long before Nikita had the agents unconscious or dead. She had to admit that it was slightly difficult- the big guy just wouldn't go down. But there were plenty of heavy objects around her to utilize. The threat of Gogol was soon neutralized. She could return her attention to Voss; though, her cover was sufficiently blown. The charade was over. She should just confess and demand the information. With all the bodies around him, he might just blurt it out. All she needed to give him was an opener. Fortunately, Michael gave her that as he scrambled through the door and examined the carnage, "Are you sure you even needed backup?"

"Emil, Michael. He's with me," Ripping off her wig (it was a similar hairstyle to the one Josephine used to have) Nikita sighed. Since they were all together, Voss had to start talking. She really wanted to know what the gun was all about, yet that wasn't as important as the dirty bomb. She had to wait for answers to non-vital questions later. Then, she needed to know about the weapon. And Gogol. Voss, however, was too distracted by Michael and by Nikita's hair. He glanced between them, a million thoughts pinging around. One particular one about the rogue's relationship was clear. Nikita blushed slightly as she shook her head, "Not like that."

"Then like what? Who are you, cause you sure the hell aren't Josephine," Voss snapped. He continued to frantically study the room around him, more panic raging through him. His smooth, suave demeanor was completely gone. He was terrified. Probably as terrified as he was trying not to be if Gogol was after him and he was carrying a gun. The rogues were right to have suspected more was going on. But that wasn't a fact to celebrate. They had to reset their plans and push forward into more bullshit. It always got worse.

"We're here to help you get that dirty bomb into good hands," Nikita explained gently. Her answer wasn't substantial, but it was all Voss could take at the moment. Besides, she had taken out an entire room of enemy agents; she could take care of him. The three hurried out of the resort and took off in the stolen truck. As they discussed what was occurring, Voss directed the rogues to where he had hidden the weapon. He still didn't completely trust them, but they were better than Gogol. And they could all get what they wanted if they worked together: the bomb would be off the market, and they'd survive another day.

After Nikita and Michael updated the others, Ryan told them a CIA team would be awaiting Voss at the border. The two just had to smuggle him there without getting caught by Gogol; that seemed easy enough. They were able to continue talking to Voss as they traveled. He was remorseful for what had happened and for the past atrocities he had caused. He wanted to be better, thus why he was turning over the bomb. Nikita completely understood his reasonings, even grinning softly as he finally left. Unfortunately, the smile was short-lived. Birkhoff's voice exploded into the coms just a little too late, "Division ruined the drop! Not Gogol. It was Roan!"

"Sean? What are you doing… uh, what's up?" Alex stopped herself from being rude to Sean. He was just the last person she would've expected at her door. For the past few hours, Alex and Nathan had been talking, laughing, and cooking in her kitchen. It was so nice, fun, and relaxing, she forgot who she was or who she was supposed to be. She simply existed with her sweet, kind, funny neighbor. Then Sean knocked on her door. Alex didn't want to suddenly be on guard and overthink just because he was there. All she wanted was peace and relaxation. She wanted to remain in her small moment of being normal.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I was wondering if you'd want to get something to eat with me. Looks like I'm too late for that," Spying into her apartment, Sean replied. He smiled warmly- maybe just a little sheepishly- but it didn't seem all too genuine to Alex. She pulled back from her neighbor and eyed him suspiciously. He tried to smile more, yet it only slightly worked. Something was going on with him. She didn't like it. She also didn't trust it. There was something severely off with him.

"Why don't you come in? We've got more than enough pizza," Unfortunately, Nathan didn't notice the same things Alex did. He just saw an opportunity to get to know more about his other new neighbor. Although his time alone with Alex was ruined, the night could still be fun and relaxing. Sean beamed as he entered, ever so grateful to be included. Alex just stared after him as she relocked her door. That was incredibly sweet of Nathan to include him, yet she really wished he hadn't. Her calm was gone. And she just knew that the dinner was doomed to fail.

Things were awkward at first. Alex and Nathan had to shift from a date-like mentality to just friends. Sean didn't seem to notice the tension. Or, if he did, he simply ignored it. That just made it worse. At least it didn't last too long. The three soon found a comfortable groove. They talked and finished making the pizzas, then they sat to eat. Conversation was light and aimed for fun. At least for a while. When they were nearly done with dinner, Sean turned to Alex with a serious question. His mood shifted as he asked it, no longer laughing, no longer smiling, "So, Alex. What exactly do you do for a living?"

"Um. I'm a social media consultant. Kinda like one of those influencers, but specifically for fashion companies," Alex rattled off the cover Division had given for her. She didn't quite understand the job they had given her. All she really understood was that it gave her a reasonable excuse to be gone from her apartment at strange intervals. Maybe the obscurity of it would also discourage people from looking further into it. They'd simply shrug and move onto the next subject. That was what Nathan did. Sean, however, gave Alex a strange look that made her instantly fortify her guard.

"So you do whatever someone tells you? Dress up and give them their fantasies?" Sean barely glanced up at Alex. He practically mumbled his words as he chewed on his pizza. However, Alex understood him perfectly. Nathan seemed to as well, side eyeing their neighbor. But she wasn't focused on him. She stared at Sean incredulously. What did he just allude her occupation to. Did he call her a prostitute. Apparently, he did. And he wasn't backing down from his position, "At least, that's my understanding of social media influencers."

"I still have control," Not willing to even attempt to hide her lividity, Alex seethed. She liked to think that that had some effect on Sean. He seemed to shrink in his chair for a second. How dare he accuse her of selling herself, especially with Nathan present. She hadn't escaped from a situation like that and gained more power than she had in a long time, to be taunted in her own home. She should just kick Sean out right that second. She should throw a pizza in his face and scream until he left. That was certainly what he deserved.

"But you still also give into the fantasy," Sean's next words froze Alex in place, however. He was all too knowing with his look. He was also a bit judgy. Maybe that was why he was so odd around her. He had made an assumption about her and stuck to it. He wouldn't change his mind, instead he'd just harass her for it. She was definitely going to kick his ass. But not in front of Nathan. She still wanted to be normal around him. She just had to stew in her anger and find another way to get back at Sean.

The first thing she could think of was tormenting him for his job as well. Turnabout was fair play. And it seemed like a civil thing to do with Nathan, who was too stunned and confused to speak, at the dinner table. Alex took a deep breath to calm herself. That didn't work, so she angrily ripped off a piece of pizza with her teeth and chewed harshly. That gave her enough of a catharsis to at least speak. Her tone was acidic venom, yet it was warranted. Sean couldn't get away with his comments, "What's your job, then?"

"Making sure fantasies stay real," Sean's hazel eyes were unwavering as he stared at Alex. He didn't flinch or falter. His reply wasn't anything cute, teasing, light, whatever. He was completely serious. And Alex quickly figured out why that was. It wasn't a coincidence that he moved into the apartment building the same time she had. It also wasn't odd that he always studied her all too knowingly. Sean knew exactly who Alex was. At least, he knew a part of who she was. That sonofabitch was Division.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. But I think it's time for you guys to leave," Abruptly getting to her feet, Alex sternly commanded. She didn't want to kick Nathan out of her apartment as well. They had had such a great time together before Sean showed up. Except, she didn't know if she could look at her incredibly nice neighbor at the moment. She didn't want to know what he was thinking- whether he believed Sean's asinine words or not. Whatever sense of normalcy and close friendship Alex had with Nathan would be ruined for good.

Alex's intense, irritated gaze remained on Sean as he and Nathan left her apartment. Sean appeared to have realized what she was thinking. However, his expression didn't morph into shock; he wasn't surprised that she had figured him out. His fervent gaze was a warning: he'd ruin more than just a potential relationship with Nathan if she didn't get back in line. Alex somehow made her glare more threatening. Sean better watch himself. He had messed with her, which meant she could torture him right back. And she absolutely planned to.

"I had a nice time, regardless of how it ended," Nathan muttered before he left. It took Alex a moment to register what he had said. By the time she did, the door was closed and she was alone. Her first instinct was to scream. Sean and Nathan would definitely hear her if she did, however. So, she settled on biting her lips furiously and slamming her head into her hands instead. She was an idiot. She was a complete idiot for not catching Sean earlier and for blowing any possible connection between her and Nathan. She had no one to blame for that disaster but herself. Actually, she could blame one other for the shit she was in: Division.

Chapter Text

"Shit," Michael expressed both his and Nikita's thoughts upon hearing Birkhoff's update. Gogol wasn't the only black ops group attempting to steal the dirty bomb. Division just had to involve themselves as well, and they were several steps ahead. Nikita and Michael didn't hesitate before they chased after Voss. The CIA team that had taken him and the weapon into custody was in serious danger. Roan had killed an agent at the initial meet, so there was no telling what Division would do with the bomb actually in their grasps. The rogues had to catch up before there were even more deaths on their hands.

"You sent someone to spy on me?" Alex stormed into Amanda's office, too livid to think clearly. At least she knew better than to burst into Percy's office with her rageful accusation. She could rant to Amanda without too much of a retribution. She could also siphon off her anger somewhat safely and without her fears overcoming her. The implications that someone was watching her when she believed she was safe from Division absolutely terrified her. There had been someone watching her every move, knowing when she got too close to others and when she wasn't home even if she claimed she was. Her deceptions were known, and she could die.

It wasn't the threat of death that had Alex's heart racing. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to complete her mission before she was canceled. As long as Semak was dead, she didn't care what happened to her. But she might not be able to kill him when one of her neighbors was spying on her. She was going to be discovered as a double agent. Everything she was fighting for would be taken away. She refused to let that happen. Though, she had no idea how to scramble out of that situation, besides yelling at Amanda. The other woman took it all in stride. She carefully approached the young agent, ignoring the next person entering her office, "Alex…"

"You!" As soon as she noticed who had also entered Amanda's office, Alex punched him in the face. He recoiled, and she took the opportunity to reach for his gun. She had it cocked and held under his chin in less than a second. Unfortunately, he was able to recover just as quickly. He pulled out his knife and pressed it into her neck. Blue and hazel eyes glared hotly at one another. Except, neither broke from the hold. If anything, the two tightened their grip on their respective weapons and pressed deeper. That pissed Alex off even more. He didn't have the right to be as angry as she was. He wasn't the one who had been violated and betrayed.

Sean (if that was even his real name) didn't appear angry, however. He held his sharp knife to Alex's throat without even a flicker of emotion. Alex, on the other hand, seethed. She couldn't believe he had made her trust him. She couldn't believe that she had had him in her home and had even thought of him as a potential friend. And all he was doing was spying on her and reporting on her to Division. She would've blown his head off if there wasn't a threat he could slit her throat in return. A nearby Amanda attempting to diffuse the situation was only a slight hindrance, "Alex, this is Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce. I sent him to protect you."

"Protect me? I think I'm doing a fairly good job of that on my own," Alex bit, toying the trigger of the gun with her finger. She didn't take her eyes off Sean. He didn't blink either. In fact, nothing about the situation even fazed him; he wasn't like the awkward man she had met at Nathan's party. He had played her well. She wondered which branch of the military he was in- assuming the rank Amanda had attached to his name derived from the military. Alex didn't know, and she honestly didn't care. It didn't matter where Sean came from or how he got assigned to 'protect' her. She wanted him out of her life either way.

"Then what do you call Nathan, Alexandra?" The smallest smirk broke through Sean's stoic expression. He looked down at Alex, that annoying all-too-knowing glint burning bright in his eyes. He didn't just assume that she had feelings for Nathan- that she had a desire to maybe be more than friends. He knew she wanted to be close to her neighbor, despite her position in Division. She was going to kill him. Diminishing the gap between them, Alex pushed the barrel of the gun so deep under Sean's chin his head snapped back. The blade loosened on her neck.

"That's enough," Amanda snapped. Although her tone of voice wasn't one to mess with, it took Sean and Alex awhile to pull away from each other. He had to put away his knife first before she even lowered the gun. She didn't let go of her weapon, however. Nor did she back up or look away. Her anger (and fear) still had murderous intentions. She had to cling to her chance at revenge as tightly as ever. Sean couldn't be the one to take it away from her. If he ruined things for her, even Amanda's interference couldn't save him, "Sean is assigned to simply watch over you and ensure you complete your mission for us."

Alex uncocked the pistol and took her finger off the trigger, but the weapon remained loaded and in her tight grasp. If Amanda knew about her not being at home whenever her tracker said she was, she didn't show it. She didn't even allude to the fact that Sean had told her anything about Alex's activities. The young agent could be in the clear. At least for the moment. Her safety wouldn't last long with Sean hovering over her. Nor would her freedom, "I don't see how butting into my life is helpful."

"You shouldn't be distracted," Eyes wandering to his gun in Alex's hand, Sean deadpanned. Either he was extremely good at hiding his emotions, or that was just his default setting. He regarded Alex like she was a target, and not the young woman who had made him laugh at the party. She was so close to raising the gun or simply just striking him again. Instead, she matched his blank expression. She regarded Sean for a long moment. Then, she nodded to Amanda and stormed out of the office.

She didn't exactly know what she was thinking or where she wanted to go. She only hoped the others didn't either. Alex remained furious about Sean watching over her every move, even if it was Division's attempt to help her on her mission (more likely to control her on her mission, but that was just semantics). Unfortunately, she couldn't raise too much hell about it. That would truly tip her hand as the mole. She had to accept the soldier in her life and keep being Division's dutiful agent- all the while being even more careful as she assisted the rogues.

Michael and Nikita didn't reach Voss and the CIA team in time. As they raced in their stolen vehicle to where the others had crossed the border, all they were met with was smoke, snow, and debris. Even after the two frantically caught Ryan up to speed, hoping he could do something- anything- to save his fellow agents, they were too late. They only stumbled upon the after effects of a horrific crash and firefight. No one could've survived the flipped and crushed car. Division had already done its damage.

Regardless, Nikita and Michael approached the destroyed vehicle, searching for anything that could help them steal back the weapon. All they found were dead bodies, spent bullets, and blood. Birkhoff and Ryan were running their own respective searches from the safehouse and the office; maybe they could discover another lead. In the meantime, the rogues were useless, helpless, and done for. Michael and Nikita cast one another the same desperate and lost expression. Surrounded by death and destruction, they were grasping at straws. What could they do to stop Division and the dirty bomb, and Gogol who was still on their tail.

Seemingly right at their breaking point, a cellphone rang amongst the wreckage. The two rogues glanced at each other wearily before they searched for the phone. Nikita soon found it and answered it, much to Michael's chagrin. She at least put the call on speaker in time for him to hear Percy gloat. It seemed like such an odd thing for the bastard to do. He wouldn't taunt the rogues when all Division did was one up them. That had happened before, and they hadn't heard from him. Percy must've had something else planned for them. Barely listening to the call anymore, Michael and Nikita tried to look for what the next horror was.

Soon, the two found a bomb underneath the upturned car. It must've been lying in wait for them and was activated as soon as they answered the call. Quickly, the bomb was deactivated and ripped away. Nikita cut Percy off to gloat in return. He couldn't mess with her and Michael that easily. Sure, the two were overwhelmed and distraught from their recent losses. But the bastard couldn't get under their skin as well. Nikita and Michael could rally themselves together to beat their enemy, "And when I take you down, I won't call to gloat first."

Whereas Nikita tossed the burner phone, Michael held onto the deactivated bomb. They could find some use for it. They had to chase after Division and shake Gogol, after all. An explosive could come in handy. The rogues simply had to find a way to utilize it. Michael couldn't come up with anything immediately. Honestly, he couldn't think past the car crash and the terrible turn the mission had taken. He was going to need a moment. Nikita, on the other hand, had a faster working mind, "Any ideas? We can't possibly take both Gogol and Division."

Expelling a long, hot breath, Nikita continued to helplessly search for any leads. That couldn't be it. Division couldn't just take off with the dirty bomb, and Gogol couldn't remain on their tail. The rogues had to be able to do something. Maybe if they had the same resources and force the black ops groups had, they wouldn't feel so lost. The rogues could really use an army. Or, they could use the armies against one another. Excitedly, Nikita whirled around to face Michael. He seemed to perk up at just her expression. They weren't completely done for, "Remember that Dashiell Hammett book you made me read?"

"Yeah," Cautiously, Michael regarded Nikita. There were a few books he had made her read when she was his recruit in Division. He wanted to help introduce her to new thoughts and ideas. He also wanted to give her wandering mind something to focus on other than causing trouble. Giving her books to read had clearly helped her. But at that moment, it backfired against him. Nikita definitely had a new way to think of a plan. All her focus was on something dangerous and potentially stupid. Just because it worked in books and movies didn't mean it'd work in real life. Gogol and Division weren't going to fall for it, "You're not thinking…"

"Let's go," Too late. Nikita grabbed Michael by the hand and dragged him along for the crazy ride. She updated Ryan, Birkhoff, and Alex on the way. Since Gogol and Division both wanted the dirty bomb, the rogues should pit the two against each other. The black ops organizations would be too busy killing one another, they wouldn't notice Nikita and Michael giving Ryan the weapon to transport back to the CIA; Birkhoff providing some technological distractions and Alex some information would also help. Yet another risky and dangerous plan had the strong probability of being pulled off.

Although it took Alex time to get the rogues the information she needed (they couldn't blame her; they knew how hard she was working) the rogues were able to pit Division and Gogol against each other easily. Nikita put on a show to goad Ari into a fight, while Ryan and Michael stalled the Alpha team at the airport they were attempting to exfil from. Everything eventually fell into place in one chaotic mess. Fortunately, the rogues worked well in wild and outrageous situations. They were able to get what they needed without any harm to themselves.

Ryan had the dirty bomb and was well on his way to Langley (taking the backroads) before either Division or Gogol noticed. Hell, they hadn't even stopped fighting. Nikita and Michael struggled to escape the gunfire and a confrontation with Ari. Yet the two were soon on the road (again, taking backroads) to their safehouse. They couldn't help but laugh and smile at their success. It was probably just their giddiness from the rush of adrenaline. Their sorrow for the tragedies that had occurred would catch up to them later. But for a moment, Michael and Nikita could revel in their miraculous victory. They could be relieved and somewhat happy.

Chapter Text

Once everyone had returned to the States, and Ryan had met with his supervisors in the CIA, he signaled for Nikita to meet with him. Rather than huddle under the gazebo again, she leaned against the railing looking out across the river. Bikers and runners hurried past on the trail behind her, yet she didn't mind. She liked staring out across the water and thinking. What she was thinking about exactly wasn't clear. Her mind was a jumbled mess. But maybe that was okay. She didn't need to figure anything out at the moment. She could just focus on Ryan when he finally joined her, "How'd it go?"

"Great. The weapon is safely in the hands of the CIA. I've been promoted back to my old desk. And, I've been given more clearance than before," Ryan beamed. His superiors in the CIA were extremely impressed with the intel he had gathered and the weapon he had recovered. He was offered his original position and then some. It was the perfect addition to the success the team of rogues had accomplished in the field. They had saved the day and were actually rewarded for it. Good things really could come their way eventually.

"That is great," Eyes still on the river, Nikita nodded. She was glad that Ryan was re-promoted. She was also glad that he had even more access to dig up dirt on Division. That being said, she was hung up on one fact he shared. The comment cleared up one of the many thoughts in her mind: was the CIA really that much better than Division or Gogol. The spy organization had had corrupt leaders before (one being in Percy's pocket). It also wasn't the most moral institution in the world. Could the CIA deal with the weapon better than two criminal organizations. Or did the rogues just trade one problem for another.

"But…" Leaning against the railing, close to Nikita, Ryan could guess that she didn't consider everything all well and good. She had found the negative in something. He couldn't fault her for that. The rogue had stayed alive by seeing the good and bad in things- by being realistic. She knew better than anybody that there was a dark side to everything. The CIA wasn't an exception. Ryan sighed. Nikita was doubting their decision to hand over the weapon. She couldn't see the good side. After the destruction they had witnessed revolving around the dirty bomb, she might've had a point, "You don't really trust the CIA."

"I don't really trust any government organization. The CIA's just a better option than Division and Gogol," Nikita finally looked at him. She believed that it simply came down to choosing the lesser of multiple evils. She trusted Ryan, so she'd have to trust others in the Agency would have the same good intentions. Maybe they'd only dismantle the weapon, study it, and stop others from using it. That was Ryan's hope (Michael had alluded that it was his as well). Nikita had to think something positive like that as well, even if she knew better.

Ryan studied Nikita. She never told him how she got involved with Division in the first place. He knew the secret unit of the government recruited throwaways from prison. She had to have been one of them. Yet he felt as though there was much more to her story. She was holding back from him. Ryan didn't necessarily want to push her to open up when she didn't want to. However, he did want to understand Nikita. How could she have such little trust in things that were meant to protect others. What could've made her so bitter, "You don't think they have a propensity to do good?"

"No one does," Casting her eyes away, Nikita shrugged. She didn't want to explain herself further, nor did she want to argue. She hoped Ryan would just accept her answer and change the topic. He didn't do quite that, however. Gently, he lifted Nikita's chin and kissed her. It wasn't the passionate, fiery kiss that Michael had once given her. Ryan kissed her the same sweet, simple way she had kissed him at the bar. The affection was purely platonic, meant to express care. And, to leave a smile on the lips instead of a pout.

"I think you do. Thank you," Ryan grinned brightly, his blue eyes boring into her brown. Chuckling slightly, Nikita grinned as well. He took her hand in his, gave it a tight squeeze, then left her alone to her thoughts again. After a moment, she realized he had done the exact thing she had done to him at the bar- not just the kiss, he lightened her mood and then left her with completely different thoughts. Nikita laughed louder. Ryan had certainly picked up a few things while teaming up with the rogues. And he wasn't the only one.

Flopping onto her couch, Alex fought the urge to scream into a pillow. Instead, she thought about how she had helped the rogues. That only distracted her for a few moments, unfortunately. Her mind kept wandering to Sean. She was so fucking mad at him. She didn't think she had ever been that angry, besides when she had discovered Semak was behind her parents' murder. She felt so betrayed. She had liked Sean- when he wasn't studying her. She had even thought that getting close to him would be worth the trouble. But he had been Division the whole time. He wasn't a friend. He was someone else she had to keep her guard around.

That probably was what had her the most pissed. Alex kept picturing the goofy smile and awkward conversation from the party. He had seemed so nice. He had seemed so approachable, fun, sweet, kind, like a great friend. She could've been friends with him. She could've felt normal and like herself again with her neighbor. But it was all a ruse. Sean had played her. He didn't want to be a friend. He had a mission to complete and that mission was her. Not once did Sean ever care about her. But Alex, like an idiot, believed he did.

She wanted to kill Sean. If Amanda hadn't been standing there, and if that knife wasn't pressed against her throat, she would've killed him. She couldn't handle the betrayal. So what if Sean's assignment was to protect her as she completed her revenge mission. He didn't have to get close to her in order to do that. He could've been honest. Instead, he chose to lie to her and build up a fake relationship. What was even the point of that. Why hurt her. It sure didn't gain him anything. He was no closer to her than before. In fact, he was even further away.

He was just an asshole. It was the only thing Alex could rationalize. Sean was a jerk who thought the mission was more important than people. She didn't want that anywhere near her- even if his fake smile was dazzling. Fortunately, before that thought could invade her senses and she had to force herself to shake them free, her phone rang. Neither her landline or Division cell rang, it was the burner Nikita had given her. That wasn't the protocol. Alex was supposed to call the rogues after they gave her the signal. Something was wrong; though, Nikita was calm once the young agent answered, "Hey, Alex…"

"You didn't follow protocol," Shocked, Alex interrupted. After the stern efforts Nikita went to in order to keep Alex safe as her mole, one wouldn't think she'd break her own rules. But she did. And she seemed calm about it. The young agent panicked more at the thought. Something had to have gone wrong with the dirty bomb. The trick didn't work. Division or Gogol was dangerously armed. Or, something even worse was going on that she didn't know about. Maybe it was all crashing down around them and it was time to run.

"Yeah, I know. Just listen. I was wrong before- about connections. It's worth the risk," Nikita instantly settled her mole's nerves. She didn't have anything drastic to say- at least, not in a negative way. She just realized that she was wrong, and she had to correct her mistake. Alex sighed and chuckled slightly. That was one crisis averted. And possibly, with the new advice, another could be as well. Ending the call with Nikita, Alex wished she could make that happen. She had been so consumed by her thoughts of Sean, she nearly forgot that things had been ruined between her and Nathan. She had to fix it immediately.

After hiding the burner cell, Alex rushed to her door. Nathan was probably home. It was too late for him to be running errands, and it was too early for him to be DJing at a club. She could catch him in time to apologize and try to be friends again. She really wanted that connection with him. So, she threw open the door and nearly crashed into him in the hallway. Apparently, Nathan had had the same idea as her. Though, he didn't seem as hopeful as Alex. He was much more grave. She let him into her apartment, hoping that would soothe some things over. It didn't. She had to actively make amends, "Nathan, I'm sorry…"

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you. But, I don't care. I don't care that you're not normal. I don't care if you have a weird job. I just care about you. I like you, Alex. You're not like anyone I've ever met before. I don't want to keep being forced away when you think things go wrong. I like being by your side. That's where I want to stay," When Nathan finished, he stood so close to Alex they could've shared breath. He waited for her to act; it was up to her to respond. However, she couldn't. She could barely move. All she did was stare.

The patience Nathan had with her was remarkable. If Alex had expressed her heart like that and didn't get an immediate response, she would've walked away. Yet Nathan stayed. He waited. Everything he told her was true. Alex honestly didn't know if that gave her more courage to respond, or if it made her more terrified of things going wrong. Either way, she still couldn't speak or move. Nathan somehow moved closer to her. As she stared at him wide-eyed, he spoke ever so softly, "What do you want?"

Alex didn't need to think anymore. She had spent enough time mulling over her thoughts and trying to rationalize her actions. She had to just act. Just be. Just know that it was worth it. Screw Division and what they promised her. Screw Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce and his poor attempts to keep her focused. It was only about her and Nathan at that moment. In fact, she shouldn't even be thinking about the others. She only focused on Nathan and what he had said to her. She yanked him into her arms by the collar of his shirt, and she kissed him.

Nathan kissed Alex back. The hands he placed on her waist were far gentler than the grip she had on him. Although she eased her grip, her kiss remained intense. Everything she didn't have the courage to say was expressed in the passionate kiss. She wanted a loved one to stay by her side. She wanted someone in her life to make her feel happy, normal, and safe. She wanted to live in the moment and not have to look over her shoulder. She believed she could have all that with Nathan. And she could ensure he knew that with a fiery kiss that led them to crash on the couch, making out and making love.

"Did I miss Ryan?" Michael joined Nikita by the river. She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of his smoky voice. She hadn't even realized he had walked up behind her. Hopefully, that was more indicative of his abilities than her being completely out of focus. He didn't seem to think so. He studied her in concern, wondering what she could've been thinking so heavily about. His first assumption was that it involved Ryan and the weapon he had handed off to the CIA. Michael worried that something had gone wrong, that they weren't as successful as they had thought, "What'd he say about the weapon?"

"It went well. He even has more clearance to gather intel on Division," Nikita smiled. The expression didn't dissuade Michael like she wanted it to. Although it appeased him about the dirty bomb, he knew there was something else running through her mind. He could see it all over her face, and in the way she worried her lip. It was the same thing she had done after another meeting with Ryan. Michael seriously wanted to know what that was all about. However, before he could even begin to ask, Nikita shook her head, "It's nothing. Don't worry."

Michael could've easily pressed Nikita for more information. He could've asked more about Ryan and the weapon. Or, he could've interrogated her about what else was on her mind. Instead, he let it go. He had a feeling she would keep shrugging off the topic. And, honestly, a part of him didn't want to know her thoughts about the CIA analyst. It would be better if he only discussed what he had wanted to share with both Ryan and Nikita. There were some developments with the black boxes that deserved their attention, "Birkhoff and I might have a lead on a black box. We could work with Owen to narrow it down."

"Perfect. Let me know if you figure out a way to get in touch with him. Last time we spoke, I was the one with the contact number, not him," Nikita admitted. Owen was a lot more unpredictable in his rogue habits than the rest of the team- which was really saying something. If Michael and Birkhoff could find a way to contact him, Nikita would love to know. She wanted to update him on the mess that had been occurring; it'd help him out. And it'd make the team feel more cohesive. That'd certainly need that as they kept waging war.

"Yeah, it's going to be complicated," Michael mumbled. Nikita rolled her eyes. As rogues, they didn't get to have things be simple. Hell, even as agents, they didn't have simple tasks; though, it sure was easier with a full force supporting them. Fortunately, the team of rogues were used to working harder than anyone else by that point. They knew how much effort they had to pour into things to earn what they needed. The universe wasn't going to just give them everything- that was a lesson harshly learned over and over again. They had to fight their way through the world. They had to fight just to be happy and free.

Before either Michael or Nikita could say anything else, the bikers on the path finally knocked into them. Nikita was able to stabilize herself against the railing; Michael, on the other hand, pitched forward. She instantly reached out to grab him. She held him upright and extremely close to herself. In an effort to remain on his feet, he held her in return. It wasn't until after the bikers passed that the two noticed how close they were; their foreheads burned together, and their misty breath mingled in the cold air. Green and brown eyes locked for too long of a second. Afterwards, Michael jerked back, and Nikita sighed, "When aren't things complicated?"

"We should be getting back," Michael coughed awkwardly. Jerking back from Nikita wasn't his finest moment. But staying too close to her was dangerous. They both knew it. Until they battled their demons and settled whatever it was between them, they shouldn't tempt fate. Things should be good between them before they started anything. They deserved that, didn't they. Nikita expelled a long breath and led them away from the river. Michael had to jog to catch up. Soon, however, they were side-by-side and in-step.

Chapter Text

Alex splashed water on her face and stared at the bathroom mirror, watching the water drip down her pale skin. She needed to calm down. She was in control, no one else. Yes, she was on a Division mission. But she controlled her actions in the field. Everything that happened would be because of her own choices. She could make the right ones. She was going to be alright. She already had what she needed. All she had to do was make the hand off, then go about her night as normally as possible. It would be alright. She was in control.

After a few days of bliss with Nathan, Alex was called into Division. She hadn't seen or heard from Sean the entire time. Honestly, though, she didn't care. She was glad he was gone. She didn't want him anywhere near the life she was trying to build. He had already almost fucked it up. With him gone, she could relax and be happy in a relationship with Nathan. They could talk, laugh, and hang out all they wanted- no interruptions from Division. Until, unfortunately, Alex was called away for a lousy mission.

She thanked God that it wasn't another governmental coup or kill mission. She had enough of those until she killed Semak. She wanted something simple- something she could complete quickly and without any danger. She wanted to return home to Nathan as soon as possible. Fortunately, all Alex had to do was charm some tech genius on a date and steal his latest invention. Although she was confused about why she had to commit corporate espionage, she accepted the mission. It was basic and easy. She could complete it and be home in time for a peaceful dinner with Nathan.

A simple mission also meant a simple countermission. Michael and Birkhoff had left to meet with Owen somewhere to discuss the black boxes. But, luckily, Nikita was still around to help Alex ruin Division's success. Before the young agent returned to the bunker to hand in the device she stole, she'd secretly pass it off to the rogue. Nikita would then notify the tech genius of the theft, have him disable the technology Division wanted, then pass it back to Alex who'd give it to Percy. It was as clear-cut and easy as the mission. Nothing could go wrong.

At least, Alex had really hoped for it to be. She was slightly worried that the op would take place in a nightclub. She didn't like to be around those places. They were too full of drugs, sex, and bad memories. She expressed that concern to Amanda, yet she assured her that she'd be fine. The fact that Alex was so worried proved that she could handle herself. She recognized her limits and knew what she had to do to stay in control. She'd be alright. The mission would go smoothly, even if it was at a nightclub. Alex wasn't powerless in the situation.

That only got her so far, however. Alex was able to steal the technology from her 'date' without him even noticing anything was amiss. Though, she couldn't stay with him too long afterwards. The nightclub was becoming too much for her. She had to excuse herself to the bathroom and try to shake herself out of her panic. The activities occurring around her wouldn't get to her. The alcohol, the drug use, the hyper-sexuality, she wasn't going to fall for it. She was stronger than the temptations. She had to be. There was a mission for her to complete (the current one and Semak) and she had someone waiting at home for her. She could be fine.

Finally wiping the cold water off her face, Alex took in a deep breath of air. She was okay; she was doing great. She just had to go back out there, pass the tech off to Nikita, finish her 'date', and go home. It was alright. Just a couple more minutes. However, as she pushed herself off the sink, a girl stumbled into her. She was so pale and skinny, Alex could see her veins popping out of her arms. She didn't look at all well. She was trembling, wobbly, about to pass out at any second. The young agent had to hold onto her to ensure she didn't crash to the floor. There was a chance the girl might not get back up again, "Whoa. Hey. Are you okay?"

"Hi…" The girl slurred and chuckled. She leaned into Alex with her full bodyweight, but that didn't affect her much. The girl was so light. She was also so clammy and so heavily made-up. The bulge in her veins probably wasn't just due to how pale and fragile she was. Alex didn't doubt that she was shooting up. She had probably overdone it that night, thus why she couldn't stay balanced in her ridiculously high heels. Someone had to watch out for her; the girl was bound to get into some serious trouble. Alex knew that well.

"Hi. Are you okay?" Gently, Alex soaked a paper towel with water and used it to dab the sweat off the girl's brow. She canted into the cooling touch. For half a second, Alex thought she recognized the girl. Some distant part of her life that she tried to keep locked away seemed to know who the girl was. But rather than give that any thought, the young woman shook it away. She was probably just associating the girl with many others she once knew. The similarities were striking. Yet that didn't mean she ran into someone from her past.

"No. I'm high," Once again, the girl slurred and chuckled. That time, however, her big blue eyes connected with Alex's. Her heart stopped. She did recognize the girl. She was Irina. The two had been smuggled from Russia in the same shipping container. They had survived the hellish journey and brothel together. They had also escaped together. So what the hell was Irina doing high in a nightclub looking like was she still in the business. Alex wished she could ask her, but she was far too stunned. And Irina was far too high to actually realize what was occurring, "You are too nice to be a stranger."

Instead of replying, Alex just dropped the paper towel and rushed out of the bathroom. It wasn't her finest moment. A part of her knew she should've stayed and done something for Irina. But what could she actually do while on a Division operation. She could make things worse for the both of them by abandoning the mission and dragging her out of there. She couldn't save both herself and Irina at that time. Even if she could, what would Alex do to help. How bad was her old friend's situation. What exactly did she need to be saved from. Was it even possible to repeatedly drag someone out of hell.

Nikita brushed harshly against Alex while she was so lost in thought. The young agent could hardly recognize who had bumped into her and why until she finally saw the rogue. That was right; they were supposed to trade off the technology. While Alex was in shock over Irina, Nikita was completing the mission. Thank God she did. It helped snap the young agent into focus. At least for a while. She ended her 'date' and soon met with the rogue at the loft. She hoped they could ignore what had happened and she could just go home. But Nikita was too concerned to let it go, "Hey. You were distracted during the handoff. Where was your head?"

"I ran into a girl from the brothel," Alex muttered against her will, her voice small and almost dreamlike. She still couldn't believe it. How the hell had she run into Irina at the club. She was supposed to have escaped the brothel the same night she had. Alex had given her a way out. They should've both been free. Sure, alright, Alex could admit that she was only somewhat free as she worked for Division. But Irina had the chance to run away and live her own life. She didn't have to be trapped in sex slavery, hooked on drugs and never finding a way out. She was supposed to have escaped. What the hell was she doing there.

"Did she recognize you?" Frantically, Nikita asked. If the girl recognized Alex and she told the Russian mob about it, then Alex was in danger. The Russian mob had ties with Gogol, which in turn had ties with Zetrov. An escaped girl from a brothel wouldn't garner too much attention. But someone was going to discover her identity eventually. Nikita and Division did. Sooner or later, word would get back to Semak that Alexandra Udinov was alive. He'd devote all his resources to killing her. He couldn't have that threat to his power around. He'd have to finish what he started with Operation Pale Fire.

"No. No. She was too high to even recognize a paper towel," Shaking her head, Alex answered absentmindedly. She wasn't worried about that. Irina did notice her over affectionate kindness for a stranger. But there was no way she knew who Alex was. No one that high could recognize a person they last saw five years ago. Hell, no one that high could even remember someone from five years ago. Even if she did, Irina didn't know who Alex really was. When she was forced into the brothel, her name had been hidden. The cowardly man who had sold her claimed her name was Sasha. For some reason, he believed that would keep her safe.

"Then what is it?" Nikita wondered as she gently closed the distance between herself and Alex. Something was weighing heavily on the young woman's mind. If it wasn't obvious from how distant she seemed from reality, then the way she fidgeted and refused to make eye contact gave her away. She was frightened of something. Maybe it had to do with the mission- things didn't go exactly as planned. Or possibly something else at the nightclub terrified her- the girl from the brothel wasn't the only scare. Whatever it was, Nikita hoped she could help Alex.

Tucking her hair behind her ear and tugging on the strands, Alex sighed. She had hated her thoughts since she had stepped into the nightclub. She absolutely did not want to voice them- give them power. Yet Nikita's gentle, imploring gaze tore the words out of her throat. It all came out in a hopeless rant, "If it wasn't for Division, I would still be like her. Which, I hate to feel grateful to that place, since Division's the reason I ended up in the brothel in the first place. But, they saved me, gave me purpose. I can stay clean and get revenge with their help. But Division's still the reason my life's shit."

"Yeah. They got me clean and gave me a purpose too," Nikita admitted softly. She wasn't sure how much of her life before Division she had shared with Alex. Yet the young woman appeared surprised by the admission. Nikita just shrugged. The hellhole was the root of all evils most of the time. But she couldn't deny that it had some good qualities. It sometimes took out corruption and prevented some atrocities. It offered chances to some people who had been tossed aside by the system. And it gave her a second chance to live. Division was mostly bad, but it did some good. That was possibly the worst thing about it.

"But we don't owe them shit," Nikita continued, ripping both herself and Alex out of morose thoughts. The good Division might have done didn't negate all of the bad. Nor did it mean the women owed that shitty bunker anything. They could recognize the impact it had had on their lives, then move on. They were better than that place. They were trying to reverse the damage it had done to them, to others, and to the world, "My reason for staying clean and my purpose in life are my own now. I don't have to rely on that hellhole."

"Thanks," Grinning slightly, Alex took the tech back from Nikita. She was extremely grateful for all the rogue had done for her. And she would've loved to have stayed and talked more- make herself feel better. Yet she had to go. She had to hand the defunct invention to Percy and complete her mission. She should've turned in the tech and finished the op. However, when she walked back to her car, Alex couldn't stop thinking about Irina and what Nikita had said. She was in control of her own life. She had a say in what she did with it. She'd get her revenge, screw over Division, and help those who needed her.

Despite the risk to her own life, Nikita constantly tried to save Alex. It didn't always work out the way it should've. But she always tried to give the young woman a better life no matter what. Alex had to follow that example. She couldn't give up on Irina. She could find a way to help her. She could ensure she escaped the brothel for good and led an actual life. She just had to reach the nightclub before Irina left (or was dragged away). Division could wait. The young agent could lie about her tardiness later. The only important thing was helping Irina survive and be safe, "Ирина, ждать."

"Саша?" Crashing back into Alex as she reached for her across the crowded nightclub, Irina's blurred eyes lit up. So, she did recognize her. Thankfully, she still only knew her by her fake name Sasha. Irina clung to her, surprisingly strong for someone so far gone on drugs. Alex steadied her and attempted to direct her towards the exit. She didn't think walking out the front door was the best idea. Division couldn't know what she was doing. And the two might run into some other trouble. They had to sneak out the back and hopefully find a way to stay safe.

"Come on. We have to go. Мы должны идти," Alex tried to take Irina's hand and lead her out of the nightclub; however, she didn't seem to be fully aware of what was happening. She was only slightly more sober than she was in the bathroom. She must have sweat some it off dancing- or doing something else. Alex refused to consider that further. She focused more on the fact that she could probably talk sense into Irina. She'd just have to do it on the move. She had a feeling that staying in the nightclub wouldn't be good for either of them.

"Sasha. I knew it was you. I knew you'd come back," Irina babbled, but she let Alex take her away. She did her best to ignore the rambles, formulating a plan of action. It was all on the fly, which probably wasn't great. Yet if Alex didn't help Irina then, she might never have another chance. She had to figure it out. Or, at the very least, she had to move her somewhere safe and secure until she could create a real scheme. Maybe she could take Irina to the loft. Nikita would help her. She understood what it took to get clean and escape whatever hell you were trapped in. Irina would be safe and sound with the rogue.

"I thought you left," Before Alex could bring her there, however, she needed to get her out of the nightclub and she wanted answers. When the young woman planned her escape from the brothel, she decided to help Irina run away as well. Whereas Alex attacked the man holding them captive and stole some cash on her way out, she gave her friend something to sell to make her way. She thought she would've taken it- she hoped she would. Tragically, she was wrong and Irina was still trapped.

"I tried. But no one can leave. Not like you," Stopping them in the alleyway behind the nightclub, Irina admitted sheepishly. Alex didn't understand it. When she had attacked Vlad, she had made a way for her and others to escape. She couldn't have been the only one. She refused to accept that she was the only one to have made it out. Others had to be free too, especially Irina. She had more of a chance than anyone else. So how come she stayed. And how come she was resisting Alex's attempts to help her then.

"What do we have here, сука?" The booming voice that echoed through the alley froze Alex to her core. She slowly turned around, but she already knew who she was going to face. Her worst nightmare had returned to drag her back to hell. Vlad had found her.

Chapter Text

"Hey, Dude, look out for your phone. Your rivals tried to steal it and sell out a clone," Smugly, Nikita recorded the message and sent it to the poor victim of Division's latest mission. Her voice was disguised, as was her IP address. The tech genius could heed her anonymous advice and disengage his tech, all without her interference known to Division- as long as Alex handed over the phone in a timely manner. Normally, Nikita wouldn't have doubted that she would. But something the young woman had said before she left kept nagging the back of the rogue's mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"She wouldn't have…" Nikita stared at her computer, lost in thought. Alex was correct in assuming that she'd still be like that girl in the nightclub had she not gotten clean and found a purpose. That kind of life was nearly impossible to quit on your own; addiction was a disease, after all. But would Alex really return to the club, putting herself at risk of recognition, just to help the girl- give her some of the opportunities she had received. Nikita knew she herself would. Which meant the young woman absolutely did.

Hurriedly, the rogue hacked into the nightclub's security feed. She hoped to find Alex safely leading the girl away from the life she was trapped in. If so, then Nikita could rush to join them; she could take over while Alex returned to Division to finish her mission and not blow her cover. But by the time Nikita managed to pull up the view from the cameras, it was too late for her to do anything. Alex and the girl were held at gunpoint by a group of men. Although Nikita didn't recognize any of the men, she could connect enough dots to know they were the Russian mob. And she could tell by Alex's horrified expression that they were from the brothel, "Shit."

The girl had recognized Alex, and had called her captor- most likely out of fear- to bring back the escapee. Surprised by the mobsters' reappearance, the young agent couldn't defend herself. She was taken and dragged off, just like the girl. Nikita sprang from her computer chair and gathered her gear to chase after them. However, the cameras didn't cover where they went; they didn't even capture a vehicle. Also, Nikita was so underprepared to face the mob on her own. She needed backup, and she needed help. Never before had she been so grateful to have a team by her side, "Please tell me you haven't left yet."

"Yeah, we have. Why? What's wrong? What happened?" Michael answered Nikita's call in confusion. He had told her when he and Birkhoff had left to meet with Owen. They were flying out to Europe to discuss the black boxes at some secret location. It was a strange rendezvous point, but Michael and Birkhoff didn't question it too much. Owen seemed to get weirder and weirder with each new conversation. That was probably just his strange personality outside Division setting in. Nikita, on the other hand, wasn't one to be as weird or forgetful. She sounded like she was panicking over the phone. Something was definitely wrong.

"Alex was taken by the Russian mob," Nikita refrained from cursing. It wasn't Michael's and Birkhoff's fault that they weren't there; they didn't know what would happen. Hell, Nikita and Alex didn't even know the op could go that bad. It was a horrendous situation that kept getting worse. Succumbing to fears or worst case scenarios wouldn't solve anything. If she wanted to save Alex, Nikita had to be calm. That was easier said than done as she kept re-watching the security footage for any clues. Alex looked so scared, it was heart-wrenching.

"What? How?" Still confused, Michael attempted to catch up with the shocking information. As far as he knew, Alex and Nikita were stopping Division from getting their hands on some new piece of technology; they were ruining a corporate espionage mission that had the sole purpose of lining Percy's pockets. It had no connection to any sort of mob. So how could the Russians have kidnaped Alex. Were they connected to Gogol, who was running its own operation. Or was the tech genius secretly indebted to the mob.

"Alex recognized a girl from the brothel at the nightclub, and I guess she recognized her too. The mob took her back," Quickly, Nikita filled in the gaps for Michael; it was far worse than he thought. She didn't have time to fully explain what had happened. She rushed around the loft, gathering weapons and equipment, and attempting to think where the men could've taken Alex. She was going to guess back to the brothel with the other girl; however, she had no idea where that was. She didn't even know where to look. It'd take her forever just to track them down.

She didn't have forever; Nikita didn't even have a day. If the man who had held Alex captive in the brothel didn't kill her for escaping, then he'd rough her up and put her back to work. That was a fate worse than death. Alex couldn't suffer through that again. Unless, the mobsters had something else in mind for her- something more than death or torture. If Division had managed to discover Alexandra Udinov was still alive, the Russian mob could too. The older she grew, the more she looked like an Udinov. And there had been so much conspiracy around her 'death'. She couldn't stay hidden for long, "Shit. What if they realize who she really is?"

"Do you need me to come back?" Although he was still in the air (able to talk on the phone thanks to Birkhoff's tech abilities) Michael asked. He could catch a flight back to New York once they landed, and Birkhoff could meet with Owen alone. It'd be a long trip- almost too long to truly help Alex. But going after the mob and attacking a brothel was too dangerous to do alone. Not only could Nikita get hurt, but so could Alex and so many other innocent girls. Michael had to find a way to help them all, even if it wasn't the best idea.

Nikita was already shaking her head 'no'. Waiting for Michael would take up too much time. She'd just have to go it alone. She could figure it out. There had to be a way she could play it smart and get Alex out as safely as possible. She just needed information. Maybe her mafia contacts could help. Nikita hadn't dealt with them in a while, and they didn't work in the human trafficking side of the illegal operations. But she didn't have any other options, "No. No. I know a spot where some of the local mobsters like to hang out. I can scare some intel out of them."

"That steam room, right? Tell them Misha sent you, asking about a weapons sale. Maybe you don't have to torture them too much," Michael could guess where Nikita might go for intel; it was were he would go if he was looking into the Russian mob. If that was the case, then she might as well use his old cover to at least get through the door. He couldn't be with her in person, but he could still help. Birkhoff could even take a crack at the security feed from the nightclub- see what his magic could yield. Nikita wasn't truly left on her own. The whole team would do whatever they could to save Alex.

"Thanks. I'll keep you updated," Finally feeling calm enough to formulate a plan, Nikita ended her call with Michael. She sent recorded footage of Alex being kidnapped to Birkhoff, then she wiped the camera's memory and looped the feed. She didn't want Division suspecting something was wrong with Alex. They'd either suspect she ran off, or they might notice Nikita poking around the alley on her way to question the mob. Nothing could link the young agent and the rogue. Nothing could tip Division off to the horror that had occurred. The black ops group, though well equipped, would ruin any safe operation to save Alex. Nikita couldn't take that risk.

Scanning the alleyway for any clues wasn't as helpful as Nikita had hoped. She couldn't find anything. However, she wouldn't let that discourage her. She could get information from hers and Michael's mafia contacts. That had to be enough. Even if all she received was the location of the brothel, she could stake it out for the rest of the information she needed. She refused to look at the negatives of the situation. She couldn't let them drag her down. Alex needed more from her than that.

Thanks to Michael's cover, Nikita made it into the steam room with the mobsters easily. It didn't give her intel, though. But she had planned for that. She threatened the mobsters with a (disarmed) mine, scaring everything she needed out of them. It was working just fine until there was a loud commotion outside the door. As Nikita turned to examine it, Kelly crashed through the door while fighting the guards. The rogue nearly laughed at the sight. She just couldn't help it, "Kelly, hey. Was wondering when Division would show up."

It was a poor choice of words. Kelly immediately turned her attention on Nikita. The two fought one another and the guards that just seemed to keep multiplying. The rogue attempted to keep her grip on the mine trigger, continuing to sell the illusion that it worked. She hoped that once she defeated her adversaries, she could keep scaring information out of the mob. With Kelly in the room, however, all her plans went out the window. Nikita was forced to drop the trigger just as the last guard went down. When the mine didn't go off, the Russians were onto her. And before she and Kelly could tear into one another, more guards were called in.

Sparing a glance at one another, the two women miraculously had the same thought. They ran out of the room together. Nikita thanked God that she at least managed to get the location of the brothel before she had to bolt. As soon as she broke away from Kelly, she could rescue Alex. But that wasn't as soon as she thought. Cops had been called at the sound of the guards' gunshots, so the two women had to keep running. It was several blocks later that they could rest. Well, Nikita thought she could. Kelly had other ideas- because of course she did. She quickly trained her gun on the rogue. Instantly, she retaliated, "And I thought we made it."

"What are you doing here?" Seething, Kelly tightened her grip on her pistol and dared to step closer. Nikita held her back with a glare and her finger on the trigger. Was it weird that the rogue was almost relieved to see her old partner planning to kill her. Probably. But, it was so calming to know that despite the hell that was raining down around her, at least one thing remained constant. Nikita could always count on Kelly to want to hurt her. Hopefully, she could also always count on being able to talk her way out of that.

"Looking for that tech. Same as you," Nikita bluffed. She had a feeling that if Kelly was sent to question the Russian mob, Division knew what was going on. They must've retraced Alex's steps when she didn't report on time. Although Nikita wiped the footage outside the club to hide her steps and what looked like Alex making an escape with the girl, Division probably reviewed the cameras inside. Once they saw their agent talking to a heavily made-up girl on drugs, it wasn't difficult to connect the dots. Amanda knew where the young agent came from. So of course she'd send Kelly to hunt down the lead that'd bring her star home.

"I'm looking for an agent," Kelly confirmed Nikita's suspicions, right down to her disdain for the mission. She didn't like how much priority Amanda placed on Alex. If she was any other agent, no one would've been sent to save her; she'd either have to save herself or suffer the punishment of being caught. Yet Alex received special treatment. Nikita wondered if Kelly knew why. She probably didn't. Alexandra Udinov and her deal with Percy and Amanda was a well kept secret. Kelly was forced to remain in the dark. And knowing something was being hidden from her probably pissed her off even more.

"The one taken to the brothel?" Nikita tried to sound like she was only vaguely aware of the details. She tried to keep the fear out of her voice. Kelly couldn't know why she was really looking for Alex. Actually, she couldn't know how much Alex meant to her. Kelly could know that Nikita wanted to at least save her from the brothel. The mob was difficult enough to fight by herself. Add Division to the mix, and Nikita and Alex were fucked. But if the rogue worked with the agent, the young woman could be saved. And hopefully so could all the other girls in the brothel, "You're gonna need help getting her out."

"Like I'm supposed to trust you? How do I know you won't kill both of us and steal the tech for yourself?" Rightfully, Kelly suspected Nikita's motivations. There was absolutely no reason for her to trust the rogue. Although they had been partners, their relationship had always been rocky at best. They annoyed one another, they never had each other's best interest, and they'd turn on one another in a second. That had only gotten worse since Nikita had escaped. One mission wouldn't change all that. Nothing could make them friends, or even true partners.

Slowly putting away her weapon, Nikita raised placating hands. Her actions, thankfully, stunned Kelly enough to not immediately take the shot. The rogue had time to make her plea. She knew there wasn't anything she could say to make her old partner change her mind about her. Yet the situation wasn't about Nikita. The mission was all about Alex. The two needed to save her no matter what. Their war, their rivalry, it wasn't important. Saving an innocent girl from fates worse than death was the only thing worth giving a damn about, "Cause I don't want a girl to suffer like that. Do you?"

Kelly paused. Her gun remained aimed at the rogue, but she lost her intention to shoot. Her finger soon left the trigger. She couldn't fight Nikita, as much as she wanted to. Division had sent her alone to talk to the mob. Once she discovered where Alex was, then she would've called for any necessary backup. But an Alpha team storming a brothel would cause more casualties than it would save lives. Usually, Kelly wouldn't have cared about the loss. Yet that seemed like crossing a line- those girls had suffered enough. Nikita was right. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, and she needed help, "You follow my lead. Got it?"

"No one else like us, Kel," When Kelly hesitantly lowered her pistol, Nikita nodded. For a brief second, the two almost smiled at one another. There were a few moments like that when they had been in Division together. They had understood each other at times- times when they connected over shared abuses and realized they had similar traumas. In those moments, not only could they have possibly considered themselves friends, but they also came to an agreement. The two would do whatever they could to ensure no one else suffered the same as them. Although Nikita and Kelly eventually took different approaches to that promise, they'd never break it.

They could work together to save other girls.

Chapter Text

“You’re a special girl, you know? The first one to ever escape me,” Vlad dragged Alex through the brothel. With a gun pressed to her side, she couldn’t fight him. Maybe she could’ve if she thought enough about her actions, but the horror of where they were had her frozen. She was too gripped in fear to even breathe. She couldn’t be back there. She couldn’t be back in the brothels. She was supposed to have escaped. She was supposed to have never returned.

Since she was back in her worst nightmare, Alex fully believed she was going to die. She couldn’t concentrate on anything else. The fire in her telling her to fight and find a way to escape was quickly dying. The tighter she held on, the more it disappeared. Each curtain she passed with an abused girl hidden behind tore at her resolve. It took everything in her just to stand. How she had managed to sass Vlad was even beyond her. There was more conviction in her words than Alex ever felt, “I’ll be the first girl to do it twice, Vlad.”

“Oh. So you do remember me?” Vlad shoved Alex forward, the gun pressed deeper into her back. There went her denial that she had ever been Sasha. She just desperately needed another way to escape. If she could even focus on one. Vlad’s comments weren’t making it any easier, “I fed her, gave her clothes, a place to stay. A scar is how she thanks me.”

“I’d be happy to give you another one,” Glancing at the scar across Vlad’s eye actually made Alex smile. She had clawed at his eyes when she made her mad escape years earlier. She was glad that it had left its mark. It proved a girl could damage him in return. And, although he locked her in a secluded room, it meant she knew weaknesses she could exploit to escape again.

“Yashin used to live here. Remember Yashin, my pit bull?” Vlad shoved Alex into the empty dog cage and locked the door. She thanked God, or whoever else was listening, that she was locked in there instead of a room, full of girls. She wasn’t going to be put back to work. She wouldn’t be drugged up and forced to have sex. Other horrors were probably going to befall her, yet none were as horrifying as being a sex slave. She could survive anything but that.

After he locked up his captive, Vlad left the room to grab something. Alex didn’t waste any time in trying to escape. She couldn’t break the lock or the cage. And there wasn’t anything in her reach she could use. All she had was Irina. And the brief thought that Division might be after her. She hadn’t reported in, and they’d see on the cameras that she had been kidnapped. An Alpha team could be on their way to save her. She just needed to get out of the cage, “Irina, you have to unlock this. The people coming for me, if they see you out there and me in here… Look, I know you’re afraid of Vlad. But these people are a hell of a lot more dangerous.”

Irina just stared at her and shook her head. She kept her distance from Alex, trying not to be affected by her plea. Alex couldn’t blame her. Irina was just as terrified as she was. The way she flinched when Vlad returned was just another piece of evidence attesting to that. Alex was on her own. Which was perfect for Vlad and the camera he had brought in, “Bought this for porno movies. Hopefully, this will be more lucrative. I’ve always wondered what was so special about you. If only I knew, huh. Sometimes, you don’t appreciate what you had until you lost it.”

“I’ll try to remember that when I take your life. You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Alex bared her teeth. She was acting far braver than she actually was. The back of her mind screamed that she was going to die in that hellhole. But she knew she had to fight. She had to use what Amanda taught her and what Nikita showed her by constantly battling Division. Alex needed to slip on a mask, lock her fear away, and be the formidable agent she knew she could be.

“Ever heard of Anastasia Romanov? Anastasia, she was a princess. A daughter of the last Tsar of Russia. A girl born into fabulous wealth, protected by the soldiers of her father. But then, one day when she was a teenager, the Tsar’s enemies stormed the palace. Her father’s soldiers were powerless. Some even betrayed him. He was captured, executed, his entire family perished with him in a fire,” Although his beady eyes remained on Alex, Vlad ignored her and spoke to Irina. The abused girl might not have known what he was talking about, but his captive did.

Alex struggled to keep a neutral expression as Vlad spoke. She didn’t mind a glare seeping through as she peered behind the bars. She hated Vlad with all her might, and she didn’t care if he knew. But he couldn’t know that his assumption was correct. He had figured out who Alex really was, “But Anastasia’s body was never found. There were rumors she survived, and was hiding from her father’s enemies who put a price on her head. You see, if word got out that Anastasia was alive, people loyal to her father would try to restore her to the throne.”

How did Vlad guess that Alex was Alexandra Udinov. Sasha was a common Russian nickname for Alexandra, but her fake name couldn’t have been that big of a clue- could it have been. Whether or not it was, Alex couldn’t dwell on it. She had to dissuade Vlad. he couldn’t know who she was; she’d be killed, or worse. She had to be stoic. She had to continue the lie, “The rumors were false. She died in that fire.”

“No. She’s here. Right here. We are in the presence of royalty. The daughter of one of the new tsars, the oligarchs. The heir to Zetrov, the billion dollar empire built by her father, Nikolai Udinov, until he was murdered. Her name is Alexandra Udinov. She’s very much alive. I know exactly who I’m dealing with,” Leaning towards Alex, Vlad threatened with a sneer. He had her pegged. She couldn’t run or hide from the truth. He knew exactly who she was, and he wouldn’t back off until she admitted it too.

Pressing record on the clunky camera, Vlad aimed the lens directly at Alex. She tried to hide her face, but it was pointless. Vlad was determined to get his shot, “Okay. This is very simple. Say for the camera, ‘I am Alexandra Udinov, daughter of Nikolai Udinov’. Action.”

“Get somebody else to say it. Like Irina,” Mumbling, Alex slumped in the dog cage. She couldn’t find a comfortable position, but she’d have to ignore that. There were worse things that required her attention. Hiding her identity was only one of them.

Division already knew who she was, and she had handled that threat by striking a deal. However, she couldn’t save herself from Zetrov with just words. Semak wanted her dead, and he’d use Gogol to do it. If she wanted to kill him first, she needed to keep her identity a secret. She had to remain a ghost, especially since it’d also hurt Vlad if she did, “Look. These Zetrov guys looking for you, if they believe me, big money. Enough for me to quit this job and do something more worthwhile. Narcotics for example. But if they think I’m wasting their time…”

“You’ve got the wrong girl,” Alex spat. She couldn’t just claim that, however. She needed to tell a false story of who she was. Vlad was asking for it. Also, a fake story could buy her more time before she could escape. Fortunately, Amanda had helped her create one to tell the other recruits, and in case she was ever taken by Gogol on a mission, “My parents both died in a car accident. It was raining really hard and we skidded into a river. We were sinking fast and there was a lot of water. I thought I was gonna drown. But my father rolled down the window and shoved me through it. And that was the last time I ever saw him.”

“That’s a good story. Very entertaining. Golden Globe. I would believe it if I didn’t know better,” Mocking applause, Vlad scoff. Alex was ready to scream that she was telling the truth. Except, he drew something out of his pocket that made her pause. He wasn’t supposed to have that. How did he get it. Why did Vlad have her father’s watch, “You see. You gave Irina your father’s watch before you ran away. Told her, ‘sell it and escape’. Now, if your father drowned and you never saw his body again, how come you have his watch?”

Alex wanted to lunge at Irina and make her feel all the rage coursing through her body. Yet, she begrudgingly knew that it wouldn’t have been fair. Irina was terrified of Vlad. Even with the opportunity to escape, she wouldn’t do it. She’d hand an expensive watch to her abuser instead to receive praise instead of punishment. It wasn’t Irina’s fault that Vlad eventually discovered Sasha’s true identity. It was Alex’s for trusting her father’s watch to someone else, “Last chance to tell the truth, Alexandra.”

“I guess you’ll have to shoot me,” Acid dripped from Alex’s tongue. She wasn’t going to tell Vlad shit. He couldn’t have the satisfaction of cashing in on her pain, not again. He was going to suffer, just like her. Though, Vlad appeared to have expected that. He reached for something in his desk. Alex believed it was his gun. What he pulled out was far worse, however. She flinched, trying so hard to run from the drugs in his hand.

“There was one thing that used to make you obey me. You would practically do anything for it. I mean, anything for a speedball. I doubt you lost your hunger,” There was nowhere for her to run. Alex could recoil as much as she wanted, but Vlad could grab her easily in the cage. He took hold of her wrist, jerked her arm straight, and plunged the syringe into her veins. She tried to stop him; she really did try. But, like always, he overpowered her. Alex couldn’t fight Vlad or the heroin. She was hopeless.

A call took Vlad away from the room. Alex wanted to use the pause in interrogation to once again beg Irina to let her go. Yet her mind became jumbled. The heroin wasn’t enough to take her completely out of it. It was just the feeling of it running through her veins that made Alex pause. She had forgotten how good it felt- the instant relief that flowed through her and numbed her thoughts. Finally, nothing was screaming at her too loud to be silenced. The anxiety and guilt rotting her stomach was replaced by artificial bliss. She knew it wouldn’t last long, yet how could she care when she felt so great. She was free for one infinitesimal moment.

It all came crashing down when Vlad returned to the room. Alex wasn’t free; she was far from it. In fact, she was in more danger than she was in before. Vlad was still on the phone, screaming about a ‘Wonder Woman’ attacking mob members. Even in a drugged up haze, Alex knew he was talking about Nikita. Both the rogues and Division were coming after her. She was going to be saved. And that pissed Vlad off. He ended his call, crossed towards his captive, and shook her cage, “Still expect me to believe you’re some Russian peasant girl?”

Honestly, it was too much for Alex to lie. She just closed her eyes and let the bliss of the drugs take over. Vlad seemed to be able to read her mind, however. He snapped for her attention and held another syringe of heroin in front of her. He smirked as she lunged for it, “It’s here. It’s right here. Give me the truth. Okay, Alexandra.”

“I am not Alexandra,” Alex fought the urge to reach for the heroin. She wanted it. She needed it. Yet she knew better than to fall for the bait. She couldn’t give in. God, she wanted to. But she hadn’t fought so hard to give up then.

“Whatever. Who are these people looking for you?” Vlad tossed aside the heroin and yelled. He was right when he had called her special. No other kidnapped girl received that intense of a rescue team. Hell, no other Division agent did either. Alex was different. As an Udinov, she always had been. And as herself, she always would be.

“You’re not going to believe it. I am an agent of Division,” Controlling her haggard breath, Alex admitted slowly. She wasn’t lying anymore- she didn’t have the energy to. Vlad would get his truth about who she was. It just wasn’t exactly what he wanted, “It’s a secret branch of the US government. So secret that it doesn’t exist. We spy on enemies. We eliminate threats to national security. And by eliminating, we assassinate.”

“You’re a spy?” Vlad scoffed incredulously. It was absolutely ridiculous to hear- even to Alex, and she knew the truth. But Division was very real, and they were very dangerous. Vlad would learn that once they came crashing through his door.

“If you let me out of this cage, I’ll prove it,” Somehow, Alex managed to smirk as she threatened Vlad. Everything was so hazy and fuzzy- a feeling she wanted to dive into and never come back up from. Yet she held it together. Taunting Vlad was the least she could do after all the hell he had put her through.

He didn’t believe her, however. Stalking closer to the cage, Vlad wasn’t intimidated in the slightest by Alex. She might’ve been able to claw at his eyes before, but there was no way she could do it again. He didn’t think she had the skillset, “Yeah? What would you do to me?”

“I’m trained in surveillance, weapons, hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, and exfiltration,” The list fell off Alex’s tongue. She rambled off just a few of the things she could do, hardly paying attention if they had an effect on Vlad or not. She was just faltering to the drugs influence. Nothing really seemed to matter besides that.

“You really expect me to believe the government trained an illegal Russian junkie to spy for them? Well, I doubt an American spy agency wants you to have this. But I do,” Scoffing once more, Vlad gave up on trying to scare the truth from Alex. He was convinced that all he would hear was bullshit from her. The only way to convince her to do anything was heroin. Yet he wouldn’t give it to her unless she earned it. So far, she was nowhere close to earning anything, “This spy crap is the biggest lie you’ve told me yet, Alexandra.”

“I told you you wouldn’t believe me,” Muttering, Alex drew back as far as she could in the dog cage. She wanted the drugs so bad. It was starting to hurt how much she wanted the heroin. But she couldn’t take it. She needed to rise above her addiction. She had done it before.

Unfortunately, Vlad didn’t believe her. He didn’t think she was above him or heroin. Alex was going to suffer through a relapse and then a withdrawal. Since she was never going to tell him anything, then he had no use for her, “I hope you feel as bad as you look. I’ll let you go through withdrawal, and then I’ll shoot you.”

Vlad left the room again, that time for good. Irina stayed with Alex, though, like she always did. She had tried to apologize for what she had done, giving Alex water and expressing how much she had always needed her to be strong. But the young woman hardly paid attention to Irina. She was too distracted by the drugs, and by the commotion happening outside the room. Alex couldn’t make sense of it at first. Something was occurring, but whatever it was, it couldn’t penetrate her muddled thoughts. Then, she heard the gunshots. That was unmistakable. Division, and possibly the rogues, had raided the place. She was getting out of that hellhole.

If only she could escape the dog cage and the heroin. 

“Remember who I was, Alexandra. Remember who you are,” Alex could’ve sworn she saw her father. He came back to her. He spoke to her. He reminded her that fighting and being on top was in her blood. Gritting her teeth, clutching the cage door, and shaking her head, Alex attempted to clear the drug induced fog from her mind. It was time to focus. Gunshots were ringing around her, and she had to escape. She needed to be strong, like an Udinov.

“Irina, open the door now,” Snapping for Irina’s attention, Alex struggled not to slur her words. Her adrenaline and fear from the chaos erupting around her helped- as did sheer stubbornness. Yet, it was still so difficult. Being high again was amazing. She felt so relaxed, and her mind was quieted of most of its troubling thoughts. She could melt away in that bliss again.

“I want to help you. I want to, but Vlad…” Irina shook as she responded to Alex. She reminded her of how much danger they were still in. Alex couldn’t succumb to the drugs. Never again. She had to be stronger than that. She was stronger than that. Neither the drugs nor the gunshots were going to kill her. She was going to come out on top. And everyone else would receive what they deserved.

“Irina, the next person who comes through that door will kill you. I am the only one who wants to help you. The only one who can,” Alex became more urgent. She didn’t know how long they had until either Vlad came back, or the gunshots caught up to them. She had to get out of that cage instantly. Thankfully, Irina finally overcame her fear. She unlocked Alex and helped her clamber out. The young agent barely expressed her gratitude. She simply grabbed a gun and hid.

Alex ducked out of sight just in time. Despite, or maybe because of, the gunshots outside, Vlad came running back to the room. He was frantic, but he was able to notice that the dog cage was empty and Irina was cowering in the corner. He rounded on the abused girl in a fury. How dare she ruin his one good thing that night, “Where is she? What did you do, падла?”

Before Vlad could attack Irina, Alex pulled the trigger. She didn’t have the greatest shot lined up, yet she didn’t need to. Vlad collapsed to the ground without a fight. Coldly, Alex approached him. The gun became more secure in her grasp. Her eyes cleared up. And she finally had her deadly shot. Getting revenge and securing her place on top was in her blood, after all, “There is one thing I want you to know. I am Alexandra Udinov, daughter of Nikolai Udinov. And this is your reward.”

She shot Vlad until she was certain he was dead.

Irina whimpered somewhere beside Alex. She turned to her, yet she didn’t raise the gun. The young agent didn’t need it to threaten the abused girl. Her actions were enough to keep her quiet, “I need you to run now. I need you to get as far away from here as possible. And if you tell anyone what you heard, I will have to hunt you down and kill you.”

Without a second thought, Irina sprinted out of the room. Alex didn’t give her a second thought either. Her eyes had narrowed in on Vlad’s dead body. Her father’s watch was still on him. She needed to take it back. It was hers. It always should’ve been hers. As she crossed to Vlad, though, the strength that was holding her up crumbled. The heroin and waning adrenaline caused her to fall to her knees. She had to crawl just to be able to claim what was hers. After that, the world could disappear all it wanted.

Alex could’ve sworn she heard Nikita frantically calling for her. She tried to reach out to the rogue, but the lack of adrenaline and overindulgence of drugs left her swimming in mud. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. But she had to get to Nikita. She could help her.

The rogue finally entered the young woman’s view. She was talking quietly, saying something urgent as she tenderly reached for her. But Alex couldn’t understand. She just clung to Nikita, hoping to be taken out of that hellhole.

Nikita seemed like she was about to do just that when someone else stormed into the room. Alex barely registered that it was Kelly. Nikita did, though. Jumping away from the young woman, the rogue addressed the agent. Again, Alex couldn’t understand what they were talking about, yet it seemed important. Kelly and Nikita stared at each other silently for a second. Then, Nikita nodded and ran off. Alex was left with Division.

A part of her guessed there was a logical explanation for that; Alex would be safer with Division than with Nikita. However, before the young woman could force herself to contemplate that- or anything else- unconsciousness caught up to her. She slipped away in her drug-filled haze, never knowing when she’d resurface.

Chapter Text

"I am Alexandra Udinov, daughter of Nikolai Udinov. And this is your reward," The end of the video played on Nikita's computer in the loft over and over again. After leaving Alex with Kelly (she was safer detoxing in Division), the rogue hadn't felt like driving all the way back to the safehouse. She could just crash at the loft in the city. However, she wasn't able to rest until she destroyed whatever Vlad had recorded of Alex, and until she tried to forget that night. The former was far easier than the latter. A couple key clicks would erase what had been captured on camera. As for what Nikita had seen, and what Alex had to endure, that'd never go away.

Worrying the ends of her hair, Nikita watched Alex kill Vlad on repeat. A part of her was extremely proud of the young agent for killing her abuser and saving other girls from his hell. Yet that pride couldn't conceal the rogue's fear. She recognized the look in Alex's eyes as she pulled the trigger. Although they were hazy from forced drug use, the murderous intent was beyond clear. She wasn't going to stop with just Vlad. Everyone who had ever hurt her was going to feel her wrath. The only reason they didn't at that moment was because the drugs knocked her on her ass. Otherwise, hell would have rained down.

Nikita remembered that feeling from the night she had shot that cop. It was pretty much the only thing she remembered- ketamine was a hell of a memory loss drug. She had been so angry. All she had wanted to do was burn the whole world to the ground. The cop was just the first in her warpath. Division later channeled that rage into further targets for her and caused more sources of hatred to fuel her. It was almost as if she was reliving her first murder over and over again. She was always so blinded by her rage. She didn't have any other emotion. She was so full of hatred, she had to unleash on those that had hurt her- or she believed had hurt her.

That wasn't a way to live. Nikita knew that. However, she never had any other life. All she knew was pain, and using drugs or violence or both to release that. Alex, on the other hand, knew what it was like to have more and to be better. She didn't have to fall into that cycle. She didn't have to be another person killing in a haze of drugs and rage. Alex could go down a far better path. It was actually available to her. She simply had to be removed from the terrible influences; not just Division, but Nikita as well.

The rogue saw too much of herself in the recording of Alex. She saw the heavy drug addiction (though, Alex never chose that; it was always forced on her). She saw the undeniable anger. And she saw the horrible influence of revenge. Only living to set things right, to avenge wrongful death and destruction, was harmful. It gutted a person. A husk of wrath was all that was left behind. There was no room in the heart for another person, any other thought, or happiness. Even when the target of all that rage was killed, nothing good would fill that void. All that would be left was emptiness, or room for more anger to grow.

Although Nikita had accepted that for herself, knowing she didn't deserve any other life, Alex had to have better. Her happiness had been stolen from her, yet she could steal it back- just not by revenge. She needed to prove that she was more than her enemies; she could rise above them by living a happy, normal life despite their efforts. Maybe she could achieve that with the man she had talked about, Nathan. The two could run away together and be free. Alex couldn't suffer the pain the path she was on was leading her to.

Finally deleting the footage of Alexandra Udinov enacting her revenge, Nikita attempted to think of how she was going to help her. Alex couldn't be like the rogue. Maybe if she escaped after she detoxed and before things got any worse, she'd eventually be okay. Nikita simply needed to create a way for the young woman to break free- and to convince her that it was a good idea. Unfortunately, the rogue was braindead. And a call from Michael, which she answered automatically, broke her concentration, "Hey. I haven't heard from you since you texted that Alex was safe. Is everything alright?"

No. Things were definitely not alright, especially for Alex. She'd be safe in Division, detoxing and healing; Amanda would take care of her. Yet that wouldn't last long. Nikita was certain of it. She needed to find a permanent way to keep Alex safe- to keep her from becoming like her. The rogue just couldn't think then. She also didn't want to drag Michael into it, not until she had something concrete. His focus needed to remain on the black boxes and their war with Division, "What'd you get on the black boxes?"

Michael paused. He and Birkhoff were on their flight back from Europe, and he finally had the chance to talk to Nikita about what had happened with Alex. Though, he should've suspected that after the unsettling texts he had received throughout the ordeal she wouldn't want to talk. He'd have to wait until she was calmer, "Well, Owen is acting even weirder in person. I didn't think a person could be so paranoid. Regardless, there hasn't been much development. Owen believes he knows how to locate a Guardian in London. He's going to rundown some ideas with Birkhoff helping on the computer."

"Maybe we should help him on the ground too," Nikita contemplated. She pushed away from her computer and paced around the loft. Tearing London apart for a Guardian and a black box was just what she needed to distract herself from her thoughts. She could clear her head and create solid solutions for Alex. Destroying a black box and being one step closer to destroying Percy would also help the whole team. Mostly good things would come out of going to London, instead of being stuck where they were, feeling like they were repeating the same things.

"Yeah, when things are more concrete," Michael had already thought of joining Owen in London. He seemed like he needed assistance. But it'd be a waste of energy and resources for all the rogues to relocate there until they actually had something. Nikita and Michael needed to stay close to Division so they could successfully run their countermissions. Birkhoff would be enough help for Owen via the computer. Although that made the most sense, Nikita didn't seem okay with the decision. She was upset by it. Or, more likely, she was concerned with something else. It was hard to tell what was on her mind while they were so far away, "What are you thinking?"

Sighing, Nikita tried to formulate a way to respond to Michael. She couldn't come up with a lie or even a half-truth. What was the point of keeping her concerts about Alex from him anyway. It might've felt like it at times, but the young woman wasn't her sole responsibility. The entire team would look out for her and protect her. They were all partners, and they all had each other's best interests at heart. Michael (and Birkhoff) needed to know everything so he could protect Alex too. They were going to work together to set her free, "I think Alex is in trouble."

"You said she was safe. Did something happen?" Immediately, Michael placed the call on speaker. Birkhoff needed to hear the conversation as well. Nikita's texts as she had rescued Alex from the brothel hadn't been enough information to settle the two men's apprehensions. They had been worried about the harm Alex faced in the hands of her former abuser, and the dangers Nikita encountered attacking the Russian mob and working with Kelly. Both women thankfully came out alive, but they were definitely scarred by the experience. The hells weren't over yet, especially for Alex- not by a longshot.

"She's okay now. But I… something happened to her in that brothel, and it's not going to get any better," Nikita tried to soothe Michael's worry, yet it was difficult while she was scared as well. Alex would get clean again after being forced to take heroin without much issue- Amanda would make sure of that. Yet the horrors of what she had to endure, of being back in that hellhole and confronting her abuser, was going to stay with her for far too long. It was going to fuel her revenge even more. She was going to be so consumed with anger and vengeance to cope that it was going to eat her up inside. She might not have her chance at happiness.

"What is it?" Neither Michael nor Birkhoff tried to assume. It was easy to think that the worst was occurring- that despite healing in Division with its state-of-the-art medical facility, Alex was suffering. Maybe it was simply that her revenge mission was compromised and she might lose her deal with Division. Or maybe her real identity was leaked, and they had to put a plug on it. Whatever it was, Birkhoff and Michael hoped that it didn't end in death. They couldn't lose anyone on their team.

"We need to talk in person," Nikita stared at her computer again. The screen was blank, and every bit of evidence of what Alexandra Udinov had done was completely erased. But the image of her killing Vlad in her anger and drug induced haze was permanently burned onto the monitor. Nikita couldn't shake it free. And she was terrified Alex wouldn't be able to either. The longer she was involved in that hell, the worse it was going to get. Once again, the young woman needed to escape, "I think we need to get Alex out of Division."

"Where is she? What happened to Alexandra?" Sean stormed into Amanda's office. Although he kept his distance from Alexandra after she had threatened him, he continued to watch her back from his apartment. His orders hadn't changed despite her feelings about them; and despite the fact that he had to take a more passive role in protecting her, so she didn't kill him. She was difficult to watch over. When she never returned to her apartment after her latest mission, he had a feeling something terrible had happened. How could a standard op go wrong. What kind of trouble did she get into when he wasn't around.

"Relax. She's detoxing in Medical. I didn't think you would've cared," Amanda barely looked up from the file she was reading; though she was pleased that Sean had crashed into her office asking about Alex. He ignored the smirk. He simply needed to know where Alexandra was. Maybe she was debriefing after her mission- that would explain why Amanda appeared to be only skimming the file while she moved in and out of her office. Yet Sean didn't believe that was entirely possible. Her mission shouldn't have lasted that long. She should've been home.

"I normally wouldn't… but I was supposed to be protecting her. She got hurt on my watch," Sean didn't know why he stumbled on his response. Of course he had a reason to care for Alexandra; protecting her was his mission. It was clear and straightforward. He had to ensure she stayed alive until she killed Semak. It was what Oversight wanted. So why did he trip over his words as he explained himself to Amanda. His lack of sleep and apprehensions could've been the culprit. Yet he normally didn't succumb to them like that. It was probably just Division. Despite his short time in the black ops unit, he already knew it brought out the worst in people.

"You have quite the sense of duty," Continuing to smirk, Amanda dropped the file back on her desk and moved out of her office. Sean was forced to follow. He hoped that she was leading him to Alexandra in Medical. Hoped as in assure himself that he still had a job while he was on leave from the Navy. He wasn't one to be able to rest between deployments. He needed to be active, continue to assist others. Although that assignment from Oversight wasn't what he was expecting, he knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn't let Alexandra die.

As Sean followed Amanda through Division, he attempted to clear his mind. He shouldn't be so single-mindedly focused on his feelings regarding his mission and Alexandra. Nor should he let Amanda's smug grin sink under his skin. He needed to know what had happened on the operation that had required Alexandra to be rushed to Medical. Was she injured; was she sick; was she both. Sean wasn't able to guess from what he was told. Like with most things in Division, he was continuously kept in the dark. It was really starting to piss him off, "You said she was detoxing?"

"Don't worry. She'll be fine soon. In fact, if you want to ask her any questions, now would be the time. She's in a very suggestable state," Amanda wouldn't drop her smug attitude. She enjoyed knowing more than Sean way too much. He was so close to snapping. A part of him wanted to pull rank to make her stop. Since he worked directly for Oversight and not for Division, he outranked Amanda. He could order her to tell him everything, or make Oversight force her too. Yet that wasn't the guarantee it should've been. Sean had to suck it up and deal.

"What's that mean?" At that point, Sean wanted to race to Medical and discover what was going on himself. He never had any patience for the games Amanda liked to play. He just needed the facts of the situation and how he'd deal with it. Or, more accurately, how he'd help Alexandra deal with it. Watching over her wasn't solely about ensuring she stayed alive. He also had to make sure she was fit enough to continue her revenge mission. If that meant he needed to help her heal, then he'd do it. He didn't have any problem with that.

"It's simply time to uncover some secrets Alex has been keeping from us," Amanda flashed one more snide smile before she stepped into one of the Medical rooms. Sean didn't like the implications of that. He wasn't aware of any secrets that Alexandra could have been keeping from Division, besides the extent of her relationship with Nathan. Yet that wasn't worth uncovering. Yes, her relationship distracted her at times. But she was as determined as ever to kill Semak. Amanda must've had a completely different suspicion in mind. One that Sean didn't necessarily want to look into- not if it might hurt Alex.

Chapter Text

Nikita waited for Michael and Birkhoff at the safehouse. She couldn’t stay in the loft with the ghost of the videotape lingering on her computer much longer. She needed a place where she could breathe and think and not be alone. The safehouse was always a much better place for that than the loft. She could take in the fresh air of the woods, pace around the wide open spaces, and be surrounded by the full presence of her team. She needed that to calm down. Her thoughts continuously ran a million miles an hour, and she had to settle them. To truly help Alex, Nikita needed to ease her fears and focus. Her too young mole needed at least that from her.

When Michael and Birkhoff finally returned to the safehouse, Nikita was still anxious. However, her pent up energy had become entirely directed towards Alex. Before the others could even drop their bags or relax after their long trip, she told them about what their mole had gone through and the things she had seen on the videotape. Most importantly, Nikita shared her concerns about Alex becoming just like her- too consumed with revenge and rage that she destroyed who she was. The rest of her life had been destroyed; her identity couldn’t be too.

Birkhoff and Michael instantly agreed to the idea of helping Alex, especially after they were filled in on everything she had been forced to experience in the brothel. However, both wanted to consider all their options before they broke Alex out of Division. They should contemplate different plans and discuss the idea with the young agent; she should be in the discussion about her life. No one should make a decision without her. But the rogues could at least get things ready for an escape. Michael expressed that, “Just in case, we should get a fake ID for Alex first. A good one. One that Division can’t track.”

“I know someone who can do that. He made me one for that recruit, Sara. But it costs a lot of money,” Nodding, Nikita informed the men about her contact who could form fake identities better than the CIA, Division, or even Birkhoff. The hacker took offense to that at first. But as Nikita continued to discuss her contact, he had to admit that he never thought about the things the other man did for a fake identity, such as fingerprints. The contact was the best option to turn to for Alex. After all, Division had no clue Sara was still alive. If she was able to stay hidden for so long, then Alex might have the same chance.

“Don’t worry. I got it,” Birkhoff had plenty of money to spare; and if not, he could always steal more. The money he had made from swindling amoral rich people funded the rogues’ efforts (also some money Nikita was able to steal from bad guys along the way). They weren’t short on funds for their war efforts. Even if they were, Birkhoff would still have no trouble spending his money to help Alex. Their mole had done so much for them, putting her life in danger and risking her deal to kill the man who ordered the hit on her family. The least the hacker could do to help was spend some money.

“We’ll work on a plan while you get the ID,” Michael continued his support of Nikita’s idea. There had been moments in his own mission to avenge his family that he lost himself to his immense hatred. He had almost lost Birkhoff and Nikita because of that hatred as hell. He was lucky that they had understood and had stuck with him. Otherwise, he’d still have been lost. That destructive hatred wasn’t something he’d wish on anyone, especially not Alex. Nikita was right, the young woman deserved better than that life. She should have more than they ever did.

“Thank you,” Smiling softly, Nikita expressed. She didn’t know why she would have doubted Michael and Birkhoff. They had helped Alex with the killchip, of course they’d also help her escape. They cared for their mole just as much as Nikita did. She wasn’t the only one protecting Alex, not by a long shot. The young woman had a whole team at her back- not just Michael, Birkhoff, and Nikita, but also Ryan and Owen. And, she had a boyfriend. Alex would be okay. There were a lot of people in her life that’d ensure she wouldn’t suffer anymore.

“Of course. It’s for Alex,” Michael confirmed just that with a smile. Nikita squeezed his hand gratefully, then hurried to call her contact about the fake ID. Birkhoff said he’d get the cash for her; she simply had to tell him the amount. He had some time to gather it for her, since they weren’t going to pay until after the ID packet was made. Also, Nikita was instructed to gather things for her contact that’d make the forgery process faster- such as a photograph and fingerprints. With Alex stuck detoxing in Division, the rogue had to break into her apartment to receive those things. She simply hoped it’d be a quick and easy find.

Breaking into Alex’s apartment was fairly easy. Birkhoff gave Nikita a signal jammer that’d keep her hidden from any potential Division cameras. She could search the place and run without any danger falling on the rogues or their mole. At least, it was supposed to be like that. While Nikita grabbed what she needed, someone snuck into the apartment behind her. She heard the floorboard creak before she saw the baseball bat raised to strike her. Quickly, she ripped it away from her assailant and shoved him to the ground. The man wasn’t able to give much of a fight. She stood above him and taunted, “Slow down. You’ll hurt yourself with this thing.”

“Who are you? Why are you breaking into this apartment?” Frantically getting to his feet, the man questioned her desperately. Nikita’s suspicion that he was Division was waning fast. He didn’t seem like he’d been in that many dangerous situations, if any. Coming at a potential robber with a baseball bat was probably the extent of his crisis prevention. Nikita didn’t have much to worry about. Yet, she continued to keep her guard up. She didn’t know what else she could encounter in a Division controlled apartment. She had to be prepared for anything.

“You’re the one attacking a woman with a bat,” Nikita waved the baseball bat like the incriminating evidence that it was. She had a feeling she was only talking to one of Alex’s neighbors and not Division. They probably saw her sneak in and became concerned. She then wondered if she was talking to Sean or Nathan. It would’ve been befitting Nathan’s protective boyfriend mode to storm in Alex’s apartment if he thought there was an intruder. And Alex had described Sean as overly observant and helpful; though, she hadn’t talked about him recently. Any one of the people in her life could’ve stormed in to help her. That was a comforting thought.

“This is my girlfriend’s place,” Finding his courage, Nathan snapped at Nikita. She completely relaxed at his words. She knew Nathan; at least, she knew of him- far more than she knew of Sean. The rogue had absolutely nothing to worry about. She could easily talk herself out of the apartment, only leaving Nathan with more questions about where Alex was. Of course, later, Nikita would talk to Alex about the encounter so she could incorporate the rogue into her cover story. But in the meantime, Nikita could simply take what she needed and leave.

“Oh! So you’re Nathan. It’s alright. I’m a friend of Alex’s. I’m just picking up something for her,” Nikita stated vaguely as she made her way out of the apartment. She had already grabbed a picture of Alex and a glass with her fingerprints on it before Nathan decided to be a hero. She could leave the building and never look back. The fake ID was more important than talking to Alex’s boyfriend anyway. He could get more complete answers from her once she returned home. Nikita left it up to her to explain everything that had happened.

“Where is she? Is she alright?” However, before Nikita could make it out of the door, Nathan asked her. He sounded more desperate than he did when he thought she was a burglar; though, he was trying hard to hide it. He hadn’t heard from Alex in days, and that obviously scared the shit out of him. Nikita breaking in and hardly giving him any answers didn’t help. As far as he knew, Alex was in some sort of trouble and desperately needed help. Although that was true, there wasn’t anything Nathan could do. He just needed to be there for her when she came home. The rogues would take care of the rest.

“She’s fine for now. Don’t worry. She’ll be back in your arms in no time,” Nikita smiled warmly and comfortingly. All Nathan had to be for Alex was her normal, sturdy rock; someone to hold to while crazy hell crashed around her. The team would take care of her on the superspy end. Nathan just had to be there for her and comfort her when she finally came home. Nikita also hoped he’d accept whatever explanation he was told and just focus on supporting Alex. He seemed like he would as he nodded at the rogue. Things would be fine for Alex on the homefront. She didn’t need to worry about that as well- thank God.

Following Amanda into Alexandra’s Medical room, Sean was too stunned for words. The young agent laid barely conscious on a cot, IVs pumping various drugs into her system. Although the doctor explained that it was a mixture of a saline solution and drugs to help Alexandra detox, Sean was hardly paying attention. He was too concerned with what had happened on her mission to lead her to that state. Amanda wouldn’t give him any answers. She was too excited by the fact that the drugs left Alexandra in a highly susceptible dreamlike state; she could draw secrets from whatever the young woman said in her dreams.

Sean didn’t want secrets or to pry into Alexandra’s dreams. He only wanted to know who had caused her pain. Amanda continued to be of no help, yet he was eventually led to Kelly, who had brought Alexandra back from the disastrous op. She told Sean about what she had witnessed in the brothel the young agent was dragged to, but that was all. Although he felt as though she was holding something back, he didn’t press for more. Knowing the horrors Alexandra faced was enough. It made him want to leave the confining basement so he could think clearly.

He decided to return to his apartment so he could breathe deeply and so he could update Oversight on Alexandra. He didn’t want Division to overhear him, mostly because his reports also involved what the black ops unit was doing. He needed as much privacy as possible, and- although it wasn’t the best- his apartment was a far better place than the bunker. It was also just a tad more interesting. When Sean had finished his phone call and stepped back out into the hallway, he spotted a woman exiting Alexandra’s apartment. He never saw her face, but he did see her long legs and dark hair- her recognizable long legs and dark hair, “Who’s that?”

“Some friend of Alex’s. I didn’t get her name,” Nathan, who had exited the apartment shortly after the mysterious woman had, shrugged. He watched her disappear around the corner, attempting to wrap his head around their strange encounter. He couldn’t. At least it was as strange as some of his encounters with Alex; it wasn’t too out of the ordinary. In fact, the truly odd thing was Sean’s expression as he stared at the woman’s retreating form. He seemed absolutely bewildered- almost in shock by her appearance. Nathan became more curious about that than the woman. Was something going on that he was missing, “Do you know her?”

“I hope I don’t,” Sean shook his head. He had read descriptions and seen pictures of Division’s rogues, but mostly of their faces or them in action. There was a chance that he couldn’t recognize them from behind. He hoped that was the chance, anyway. He didn’t want to think about why Nikita Mears would be in Alexandra’s apartment. He didn’t want to consider how a rogue agent knew where to find a Division agent. He didn’t want to believe she truly was a friend of Alexandra’s. He had been mistaken. The woman wasn’t Nikita, just an associate of Alexandra’s that Sean didn’t know. That had to be the explanation, not the worst case scenario.

Alex felt like she was swimming. Not through a pool or a lake or even an ocean. She wasn’t being pulled in and out of waves or being bobbed around. But she was drowning. She struggled to keep her head above the surface, yet she was constantly pulled under. It was difficult to breathe. Each breath was a battle. It was almost as though she was sprinting between each sharp tug underneath the surface. There was no reprieve. She couldn’t fight her way out of that war. She was swimming and drowning into nothingness. She had no escape.

At times, Alex thought she heard Amanda’s voice. Something was guiding her through the nothingness. It sounded like Amanda when she could hear. When she couldn’t, she only had herself. She was the only one who could get herself out before the nothingness swallowed her whole. She needed to breathe. She needed to swim. She needed to run with herself in hand. Nikita eventually arrived to help her. But she was soon distracted by Michael and just had to run off with him. Alex was left alone once again. All she had was herself- and occasionally Amanda’s soft voice. No one else was going to save her. She was all she ever had.

As she struggled to stay above the nothingness, everything became so much harder. She had to hide herself from it. She had to battle new obstacles that kept herself from the surface. She had to find different ways to escape. After what felt like an eternity, Alex thought she found her exit. She pulled herself into the light, needing it to be home. It was. She was bathed in light and warmth and all the things she wanted. She had made it. The nothingness couldn’t drag her into oblivion. She had beat it. She had made it back home with love and a family. Alex had done it. She wasn’t what anyone else had made her. She was herself.

For a brief moment anyway, she had bliss. Then, upon hearing Amanda’s voice again, it all disappeared. She made it disappear as the nothingness stopped her breathing. She had no strength left to fight it. Alex lost the war. She couldn’t swim anymore; she simply drowned. Far deep underneath the surface, she was dragged and dragged without end. She couldn’t even compare it to falling. At least falling had an end. She’d splat against the ground and then be in pain. The agony she experienced while being dragged started within her. It broke out through her veins, consuming her whole. There was no reprieve. She had no escape.

Chapter Text

Alex stared at herself. In trying to escape the nothingness, she found herself. Not her real self. She was herself. She was simply staring at her potential. After all the pain and agony Alex faced, she could become the most powerful woman in the world. Of course, sacrifices would have to be made. She couldn’t have the light she had found and her agony. The two were mutually exclusive. She always had to suffer. Alex couldn’t have it all. There was no possible way she could have both of the things she wanted most.

Returning to Division, Sean found Alexandra wandering the halls. She didn’t look like she was conscious; she appeared as though she was in the same state she had been in Medical. She was muttering to herself about Nathan, a little girl, and needing to escape. Sean believed she was trying to act on that last point as she stumbled down the hallway. Whatever she was dreaming, it had her in a chokehold. She was lost to the images. He had to help her. He couldn’t allow her to get hurt- it could compromise the mission.

Once Sean picked Alexandra up to carry back to Medical, Amanda rounded the corner. Apparently, while still in her dreamlike state, Alexandra broke out of her room and ran off. Instead of stopping her, Amanda followed to see where she would go. None of her secrets had surfaced, but Amanda believed wherever she was heading would lead to something. Sean shook his head. That was it. He was ending the whole thing. He didn’t care what Amanda wanted; he simply wanted Alexandra safe. So, despite protests, he brought her back to Medical. She relaxed back in her cot for some time, then she woke violently, “Whoa. Relax. You’re alright.”

“Where am I? What happened?” Alex fought to orient herself. It took her senses far too long to recognize where she was and what she was doing. As soon as they did, she realized she clung to Sean’s arm like it was a lifeline. She immediately let go. She didn’t need him to pull her out of the muck her mind seemed to be in. She just needed to clear her head, drink some water, get some air, and learn which of her recent memories were real or a hallucination. She probably shouldn’t mention that last thing to anyone. That was for her to work on alone and quickly.

“You’re in Medical. They were helping you detox,” Softly, Sean replied. He took a step back from her cot, and that seemed to help her relax. Alexandra pushed herself upright, breathing deeply and a tad shakily. A part of Sean desperately wanted to ask what she had been dreaming about while detoxing. However, after all of the prying Amanda had done, he thought better of it. He should leave Alexandra alone. He could wonder if there was anything he could help with. But otherwise, he shouldn’t push for information, “Do you remember anything?”

“Yeah,” The fog in Alex’s mind slowly receded the more she breathed. She could recall the events in the brothel, then being brought to Division. Everything after that had to have been some kind of detoxing dream; though, it had seemed so real. She had fully believed that she was drowning and trying to escape. Her body definitely felt like that. Her heart felt like it had been racing a million miles per hour, and her muscles were incredibly tired. Maybe that was a part of the detoxing. Yet she doubted it. She had really wanted to escape the agony and darkness she had found. She didn’t want to go sprinting towards it. She wanted light and bliss instead.

“Amanda wants to talk to you. When you’re ready,” Sean gave Alex a concerned look before he left the room. She wasn’t going to let herself think about that. Nor would she let herself try to recall if he had really carried her, or if that was purely a dream. She couldn’t think about Sean at that moment (or ever, really). Facing Amanda while her thoughts were a mess was the bigger issue. Alex had to get herself in order. She couldn’t fall apart after her return to the brothel and after being forced to take heroin again. She had to remain strong. That was how she’d remain on mission. Her revenge would bring her bliss. At least, she had always believed so.

Nikita didn’t question the text Michael had sent her. He wanted her to meet him at the loft as soon as she received Alex’s fake ID packet. She assumed he had an idea to help Alex escape from Division, and the loft was an easier place to review their battle plans. She preferred easy after all the hell she just went through. It was ridiculous, yet so worth it, “You would not believe the shit I had to go through to get this ID packet. First, there was Nathan in Alex’s apartment. Then, my contact tried to steal the money from me and turn me over to Division. Thank God I was able to read his tells and outsmart him, but Birkhoff’s money unfortunately… Michael?” 

Michael sat still in the desk chair. He didn’t glance at the ID packet Nikita dropped on the bed, nor did he react to her story. It was almost as if he was a statue. The expression on his face was stone cold. He forced himself to be severely blank, practically unreadable. The last time Nikita had seen that expression, Michael had been planning a suicidal attack run against Kasim. She became terrified. She tried to approach him, yet the fierceness dulling his green eyes held her back. Something was wrong- something was so terribly wrong. She just prayed it wasn’t anything like last time, “Michael, what is it?”

“Kasim works with Gogol. He smuggles heroin through their territory,” Emotionlessly, Michael stated. He attempted to not let his reaction to the information express itself completely; however, in doing so, Nikita could tell exactly what happened. Birkhoff had a computer program actively searching for news about Kasim Tariq. After months of nothing, Michael finally got another hit. Discovering the connection between Gogol and Kasim was a huge shock- not nearly as huge as his connection with Division, but still nightmarish. It was a horrific thought, and it was going to make killing Kasim even more difficult than it already was.

“Shit. Seriously? Gogol and Division? What the fuck is up with this guy?” Nikita tried to ease Michael’s apprehensions, yet it didn’t work in the slightest. His expression was still strained into steely coolness, and she still didn’t think she should move even closer to him. She couldn’t fight the feeling that he was a bomb waiting to explode. One wrong move, and he was going to snap. Whether it was because Michael faced one more setback in his war with Kasim, or because he was planning something dangerous, Nikita didn’t know. And she kind of didn’t want to.

“Don’t act like you didn’t know,” The first cracks in Michael’s stern mask appeared. He was livid with her. He was trying not to show it all at once. He tried to be so distant from her that she couldn’t read him like she normally could. Yet Nikita knew when someone wanted to hurt her. After all, the same darkness that had appeared in Michael’s gaze after she had stopped him from killing Kasim, flashed in his eyes at that moment. It was brief, but it was still there. She had done something to infuriate him. She just didn’t know what it was.

“What are you talking about?” Not giving in to her rising anxiety, Nikita asked softly. Maybe she was wrong- hopefully she was wrong. Michael probably wasn’t angry with her. Why should he be. He was probably too distracted by his rage for Kasim. He always was whenever the terrorist reappeared on his radar. And why shouldn’t he be. Kasim killed his family. He took away his happiness and his love with a bomb meant for him. Of course Michael was pissed. The fact that he was able to somewhat hide it was a miracle. Nikita would’ve detonated by then.

“You’ve been working with Gogol,” Michael, however, continued to be a ticking timebomb. He was going to explode soon; the cracks were already becoming too great. His steely composure was barely containing him. He might just get violent. Concerning Kasim and Percy, Nikita completely understood. Concerning his thoughts about her and Gogol, however, she was left hopelessly bewildered. Was Michael that blinded by his need for revenge that he was confusing events. Or was he looking for someone easy to blame. Nikita definitely was an easy target by constantly being around him. Besides, she had burdened misdirected rage before.

However, she wasn’t going to take it from Michael. Nikita didn’t have to. She could dare to approach him and rationalize with him. He needed to calm down. If he just thought for a second instead of being so angry, then he’d see how ridiculous he was being. She realized that was asking a lot of him, but Nikita had to try. Michael was doing that for Alex by trying to get her out of Division before her vengeance ate her up alive. And he had fought for Nikita to be more than her rage, “What? No. I was poisoned by Gogol, and then I was nearly killed for a dirty weapon. Remember? You were there during that.”

“I was there when you talked Ari into fighting Division and letting us go. I was also there when you stopped me from killing Kasim,” So Michael was both confusing events and finding someone easy to blame. His wrath needed to be directed at someone easily obtainable. Nikita was there. She had been around Gogol missions. She had stopped Michael before. And she had hurt him so many times when he was rogue and she wasn’t. They had been on opposing sides of the war for so long. Who was to say she still wasn’t with him.

“Whoa. Michael. We already talked about this, remember? I stopped you to save you, not to save Kasim. And I didn’t talk Ari into anything. I tricked him just like I tricked Division. I’m not working for Gogol. I would never. All I care about is helping you,” Slowly and gently, Nikita tried to reason with Michael. They had had the argument about her stopping his suicidal attack run months ago. They had been in his motel bathroom, screaming and seething while he patched up her injuries from her latest scrape with Division. Everything had gotten fixed between them. After all that, they had grown closer and became better. He couldn’t forget that.

He didn’t seem to completely. He also didn’t seem like he wanted to yell at Nikita. There was a war behind Michael’s green eyes. Nikita saw it easily. After all, the struggle was entirely too recognizable to her. Michael was in incredible pain. He wanted to eviscerate the man who had killed the people he had loved most. That need for revenge was all controlling; he was lost to it. He had no control of who he hurt in the process, even if he didn’t want to lash out, “Michael, I know how hard this is for you. But I promise, I would never do anything to hurt you. I want Kasim to die just as much as you do. Okay? So just think. I have nothing to do with Gogol.”

“Shut up!” Michael screamed. Nikita flinched. She expected him to strike her. Yet no blow came. He just shot up from his chair, his gun in his hand. It took everything in her to not shake. She had faced armed men before; she had faced an armed Michael before. She knew how to protect herself. She knew that she could be okay. Except, she had never seen Michael so angry with her before. And she had given him plenty of opportunities to hate her. He did at times. Yet that time was different. All his pain boiled out of him, changing him. She couldn’t fault him for that. She had gone through something similar. But she was still scared of what might happen.

Flicking his gun at her, Michael silently commanded Nikita to disarm. She didn’t even think to trick him. She gently placed her weapons on the ground, then followed his next silent command to sit. She sat stiffly on the edge of the mattress. He didn’t point his pistol directly at her, yet his grip on the gun was ironclad. He wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if he had to. Nikita wished he would. Michael had to listen. She would never hurt him, not anymore. Just because she had in the past, didn’t mean she was like Kasim, “Michael, I’m not trying to fight you.”

“I want you to contact Ari,” Ignoring her, Michael began to inform her of the plan he was going to force her to follow. He actually didn’t have to force her. Even then, Nikita would still do anything to help him get Kasim. There were simply smarter ways- safer ways. No one else had to die. Only Kasim, Percy, and Semak would be killed. Everyone else could be safe. However, if Michael continued with his plan, Nikita would die too. Gogol was as dangerous for her as Division was. He still had to care about that, “Tell him you’re sorry, that you need a job.”

“You’re putting me in danger,” Speaking in plain words had to make Michael understand. Nikita going to Ari was the same kind of death sentence as her going to Percy. After she had destroyed two of Gogol’s operations, duping Ari, killing his agents, and just ruining everybody’s days, she had a huge target on her back. The instant she walked into Gogol territory, she was dead. She couldn’t even fathom a way she could talk herself out of that fate. She would try for Michael, yet he might not get the results he wanted. They had to play it a different way.

“Contact me, and only me, once you have Kasim. Don’t you dare try to bring Birkhoff into this again. If you haven’t contacted me in twenty-four hours, I’ll know you failed,” Still ignoring her, Michael continued with his plan. Nikita had no idea why he was so determined to keep out Birkhoff. Maybe it was because he wanted to handle everything on his own. Kasim was his kill mission. Nikita was only used as a pawn. Since Birkhoff wouldn’t be able to do much (besides talk sense) he was being pushed aside. It was just the two rogue agents; though, they weren’t partners anymore. They were far from it.

Knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the mattress, Nikita struggled for anything else she could say to snap Michael out of his wrath. She could potentially figure out a way to clue Birkhoff in on what was occurring; however, she didn’t want him to suffer the same hurt Michael was inflicting on her. She could survive on her own. She could make him see past his pain. She just didn’t know what to say as he walked away. Rapidly, her determination became desperation. He couldn’t leave. He needed to be stopped. No more suicide missions. How was their death going to bring vengeance, “Michael, please…”

“Please what? Don’t do this to you?” Michael stalked back towards Nikita. She fought to keep herself still on the edge of the mattress. Then wasn’t the time for her fears to attack her. She had to remain herself. God knew Michael wasn’t himself. His pain had turned him into the man who had lost his wife and daughter ten years ago; nothing else about him existed. He was only his pain; which made him the hurtful man before her. She shouldn’t react to that. She needed to see past his hurt and try to bring him back to himself. It was so they both could survive.

“Don’t do this to us,” Forcing her voice to be strong, Nikita argued. Michael had fought for her when she was too consumed with her pain to be anything else besides hurtful. He had stuck by her. He had helped her be herself again. He had made her stronger. She needed to do the same for him. It was hard- it was so hard- to not be blinded by vengeance, rage, and hurt. Yet Michael had always been better than that. He was certainly better than Nikita. He could fight through that wrath. He had to. He couldn’t be lost to that darkness like she was. Please not him.

“This is no us. There never was,” With one more dig of the knife, Michael turned and left. Nikita wanted to call bullshit- because it was- yet she couldn’t do anything. She just sat on the bed, letting his pain crush her.

Chapter Text

After her third unanswered call, Alex decided to just crash into the rogues’ loft. She had to talk to somebody besides Amanda. She needed to express her thoughts without being analyzed and without fearing that she’d be deemed unfit to carry out her revenge plans. Her feelings towards completing her goal were shaky enough. Something in her seemed to have snapped during the detoxing, and enacting revenge didn’t seem so appealing anymore. She just sort of felt apathetic about the whole thing. It wasn’t what she wanted most anymore. She had bigger dreams and aspirations than killing people.

Alex couldn’t have shared any of that with Amanda. When she had spoken to her in her office, the young agent simply talked about the struggles of being forced to take heroin again and detoxing. She also insisted that she was alright and stronger than ever. Amanda seemed to believe Alex; though, she gave her a look like she had managed to see past all of her masks. Excusing herself, Alex ran from the look and went straight to Nikita. Surely, the rogue would be able to help her. If only she had answered her calls. Alex had enough worry with Division, she didn’t need any drama from the rogues, “Hey. What’s up? You didn’t answer any of my calls.”

“How are you holding up? Detoxing with Amanda isn’t easy,” Nikita instantly deflected. She had been half-staring at her computer and half-lost in thought when Alex stormed into the loft. So, naturally, she was excited to have a distraction. She needed to stop thinking about Michael. She’d do anything to get their last moments together off her mind. What Alex was currently going through was a worthy distraction- mostly because Nikita was concerned about how she was doing. The hell in the brothel and the events afterwards weren’t anything that could be easily moved on from. Alex was struggling, and Nikita wanted to help her.

“No it definitely isn’t,” Sighing, Alex admitted. Since she had woken up next to Sean in Medical, she had been trying to piece together what she had dreamed while detoxing. Most of it made sense. Her fears from the brothel had continued to cling to her as she rode out the effects of the heroin. She dreamed of running and fighting everything in Division. The underground bunker felt eerily similar to the brothel. Yet she was stronger then. She could survive anything thrown her way then. She had done so in her dream. She had protected herself from the worst.

At least, Alex had believed she kept herself from harm. Once she had finally reached what she was truly running from in her dream, she realized just how wrong she was. She couldn’t escape what was coming for her, not when she was to blame for all the death and destruction in her life. The path she was on, one full of revenge and hatred, would rip away something else she wanted. It was something she hadn’t thought about since she was a little girl. Yet apparently, she still wanted it. She really wanted a family of her own.

The fact that in her dream Nathan was her husband and they had a daughter together was probably just a manifestation of that desire. Alex couldn’t see herself marrying Nathan at that moment. However, she could easily see herself married and with a baby. She desperately wanted that. Almost more than her revenge. Except, after she had seen her post-revenge self kill her potential family in her dream, Alex was starting to doubt her vengeance mission. Could it really be worth it if she could lose her happiness. Could her dream have been that prophetic, “I saw something while I was detoxing that I didn’t like. I know it was just a dream, but it felt so real.”

“Are you having second thoughts?” Recognizing Alex’s hesitation, Nikita gently approached her. She knew of the techniques Amanda utilized to help recruits and agents detox during their withdrawal or after relapses. Those waking dreams that she pried into weren’t easily ignored. It was like a whole other layer of trauma they had to recover from. Whatever Alex’s subconscious made her see had spooked her. It was different than what she wanted. It revealed more about her than she had wanted to discover. Her whole thoughts had to shift, or else she’d never recover from what she was forced through.

“Why don’t you try to take time off from Division. Rest for a few days. Relax with Nathan. We won’t bother you,” With a quick glance at the fake ID packet on her desk, Nikita advised Alex. Then could’ve been the time for the rogue to present the potential escape to the young agent, yet she instantly thought better of it. Escape should’ve been Alex’s decision completely. Maybe time away from everybody would give her clarity. At the very least, she could just relax with her boyfriend. After all she recently went through, that’d be perfect. She deserved peace for once in her life.

“Yeah. I’m sure that’s what I need,” Alex nodded. Taking time to clear her head would be good for her. She needed to get her thoughts in order, and she needed to remember what her priorities were. Spending a day or two not thinking with Nathan would be perfect. She’d be herself again. Nikita, on the other hand, Alex didn’t believe would be alright after a few days off. She appeared far more troubled than normal. She never explained why she didn’t answer the phone. The rogue was nearly as troubled as her mole was. Alex had missed something while she was detoxing, and she needed to know what, “What about you? How are you doing?”

“I’ll find out,” Nikita attempted a reassuring grin, but it fell flat. She couldn’t even feign to be okay. What Michael had said and done before throwing her to Gogol and Kasim broke her in more ways than one. The berating, negative thoughts she used to have  about herself before he had soothed them away were returning. Obviously she was still a monster if he had decided to give up on their relationship. She wasn’t worth fighting for anymore. Michael could just toss Nikita aside because that was all she was to him, a monstrous tool.

Able to read the rogue’s troubling thoughts as well as she had read hers, Alex intended to interrogate Nikita about what her reply meant. Unfortunately, as her mouth opened to speak, Nikita shoved her out the door. She said something about how she should be with Nathan as soon as possible, then locked Alex out of the loft. The rogue didn’t want to involve her in her pain. She had enough on her plate. The young woman didn’t need to deal with Michael and Kasim as well (she especially didn’t have to deal with Michael’s hurt). Nikita could carry that pain all by herself. Worse had been laid on her shoulders.

Slowly, Nikita moved back to her computer where she had been formulating her plan. She swallowed her hurt and her fear, and she picked up her burner cell. She remembered the number she dialed from past Division missions. It took her directly to a Gogol controlled phone line. And from there, she could dive head first into painful danger, “I know Gogol monitors this line. Right now your voice analysts are going to confirm what I’m about to tell you next. My name is Nikita, and I’m requesting a meeting with Ari Tasarov tomorrow, twenty-one hundred hours. I will be in Maritime Victory Park in St. Petersburg, alone and unarmed.”

A rogue tear escaped Nikita’s guard as she hung up the phone. She had signed her death warrant with that call. If things didn’t go perfectly, either Ari or Kasim or the organizations they led would kill her. Though, she didn’t care that much for her life; she never really had. She wasn’t too afraid of losing her life. What she was the most terrified of was losing Michael. If she failed to get Kasim for him, he’d never forgive her. And if she died trying to help him avenge his family, he’d never forgive himself, “I hope you're happy, Michael.”

Six Years Earlier

Michael went to the target range to be alone. Ever since Birkhoff had created the virtual reality range, no one wanted to shoot at the old paper targets; it was better practice shooting at things that moved and could ‘shoot’ back. Although Michael saw their points, he preferred things to be more quiet. There was solitude in the old range- a calmness that allowed him to think and breathe. At least, there should’ve been. When he entered the range, he quickly discovered that he wasn’t alone. Nikita was sitting in one of the shooting booths, halfheartedly throwing knives at a target. He sighed. He never had quiet when she was around, “Nikita, what are you doing?”

“Hiding from Amanda. What are you doing?” Nikita instantly spun around to beam at Michael. She was maybe putting too much faith in the booth’s shelf to hold her weight, yet she didn’t care. She liked sitting as she practiced her aim. It was sort of like meditation. She was able to sit and be at peace as she focused intently on striking her target. No other thoughts came to trouble her- nor did any person while she was armed. She could avoid everything and truly be alone. Though, she didn’t mind being distracted by Michael. He could surprise her anytime.

“Hiding from Percy,” Leaning against the walls of the booth she was in, Michael shrugged. If Nikita wasn’t going to tell him what she was actually doing, then he wasn’t going to share with her either. Besides, he was more interested in where she had gotten the throwing knives. They had knives in Division, but not ones specifically for throwing. She must’ve bought them on her own. He wanted to chuckle at the fact. She just had to have something better than Division. It was an admirable quality. And it was kind of cute.

“Ooh. Did you get in trouble?” Thinking of cute, Nikita looked up at Michael with such a goofy grin that his heart stuttered. He had no idea why he became so flustered like that. She was only antagonizing him as she usually did. There was no real difference that time. Save for the gold glint in her brown eyes. Michael was surprised he had never seen her light up like that before. The shine was definitely something he would’ve noticed before. It made her glow. However, he had to refocus. He couldn’t be rendered brain dead like that. She just smiled at him.

“Did you?” Michael eventually countered. He definitely wasn’t in trouble with Percy. Percy was simply making a deal for a mission that Michael didn’t want to be a part of. He was all for missions that protected and saved the world. He wanted to serve his country as best he could. But he drew the line at Percy’s missions for hire. Agents weren’t supposed to be hired guns. They were supposed to protect the world when other agencies couldn’t. The amount of money they received for their mercenary jobs didn’t matter. Killing people like that was wrong. Michael probably should’ve voiced that more. But his quiet dissent could’ve been enough.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Swinging her legs back and forth, Nikita teased. She wasn’t necessarily in trouble with Amanda; at least, she didn’t think so. She was simply avoiding the emotions talk after her latest mission. As soon as she had returned to Division, Nikita talked to Percy and Ops about the facts of the operations. It had all gone well. There was even talk about her leading the next mission. However, Amanda soon wanted to speak to her about the emotional effects of the latest mission. Nikita couldn’t just debrief factually. It was important for her to debrief emotionally as well. She ran at the thought. She didn’t want to be analyzed that night.

Although the part of Michael that was Nikita’s handler needed to know if she had gotten in trouble with Amanda again, the part of him that was her friend didn’t care. She should be allowed to do things that made her happy. Also, he didn’t want to have another serious discussion with her about following the rules or whatever. The two deserved a lighthearted conversation every once and a while. They could joke, tease each other, and maybe brag about their accomplishments, “Good job on the op. I heard you were absolutely amazing.”

Whereas Michael smiled crookedly (and hoped to see her smile again) Nikita hung her head. Sometimes, she responded to a compliment with a quip. Other times, she shied away as though she didn’t believe it. Michael hadn’t believed the latter would happen then, especially with the way she had teased him. But maybe that was why she was hiding in the target range. Although her actions on the mission were beyond remarkable, she didn’t want to acknowledge she had done them. It was better to push it away. That was possibly true, but Michael would still make her see how wonderful she was, “Hey. Take the compliment. You deserve all the praise.”

“I bet you say that to all the recruits,” Rolling her eyes, Nikita scoffed. Sure, she wasn’t a recruit anymore; she was the star agent. And more people than just Michael had congratulated her for her performance on the mission. But she didn’t believe she could accept any compliments. The things she had done in the name of justice blurred the definition of what justice even was. Taking out evil with evil didn’t diminish the amount of monsters in the world. She continued the torment. She was just as much a part of the hellish cycle as her victims were.

“Just you. You’re special,” Softly, Michael admitted. He almost reached out to gently lift Nikita’s chin, yet he restrained himself. The sincere silence that followed his remark made her look up at him anyway. There was that gold again. It wasn’t as bright as when she was laughing. But it simmered in her brown irises, making the way she stared at him mesmerizing. He had to pull away from it before he became so sucked in he’d never resurface. He had to find a way to break the hold her look had on him. The easiest way he could think to do that was to joke, even if he didn’t seriously mean it, “A special annoyance.”

“Shut up. You’re way worse. You cheat in sparring,” Nikita rolled her eyes more playfully that time. Her cheating claim was completely baseless. If anything, she was the one to bend rules to come out on top. However, she wanted to say something to rile Michael up before she overthought the fact that he had called her special. They were just playing with each other. That was what the two did when they were alone (sometimes Birkhoff was with them). They teased and tried to make each other smile. It was what friends did.

“Says the sore loser,” Michael pushed off the wall as he scoffed. Honestly, by that point, they were fairly even in their sparring matches. Although he had more experience and strength than she did, Nikita had found ways to outsmart and outmaneuver him. Most of the time she got him on his back, he was confused about how he had even gotten there. She had quickly become his equal. And if they went on more missions together, she might become his partner. He liked the thought of that. It’d be good to always have her around. They both needed something bright as they walked through the dark halls of Division.

“Oh. I’ll show you what I can do. Expect some pain,” Hopping off the shelf, Nikita lightly shoved Michael. Whatever glare she was trying to pull off melted as she giggled. He chuckled as he lightly shoved her back. Whatever one of them dealt, the other would match. Whether it was a punch, a laugh, a taunt, or a compliment, the two would stand toe to toe against each other. God help anyone if they actually fought instead of played around. They’d tear the world down in their efforts to hurt one another. Fortunately, they were more focused on building each other up. That let gold shine.

Chapter Text

Alex didn’t feel a whole lot better after talking to Nikita. On her way home, she called Amanda to ask for a few days off; she needed time to refocus on her mission after the hell she had been dragged through. Amanda agreed immediately. Not once did she argue the decision. She even encouraged the young agent to relax. Alex felt grateful for Amanda’s help and generosity at first. Yet the more she thought of it, the more suspicious she became. After her detoxing dreams, she had a feeling she shouldn’t trust Amanda as much as she had been. She wasn’t sure why. It was simply a feeling she couldn’t shake.

Maybe she was just being paranoid after everything that had happened. Her dreams had her all kinds of messed up. If she was questioning her revenge mission, then she was seriously disturbed. Alex desperately needed a break. She needed to stay in bed all weekend with her boyfriend. That would fix everything. She’d be ready to kill Semak again. As she unlocked her apartment door, she could already feel herself relaxing. The tension from her shoulders could be lifted the instant she stepped into blissful isolation. She was so excited, until she heard the voice behind her, “Alexandra. Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I’m fine,” Keeping her back to Sean Pierce, Alex rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed at the moment was him spying and reporting on her. She could hardly think around her detoxing dream as it was. With his stupid hazel eyes on her back, she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything. She just wanted to be left alone, preferably with her boyfriend. The things she needed to figure out would come to her with time and space; things will be made more clear. Sean couldn’t come along and jeopardize that.

“Look. I’m not going to report anything to Amanda. I know you’ve been through a lot recently. You deserve to just rest,” Before Alexandra could disappear into her apartment, Sean promised. He didn’t understand how reporting to Amanda about the young woman’s actions was beneficial to the mission anyway. He should just be concerned with making sure she stayed safe and focused. The former was definitely a struggle. And the latter, well, Sean hoped it was easy. After he thought he had seen a dangerous person leaving Alexandra’s apartment recently, he was conflicted. He either had to intervene, or he could pretend it was all nothing.

“Thanks,” Alex tried not to smile softly, yet she couldn’t help it. Sean had been genuinely gentle with her since she had woken next to him in Medical; it could’ve been even sooner than that if her vague memory of him carrying her was true. He actually seemed to be acting like a real friend. Although baffling, it was also comforting. Alex felt herself relaxing again- only slightly, though. She still couldn’t trust him completely. He had to crawl his way back, “I actually was able to take time off. I plan to just relax and do nothing.”

“And you’ll do that completely alone without anyone who might be an emotional liability,” Nodding slightly to Nathan’s closed door, Sean smirked. If anyone asked him how Alexandra was spending her days off, that was what he would claim. There was no need to involve civilians like Nathan. There was also no reason to stir up trouble. Sean felt as though there had been too much going on. They all needed a moment to think and breathe. After all, there were plenty of things and people to think about.

Leaning against her open door frame, Alex stared at Sean. She must’ve been missing something. Why would he keep a secret from her. The only reason he was her neighbor and had tried to be friends with her was because he was spying on her. His whole purpose was to keep her in check. So why, when she was so determined to break Division’s asinine ‘no relationships’ rule, would he try to protect her. What was he gaining from it. Did he know something she didn’t. Was he trying to be friends with her again. She really hoped it wasn’t that. She didn’t need that on her mind as well, “Since when have you cared so much?”

“Like I said, you deserve rest,” Sean grinned warmly, then disappeared back into his apartment. Alex remained in the hallway, staring after the man who confused her more than she liked. She could focus on the fact that he had probably spied out his door until he saw her in the hallway so he could jump out and confront her. She could let that anger her and use her rage to keep pushing him away. Yet that just seemed like too much effort. Instead, Alex shrugged and entered her apartment. She closed and locked the door, then began to not think.

Nikita seriously considered calling Birkhoff. She could’ve used the nerd’s help with her plan. Also, it would’ve been nice to not have been alone. She had gotten used to being on her own when she was a kid. But after working with a team for so long, she realized how nice it was to have someone watching your back at all times. It was comforting; she could be safe. While she waltzed up to Gogol’s front door alone and without a weapon, she absolutely wasn’t safe. One wrong move and she’d be killed. She really could’ve used a friend.

Yet she absolutely would not let Michael’s wrath fall on Birkhoff or Alex, no matter how scared she was. Nikita just had to keep carrying that weight by herself. Fortunately, she managed to survive her first meeting with Ari. Although he was suspicious of her intentions, especially regarding Kasim, he agreed to make a deal with her. If he helped supply her with money and equipment, she’d get him a business deal with Al-Qaeda; he’d reap all the benefits while she put herself in danger. How could Ari say ‘no’ to that.

Although things worked out for Ari, Nikita was screwed. She managed to attack Al-Qaeda without injury to herself. But when they contacted Kasim about the assault, she couldn’t trace the call. The bastard didn’t stay on the line long enough. She could only track him to Paris, which meant nothing. He was going to slip away again. That was her only chance. However, when Nikita desperately replayed the phone call, she overheard Kasim admit that he’d be going to St. Petersburg to meet with Ari. She could crash the meeting and kidnap him there. Though, if she did, a bigger target would be painted on her back.

She went after Kasim anyway. Nikita didn’t care if she was a dead woman; she had to get Kasim. Fighting both his guards and Gogol was a challenge. But somehow she was able to kidnap Kasim. She drove away with his unconscious body in his own car. She disabled the GPS and all the other vehicles, so no one would be following them. Kasim would be dead as soon as Michael met with them. Though, as Nikita thought about that, she saw a lot of problems. Before anything else could happen, those needed to be fixed.

First, Nikita needed to find a safe place to lock up Kasim. There was an abandoned Division safehouse in the area. The two could hide out there for a while. Maybe they’d be safe. Next, Nikita had to deal with Michael. She couldn’t just call him on their burner cells and give him everything he wanted. The way he had treated her couldn’t be ignored. Despite his pain, despite what killing Kasim meant to him, Nikita wasn’t going to deal with Michael while he was so cruel. The first time they tried to kill Kasim had been terrible enough. They needed to be better. Since that wouldn’t happen anytime soon, the two fought instead, “ I got him.”

“Where’s your location?” Michael demanded instantly. Nikita heard rustling over the phone, and she assumed he was hurrying to grab his mission gear to chase after her. She wondered, however, if he was at the safehouse. He could’ve easily gone to hide at a motel again, yet all his things were at the safehouse. He wouldn’t jeopardize losing vital equipment to go into solitude. He’d need his best weapons to kill Kasim. Since that was the case, then what lies was he telling Birkhoff to escape the safehouse. He only wanted to hurt Nikita, so how was he protecting Birkhoff. After a moment, she soon realized that she didn’t care what Michael did.

“No,” Nikita bit into the cellphone. A part of her regretted it the second she said it. She knew how much killing Kasim meant to Michael. She should understand his pain and not hold it against him. But she was just so angry. His pain had hurt her, and she needed to lash out. She should’ve been better than that. Yet he was the one to start it. If he believed that there was nothing between them, then that was how it was going to be. He didn’t want to trust her or believe in her, so she’d do the same to him. They were done, “You wanted this kind of relationship, you got it. You don’t get Kasim until you do something for me.”

“What?” Pure acid laced Michael’s disbelief. He had heard what Nikita had said, and he had understood her words. He just couldn’t believe her. And honestly, so couldn’t she. For someone who kept promising to help him with his revenge, she sure did keep hindering him. She decided to be yet another obstacle in his very complicated path. But she couldn’t help it. She had almost died twice that day because of him. She wasn’t going to pretend like that was nothing. He needed to pay for what he had forced her into. She needed to return the hurt.

“I want verified locations of the black boxes. And the identities of the Guardian attached to each one,” Nikita knew she was asking for the impossible. If Michael had had the black box locations and the identities of the Guardians, he would’ve told her, Birkhoff, and Owen. Even if all he had was a way to find them, he would’ve told the team. Nikita knew everything Michael knew about the black boxes. However, if he was going to force her to do the impossible in kidnapping a leader of Al-Qaeda, then she’d put the pressure on finding the black boxes. Once she had them, they could truly stop working together- just like he wanted.

“Are you out of your mind? I don’t even have that,” Michael practically yelled. Again, Nikita wondered where Birkhoff was and what he thought about all of that; maybe he could help them locate black boxes. Yet she quickly stopped that train of thought. What was happening was only between her and Michael. They couldn’t drag in the nerd, and they certainly couldn’t drag in Alex and her access in Division. Michael and Nikita would only hurt each other (and Kasim). Just because their relationship was broken didn’t mean everyone else’s had to be.

That was just how it’d be between Nikita and Michael from then on. She should’ve guessed that they’d crumble eventually. They had when he had gone rogue and left her in Division. They had the multiple times she had tried to kill him. And they had the first time she had stopped him from killing Kasim. Michael and Nikita weren’t meant to last. The two were always bound to break. They might as well have leaned into it. There was nothing between them to even fight for. Why save someone who was supposed to be your enemy, “I guess you’ll have to weigh that against how much you want Kasim, won’t you?”

“You would let a known terrorist go free just to spite me?” Attempting to call Nikita’s bluff, Michael scoffed. However, she wasn’t bluffing. She knew that with Kasim on the line, he’d do whatever it took to get black box intel. Yes, he wanted to kill Percy just as much as he wanted to kill Kasim. But Percy had simply been the one to plan to kill Michael and then later lied to him about it; Kasim was the one who messed up and killed his family. He had burned Michael’s entire world to the ground. The terrorist needed to suffer in the worst possible way. The rogue agent would do anything to ensure that- including ruin relationships.

“No. But I would let him go to prison for the rest of his life and yours,” Shrugging, Nikita glanced over at Kasim. He had remained unconscious since she had grabbed him, but he was starting to stir. She should move her conversation with Michael away from the terrorist. He didn’t need to know what was occurring. The most he needed to be aware of was that he was handcuffed to a radiator and that death was coming for him. Nikita wouldn’t allow Kasim any information he could twist and use. He should be considered dead already.

“There’s not a prison on Earth that I can’t manage to negotiate him from,” The rogues were limited in a lot of ways. Division had far more access than they could ever dream of. But, with the use of black badges and the help of an infamous hacker, Michael believed he could find a way to break Kasim out of whatever prison Nikita dropped him into. He’d break the bastard out and kill him; no one would ever miss him. Nikita didn’t hold that much leverage of Michael. He’d always find a way to kill Kasim, no matter how many times she tried to stop him.

“Beijing bombing, 2008; Kasim was responsible. You think if I drop him in the president of China’s lap that you could negotiate his release? Didn’t think so. Be a good boy and do as you’re told,” Instantly, Nikita argued. She could easily drop Kasim off in China, and no one would ever hear from him again- including Michael. But she wouldn’t do that. She had promised Michael that she’d help him get his revenge no matter what. That hadn’t changed. The only thing that had was how much she’d hurt him in return. She could trade her own share of biting remarks. He had dug in his claws, and so would she.

The silence that stretched over the phone was almost too long. For a brief second, Nikita thought she had gone too far over the line. She had angered a desperate man, and he was going to snap. Yet, in her slight defense, she had just been following his lead. She had echoed everything Michael had done to her. She hadn’t crossed a line that he hadn’t, even if he was the one lost to grief and revenge. They both hurt each other; it was a codependent relationship. One Michael might’ve been right to sever as he seethed, “You’re gonna regret this.”

“One of us will,” Although Nikita responded harshly, she could already feel regret bubble at the surface. She wanted Michael to regret using her for his own gain and putting her in danger. But she suspected she was the only one second guessing their choices. He was lost to revenge, hurt, and pain- something she understood well. Instead of fighting against him, she should be helping him. They both knew Kasim had to die. It wasn’t as though she disagreed with that. However, Nikita couldn’t let Michael get away with hurting her. She had been too passive about that in the past. She needed to fight back. He had to know that he couldn’t maim her too.

“If I don’t hear from you in twenty-four hours, I’ll know you failed,” Throwing Michael’s words back at him, Nikita ended the call. She tried not to think too much about what just happened. If she put too much thought into all the things said between them, she wouldn’t be able to compose herself. She’d either be too upset or angry to focus on her captive. And- God- was she tired of being angry. She didn’t want to only be fueled by her rage. She wanted to feel more than just wrath. But with the way things were going lately, she doubted that’d be possible.

Chapter Text

“Do you have intel on the black boxes or not?” Nikita instantly responded once Michael had called. He had started the call attempting to tell her about an undetected flight he aimed to catch, but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter how he reached her, just that he did with the information she wanted. They could make their transaction, then part ways. That was what he wanted anyway, right. The way he had been treating her lately proved that once Kasim was dead, they were done. He had burned too many bridges and trust between them. He would go his own path in their war, and she would go hers. 

“Yes. But you’re not getting anything until we meet face-to-face,” After a moment of hesitation, Michael answered. Nikita didn’t like the pause. She had a feeling that he was lying to her. So what if he was, though. She had asked the impossible from him and had kept the man he wanted to kill most from him. Of course he’d lie to her to get what he wanted. He had already done worse to her. She didn’t matter in his quest for vengeance. She believed she had, yet his pain was too selfish and too demanding. Even her silence over the phone was enough to make him snap at her, “Nikita?”

“I’m at the abandoned Division safehouse in St. Petersburg. You know the one,” Briskly, Nikita informed Michael. They had never been in the safehouse together, but they had both used it on separate occasions- a lot of agents had. Usually, when a Division agent had passed through St. Petersburg, they would stop by the safehouse to rest and refuel. But after Gogol’s presence in the area increased, a more secluded and (for lack of a better word) safer safehouse was used. Nikita and Kasim could stay hidden until Michael reached them. Then everything would be over.

“Give me twelve hours,” Michael demanded more than requested. Then he ended the call. Nikita sighed. Twelve hours gave her plenty of time to set up security cameras in and out of the safehouse. She could watch for any surprises from Gogol, Division, Al-Qaeda, and Michael- her enemies just kept growing. The hours also gave her time to ensure Kasim stayed tied up and out of trouble. She didn’t have to worry about him for a while. He could be completely ignored until Michael arrived. And, most importantly, the long hours gave her plenty of time to think. 

She didn’t like what she had to think about, however. Nikita couldn’t stop thinking about Michael and the relationship that had been burned between them. Sometimes, she thought about how the change in their dynamic would affect Birkhoff, Ryan, and Owen. And she thought about Alex’s revenge mission, praying that the young woman never became as lost to it as Michael had his. Mostly, though, she thought of Michael- and her thoughts were horrid things. She couldn’t help but be distracted by them. So much so, that she nearly missed Kasim messing with her laptop, “Hands up. You think I’d be stupid enough to leave you with unlocked computer access?”

“You hit my convoy all by yourself. But you let the cargo burn. Why?” Raising his handcuffed hands, Kasim backed away from Nikita’s laptop. The gun she had quickly aimed at him was a huge motivator for his actions; however, it wouldn’t force him to be quiet. He had been held captive for nearly twelve hours. He at least deserved an answer as to why. Especially since she hadn’t done anything to him since she had tied him up and tossed him in a room. It was as though she was saving the pain and agony for when it’d destroy him the most.

“This isn’t about money,” Nikita muttered. She’d tell Kasim whatever she needed to to shut him up, yet he definitely didn’t deserve to know what was about to happen to him. Her attention had shifted away from him again, anyway. He was unarmed and handcuffed while she had the upperhand. She didn’t need to worry about him currently. What she did have to be concerned with was what he did on her computer. She had left her laptop locked and secured when she had left the room. So he shouldn’t have been able to do anything on it. Yet she still had to make sure. She had had enough surprises recently.

“So then it’s personal,” Regardless of the gun kept in her grip, ready to strike him at any moment, Kasim continued to talk. He was certain he could survive the situation. He had a fairly solid handle on who he was dealing with. After all, if she had wanted to kill him, he’d be dead already. He would live for another few moments, just long enough to taunt her and get her off her game. If she remained distracted, she’d let down her guard and she wouldn’t notice the attack coming, “Vengeance can sometimes be justified, Nikita.”

“Did Percy warn you about me?” Nikita smirked, causing Kasim’s smugness to crumble. He couldn’t crawl under her skin. She was already onto his big secret. There was nothing he could do to weasel out of that situation. Finally. For too long, he had been allowed to destroy so many families. First, it was in the name of Division. Then, it was for Al-Qaeda. But that all ended then. Michael would soon be there to kill him. Kasim’s life was over. He had finally encountered someone who knew as much as he did, “I know exactly who you are.”

“Then you know I have other means of escape,” Kasim’s smugness returned as he glanced at Nikita’s computer screen. She followed his gaze and watched in horror as the cameras captured terrorist approaching with assault rifles. Shit. Although her computer was locked, Kasim knew how to hack her. He had been trained by Division too, after all. She might’ve had a Birkhoff to teach her the tricks, but the terrorist still knew enough to send out a message on a secure line. While she had been distracted, he had called in the cavalry. She was fucked.

Trapped in the house, Nikita didn’t have a secure enough stance to fight against the assault. The best she could do was drag Kasim to a secluded area and try to pick off the terrorist one by one as they came crashing in. she doubted that’d hold her for long. But short of a miracle, she had nothing else to save her. She just had to fight with all she had and pray that she somehow survived. If Kasim died in the process, she didn’t care. It’d be better if Michael killed him. But, again, Nikita didn’t have any other option. She had been so worked up, she had missed the obvious. And it was about to bite her in the ass.

Fortunately, Nikita wasn’t fighting by herself for long. Michael arrived just in time to take out the many assailants and join her in the room. She was so relieved to see him, she almost forgot about their fight. He almost seemed to as well as he glanced at her. He noticed a bruise on her cheek. He didn’t know if it came from Gogol, or Al-Qaeda, or both. No matter what, she had been through hell and back leading up to that moment. She had done everything to give him that chance. Michael didn’t hesitate to take it. He didn’t wait for Kasim to say anything while he crossed to him. He simply pulled the trigger and killed him.

From across the room, Nikita could see the fire leave Michael’s green eyes. He had been so full of vengeance, that the second it had been fulfilled, he was left with nothing. He had killed the man who had murdered his wife and daughter. He took the life of the man who had taken everything from him. He completed his mission, and he had nothing left. After all, the man who had ordered the hit was still alive and in power. It wasn’t true vengeance. It was mostly an expression of powerful anger. With that gone, there was no other emotion to be felt.

Dropping his smoking weapon, Michael left the room. He needed to think. He needed to be outside in the cold, sharp, bitter Russian air to breathe. The smell of gunpowder, blood, and death was too much. His mind had to adjust to the shift in directions. His mission was over- at least, the Kasim part of it. As Michael hurried away, Nikita gave him his space. She could focus on cleaning the scene of their presence and creating a story for the authorities to find instead. That’d give both of them time to think.

Michael was standing in the bitter cold snow, blankly staring at the forest ahead, when Nikita joined him. Neither said anything for a while. They just stood in hollow silence. Then, unprompted and seemingly out of nowhere, Michael spoke, “I bought them a house. Elizabeth and Hayley. One night, Lizzie and I just started flipping through a housing catalog. Lizzie saw this house in Hawaii, and her eyes just lit up. So I tore out the page, and without telling her, I started saving up. Before you knew it, I had enough money for the down payment. When I called the realtor and he said the place was still available, I nearly jumped out of my chair.”

A small smile pulled at Nikita’s lips at the memory Michael was willing to share with her. A ghost of a smile was on his lips as well. Yet neither of that stopped him from continuing his story. It needed to tumble out of him- be expressed. And, no matter the circumstance, Michael always found it easiest to express everything to Nikita, “My plan was to fly them there for vacation and tell them that that house was a rental. And I know on the last day of vacation, Hayley would just look up at me and tell me ‘it’s time to go home’. But I’d look back down at her, and I’d tell her ‘we are home’.”

Staring down at the empty snow, Michael fought the tears the memory brought. It should’ve been a brilliantly happy moment for his family. They should’ve been able to live in bliss. But because Percy was a self-serving bastard, Michael lost all that. He had lost his life, and as a result, he became gutted and rotted. He was a shell of who he used to be- an ass instead of a man. And that was all Percy’s fault, “Percy took that away from me. He made me into this. I’m gonna go into his office, and I’m gonna shoot him.”

“If Percy goes down, this country will never recover. Do you remember telling me that?” Softly, Nikita asked. One of the first things she had wanted to do when she had gone rogue (after Michael had helped get her clean) was to kill Percy. She wanted him dead for all the things he had done to her, Michael, Birkhoff, the recruits, the agents, and the victims. She wanted Division to burn and all those incharge to be locked inside. Yet Michael had stopped her. He told her about the black boxes and warned her what would happen if those contents were released. The world couldn’t fall for Percy’s sins. Only he deserved to be punished.

“I don’t care,” Michael’s gaze remained locked on the snowy ground in front of him. A part of him had known that killing Kasim wouldn’t bring him catharsis. Yes, he was a terrorist who needed to die. And yes, he had betrayed Michael and his family. But he had only been the weapon. Percy had sent him to complete a job, and when he had failed, the bastard manipulated the target into chasing a ghost. It was all Percy’s fault. He was the true monster that needed to be slain. Kasim was simply the easier access, a direct root for Michael’s pain. But his death didn’t mean anything, not while Percy still breathed.

“I don’t believe you. Because you’re stronger than that. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. You do the things that other people won’t do. You sacrifice and you dedicate your life to people you know are innocent. I don’t think you’re capable of not caring,” Trying to gain Michael’s attention, Nikita expressed the wonderful things she had always thought about him. From when he was a handler, to when he went rogue, Michael had always cared. He fought for people when no one else would. He fought to give others a better life. He never gave up, even when he was against the impossible. None of that could change then.

“We will find the rest of the black boxes, and then we will kill Percy. And he will not be able to do this to anyone ever again,” Nikita hoped her determination would rub off on Michael. He could be bolstered to continue to fight. And by extension, so would she. They had managed to finally kill Kasim. Percy could be next on their list. All they had to take care of was the black boxes. With Birkhoff, Owen, Ryan, and Alex on their side, that shouldn’t be too difficult. The team of rogues could end their war- as long as they stayed a team.

Fists clenching, Michael wanted to punch himself. The sharp Russian cold had helped clear the vengeance from his eyes. He had been so blind to everything except Kasim, and that had gotten Nikita hurt. Hell, it had almost gotten her killed numerous times. He had put revenge above his friend’s life (more than a friend, if he was being honest) when he didn’t have to. She almost died for nothing. He had put her in unnecessary danger. If they had worked together, they would’ve still wound up where they were; they just would’ve been on solid ground, “I lied to you. I didn’t get the locations. I was coming here to doublecross you.”

“Well… you didn’t,” That was the best Nikita could say. She had known that was coming. She knew the time between her laying out the ultimatum and him calling her with the information was too short, even with his determination. Ever since she had told him the deal, he had always planned to trick her. And she had always known in the back of her mind that he would do it. That didn’t mean that when the time finally came, the deception didn’t sting any less. She had thought he’d be different. She had thought he’d never disappoint her or hurt her. She had never hated being wrong as much as she did then.

He just stood there as she left. That should’ve been the moment that he chased after her and apologized. That should’ve been the moment he made up for all his mistakes and the two created a game plan to end their war. They’d find the black boxes together. They’d kill Percy and burn Division together. It was what they had been trying to do. The two should continue that. Instead, Michael watched Nikita walk away. He didn’t make a move to follow, nor did he say anything. Michael just let Nikita disappear, knowing she intended to go far, far away.

The violent snap of the cold forced Michael out of his head. He had been increasingly stupid the past few days. Yet that moment took the cake. He needed to follow Nikita; he had to follow her to the ends of the Earth. There was nothing holding him back. He had created the distance between them, believing it would protect their hearts from further damage. God, he had been so wrong. He had been so wrong about so much. How could he have believed that she’d hurt her too. Nikita had proven time and time again that she was there to fight for him. They were partners- they were more. After everything else he had lost, he couldn’t lose her too.

It was too late to chase her down in Russia, but Michael could catch up to Nikita in New York. He knew she wouldn’t bother going to the safehouse. She’d want to be alone and to continue keeping Birkhoff out of their mess. So he ran straight to the loft. The whole flight to her, he rehearsed what he should say. He practiced apologies and finding the right ways to express his feelings. They all fizzled out on his tongue when he saw her standing stiffly by her computer. He couldn’t think around her. He couldn’t say everything he needed to while she looked at him with those big, sad, brown eyes. He just did the best he could, “You were right.”

“No…” Nikita tried to argue. The long flight back home had given her plenty of time to think. What Michael had done was wrong; his anguished, regretful expression indicated that even he believed it. Yet Nikita understood why he had done it. She had once hurt him because of how much pain she was in. It was easier to lash out at those nearby instead of accepting help. There were too many intense emotions to keep bottled up just so you could move on. It had to be expressed. She couldn’t fault him for his pain. At least, she could try not to.

“Yeah, you were right. If I had just listened to you, things could have been different,” Michael dared to move closer to Nikita. She didn’t back away from him, which he took as a good sign. However, she didn’t move closer to him either. He had to be the one to rebuild the bridge. He had ruined their relationship, so he had to be the one to fix that. Michael was so painfully aware of that, and he was willing to do anything to repair the damage he had done to Nikita. She didn’t deserve to feel his pain. She had done everything she could to help him. And he had been an ass. He had to make it up to her, atone for all his sins.

“Things will be different,” Nikita’s gaze sorrowfully swept over a regretful Michael. He had meant to betray her; she understood why. The need for revenge was so strong, it was palpable. But he didn’t trust her. After everything they had gone through together, Michael didn’t trust her. He didn’t trust her to help him catch his family’s murderer, and he didn’t trust her to keep a promise. Nikita didn’t think her heart could take it anymore. For months- years- it was as though they were in some kind of holding pattern. Neither could near the other without hurting them. So, there they were. Two broken people without anything solid like trust between them. 

Unable to look at him any longer, Nikita turned away. She didn’t walk away, though. She was going to leave that up to him. Michael was free to walk out of her life and never come back. It would be a gift to her heart if he did. However, he hadn’t given up like she had. He surprised her. His warm, steady hand came to gently touch her cheek. She spun into his hold and he kissed her. Michael kissed Nikita. Her hands instantly went to his shoulders, reaching to splay at the nape of his neck. His own hands cradled her head, his thumb caressing her bruised cheek. Their lips were met in a slow dance. It was gentle, almost tentative in touch.

Nikita tore from him. Her brown eyes searched his green. She needed to know if that was real- if what had happened was not a crazed figment of her imagination. Michael answered with a nudge of his nose against hers and another tender kiss. She wasn’t sure who deepened it first, but their kiss soon became passionate. Her hands continued to roam his strong shoulders and neck, intertwining with his short, dark hair. His hands moved sensually down to her thighs. With a silent command for her to jump, he hoisted her up in his secure arms and carried her to bed.

Chapter Text

Michael and Nikita spent the whole night touching, apologizing, kissing, talking, exploring each other’s bodies, laughing, and making love. They didn’t fall asleep until the sun had risen. When they had, the two laid in a cuddled heap of sated bodies and cozy blankets. Neither bothered to pull on clothes. And neither bothered to grab their phones from the pockets of their clothes. They were too wrapped up in each other- figuratively and literally. In fact, they were so absorbed with one another, that they didn’t notice anyone entering the loft until they heard shouting, “You two seriously couldn’t answer your phones? I’ve been calling for hours.”

“We’ve been busy,” Startling awake, Michael muttered. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, yet he had to do so with one hand. Nikita was still curled into his side, refusing to wake up. She burrowed even deeper against his chest, preferring his warmth over consciousness. He couldn’t pull away from her. He wanted to wrap her tighter in his arms and never let go. There were years of stupidity and hurt to make up for. The need to touch her, kiss her, keep her so close to his heart there wasn’t even room for air couldn’t be appeased with just one night. They needed to spend every second of every day together. Unfortunately, the real world had other ideas.

“Busy excluding me,” Birkhoff snapped. He had every right to be pissed off at the two. They should’ve included him. They should’ve told him about Kasim, about their mission, and about what had happened afterwards. In hindsight, involving Birkhoff would’ve made things a hell of a lot easier. But Michael and Nikita were too caught up in themselves to truly think about the others. Yes, they had thought to protect them from the hurt they were experiencing. Yet that ultimately meant nothing. The team should always strive to involve each other, no matter what. After fixing whatever it was between them, Michael and Nikita were ready to rectify that.

“Whattimeisit?” Nikita simply had to wake herself up first. She felt as though she had only slept for an hour. Which, considering the time she and Michael had finally fallen asleep, could’ve been true. She bitterly pulled away from Michael’s warm side, and reached for where her phone should’ve been on the bedside table. When she couldn’t feel it, she sat up to actually look. The covers fell away from her chest. Michael and Birkhoff reacted to that first. Birkhoff hurriedly turned around, and Michael frantically pulled the covers back over Nikita. Only then did she remember that she was naked.

“Why are you naked?” Birkhoff couldn’t help but shriek. He honestly hadn’t questioned Michael and Nikita falling asleep together and cuddling. Their relationship was so odd; they could be trying to kill each other one minute, and professing their love the next. Sleeping together wasn’t that weird. What was weird was that Nikita was naked. And after actually looking around the loft and seeing scattered clothes everywhere, Birkhoff realized Michael was naked too. He had thought both had been in their underwear at least. But the fact that they were naked, for some reason, was way worse, “Are you both naked?”

Nikita and Michael sighed. They’d like to have that conversation with clothes on, but nothing was in reach besides a cardigan Nikita kept around the chilly loft; she pulled it on anyway in an attempt to cover her bare chest. Honestly, that embarrassing moment was the two’s fault for not once informing Birkhoff of what was occurring. If they had just answered their phones, they could’ve continued sleeping in each other’s arms. Though, the two did know they’d have to tell Birkhoff they were together-together eventually. Maybe him finding out on his own was a good thing, then Michael could just explain, “Look, a lot’s happened the last few days…”

“Have you guys been fucking?” As Birkhoff turned back around in shock, Nikita and Michael changed their minds. Having the nerd discover their change in relationship by walking in on them was the worst possible thing. Not only did Nikita accidentally flash him, which he wasn’t necessarily complaining about, but he quickly realized his calls were ignored because the two were sleeping together. Birkhoff then falsely assumed that the reason he hadn’t seen the two for days was because they were too busy having sex. He missed a major and important part of the story, and was then angry for a new and wrong reason.

“And murdering, and getting revenge, and pissing people off,” Arms crossed tightly across her chest, Nikita mumbled. It had taken several long steps for Michael and Nikita to arrive where they were. It had also taken a lot of talking throughout the night. The two weren’t even done talking about where they stood and what that meant moving forward. They had mostly talked about what had happened with Gogol and Kasim, and they mostly apologized for all the ways they had hurt each other over the years. Although that was forgiven and moved on from, there was still more to discuss. Michael and Nikita needed to make their relationship real.

“Like I said, a lot,” Michael repeated upon seeing Birkhoff’s bewildered expression. At least the hacker’s anger was easy to appease. The two hadn’t been ignoring him just because they needed to escape the safehouse and sleep together. They had just been working out some shit, which of course involved a mission. Most, if not all, of the things they needed to resolve could be done by either talking or sprinting off guns blazing. When it came to a couple like Michael and Nikita, they needed the life or death situation of a mission to get their heads on straight. They could never recognize their emotions until it was too late to express them.

“You owe me so much explanation- like yesterday. Start talking,” Birkhoff demanded. Whatever mission Nikita and Michael thought they could exclude him from obviously knocked some sense into them. He needed to know what that was and what exactly went down. Though, going off of Nikita’s previous comment, and what he had already seen from the couple, Birkhoff could guess that the mission involved Kasim in some capacity. Why else would he have been excluded, and what else could’ve made Michael’s and Nikita’s emotions explode in such a way. Kasim had done something, and their whole lives changed as a result- again.

“Can I put underwear on first?” Shifting awkwardly on the small bed, Nikita delayed the much needed conversation. She wanted to explain everything to Birkhoff and start moving forward as a team. She’d just much rather do that with her clothes on. The longer the nerd stood across from the two while they tried to cover their naked bodies with the covers on a bed that was no more than a cot, the more awkward things became. One wrong move, and the hacker would see too much of the couple. It’d be easier to have a serious conversation if they were clothed, comfortable, and able to look each other in the eyes.

Turning back towards the door, Birkhoff nodded. He’d prefer if Michael and Nikita had their clothes on as well. There was no need to make a bad morning worse. Besides, there were some things they could celebrate. Nikita and Michael realizing how stupid and stubborn they had been and finally getting together was a huge deal. Past his irritation about his many missed calls, and his shock over seeing them naked, Birkhoff was happy the two got their shit in order. They could all move forward smoothly, once they rectified that morning, “I’ll get us coffee while you get dressed. Then, we’ll talk.”

As soon as Birkhoff left the loft, Michael and Nikita scrambled for their clothes. Neither had a clean change of clothes at the loft, so they had to settle on the clothes they had worn the night before until they returned to the safehouse. Both were okay with that. Pulling on what they could gave them time to clean before Birkhoff returned. It also gave them time to finally laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. The hacker would probably tease the couple for that moment for years to come. But they had their own ammo to retaliate with. It was going to be okay. The couple was sure of that then, making Michael smile, “Well that was easy.”

“Idiot,” Giggling, Nikita rolled her eyes and grinned. She pulled Michael in for what was meant to be a chaste kiss. However, they two hadn’t learned to control their passions yet. They wound up making out and collapsing on the just-made bed. Their hands were everywhere, needing to touch every inch of the other. One night of passion wasn’t enough- just like one night of talking wasn’t. The new couple needed more and more and more of each other. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the time to completely devour each other. They’d have to wait until they talked to Birkhoff. Fortunately, after that, they had all the time in the world together.

“Important team meeting. Update to dynamics and relationships,” Alex couldn’t understand the text Birkhoff sent her. Firstly, she was confused that Birkhoff had even texted her; usually, Nikita- or sometimes Michael- texted her. Secondly, she couldn’t make sense of the hacker’s words. What kind of updates to the rogue’s dynamics and relationships. What did that even mean. Did something happen. Did someone die. No, if someone had died, Alex would’ve gotten a call instead of a text. Hell, she might’ve heard it in Division first. No one was dead. But something important had happened- something that could change things moving forward.

Leaving her apartment to meet with the rogues at the loft, Alex kept staring at her burner cellphone. Maybe if she kept reading Birkhoff’s text, she could learn to understand it. Nikita’s promise that the rogues wouldn’t bother her for a few days had come true. The text was her first communication with them in a while. Alex wondered then if the message had anything to do with why Nikita had been so upset the last time they had talked. A mission could’ve gone wrong or something, and they needed to change their plans. That made some sense, yet Alex still didn’t know. And as she tried to think, she slammed right into Sean, “Hey, sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“Text from Nathan?” Chuckling softly, Sean steadied Alexandra. Once she righted herself and put her phone away, she pulled away from him and glared. She still didn’t trust him. Despite how gentle he had been with her lately, she knew he was just going to report her to Amanda. She didn’t feel safe with him. Sean really wanted to argue otherwise; he was the only person who wanted- who was assigned- to truly protect her. But he didn’t have time to talk. He barely had time to catch her as she fell. There was both a car and a plane waiting for him, “It’s none of my business if it is. Not anymore.”

Confused, but for an entirely different reason then, Alex finally studied Sean. He was dressed like he was going to travel- comfortable clothes, easy to take off shoes. And he had a nearly overstuffed duffel bag slung across his shoulders. There was no way he was heading into Division. He usually wore a suit in the bunker. He was headed somewhere else, somewhere possibly far away. Although Alex had wanted him to leave her alone for weeks, the idea that he was leaving troubled her. Maybe because she was so confused about it. If nothing she had said or done made him leave, then why was he finally going, “Are you going somewhere?”

“I’ve been called back for a mission,” Sean wasn’t sure if he should share that with Alexandra. He should’ve simply told her that he had another assignment and he’d be back afterwards. Actually, he probably shouldn’t have even said that. Alexandra didn’t need to know about her missions or whereabouts. Her only concern should’ve been Semak, and his only concern regarding her was that she stayed safe and focused. However, he couldn’t let the bewilderment continue to burn in her bright blue eyes. She shouldn’t be left wondering. He needed to tell her something.

“Called back to the military? I thought this was your military assignment?” Alex couldn’t let Sean go if that was his excuse. Amanda had made it a point to introduce Sean by his military rank when she had introduced him. Why do that if his assignment wasn’t linked to the military. He had to have gotten his orders from somewhere. It definitely wasn’t Division. It could’ve been from the people who oversaw Division’s operations, the people Alex had made her deal with. But if it was them, then Sean still would’ve gotten his orders from the military. It was all government. Or was there a piece Alex was missing.

“I was on leave. But all available personnel are needed for this, so I’m headed back,” Sean definitely shouldn’t have told Alexandra that. He should just leave the apartment and focus on his new mission. His Seal team couldn’t afford for him to be distracted. All thoughts of Division, Oversight, and Alexandra had to be left behind. Though, Sean found it hard to leave it all behind without a word. Weeks ago he wouldn’t have. He would’ve ran from that apartment so fast. Yet a lot has changed his mind recently. He couldn’t simply let anything go. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

“Oh. Okay. Wait. Then who ordered you into Division? What branch even are you? What’s the mission?” Although Alex knew she should let Sean walk down the hall and go wherever he needed to go- if she did, she could go straight to the rogues and find out what Birkhoff’s text meant- she had way too many questions that needed answers. He couldn’t just tell her all that then leave. That was a lot of information to dump on a person without explanation. If he was going to spy on her and make reports, then he could at least tell her what was going on. He owed her that much.

For some reason, Sean found it adorable that Alexandra didn’t know which branch of the military he was in. Her other questions were completely reasonable. He had opened up the door when he had given vague answers to her other questions. But she could’ve figured out which branch he was in on her own. She had access to Division’s computers, and she knew how to hack. With his name and rank, she could find any information she wanted on him. Yet she didn’t. She waited for him to tell her. One day he knew he would. He could sort of promise that, “Maybe I’ll let you know when I come back.”

“You’re coming back?” While Sean finally left the building, Alex stared helplessly after him. What was that all about. And why did she care so much. She had just had a great weekend with Nathan, and there were developments going on with the rogues. She shouldn’t care about Sean. He was nothing on her radar. In fact, him being out of her hair was a fantastic thing. She didn’t have to worry about her actions being reported to Amanda. Alex could have a sense of freedom again. Sighing hotly and rolling her eyes, she stomped down the hall and tried to get him off her mind, “Fucking men never telling anyone fucking anything.”

Chapter Text

“Alright, what the fuck is going on?” Alex stormed into the rogues’ loft, already fed up with the situation. Michael and Nikita sat shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, on the bed, looking half-asleep as they sipped to-go coffee cups. Birkhoff handed Alex her own coffee cup when she walked in. He stood near the door as far away from the other two as possible. The young agent guessed that it had something to do with what the team of rogues were meeting about. However, she didn’t really care.

“These two fucked,” Tipping his coffee cup towards Michael and Nikita, Birkhoff bluntly informed Alex. A part of him knew he was making a bigger fuss than he needed to, but the fact that Nikita and Michael were finally together was nothing short of a miracle. Also, he was still upset about walking in on them naked. He had every right to attack the new couple, especially when they kept him from knowing the full context. The two could roll their eyes and huff all they wanted. But by keeping him out of their business, they brought the torture onto themselves.

“And?” Chugging her amazingly sweet and delicious coffee (she was a bit surprised that Birkhoff managed to guess what she would’ve liked) Alex shrugged. There was no way that that was the major thing the team of rogues had to discuss. The fact wasn’t even a big deal. Michael and Nikita had been too close to be friends for as long as Alex had known them. In fact, she had almost guessed that they had had sex before. She didn’t know why she had been called to the loft just to learn Nikita and Michael fucked. That could’ve been a simple text.

“See. It’s not a big deal. We should focus on Kasim, Gogol, and the black boxes instead,” Building off of Alex’s lack of care and enthusiasm, Nikita tried to change the subject. It was great that the team was gathered together; Birkhoff and Alex should hear the updates regarding Kasim and Gogol, and they should discuss how they should proceed with the black boxes. Hers and Michael’s relationship, however, was for them to discuss in private. They needed to figure out where they stood and what their future held on their own. Hopefully, they discovered that their future together was long.

Birkhoff could understand why everyone wanted to move on from the conversation, but he was the one who had to live with the new couple. He had suffered through their flirting for months. How was he supposed to survive their PDA. He refused to walk in on them again; he couldn’t see them kissing either- or worse, fighting. Boundaries had to be set. Birkhoff would not live with the couple if they were going to be insufferable. He’d force Michael and Nikita to live in the loft if it came down to it. They had to talk about how the new dynamic affected all of them so they could live together, “But you two are dating now. We need to set PDA boundaries.”

“Wait. I thought Michael and Nikita have always been dating,” Alex hid her smirk behind her coffee cup. She knew Nikita and Michael had been dancing around each other for months- if not years. Although the fact that they were finally together wasn’t a shock, it was certainly a new development that Alex wanted to know the origins of. Because it absolutely was a huge and new development. But it wasn’t a new relationship. The two had always been flirty and committed; they were simply sleeping together then. As Michael and Nikita blushed and spluttered at Alex’s question, the young woman shot Birkhoff a proud look, “See, nothing’s changed.”

“We swear to keep you out of our drama,” Attempting to appease everyone, Nikita promised; Michael nodded to back her up. Alex and Birkhoff shot each other a look before they erupted in laughter (Birkhoff almost spat out his coffee). Not once did Michael and Nikita spare the others from whatever the hell was going on with them. They tried. But the others could still tell when the two’s feelings were dragging them through it. The mess was always obvious, even when they didn’t explicitly state it.

As Michael and Nikita sighed and slumped against each other on the bed, Alex took pity on them. They finally got their shit together and realized how in love they were. They didn’t need their friends making fun of them, even if it was deserved. Nikita and Michael should celebrate their happiness. Yet, since it seemed like they wanted to do that on their own, the team should focus on the other matters Nikita had mentioned. Alex was particularly interested in Gogol. If something about them had changed, she needed to know for her revenge plans. Hopefully, they weren’t too drastically affected, “Now, what’s this about Gogol?”

While Nikita told Alex and Birkhoff about Al-Qaeda running heroin through Gogol territory and Ari’s latest hatred for her, Michael hung his head guiltily. Nikita noticed and held his hand, but it didn’t help. He would always feel awful about putting her in further danger with Gogol. Although he was able to kill Kasim, it wasn’t worth the cost of her safety; he saw that clearly when he wasn’t blinded by rage. But Nikita never held it against him. She believed she was going to piss Ari off again anyway. It might as well have happened while she helped him than on some random mission.

Despite Nikita’s ease to forgive and forget, Michael struggled to let himself off the hook for how he had treated her. For the sake of their current conversation with their team, though, he could hold tight to her hand and move forward. Michael caught Alex and Birkhoff up to speed on Kasim and how he and Nikita had killed him. He held back from sharing the more painful and messy parts, which, thankfully, Nikita also refrained from adding. The two just focused on the fact that one part of his revenge mission was complete. The next step was to kill Percy.

Unfortunately, the only way they could kill Percy was if they destroyed all the black boxes. The rogues had only located and destroyed one. Owen was on the hunt for another, but they hadn’t heard from him in weeks. They had severely stalled in their efforts to burn Division and kill Percy. They hadn’t made any real progress in months. Yes, they saved targets and helped one another. But Division was still going strong. It was frustrating, annoying, and a little demoralizing. Their war just kept going, longer and more painful than any of the rogues wanted.

There had to be something the team could do to push things along. Alex offered her help. The rogues had kept her out of their black box search. However, with her position in Division, she could get them the information they needed. It wouldn’t be a problem for her, and it definitely wouldn’t be a burden. The rogues had done so much for her recently; the least she could do was spy for them. After all, if they had intel on the black boxes, they could burn Division once she was done using them to kill Semak. Both the man who had ordered the hit on her family and the man who had agreed to the deal needed to die. Alex would make sure of that.

It was soon decided that Alex could try to get them information on the black boxes in Division, but she was to do so extremely carefully. In the meantime, the rogues would call Owen and put the pressure on to locate the Guardian he suspected was in London. Michael and Nikita might fly out there to join him. There were no other active missions they had to focus on. And at that point, destroying black boxes so they could kill Percy was becoming the greater priority. They’d do whatever it took to end their war with Division and start living their lives. Though, what the latter might look like was still up for debate.

Eventually, the team broke for the day. Alex headed to Division to see how she could start her black box hunt, Birkhoff attempted to call Owen, and Michael and Nikita did their post-mission cleanings. The new couple had ignored cleaning their weapons and gear for a little too long. Focusing on themselves instead was the better call for the moment. But they had some deep cleaning to do throughout the rest of the day. The two moved to the safehouse so they could shower, change, and completely relax as they cleaned. Nikita and Michael also set boundaries with Birkhoff so that awkward conversation wouldn’t come back up later.

Besides the ‘no PDA in communal spaces’ talk, the day went as smoothly as it normally did when the rogues didn’t have a disaster to prevent. The only other problem they encountered occurred when they were going to bed for the night. Michael and Nikita froze in the hallway outside their respective rooms. They cast each other awkward glances, unsure of what to do. After everything they had said and done the night before, it felt weird separating into their own bedrooms. Having their own bathrooms continued to make sense, and it was probably better for their overall sanity. Yet separate rooms didn’t seem right.

Michael and Nikita had already lived together and worked together and been through hell together. Did they really need separate beds since they were sleeping together. Or would that be too much. Should they keep their space since they spent so much time together. Should they keep their own rooms so they could have solitude. Should they only go to each other’s rooms when they wanted to have sex. Okay, that was definitely too much. The new couple were starting to think a little too much about how they began their relationship. They didn’t need to dance around each other or be cautious. After all, they had already been through the best and worst together.

Relaxing against their open doorways, Michael and Nikita laughed. They didn’t need to act like awkward teenagers. They knew each other; they had been friends and partners for so long the definitions blurred lines. They could make it through the weird newness of their relationship just fine. All the two had to do was talk like they always had. Actually, they needed to talk more than they ever had. That’d fix all their future problems as a couple. If they stayed open with one another, they’d do just fine- more than fine. Michael was sure of it, “Alright. There’s an easy solution for this.”

“Oh yeah?” Crossing her arms, Nikita arched an eyebrow in disbelief. She was certain that Michael had some sort of compromise that’d settle their anxiety and give them hope for the future. She trusted him to have the best solution to all their problems, even if they were as ridiculous as trying to decide if they were going to share a bedroom or not. Maybe down the line that’d be an easier problem. They’d be so sure and so in love that it wouldn’t even be a question. But, while they continued to talk and see what the future had in store for them, they had to be a bit tentative. Mostly, it was to ensure that they were completely serious about being together.

“Yeah. We just tell each other when we want to spend the night together and when we need space,” Michael shrugged. Although he didn’t think he could spend a night away from his girlfriend (God, he loved the thought of that) he’d give her the option for space if she ever needed it. Even if they loved one another with every ounce of their souls, there was nothing wrong with needing a moment alone. Their own rooms could be an escape. Since they lived and worked together- and with others- an option to be alone would be good for them.

“And if one of us wants to spend the night and the other doesn’t?” Nikita countered. She absolutely agreed with Michael; the two should just tell each other what they were feeling and what they wanted. But what if their wants weren’t the same. As partners, when they disagreed about what they should do, they argued. They shouldn’t do that since they were together. Their bad habits should be fixed. Nikita and Michael should try to be better for each other. They should give their all to each other- best, worst, and in between- but always striving for best.

“We don’t spend the night. Consent is key,” Michael smiled crookedly, closing the door to his bedroom. He had the feeling that he was going to join Nikita in her bedroom that night. The way she rested against her door frame- crossed arms, flirtatious smile, and lust-filled eyes- let him know that she was waiting for him to cross the hallway to her. They were probably going to spend most nights together; they couldn’t get enough of each other’s presence since they had crossed that line. They were actually in a relationship, and nothing could break them apart.

Nikita couldn’t help but smile as she rolled her eyes. No matter what he did, Michael made her smile. She was so glad that he had kissed her and they had agreed to a real relationship. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if they never dived head first into love. She just knew that she was going to be so happy with him moving forward; and she knew that he had the same feeling. However, their happiness didn’t mean things were going to always be easy. Nikita was aware that bad days could overcome her. If that happened, would Michael still stay, “Okay. But what if one of us says we want to be alone, but the other thinks that’s not the best idea?”

“We just have to talk to each other. We communicate everything,” Moving to Nikita, Michael was completely serious. He had been serious throughout the entirety of their conversation. But then, his voice dipped low, and he gazed at his girlfriend earnestly. From then on, they were going to share everything with each other. They weren’t going to keep each other at arm’s length or push one another away. They were going to be together for a long time- maybe even forever. The two had to start paving their way to a bright future then. It all started with a promise he husked against her lips, “We always have to talk- no more secrets, no more lies.”

“Yeah. But I don’t want to talk tonight,” Tugging on Michael’s t-shirt, Nikita smirked. She kissed her boyfriend (honestly, just thinking of him as hers sent thrills up her spine) and pulled him into her bedroom. They could talk later; they would talk later. The two would constantly talk, expressing their thoughts and feelings about all things. It was the best way to build their relationship. Both wanted to spend as long as possible with each other; communication was key to achieve that. But it could happen later. That night, the new couple was more focused on making love and sleeping in each other’s warm arms.

Chapter Text

Although Owen didn’t reply to the team’s many calls, the rogues kept themselves busy over the next week. Birkhoff beefed up Shadowbot’s and Shadownet’s code to scan for Division’s and Gogol’s movements. Alex carefully poked around Division to see if she could gain any intel on the black boxes. And Michael and Nikita trained, gathered new equipment and weapons, restocked their supplies, and talked. The two talked about their relationship and their possible future together. They tried not to get too far ahead of themselves, yet they both agreed they’d be together for a long time. Their relationship was very real and very serious.

As time went on, and the team still hadn’t heard from Owen, they started to consider a mission to investigate. Michael and Nikita would fly to London while Birkhoff attempted to track down their missing team member. Either something terrible had happened to him, or he was ignoring them on purpose. They honestly didn’t know which was worse. They simply had to figure everything out and move on, hopefully as a cohesive team. To survive their war, the rogues needed as much help as they could receive. They needed to support one another and not dissolve into any in-fighting. The former had so far been a lot easier than the latter.

Yet the team of rogues was getting better. They were definitely talking more, except for Owen. They were soon done waiting for him- or for disaster to strike. They were going to get ahead of things for once. Birkhoff scoured his computer, planning to locate Owen as the others prepared to fly out. It’d be impossible to find a former Guardian and Cleaner, but he had a burner phone from the team. The hacker could track that if it was turned on. It wasn’t. Birkhoff was deeply confused about that, until he heard the door open. Instantly, he whirled around and found at least one answer to his questions, “Owen? What the hell, man? You were supposed to call.”

“On an unsecured line? I don’t think so,” Owen scoffed. Birkhoff stared at him, bewildered. He and Michael had given Owen a secure phone the last time they had met with him. They had also been calling it for weeks. All Owen had to do was call back. He didn’t need to travel across the Atlantic just to give the team an update. He was wasting their time and a perfectly good cellphone. Yet none of that seemed to be on his mind. He was more concerned with checking over his shoulder and scrutinizing every inch of the safehouse. Before Birkhoff could question anything that was occurring, Owen moved onto another topic, “Where’s Nikita?”

“In either hers or Michael’s room. But I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” As Owen took off down the hall, Birkhoff tried to warn him. Although it was still early in the morning, he doubted Michael and Nikita were asleep. Most of the time, they were up and eating breakfast by the time the hacker groggily stumbled into the kitchen. If he had already finished eating that morning and was working on his computer, then the couple was absolutely awake; they just wanted their alone time. No one should interrupt that. Who knew what kind of awkward horrors they might walk in on. And who knew what kind of shouting they might receive as a result.

Michael and Nikita had been awake for a while; they simply hadn’t wanted to get out of bed. Both were so warm and comfortable curled under the blankets and in each other’s arms. The two couldn’t bear to separate just yet. It didn’t help that when the couple had woken up with sleepy, dreamy smiles for one another, they just had to caress each other tenderly and kiss sweetly. Nikita and Michael hadn’t stopped kissing or touching, hands and lips exploring soft, warm bodies. Honestly, they could spend forever like that. But they weren’t afforded the luxury. Their problems called to them, “We should probably get out of bed.”

“Why? We can waste an hour, or two…” Although Nikita knew Michael was right- they should perform some proactive efforts to bring their war to an end- she refused to get out of bed. She only wanted to kiss and touch her boyfriend. And maybe do a few other things. As she kissed Michael deeper and held to him tighter, he caught onto her dirtier thoughts. Gently, he laid Nikita against the pillows and pressed his body against hers. She moaned softly into their kiss. That finally spurred the two into passionate action, removing clothing and kissing feverishly.

To stave off the cold during the night, the couple had pulled on pajamas between sex and sleep. Yet, making out the way they did definitely heated them back up. Neither was content with peeling off their clothing slowly. The motions were just as hurried as their caresses had become. After so much time kissing and touching lightly, Michael and Nikita needed more immediately. However, also needing to constantly kiss and press their hips together caused the couple to only strip down to their underwear. It was taking way too long to get naked. Though, maybe that was a good thing. Because, as they moaned deeply, someone else said her name, “Nikita?”

The voice didn’t belong to the only other person in the safehouse. It wasn’t Birkhoff. Though, after walking in on the couple once, he was determined to never do that again; he wouldn’t even approach a closed door if he knew they were behind it. Someone else had burst in- possibly an intruder who had managed to slip past Birkhoff. Michael and Nikita didn’t wait to see who it was. They pulled their weapons and aimed them at their intruder. He was quick to pull out his weapon as well. Fortunately, no one shot. Once the panic settled, the couple realized their intruder was just Owen, “Owen? What are you doing here? You were supposed to call.”

“What are you doing with him?” Ignoring Nikita’s question, Owen waved his gun at Michael. Neither of the men dropped their weapons. Only Nikita did as she slowly approached Owen. She wasn’t exactly sure what that was about, but she didn’t want to figure it out then. She was more focused on trying to understand why Owen had burst into Michael’s bedroom. Could he not have called like he had promised. Was he not content just talking to Birkhoff until the couple joined them. What was going on.

“What’s it look like?” Not helping the situation, Michael huffed. Although Nikita had returned her gun to its place on her nightstand, he and Owen kept their sights on one another. They were all on the same team, so there was absolutely no need to point weapons at one another or to threaten one another. But Michael wouldn’t drop his pistol unless Owen did first. The man had been acting so erratically lately, from his strange behavior the last time Birkhoff and Michael met with him, to his refusal to answer their calls. The team might not be able to trust him anymore. Michael certainly wasn’t going to take that risk.

“Will both of you drop your guns?” Nikita, on the other hand, was fed up. She was going to play the ‘who could trust who’ game anymore. The team didn’t have the time. They all had the common goal to kill Percy and burn Division. Nothing else should’ve mattered if they wanted to end their war quickly. Their goal should’ve been enough. Yet Michael and Owen wouldn’t stop their pissing contest, or whatever the hell they were doing. If anything, they tightened their grip on their weapons and glared. Nikita snapped, “Down, boys, now!”

Slowly, Michael followed Nikita’s demand. He took his gun off Owen and placed it back on his bedside table. He didn’t take his eyes off Owen, however. The two men glared at one another until the former Guardian finally put his weapon away too. Nikita rolled her eyes. She honestly couldn’t stand the two at the moment. They had understandably been contentious the first time they had met. But they were on the same team then. If Nikita could forgive and forget past events, then so could they. She shot Michael a look to get on that. He sighed and asked, “So I take it that you tracked down the Guardian?”

“To a specific borough. But I’m going to need help approaching him,” Owen finally explained his presence to the rogues. Well, he partly explained. His information could’ve been a call or even a text. Flying all the way across the ocean just seemed like a massive waste of time. By the time the team traveled back to London, the Guardian could’ve moved. It wasn’t that great of a possibility, but it was still a concern Owen should’ve considered. The team couldn’t make mistakes when the black boxes were involved. Of all people, Owen should’ve known that.

“Great. Let’s go,” Regardless of what he was thinking, Nikita focused on simply getting ready, flying to London, and stealing the black box from the Guardian. Owen must’ve had his reasons for not calling. She was just going to trust what those were for the sake of destroying another black box. Besides, she and Michael were still standing in front of Owen in their underwear. They seriously needed to stop talking and get redressed. While the couple just pulled on their pajamas until they could properly get ready for the morning, Owen remained in the room. Despite Nikita’s dismissal, he wasn’t done.

“Just Nikita. You might spook him,” Owen objected to both rogue agents following him. The two paused in their steps and cast each other a puzzled look. Sure, Owen had worked only with Nikita to save Ryan in Chile, so he was more used to her talents out in the field. But he knew both Michael and Nikita. He had seen them both in action, and he knew what both of them were capable of. It didn’t make sense to only take Nikita. After all, her and Michael were a package deal. They were partners in every sense of the word.

“Where I go, he goes,” Crossing her arms, Nikita dared Owen to contradict her. She could make a million arguments about why Michael had to go to London with them. First, they’d need all the muscle they could if they were going to face a Guardian. Second, Michael’s were a perfect match for hers and Owen’s. Third, he was way better at planning than they were; their tendency to improv was going to bite them in the ass someday. And so on and so forth. Michael was coming with. Nothing Owen could say could make Nikita change her mind.

Owen soon rolled his eyes and left the bedroom. Although his actions could say otherwise, he was smart enough to know when the argument was over. Nikita sighed and moved to finally get ready for the day. Michael, on the other hand, remained still. Unlike his girlfriend, he couldn’t move past that conversation. There was something wrong with Owen- more than normal. However, Michael couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He just knew that he had a bad feeling about the man, “I don’t like him.”

“Well, this isn’t junior high school, so,” Nikita teased Michael. He had no reason to dislike Owen. The former Guardian and Cleaner was trying to make up for his mistakes and be better than Division had made him, just like the rest of the team. Any petty reason Michael had for dislike Owen should be forgotten; the team wanted to stop their internal drama, after all. Yet as Nikita teased her boyfriend, he pouted. He wasn’t going to easily get over the feeling in his gut. She softly smiled at him and kissed him gently. All she was asking of him was to try. That was all the rogues had to do; they had to try to do and be their best.

While the couple freshened up and changed clothes, Owen went to bother Birkhoff. The hacker had been busy attempting to understand Owen’s motivations for suddenly showing up in the safehouse. Nothing he had said made sense. And nothing he continued to say made any sense. The former Cleaner made all sorts of demands for the hacker that he couldn’t actually deliver on. Yes, his skills were unparalleled. But even he had limits; not everything was hackable. Owen was asking far too much of Birkhoff, yet he wouldn’t understand that, “I don’t have access to Division records. I can’t get the Guardian’s identity.”

“What’s going on? I thought you had it narrowed down,” Finally joining the others, Nikita asked. Overhearing how Owen talked to Birkhoff, she was beginning to understand what Michael was so concerned about. Something was off with Owen. Maybe he was just stressed after the months of tracking a Guardian and a black box. Or maybe he was exhausted after all that travel and lack of sleep. She hoped it was only that; it was an easy fix. Anything else just might bring the team another wave of hell.

“I do. But if I had his identity, knowing where he hid the black box would be easier,” Owen attempted to clarify. But, again, he was leaving out some of his thought processes. The rogues didn’t know if that was accidental or on purpose. Michael was leaning towards on purpose, yet Nikita wanted to give Owen the benefit of the doubt. The team was in the business of helping one another, and Owen obviously needed their help. If they went along with his black box mission, maybe they could figure out what was wrong and help him. 

“But, like I said. Although I can hack better than any of those goons in Division, I can’t get personnel files. Especially if I don’t want to tip our hand,” Shaking his head for the umpteenth time, Birkhoff argued against Owen’s plan. He would absolutely love to hack Division and steal all the information they needed. Yet hacking Division was far more complicated than hacking the CIA. It was also far more deadly. The team of rogues couldn’t hack into the hellhole and live to their next mission. They had to keep using alternative means to gain their intel. They didn’t ever get to do things the easy way.

“Could our mole do it?” Michael quietly asked Nikita. It didn’t escape her notice that he purposefully didn’t say Alex’s name. Although the three rogues in the safehouse knew who she was, her identity had remained hidden from Owen. It wasn’t as though they didn’t actively tell him; he just hadn’t been around when Michael and Birkhoff learned everything Nikita knew. They could’ve used their time then to catch Owen up, yet Michael chose not to. He still wouldn’t trust the former Cleaner completely, not after all he had done.

“I can ask her to try. But I don’t want her risking her life or her mission,” Nikita almost just said Alex’s name. They expected Owen to be honest with them, so the least they could do was be honest in return. But if Michael felt the need to not trust Owen with Alex’s identity, then Nikita was going to trust his instinct. She had experienced Owen’s lack of thought when it came to handling dangerous intel. He might’ve learned his lesson after the black box leak, but Nikita wouldn’t take the risk with Alex. She should stay safe while the rogues endangered themselves, “We can investigate in London while Nerd works with our mole to get the intel. Sound good?”

Glancing between each other cautiously, the three men eventually agreed to Nikita’s plan. She fought the urge to huff and roll her eyes. Honestly, things were easier when she was the difficult one in the group. She’d never thought she’d have to be the voice of reason on the team, especially when Michael had a clear head. But apparently, the men couldn’t be trusted to make decisions. She had to spur them on and remind them what was really important, “Perfect. Let’s destroy another black box.”

Chapter Text

Alex had set up shop in the empty computer lab. Birkhoff had shown her a few tricks to get around Division’s internal system; she could search for Guardians and black boxes without getting caught. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything for her to find. Anything Percy had on his secrets wasn’t kept anywhere on the terminals. He must’ve had them under lock and key. Alex would have to do some serious spy work to steal the information. Not then, however. As soon as she left the lab to create a plan, Amanda caught her, “Alex, great timing. Jaden was on a mission A provisional. Debrief her and file an after-action report by the end of the day.”

“You want me to debrief Jaden?” Completely bewildered, Alex followed Amanda instead of taking the file she had been given and going to interrogation. She knew that if she didn’t have any active missions to prepare for, she’d be utilized for whatever random work Amanda and Percy would deem fit. But debriefing a fellow recruit didn’t seem to be the best thing for Alex to do. Namely, Amanda and Kelly mostly did the debriefings; changing it up seemed odd. Also, she and Jaden fought everytime they were in a room together. The past few months apart had been bliss. Being trapped in a locked room together wouldn’t go well for either of them.

“Effective interview techniques should be part of any agents’ skill set,” Amanda reminded Alex. She wanted all the best techniques to be able to kill Semak. Those skills didn’t just stop at planning and executing kill missions. The young agent needed to be able to talk to people, especially difficult people withholding information. What better way for her to practice her interview techniques than with a difficult agent in Division. She could have some information and an established relationship going in. That’d help her dig up information.

“You do realize she hates me,” Alex knew she shouldn’t be questioning Amanda’s decision. If she followed along with what she was told, she’d be able to ask for more things relating to her revenge mission. However, she really didn’t want to talk to Jaden. She had hated the way she had looked at her after Thom had died. She didn’t want to face that look or any mean comments again. It was better for both Jaden and Alex to keep their distance. Who knew what would happen if they were locked in a room where one had authority over the other.

“A certain level of antagonism can be useful in this situation. Anything that puts the subject off balance works to the questioner’s advantage. You’re in the perfect position to help me get to the truth,” Smiling warmly, Amanda directed Alex once more to the interrogation rooms. The young agent couldn’t argue any longer. She really did need to practice her interview techniques in order to track down and kill Semak. Also, if she got Amanda the truth, maybe she’d give her some intel on Gogol or Zetrov. It could be a quid pro quo assignment. After crashing into deadends lately, Alex could use some help out of the maze.

Owen was on a mission as soon as the rogues left Birkhoff and the safehouse. He refused to tell Nikita and Michael anything as they flew, claiming they weren’t secure. The others couldn’t necessarily fight his decision; they shouldn’t discuss their war while civilians were around. However, Owen’s intense paranoia didn’t dissuade Michael’s belief that there was something off with the former Cleaner. He kept shooting Nikita looks that she wanted to argue against, yet she was slowly starting to admit that he was right- especially when Owen brought them to the terrible and dangerous neighborhood his safehouse was in, “Nice neighborhood.”

“Keep your heads down. Surveillance cameras are everywhere in London,” For the millionth time, Owen instructed Michael and Nikita. The two once again cast each other a look, but they followed his instructions. His paranoia had rationality to it; they needed to avoid Division at all costs. Michael was just concerned Owen’s hyper-paranoia was going to become misdirected and they were going to get hurt. Nikita had doubted that. However, walking to Owen’s safehouse that was falling apart and covered in weapons and scattered papers, she had to admit that Michael was right. She couldn’t help but sigh as Owen said, “Make yourself at home.”

“Is that what this is?” Michael muttered to Nikita. She just made a face in agreement. Although the loft she loved to stay at wasn’t much of a home, it was certainly better than the hole Owen lived in. Honestly, there was no better description for his safehouse than a hole. The walls were falling apart. The floors were hazardous. The pipes were exposed and rusted. And the windows were broken and covered. The fact that the roof was intact was a miracle, but it groaned like it was going to cave in at any minute. That wasn’t a safehouse; it was a deathtrap.

“This is how I narrowed it down to Camden. A Guardian has certain requirements. Easy access to public transportation, proximity to secure vaults, strong satellite signal coverage, and multiple exfil routes. That alone eliminated big chunks of the city. After that, it was just about pounding the pavement. Scouting out where he’d be. Like banks,” Owen managed to ignore both Nikita’s and Michael’s sarcasm. He also ignored their interest in the artwork on the walls. He just spewed his information and presented his evidence. They didn’t have any more time to waste. The three needed to track down the Guardian immediately.

“Why banks?” Needing a distraction from the desolate apartment and crazy seeming writings, Nikita asked. Owen was probably onto something. She and Michael should just trust his instincts and move on from the strangeness. They were there to catch the Guardian and destroy a black box. As concerning as Owen was, they shouldn’t be distracted by him. Besides, it all might work out. Owen was intently focused after all. The rogues should take advantage of that. It was their first big break on the black boxes in a long time. They couldn’t ruin it.

“Guardian protocol. Rent a safety deposit box, store the black box there,” Owen informed the two. Nikita nodded. That made sense. The reason the team had found Owen was because he was protecting a black box from bank robbers. His decision to keep the secrets there wasn’t his own; he was ordered. Percy did always like those Cold War spy tactics. Maybe the team could use them against him. They could predict his next move and assume his reactions. That’d give them at least one step ahead in their war. They desperately needed that.

While Owen caught Nikita up on his thought process, Michael studied the scattered and numerous artwork on the broken walls. He should’ve been listening, yet the pictures were fascinating. First of all, he didn’t know Owen could draw. Second of all, the art varied wildly and covered so many different subjects that it could’ve filled a whole section in a museum. What was Owen even doing with all of those drawings, and why did he have them hung so prominently. The art seemed more important than the information about the Guardian. Which was odd, considering- well- everything, “And what are these?”

“Oh, these? They’re my victims. Each one is a reminder of a kill while I was at Division. So I never forget why I’m doing this- doing what you inspired me to do. You don’t hide from your sins. You kind of just face them,” Talking directly to Nikita as he replied to Michael, Owen replied. A part of Nikita wanted to search the paintings for the reminder of Daniel. But she quickly shoved that thought aside. She instead glanced at Michael, concerned. He echoed her expression. They had had their suspicions that Owen was not in a great headspace. The artwork more than proved that. He was dwelling too much on the pain, and it was screwing with him.

“Listen, it’s one thing to face your sins, and it’s another to let it eat you alive. All this should just be something that helps you focus on what’s important,” Drifting closer to Michael, Nikita couldn’t help but shake her head. Owen shouldn’t be looking to her for how to live his life. She hadn’t made the healthiest choices when she had gone rogue. She had let her pain almost drown her out. Ever since, she had been fighting and clawing her way to happiness. The same thing couldn’t happen to Owen. He needed to learn from her mistakes, not emulate them.

“That’s what I’m doing. I’m stopping Percy. That’s what’s important. That’s why we gotta find this guy,” Owen stood his ground. His pain was fueling him. He was going to track down all the Guardians, destroy all the black boxes, and help Michael and Nikita kill Percy. He needed something to focus on when they hit frustrating deadends. The sins he had to atone for were the perfect motivators. That was why all his drawings to remember his victims were turned into tattoos. He’d always carry the burden with him, even when the war was over.

Glancing at Michael, Nikita silently urged him to say something. If he wasn’t going to listen to her, then maybe he’d listen to someone who just recently succumbed to his pain and almost lost everything. Michael, however, wasn’t sure how to talk Owen off the ledge. He seemed too far gone. The best he could do was try to get him to think rationally. Then wasn’t the time for crazy, “Okay, so your plan was to stake out all the banks in this area and what? Hoped you would just pick a Guardian out of the crowd?”

“Guardians are former Cleaners. They all have this look. It’s all in the eyes. Guardians are Division’s deadliest agents. We hit harder, we move quicker, we sleep less, and we survive longer. But eventually, after time, those skills start to erode. It’s what happens when you take an elite killer and pull him out of the field just to babysit a black box. You’re bound to make mistakes, if only out of sheer boredom. Emily was my mistake,” Owen explained quickly. Spotting the Guardian should be easy if they knew what to look for. The rogues had to search for the intense screw-up, the person making careless mistakes just trying to stay on the edge.

“You fell in love with her. She wasn’t a mistake, Owen,” Reaching for Owen, Nikita spoke softly. She and Michael had been there when Emily died. Her death wasn’t Owen’s fault. He hadn’t known Division would dare to snipe her in broad daylight. He had also done everything he could to protect and save her. Percy and his asinine rule of ‘no loved ones’ was the only one to blame. He needed to be killed to keep those unnecessary deaths from happening. Innocents shouldn’t be killed just because they loved the wrong person; they shouldn’t have even been the wrong person to love.

“Failing to protect her was my mistake,” Owen wouldn’t look at Nikita or accept her comfort. He should be punished for leading to Emily’s death. She would’ve still been alive had he not loved her. He had put that target on her back. He had caused that sniper shot. She really would’ve been better off had she never met him. Nothing could change those facts. They were all his cross to bear. Comfort wouldn’t absolve him. But maybe destroying black boxes would. It would set things right for others.

Except, before Owen could return the conversation back to their mission, a debilitating headache brought him to his knees. Michael and Nikita were quick to his aid, yet neither knew how to help him. They just watched in helpless confusion as he struggled to reach for a bag he had hidden in one of the cracked open walls. His movements were too slow for his liking. The screaming pain just kept getting worse and worse. He almost couldn’t breathe, it was too much. Nikita tried to soothe him, but she couldn’t only panic, “Owen? Hey. Owen, what’s wrong?”

Shaking her off him, Owen just focused on grabbing his pills. It would all be over once he had his performance enhancers. Traveling to and from the States caused him to miss a couple doses. He had to take the pills soon or else the headache was going to get steadily worse. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he completely quit taking them. Would he get a headache so bad his head would explode. It sure felt like it; he could barely tell Nikita and Michael what was wrong, “I just get these headaches. I forgot what time it is.”

“What is that?” Studying the pills Owen frantically pulled out of his bag, Michael wondered. There weren’t a lot of pills left. Most of them were broken, and Owen had to scrape at the crumbs left behind just to get a hit. Although they didn’t look like it, Michael desperately hoped the pills weren’t narcotics. If they were, they’d explain the former Guardian’s erratic behavior. But he shouldn’t be using- none of them should. They needed to be as safe and healthy as possible. Drugs were only going to drag them under.

“It’s a regimen. This is how we Cleaners move faster. Hit harder. Sleep less. Valproic acid steroids, dextroamphetamines. It’s a metabolic dominance program. Heightens your reflexes, eliminates anxiety,” As Owen desperately scraped at his scant supply of pills, Nikita stepped back. She recognized those vials. She knew those pills. She just didn’t think they were still in use. Neither of the men noticed her reaction. Owen was too focused on getting his fix, and Michael was attempting to understand what he was seeing. The desolate apartment was a lot to take in. Everything about it was just another thing to worry about.

“Gives you splitting headaches,” Michael huffed. He had heard Percy mention something about using performance enhancers on agents before he had left Division. He had assumed the side effects would’ve been too great, even for the bastard. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Percy had found his way to create super soldiers through drugs. Of course he wouldn’t care about any disastrous side effects. When an agent died, he’d just replace them with another. And he’d improve the drug cocktail until his super soldiers were robots. As long as he got what he wanted, who cared about human life.

“Only if you don’t take it. You can be sure that our friend has the same sort of edge. It’s why we gotta be careful. We’re alone in this city. It’s just us and the Guardian. And he’s very dangerous,” Shrugging, Owen hurriedly moved the conversation off himself. His headaches weren’t important. He had a handle on them as long as he took the regimen. He’d also have an edge that the rogues would need to take on the Guardian. The Guardian would do anything to protect the black box, which meant they had to do even more to stop him.

“Consider myself warned,” Michael tried not to be sarcastic. The rogues should be careful as they hunted down the Guardian. They couldn’t be caught on a black box hunt, and they definitely couldn’t be killed. Although Owen had the right to be anxious about their actions, he didn’t need to warn the others. They were well aware of the situation. At least, Michael believed so. When he cast Nikita a glance, he began to think otherwise. Her eyes hadn’t left the dwindling regimen pills and the obsessive artwork covering the walls. Horror filled her gaze.

Chapter Text

Once Owen was able to think clearly again- as clear as his paranoia had allowed him to think recently- he was able to talk Nikita and Michael through other Guardian and Cleaner protocols. Just like needing a safety deposit box for the black box, they also needed storage space for all their equipment. Birkhoff was able to take the information he was passed and locate the Guardian’s container for them. He recognized a third party Division payment when he saw one. That mysteriously paid for shipping container had to belong to their guy.

Owen didn’t hesitate to sprint to the shipping yard; he wasn’t going to give the Guardian more time to hide. Michael and Nikita had to rush to catch up with him. They were too distracted by other things to be truly focused on their mission. Nikita couldn’t take her eyes off the scant amount of pills and the numerous paintings. And Michael couldn’t take his eyes off her. The fear in her gaze had him terrified. What could’ve been scaring her so much. She wouldn’t say anything while Owen was around. She only stared. Michael had to pry answers from her as they searched the shipping yard for the container, “Want to tell me what that look is about?”

“I know about the pills Owen’s taking. The regimen,” Nikita responded slowly. Whereas Owen hastily moved around the yard for the Guardian’s container, she hung back. She didn’t want to take her eyes off him for a second. She should’ve listened to Michael when he said there was something wrong with Owen. Then she would’ve been prepared to handle seeing the regimen. She could’ve been prepared to present solutions. Though, there weren’t any solutions to that problem. Not simple, easy, or livable solutions at least.

“What is it?” Michael matched Nikita’s gaze. He didn’t know what exactly he had to watch Owen for. But if Nikita was cautious and hanging back, then so would he. Obviously, the regimen wasn’t great if the withdrawal alone gave Owen such debilitating headaches. Though, there has to be more tragedy attached to those pills. Why else would Nikita be so horrified and hesitant. There was more to the regimen than even Owen knew. Hopefully, it wouldn’t detract from their black box mission. They really needed that win.

Watching Owen frantically study the shipping containers’ numbers for the right one, Nikita silently begged that things weren’t too bad yet. Maybe she could find a real solution for him. Maybe they could stop things before they became deadly. Yet his headaches proved otherwise. And so did those pictures. Michael’s hand brushed against hers as they walked. Nikita gripped it before finally explaining, “After you left, Percy implemented the regimen to certain agents, mostly Cleaners. But it was only a trial. At least, it was supposed to be. He must’ve kept some for the Guardians. Once the agents were off the regimen, they went insane.”

“Insane how?” Squeezing Nikita’s hand, Michael cautiously wondered. He believed he could’ve guessed how insane Owen was becoming. His spike in obsession and paranoia wasn’t just him being weird or a result of being isolated too long. Losing his chemical dependency was affecting him deeply. The intense headaches were nothing compared to the psychosis he was going through. It was going to get worse from there. After all, he did have some pills to stave off the effects. But once those were gone, Owen was going to be completely lost.

“Obsessive, paranoid. No one can redirect them from their task. They’ll try to complete it, even if it kills them,” Once she noticed his obsession with his past victims and correcting the sins of his past, Nikita knew what path Owen wouldn’t divulge from. His need to kill the Guardian and steal the black box was greater than the other rogues. Yes, they wanted to destroy the black box so they could eventually kill Percy. But they knew to break from the path when it was going to get them killed (at least break for a short while). Owen was sprinting straight towards the end despite the danger. He couldn’t think about anything besides his goal.

“Or if it kills others,” Michael stopped Nikita from following Owen. If the former Cleaner didn’t care about his own life, how was he to care about anyone else’s. He was going to achieve his goal at the expense of everyone. Maybe not at that moment. He seemed sane enough to try and protect Nikita and Michael. But who was to say what would happen when he ran out of his regimen. They could all die for the black box. Michael refused to die before Percy, and he refused to lose Nikita. They needed to stop Owen from becoming too lost in his own mind before it was too late, “There’s no way to snap them out of it- help with the withdrawal?”

“Regimen or death,” Nikita wasn’t being melodramatic. She wished she was. But she had seen an agent lose himself to the regimen first hand- it was why she knew so much about it. He had been dragged into Medical while she was being patched up for her latest mission related injury. The agent, a Cleaner, wouldn’t stop cleaning a scene. Everytime someone tried to stop him, he lashed out and attacked. He had to complete his mission. Even in Medical he wouldn’t stop. Nothing the doctors gave him could deter him. He just kept cleaning and fighting, leading to the death of another agent. Still, he didn’t stop. So Nikita had to kill him.

Nikita needed to share that with Michael. He needed to know what they were up against. Yet she shouldn’t tell the story with Owen so close. Who knew how he would’ve reacted to it. Nikita and Michael needed a private moment to figure out what to do about the regimen. Maybe when they got back to Owen’s ‘safehouse’ they could break away. The shipping yard certainly wasn’t the place to talk. They had to focus on identifying the Guardian. At least Owen was still on the hunt and soon found the container, “I think I found it.”

Michael and Nikita shared a look before they moved to meet him. They continued to hold hands. Owen didn’t seem to notice. He simply waved to them to hurry up as he began to pick the lock. Racking her brain, Nikita tried to think of anything that’d let them save Owen from the same fate as the other Cleaner. The only thing she could come up with was getting him more regimen pills. They were discontinued in Division, so Alex couldn’t steal them. They’d have to get them off another Cleaner. Hopefully, there was some in the shipping container, “Let’s just watch him. Maybe we can steal some pills from the Guardian.”

“Then what?” Whispering in Nikita’s ear, Michael asked. Yes, they could give Owen the pills they took from each Guardian they killed. But then what. What happened when those ran out. It was far from a permanent solution. They were just delaying the inevitable. There was a chance by then that the team could find a way to get Owen off the regimen without pain or death. Yet it was just a chance. With everything else going on, they might not be able to find a real solution in time. One way or another, the regimen would kill Owen.

All Nikita could do at that moment was shrug. She honestly had no idea what to do. She was so used to thinking of only the worst possible outcome, that searching for a positive solution seemed impossible. She wanted to discover some way to save the day, though. Owen deserved to live free of Division, just like the rest of them. He shouldn’t die because of something Percy had forced upon him. But that was looking more and more likely. Even exploring the shipping container wasn’t a solution. It was full of everything but the pills, “What is all this stuff?”

“Cleaner equipment,” Owen answered simply. He scrutinized each item, almost like he was searching for a specific object. Nikita and Michael followed suit. There had to be something that’d lead them to the Guardian’s identity. It didn’t have to be anything damning, just something they could give to Birkhoff to run down- any clue could work. Owen had the experience to help him narrow in on any clues, but he had begun to think about other things. He was talking way too much, “Do you know what a Cleaner actually does? It’s not just dissolving bodies. We make it so no one knows the victim was murdered. It looks like accidents or suicides…”

“Knock it off, Owen,” Harshly, Michael warned. He couldn’t help but look at Nikita as Owen talked about cleaning Division’s victims. She tried not to act like it, yet Owen’s words cut her deep. Although she had forgiven the former Cleaner for what had happened to her boyfriend, Daniel, (he was just following shitty orders, like she had done a thousand times) she couldn’t stop feeling angry about his death. Daniel should’ve never died; he shouldn’t have been punished for just being a loving and kind man. But Division killed him because of her. Nikita led someone who had actually loved her to his death, and his family would never know the truth.

“The people I killed, their loved ones will never know the truth. But if I release the information in the black box, the truth will come out,” Owen at least stopped talking about how he cleaned people. However, he continued his thoughts about his victims. They were the same thoughts running in his head over and over and over again. He could make things right by releasing black box secrets. It wasn’t enough to destroy the intel, kill Percy, and burn Division to the ground. Those he had hurt needed to know the truth. It was the only way to bring peace.

“Yeah. Maybe. But remember Chile? That chaos happened because one secret got out. Imagine if all of them were released. Other people can’t get hurt. We have to destroy the black boxes,” Immediately, Nikita negated Owen’s plans. He had already released one secret in a poor attempt to learn about the other Guardians. Riots erupted in Chile and Ryan Fletcher almost died as a result. If more secrets were revealed to the public, the world might collapse. There was a reason no one made an attack on Percy before. Those black boxes were a shield and a weapon. No one was willing to risk the world just for that bastard.

“So Percy wins?” As Owen asked, though, it was obvious that he was the exception. Percy’s death wasn’t enough for him. Destroying black boxes to kill the bastard and end his terrible reign wasn’t Owen’s goal anymore. He wanted the truth no matter how dangerous it was. Sure, it might’ve brought peace of mind for families and loved ones. But the world definitely wouldn’t be at peace. Wars would break out if people knew what the American government was doing in secret. More families would be ripped apart and lost. What kind of comfort was that.

A part of Michael did agree with Owen. Although the truth hurt, he was very lucky to know what really happened to his family. Other victims of Division deserved that knowledge as well. However, considering all the chaos he had caused since learning the truth, the whole world gaining that knowledge would be cataclysmic. The black boxes needed to be destroyed. But none of that could be at the expense of the rogues’ lives. As Michael opened his mouth to argue with Owen, he noticed a flashing red light out of the corner of his eye. Upon closer look, he realized it came from a hidden camera, “We have to go. The Guardian knows we’re here.”

“Trust me. No one wants to be here less than I do. Let’s just get through this. Answer the questions. Say whatever you want. Just talk me through Emerald Eagle. I’m not going to challenge you,” Sighing, Alex collapsed in the chair across from Jaden. She had read through the Emerald Eagle mission file (who came up with those ridiculous names) and everything that was supposed to happen. All she needed was Jaden’s report of what actually happened. She didn’t care if it matched what the other agents had to say. She just wanted to get out of there and return to what she had been doing for the rogues.

“You want me to make stuff up? You want me to get caught up in your lies?” Unfortunately, Jaden wasn’t going to make it easy. She didn’t want to take an olive branch from Alex, even if it saved her from potential punishment. Alex still couldn’t understand why Amanda wanted her to do the interrogation. She doubted anyone she interrogated to gain intel on Semak would be as difficult or confrontational. Only Jaden could make a simple thing hell. Alex wasn’t going to learn anything. She was just going to get mad.

She was also going to feel unnerved. At first, Alex thought Jaden was only trying to get under her skin by accusing her of lying. But as the silence between them stretched on, the young agent realized the recruit fully believed her words. She knew Alex was lying. She had known she was lying since they had met. However, the way Jaden looked at her then expressed that she then had proof of those lies. Alex did everything she could to not react to the expression. Jaden couldn’t know she was right, ever, “What lies?”

“You and that hunky agent that hung around Amanda. I know you tapped that. First Thom, then that guy. How many more agents are you gonna get killed?” Crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, Jaden smirked. Alex almost laughed. Almost. The recruit was so totally wrong. The young agent would never ‘tap’ Sean, not in a million years. She had also never done anything with Thom, save for a kiss or two. Yet that wasn’t so laughable. Although Thom and Alex never broke Division’s ‘no relationships’ rule, he did die because of her.

“Keep talking and you’ll be added to that list,” Rather than dwell on that fact, Alex leaned towards Jaden and seethed. For a second, Jaden believed she had gotten under Alex’s skin, and she smirked- even more proud of herself. The look in the young agent’s blue eyes soon wiped the expression away, however. Alex was deadly serious. If Jaden continued to say more hurtful things about her and Thom, she was going to snap. Moving on from his death, from the fact that she had killed him, had been beyond difficult. The young agent couldn’t revisit it, especially if Jaden was the one bringing it up.

“Jaden, you’re dismissed. Alex, you stay,” Saving Jaden, and snapping Alex out of her angry trance, Amanda entered the interrogation room. The recruit quickly left. The young agent stared after her in the hopes of avoiding Amanda. She knew she was in trouble. She let the interrogation get away from her, and she had threatened Jaden. Yet Amanda didn’t ream her out. Instead, she gave her a mission, “Michael, and Nikita were spotted in London. Kelly’s busy on another assignment. And since we need a top agent on this, I want you there to stop them.”

Alex’s mouth opened then closed. Although she was glad she was considered a top agent- that meant she had more freedoms as she gathered intel for the rogues and against Semak- she could not go on that mission. She and the rogues were not prepared for any countermeasures or any steps they had to take to hide her identity as a mole. If she rushed out to London with a team of Division agents to stop their black box hunt, disaster would strike. Alex absolutely could not go. She also couldn’t explain why that was. So, she just blurted a fact instead of an argument, “But I’ve never been assigned to catch the rogues before.”

“You’ve captured Nikita and nearly stopped them before. You can do it again,” Amanda smiled reassuringly. A little too reassuringly. Maybe Alex was still on edge after dealing with Jaden, but she suspected that Amanda knew something she didn’t. As soon as she was alone, Alex had to call the team of rogues and let them know the change of plans. However, that might not do anything against Amanda's smile. Something terrible was about to happen. Maybe not immediately, but definitely soon.

Chapter Text

It was a good call to run out of the shipping container. The camera spying on them wasn’t the only security measure the Guardian had equipped. There were numerous boobytraps that the rogues had tripped by not paying attention. Once they rushed out of the container, the explosion was set off. The rogues were thrown by the blast. They scrambled onto the ground, the wind knocked out of them. It took them a moment to collect themselves. As they staggered to their feet, Michael called out to them, “Is everyone alright? Is anyone injured?”

Shuffling towards her boyfriend, Nikita shook her head. She was fine- a little shaken, but fine. She looked Michael over, ensuring he was alright as well. Although he reached out to her and clung to her, he was okay. The explosion hadn’t gotten him; it hadn’t gotten any of them. Owen wasn’t nearly as okay, however. He was on his feet, yet he clutched his head tightly. He paced around in pain, begging to relieve the agony. Nikita reached out to help, but Owen harshly waved her off, “No, it’s just…”

“It’s the regimen, isn’t it?” Nikita easily assumed. Somehow, Owen managed to nod. Reaching out again and settling him with her touch, Nikita shared a glance with Michael. Things just kept getting worse. The stuff with the Guardian was expected; of course it was going to be difficult and dangerous to capture and kill him. But the regimen proved to be the worst enemy. It was going to destroy Owen before the Guardian could even land a hand on him. Nikita was absolutely certain of it. The team needed to find a way to get him off the regimen immediately, “Yeah. We have to get you help.”

“B, I don’t have much time, but they’re sending me out to London. I’m on the rogue hunt, not Kelly,” Whispering harshly into her phone, Alex told Birkhoff what was going on. She had considered calling Nikita first. But since she wasn’t certain if the rogue would be able to answer with everything that was occurring in London, she settled on Birkhoff. At least one of the rogues had to know about the change of plans. Alex wouldn’t be able to do much to help them if she was assigned to kill them. Her cover was too important to even risk blowing. They needed to come up with a way around that, fast.

“What? Why?” Birkhoff stuttered into the phone. That was not the kind of update he was expecting from Alex. The team in London seemed to have a pretty strong lead on who the Guardian was, but they could still use any information from Division their mole could get. Anything could’ve been helpful, except that. Kelly leading an Alpha team against the rogues was a standard problem they dealt with. But hiding Alex as their mole while she was supposed to kill them was absolutely something else. How were they supposed to convincingly fake fight each other while actually taking out the Guardian- how was Alex actually supposed to help them.

“Fuck if I know,” Alex struggled not to shout. She was already taking a risk ducking into the old target range as she waited on the Alpha team in order to call Birkhoff. She couldn’t bring any more attention her way; she just had to state the strange facts and start working on a solution. Why Amanda tapped her to go in Kelly’s place still didn’t make sense. Yes, she had been successful against the rogues before. But Division didn’t like to risk her on those missions- they might not receive their side of her revenge mission deal. Everything was so confusing and definitely not good, “Look, just get in touch with the others. We gotta figure this out.”

Owen’s headache would not recede. Michael and Nikita had to move him to the car as they sped off towards the safehouse. They were only slightly concerned about the Guardian being able to track them; some basic maneuvers could shake any possible tails just in case. The main focus was on ridding Owen of his splitting headache and making sure the regimen withdrawal didn’t drag him under. By the time the rogues made it back to the safehouse, Owen was struggling to stay upright. Michael and Nikita had to drag him inside and give him the rest of the regimen. He finally began to feel better. But it wouldn’t last long, “That’s the last of it.”

“We’ll get you more, then we’ll find a way to wean you off them,” As Owen took a moment to rest, Nikita promised. Although her experience with the regimen told her differently, maybe they could treat Owen’s dependency like any other drug addiction. Since quitting cold turkey obviously wasn’t working, maybe he could slowly lean off them- take a lesser amount each time. She doubted that’d actually work, however. Regimen withdrawal was drastically different than regular withdrawal. The chemicals that had affected his brain couldn’t be regulated by stopping the drug. Owen needed serious intervention, something the rogues couldn’t provide.

“Dude, what did you do?” Although Nikita glanced at her boyfriend for help, Michael was distracted by Owen. The former Guardian had removed his torn from the explosion shirt and was moving to grab a replacement. As he did, numerous tattoos on his chest, back, and arms were revealed. The artwork covering his body matched the artwork covering the walls. Both Michael and Nikita stared in shock. Yes, they had their own tattoos decorating their skin. But it was nothing like the ones Owen had. They didn’t represent death and destruction.

“I told you, it’s so I don’t forget,” Owen reiterated matter of factly. He threw on another shirt and attempted to move on from the conversation. The three had already discussed his art remembering his victims, and the others had already stated their opinions about it. It wouldn’t change his mind. Just drawing symbols for his victims wasn’t enough. He needed to carry them around with him. Every minute of every day he had to be reminded of what he did. It wasn’t enough to carry the burden metaphorically on his shoulders; it needed to be literal.

Yet another look passed between Michael and Nikita. They couldn’t let Owen’s tattoos go. His obsession had taken over his life; the regimen had narrowed his thoughts down to that singular point. He wouldn’t stop unless he found justice for his victims, or until he had completely punished himself for what he had done. He couldn’t keep going down that road. The regimen couldn’t control him. Although she was well aware of the reality of the situation, Nikita tried to break him out of it, “Look, I know what you’re going through. I feel it too. Everyday. It’s what makes us want to do the right thing. But you can’t keep punishing yourself. It has to end.”

Knowing that Owen wasn’t going to listen, Michael shook his head. If what Nikita had told him about the regimen was true, then there wasn’t anything they could do for Owen besides get him more pills. And the best way to do that was to take out the Guardian. The rogues needed to track him down and finish their mission. All their problems would work out after that, “We’re running out of time. The Guardian knows we’re here, which means he’s called Percy, which means a Division strike team is on the way.”

“If you’re in his shoes, what do you do?” Nikita just sighed and went with Michael’s suggestion to move on. She had a feeling she’d simply be arguing forever with Owen until they got him more regimen. He might not have reached the stage where he was killing those who tried to stop him. But he certainly wasn’t listening to the team. Forcing him to think about anything else might set him off, and there’d be no chance in saving him. The rogues should just stick to the mission from then on. It really was their best chance.

“First thing I’d do is secure the black box,” Owen gladly answered. He could think clearly about the Guardian, the black box, and the mission. Too many thoughts about his victims screamed in his head. He could never make them shut up. Drawing helped, as did getting a tattoo. However, it wasn’t long lasting. His thoughts always returned to those he had hurt and how he needed to help them. Chasing down the Guardian was the clearest and easiest way for him to do that. It made the most sense. And it gave him a steady path to run down. With the others’ help, he should be able to accomplish his goal without further problems.

“So he’ll be going to the bank. We need to get there first,” Michael and Nikita built off of each other. Whatever bank the Guardian used to hide the black box, the rogues had to race there and destroy the damn thing before Division could catch up with them. Owen helped them narrow down the bank based on how he had chosen which bank to use in Montreal. They had Birkhoff confirm it, then they loaded up on guns and sped towards their destination. After hiding their car a few blocks away, they arrived just as the Guardian escaped with the black box. 

As soon as they all saw one another, the rogues and the Guardian attacked. The cars whizzing by on the street was a challenge, but they fought around them. The rogues were lucky to have the odds stacked three against one. Despite the regimen and the heavy blows he landed, the Guardian was soon taken out; he was thrown over the bridge into the frozen lake below. While Michael hurried to the edge of the bridge to see if he could spot him and confirm he was dead, Nikita turned to Owen. He had managed to grab the black box. That was it. It was over. It could end there, “Owen, box on the ground. I’m gonna shoot it, so we can get out of here.”

“If you kill the box, the truth dies with it. We gotta release the truth,” However, Owen held the black box tightly against his chest. He knew Nikita wouldn’t take the shot if it’d put him in danger. The two weren’t the best of friends, yet she wouldn’t harm someone on her team- someone who was also trying to start a new life. She was trying to be better than how she used to be. She wasn’t going to bring pain anymore, just justice. That was what he was trying to do as well- their paths simply looked different. But he’d make her see his way. It was the only way.

“No. We talked about this, remember?” Nikita shook her head. Those secrets on the black box were a death sentence, and not just for those actually named on it. Ryan Fletcher almost died because of a released secret. He had no connection to it, but he was going to die to cover up somebody else’s sin. How many others would suffer the same fate if every secret got out. The chaos the world dissolved into would make Chile look like nothing. Michael had been right to warn her all those months ago about the black boxes. They couldn’t let the world burn just to get their revenge. How did that make them any better than those they were fighting.

“You said it’s time this all came to an end,” Owen couldn’t believe Nikita wasn’t agreeing with him. He could understand Michael’s hesitation. And he doubted Birkhoff would side with him on anything. However, Nikita was supposed to be the one that understood him. She was just like him. They had followed Division orders blindly, hurt so many people, and lost loved ones to the very organization they worked for. They had to burn the place down; they had to avenge their loved ones no matter the cost. He saw that clearly. Why couldn’t she.

Staring into Owen’s eyes, Nikita knew she wasn’t talking to the real him. He was lost to whatever the lack of regimen did to his mind. There was no use in trying to reason with him; he’d twist her words around even more in order to justify his actions. The only way to stop him was to physically intervene. With how crazed he was, maybe Nikita couldn’t do it on her own. But she had Michael at her back. They could get Owen down, drag him to the safehouse, and destroy the black box. Unfortunately, the former Cleaner was able to read her intentions. As Nikita moved to strike, he pushed her into oncoming traffic. Michael screamed, “Nikita!”

Michael sprinted towards Nikita, completely ignoring the Guardian in the river. She was already struggling to her feet by the time he reached her. The driver who had accidentally hit her was trying to help, but the two rogues waved her off. There was no need to draw extra attention. In fact, they needed to leave the scene as quickly as possible; the Guardian could come back, or Division could crash the scene. Nikita would be alright once they got somewhere safe. At least, that was her thought process. Michael, on the other hand, reached for his gun and began to chase after Owen. His girlfriend had to fight to hold him back, “He’s not himself.”

Nikita’s nails bit into Michael’s arm. They needed to leave. They shouldn’t hunt anyone down in a blind rage. They needed to escape the scene, hide somewhere safe, and regroup. Begrudgingly, Michael tore his eyes away from where Owen had gone. He glanced at Nikita and quickly realized that her fierce grip wasn’t just to stop him; she was using his arm to help her stay standing. Both the Guardian and the car had left her beyond bruised and battered. If she was going to be of any help for the remainder of the mission, she needed to rest and heal, “Let’s just get back to the safehouse. We’ll find a way to help him and destroy the box.”

“I don’t think there is a way to help him, not before he destroys the world. And certainly not before Division gets here,” Wrapping his arm around Nikita, Michael helped her walk towards their car. Fortunately, Owen didn’t take it as he ran away. Unfortunately, the car was still a few blocks from the bank; the two had to limp through the streets for a while. Nikita was making a gallant effort of it. Although a few painful groans slipped past her lips, she wasn’t going to complain. Her determination to destroy the black box and to save Owen pushed her on.

“We have to try. Wouldn’t you try if it was me?” Softly, Nikita asked. She already knew the answer to that question. She already knew that Michael would go to the lowest circle of hell for her. He had fought hard to help her get clean, and he had helped her find hope again. He never once gave up on her. Sure, his feelings for her helped drive him to keep fighting. Yet that was just who he was; he was so kind and helpful and devoted to seeing the best in people. Owen’s past didn’t mean he deserved any differently. Michael could be just as caring. The rogues had to work hard to save him, just as they would their other teammates.

Despite the effects of the regimen withdrawal he had just witnessed- and despite the fact that he was ready to kill Owen for hurting his girlfriend- Michael couldn’t argue. Of course he’d try for Nikita. He’d also try for Birkhoff and Alex. Owen then couldn’t be the exception. The team had to find a solution for him. Hopefully they could do it as they tracked him down and stopped him. Though, that wasn’t going to be as easy as it should’ve been. Just as the two reached the car, Michael got a text update from Birkhoff. There was always something worse- wasn’t there, “Alex is leading the Division team. There’s a lot we gotta consider.”

Chapter Text

“Hey. Birkhoff told me you were holed up here. I guess the emphasis is on ‘hole’,” When Michael and Nikita returned to Owen’s safehouse, Alex was already waiting for them. She had gotten the address from Birkhoff, and the second she could reasonably split from the strike team, she rushed to join the others. Her excuse was that she was following down a lead. Fortunately, thanks to her position as team leader, no one questioned her on it. She technically was getting more information about the mission anyway, just from a source Division hated. They’d help her understand what was happening, even if they were battered as hell, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Why are you here and not Kelly?” Nikita immediately brushed aside Alex’s concern. She was already feeling a lot better than she had after the fight. Also, Michael was already over-anxious about her wellbeing (he was trying to grab her any ice or medication he could find for her bruising and swelling); Alex didn’t need to add to it. Especially since the greater concern was why the young agent was running point on that operation instead of Kelly. The change up didn’t make sense, unless Amanda had more in mind than just a simple switch. If that was the case, the team of rogues better start preparing for it.

“I don’t know. But we don’t really have the time to figure it out,” Alex sighed. Since Amanda had approached her that morning in Division, the young agent had had no clue what was going on. She tried to understand it as she traveled to London, yet she was still lost. She wished she had more time to figure things out and clear up Amanda’s motivations; however, the rogues didn’t have time to just sit and think. They could only deal with one problem at a time, and the Guardian and black box were the more pressing issues.

“She’s right. We just need to find Owen before Division does. Where do you think he’d go right now?” Returning with ice for both himself and his girlfriend. Michael asked. Nikita knew Owen- and the regimen- the best. She could possibly discover where his obsession led him next. While they tracked him down, the two should also update Alex and Birkhoff on their crazed teammate. With how terribly things went on the bridge, and with how much worse it was going to get with Division in the mix, the rogues had to all be on the same page. They couldn’t afford any more disastrous surprises.

“Somewhere to upload the box. But he can’t do it without the Guardian’s blood. Each box is biometrically sealed. So if Owen wants to release secrets, he needs to attack- or kill- the Guardian,” Nikita explained what she knew about the black boxes. Owen had told her about the extra security measures on the boxes to keep others from poking around in the secrets. It also prevented people from releasing those secrets and destroying everything. Yet Owen was on an obsessive mission. He would find a way around the preventative measures if it was the last thing he did- literally. Both he and the Guardian were going to kill each other over the stupid box.

“We can’t let them come together,” Michael decided. If the team intercepted Owen before the Guardian found him, they could destroy the black box and avoid a major catastrophe. They’d have to deal with Division and the Guardian eventually, yet Alex could help with that. The rogues just had to focus on de-escalating the situation and getting the hell out of London. As Michael, Nikita, and Alex hopped into the car to drive around and search for Owen, Birkhoff scanned through security and street cameras. The former Cleaner could hide from them for long. After all, he was about to make a lot of noise soon.

All of Alex’s and Birkhoff’s questions about what was going on were answered while they searched. Michael gave them a run down of events, and Nikita shared the story of the agent with regimen withdrawal in Division. The seriousness of the situation truly began to set in then. They couldn’t let that be Owen’s fate. He couldn’t be killed by something Division forced into him. He deserved a choice- a life. Unfortunately, he was never going to have that while Division was around. They were going to kill him before he could ever be saved, “We may be too late. Division’s found Owen, and the Guardian’s on his way.”

“How far away is your team?” After Alex shared what she had been texted, Nikita asked. There was still a chance the rogues could save Owen and destroy the black box. They could piggyback on Division’s intel and beat them to the scene. They might not have all the time in the world to fight the Guardian and a brain-fried Owen, but whatever they could do without Division’s influence would be worth it. The Guardian absolutely could not have back up. And Owen couldn’t be distracted, or given a chance to be more destructive.

“Closer than we are,” Grumbling, Alex admitted. She wished that wasn’t the case. But after traveling around London in their search, the rogues were further from the church Owen was found in than the strike team. As soon as Alex gave the order- and she had to give it soon, or Amanda and Percy would be suspicious- Division would swoop in and kill Owen. The rogues wouldn’t be able to stop them. What use was Alex really to the rogues then. If she couldn’t help them win the day, then what was she supposed to do- just sit aside and hope for the best.

“When we get there, can you order your strike team to back off?” Nikita figured she could at least ask. Maybe if she and Michael had five minutes alone with Owen, that’d be enough to talk him off the edge. It certainly wasn’t long enough to take care of the Guardian. Yet if Owen was sane, the three rogues could just destroy the box and split. Since they already had what they wanted, killing the Guardian didn’t have to be one of the team’s goals; and with the regimen in the mix, it probably shouldn’t be. To escape Division, the rogues just had to focus on the bare necessities, and that’d always be destroying the black boxes so they could kill Percy.

“If Owen’s as crazy as you say, maybe. But I can’t control the Guardian; he’s under Percy’s orders,” A dangerous Owen could give Alex enough of a reason to hold back the strike team for a bit. She could make them change their plan so they wouldn’t risk their life against someone on drug withdrawal; she couldn’t tell them about the regimen, but simply calling it a drug would be enough to make them stop and think. The young agent wasn’t sure how much time that’d give the two rogues. However, it could be enough. They’d make sure of it.

“I’ll take care of him then,” Nikita decided to go after the Guardian. She had assumed that Alex couldn’t control him. Even if she did have some sort of authority over him, he wouldn’t have listened to her. The Guardian was almost as obsessive over the box as Owen was- almost. Nikita could fight him off while Michael reasoned with their teammate. Michael wanted to argue with Nikita that it might’ve been better if she talked to Owen and he faced the Guardian- she was injured and she knew Owen best. Yet the former Cleaner had already made it clear that he wasn’t going to listen to Nikita. It was Michael’s turn.

Michael also knew that, when it came down to it, he was the one who had to take Owen out. Nikita’s story proved that the psychosis of regimen withdrawal was too much for a person; it was better to kill them than let them continue to hurt themselves and others. After all she had experienced, Nikita wasn’t up for the shot. But Michael could do it. To save everyone, especially Owen, Michael could kill him. He simply had to ensure the others were on the same page as him, “Nikita, if it comes down to it, I’ll put down Owen.”

“It won’t come to that,” Nikita swore. She didn’t tell Michael not to do it, though. She knew it was a possibility with the regimen withdrawal. She knew the lack of drugs was going to kill Owen eventually. She simply refused they were at that point yet. The rogues weren’t going to lose anyone else. Their actions in Division had caused so much death and destruction. Outside of that hellhole, they had to do everything in their power to save others. The rogues were better than what they were made to be. They should fight tooth and nail to ensure everyone had the best life possible, even if it put them at risk.

That was all the time for an argument the rogues had. Michael and Nikita dropped Alex off a few blocks from where she was to meet with the Division strike team, then they raced to the church. Owen and the Guardian were well into their fight by the time the two arrived. There went just destroying the black box and splitting. Regardless, they didn’t hesitate to jump into the fray. Without the distraction of passing cars on the street, the Guardian was an even more formidable foe to neutralize. Owen’s splintered attention didn’t help. Yet Michael and Nikita managed to kill the Guardian. They were then left to their other crises.

Owen wasn’t able to return to the black box he was trying to upload, so that was somewhat of a good sign. The reason why, however, was because Division crashed the scene. Alex had tried to hold them off for as long as she could, but there was only so much she could manage as a double-agent. Michael and Nikita couldn’t blame her. They were grateful they could at least stop the Guardian without interference. But there was still too much chaos to destroy the goddamn black box. They needed first before they worried about that stupid thing.

While Michael and Nikita fended off the attack from the strike team, Alex decided to go after Owen. She knew with the regimen, he’d easily get the upperhand in the fight. Yet she wasn’t aiming to kill him. She simply wanted to help the rogues and keep her cover intact. Besides, there were enough objects in the church for her to duck and cover around. She could stay alive and keep Owen engaged in the fight until Michael and Nikita finished what they had to do- as long as it didn’t take them too long.

Once the strike team was handled, Nikita rushed to the black box and Michael rushed to Alex. The young agent had held her own for a while. However, Owen was able to break her right arm and move in for the kill. Michael reached him just in time. He drove the former Cleaner away, and distracted him from what Nikita was doing. He considered just shooting Owen, but not all hope was lost yet. After all, the rogues were still alive, and the black box was finally destroyed. Owen was enraged by that fact, but Michael silenced him with a strong blow to the back of his head. That’d keep him down for a bit and hopefully solve their regimen problem.

Nikita helped Alex to her feet. She repeatedly asked if she was alright and checked to see if there were any other injuries. Alex shrugged her off. She was fine. Besides, having a broken arm and some cuts and bruises would help sell her story to Percy and Amanda. Nikita smirked at the thought, then helped the young agent with a quick makeshift splint. In the meantime, Michael checked on Owen. He’d be fine once back at the safehouse and with some regimen in him. The rogues didn’t lose anyone the day. A fact Nikita was grateful for as she joined Michael’s side, “Thanks for not taking the shot.”

“I still don’t like the guy,” Michael hid his soft smile with an irritated mutter. Nikita rolled her eyes. She also began to move away from him, yet he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her back. He placed a tender kiss on her cheek, and her annoyed expression was replaced with a bright smile. Despite where they were and what just happened, he couldn’t help but chuckle. The team would be alright. They were on the mend, and they thankfully had access to tools that’d help them be the best again, “Alex, you think you can recover the regimen pills from the Guardian’s safehouse for us?”

“Absolutely,” Alex easily agreed. Although it was awful that the other agents had been killed, the fact that they were dead gave Alex more freedom to move around the city. She could help the rogues with Owen before she had to report back to Division. Michael and Nikita expressed their thanks- especially Nikita- then hurried to bring Owen to the safehouse. Alex would make certain to bring him the lifesaving regimen soon. Until then, she’d try not to sound too proud as she updated Amanda on Division’s failure, “The rogues slipped our grasps. Box was destroyed, and the Guardian and strike team are dead.”

Chapter Text

“Hey. You notice that I end up your nurse a lot? You’re unconscious half the time we’re together,” Nikita smiled when Owen finally gained consciousness. He had been out for a while. She suspected it had something to do with the regimen withdrawal; though, Michael quipped that he had just managed to hit him that hard with his pistol. Regardless, Nikita was glad when Owen finally woke. He really was going to be okay. Well, as long as he had the regimen he would be fine. Getting him more pills would be a continuous problem, unless they could get him off them. That just might be the next problem they tackled.

The rogues didn’t have to worry so much about it then, fortunately. Owen was on the mend, and he’d be okay for a while. Maybe as they took down more Guardians, they could steal more regimen pills for him. That’d give them a lot more time to solve his dependance problem.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t a permanent solution. Owen was going to suffer for a long time. Even then, as he woke, his head continued to pound. He tried to sit up, yet dizziness and pain overwhelmed him. He crashed back against the pillows with a groan, “Ow.”

“Easy. Easy. Easy. I’ve been crushing your pills so I can give them to you intravenously. The dosages might be a little off,” Gently soothing him, Nikita told him what was going on. Once Alex got her the pills from the Guardian’s safehouse, she immediately tried to administer them to Owen. She wasn’t entirely aware of how much she had to give him, so she just guessed based on what she had seen him take. Hopefully, it was enough for the symptoms to completely vanish. He seemed to be able to focus better. And he was lying comfortably. He should be fine until his next dosage. Then things would settle down.

Owen stared at Nikita in confusion. That was fair. A lot had happened since he had been knocked unconscious. The rogues had been running around, clearing any signs of them and avoiding any remaining Division agents. It probably wasn’t safe to bring Owen back to his safehouse, yet they needed someplace for him to recover. Luckily, Alex was covering for them, and Michael and Birkhoff had a protective eye over the place. Until it was okay to move Owen, they should be safe. Though, they might not be able to move him until his confusion was completely abated, “Uh… My pills?”

“Yeah. Alex recovered them from the guardian’s safehouse. About a half-year supply,” Nikita probably should’ve just told Owen everything at once- she definitely should’ve told him who exactly Alex was. Yet considering the fact that he looked around his safehouse completely lost, it was good that she held back. He needed to take things slow both physically and mentally. The regimen withdrawal had fried his brain; it changed the way he thought and even felt. It was going to take some time before he could return to himself. The rogues shouldn’t rush him, whether it be with information or the need to run out of there.

“Thanks,” Owen sighed. He pushed himself into a sitting position with Nikita’s help. Most of his strength had returned to him which was perfect. While he had slept, she had packed their bags, and Michael and Birkhoff had readied their transportation. Everything was prepared for them to book it out of London. They weren’t going to take any chances with Division after all the shit that had happened. They might have been covered by Alex, and Birkhoff had control of the many street cameras. Yet that wouldn’t last for long. A Guardian was dead and another black box was destroyed. Percy was out for their blood; they probably weren’t safe anywhere.

“We gotta get out of here. Alex’s covering for us, and Michael and Birkhoff have eyes on the surrounding area, but this place may no longer be safe,” Not meaning to rush Owen, Nikita rushed Owen. Thinking about Percy and Division and the little time they had, had begun to freak her out. She hated being a sitting duck. Yes, Owen needed to recover. And yes, it took time to secure a ride back home. Nikita just didn’t like how vulnerable it made them. The rogues had a lot of disadvantages when it came to resources compared to Division. That put them into way too many vulnerable positions. They were lucky so far, but who knew when that would run out.

“Sounds like I owe you guys,” Although Owen rose to his feet, and found himself on solid footing, he didn’t hurry to follow Nikita. He hadn’t realized how much he actually owed the team until then. They had done everything for him. While he freaked out, while he made poor decision after poor decision, the rogues were right there beside him. He was extremely fortunate to have them. Without them, he’d have been killed a million times over. The amount he actually owed them was immeasurable. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to repay the debt.

“You can thank us when we get home,” Nikita just tossed Owen his bag and texted Michael that they were on their way. They could have a serious conversation about what happened on the plane ride home. The safehouse was too insecure, too desolate, and too cold for a long conversation. Besides, she didn’t consider saving a friend’s life a debt that needed to be repaid. If the situation was reversed, Owen would’ve saved her; she had no doubt about it. He didn’t need to thank her for being a teammate and friend. Instead, he needed to focus on healing himself and getting the hell out of the safehouse.

Whereas Nikita moved towards the door, Owen stayed where he was. A part of him ordered him to just follow her and figure out his shit later. But the louder- maybe it was the stupider- part of him urged him to stay. He had never been a help to the rogues. Everytime he tried, he just caused messes the others needed to clean up. He probably shouldn’t be around them any longer, especially when there was so much going wrong with his head, “You’re gonna have to thank everyone for me. I’m not going with you.”

“What are you talking about?” Almost out the door, Nikita whirled around and gawked. What did he mean he wasn’t coming. Of course Owen had to go with her. The team was safer from Division together. They could survive whatever hell Percy would rain down in retaliation for destroying another black box together. They were stronger as one whole team, fighting against their enemies with everything they had; it was a lesson they had learned a thousand times by then. There was no need for Owen to separate from them anymore. Besides, the team could use him once they encountered another Guardian on the regimen.

“I think I need to find some answers,” The more he thought about his decision, the more Owen was determined to stick with it. After his regimen withdrawal, he probably shouldn’t be around other people. Yes, he was on the pills again. Yet there was no way that that was an immediate or permanent fix. He couldn’t go crazy like that ever again. He couldn’t put Nikita or anyone else on the team in grave danger because he couldn’t control his actions, or because he couldn’t think straight. He needed to ensure he was his best self in his own space. It was the only way everyone could stay safe.

“This isn’t something you have to go through on your own,” Nikita completely disagreed with Owen. The best way to heal was with a support system. She knew she wouldn’t be where she was if it weren’t for Michael and Birkhoff (and even Alex). There was no way she could’ve fought and clawed her way to a peace of mind without them. Of course she still struggled, and of course there were a lot of things she still preferred to do on her own. But she always had friends at her back to help keep her standing. Owen could very easily have the same support system if he just followed her. There was no reason for any of them to be alone again.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is. There’s some things I have to do by myself. Find a way to get off this regimen, for one. And figure out if I’m ready to start making up for the things I’ve done. Until then, I’m no help to you or anybody else,” Owen understood Nikita’s point. His mind was simply made up. He couldn’t be an effective member of the team if he didn’t get his head on straight. He was bound to only screw up more. Or, worse, get someone killed. Until his head was fixed, he had to be alone. It might not have seemed like the best decision, but it was.

Nikita’s mouth opened then closed. She could potentially argue with Owen all day. But they didn’t have the time; they hardly had the time to continue talking then. Also, Nikita knew deep down that Owen was right. He needed to go on his personal journey alone. He needed to be away from the team until it was safe. And he needed to make a decision on his own. He had been following orders for as long as he could remember. A part of being rogue was being free of the things that held you down in the past. Choosing his own path was Owen’s freedom manifested. As his friend, Nikita should respect that, “You know where I’ll be.”

Before Nikita could slip out the door, Owen gently pulled her back. There was one more thing he needed to say. He had been trying to say it for a while, but the damn regimen made him focus on something he shouldn’t have deemed as more important. He needed to make amends for what he had done in both actions and words. He had been pretty good with actions (well, pretty obsessive) yet he hadn’t actually said anything. He could change that then, “Uh Nikita? I never apologized for Daniel. I’m sorry.”

“Take care of yourself, okay?” Smiling softly, Nikita took Owen’s hand off her arm, squeezed it, then let it drop. She was out the door before either of them could say another word. A part of her wanted to turn back around and tell him that there was nothing he needed to apologize for; he had only followed orders- something she had done more times than she should’ve. Daniel wasn’t Owen’s fault. His death was all on Nikita. And, although so much had happened since then, she was still so angry about it. She couldn’t talk about what happened without exploding. So she didn’t.

Michael was on the sidewalk outside the safehouse, waiting patiently for Nikita and Owen. He had been waiting impatiently. But the text from Nikita stating that they were on their way calmed him. Soon, they’d be out of London and hopefully on their way to the next black box. Alex believed that she knew new ways to dig up Guardian information for the rogues after the latest mission. The rest of those damn boxes really could be destroyed soon. Then Percy could die. With the team together, that could be an easy mission. At least, the team should be together. However, Nikita walked out alone, “Where’s Owen?”

“Personal journey,” Slipping her arm through her boyfriend’s, Nikita sighed. Michael didn’t say anything. Partially because needed more information before he could make a real comment, and partially because he already agreed with Owen’s decision to take some time away from the war. What the regimen did to him couldn’t just be solved by giving him more pills. The former Cleaner had to sort through his thoughts and feelings, and get a clear understanding of himself. Michael and Nikita had given themselves the time to do that. It was simply Owen’s turn. When he was ready to join them, he would. And he’d be one thousand percent himself.

“We owe Alex for this. And I don’t think chocolates are gonna cut it,” Leading Nikita to the awaiting car, Michael changed the subject. Alex had gone above and beyond for the rogues on that mission. Although she remained confused about why she was even there, she delved right into the insanity. She put herself in danger for the team, and even took on an out of control Owen. She was lucky to only walk away with a broken arm- especially since it helped sell how she managed to be the sole survivor. The rogues owed her for so much. Maybe they could get her more intel for her revenge mission. Or maybe they could help her start pushing it along.

Nodding, Nikita rested her tired head against Michael’s shoulder. He slipped his arm out of her grip so he could wrap it around her shoulders and hold her closer. She had been thinking about Alex’s role as their mole for a while. Sometimes, being a double-agent worked great for her. Most of the time, however, the danger wasn’t worth it. The recent trouble with her being randomly assigned a rogue mission by Amanda was further proof of that. Alex wasn’t going to be safe for much longer. Either her lies, or Amanda, were going to catch up to her. She should escape before then, “I think we need to start planning to get her out of Division.”

“Yeah. Deals with the devil always bite you in the ass,” Michael agreed with a heavy sigh. Nikita wrapped a supportive arm around his waist. That was all they discussed about the topic, though. Before they made any concrete decisions, they had to talk to Alex. Also, before they pondered another problem, they needed to rest. Fortunately, a long plane ride back home gave them a chance to sit, relax, and potentially doze off. Michael and Nikita could decompress and gear up to tackle more disastrous situations. And incase they weren’t ready yet, they could lean on one another for strength.

Chapter Text

Alex woke with a start. She had been having a lot of stress-dreams since London. They weren’t quite nightmares; she didn’t wake in abject fear and terror, and she could usually fall back asleep after a minute. But they did interrupt her sleep and left her miserable in the morning. She couldn’t shake her stress and anxiety. She had the feeling that something was wrong, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She tried to pretend that there was, yet she couldn’t even lie to herself. Nathan could easily tell she was struggling. He woke next to her in bed and instantly tried to comfort her, “You’ve been stressed lately. What’s on your mind?”

Sighing, Alex tried to relax in Nathan’s arms. Lying her head on his chest and listening to his heart beat did calm her down. She was able to breathe and settle her nerves. However, she couldn’t turn her brain off. Maybe after a few more minutes, she could settle into some sort of doze. Nathan was caressing her softly, and she could feel herself melting in his warm embrace. Her thoughts just wouldn’t silence, especially since her boyfriend had asked her to open up. She couldn’t ignore it any longer. She had to say something, find some sort of relief, “Have you ever just felt like you’ve gotten in way over your head?”

“What’d you get yourself into?” Nathan asked quietly. Alex sighed again. A part of her almost considered telling him everything. He had taken her excuses and half-truths in the past. But there had to be a point where he wouldn’t take her avoidance any longer. She also couldn’t continue lying to him. She felt guilty everytime she did. Although she knew it was important to keep Nathan in the dark to keep him safe, she felt guilty hiding so much from him. It didn’t seem fair to be in a relationship with someone who didn’t know the real her. She had to confess. She had to tell Nathan everything.

“I don’t even know anymore,” If only the words didn’t get caught in her throat, then Alex could’ve found relief from everything. Nathan probably couldn’t solve her problems with Division and Semak. But he’d be a great sounding board. She could vent to him, and he could comfort her. Bottling everything up was going to kill her faster than anything else. Her stress needed to be handled. Yet she didn’t have the courage to bare herself to Nathan. What if he didn’t like the real her. What if he left her all alone.

“Is there a way you can escape it?” Wrapping his arms tighter around her, Nathan wondered. Alex tried to hide by burrowing into his side. If only that was a real means of escape. She would love nothing more than to hide forever in her boyfriend’s warmth. Revenge certainly didn’t exist there. There was no death, no heartbreak, no disasters, no fear. She could just live peacefully and without any hint of anxiety. Unfortunately, life didn’t work like that. She had gotten herself into that mess; she had made that deal, and she had been hellbent on getting revenge on both Semak and Division. There was no escape.

“I don’t know,” Alex didn’t feel as defeated as she probably should’ve. There were a lot of negatives pulling her under. Yet the prospect of murdering the man responsible for her parents’ death held her afloat. She didn’t care how she got there- just that she did. Even if she got burned by Division, she wouldn’t care as long as Semak was dead. With the way things were going, though, Division might burn her soon. She had to complete her revenge as soon as possible. She couldn’t wait on Division anymore. She needed to find a way to steal the resources they promised and strike on her own.

Although she was determined to start getting her revenge, Alex didn’t move from Nathan’s arms for a while. Her desire to pretend everything was normal and warm and safe outweighed her need to kill Semak just for a little bit. Then she had to get out of bed and meet with the rogues. They needed to talk to her about something important. It probably had to do with her role in London. She wanted to discuss that as well. She still had no answers for it; Amanda never explained further. Alex was still so concerned about it, especially since no one else in Division seemed to care.

Kelly didn’t seem to mind that Alex had replaced her on a rogue mission. And Percy hadn’t questioned her debrief. He had accepted every lie, then had ordered her to go home and heal her broken arm. That was the same response she received from Amanda. Alex didn’t like how easy it all was. She could’ve been paranoid. However, she fully believed something was wrong. The team of rogues agreed with her, after all. They immediately mentioned the situation in Division as soon as she entered the loft,  “Hey. We’ve been thinking about your deal with Division. Maybe it’s not for the best.”

“You think I’m gonna get screwed?” Alex responded to Nikita. She probably was already being screwed over by Division- especially by Amanda. Ever since her detox after she had been held in the brothel, Alex had the feeling that Amanda was planning something. But Division couldn’t back out of their deal. They wanted Semak dead almost as much as she did. She had intimate knowledge, and she was well trained. There was no reason not to use her as a weapon. Unless there was more to the deal than she thought.

“Or you could die,” Michael wasn’t trying to scare Alex as he replied. He was simply being realistic. Division loved to burn their assets when they were done with them. The instant a source, a witness, an agent was of no use, they were canceled. The same thing was going to happen to Alex. She might claim that she didn’t care about her life as long as Semak died. Yet others cared. Also, Michael was certain that with Nathan and the rogues in her life, Alex had changed her attitude regarding her death. After he realized he wasn’t alone (which honestly took him too long) he had changed his mind. She could too.

“I can’t just leave, can I?” Alex couldn’t believe she was considering escape. Yes, she wanted to hide with Nathan. But that was different- wasn’t it. She wanted to kill Semak, and she knew Division’s resources could help her. However, was it really worth being an agent. She had the killer training, and she had information about Gogol and Zetrov from the rogues. What did Division give her besides an Alpha team. She could maybe go without that. Especially if it might lead to her death. She could argue how much she didn’t care about her life, yet others did.

“We can fake your death. Give you a new ID. Help you kill Semak with resources that won’t doublecross you,” Nikita seemed to already have some sort of plan in place. She glanced at a packet on the computer desk, yet she didn’t show it to Alex. The young agent began to believe that the rogues had thought about her escape from Division for a while. They simply waited for her to make a decision. She wondered what the rogues really thought of her deal. How dangerous did they consider it. Did they think it was worth it. Obviously, they believed revenge was. But what was the true cost of getting vengeance.

“Do you really think that’s what Amanda’s doing? She’s trying to set me up so Percy will cancel me?” Glancing between Michael and Nikita, Alex wondered. The rogues knew Amanda a lot more than Alex did. Would she go through all those games just to back out of the deal and cancel Alex. If the young agent wasn’t following the cookie cutter mold of Division, maybe. But that theory seemed thin. It was more plausible that Amanda might’ve been trying to make a secondary deal with her. When she wasn’t angling for something, she was kind and affectionate towards Alex. She could consider making a deal with her; the thought wasn’t too outrageous.

Michael and Nikita didn’t say anything for a minute. They were trying to think what Amanda could be up to. What she was doing with Alex reminded Nikita of the special attention she had paid her. It was almost as if she was trying to form her own soldier within the walls of Division- someone on her side instead of Percy’s. It wasn’t clear why she needed one, however. Or why she’d need Alex, who never thought of Division as her home, just a means to an end. Maybe she had something else in mind, like a game to catch a rat, “Could she be onto you?”

“What if she is?” Alex asked quietly. Sean could’ve said something to Amanda when he was spying on Alex that tipped her off. Or, the young agent could’ve accidentally said something while she was high and detoxing. If Amanda knew she was helping the rogues, it made sense why she sent her on that mission; she needed concrete evidence that Alex was a mole. What if, by being the only survivor, Alex had proven Amanda right. She might’ve had a broken arm, but the rogues had won, and another box was destroyed. Alex really was screwed.

“Then we gotta get you out of there,” Michael decided easily. Alex wasn’t dead yet. Amanda might not have had all the evidence she needed to kill the young agent yet. But she could soon. The rogues didn’t have any time to waste. They already had a new fake ID for Alex; they simply needed to plan her escape. After she laid low for a bit, maybe she could continue her revenge mission. The recruit Nikita had saved, Sara, was living happily and healthily in her new life; she only had to be completely off grid for a little while before Division forgot all about her. Alex could have the same life.

Collapsing on the lone bed in the room, Alex felt as though she should just admit defeat. She thought she had been so smart. She thought she had had everything under control. She had completely believed that she had been duping everybody- that she had become a far better agent than Division ever could’ve trained her to be. She had thought that was the kind of agent who could kill Semak so easily. Nothing should’ve been in her way. She was so powerful, and she was going to get everything she wanted. However, the only person she had been duping was herself. Alex wasn’t smart- far from it, “I thought I had it under control.”

“In Division, never,” Sitting next to Alex, Nikita attempted to comfort her. The young agent had been smart, careful, and in control for some time. However, Division never allowed anyone else to be in control for long. They’d find out the truth eventually and squash it under their heel. It wasn’t Alex’s fault that she had been caught. She couldn’t have prepared and guarded against all the tricks Division would do to discover what she was hiding; no one could. She should just feel lucky that she had a chance to escape before anything horrific happened.

“Then how do I get out? Just fake my death? That seems too simple. Besides, when I kill Semak, they’ll know I’m alive and will come after me,” Alex shook her head. A faked death worked for a recruit like Sara, yet Alex was too high-profile. Division wanted her. There was no easy way for her to get out. Besides, even if there was, who was to say that Division wouldn’t go after Nathan or Sean in the aftermath. Well, they certainly would go after her suspected boyfriend. She didn’t know why she was concerned about Sean all of a sudden. He’d be fine. She should only worry about herself and Nathan.

“They’re coming after us anyway,” Nikita didn’t have an actual answer for Alex. Escaping Division definitely wasn’t a long term solution for her, not unless the rogues burnt the place to the ground. They could save Alex (her boyfriend too if it came to it), they could help her accomplish her goals, and they could ensure that she had the life she really deserved. The rogues were constantly trying to fight for the future they wanted, of course they could do that for Alex too. She had done all she could to help them. They had to return the favor.

“Once we destroy all the black boxes, we won’t have to worry about Division anymore,” Michael attempted to give Alex more hope. They already had two black boxes destroyed. And with Owen’s intel on Guardians and Birkhoff’s always scanning computer programs, they could find the others soon. Percy would have nothing protecting him from the full force of the rogues. They could kill him, and Division would fall. Michael honestly had no idea how they were going to kill Percy once the black boxes were destroyed. Yet, hopefully, an opportunity would present itself once his protection was gone.

“But how much time do we actually have to do any of that?” Alex wanted nothing more than to believe in Michael’s hope. If the rogues kept raging their war as they were, Division could burn. But it wouldn’t be immediately. There were so many things that had to be taken care of before the war could actually end. It could take another few years to wrap everything up. The team didn’t have that time. Alex definitely didn’t. She needed revenge- satisfaction for her rage- as soon as possible. She couldn’t allow Semak to live for a few more years; she couldn’t even allow him to live a few more months. There was no time in that war.

Nikita sighed deeply. The rogues were always running against time. They didn’t have the luxury to sit around and think. They just had to act and react over and over again. Anything they did plan for had to be changed on the fly while out in the field anyway. They could scheme, they could form ideas, but it always boiled down to just acting. Getting Alex out of Division, unfortunately, wasn’t any different. They could only try their best to think beforehand, then simply break her out when they could. The cast on her arm gave them some time, since she’d be away from Division for a while. But that was all they had, “We can just plan for the best.”

Despite the dejected way Nikita responded, Alex found herself sitting up straighter. Overthinking and overanalyzing everything was the reason she was so stressed and anxious. Maybe just doing her best could see her the rest of the way through. She could rely on both her instincts and her intelligence. That had saved her in the brothel and on the streets. Division wasn’t any different. She was simply lucky enough to have allies then. And she was going to use their help as much as she could, “Might as well start now.”

Chapter Text

Another stress-dream woke Alex. For the past few weeks, she and the rogues had been planning how she could escape Division should anything go wrong. Nothing had happened yet, and waiting for the other shoe to drop probably had her stressing out the most. Her poor boyfriend was always so confused when she woke up with a start in his arms. She knew she needed to tell him what was going on; she was just so scared to endanger him. That morning she snapped, though, and the words came pouring out, “I haven’t been honest with you, and I think it’s eating me up inside. That’s gonna end right now. Are you ready?”

“From the second you open your eyes, nothing but surprises. That’s what I love about you, Alex,” Nathan chuckled lightly. He wasn’t as grave about the situation as Alex, taking some weight off her shoulders. She was going to bear her heart to Nathan, her boyfriend, the man who loved her. Yes, Division would paint a target on his back once they discovered what she had done. But they didn’t know what Nathan meant to her; Sean Pierce had helped her keep him hidden. He might be able to stay safe. He could know everything about her (well, mostly everything) and he could be safe.

“Alexandra. It’s Alexandra,” Sitting up in bed, Alex started with telling Nathan her name. He wasn’t surprised by her confession, probably because ‘Alex’ was a nickname of ‘Alexandra’. Yet that wasn’t all she had to say. Her name was only the tip of the massive iceberg that delved into a shitshow of conspiracy, violence, and revenge. She had to make certain that Nathan was ready for it all- that he wouldn’t freak. He seemed sturdy at that moment, though. She could lean on him and trust him with anything. Alex took a deep breath. Unfortunately, before she could say another word, her Division phone rang. She had to answer, “Hello?”

“Alex, you need to come in immediately,” Amanda ordered. Alex sighed. She knew she should’ve told Nathan everything sooner. She might never have a chance then. At least he was understanding about it. He promised they’d talk over dinner, when they both had time to share everything. Alex just had to take that option and pretend it was the best. She hurried to Division and was instantly met by Amanda. The young agent didn’t have time to ask any questions. She was already being pushed down the hall, “We’re pressed for time, so you’ll go from the briefing to tactical review. Sonya will meet you in Logistics to go over your infiltration kit.”

Ever since her broken arm had healed, Alex had been wondering when she’d be called for the next mission. A part of her hoped it’d have something to do with Semak. Besides planning and gathering intel (that she received more of from the rogues than Division) she hadn’t made any moves against Semak. She was told there’d be missions she’d have to perform before her kill mission- something about taking out those around him so he’d be less protected. But that had never happened. She was essentially stuck in Division, clueless and lost, “Wait, Amanda. Can I ask you something first?”

“You’re running point on this mission. You’re being assigned a provisional agent. You two have had your differences, but trust me when I tell you there is no one else for this job,” Amanda continued as though Alex had never spoken. Granted, there wasn’t much time for a discussion. The young agent and a recruit (presumably Jaden) was being sent on a mission that night. Her questions had to wait for later. However, Alex couldn’t help but feel like she was being completely brushed off by Amanda. She didn’t want to talk to her at all. Maybe because she didn’t want to address what she knew Alex was going to ask.

“Wait. I wanted to ask about Semak. I think I’m ready to infiltrate. I have a plan of attack, I have a team in mind, and I think I’ve more than proved myself in the field. It’s time I killed him and set things right,” Stopping abruptly in her tracks, Alex forced Amanda to listen to her. She had been doing everything Division told her to do for almost a year. It was time she got what she wanted in return. With all her training, and with all the skills she had picked up being a double agent, she was beyond ready for her kill mission. She had the power to strike at any time. She just needed the resources.

Amanda turned towards Alex with a soft, endearing smile. It slightly eased the young agent. She felt like she could have everything she wanted. For just a moment anyway. As soon as Amanda replied, speaking gently almost as if she was talking down to her, Alex’s hopes were instantly deflated, “I don’t doubt that you’re ready, Alex. But Division’s missions take priority. We have to save the world before we can administer justice. Don’t you want a better, happier, world to live in once you get your revenge?”

Whereas Amanda continued walking down the hall, Alex hesitated. That was it. She couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t wait around for Division to give her what she wanted; they never would. She had to escape and take it for herself. After her briefing and tactical review, Alex was given a few hours to prepare for the overseas mission before she had to arrive at the airport. She used that time instead to text the rogues and meet them at the loft. Michael and Nikita were already there by the time she stormed in. They assumed she was going to inform them of a mission. She would in time, just after she seethed, “I’m getting out.”

“What? What happened?” Michael frantically asked. Alex had been unsure if she should actually escape or not. She had planned for the worst case scenario where she had to run away to keep herself safe. Yet she didn’t believe it’d come down to that. Obviously something had happened to make her change her mind. The rogues didn’t believe she had been caught as the mole; her reaction would’ve been completely different. But something had upset her, and it was enough to make her consider revising her coveted revenge plan.

“Jaden and I were picked out of a catalog by a sociopath. Division will always put its own interests first. Fuck all the rest of us. If I’m ever going to kill Semak, I need to do it myself,” Pacing around the loft, Alex huffed. She explained to the others how Amanda put the Division operation above her revenge mission. Despite her deal, she was still cast aside like every other agent. She was brokered like a sex worker- shown off to some criminal so they could infiltrate a laboratory. It was fucked up. She was supposed to have escaped that when she had saved herself from the brothel. She couldn’t return to that. She couldn’t return to hell.

Nikita’s blood boiled. She had always despised sweetheart missions. She hated the Raven Protocol so much that it made her sick. Alex was right to compare it to sex work. They were forced on missions, expected to have sex with some of the worst people in the world. There wasn’t much consent from the agents; if they didn’t perform, they were killed. It was disgusting, it was dehumanizing, and it reinstated the fact that they had no choice. Alex should definitely escape. And Nikita believed she had a way to help, “We do it tonight then. We fake your death with a car accident. Your ID packet’s ready to go. We can stage it on the way to the airport.”

“No. We have a tight window on this mission and losing me could jeopardize that,” Although Alex really didn’t want to act as eye-candy that night, she knew she needed to go on that operation. It wasn’t a gun-for-hire mission. It was actually sanctioned by the government. Yes, how Division went about it was dirty and deplorable. But Alex had the chance to do some good. She enjoyed helping the rogues fight corruption and save the day. She had the chance to do that herself on that mission. She could destroy the dangerous nerve toxin and end an evil man’s reign. It was a great last mission for her. After all, killing evil corruption was her goal.

Bewildered, Michael and Nikita stared at Alex in surprise. She had just raged about how she needed to escape. She had just ranted about the horrible mission and the disgusting way she had been chosen for it. What did she mean she wanted to stick with it. It was a Division mission. Nothing good could come from that. Alex knew that just as much as Michael and Nikita. So what could’ve miraculously changed her mind. Had she suddenly gone insane. Did she have a stroke. The rogues couldn’t understand it; they simply stammered, “What? But you just said…”

“Look. It’s a good mission. There’s this nerve toxin being sold that, if not destroyed, can be used in a terrorist attack. Jaden and I will create an explosion that’d completely incinerate the toxin. I can save some lives before I die,” Interrupting, Alex explained her decision. The mission was the right thing to do, even if it involved Division. She had to destroy the toxin before it killed anyone. The rogues would’ve made the same choice if they were in her position. Maybe a part of what Amanda had claimed was true; saving innocent people was more important.

Nikita and Michael didn’t say anything for a moment. They wanted to argue with Alex. If it involved Division, then there was nothing good about it. But she was determined to stop the nerve agent. And they were determined to help her. While Michael thought of how they could help Alex with her mission, Nikita was still thinking of ways to get her out of Division. She really shouldn’t stay in that hellhole any longer. It’d burn her alive if she stayed just a second longer. Though, they could always burn her on purpose, “What if the explosion killed you too? You’re supposed to blow up the toxin, right? What if we faked your death on the mission?”

“That’s too risky,” Shaking his head vehemently, Michael instantly argued. So many things could go wrong with that plan. The explosion could actually kill Alex. It could set off a reaction with the nerve toxin. She could get caught in the blast. Division could catch onto her. Michael had faked his death on a mission, and so had Sara. Although no one knew Sara was still alive, the method wasn’t unique. Alex might get caught, then she really wouldn’t be able to kill Semak. Nikita, however, was seriously considering the idea. She was lost in thought over it. He had to tear her mind away, “Nikita, that is too risky.”

“So that’s how you wanna do this? In the middle of an operation with Division monitoring?” Despite Michael’s reservation- that maybe she should’ve listened to- Alex quickly found herself agreeing with Nikita. Her plan absolutely needed to be flushed out before it was implemented. But it could work far better than a car crash. An explosion left less questions for Division to sift through. There wouldn’t be a body left for them to identify, and no one would doubt that she died in such a horrific blast. Her death had been faked in a fire to fool Division before. It could work again.

“Kind of makes it sweeter. If you blow up on foreign soil, Percy can’t send Cleaners to sift through the rubble. You’d die a hero,” Nikita continued to push for the scheme. It was the best way to ‘kill’ Alex. Division wouldn’t be able to catch on to it. No one would look for her body. And if they sold it right, then Amanda and Percy would completely believe that she died in the explosion. The rogues would never have another chance like that one. To save Alex, as well as some innocent people, they had to ‘kill’ her once the mission was complete, “All we’re talking about is altering the exfil. It could work.”

“You sure you wanna do this?” Michael asked Alex. He and Nikita could argue back and forth for hours; even though they were together, their stubbornness would never yield. Yet it wasn’t about them. Their own personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs had to be set aside for the moment. It was Alex’s life on the line. Her future and what she wanted to do with it hung in the balance. It was her call what they did next. Enough decisions had been made for her- namely by Amanda and Percy. From then on, she determined what she did next. She was in charge of her destiny, no matter how that turned out.

Alex took a second to think. She had no doubt that she wanted out of her deal with Division. Amanda and Percy were going to screw her over one way or another; it was clear to her then. But could it really all work out in her favor. Could she escape scot-free, get her revenge, and help people. Glancing at the two rogues (three, including Birkhoff who’d no doubt run tech for them) risking everything to help her, she believed she could. She was strong enough to handle it, “Division won’t be able to use the toxin or me. Let’s do it.”

Chapter Text

Before she had to return to Division, the rogues planned what they could with Alex. Then, Nikita and Michael returned to the safehouse Birkhoff and finished the rest of their planning with Birkhoff. It was soon decided that Birkhoff and Michael would stay to oversee the mission, and Nikita would join Alex in the field. She could help incase anything went wrong. And she’d know if it did with the hacker’s latest tech, “This is your com unit. Use that device. It’ll override Division’s channel. Whatever noob they got to replace me won’t hear a thing. The three of us and Alex will have a separate frequency during this operation.”

“You were right about the weapons lab. The ventilation room up top, just behind the house. You can leave the exfil kit there. I told Alex about it,” Hanging up the phone, Michael informed Nikita. Alex had called in her last bit of free time for one final update. Michael told her where to hide during the explosion, how she could contact the rogues through a different channel on her com, and that Nikita would be on site just incase. Michael wanted to go as well, but he and Birkhoff were better suited for running the mission from the safehouse. Besides, having only one rogue on site was safer, especially if it was the one used to slipping past Division’s radar.

“Perfect. I’ll call you when I’m on the ground,” Nikita kissed Michael goodbye. Birkhoff sarcastically asked where his kiss was, so she flicked him off. After she left, it was quiet for a while. That gave Michael and Birkhoff time to set up for the mission. The hacker hacked whatever was needed, and the former handler made sure everything was ready for their mission. It was weird not to actually be running a countermission. They weren’t actually trying to stop Division’s operation. Subvert it, yes. But, if anything, they wanted the op to succeed. Then, Alex could be free. And, hopefully, one day be happy with her decisions.

For safety’s sake, Alex kept the rogues out of the loop for most of the mission. She trusted Birkhoff’s tech; Division wouldn’t be able to listen in on their private channel. But she didn’t want to risk being overheard by Jaden. She would definitely ruin everything if she knew what Alex was really up to. Maybe- emphasis on maybe- she could trust the recruit for the mission, yet certainly not with her life. Fortunately, the rogues had access to her tracker. They could follow her movements without her saying a word, “Alex’s in. Nikita’s nearby.”

“Eyes inside?” Michael asked Birkhoff in reply. Whereas Nikita had called when she landed, Alex had stayed radio silent. The rogues considered that a good thing. She shouldn’t be contacting them unless it was necessary. Of course there were risks involved with every mission, especially with the kind of powerful criminals Percy dealt with. Yet that operation had to go far smoother than any of their past ones. The rogues had to control everything. Not only would it let Alex escape, but it’d also keep her alive. So whatever paranoid steps they had to take, they’d take- anything to help the young woman who had risked so much for them.

“No cameras installed. I guess he likes to keep his orgies on the DL. We’ll be fine with audio. But if our girls don’t get what they need, I can’t hack the door on that lab,” Birkhoff shared. The audio from the coms and the location from the trackers were enough. Michael had studied the blueprints and surrounding areas; he could locate Alex and Nikita based on their trackers with ease. The only problem came with the laboratory. Once there, Birkhoff couldn’t help anyone- especially Alex. At least that meant Division also couldn’t interfere.

“They’ll get it,” Watching the trackers on the screen, Michael answered. Alex was making her way through the target’s house, probably acting like the perfect party goer (and hating every single second of it). And Nikita was in the ventilation room. With the glamorous party distracting the guards, she made her way around the grounds easily; also, without any cameras spying on the place, she went completely undetected by Division. Soon, everything was all set for Alex. The rest was up to her.

As Nikita began to sneak back out of the ventilation room and off the grounds, Alex finally made her way to the laboratory. The rogue would be nearby incase there was an emergency. Otherwise, the young agent was completely on her own. She made her report to Division, received instructions that she planned on botching, then she radioed the rogues. She waited a few seconds to ensure her com was set to the right frequency before she spoke. Her whole mission couldn’t be ruined because of one little mistake. She was better than that, “Nikita, it’s me. I’m on the private com. We’re on schedule.”

“The exfil kit is in the ventilation room,” Nikita replied immediately. She had everything perfect and ready for Alex. Once she blew the charge, she could easily slip free of Division and accomplish whatever she wanted. She’d have to lay low for a while first. Although that wasn’t what she wanted, she had to kill Semak as soon as she could, it’d keep her safe. Alex had to remember that she still had a life worth living, “One more thing. Once you’re free, you’re gonna have to be alone for a while. I know you’ll be smart, and I know you’ll be careful. But please be strong. For yourself. God knows you’ve been for me.”

Alex paused. She didn’t think she had been strong for Nikita. She had helped her when needed. But she had always believed the rogue was stronger than her. Regardless, Alex shook her head clear and continued with the mission. She was about to set the last charge when the target entered the laboratory with guests. She hid just in time. Though, she wished she had made her way up to the ventilation room. Then, she wouldn’t have witnessed the nerve toxin kill a guard. Although she had also heard plans of an attack, and was able to warn Nikita once she was alone, what she had seen would haunt her forever, “We need to talk. Meet me in the ventilation room.”

The panic and terror in Alex’s voice caused Nikita to sprint back to the ventilation room. She feared that something had gone wrong with the explosives or Division. Instead, Alex anxiously told her about what happened with the nerve toxin, the target, and a buyer. Except, as Alex kept ranting about the gruesome, bloody event, Nikita doubted the woman who had met with Division’s target wasn’t just a customer. Something horrific was about to happen with that toxin- something way worse than what had occurred in the laboratory, “Wait a minute, Alex. Slow down. She wasn’t a customer?”

“She’s using the toxin. She’ll kill his father and make it look like an attack. She’s gonna gas all of them,” Frantically, Alex repeated herself. What she had seen in the lab couldn’t be replicated- ever. It was nightmarish, atrocious, monstrous, sickening, and beyond unspeakable. The image of how the security agent died was burned in her brain forever. They had to save other people from that fate. They had to. But as Alex freaked, Nikita looked as though she was lost in thought a million miles away. She wasn’t focused. How could she not be focused on one of the most horrific things in the whole world, “Are you listening? I have to tell Division.”

“No. The woman is on her way. If you tell Division, they’ll follow protocol and put you and Jaden on the threat. They’ll call off the operation. Alex, we are this close to getting you out of Division. You have to blow the lab, and they have to believe you’re in it,” Shaking her head, Nikita argued. Alex was right to be concerned about the attack. Although the rogue hadn’t seen what the nerve toxin could do, the young agent’s horrified account left her just as terrified. Someone should stop it from happening. But not Alex. She had her own mission to follow; she had to escape Division. The others could take care of everything else.

“But the attack,” Alex wouldn’t let it drop. Of course Division would redirect her and Jaden to the nerve toxin attack; she wanted to be redirected to the attack. Well, she wanted Jaden to be at least. She could stop the attack with whatever resources Division could provide while Alex blew the laboratory and herself. It’d be perfect. Innocent people would be saved, and she would escape. How could Nikita want to stop that. The rogues were all about helping others. Wouldn’t they want people saved no matter what- even if Division did the saving.

“I’ll stop the attack. You stay on mission, okay? Stay strong. Good luck,” After a quick embrace, Nikita snuck back out of the ventilation room. Alex was left alone, echoing ‘stay strong, good luck’. She knew the rogue had made the best call. Alex could destroy the remaining nerve toxin, and she could actually continue with her revenge mission. Yet she couldn’t suppress her anxiety about the attack. If any person could stop it alone, it’d be Nikita. She had the skills, determination, and fury to pull it off. But what if it wasn’t enough to stop it that time. What if more people died in a bloody, painful, screaming, tortured mess.

While she sped to the submit where the attack was going to take place, Nikita filled Michael and Birkhoff in on what had happened. They hadn’t listened over the coms, not knowing that anything was wrong. However, after hearing Nikita’s update, they began to panic just as much as she and Alex were. Birkhoff frantically hacked the cameras around the submit, and Michael attempted to wrap his head around Nikita’s decision. She was racing towards the attack alone, despite Alex’s offer of help. She didn’t need to do that. For once, she wasn’t the only hero around; she didn’t have to always act like it, “You did what?”

“I told Alex to stay on mission,” Nikita repeated. She knew how dangerous (and slightly ill-thought out) her plan was; she didn’t need her boyfriend’s panic to pile on top of hers. However, it was the right thing to do. With Michael’s and Birkhoff’s help, Nikita could handle the attack and stop the nerve toxin on her own. Alex and Jaden could then deal with their target and rid the world of the rest of the toxin. Everything would work out perfectly. There was no need to worry or argue. They were all doing the best they could.

“Nikita, if the attack is imminent, all available resources should be on it now,” Starting to pace the safehouse, Michael attempted to get Nikita to listen to him. It was a long shot. Just because they were in a relationship didn’t mean she listened to him more. In fact, he was fairly certain that the opposite was true at times. But she had to hear him then. Although it was Division, they were more equipped than the rogues. The agents could handle the threat without any loss of life. Alex’s escape would just have to wait. She could understand the reason why.

“Yeah. I’m available. I’ve got the woman’s description, and I already put the summit into the nav. I’m ten minutes out,” Nikita assured. If she reached the summit in time, she could stop the woman before the toxin was ever involved- at the rate she sped, she could arrive in less than ten minutes. Birkhoff could help her track the assailant down through the cameras. And Michael could instruct her on how to properly destroy the toxin without accidentally killing anyone. The three of them were perfect on missions together. That one wasn’t any different. After all, most of their missions were that stressful and time sensitive.

“If Percy finds out, he’ll pull Alex off the mission,” Michael focused more on the rational side of his argument. He could go all paranoid boyfriend on her, and he could argue that it was too dangerous for Nikita to go alone. He should’ve gone on the mission with her. He couldn’t lose her. If she died, so would he. But that wouldn’t change his girlfriend’s mind. She’d simply state that she’d be fine, and as long as she could hear him in her ear, it’d all be okay. Only rationality could win him that argument. At least, he hoped it would.

“He won’t have time to find out. Alex will call in, pretend she’s trapped, blow the lab. She’ll die a hero,” Countering, Nikita continued to have complete faith in the original plan. Alex’s com had been off while she was in the laboratory. Jaden and Division didn’t hear what had happened. There also weren’t any cameras at the target’s place. No one saw a thing. Percy was absolutely clueless to the threat. That meant Nikita could stop it while Alex faked her death. Division would never know the truth. It’d be hidden from them for a change.

Birkhoff bit his lip to keep from saying anything and glanced at Michael. He ignored him. He continued to pace, thinking of anything he could say to make Nikita listen. If Percy didn’t worry her, then maybe the target would. What if setting off an explosion makes the nerve toxin attack worse. The target could get scared and kill more people than intended- like the girls at the party. They couldn’t take that risk. They had to think about all the collateral damage, not just Alex’s, “Look, you can’t blow the lab. It’ll tip them off. The attack might accelerate.”

“Or, he might get spooked and call the whole thing off,” Nikita dismissed Michael’s concern. She knew what she was deciding. She was putting Alex above the mission. She was still going to save everyone she could. Yet she wasn’t going to play it safe. Some things were more important. Besides, although she was more clear on that since she was a rogue, she would’ve pulled the same stunt in Division, “Michael, let me ask you something. If we were still at Division and this was happening, who’d you put on this? Come on. I’m an agent all over again. Isn’t that some kind of fantasy of yours?”

Whereas Michael took a deep breath to compose himself and strengthen his resolve against his girlfriend’s stubbornness, Birkhoff chuckled. The hacker tried not to react to the two’s argument; he didn’t want to be involved in any way. But he did agree with Nikita in some aspects. She also made great, incredibly accurate points. Michael shook his head, attempting to contain his annoyance and just focus on the mission. He and Nikita could have a serious discussion later. There were worse things that needed their attention then, “Alright. I want a report when you’re on the scene. Then we’ll blow it.”

Michael hung up before Nikita could argue anything else. Birkhoff gave him a look like he wanted to say something- probably something sarcastic- yet Michael ignored him. He wasn’t in the mood, and they didn’t have time. He had to update Alex on the new plan and encourage her to wait. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be as difficult as dissuading Nikita. Surely one of them could see sense through their stubbornness, “Alex, do you copy? Finish setting the charges, but don’t blow the lab. Not yet. I know how much you want this. I do. But we have to wait.”

“Copy,” Alex agreed. She assumed that the rogues had talked and that was the conclusion they came to. She also assumed that Nikita urged for Alex to continue her mission, but Michael argued for the stall. Although the young agent wanted things done with immediately, a part of her saw the merit in the stall. The most lives possible could be saved by her waiting to demolish the weapons laboratory- no one would be suspicious, and plans wouldn’t change. Alex could wait a few more moments if it meant innocent people were saved. A part of her would rather have that than to be free.

Chapter Text

All Michael and Birkhoff could do was listen as Alex set the rest of her charges and as Nikita searched the summit. Unlike the lab, the summit had cameras Birkhoff could hack into. But with the imminent attack, he didn’t want to raise any red flags; there were already too many risks at play. Until Alex and Nikita had their individual situations handled, Michael and Birkhoff couldn’t do anything but listen through the coms and watch the trackers. Alex stayed relatively still. Yet Nikita was all over the place. She eventually became rooted in one spot and shouted triumphantly. Michael quickly demanded an update, “What do you got?”

“A nice pair of C4 bricks rigged to blow outside the summit,” Nikita responded excitedly. Obviously, she wasn’t happy about the fact that an explosive device was there. But she did have it disarmed in only a matter of seconds. Also, she had ruined a major and disastrous component of the bad guys’ plan. Everything was going smoothly on her end- just as she had said it would. Division would never know about the attack, and Alex wouldn’t have to be pulled off her mission. She could still fake her death.

“What about the nerve agent?” Anxiously, Michael asked. It was great that Nikita had found one threat to the summit; however, there was still a deadly agent in play. If anyone else discovered that world leaders might be killed with a horrific nerve toxin, Division would be notified and they’d put Alex and Jaden onto the threat. That wasn’t going to work for the rogues. Though, Michael couldn’t see how Division on the scene could be all bad. Yes, Alex needed to blow the lab and be free. But innocent people needed to be saved as well. In the grand scheme of things, that was more important. After all, the young agent had other opportunities to escape.

“Nothing yet. And no contact with the woman. The van is the same one I saw outside of the target’s place. This has to be part of the plan. I’ve already disabled it, so why don’t we let Alex do what she needs to do?” Nikita responded quickly, searching around the van for any signs of the woman who had taken the toxin from the laboratory. She had hoped to find the woman as soon as she had arrived at the summit, but of course she never had that kind of luck or ease. As long as Alex had her chance to escape, and as long as people were eventually saved, though, then Nikita was okay running around a bit more.

“Not until you’ve located the toxin,” Michael continued to argue his position. It was always better to wait than to rush into the action. As much as they all wanted Alex to escape Division, it couldn’t be at the expense of the innocent people inside the summit. Alex understood that as she waited for the all-clear. Michael needed Nikita to understand as well. Too many red flags could make the already terrifying situation worse. If Birkhoff could hold off from hacking for that reason, then Nikita could realize that they needed to take things one at a time.

“I’m here. You know I can stop this,” Nikita wasn’t arguing; she was doing. She understood Michael’s point loud and clear. She simply didn’t think that making Alex wait was the best play. Yes, having her blow the lab before she could find the toxin could accelerate the attack. Yet it needed to be done. The target’s power needed to be eliminated. People needed to be saved. And Alex needed to be free. If all of that occurred at the same time, perfect. If not, then the rogues were used to things being messy. It would all be okay. They had the skills necessary to pull it off. Michael could at least understand that part of her argument.

Although Michael was well aware that Nikita was capable of stopping the nerve attack even if she didn’t have the element of surprise, he wasn’t the risk taker she was. At least not when Nikita’s life, the life of a teammate, or the lives of innocents were at stake. The rogues weren’t fighting against Division agents that time. They didn’t know their enemies; they were fighting against unknown odds. People were going to get caught in the crosshairs. Michael couldn’t allow that to happen. And he knew Nikita wouldn’t want that to happen either, “You’re asking me to risk innocent lives?”

“No, I’m asking you to trust me,” Sighing, Nikita leaned against the van for a moment. It would’ve been so much easier if Michael was in the field with her. Then he could’ve seen what she did. They also wouldn’t have argued so much; they just would’ve acted. There wasn’t time to debate. She had to find the nerve toxin. She should also move from the van full of C4 before anyone else found it. Which made her think why there was an explosive anyway. It wasn’t attached to the toxin, so there was no need for it. It just seemed like a waste, “This car bomb makes no sense. This is supposed to be a nerve gas attack.”

A part of Michael assumed that Nikita was simply changing the subject. Except, as he also thought about the C4, he realized how odd it was as well. What point was there in a bomb outside the summit if the intent was to gas them inside. Unless the explosives weren’t meant to harm anybody; they were meant to be a distraction instead. Michael and Nikita had seen something like that years before. The situation could be similar, “Frankfurt. Years ago. Remember we stopped that attack by the Volksfrei Movement?”

“Didn’t the Volksfrei do an armed assault?” Although Nikita remembered the long ago Division mission, she needed a few more details to comprehend what Michael was getting at. She couldn’t think of any similarities between then and Frankfurt. After all, facing an armed assault with a team was an entirely different ballgame than stopping a nerve toxin alone. She could do both successfully, yet she was already having problems with the latter. Thankfully, she and Michael had stopped arguing. They could start problem solving and he could start leading her towards the toxin as quickly as possible.

“Yes, they did. But like this summit, it was in a large group in an even larger space. So, what’d they do? They blew a car and made it seem as if the terrorists were attacking from outside,” Michael explained why he brought up Frankfurt. They were dealing with an intelligent enemy. The woman knew how to make her attack far more lethal- just as the Volksfrei Movement did. It was all about misdirection. Yet, as long as the rogues could see through it, the threat would be neutralized, “They timed it to go off so that security could herd them all in one place. In a smaller area where they could easily gun them down.”

“Or gas them. I’m going inside. Get Alex back on,” Pushing off the van, Nikita sprinted towards the building. She could find a way past the security guards posted at the doors, or she could find a way to sneak in. How she got into the building didn’t really matter. She simply needed to find the toxin and take out the woman. She should still be discreet. But the time table didn’t necessarily allow for that. If she wasn’t aware of that already, then Michael’s lack of argument clued her in. The bad guys were going to wonder why the bomb didn’t go off soon. Nikita had to stop them before then.

“I’ll let you know when it’s done,” As Michael informed Nikita, he motioned for Birkhoff to pull up blueprints for the summit. It was still too risky to start hacking the security cameras- if security panicked, then the bad guys panicked, then it’d be too late. But the rogues could at least have a map to work off of. Nikita could remain in the shadows as she took out the threat. No one would know what was occurring until after it was all done. That was the hope anyway. And the surefire way to keep people alive.

“Alright. I’ll call you after I take this bitch down,” Nikita promised Michael before he jumped off the com to inform Alex of what had been occurring. She could listen to Birkhoff’s directional instructions in the meantime. Then she could be radio silent as she fought the woman. She didn’t need voices in her ear distracting her as she engaged her target. She also didn’t want to worry her team- especially her boyfriend- if things began to sound like they weren’t going her way. That kind of anxiety wouldn’t help them then. They shouldn’t be overtly worried about each other’s safety. They had to trust that they’d find their way back home soon.

Michael really should’ve gone with Nikita. Maybe he had made the correct call to stay in the safehouse with Birkhoff. He could run the mission and oversee things. Also, only one rogue in the field was safer at keeping Division blind and Alex safe. However, Nikita wasn’t as safe as Michael would’ve liked. She could handle herself, yet that wasn’t everything on a mission. It was always better to have a partner. He couldn’t think about it then, though. He had to refocus on Alex, give her an update, and let her do her thing. It wasn’t fair to keep her in the dark for long, “Alex, this is Michael. Are the charges set?”

“All charges are set. So I should proceed according to the plan?” Alex hurriedly whispered into her com. She had been patiently waiting for Nikita to find the toxin, yet that had quickly run thin. She needed to blow the laboratory immediately, or else it wouldn’t be the only thing that exploded. Fortunately, Michael radioed her before she lost her mind. He told her what was going on at the summit and to go ahead and blow the charges. She was so relieved, she nearly smiled as she moved to detonate the explosives. However, before she could, she witnessed something else that made her freeze in terror, “Wait. We have a problem. Do you hear that?”

“No. What’s going on now?” Birkhoff sighed, exasperated. After getting directions and guidance, Nikita cut him and Michael out of the coms at the summit. So not only did the two men not know what hells she was facing there, Alex quickly added to the drama. It was made even worse when she didn’t respond to them right away. She had to contact Division first, see if they knew what was going on. She never received an answer she liked. She was the only one who knew that something was wrong, which meant she had to be the one to fix it.

“I think it’s Jaden. Her com has been damaged,” Alex informed the rogues before she tried Division again. Ops couldn’t get in contact with Jaden, and they still couldn’t see inside the target’s compound. They were as powerless as the rogues were in that situation. A part of Alex just wanted to leave it be. Maybe it was nothing. But if something horrible was going on, she had to stop it. What she wanted wasn’t always the most important thing, even if it felt like it at times. Helping others mattered too. Which was why, despite her better judgment, she tried to talk to Jaden, “Jaden, do you read me? Are you in the lab?”

It took a while for Jaden to respond; though, Alex soon understood why. She could hear commotion in the laboratory. The target was back, and he was yelling something. Alex knew it had to be Jaden. Their cover had been blown somehow. Maybe Nikita was spotted at the summit. Or a charge was found. Or maybe they tipped their hand too much. Regardless, Alex had to know how bad the situation actually was. Was the target going to kill Jaden, or could Alex still blow the charge. Could she still be free, “Yes. Yes is the answer.”

“Can you get out of there? Keep talking,” Alex immediately asked. Jaden in the laboratory with their target was definitely bad. No one was supposed to die in the explosion except Alex. Although she didn’t care if she took a couple bad guys with her, Division wouldn’t be very happy and that might ruin her clean getaway. Also, Division might send Cleaners after all if more than one agent died on the mission and nothing was truly finished. At least one of them had to survive. It was the only way it all worked. After the delay and how crazy things had gotten with the nerve toxin, at least her escape had to go right.

“Only thing I’m gonna do is blow you away. Blow you away. Now,” Jaden seethed. She was disguising her answers to Alex as responses to their target. But the young agent still read the recruit loud and clear. Jaden was willing to die for the mission- as long as the toxin and the target died too. Alex could blow the charge, and they’d both die heroes. They got trapped, but they continued the mission like the loyal soldiers they were. Jaden had made peace with that, so Alex should too. Blow the charge so Division could still win.

Alex thought about it. Their conversation on the coms was recorded. Division would know what had happened, and they wouldn’t suspect a thing. Alex’s lie that she had gotten trapped was still plausible. There’d simply be casualties when she killed herself. She was okay with that when it came to the target. But when it came to Jaden, she hesitated. Sure, she hated the recruit. However, that didn’t mean she deserved to die. Especially if Alex had the ability to save her. She could have other opportunities to escape. Hell, she still could afterwards. But she only had one chance to save a life. It was clear to her when Michael asked, “Alex, what’s going on?”

“Jaden’s been captured. I’m gonna save her,” Scrambling out of her hiding place, Alex refused to think about her actions anymore. The more she thought, the more she wanted to argue with herself. She should just be selfish. She should just blow it, go into hiding, finally kill Semak, and try to live. However, being selfish wasn’t the right thing to do. People better than her would risk everything to save others, even if it meant sacrificing a chance at freedom. Alex knew she had to emulate that, not just pretend to for deception sake. She’d get what she wanted later. In the meantime, she’d be a goddamn hero.

Chapter Text

“Who else knows about the attack on the summit? Who knows?” As Alex raced down from the ventilation room, the target continued to threaten Jaden. Although she didn’t doubt that the recruit could handle herself, the target had mentioned the deadly attack on the summit. Division was going to find out about it. Then Nikita was going to be discovered, and Alex would never be able to escape. Though, the young agent wasn’t that concerned with escaping anymore. She was only worried about saving people’s lives. It was the far better thing to do; it was what people better than her would do.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jaden still managed to sound disrespectful even as her life was being threatened. Alex took that as a good sign. She could rescue her easily, blow the laboratory, and keep Division in the dark about the attack. She trusted Nikita to have that handled anyway. Though, the lack of updates was concerning. Maybe it would’ve been for the best if Alex and Jaden did join her; she could use the help. But the young agent couldn’t think about the summit then. Another catastrophe was happening right in front of her.

“Cooperate or things are gonna get very nasty,” The target pressed a gun against Jaden’s temple. She was unfazed. In fact, she was able to taunt the target further, riling him up and distracting him from an approaching Alex. The young agent tried not to listen too much to the recruit’s words; she had to think of an attack plan. Yet after overhearing how she had been recruited, she began to think of her in a new light. In the future, she probably shouldn’t be so harsh or mean to her. In the meantime, though, she just had to save her ass.

Alex burst into the laboratory and instantly started attacking the guards. Jaden sprung into action as soon as she saw her, saving herself from the target’s gun. The two agents fought together striking every assailant they could. However, it was difficult without weapons. Even when they had managed to steal some, they were still outgunned. There was a reason they weren’t supposed to just go in guns blazing. They were severely outnumbered, and they’d continue to be so according to Michael’s warning, “Alex, be advised. We have three bad guys moving in off the perimeter, coming to you.”

Division advised Alex and Jaden the same thing. They were in deep shit. Able to hide behind a turned over table, the two strategize their best way out. All they could really do was shoot back, yet that wouldn’t hold them for long. They needed a real plan if they wanted to survive. And Jaden desperately did, “You’re in charge. How are we doing this?”

“I guess the hard way,” Alex sighed. Blowing the laboratory then, though it would solve all their problems, would’ve been suicidal. Alex couldn’t kill Jaden, and she didn’t want to die. Desperately fighting their way out was the only option. The two were smart and capable, so hopefully their instincts would kick in and help them out. All that training from Division (and the rogues, in Alex’s case) had to pay off. Otherwise, all of that bullshit was for nothing.

Birkhoff and Michael could hear Alex and Jaden fighting over the coms. Yet with no way to see what was happening in the lab, they couldn’t help. They could only monitor the perimeter and provide useful updates. Birkhoff soon received a useful ping on his computer, but it wasn’t helpful. Another kink with the potential to destroy everything was thrown into their plans, “Flash traffic is saying there’s been an attack on the Developing-Nations Summit in Geneva.”

“Nikita, you better hurry up. Division’s gonna pull Jaden and Alex from the lab and direct them to the summit,” Michael attempted to warn Nikita through the coms. Yet he didn’t hear anything in response. The last he had heard from her was her plan to take out the woman with the toxin, then she had turned off her com. He assumed it was so she wouldn’t get distracted as she fought; however, her silence stretched on far too long. And her once rapidly moving tracker remained far too still.

“Once they’re done surviving,” Birkhoff responded dryly to Michael’s update; Alex and Jaden would be at the summit after they survived the attack in the lab. But Michael wasn’t paying attention to the Division side of the mission anymore. Something was wrong with Nikita. It wasn’t like her to be silent or still- even when they rested, she was always doing or saying something. She had run into a problem in the field, and it had actually gotten the best of her. He should’ve gone with her. She needed a partner. Fuck being safe by avoiding Division’s radar. The only way to stay alive was by having someone to watch your back.

By watching each other’s backs, Alex and Jaden eventually made it out of the laboratory and detonated the charges. The amount they had accomplished together was amazing- if they had gotten along a lot sooner, who knew where they’d be then. Fortunately, they were alive. Unfortunately, when Alex informed Division of their success, the agents were redirected to the summit. She hadn’t heard from Nikita or the rogues about the nerve toxin. Something must’ve gone wrong; Nikita could’ve been in trouble. Alex had to step away from Jaden and quietly warn they were coming, “I’m out with Jaden. Division’s sending us to the summit.”

“Nikita, get out of there,” Michael snapped into the com. There was still no response. He prayed that her com had just been knocked out of her ear; it had happened before. She was alright. She simply couldn’t hear him. Reaching for his burner cellphone, Michael frantically called her. He had to get into contact with her, no matter what. He needed to hear her voice- he had to know she was alive.

Her cellphone buzzing in her pocket snapped Nikita awake. She had found the woman with the toxin, engaged her in a fight, then got her ass handed to her. By the time she had regained consciousness, the C4 in the van had been detonated, and Michael was calling her in a panic. Quickly, she updated him on what had happened, then searched for the woman again. Nikita was determined to only have her ass kicked once. When she found the woman in the stairwell, she was ready to stop the attack and kill the bitch, “Round two?”

“Do I have to beat you again?” The woman smirked. The device to activate the nerve toxin was in her hand. She was probably planning to escape the building before she detonated it. Nikita had to stop both of those things from happening. Since she knew the woman’s fighting style then, and what she was up against, the rogue believed she could do it. And all before Jaden and Alex arrived at the summit.

“Cocky. I like that,” Nikita echoed the woman’s smirk. That was all for the small talk. The two lunged at each other and fought with all they had. Nikita had to be more creative than she normally did to gain the upperhand. She used the fact that they were in the stairwell to her advantage. She swung around the railing and shoved the woman down the stairs. After some time and a lot of effort, Nikita smashed the device and defeated the woman. She didn’t check to see if she was dead or simply unconscious. She didn’t have time. She had to race out of the stairwell and destroy the toxin once and for all.

Nikita was able to calm herself before she slipped into the secured room the summit guests had been gathered in after the C4 exploded. She didn’t want to draw attention or cause a panic. However, when she destroyed the toxin, the father of Division’s latest target noticed her. She could’ve just ignored him and slipped back out. Yet he needed to know the truth. So, quietly, she gave him a hint of what had just happened, “Appearances can be deceiving. A diamond is dust. A loyal son a terrorist. I’m sorry.”

Things finally calmed down when everyone returned from the field. They could actually rest and think for a moment. Nikita went to the safehouse and told Michael and Birkhoff everything, and Alex and Jaden debriefed with Percy. Once her paperwork was finished and she was free to go, Alex didn’t go home and rest up like she should’ve. Instead, she asked to meet with Michael and Nikita at the loft. Although they were exhausted, they agreed. They had things to talk about as well. Starting with Alex’s decision to save Jaden, “All I had to do was press a button. The target, the lab, Jaden. They would all have been gone. I’d have been free and clear.”

“So what stopped you?” Nikita finally asked. She had been wondering what had changed Alex’s mind since Michael told her what had happened. The young woman had been so determined to leave Division behind and chart her own revenge course. Staying just to save a recruit she didn’t get along with didn’t make much sense. 

“You did. I asked myself, ‘What would Michael and Nikita do?’” Shrugging, Alex responded honestly. A part of her also believed that she had saved Jaden because it was something her mother would’ve done as well. However, she kept that thought to herself. She didn’t want to go down that painful rabbithole. Besides, the rogues had had a huge influence on her. They were heroes, and she wanted to be just like them.

“You know what Nikita would do if she were you? Get out,” Shaking her head, Nikita disagreed. Yes, she had tried to save Alex when she had escaped Division. But she had still escaped. Getting out of that hellhole was better than anything else. A recruit could take care of herself, especially a provisional agent like Jaden. Alex should’ve saved herself. Whatever she wanted to do with the rest of her life would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if she had just escaped.

“We can still make that happen, Alex,” Michael promised. Despite how proud of her he was for saving Jaden and doing the right thing, he still wanted her out of Division. She wasn’t going to get what she wanted from them. Of all people, Michael knew that best. They were just going to use Alex and spit her out. She had to take control. She had to fight against Division’s twisted influence and lies.

Pacing the loft, Alex nodded in agreement with the rogues. She had to escape Division at some point. But for the moment, she could stay. She could be a hero as she got her revenge. She could make both her father and mother proud. She had done something good on that mission; she had saved people and made the world a slightly better place. While she got her revenge, she could continue being a hero. It felt right, like it was what she was supposed to do, “I’m staying put. For now. The day I was recruited inside Division, you told me I had a chance to make a difference. This mission felt right. It felt good.”

“Do you think that Percy and Amanda are gonna let you hold on to that feeling? Especially with Semak?” Nikita had fed Alex the line about making a difference when she didn’t know who the recruit was. But once she had realized Alexandra Udinov was in Division, she knew she couldn’t stay. No one could stay. Division ruined everything. Even deals they made were twisted in their favor. Alex wasn’t the exception. She was going to get burned, and bad.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna stay inside Division. But, even after I kill Semak, I am gonna stay in this fight. Our fight,” Alex left no room for argument. She might not stay in Division to get her revenge. But after she had it, she wasn’t going to leave the rogues. Corruption, evil, death, destruction, all of the things the bad guys were up to had to be stopped. And she had the power to do it. She shouldn’t only focus on Semak; she’d destroy every villain she could. Alex was going to stay with the rogues and help them save the day. She was going to stay a hero.

The young agent soon returned to her apartment, leaving Michael and Nikita alone in the loft. They considered returning to the safehouse, but Nikita was dead on her feet, and some of her injuries needed to be addressed- namely her deeply bruised elbow. Michael grabbed her an icepack from the freezer and joined her by the large windows where she was lost in thought. He didn’t have to ask her anything to know what was on her mind. He was thinking the same thing. Yet he wasn’t as worried about it. Alex was a smart, strong, capable adult, after all, “She has a right to decide for herself.”

“That’s what scares me,” Nikita muttered. She trusted Alex, yet she was terrified she was going to make the wrong choice. She had when she first escaped Division. Raging a war against that hellhole wasn’t easy. So many things could go wrong, and so many plans could unfold. She didn’t want Alex facing the pain from her choices. She had suffered enough as it was.

“So it got a little rough,” Michael shrugged, helping Nikita place the icepack on her swollen elbow. He was aware that he was making too light of the situation, especially with how he had reacted when Nikita was in danger. But the team had been successful; innocents were saved and the bad guys were punished; the rogues had survived. That was what they should focus on instead. It was a good mission, and an even better victory.

“But it was worth it,” Resting her tired, sore body against Michael’s sturdy frame, Nikita grinned softly. Although she would’ve preferred to have the mission end with Alex escaping Division, she was glad that so many people had been saved. She was also glad that Alex had found a stronger sense of purpose. Things had been working well for the team as of late. Hopefully, that trend continued. Then, Division could be destroyed in no time.

Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend’s waist, Michael kissed the top of her head. He was never going to let her go on a mission alone again. Two rogues in the field at the same time would definitely go noticed by Division, yet who cared. He wanted to continue holding her just like that, which meant he had to stay by her side at all times. That wouldn’t be too hard for him; he’d always ensure that she was never alone; especially against the enemies they faced. Though, maybe their enemy wasn’t the root of all evil. Percy definitely was. But Division did some good. That mission had always been about helping people, “You think there’s a good side to Division?”

“No. Not unless you’re running it one day,” Nikita scoffed. Regardless of what she had previously thought, Division would never be good. Not unless one of the rogues was running the place, which would never happen. Division was always going to be inherently evil. That was why they had to take them down. It was the only way to actually protect the world.

“Or you are,” Michael was more sincere as he replied. He could see them running Division, protecting the innocent, and saving the world. Well, maybe not Division, but someplace like it. There were things they could do that no other governmental organization could. The CIA definitely couldn’t have done what they did that day; they didn’t have the access or the secrecy. A shadowy organization had its benefits; if it was just run differently, people could actually be helped.

“Oh, I like windows,” Gazing out one of the many large windows in the loft, Nikita stopped that conversation before it could truly take off. She didn’t want to argue with her boyfriend that night. Relaxing in his strong arms felt so nice. They should just stay like that forever, staring out the window while wrapped in each other’s warmth. It was the perfect way to celebrate their mission. They had a good, clean victory for once. No heart ache, no pain, just satisfaction. The rogues could rest easy that night; they could be nightmare free, “We needed this, Michael. It was a good victory.”

“It was,” Michael kissed the top of her head again. Nikita hummed. Besides the troubles they had run into, and the horrors of the nerve toxin, there was actual peace after the operation. Alex had a new mindset, and the rogues had enough encouragement to continue pushing forward. They could make it through the rest of their war with Division, especially if there were more missions like that one.

“You got to boss me around again,” Recalling another positive from the mission- at least to Michael- Nikita commented. Michael rolled his eyes and scoffed. Since they had teamed up together, they had been equal partners. He hadn’t tried to order her around like she was a recruit and he was her handler until then- the emphasis being on try.

“Not that you listened,” Michael squeezed Nikita. She giggled. She liked to believe that she had gotten better at listening while out in the field. However, she still argued and stubbornly insisted that she knew best. That time, she was right. But there would be a time when she was devastatingly wrong. She had to fix that bad habit, preferably before Michael had a heart attack.

God knew she had put him through enough stress, first as a recruit, then as his partner, and then as his girlfriend. Yet Michael should’ve been used to it by then. Nikita was always going to be her hardheaded, stubborn self. He could never make her listen, no matter what he said or how right he was, “Just like old times.”

“Not old times. New times,” Michael smiled adoringly at Nikita. He might not have been able to make her listen to him, yet he had helped her see reason from time to time. He had also helped her get to that point with him- not holding onto anger and pain, and allowing herself to smile. Glancing up at him, she returned his grin. The two kissed lovingly and chastely before they simply held each other and stared out the window.

Chapter Text

Alex left Percy’s office with a sigh. Since her mission with Jaden, all had been quiet in Division. It had been a week of nothing- just planning, organizing and waiting. So when Percy had pulled her into his office, Alex had gotten excited. She thought something had developed regarding Semak, and that she had a chance to start her campaign against him. Instead, he assigned her to assure the safety of one of his precious black boxes. The mission was nothing important or life saving. It just furthered his own self interest. Alex sighed heavily.

Before she ran off to update the rogues, Alex paced Division. She needed to curb her frustrations first so her thoughts and information could be clear. And she couldn’t suspiciously run out of Division after receiving major news. Though, she was so ready to leave that damn basement. She wanted to stop evil in its every form, not play double. She also didn’t want to be constantly frustrated anymore. At least she wasn’t alone in that feeling. As she walked past the server room, she saw one of the techs, Sonya, close to punching a panel of blinking lights. Alex was able to stop her by scoffing, “Percy’s giving you trouble too, huh?”

“I’ve been on twenty-four/seven black box duty all month,” Sonya groaned, slamming her head against one of the servers. Since she had discovered Nikita’s shell program, the hacker had risen through the ranks and was soon considered Division’s foremost hacker. Although she had to admit that Birkhoff still had her outmaneuvered at times in the field, she had proved herself in other areas. One of which was the black box encryption. After Percy had killed the engineer of the boxes for the leak in security that had allowed Owen to release a secret, he had Sonya take over. And she had been stuck with the black boxes ever since.

“I guess Birkhoff, Michael, and Nikita have him pretty rattled,” Alex tried to hide her proud smirk. The rogues had been amazing lately. They had destroyed two black boxes, and she was about to give them a lead on another one. After that, there’d be only three more Guardians to kill (or turn, like Owen) and three more black boxes to destroy. Then Percy could die, Division could burn, and the world could be made better. Along the way, Alex could also kill Semak (that’d obsoletely make her world better). With Percy so preoccupied with the rogues’ numerous victories, she could finally do the missions she wanted, not the ones she was forced to do.

“Yeah. Right. Whatever,” Hearing the young agents remark as she passed in the hallway, Kelly scoffed. When both Sonya and Alex cast her confused glances, she rolled her eyes. She redirected from wherever she was going to enter the server room. Apparently, she deemed expressing her annoyance far more important. Alex would’ve rolled her eyes too if she wasn’t so confused, especially after what Kelly said next, “Just try and pretend I’m not an idiot, okay? Just give me that much, rising star.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex stared at Kelly in bewilderment. She glanced at Sonya for any help in deciphering her words, yet the hacker was just as clueless. After a beat, Alex fought a frustrated groan. She was beginning to suspect that Kelly was just trying to rile her up. She hated her because of the attention she received from Percy and Amanda- especially Amanda. Kelly had fought for her position (really, it had been given to her when Nikita had gone rogue); Alex shouldn’t be special just because. But that wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t be blamed for being a part of other people’s schemes. Kelly just had to get over herself and move on.

“What am I… this isn’t about the rogues, and you know it. It’s about Operation Sparrow,” Kelly snapped. It took a moment for Alex to fully process what she was saying. The agent hadn’t just heard her quip about the rogues; she had also heard Sonya’s complaint about the black boxes. Percy’s paranoia concerning them wasn’t because of the rogues- at least, according to Kelly. In actuality, he was worried about an op. Operation Sparrow- whatever the hell that was (seriously, Alex had to find out who named the missions). Yet what did that have to do with black boxes. What did it even have to do with Alex.

When she glanced at Sonya again, the hacker seemed to know what was going on. She had at least heard of Operation Sparrow and how it tied to the black boxes. So was it an old mission, then. Was something from the past rearing its ugly head and making Percy panic. Was the information on the black box not secure enough. Maybe Alex could ask the rogues about it. They could’ve heard something, or had even been involved on the past mission. Also, if information was leaking, then they could expose it. It all hinged on just what exactly Operation Sparrow was. Judging by the name, it was probably pretentious, “What’s Operation Sparrow?”

“Didn’t I just ask you not to do that? I’m gonna find out what it is in a couple weeks when the operation goes active anyway, so you may as well tell me now. Since you do get all the special attention,” Kelly sneered at Alex, her taunt for her dripping off her tongue. Not only did she hate that she was the golden child, she also hated that Alex received news before she did. That was a valid thing for Kelly to be pissed about. However, that wasn’t the case that time. Alex hadn’t been told anything about a new operation. Hell, she had thought Sparrow was old. She had no idea what was going on. Kelly was wrong.

“Couple of weeks?” That piece of information stuck out in Alex’s mind. If the op went active soon, shouldn’t more people know about it. And if a major op was about to take place, then Alex had to gather as much intel as she could so she could warn the rogues. Unfortunately, Alex continued to know nothing. She couldn’t understand a word Kelly was saying, and she was fairly certain that she wouldn’t explain anything. If it was up to her, she’d keep the young agent in the dark forever. She’d never know what was occurring, or how to stop it.

“Oh, shit. You really don’t know. Guess the golden child isn’t told everything,” Snickering, Kelly didn’t elaborate further. She just proudly held the information over Alex’s head and refused to give it up. Alex didn’t even try to pry it out of her hands. She couldn’t force Kelly to tell her anything. She had more experience in Division and as an agent, and she was her superior. Kelly was the one to issue orders, and Alex just had to shut up and take it. If she wanted information, she had to go somewhere else. But she had no idea where.

After a moment, Sonya surprisingly answered that question. She must’ve taken pity on the young agent’s utter confusion because she was the one to tell her what she knew about the operation. It wasn’t much; it was less information than what Kelly had. However, it should’ve been enough to help Alex out. Keeping information from one another in Division was more dangerous than helpful. Although that was what their bosses wanted, Sonya couldn’t abide by that. Besides, what harm could come from that intel, “Percy’s been hiding all the prep work on the black boxes. I’ve been encrypting them while he watches me.”

“It’s going down soon, and it’s big,” Smirking, Kelly somewhat singsonged. She left the server room, laughing to herself and leaving Alex and Sonya confused once more. The hacker and young agent glanced at each other one last time and exhaled huge sighs. They would just have to blindly follow their orders until they were lucky enough to know the truth. Whereas Sonya was able to convince herself that she was okay with that, Alex remained frustrated and pissed off. She was going to figure out just what the hell Operation Sparrow was, and she was going to tell the rogues all about it.

She still had to tell them about her black box mission. So once she escaped from the bunker, she called a meeting. Alex knew that the loft was just their staging ground and not their safehouse; they hadn’t let her know where their safehouse was, which made sense. However, sometimes she believed they lived at the loft. The rogues were always there before she was, and they were usually up to some sort of antics. Alex liked that dependability in them. She didn’t have to second guess herself, just get straight to the point, “I wanna offer my congratulations to the scariest rogues I know. Because Percy just ordered me to secure one of the black boxes.”

“We really have him on the ropes,” Michael echoed Alex’s pride, dropping whatever it was that he was doing. The rogues had assumed that they had gotten under Percy’s skin by constantly ruining his missions and by destroying two of his black boxes. However, they hadn’t known that they had had him that rattled. He was pulling his resources, trying to sure up his defenses for the rogues’ next attack. They had actually made him vulnerable, and he was scared. The rogues should celebrate that. Once they destroyed the next black box, wherever it might’ve been, “Where are you going?”

“Some small town in Pennsylvania. I’m supposed to check on the Guardian, Winters, make sure she’s not another Owen,” Alex shrugged. She hadn’t recognized the name of the town Percy had told her. She had planned to mostly rely on the Guardian’s tracker location than any map. That had sort of been Percy’s idea when he had sent a black box in that town; he wanted a Guardian placed in such an obscure place, no one would think to look for them there. His idea had almost worked. The rogues never would’ve gone to Pennsylvania. Until Alex told them.

“I remember Winters. It’s best if she doesn’t see you spying on her,” Nikita advised Alex. She had never worked with Winters in Division, yet she had heard about the things she had done on missions- no wonder Percy had made her a Guardian. Alex should keep her distance from her as she followed her. Even if they were both Division, Winters wouldn’t appreciate the tail. The regimen that she was forced to take would probably also make her ill-temperament even worse. There was no point in Alex testing her- the rogues on the other hand.

“That’s what Percy said. I’m to strictly observe for twenty-four hours, and report if she breaks protocol. He’s checking on all four remaining Guardian’s simultaneously. He’s starting to get really paranoid,” Alex wanted to remain proud as she shared that fact. But she couldn’t stop thinking about Operation Sparrow. Maybe Percy being paranoid wasn’t a good thing for the rogues. He could be even more dangerous as he became frantic. With the lack of information the rogues constantly had, that could be a very real possibility.

However, the rogues were going to hold tight to any positivity that they could. Few good things actually came their way in that fucking war. Their resources were severely lacking in every possible way, especially compared to Division. So when they had a lead- any kind of lead- that’d help them take down their enemies, they’d take it without hesitation. Maybe they should be more cautious and think a little bit more. But, honestly, there wasn’t much time to contemplate everything. They just had to act. It was a good thing that Nikita was great at that, “Good. He’s starting to crack up. We can slip through those cracks.”

“Give me the tracker ID, and let’s get started,” Pulling his chair up to the computer station- that he had severely updated since Nikita’s first attempt- Birkhoff demanded from Alex. He could work wonders with just that information. Not only could he locate the Guardian to where she was at the very moment, he could also track where she had been. Michael and Nikita would be able to take her out and destroy the black box with no trouble at all. After what had happened in London, that was a huge blessing.

“About that. You only have a six hour window,” Alex warned the team as she gave Birkhoff the information he wanted. The rogues were instantly confused, arguing that she had said that she was to spy on Winters for twenty-four hours; they should’ve had a day to track her down and destroy the box. But just because Alex had twenty-four hours, didn’t mean they did. She couldn’t be with the rogues on that mission. Their time together in London had been enough of a risk. They had to play things safer, “If I report back that you guys showed up, kicked the Guardian’s ass, took the box, and I failed to stop you…”

“It’d be pretty suspicious,” Finishing Alex’s thought, Michael sighed. The six hours that Alex had to rest and prepare for her mission was the only time the rogues could actively go after the Guardian. Otherwise, she’d have to report them to Division. There was only so much she could do as their rogue. It was difficult to remember that when she had been so exceptional. However, she still had limits. She couldn’t be aware of their actions that time, or else she’d be endangering herself. And that was the last thing the rogues wanted.

“Which is why you need to steal the box before I show up,” Alex advised the rogues. On her way to the loft, she had been thinking about how they could get ahead of Operation Sparrow. If she waited until Percy or Amanda told her about it, then it could be too late. Whatever big, evil thing Division was planning couldn’t be stopped by the rogues if they didn’t have enough time to prepare. Peeking into the black box could give them an edge. It could also give Alex information on Operation Pale Fire. She hadn’t thought of it before, but peeking into the box could give her information she could use against Semak. She could finally attack him.

Whereas Michael and Birkhoff began to form a new plan off of Alex’s revised time frame, Nikita stared at her in confusion. Something about her word choice bewildered her. They didn’t steal black boxes. The only reason information had leaked from one of them was because Owen hadn’t yet destroyed his box or the less secure flashdrive he was supposed to have uploaded into it. But that had been remedied. All the black boxes had to be destroyed. It was the only way to strip Percy of his power so they could kill him. Stealing didn’t benefit them. What would they want with those secrets anyway, “Steal the box? No, we’re destroying it.”

“About that too… Kelly and the tech that’s been helping with the black boxes, Sonya, were talking about a big op that’s happening in a few weeks. Operation Sparrow. I don’t know what it’s about, but I do know that it’ll be dangerous. Percy’s keeping all the intel in the black boxes. If we crack one open, we can get ahead of him,” Finally, Alex told them about what she had learned from Kelly and Sonya. Whatever Operation Sparrow was, the team had to start stopping it then. Something that big and paranoid by Percy was going to be detrimental. The more information they had, and the sooner they got it, the better.

“I thought those things were supposed to be uncrackable,” Although Michael agreed with Alex, peeking into the black box wasn’t going to be easy. After all, it had been a miracle that he had found the files on him and Kasim that had led him to the truth. Decrypting one of the most secure hard drives ever was going to require a lot more luck and a whole nother miracle. It was why the rogues had never considered trying to crack into a black box before; it was far easier to just shoot the damn thing. But if there was a chance they could stop the operation and save the world by taking a look, then it was worth a try.

“Please. If a Division goon has been working on that thing, I can totally crack it,” Birkhoff replied, self-assured. He had believed that he couldn’t hack a black box when the Engineer had been encrypting them. But since a lowly Division tech had taken up the assignment, Birkhoff was certain he could easily peek inside a box. He had yet to run into a Division hacker that could best him. A few had come close. Yet there was no way they could beat Shadowwalker. He was the best all around.

Regardless of the other’s confidence, Nikita still wasn’t sure about stealing a black box. She had been in Chile after just one secret had been released. What if they accidently let more slip. It was like Pandora’s box; nothing good came from a black box. Destroying it was the only way to ensure people stayed safe. More innocents couldn’t be blamed for dangerous secrets, like Ryan. And more riots and decent and chaos could occur. The black box and all its secrets had to be obliterated. That shouldn’t have been a debate, “I still think we should destroy it.”

“This could be our chance to stop Percy once and for all,” Michael, however, argued with Nikita. The rogues were smart enough not to release secrets to the public. And they’d destroy the box once they learned what they needed to about Operation Sparrow. There was nothing to worry about, as long as they looked at the positives- like they were doing with Alex’s current mission. The rogues always complained about their lack of intel. Well, that was their chance to fix that. They could be well-informed and a step ahead for once. That was undoubtedly a good thing.

“Alright. Then let’s get going,” Sighing, Nikita relented. She continued to not like the idea. Yet she couldn’t argue when she knew that the others were right. Peeking into the box was the best play that they had. Besides, there was a chance they could learn other damning things about Division through the box- like where the other Guardians were, or which government officials were corrupted by Division. It was dangerous, but black box intel would give the rogues a much needed leg up in their war. What could go wrong from that.

Chapter Text

As the rogues traveled to small town Pennsylvania, Michael fell silent. He had been excited to go after the Guardian and finally get a step ahead of Percy. Yet, during the long drive, his excitement seemed to wane. Nikita wasn’t concerned at first; she assumed that he was thinking about the mission and trying to come up with a plan. However, as his silence stretched on, she grew worried. It wasn’t odd for him to be brooding. But for it to come out of nowhere was startling. Nikita couldn’t let it continue. She had to comfort her boyfriend, even if she didn’t know what was wrong, “Hey, are you okay? What’s the matter?”

Michael sighed. His thoughts had gotten away from him as they traveled through the states. He tried to stay focused on the current mission; however, he soon found himself thinking about the future. It wasn’t something he tried to contemplate. In their crazy lives, their future was never certain. It wasn’t worth getting their hopes up. But for a happy moment there, he had been hopeful. He could see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it all centered on her, “When we made plans to get ahead of Operation Sparrow and put an end to Percy’s plans, I got excited. I thought we’re halfway to taking Percy down, and… And then…”

“And then what? We live happily ever after in domestic bliss?” Nikita asked cautiously. If she was being honest, she hadn’t thought a lot about a future with Michael. Yes, she loved him. Yes, she loved being with him. And yes her time with him was the happiest she had ever been- despite the war going on. But a future together just didn’t seem real. They were assassins with horrific (and monstrous if you were Nikita) pasts. Could they really ever move on from that. Could they truly live happily ever after after all they had done. Nikita didn’t think so. But if Michael did, she really wanted to know.

“Nevermind. It’s stupid,” Shaking his head, Michael just focused on the road. He was probably getting ahead of them by thinking about their futures. He and Nikita had never really talked about their lives after the war. They were simply living day to day, cementing their love and fighting for each other. The two should probably start discussing where they saw themselves once their war was over. If their war ever ended. Michael wasn’t sure when the war ever would end. He thought he had a clue, but not so much anymore. They should just focus on the present. It was more solid. Also, the two were finally at the Guardian’s house, “Here’s our Guardian.”

While Michael parked the car and readied his weapon, Nikita stared at him. She hadn’t meant to dismiss his feelings. If he wanted a future with her- if he wanted to live on some island paradise with her and be happy forever- then she had to know. He had to tell her. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to discuss their relationship then. Taking out the Guardian and stealing a black box before Alex arrived was more important (why did there always have to be something more important). So with a sigh, Nikita grabbed her gun and followed Michael out of the car.

Both expected Winters to attack them once they entered the house. Instead, it was just some biker. Although he tried to fight his intruders, Michael and Nikita were able to take down the biker fairly easily. They soon had him down on his knees and began to demand where the Guardian was. He had no idea what they were talking about. He had never heard of Winters before, nor did he know why she would’ve been there. The rogues considered applying more pressure to get him to talk. However, they quickly realized that the biker was telling the truth. The Guardian wasn’t there, only her tracker was.

Apparently, when Winters had sold her house to the biker the year before, she put her tracker into a keychain and left it for him. Wherever he then went, so did she. Her real destination remained unknown, making the only lead the rogues had on her and the black box worthless. Michael and Nikita attempted to inform Alex that, but she didn’t answer; she was either busy with Division or her boyfriend who was back in town. So the two simply called Birkhoff as they slumped back in their car, “We have a problem. We’re sitting outside the Guardian’s house right now. But I don’t think we’re gonna be able to pull this off in time.”

“I’m reading she’s in close proximity to her house right now,” Birkhoff replied, confused. He had satellite image of the small town and the tracker location pinging on his computer. By all accounts, the Guardian should be exactly where she was supposed to be. So what kind of trouble could Michael and Nikita have run into. Birkhoff couldn’t find any Division interference, and Alex was nowhere near the town. It should’ve been a simple mission for the rogues. So what could’ve possibly happened. What went wrong that time.

“I know. I’ve got her tracker in my hand. We just don’t know where she is,” Michael explained the situation to Birkhoff. Winters’ tracker was out and had been out for a while; she had escaped Division without anyone knowing. Michael wondered what could’ve possibly made her leave. Could she have fallen in love, like Owen had. Could she have seen past Division’s lies, like Michael and Birkhoff had. Could she have escaped to save herself, like Nikita had and Alex planned to do. Or did she just leave. What was the story there.

“Pretty clever on Winters’ end. Percy checks her tracker, looks like she’s in town, living at her appointed residence. For all we know, she’s sitting on some beach in the tropics,” Taking the keychain from Michael, Nikita studied it in amusement. A part of her wished she had been that smart when she had escaped Division; though, she never really put thought into escaping- she just did it to survive. Life on the run would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if Percy and Amanda had never known she had left in the first place. Maybe the same mistakes wouldn’t have been made. And maybe her thought of a future would’ve been different.

“Look, we have to scrap this mission. The clock is ticking, and Alex needs to get here and report what happened,” Michael’s comment pulled Nikita’s attention away from the tracker. The rogues couldn’t steal a black box if the Guardian protecting it was in the wind. They didn’t know if the box had been moved or destroyed or whatever when Winters had gone on the run. And they had no time to figure it out. They’d just just have to wait until the next black box lead to gather intel on Operation Sparrow. Hopefully, Alex could give them more leads.

“Maybe we can go out for a drink. Right before Percy finds out his Guardian’s gone and hell rains down on all of us,” Birkhoff couldn’t help but joke. Once Percy discovered that one of his precious Guardians had gone rogue, he was going to go ballistic. It would be a hell of a lot harder for the team of rogues to do anything, especially steal a black box and peek inside, when Percy tightened his paranoid reins. Even Alex couldn’t help them out. The three might as well make the best of it until then. 

Whereas Michael rolled his eyes, Nikita hesitated. She glanced back at the tracker and tried to think why Winters would go through all that trouble. Of course escaping Division was worth the effort. But it was risky to leave your tracker with another person. Their movements couldn’t be predicted. What if the biker left town or got into trouble or died. Winters’ intelligent plan would be for nothing. If she was really that smart, she’d stick around to check on her tracker. She could do whatever she wanted in the small town while also ensuring that no one would ever know, “Unless we don’t. What if she’s still here?”

“What are you saying? You think she removed the tracker and stuck around?” Birkhoff scoffed at the idea. The second the rogues’ trackers had been removed, they had split. Sticking around in a place they didn’t have to be didn’t make any sense. They were free, so why not go wherever they wanted. Even someone as dedicated and insane as a Guardian wouldn’t stick around once their tracker was passed off. Maybe Winters didn’t go far because of the regimen pills. Yet she definitely wasn’t still there.

“Just hear me out. All the black boxes are kept at banks, right? Guardian protocol. There are only three banks here. And only one of them has safety deposit boxes,” Onto a whole new idea, Nikita sat up excitedly in her seat. On their way to the town, Nikita had researched the banks in the area; she had remembered what Owen had shared in London about the Guardian protocol, and attempted to apply the information to Winters. The fact that she had removed her tracker certainly changed things. But maybe not that drastically. She’d be concerned about the regimen, after all. And, she’d want the black box still intact so her cover would never be blown.

“Where are you going with this?” Michael did his best to read Nikita’s thoughts. First, she praised Winters for giving Percy the slip. Then, she began to argue that Winters never truly left; the rogues could still have their chance to take down the Guardian and steal the black box. Michael couldn’t understand the sudden shift. Sure, there was a chance that the black box remained in the safety deposit box. But what made the Guardian suddenly predictable. Sometimes (most of the time, really) Nikita’s thought process left him completely baffled. He just wanted to be able to catch up with her so he could plan with her.

“Hurry up and start hacking, Nerd. I’ve got a plan to flush her out,” Smirking proudly, Nikita was absolutely certain that her idea could work. She got Michael to start driving towards the only bank in town with safety deposit boxes, and she started Birkhoff on his hack before she shared her plans. Winters wouldn’t let the black box become compromised if it’d expose that she had escaped. So if something were to happen to the bank it was held in, then she’d come out of hiding to check on it. The rogues could draw her out by faking a bank robbery. Then they could either follow her or attack her from there. They didn’t have to give up just yet.

After talking to the rogues, Alex returned to her apartment. She should’ve returned to Division and gathered more information on Winters. However, Nathan texted to say that he was back in town. She’d much rather see her boyfriend than voluntarily go to the bunker. She had missed him while he was away for a DJing gig. Also, she had a million different things to tell him. Most of it concerned her recent thoughts about Division. If she was going to escape, then that was something he needed to know, especially since it concerned his safety too, “Nathan. Hey. I’ve been waiting for you to get back in town.”

“Look, I know you’re in trouble. And you’re stuck in some kind of insane job that makes you miserable. But I can help,” Nathan barged into Alex’s apartment, already ranting about how he could get her out of that situation. Apparently, he had been thinking about it a lot while he was away. Alex tried to slow him down, yet his mind was already made up. He was going to save her from that life despite not knowing what that life entailed, “I’ve got a friend who lives in San Francisco. And he’s got a guest house on his property. It’s nice, private. He’s cool with you crashing there until you settle into the city.”

A part of Alex wanted to gush about how sweet that all was. Nathan knew she was in trouble and he wanted to save her- protect her. Yet, it wasn’t that simple. He had no idea what she was up against. And the only thing that could really save her would be her revenge. She couldn’t run off to San Francisco and live happily ever after, but there was a chance that he could, “Nathan, I already have a plan to get away. But once I’m gone, the people I work for, they’ll come looking for me, and you can’t be here when they do.”

“Wait, so now I’m the one that needs to go?” Nathan questioned Alex immediately. She hadn’t really thought of it like that. She knew that she eventually had to run from Division if she were to be happy. And she knew that being with Nathan was dangerous. However, she hadn’t thought about him running away too. It could help if he did. When she finally bolted, Division’s first actions would be to go after her boyfriend. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to keep him safe. She hadn’t been able to save her other loved ones, yet he could be different- she wanted Nathan to be different.

“Yes. And San Francisco won’t be far enough. They know I care about you, and they could hurt you,” Pacing her apartment, Alex thought aloud. She hadn’t been asked about Nathan by Amanda or anyone else in Division. But they had to know about her boyfriend. Either Sean told them (though, she doubted that) or they had spied on her. It’d make sense if they had kept tabs on her while she was at home. Nathan wasn’t a stranger to Division- he was a potential target. She had to help him escape their wrath. He couldn’t be collateral damage.

“Who is ‘they’? Why don’t you just talk to me like a normal person for once, and tell me what the hell’s going on?” Nathan, however, wasn’t picking up on Alex’s anxiety- not past his confusion, anyway. She always talked in vague terms whenever she talked about her job or the things she was worried about. Hell, everything about her was vague. She never gave complete answers or the full information. And she constantly talked about running away but was never more specific than that. She was a closed book, and no matter what she never opened up to him. He had tried at least; it was just never going to work.

“Because you already know too much, okay? I’m trying to protect you,” Alex was well aware of how that sounded. It was the worst answer to give Nathan. Except, she couldn’t bear to tell him anymore. What she had said about Division had been dangerous enough. The less he knew about the secrets that could kill him, the better. Alex had known that entering a relationship with Nathan would be difficult. However, she had hoped that no one would get hurt again. She had hoped things could’ve been better. And maybe they still could, as long as Nathan just listened to her and escaped.

“From the mob, right? That’s who we’re talking about here. That guy Sean, he’s definitely connected. You owe money or something, right?” Nathan assumed. He had assumed that Alex’s troubles were mob related for a while. The random appearance and disappearance of their neighbor Sean helped solidify that idea for him. There was definitely some criminal activity going on, and it had all caught up with Alex. It was alright if it had. She simply had to tell him everything for once so he could help her.

Alex blinked. Sean Pierce in the mob- there was absolutely no way. It was possible that he had strange connections if he was in the military one second and Division then next- maybe he was connected to that group that knew about her deal with Division- yet he certainly didn’t have mob contacts. He was too good and too much of a rule follower for that. Besides, the trouble Alex was in had nothing to do with the mob. It was far more serious and detrimental than that, “They are government assassins, Nathan. They will kill you. And they will erase any evidence that you were ever here.”

“If you wanted to end things, you could have just said so,” Unwilling to believe the perceived blatant lie Alex had just told him, Nathan stormed back out of her apartment. She was left rooted on the hardwood floor. She had to chase after him. She should’ve ran after him and made him listen to her. But her time was up. She had to leave for Pennsylvania and report that the rogues had already struck. She should also check the messages on the phone that had been buzzing in her pocket. She couldn’t chase after Nathan and try to bring him back to her. Division had completely ruined her chance.

Chapter Text

Nikita’s idea to fake a bank robbery worked. The instant the black box was put into jeopardy, Winters came running. Nikita tried not to brag that she had been right about the Guardian. Though, she did smirk proudly at Michael. He fought his own smile as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. Her plan had worked well, yet they should really focus on their next move- especially since it involved spying on a Guardian. The two rogues very carefully followed Winters after she had checked on the black box. She traveled across the small town to a residential area. Then she parked in the street and walked towards a house.

The first thing Michael and Nikita noticed was the cop car in the driveway of the house. Instantly, they went on red alert. They watched the Guardian’s every movement, readied their weapons, and prepared for the worst. Except, as the door opened, Winters didn’t attack the off-duty cop who owned the house. She hugged him, and she kissed him. Weapons becoming loose in their grip, Nikita and Michael stared at the scene in shock. They couldn’t believe it- two Guardians had fallen in love on the job. However, with Winters, that wasn’t the extent of it. There was also a kid in the house.

Birkhoff was the first to hear the startling news. Nikita and Michael relayed everything they were seeing to him, and he immediately compiled as much information as he could about the man and the kid. Apparently, the cop was a widow, and the boy was his son. Winters must’ve been the line-in girlfriend. That definitely changed things. The rogues couldn’t proceed with their original plans with civilians- especially a child- involved. They had to shift gears. Calling Alex, and finally getting an answer from her, they decided to meet at the diner and discuss everything.

Honestly, Alex was grateful for the chaos on the mission. It distracted her from what had happened with Nathan. That problem wasn’t one she could easily fix- she had messed up so badly. However, she could definitely help the rogues with the Guardian. The fact that Winters had removed her tracker to play house was undoubtedly a huge mess. But if anyone could figure it out, it’d be the rogues. They seemed to already have something in mind when Alex joined them at a diner in town. They were huddled together over a barely touched ice cream sundae, muttering something. She collapsed across from them with a huff, “Well, this is unbelievable.”

“I know. Ice cream?” Offering Alex a bite of the ice cream she had ordered as they had waited (mostly to blend in with the other patrons and to not draw any unwanted attention) Nikita shrugged. Both Alex and Michael shot her an unamused glance. She had expected that kind of reaction; she knew then wasn’t the time for jokes. Yet she couldn’t help but be sarcastic. The situation was absolutely unbelievable. A Guardian in love, sure that was plausible; that happened to Owen. But a Guardian having a family, it was completely and certifiably insane. The rogues had to at least make one joke about it.

“We have less than an hour before I have to call Percy, and what am I supposed to tell him? The Guardian adopted a family? Send in the cleaners?” Alex whispered desperately. She was lucky that she was able to travel to Pennsylvania early and meet with the rogues without Division questioning her. But if she didn’t report to Percy on time, or if she got caught in a lie, there would be hell to pay. The rogues had to figure out what to do and do it in only an hour. It’d be a miracle, yet maybe they could pull it off.

“No,” Nikita and Michael instantly shook their heads. They knew that Alex wasn’t serious about alerting Percy to the fact that Winters had a family. However, they wouldn’t entertain the idea. They were both very aware that Percy wouldn’t hesitate to kill a child. If it got him what he wanted most, then of course he would sacrifice a child. The rogues could never give him that option, especially while he was crazy with paranoia. No, their best course of action was to hide the cop and his son from Percy and Division. They could do whatever they had to to Winters or the black box. But the civilians stayed out of it.

“Guys, all we have to do is grab that black box,” Alex suggested. They didn’t have to worry so much about the Guardian if she was so distracted with her cop boyfriend and his son. Obviously, she didn’t care so much about Division if she was willing to cut out her tracker and focus on a family. The black box was just a second thought to her; it only became a concern when she had to ensure that Division wasn’t going to ruin her perfectly built new life. The rogues could steal it without her ever noticing. They could then use it to take down Division. And no one- innocents, civilians, everyone- would ever get hurt.

“And when Percy finds it’s gone, he’ll kill Winters and the cop and his son along with her. There’s civilians involved,” Michael shook his head. Maybe they could steal the black box from under Winters’ nose, but Percy would soon find out. He wouldn’t let the theft go lightly. The whole world would burn in his resulting warpath. First, the innocent civilians that were brought unknowingly into the war. Then, the rogues. The team had to find a better way to get what they wanted. They couldn’t allow any collateral damage. Destroying the first two black boxes were the worst things would ever get. The next had to be easier.

“If Percy didn’t order this investigation, Winters could have flown under the radar for years. And the only reason he ordered it was because of us,” Nikita added morosely. She had come to that conclusion while she and Michael waited in the diner for Alex. Winters could’ve stayed hidden with her little family for years had it not been for the rogues. Her tracker was removed and close by. The black box was safe and sound. There was no reason for Percy to worry. Until the rogues had intervened. They brought the war and all the disastrous destruction it caused with them wherever they went.

Alex didn’t know what to say for a moment. She couldn’t exactly argue with Michael and Nikita. They were right. They couldn’t involve civilians in their war. They couldn’t let Percy hurt more innocent people than he already had. And they couldn’t let kids suffer because of evil men’s actions. Yet what else were they supposed to do. They could help Winter’s escape, but what about the cop and his son. They shouldn’t have to live that kind of life, “If we get them out, they’re gonna spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders.”

“Worse ways to live,” Slumping in the booth, Nikita muttered. Living apart from your loved ones and living completely alone were just two examples of how life could be made worse. She had tried that for a while. She had thought living isolated from everyone was for the best. Except, it only led to more pain. Yes, she could survive on her own. But she couldn’t survive alone. One always needed their friends and family. Even spending the rest of your life looking over your shoulder was worth it as long as you were with somebody you loved. 

Michael squeezed Nikita’s hand, helping her sit upright again. None of them had to be alone anymore. Division couldn’t keep separating and isolating people. The rogues were stronger together, and so could everyone else. There was a way to save the Guardian, the cop, and his son. They could be saved from Percy’s wrath, and the team of rogues could steal a black box. They simply had to think of a good enough plan that they could pull off in under an hour. Between the four of them (they’d have to catch Birkhoff up on the conversation) they could create something. Michael was certain of it, “We can help her. You have an hour before you have to call in.”

“Yeah. If Winters takes your help. Remember, she’s a Guardian. It’s not like you could just show up on her doorstep,” Although Alex was positive that they could think of something, it was ultimately up to Winters if she wanted to be saved or not. And as a Guardian, she might not trust the rogues to save her. Nikita only half listened to Alex. The last thing the young agent had said sparked an idea in her mind, and she began to grin widely. She and Michael could just stop by Winters’ house. They could tell her what was going on and force her to accept their help. It wouldn’t be easy, but it’d just might work.

Recognizing Nikita’s grin, Alex sighed. There was no use in stopping what the rogue seemingly had planned. She and Michael would do whatever crazy stunt she had in mind while Alex continued to play the role of the perfect, loyal Division agent. Though, she wasn’t quite sure how she was supposed to do that. Her tracker showed that she was already in the same town as the Guardian. Although she didn’t have to report for an hour, she still had to seem like she was actually doing something. She couldn’t just remain in the diner, eating the abandoned ice cream sundae the rogues had bought, “And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“Send Division on a wild goose chase,” Nikita suggested, handing over Winters’ recovered tracker. Alex (with the help of Birkhoff’s hacking skills) could trick Division into believing she was following the Guardian’s tracker around town. That’d definitely buy Michael and Nikita an hour to talk to Winters and figure out a way she could safely run with her family. Then, their plan could continue as it normally would have. Alex would report to Percy that the Guardian was missing, and the rogues could successfully steal the black box. It’d all work out. No one was dying on that mission.

As Alex and Birkhoff worked together to lead Division in circles for an hour, Michael and Nikita went to the Guardian’s door (after swinging by a store to pick up wine). They posed as newlyweds who had recently moved into the neighborhood and who wanted to meet their neighbors. Winters recognized the two immediately; however, she couldn’t say anything while her boyfriend and his son were near. So, she invited the rogues in for dinner to keep an eye on them. Nikita and Michael graciously accepted.

Surprisingly, the two played a married couple very easily. It just seemed so natural to constantly hold each other, smile, and talk about how much they loved each other. Unfortunately, that was the only easy thing about that awkward dinner. Between the cop’s son, who clearly didn’t like his future step-mother, and Winters, who was clearly planning ways to kill the rogues, (and, of course, that horrible moment where Nikita and Michael were asked about having kids) dinner was a minefield. They needed a way to break up the tension. Eventually, Nikita asked the Guardian where the bathroom was, and she gladly led her away from the table.

Before Winters was able to seriously injure Nikita, the rogue managed to explain why she and Michael were there. Percy was going to be onto the little family soon. If Winters wanted to keep them safe, she had to give up the black box and go on the run with them. Apparently, she had planned to do that eventually; she simply never found the right time to tell the truth. Or, more precisely, she had been too scared to. Yet, she couldn’t hesitate then. If Winters really wanted her family, then she had to tell them everything. The truth actually would set them free.

Unfortunately, speaking the truth about Division wasn’t easy. Winters’ boyfriend didn’t like what he had heard. He fought with her about it, especially the fact that his son had inadvertently been involved in something so dangerous. Michael found himself empathizing with the man. Having your world- your family- turned upside down by Division was awful. It took so much time to adjust to that- more time than they were given. Alex soon met Nikita and Michael outside Winters’ house to warn them that the hour was up. They had to get the Guardian out of there immediately. Or else, “My time is up. I need to call in.”

“So call in,” Michael tried to sound hopeful. There was a chance that while Alex was calling Percy, he and Nikita could help Winters and her family escape. The cop wasn’t on board with running yet; he didn’t want his son to get hurt in any way. The pressure of Division, though, might change his mind. Besides, with the rogues’ resources, Birkhoff’s hacking ability, and Winters’ Guardian skills, the family could safely start their new life. They could settle in another small town, and Division would never know.

“And say what? Whatever I tell Percy has to stand up to verification, otherwise, he’s gonna know I’m involved with you guys,” Alex wanted to have the same hope as the rogues, but their plan didn’t seem plausible. There were too many unknown variables. Yes, they had amazing skills and resources. And maybe they could save the day. But it wouldn’t be enough. Division was always going to be stronger than them; that was why it was easy for Alex to play along so she could get what she wanted. Unless their plan was concrete and everyone was in it one hundred percent, it wasn’t going to work. Percy was going to know.

“Winters agreed to run. All she has to do is tell her boyfriend the truth, get him on board, then we get the black box,” Nikita knew how far-fetched that sounded. Convincing people to run from everything they had ever known was nearly impossible. You couldn’t just rip people away from their homes. It’d take a fight; it’d take revelations. Winters couldn’t uproot her family just like that. It took time. However, the rogues didn’t have the luxury of time. Their safety and the safety of others always relied on blind leaps of faith. They were asking the cop and his son to make a huge one then. But surely, if the man truly loved Winters, he’d run.

Blinking, Alex stared at Nikita and Michael in total bewilderment. Their whole plan just involved telling the truth. What was that going to do. The cop and his son weren’t going to run. Which meant Winters was staying put. Which meant that the rogues would never get the black box. Which meant there was no stopping Operation Sparrow. Their plan was blown. They either had to frantically scramble for a new one, or be left stranded, “What? Get the cop on board about going on the run with his kid? I couldn’t even get Nathan on board with running. This is gonna take a lot of time, and we’re all out of it.”

“You tried to get Nathan to run?” Michael couldn’t stop himself from asking. He knew that wasn’t important at the moment, but it was so surprising. Alex hadn’t mentioned wanting to escape with Nathan before. She hardly ever talked about him, really. It was surprising that she wanted to run from Division with him. Was their relationship really that serious. Or did Alex have other motives. Was Nathan in danger with Division. Did the rogues need to step in and help. What exactly was going on there.

“Do you have her tracker?” Nikita, on the other hand, remained focused on the mission. She had a plan to help Winters and her family, and she had a plan to secure the black box for the rogues. All she needed was Division to play their part. Since Alex had kept Winters’ tracker after giving Division the run around, goading the black ops group into action was going to be easy. The rogues only had to raise the right amount of red flags, and a strike team would come running. Fortunately, Nikita knew just how to do that. She dropped Winters’ tracker on the floor, and (to both Michael’s and Alex’s horror) she smashed it.

“Fuck,” Alex muttered as her Division com instantly cackled to life. Percy was instantly aware that something was wrong, and he was demanding an update from Alex. She couldn’t lie to him; he’d know if she did. She had to relay as much as she could about the situation in Pennsylvania. Hopefully, whatever insane plan Nikita had cooked up worked. Because, honestly, Alex didn’t see how there was a clear way out, “Winters’ tracker’s offline, and she’s gone MIA. The rogues are on the ground, and they’re after the box. I need a strike team here. Immediately.”

Chapter Text

Whatever Nikita was planning soon fell apart after Alex contacted Division. Winters couldn’t convince her boyfriend to run; his entire world had been turned upside down, and he couldn’t accept that- just as Alex had predicted. And during their heated argument about her being a government assassin, his son had overhead them. The teenager freaked over what he had heard, and he ran. By the time anyone noticed, panic began to set in. The boy was alone in town with armed Division agents on the prowl. Someone had to go rescue him before a terrible situation became even worse.

Since Winters and her boyfriend knew the town best, they were tasked with finding the teenager. Nikita, meanwhile, would finally grab the black box from the bank. And Michael and Birkhoff would help Alex distract the strike team. They’d have to figure out how to truly escape Division as they went along. There still had to be some way the rogues won and Winters could be happy with her new family. Yet that wasn’t as much of a priority as saving another innocent from Division’s path. The boy couldn’t die because of all their mistakes.

Birkhoff did his best to find the teenager and to hide the rogues from street cams. But having to constantly kick Division hackers out of the system slowed him down. (seriously, who was the annoying noob who kept trying to beat him and who couldn’t learn their lesson). Fortunately, Nikita eventually found the boy. After she had stolen the black box, she found him trying to steal from a hardware store. He admitted that he needed money for a bus to run as far away as possible when she confronted him. However, she was soon able to talk him out of it. There was no need for him to run. His parents would love him and keep him safe no matter what.

Although Nikita helped the boy, Division managed to find her. The strike team surrounded the store, calling for her head. Immediately, the rogue agreed to come out if- and only if- the boy was left unharmed. Alex easily made that deal, but an overzealous agent disagreed. He vowed to kill everyone for the black box. Luckily, Michael and Winters put a stop to that. The strike team was shot and killed, and the teenager was safe in his future stepmother’s protective arms. Alex would have a hell of a time explaining how she was the sole survivor again, but it was worth it. A child was saved; she’d take all the consequences that entailed.

While Alex returned to Division and thought of the best cover story to spin, Michael and Nikita continued to help Winters and her family. Although the coast was clear, they had to leave town that night. The further away they moved from Division and the faster they left, the better. With Alex’s lie about Winters going rogue, with the destroyed tracker, and with the fact that no one in Division knew the cop and his son were involved, everyone could be safe and sound for a while. They could start a new life- as soon as Winters completely gave up her old one, “This blood sample will give you access to the black box.”

Securing the blood sample that’d let them crack the first level of encryption on the black box, Michael and Nikita gave their thanks. They were nowhere near out of the woods yet, but peeking inside the black box and stopping whatever the fuck Operation Sparrow was would bring them a hell of a lot closer. Although that was a huge positive, the rogues were mostly glad and thankful that Winters and her family were safe. They didn’t have to look over their shoulders or fear the retribution of Division. The family could simply be free, “You know, before you came, I was trapped. Stuck between two worlds and afraid to…”

“Walk away from either one. Now you’re in the world where you belong,” Michael completed Winters’ thought for her. He understood what she had meant to say. Walking away from Division was difficult- not because there was any obligation to stay, but because of the danger one faced by escaping. It was hard to leave that life behind and step blindly into the unknown with the haunting paranoia that the past would rear its ugly head. Yet there was always one thing that made it worth the risk- one thing worth sprinting into the unknown for. And Winters had found that for herself with her boyfriend and his son.

“What about you? You think you’ll end up in the world where you belong?” Winters asked Michael and Nikita. The two glanced at one another- for once, their expressions unreadable. They honestly had no idea what to say. They couldn’t think of an actual answer, at least not in time. Winters’ boyfriend soon called for her to join him in the car. It was time they left and started a new quiet, peaceful life somewhere else. As she backed away from the rogues, though, Winters made certain she expressed her thanks one last time, “Thank you. Just, uh… When you’re out there fighting, you be careful, okay?”

“Okay,” Nodding, Michael responded. Whereas Nikita stayed rooted in her spot, watching the family leave as she helplessly thought over what the Guardian had said, Michael moved towards their own car. His attention had returned to the stolen black box and the blood sample Winters had given them. That was enough for the rogues to start planning against Operation Sparrow. No more guessing and scrambling when it came to missions- just direct action to take down Division and protect more people like Winters’ family, “I hope Birkhoff can crack this thing. Otherwise, we have to look for new leads on Sparrow.”

“I’m sorry,” Nikita blurted. She finally turned back to her boyfriend, guilt eating her away. She hadn’t known how much Michael had thought about their future together. She had always thought that they were taking their relationship slow. They were committed to one another, yes. But their future remained uncertain. At least to Nikita it was. She hadn’t known that Michael had thought of her as his new family- as a world where he could then belong. If she had, she wouldn’t have said those things earlier. She wouldn’t have questioned him.

“For what?” Michael was startled by Nikita’s sudden apology. What did she have to apologize for. She had done the best she could. Sure, there were bumps along the way. But she had protected Winters and her family, and she had stolen the black box. The rogues had won. There was no need for Nikita to feel sorry. She didn’t need to worry about anything that had happened- including when she had fallen silent when Michael and Winters talked about finding the world in which they belonged. Michael knew how Nikita felt about families. She didn’t have to have the same thoughts as him. As long as they were together, that was perfect enough.

“I can make plans for the worst-case scenario no problem. But when it comes to planning ahead for positive outcomes, I’m just not used to that. It does not mean I don’t want one. It’s just… you’re the best thing that has ever happened in my life,” Suddenly shy, Nikita confessed. She always wanted a positive outcome; she hoped and prayed for positive outcomes. But she knew better than to get her hopes up too high. Nothing good ever lasted long, and the worst things possible always occurred. Yet, all of that changed when Michael pulled her off that street. He constantly proved that good things could come her way- that she could be happy.

Smiling softly, Michael wrapped his arms around Nikita and kissed her. She couldn’t help but smile into the kiss. There had been no need for her to apologize. Her boyfriend knew that it was hard for her to see the bright things in life. Yet she was trying. And each day with him (and Birkhoff and Alex) made it easier. One day, they could have a future together- they could have that domestic bliss. It wasn’t likely to happen soon, not with Division still around. But they were well on their way to a happily ever after. It was their light at the end of the very long tunnel.

Alex actually didn’t have that hard of a time convincing Amanda and Percy what had happened on the mission. They believed what she had to say about the Guardian, the rogues, and the strike team. And then she was told she was allowed to go home. Division would deal with the fallout of the rogues having a black box in time; they didn’t have to worry immediately since there was no way the encryption could break that easily. Besides, the rogues’ threat wasn’t nearly as important anymore. Not with Operation Sparrow on the horizon.

When she finally returned to her apartment, Alex couldn’t relax. She should’ve been able to- people saved, Division defeated, a future mission already in the process of being stopped. However, her debrief had been too easy. Amanda and Percy had let her go without too many questions. She didn’t like it. She felt as though something was going on. Unfortunately, she couldn’t confirm that it was anything besides her continued distrust in the two. She must’ve just been reading too much into it. She should simply take the victory and move on.

If she did, she could feel better about being in her apartment without Nathan. Alex needed to talk to him. She had left him alone for far too long. She had to explain what she had said, and she had to convince him to run. If Winters had been able to do it with her boyfriend, then so could she. However, when Alex opened her door, Jaden stood on the other side of it. She was all smiles despite Alex’s annoyed huff at seeing her, “Just moved into my new place. It was only like ten minutes away, so I figured I’d stop by. My neck is killing me, by the way. I got this ringing in my ear. How long does it take for all that to go away?”

“Well, you should feel better by tomorrow,” Alex sighed, letting Jaden into her apartment. Although she definitely wasn’t in the mood to deal with Division any more that night, she couldn’t just slam the door in Jaden’s face. Alex had been lucky when she got promoted to agent. Nikita, Michael, and even Birkhoff were there to help her adjust to the sudden rush of freedom and choices (as much freedom and choices as one got with Division). Jaden, however, had no one. Alex could at least help her a little bit- return some of the favor.

“These apartments are so big. I can’t get over it. How long did you wait to try out your credit card?” Jaden brushed past Alex, excitedly exploring her apartment and taking in all the wonderful things Division had given them. Maybe if the two were actually friends and maybe if Alex wasn’t aware of all the strings attached to accepting gifts and deals with Division, she would’ve gushed along with Jaden. Instead, the young agent just fought the feeling of being extremely annoyed, deliriously tired, and hopelessly crushed.

She just wanted to be with her boyfriend. Alex knew that being in Nathan’s arms would make everything feel better. She could be warm, she could be safe, and she could be happy. If only she hadn’t fucked things up so much between. Nathan would’ve probably been there then to cuddle her after a long day at work had she not accidentally pushed him away. She seriously needed to talk to him. Alex couldn’t let a rift like that keep growing between them. Not if she wanted to be with him. And she really wanted to be with him. Maybe it could all work out once she got Jaden out of her apartment, “Listen, Jaden, I’m a little…”

“I know. I’m sorry. I should have called. I’ve been meaning to tell you, what you did for me in Switzerland… I just want to say thank you,” Jaden recognized Alex’s attempts to brush her off by saying she was busy or tired or whatever. However, there were a few things she wanted to admit first. Despite the past between them, she was thankful that Alex had saved her life on the mission in Switzerland. Not many other agents would’ve done the same; Jaden doubted she would have. But Alex was different. She actually was better than most.

“You’d have done the same for me,” Alex only shrugged. She didn’t know if she completely believed her words, yet she didn’t have anything else to say. She didn’t want to explain her thoughts and actions on that mission with Jaden; she shouldn’t even have to. It was just something she did. And although it caused Jaden to burst into her apartment when she seriously needed to talk to her boyfriend, Alex didn’t regret it. She was glad that she had saved Jaden. She wasn’t who Division wanted her to be. She was forging her own path, and she was getting what she wanted by her own means.

What she wanted then, though, was to simply be with Nathan. Once Alex successfully nudged Jaden out her door (maybe promising to get dinner so that’d appease her and make her leave without question) then she could be with her boyfriend. She still didn’t know what to say to make it right. But surely talking to him would’ve been a great first step. She had to at least try. Except, as she moved towards the door that had been left open, Nathan stormed right in. He wasn’t looking to talk. Instead, he threw the clothes- mostly underwear- Alex had left in his apartment at her, “You left your stuff at my place.”

“Uh, hey. I’m Jaden: one of Alex’s coworkers,” Jaden bounced back from the shock of seeing Nathan throw a bra at Alex much faster than Alex did. She held out a hand for Nathan to shake, and fought the urge to smirk. Although Alex felt mortified, she fought to disguise her reaction. Maybe Jaden would only believe it was a one-night-stand or something. There were no Division rules about hooking up with people. Alex and Nathan could be fine. As long as he left then, and as long as they talked later.

“Another government assassin? Awesome,” Nathan, unfortunately, didn’t pick up on Alex’s silent plea. He huffed and stormed out of the apartment. Alex froze. Nausea rose in her stomach, and she could’ve sworn that her head actually spun. She couldn’t lie or bluff her way out of that situation. Jaden could guess what she had told him. And so would Division once they heard Jaden’s report that they had been compromised. It was over. Nathan couldn’t be safe then. Once again, Alex had royally fucked up. It was all her fault. She was going to lose everything again because of her stupid decisions. She couldn’t see a way out. It was over.

Chapter Text

Whereas Alex fought the urge to just give up and melt down, Jaden seemed unfazed by the interaction. She was understandably confused by what was said, and she stared at Nathan’s retreating form a bit miffed. But she wasn’t accusatory; she didn’t start attacking Alex or claim that she had been compromised. She simply assumed that there was more to the story. Alex had had her bra thrown at her, after all. There had to have been more going on than just that thirty second interaction, “So you knocked boots with the guy- fine. But it looks like you let your guard down along with your pants.”

“Jaden, relax. He was joking,” Alex did her best to brush Jaden off. Maybe she could convince her that it was nothing; it was all some kind of fucked up joke. Maybe Alex could convince herself that it was all a fucked up joke as well. If she squeezed her eyes shut, pinched herself, turned around three times, prayed real hard, and wished upon a star, she could escape that nightmare. She had never had that kind of luck before, but then could be her chance. The rogues had been successful out in the field; they had a black box. Surely, Alex could then dupe Jaden into letting Nathan go. If she played it right, the world wouldn’t end just yet.

“Seemed more like he was pissed. What went down between you two?” Jaden instantly caught the lie. Alex honestly should’ve known better. She couldn’t slip a lie past Jaden. She was always on her. She always knew she was hiding something. She always suspected that she wasn’t the star studded agent everyone made her out to be. Jaden was right, of course. Alex should be watched. She was hiding something. She wasn’t a perfect Division agent. That was why it was so difficult to dissuade the other agent, especially then. Jaden was right, and she was going to keep pushing until she felt satisfied. Alex was falling fast, and there might not be a life preserver.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Shrugging, Alex moved to finally close the door. She seriously needed to think of a solid lie. She couldn’t keep avoiding Jaden or dodging the conversation. It only made her more suspicious and the whole thing so much worse. However, Alex couldn’t think of anything good enough. She could maybe tell half-truths. That could maybe get her through the night. But it wouldn’t sway Jaden for long. She’d come back with even more questions and some serious allegations.

“So it was serious?” As Alex had fearfully suspected, Jaden was already well aware of what had happened between her and Nathan. How he had acted when he had returned her clothes wasn’t something a one-night-stand would’ve done. There was so much more between Alex and Nathan- too much more. Alex knew she never should’ve let it get that far. Her original instincts to not let Nathan in had been right. She should’ve kept a wall between them. She shouldn’t have tried to love someone else. She knew that relationships always ended in pain, so why had she risked it with Nathan. She knew better than that.

It was too late for her to fix things. Alex could never have any kind of happiness, peace, love, or future with Nathan. They couldn’t run away together. She couldn’t be with him, even after she killed Semak and helped the rogues burn Division. It was better if she stayed alone. People would be safer away from her. After all, there was only so much she could do to protect Nathan after her destructive path had almost torn him to shreds, “No. He wanted it to be. But I told him to leave me alone. That I knew some dangerous people, and that he should stay away.”

“Have you told Kelly?” Jaden wondered innocently. If someone was harassing an agent, Kelly should know. She might not have had all of the agents’ best interest at heart. And she wasn’t the most helpful at times. But she was the head of agents. She’d know what to do if there was a problem. She could also gauge if Nathan needed to be threatened or cleaned. Alex shouldn’t have to make that decision- she probably couldn’t anyway. Calling in assistance was the best course of action, especially since it would save their asses in the long run.

“Why would I?” Although Alex kept trying to play Nathan off like he was nothing, she knew that was it. She had never been able to convince Jaden of anything before. She couldn’t make her stop bullying and annoying her. She couldn’t make her stop sticking her nose in business it didn’t belong in. And she couldn’t make her stop doing what she thought was best. Alex should just give up on trying to lie. She couldn’t save herself, and she definitely couldn’t save Nathan. The only thing she really could do was stall Jaden until she had a better plan of escape. Or until she realized it was the end of the line for at least one of them.

“We should call it in. Get it on record that surfer boy might know a little too much. It’ll take, like, two seconds,” Jaden moved towards the phone in Alex’s apartment. She was only doing what she thought was right. To her, Nathan was a danger. Division had to come in and protect them. She didn’t know any better. Alex couldn’t fault her for trying to keep them safe (maybe under different circumstances, she could see that act as one of friendship). However, Alex couldn’t let her make that call. Division was the danger, not Nathan- never Nathan. Yet, as she yanked Jaden away, she instantly became confrontational, “What are you doing?”

“There is no reason to call,” Alex desperately stopped Jaden from picking up the phone. There was no way Alex could save both her ass and Nathan’s. She was going to have to engage Jaden in yet another fight. Maybe she should’ve just given Nathan up. Maybe she should’ve had one shred of self-preservation. She could get everything she wanted if she simply stayed silent and if she just let Jaden do whatever she wanted. However, how could she live with herself if she did. Alex had to save Nathan. All he had done was love and care for her. She couldn’t let him suffer for that. He deserved better- far better than her.

“What are you doing? Let go! I’m not gonna end up with my ass in a sling,” Shoving Alex off of her, Jaden reached for the phone once more. She didn’t care to know what was going on anymore. Whatever it was, it was dangerous, and it was going to get her killed. Jaden might’ve been willing to die in the service of the mission, but she absolutely would not die for Alex. If Division had been compromised, she had to report it. She had just earned her freedom; she wasn’t going to jeopardize it for anything- especially not for a stupid boy and a stupid girl.

Alex had to stop thinking. She had already made her mind up about Nathan: she was going to save him no matter what happened to her. Then, she had to make her mind up about Jaden. Yes, Jaden had always been annoying and mean. But that didn’t mean she deserved to die. Unfortunately, Alex didn’t have a choice anymore. Only one person could get out of that situation in one piece, and it had to be Nathan. He hadn’t asked for all that pain when he had decided to date Alex. He only wanted happiness. She was finally going to give that to him by ensuring that he lived the rest of his life, “Well, neither am I!”

“You are hiding something. Whatever it is, you’re not taking me down with you,” Jaden struck Alex as she lunged for her. Alex instantly retaliated. The two had fought and sparred numerous times in Division, yet those were merely attempts to kick each other’s ass. Then, they knew one of them had to kill the other. There was nothing holding them back. Jaden fought for self-preservation and the freedom Division had given her. And Alex fought for Nathan. The latter’s decision would probably only lead to further danger. Yet she didn’t care. It was the actual right thing to do. And it would make her parents proud.

Drawn by the commotion- and possibly by the fact that he couldn’t leave Alex for long- Nathan returned to the apartment. Something was occurring, and he had to get to the bottom of it. Tragically, he entered at a horrific time. Alex and Jaden had each other by the throat. Instantly, he attempted to separate the pair; he tried to help Alex. Yet he was no match for two Division agents. He was violently shoved aside while they handled things on their own. Neither was actually handling it that well. They were both tearing each other to shreds. Until someone grabbed the gun hidden in the apartment. And until a shot rang out.

For a moment, Alex didn’t know what had happened. She had heard the gunshot, but she didn’t know where the bullet had struck. It could’ve been her; she could’ve been dead (she wished she was dead). However, she didn’t feel any pain. She didn’t feel any warmth seeping out of her either. All she felt was a body go limp against hers. She feared it was Nathan. Yet, when she looked at him, he was still standing away from her. The body that slumped against her was Jaden. Alex scrambled away from her, briefly believing that she was going for another attack. But that was far from the truth. Jaden couldn’t attack anything.

The newly promoted Division agent fell to the ground with a haggard breath. She struggled to keep breathing, but it was a losing battle. She hardly had a chance to fight death before it claimed her. Frantically, Alex scanned the area to figure out what happened. That was when she finally noticed the gun in Nathan’s hand. He had been the one to fire the pistol. He had shot Jaden. Although Alex’s first instinct was the scream and cry, she had to hold herself together. She had to finally take control of the situation. It had so badly gone to shit, but maybe she could still salvage it, “Nathan. Nathan. Hey, Nathan. I need you to go.”

Nathan didn’t move. He let Alex take the gun from his hands; however, he didn’t move. Shock had him completely frozen in place. He couldn’t believe what he had done. He couldn’t believe that he had actually shot someone. The gun had just gone off. He had only wanted Jaden to stop hurting Alex. He hadn’t wanted to kill her; he hadn’t wanted to kill anyone. It was an accident. An accident he refused to wrap his head around. Maybe it was all a dream. It was only a dream that he’d wake up from and find Alex safely in his arms. She was with him then, after all. Maybe she could stay with him, “What about you? What are you gonna do?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Okay. I need you to pack as fast as you can. Okay. I need you to go, please,” Gently, and battling the rising anxiety in her voice, Alex urged Nathan. There was a chance he could still stay safe if he ran. No one would know that he had been there. If he ran, if he hid, Alex could actually fulfill one of her goals: Nathan would be safe and sound and away from all of that miserable pain. She could keep protecting him. But only if he ran right that moment and never looked back.

Except, Nathan couldn’t. He only stared at Jaden’s dead body and shook. Alex softly nudged him to go. She softly begged that, even though everything had fallen apart and shattered at her feet, she could still save him. But it might’ve been too late for that. He had killed someone. He had watched someone die. Nathan was never going to be the same again; he was never going to be innocent. He was alive, sure. Yet Alex had still ruined his life. And that pain was etched across every one of his features, “Who are you?”

“Please leave now!” Pain crept up in Alex’s voice as well. She shoved Nathan as far away from her as possible and forced him to run out the door. She could only hope that he listened to her, packed his things, and found a good place to hide. She couldn’t help him escape. After all, she might fuck that up to. No, her damage had to stay contained to her apartment- her broken, destroyed, bloody apartment with a dead Division agent inside it. Oh God. What had she done. She was screwed. She was more than screwed. She was as dead as Jaden.

Scrambling for her burner cell, Alex frantically called Nikita. Division had choppered her out of Pennsylvania immediately after the mission was over. However, she was pretty sure that the rogues had stayed for a little while longer. They could very well still be there. Or they could still be driving home. Regardless of their exact location or proximity to her, Alex pleaded for their help. She could wait for it if that was the case. She just couldn’t be alone. Her thoughts were too hectic to cling to, and she was positive that she was going to break apart at any second. She needed a safety net. She needed a friend, “Nikita, thank God. I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?” Nikita’s concern was immediate. She didn’t need to know what had happened in the few hours since they had seen each other; Alex’s panicked, tearful, terrified voice was enough for her to start wondering what she needed to do to help. She placed the call on speaker so Michael could hear as well while they drove back to the safehouse. If needed, they’d redirect their course and head straight towards wherever she was. Fortunately, they were still geared up from their mission. Whatever was wrong, they’d be ready for it.

“Jaden, she, um… She came over, and we got in an argument, and then it happened so fast. And she tried to kill me…” With Nathan gone, taking the remainder of her forced strength with him, Alex was left trembling. The full weight of everything seemed to crash into her all at once. She was going to be discovered as a rogue. She was going to have her deal taken away from her. She was never going to avenge her family. And she was never going to have at least one moment of happiness again. Jaden was dead- a Division agent was dead- and it was all her fault. She couldn’t escape that time. She had nowhere left to run.

“Alex, slow down. Where’s Jaden now?” Gently yet sternly, Nikita made Alex stop and think. She could panic about what had happened once the crisis was over. Although the threat was gone, she still wasn’t out of the woods left. More dangers could pop up in every corner and jump out of every shadow. Alex had to be prepared to face them all. If she spiraled then, as terrifying and overwhelming as it all was, she was only going to get herself hurt. She had to slow down. She had to keep fighting.

Struggling to control her breathing and to continue biting back tears, Alex started to tell Nikita what had happened. Then, she stopped herself. She trusted the rogues- she really did. She could tell them anything. However, she couldn’t tell them about Nathan. He had to remain hidden from everyone. His involvement had to be a secret- a secret she took to her grave. It was the only way to keep him truly safe. No one could know the full truth, neither Division nor the rogues, “She’s dead. Shot. And, Nikita, the body is here, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Call Division. Tell them the truth. Say that Jaden attacked you, and you were defending yourself. They’ll send a Cleaner to deal with the body. Call me when the Cleaner leaves,” Although Nikita wasn’t a fan of her own advice, that was the only option that’d truly help Alex. Division would soon know that Jaden had died in Alex’s apartment; her tracker would go offline, and they’d be alerted to her last location. If the rogues stepped in then, Alex would only be in more trouble. She had to rely on Division first. If she stuck to the truth, she should be believed- she and Jaden had fought before. She should be okay. And if not, then the rogues would be there.

Shakily, Alex agreed. Division was the most logical choice. After all, Jaden had attacked her, and she had been killed in self-defense. As long as Alex kept Nathan out of the story, she wouldn’t get in trouble. It would just be seen as an unfortunate accident. Amanda would believe her. Hanging up on the rogues, the young agent took a deep, settling breath. She set her shoulders, lifted her chin, and reached for her apartment phone. It took her another moment to force the panic out of her voice, yet by the time someone in Division answered, she was calm and steady. It was going to be alright. She was still safe, “I need to report an incident.”

Chapter Text

“How much time do we have?” Birkhoff asked Michael and Nikita as soon as they returned to the loft. The two were exhausted and ragged after their latest mission and worrying phone call from Alex, but they kept pushing forward. Then wasn’t the time to stop. They’d hear from Alex in a couple of hours- after the Cleaner left and after she debriefed with Division. And they’d have intel on Operation Sparrow in hopefully the same time frame. The rogues could rest when the world was saved. It should be peaceful enough by then for them to actually breathe.

“Alex said the op would go active in a couple of weeks. I’m guessing Percy pushes back that time now that we have his black box,” Michael replied. The rogues only had a few weeks to catch up to and stop whatever the hell Percy was planning. That should give them plenty of time to crack the black box. But once they do, could they actually get ahead of the operation and shut it down for good. It probably all depended on what was inside the black box. Time was definitely not on the rogues’ side. The faster they were at decryption, the faster they were at planning, the better off they’d be. They might’ve even had a chance at winning.

“Operation Sparrow. Honestly. Where does he come up with these names?” Nikita was fairly certain that she had huffed something Alex had said before. However, the sentiment remained the same: how the hell did Percy come up with those names. Each operation name sounded so stupid and pretentious. And unless you did a million different senseless leaps through mind games, you’d never figure out how the name connected to the op. That was probably how Percy kept a handle on the spread of information- you couldn’t guess the mission or the target from the name. Yet it was still annoying, especially for the rogues.

Michael wished he had an answer, if only to further taunt Percy. But even when he was in Division, he had no idea how the ops received their names. He was only aware that the names were misleading. If it was seemingly harmless, then it was possibly the worst mission Division had done yet. Michael didn’t doubt that Sparrow was the exception. Something disastrous was about to go down. And the fact that hardly anyone in Division knew of it meant that it was worse than anyone’s imagination, “All I know is the more innocuous they sound, the more lethal they are. Percy usually plays things close to the vest, but this is paranoia. He’s scared.”

“He should be,” Nikita smirked proudly. Okay, even she knew she was being too cocky. Yet confidence was what kept her going. She couldn’t be worried about Alex or anxious about Sparrow if she was confident that Percy- and subsequently Division- would burn. That was a goal that could hurdle her past any obstacle. It had so far, at least. Whenever Nikita felt confident in her abilities and her team, things just seemed so much easier. Yes, the war was still hard. Fighting every day just to survive was the most difficult thing they had to do. But carrying the emotional weight of it all was easy when she had a strong conviction in herself and her team.

“Sparrow’s an inside job. It’s a move against the government,” Michael wasn’t sure why he felt the need to repeat that information- Birkhoff and Nikita had also heard Alex’s warning about Operation Sparrow. However, he felt the need to restate how serious the situation was. Sparrow wasn’t like any other mission the rogues had thwarted before. There was a chance they hadn’t considered the extent of their actions; how disastrous could the fallout be; what exactly would victory or defeat bring. The rogues needed answers- desperately.

“So assassinate the president? Fake a terror attack to start a war? Whatever it is, if it fails with Percy’s fingerprints on it, he burns, and he knows that,” Nikita would’ve liked to think that Percy would never go that far, but, honestly, her wild speculation barely scratched the surface on the bastard’s evil. Operation Sparrow could be anything; it could start World War III. The rogues had to decrypt the black box and fast. Yet, instead of handing it over to Birkhoff, Michael helplessly tapped on the box. Nikita had to gently stop him, “Hon, I don’t think Morse code is gonna break the encryption. There’s only one person who can.”

“You have the blood sample for the biometric sensor?” Catching the black box Nikita tossed to him, Birkhoff held out his other hand for more. Decrypting the damn thing should move a hell of a lot faster if he didn’t have to worry about the first encryption. Luckily, the rogues in the field had taken care of that. They handed over the vial of blood from Winters, and the hacker immediately went to work. His computer set-up at the loft was nowhere near as advanced as his set-up in Division (a rogue’s budget and resources were nothing like a black ops organization) but that’d only slow him down. He could still crack the thing. He was sure of it.

Although Birkhoff started his decryption out strong- typing like the wind- he almost instantly slowed down. He was already running into a problem with his equipment. Running circles around Division hackers, his tech could handle that without problem. But decrypting Percy’s dirty, little box of secrets, it was having trouble. He recognized the kind of coding that had been used, and he could attack it. But he didn’t have the hardware to do it all. Not in time to stop Operation Sparrow. Nikita noticed the hacker’s sudden change in demeanor, and instantly feared the worst, “How long do you think it’ll take, Nerd?”

“Well, if it’s a public key with asymmetric algorithms, and I do a brute-force attack, then we’re looking at, I don't know, roughly a thousand years,” Birkhoff’s confidence began to wane. It wasn’t by much. However, it was discouraging to know that with his current equipment, he wasn’t all powerful, “Look, most locks are unbreakable if you’re just guessing the key. My approach is different. I like to mess with the hardware that generates the code. I’m like the kid who hotwired the cable box to get the adult channels.”

“Dude,” Nikita stopped Birkhoff from going too far. She didn’t need all the dirty little details. All she needed to know was if he could break into the black box and gather intel on Operation Sparrow before it was too late. It had always been assumed that he could. Birkhoff had done so many amazing things with just a keyboard and mouse before- he had once hacked with a blu-ray player. The black box would’ve been a challenge, yes. But surely not that much of a challenge for the great Shadowwalker.

“If I’m gonna break the box before Sparrow, I’m gonna need more advanced toys. Supercomputers, oscilloscopes, lots of other gear,” Sighing, Birkhoff regretfully admitted to his limitations. He still undoubtedly believed that he could crack the black box. He was already certain that he could parse through the encryption in no time. He simply needed the equipment that would back up his skills. A whole bunk of gear should do the trick. All of Percy’s secrets would be revealed. If only there wasn’t a catch. Then, the rogues wouldn’t have run into their first problem with stopping Operation Sparrow.

“Where can we get these toys- besides Division?” Already, Michael could feel the mission slipping away from them. It was maybe too idealistic for the rogues to believe that Birkhoff could crack the black box without a Division computer. As a rogue, the hacker had built himself a fantastic computer set-up. However, the restraints of being an enemy of the state truly showed itself then. There were no supercomputers, or advanced technology, or any other fancy equipment. It was just slapped together pieces of tech and Birkhoff’s amazing skill. Which, though the rogues never would’ve thought it, was bound to meet its limits eventually.

“If I even have a hope of cracking the box in time, I need access to the SCIF room at CIA headquarters,” Birkhoff repeated the stipulation. The only other place where he could find the kind of equipment that’d allow him to crack open the black box was in the CIA. It wasn’t ideal, yet it was better than trying to break into Division. And it was better than letting Percy win because their equipment wasn’t good enough. The SCIF room was the rogues’ best bet if they wanted to win. And they had to win.

Whereas Michael spent a moment to think over involving the CIA, Nikita reached for her burner. She was dialing a number and stealing a voice scrambler before Birkhoff and Michael could stop her. If they absolutely had to use a CIA resource, then she absolutely had to call Ryan Fletcher. She made sure to use the code they had put into place to ensure that Division wasn’t still trying to bug him after he had discovered them. Then the two set up a meeting. As soon as that was squared away, Nikita excitedly rejoined the others. Their problem would be solved soon, “I’m meeting Ryan, Platform two, Union Station, downtown Washington.”

“What are you gonna offer him?” Michael instantly wondered. He still didn’t know CIA analyst Ryan Fletcher that well, and- honestly- that was his fault. He should’ve made it a point to connect with their ally instead of letting Nikita handle it. Yet, in his defense, he had never been quite sure of Ryan’s intentions. Sure, Division tried to blame him for what had happened in Chile. But after that, did he really want to keep raging war with the black ops group. It’d be safer if he just faded away. After helping with Alex’s killchip and the dirty bomb, he had to have come to that conclusion. Ryan might have had a better sense of self-preservation than the rogues had.

“Offer him? He wants to take Percy down as much as we do,” The team of rogues had to get better at actually acting like a team instead of running in separate units. Nikita didn’t have to give Ryan anything to make him work with them. All he had ever wanted was the truth. He wanted to stop corruption and help innocents. Unlike the other rogues’ intense need for revenge, Ryan’s motives were purer. He wanted Percy to burn because he was evil; it was that simple. He was one of the good guys. Always had been, and always would be.

“You can’t trust the CIA,” Sharking his head, Michael tried to get Nikita off her course. Although he knew that was impossible, he had to try. There had to be something else they could do to get Birkhoff in that SCIF room besides trusting Ryan Fletcher. It wasn’t as though Ryan was completely untrustworthy, it was simply the fact that he was a CIA analyst. The agency couldn’t know what was occurring anymore than Division could. Word couldn’t get back to Percy. He had to remain in fear while the rogues made their attack from the shadows.

“I don’t. I trust Ryan,” Nikita argued. She would never trust the CIA. Besides the fact that different CIA directors had been in Percy’s pockets, the same government that ran the agency also created and condoned Division. Nikita could never trust anything that came from that government. The organization was just as fundamentally corrupt as any other governmental organization she had encountered while growing up and while being forced to serve. However, individual people and agents could be good. Michael, Birkhoff, and Ryan had taught her that. Nikita could trust them with her life.

For some reason, Michael thought turning to Birkhoff would help his argument. However, the nerd was on whoever’s side would get him to the SCIF room. That just so happened to be Nikita. Michael sighed. Alright, fine, they’d bring in Ryan Fletcher. But Nikita wasn’t going to meet with the analyst alone. Her partner was going with her. She had gone without him to Switzerland and that had been a terrible mistake. Michael wasn’t going to let Nikita out of his sight again. Wherever she went, so did her, “Then you can trust Percy to be all over him. I’m coming with you.”

“Hey, better for you to run interference with Division, don’t you think?” Although Nikita appreciated Michael’s need to always be by her side, someone had to make sure that Division stayed off their backs. He had more experience as a rogue than she had. He knew how to lead the black ops group around in circles. That’d be the perfect distraction while Nikita met with Ryan and figured out a way to get Birkhoff into a CIA SCIF room. Division couldn’t catch onto their plans. Once they did, Sparrow could accelerate- or worse.

“We can have Alex do that. You need backup on site,” Michael could concede to the point that someone should ensure Division stayed out of their business. Yet Alex could handle that from inside the bunker far better than he could have outside of it. She could also try to get more intel on Sparrow from Kelly (though, that might’ve been a stretch) or that computer tech she talked to a lot (Michael was fairly certain that her name was Sonya). The rogues’ mole was a better resource then than he could’ve been. He simply had to be Nikita’s partner- watch her back in the field and protect her from everything.

Before Michael could dial Alex’s number, Nikita abruptly stopped him. They still hadn’t heard back from their mole after the situation with Jaden. Things should’ve been resolved by then. The Cleaner should’ve left. And if Alex’s explanation was true, then her debrief should’ve ended. She should’ve been able to call the rogues by then, and she should’ve been able to help them with Operation Sparrow. So where was she. What happened to Alex, “Where is she? You said she’d be out in a couple hours. It’s been longer than that.”

“Something’s not right,” Michael agreed with Nikita. Birkhoff didn’t have to hear anything else. He hurried back to his computer and checked Alex’s tracker. It read that she was still in the bunker. Under normal circumstances, maybe that would’ve been normal. But after what had happened with Jaden, she shouldn’t have been held underground for so long. She should’ve been let go. She should’ve been free to call. Something must’ve gone wrong. Either Alex had been caught in a lie about Jaden. Or she had been caught in a lie about the rogues.

“Michael, get her out of there,” Taking his hand in hers and squeezing tight, Nikita begged. She could handle Ryan and the SCIF room. Birkhoff could see how much of the black box he could decrypt on his current equipment. Michael was then needed to save Alex. Storming right into Division was out of the question. So he planned to check out her apartment first. Hopefully, he could discover clues as to what was going on, and he could figure out how to help Alex from there. The rogues were so close to a real victory in their war. It couldn’t be jeopardized then. Nor could they lose anyone right at the finish line.

Alex fed the same half-truth she had told Nikita to Amanda. Although Amanda had more questions, she also believed Alex. She and Jaden had always been antagonistic. Even though they were beginning to get along, they were bound to kill each other one day. There was no reason to believe otherwise. And there was no reason to believe anyone else had been involved. Alex had shot Jaden. There was nothing else to investigate, and the whole thing should just be forgotten. At least, Alex really wanted it to be forgotten. She didn’t want to think about Nathan or the fact that she had lost him. She just wanted to disappear, “Are we finished?”

“Yes,” Amanda answered. Alex gladly began to rise from the chair she had stiffly sat in while she debriefed. However, Amanda held her back. She held out a staying hand that instantly caused anxiety to shoot through the young agent. She wasn’t off the hook just yet. She was about to be struck by even more blows, “Alexandra, one more thing. Are you familiar with our new cochlear implants? Division’s been developing them for some time. They go in a subject’s ear, and they’re virtually undetectable. Even to the person they’re planted on.”

Jaden’s complaint about a ringing in her ears came crashing back into Alex’s mind. She had just assumed it was another side effect from the trackers embedded in their necks. But her ears had never rang. She had just had a headache. Jaden had had more done to her. She had the implants- the cochlear implants. Everything that the two had discussed in the apartment had been heard by Division. Nathan’s knowledge of the assassins, his involvement in Jaden’s death, Alex’s call to the rogues… oh God, her call to the rogues. It had all been captured, every last muttered breath. That was it. Alex was caught. Her own voice sold her out, “Nikita, thank God…”

Chapter Text

“That was just to test the chair. I wouldn’t get up if I were you. The more you struggle, the more it hurts,” After Amanda shackled Alex to her chair with the press of a remote, she smiled cruelly. That was it for Alex; she truly had no escape. All her lies and schemes had caught up to her, and she had nowhere else to run. If it wasn’t terrible enough that she had to face Amanda with that fact, Percy soon came into the office. Amanda’s cold grin seemed to grow once she saw him, “Good, you’re here.”

“Not good. I was in the middle of things in Engineering. I can get the report on Jaden’s death when you’re done,” Percy sighed. He had no time for Amanda’s games. The death of an agent wasn’t important to him. Operation Sparrow was in jeopardy, and he had to salvage it. Alex would’ve smirked at his frustrations about his ruined op if she wasn’t in deep shit.

“I am done. And so is Alex. She’s Nikita’s and Michael’s mole. I intercepted a phone call she made to Nikita for help while she was standing over Jaden’s dead body,” Amanda was enjoying that fact too much. Although she had looked out for Alex- cared for her in her own fucked up way- she was glad to be ratting her out. After all, she had turned her back against Division, against all they had done for her. To make her suffer for that was going to be fun.

“Is that so?” Percy glanced at Alex with a wicked grin. A jolt of fear shot through Alex. He had known. Somehow, he had already figured out that she had been working with the rogues. Was that why she had been fed so much information lately. Had she been set up.

“She won’t answer you, she’s all out of lies,” Amanda didn’t notice Percy’s grin. Alex thought that made his knowing smirk more terrifying. The rogues weren’t as far ahead of him as they had thought. In fact, no one was. He was so many steps ahead of everybody else, they couldn’t even see him; they just assumed he was behind. Alex was in far deeper shit than she could’ve possibly imagined. She wasn’t going to be the only one that died that day.

“That is interesting. Good work,” Percy hardly even acknowledged Amanda; his whole attention was on Alex. The young agent (was she even an agent anymore) tried not to squirm. She could already tell that she wasn’t going to like what came next. She had a feeling it was going to be way worse than torture and death. After all, Percy quickly dismissed Amanda from the office, “You’re excused. I’d like to talk to our friend alone.”

Alex was too focused on Percy to really notice Amanda. However, she did manage to catch her sudden crestfallen expression. She did not expect to be cut out. Despite the fact that she was about to go through hell and back before she was more than likely killed, Alex was pleased with that. She couldn’t help but smirk at Amanda as she spluttered, “But, there’s no need to keep me out. I know what you’ve been busy with in Engineering. Operation Sparrow. Percy, I don’t keep secrets from you. I’d ask you to return the favor. You can trust me.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don't trust anyone right now. No one outside this office needs to know about Alexandra,” Finally giving Amanda his attention, Percy urged for her to leave. She was obviously not happy about that, yet she had nothing to argue. She had to leave. Alex probably should’ve not been happy about that. Even though she wanted to punish the mole, Amanda could’ve been a buffer against Percy. However, Alex couldn’t help but smile and almost laugh as she left. Things have certainly become far more entertaining in Division. Though, not so much to Percy, “What’s the smile for?”

“Glad to know I can still cause dissent,” Alex had to be proud of herself for causing the little argument between Amanda and Percy. Otherwise, her nearly crippling fear would be the first thing that killed her.

“Is that what this is? I thought you were out of moves. Nikita and Michael have one of my black boxes and you’re going to lead me to it,” Percy easily called Alex’s bluff. But that wasn’t what shocked her. She couldn’t believe he had the gall to demand that she worked for him. Alex would never do one of Percy’s corrupt, evil, dirty jobs- not unless she was ruining it somehow. He could go fuck himself for even suggesting that she should.

“I’m not gonna lead you anywhere. I started this mission ready to die. So you can try whatever you want, but you’re gonna have to kill me,” Alex refrained from actually telling Percy to fuck himself. She figured she should at least retain some modicum of decorum. She was definitely beaten, but she couldn’t let him take full control. She still had some fight left in her.

“I thought you started your mission to kill Semak prepared to die, not Michael and Nikita’s little quest,” Relaxing against the desk, Percy reminded Alex of her original mission. She hadn’t always been with the rogues. Her purpose in Division was a purely selfish one. She had only wanted to kill Semak. That was why she stuck with the recruit training. That was why she worked hard to be a skilled agent. Being rogue was only secondary. Alex shouldn’t have to die for the others’ cause, only her own. She had to be selfish again. After all, killing Semak and avenging her family should’ve been what mattered most.

Alex wished she had something to say in response- something that’d shut Percy up and hopefully prove him wrong. But she had nothing. All she could do was just glance up at him. He, on the other hand, paid her no mind. Percy knew Alex had nothing, and he didn’t care. He simply continued talking as though he had never given her a moment to respond, “I have a limited amount of time to deal with the rogues. I need you to help me with that.”

“No way in hell,” Alex seethed. Okay, maybe she was more willing to die for her chance to kill Semak than for the rogues. However, working for Percy remained the last possible thing she wanted to do. She wasn’t even working with him to get her revenge; she was working with Oversight. Percy was only a bastard in her way.

“Well, we’ll see about that,” Pushing off the desk, Percy continued to smirk. If Alex wasn’t restrained to the chair, she’d wipe that smug look off his stupid face. Even if she could, though, she was positive that that would only encourage him. He was enjoying the kind of power he had over her way too much. It was like some kind of game to him. He even waved the black box he had waved like it was a prize, “Do you know what this is?”

“Yeah. It’s the only thing stopping Michael and Nikita from putting a bullet through your brain,” Of course Alex knew what the black box was. Percy had sent her on black box missions; he should know that. Unless, that was part of his set up. He had learned she was the mole, and he had used her as a tool to set up the rogues. Something was going to happen to them. Something bad. Alex had to find a way to escape and warn them.

“No. It holds the truth. Which can be ugly sometimes, but we all deserve to see it. And the truth about you is that you’ve been manipulated by those closest to you,” While Alex hurriedly thought of a way out of that situation, Percy plugged the black box into a computer. That must’ve been the part where he revealed his master plan. She should probably keep him talking, then. That could give her enough time to break out of there and warn the rogues. Though, what exactly did she have to warn them against. Did it all revolve around Operation Sparrow, or was there more to it than that.

“It was my choice to bring you down,” Testing the restraints on the chair, Alex didn’t bite Percy’s bait. The only people who had tried to manipulate her were in that bunker. The rogues had helped her at every turn. In fact, the first person to have helped her in a long time was Nikita.

“Okay. But why? Why me? Because Division killed your family? Wrong. Division was just the weapon. Someone else ordered the hit,” Percy instantly dropped his smug demeanor. The suddenness of it forced Alex to be still. She had to look at the computer monitor he swung her way. And she had to watch the video he played. Her whole being froze at the sight of it. She couldn’t comprehend it; she didn’t want to. Percy, however, just stared at her and sneered, “You’re so innocent. How did you get from there to here?”

Alex’s mouth could only hang open for a moment. She was staring at a video of her old house. She was watching herself at thirteen, smiling and laughing. She saw her papa again. And she got to see her mother one more time. Alex wasn’t able to think of anything else for a long time. She hardly even registered that Percy was there. Until she caught his smug grin. Then, murderous rage replaced her shock, and she tried to lunge at the fucking bastard, “It started the night you burned my house down.”

“We used this video to plan the strike. It was given to us by your father’s right-hand man. By Semak. For what it’s worth, I regret our involvement in the action. If I had it to do over again, Division wouldn’t be there,” Percy explained the video’s existence on the black box, but he continued to not look at it. He only wanted to get his sick, twisted satisfaction from watching Alex’s shock, horror, pain, and grief and seeing her parents again.

It took everything in Alex to not crumble at the sight of the video. She really wanted to. Yet, again, she couldn’t let Percy win. So instead of letting her grief overwhelm her, she focused on her rage. That at least helped her tear her eyes away from the computer so she could glare at the bastard, “Are you apologizing?”

“I was following orders. I have someone ordering me to spy for them too. They call themselves Oversight. And they made a deal to replace your father with a man more friendly to U.S. interests,” Percy actually was trying to buy sympathy from Alex. Yet it wasn’t going to work. She would never forgive him for what he had done, no matter how he spun it.

“I know this already,” Alex huffed. She knew all about Oversight; she had her own deal with him. So Percy’s attempts to win her favor were pointless. Yes, Semak and Oversight made the deal to kill her family. But Percy had agreed. He was just as evil as the rest of them.

“You do. Which is why I’m confused. Because if you know this, then why are you here when your real enemy is on another continent?” Percy had a right to question Alex. She could’ve just focused her revenge on Semak. He was the one who ordered all of that shit. He was the one who had wanted her family dead just so he could have an oil company. He was the only one that should’ve died. She’d finally be at peace if he did.

“Because you won’t let me kill him!” However, Alex had good reasons to want Division and Oversight to burn as well. If they had never existed in the first place, Semak could’ve never hired them. Also, if they didn’t exist, they wouldn’t be in her way. She could actually be free. And, maybe, she could be happy.

“Oversight won’t let you kill him. I personally don’t care,” With a shrug, Percy clarified. He couldn’t have cared less if she killed Semak or not. It was Oversight that dictated that action. They controlled every little thing, which was why he had to carve out power where he could.

“Fuck off!” Alex shrieked. She didn’t want to hear it anymore. She just wanted it to stop. She wanted it all to stop.

“I’m trying to show you the truth. The whole truth. You don’t have to take my word for it. It’s all right here,” Percy snapped. He played the next clip on the black box. But it wasn’t a video that time. It was all audio. Alex heard horrific things through the speaker- her family being killed, her house burning down, her own screams. She tried to make Percy stop, but he wouldn’t. He kept making her hear the worst night of her life over and over and over.

Then she heard a familiar voice confirm her father’s death. It was Nikita’s voice. Alex knew she had been there. Yet she didn’t know her involvement. She didn’t know Nikita was the one who confirmed her father’s death- the one who had pulled the trigger, “You wanna know who really pulled the trigger? That’s your answer. Or did she forget to mention that?”

Michael had been right; Division had been tailing Ryan. Meeting him at the train station was a bust. Luckily, Nikita had planned for that. She set up a trap for Division to fall into, then had Ryan meet her at another location. He went along with her wild plans and changes. However, once she explained everything that was going on, he began to have reservations. Operation Sparrow was too big for the rogues to take on their own, and there was no way that it was as simple as Nikita painted it to be, “You’re gonna sneak us into the CIA. Once Birkhoff decrypts the box, we split, and Division goes down. Win, win.”

“No way,” Ryan was already shaking his head before Nikita finished. Yes, he was all for stopping whatever Percy was planning. But there was no way they could sneak around the CIA, even with the rogues’ skills. They had to approach things differently that time, especially if they really wanted Division to be shut down for good.

“We will be in and out before anyone notices,” Nikita argued. She, Michael, and Birkhoff had snuck in and out of the CIA without being noticed when they had deactivated Alex’s killchip. How could things be any different then. The CIA would never know they were there. They’d only know about Division and Percy. Then, the world would be saved once and for all.

“This isn’t some field office. You’re talking about breaking into Langley. What you want has to be done in a SCIF room. And nobody gets in there without SCI clearance, which I don’t have. Tom Cruise on a harness couldn’t get in there,” Ryan countered. Running around unnoticed in a CIA field office was one thing. But a high clearance level special room at Langley, there was absolutely no way. The rogues couldn’t do it on their own. They had to bring other people in.

“There has to be a way,” Pacing the secluded alley they had found privacy in, Nikita tried to think of a solution. Birkhoff needed a SCIF room- that was undeniable. But maybe Ryan was wrong. There were always other options. Nothing was that impossible.

“There is. I’ll give it to the people who can, and I will convince them to let you and Birkhoff sit in. Director Abbott is a good man,” Ryan suggested. They needed actual government officials on that one. It was the only way to decrypt the black box, and it was the only way to ensure Percy and Division burned for what they did. The rogues’ actions and accounts wouldn’t be enough that time. Things needed a permanent end.

Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe the rogues needed to bring in more people, and maybe director Abbott was a good man. However, it still didn’t sit right with Nikita. The box should be destroyed, not pried open- especially with men in positions of power looking over their shoulders. The box was too dangerous to be public. Unfortunately, Operation Sparrow appeared even more dangerous, “Look, if it wasn’t for this attack, we wouldn’t even be looking into this box. I’d be destroying it.”

Nikita didn’t need to go into specifics. After learning about the black box, Ryan knew the kind of power they held. Not only could they destroy the world with their secrets, but they could keep their agents in line. The rogues had the right to fear the box. One little secret could end them, “There’s things about you on there. Things that could send you to prison.”

“You know we won’t get that luxury. They’ll burn us,” Nikita sighed. Ryan was putting it mildly by stating they’d go to prison. The things Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff had done would get them killed. Their secrets couldn’t get out. No one’s could.

“Nikita, I can protect you. You were forced to do those things,” Ryan tried to comfort Nikita. There probably wasn’t a lot he could do to protect the rogues from prison or even death. However, he could argue that they were forced to follow orders. It was killed or be killed in Division. Some people might say that they would choose the moral high ground. But faced with a decision like that, most would do anything to save themselves.

“I should have said no!” Shouting with all the self-hatred that she had, Nikita couldn’t allow Ryan to shift the blame. She should’ve told Division ‘no’. She should’ve let them kill her. The world could’ve been a better place if she had.

Taking a deep breath, Nikita stopped herself from going down that dark, twisted path. Those thoughts couldn’t distract her then. She had to stay on mission. And the mission was a whole lot bigger than just her, “I always looked at this as my mission. My responsibility. And I would have died for it.”

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Ryan reminded Nikita. She had a whole team at her back. She wouldn’t suffer alone; they were going to thrive together.

“I’m not alone. That’s the thing. It’s not just me. I have someone- multiple someones- to live for, and they’re on that box too,” Nikita felt the weight on her shoulders lift at just the thought of Michael, and Birkhoff, and Alex. She wasn’t fighting alone- for once in her life. She had people in her life that would actually look out for her. And she’d look out for them too. It wasn’t just her life in jeopardy when it came to the box. It was everyone’s she cared about. She couldn’t let them get hurt.

Ryan couldn’t say anything against that. He didn’t want people to get hurt if they looked into the black box with Director Abbott. However, that was the only choice they had. If they wanted to stop Sparrow, then risks had to be made. Even if they didn’t like their options, they could at least win, “Going through the official channels is the only way I can help you. You have a tough choice to make.”

“You’ve gotta start thinking for yourself, Alex. Alexandra. Whoever you are,” Percy scoffed. Alex tried to open her mouth to answer him- most likely with another cuss- but he cut her off. He wasn’t done speaking. And he wasn’t done turning her whole world upside down, “I’ll tell you who you are. You’re the girl with a bomb in her brain. I must admit that Michael and Nikita demonstrated some very skillful tradecraft when they managed to disarm it. Your killchip has been reactivated.”

Alex blinked. What the hell was Percy talking about. There was no bomb in her brain. She only had a tracker at the top of her spine. What the fuck was a, “Killchip?”

“No. They didn’t tell you about that either? You really are a pawn,” Percy laughed (which was definitely a weird sound to hear) at Alex. She wanted to be livid at his reaction; however, she just felt lost and confused. How had she lost that much control. Weren’t the rogues winning just a few hours ago. How was it then that they were all defeated.

“You’re lying!” Alex desperately wanted to believe that Percy was lying. She refused to accept anything he told her that night. Nikita didn’t kill her father. The rogues weren’t hiding a killchip from her. Percy was manipulating her. He had been the villain and always would be.

“No. No more lies. For the first time in your life, somebody’s telling you the truth. There is a killchip next to the tracker on your medulla that will drop you instantly at the touch of a button,” Percy showed Alex the killchip he had turned back on, and the button he could use to detonate it. She immediately fell silent. There was nothing like a life hanging in the balance that made people pay attention, “Now, earlier today you said you were prepared to die. If that continues to be the case, I respect it.”

There was no fight from Alexandra Udinov. She just slumped in the chair she was trapped in and looked helplessly at Percy. He smirked, “On the other hand, you could leave Division and return to the rogues. I’m not asking you to take their lives. I’m not asking you to pull the trigger. All I’m asking you to do is exactly what they’ve done to you. Lie.”

Finally, the plan Percy had been formulating for months was coming to fruition. It would all be over soon. His pieces were all lined up for the attack, “You will be bugged and monitored. If you choose to run, if you choose to warn Nikita or Michael, you choose to die. Or you can choose to live. Whatever happens in the next few hours will be your choice.”

“Alex? Alex, are you there? It’s Michael. I just want to know if everything’s alright,” Michael knocked on Alex’s apartment door. There was no reply. Tentatively, he tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Michael hovered his hand over his weapon as he crept into the apartment. He didn’t know what was going on, yet he did know that something was wrong. The further he stepped into the empty apartment, the more sure of that he was. However, before he could finally get an answer for his terrible suspicion, something struck the back of his head. He tried to maintain consciousness. But a needle in his veins had other plans.

Chapter Text

Michael was an idiot. He shouldn’t have gone to Alex’s apartment alone. He shouldn’t have let his guard down. He should’ve completely surveyed the area before blindly stepping into Alex’s apartment. Of course Division would still be around; it was a crime scene. Getting captured was his fault. And getting trapped in Division was his fate. Gaining consciousness chained in the basement of hell, Michael was not surprised to be where he was. Nor was he surprised when Percy entered the room. His luck had finally run out, “Come to gloat?”

“Come on, you think I enjoy seeing you in here? I thought I knew you. Then you surprised me,” Percy slowly moved into the dim light so Michael could see him. Although he had that permanent air of smugness around him, the bastard did seem- deep down- upset by Michael’s betrayal. He had been Percy’s right-hand man before he had gone rogue; he had been one of the few people he could somewhat trust. All of that had changed in an instant. Yet it had changed for the better.

“Well, imagine my surprise when I found out it was you who put out the hit on my family,” Michael spat. Years of pent up rage were bubbling to the surface. Kasim had been killed for his part in Hayley’s and Elizabeth’s deaths, however, Percy had remained untouched. Years after the truth had been revealed, that remained to be true. Yet with the black boxes out of the way, Michael vowed to change all that. The bastard finally had to pay for his sins.

“Your family wasn’t the target,” Shrugging, Percy tried to justify himself. That bomb was supposed to have killed Michael, not his wife and daughter. The fact that they had been killed instead was an unfortunate accident. But there was no purpose in changing the past. One just had to take what they were given and run with it.

“You think that makes it any better?” Michael could never understand the way Percy rationalized things. When he had been in Division, he had been able to turn a blind eye to the shit the bastard had pulled to get what he wanted. But since learning the truth, he was outraged by the things Percy would condone. So what if Hayley and Elizabeth weren’t the targets. His actions still got them killed. He still did not care if innocents died, as long as it lined his pockets. Percy was an absolute monster. And Michael couldn’t wait to send him to hell.

“No, I think it makes it tragic,” Although his words expressed sorrow, Percy’s tone absolutely did not. He couldn’t care one way or another about Michael or his family. As long as he still found a way to be in control, what did anyone else matter.

“You’re such a liar,” It was beyond bewildering that Michael had ever followed Percy. His pain and guilt must’ve had him so twisted up inside, he refused to accept reality. He was so glad he willingly saw the truth then. He wouldn’t be swept up in the bullshit anymore. Percy couldn’t convince him that he was trying to save the country or whatever. He had always been a selfish man, desperately wanting more than just what life had given him.

Whereas Michael spat venom, Percy remained unfazed. He wasn’t rattled or shocked by anything that was occurring, especially since he had predicted it, “And you’re such a man of principle. Always have been. That’s why it was so easy to goad you into this mission.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael wanted to be as livid and furious as before. However, his curiosity was getting the better of him. What did Percy mean by goaded. Alex had given the rogues the intel on Operation Sparrow after a conversation with Kelly. There was no way that Percy could’ve predicted that. The rogues were steps ahead of him. Weren’t they.

“You really think Kelly would ever give Alex all the pertinent information on Operation Sparrow. I had her bait your mole, and she greedily took the information. You rogues are very predictable. Always have to do the right thing,” Percy smiled smugly and cruelly. It had been no coincidence that Kelly taunted Alex with the super important operation. The head of agents excitedly took the opportunity to help lead to the mole’s downfall. It had all been a setup, even right down to the black box.

“Nikita’s a light woman with a heavy foot, and there are a lot of traffic cameras in London. As fate would have it, we put in a call to Alex while she was sitting right next to you. So I knew the three of you were in it together,” Noticing Michael’s bewilderment, Percy continued to explain. He had had his suspicions about Alex for a while. But he wasn’t able to confirm she was the mole until London. Since then, Percy had been putting a plan into effect that’d take down the rogues and move him up in the world. After weeks of preparation, it was finally coming to fruition.

“Why did you let her live?” Michael could hardly wrap his head around what he was hearing. The rogues weren’t as accomplished, successful, amazing, undefeated as they thought they had been. They had been tricked; they had been played. They had been defeated so terribly that they still didn’t notice it.

“You don’t have to get rid of people just because they make mistakes. Look at Dana Winters. I knew about her family before I sent Alex to Plainview. I made a deal with her in advance. She could retire with the cop and his kid as long as she played along with you,” Starting to grow excited, Percy continued to gloat. It was just so satisfying to see his plan come to fruition. No more waiting. No more biding his time. He could steal what should’ve always been his right then and there.

He could also taunt the rogues and finally bring them down from their high and mighty pedestals. That was also extremely satisfying, “Losing a few early rounds to you was helpful. My losses made you overconfident. You didn’t notice when I started to lose on purpose. A box in plain view, Ryan and his SCIF room. I led you to those victories. They were my victories.”

Although Michael knew Percy was actually telling the truth- he’d never give up a chance to brag about how smart and powerful he was- the rogue still couldn’t believe it. There was no way that the rogues were that predictable. There was no way that they were playing right into Percy’s schemes. The bastard wasn’t that smart. He couldn’t have been that manipulative, “There is no way you could have pulled that off.”

“I built this place. I’ve kept it running for years. You have no idea what I’m capable of pulling off,” Percy’s smugness instantly dropped. His smile melted into a sneer, and his dangerousness shone brightly. The rogues had seriously underestimated how evil he could be- if that was even possible. And they were going to pay the price.

“We’re still gonna stop Sparrow,” Straining against his restraint, Michael attempted to have hope and to show resistance. Birkhoff, Nikita, and Ryan had the black box, after all. They could still save the day. It wasn’t over yet.

“Michael, I intended for Birkhoff to deliver the box to Langley. I wasn’t worried that you’d give my box to the CIA. I was worried that you wouldn’t,” Snidely, Percy crushed the last remaining hope Michael had. There were no more options for the rogues. They had been completely boxed in. The bastard had foreseen everything, far more and far better than the team ever could, “Capturing you was just a bonus. Though, I’m glad I did. It’s easier keeping you all apart. You’re more manageable- more easy to kill.”

Michael couldn’t give up. He had to keep fighting. He had to escape Division. He had to get Alex out of whatever hell she was currently trapped in. He had to warn Nikita, Birkhoff, and Ryan. and he had to kill Percy. However, he didn’t have the strength left to do anything. It was far easier to accept defeat. There was nothing the rogues could do to stop Percy that late in the game. It was his game, after all, “You rigged this whole thing.”

“And I couldn’t have done it without you,” Percy smirked.

Alex left Division with a com, a hidden camera, and Percy’s lie rattling around in her head. She drifted thoughtlessly to the rogues’ loft, her limbs mostly moving on automatic. She refused to allow herself to think about what she was doing. If she began to think, she’d start to back out. And if she started to back out, she’d die. And if she died, Semak would continue to live. Percy said she had to start thinking for herself. Yet she was still trapped. There was still nothing else she could do but do what others wanted, “Nikita.”

“Hey. I’ve been worried about you. What’s wrong? What happened?” As soon as she saw Alex, Nikita sprang to her feet and rushed over to her. She and Birkhoff had just been sitting around deciding what to do with the black box, waiting for their meeting with Ryan, and waiting for word back from Michael and Alex. Birkhoff had just given up and gone to the bathroom, yet Nikita was a nervous wreck. She was pacing the loft maddingly. Seeing Alex helped calm her down. If she had escaped Division, then maybe everything could be alright.

“I’ve been placed in inactive status pending the final report. Then I was sent home. All non-essential agents had to leave Division,” Alex shared matter of factly. Nikita only deserved to know the lies she had been told to share. That was all the rogue had told her. It was about time that the favor was returned.

“I mean, before that,” Nikita shook her head. She didn’t care about what was going on inside Division at that moment. She only cared about what had happened to Alex. It had been horrifying not hearing from her for so long. Nikita had to know if she was alright, and if she really was okay with what had happened to Jaden.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Averting her gaze, Alex muttered. Although she was mostly trying to get Nikita to focus on the lie she had to tell her, Alex really didn’t want to talk about what had happened in her apartment. Losing Nathan, watching Roan clear Jaden, knowing that at any minute she or Nathan could die, the young agent couldn’t revisit that. She wouldn’t be able to survive it if she did. She just had to keep focusing on the next mission. Then the next after that. Then the next after that. And so on and so forth until she could kill Semak. Only then would things settle down. Only then could she make it all stop.

Curiously, Nikita tried to study Alex. Something was wrong. That wasn’t just typical avoidance. Something else had happened that she wasn’t telling her. Gently reaching for Alex, Nikita attempted to figure out what that was, “Okay. Why?”

“I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it out of there alive,” Alex pulled away from Nikita. She couldn’t accept her comfort then. Everything would fall apart the second she did. Though, honestly, things were already falling apart. She had more lies- Percy’s lies- ready on her lips, but she couldn’t say them yet. She was just so angry and scared and hurt. Her rage had to be felt. The hurt crushing her chest needed to explode, “Why didn’t you tell me to escape?”

“I wanted out before Jaden died. Alex, I gave you many chances to leave Division, and you passed on every one of them. I wanted you out more than you did,” Nikita had no idea what was going on with Alex, and she was growing more and more concerned. The young agent couldn’t have been that affected by Jaden’s death- they weren’t close, and she had shot people before. So what was Nikita missing. What had Alex so upset that she was considering running away from everything, “I thought you wanted to use Division to get to Semak?”

“It’s starting to get more dangerous. You know that. It’s better if I join you. You have control of my tracker, right?” Alex knew she was pushing it. She hadn’t mentioned her tracker- her killchip- since the mission where the rogues had turned it off. However, a part of her wanted to give Nikita the chance to tell the truth. If she finally did, then maybe there could be a way out of that situation. Maybe she did have choices.

“Until the surgeon takes out your tracker in a couple weeks, yeah. Unless you have a better idea,” Nikita and Michael, with the help of Shadownet, had found a surgeon that could remove Alex’s killchip without killing her. It’d take a while to set it up and make sure it stayed on the downlow. But as soon as they were able, the rogues were going to help Alex get the killchip out of her head. They simply had to ensure that she survived until then, “I mean, I thought that we agreed until then you’d stay put.”

Biting her lip and clenching her hands into fists, Alex fought the urge to scream. Even when given the opportunity, Nikita still wouldn’t admit the truth. She’d just keep lying, keep hurting her, keep being a murderous monster, “Is that what we agreed? Or is that what you needed me to do so you can keep hunting your black boxes?”

“Alex, I would never have let you go back in there if I thought you were in danger. The minute I didn’t hear from you, I sent Michael to your apartment. Did he find you?” Nikita’s deep concern for what was going on with Alex was only interrupted by her concern for Michael. If Alex was in the loft, then so should’ve been Michael. Where was he. Why hadn’t he called by then. Did something happen to him too.

Alex blinked. She hadn’t heard anything about Michael. But if he had gone to her apartment, then there was a good chance that he was in danger. She opened her mouth to share that with Nikita, but Percy silenced her. Through her com, the bastard warned that if she said anything about Michael, she would die. That meant the rogue was definitely in trouble. However, Alex soon found herself not caring. He had lied to her too, after all. They had all lied, “Uh. No. I haven’t been back to my apartment. But he’s probably still there waiting for me. We can call him while we check something I overheard.”

“What is it?” Nikita tried to clear her head of any worry. Alex was probably just overwrought with emotion after Jaden’s violent death, dealing with Amanda, and Operation Sparrow. And Michael was probably just cautiously waiting for Alex. Nikita shouldn’t let her anxiousness for Sparrow cloud her mind. She had to stay focused. The rogues weren’t going to save the day if they got distracted then.

“Agents are mobilizing everywhere. They’re about to hit targets all over the country,” Walking away from Nikita, Alex finally told the lies Percy had fed her. She was supposed to get Nikita out of the loft, so more of Percy’s plan could go into effect. She knew it was a death sentence for the rogue. But she didn’t care. How could she care for the woman who had killed her father and who constantly lied to her. Though, she didn’t care for the bastard who had made a deal with Semak to have her family killed either. So why was she working for him.

“What targets? Where?” Reaching for her weapons, Nikita demanded more information. After she delivered Birkhoff to Ryan, maybe she and Alex could start knocking out Division agents. They could call Michael on the way, and he could join them on the new mission. With all the rogues they had on their team, they could actually attack Division on two fronts. They had a real shot of finally taking them down.

“All I could get was the location of the staging area for the strike on New York. I have an address,” Alex shouldn’t have been doing that. Yes, she hated Nikita for what she had done. Yes, she wanted her chance to kill Semak. But she definitely didn’t want to be helping Percy. And she definitely didn’t want him to win. She had to start thinking of another way out.

“Good. Now we have a target too,” Nikita claimed excitedly. Attacking the staging area Alex had an address to, the rogues could do real damage against Division. They could also learn the rest of the plans to Sparrow and stop further destruction. Things really were looking great for the team. Maybe Nikita shouldn’t get too excited, but she was so ready for the war to end once and for all. Then could’ve been it.

A part of Alex wanted to curse out Percy. That damn bastard had been right. Nikita trusted Alex completely, and she easily took the bait. Percy was going to win. Unless Alex actually did something, “You’re gonna hit the staging area?”

“After I get Birkhoff and the black box to the CIA. And you’re gonna help me. Good thing you’re non-essential,” Nikita beamed. Alex only looked at her. The young agent’s anxiety must’ve been as bad as the rogue had assumed. But it was going to be okay. Nikita could promise that. She was determined to end all that shit that day, “Here. Suit up. You can borrow my BDUs.”

“You’re always taking care of me,” Hesitatingly, Alex took the mission gear handed out to her. Despite her anger and hatred, Alex couldn’t argue that Nikita hadn’t taken care of her. The rogue had done everything to help her. She had always been willing to save her, even at the risk of her own life. Her lies couldn’t diminish that. The love and care she had shown Alex was real and genuine- unlike Amanda’s and Percy’s. Alex shouldn’t kill her. Nor should she let Division. It was time she started to find a third option.

“Somebody’s got to,” Nikita continued to smile at Alex. When Birkhoff finally emerged from the bathroom, though, her attention shifted to him. It was time to meet with Ryan and hand over the black box. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be handing over their lives with it.

The rogues grew gravely serious as they drove to the rendezvous point. Alex called Michael along the way and claimed that he’d meet her and Nikita at the staging area. That left the other three to face Ryan and the CIA alone. It wasn’t dangerous. Birkhoff knew Ryan, and he knew that he’d be safe with him. All the problems stemmed from the black box. It was still risky to just hand it over like that. So many people could get hurt. However, more people could get hurt if they didn’t. The rogues had to think of the greater good, like Ryan did, “I’m glad you decided to do this.”

“Yeah, that makes one of us. My life is on this box. And the lives of people I care about,” Nikita muttered. She still didn’t like handing the CIA all that damaging information. Yet it was the only way to stop Operation Sparrow. Saving the world had to be more important than her personal feelings. Especially when she didn’t know the kind of danger that might occur if she didn’t make that sacrifice.

“I’ll guard it with mine. Trust me,” Ryan swore. The second the CIA got too greedy, he’d refocus them on Sparrow. The only one going down that day was Percy. The rogues would remain safe. It was the least they deserved.

Before Ryan left the meeting area with Birkhoff, however, he became distracted. He finally noticed a young woman next to Nikita. He instantly assumed that she was Alex, the team’s mole. He had always been interested in meeting her, especially after the mission to disable her killchip. Despite the circumstances, he was glad then was his chance. He could smile brightly and praise her for all she had done, “You must be Alex. It’s an honor to meet you. You’re very brave.”

“Not so brave,” Alex mumbled. A brave person wouldn’t be scrambling for a third option. A brave person wouldn’t have been so deceptive. A brave person wouldn’t be following Percy’s lead. Alex had to step it up; she had to do better. She had to remember what her Papa had taught her- before Nikita murdered him.

“Being in that lion’s den, living a lie, never flinching, I couldn’t have done it,” Ryan interrupted Alex from the rest of those thoughts. His praise was so earnest that Alex couldn’t help but listen to him. She also couldn’t help but feel better. Ryan was right. She was amazing and capable. She was awesome. Alex could ensure that no one but herself won. Thinking like that, she was starting to have real ideas about what her third option could’ve been.

“I have a good mentor,” Alex couldn’t stop herself from looking at Nikita with a smile. Rage continued to race through her veins. But she couldn’t dismiss the care she somehow still felt for the rogue. Maybe it was because deep down she knew that Nikita was only following orders when she had killed her father. If she didn’t do it, someone else in Division would’ve, and Alex would’ve died as well. Killing her father wasn’t Nikita’s greatest sin: lying was. And that was what Alex could never forgive her for. Even if she could still look at her with a smile.

Stunned that she had such a positive impact on somebody, Nikita smiled as well. The only thing that broke the happy moment was Ryan bringing the two women back to the present with another comment, “I’m glad I could help the team deactivate your kill…”

“Your tracker. Yeah. Ooh. That was quite the mission. Come on, Alex. Let’s go,” Nikita instantly interrupted. If she was being honest with herself, she hated the fact that she had done that. It was way past time that she told Alex the truth about her tracker. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t distract Alex or give her anymore crushing anxiety then. Maybe once the killchip was removed, she’d tell the truth. As for that moment, though, she’d keep telling that awful lie.

“Actually, I’d love to talk about it. You know, we never did debrief about it. How did you turn it off?” Ignoring Percy’s warning through her com, Alex continued to push the topic. She wasn’t going to let Nikita keep lying. And she wasn’t going to let Birkhoff just walk away from the conversation. She needed to know the truth once and for all. If anyone could give her that, it could be Ryan, “Do you know anyone who could take it out? Nikita says it’s very complicated.”

“We’ll get your tracker out. Don’t worry. Now we have to get to the staging area. Come on,” Pulling Alex gently by her arm, Nikita led her away from Birkhoff and Ryan. Operation Sparrow and staging grounds first. Then they could talk about killchips and trackers. Besides, when Percy went down for what was about to occur, who would have to worry about killchips ever again. There was no need to worry- no need to get distracted.

After that last lie, Alex stopped talking to Nikita. She didn’t want to associate with her anymore. She just wanted to screw over Percy, let the rogues do their thing, and finally go on her own. Until she could manage that though, she had to go through the charade of the staging area. And she had to put her third option into action.

Once at the address Percy had given her, Alex faked another call to Michael. She told Nikita that he was checking out the lower floors, and that they should start with the upper. Although Nikita agreed with her, she didn’t move towards the building just yet. She just stared with a scrutinizing eye and an unsteady nerve, “I know this is the right address, but are you sure this place is it? Shouldn’t there be guards?”

“Not if they wanna keep this under the radar,” Alex maybe said a little too quickly. But they were starting to run out of time. Her plan had to happen then before Division caught up to them. And before Nikita realized that Alex was lying about Michael. As soon as she discovered that, she’d never trust the young woman ever again. Alex didn’t care too much about that, but she needed the rogue’s trust for a little while longer. Just long enough to finally hear the truth.

“There’s no cameras either,” No guards could maybe be excused. But no cameras didn’t fit with Division’s paranoia; there had to be some kind of security measure. Nikita didn’t like what was going on. It just didn’t feel right.

“I went through a lot of trouble to get this intel. The least we can do is check it out,” Rushing towards the building, Alex forced Nikita to follow. The rogue was going to catch onto her soon enough. But they should’ve been approaching the end of things. No more lies. No more betrayals. She’d just have the truth and the option to do what she wanted.

It didn’t take Nikita long to examine the upper floors and know that something was wrong. There were no signs of Division. There were no signs of anyone. Well, except for the car Nikita had spotted tailing them after Birkhoff walked away with Ryan. She, Alex, and Michael had been led right into a trap. Whoever fed that intel to Alex knew she was the mole, “Empty. I was afraid of that. Listen, an Alpha team’s been tracking us for the past half hour.”

Alex paused. If the Alpha team was almost there, then she had no time to waste. Nikita should’ve told her as soon as she spotted the team, then she could’ve had more time. Why did the rogue keep lying to her. What was she gaining with that much deception besides further trouble, “What? Why didn’t you…”

“I didn’t wanna spook you, tip them off. This isn’t a staging area, it’s an ambush. You were fed bad intel. You could be compromised. It’s time you left Division. But first, we ambush them,” Gripping her weapon tightly, Nikita prepared for a battle. She hadn’t expected one so soon- at least not until after the black box was decrypted. But the rogues’ good luck was bound to run out eventually. Fortunately, she, Alex, and Michael (once he met them upstairs) were powerful enough to take out an Alpha team.

“There’s no cover here,” Although Alex grabbed her gun, she didn’t follow Nikita. She stayed rooted in her spot, psyching herself up for what she was about to do. That was her moment. She could hear the truth, screw Percy over, and be free. All she needed was for Nikita to look at her first. Alex had to look her in the eyes when she finally told the truth. Otherwise, what was the point. How could the rogue ever know that she had fucked up by lying to her if she didn’t feel her pain.

“This is what’s gonna happen: Michael and I are gonna be at that door popping them off as they come in. You hold your fire. If they get past the kill zone, you keep them busy till we can reload. Then we all cover each other till Michael and I can leapfrog back,” Studying the bare surroundings, Nikita thought quickly. There was a solid chance that that idea would work. She simply needed Alex on board with it. She also needed Michael upstairs. Where was he, anyway. Shouldn’t he have been with her by then. The building was empty, so he couldn’t have found anything. Was there something Nikita was missing.

“I don’t think that’s gonna work,” Alex responded sternly. Concerned, Nikita finally turned to look at her. As soon as Alex saw her eyes, she raised her gun and aimed it right at the rogue’s chest. Although she felt unsteady, her body stood tall and firm. Her resolve was unwavering, and so was her weapon, “If I’m gonna die, I wanna know. Did you do it?”

Mouth opening then closing, Nikita had absolutely no idea what was going on. She knew she had been lied to- that much was obvious. However, she couldn’t figure out Alex. She didn’t recognize the look in her eyes. It wasn’t only full of rage and murder; there was also fear mixed in there, and pain, and sorrow. Alex had gone through more hell recently than just killing Jaden. She encountered something in Division- something that left her broken. Nikita had to know what that was. She could maybe help, “Alex, what are you talking about?”

“Did you kill my father?” That was all Alex wanted to know. One truth. If Nikita continued to lie about the killchips, then the least she could do was tell her about Operation Pale Fire. It was just one truth she had to tell. Was she the agent who had disobeyed orders to save a thirteen year old girl but followed orders to kill her father. Or was she a liar.

“Put the gun down,” Gently, Nikita urged Alex. She’d tell her friend everything she wanted to know. She’d answer all her questions and then some. Just not at gunpoint, and not while an Alpha team was right outside.

“I wanna hear you say it!” Alex screamed. But she never actually gave Nikita a chance to say anything. As the rogue opened her mouth, the young woman pulled the trigger.

Chapter Text

Michael did everything he could to break his restraint. He was only chained to a stone pillar by one wrist. Yes, that made him uncomfortable; and, yes, that made moving around awkward. However, he could ignore that as he tried to rip his wrist free. There was no way that was his end. He refused to be trapped in Division while Nikita, Birkhoff, and Alex were in danger. Once he managed to escape, there had to be something he could do to help the team. Maybe he could finally shoot Percy. That’d certainly be helpful.

Unfortunately, hours passed without progress. Michael’s wrist was bloody and bruised, yet the restraint held. He had been close to ripping his own hand off- he’d sacrifice a hand if that meant saving his loved ones- but his energy failed him. His hope began to fail him as well. The fact that four rogues had escaped Division before was a mistake Percy wouldn’t allow to happen again. Even if Michael removed the restraint, he was still trapped in a room hundreds of feet below ground. And even if he could get up top, he wouldn’t be able to reach Birkhoff, Nikita, Alex, and Ryan in time. He was useless. He just had to pray the others were more successful.

Never having been a religious man, praying for the others was difficult. His conviction waned just as quickly as his hope. Michael could trust in his team’s abilities, but what good would their skills serve them when they didn’t have a clue about what was really going on. Percy was several moves ahead, and he was going to crush the rogues before they ever realized that. If it happened to Michael, it’d happen to the others. Hell, there was a chance that Alex was already in a similar situation he was in. She was trapped and suffering and unable to help. The next victims would be Nikita and Birkhoff.

As Michael wallowed in his defeat, he heard the door to his cell unlock and open again. He didn’t even make an attempt to break his restraint and sprint towards the opening. He knew there was no use. All he could do was sit there awkwardly and prepare himself for whatever horror Percy was going to gloat about next. Except, it wasn’t Percy who came through the door. The clacking high heeled shoes definitely didn’t belong to the bastard. Michael then believed he was going to look up and see Amanda. Surprisingly, though, it was Kelly who had entered and who was staring at him with a blank expression, “I didn’t expect you.”

“Can’t say the same about you,” Kelly replied to Michael dryly. Although the corner of her lips pulled upwards in what appeared to be a smirk, her tone didn’t reflect her desire to taunt him. Michael honestly couldn’t care less about why that was. Whatever was going through Kelly’s mind didn’t matter. So what if she was upset or if something had happened to her. There were worse things going on outside the hellish walls of Division; things Michael couldn’t draw his attention or despair away from.

“What does Percy want you to tell me now?” Sighing, Michael turned away from Kelly. The only way she could’ve come to see him was if she was acting as Percy’s mouthpiece again. When he had been the head of agents and she had been a recruit, they hardly ever interacted- except when she had gotten in trouble. And when Kelly had graduated to agent, Michael only dealt with her when she was paired on missions with Nikita. The two hadn’t been close- definitely not close enough for her to come see him when he was captured. She was just there to fulfill an order. She would never do anything else.

“I just came to say goodbye,” Again, Kelly attempted to be smug, but it fell flat. It was almost as if it wasn’t in her at the moment to gloat. What did Michael care if it was or not, though. He didn’t even respond to her ‘goodbye’. He just slumped against the pillar and waited. He waited for the horrendous news that the rogues lost and couldn’t stop Sparrow. He waited for a cleaner to come kill him- Percy would never get his hands dirty like that. And he waited for Kelly to leave. She didn’t move a muscle, however. She just kept staring at him until she was finally able to ask, “Was it worth it?”

“What do you care?” Michael scoffed. Kelly still sounded subdued. She didn’t seem like she was actually there to brag or anything. It almost seemed as though she was genuinely curious about whether or not the rogues’ cause was worth it. But that couldn’t have been right. Since day one, her mission had been to capture and kill the rogues. There was no way Kelly would deviate from that. She wouldn’t even think of deviating from that. So how could she actually care about what the rogues thought or did. What could it serve her on her mission.

“I just think it’s funny that you rogues really thought you could take down Division,” Finally, some snark coated Kelly’s tone. She actually sounded like herself- gloating over what she perceived as other people’s stupidity. After all, she somewhat had a point. It had been an impossible task to take down Division when Michael had been the only one rogue, and it was impossible when there was a whole team of agents trying to burn the hellhole. The rogues were no match for the black ops group of the government. Division had corrupt government officials at their back; they had power. The rogues had nothing.

Though, that nothing had gotten them far in their war. That was a fact that couldn’t be forgotten. They had had Division beat several times. And, as of that moment, they were still alive. Awkwardly getting to his feet, Michael turned to face Kelly. He honestly didn’t have any bravado left in his system to taunt, yet he could muster some for the agent. His hopelessness, despair, and anger could be unleashed on her, “So you came to gloat too. I know you set us up. Percy told you to bait Alex so we could fall into his trap. When you asked what Sparrow was, you knew. You were dropping breadcrumbs, just like the good little follower you are.”

That sentiment struck a chord with Kelly. The fact that (after her rough transition into Division) she always followed her orders was besides the point. Of course she did as Division told her; she would die otherwise. What pissed her off was that Michael really believed that any of them really had a choice. Couldn’t he see where he was. Going against Division had led to his and his team’s death. So, who cared if Kelly was a follower. At least she was alive, “I’m doing what I can to save my life. I’m not letting them, or you, or anyone kill me.”

“You know Percy’s corrupt, but you turn a blind eye to save your own skin. That’s your choice, and you have to live with it,” Michael bit. He knew Division agents had no real choice. If they wanted to live (and most people wanted to live when it came down to it) they had to do as they were told. However, most agents knew Percy was corrupt. The missions they performed were definitely not sanctioned. By blindly following, by never fighting, the agents were being complicit. For recruits, that was the only thing they could do. But for agents like Kelly, they had power and agency. They could stand up. They could fight back. They just chose not to. 

“You know what? You and Nikita sound exactly alike- saying the same shit over and over again. Is that what happens when you fuck someone?” Rolling her eyes, Kelly refused to let Michael’s words affect her. She knew what she was doing. She knew that she was turning a blind eye. But that wasn’t going to hurt her. It was the only thing that was saving her. Not everyone got to be like the rogues. Not everyone could survive blatantly disobeying those with too much power. Some people needed to stay subdued and silent if they wanted to keep breathing.

“That’s because mine and Nikita’s eyes are open,” Leaning against the pillar, Michael glared at Kelly. Birkhoff had once made a quip that the couple had begun to sound more alike since they had gotten together (they had even once made the same joke about the same situation). But the hacker had called out the couple in jest. Kelly wanted to wound Michael. Yet she wasn’t going to get under his skin. He and Nikita sounded alike because they were right. They were also unafraid to face the truth. It was something Kelly would never understand.

“No, Nikita is dead,” Furiously, Kelly snapped. It finally became clear to Michael what the agent had been upset about when she had entered her cell. Despite their differences, Nikita and Kelly had been partners- a part of them still cared for one another. However, that was the last of his rational thoughts. Everything suddenly became muted and cold. He could barely focus on anything, let alone Kelly’s next words, “She’s dead, Michael. I was listening in over the com. She… I warned her what would happen if she went up against Percy. You warned her too. Then you let her join you. You encouraged her. That was your choice.”

Michael’s ears rang. All thought had rushed out of his head, making his ears buzz. His thoughts then settled in his stomach, pitting out his gut and leaving nothing behind. He felt as though he was going to throw them back up. However, he didn’t have the strength to move. Kelly’s words struck his heart, and almost instantly, his body shut down. Nikita was dead. Division had caught up to her, and they killed her. She was gone. His love was gone again. And, again, he wasn’t there to save her.

It was lucky that Michael was leaning against the pillar. Otherwise, he would’ve completely collapsed to the ground. He had believed that he had lost all strength and fight in him before. But then- he had no way to accurately describe the kind of emptiness he felt. He just wanted to give up, to waste away forever. What was the point if Nikita was gone. If Nikita was gone. There was a chance that Nikita was still alive. Kelly had no reason to tell Michael the truth. She could’ve been lying. She just wanted to upset him. Nikita could still be alive. Michael could still have her, “No… No. I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true. Alex shot her,” Kelly stated matter of factly. Percy had had her listen to the com he had hidden on Alex. He wanted her to be actively involved in the rogues’ set up and take down. She had already brought in Michael, and she had already staged the warehouse to put the blame of Operation Sparrow on Nikita. She just had to see it all through by witnessing Alex turn on Nikita. Honestly, the gun shot surprised Kelly. She didn’t think that it would’ve gone that far. She truly didn’t believe that Percy could’ve twisted Alex and the rogues like that. Yet she was drastically wrong. She should never doubt Percy like that again.

“You fucking liar!” Michael tried to surge forward to Kelly. His trapped wrist nearly broke against the restraint as he violently moved towards the agent. The pain didn’t bother him. In fact, he couldn’t even feel it. So much rage and anguish flowed through his veins, he couldn’t feel anything besides his heart slowly breaking in half. There was no way Nikita was dead. There was absolutely no way she was dead and Alex had killed her. Kelly was just acting as Percy’s mouthpiece for one of his fucked up games. The bastard wanted to break the rogue. But Michael wouldn’t break because Nikita was alive.

“Nikita killed her father, so Alex killed her. That’s what happens in this fucking place. Everyone turns on everyone. The only way to survive is to look out for yourself. You should’ve taught her that,” Kelly spat at Michael. She didn’t give him a chance to respond. After that, she stormed out of his cell and left him with his thoughts. Except, Michael didn’t have anything. The fleeting moment of hope that Nikita could still be alive had left him. He was left empty, broken, and weak. He had no more fight left in him. He just let his body crumble to the ground despite the pain in his wrist, and he wept.

As Nikita’s body hit the ground, Alex ripped away the com and camera Percy had forced her to wear. She made certain that she was truly disconnected from Division, then she ran towards the rogue. Just as she had expected, her rounds had hit Nikita square in the Kevlar. Her ribs were definitely broken, yet she’d be fine. Once she could catch her breath, she’d be running and gunning in no time. Yet Alex couldn’t have her catch her breath just yet. There was still more to her plan. And more information to share, “Hey. Hey. Michael’s in Division. You’re gonna have to get him out after you fuck up Percy’s plan.”

Nikita immediately tried to get up, yet Alex held her back down. She removed the drug she had hidden in her pocket and prepared to inject it into the rogue. When she had been at the rogues’ loft, Alex spotted a paralytic in their medical kit. She hadn’t questioned why it was there. Instead, she had realized that the drug could be her third option. Watching Roan clean Jaden before she was carted away to Division was going to leave Alex with nightmares. However, it did teach her a few things. Like, whatever drug she gave the rogue would save her life, “This is tetrodotoxin. It will flush out of your system when Roan starts to clean you.”

Tetrodotoxin should slow Nikita’s heartbeat enough for Division to believe she was dead. Until Roan cleaned her, then she’d snap awake and tear Percy and Operation Sparrow to shreds. Alex wouldn’t be around to watch that happen however. Her plan to create a third option wasn’t just so she could save the rogue and fuck with Percy. It was also so Alex could get free. She wanted out of everything. No more lies with the rogues. No more torture from Division. She was going to go out on her own, kill Semak, and disappear. It was for the best. And it was how she could maybe eventually be happy, “Good luck. And goodbye.”

Chapter Text

Alex was dragged away from Nikita’s body as soon as Roan and his gaggle of Division agents arrived on the scene. While the expert Cleaner examined the rogue’s body, Alex was held back tightly as if she might do something. Yet she was done fighting. Her move against Nikita was the last of her espionage, her master planning, her assassinating- at least for Division. She was ready to go out on her own, kill Semak, then disappear. There would be no more trouble from her. She didn’t give enough of a shit to cause anymore trouble. She, Division, the rogues, they had all done their damage. It was time for her to leave and never return.

Before Alex could, however, she was being dragged back to Division. Again, she didn’t fight. A part of her had suspected that Percy would want her back in Division after he discovered that she had shot Nikita. Yet whatever he was going to do to her, she’d face it. It couldn’t be worse than what she had already been through. All the death, lies, deception, betrayals had all taken a piece from her until there was nothing left. Percy couldn’t take away anymore. He could try, yet she’d face him down with a steely glare- with her father’s glare. Then she’d walk as far away as she possibly could.

Except, it wasn’t Percy Alex was brought to in Division. While Roan set the scene for Nikita’s downfall and began to clean her, Alex was shoved into Amanda’s line of sight. Percy was nowhere to be seen. He must’ve not cared about the situation. He had wanted Nikita out of the way anyway. He could just take the victory and run with it. That left Alex more free than she thought she was, which she was perfectly fine with. Save for the fact that she was left facing Amanda, “Orders have changed. Take her to my office. But first, I have to see her for myself, the person who brought down Nikita. Tell me, did you know you were going to kill her?”

“The second I walked into her place, I made up my mind to do it,” Alex dismissed Amanda’s excitement over the fact that she had killed Nikita. She mostly did it so Amanda wouldn’t glean the truth like she always managed to do. The less they talked about what had happened, the less Division would know- until it was too late. Alex also tried to brush past the conversation because she didn’t want to think about it anymore. She had done what was asked; she had made her choice, and she had lived. So she should just be able to go.

“Even though you knew you were being monitored and Percy was ready to trigger your killchip if you deviated from his plan?” Amanda held Alex in place, though. She didn’t seem to buy what had happened to Nikita. She studied the young woman with a wary, cold, calculated gaze as if she could see right through her. Alex ensured to keep her guard up. She couldn’t be discovered before she escaped. Then it all would’ve been for nothing. She had to make sure that her choices counted. She was in charge of her life- no one else ever would be.

“Percy told me to make a choice. I did. She never saw it coming,” Alex lifted her chin haughtily. She had learned that half-truths were the best way to slip past the Inquisitor’s questions, yet Alex didn’t need to lie then. She had made a choice. Between Nikita and Percy- between Division and the rogues- she had chosen herself. And it was a decision she wouldn’t back down from. No matter what she faced next, she was glad that she had screwed everyone else over. After what they had done to her, they deserved it.

“It’s ironic. Nikita sealed her own fate the day she met you,” Amanda smirked. Though, she didn’t seem to be completely enjoying that fact. From all their time spent together, Alex believed she could discern the Inquisitor’s thoughts almost as well as she could discern hers. That intrigued, calculating light in Amanda’s cold blue eyes appeared to die a bit at the thought of Nikita’s death. It was almost as though she was upset about it. Honestly, that didn’t shock Alex as much as it should’ve. Amanda had stuck her as someone who cared deep down. And the rogue was someone you couldn’t help but latch onto.

Shaking that thought from her head, Alex refused to let herself get sucked back into those emotions. Those gunshots were supposed to separate her from the rogues. She wasn’t going to think about them. She wasn’t going to hope that they survive and defeat Division. She was just going to keep choosing herself. She had gotten that far on her own. There was no divine intervention, no helping hand that had helped her survive. Alex did all of that on her own. And she was going to keep doing that. No one- nothing- controlled her life. It was time she finally took charge of it, “I don’t believe in fate.”

If Nikita was being honest, that wasn’t the most terrifying situation she had woken up to. Division, a mission where she had been kidnapped, Brandt, Daniel’s death, certain foster homes, those were all far more terrifying. But jolting awake to see Roan hovering above her hardly even made the list; it just seemed like a pretty standard Monday for her. That was probably because her body was so riddled with shock that she could hardly comprehend what was happening. She couldn’t exactly perceive the danger she was in. All she knew was that her entire body hurt, she was struggling for air, and there was a thing of acid within her reach.

Before she could even take a full breath of air, Nikita threw the acid into Roan’s face. The act was more instinctual than anything else she could’ve done. She knew he’d kill her. The instant her eyes popped back open and she gasped, she knew she was dead. Nothing else besides that made sense. So, the rogue let her instincts take over. Roan was instantly neutralized with whatever acid she had burned him with. He ran out of the room screaming as if he was dying- maybe he was. Nikita didn’t concern herself with that fact, however. She just had to force herself to finally breathe. And to move. And to think.

After getting shot, Nikita’s only thoughts were that Alex was compromised and that Michael was in danger. Then, things went dark for a very long time. Since her mind was racing again, she had the same thoughts: Alex was compromised, and Michael was in danger. There was a new thought circulating in her head also as she struggled to get up off the floor: she had to survive. Whatever the fuck was going on couldn’t be her end. Nikita needed to get up before Roan called in reinforcements. She needed to get out of that building. And she needed to save her team from the shitstorm they had been caught in.

With her ribs screaming and the tetrodotoxin and the drugs Roan had pumped her full, it took all of Nikita’s strength to get up off the floor. Fortunately, there was a table nearby to help her stand. Unfortunately, the table was full of incriminating evidence. A fake black box, the nerve toxin the rogues thought had been destroyed in Geneva, detailed plans and lists all littered the table. It didn’t take long for Nikita to piece the information together. Operation Sparrow had been a setup. Percy wasn’t just making a move against the government; he was also trying to destroy the CIA. And the rogues had hand delivered that weapon for him.

Frantically, Nikita pulled her cellphone from her pocket (thank God it hadn’t been struck by a bullet). She had to warn the CIA. She had to stop the attack before things got any worse. She tried to call Birkhoff, yet he was in the hacking zone; he wouldn’t answer her. So she tried Ryan instead. But there was no response- not even an ignored call, “Ryan… There’s no cellphones at the CIA. Fuck. Ryan, it’s all wrong. Everything’s wrong. The box. Alex. She’s compromised. It’s compromised. It’s a setup. Ryan, there’s a nerve toxin. It’s triggered by an electric charge. If you get this, don’t touch the box.”

It still hurt to breathe. Nikita could hardly move, and she could hardly breathe. But she had to get out of that building. Roan must’ve recovered by then (if he wasn’t dead- which Nikita doubted he was). He’d call in an Alpha team at any moment. She had to go. But go where. Alex was compromised; Division was going to kill her next. Michael was also trapped in Division, facing death. Nikita had to save them. She had to get them out. However, Birkhoff and Ryan were in danger at the CIA. Despite her call, they were going to open the black box and kill themselves and everyone in the building. She had to save them. She had to save everybody.

Scrambling out of the building, Nikita made up her mind. As long as Division believed she was dead, and as long as they were preoccupied with what she was about to do, Michael and Alex would be safe. The two could also handle themselves extremely well in life or death situations. Nikita’s attention instead had to be on Ryan, Birkhoff, and the CIA- those that didn’t even know they were in danger. Calling them hadn’t worked. So, she stole the first car she saw outside the building and sped as fast as she could to Langley.

Although Nikita believed there was still time to stop the nerve toxin attack, she didn’t doubt the speed of Birkhoff’s hacking abilities. The black box would be decrypted soon, and everyone in Langley would die. Nikita wasn’t going to get there in time, no matter how fast she sped. She had to keep calling and trying to warn them. Getting in touch with Ryan and Birkhoff continued to prove fruitless. So, she just tried the CIA’s front desk. They at least answered her, “There’s a bio-weapon disguised as a hard drive. SCIF room, 7th floor… I’m under covert status. I can’t identify myself on an open line… Aah, you’re useless.”

The woman who had answered Nikita’s call and who had asked far too many questions was only doing her job; she needed verification before she could take the threat seriously. However, Nikita couldn’t go through all that red tape. The nerve toxin was about to be released. Percy was about to win. And everyone was about to die. Nikita needed to be listened to immediately. Which was why, once she sped into the parking lot, she just walked through Langley’s front door rather than sneak in, “I need to see someone in Intelligence. I understand you guys specialize in that around here.”

Before Percy or Division could decide what to do with Alex, she was left in Amanda’s office. She wasn’t trusted enough to walk around, so she was restrained once again to that metal chair. Although that pissed her off, and made her even more desperate to leave, she was resigned to her fate. After all, she knew it’d all be over soon. Not even an hour later, and Division exploded in activity. Commands were being shouted, and agents were frantically running around. Alex couldn’t help but smile. She was glad she was a part of that torment. Even more so when Amanda returned to her office with a shocked expression, “What’s going on up there?”

“Nothing you don’t know,” Amanda shook away her shock and glared at Alex. The young woman knew exactly what was going on. Nikita had survived. She freed herself from Roan, she made her way to the CIA, and she was actively destroying Operation Sparrow. Next, she was going to be storming Division to save her boyfriend. Maybe that was when Alex could make her escape. During the chaos, she could slip away for good. No one would look for her while the rogues were raising hell. She could truly be free to do whatever she pleased.

“Kinda figured I’d know when my brain popped,” Snarking, Alex reclined back in her chair. She had a feeling deep down that if Percy was to ever use her killchip against her, he’d have done it already. No, he continued to see value in her, so he continued to keep her around. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she took that away from him too. Just like how he wasn’t going to have the satisfaction of controlling the government, he wouldn’t be able to control her. She had decided that far sooner than when she had decided to shoot Nikita. Alex simply needed to finally put that into effect.

“Well, Percy’s a little busy right now. Otherwise, I’m sure he’d trigger your killchip himself. Instead, he sent me,” Although Amanda stared Alex down, she didn’t move closer to the killchip trigger on her desk. Alex wished she could’ve been able to read her expression like she had been able to before. However, the young woman was staring at stone. Whatever Amanda was thinking, she wasn’t going to let it show on her face. Alex would have to guess or poke around. Or continue to tell herself that she didn’t care.

“That’s too bad. I would have loved to see his face one last time,” Alex would’ve loved to see Percy’s angry, bewildered face one last time before she threw that deal he had made back in his face. She was going to kill Semak on her own without the help of anybody. So what if that got her killed in the process. It was her choice. And it was her gain. She was through letting people use her for their own gain. She wasn’t a pawn in someone else’s chest game. No deals, no partnerships. Just her. The men who thought they ruled the world were going to hate that.

Amanda continued to keep her distance from the killchip trigger. Her gaze, however, remained trained on Alex. She was definitely scrutinizing her. She was trying to see through all the walls Alex had built to protect herself. For a second, she believed the Inquisitor could do it. There had been numerous times where Amanda had seen right through her before. She had called her out, she had read her mind, and she had assessed her emotions to a tee. Why would then be any different. Amanda could get the answers she wanted from Alex with just a few words. There was no need to threaten the press of a button, “Before you go…”

“Let me guess. You’d like to ask me a few questions,” Alex smirked. Of course Amanda couldn’t near the killchip trigger. Her curiosity was outweighing her orders to dispose of the mole. Alex could play on that until she was able to escape. She’d answer anything the Inquisitor wanted to know, no torture required. Alex had the feeling that Amanda knew more than what she was letting on, though. Maybe that was just a lingering effect from all their sessions. Amanda wasn’t all knowing; she couldn’t always tell when someone was lying. She was simply another person that needed to be taken off her pedestal.

“Actually, just one,” Amanda smiled sweetly, startling Alex. What the young woman wouldn’t give to be able to read the Inquisitor’s mind then. Was she playing some type of game; was she trying to manipulate her. Did she have her own plan in mind that she wanted to enact. If only Alex could figure it out. If only she wasn’t constantly thrown for a loop, “Why? Surely there were other ways you could have handled this. You could have warned Nikita with a note while you were in the lair.”

“Percy had me bugged. If I tried to warn her, he would’ve dropped me where I stood. If I was going out, I was going out my way. Besides, Nikita had to be surprised to sell the act,” Alex blinked. There was no way Amanda was simply asking about her decision to shoot Nikita. Wasn’t it obvious. She had to shoot the rogue. It was the only way she could get what she wanted. No other plan could’ve worked- not in the short amount of time she had anyway. Alex had to shoot Nikita, and Division had to believe she died.

“But it wasn’t all an act, was it? You needed to see the look in her eye when you asked her if she killed your father. You needed to know the truth. That’s why you didn’t warn her,” Amanda acted like she easily saw right through Alex. She acted like her assessment was entirely correct and there was no room for any other answer. And maybe she was right. Maybe Alex did want to shoot and kill Nikita. She definitely hated the rogue enough to do it. Her constant lies had sent her over the edge. Yet Alex didn’t want to give Amanda the pleasure of being right. She didn’t want to admit that she had so much anger and it wasn’t all directed at Semak.

“I didn’t warn her because…” Alex actually paused to think. Honestly, she had never thought to warn Nikita. She hadn’t even thought to warn Birkhoff or Ryan. Words didn’t seem like the right choice. She just had to act. Besides, it wasn’t as though Nikita or any of the other damn rogues had told her every little bit of information. Even when that information was about her life, they kept it from her. So why should she have returned the favor by being honest with them, “Because fuck Nikita.”

Based on Amanda’s reaction, that was exactly the answer she wanted. She crossed closer to Alex, smiling wickedly. Alex wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of a glare. She simply kept her stern expression. She had meant what she had said. However, Nikita wasn’t the only one who should feel the brewing wrath in the pit of her stomach. Amanda, of course, knew that. Yet she just continued to push. She wanted to make the young woman snap, see her really angry. The way she smiled at Alex, though, was enough to make her blood boil, “If you feel that way, then why fake her death? Why save her life?”

“Because fuck all of you too!” Snapping upright in her chair, Alex seethed. She had grown so sick and tired of it. How were there even two sides of that war. Both Division and the rogues were harsh, cruel, liars and killers with more sins than anyone could count. There was no hero or villain. Everyone was a piece of shit. Everyone could go fuck themselves. Why had Alex doublecross Division but didn’t tell the rogues about it, because both needed to lose. There were no good guys to fight for. It was all about surviving on her own. As it always was.

Chapter Text

Nikita did not receive a warm welcome inside Langley. She was immediately brought to a holding area and questioned relentlessly. She tried to respond. She told them what she knew of CIA protocols and who to contact about her information. Unfortunately, that only made the agents more skeptical. They wouldn’t listen to her. They perceived her as the threat, not the intel she presented. She was close to losing her patience and control, “How about… How about this? I tell you everything I know, make you heroes. All you have to do is call the SCIF room and tell them that your bosses are about to get their faces melted off. Just be a hero and make the call.”

“Fuck yeah!” Birkhoff shouted in triumph. Once he had had access to high-tech CIA computers, cracking the black box took no effort at all (honestly, a part of him could admit that one good thing about Division was all the tech at his disposal). After the initial biometric sensor was unlocked (thank you, Dana Winters), Birkhoff only had to run through a couple series of decryption softwares and efforts to unlock the rest of the box. He had access to all of Division’s dirty little secrets in a few short hours. Operation Sparrow could be stopped in no time.

“You did it,” Ryan sighed in relief. He didn’t doubt Birkhoff’s skills. If anyone could crack Division’s encryption, it’d definitely be that hacker. He was simply relieved that the box was cracked in a few hours. That gave the CIA- and the rogues- plenty of time to learn about Operation Sparrow and form a counter attack. The CIA could also have tangible evidence of Division’s misdeeds and finally arrest Percy and shut that place down. No more innocents would be hurt. No more corruption would spread across the government. The evil of Division would end as soon as Ryan called in the Director of the CIA.

“A little easier than I thought it’d be,” Smugly, Birkhoff replied. He honestly thought that even with the SCIF room equipment, it’d take him at least half a day to decrypt the black box.. But he must’ve been that good. The noobs in Division couldn’t touch him. He could use the information stored in the black box to take down the damned black ops unit of the government once and for all. It’d start with Operation Sparrow. Yet Birkhoff wondered what other secrets were worth prying into. Obviously Pale Fire and the operation that had killed Michael’s wife and daughter. But what else was there. What other families could they help with the intel on the box.

“This line’s dead. I’m getting Abbott,” Ryan broke Birkhoff out of his thoughts. The phone in the SCIF room strangely wasn’t working; he had to walk down to Abbott’s office to retrieve him. In the meantime, it was best if Birkhoff didn’t poke around in the black box. Who knew what other hell could be released if he did. They should just focus on Operation Sparrow- the imminent threat- then. And when Division was taken down and Percy was behind bars, they could examine the other contents and gain much needed answers.

No matter what Nikita said, she was not listened to. Everytime she warned the CIA agents about the attack, they simply asked more and more questions. She understood that was their job, but at a certain point it became excessive. She had all the right information and urgency to have been taken seriously. Any delay meant certain death. What about that wasn’t clicking with the agents. They had to pull Ryan, Birkhoff, and whoever else out of that SCIF room immediately, “We need to get in there now! There’s no time.”

As Nikita continued to beg the agents to listen to her and save her friends and the CIA, two more agents entered the room. For a second, she thought they were her rescue. She thought Ryan and Birkhoff had received her calls and had stopped decrypting the fake black box. They then sent agents to escort her upstairs so they could discuss what had happened. Ryan probably also wanted her and Birkhoff to come clean about Division. But that’d be another hurdle to jump over later. For the moment, they should focus on the fact that they had been saved. Or so Nikita truly believed, “This woman’s a security threat. I’m gonna take her into custody now.”

“What’s going on here? What did she do?” Upon hearing the two new agents’ words, both Nikita and the agents she was with became confused. She hadn’t done anything besides share information. How could she have been a threat. Unless, those new agents weren’t CIA. Nikita knew Percy had hidden agents in multiple intelligence organizations- he even had one in Al-Qaeda for God’s sake. Those two agents could’ve been the ones he had in Langley. Percy must’ve realized where Nikita was going once he knew she was alive and activated his agents. They were going to kill her once and for all.

“She just killed two intelligence officers,” Drawing his weapon, one of the Division agents shot and killed the two CIA agents. Nikita hated herself for not seeing that coming. It was no surprise that Division would destroy everything in its path, company men not excluded. Nikita should’ve protected the agents; she should’ve realized the new agents were Division sooner. Yet it was too late to do anything about that then. Nikita could only focus on the present. She couldn’t save the CIA agents, but she could save herself. And she could save her friends.

When Ryan returned with Abbott, Birkhoff had surprisingly sat patiently still. The serious situation must’ve subdued his curiosity. Or the amount of secrets held within the black box had terrified him into not even attempting to open Pandora’s box. Regardless, their only focus had to be on Sparrow and ending Division for good. Delving into the newest attack would get them what they needed. Everything else was a distraction- a distraction Director Abbott couldn’t help falling for, “Bring up Black Arrow. That name came up during the Safwani investigation.”

“But the priority should be Sparrow; that’s the imminent threat,” Ryan didn’t have to stop Birkhoff from clicking on the file for Black Arrow; he wasn’t going to do it anyway. The analyst had to stop the CIA director from becoming too greedy with the information. Yes, gaining a black box was a great score; the CIA could do a lot of good deeds with that. But all that information paid a price they couldn’t afford at the moment. Little steps had to be taken with the monumental weight that was the black box. First, they stopped Sparrow and the fallout that’d follow. Then, they’d uncover all the dirty secrets.

Gunshots outside the SCIF room startled the men away from the monitors. Birkhoff’s mouse hovered over Operation Sparrow, ready to click it and finally gather vital information, when violent sounds stopped everything. Ever curious, Ryan reached for the phone in the room to see what was going on. The line was still dead. Ryan and Birkhoff started to grow concerned, yet Abbott ignored it all. He clicked on Operation Sparrow, desperate to stop whatever evil that was occurring in the country. The instant he did, though, more gunshots hit the door. Then Nikita burst through the broken door, screaming, “Get out of there!”

“Go, now! Go, go now! Go!” Ryan instantly noticed the smoke coming from the black box. The white fumes already began to choke their lungs and sting their eyes. The men in the SCIF room didn’t need to know anything about black boxes to realize that wasn’t normal. They followed Nikita into the hall and sprinted as far away from the room as possible. Coughing up the filth that had entered only did so much to clear away the sting. And it didn’t do anything to clear away their confusion. What the hell was that. Where they attacked. Had they been played. Was that what Sparrow truly was- a trick. Did Nikita just save their lives.

Birkhoff believed so. He was certain he knew what that gas was without Nikita having to say anything. Somehow, Percy had gotten a hold of the Sarin gas from Geneva, and he decided to use it against the government. From there, the hacker couldn’t figure out what else the bastard’s plan was. He assumed Nikita knew. But before he could ask, CIA agents flooded the floor. They all trained their weapons on Nikita and yelled at her like she was the threat, “Drop it. Drop the weapon. Hands where I can see them. Do it!”

“Birkhoff, go,” Dropping the gun she had taken from the Division agents, Nikita pushed for Birkhoff to run towards the exit. As long as he got out then, the CIA wouldn’t suspect that he was a part of the attack. He could save himself, Michael, and Alex. Nikita would be fine inside Langley. She already took out the Division plants. And Ryan would protect her. However, Birkhoff refused to move. He refused to leave her behind. Under normal circumstances, Nikita would’ve thought that was very gallant and sweet of him. But he seriously had to go. He was the others’ last chance of survival, “Seymour! Michael and Alex are trapped in Division! Go!”

“Get down!” A CIA agent shoved Nikita down to her knees. She kept her eyes locked on Birkhoff’s, pleading him to go. He didn’t hesitate any longer. By the time the guards turned to him, wondering if he was also a threat, he sprinted out of the hall. Hopefully, the CIA would remain too preoccupied with Nikita to follow him- Ryan could probably deflect their attention. Birkhoff could continue sprinting out of Langley without delay. Though, what he was supposed to do once he escaped was beyond him. How was he going to get Michael and Alex out of Division. How was he going to take on Percy. Especially after Nikita just tanked his entire plan.

Chaos continued to unfold in Division. Alex could only guess that it was Nikita causing trouble- hopefully, she had managed to meet up with Birkhoff and Ryan. Amanda was in and out of her office, dealing with the mess and paying little attention to Alex. Yet when she returned for the last time, the young woman received all of her attention, as well as a sly smile, “This is all about Nikita. You reminded me of my best student and now we know why. You hate me, but it’s misdirected. You became the infiltrator, I was just doing my job. I never lied to you, when all you ever did was lie to me.”

“Sucks to be us,” Rolling her eyes, Alex huffed. What did it matter what she and Amanda were to each other. Besides, it wasn’t as though Alex always lied to her. There had been moments when she had been truthful, especially when it had guaranteed her a step closer to her goals. There had always been moments in the very beginning- before she had found the rogues- where she had relied on Amanda and the comforting words she had said. It hadn’t all been lies and hatred between them. But being held back from her goals had certainly made it that way for Alex. She couldn’t trust Amanda or her words. Just like she couldn’t trust Percy or the rogues.

“Why are you still alive, Alexandra?” Amanda asked suddenly. Alex was a little taken aback by the words. Why was she still alive- seriously. After Nikita had survived Percy’s best efforts to kill her, wouldn’t he want the girl who had doublecrossed him dead. Wouldn’t he want to gloat as it went according to his plan anyway and he finally killed Alexandra Udinov. Where was Percy. Why wasn’t he there. And why hadn’t the killchip in Alex’s brain gone off yet. What new game was Division playing.

“Because you haven’t killed me yet,” Alex answered testily. What she wouldn’t give to know what was happening in Division at that moment. She wanted to know if the rogues had actually fucked with Percy’s plans. She wanted to know if both sides of the stupid war were at a loss. And, most importantly, she wanted to know why she hadn’t been killed yet. She had wanted that; she had wanted a chance to survive and escape. However, she thought it’d be harder than what was actually happening. She thought she’d have a showdown with Percy and the rogues. Instead, it seemed as though she had become an afterthought.

“How did you survive the night your family died?” Amanda changed topics once again. What was Amanda doing. Didn’t she know how Alex had survived Operation Pale Fire. It was Nikita’s first rogue act. Although Michael left Division first to go on his crusade to avenge his family, then Birkhoff followed because it was the right thing to do, then finally Nikita after her actions caught up with her, Nikita had technically been rogue the longest. She had defied her orders to save Alexandra. She had never killed her thirteen year old target. Instead, she pulled her from the burning house and brought her someplace she thought she’d be safe.

However, Alex hadn’t been safe. The person who had promised to protect her sold her to traffickers. That wasn’t Nikita’s fault, though; she hadn’t known Nikolai’s driver would be that evil. Of all things Alex could blame Nikita for, her being trafficked wasn’t one of them. But she could still harbor resentment for all the lies the rogue had spun. And also for the fact that she had killed her father. Yes, another Division agent would’ve killed Nikolai. And yes, Alex’s father would’ve wanted Nikita to save her, not him. But the rogue could’ve told Alex. She could’ve been honest with her. She didn’t have to make things so hard, “Nikita.”

“Yes. But how did you survive after that? When you were sold on the black market? And when you were alone for four years, hiding and homeless?” Thankfully, Amanda turned the conversation away from the rogue. There was no need to think or talk about Nikita anymore. She wasn’t important, especially not to Amanda then. Her icy blue gaze was completely locked on Alex. It was almost as if she seriously wanted to know how the young woman had survived all those years on her own, like she genuinely cared what had happened to her.

“Me,” Although Alex jutted out her chin in pride, her voice was quiet. She still didn’t like thinking about her time in the brothel and her time on the streets. She might’ve survived it, yet she definitely wasn’t the same person. Those years took something from her she could never get back. She had tried to with drugs. She had tried to forget the pain and had tried to be happy with artificial bliss. But it wasn’t sustainable. The only thing that had gotten her through hell was herself. No one else had been there. No one else had cared.

“Why? Why didn’t you die then? Why are you still alive?” Continuing to probe, Amanda asked Alex questions she had once asked herself. Why was she still alive after the brothel and the streets. There had been moments when she had wanted to die. There had been moments when the pain was too great and the urge to wipe it all away with drugs was too powerful. Yet her efforts never worked. She always woke back up, facing the cruelness of the world. She used to think that was a curse. A part of her still did.

So why did she keep fighting, especially then. Alex wanted to wake up one morning without feeling sad, but could fighting really bring her there. Could her vengeance against Semak really make her happy. Or was she just reacting in anger. Why was she still alive despite hers and others’ best efforts. It couldn’t have been spite. No, the feeling was stronger than that. The fight to live was more powerful than anger, vengeance, and spite. It was even more powerful than her wanting to be happy. It was just plain and simple desire. The desire to live, and breathe, and scream, and laugh, and everything else she could do with her life, “Because I wanna live.”

All of a sudden, intense pain Alex had never felt before coursed through her body. She tried to scream, yet she couldn’t. All she could do was convulse in pain as her heart felt like it was about to explode. Then the world turned dark. The next thing she knew, she was gasping and spluttering, and Amanda was standing over her supine body with a needle. Alex tried to speak, but all she could do was gasp for air. Thankfully, Amanda was already answering her, “Yes, you were clinically deceased for about twenty-five seconds. I needed to disable your killchip, and there was no time for surgery. Now the chip thinks you’re dead, which means you’re free to go.”

Even more confusion etched its way across Alex’s features. She continued to gasp for air and tried to settle her racing heartbeat. Yet she couldn’t settle down when nothing was making any sense. What did Amanda mean that she was free to go. There was no way it could’ve been as simple as that. There had to be a catch. There had to be strings attached; there always were with Amanda. Except, not that time. Alex was truly free, “I’m not gonna hold on to you the way I tried to hold on to Nikita. My advice to you, don’t return to her. For any reason. You don’t need Nikita anymore. You need to make your own choices.”

The restraint holding Michael in place was released. His wrist was free, and the lack of resistance caused him to collapse to the floor. For a moment, Michael didn’t even bother getting up. Nikita was dead. What was the point of fighting anymore- what was the point of living. But then the door to his cell popped open. There was his chance to escape. He could leave Division and reunite with the tattered remains of the team. Or, he could run straight to Percy’s office and finally kill the bastard. The thought of revenge- of killing the man who had taken so much from him- finally brought Michael to his feet. He took off running.

Chapter Text

There was nothing else for Michael to lose. Elizabeth was dead. Hayley was dead. Nikita was dead. He didn’t care if he died or not. He only wanted Percy dead. Just a few agents were in his way as he scrambled towards the bastard’s office. He took them out easily, grabbing a gun in the process. He didn’t put thought into his actions. He ran solely on anger and rage. The instant he broke into Percy’s office, he pushed the bastard on the desk and shoved the gun in his face. Whatever reason he had for not killing him before soon vanished from his mind. Michael didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t care about anything. Nikita was dead.

“I die, the Guardians upload the boxes. You ready for that?” Before Michael could finally pull the trigger, Percy tried to weasel out of death. He didn’t state that fact pleadingly. A snide smile pulled at his lips as he reminded the rogue that his death would destroy the world. Michael told himself that he didn’t care- that with Nikita dead, who cared if the world burned. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill Percy and cause chaos. That would lead to other families suffering- other senseless deaths. Just because Michael was hurting didn’t mean he could hurt the world. A fact Percy knew he would come to, “Still can’t make the hard choices, can you?”

A fresh wave of rage rolled over Michael. He so desperately wanted to kill Percy for all he had said and done. The trigger under his finger was so loose; it would’ve been so easy. Yet he knew better. Nikita knew better. Innocents couldn’t keep dying because of Division. The world needed to be saved. Black boxes had to be destroyed. Then Percy could die. Until that moment, Michael couldn’t pull the trigger. But he could pistol whip the bastard, knocking him unconscious. He could also steal the black box found in the office, keeping the secrets out of Division, “That one wasn’t too hard. I think I’ll keep this.”

Remembering that Percy kept sedatives in his desk, Michael nearly smiled. He pumped the bastard so full of drugs, there was no guarantee he’d wake that night. That allowed Michael to escape Division. And then what. What was he going to do with a black box and without Nikita. The latter thought completely gutted him. But the former, he could do something about. If he found a hacker, he could hold a gun to their head and force them to decrypt the black box. He could then have answers that had been hidden away. He could have answers that brought light to the world. He could have answers that meant Nikita didn’t die in vain.

Finding a lone hacker wasn’t that difficult. Michael found one in Birkhoff’s old hacker cave. It seemed as though she was hiding out there while chaos exploded in Division around them. Michael didn’t really care why the hacker was down there, just that she had access to Division’s supercomputers. He instantly jammed the gun against the back of her head, and held out the black box so she could see it. She tried to move, to speak, but Michael stopped her. He didn’t care about her, just the box, “Shut up. Don’t move. I want you to decrypt that.”

“Please listen to me…” The hacker tried once again to turn around and talk to Michael. He still refused to listen to her. He forced her to turn back around and harshly told her to shut up. He couldn’t kill her, but he also wouldn’t spare her. There was nothing she could say that’d stop him from decrypting the black box. There was no amount of begging, trickery, or whatever else someone would do to get a gun out of their face that’d steer him off his course. Division had taken so much from him, so he was going to take from them. It was that simple.

“She’s alive.”

“What?” Michael blinked. The hacker didn’t need to clarify who she was talking about. She didn’t need to be specific about who ‘she’ was. Michael knew. He knew the hacker was talking about Nikita. He simply wouldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t allow himself to be swept up in that false hope. He couldn’t let himself believe a lie only to be crushed by the truth later. He couldn’t keep falling for Division’s games that were only designed to hurt him and others. He couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel if he was only surrounded by darkness.

“Nikita’s alive. She just ruined Percy’s whole plan,” Sonya clarified slowly yet steadily. She knew Michael would be hysterical once she released him. She didn’t doubt that either Kelly, Percy, or Amanda would’ve bragged to him that Nikita had apparently been killed. But it wasn’t true- Division had been tricked- and he had to know. He deserved to know the truth. It was the only thing that would save him. After she had helped him out, of course, “Who do you think let you out of your cell? I did it remotely.”

The gun in Michael’s hand loosened. Did the hacker just say what he thought she did. Not only was Nikita alive, but she had stopped Operation Sparrow. Nikita was so wonderfully, amazingly, beautifully alive. And she continued to be a force to be reckoned with. Michael was so relieved he could start crying again. Yet he stopped himself short. Nikita being alive and screwing over Percy made sense. But the hacker saving him didn’t. What did she have to gain by helping him. Why did she dare help the rogues, “Why?”

“If you, Nikita, Alex and even Birkhoff can continue to be brave enough to fight Division, then I could find a way to be brave too,” Quietly, Sonya admitted. After she had heard that Nikita had saved the CIA from whatever Percy had attacked them with, she knew she had to do something too. She couldn’t just sit around, waiting for others to defeat the big bad and save her. She had to help save herself. There was a strong possibility that Percy would pay for what he had done to the CIA. So no one would’ve known what she did. She wouldn’t be punished for helping the rogues and striking back. She could just free herself.

Michael didn’t have time to dissect exactly what the hacker meant. He wasn’t entirely convinced of her motivations, or if she really could be trustworthy or used as an ally. However, he had the assumption that the hacker he held at gunpoint was Sonya. She matched the description Alex had given. And judging by the isolated station and computer equipment, he had found the head hacker of Division. If he was dealing with Sonya, then maybe she could be trusted. She had helped Alex enough to the point that the mole liked her, after all. Michael didn’t have to be so guarded or brash. He could lower the gun and just find Nikita, “Where is she?”

“She’s trapped inside Langley,” Turning back to the computer, Sonya caught Michael up. Once Ops descended into chaos after the hell Nikita had raised in the CIA, the head hacker disappeared to her area. Percy was too busy dealing with that fallout to notice her, which was how she became so brave. And she continued to be brave. She reclaimed the hack she had made against the CIA servers and tried to figure out how she could help Nikita. There wasn’t much she could do on her own, but Michael could help. From what she had heard, he was a great planner.

“And Alex?” Michael remembered to ask about the mole. Kelly had said she was compromised. Did that mean Alex was then dead. Had Division killed her once they were done with her. Was she trapped somewhere in the bunker, being tortured for her doublecross. No. If she had been trapped, Sonya would’ve released her too. So where was she. What had happened to her. Michael should’ve been worried about Alex a long time ago. He should’ve been thinking about how the both of them were going to escape. He was just so distraught over Nikita, he forgot Alex was in trouble too. He had to correct that mistake.

“I saw her walk out of here not too long ago,” Sonya answered with a shrug. She honestly couldn’t make sense of that. She had heard Alex was the rogues’ mole. Then she had heard Alex had killed Nikita. Then she had heard Nikita was alive. And finally, Sonya had heard Alex mutter something as she walked freely out of Division. No one stopped her. No one chased the mole. It was as though Division forgot all about her. Sonya couldn’t make any sense of it. Though, she couldn’t make sense of anything that had happened recently. It was all a mess. But maybe she could help the rogues clean some of it up.

“Just get me Nikita,” Crowding into Sonya’s hacking space, Michael ordered. He was certain he would find out what was going on with Alex later. She could handle herself, especially if she had managed to walk out of Division on her own. The person in trouble at the moment was Nikita. Even with all her skills, she couldn’t get out of Langley on her own. The CIA had her on lockdown. She’d need all the help from friends she could get. Michael just hoped that Birkhoff and Ryan were nearby to assist her as well.

Ryan did all he could to get Abbott to listen to him and to trust Nikita. He luckily got the CIA off Birkhoff’s ass; the hacker was able to scramble out of there and towards helping Michael and Alex. However, the CIA director had a target on Nikita. He wanted to blame her for the death of the agents (and the Division plants he thought were agents) and for the Sarin gas. Nikita didn’t say much to save herself, keeping things close to the chest. Ryan couldn’t blame her. But that just made things worse for them. There was no winning for Abbott. Either Nikita or Ryan were going to go to jail, “It was worth a try, right?”

“You can use this to launch a quiet investigation,” Shaking her head, Nikita advised Ryan. He didn’t have to sound so apologetic or defeated. There was always another option. If that was it for her, if she was going to be locked up before the others could come for her, then that didn’t mean Ryan had to give up. He could keep investigating as he always did. He could look into Division and whoever in the government was controlling them. No one else would’ve been able to find that information, but him. He had to keep looking for the truth.

“It’s gonna be hard to do from Leavenworth, or the supermax prison in Colorado. Depends on where I end up,” Ryan mused. Before Nikita said anything, he had already made up his mind about how they were going to get out of that situation. As a rogue agent, Nikita would not survive in jail. She’d get burned by the government or killed by Division. But Ryan, a lowly analyst, would be fine. He could stay low, be in hiding, keep digging until the team of rogue agents came for him. They’d do anything to stay alive, to keep winning, to find the truth. Well, that was what he would do.

“You didn’t do anything, this was all Division,” Unsure of what Ryan was talking about, Nikita argued. Ryan had never done anything wrong. He only ever wanted the truth. If anyone had screwed up, it was her. She had messed up by giving him the black box. He was the hero, who fought for good and truth. She just kept ruining things- how else could she explain the pain in Alex’s eyes before she had shot her. Nikita and Division were to blame for that mess. Ryan shouldn’t have to shoulder the punishment. He should keep being a hero.

“I’m not talking about the attack. I’m talking about this,” Ryan replied simply. Both Nikita and Abbott glanced at him in confusion, until he picked up a chair and swung it at his boss. Ryan managed to knock Abbott and the guard stationed in the room unconscious, all while Nikita sat in shock. She hadn’t been expecting that. Neither had the agents in the room, which was why Ryan had been able to get a jump on them so easily. Those actions were going to bite him in the ass later. Yet that didn’t matter. He just uncuffed Nikita and urged her to escape for them, “I expect you to break me out of prison as soon as you get the chance.”

“Count on it,” Nikita promised. She would never leave Ryan, or anyone on her team, behind. As soon as she escaped Langley, as soon as she reunited with Birkhoff, as soon as she saved Michael and Alex from Division, she was going back for Ryan. Breaking him out of prison- supermax or not- couldn’t have been any more difficult than escaping Division. With a whole team of rogues working with him, he’d be clear and safe in no time. Again, Nikita promised. The good guys couldn’t keep getting punished for defeating the bad guys. They had to win. So with a grateful kiss to Ryan’s cheek, Nikita ran, vowing to come back for him.

Nikita didn’t get far. Langley was under lockdown. Guards were looking for intruders, and agents were on high alert. At any moment, she was going to be discovered, and she’d be right back where she was; Ryan’s sacrifice would’ve meant nothing. She needed to find an alternative way out of there. She needed some sort of distraction, or miracle. Somehow, the latter occurred. As she wandered around cubicles, a familiar voice rang, “Paging Special Agent Nikki. Agent Nikki, please proceed to the nearest phone and dial 626.”

That was Michael’s voice. Michael’s voice rang loud and clear through the intercom system. He had called her Nikki. He had sounded light, free, alive. He was alive and calling for her. Nikita was so relieved, she almost missed the second half of the message. She had to get to a phone and dial out. Thankfully, there was an empty desk close to her. She grabbed the phone, crouched low to the ground, and called the extension she prayed was her lifeline, “Michael? Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“I’m still in Division, but I’m okay. I have help. Are you okay?” Sighing, Michael replied. He could’ve lied to Nikita about where he was so she wouldn’t have to worry. But that honestly wouldn’t have helped them at that moment. They just had to be honest, straight to the point, and be willing to go into full details later. When the team met up again after the shitstorm blew over- and hopefully they’d meet again- they could ask in depth questions and all that. They simply had to focus on saving each other first. If they weren’t alive by the end of the night, then what would’ve been the point of all those answers.

“Oh, Babe, I will be when you get me out of here,” Nikita mostly meant that she’d be okay once she was safe outside of Langley. But she also knew she’d be okay once she was in Michael’s arms. And once she was finally able to understand everything that had happened. She just kept gaining more questions than answers. Like when she heard the sigh over the phone. Nikita had thought the help Michael had mentioned was Alex. But that awkward breath didn’t sound like Alex. Someone else was with Michael. But who in Division would be helping him, “Wait. Who’s there with you?”

“Uh. It’s that hacker Alex mentioned, Sonya. I’ll explain later. Can you get a mobile com?” Michael tried to move the conversation along. Sonya seemed surprised that he knew who she was, and Nikita was surprised that Sonya was helping them. But, again, that could be explained later. Nikita needed a com. After a few seconds- and a few grunts- she managed to get one. She relayed the information to Michael, and he began to direct her to safety, “Proceed out into the corridor east of you and make your way north. Here’s what we're thinking for the exfil. I have your escape route. You need to go out with the evidence. Sublevel two. Incinerator room.”

Guards almost caught up to Nikita as she followed the directions, but Sonya led them away from her tail. For a solid minute, Michael considered having Sonya join their team. She’d be a great addition to the rogues. She and Birkhoff could be unstoppable on the computer together. And they could effectively help the rogues as they constantly went up against better staffed and better equipped enemies. Though those thoughts quickly left his head as Nikita gave him the update on her location. She still needed his help. Once she was safe, they could then consider their future, “I’m here…”

“What the hell happened?” Michael frantically shouted as Nikita’s com cut out and the monitors Sonya was using to spy on the CIA went black. Nikita had almost been out of there. He had almost gotten her out of there and back to safety. Why would things go to shit then. Did something happen to Nikita. Had the CIA caught onto them. Worse, had Division realized what they were doing. Was Sonya truly on the rogues’ side, or had she played the long con. Had Michael trusted the wrong person yet again, and his love was going to pay the price.

“I lost it. They kicked me out,” Sonya barely acknowledged Michael as she responded. She just typed furiously on her keyboard as she tried to regain access to the CIA. Honestly, Michael lost the tension in his shoulders upon seeing Sonya act like that. It was what Birkhoff did whenever he was cut out while hacking; both had the same frustrated, refusal to believe they had been beaten. There was no way Sonya could’ve been faking that. She had done all she could to help. The rest was up to Nikita.

In order to distract himself from that fact, and in order to remind himself that Nikita was strong and capable and could take care of herself, Michael handed Sonya the black box again. She took it immediately. Until the next move was clear, the hacker could decrypt the black box. The two would be left alone in her isolated area, especially with Percy removed from the situation. That gave them the time to wait. Fortunately, the waiting wasn’t too unbearable. Michael soon received a on the same extension Nikita had dialed in the CIA. He didn’t even wait to hear her voice before hurriedly asking, “Where are you?”

“Safe. I rode out on a loading bay in a garbage truck. They were still evacuating the building. I just got to the loft,” Nikita gave a vague account of what she had done. The most important thing was that she was safe. She could gather their equipment from the loft and abandon the place. No matter what had happened to Alex (she hoped and prayed she was alive) Division had to have known where the loft was once she had stepped inside it. The location was compromised. As wonderful as it was as a staging area, the place had to go. There went any escape from Birkhoff in the safehouse when the couple wanted to be alone.

“You’re not safe there,” Michael negated Nikita’s claim. Both Alex’s apartment and the loft were compromised. Returning to either one of them would only get the rogues killed. Michael had learned that the hard way. But he had survived, and he was on his way out of Division. He was going to ensure Nikita stayed alive as well. No more crazy risks for the next decade. She had to get out of the loft and head to the safehouse. He’d meet her there soon. Then they could just breathe and relax for a while.

“Said the man inside Division,” Nikita scoffed. The team was nowhere near relaxing or breathing yet. Ryan was heading to prison for assaulting the director of the CIA. Michael was trapped in Division. And Nikita had no earthly idea where Birkhoff and Alex were. Yet she had the feeling they were also somewhere in trouble. The mission wasn’t over yet, and no one was out of the woods yet. They were going to have to keep fighting for a little while longer. It was easier with Michael by her side, at least. Nikita could focus on what she had to do next, and she could let her tense nerves die down.

“Percy’s been neutralized for the moment. He has sedatives in his desk drawer. I’m ten minutes away… five minutes away from walking out of here with a fully decrypted black box,” Seeing Sonya flash five fingers at him, Michael corrected his estimate. In five minutes, the rogues would have a black box, and they could make some real strides in that war. Nikita was completely bewildered by the fact- after all that, they were still going to look into the box. Michael understood her reservations, but he had his reasonings. He still wanted those truths and answers, “It is time to get a good look at the truth. All of it.”

Protests began to bubble on Nikita’s lips. A black box was far too dangerous to have. Michael should just destroy it and run. They don’t need that curse on their heads. The rogues had faced enough torment. They couldn’t bring more hell down on themselves. Unfortunately, Michael remained resolute, “Look, for every truth in that box, there is a lie out in the real world. Innocent people who are being framed for crimes they didn’t commit. Corrupt people who are in charge, thanks to crimes that no one knows about. That’s gotta end.”

Sighing, Nikita prepared to start arguing with Michael. However, she soon realized he was right. It wasn’t enough to destroy Division. The rogues had to destroy everything that the hellhole had done. They wanted to protect the innocent, after all. What better way to protect them than to remove corruption from the whole world. The truth wasn’t just important to the team, but also to people struggling to understand the misfortunes that had unjustly befell them. Everyone deserved to see the light. It was time for the rogues to be true heroes- to be vigilantes, “So we’re playing Lone Ranger?”

“That’s the plan. What’s yours?” Michael couldn’t help but crack a small smile. He was glad Nikita had agreed with him; she was with him one hundred percent, like she always promised to be since they had found their way to each other. Convincing the others to be onboard wouldn’t be difficult if the couple was working together. Also, even if they were reserved about delving into the black box, anyone can see that ending corruption was a good and noble thing. It was going to be difficult, but worthwhile. Just like everything else in their war.

“I’m gonna torch the loft. Meet me at the First America building at 2400 hours. I’m also gonna try to get a hold of Birkhoff. We got separated in the chaos,” Nikita informed Michael. She had to tell Birkhoff that both she and Michael were alright. She didn’t know what he had been doing or what he was planning, but he didn’t have to stress anymore. He simply had to meet them at the rendezvous so they could all move on together. As for Alex, Nikita had no idea how to proceed there. Was it safe to call. Would it have been okay to call. Maybe she should just wait for her to reach out. Then she and Alex could have real answers.

Nodding, Michael agreed with Nikita’s plan. He then hung up to give her the time to set the explosives to the loft, and turned back to Sonya. She just finished decrypting the box. Except, she didn’t hand it back to him yet. She held to it for a moment, frightened by the power inside it. Division wasn’t the only thing protected by all those secrets. The instant they came to light, the rogues were going to start a whole new war. She wasn’t sure if they were ready for that yet, “Forget about Division. The whole world will be hunting you. You have to be careful. This box? It's like the lost ark; it’s not of this Earth. The truth on there is dangerous.”

“You sound like Birkhoff,” Michael scoffed. He was sure that Sonya’s concerns were genuine. But she didn’t have to worry about the rogues. They had taken care of themselves that long; they could do so again with the black box. Instead, Sonya should’ve been worried about herself. She might get away with her actions that day. But soon enough, someone was going to know she was the one who helped the rogues. She had to start saving herself then. If not running away with the team, then by some other drastic measure.

Yet, Michael had the feeling that- like Alex- Sonya could take care of herself. She could make her decision of what to do on her own. Michael wouldn’t pressure her; he’d simply take the black box and run. He escaped Division through the air ducts Nikita had told him about, and sprinted across the farmland and through the trees in the nearby forest. He had no idea where to go or how he’d get to the loft, but he was sure to figure it out on the way. Or, luck could finally find him. When he stumbled out onto the road, Birkhoff was sitting in a car, waiting for him. Nikita’s call to him must’ve gone through, “I was just about to come get you.”

“Sonya already took care of that,” Sliding into the car, Michael half-explained. Birkhoff just stared at him from the driver’s seat. There had been so much he had missed while in the SCIF room and then while he sped towards Division with a half formed plan. The hacker was in a desperate need of information. Michael would give him answers, just as long as he drove. Sitting there wouldn’t save them, nor would it Nikita. And they definitely still needed saving, “I’ll explain on the way. We have to meet Nikita now.”

Chapter Text

The rogues had a contingency plan in place incase the loft was ever compromised. It had been Nikita’s idea. They’d gather as much equipment and weapons as they could, and they’d blow the place; with a second safehouse, they thankfully didn’t have to stress about packing away or losing so much. Another contingency was in place incase the loft was ever compromised while the rogues were in the building. Nikita had planned that as well. There was a zipline setup to help them escape to the rooftop of the abandoned building across the street. There was no need to rush towards the exits crowded with armed agents when they could create their own.

It didn’t take Nikita long to set the explosives around the loft. She was then able to focus the rest of her time on gathering weapons and supplies (and Birkhoff’s precious computer shit). However, as she moved to grab what she could, someone entered the loft. She knew it was neither Birkhoff nor Michael; there was no way they had arrived from Division yet. Someone else had crept behind her. Instinctively, Nikita withdrew her weapon and whirled around. The person instinctively drew their gun as a result. But no one fired a shot. They couldn’t despite all that had happened, neither Nikita nor Alex could shoot each other, “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Should have thought of that before you shot me,” Nikita scoffed in reply to Alex. Deep down, she knew what Alex had done had saved her life. She had figured out Percy’s plans in the hours since she had woken up in that fake staging ground. Division would’ve killed her and framed her for the attack on the CIA had Alex not gone against orders. She was grateful that she had. However, despite her assumptions about what had occurred, Nikita couldn’t help but feel bitter about being shot and left to Roan. Maybe when the pain in her cracked ribs subsided and she could breathe normally again, she’d be far more forgiving. Until then, she glared.

“I was trying to save your life. If I didn’t do something, we’d both be dead. I was compromised, but I’m clear now,” Lifting her head high as though she was upholding her actions as the most righteous things in the world, Alex defended herself. Nikita didn’t fight her. She knew what she had done. Alex honestly didn’t know how to respond to that reaction. She had expected an argument. She had expected to be yelled at. But Nikita understood her. There was nothing to scream about. They could just move on like nothing had ever happened, “I just came by to get my ID packet and… And then I’m gonna go.”

Nikita relaxed the grip on her gun. There had been no reason for Alex to return to the loft. She had left the rogues behind when she had shot Nikita. She also knew that the loft was compromised. When she had arrived earlier that day to doublecross Division and the rogues, she had given away the loft’s position to Division. Going to the rogues’ loft then was pointless; it was dangerous. She couldn’t have been that desperate for a new ID. Unless, that wasn’t what she really wanted. Alex’s voice had faltered when she had replied. Either she was lying. Or she was frightened of what came next. Nikita preferred the former, “Alex, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Then drop your gun,” The steeliness returned to Alex’s voice. She had to admit that the gentleness in Nikita’s voice helped calm her nerves. A part of her had feared that the rogue would retaliate for being shot. Just like she had assumed that the rogue would yell at her. It was so odd that she didn’t. Alex didn’t believe she could ever act like that. She was just so angry. She was so angry of being lied to and used- of only having value if others could get something from her. She had thought the rogues would’ve treated her differently. But it was all the same bullshit.

“Drop yours,” Nikita replied simply. She would love to not be pointing her gun at Alex. But she couldn’t drop her weapon while one was still aimed at her. She also couldn’t drop her weapon when a part of her believed that Alex was going to shoot her again. She was undeniably pissed at what Nikita had done. That rage in her voice when she had accused her of killing her father had rattled the rogue. Alex was so upset, and there was no coming back from that. They just had to confront the pain and hope it didn’t kill them, “Let’s talk about what this is really about, or what you think it’s about. They told you I killed your father.”

“You were just following orders, right?” Alex wouldn’t drop her weapon. She tightened her grip and glared at the rogue. She had heard that excuse; she had made that excuse. It wasn’t good enough; it never was. There was always a way around an order. Nothing was ever black and white. If you were willing enough, if you were strong enough, you could find a third option- you could find a way to save everybody. Nikita simply hadn’t tried hard enough to save Alex’s father. She didn’t care enough to save the entire Udinov family.

“No. Our orders were to kill your entire family. I chose to defy those orders and get you out. It was the first time I ever took a stand against Division. I headed towards your bedroom… I didn’t have a choice,” Quietly, Nikita admitted. Nikolai Udinov had had a gun. He would’ve killed Nikita, which would’ve killed him and his daughter. It was either Alex’s life or none of theirs, and Nikita chose the former. Maybe if she had been smarter or stronger or braver, she could’ve saved all three of them. Maybe if she had actually planned a rescue mission, no one would’ve died on Operation Pale Fire. Yet she had run on pure desire, hurting everyone.

When Nikita finally dropped her weapon, so did Alex. The young woman somewhat believed the rogue. Division wanted Nikolai Udinov dead. If Nikita hadn’t killed him, someone else would’ve. And that someone else would’ve killed Alex too. Nikita had risked everything to save her. Saving her father, or even her mother too, would’ve been impossible. Yet, despite that understanding, Alex couldn’t forgive her. Even if it was Semak’s and Division’s fault, Nikita had still been a part of the worst night of her life; she had been one of the people who had taken everything from her. And she had still lied to her, “Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

“It was just never the right time. I didn’t know how you’d react,” That was one of the worst things Nikita had ever said. Although it was the truth, she didn’t know how Alex would react to the harsh truth, that was no excuse. She should never have treated her mole like that. Her fellow rogue. Her partner. Her friend. Even if she knew that Alex would hate her once the truth was revealed, she should’ve trusted her with it. Lying only made things so much worse. It made the pain more unbearable. And it made the hatred more visceral.

“No. You just didn’t trust me enough to handle it. So now I can’t trust you,” Alex called Nikita out. Again, there was nothing for the rogue to argue. She knew Alex was right, so she remained quiet for a moment. The young woman was getting to the point that she wanted Nikita to scream. She wanted her to fight her- to argue and disagree. The rogue actually listening to her and knowing how much she had fucked up made it so much harder to stay livid. How could she hate her friend when she agreed with that hatred. How could she separate from the rogue if not all of the bridges were burned between them.

“None of this was my plan. And if you hadn’t insisted on helping us, I would’ve never used you as a mole. I wanted you to escape. All I wanted for you was to escape,” Once she recovered her thoughts, Nikita replied desperately. She had never once wanted Alex in danger. From Pale Fire to her first day in Division, Nikita had only wanted to help her escape. Even when she was her mole, she wanted her gone. Alexandra Udinov had always deserved more than Nikita ever had. So why did she always end up with worse. Why couldn’t she actually be free.

“You told me that I could fight for something- that I could have revenge. That’s where I’m going. To get the man who ordered my father’s death. I’m not running,” Alex lifted her chin in defiant superiority again. When Nikita had discovered her in Division and had tried to save her from recruitment, she had said that Alex had something to live for. She had told her that fighting to live was the biggest fuck you to the people who had hurt her. Alex couldn’t let them win. She had to always end up on top. And, of course, the best way to prove she was better than all those evil bastards was to kill Semak.

Blinking, Nikita stared at Alex. Hadn’t she always been after Semak. Hadn’t the whole reason she had stayed inside Division instead of running away was because she wanted to kill Semak. Her whole mission was to enact revenge and to never run away. Why did she feel the need to make that moment any different than her previous ones. Had Percy or Amanda said something to her when she had been trapped in Division. Had Amanda worked her sickly sweet mind control magic on her. Or was something else going on with Alex that she wasn’t willing to share, “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing this whole time?”

“I was forced to work with Division. But Amanda let me go. She deactivated my killchip. This war against Division is your obsession- yours, Michael’s, and Birkhoff’s,” Alex argued, clarifying exactly what she had meant. Yes, she had always been trying to kill Semak. Yet she had been hindered by her partnership with Division- and with the rogues. Since that was severed, she was completely free to get what she wanted. She would be the only one making her choices. She could be happy on her own terms.

“Our obsession?” Nikita was definitely convinced that Amanda had worked some of her brainwashing magic on Alex then. Yes, there had been a time when each of the rogues- especially Michael and Nikita- had almost let their need to destroy Division consume them whole. Yet the rogues had worked together to ensure no one was alone in their war- they would always be there to support one another and bring each other out of the darkness. Amanda, though, wouldn’t have seen it that way. She would’ve tried to convince Alex the same. And in her anger- her justifiable anger- she had let Amanda’s words twist her own thoughts.

“Nikita, look at this place. All of this space, and you still sleep on a Division recruit bed. This fight is some sick need of yours. I have my own fight now,” Alex was vaguely aware that the loft wasn’t actually the rogues’ safehouse. She thought she had heard that they actually lived somewhere else and only used the loft as a staging ground; the bed was then only used for naps or something. Yet another safehouse didn’t really help the rogues’ defense. They hadn’t trusted Alex with that information; they had kept her at arm’s length despite the fact that she was on their team. They were too obsessed with Division to see her as one of their own- to help her too.

Daring to move closer to Alex, Nikita knew she had to say something to correct all the things the young woman had been told. She deserved the truth; she deserved something straight forward; she deserved to not be manipulated. Nikita should’ve been doing that from the jump. But it was too late to fix the sins of her past. She just had to be better moving forward, “This was never about revenge. When I told you that you had something to live for, I was talking about balance. I was talking about making things right. If you do this, you are gonna end up somewhere you don’t wanna be.”

“That’s my decision,” Alex huffed. She didn’t know why Nikita was concerned with her killing Semak then. She had been all for helping her get revenge before. There was a chance that the shitstorm they had just encountered had changed her mind. Yet Alex didn’t care enough to find out. She turned her back on the rogue and began to walk out of the loft; she didn’t even care about her ID packet anymore. Nikita grabbed her bicep and pulled her back. Instantly, Alex tried to shove her away, but she wasn’t going anywhere. Fury washed over the young woman and she shoved with all her might, “Let me go. Nikita. Let me go!”

Honestly, a part of Alex was really glad that Nikita had held onto her. When the first few bullets went smashing through the windows, the rogue was the first to react. She yanked the young woman to the ground and pushed her to take cover. Alex’s adrenaline and training kicked in after that. She crouched low behind a jut in the wall, gripping her weapon tight. Nikita did the same on the other side of the room; she also peered around her hiding spot to get a good look at their assailants. There was no surprise who it was. Division had caught up to them. And they had been ordered to kill. It was time to bail, “This way. Weapons tight. Backup won’t be far behind.”

Sprinting out of the room, Nikita led the charge to escape. Alex hesitated to follow- hesitated to trust- but then the Division agents began to fly through the windows. Alex raced after Nikita. The two picked off as many agents as they could as they ran to the roof. Yet it wasn’t enough. Alex wondered how they were supposed to escape them all. Fortunately, Nikita had that covered. She blew the charges she had set in the loft, and the floors below them exploded. Whereas Alex was rocked by the shock, Nikita kept going. She set up a zipline, and shot it towards the building across the street. Then, she was gone.

When Nikita reached the roof of the building across the street, she turned back towards Alex. She waved for her to follow- urged for her to escape the fire and the Division agents with her. Alex just stood and stared at her for a while. She glanced at the fire around her and at where she had been, yet she didn’t move. Nikita waved for her to follow again. And that was when Alex finally moved. She removed her knife and cut the zipline wire. She refused to follow the rogue to the roof- to anywhere. She could find her own way off the roof and away from the destruction. She could be on her own. Alex could survive on her own.

Although her feet moved automatically towards the First America building once she got off the roof- half-remembering that that was where she told Michael to meet her- Nikita turned towards the burning loft. She knew eventually that all her lies and secrets were going to hurt Alex. Hadn’t she been warned of that when she had first decided not to tell her about the killchip. Why hadn’t she listened. Why did she have to keep hurting people by making decisions for them. People could make their own decisions, even if she didn’t agree with them. Like Alex’s decision to go after Semak alone. Nikita shouldn’t let her do that. She should go after her.

But how could Alex ever trust her again if Nikita didn’t let her go. The rogue had to respect the young woman’s choices; she also had to give her time and space to think. Alex had to think on her own, without the influence of Division or the rogues. Nikita trusted that she’d eventually arrive at a smart choice; Alex was capable. She simply feared that eventually would take too long, and she might get hurt in the process. Alex had been hurt enough. Nikita had lent to a lot of that hurt. The rogue should’ve been better- done better. Especially by Alex.

Suddenly, Nikita was ripped out of her regret-filled thoughts by a car speeding towards her. She hurriedly stopped in her tracks and backed up. Her hand readied over her weapon, prepared for the worst. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was more Division agents incredibly willing and intensely excited to kill her; she wouldn’t even be surprised if Kelly had arrived to kill her. The rogue stayed on guard, watching carefully as a person began to climb out of the passenger seat. She placed her hand on her weapon. But then she saw who was crossing towards her. She nearly laughed in excitement, “Michael.”

As fast as her tired, sore body would allow, Nikita ran. Michael met her halfway, crossing the street in a desperate attempt to be with her. Her body acted on its own when she finally reached him. She jumped into his arms, wrapping herself completely around him, and he caught her easily. He held her tightly and peppered kisses along her temple. She simply breathed him in, so glad he had made it out of Division alive. He was beyond relieved that she had made it out alive as well. After the hours of hell where he had believed she was dead, he just wanted to hold her and kiss her forever, “You know, I am really sick of people telling me that you’re dead.”

Half-crying, half-chuckling in relief, Nikita tightened her limbs around Michael. He squeezed her and burned his forehead against hers. The two shouldn’t have had that moment in the middle of the street. They shouldn’t have clung to each other with all the strength left in their weary bodies with a burning building nearby, authorities rushing around, and Division on their tails. But the couple didn’t care. They had been so close to death- to losing each other- that they needed to feel one another’s heart beating against their chests and their breath rising in their lungs. The rest of the world could disappear. All Michael and Nikita needed was each other.

Fortunately, before the two were completely swept away and potentially caught by the Division agents that hadn’t died in the explosion, they had someone to help ground them. Birkhoff honked the horn of the stolen car and poked his head out the window. To his credit, he had actually given Michael and Nikita an uninterrupted moment together; he knew they had needed that hug. But that moment was up, and danger was going to come for them soon. The rogues had to keep running, “As cute as this reunion is, we gotta go.”

Quickly, Nikita dropped to the ground and stepped from Michael’s arms. He continued to hold her hand, though. Together, they ran to the car and climbed into the backseat. Birkhoff didn’t even wait for them to buckle their seatbelts. He was already tearing away from the scene, pressing down the gas pedal as hard as he could. Nikita glanced out the window as they sped away from the city. A part of her hoped to see Alex. She knew she couldn’t convince her to get into the car. But she could at least know if she was alright. She could know that, although she had royally fucked up, Alex was still safe somewhere.

Yet Nikita didn’t see her. Alex was long gone.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

“You were free. You had gotten out. You were gone. What the hell are you doing back here?” Sean stormed up to Alex in Ops, completely surprising her. She hadn’t expected him to be back in Division. She had thought he’d be gone for good. Yet he had returned. He had returned to just yell at her. Anger marred his features at the fact that Alex stood in the middle of Ops. Anger, and something else. Alex couldn’t determine what else Sean was feeling about seeing her in the middle of Division. However, she didn’t want to. She only wanted to respond to his anger. Because she was feeling it too.

She had gotten out. She had been free. But there was a reason Alex was back running missions in Ops and hunting down leads. She had had plans to take on Semak and his organization alone. Even if it was a suicide run, it was worth it to see that bastard pay for his crimes. She had been okay with dying as long as Semak had died too. However, Alex wasn’t as alone as she had thought. There had still been more things for her to learn about Operation Pale Fire. That mission continued to haunt her. Each new day revealed something worse about that nightmare. She had thought Nikita lying about killing her father had been the worst of it.

But there was more.

Alex’s mother was alive.

Apparently, Semak had made an extra deal with Percy after he had hired Division to kill the entire Udinov family. It wasn’t enough for Semak to take out the Zetrov founder and CEO and his heir. It wasn’t enough for him to gain power by doing what Oversight wanted and align Zetrov to American interests (a deal he had since backed out on, causing Oversight to support Alex’s plan for revenge). Semak needed more. He needed to have everything he coveted, not just power and money. He needed to have the one thing he could never have while Nikolai and Alexandra Udinov were alive.

He needed Katya Udinov.

Since Percy got extra money to line his pockets with, of course he agreed to go behind Oversight’s back and save Katya that night. Alex didn’t know how Amanda and Oversight later learned about the deal. But did it really matter. Her mother was alive, and she was being kept hidden, kept imprisoned, kept as some sort of fucked up prize, by Semak. Alex’s mission to kill him could no longer be a suicide run. She needed all the help, intel, and resources she could get, so she could save her mother and herself. Then, she could finally be happy. She and her mother could both be free and happy.

Unfortunately, the best kind of help, intel, and resources Alex could receive came from Oversight and Division. She couldn’t deny their deal when it had been presented to her. She had wanted to- really, really wanted to. Yet her mother’s life was at stake. Alex didn’t care about her own safety, but she would never hurt her mother. She had to save her at all costs. That cost, regrettably, just so happened to be working for Division and Oversight to track down the black box Michael had stolen and somehow decrypted (the running theory was that Birkhoff had walked him through the steps and he had used a Division computer to pull it off).

So far, after a few weeks of searching and hunting, Division had no leads on the rogues. Alex relayed the information that she could, but she had never learned where their other safehouse was; she didn’t even have a clue (in hindsight, that was probably a good thing). The three rogues were able to hide out and lay low, completely undetected. Although a part of Alex was relieved that they were safe (a part of herself that she didn’t quite understand), she was getting frustrated with the lack of progress. No leads on the rogues meant no leads on Semak. And she desperately needed leads.

Division remained nowhere, however, and that was where Sean came in. He was glaring at Alex, waiting for an answer to his question. She had none, at least not for him. She wanted to keep the truth about her mother underwraps. No one could know anything about her situation; no one could hurt her. Alex wouldn’t answer Sean or give him an explanation that’d dispel his anger, which was- for some reason- upsetting her. She would direct the question back towards him, however. He was supposed to have been gone as well- be on some sort of military mission. He wasn’t supposed to have come back, “What are you doing back here?”

“Apparently, my job’s not over yet,” Sean bit. When he had deployed for his special Seal operation, he thought he’d return to help Alexandra with her kill mission. But after he had heard everything that had happened while he had been away, he thought he wouldn’t be needed anymore. He thought Alexandra was gone and that she’d stay gone. Unfortunately, he was wrong. He hated that he was wrong. Alexandra hadn’t taken the chance to run and be free, she had been sucked back into Division. Everyone he knew and cared for was sucked back into that damn place. Which meant he was stuck too, desperately trying to protect everyone.

“And what is your job?” Alex didn’t appreciate Sean’s tone. Nor did she appreciate how angry at her he was. He didn’t have to come back. She didn’t need protection anymore. Hell, she had never needed protection. She should’ve more than proven herself to Oversight by then. There was no need for her to have a babysitter, or even a partner. Sean should just shove his anger and whatever else he was feeling up his ass and leave her alone. He wasn’t needed, especially with that bitter, acidic attitude he carried around.

Sean closed the distance between him and Alex. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of Ops. He got into her face and continued to glare. Maybe his anger was misplaced. He was certain he was missing information. But he couldn’t smother his rage. He just felt so livid, so frustrated. No part of that situation was supposed to have happened. His simple mission should not have turned into a war. People were going to get hurt. People who shouldn’t have been involved, “Protecting you, making sure you complete your mission, stopping Michael and Nikita from releasing black box secrets, and observing and reporting on Amanda’s charge of Division.”

“You only need to worry about the last one,” Alex huffed. She didn’t understand why Oversight was making such a big deal out of Nikita and Michael having a black box anyway. Yes, those precious, asinine secrets couldn’t get out. But the rogues knew that. They had been in Chile when one secret had gotten out; they knew the risks. Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff weren’t going to destroy the world and plunge it into chaos. The three saw themselves as heroes, not villains. Though, people like Oversight weren’t concerned with the whole world, just theirs.

The only real threat Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff posed was to Oversight and Division. They were the only people the rogues actually wanted to hurt and tear down. They’d only use the black box to fulfill those means. In all honesty, Alex should just let them- why stop what should be done. She was taking out corruption by planning to kill Semak, after all. The rogues should be allowed to do the same. If only that didn’t interfere with Alex’s mission to save her mother. Oversight had to be saved in order to save Katya. Alex hated it. But sacrifices had to be made for the people you loved.

“Not according to Oversight,” Sean bitterly reminded Alexandra who was in charge. No one else had a say. It was Oversight’s wishes or else. Sean normally didn’t have a problem following orders. It was what a good soldier did to get the job done. Except with Division and Oversight, it seemed so different. He was left questioning more than he wanted to. He was left with his world turned upside down over and over and over again. And he was left wanting to disobey and to change things. That definitely wasn’t good. But he was growing kind of desperate. He wanted things to be different- he needed things to change.

Alex stared at Sean, bewildered. She had never understood how he had gotten mixed up with Division in the first place. If he was in the military, if he pretended to be a great guy, then why was he involved with Oversight. He had to have known the truth about them. He couldn’t be blind to what was happening around them. So what was he doing there. It couldn’t have just been to follow orders. There was no reason to come back after his other mission, especially since things had changed. What was his deal, “How does a soldier get mixed up with them?”

Suddenly, Sean became conscious of how many people were in Ops. The hackers and agents weren’t staring at him and Alexandra, but they also weren’t not staring at them. The others made such a point to not pay attention to their argument that they couldn’t help but be enthralled by it. Sean and Alexandra were already interesting figures in Division; he was a mysterious figure, and she was a traitor. Their argument just made them even more fascinating. And made them even more subject to rumors and gossip.

A part of Sean considered telling Alexandra the truth- a very small, hesitant part of him. Before she had discovered he had been sent to watch over her, and before he had left for his Seal operation, he could’ve considered the two of them friends. Well, maybe in another world they would’ve been. But then the truth came out- all of the ugly, horrendous truth- and he couldn’t tell Alexandra anything. He didn’t trust her. There was no guarantee that she’d have his back or even act like a friend. She had been playing everyone right from the jump. She didn’t deserve to hear the truth from him. All she got was a line, “We all do things for family, right?”

Blinking, Alex tried to understand what that meant. Was he making a dig at her for her revenge mission, or was he giving her a hint as to why he was with Oversight. Sean’s harsh tone didn’t give her any clues. She could’ve delved into it, maybe even studied his gaze, to figure it out. Yet her frustrations soon took over, and she found herself not caring. She still held the belief that Sean shouldn’t have been there, so who cared what his motivations were. She just wanted him to go away so she could refocus on her objective, “Look, I’m not after the rogues. I’m after the black box. The rogues just happen to be in my way.”

“Like I’m gonna believe that,” Sean rolled his eyes. He honestly had no reason to believe a single word Alexandra said. She claimed she was only about revenge, but her sporadic actions said otherwise. She had helped the rogues more than she should’ve for someone only wanting revenge. And she also kept turning on those who had promised to help her get revenge. Nothing about her was consistent. Nothing about her had been true. How could Sean trust Alexandra to not try to burn Division and Oversight again. How could he ensure everyone was protected if she was such a wildcard.

The simple fact was that he couldn’t. So before Alexandra could attempt to argue with him, Sean cut her off. No excuse she could’ve possibly given him would’ve been good enough. He understood doing questionable things for your family- he really did. Yet what Alexandra had done was over the top. It was as though she was willing to destroy everyone and everything just to get what she wanted. How did that make her better than the person she wanted to kill. She was just as obsessed and careless, “You’re a known double-agent, a traitor. You were partnered with traitors. Now you expect us to believe you turned against them?”

“Yeah. I do. Or are you just like them, and you can’t recognize the truth,” Alex spat. Even she didn’t know if ‘them’ was Division, Oversight, or the rogues. However, it didn’t matter who exactly she meant. They were all the same. And Sean was just like them. They all only wanted to believe in the truth they presented. They liked to twist facts and events to their own means and purposes. It didn’t matter if the truth was staring them right in the face; they’d rather bury it, run, hide, and present their own information. That pissed Alex off the most. They controlled by hiding and twisting the truth, making honest people villains and causing good people to be lost.

Opening then closing his mouth, Sean fought the urge to continue yelling at Alexandra. He had a thing or two to say about not being able to recognize the truth. However, he feared that if he said the wrong thing, his true reasons for working with Oversight would be revealed. And if those were revealed, his whole reason for accepting that assignment would’ve been for nothing. He had to keep his mouth shut. Which effectively put an end to the argument. Alexandra appeared alright with that decision, though. She was perfectly content just glaring at him. He matched her heated gaze easily.

Sonya had been right next to Alex the entire time she fought with Sean. She had asked the hacker a question before he had stormed into Ops yelling at her. Sonya awkwardly sat and watched the argument play out until the two were left silently glowering at each other. She had absolutely no idea what was going on between the two, hardly anything they had said made sense, nor did she have any idea how they were supposed to move on from that. But someone had to try. And since Sonya finally had an answer to Alex’s forgotten question, that someone had to be her, “We’ve got a possible hit on Nikita.”

It took Alex shaking her head to force herself to refocus. Sonya had been working on something for her, and that was far more important than Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce. He was just going to hang around and be annoying forever. Alex couldn’t make him go away, only Oversight can. And the best way she could make them do that was to give them what they wanted. Thankfully, Sonya finally had a lead for her. Alex could stop the rogues, destroy the black box for Oversight, kill Semak, save her mother, and- most importantly- get away from Sean. It’d be perfect. Things were going her way.

Though, honestly, how much of it was going her way, and how much of it was her own delusion that she was doing what was best. With her mother’s life at stake, she wanted to believe it was the former. But as she rushed off after her former friends, and as Sean’s words rang in her ears, she wasn’t so sure.

Chapter Text

Once the explosion blew down the wall, Nikita gathered the illegal gambling den’s money and sprinted out to an awaiting Michael. After recovering from the disaster that was Operation Sparrow, the rogues combed through the intel on their stolen black box and set out on numerous missions. Their latest involved taking down and stealing from a money laundering business for the mob that Percy had helped establish. The operation went smoothly, and Nikita and Michael were back at the safehouse without incident. Birkhoff greeted them excitedly as they eventually stumbled through the door, “Did you clean them out?”

“Yep. We got the next mission covered- and the ammo this month,” Michael triumphantly dumped the money Nikita had stolen on the counter. Birkhoff had enough money from his hacking to cover the costs of being rogue, but having extra cash around helped. Since cracking open the black box, the rogues’ missions were becoming more elaborate and expensive. They had to become more creative about how they went about things. Stealing from the bad guys Division had helped gain power seemed like an excellent way to do that. They battled corruption and got paid while doing it. It was a win-win.

“Great, so I still have to buy the groceries,” Birkhoff snarked. Michael rolled his eyes and tossed him a stack of money to count. Despite the major losses they had suffered during Operation Sparrow, the team of rogues had managed to bounce back and scrape out some victories. A decrypted black box was a huge advantage. They were already righting wrongs and correcting the sins of Division’s past. Of course the money they stole and the big ‘fuck you’ they delivered to the black ops organization and the governmental group that ran it were huge bonuses. But those weren’t their main victories. Putting some good out into the world was.

“There’s a third choice,” More grave than the others, Nikita commented. She was dying to get out of her cocktail dress and jewelry (she had lost her heels on the mission), yet she needed to talk to Michael and Birkhoff first. She had had a lot of things on her mind recently and looking at all the cash in front of them reminded her of what she really wanted to do. Surely, the others would agree with her. They couldn’t keep running and gunning forever, “We take all this and Shadowwalker’s money, and buy a cottage in the non-extradition country of our choice.”

“I’m not living with you two forever,” Birkhoff instantly shook his head. Although he liked the idea of retiring somewhere where his past hacking crimes couldn’t catch up to him, he couldn’t retire then. There were still a lot of things he had left to do. Also, if he and the couple quit then, they’d be stuck together forever. As much as he loved his friends, he couldn’t be around them for the rest of his life. There was only so much of the dynamic duo that one could take- and a lifetime together definitely wasn’t it.

“Nowhere we can go where Division won’t find us. Taking them down is the only way,” Confused, Michael tried to understand what Nikita was talking about. A non-extradition country would help them escape their crimes and the government, but Division would still chase them down. The black ops group didn’t care about extradition treaties, borders, whatever. They’d do whatever it took to stop the rogues and kill them. If the team truly wanted to retire and be free, they had to destroy Division. It was the only way. Destroy the corrupt unit of the government or be destroyed themselves.

Reaching for the black box on Birkhoff’s desk, Nikita sighed. She had thought about what Michael had said as well. She’d always be running. Her entire life would always be spent running from people who wanted to hurt her. But it was possible that she could delay that pain by giving them what they wanted most. It’d definitely get a target off her loved ones’ backs. And that was honestly what she preferred, “They’re not looking for us, Michael. They’re looking for this box. They’re afraid of what we’ll do with their secrets.”

“Good. They should be,” Birkhoff chimed in proudly. The three had already caused so much damage with a decrypted black box, and they hadn’t had one for that long. Imagine the kind of damage they could do if they truly delved into the box. They could tear Division apart brick by bloody brick. They could expose the corrupt government officials that sanctioned the hellhole- as soon as they knew the identities of Oversight (their codenames were more asinine than the ones Percy gave to missions). And their war could end for good. No more running, no more hiding, no more desperately fighting. The rogues had a real plan in place: attack.

“They’re afraid we’ll go public, plunge the world into chaos, start World War III,” Nikita continued as though Birkhoff hadn’t spoken. The rogues were only a threat because they held all of the government’s dirty little secrets. The second the tree didn’t have them anymore, they’d go back to simply being a thorn in Division’s side. Being a thorn was far more survivable than being a threat. Maybe they could make some sort of deal to remove their constant annoyance and live in peace. That was more than likely a pipedream, yet one worth aiming for. Nikita didn’t want to see anyone else getting hurt.

“We would’ve done that already,” Michael still didn’t understand what Nikita was talking about. Not too long ago she had dived head first into a mission that could’ve burned Division down. And now she was rethinking that. What could’ve possibly caused that turnaround. What was she thinking. Eyeing her anxiously tapping the black box, Michael assumed it had something to do with the device and all the secrets locked within. She had always disliked the idea of poking around in the box. Could that dislike have bloomed, causing her to want to take drastic measures, “Where are you going with this? You want to give the box back to them?”

“In pieces. I would destroy it and give them proof it was destroyed,” Nikita expanded on some of her thoughts. There was a chance that once Division and Oversight were satisfied that the rogues weren’t going to expose their secrets, they’d let them go. The war could peter out, and people would be safe. There was a chance that was too idealistic of a plan for Nikita to make. Yet she would risk it. She would do what she could to protect the rest of her team from Division. She had failed in the past, but not anymore. She was actually going to protect them then.

“Nikita, every dirty Division op is on this box. This is a chance to set things right,” Michael felt as though he was arguing with a wall. When he had first shared his idea of decrypting a black box and using it to set things right, Nikita had argued but soon relented. She had known that the truth they could reveal would help so many people far more than just burning Division down would. Yet now she was back to arguing, and she went so far in her arguing to call off the whole war. There was something Nikita wasn’t sharing. And the longer she went without revealing what was on her mind, the more Michael could guess what it was.

Although Nikita knew the positives of correcting the sins on the black box, she didn’t really care about how it would affect the world. She had stopped caring about the whole world after she had nearly lost all of hers. She just wanted the people in her life to be safe and happy. She wanted them to be alive and to not be hunted down. As long as that was the case, the world could suffer. That thought process probably just showed how horrible of a person she really was. But she wouldn’t change her mind. Especially since trying to save the world already caused so much pain, “What if we make it worse?”

“How would we do that?” Birkhoff questioned, absolutely bewildered with Nikita’s thought process. What was she trying to get at- why would she all of a sudden change her mind about their crusade. She never clarified herself. Although Birkhoff and Michael waited for her to answer, she just bit her lip, shrugged, and silently went through her post-mission cleaning routine. Michael and Birkhoff glanced at one another and sighed. Both knew they wouldn’t be able to get her to talk then, so they should just follow her lead and clean up and go to bed. The team could talk more in-depth later, preferably after some rest and some time to talk.

Michael wasn’t all that surprised to not find Nikita in their room by the time he began to settle in for the night. Whatever had had her so worked up required her to be alone as she thought. He just hoped that she soon realized she didn’t always have to be alone. He could help her with whatever was plaguing her mind, especially since he already assumed what it might be. He was there to talk or listen or whatever she needed. Nothing would be left alone to fester and worsen. Their problems would be solved.

Eventually, Nikita joined Michael in their bedroom. He had waited up for her, doing some light research on one of the spare tablets. He wasn’t going to drop whatever point she had been trying to make earlier, even though she seemed to want to. She silently got ready for bed and climbed onto the mattress beside him. He put the tablet away and turned to talk to her, but she rolled onto her side and turned off her bedside lamp. If they had been talking about anything else, he wouldn’t have pressed her. But the black box and Division were pressing matters. Michael had to get Nikita to speak, “So what didn’t you say?”

Nikita sighed deeply into her pillow. She also pulled the comforter over her head as if to hide. Michael reached over and turned her bedside lamp back on. Although he’d wait for whatever Nikita needed to say, he wouldn’t let her run and hide from it. Obviously, her thoughts needed to be shared. She was too consumed with them to stay silent; they’d eat her alive. No matter what she was thinking, it had to be expressed. She came to that conclusion frustratedly, flopping on her back, throwing the comforter off her head, and huffing, “Sometimes, Michael, you try to do the right thing, and you just… you cause more damage.”

“It’s about Alex, isn’t it?” Michael assumed easily. Since Nikita and Alex had parted ways at the loft, Nikita hadn’t stopped thinking about her. She didn’t say anything to Michael or Birkhoff. However, Michael knew what was racing through her mind. She felt guilty about Ryan going to jail for them. And she felt devastated by the loss of Alex. Every terrible thing that happened to their team, Nikita placed on her shoulders. She’d carry the full burden of the rogues if she could. But Michael wouldn’t let her.

“With any hope, Alex is a million miles from this,” Nikita muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling. Michael wished he could believe in her sentiment. But the way Alex had been obsessing over her need for revenge, he doubted she just left that life behind. Hopefully, she managed to escape Division and Oversight for good. Hopefully, she truly was doing things her own way. Hopefully, she was finding her own way to be happy. Yet Alex wouldn’t be completely out of their war. She was forever tied to it. She couldn’t be free until the war ended- just like the rogues.

“You still feel responsible for her,” Sitting cross-legged, Michael turned his body to completely face Nikita. His knee bumped her hip, and he placed a hand on her abdomen. Despite the comforter covering her, he soothingly ran his thumb back and forth in a shadow of a caress. She didn’t stop staring at the ceiling. His statement needed no reply. Nikita felt responsible for everything Alex did, including all her life-threatening decisions. If Alex died while she was out seeking vengeance alone and bitter, Nikita would blame herself; she’d consider herself the murderer. The whole world was on her shoulders, and nothing could absolve her of the burden.

“I put her in the line of fire,” Eventually, Nikita expressed what Michael already knew she was thinking. She blamed herself for Alex’s decisions. If it hadn’t been for her, Alex would’ve never done the things she had. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Nikita, half of what the team of rogues had done wouldn’t have happened. Sometimes, she felt like she was a curse. With everything that had happened in her life, it’d make sense if she was. Maybe people would be better off without her. Alex had realized that. Hopefully, that’d be enough to save her. Hopefully, Nikita hadn’t cursed her too.

“No, she put herself there,” Squeezing Nikita’s side, Michael ensured that she looked at him. He hoped the stern gaze in his eyes dispelled all the negative thoughts in her head. Alex’s decisions were her own. Yes, Nikita had worked with her, had motivated, had urged her. Yet Alex was the one who had decided to help the rogues. She was the one who had willingly defied Division’s orders and ruined their missions. She was the one who had chosen to stay and fight rather than run when the rogues had wanted her to. No one pressured her into anything. Alex was her own agent. She wasn’t controlled by anyone, especially not Nikita.

“I convinced her to be a mole. I kept things from her so she’d stay on mission. And then I lost her because that is what I deserve,” Rolling to her side once more, Nikita avoided Michael’s gaze. She wasn’t looking for absolution. She knew what she had done was wrong. She should’ve never let Alex be their mole; she should’ve kept urging her to escape. And she should’ve never lied to Alex or kept things from her. She knew how’d she feel if someone on her team- someone she trusted- hid the killchips and the truth about her family’s death from her. Yet she had done that to Alex. The young woman had every right to shoot her. Nikita deserved far worse than that.

All Michael wanted to do was shout about all the good things that Nikita deserved. She had had a hellish life, yet she still chose to be a good person. She deserved love, happiness, and peace for all she had done for others; she deserved to have her compassion returned to her. Michael could go on and on about that. However, he knew his girlfriend was in no mood to hear him. His praise would fall on deaf ears. All he could do instead was hold her tight and try to comfort her, “Nikita, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I did. And now I have doubts,” Nikita instantly negated. She had done a lot of things wrong. If Michael said otherwise, then he was lying. But he had always seen her in a far better light than what she actually was. He always saw a goodness in her that just wasn’t there. He shouldn’t do that. He was only deluding himself when he did. Nikita constantly did wrong. She constantly did horrible things. And that couldn’t be forgiven. She should just stop trying to be good, and she should stop trying to save the world. She was only harming it further. She was only causing more loss. She should quit then before anyone else she loved got hurt.

“About us?” Scooting closer to Nikita, Michael asked gently. He pulled his hands away and studied her face for any kind of telling expression. A part of him was certain that he didn’t have to question their relationship. He and Nikita were solid. Despite everything that occurred around them, they’d be together for as long as they could. However, her doubts and her feelings regarding the war and the team and her role in all of that had a small part of him worried. What could she be thinking about him. Was she still as committed to their relationship even if she wasn’t committed to their war.

“No. No, never,” Immediately snapping upright, Nikita shook her head vehemently. She could never doubt hers and Michael’s relationship. She didn’t have to worry about anything when it came to him. She had him and he had her forever. It was just everything else that had her feeling so wrong, so hurtful, so damaging, “It’s about this crusade. To make things right and what it could cost us… I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you. And if that seems selfish to you, then- well- I never said I was perfect, so…”

Cupping Nikita’s chin, Michael interrupted whatever else she was going to say by bringing her to him and kissing her deeply. His hold became more gentle as she kissed him back. He lovingly caressed her cheek, forcing her tense muscles to finally relax. After a few more shared kisses, he pulled away from her. Yet he didn’t go far. Michael pressed his forehead against Nikita’s, and he continued to caress her cheek. There was nowhere for her to run or hide. She had to stare into his sincere green eyes and listen to his promise, “You’re not gonna lose me.”

Smiling softly, Nikita moved herself closer to Michael. She took his hand in hers and stared at their interlocked fingers as they rested between their laps. He didn’t stop comforting her with loving touches. Those doubts and fears and self-hatred would be erased from her mind before the night was through. He’d have to talk to her more directly about it once she was ready to listen to all of that. But, for the meantime, he could keep doing what he loved to do- and that was to kiss her, touch her, and tell her how amazing she was, “And you’re right: you never said you were perfect. I did.”

Nikita flew into her boyfriend’s arms, kissing him quickly and holding him tight. Michael pulled her into a secure embrace and helped her settle onto his lap. While she buried her fingers into his growing locks and clung to the fabric of his t-shirt, he buried his head in the crook of her neck and ran soothing hands up and down her spine. His lips peppered kisses along her neck and collarbone of their own accord. The sweet affection helped her eventually loosen her hold, and the two simply hugged until exhaustion weighed them down.

Chapter Text

Alex did get a hit on the lead Sonya had for her. She managed to trace the rogues, specifically Nikita, to an underground casino run by the Russian mob. After dealing with an ego-bruised macho man, Alex found a clue that could lead Division to the rogues and their stolen black box. A part of her wanted to use that clue herself, however, she knew she had to trade it with Amanda. A lead to the rogues was the only leverage Alex had. If she wanted to kill Semak and save her mother- and she needed to do that- then she had to keep returning to Division. And she had to keep dealing with Amanda, “Alex, you look lovely.”

“Thanks. I love what you’ve done with the place,” Alex shrugged as she crossed the threshold into Amanda’s new office. What used to be where Percy ran his operations was where Amanda decided to set up her new position of power. Alex believed it was very fitting. The new head of Division could watch over and have complete control over her whole domain. Nothing could get past her. She had the absolute say in everything, and she’d know if anyone disobeyed her. There had never been any hiding from the Inquisitor, and there never would.

“All I’ve really done is try and bring us back to basics. I’m just trying to clean up Percy’s mess. Active recruitment is on hold and we’re not taking jobs for money,” Amanda dismissed Alex’s sarcastic praise while grinning proudly. The former recruit training room had been converted into the new operations. It was filled with more agents and hackers than Alex had seen hanging around the bunker before. The black ops unit of the government seemed more like a spy organization than normal. Amanda had accomplished her goal, “Division was created to stop threats. Now, our most dangerous threat is…”

“The rogues. They can cause a lot of suffering with that black box. Especially for your bosses: Oversight,” Alex wanted to roll her eyes. Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff were not a threat to national security. They were only a threat to a few people who were terrified of losing their power. If the rogues weren’t in her way, Alex never would’ve stopped them. Not just because she didn’t give a shit about what they did or didn’t do, but because taking out Division and Oversight was a good idea. That corruption shouldn’t exist; they couldn’t keep ripping apart families. The rogues should stick to their mission, so long as it didn’t interfere with Alex’s.

“For the world, Alex. Now, you said you had a lead on the rogues,” Amanda stopped the argument by reminding Alex why she had even bothered stepping into the bunker. The young woman was glad for the redirect. She needed to stay on Oversight’s good side if she wanted their help rescuing her mother. She had believed she could kill Semak on her own; she hadn’t cared if she lost her life as well. However, she couldn’t lose her mother again. Katya deserved to live. She deserved to be free of Semak’s control and to have that happiness that had been stolen from her. If Alex wanted to give that to her, then she needed help, and she needed to live too.

“That depends,” Stopping herself from just handing over the clue, Alex decided that she needed payment upfront for all she had done. She refused to work for Oversight without anything in return. She had waited far too long for her chance at revenge. Now that her mother was also within grasp, she refused to wait any longer. She needed Semak dead immediately, “I want you to honor our deal. I help you get the black box if you help me get the man who ordered my father’s death. I need satellite intelligence, tactical support, a way into Russia and out…”

“Yeah, it’s not that simple,” Interrupting, Amanda instantly shut down Alex’s ideas. She had done so before. When she had told Alex about Gogol working as Zetrov’s security, she slowed down her revenge efforts until she was properly trained. Months later, though, Alex was properly trained. She had graduated the recruit program, and she had picked up extra skills and knowledge from her time spent with the rogues. Alex was more than prepared to take on Semak and whatever he could throw at her. Especially if she had backup from Division.

She could not understand why she kept getting delayed. Did Amanda and Oversight really need that much control over Alex. Or, did they not trust her after she had worked with the rogues. They had deserved that, though. They hadn’t given her what she wanted, so she turned towards others she had thought she could trust. Apparently, she couldn’t trust anyone, however. No one would tell her the truth or give her what she needed. Even with Oversight locking Percy up, replacing him with Amanda, and telling Alex about her mother, things didn’t change. Alex was left constantly clawing her way to revenge, “It’s one man.”

“Sergei Semak is not just one man. He’s head of a corporate empire whose net worth eclipses most small countries,” Amanda was just reiterating things Alex already knew. Either she was trying to bait Alex into giving up what she found without payment, or she was trying to back out of the deal. If the prospect of revenge hadn’t been dangled in front of her for almost a whole year, Alex would’ve thought it was the former. But now, she was leaning heavily towards the latter. Why wouldn’t Oversight just work with her. What did they want to hold back.

“Zetrov was my father’s company. I know how big it is,” Angrily, Alex bit. Ever since she was a child, she had known how powerful her father’s company was. Zetrov was not an organization that was easily toppled. Fortunately, Alex wasn’t looking to topple the company. She honestly didn’t care what became of it after she killed Semak and saved her mother. Although it was her father’s legacy, she had no intention of taking it over- she never had. Zetrov was not hers to take, especially then. With all that tempting power, all it had done was bring pain to her family. Alex couldn’t have that continue.

“Do you? Zetrov holds the bulk of Russia’s oil and natural gas leases. As well as finance, media, aviation and sports. Sergei Semak has allies in the Kremlin, and he practically owns the Russian mafia. He’s one of the hardest targets on this planet,” Amanda clarified. Okay, Alex had to admit that she hadn’t known about Semak’s allies in the Kremlin. That definitely made things more difficult. But that was even more proof for why Alex needed Division’s resources. Waiting would only let Semak form more allies and gather more resources. Alex had to stop him well before then, while he was only remotely hard to take down.

“So are the rogues,” Before Amanda could continue listing all the obstacles in Alex’s way, the young woman threw out the obstacle in Oversight’s way. Michael and Birkhoff had been rogue for years, and the two plus Nikita had reigned absolute hell for nearly a year, without ever being caught. Despite being severely outnumbered and outgunned by Division, the three couldn’t be stopped. Didn’t that make them even harder targets than Semak. They were definitely more of a threat. And if Alex was trusted to handle them, then she could handle Semak.

“Alex, if you help us, we will help you. Trust me,” With that sickly sweet smile, Amanda promised Alex. As a scared and lost recruit, that smile had worked on her. But then, Alex knew what was behind that grin. Amanda had her own motives when it came to the deal with Oversight. What exactly it was, Alex couldn’t figure it out. She also couldn’t figure out if that meant she couldn’t trust Amanda. Despite her ties to Division and Oversight, Amanda had always tried to help Alex. She had permanently deactivated her killchip for God’s sake. Maybe she was worth listening to- if only for a little bit.

As Alex contemplated how much she should trust Amanda- and how much weight she should put into the fact that she had forever saved her from the killchip- her thoughts were interrupted by someone else entering the office. She had thought she had completely left him behind after Sony had told her about the potential lead on Nikita. She had wanted that to be their last interaction. But nothing was going Alex’s way- just as she had suspected. Sean Pierce entered the room and looked to her expectantly, “Am I interrupting?”

“I was just leaving,” Alex moved to harshly brush past Sean. After their conversation in Ops, she was not in the mood to speak to him again. She didn’t even want to look at him. His presence was more annoying than Amanda and Oversight still preventing her from going after Semak- even though her mother’s life was on the line. Why couldn’t Sean leave her alone. Or, get out of her way. As Alex moved to leave Amanda’s office, Sean stepped in front of her. She was tempted to slap him or kick him in the groin. Instead, she managed to compose herself and glare, “You said I was free to come and go. Amanda, tell your boy to get out of my way.”

“How would you get past me?” Sean dared. He wasn’t exactly sure why he had decided to bait Alexandra into a fight. Maybe he was just looking for an excuse to prove that she shouldn’t have been there. If she couldn’t get past a Navy Seal, then there was no way she could take down Sergei Semak. She should’ve gotten out when she had the chance. Everyone involved with Division should’ve gotten out when they had had the chance- and that included the rogues. It was too dangerous to be there- too volatile. Why keep going back to the danger if you could escape. Why keep risking everything for corruption and revenge.

Alex half-considered punching Sean out. If she did it fast enough, he wouldn’t be able to block her. Except, no matter how satisfying that would be, that’d just be stooping to his level. And she was absolutely above Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce. So, while maintaining her glare, she took out the phone she had taken from the casino and shoved it into his chest. He stumbled back from the force, and she smirked, “This is the phone Nikita and I used when we were partners. Pre-paid, no GPS. All the data’s been wiped, which confirms it’s hers. Re-trace the tower ping history, it’ll get us the point of sale which could lead us to her current location.”

“Sean, you did ask her,” Amanda chuckled dryly. Compared to when Alex discovered when her neighbor Sean had really been an Oversight plant, and the two had held each other at knife and gun point, that was a calmer standoff. Yet there was still annoyance and anger shining brightly in both their eyes. They wouldn’t let that situation go. They wouldn’t let anything about Division go, not until they got their way. Although they were both stalled in that department, it was more likely that Alex would get what she wanted before Sean. She had more allies, after all- even if she didn’t trust them completely, “Don’t worry, Alex, I keep my promises.”

After spending most of the night hugging her boyfriend and talking to him, Nikita felt better about delving into the black box. Though, she wanted to have the definite say on what missions the rogues attempted to rectify. Birkhoff and Michael were okay with that stipulation. Nikita then spent the next morning flipping through files on the black box. Michael, meanwhile, went to replenish their depleted stock of weapons and equipment. By the time he returned to the safehouse, it appeared as though the others already had a new mission. He dropped everything to join them at the computer, “Alright, I’ve purchased all the gear, let’s go over the mission.”

“Operation Game Change. January, 2004. Approximately one billion dollars in Iraq reconstruction funds was heisted by terrorists. At least that’s what the world was told. The terrorists were really a Division strike team,” Nikita selected the archived operation on the black box that they had decided to unravel. Birkhoff had developed a new code that combed through the box and spat out information relevant to their search. That time, the rogues searched for a mission that would lead them to Oversight. Operation Game Change popped up almost instantly. It was the perfect op for the rogues to expose; they’d even get to help innocents in the process.

Although the rogues had read through parts of the black box before- how else would they have known about the corrupt operations to steal money from- reading about Operation Game Change was different. So many people were hurt who should’ve never been in the crossfire, all because Oversight needed one billion dollars. That level of greed and corruption was inconceivable. And Division’s hand in it was worse than normal (though, not the worst thing they had done). No matter how many times he read the file, Birkhoff continued to be shocked, “I’ve seen Division cover their tracks, but this is…”

“The bigger the lie, the easier it is to believe,” Michael repeated a phrase that had been repeated in Ops ad nauseam. Wherever Division needed to cover their tracks, Cleaners either made the scene completely invisible, or Ops spun a story so wild it had to be true. Little lies could be picked apart easily by plucky reporters or conspiracy theorists on the internet. But big lies with a complex story to weave would be believed. Hardly anyone questioned terrorist attacks, for example. Division could consistently pretend to be terrorists without question and with anyone believing the story.

“Fortunately for us, there was one man who saw through it all, even back then. Pentagon sent in an investigator, Captain Tony Merrick. Evidence that pointed to the terrorists was left for him to find, but he found his own evidence that proved it was an inside job. Percy couldn’t afford to let that come to light, so he buried it and Merrick. Killing the lead investigator would draw too much attention, so he framed him for the beating of an Iraqi civilian to death. He is currently serving year seven of a thirty year prison sentence,” Nikita read. None of the information surprised her. It all seemed standard for the evil corruption that was Division and Oversight.

“This guy has evidence, why isn’t he using it to clear his name?” Clinging to that part of the story, Michael questioned. If he had had evidence that revealed such a conspiracy and kept him out of life in prison, he would’ve shared the information with anyone he knew. Sure, he wasn’t revealing what was on the black box. But that was different. If the rogues didn’t do things the right way, the world would burn rather than be saved. Merrick wouldn’t be starting World War III if he told the truth, however. So what was holding his tongue.

“Tony stashed evidence before his arrest. He must’ve known he was in danger,” Birkhoff shrugged as he guessed what was going on. There was no telling what had been going through Tony Merrick’s head as he uncovered Oversight’s conspiracy and as he was forcibly silenced. The black box only told Percy’s side of the story. If the rogues wanted a full grasp of everything, then they’d have to talk to Merrick themselves. Fortunately, the plan Nikita had voiced before Michael had returned would allow the rogues to do that. Unfortunately, once Division discovered what they did, they were going to face a lot more adversity.

“If we find Tony’s evidence, it will expose Oversight. This could be the first step to bringing them down,” Without knowing what Nikita had spitballed with Birkhoff earlier, Michael unwittingly agreed with her thoughts. Talking to Tony Merrick would not only reveal the whole story of Operation Game Change, but it’d also allow the rogues a chance to take down Oversight. Once their conspiracy and billion dollar theft were revealed, real cracks in Division’s surface would begin to form. The black ops group and those that sanctioned them would crumble at the seams. And the rogues would be one step closer to the finish line.

And all we have to do is break someone out of military prison to do it,” Birkhoff glanced at Nikita as he shared what else she had thought about. Everything else the rogues had hoped would come from their mission seemed possible, except breaking someone out of military prison. The three had done amazing things with their limited resources, but after their failed attempt to break into and run around the CIA, they should not be setting their sights on a military prison. They were only going to set themselves up for failure and more trouble.

Despite Birkhoff’s reservations, Michael and Nikita shared their thoughts with one another and began to plan a prison break. Thanks to Birkhoff’s reluctant hacking skills, they discovered that another prisoner was planning on being released that day. All Michael and Nikita had to do was switch the information, and they could sneak Merrick out instead. Compared with other risky stunts they had pulled, it was fairly simple. In fact, after Nikita and Michael managed to sneak into the prison, she beamed at him. He caught the smile instantly, but completely misinterpreted it, “No. You’re not going on this one. You took the casino, this one’s mine.”

“Not why I’m smiling. I just love a man in uniform,” Nikita continued to beam at Michael. Although he rolled his eyes, he smiled back at her. Their smiles soon faded, however, as she waited in their getaway vehicle, and he went into the prison to speak to Merrick. Tony absolutely did not want to talk to Michael. As soon as he saw him, he yelled for him to leave. When the rogue agent tried to reason with him, Merrick doubled down- he even admitted to the false story to make him leave. Michael couldn’t do that, though. Regretfully, he knocked Merrick out with a punch to his jaw. He also knocked out the guard that came to check on them.

It was a rush of an escape after that, but the rogue agent didn’t have another choice. Tony refused to cooperate for some reason. That only left violence as the answer. Thankfully, by the time Michael reached the getaway car, Nikita had pierced together enough from the chaos to know they had to go immediately. As soon as Michael and Merrick were in the car, she took off. They barely escaped the prison, yet they didn’t escape their problems. There was definitely more to Operation Game Change than they knew, “He didn’t want to leave. He said he was guilty. Something else is going on here.”

Chapter Text

Alex had hardly left Division when she was called back in by Amanda. She wasn’t told what for over the phone. But walking into Amanda’s office as she brushed Sean off and shut him out more than made up for the confusion. Alex could stand to see Sean Pierce treated like that more. Unfortunately, her smug smile over that thought faded the instant Amanda explained why she had called Alex in, “Engineering has traced Nikita’s burner phone to its point of sale. There are two motels within a twenty mile radius. I could have sent a strike team, but I know you hoped to approach Nikita on your own. In your heart, you don’t want to see her die.”

A part of Alex wanted to cast doubt on the idea that the rogues would be holed up in a motel room, but, honestly, what would she know. She had never known where their real safehouse was. They also could’ve moved since everything had gone to shit. Though, where the rogues were hiding was not the most important thing Amanda had said. She had also claimed that Alex didn’t want to see Nikita die. The young woman couldn’t comment one way or another on that, so she ignored it. She ignored most of what Amanda said, focusing only on what she could be sarcastic about- that was easiest, “What do you care what I want?”

“Because I like to plan for tomorrow and I need to earn your trust,” Amanda answered honestly. Alex was trying to think if Amanda had ever lied to her, and she couldn’t think of a solid example. Sure, Amanda had told her half-truths and had manipulated her. But she never told Alex a boldfaced lie, not even then. She truly wanted to earn Alex’s trust and give her what she wanted- everything she wanted. The young woman didn’t know how much she liked that. She definitely wanted to get what was due to her, but she didn’t want to side with Amanda, or be manipulated by her further.

Unfortunately, Alex didn’t have much of a choice in choosing what she had to do to get what she wanted. She needed Oversight and Amanda in order to kill Semak and save her mother, which meant she had to play along with what they wanted. She had to go after Nikita and the black box and listen to everything that was being told to her- and hardly snark back like she truly wanted. At least as she followed orders she could do as she pleased. She’d need that freedom to ensure she continued having her desires met, “Right now, Nikita still thinks that I’m on my own. Give me a chance to do this my way.”

“That’s what I’m doing, Alex. Giving you a chance, one chance. Bring back the black box,” Amanda offered with a soft, genuine smile. Alex actually believed her that time. No manipulation, no alternative motives, no more excuses as to why she couldn’t complete her revenge mission, if Alex brought back the black box to Division and Oversight, then she could go after Semak without any more stalls. That was her opportunity to save her mother and end it all. Alex wasn’t going to squander it.

After the jailbreak, Michael and Nikita didn’t risk returning to the safehouse. They could wait until the heat died down before they risked the journey. Besides, a motel along the highway seemed a better fit for the fugitive than the rogues’ hideout. They could easily leave for where Tony Merrick had hidden the evidence against Division and Oversight and keep him safe from everyone in the process- all without compromising the location of their safehouse was a bonus. The rogues could gain some much needed ground- thank God. They simply had to calm Merrick down as he startled awake and demanded, “Who the hell are you?”

Although Michael and Nikita didn’t share their names, they let Tony Merrick know what was occurring with Division. They then tried to ask him why he insisted he was guilty, yet it took some prying to get him to talk. Eventually, he shared that he had been threatened into silence; more specifically, his son had been threatened. Merrick then promised to keep the evidence hidden, so long as they didn’t hurt his son. He had held up his end of the promise; he just hoped whoever had threatened him would too. Upon hearing what had happened, Michael and Nikita decided to promise as well. They’d protect Merrick’s son. Division wouldn’t hurt him.

While Michael hunted down Tony Merrick’s son, Justin, Nikita tried to get Merrick to share more information. She didn’t know if he was going to share anything or not, because before he spoke, her phone rang. She didn’t believe it was Birkhoff calling; she and Michael had updated him about what was going on after they heard about Justin. Someone else had called Nikita. Since it was one of her burner cell phones, that shouldn’t have been possible. However, when she answered the phone, a familiar voice asked shakily, “Nikita?”

“Alex? Where are you?” Nikita immediately questioned. The young woman was absolutely the last person Nikita had expected to call, yet she refused to question it. Whatever Alex needed from her, she’d be there. That was something she should’ve done more to prove when they had been a team. She should’ve told Alex the truth and completely trusted her from the very beginning; then, it would’ve been clear that she’d help her friend no matter what. It was too late to change all she had done in the past. She just had to change herself for the future. So no matter what Alex had called for, Nikita would be there no questions asked.

“Hang up. Think. How does she have this number?” Michael instantly questioned. After Operation Sparrow, the rogues had gotten rid of any connection they had with Alex. Anything Division could track to them through her had been destroyed and replaced. They doubted she had told Division much, but the black ops group wouldn’t have needed her to talk to be able to follow her to the rogues. For the sake of all of their safety, the rogues had to cut all ties with their compromised mole. Which meant, Alex had no way of contacting them. If she had managed to call Nikita, then she must’ve had help she shouldn’t have had.

“It was an emergency back-up. It can’t be traced. It’s a wiped number,” Nikita shook off Michael’s worry. Although Michael and Birkhoff made sure to wipe any remaining connection to Alex, Nikita kept the emergency number. She didn’t want to completely sever her ties with the young woman. What if something happened and she needed help. Nikita wanted her to be able to reach out whenever she needed. Alex shouldn’t be left alone, even if that was what she wanted. She should always have support and help as needed. And then, she sounded like she needed it. Her voice was shaky, and she seemed troubled as Nikita asked, “Are you alright?

“No, you were right. I’m pretty bad. I tried to do it on my own, now I’m somewhere I don’t wanna be, and it hurts,” Alex sounded as though she was close to tears. Nikita’s heart broke for her. She had wanted the best for her. She wanted her as far away from hell as possible. But of course she didn’t get what she wanted. The war was still raging. Birkhoff and Michael were still in danger. And Alex was still hurt. Things just kept getting worse. And despite what Michael had claimed, Nikita knew it was because of her influence.

She wondered just what kind of hell Alex found herself in then, when Nikita noticed how Alex was breathing. Her breath was hitched and erratic, not like she was having a panic attack or like she was dying, but like she kept forgetting how to breathe. It was the type of breathing someone high off of the worst kind of drugs would do. A fearful thought crossed Nikita’s mind. She prayed it wasn’t true, only paranoia. But she still had to make sure- assure herself that the worst had happened, “You’re not using again, are you? It sounds like…”

“Well, I was… It was just a little bit. You know, something to get me by,” Alex slurred her words, proving Nikita’s worst thoughts correct. Not only was she using, but she was high at that very moment. It was a miracle that she had decided to call Nikita for help. That at least meant she was hoping to get better; she knew her drug use was a problem and she had to get better. Nikita was going to focus on that positive; otherwise, her despair and heartbreak for her friend would consume her whole.

“Where are you?” As Nikita asked- fighting to keep the panic out of her voice- Michael passed her the keys. He had heard Alex over the phone and knew Nikita had to go to her. That wasn’t a question or a debate. Even if Alex hadn’t relapsed or had begun to spiral, her calling for help was enough to drop everything and run. It was the least the rogues could do after all she had done for them. Nikita had to rush to Alex’s side and help bring her out of hell. Michael and Birkhoff could help Tony Merrick in the meantime.

“Brighton Beach. I was looking into the Russian mafia to get a lead on Semak,” Alex confessed. Of course it was on her path of revenge that she had fallen. When Nikita had first escaped Division, she had slipped down a similar path. It was so easy to stumble back into the world of drugs when anger and pain controlled your every move. You just wanted to shut it out by any means possible. Since the only thing Nikita had learned to cope with was drugs, she had picked up the terrible habit again. Alex seemed to be in the same boat. She had no other way to heal herself, so she turned to what she had believed was a former comfort.

Michael urged Nikita to leave immediately. He could handle Tony Merrick and his son; she should focus on helping Alex and getting her clean. He knew how desperately the young woman needed that help- especially from a friend who had been in that situation before. Her desperation wasn’t something to ignore or to push off. Nikita needed to go to her and save her from further harm, “I’ll take Tony, we’ll get his son. I looked him up. He’s in Manhattan. We won’t lose any time.”

“She sounds bad, Mike,” Before Michael could leave for Manhattan, Nikita gripped his arm. She had never heard Alex like that before. She knew the young woman had been forced to do drugs in the brothel and had never gotten clean. And Nikita had seen what those drugs did to her after Vlad had kidnapped her. But that time was different. Alex intentionally fell into the dark bliss of drugs. She had messed herself up and was struggling- bad. Nikita was terrified for her. Something could happen; she could easily fall into a worse situation and get hurt. She needed help. Nikita needed to run to her, “Alex, stay where you are. I’m coming to you.”

Nikita hardly registered what she’d need before she left the motel for Alex. She simply raced to the car and prayed that she’d arrive in Brighton Beach before anything happened to Alex. However, just as she was about to climb into the car, she noticed a handful of black SUVs rolling into the parking lot. They looked like Division vans. Curious and terrified, Nikita moved to take a closer look. Just as she did, someone else in the parking lot moved to curiously study the vans as well. Once Nikita saw her, she recognized her on sight: it was Alex.

And the vans were definitely Division.

As Nikita realized that, agents poured out of the SUVs and began to shoot at her. She barely ducked behind vehicles in time. If it wasn’t for her adrenaline, she wouldn’t have moved as quickly- her shock at seeing Alex with Division overpowered her panic at seeing guns. It took her a second to snap herself out of it and start shooting back in return. Her bullets didn’t do anything against the assault. Division had her severely outnumbered. She was nearly out of bullets before Michael and Merrick could join her, but the Division agents just kept coming.

The rogues were out of bullets and pinned down. Division was going to advance, kill them, recover the black box, and find Birkhoff and kill him. Unless Nikita and Michael- or even Merrick- found a miracle way out, the war was going to end right then and there. However, all Nikita could think about was seeing Alex back with Division. What was she doing there. Why had she drawn her out. Why had she looked as shocked by the SUVs she was clearly with as Nikita was. Unfortunately, the rogue never got any answers for her questions. Suddenly, two attack drones flew onto the scene, starting explosions and spraying everyone with gas.

Everything turned dark once the gas settled, and the world slipped away.

When Michael woke, he was on the floor of his and Nikita’s bedroom. He shook the fog out of his head and tried to figure out what just happened. The best he could remember was that attack drones had saved them from Division. But that didn’t make a lot of sense. So, he ignored that thought and focused on finding Nikita. Merrick was on the floor next to him. But Nikita, thankfully, was in the bed behind him, unscathed yet still unconscious. Michael pushed himself shakily off the ground and moved to wake his girlfriend. As soon as he shook her, she snapped upright and gasped, “Division. Michael, Alex is with Division.”

“Shh. We’re not in Division. We’re back at the safehouse. How do you feel? Can you move?” Having Nikita sit up, Michael asked worriedly. He felt fine after whatever it was that had knocked them out, but he needed to assure himself that Nikita did too. When she nodded, he helped her slide off the bed; then, he went in search of Birkhoff. There was no doubt that he had been the one to send the attack drones. Though, how he had gotten them was a complete mystery. By the time Michael found the hacker carelessly eating a bag of popcorn, the only thing he could blurt wasn’t ‘thank you’ but, “Hey. What the hell was that? Those attack drones were…”

“Advanced? Next level? Illegal? Expensive? Uh, yeah. You guys owe me big for this one,” Birkhoff rattled off. Through some hacker connections of his, he had recently acquired a couple of attack drones that he definitely shouldn’t have had access to. He had never thought he’d actually have to use them. He simply figured it’d be nice to have as they fought an enemy with an unlimited amount of resources. Turned out, his paranoid planning came in clutch. Hopefully, though, the rogues would never be in that much trouble again. Birkhoff didn’t know how many times he could bail them out with drones.

“Oh, Nerd, you’re our hero. Our big, nerdy, glad-to-spend-money-on-us hero,” Nikita gushed over Birkhoff, making him roll his eyes. She also wrapped her arms around him in a playful hug to further emphasize her praise and tease- a hug that he hardly reciprocated. However, during the brief hug, thoughts of Alex and Division crept into Nikita’s mind. She had seen her friend right before the fire fight. She had seen Alex standing among their enemies before the rogues were ordered to be shot and killed. Nikita hugged Birkhoff tighter, needing comfort. He didn’t hesitate in hugging her tightly in return.

Chapter Text

Amanda had been right; Alex didn’t want Nikita to die. Nor did she want Michael or even Birkhoff to die. She didn’t want any death or destruction. There had been enough of that, especially to people she cared about. Division couldn’t take any more people from her, including those she had had a falling out with. If Alex had gotten her way, the rogues would’ve never been in danger as she stole what she wanted. Everyone could’ve been safe, and she could’ve had the black box and her mother. But stupid fucking Lieutenant Commander Sean fucking Pierce stepped in and almost ruined everything.

When Alex had groggily came to after being gassed by a drone (she was one thousand percent certain she had Birkhoff to thank for that), Division cleaners were on the scene attempting to mitigate the disaster that had been left behind. The few agents that were left alive were slowly coming to as well. They were all in ambulances, so that must’ve been a part of the cover story. However, as Alex glanced around, she noticed that Sean Pierce was nowhere to be seen. He must’ve come to before her and instantly drove back to Division. If that was the case, then she wasn’t going to stick around either. She was going to immediately follow Sean.

The drive back to Division was a bitter one. Alex stewed in her lividity and frustration all the way down the highway and across the country roads. That had been her chance. With Nikita chasing her ghost in Brighton Beach, Alex could’ve gassed an unsuspecting Michael and Merrick and taken the black box. Alex would then be able to save her mother. And the rogues would continue to be safe since their safehouse still wasn’t compromised. Everyone would’ve been happy. Everyone would’ve been safe. Except Sean fucking Pierce had to intervene.

By the time Alex returned to Division, Sean had taken control of Ops. He was commanding Sonya on the best way to track the rogues and the drone support they had miraculously been able to use. Although Alex was wondering just how the hell Birkhoff had managed to get his hands on that sort of weapon, she ultimately didn’t care. Her main focus was on releasing her rage on Sean. She stormed across Ops to meet him; then, she roughly pulled him away from the computer and shoved at his chest, “What the fuck was that, Sean!”

“I need a drone scrambled from Andrews AFB. Something with range. My guess is they’ve gone to ground. I need a sat re-task over the Eastern seaboard,” Nudging Alexandra away, Sean returned to what he had been doing. Alexandra’s anger was completely misplaced. Her ill-planning and the rogues were to blame for what had happened. His plan would’ve worked and he would’ve been able to destroy the black box had it not been for the drones and the fact that Nikita had been lured outside, ruining the surprise. Alexandra had been the one to ruin the operation. If she had shared what she had known. Everything would’ve been over.

“Who do you fucking think you are?” Roughly yanking on Sean’s arm, Alex forced him to look at her. He absolutely could not dismiss her then; after everything he had done to her- lying, decisive, backstabbing- he could not ignore her. He wasn’t special. Just because he wasn’t Division didn’t mean he had some superiority over her. He was on the same mission and he followed the same people. He had fucked up by going against that- by going against her he had to pay the consequences.

“Also, new transport,” Sean refused to listen to Alexandra, continuing to order Sonya on what he wanted. When he had just been assigned to watch Alexandra, he hadn’t been so concerned with what the rogues were doing. Division had seemed to have been handling it. Besides, his mission had only been to protect Alexandra; he wasn’t focused on anything else. Until the black box had been stolen, and his family had been put at risk. Then, destroying that damn thing became his only priority.

“Belay that order,” Amanda called down from her office. Everything in Ops went still at her order. Sonya glanced warily at Sean, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do. However, he had ignored her. He glared at Amanda, annoyance and anger sparking in his hazel eyes. He quickly marched into the new head of Division’s office. Not done yelling at Sean, Alex followed. She was interested in what Amanda had to say, especially since it looked like Sean was about to get his assed chewed out, “I spoke with your superiors: we agreed you will never commandeer Division assets without my permission.”

“You mean your superiors. And what? I can’t go around your back like you went around mine?” Sean snapped. Oversight controlled both of them- all of them. He wasn’t the only one who had to follow their orders and do as he was told. Or had Amanda forgotten what had happened to Percy when he had stepped out of line. Amanda was just as beholden to Oversight as Sean. she couldn’t go around people’s backs- be rogue. Nothing would ever get resolved or end if that shit kept happening. No one would ever be saved.

“I didn’t ask for you, you were assigned,” Harshly, Amanda reminded. Although Alex had assumed that was why Sean had begun to follow her- ordered by Oversight to protect their investment- it was surprising to see the look on Sean’s face when confronted about it. Whatever hold Oversight had over him where they could order him around and even make him come back after things had changed was fascinating. Why had Sean returned when Alex didn’t need protection anymore and when he didn’t want to be there. What else could Oversight want- besides maintaining their power. What was Sean really doing in Division.

Sean was doing an excellent job of ignoring Alexandra. Not only did he not want to talk to her, but he also didn’t want to give her the chance to study him. She had hidden things from him- important vital things that could’ve given them both what they wanted. So why should he share everything with her. He could keep secrets too. And his secrets would actually help people. Alexandra was hardly helping herself with her actions. She and everyone else were screwed because of what she had done. Maybe it was a good thing he had returned. He was the only way people would be saved, “Apparently with good reason. Sending her in…”

“Would have worked if you hadn’t blown it,” Alex instantly yelled. She had had the situation contained. She had had everything planned and ready to go. Gassing Michael and Merrick would’ve worked, and Division would’ve had the black box. The only reason it didn’t was because a strike team arrived. Nikita had spotted them then Alex (and had looked so shocked and heartbroken to see her there), and it was all over. The perfect, harmless plan had been shattered because Sean Pierce couldn’t fucking wait. If he had just trusted her- if anyone had just trusted her- none of that would’ve been happening.

“What would’ve worked is if you told the truth. You had a way of contacting Nikita this entire time. And didn’t tell. Don’t you think that’s intel you could’ve used?” Finally, Sean rounded on Alexandra. The only reason Division knew where to ambush Nikita and Michael was because of the former mole’s phone call. If she had just disclosed that information sooner, then they wouldn’t have been having that problem. Since Alexandra had lied, things were so much worse. The rogues were in the wind and there was no chance of destroying the black box. That war was going to continue for no reason, and more people would be hurt because of all the lies.

“I had one chance to use that number without suspicion. That’s all you get with Nikita. One chance,” Alex crowded into Sean’s space and shouted in his face. The only way she could call Nikita and get her to listen to her was if she convinced her that she was in trouble. Despite what had happened, Alex knew Nikita would come running if she believed she was hurt. But the instant the rogue knew the agent was lying- was still with Division- she’d stop running. Once Nikita’s trust was lost, it was lost forever. Alex couldn’t necessarily blame her for that, though. She knew she was the same. Trust was hard to earn but easy to lose.

“Enough. The situation is still fluid, and I’m not interested in conceding defeat yet. We have one advantage left to us. But it requires you talking to someone you like even less than Sean,” Stepping between Sean and Alex, Amanda offered another solution. She didn’t offer it to Oversight’s personal soldier, however; she only offered it to Alex. The young agent was instantly put on edge. She couldn’t think of anyone she liked less than Sean Pierce. She’d even have a conversation with Oversight again than continue talking to him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the option Amanda was offering. Instead, she led Alex to the bottom of Division.

Once again, Amanda had been right; there was someone Alex did like less than Sean: Percy. After Operation Sparrow, Oversight and Amanda had locked him up in the basement of Division Hannibal Lecter style. The agents didn’t even know he was down there. He was Oversight’s dirty secret they were trying to sweep under the rug. They would’ve killed him, but the black boxes kept him alive. He was then just a pest they were stuck with. Alex would’ve loved it if that had never become her problem too. Yet there she was, walking towards his cage while he smiled at her, “Alex, right on time. Good to see you.”

“Wish I could say the same,” Alex muttered. She had to keep reminding herself that she was there for her mother. When Amanda had told her that Percy had information to share with Division but he would only share it with a neutral party, Alex wanted to refuse the idea. She absolutely could not be the middleman between Percy and Amanda. She did not want to talk to the bastard, and she did not want to get caught in another one of their games. However, Division had no leads. And if Division had no leads, then Alex couldn’t kill Semak and save her mother. So she agreed to talk to Percy. And she fought to keep the glower off her face.

“Though I must admit, I am surprised. I have to be here, for the time being, but you, you choose to be a prisoner. I wonder why that is,” All that time locked in a glass cage hadn’t diminished how much of an asshole Percy was. Alex was so tempted to just turn around and forget everything. Yet the thought of her mother trapped with Semak kept her in place. She could get through hell if her mother was on the other side of it. All Alex had to do was stay on mission and not get swept up in Percy’s games.

“I need to ask you about Operation Game Change. Michael and Nikita have broken Tony Merrick out of Leavenworth,” Staring at a point beyond Percy so she wouldn’t have to look at him, Alex repeated what Amanda had told her. After the disaster at the motel, Division was at least able to discover that the rogues had broken a soldier out of prison. He was tied to an old operation that Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff were no doubt trying to set right. It wasn’t important if they succeeded or not, at least not to Alex. She only wanted to know where she could intercept them next so she could steal back the box and end that nightmare.

“Straight to business. Bad etiquette. Your father raised you better than that,” Percy smirked. Alex half-wondered how long he had been waiting to say that to her. He had loved it when he had made the quip about her being Russian and knowing how to play chess (which, yeah, she did, but her mother had taught her, not her father). That moment didn’t feel any different. Percy loved when he made himself smarter or cleverer or more important. No wonder the rogues wanted desperately to kill him. Two seconds after talking to him without wearing her mole-mask and she was ready to lunge.

“Don’t you ever mention my father,” Alex seethed. She had to stop herself from stalking even closer to the cage. Although Percy couldn’t hurt her through the glass, she continued to not trust him. He was far too cunning. And a part of her felt as though he was only trying to get a rise out of her. She couldn’t jump at his bait. She had to keep the power that she had. Though, she began to doubt that she had any power. She felt like she was a pawn again. She might’ve moved places on the board, yet it was all the same (God, now she was starting to think like Percy; she seriously had to get away from him).

“Okay, we’ll talk about your mother,” Percy continued to smirk. Alex somehow managed to keep her cool that time. She breathed through her rage and tried to redirect the topic. The bastard ignored her, however. He had his own agenda, and he was going to follow it before he even thought about hers. More than ever Alex wanted to strangle him. Or at least punch the smirk off his lips, “What was her name? You rarely spoke of her. There must be a reason why you keep seeking out mother-figures. What was her name? I forget.”

Michael had once warned Alex that Percy had an eidetic memory. She could never underestimate the bastard’s ability to recall details. The instant she did, was the instant that she was dead. Amanda had also warned Alex that Percy remembered everything; that was why they could turn to him for knowledge about what was on the black box. The bastard was aware of everything he had put on there, just as he was aware of all of his victims. Percy knew exactly who Alex’s mother was. She didn’t need to tell him anything, “No, you don’t.”

“But do you? Have you forgotten her, Alex?” Although Percy dropped the smirk, his features distorting into mock sympathy, he continued to taunt Alex. She fought against raising to the bait. But it was a severely losing battle. How could anyone accuse her of forgetting about her family. All she was, all she did every day, was because of her mother and father. She could never forget them. She’d carry them with her every second of every day. And once she had her mother back in her life, a part of her shattered heart would be mended. Alex could never forget her family, not when their love was always with her.

“Her name is Katya, and she’s better than all of you. Amanda, Nikita, you’re all killers. She never hurt anyone. There was no reason for her to be a target, no reason,” Practically yelling, Alex let her anger overwhelm her. She knew better. She should’ve stayed on topic and forced Percy to talk about Operation Game Change. Yet she had to let it known that Katya Udinov was better than any person she had ever met. Nikita and Amanda weren’t half the woman Alex’s mother was. She had been an angel who hadn’t deserved the fate that had been so cruelly given to her. She hadn’t deserved to be threatened and stolen just because of who she had married.

When Percy smirked again, Alex realized what she had just done. She had just confirmed that she knew her mother was alive. Percy knew why she was still in Division and why she was still working with Oversight. And he could possibly use the information he had goaded out of her to his advantage, “I see her strength in you, Alex. Which is why I’m going to help you. You want to know where Nikita is going next. I don’t know where, but I know who. And I can tell you. In exchange for a small token. A television, with a live news feed. The more I know what’s going on, the more I can predict Michael and Nikita’s moves.”

“Amanda will never go for that,” Alex argued lamely. She had been so stupid. She should’ve fought harder to keep her cool. She should’ve ignored everything Percy had said and kept the conversation on Game Change. Now, Percy had more information to lord over her. The black box secrets trapped in his head had been enough. Yet now, he had more ways to control her. Alex had to be more careful in future interactions with Percy. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be anymore; she would retrieve the black box that night. But luck had not been on her side lately.

“But she will, because I’m going to give you a gift in advance. As a show of good faith,” Percy offered the information Alex needed for free, though, not without a catch. She shouldn’t accept what was offered to her. She shouldn’t take the catch and trust Percy. However, she wasn’t the one in need. All the information she gathered, all the plans she created, all the progress she made on her revenge mission, everything she did was for her mother. And Percy knew that. Alex had no choice but to agree.

Chapter Text

Once Michael caught Birkhoff up to speed, the rogues continued to search for Tony Merrick’s son. Birkhoff had also managed to grab the supplies Michael and Nikita had at the motel, so they weren’t completely starting over. They simply had to change gears, knowing Division had a lot more help and resources than they should’ve. Although Michael and Birkhoff were shocked by the turn of events, they continued with their mission. Nikita helped plan for a bit, but she soon pulled away. Aware she needed a moment to herself, no one chased after.

Eventually, though, Michael needed to draw Nikita out of her thoughts. He waited until she was standing still and staring out the window before he approached. The fact that she wasn’t pacing was a good sign; she was calm enough to continue forward. With Division tied so closely to that mission, the team needed her to be completely focused on her part of the plan. Miraculous and expensive drones couldn’t save them a second time, “You’re all set. Birkhoff located Tony’s son and has graciously agreed to let us use one of his nicer cars so you’d be unsuspected at the club. I think he’s second-guessing rescuing us.”

Michael had hoped his quip about Birkhoff begrudgingly spending money on the team would crack a slight smile on Nikita’s lips. Yet she hardly looked at him as he approached. Her thoughts remained on seeing Alex outside the motel right before Division attacked. What had she even been doing there. She was supposed to have gotten out. She was supposed to have been on her own path. She was supposed to be safe and finding her own happiness. So why was she back in that mess. Why was she working for those she knew would only hurt her, “Maybe he shouldn’t have. The game’s changed, and I didn’t even see it.”

“Look, there’s no way you could’ve known Alex was working with Division,” Michael instantly understood what she was weighing so heavily on her mind. He was also shocked to know that Alex was working with Division again; it was also upsetting to think about what could’ve possibly led her to that point. However, it wasn’t worth carrying the weight of the world. Alex was a grown woman making her own decisions. Her involvement with Division after everything they had done was her choice. The rogues couldn’t have done anything to stop that. Especially since they had no idea that it had happened.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Nikita muttered. Alex had said that she wanted to go on her own. She had said that she wanted out of Division and away from the rogues, and that she had to chase Semak on her own. She’d rather be a lone wolf than trust another person. If there had been nothing Nikita could’ve said to change her mind, then what had Division said. How were they manipulating Alex to continue working with them. She should’ve been smart enough then to know what that hellhole was really doing. She shouldn’t have gotten sucked back in. Nothing could’ve been worth that pain.

“She wants revenge for her family, and she’s hoping they can help her out. It makes perfect sense. Especially when that’s all you can think about, trust me,” Softly, Michael replied. Although Alex knew that Division had been the weapon that killed her family, the black ops organization still had the resources, weapons, and connections to get her what she wanted. She couldn’t surmount a kill mission against Semak with Gogol and Zetrov at his powerful fingertips on her own. She needed help- far more help than the rogues could provide. Division was her only choice, even if it was the worst one.

“But when you entered Division, you didn’t know the truth about them. Alex does. It’s like she’s so lost, she follows the first trail she finds. Even if it’s the one that leads her straight to hell,” Finally turning to look at Michael, Nikita gently caressed his cheek in an effort to comfort him- and also in an effort to comfort herself. Michael’s reliance on Division to kill the man who had killed his family had ended the instant he had known the truth. Alex, however, continued to get mixed up in things she knew she shouldn’t. Nikita should’ve done a better job of helping her. She should’ve told her the truth. It never would’ve hurt Alex; it would’ve saved her.

Wrapping his arm around Nikita’s waist, Michael tried to dispel the weight that had settled on her shoulders. Alex’s choices were not something she had to take responsibility for. They never had been. From being a mole to separating herself from the team, every choice had been Alex’s. Yes, Nikita should’ve done things differently, like telling the truth. But so should’ve Michael and Birkhoff. No single person was responsible for what had happened except for Alex. Her path was her own, Nikita didn’t carve it, “Nikita, you are not responsible for her, okay?”

“Or, I’m responsible for her for the rest of my life,” As much as Nikita wanted to believe Michael, she knew better than to take the blame off her shoulders. She had saved Alex from Pale Fire. Since that day, she had been responsible for her safety and well being. And since that day, she had dropped the ball consistently. When she had trusted Alex with her father’s driver, he had sold her to sex traffickers. When she had the chance to break Alex out of Division, she had failed drastically. And when she should’ve focused on getting Alex out, she had lied. Nikita had always been responsible for Alex’s safety, and she always hurt her worse than before.

Pulling Nikita into a hug, Michael did his best to comfort her. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given much time to hold her. Birkhoff had narrowed down Tony Merrick’s son, Justin, to a specific club in Manhattan. He wouldn’t be there long, especially with Division possibly after him. Nikita needed to grab Justin and bring him back to the safehouse while Michael and Birkhoff distracted Division. She quickly got herself together, changed for the club, and raced to the location. As soon as she was on site, Birkhoff once again confirmed that Merrick’s son was nearby, “His credit card was charged a couple minutes ago. He’s there.”

Nikita fought to keep her head clear as she searched the club for Justin. The car ride into the city had helped her focus on the mission. But being in a club full of alcohol and drugs wasn’t helping her clarity. She felt so twisted up that her mind was screaming in a way that she had only ever known one way to shut it up. It took everything in her not to fall down that path. Honestly, seeing Division at the club helped her stay on target, even if who she saw was Alex, “Michael, Division’s on-site, possible grab team… we need to adjust.”

“Okay, copy that. Setting a smoke screen. Make that call,” Michael responded to Nikita then ordered Birkhoff. While Nikita secured Justin, the others would ensure that Division couldn’t interfere. There were too many agents for the rogues to take on in a crowded public place. But if Michael and Birkhoff called Ops and led them to believe that they could trace the rogues’ location, then that’d give Nikita the freedom to operate in the field. Hopefully, she didn’t run into the same surprises she had at the motel. They wouldn’t be able to handle more shocks.

Unfortunately, Nikita already encountered a shock. Alex was the lead agent for the grab team. She had approached Justin at the bar, flirted with him, and led him outside. Nikita immediately followed. She couldn’t let Alex complete her mission. She couldn’t let Division hurt Justin and kill Merrick. And she couldn’t let Alex go down that path. So as soon as she caught up with the pair, Nikita took Alex down and urged Justin to run towards her car. Michael and Birkhoff’s smoke screen should take care of the grab team. Justin was free to run, as long as he stuck to Nikita, not Alex, “Move! I’m getting you out of here.”

“Nikita!” Quickly recovering, Alex drew her weapon and shouted at Nikita. The rogue pushed Justin out of the alleyway behind the club before she turned to face Alex. Nikita’s gun was drawn in an instant. Alex knew it was because she had her own gun drawn; the rogue was only acting on instinct. But she couldn’t help but become infuriated. Why did Nikita have to keep getting in her way. If she just dropped the gun, if she just stepped aside, if she just told the truth, Alex would have the black box and then her mother. She could be happy again if Nikita just stood down, “Drop your gun.”

“What are you gonna do, shoot me?” Nikita was only half-certain that Alex wouldn’t shoot her. If she had planned to, she would’ve done it while the rogue was distracted with Justin. Considering Alex was working with Division again despite everything that she knew and everything that had gone down, Nikita wouldn’t have put it past her to shoot while her back was turned. Alex would do anything to get her revenge; that much had always been abundantly clear. Nikita just never knew that it’d also involve becoming the enemy. That was a line that she thought the young woman was too good to cross.

“I’ve done it before,” Alex spat bitterly. However, as she trained the barrel of her gun on Nikita, she didn’t actually believe she could pull the trigger. Last time, Nikita had been wearing her Kevlar lined jacket. She had been able to survive the worst of Alex’s anger-filled actions. That time, however, she was only wearing a tanktop. If Alex shot her, she could die. Unless, of course, she shot her in a non-essential area. But just the thought of that gave Alex pause. Besides Semak, she didn’t want to hurt anyone else. She didn’t want to be like Division and the rogues, constantly hurting others to get what they wanted. She wanted to be like her mother. 

“To save my life, right? Who’s it gonna be for this time? Do you even know, or does Amanda have you so twisted you don’t know what to believe?” Daring to approach Alex, Nikita dared her to think. A part of her knew it was pointless. Not that long ago, Amanda had had her claws sunk so deeply into her that she had turned against Michael and Birkhoff. The bitch, Amanda, had that disastrous effect on others. Although Alex was strong and smart, she couldn’t fight that manipulation. Nikita didn’t know anyone who could.

“I know what I believe and what I want. I’m using Division to get it,” Alex knew exactly what she wanted from Division. No one was manipulating her; they never had been. She was going to use Division’s resources and connections to kill Semak and save her mother. It was that simple. Amanda, Oversight, Sean Pierce, the rogues, no one could take her off course or make her do anything she didn’t want to. She had the control in the situation. And she was going to do all she could to save her mother and be happy.

Loosening her tight grip on her gun, Nikita stared at Alex in bewilderment. Hadn’t she already come to the conclusion that she didn’t need Division to kill Semak. Hadn’t she told Nikita that she didn’t need anyone but herself to get revenge. What could’ve possibly changed to make her take all that back. What could have Division been holding over her head to make her keep changing sides. Was her revenge seriously that important. Or was there more going on than she was willing to share, “Why are you still on this, Alex? They are using you. It’s what Division does. You can’t trust them.”

“I don’t trust anybody!” Furiously, Alex snapped. She had enough of talking. All Oversight, Amanda, Sean, Peirce, Nikita, and Percy wanted to do was talk. But Alex was ready to act. She lashed out to knock the gun out of Nikita’s hand. Although her move was successful, the rogue immediately retaliated. Alex’s gun scattered along the ground. The two women began to fight in the alleyway, completely ignoring the fact that they could be discovered by Division or a civilian at any moment. They simply traded kicks and punches without holding back.

“Stop,” Nikita soon slammed Alex against a dumpster. If Alex just quit right there, then they could both be happy. Going down her path the way she was would only get her hurt. Alex had to learn that then before things got much worse. Yet the young woman wouldn’t quit. She had to hurt Nikita so she could reach her highly coveted goal- whatever it was at that point. Nikita kept stopping her however. She wouldn’t let her go until she thought first. Free of Division and the rogues, Alex had to stop and think, “I said, stop!”

Having sparred with Alex and Nikita knew where her weak sides lay. She had tried to teach the young woman how to correct that. But in the heat of the moment, she wasn’t going to heed the advice. Nikita could take advantage and force Alex to stop. She didn’t want it to come to that. She didn’t want to hurt her friend. Yet with how much she was fighting- how much she was careening towards death by working with Division- Nikita had to forcibly put an end to Alex’s attacks. So, when Alex threw her next punch, Nikita captured her arm in her fierce grasp, “Remember this: I did this because I care.”

Without allowing herself to think too much about what she was going to do, Nikita broke Alex’s arm. The young woman shouted in pain and collapsed on the ground. She held her injured arm and tried not to cry. She also tried to get to her feet. Nikita grabbed her discarded gun. The thought to shoot Alex had never crossed her mind until then. And even then, she tried to push it out of her mind. However, she quickly realized that the only way to make Alex stop and think was to make her useless to Division. A broken arm could still allow her to perform some functions. But a gunshot wound would take her out completely, “Get out while you’re still alive.”

Nikita shot Alex in the thigh. Her screams rattled in the alleyway and in the rogue’s mind. There was no escaping the pain she had inflicted.

Chapter Text

With Alex’s screams continuing to ring in her ears, Nikita caught up to Justin, grabbed him, and pulled him into her car. She barely had the energy to settle his anxiety. She briefly told him what was going on. Then, she briefly told Michael and Birkhoff what had happened. It was up to the two to do the rest. Michael talked to Justin, and Birkhoff worked with Tony Merrick to get the evidence against Division and Oversight he had stashed. Nikita only sat and thought about what she had done. Alex’s screams continued in her ears.

Once at the safehouse, Nikita pulled away from the others. She went to take a shower, change clothes, and hide in her bedroom. No one followed her; they knew she needed space. While she came to grips with what she had done, Michael and Birkhoff continued to work with Merrick and his son. They got Tony in touch with the feds and worked on a solution to all of their problems. After all the mess that had been created, the feds were looking for an easy cleanup. Merrick and Justin were soon safe, and the truth was revealed. It was that simple, which was shocking to Birkhoff, “I’m surprised the feds took Tony’s deal.”

“I’m not. They get his evidence, and it makes them look like heroes,” Michael shrugged. With the evidence that Tony Merrick had gathered the only way for the U.S. government to be seen as the good guys was if they immediately jumped on top of the story and found their scapegoat. They couldn’t let that information leak to the press; they had to control the story. So by the time the news finally shared what had happened, events were spun and an easy to swallow solution had been found. No one would question anything. Except the rogues.

The scapegoat that the government had found- more accurately, the one Oversight had found- was no doubt one of the secret members that ran Division. Michael and Birkhoff crossed him off their list of targets, then Michael finally went to talk to Nikita. She had to know about the new information, even though he knew she wasn’t up for conversation. She sat on the edge of the bed, curled in on herself and looking nowhere. Michael joined her on the bed, anyway. She shouldn’t force herself to be alone. She was never alone, “So we know from the code names on the box that there are six members on Oversight. That’s one down, five to go.”

There was no response from Nikita. She didn’t seem relieved that a member of Oversight was gone. She didn’t even seem to care that they had succeeded on their mission. She continued to sit curled into a ball and staring off into the distance. Michael bumped his hip against hers and wrapped his arm around her. Nikita didn’t move. He knew why. He knew what was going on inside her head. But she didn’t need to be completely plagued by those thoughts. There was hope along the horizon. He was sure of it, “That means we’re one step closer to home.”

Although Nikita leaned into her boyfriend’s warmth, she didn’t say anything for a while. She also continued to not look at him. The idea of a home with Michael sounded so wonderful; it sounded like the perfect end to their war. However, she didn’t know if she deserved it. After all she had done, after all she continued to choose to do, maybe she didn’t deserve that happily ever after, “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I want to stop running. I’ve been running my whole life. I want a home. I just want to be able to live with myself when I get there.”

Searching Nikita’s face and seeing the despair etched across her features, Michael grabbed her hand. He squeezed tightly and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder. She relaxed a little at his touch, yet it wasn’t enough. The weight of the world continued to rest on his girlfriend’s shoulders, and he had to take some of that burden. He wasn’t certain if she would accept his comfort words or gestures at the moment. However, he was certain that he could get a rise out of her if he told a bad joke. So, squeezing her hand again, he teasingly said, “Hey, it’s gonna be hard enough living with me.”

A chuckle broke out of Nikita without her meaning it to. She finally looked at Michael, who kissed her shoulder again and smiled at her adoringly. She could only return his smile for a brief second. Soon, her morose thoughts about what had happened in the alley returned. She couldn’t shake them. And, honestly, why should she. What she had done was horrible. In the heat of the moment, she had thought it was a good idea. But after giving it more thought, she realized how stupid she was. That was not the way to go about things. It would never work the way she had intended. Because what she had done was too horrible to ever cause good, “I shot Alex.”

“I know,” Michael replied gently and kissed her shoulder once more. She had told him and Birkhoff what had happened after she had grabbed Justin and drove to the safehouse. She said she had shot Alex cleanly and in the thigh to stop her; the young woman was badly injured, but with Division’s medical care, she would be fine. It had taken Michael a moment to register what Nikita had said she had done. But once he could, he realized why she had done it. To stop Alex from following Division’s path, she had to be slowed down. What better way to slow her down than to injure her. Then, she couldn’t work for Division. She could only sit and think.

“I shouldn’t have done it,” Nikita let go of Michael’s hand and turned away from him. She couldn’t believe that she had thought shooting Alex was the right thing to do. Sure, it would force her out of missions for a while. But was that really any kind of solution. Alex wouldn’t take that opportunity to think over her situation and realize she was in a terrible one. Nikita knew she wouldn’t have. That would’ve been when she double-downed on her efforts to get what she wanted. That would’ve been when she let her anger overwhelm her and drive her.

“You did it to stop her. I shot at you to stop you once, remember. It wasn’t because I hated you or wanted to kill you. It’s just the only way to get people like us to stop and think,” Michael refused to let Nikita move too far from him. When he had been rogue and she had been in Division, he once shot at her to stop her. He, of course, hadn’t wanted to kill her or even hurt her. But he had needed to make her think. Getting shot or shot at definitely put things into perspective for people like them. It told them that they had to reevaluate and start thinking in new ways. Alex would get the message from the harsh action. She’d stop and think.

“But Alex isn’t like us. Getting shot might keep her from being used by Amanda and Oversight, but only until she heals. And she won’t run or think in the meantime. She’ll just keep looking for revenge,” Nikita should’ve realized that before she took the shot. Breaking Alex’s arm had been enough. Shooting the young woman wasn’t going to make the difference she had briefly believed it would. It just made things worse. Why wouldn’t it have. Nikita didn’t do anything right. She hadn’t made good decisions when Michael and Birkhoff had been the only rogues, when she had finally escaped, or when Alex had been their mole, so why start then.

There was a thought in the back of Nikita’s head that she had hardly given voice to until that moment. She didn’t want to go there; she didn’t want to accept that it might’ve been true. But confronted with it, she couldn’t deny it. Maybe some part of her had wanted to shoot Alex after she had shot her and left her facing Roan alone. Maybe some part of her was bitter about what had happened and needed revenge. Maybe some part of her was so angry that she couldn’t help but pull the trigger. Maybe some part of Nikita didn’t want to be the hero, but the villain, “Maybe I really am nothing more than my anger.”

“Hey, no. You did what you thought was best. You’re trying to make her think. She won’t think while she’s running and gunning. But this definitely will make her take a good long look at things,” Michael instantly wrapped his arm around Nikita and pulled her tightly against his side. What she had done hadn’t been out of anger. Sure, it wasn’t the greatest thing to do. And it was a terrible way to prove a point. But Nikita had only done what she thought could help Alex. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she had to. That in no way made her a horrible person.

“Can you ever say one bad thing about me?” Rolling her eyes, Nikita snapped. Countless times, she had fucked up and made things worse. Yet countless times, Michael only ever saw her as perfect. It was honestly starting to get annoying. She wasn’t the good guy he continuously painted her as. She consistently hurt others, she consistently made mistakes, and she consistently made the worst choices. How could anyone see her as good after all that. Either Michael was lying to her, or he was lying to himself. It didn’t matter which was true; he just had to stop it. He was going to get himself hurt if he didn’t see her for the monster she really was.

“You’re rash, and reckless, and stubborn, and sometimes you make decisions for others without really hearing the other side,” Continuing to hold Nikita tightly against his side, Michael listed gently. He didn’t want to sound mean or degrading as he answered her. He simply stated her not so positive attributes. They weren’t anything she hadn’t heard before; she scoffed in agreement and hung her head. However, Michael wasn’t finished with his answer. Tenderly, he lifted Nikita’s chin, and sincerely he said, “But, it comes from your heart, from your need to help. You’re never malicious. You just never learned how to express your love.”

Nikita didn’t know if she believed that. She could think of several instances where she had been purposefully malicious- where she had let her monstrous thoughts and ideas come to the surface. Most of those moments had happened when she was in Division, but they didn’t all stem from her orders. She went beyond Division’s call and became the worst version of herself. And there had been some moments where she had enjoyed that. She liked inflicting that pain. There was no coming back from that. No matter what she did, she would always be that monster. She would always be evil.

Michael, however, believed his own perspective of Nikita more than their reality. He’d always believe his thoughts and feelings for her over what was actually occurring. Whereas she believed that would eventually lead to his destruction- if he wanted to save himself, and she needed him to save himself, then he should get away from her- he believed that would lead to her salvation. If she only saw herself how he saw her, then she could believe she was worth all his praise. Nikita wasn’t at the point then to see herself for how wonderful she truly was. But that was okay. Michael would still let her know, “It’s a good thing you have me to practice on.”

Scoffing again, Nikita couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Michael’s relentless attempts to see her in a positive light. Though, she had to admit, his tactic was wearing her down. She couldn’t keep the dark cloud over her head when her boyfriend smiled at her lovingly and looked at her with pure adoration in his brilliant green eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling softly in return and melting into his steady warmth. Michael wrapped her securely in his arms and placed a kiss on her temple.

He didn’t know how to describe the feeling in his chest. It couldn’t have been pain; she hadn’t hit him when he had pulled her out of that alley. However, it definitely felt as though he couldn’t breathe. It couldn’t have been heartbreak- could it have been. Did seeing her like that really break his heart. Honestly, at that point, he wouldn’t have been surprised. His feelings for her had always been all over the place. He could never pinpoint just what she did to his heart. It was frustrating, and it sort of made him desperate to understand it. Maybe that was the beating inside his chest. It was desperation.

How else could Sean describe the rush of anxiety that overcame him when he had realized that Alexandra had been beaten and shot and left in that dirty alley. It shouldn’t have been possible. Yet it was, and the fact nearly killed him. He had to do something to help. He needed to keep protecting her- even if he had broken that promise already. The best he could come up with was carrying her gently to Division. Hopefully, Medical would make things right. Hopefully, he hadn’t gotten to her too late.

The gunshot was through and through, and her arm had suffered a clean break. Alexandra was fine; she was going to recover quickly. Relief washed over Sean. And with it came irritation. Alexandra should’ve never been in that situation. If she had stayed free, she would’ve never gotten hurt. Why had she come back. Could she not get what she wanted on her own- she was capable and strong enough. What was so good about Division that it kept drawing people in. They should all get out and stay out. A point Sean had to make clear to Alexandra when he found himself in the doorway of her Medical room, “Did you get what you wanted?”

“Did you?” Alex snapped as soon as she saw Sean. She was in too much pain to deal with him at the moment. She refused to take any pain medication- non-narcotics included. She couldn’t afford to lose focus or be tempted. She had to stay on mission, no matter how terribly things went. And God, did things go horribly. She hated both Nikita and herself for that. There were so many things Alex should’ve done differently. Not trusting the rogues was one of them. Since she had, she was in a place she didn’t want to be in, and she was dealing with people she didn’t want to deal with. Anger rolled over her, and she seethed, “What do you fucking want?”

“To do my job. To make sure everyone’s safe,” Sean felt as though he was convincing himself of that more than just saying it. Because he definitely wasn’t doing a very good job of it. The rogues had managed to expose a major Division coverup and scandal, and a member of Oversight had paid the price. And Nikita had beaten and shot Alexandra, and had left her alone in that alleyway. Sean hadn’t done anything to protect anyone. No one was safe. He was failing his mission, and he had no idea how to improve.

“Good luck with that here,” Alex scoffed. She wanted to lay her head back on the cot and completely ignore Sean Pierce. But, for some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She was curious as to why he wouldn’t move farther than the doorway. He seemed as though he wanted to; he seemed as though he wanted to move towards her and be near her. Yet he just wouldn’t. Alex didn’t have the energy to figure that out. She had enough going on in her mind than to worry about Sean Pierce. He could be the least of her concerns. Actually, he shouldn’t have been any of her concerns. She didn’t have to care about him, so she wouldn’t.

Opening then closing his mouth, Sean fought the urge to throw Alexandra’s words back in her face. She wouldn’t get anything she wanted from Division. Her multiple failed missions to get the black box just proved that. The only thing waiting for her on that path was more pain. Sean was certain of it, and he couldn’t have it. Just like with his mother, he needed Alexandra to see that, and he needed her to get out, “What are you doing? Get out of here. You see what happens when you stay. There is nothing good for you here.”

“You know, for someone who wants to kill Nikita, you sound just like her. You both have no idea what you’re talking about,” Alex spat. A part of her believed that if she just told Sean and Nikita about her mother, they would drop everything to help her- the same could be said for Michael and Birkhoff. But that was a stupid part of her. The soldier and the rogues had their own agendas. They wouldn’t do anything for her; they never had in the past. Alex was on her own. She always had been and always would.

Tensing his jaw, Sean forced himself to not close the gap between him and Alexandra. He had to keep his distance. Getting close wouldn’t help either of them, especially him. He had gotten close enough, and that certainly hadn’t helped him. Things needed to change as he moved forward. The first thing was to get Alexandra out of there. Once he knew she was out of the danger she constantly found herself in, then he could focus on saving the other woman he cared for. Because if they didn’t leave immediately, he was certain that death would come for them, “And you have no idea what you’re playing with. Get out while you’re still alive.”

Sean did what Alex wished she could; he stormed out of the room. The instant she was certain that he couldn’t hear her anymore, she slammed her head back against the cot, and she screamed. She screamed out her pain, her anger, her frustrations, and her hatred. She screamed until her voice couldn’t handle the strain anymore and until tears sprang to her eyes. She wasn’t certain what caused the tears; it could’ve been the emotions she had screamed out, or it was more bubbling to the surface. She didn’t care to find out which. All she did was cry and try to get her raging thoughts and emotions in order.

Chapter Text

At least it was a clean break and the bullet had gone through and through. Those were the only positive things about the injuries Nikita had inflicted on Alex. Maybe also the fact that Amanda and Oversight left her alone while she healed; she wasn’t being pressured into doing anything she didn’t want to do, like talk to Percy. However, at the same time, she wasn’t receiving any new information about Semak or her mother. Alex was left completely alone with the healing process and her thoughts. That was exactly what Nikita wanted, and Alex hated it.

She needed to be doing something. Alex had never been one to just sit and do nothing. She had to remain active. She had to do something that’d help further her mission and finally get what she wanted. Digging up information from Division’s files was the best she could do, though. That, and physical therapy. Her broken arm wasn’t that bad. A couple weeks with a cast, and she’d be good to go. Her gunshot wound was the bigger issue. She had to build back up the muscles in her thigh. Although it was painful, forcing herself to walk at a steady pace on the treadmill was the best she could do. And she hated it.

Being left with all the thoughts racing in her mind only made her more focused- and angrier. She was sick and tired of being stopped at every turn. Everytime she made any progress in her revenge mission, she was forced to take several steps back. Division, Oversight, the rogues, they all shoved her back, forcing her to do what they wanted. She needed to escape that vicious cycle. She simply didn’t know how. Maybe that could be what she focused her thoughts on as she went through rehab. However, as she came to that revelation, she was interrupted by another person who wanted to stop her. She sneered at the sight of him, “Not now, Sean.”

“I’m not here for you,” Sean rolled his eyes. He just happened to walk past Alexandra on the treadmill as he went to meet with Amanda. He wasn’t there to urge her to run again. He had said his piece when he had left her in Medical the week before. If she hadn’t been willing to listen to him then, maybe there wasn’t a point in ever trying to get her to listen. His focus should instead be on protecting those he cared about. He’d have a better chance of saving them. At least they wanted to be saved; he wasn’t so sure about Alexandra.

“Then why do you keep fucking bothering me?” Alex snapped. She also stomped her foot on the treadmill as emphasis. Unfortunately, the foot she unthinkingly slammed down belonged to her injured leg. She fought her wince. She controlled her breathing to hide a shout of pain and forced herself to continue walking. If Sean noticed her pain, he didn’t let on. Yet Alex hoped that he didn’t. The last thing she needed was his concern for her wellbeing, or- worse- him telling her that she clearly wasn’t up for what she wanted. He had no idea what he was capable of.

Sean knew exactly why he kept pestering Alexandra. He had thought it was fairly obvious with how often they found themselves in the same argument. But maybe he was just deluding himself. He had gotten too close to her on his assignment to protect her, and he was beginning to blur the lines. He should pull away. Alexandra had. And since she refused to listen to him, then he should stop caring. They were both going to keep getting hurt. So it was better if he just pulled away with one final comment, “Cause someone has to look out for you. This place is a death trap. You’re gonna get killed if you stick around. You’re lucky you haven’t already.”

“If you’re so worried about safety, then you get out,” Alex knew that it was a childish response, but it was a perfectly valid one. Sean pushed so hard for her to leave Division; however, he continued to stalk the halls and do whatever the fuck he was doing for Oversight. What kind of hypocrisy was that. She had a mission, just like he did. If he couldn’t quit it, then so couldn’t she. It was that simple. He wasn’t more important than her just because he had a rank. They both had deals with Oversight, after all. And they were both stuck in that hellhole. Neither could leave, so Sean should leave her be.

That should’ve been when Sean walked away. He could stop engaging with Alexandra, and all she’d be left to think about were his parting words. That would’ve been for the best. She needed to think about the danger that she was in. But he couldn’t pull away from her. Not until he made her understand. A part of him knew that it was useless. Alexandra would never listen to him- that bridge had been destroyed between them. Yet he still had to tell her; he still had to make himself clear, “I will when I get what I want.”

“What do you think I’m fucking doing?” Alex shouted as Sean continued on his way. She didn’t know how many times she had to repeat herself. She didn’t know how many times it would take for Sean or Nikita or anyone else to realize that what she was doing was important. It wasn’t just about revenge. If it was, then maybe she should have stopped. But killing Semak wasn’t the only thing Alex had to do. She needed to save her mother. She had to rescue her from an evil man and bring her somewhere safe where she could actually live in peace and happiness. There was nothing that could make her give that up. And there was nothing that could stop her.

Shaking his head, Sean had to force himself to keep walking. He shouldn’t have said anything to Alexandra. They had only shouted the same things to each other as they always had. Nothing new came from the conversation, just further anger and confusion. Even his resolve to pull away from her seemed shallow. If he saw her again, he didn’t think he could actually stop himself from talking to her. The only way to make the cycle stop was to stop the rogues. Despite all the complications, Sean knew how simple that was. If he finally stopped the rogues, then everyone he cared for would be safe. They could live if the rogues died.

In the week that followed, Nikita didn’t say anything else about what had happened with Alex in that alleyway. The last thing anyone said about it was Michael saying that he believed Alex would take the time to think things over. Nikita was done arguing, so she didn’t utter a word in response. She simply moved on to other tasks. The general mood in the safehouse seemed to improve as time went on. The rogues let themselves be bolstered by the fact that they had taken out one member of Oversight. Five more to go, and Division would fall. And when that happened, hopefully, they’d be set free.

Nikita was using that hope to keep herself positive. Michael had been right to fight against her morose thoughts. She couldn’t let herself become drowned out by them. She had to remain on mission; she had to keep fighting. Though, no matter how determined she was, she couldn’t completely silence her thoughts. She couldn’t help but be lost in them at times- like when she sat at Birkhoff’s computer, waiting for something to download. Her eyes landed on a snowglobe of a beach on his desk (where had he even gotten that), and her mind ran away with other thoughts and ideas. Her task wasn’t important anymore. All her focus was on that beach.

“‘Hey, Birkhoff, I need to use your computer. Is that cool?’ ‘Sure, Nikki. Thanks for asking’,” Snapping Nikita out of her head, Birkhoff teased. He was fine with the others using his system as long as they asked first. After severely messing up a hack once, Michael had learned that lesson. Nikita, on the other hand, continued to do things on her own. Although he wasn’t worried that she’d ruin his system or perform a bad hack- he had taught her well- Birkhoff still didn’t like that she was touching his stuff. Especially since she was going about it with the intention of being on her own.

“Hey, Birkhoff, I need to borrow a hundred grand. Is that cool?” Rolling her eyes, Nikita asked. Birkhoff was right: she should ask others before doing things that involved them; she had a really bad habit of not doing that. Maybe if she worked on that, then things would get better. It was something she could improve upon with the next mission. She had found something while digging around in Birkhoff’s system and poking around on the black box. The team had another chance to expose a member of Oversight. They couldn’t hesitate before taking it. The quicker the war ended, the better. There’d be less of a chance of people getting hurt because of her actions.

“See how easy that… wait a minute. What?” It took a moment for the words to catch up with Birkhoff. For a moment, he had thought that Nikita was finally asking to use his computer. Then, her real request hit. He could only stare at her incredulously as he tried to wrap his head around what she wanted. What could she have possibly been buying that required a hundred grand. If it was a weapon, why didn’t she just find a way to steal it. And if it was clothes or jewelry, then she needed some kind of intervention. There was nothing that could’ve warranted spending that much money. Especially after the drones he had blown so much money on.

Sighing, Nikita had expected that kind of reaction from Birkhoff. Despite the fact that he had a seemingly endless supply of cash from all his hacking, he always complained when he had to spend more than a dollar. It was constantly surprising that he had been willing to fund the rogues for time. Though, Nikita suspected that he reached his limit at times. Then must’ve been one of those times. She’d have to explain herself carefully if she wanted him to agree to her request, “We have a lead that could help us identify another member of Oversight.”

“We have a lead?” Birkhoff continued to stare at Nikita in surprise. That was the first he had heard about the supposed lead. Nikita had never mentioned anything about knowing another Oversight member’s identity. She must’ve been sitting on the information until she was certain of the lead. If that was the case- which Birkhoff was sure that it was- then it wasn’t fair. What part of the word ‘team’ did Nikita not understand. She had to tell him and Michael everything. Even if it was a ridiculous and crazy thought. They all had to be on the same page. They couldn’t go rogue from each other.

“Spain’s defense minister is doing business with an Oversight member. One of his staffers is willing to sell us the identity, but he needs a lot of money and in twenty-four hours. So, I’m also gonna have to take your jet to Lisbon,” Nikita continued to explain herself. It had taken a lot of work to be able to secure that information. She had made too many calls, and called in too many favors. She couldn’t let the opportunity slip through her fingers. Who knew when the team would have another chance like that one.

“Hmm. No,” Birkhoff dared to challenge Nikita. He figured it was about time someone stopped her from constantly returning from her missions depressed, sullen, antisocial, and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. They were a team. They were supposed to carry all the burdens. Nikita wasn’t alone; she hadn’t been for a while. She had to stop acting like she was the sole savior of the world. It wasn’t all on her. Even what had happened to Alex wasn’t solely her fault. The team of rogues shared the burden and the blame, “Get used to that sound, baby. Cause I’m not gonna let you just rush in and out of here without talking to us first.”

“You’re really gonna do this now?” Reclining back in the hacker’s chair, Nikita crossed her arms and glared at him. Again, she knew that Birkhoff was right. She should do a much better job of talking. However, she could tell Birkhoff and Michael everything on the jet to Lisbon. There was a time limit to the things they wanted to do. They couldn’t keep scrambling around for years, trying to take Division down by simply stopping their numerous missions. They weren’t able to stop every one of them; after all. The rogues had to start directly attacking. They had to go for the masterminds to make it all stop.

“Well, it is my mission too. And this is my house. And we’re talking about my jet. So I think I can start bossing you around now, Nikki,” Honestly, it took everything in Birkhoff to not cower under Nikita’s glare. Although he knew she wouldn’t hurt him then, he also knew the malice she could hide in that look. A part of him warned that he should be careful as he proceeded. However, the part that needed to get her to listen won over. Birkhoff wasn’t going to back down. He’d step up to Nikita, and make her talk and listen and do all the things that teammates did. They were all together for better or worse, so she better get used to it.

While Nikita and Birkhoff glared at one another and silently debated how that conversation was going to go, Michael finally joined them. He wasn’t curious about what the two had been up to; he didn’t ask to be brought up to speed. In fact, he hardly even noticed that he was walking in on something. There had been something he had seen while he had watched the news that the others had to know about it. Oversight wasn’t their only concern. More dangers from their past had resurfaced, “Guys, there’s something that you need to see.”

Chapter Text

Michael had the news report rewinded back to the statement about how the suspect in an attempted assassination was shot twice by the threatened senator’s security detail. The report went on to say that eyewitnesses described the suspect, Lancaster, as being in a trance-like state during his efforts to kill the senator. Although Nikita and Birkhoff recognized that whatever had happened was horrific, they weren’t sure why Michael was so desperate to show them. He seemed impatient as he waited for them to catch up. When the two couldn’t, he finally and anxiously explained, “This is P9.”

“No way. Nobody got out alive,” Birkhoff instantly shook his head. He didn’t need to think hard to know what Michael was talking about. Although the mission had occurred over eight years ago, before the two men had gone rogue, the events continued to haunt Birkhoff. There was no way he could ever forget his part in the horror or the screams that shook his nightmares. A part of him wanted to destroy the black box just so he could erase the mission. Though, that wouldn’t fix what had been done. That horror was long lasting.

“Apparently, the kid just suddenly changed. People said he looked like he was in a trance,” Michael explained why he believed P9 was at fault for the assassination attempt. He couldn’t comprehend how a young man who was turning his life around by buying an ice cream truck would suddenly try to kill a senator. He had to have been programmed. Michael was convinced of that. Birkhoff remained unsure, but he was becoming swayed. Nikita, on the other hand, was completely confused. There were gaps in her information that had to be filled in, “Do you remember Eustice, the militia group that got into the siege with the FBI in 2003?”

“Yeah, FBI raided the compound, and they burnt the whole cult down,” Nikita was vaguely aware of the militia group. She had recently been recruited into Division when that had happened. The news spread across the recruits about the terrible things happening in the outside world. At the time, Nikita had felt safe to be inside the bunker. At least there, she wouldn’t have been gunned down by a cop- unlike when she had been on the streets. Maybe that was the reason Division let bad news such as the raid spread to the recruits- to make them think positive of Division. Fortunately, going back to the outside world helped change minds again.

“It was no cult. That was a cover. The compound housed a program to breed assassins: P9,” Michael dispelled the lie a bit awkwardly. Honestly, it would’ve been easier to have Nikita read about the operation on the black box. Admitting his and Birkhoff’s part in the horrific mission was difficult. However, the two knew a lot of the terrible things Nikita had done in the service of Division- and the terrible things she had done since she had gone rogue. It was only fair that they told her themselves what they had done.

“An assassination program that’s different from Division?” Still confused, Nikita glanced between Birkhoff and Michael. She wasn’t surprised that there were more assassination programs in the world like Division. Gogol, after all, was pitched to the recruits as being the Russian equivalent of Division. Also, there had to have been more corrupt government figures like Oversight running around causing havoc just so they could have more power and control. So, of course, something like P9 could exist. But why it had been so brutally shut down, and why that had something to do with a recent assassin being in a trance-like state, confused Nikita.

“Way more X-Files . They used a super-teched-out version of hypnosis, neuro-hypnotic reprogramming,” Birkhoff shared what he knew the best way he knew how. Sure, Division used spy-fi type equipment like trackers that worked all over the world, hyper-realistic masks, and killchips. But there was no brainwashing. Well, there was a form of it with how Amanda would indoctrinate the recruits. Yet that could be broken and fought against. What P9 did was something worse. There was no breaking that programming. Once you were made a killer, there was no way to break free.

“When they were done, they put those people back in the world with no idea what had happened to them. Sleepers,” Michael continued. Although Division agents had no real choice when it came to their assassinations- it was kill or be killed- at least they were conscious of their actions. At least there was some autonomy. With P9, there hadn’t even been an illusion of choice. Innocent people had been forced to assassinate others, and then they had been killed for being unlucky enough to have been forced into that situation. It was sick; it was wrong. And Michael hated having been a part of that more than he hated having been a part of Division.

Easily noting the anger, horror, and grief across Michael’s and Birkhoff’s faces, Nikita’s curiosity continued to grow. There was more about P9 that they weren’t telling her. If it was just an assassination program that the FBI had burned down, then the two men wouldn’t have been as passionate about the subject. They also wouldn’t have known as much as they did if it was just an average FBI raid. There was more to the story. And studying Michael’s expression, Nikita was positive she knew what the missing information was, “How do you know all this?”

“Because those weren’t FBI agents who burned down the compound. It was Division,” Michael confirmed Nikita’s thoughts somberly. Division had been called in to completely wipe out the P9 assassination program after it had gone bad. Percy had then spun the story to say that the FBI had burned down another cult. Considering the track record the FBI had, no one questioned it. Civilians had moved on as though the world had not been changed. Yet there was no way Michael and Birkhoff could move on after that. They had rained hell, not because they thought it was right, but because they were ordered too. There was no atoning for that.

“Division was sent to clean up P9 after a sleeper went awol and shot two policemen in Eustice,” Amanda informed Sean. Though, he was only half listening to the briefing. Half of his mind still lingered on Alexandra and their conversation. He couldn’t shake her stubbornness, or how that affected him. He absolutely should learn how to, however. If he couldn’t detangle himself from Alexandra, then he’d never complete his mission. He would also never be able to escape from Amanda’s annoying, knowing glances, “I take it Oversight didn’t brief you on P9, one of their less successful programs.”

Sean fought to clear his thoughts of Alexandra. Thinking about P9 helped, though not much. He had already been reeling from news of the assassination attempt when he had been informed of P9 and Oversight’s involvement with the program. If their hands in Division weren’t enough to send him spiraling, P9 definitely was. Sean could not get a grip on what was real and what was all a lie. It felt as though everything was a coverup and he was constantly played, just like those innocents, “So the idea was abducting foreign nationals and brainwashing them.”

“The idea was a clean strike. Say you wanted to assassinate the president of Pakistan. Why send in Seal Team Six, when you can get the local ice cream man to do it for you?” Amanda smirked at her clever response. Sean just glared. He had enough of their conversation. He was ready to leave Amanda’s office and ignore whatever he was supposed to be briefed about. He was also ready to call Oversight and demand why he had never been told about P9- and question if there were other earth shattering revelations he was going to be forced to learn.

“And then commit suicide,” That was the part that made Sean the most sick. Oversight creating and funding Division and P9 was something he could compartmentalize; he could find some rationality in the programs and how they could help the country. But the operatives being brainwashed into performing assassinations, and then killing themselves afterwards was wrong. No one should take away choices like that. No one should use people as weapons. The country and the people running it should have been better than those awful actions- especially since they taught others never to think like that.

“The hits look like random acts of violence from mentally disturbed individuals. Personally, I found it disgusting,” Amanda shrugged as though what was occurring had no consequence. Sean hadn’t liked her when he had first started working with her. But each day, that dislike grew. It wasn’t just what Oversight had said and his experiences with Amanda that had made him feel that way; how Alexandra interacted with her was a huge influence. Sean knew there could be a better leader for Division than Amanda- someone who cared about people and the country, someone who wouldn’t cast agents and soldiers aside like they were chess pieces.

Who ran or didn’t run Division wasn’t Sean’s concern, however. Oversight wanted him to observe and report so another situation like with Percy wouldn’t arise again. Except, he had more important concerns on his mind. And those concerns were being seriously jeopardized by how Amanda was running things, specifically with the rogues. If she had done a better job of controlling them, they wouldn’t have been in that mess. People would’ve been safe, and he could’ve been gone, “Why? Because you prefer more old-school brainwashing techniques?”

“Because the concept is flawed, just like its creator was,” Amanda didn’t rise to Sean’s taunt. Instead, she let him know how Oversight had hired a neuropsychiatrist who had specialized in brain waves, and how he had been killed along with everyone else in the raid. Yet, somehow, P9 returned. If Sean could figure out how that happened, then P9 and Oversight’s involvement would disappear again. Although he didn’t want to take orders from Amanda, Sean knew he had to accept the op. Hiding Oversight was key to keeping his loved ones safe, after all. He’d do anything to make that happen, including getting involved in things he shouldn’t.

Silence stretched across the safehouse at the admission. Nikita wasn’t shocked by Division’s involvement in cleaning P9; the black ops group was always used to sweep the government’s dirty dealings under the rug. She fell silent because Birkhoff and Michael did first. Both of their minds went somewhere dark as they remembered what had happened. They couldn’t absolve themselves of the atrocities. They were completely soaked in it, as Birkhoff expressed, “Man. I can still hear the sounds from that day… Screams…”

“Yeah, I… Supervised the raid from Ops,” The guilt continued to choke Michael. A part of him had known how wrong his actions had been at the time, yet he still commanded the agents in the field to go through with the operation. He had run a lot of missions, yet that one continued to crawl under his skin and give him nightmares. Glancing at Nikita, he had thought she’d be terrified or hateful about his involvement. However, she looked back at him in understanding. She knew all about the guilt he felt. He wasn’t alone.

The fact that the rogues understood each other, however, didn’t help lighten the mood. Thoughts of P9 and its possible return weighed them down. Except, P9 might not have actually returned. Michael only assumed it had because of the similarities. Similarities weren’t proof. It could all just be a coincidence- a terrible, horrific coincidence. There was no need to drown in past actions and assume the worst. The suspect could’ve shot at the senator for a number of reasons. The rogues didn’t have to be so fearful. They could move on, like Nikita tried to do, “What happened to those people is terrible, but the chances of this being P9, I mean…”

“They said Lancaster was happy. He was doing well. He just put ten thousand down for an ice cream truck. Does that sound like somebody who’s planning to commit an assassination?” Michael wouldn’t let go of his theory. He knew he was right. He had seen the effects of P9 firsthand, and he recognized the same horror with the young man. More innocent people had been brainwashed into becoming assassins against their will. He had to stop it. He had to save the victims that time, “Birkhoff, transfer the schematics for the Eustice compound to my phone. That should give us an hour or two to get there.”

“Michael, we leave for Lisbon tonight,” Nikita argued. She hadn’t actually told Michael about her lead. If she had, then maybe he’d agree with her plan. Birkhoff was right: she should’ve shared what she had been doing. However, it wasn’t like she thought they’d argue about what their next move would be. Exposing and taking down Oversight was the most important thing they could be doing. P9, though awful, wasn’t their responsibility. The rogues had to stay on mission- preferably before things got worse, “We can’t just drop everything because you have a hunch, okay? My contact is waiting. If I don’t show, he will get spooked.”

Glancing at Birkhoff, Michael tried to comprehend what Nikita was talking about. Yet Birkhoff only rolled his eyes and shrugged. Whatever contact Nikita suddenly had must’ve been what the two had been arguing about when Michael had called for them. Nikita had started off on another mission on her own, and she was dragging the others for the ride. Although that was something to discuss- especially before Nikita’s need to solely carry the weight of the world got worse- the rogues’ focus had to remain on P9. The supposed-to-be-defunct assassination program was the more looming threat, “I understand. But if P9 is back…”

“If P9 is back. Lisbon is real. We’ve been waiting months for a shot like this,” Nikita would admit that if P9 was really back, the rogues should do something about it. They should correct the sins on the black box and save innocents. Yet P9 was only a hunch. There was no confirmation that the assassination attempt had anything to do with the old program. Michael was probably just letting his guilt and anxieties get the best of him. That was something they should talk about, not use as fuel to rush off on an unimportant mission.

“If you think Lisbon is more important, then you go,” Michael, however, was just as stubborn as Nikita. He was going to follow his gut on that mission. There was a chance for the rogues to do something right after all the hell they had brought- both involuntarily and voluntarily- and he was going to follow it through. More people than Lancaster could be suffering. He couldn’t sit by and do nothing when he knew he had the knowledge and power to stop it. Nikita could do whatever she wanted. Yet Michael knew where his focus should lie.

“If I think Lisbon’s more important? Wait a minute. So taking down Oversight, putting a dent in them, all of the sudden, that’s not a priority for you?” Nikita chased after Michael. He had wanted to burn Division for a lot longer than she had. He had wanted revenge for what Percy had done to his family for years. Yet, all of a sudden, he was willing to give it up to chase some lead that might not have been real. That didn’t make any sense. What could’ve possibly been going through his head. What kind of effect did the P9 mission have on him.

“If I’m right, God only knows how many sleepers are out there and how many assassinations are planned. Oversight can wait. This can’t,” Michael had made up his mind to follow his theory as soon as he had seen the new report. Exposing and burning Oversight would be a long game; the rogues had time to plan their next moves and attack. But P9 was volatile and unpredictable. If the rogues didn’t do something about it then, so many innocent people could get hurt. Michael hadn’t done anything to save them the last time P9 had surfaced. However, he could that time. He could save people who needed to be saved before it was too late.

Chapter Text

“I’m sure this is very difficult for you,” Amanda commented as she watched Alex struggle to walk on the treadmill. At the sound of the woman’s voice, Alex wanted to stop her physical therapy and leave the bunker for good. After her conversation with Sean, she wasn’t up for any more mind games or lack of information. She just wanted to be left alone. She was never going to find that peace in Division, however. Everyone always had to get in her business.

“I’m getting better,” Alex gritted in response. Maybe her bitterness would drive Amanda away. After all, Alex couldn’t leave in the middle of her physical therapy. She needed to heal from her injuries as fast as possible. Then, she could be back in the field, ready to do whatever it took to save her mother.

“Some wounds heal quicker than others,” Unfortunately, Alex’s tactic didn’t work. Amanda continued to talk to her, studying her with a knowing stare.

Honestly, Alex would rather be talking to Sean Pierce again. At least he had no idea who she was. It was easier to lie to him and avoid talking about the heavy subjects. Amanda, however, could force Alex to open up no matter what. Even changing the subject and ignoring her look wouldn’t save her. Alex still tried, though, “Something tells me you didn’t come here just to talk about my health.”

“I’d like you to talk to Percy about an old mission: Operation Falling Ash,” Although Alex knew that Amanda still wanted to talk about her confrontation with Nikita, she thankfully got right to the point. There would be no psychoanalyzing by the new head of Division that day. She only approached Alex because she wanted something. Despite the feeling of being used, the young woman preferred it that way. The last thing she needed then was to delve into her complicated feelings with Amanda.

“Is Nikita involved?” Alex couldn’t stop herself from asking. She didn’t want to open that can of worms; however, the words came tumbling out of her mouth. If the rogues had raised more hell, Alex didn’t want to deal with them. She wanted to keep as far from them as possible. It just kept getting too messy; she kept getting too distracted from her mission to kill Semak and save her mother. She couldn’t go down their path anymore. Nikita’s latest actions had made that abundantly clear.

“No. I’m sure you've heard about the attempt on the senator. Oversight is concerned an old pet project may be to blame, and Percy might be able to allay their fears,” Amanda reminded Alex of the news feed she had seen playing in Operations. However, Alex didn’t really care that much about it. Yes, she didn’t like that the young man had shot himself after the attempt. But she didn’t see why she had to concern herself with the attempt on a politician’s life. It didn’t have anything to do with her mission, so why care about it. Amanda got her to care though with a simple phrase, “Think of it as a favor. Friends do favors for each other.”

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Alex attempted to brush the offer aside. But she was desperate for a favor right about then. She had stalled in her efforts to gather information on Semak. She needed a new lead. If she played along with Amanda and Oversight, she knew she’d be given what she needed. She simply didn’t want to act as their puppet with Percy.

“I think your current condition is evidence of how fleeting friendships can be,” Amanda eyed Alex’s broken wrist and gunshot wound. Alex refocused on her physical therapy, trying not to give away her anger and pain. Her expression failed her, however. Amanda noticed and smirked. She thankfully didn’t make a comment on it, yet she still knew. She still had that emotional leverage over Alex, “Our relationship is different. I’m your business partner. As such, I’ll provide necessary incentive.”

“I don't think a pair of five hundred dollar heels is gonna do me much good right now,” Alex snarked. A part of her was aware of what Amanda was alluding to. She simply wanted to hear it. She wanted verbal confirmation that she’d be offered what she wanted. Then, she could hold Amanda and Oversight accountable for it. They wouldn’t be able to trick her or string her along. Alex was their equal, not their tool.

Amanda let Alex’s snark sit for a moment. She wasn’t going to be quick with her answer. Either, she was torturing Alex, or she was testing to see how much she’d comply if the incentive was strong enough. Alex wanted to force her to stop. However, she knew that wouldn’t help her. She simply had to be patient. And not raise immediately to Amanda’s bait, “What if I were to provide you with a list of the men close to Sergei Semak- all his top brass?”

“Exactly what do you need me to find out from Percy?” Alex should’ve held out more before caving. But what Amanda was offering was too great to refuse. If Alex could pick off and get information from Semak’s inner circle, then killing him would be so much easier. She wouldn’t be up against a whole army, just a few stupid men.

“If there were any loose ends on P9 or Eustice, anything else we should know,” Amanda stated simply. Alex only had to ask for information. There was nothing complicated to her assignment. Though, she would have to speak to Percy. That alone made Alex hate what she was doing. But the prize she’d receive was worth it. So, she sucked it up and went down into the depths of hell.

After an hour or so of thought, Nikita asked Birkhoff for the coordinates to where Michael had gone. Although she continued to think Lisbon and the identity of the Oversight member was important, she didn’t want to leave Michael alone. He was more important to her than her crusade was, after all. So, once she realized that, she rushed to him as fast as she could. Nikita soon caught up to Michael and joined him at the burned down compound. He didn’t seem to notice her there. She had to capture his attention. She decided on doing so with a tension lightening quip, “I thought this was a restricted area.”

“What changed your mind?” Michael was surprised to see Nikita next to him. He had never gotten her to change course before. Once her mind was made up, she was going to bring hell with her. Yet something had happened that had made her reevaluate her position. He was extremely curious to know what it was.

“I thought about you here alone, and I didn’t like it,” Nikita admitted. Both Michael and Birkhoff had reacted terribly to the memory of the mission. Michael shouldn’t have been alone as he faced those demons at the crime scene. Nikita should’ve been by his side, grounding him and supporting him. He’d do the same for her. It was the least they could do for each other. Even if they disagreed, they could still have each other’s backs.

Michael stopped his search through the decimated building to study Nikita. She was serious about not wanting him to be alone. However, she didn’t seem serious about his mission. Her mind was still pulling her to Lisbon. That was more real to her than the resurgence of P9, despite what he had argued, “But you still don’t believe me.”

“I believe in you… And in us,” Nikita took Michael’s hand in hers and kissed him on the cheek. No, she didn’t believe that P9 was back. But she believed in Michael’s instincts. If he said that something was going on, then something was going on. The team should investigate and see what they could do to help. After all, innocent people could’ve been used to commit assassinations against their will. If that really did turn out to be true, then the team definitely had to stop it. Just like they were stopping Division, “What are we looking for?”

“Part of the original objective here was to retrieve the research Dr. Mars kept on file, something we failed to do in 2003,” Michael smiled. He squeezed Nikita’s hand and led her towards where he had been searching.

“Probably because it burnt up in the fire,” Speculating, Nikita examined the torched area. If no person had survived the original raid, then she doubted a piece of evidence would’ve. There was nothing to find over seven years after the fact. They were just chasing ghosts.

“Maybe, maybe not. But according to Percy's private notes on the box, Mars had a private safe hidden in his office,” Michael continued. He had had Birkhoff send him the information on Operation Falling Ash that had been concealed on the black box. There had been more to the mission than the agents involved had known, which meant that there had to have been more in the aftermath. Though, digging through the ashes was more than Michael could take; he couldn’t shake the horrific memories, “We radioed the doctor, told him to line up everyone for extraction. They thought the killers coming through the door were a rescue team.”

“No wonder this place feels haunted,” Nikita squeezed Michael’s hand again. She could take over combing through the burned remains of the building if he needed her to. He shouldn’t keep forcing himself to live through the guilt and horror of his past actions. She could burden some of the weight on her shoulders. He was never alone, which meant he didn’t have to struggle on his own.

However, before Nikita could suggest to Michael that he wait by the car while she searched, a familiar voice called her name from the rubble, “Nikita?”

“Owen?” With her gun automatically drawn, Nikita whirled around to the source of the sound. She instantly lowered her weapon once she realized who it was. Though, she continued to be shocked by his presence. No one had called Owen to join her and Michael in the field. She couldn’t even picture Birkhoff calling him for backup after she had left the safehouse. He was supposed to be finding his way off the Regimen, not exploring a haunting crime scene, “Owen, what are you doing here?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Owen asked in return. His eyes were trained on Michael, however. He had drawn his weapon as well after hearing someone call Nikita’s name. However, he didn’t drop it when he realized it was only Owen. Michael continued to glare at the former Cleaner, assessing how much of a threat he was going to be. Owen did the same to him.

“Answer the question,” Michael spoke sternly. Although Owen was a part of their team, he didn’t trust the man in front of him. How did he know the man who had called Nikita’s name wasn’t the same one who had thrown her in front of a car. Michael wouldn’t risk the fact that they could be dealing with a Regimen withdrawal Owen and not the regular Owen. He wouldn’t let the crazed former Cleaner hurt Nikita again. The man had to remain far away from them and their mission until he was completely healed.

“I know about this place ‘cause I was on the strike team that burned it down,” Owen explained with the same tone Michael had addressed him with. That seemed to snap him out of his glare and make him lower his gun. Yet Owen wasn’t done glaring at him. He was just as surprised to see Michael and Nikita as they were to see him. No one else should’ve known about Division’s involvement with P9, so why were they poking around the burned down compound, “Now answer my question.”

“I quarterbacked the op,” Michael didn’t go into depth; though, he did finally put his gun away. Owen was still himself. He had to have been if he had had managed to draw the same conclusions from the news report as Michael had.

“So you saw that kid on the news. You came to track down the survivor,” Owen assumed. That was why he had shown up at the graveyard. He had to find the survivor of Falling Ash since he had confirmation that he was alive. Michael and Nikita obviously had to as well. Though, Owen bet that their motives differed from his.

“There were no survivors,” Michael glanced at Owen strangely. If he had been on the strike team, then he should’ve known that no one had gotten out. Division had killed everyone to cover for Oversight’s mistakes. Honestly, Michael wished he would’ve known that at the time of the mission. Then, he would’ve escaped so much sooner.

Despite Michael’s objection to the idea of survivors, Owen’s reaction expressed differently. He knew more than the others did. Nikita wouldn’t let him sit on that information for long, “Owen, what survivor?”

“The guy that invented the program, Joseph Mars, I saved his life,” Owen shared his true reasoning for being there. Both Michael and Nikita stared at him in shock. That information hadn’t been on the black box, at least not what Birkhoff had found and had shared. However, there was no doubt that it was true. What Owen said made sense, “Percy ordered me to extract Mars. But he didn’t want anybody to know. That’s why everyone else had to die. Mars knew that stimulating certain parts of the brain would improve focus, the senses. So Percy had him create something to give Division agents an edge.”

“The Regimen,” Nikita followed those dots perfectly. Of course Percy would go behind Oversight’s backs for his own personal gain. And of course his own personal gain involved torturing Division agents. Owen had managed to dig up a lot of information while he searched for a way off the Regimen. Nikita wondered how. Though, not as much as she wondered how much of the pills he had left. She hated to think of him suffering, especially since that suffering could get him killed, “How low is your supply?”

“It’s getting low,” Owen replied honestly. He had hoped for a quick solution, but each new lead always led to a deadend. Locating Mars and his research was his last chance to get off the Regimen for good. Or else he was looking at another trip through crazy town.

“Want to warn us before you turn into the Tasmanian devil again?” Michael’s words were light, but his tone was not. He would not hesitate to shoot Owen if he went psycho on them again. Nikita would definitely protest against that. But Michael didn’t think Owen would. The former Cleaner glanced at him and his weapon expectantly, almost like a silent plea. If he did go insane again, Michael had to do all he could to stop him. Michael nodded.

“I find Mars, I find my way off of it,” Directing his attention back to Nikita, Owen promised that he was close to saving himself. New leads had opened up to him, and he was going to follow every thread. He wouldn’t give up, especially when he knew he was so close, “Before the attack on the senator yesterday, I didn’t even know if the guy was still alive. Last time I saw him, he was trying to take his research with him. But there was no time.”

With the revelation that Mars’ research could still be in his private safe, Michael, Nikita, and Owen hurried to search for it. Unfortunately, when they found the safe, they discovered that it had already been opened. The research was gone. There went Owen’s quick solution to his Regimen problems. And there confirmed Michael’s theory about P9, “Looks like he made the time to come back for it.”

Alex fought to keep a neutral expression as she approached Percy’s cell, yet she couldn’t wipe the scowl off her face. She hated being there, and there was no hiding it. Especially since Percy found amusement in her situation. He smiled at her as she approached, and began their conversation with an asinine question, “Have you ever read any Dostoyevsky?”

“No,” Alex responded flatly. She was lying, of course. Her father had made certain she was well-versed in their country’s literature. But she had no time to play whatever game Percy wanted to play. So, she shut him down before he could start anything.

“Tolstoy?” Percy tried again. Alex just stared at him. He sighed. Though, he didn’t give up. He was going to avoid the real reason why Alex was talking to him and push for his own agenda, “You Russians really know your pain, don’t you?”

“I need to ask you about an old mission,” Alex should’ve known by then that trying to redirect the conversation while talking to Percy was useless. However, she still tried. Eventually, he’d catch her hint that he couldn’t play games with her anymore. Though, like with Amanda and her knowing stares, it’d be forever before that became a reality.

“At the moment, I’m more interested in your new wounds. They look like they go deep,” Percy eyed Alex’s gunshot wound and broken wrist with amused intrigue. She wanted to roll her eyes and march away. The last thing she needed was for him to know what had happened with Nikita. However, the allure of finally getting information against Semak kept her in place. Saving her mother was worth any hell she had to endure, including a conversation with Percy.

“Falling Ash- tell me what happened,” Alex managed to make her expression neutral then. Amanda had told her what she knew about the past operation and Oversight’s involvement with P9. Alex was surprised that Amanda had such a strong distaste for the whole thing. Though, she did run things differently than Percy; she at least gave agents more of a choice than he or Oversight did. Her finger didn’t rest on the trigger for killchips.

“You first,” Percy smirked, indicating Alex’s injuries. He wouldn’t open up unless he received something in return. If Alex hadn’t done the same thing with Amanda, she would’ve been snarky with the bastard about it.

Instead, Alex took a deep sigh and thought of a response that would explain what had happened, but wouldn’t give too much away. After a moment of thought, she was able to state simply, “I encountered Nikita in the field.”

“She tried to kill you and failed?” Percy’s surprise confirmed Alex’s suspicion that Nikita never meant to kill her. If the rogue had, then she would have succeeded. Though, Alex honestly didn’t need much confirmation for that. Deep down, she knew that Nikita and the rest of the rogues couldn’t kill her. Just as she had realized that she couldn’t kill them.

“She tried to dissuade me from my mission and failed,” Alex figured that response would bring Percy back to the topic that she wanted to discuss. His pointless questions would detract her from her course. No matter what, she would get the information she needed from him.

“Her tactics seem pretty brutal. Have they made you reevaluate your own? There is a value in an eye for an eye, you know. Or a leg for a leg,” Eyeing Alex’s bullet wound once more, Percy snarked. Alex didn’t rise to his bait. She stopped herself from saying anything else about the topic- despite the roaring thoughts in her mind. He sighed again. Finally- and thankfully- he realized he should respond to her, “But I guess that’s your problem. Let’s talk about mine. If Oversight wants me to fill in their missing piece of the puzzle, I will require the following: a pot of hot water, a bag of Earl Grey on the side, every morning at seven, proper English tea.”

“You can smoke the tea leaves, for all I care. Just start talking,” Alex rolled her eyes. She understood how quid-pro-quo Division could be. All information came with a price. Percy didn’t have to make his demands so theatrical. After all, he knew he was going to get them anyway. He should simply make it easier for everyone and just state his price then share the facts. Though, where would the fun be for him if he didn’t hold all the power.

Alex was aware that was what Percy was trying to maintain. Even while in his cell, he fought hard for some kind of control. That was why conversations with him took forever. He knew he had a captive audience while they waited for information, “It’s ironic, isn’t it, that an organization known as Oversight should have such little foresight?”

“Meaning what?” Alex sounded about as tired and fed up as she felt. She was certain another ego-stroke from Percy was about to start, and she already lost all patience for it.

“They wanted to eliminate Joseph Mars along with the rest of P9, which would have been a terrible waste. Nobody knew their way around the human brain better than he did. For two years, Mars worked for me under lock and key. And then he just disappeared into thin air,” Percy finally told Alex the information she needed to know. However, it wasn’t what she was expecting. The bastard going behind Oversight’s orders seemed on par, but not the rest of it- not that fact that more people had managed to slip past Percy’s control.

“You’re telling me you have no idea where he went or how he got out?” Alex stared at Percy in bewilderment. Even when Michael, Birkhoff, and Nikita had gone rogue, Percy had known how they had escaped. So why was a random scientist any different. Was there more that he wasn’t sharing. A part of Alex figured that he was. But she debated with herself whether or not she should pry. It might not have been worth it. She already had the information she needed to trade for information on Semak. So why keep digging when she could leave that conversation.

“No idea. But I can tell you this: when the next shooter makes an attempt on the senator, it’ll look like a copycat- another lonely lunatic gone off the rails,” Percy advised Alex on a mission Division should undertake to ensure no one else suffered because of P9. She wondered why he would even care about that- how could saving a senator save him. Then, he shared one more fact that put everything in perspective, “By the way, I saved the data for Falling Ash on the black box. Assuming she’s read the file, I imagine Nikita will come to the same conclusions.”

Great. So the rogues were definitely involved with the new mission. And since Alex knew that taking them down would secure her the help she needed to save her mother, she had to involve herself too. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

Chapter Text

“You clean up nice. First time I’ve seen you look like a girl,” Owen glanced at Nikita in her dress, heels, and makeup. She fought an eye roll. After the three agents realized that Mars’s research had been taken, they dove into the black box for any clues of what to do next. They assumed that Mars would want to complete the failed assassination. So, they found where the Senator would be next and crashed the party.

It was a black tie event, which required more dressing up than they were used to for rogue missions. Michael and Owen donned tuxedos, and Nikita wore a cocktail dress she could easily move around in. Of course heels and makeup followed her outfit; she could blend in easier if she looked like every other dolled up women. However, Owen couldn’t stop himself from trying to compliment her on her appearance- try was the operative word, “Owen, we need to work on your compliment skills.”

“Keep an eye out for people on cell phones. I’m guessing that’s how Mars activates his sleeper,” Michael ordered, stepping between Owen and Nikita. Of course his girlfriend looked good; she always looked good. But Owen didn’t need to check her out and attempt to flirt with her. They had a mission to stick to. The former Cleaner had to make that his priority, not Nikita.

With a roll of her eyes, Nikita separated first from the men. The last thing she wanted to deal with was their petty jealousies. Thankfully, staying vigilant on their mission took most of their attention. There were a few close calls with people on their cellphones, but none of them were the sleeper. Until Michael noticed a woman in a purple dress head straight towards the Senator in a trance-like state. Nikita immediately moved towards her, “I got her.”

Well, she thought she had the woman. As Nikita looked around to see if anyone else had noticed what was occurring- the team hoped to end the threat stealthily- she caught Alex in the crowd. Despite the cast on her wrist, splint on her leg, and cane in her hand, she was as dolled up as Nikita for the event. She was there to stop the P9 assassination as well, and she wanted to do it quietly. There were no other Division agents in the room. It was just Alex staring at Nikita, a mixture of shock and betrayal on her face.

A part of Nikita wanted to head towards Alex instead of the woman. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to drag her out of that room and away from Division. She wanted to make things right. But then the woman pulled out a gun, and her moment was ruined. Nikita and Alex pulled away from one another to deal with the real threat. Whereas Alex saved the Senator from the assassination attempt, Nikita- with Michael’s and Owen’s help- stopped the woman and pulled her out of the panicked room. With the attention on Alex, the rogues managed to escape unnoticed. Though, Nikita couldn’t help but look back at the injured young woman.

Her mind was still on Alex even as they returned to the safehouse. The woman in the purple dress was brought to an empty room until she could regain consciousness, and until the team could figure out what to do with her. They discovered that her name was Alicia, however, they couldn’t gather any intel on how she was connected to P9. Nikita wasn’t trying as hard as the others to search for connections, though. She kept thinking about Alex being in the field, despite her injuries and despite being alone.

“So where’d you get a black box?” Eventually, Owen snapped Nikita out of her thoughts. He nodded towards the black box on Birkhoff’s desk and asked what he had wanted to know since Nikita and Michael and informed him of what they knew about P9. Nikita only glanced at him in confusion when he asked, however. So, he rolled his eyes and elaborated, “Come on, Nikita. I’m not stupid. The things you know about P9 and the op, all those details. I was on the ground, and I don't know half that stuff.”

“Michael took Percy’s master drive when he escaped Division,” Nikita explained simply. She knew why Owen was asking about it; it just took her mind a moment to change course. She seriously had to get Alex out of her head. She had made her decision. There was nothing Nikita could do to take her off course. Even though that course would get her killed. It was Alex’s death wish. Nikita had to move on and accept that.

“So you peeked inside it? I thought you were Miss. Destroy All Boxes,” Owen continued to be confused. One constant he knew about Nikita was that she had to destroy all the boxes. Even if there was a way the team could use them to help people, she had to destroy those secrets. He couldn’t imagine any reason for why she would change her mind. It wasn’t as though the boxes or their war had changed.

“He convinced me that this one we would use for good,” Distractedly, Nikita glanced at the black box. She still wanted to destroy the damn thing. However, after Merrick, she knew Michael was right. Correcting the sins on the black box was the best way to save people, expose Oversight, and bring down Division. Only running countermissions wasn’t enough anymore, especially since they had lost Alex and Ryan. The rogue had to do more to fight and to win. They needed to be more proactive with their battles.

“Oh. So you and Michael can handle all the dangerous secrets, but I can’t,” Owen snapped. When he had wanted to do the same thing in London, Michael and Nikita consistently fought him. They went on a whole tirade about how dangerous those secrets were. However, months later, they were allowed to do the same thing. How did that make any sense.

Finally, Nikita gave Owen her full attention. She couldn’t understand how he could be asking her that. She, Michael, and Birkhoff weren’t releasing the secrets into the world; they were simply fighting the corruption they saw. It wasn’t at all like what Owen had tried to do. After all, none of them were becoming obsessive or insane. Or had he forgotten about that part, “Am I wrong? The last time I saw you…”

“I was suffering from Regimen withdrawal when I tried to upload the box in London. I wasn’t in a sound state of mind. I’m better now, Nikita,” More calmly, Owen expressed. Since using the Guardian in London’s Regimen supply, he had felt much better. He could actually think. He could handle black box secrets then. The team didn’t have to keep him out of the loop.

“You still need a cure,” Nikita wasn’t exactly arguing with Owen. She could tell that he was in a better place than the last time she had seen him. However, he had been the one to pull away from the team so he could focus on himself. He couldn’t be upset that the team had moved on without him. He also couldn’t be upset if there was any lingering mistrust. As long as he was on the Regimen, he could snap at any moment.

“Yeah, and once I get it, I’m gonna hunt down the rest of Percy’s Guardians, and I’m gonna destroy their black boxes. And then I’m gonna finish Percy. You think I can handle that, right?” Owen gruffly laid out his battle plan. Once he was off the pills he was forced to take, he was going to be an unstoppable force against Division. He wouldn’t need the team and the black box to help him. Though, the other rogues on his side would be appreciated, especially Nikita.

“I won’t stop you,” Nikita nodded. She believed Owen’s plans, and she believed he would achieve them once off the Regimen. But getting off those pills should’ve been his only priority. The next time he experienced withdrawal, he could die. The team couldn’t have that happen. They couldn’t lose another friend to Division.

Soon, Nikita left the men in the livingroom to wait for Alicia to wake up. The woman shouldn’t be alone as she gained consciousness and faced a great shock. Someone who could understand the situation she was in should try to be there for her. And although Nikita had never been brainwashed to kill, she definitely knew what it was like to wake up in a completely new environment and be told that she’d be trained to be a killer. That was one of the worst moments to experience. Alicia needed a kind hand to guide her through it, especially since she woke so violently, “What… Who are you? What am I doing here?”

“We had to get you away from the cops, but you’re safe here,” Instantly, Nikita tried to settle Alicia against the bed. She had to take it easy. The rogue had delivered a nasty blow to her head to stop her entranced assassination attempt. Alicia needed to just relax, sit back, and listen for a moment.

That was easier said than done, however. From the guest room she was brought to, Alicia could see the news report on the attempted assassination. The rogues had been watching it to gather any information they might have missed and had never thought to turn it off. Alicia could then see every second of it, including when she had tried to kill the Senator. Upon seeing herself hold the gun and approach her target, she began to panic. There wasn’t much Nikita could do to calm her, “Oh, my God. Is that me?”

“Hey. Look, I know this is scary. Nothing makes sense. But you have to trust me,” Nikita blocked Alicia’s view of the television. The team should’ve made sure she couldn’t see the news from the bedroom; that way, they could ease her more gently into the situation. Though, honestly, there was no easy way to deal with the current situation. It was going to be a shock no matter what. At least with a news resort, Alicia could see the footage and instantly believe it. Nikita could then immediately help her with her shock instead of trying to get her to believe them.

“I was gonna kill him. I mean, I…I don’t even kill spiders when I find them at home,” Alicia began to shake as the realization struck her. She had no memory of the event. However, there was no disputing the video or the news report. She had tried to kill a senator, and now she was one of the most wanted women in America.

“I believe you, Alicia. Someone did this to you. They trained you to kill without giving you a choice,” Gently, Nikita sat next to Alicia on the bed and tried to have her focus on her. What had happened hadn’t been her fault. She had been used as a corrupt asshole’s tool. But the team was going to put a stop to that. Just as soon as they knew everything that Alicia did.

“But that’s… How? I don’t remember anything,” Alicia continued to panic. Nothing she was seeing or hearing made any sense. How could she have possibly been trained to kill someone. She had lived a relatively normal life until then. She hardly even knew how to shoot a gun. There was no possible way that the woman on the news could’ve been her. She couldn’t have been that violent or cold or skilled. Yet, there she was in a stranger’s house, being hunted by the cops. Alicia could refute the claim all she wanted, but it was still true. It’d always be true.

Nikita had suspected that Alicia wouldn’t remember anything. Michael, Birkhoff, and the black box claimed that P9 victims were brainwashed and put into trances; none of the ‘operatives’ remembered anything. Hopefully, though, Alicia could give the team of rogues something to work with. It was possible that Mars had been a part of her brainwashing processes. If so, then Alicia could tell them where to find him. Grabbing her tablet, Nikita showed the woman a picture of Mars and asked softly, “What about him?”

“That’s Dr. Francis from the Vory Clinic,” Alicia said immediately. She was so relieved to see something familiar. Though, some of that relief died when she noticed Nikita’s confusion. Alicia had to admit where she had met the doctor and why she had been there. It was difficult to discuss, and a part of her didn’t want to. However, she knew she had to share everything if she was going to understand what was occurring, “I, uh… Went to rehab there… Pain pills.”

“Well, you got clean. That’s all that matters. I tell myself the same thing every day,” Nikita fought the urge to mumble and shy away from the fact that she was also an addict. She still didn’t like talking about it, even to members of her own team. But she knew she had to say something to Alicia. She had to gain her trust. She also had to let her know it’d all be okay. The team of rogues would stop what was happening and Alicia would be safe. She could trust them- specifically, she could trust a woman just like her.

After hearing Nikita’s admission, Alicia seemed to finally be able to relax. She knew she could explain herself without judgment, and that whatever she said would be completely understood, “I tried N.A., therapy… Nothing worked. Then one day I got this letter from Vory. They said they could change the feedback loops in your brain so you wouldn’t crave a fix. I figured I had nothing to lose.”

“What do you mean, change the feedback loops?” Nikita wondered. That phrasing sounded like what Birkhoff had been talking about when he had said that P9 was way too X-Files . She didn’t think that there were any feedback loops in the mind to mess with. Though, what did she actually know about brainwashing. Maybe she should read up on it at some point. Considering Amanda’s torturing techniques, it’d be worth studying and guarding against.

“I’d wear these headphones and sensors to monitor my brain waves. Then I’d get kind of sleepy, and next thing I knew, I was awake, and that need… You know that feeling? It was gone,” Alicia shared. Nikita nodded. She understood that burning desire to take a hit all too well. She constantly fought with it. Sometimes, she wished it really was that easy to make it go away. Except, things that were that easy always had a catch. Alicia figured that out after a few seconds of thought, “Oh, my God. You mean this whole time it was Dr. Francis?”

Nikita calmed Alicia down again. Once she was settled and assured that none of that was her fault- she had been used- Nikita went to inform the others of what she had discovered. Despite her reservations about P9 earlier, she was completely fired up to take them down then. Addicts like Alicia were only looking for help, and they were continuously treated like trash. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, and it had to end that very moment, “We got to raid the clinic and grab Mars. There are rehab patients in there. We need to find out how many and what kind of security he is using.”

“Mars would recognize Owen. He wouldn’t recognize me,” Michael agreed with Nikita. The team had to get into the clinic, figure out what they were working against, then strike. Because of Mars’s time in Division, Birkhoff’s hacking skills and Owen’s involvement couldn’t be utilized. Mars would recognize them and get spooked. Michael was the best choice then for infiltration and reconnaissance. He’d get them the information they needed, then they could stop Mars and burn the place down.

“Michael, my love, Jag officer, yes. Junkie, no,” Grabbing Michael’s hand and kissing his knuckles, Nikita refuted his plan. Although he had easily disguised himself as a Jag officer to grab Merrick, he couldn’t pull off a junkie. He didn’t know what it was like to fight those kinds of demons. He could try, but he’d be spotted as a fake almost instantly. Someone else had to infiltrate the clinic. Someone who knew what it was like to be that desperate for help.

“Hey, I’ve passed as worse. Infiltration is our best chance at getting recon,” Michael continued to hold Nikita’s hand. He knew that she was going to suggest that she go instead. However, he didn’t want her to put herself in that situation. She could hardly talk about her addiction. Putting herself into that mindset might hurt her, or it might send her down a dark road. She shouldn’t have to do that for a mission. The others could handle it.

“I know. That’s why I’m going,” Finally letting go of her boyfriend’s hand, Nikita finalized. She understood Michael’s concern, but she was positive she could handle herself. She had a clear goal in mind that would keep her from any dark memories and thoughts. She’d also have him watching over her to keep her grounded.

“Nikita, be careful,” Michael warned. She gave him a sincere nod as she moved to prepare for the mission. The team got the address for the Vory Clinic from Alicia. She also told Nikita what to expect when she walked through the doors and where she could possibly find Dr. Francis- Mars. The rogue focused on that as she made herself look how she did when she had been a junkie on the streets. It wasn’t difficult to bring her appearance back to that point. Though, it was difficult to not let her mind drift there. The mission to help other used and abused addicts helped. But she’d feel a whole lot better once Mars was taken care of.

Michael and Owen followed Nikita closely and parked their car nearby incase she needed backup. She updated them on her progress, but she hadn’t found anything yet; she had to do more digging to get to Mars. Whereas Michael sat impatiently, waiting for her to return to safety, Owen let his mind wander. He didn’t share any of his thoughts aloud for a while. But once a certain topic came to mind, he couldn’t help but blurt, “You get how lucky you are? You got out of Division with the woman you love. That’s what I used to want for me and Emily.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.” Michael remembered how distraught Owen had been when his girlfriend had been killed by Division. He had gone through the pain that Michael didn’t wish on anybody. He had also gone through all that grief and guilt alone. Michael knew first hand that that wasn’t the best way to heal. You always needed somebody to support you. He had eventually found that in Nikita, and even Birkhoff. Owen should have that as well. He should have an empathetic shoulder to cry on, “You know, when things like that happen, you feel like the sun should turn dark. The Earth should stop spinning. But the world keeps going on around you.”

“Yeah, and you wonder if it’s a place worth living in,” Owen sighed. Though, that wasn’t the end of the conversation. He had only mentioned Emily to make Michael think about him and Nikita. Those two shouldn’t be like all the other couples who had suffered because of Division. They deserved more, “You and Nikita, why are you still living this life? If I had a chance to do it over again, I’d just take off with Emily, you know. I wouldn’t wait for the right moment. Cause that’s when it happens: the threat you don’t see coming.”

Michael could’ve argued that he and Nikita were doing what they had to; they were still fighting because that was the only way to live happily ever after. However, no words left his mouth. He just thought about how Nikita had pushed for them to run before, and how he should’ve taken that chance. Who cared if they’d be running forever. As long as they were together, what did it truly matter. Before his thoughts could wonder too much about that, however, Nikita updated him and Owen again. She was close to Mars. Soon, it’ll be over, “Michael, I think I got him.”

Nikita did have Mars. Unfortunately, it didn’t take him long to clock her as Division. She was grabbed and dragged away kicking and screaming. Hearing her distress, Michael immediately cocked his gun and threw open the car door. Owen barely managed to stop him and force him to think, “Wait. We have no idea where she is or how many guys we’d be dealing with. We’d be going in blind.”

Although every fiber of his being was pulling him towards Nikita, Michael forced himself to listen to Owen. If they went in blind, Nikita could get hurt- or worse. He needed to calm down and think; she needed him to be calm and rational. Thankfully, after taking a second to breathe, Michael found a solution to their problems. He remembered Birkhoff was on the coms, and radioed for him, “Birkhoff, I need you to hack into Vory. Phones, security cameras, the works. Mars grabbed Nikita.”

“Give me two minutes,” Birkhoff responded immediately. The team had decided that he shouldn’t hack the building incase that tipped off Mars. The doctor had worked in Division; he knew the tricks and protocols and would’ve been on the lookout for them. However, since Nikita was in danger, the need for the rogues to be careful was gone. Who cared about alerting their enemies to their presence when their friend needed their help.

Alicia had been talking to Birkhoff about computer stuff and funny videos (they had a lot in common) when Michael called for his help. She continued to hang around, watching the hacker in awe as he worked his magic. She recognized a lot of the things he was doing having worked for an IT company herself. However, his skill was unmatched. She could’ve sworn he was one of the hackers she had read about and studied in fascination, “Oh, wow. I bet you could give ShadowWalker a run for his money.”

“Did you just say ShadowWalker?” Birkhoff’s fingers halted in their typing for a brief second. He had already been amazed by Alicia’s tech knowledge when she had joined him for pizza. But hearing her mention his hacking moniker had him stunned. He couldn’t stop thinking how amazing she was- and how terribly he felt that all that shit was happening to her.

“Yeah, he’s done, like, the most ingenious hacks of the last decade,” Alicia continued to gush about ShadowWalker to ShadowWalker. If he wasn’t so distracted by helping Nikita, he would’ve responded to Alicia more intelligently than he did. Maybe he would’ve made a quip or alluded to the fact that he was the best hacker in the world. Instead, he floundered, making Alicia ask, “What, you’ve never heard of him?”

“No, I… I know him. Dude’s a legend. You know, most of his targets are, uh, shady wall street guys. He’s kind of Robin Hood,” Birkhoff decided to lie. Normally, he would’ve loved to brag. But that moment wasn’t about him (especially since that information and his ties to Division could harm Alicia). The two should focus on helping the team so that they could then help the world, “Nikita and them, they kinda are too. They’re gonna set things straight. Things are gonna work out. I promise.”

Although Birkhoff swore things would work out, he could hear the team struggling over the coms, specifically Nikita. She tried to fight off Mars while he laid out his entire villain plan. Apparently, he and the Venezuelans he was working with felt wronged and wanted revenge. That thought seemed to spur Nikita into action- either that or the sound of Michael and Owen rushing to rescue her. She fought harder and shouted, “You think you’re so righteous, don’t you, huh? I know what it’s like to want revenge, but I would never hurt innocent people to do it.”

Finally, Nikita broke past her confinement and took out the goons holding her down. Her next target was Mars, yet Owen beat her to him. He and Michael finally caught up to her, and the former Guardian shoved his weapon into the doctor’s face. He wasn’t letting him go without answers. There was his chance to get off the Regimen, and he wasn’t going to let it go, “You. I want everything on the Regimen. Every formula, every piece of research, all of it.”

While Michael rushed to Nikita to check on her, Owen watched Mars like a hawk. The doctor reached for his computer as though he was going to give the man with the gun what he wanted. But then, he pressed a key and strange tones played over the speakers. People burst out of their rooms, creating chaos. Owen tried to get Mars to stop, yet he only smirked, “Turn it off. Hey! Turn it off!”

Mars tried to run, but Owen shot him. Michael and Nikita then tried to stop the people roaming the hallways, yet there was nothing to stop. They were activated sleepers with no mission to follow. So they were just set to roam until the rogues could find a way to turn off the tones. Well, not all of the sleepers were only roaming. Birkhoff soon frantically called the rogues with a terrifying result that the tones had brought, “It’s Alicia. She heard the tones at the clinic and got all zombified. She grabbed a gun and took off. I’m tailing her now, but I’m not sure where she’s headed.”

“She’s back on her original mission,” Michael warned. Mars was dead, but the rogues had failed their mission. P9 was far from over, and Alicia was still in trouble.

Chapter Text

Alex felt stupid. She had felt so sure of herself. She had felt like she could crash the dinner, save the senator, and get Nikita to give up the black box all on her own. She had at least accomplished two of those feats. But she had frozen when she had seen Nikita. She hadn’t been able to do it; she hadn’t been able to take her down. She hadn’t even been able to approach the rogue. She had no idea why. She hadn’t been filled with rage like she had expected. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had felt.

She just felt stupid. Alex collapsed on the bench in the jail cell, trying to think where it had all gone wrong. Honestly, it was possibly her pause at seeing Nikita. She shouldn’t have hesitated. She should’ve gone after Nikita and Michael and whoever else had been with them. She also should have gone after the gunmen. Any ties to P9, Division, or Oversight that the public discovered would ruin her chances to save her mother. She hadn’t done anything she was supposed to do, however. Because she had frozen, she didn’t have time to go after the shooter. All she had done was tackle the senator and clear him from any potential shot.

Unfortunately, because of the confusion and panic, Alex was mistaken as one of the attackers. She hadn’t had a chance to escape because of her injuries. And because the senator had still been injured, she hadn’t had a chance to explain herself. She was thrown into county jail until they could decide what to do with her. That was when Alex could’ve escaped. She could’ve planned and slipped away without anyone noticing. Division wouldn’t come rescue her. If you got caught, that was on you. Alex was still on her own. She would’ve been perfectly okay with that if she didn’t feel so stupid.

After sulking in the jail cell for what felt like hours, Alex heard footsteps approach her. She didn’t hear the jingle of keys or a utility belt, so it wasn’t a cop. And the sure, heavy steps couldn’t possibly belong to Amanda or even Kelly- that was if Division had come to rescue her. Someone else entirely had come to see her. When she finally looked up to see who it was, she was almost too shocked to speak- almost, “They sent you with the ‘get out of jail free’ card? Lose a bet to Amanda or something?”

“I want to know what the hell you were thinking going to that event without telling anyone,” Sean Pierce responded gruffly. He didn’t approach the cell any closer than he needed to. He just glared at her with an oh-so-superior look. Alex snapped to her feet as quickly and as fiercely as she could and crossed bitterly to the bars. He wasn’t fazed by her movements, yet her glare gave him some pause.

“I knew Nikita would be there. I didn’t want to lose another shot at her,” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Alex had gone alone because she had known that Division would have just fucked things up. The rogues would’ve spotted them easily, and everything would’ve become much more complicated than they already were. Alex had also wanted to go alone so she could confront Nikita without judging eyes all over her. But her conflicted emotions that she continued to not be able to sort out had gotten in the way. That was still better than if Division had shown up, though. At least no one had died.

“You mean that in a literal sense? Because I saw the security cam footage. You had Nikita in your sights, and you lost her. Her and the shooter, Oversight’s only link to Mars,” Sean snapped, his anger finally showing. Alex was taken aback by it for a moment. What exactly was his deal with Oversight. It had to have been more than just orders. He wasn’t just some dispassionate soldier. It was personal for him. But before Alex could care enough to figure out how personal it was, Sean made a personal attack at her, “Your approach was stubborn, stupid, and tactically inept.”

“And you came all the way over here to tell me that. You must have a lot of free time on your hands,” Alex pulled away from the bars and huffed. If Sean was going to act like that, then she didn’t need him to rescue her. She didn’t need Division to pull her out of that situation. Alex could escape on her own. Or she could find a way to finally explain herself. She had saved the senator (along with Nikita). She shouldn’t be punished- she should be praised.

“Like I said, I saw the security cam footage. You saved the Senator’s life. I came to bring you home,” Pulling keys from his pocket, Sean stated simply. The anger completely died out of his gaze. He forced his attention on the lock and on freeing Alex. She didn’t say anything else after that. She was far too shocked. Just what the hell was going through his head. Because whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t normal.

“God, I’m so stupid! I should’ve remembered the tones. She doesn’t deserve to go out like this, Mike,” Birkhoff continued frantically. He was still chasing after Alicia, trying desperately to think of a way to stop her without killing her. She had only gone to the Vory clinic to finally find a way to beat her addiction; she had only wanted help. She didn’t deserve to be used as a weapon and then die in a vile man’s revenge effort.

“Alicia’s been re-triggered. Two guesses where she’s headed,” Michael’s bitterness was only a thinly veiled attempt to cover his agitation. He didn’t like that there were still several people brainwashed under the P9 tactics. The ones in the clinic didn’t have any orders, but what about those roaming the Earth believing they had been completely cured of their addiction. How were they going to be hurt in a twisted man’s way to hurt others. Yes, Mars was dead. But what about his partners. How many more innocents were going to be used and abused. Even if the rogues stopped Alicia, would she really be the last one.

“St. Joseph’s hospital, where the senator is recuperating. Michael, he’ll be crawling with security. She’ll get herself killed,” Nikita joined Birkhoff in his franticness. Before Alicia could even finish her orders, the security team would execute her. They wouldn’t ask questions; they wouldn’t know that she had been brainwashed. She was going to die and be branded a villain forever, just like that poor kid trying to sell ice cream.

“Or Birkhoff: he’s right behind her,” Michael added one more problem to the situation. He knew Birkhoff. He knew that the hacker would step into the line of fire to try and save Alicia. He also knew that despite the many things he had taught him over the years, the nerd still wasn’t capable of stopping a trained assassin without getting himself hurt in the process. Both Alicia and Birkhoff would die the instant they stepped into that hospital room- unless the team could get to them first.

“You guys go. I’ll stay here. I know a little something about cleaning up crime scenes. I’ll tee everything up for the cops- that Mars is the bad guy. I’ll get everybody the help they need,” Owen urged Nikita and Michael to follow Birkhoff. He could clean up the clinic, point the evidence towards Mars, and help the victims in the building and the ones he could find in the files. He could also continue to search for Mars’s research on the Regimen. Though, that wasn’t as important as his other steps. He had to help the others before he could help himself.

“Might want to erase the Venezuelans as well. No need to create an international incident,” Pointing to the men she had taken out, Nikita added. She still had no idea what the Venezuelans had to do with P9 and the assassination of a U.S senator, but no one else should be able to make that connection. The last thing any of them could afford at the moment was an international incident. That’d definitely go against the rogues’ plan to save the country from threats, and it might paint bigger targets on their backs with Oversight for exposing the secret.

“Well, that goes without saying,” Owen chuckled dryly. He was already planning on how he could clean the scene, and the Venezuelans definitely didn’t belong in his setup for the cops. Mars had to be the only villain. It was the best way to help his victims get quickly deprogrammed without any questions. It was also the fastest way Owen could clean so he could devote the rest of his time to finding the information he needed.

Nikita and Michael wished him luck, then scrambled to catch up with Birkhoff. Michael took the fastest route he knew to the hospital, while Nikita took a tablet and tried her best to hack the streetlights so they’d go faster. The two didn’t say much as they drove; they were too worried about the possible outcome of Alicia’s activation. Though, Nikita’s thoughts kept wandering towards the Venezuelans. What was their involvement in that situation. The senator had no real power. So why did they need revenge, “I can’t figure out why the Venezuelans would target a junior senator from Connecticut. Even if their motive was straight revenge…”

“Hang on,” Michael cut Nikita off. He knew she was asking the right questions; they should be wondering why the Venezuelans were working with Mars to attack a senator. However, he was too distracted by the fact that he didn’t see Birkhoff’s car anywhere. They should’ve ran into him by then; they were on the only road out of the city that led there. But Birkhoff and Alicia were completely out of sight, “Where are you?”

“I was about to ask you the same question. Somewhere in back-ass country Greenwich. Probably gonna lose my signal,” Birkhoff responded choppily. The one drawback of being a rogue was that they didn’t have the same tech as their enemies. Whereas Division’s coms worked worldwide, except for anything underground. The rogues’ coms were limited to what could be covered by cellphones. In a terrible service area, they’d lose each other. That was something Birkhoff should fix. Yet he’d worry about that later.

“Michael, isn’t St. Joseph’s in Stamford?” Bewildered, Nikita asked. She could’ve sworn that had been what the news report and the map they had looked at had said. So what were Birkhoff and Alicia doing in Greenwich. There was no way to get to the senator or even Stamford from there. 

“Yeah. Birkhoff, tell me exactly where you are. Birkhoff…” Michael tried to get more information out of Birkhoff, yet it was too late. He lost service, and his com cut out. Whereas Nikita tapped away on the tablet in an attempt to bring Birkhoff back, Michael began to turn the car around. They had been wrong about Mars’s and the Venezuelan’s target. They weren’t going after the senator at the hospital. They had always had another victim in mind- someone who lived in Greenwich, “Alicia’s not headed for the hospital.”

“What if the Venezuelans were targeting someone else? At the dinner, and the picnic. It was the same charity. They have to have the same guests,” Nikita echoed Michael’s thoughts. The senator had just been collateral damage at the dinner, and the mistaken target at the picnic. Someone else had incurred the Venezuelans’ wrath. After hacking the guest lists to the events, it wasn’t difficult for Nikita to figure out who, “Judge Kathy Bridges sits on the board of Read & Unite. Rumor is she’s about to rule against an oil company for price fixing.”

“A Venezuelan oil company?” Michael assumed. If the judge was going to put sanctions on an oil company, those involved would undoubtedly try to stop her. And the easiest way they could hurt her would be attacking her at the two functions she would be attending for the charity program she supported. Michael and Nikita had found Alicia’s real target. All they needed then was her location

“Venezuelan, Baby, Petroleos Orinoco. And I bet the judge has a nice place in Greenwich,” Nikita confirmed Michael’s theory and began searching for the judge’s home address. There were no more events scheduled while the senator was recuperating; there was a chance the judge was at home. Nikita soon had the information she needed in no time, and directed Michael towards the address in the middle of nowhere Greenwich.

Birkhoff continued to not see Michael and Nikita anywhere, yet that didn’t stop him from completing his mission. As soon as he caught up to Alicia, he sprinted out of his car and grabbed her by the shoulders. She tried to fight him, but he held on tight. He wouldn’t let her go through with her brainwashed orders. She could fight them. She could survive, “Alicia! Alicia! Wait, stop! You don’t know what you’re doing. Listen, I know. I know what it’s like to get orders that feel so strong, you think you’re gonna die if you don’t follow them. But deep down, there is a part of you that knows this isn’t you. And that part of you can choose to stop.”

For a brief moment, it appeared that Birkhoff had managed to break through to Alicia. Then, she saw her target through the window, and she continued marching forward with her gun raised. There was nothing Birkhoff could do to stop her that wouldn’t lead to both of them getting hurt. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone. The other rogues finally arrived, and Nikita immediately sprung out of the car. She knocked Alicia unconscious, effectively stopping the assault. Birkhoff was extremely grateful for the assist. Though, his snarked words expressed otherwise, “You guys took your sweet time.”

“Birkhoff, if you want to be conscious for the car ride home, shut up,” Nikita huffed. It had been a miracle that she and Michael had arrived when they had. Birkhoff shouldn’t jinx it by pissing her off. He wisely agreed with her and didn’t say a word the entire journey back to the safehouse. He only made certain that Alicia was okay and would be alright. An update from Owen confirmed the latter. The cops bought the story and doctors were coming to deprogram all of Mars’s victims. Alicia could be brought to a hospital as soon as possible where she’d finally get the care she needed.

The rogues waited until Alicia was awake- and clearly not under her trance- before they told her the good news. She was beyond ecstatic, and asked to be taken to a hospital right away. Since he had been the one to put everything into effect, Owen drove her. He made sure things would be perfectly safe for her before he returned to the safehouse. It was weird hanging with the team that night, debriefing about the mission (Michael had a lot of questions about the expensive guns the former Cleaner had used) and attempting to joke around. So Owen decided he should leave in the morning. He simply needed information first, “Hey, computer guy.”

“It’s Birkhoff. Seymour Birkhoff,” Birkhoff huffed. Seriously, he and Owen had known each other for months, and he still couldn’t be bothered to remember his name. Honestly, sometimes Birkhoff thought that Owen was more concerned about Nikita than the rest of the team. They all worked as a team, yet he singled her out. The hacker wondered what her boyfriend thought about that. It’d definitely make for a fun conversation- well, fun for Birkhoff. 

“Right, Seymour Birkhoff. Nikita says you have a thingy that can look for black boxes?” Owen continued regardless. Since he had the information he needed to get himself clean of the Regimen, he could continue with his original mission. There were still three more Guardians to kill and black boxes to destroy. Once that was complete, Percy could die and Division could end. Then, Owen would truly be done; he’d truly have his revenge.

“Shadowbot. And it doesn’t look for black boxes. It runs a twenty four hour news feed against every piece of data in the black box. Any story correlates with an old Division mission, that bad boy pieces it together for us,” Rolling his eyes, Birkhoff corrected. He wasn’t sure if Owen had misheard Nikita, or if Nikita had the information wrong, but it honestly didn’t matter. Shadowbot couldn’t find the rogues the information they desperately needed. The location of the black boxes would constantly be a mystery and a pain in the ass.

“So you don’t know where they are?” Owen felt his determination drain out of him. The rogues had their own black box; it should’ve been easy to find the rest of them with that. But apparently, not every piece of information they needed was stored away on that damn thing. The rogues still had to struggle to get ahead.

“Is that where you're going next? Still tracking down the black boxes?” Joining the conversation, Nikita wondered. She had thought that once Owen had a way to get clean of the Regimen, he’d join the rogues for good. They needed another agent to help them in the field, especially if it was an agent who could help them clean the scene and keep their tracks invisible. That’d be incredibly helpful as they continued to correct the sins on the black box, and as they eventually broke Ryan out of prison. They couldn’t have new targets painted on their backs. They faced enough obstacles as it was. The rogues could use more help.

“First things first: this is everything on the Regimen. I pulled it off Mars’s computer. It includes a way to chemically detox. It’s, uh… It’s the answer I’ve been looking for,” Showing Nikita the information he had been able to find at the Vory clinic, Owen explained. He could finally get off the performance enhancers Percy had forced upon him and have a clear head. He wouldn’t be dependent on anything Division related ever again. He could be free.

Nikita smiled softly at Owen. She was so relieved that he had found a way to detox from those deadly chemicals. She didn’t have to worry about him going insane and hurting himself or anyone else. She also didn’t have to worry about him being alone. He could join the rogues in the safehouse and officially be a part of their team, “You know it could take a while for all that to get out of your system. Maybe you could stay here.”

“Absolutely not,” Owen answered immediately. The urgency with which he responded surprised Nikita, and she opened her mouth to question him. That wasn’t necessary, though. Owen had his reasons for staying away from her and the others. It was safer that way- in more ways than one, “Yeah, it’s, uh, probably better I get clean on the road. The longer I wait, the colder those Guardian trails get, you know.”

“Good luck. Owen. If you ever need anything, I’ll be around,” Although she thought his abrupt need to leave was strange, Nikita accepted that it was what Owen had to do. After all, a former Guardian hunting down the rest of the Guardians was probably the smart thing to do. She gave Owen a hug before they parted, and he squeezed her tightly in return.

While Owen left, the other rogues watched the news coverage of the follow up on P9. Alicia was giving an interview, discussing how the doctors were deprogramming her. Unfortunately, the only side effect was that her memory had gone a little weird. She could barely remember the last couple months… Every place she had been, everyone she had met. She couldn’t remember anything. Which meant she had absolutely no memory of the rogues who had helped save her.

Although that was good for their anonymity, Birkhoff was upset by that fact. Nikita gave him a quick hug and kiss to his crown in comfort. He shrugged her off, but he did appreciate it. She gave his shoulders another squeeze before moving to find her boyfriend. She had to apologize for arguing with him about P9. He had been right all along. She should’ve trusted his instincts from the very beginning. They were great ones, after all. Because of him, so many innocents had been saved, “You were right about P9 being back. You saved all those people.”

“We did: all of us. And I know what it took,” Michael wrapped his arms around Nikita and kissed her sweetly. She shrugged, not caring that they had lost the lead on Oversight anymore. They had saved all those innocents- all those people trying to get help. How could anything else have been more important than that.

Alex was welcomed back to Division with applause. Everyone congratulated her for saving the senator, especially Amanda. Although Mars and P9 were still out there, saving the senator was a great thing to do. She was a hero. Alex didn’t really feel like one, however. She felt as though she had just stumbled upon the title. She hadn’t actually done anything. She knew that it was mostly the rogues. After all, as the news of P9 progressed, it was discovered that they had been the ones to effectively shut it down and save the victims. Division had done nothing to prevent the tragedy. Alex had done nothing.

She was determined to change that. As soon as she had finished debriefing with Amanda, Alex dove headfirst into the information she had on Semak and her mother. She was determined to have a plan in place as soon as her injuries were healed. Then she could save her mother immediately. She couldn’t wait any longer. She had to truly be a hero. Unfortunately, as she studied and schemed, Alex was interrupted by sure, heavy steps. She was already sighing as Sean Pierce spoke, “I know why you lost Nikita at the dinner. You didn’t blow your shot. You were never gonna take it. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Alex only looked away from her research in order to roll her eyes. She had thought that the conversation about the dinner was over once Sean had freed her from the jail cell. It at least had been over for her. So why was he so hellbent on bringing it back up. Did he want to piss her off, “What difference does it make to you? As long as I am committed to the mission…”

“I just want to give you some advice,” Sean interrupted Alex. He wasn’t as angry as before, but he was just as stern and serious. He wanted Alex to hear everything that he said. His advice wasn’t something she could just shrug off and ignore. It had to sink deep, especially after what he had just discovered.

However, Alex didn’t want to listen to anything Sean had to say. There was no advice he could give that would actually help her. After her training with Division and the rogues, she had all the skills she’d need to kill Semak. And with the new information from Oversight, she’d soon have all the intel she’d need. Sean couldn’t add anything new. He’d only be annoying, “Look, I don’t need a lecture on when to…”

“Will you shut up for a second?” Sean snapped. Alex was close to springing to her feet, slapping him, and shouting that she’d never shut up. But the pain swimming in his hazel eyes made her go still. She had to listen to whatever he said; she needed to understand that sudden guilt, “When I was a Navy Seal, if you knew that your comrade faced certain death, you were supposed to take his life first. So one day I’m in combat, and my partner gets grabbed. And I had a gun, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. I froze. And I later found out that he was tortured for months and then slaughtered. And I could’ve prevented it.”

“He was your partner. No matter what the situation was, you didn’t want to play a part in his death,” Softly, Alex replied. She had thought Division’s rules regarding captured agents had been harsh. But the Seals seemed a whole lot worse. She couldn’t believe that Sean had been put through that. Maybe that was why he was with Oversight instead of the Navy; he wouldn’t have to deal with losing another partner.

“He suffered because I was weak,” Sean continued quietly. Instinctively, Alex reached for his hand. Despite what she usually felt about him, she had to comfort him in that moment. He shouldn’t have to carry that pain and guilt on his shoulders; it wasn’t his fault. But before she could touch him, he wisely pulled away from her, “Do yourself a favor. Next time you have Nikita in your sights, take the shot, because once she falls into Oversight’s custody, she will not be afforded any mercy… by anyone.”

The first thing that came to Alex’s mind was that Sean Pierce was not weak. He simply hadn’t wanted to kill his friend; he had led with his heart. That wasn’t a weakness. That was an incredible strength that Alex had only seen a few people possess. Whoever had told Sean otherwise should get punched in the face. Alex would gladly do that.

The next thing thought in her head was what she really should’ve been focusing on, however. If Oversight caught the rogues, they wouldn’t just be killed. They were in a lot deeper shit than they ever could’ve imagined. And all they had done was try to save the world. What kind of justice was that. How could Sean work for a group like that- how could Alex.

Chapter Text

There was some breathing room between missions that gave the rogues time to clean and restock equipment, train and sharpen their skills, go grocery shopping and take care of the safehouse, and find ways to battle their anxiety and relax. Although the down time was much appreciated to keep their sanity, there came a point where doing nothing to further their war effort became tedious and boring. The rogues had to stay active and productive. Days of waiting was tortuous. So when Michael heard a chime on Birkhoff’s computer, he jumped at the chance for a new mission, “So what happened? You got an alert?”

“An alert? It’s not a Twitter feed, Michael, it’s Shadowbot,” Birkhoff rolled his eyes. Yes, he was ready for a new mission as well. But he had to ensure that his tech was completely understood first. He couldn’t have the agents be tragically misinformed about what he did and have them make wild demands he couldn’t follow. He had to set them straight as soon as possible, “It scours the news, the blogosphere, the atmosphere. If something happens out there and it has a link to a file on the black box…”

“You get an alert,” Michael cut the nerd off. He didn’t need to hear the techno-babble. All he wanted to know was what problem needed fixing. Birkhoff grumbled as he showed him what Shadowbot had found. The instant the newsfeed was opened, Michael knew why they had gotten an alert. He recognized the assassin being discussed. He had been a Division target years ago, “Think I know why it flagged him. Ramon was captured by Division in Paris. Six years ago, I want to say. The agent lost him on the way to the airport.”

“Not true. I caught him. Handed him to the grab team. They blew it. He slipped their net,” Finally joining the others, Nikita corrected. She would never brag about any of her missions with Division. However, she would set the record straight if anyone thought she had never been successful. She always completed her mission. Sometimes that had aligned with what Division had wanted; sometimes it was what she herself had set out to do. Regardless, Nikita never failed her missions. She failed people. But never her goals. She couldn’t have rumors spread otherwise. Her enemies couldn’t get the wrong ideas.

“Actually, it was more like catch and release,” Birkhoff corrected after reading about Ramon on the black box. There was a lot more information about him than any other Division target which should’ve tipped the rogues off that something was up. Nikita was the most perplexed by it. Birkhoff spun one of his monitors around to show her what exactly he was looking at, “According to the black box, Division released him and kept him on the payroll. He kills for them now.”

Nikita shook her head before she actually responded. The information on the black box wasn’t something to doubt. The truth hidden on the damn thing was far more dangerous than any lie or rumor. However, Nikita refused to believe that Ramon could work for Division. When she had captured him, he had railed against such governments and organizations as Oversight and Division. There was absolutely no way he would disregard what he believed in and fought for so suddenly. There had to have been some sort of mistake. The information had to have been wrong, “What? Ramon? No way.”

“Way. Read it and weep. These are all the sanctioned kills he’s claimed responsibility for in the last six years,” Birkhoff scrolled through the information on the black box highlighting all Ramon had done for Division- or had claimed to have done for Division. He had been Percy’s favorite scapegoat for years. Any anarchist style assassination- and there were plenty- was blamed on him. And the news completely ate it up. No one suspected a thing. Division could keep operating in the shadows, and Oversight could continue to hold all the power. Until the rogues stepped in and ruined everything.

“All this for Division?” Nikita couldn’t rush off on a mission to expose Ramon, Division, and Oversight just yet. She was still attempting to comprehend how Ramon was working for Division. Nikita hadn’t saved his life because she thought he’d make a great agent. In fact, it was the opposite. He had stirred a feeling of rebellion in her that she couldn’t eliminate. Although that feeling disappeared at times, there was always a spark that encouraged her to defy orders and think for herself. There was no way the man who had done that ended up in Division’s claws. Ramon was supposed to have been better than that.

“It makes sense. The crazy anarchist takes the blame. No one asks questions. Not even cable news. It’s brilliant,” Michael couldn’t help but comment. He had wondered how Division was able to hide their involvement in high-profile assassinations. There were hardly any rumors or conspiracies about the hellhole- besides the ones Ryan Fletcher had caught onto. Having someone take the blame for everything certainly helped Division more than Cleaners could. A story was spun that was easily swallowed by the general public. No questions were asked, which meant no problems for Division.

“It’s Percy. Was his idea. And he couldn’t have done it without me,” Bitterly, Nikita replied. If she had never saved Ramon and brought him to Division, then Percy never would’ve had his perfect scapegoat. She should’ve followed her orders instead of thinking she knew better. Well, maybe not exactly. She didn’t completely regret not killing Ramon. But she hated that she had brought him to Percy. She should’ve let him escape. What was she thinking involving the hellhole, “I thought we could bring him in, ask him questions, learn more… Does the box have his current location?”

“No. They move him to a different Division facility every few months,” Birkhoff easily went along with Nikita’s topic change. Although he spared a quick glance at Michael, he didn’t mention what could’ve possibly been on Nikita’s mind. He was positive that she would eventually share it. If not with him, then definitely with Michael. It wouldn’t be a problem for long. At least if she could move on, then so could the rest of them.

Michael continued to glance at Nikita. She was doing a good job of ignoring him; she didn’t want him reading her numerous thoughts about what had actually occurred on her mission with Ramon. Later, he definitely had to pry into them so she didn’t drown in them. At the moment, however, his focus should be on exposing Division. Slowly, Michael redirected his attention to the black box and the news feed. The rogues might not know where Ramon was, but the reporter discussing him might. After all, she had the most direct contact with him, “She might know where he is, though. She says the videos just show up at the network.”

“Not true. According to the black box, she gets them direct,” Once more, Birkhoff corrected. Division’s use of Ramon as a scapegoat was more convoluted and planned out than the rogues had originally thought. It wasn’t enough for Ramon to simply claim he had committed the assassination; a news reporter also had to believably sell the story and gain people’s interest. Division had a plant hidden at the news station. If anyone knew where Ramon was and what he was up to, it was undoubtedly her.

“Then we start with her. This time we catch him. No release,” Nikita commanded. Exposing Ramon as a scapegoat was one way to expose Division and ruin their schemes. Although that was a huge motivator, it wasn’t what was driving Nikita. She had to make up for her mistakes six years ago. She also had to understand why Ramon would suddenly go back on his word. He had once snapped at her for not being honorable, but then what was he at that moment. Unlike what she had previously thought, he was no better than her.

Honestly, Alex found it difficult to focus on her mission lately. She couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Sean and his Seal partner. She should say something to him about it. She should dispel those thoughts in his head he had expressed. But she wasn’t entirely sure what she should say. She also wasn’t sure if he would listen. Things continued to be rocky between them. And he didn’t seem to be in the best headspace whenever he was in Division. Why did he keep coming back then. Why did she keep coming back. She didn’t exactly want to be there talking to Amanda either, “On the mend, I hope.”

“Last day it ruins the outfit,” Alex halfheartedly waved the cast on her arm. One good thing about all her time in Division recently was that she had been able to heal quickly from her injuries. She had also been able to gather more information on Semak and Zetrov. Though, not as much as she would’ve liked. Her distraction with Sean was completely to blame for that. However, she couldn’t force herself to refocus. She had to talk to him. She had to figure out what exactly he was thinning and why exactly he was in Division. But he had made himself scarce recently, leaving Alex was left completely alone with her thoughts.

“Good. I have an assignment for you,” Amanda snapped Alex out of her head. There was a real reason Amanda had called her into her office. Alex wasn’t just there to talk about her recovery or any updates like that. Division and Oversight had a mission for her. Her first instinct was to just walk out of the room and never return. She was supposed to be done doing things like that. She wasn’t supposed to be used as a weapon anymore. Alex was her own agent- her own person. She couldn’t be ordered around. And she’d say as much if she didn’t need Division’s and Oversight’s resources to save her mother.

“How’ve you had time to track down Nikita, when you’re busy handling assets like Ramon?” So, instead, Alex snarked about something she had overheard that morning. Amanda had called Ramon and had him take the blame for an assassination Division had performed. Alex didn’t know what the full deal entailed, but she did know that Division wasn’t supposed to be performing assassinations anymore. Since Amanda had taken control from Percy, things were supposed to change. But nothing had. The hellhole was still as awful as ever, “You said Division would be different.”

“I also said we would continue to eliminate threats. Letting Ramon take the blame allows us to do it with minimal blowback,” Amanda found a way to spin the situation. Alex figured that Ramon was no different than Division’s Cleaners; the black ops group had to utilize different strategies to ensure they stayed hidden. However, there shouldn’t have been anything for Division to clean up. Their focus should only be on stopping the rogues and recovering the black box. That was what Alex had been promised by both Amanda and Oversight.

“You people could rationalize baby killing,” Rolling her eyes, Alex huffed. Of course their promises would only last for so long. Since it wasn’t explicit with what kind of threats they were stopping, Division could continue the assassinations Oversight deemed necessary- even if that wasn’t strictly the case. Alex couldn’t wait to completely distance herself from those people. As soon as she had the black box and her mother, she could do just that, “Where’d you pick up on the rogues’ trail?”

Amanda didn’t comment on what Alex said about Division and Oversight rationalizing baby killing. It wasn’t worth her time to get into a battle of wills with Alex. After all, the mission she had for her was far more important to both their interests. It didn’t have anything to do with the black box or the rogues. But it still had to do with what Alex wanted most, “We haven’t. I have a Division assignment for you. A sanction.”

“I don’t work for you, remember? And I certainly don’t kill for you,” Alex huffed and began to walk out of Amanda’s office. Her deal didn’t involve regular Division missions. She was only there to stop the rogues since she knew them best, recapture the black box so the information didn’t leak, then save her mother and finally live happily ever after. She didn’t have to do anything else while in Division- certainly not a government sanctioned kill mission that’d support a country that wasn’t even hers.

“Just take a look. For me,” Amanda tried to offer Alex the mission file. Although she turned around- her damn curiosity got the better of her- she didn’t take what was offered to her. That didn’t frustrate Amanda or even discourage her. She simply continued her pitch for the mission, flipping open the file and showing Alex a picture of the target, “Do you know who that is? Anton Kochenko. He worked for your father.”

“He was a low-level thug for my father,” Alex grumbled. She remembered exactly who Anton Kochenko was. She had never liked him. He was always brash and rude whenever he had visited the house, and he had always paid her a weird kind of special attention. She had missed him the least when everything had gone to shit. In fact, a part of her had hoped that something bad had happened to him after Pale Fire. Unfortunately, that was not the case. According to the information Amanda had, things had only gotten better for Kochenko.

“Now he’s the Chief Public Liaison of Zetrov, which is a euphemism for ‘Vice President of Bribery’. He’s helping extend Zetrov’s reach across the globe. In thirty-six hours, Kochenko will attend the ribbon-cutting of a new Zetrov venture on the St. Lawrence river. That venture represents significant expansion by Zetrov in our hemisphere,” Amanda explained Division’s and Oversight’s sudden interest in Kochenko. She also implied why Alex should care about it as well. She was drawn by the information. Slowly, she came back into the office.

If Alex killed Kochenko, that’d be a dent in Semak’s armor. She’d be one step closer to killing the bastard who had ordered the hit on her family and one step closer to saving her mother from his grasp. Killing Kochenko could also put her in an even better position with Oversight. They could give her more information and resources. They could even give her an army. There was a reason they were having her kill Kochenko then, after all. His death would serve all of them, which meant Alex could receive more benefits from it, “Let me guess. Oversight has asked you to make sure it never opens.”

“Correct. I need Kochenko dead. As it turns out, so do you. He’s the face of Zetrov. If he were eliminated, his boss would be forced to make more public appearances. Kochenko’s boss is Sergei Semak. You’d be one step closer. All you have to do is end Kochenko’s life. Something tells me you can rationalize that,” Amanda smiled softly as she handed Alex the file again. The young agent took it without hesitation.

The rogues decided the best way to get information from an ambitious reporter was to dangle a promotion in front of her. Birkhoff was busy hacking, and Nikita didn’t think her charms would work for that mission, so Michael was assigned to approach the Division plant. Nikita also urged him to flirt with her so she wouldn’t be suspicious. Michael didn’t like the idea, yet he knew Nikita was right. He just felt so awkward as he approached the Division agent, “Uh, Ms. Patel, I’m, uh, Mike Royce, CNN. Senior Evening News Producer. I’ve been watching you. Not just right now… but, I mean, on the air. Your… your, uh, your network. Your reports.”

“Nice. Awkward. Girls like awkward. Makes them feel special,” Nikita teased her boyfriend over the com. Michael hadn’t shared his plans with her as they had gone over the mission. The only thing that was certain was that Michael would make the plant call Division on her satellite phone and confirm Ramon’s location. As soon as she dialed the number, Birkhoff would be able to hack the phone and interrupt the conversation.

How Michael would get the agent to make the call remained to be seen, however. Nikita had thought that he’d try to be smooth and suave like she knew he could be. Instead, he seemed to be going for a stumbling and awkward approach. She didn’t know if it was because she was listening or what, but Michael couldn’t shake himself out of it. He continued to fight for the right words to say to push the conversation where he wanted it to be, “Uh… Anyway, you filed some great pieces on Ramon. Not to mention, you always seem to have the exclusives.”

“I’m a lucky girl,” The Division agent shrugged, still uncertain if she should be giving Michael her time. She was at least listening to what he had to say. He could continue talking to her, but he had to do more to have her completely engaged. Nikita’s flirtation idea, although Michael continued to hate it, really did seem like his best bet. The focus of his conversation had to be less on the job and more on her.

“Well, let’s just say you’re about to get luckier,” Michael responded automatically. He was struggling to think of what to say to captivate the plant’s attention with the flirting strategy. So, he pretended that he was talking to Nikita. He would definitely drop that innuendo with his girlfriend to make her laugh and to pull her in for a kiss. The line worked with the plant too. She arched her eyebrows in surprise and smirked at him. Yet Michael didn’t feel satisfied with the reaction. Nikita snarked over the com, and he felt terrible for ‘flirting’ with another woman.

He blushed and stammered and tried to take back his words, but it was too late. The words were out there, and the Division agent gladly latched onto them. She moved closer to Michael and smiled softly. He attempted to calm his thoughts and smile back, but he wasn’t so sure about how well it worked. At least the Division agent continued to smile, “Do you want to get a coffee? I know a great place nearby. Walk me to my car?”

“Absolutely,” Michael beamed and breathed easier. Getting the Division plant to call Division would work a lot better if they were in private. He followed her to her car and tried to ignore the sudden silence on the com. He believed that Nikita was starting to regret the flirting idea, and a part of him wanted to laugh. She had gotten onto him for being needlessly jealous, and she was starting to feel the same way. He’d have to find some way to tease her about that- just after he dealt with the Division plant, “Uh, we’re looking to do a news magazine: five night strip, prime time, big stories. But we need a face that can make a… cross-cultural impact.”

“Cross-what? Where does he come up with this stuff?” Nikita mostly said to Birkhoff. The nerd was having the time of his life listening to Michael ‘flirt’ with another woman in front of his girlfriend; he couldn’t stop chuckling and fighting back peels of laughter. Though, he was just as confused as Nikita was about the things Michael was saying. He sounded just like a CNN producer would. There was no way he had managed to come up with that on his own. He must’ve read or heard something as he had prepared for the mission.

“I did my research,” Michael snarked in reply to Nikita. He could practically hear her eye roll in response. Yet he couldn’t say anything else on the matter. The Division plant was glancing at him curiously, and he had to cover for his blunder. He couldn’t have her getting suspicious too soon. The rogues still needed her to make that phone call, “That’s what I do best. But, I’m telling you, uh, as of now, you are a leading candidate.”

“Candidate? Well, I think I need to make you forget the others.” Grabbing the lapels of Michael’s jacket, the Division agent smiled flirtatiously. Michael instinctively attempted to pull out of her grasp, but he was still supposed to be playing a role. He couldn’t just break cover because he felt uncomfortable. Besides, he was fairly certain he finally figured out how he could push the plant to make that call to Division. If he went along with what she wanted, he could get what he wanted. He just hoped it didn’t go down exactly like that.

“Um… maybe I should do a little more research,” Michael did his best to back away from the Division plant. He had barely wrapped his head around flirting with her. There was absolutely no way he could kiss her. And it wouldn’t just be because Nikita was listening. He couldn’t be convincing while kissing another woman. The whole time he would just want to pull away and call the whole thing off. Even undercover he couldn’t cheat like that. It would be so wrong, and he would feel so awful.

Regardless of Michael’s attempts to pull away, the Division plant kissed him. Although a part of her was glad that she couldn’t see another woman kiss her boyfriend, Nikita was not happy about what she was hearing. She wanted to spring out of the car and immediately take down the Division agent. If it wasn’t for the information they needed, she absolutely would’ve. She had to fight the urge as she slumped in her seat. Birkhoff, on the other hand, continued to have his fun, “Wow. The state of journalism in our culture.”

“Okay, Mr. Bond, just complete the mission,” Nikita huffed. Listening to her boyfriend ‘flirt’ with the Division agent had been fun at first. She could tease him for the things he did and said and make snarky comments over the coms. But hearing him makeout with someone else made her sulk in her seat. She knew it meant nothing. Michael had to completely grieve his late wife before he could move forward with Nikita; he would never cheat on her. But she couldn’t help feeling angry and jealous and spiteful.

Gladly, Michael reached for his way to end the kiss. He had seen the Division agent put her purse on top of her car. He was certain her satellite phone was in her purse, so all he had to do was knock it over and pull it out. That’d force her to make a call, and that could lead to Birkhoff getting the rogues the information they needed. Continuing the awkward act, Michael soon knocked over the Division plant’s purse and scrambled to clean it up for her. As soon as he found the satellite phone, he held it up and thankfully cut the flirtatious act, “Do you want to call Division, or should I?”

As suspected, the Division agent engaged the rogue into a fight. He purposefully lost and pretended to be knocked unconscious, leading her to finally make her call. She had no idea Birkhoff was on the other end of the line. He got her to give up Ramon’s location- he was being held in a Division station in Monte de Concepción, Colombia- before exposing the ruse for what it was. Both he and Nikita joined the Division plant and Michael by the car with proud, triumphant smiles on their lips, “Awesome. Thanks for that.”

While the Division plant glanced around in confusion, Nikita very gladly knocked her out with a paralytic drug. She wouldn’t be able to chase after the rogues or alert Division for a while. She also couldn’t keep making moves on Nikita’s boyfriend. As the rogue smirked in triumph, she held out a hand to help Michael up and turned to walk away. He pulled her back gently by the arm before she could completely leave his side. He had something to clear up that took more precedence than their mission. He couldn’t have his girlfriend thinking of the wrong things, “Hey. Hey. You know, when I kissed her, I was totally picturing you.”

Despite the grin on Michael’s lips, Nikita glared at him. She took the fake glasses he was wearing off his face and stepped closer to him. He drew closer as well, believing that she was about to kiss him. However, his girlfriend surprised him by breaking the glasses and walking away. Michael couldn’t help but laugh. He hadn’t expected Nikita to get so jealous. Since she was, he could finally return the teases she had thrown at him. Or, he could spend the flight to Columbia making things up to her. The latter seemed like the better option. After all, it’d be a great way to clear their minds before they finally exposed Ramon.

Chapter Text

Staring at a photograph of Anton Kochenko, Alex was lost in thought. She remembered her last conversation with the thug and how predatory and threatening he had been to her. If she had known then what she did then, she would’ve snapped that creep’s neck. She couldn’t wait until she had the chance to kill him. And she was going to ensure he knew it was her who did it. He had knowingly led to her father’s death, and he was going to know it was her that led to his. She had the perfect plan to end his life. Or so she had thought. Other people had different opinions, “That’s your plan?”

“Excuse me?” Alex snapped out of her thoughts and turned to face Sean Pierce hovering over her shoulder. She had already been annoyed by someone interrupting her. Yet seeing Sean so close to her, scrutinizing her assassination plans, just pissed her off even more. If she wasn’t trying to prove something, she’d have punched him in the face and stormed off. But she refused to let him see her crack or have even more of a reason to think he was better than her. He undoubtedly wasn’t. But, for some reason, he continued to think so.

“Close quarters hit in the basement before he gets onstage? It’s suicide. Kochenko’s men all used to work for Gogol. They’re former Spetsnaz. You don’t want to get into a knife fight with a Russian,” Sean pointed out the flaws in Alex’s plans. Each one he listed made her more and more angry. He wasn’t her boss. They weren’t partners. They weren’t even coworkers. She didn’t have to listen to a single thing he said. They weren’t sound criticisms anyway. He didn’t know everything she was capable of, and he never would.

“I am Russian,” Alex seethed. For some reason, that was a fact most people forgot. Although she was living and working in the States, she was not American. She didn’t think she ever would be. She had been sent to the country and forced to kill for the government all against her will. She could never be a part of that. She was Russian-born, and Russian she would remain. Which meant she could handle herself perfectly against other Russians. With her upbringing and training, Gogol would be nothing to her- just more men standing in the way of what she wanted.

“Yes, you are,” The barest of smiles twitched at the corners of Sean’s full lips. Alex was confused at the sight. For half a second, she believed that he was trying to joke with her. It almost seemed like he was trying to insinuate that he would never get into a knife fight with her because he knew that she would kick his ass. But that couldn’t have been the true intentions behind his words. Sean Pierce would never think that she was better than him. Alex had to consistently prove that to him, yet even that wasn’t enough at times.

Doing her best to ignore Sean’s ghost of a smile (why was it so hard to get that image out of her head) Alex moved the conversation back to his problem with her. The impressive plan that she had spent so much time curating apparently wasn’t enough for him. He believed she was going to fail and get herself killed. But that was farthest from the truth. Kochenko wasn’t going to survive past the press conference. Alex was going to kill him before Semak could gain even more power he didn’t deserve, “You don’t think I can do it? This man held the back door open for the strike team that carried out the hit on my family. Trust me, I’m not going to choke.”

“That’s the point. I don’t trust you. You know better than to try the job like this. The reason you want it this close is because you are emotionally involved. You would be the last person I would pick to do this job. But now that you have it, at least do it right,” Sean was brutally honest with Alex. Oversight should not have given her the assignment. Although she agreed that she shouldn’t be doing anything Oversight said, she had to perform the assassination. No one else could kill Kochenko but her. He had helped Division kill her father, so she had to kill him. It was how she could finally start getting justice.

“And how would I do it right?” Glaring at the Navy Seal, Alex really didn’t want to hear Sean Pierce’s advice. He couldn’t say those things to her then expect her to listen. If anything, she should prove his statement about knife fights and Russians correct. Then again, that was probably what he was expecting from her. He knew she’d try to fight him- why else his confirmation of her nationality. Alex couldn’t wrap her head around that man. She wanted to punch him so badly, yet she never did. She couldn’t actually make those thoughts a reality.

“Sniper rifle, up here. I’ve seen your ratings; you can make that shot in your sleep. And the extra distance from the target helps you with your emotional distance,” Sean pointed to an area on one of her various printed maps where she could make her assassination. Alex considered it for a moment. He made a great point. She could easily snipe Kochenko from the building across from the press conference. However, she wasn’t going to easily take his compliment or advice. Since he had spent so much time railing against her and her plan, she was going to return the favor with the first snarky comment that came to mind.

“Is that your expertise? Emotional distance?” Alex shot back with a smug smile. Seeing the storm brewing in Sean’s hazel eyes, however, made her instantly drop the proud smirk. That wasn’t fair of her. He had told her about the partner he had lost, and she had thrown it back in his face. She needed to say something to make it right. She needed to apologize. Unfortunately, before she could, Sean Pierce turned and walked away from her. She was left alone in her seat, feeling like a jackass and no better than the people who had given her the kill order.

Once the rogues had Ramon’s location, they didn’t waste time gearing up and traveling out. Michael and Nikita were in Monte de Concepción as soon as they could and hiking through the forest through the Division safehouse. Birkhoff, on the other hand, stayed where he was, watching over everything from his computer, “Buenos días, muchachos. Welcome to Colombia: land of lush forests, spectacular waterfalls, and wily little Division assassins. Wish I was there to share the view with you, but mine is quite stellar, thanks to our friends in U.S. Southern Command. I hacked their satellite, straight up.”

All Michael and Nikita could manage in response was a roll of their eyes. They were too busy trekking up hills and around trees and waterfalls to manage a quip. Birkhoff was perfectly alright with that, however. It meant he could stay in control of the conversation and brag and express his vast skills and knowledge as much as he wanted, “Now this place is a Division facility, so hacking security is not impossible, but it is tricky. It’s safer if you go native and tap into the grid on the ground.”

“Copy that,” Michael huffed as he and Nikita climbed up the latest hill. The two had been holding hands as they hiked, ensuring they didn’t get separated amongst the trees. But they had to let go as they struggled up the hill. Hearing their pants, Birkhoff cut the feed to their new coms (tech they were lucky to acquire so they wouldn’t lose each other in a different country). That left Michael and Nikita alone with their thoughts. They should’ve spent that time thinking about how they were going to capture Ramon. Instead, Michael took the moment alone to confront Nikita, “You know, you’ve been full-throttle on this thing ever since we left.”

“Yeah. So?” Nikita glanced at Michael warily, wondering why he was bringing that up then. She had more or less ignored him on the jet to Colombia. She hadn’t meant to. He was trying to make up for kissing the Division agent, yet she was lost in thought. The closer they got to Monte de Concepción, the more she thought about Ramon. She still couldn’t understand how he was working for Division. The man she had met would never sell his soul to those demons. He had been so much stronger than that- he had been stronger than her.

“I want to know what happened to him that night, after you caught him,” Michael moved closer to Nikita as he asked. He didn’t hold the fact that she had been too distracted to talk to him on the plane against her. Ever since she had discovered that Ramon was working for Division, she had been lost in her head. She made a few comments about her mission to capture him. But most of the information- specifically her thought process- remained locked away. Michael needed to get Nikita to open up about it. She couldn’t stay inside her head. She was only going to drown in those thoughts and emotions. She needed to let them go and let him in.

For a moment, Nikita didn’t say anything. Her mission to kill Ramon had occurred in her early days in Division when her courage, self-esteem, and sense of self were at an all time low. It honestly didn’t become that much better while she was trapped in the hellhole and being constantly controlled by Percy and Amanda. However, there had been times when she was aware of who she was and who she could be. Saving Ramon, Alexandra Udinov, and Ari Tasarov were definitely those moments. And it had been brought about by Ramon’s words- words she didn’t think she could repeat while she was hunting him down. So, instead, she deflected, “I told you.”

“Why didn’t you kill him?” Michael pressed. He knew why Nikita hadn’t killed Alexandra Udinov and Ari Tasarov: she couldn’t kill a child, and she couldn't kill a father in front of his child (killing Nikolai Udinov how she had continued to haunt her). Yet Ramon was neither an innocent nor near any innocents. So why spare him. What she had said about learning from him didn’t seem like the full answer. She was hiding something. Michael didn’t suspect that it was anything bad. But it definitely upset Nikita.

Sighing, Nikita attempted to think of the right thing to say. She honestly didn’t know how to express her thoughts about Ramon to Michael. Something about what the anarchist said about corrupt governments and following your own moral compass had really struck her. She had been struck with a feeling she had never been able to articulate, but she had desperately clung to it. Especially during the rough times. What he had said on that rooftop in Paris had been so true, so powerful. It had changed her. Unfortunately, so had he, “He was real, Michael. And I believed him. I can’t understand why a man like that would be working with Division.”

“Well, if there’s anything that Percy knows how to do, it’s how to buy a man’s soul. He owned mine for five years,” Bitterly, Michael reminded. He had been tricked into working for Percy for far longer than he should’ve. He was fortunate to have discovered the truth when he had; he might’ve done something he would’ve regretted if he hadn’t. Unfortunately, not everybody had the opportunity to discover the truth about Division or Percy. They were trapped in that hellhole, doing things they normally wouldn’t. Ramon, sadly, wasn’t the exception. Hardly anyone was.

“I will get Ramon. And when I do, we will both hog-tie him and leave him outside of Interpol in Bogotá,” Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, Nikita swore. Whatever it was that turned the anarchist into Division’s puppet wasn’t going to last. The rogues would take him down and make him pay for his crimes. Nikita should’ve done that years ago, yet she had never known that Percy would’ve corrupted Ramon. If she had, then she would have acted differently. At the time, though, she hadn’t believed that someone with so much sense of self could be corrupted. It hurt that she had been so wrong.

“Okay. The rest of the weekend we’ll spend on a beach in Aruba. How does that sound?” Smiling at his girlfriend, Michael suggested. He still needed to find a way to make up for kissing that Division agent. He knew that Nikita knew that it meant nothing. Yet he continued to feel guilty. And, although she wouldn’t admit it, she continued to be jealous. The two needed time away from their war and their shared safehouse with Birkhoff to dedicate all their focus and energy on each other. Their relationship deserved to have the same attention paid to it as their crusade. They couldn’t forget about each other as they constantly battled monsters.

“Barbados,” Stopping her hike towards the Division facility Ramon was held in, Nikita smirked at her boyfriend. She would give anything to be on an island paradise with Michael at that very moment. She could picture it then: bright sunlight, warm sand, sparkling sea, protective arms around her waist, sweet kisses on her lips, fun between the sheets. It was the perfect daydream that she was desperate to make true. Once Ramon and Division were taken care of, it had to be. She wouldn’t accept anything less.

“Done and done,” Smiling brighter, Michael kissed Nikita. For a second, the couple let themselves bask in that moment of happiness. Then, they refocused on their mission and parted ways. While Nikita moved to survey the Division safehouse, Michael went to tap into the local grid so Birkhoff could have access to the security. Despite his years in Division and as a rogue, Michael hadn’t quite picked up hacking. He could get by, yet he definitely needed help. So, once he was in position, he radioed the best hacker he knew (he wouldn’t give him the ego boost of knowing he was the best in the world), “Birkhoff, go to line two. I’m going to need your help.”

“Look, I get it. You’re worried about Nikki. You know, you start this whole crusade to right the wrong, so then she takes the ball, and she’s running with it full-throttle. It’s just how she rolls,” Birkhoff told Michael once they were on a line Nikita wasn’t patched through on. He had been worried about Nikita as well. Since P9, she had dived head first into the crusade to correct the sins on the black box. She had made up her mind that that was the right thing to do, and nothing would deter her from her course. It was worrying at times how dedicated and stubborn she could be. But that was how she’d always been.

Confused, Michael couldn’t instantly reply to Birkhoff. That had been the farthest thing from his mind. Yes, he was worried about his girlfriend- he always was. But he knew some time away from the war resting on a faraway beach would help her settle. She wouldn’t get lost in their crusade, especially not with him there. So what the hell was Birkhoff going on about. What was he seeing that Michael wasn’t. Because whatever it was, it wasn’t accurate, nor did it have any relevance to the current situation, “No, I’m not talking about…”

“And I understand that we’re all together, shacked up like the bizarro Three’s Company , but you cannot keep putting me in the middle of your relationship stuff. You know, it’s not fair to me. It’s not my job,” Birkhoff should probably wait until the mission was over before he made it clear that he was not a couple’s therapist; he should also make that point clear to Nikita. But if he didn’t say something then, the problem would just continue. He couldn’t be the mediator between the couple. They needed to sort their shit out on their own.

“Would you just shut up?” Finally and frustratedly, Michael snapped. He perfectly understood that he and Nikita could not bring Birkhoff into any relationship drama they might have. They tried not to. Whenever they had arguments that didn’t pertain to their war, they kept it away from him. Living together and spending all their time together just made it difficult. Michael and Nikita would have to get better about separating their relationship stuff from the war. However, that wasn’t the conversation Michael was supposed to be having with Birkhoff then; he didn’t need advice he already knew, “I need help with the grid, not Nikita.”

“I knew that,” Birkhoff replied sheepishly. He wasn’t going to take back what he had said about not being a mediator between the couple- that point would have to continuously be made clear. However, as he helped Michael tap into the grid and hacked into the Division safehouse’s security, he didn’t say anything else; he knew better than to shove more than one foot into his mouth. Thankfully, Michael didn’t say anything either. He let the conversation go and refocused his attention on the mission, allowing Birkhoff to do the same.

Soon after the security had been hacked into, Birkhoff and Michael were able to direct Nikita around the facility and past numerous Division agents. It was strange seeing them in the same safehouse as Ramon- it was almost as though they were guarding him. But maybe it was incase Interpol came snooping. Or it was a communal space for the agents in the area. Regardless, Nikita had to be careful as she located Ramon. She finally did near the back of the building, “I’ve got eyes on Ramon on the south balcony. Looks clear.”

Michael had to confirm that fact on the hacked security feed before Nikita was allowed to move forward. Her initial assessment was soon proven correct, and she was able to move stealthily towards her target. A million different ways of how she could capture him ran through her mind. Obviously, she had to move him away from the other agents. Yet that shouldn’t have been too difficult. The real danger was the anarchist, as warned  by Birkhoff, “You better watch yourself, Nikki. Word is Ramon had some moves in Québec. Rode that motorcycle like a Cirque du Soleil clown.”

Nikita didn’t doubt that Ramon had some impressive skills. You didn’t kill for Division for so long if you didn’t pull off the impossible from time to time. However, as she moved towards her target and finally saw more than just his face, she realized just how impossible some of his feats were. She stood there gaping for a moment, trying to force her mind to catch up with what her eyes saw. Yet she still couldn’t make sense of it even when she did. The questions regarding Ramon continued to grow exponentially. The wheelchair Nikita spotted him in was only the tip of the iceberg, “Yeah, that’s the thing about the circus: full of surprises.”

Chapter Text

Still in shock over seeing Ramon in a wheelchair, Nikita had Michael check the cameras to ensure she was seeing things correctly. He confirmed that what she was seeing was real, yet he was also shocked by the information. Nothing on the black box mentioned anything about Ramon being unable to walk. And nothing they had seen or heard suggested somebody else had performed the assassination being discussed on the news. Division had done an excellent job hiding the truth- whatever the whole truth was- so much so that even the rogues had been duped, “Am I hearing this right? He’s in a wheelchair? Please don’t tell me he’s petting a cat.”

“All I know is he couldn’t have done those jobs. Division does the kills. Ramon makes the videos, gets all the credit,” Nikita replied to Birkhoff, sharing the conclusion she had made as she continued to watch Ramon through the window. If Ramon was confined to a wheelchair, then there was absolutely no way he had committed the recent assassination. It was then possible that he hadn’t committed any assassinations for Division. Agents had followed the kill order, and he had simply made a video to take the credit. He wasn’t the killer, just the scapegoat, “It’s unbelievable. He’s not an assassin…”

“He’s a franchise. ‘Thank you for the kill order. Can you pull around to the first window, please?’ And this guy hates capitalism,” Birkhoff rolled his eyes. It shouldn’t have been that shocking that everything was not what it seemed with Division involved. But the way Ramon presented himself in his videos, and the few things Nikita had said about him, made it seem like he never would’ve stooped that low. Percy must’ve found the perfect words to own his soul and make him sell out. That bastard had that uncanny ability.

Nikita could’ve spent forever just sitting there and trying to wrap her head around the fact that Ramon was in a wheelchair and had given up all he had believed in for Division. But she didn’t have the time. She still had to capture Ramon and deliver him to Interpol before Division got away with more assassinations. So, shaking her head and expelling a heavy breath, Nikita finally moved forward with the mission, “Michael, is this balcony clear? Can I scale this wall?”

“Hang on, hang on, hang on. Extracting Ramon will be trickier. Maybe we change the plan. Get some footage of him in that chair, send it out to the world, expose the lie,” Michael slowed Nikita down before she did something reckless. The new information about Ramon changed things. Not only was he not the assassin they were after, they also couldn’t easily transport him and his wheelchair. The rogues needed to rethink their plan, take the new information and come up with another course of action.

“No. If we want this done right, we take him in ourselves,” Nikita negated. The only thing that had to change was how they were going to deal with the wheelchair. Taking Ramon to the authorities themselves had to remain the same. It was the only way to ensure that Division was stopped and the truth was exposed. Leaking the video would just give Division time to come up with a cover story as they killed Ramon and dumped his body. The black ops group wouldn’t be able to hide if Interpol had Ramon, however. Their dirty secrets would be exposed, and maybe so would a part of Oversight.

“Alright. You’re clear. Make it quick,” Michael gave Nikita the greenlight. They didn’t have the time to come up with a new plan, anyway. They had to work with what they had and control the situation as much as possible. With Division in the mix, the rogues could do that far better than Interpol. They were also far more quiet and careful. After Nikita easily scaled the wall, she nearly threw open a door attached to the alarm system. Michael was able to stop her before she could, “No, no, no, no, don’t open that door yet. I’m gonna disable the sensor.”

Once she had the all clear from Michael, Nikita was able to sneak into the room Ramon was sulking in. She spied on him as he recorded another video taking credit for an assassination he didn’t commit, and then as he called Amanda. She wasn’t able to hear everything, but it was enough for her to know that Division was going to kill someone soon, putting a serious time constraint on their mission, “Michael, there’s going to be another hit in about twenty minutes. Some guy named Kochenko. I didn’t get a location, but there’s a Division agent out there right now prepping for a kill.”

Birkhoff took the information and tried to see what he could do with it. Only having the name of the target wasn’t much, but maybe he could feed in common factors of Division hits attributed to Ramon. In the meantime, Nikita finally approached her target. She stepped out of the shadows and held the former assassin at gunpoint. He seemed genuinely surprised to see her. She couldn’t help but smirk, “You had a better view in Paris.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Nikita. You didn’t have the courtesy to introduce yourself six years ago,” Ramon tried to recover from his shock by addressing Nikita by her name. He probably assumed that he could get under her skin by insinuating that he knew everything about her. But she wasn’t phased. A lot of people in Division knew her by then. She, Michael, and Birkhoff were Percy’s favorite enemies. He couldn’t stop talking about the three- as confirmed by Ramon, “Percy told me all about you. He was devastated when his favorite girl went rogue. You got religion.”

“You sold out. You really are Percy’s bitch, aren’t you,” Nikita seethed. There was no denying that Ramon had given up his morals to serve Division. Rather than fight back when he had been captured, he had given in. Nikita had thought that he would’ve been better than that. The man she had met in Paris should’ve been better than that. But Percy had dug his claws into him just like everybody else. Even someone who had believed they were making the world a better place with their assassinations couldn’t fight against Percy.

“Thanks to you, I didn’t really have a choice. In fact, Percy made it for me,” Ramon snapped. He then explained to Nikita that after she had captured him, he had been brought to Percy. Percy tried to get him to kill for Division, and when he refused, the bastard crippled him. Percy bound Ramon to the wheelchair and turned him into a scapegoat. No choices besides the bastard’s mattered, “You don’t have the slightest idea what you took from me.”

Nikita fought to keep her tight grip on her weapon. Ramon was right. Nikita had had no idea what her choice to save him would lead to. She had thought that death would’ve been the worst outcome for him. Yet she had been wrong. And now she was going to have to pay the consequences for that. While Ramon had distracted her with his story, he had tripped a silent alarm at his desk. Division agents swarmed into the room and began to shoot. Fortunately, Nikita was ripped out of her thoughts just in time. Michael’s warning helped, “Nikita! Nikita! Tangos are closing in on your position.”

“Yeah, I got that!” Nikita shouted into her com as she fought off the agents. Hurriedly, Michael left where he had been perched to tap into the safehouse’s grid to help her. Together they battled the agents and dwindled their numbers. While they were distracted, however, their target slipped away. By the time Nikita noticed, he was already outside. If he got into a car, it’d be too late; he’d continue to help Division get away with murder, “Ramon’s getting away.”

“I’ll keep them busy. Go,” Michael suggested that he and Nikita split up. He could hold his own against the Division agents. He had seen the layout of the safehouse when he had tapped into the grid. If things became too much, he knew where to run and hide. Also, Nikita had always been faster than him. She had a better chance of catching up to and stopping Ramon. She nodded to Michael’s suggestion, and- with a look that said ‘be careful or else’ she took off. He moved further into the room to cover for her.

“They’re sending in reinforcements. You better make a move, Mikey. Can you get out of there?” After several minutes of intense shooting and not much progress on the rogues’ part, Birkhoff warned. Michael didn’t move until he had confirmation that Nikita was out of the house and on Ramon’s trail. Then, he moved to a safe room he had seen on the schematics. Once he did, though, things went quiet for Birkhoff. All of a sudden, he couldn’t hear or see anything going on inside the safehouse or surrounding area. He slammed on a few keys, yet nothing happened, “Whoa. Mikey, are you there?”

“Birkhoff, I locked myself in the safe room,” Michael reported on the coms. He knew he had backed himself into a corner, but he was in a Division safe room. If anyone knew how to break out of there, it would’ve been Birkhoff. However, just as Michael shared the information, his com stopped working. He couldn’t hear Birkhoff or Nikita. That couldn’t have been because of the safe room. The new tech they had acquired should’ve worked no matter the circumstance. Yet all Michael heard was static, “Birkhoff!”

Over the roar of the motorcycle, Nikita didn’t notice that anything was wrong with the coms. When she had exited the safehouse, she had seen Ramon get into a jeep and drive away. She had then immediately hopped onto a motorcycle and chased after him. It wasn’t until they reached a narrow path in the woods that she caught up to him. The jeep he was driving wasn’t as easily maneuverable as her bike. Nikita deftly moved around Ramon and caused him to crash. She didn’t check to see if he was okay. She simply dragged him out of the driver’s seat and reported her victory over the coms, “Michael, I got him. I got Ramon.”

“Then we’re even because I have Michael,” Amanda replied through the coms. Nikita froze at the sound of her voice. How was it possible that she was hearing her. Of course Division knew the rogues were there, but how had Amanda taken over the frequency. And what did she say about Michael- what did she mean that she had him, “I own the mountain, Nikita. We’ve dropped a jamming field on the area. You can no longer communicate with Michael. He’s trapped in the safe room, and four Division agents are waiting outside.”

Ramon glanced at Nikita curiously, wondering what the hold up was. She didn’t explain anything to him. Sitting helplessly on the ground, battered from the wreck and missing his wheelchair, he was of no danger to her. She could completely ignore him as she dealt with Amanda. There had to have been a reason that she dropped a jamming field onto the rogues. Numerous armed agents had been enough to stop them. Hacking into their coms was overkill, unless the plan wasn’t just to stop them, “Let me guess: you want to trade Ramon for Michael.”

“I could demand you trade yourself. I know you’d do that for Michael, but things are different now; real change has come to Division. Maybe it’s because a woman’s in charge,” Amanda sounded like she was gloating as she avoided directly answering Nikita’s assumption. The rogue did her best not to roll her eyes. Then was not the time to get distracted by her annoyances. She had to stay focused and start formulating a new plan.

“Oh, yeah? Smells the same from here. Sounds the same too. If this jamming field of yours is so good, why the hell do I have to listen to this shit?” Nikita knew that bravado and anger would cover her fear. She couldn’t let Amanda know that she had gotten to her. Though, the rogue suspected that the bitch already did know that. She had always known what to say and do to rile Nikita up and get her to do what she wanted. Nikita tried to fight back, yet she often failed. That time had to be different, though. Nikita had to fight against the bitch, save Michael, and complete her mission without giving in.

“You’re out of range for a reason. Don’t you want to know why?” Amanda didn’t respond to Nikita’s quip. She didn’t actually expect her to. It would’ve been a complete shock if she had said anything in reply to the bitter words. Instead, she pushed her own agenda, as she always did. Nikita should’ve taken it more seriously than she did. However, just as Amanda knew everything about her, Nikita knew all about her. She could guess what the new head of Division wanted, and she didn’t want to play that game.

“I know why. You need me to give you Ramon, so you can take credit for killing Kochenko. I also know he sent the video already. Of course, if the media were to see it before the hit, that'd mess up your plans, wouldn’t it?” Pulling out her phone, Nikita decided to run with an idea she just had. If she was out of the jamming field, then she could send a video to her hacker who was also out of the field. Division didn’t have everything in their control. The rogues still had some moves left, “Birkhoff just got the file. One word from me, this goes wide. They pull Kochenko, and you have to call off the hit.”

“You’d risk Michael’s life for that?” Continuing to not respond directly to what Nikita had said, Amanda taunted. Nikita did her best not to immediately respond to it. She could bite back in anger and fear, but then she would lose the little control she had just managed to gain. She couldn’t keep letting Amanda get under her skin. She was better than that. And she had more faith in Michael than do believe he would die so easily.

“Michael will be fine until I get up there and break him out,” Nikita told herself more than she told Amanda. Michael was an extremely capable agent; he was better trained than Nikita, and he had been rogue for far longer. If anyone could hold off four agents, it’d be him. Nothing would happen to him while Nikita was away. He’d fight, he’d stay alive, and they’d be reunited soon. That was how it always went for the couple. Nothing could beat them or tear them apart, not even Amanda and the full force of Division.

Nikita could’ve sworn she heard Amanda smirk. There was a brief pause before the bitch responded that set the rogue on edge. An uneasy feeling in her gut warned her that the situation was worse than she had been led to believe. She tried to ignore it. But after another second of torture, Amanda confirmed Nikita’s fear, “Maybe I wasn’t clear before. When I said I had Michael, I meant it. Right now, a predator drone is circling the compound. It’s equipped with two AGM Hellfire Missiles. If you attempt to save Michael, if you do anything other than what I demand, I will vaporize the house. I understand how you think making war against us is a noble fight, but this particular battle is over now.”

There was a ringing in Nikita’s ears that she knew didn’t come from the com. Her heart stopped. Her head swam. And she thought for a second that she was going to collapse. It was a miracle that she managed to stand upright. The only thought on her mind was the image of a missile striking Michael while he was trapped in a safe room. Even with all her skills, Nikita couldn’t stop a missile. And even with all Michael’s abilities, he couldn’t survive the strike. The only way Nikita could save Michael was if she played along with Amanda. She didn’t hesitate to take the deal, “How do we make the trade?”

“There’s no trade. You’re going to kill Ramon. Even after my mission succeeds, I can’t have the world knowing he was employed by the government. Kill Ramon, send me the proof. I’ll set Michael free,” Amanda clarified to a captivated audience. Nikita didn’t even think about denying the offer. Her only concern was Michael. She couldn’t let him die- she couldn’t lose him. That fear gripped her tightly, causing her to ask if Amanda would kill him anyway. The bitch seemed to laugh as she answered, “You’ll just have to trust me. You have a gun to Ramon’s head, I have one to Michael’s. All you have to do is pull the trigger and everyone wins.”

Chapter Text

“Alex, you need to hold,” Amanda’s command came through the com just as Alex got into her position. She was tempted to ignore it completely. She could pretend that she had never heard a word, and she could take the shot that she had lined up perfectly. She was so close to finally making progress in her war against Semak and in rescuing her mother. No more planning and grasping at the straws Division and Oversight handed out to her; Alex was getting exactly what she wanted exactly then.

“I’ve got the shot,” Alex decided to respond. With Division’s tech, pretending that she didn’t hear a word would be impossible; she’d be caught in the lie immediately. It was better to reply that she was going to do her own thing rather than ignore Amanda. After all, it was her mission. She had been given control to do as she pleased. She didn’t have to take Amanda’s orders. Alex had her shot, and she wasn’t going to miss.

“Hold, that’s an order. Our cover may be compromised. Without Ramon, there will be too many questions. We’re selling the world a story, Alex. If they don’t believe it, it could expose us, and you. Wait for my signal to proceed,” Amanda continued to interrupt Alex’s plans. A part of her wished she had never responded. She had managed to sneak past security and had settled into the spot that Sean Pierce had suggested. Everything was perfect. Whatever was going on with Ramon couldn’t ruin that. He was Amanda’s mess, after all. Alex had her own priorities; she didn’t need to listen, “Alex, do you copy?”

Alex’s finger itched on the trigger. She was so close. Kochenko would be dead with one simple twitch of her finger, and her path to Semak and her mother would be clearer. That was, of course, if she had a cover story. If Ramon took the blame for the assassination, then Alex could remain in the shadows. Semak not knowing that she was alive and coming after him was her greatest advantage. She couldn’t lose that. Who knew what would happen to her mother if she did. As much as she hated listening to Amanda, Alex had to stand down. She didn’t have the shot she needed, “Copy that.”

“Any luck on the jamming field?” Nikita asked Birkhoff. As soon as she realized she could still talk to her hacker, Nikita pushed for a third option. Amanda’s ultimatum couldn’t be her only course of action. There had to be another way she could save Michael. Killing Ramon- a life for a life- wasn’t how things had to be done. There was always something else she could do- always a way to save the day without doing what Division wanted.

“I can’t crack it. I think Division finally recruited somebody with half a brain,” Birkhoff huffed after one too many failed attempts to break through Division’s jamming field. He didn’t doubt that Sonya was the hacker behind the jamming field. Since he had left Division, she had been the only hacker that had actually given him a run for his money. She hadn’t beaten him completely yet, and then wouldn’t be that day. But he was struggling a lot more, and he wasn’t sure if he could get the jamming field down in time to save Michael.

Nikita ignored Ramon as she paced back and forth, trying desperately to think of a solution. She refused to kill for Division again. She would never stoop back down to that level. No situation could be desperate enough for that. Although the jamming field couldn’t be cracked, it didn’t mean the rogues lost all hope. There were still other avenues they could explore. They still had a million tricks left up their sleeve, “What about the predator?”

“No dice. I tried hacking that too. And you guys are too far away for me to send mine. I’m sorry,” Hopelessly slamming on keys, Birkhoff apologized. The predator drone was too advanced for him to hack in such a short amount of time. And even if he wanted to knock Division’s drone out with his own, the drones he had managed to acquire were too far away to make it. Amanda had the rogues backed into a corner. Maybe they could come up with another plan. But with Amanda’s finger on the trigger, they weren’t allotted much time to figure one out.

“Forget it. I just need to talk to Michael,” Nikita shouted into her phone. Who cared about being able to out-hack Division. As long as Nikita could lead Michael out of the house so that the missile didn’t kill him, then it’d be okay. Amanda couldn’t hurt him if he left the danger zone. He’d be back by Nikita’s side, and they’d continue to have a shot at a happily ever after.

“Right now, he’s trying to break out of that safe room. If I call him, he’ll speed things up. He’s the only leverage Amanda has. Every Division safe room has a black line, a dedicated landline running to the outside. I bet both my Xbox thumbs Ramon knows the number,” Remembering the information, Birkhoff tried to see if he could find a way to retrieve the number to the black line. He wouldn’t be able to hack it. Yet he was positive that there were some roundabout ways he could contact Michael. Fortunately, if he wasn’t able to do so in time, then Nikita could get Ramon to give her the number. All hope wasn’t lost yet.

“Let me call you back,” Shoving her phone in her pocket, Nikita narrowed her gaze on Ramon. He hadn’t moved since she had left him sitting next to the crashed vehicle. It was almost as though he had accepted the fact that he was a dead man. For half a second, Nikita thought about capitalizing off of that; she could kill him without a fight. Except, she was better than that. She wouldn’t be what Division had made her. She could do things her own way, “Ramon, your safe room has a black line. Give me the number.”

Ramon simply stared at Nikita blankly. He was resigned to his death sentence, and nothing could change that. There was no third option for him., so why even bother fighting, “Why would I do that?”

“Why wouldn’t you? Amanda just negotiated you away. She wants you dead. Division’s cutting their losses. They did this to you. They put you in this chair. It’s time to pay them back,” Rather than torture the information out of Ramon like the dark thoughts in the back of her mind wanted her to, Nikita tried appealing to his anger. The assassin she had met in Paris had had a fire that couldn’t have been diminished. With the right spark, she was certain that she could ignite it again. He wasn’t Division’s to control anymore. He could be his own man.

“They didn’t do this to me. You did. Six years ago, I deserved a warrior’s death. Instead, you gave me pity,” Ramon argued. Division wasn’t everybody’s enemy. Sure, it was a hellhole. But it wasn’t the root of all evil. Others had blame to shoulder as well. After all, the war wasn’t as simple as villains, rogues, and innocents. The lines blurred between who was who constantly.

“I saved your life,” Nearing Ramon, Nikita snapped. She had had no idea that Percy would paralyze Ramon and turn him into a puppet. She hadn’t been exactly sure what would’ve happened to the assassin when she had brought him in instead of killing him. If she had thought about her actions for more than a few moments, then maybe she would’ve been able to more effectively save Ramon. But at the time, she had believed what she had done was right. She hadn’t killed for Division; she had fought her orders; and she learned how defiant she could be- all lessons she had applied to even worse missions.

“You sent me to hell. So please, no more favors. Just kill me,” Refusing to accept Nikita’s excuse, Ramon urged her to just end the fight. He had given up, so she should as well. He knew how much she wanted to save Michael, after all. She had an easy way of doing so. Except, she never reached for a weapon. Nikita simply looked at Roman, still waiting for the number to the black line. He was baffled by her decision. She had the chance to save her teammate, but she wouldn’t take it. He could only think of one explanation as to why, and it was completely laughable, “Oh, what? You don’t do that anymore?”

Nikita wouldn’t rise to Ramon’s bait and answer that question. They both knew that there were times when she still had to kill: one couldn’t fight a war without needing to take a few lives. However, she could explain to Ramon why she wouldn’t kill him then. It wasn’t exactly because she couldn’t or that she didn’t want to. It was because she wouldn’t follow orders, and because she knew to never trust Amanda, especially when someone she loved was on the line, “It won’t stop Amanda. If I do it, she’ll kill him anyway.”

“Well, that’s not my problem, is it?” Ramon huffed. Nikita struggled with the strong urge to beat him into a pulp and force the information she wanted out of him. She honestly should have. Yet she still had to prove that she was better than Division. Prove to whom exactly, she wasn’t quite sure. Maybe to herself or to Amanda. It certainly wasn’t to Ramon. Besides, he had his own ideas about who she might be wary of, “There is no God watching, if that’s what you’re worried about. Of course, if I’m wrong, I promise to put in a good word for you. We assassins should stick together.”

“You don’t want to die. You tried to run,” Nikita forced her voice to be calm as she accused Ramon. It was probably a good idea that she wasn’t torturing him: a man who believed he wanted to die would accept the pain and simply slip away rather than try to make it stop. She had to instead get him to believe that he wanted to live. He had run when she had attempted to capture him at the house. That alone showed that he wanted life. He couldn’t just give up now that there was a gun to his head. That was when he should’ve fought harder.

“That’s when I had a chance. Now you’ve destroyed any arrangement I made with Division,” Ramon reminded Nikita. With Division on his side, he could keep living. But since Nikita had ruined yet another thing for him, all that was left for him was death. If it wasn’t by the rogue’s hand, then it’d be by Amanda’s or another Division goon.

“And that’s a bad thing? Ramon, give me the number and let me talk to Michael, and I promise you, I’ll set you free,” Nikita didn’t care that she sounded desperate. She was. She needed Ramon’s help to save Michael, and she wasn’t above begging for it. But she didn’t believe it had come to that point yet. She could still reason with the assassin. With her help, he could be free of Division, not another victim. She could finally save him after six years; it wasn’t too late to complete her mission.

“So I can go on the run, like you? Slightly insensitive, don’t you think? You want to set me free? Set me free!” Ramon shouted. He thought that if he became angry, Nikita would react and shoot him. Yet she continued to not raise her weapon. She wasn’t that easy to sway. Just like him, once her mind was made up, that was the only path she’d follow.

Staring at Ramon as he sat immobile on the ground, Nikita began to truly study him. He kept claiming that his life had been destroyed after Paris six years ago. And considering where he was currently, that was possibly true. But there was more going on in his mind than the fact that Percy had paralyzed him. He was upset and frustrated about his fate, yet it wasn’t a fate that Percy or Nikita had forced him into. It was something he had accepted for himself and had never tried to escape, “This isn’t about that chair. The man that I met in Paris six years ago would have never joined Division. You are better than that.”

“And what about you, Nikita Mears?” Rather than allow himself to think about what Nikita was saying, Ramon turned the conversation on her. She was taken aback by the fact that he knew her full name, and he smirked. He could use her shock to take control, “Percy sent me your file. He thought I could help catch you. Takes one to know one.”

In all honesty, Nikita wasn’t surprised that Percy had given Ramon her file. It was possible that he and other high ranking Division agents and assets had the rogues’ files so they could help Percy catch them. In the spy game, sharing information was vital. What did have her shocked, however, was Ramon’s assertion that he knew Nikita. Just because he had read about her didn’t mean he could pry into her thoughts and feelings. Her Division file was nothing more than a pile of useless papers. She was so much more than that. She was always more than whatever Division said, “You don’t know me.”

“Poor little waif from Detroit. Never knew her birth parents. Traded from one foster home to the other. Ended up strung out on ketamine at Ms. Bennett’s halfway house. How does a scared little stray become so good at killing?” Ramon continued to smirk as he listed off the things he had read in Nikita’s file. He knew he was getting under her skin with each word he said. At some point, she was bound to snap. And when she did, she’d finally shoot him.

“I did what I had to do to survive,” Nikita muttered mostly to herself. She had nothing to explain to Ramon. He didn’t deserve to hear her motivations. But she still had to express them. Her own ears had to hear that all she had ever done was out of a need to survive. She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t a killing machine. She was just a person trying to live in a world others didn’t want her in, carving out a place while they continued to cast her aside.

“And now you’re going to punish them for turning you into a monster? How dare you take a war worth fighting on principle and turn it into payback,” Ramon kept pressing, kept riling Nikita up. He knew her anger, her passion, was her downfall; it had been written all over her file. She couldn’t control the harsh emotions, and she lashed out. Ramon simply had to get her angrier and angrier until she caved and did what he wanted. She’d feel terribly, but he didn’t care. As long as he was finally dead, what did it all matter.

“This is not about revenge,” Nikita said forcefully. She could admit that when she had started down the warpath, she had wanted revenge. But Michael, Birkhoff, and Alex had helped her see that there was more to the crusade than revenge. The others also had their moments when they wanted revenge more than anything else (Alex was currently having one of those moments). But with their teammates by their side, they could remember that the war was about more than just their own need for justice. There had to be justice and safety for all. Division needed to burn so the world could be saved. Then no one else would have to lose those they loved.

“Oh, no. This is so much bigger than you. You’re going to save the world,” Sarcastically, Ramon replied. As the rogues continued to fight Division, their motives became very clear. Revenge wasn’t enough anymore. They had to be heroes and save the world. Soon they would learn that there was no saving the world. Ramon had once tried to be a hero, and look where that had landed him. Saving innocents wasn’t worth the trouble. The rogues should just quit while they still had a chance to run.

“Like you, six years ago? That night in Paris, it was the first time I realized I had to do something. That I could do something. I’ve been fighting your war all this time. Freedom isn’t given; it’s taken. Right?” Throwing Ramon’s words back at him, Nikita kept trying to convince him to give her the black line number. His desire to fight corruption had spurred a similar fight in her. It might’ve taken her time to truly tap into it. But he had inspired her to save people- to not completely give in to Division. If Ramon had managed to do that six years ago, then he could do it again. He could keep being a hero. He could help her save Michael, and he could fight back.

Ramon turned his gaze away from Nikita. She had struck a chord that he did not want to delve into. Long ago, he had once believed that freedom was worth fighting for, but that desire had died the instant he was shot in the back. There was nothing left for him to be radicalized against. He was another man’s puppet and nothing more, “I was a different man.”

“I didn’t know what would happen to you when I let you live. I’m sorry. Give me the number, Ramon. Let’s end this,” Gently approaching Ramon, Nikita apologized. She had only wanted the man who had inspired her to fight to live. She didn’t want to condemn him to hell. But since he was there, she could help him escape it. She could help him become the man he once was, and together they could screw over Division and save Michael.

“You still… you still don’t understand. You thought you could save me. All you did was create another monster. Percy said I was the greatest assassin he’d ever seen until he met you,” Ramon stopped Nikita from coming any closer. His latest words cut her deeper than the callous way he had talked about her childhood. She didn’t want to be seen as a killer- as a monster. But that was what she was. He was too, after all. Anyone who Division touches automatically becomes one. There was no escaping it, “There is only one way to save Michael. Do what you were supposed to do six years ago. Finish the mission. Finish it, Nikita.”

She was tempted. Nikita was so very tempted to just shut Ramon up with a quick squeeze of the trigger. But she was resolute. Amanda couldn’t get what she wanted. Nikita could find another way to save Michael. And Ramon would live, “No.”

“Then you will lose him, and they will win. Finish the mission. Do it. You can’t beat them. You belong to them. They made you, Nikita. They’re the only family you ever had,” Ramon snapped, and, finally, so did Nikita. Rage swelled in her veins and she pointed her pistol at Ramon. All she had to do was pull the trigger, and the bullet would be lodged in his skull. She had her weaponed aimed for an instant death like any trained killer would. Ramon smiled, “Yes. You can reach inside you. Embrace it. Yes, do it. Finish the mission. Do it! Finish it!”

It would’ve been so easy to pull the trigger. One twitch and Ramon would be dead and Michael would be saved. Except, Nikita knew she couldn’t completely believe in Amanda’s deal. Also, she knew she wouldn’t be able to look Michael in the eye’s after what she was about to do. Even when no one else believed in her, he always did. Michael had always known that she wasn’t a monster; he had always known that she was better than what Division had made her. In fact she hadn’t believed those two things until he had convinced her. She had to prove him right. She needed to spare Ramon and find another way to save her love, “Finish it yourself.”

Nikita used the rest of her anger to toss her weapon next to Ramon and put her new plan into action. Both hacking and talking her way out of the situation had been a bust. That left action as her last resort. Birkhoff couldn’t help, and Ramon wouldn’t. So that meant Nikita had to save Michael on her own. She’d race back to him, pull him out of that safe room, and together they’d escape the missile. The specifics of her rushed plan were unclear besides the fact that she had to delay Amanda. She couldn’t know what was happening in Columbia. All her planning and surveillance had to fail her, “Time’s up, Nikita. We need proof of death.”

“It’s coming,” Nikita sent the empty file to Amanda, then repocketed her phone. That should buy her a few minutes to race back to the house. From there, she still wasn’t exactly sure how she’d free Michael. However, she was still going to try. That was all that mattered. She was never going to stop fighting, especially for the ones she loved.

Ramon didn’t reach for the weapon near him. He stared at it, contemplated it, but then his attention was stolen by Nikita. After she had responded to Amanda on the coms, she moved away from him. He hadn’t given her what she needed, so she was ready to move down a different path. Although he watched her carefully, Ramon couldn’t determine what that path was. Her plans had failed, so what else was she going to do. What else was there for her to do to save Michael, “Where are you going?”

“To get Michael,” Nikita replied simply. She shoved the motorcycle helmet back on her head and moved to right the cast aside bike. Her mind had been made up long ago that she would do anything to save Michael. If that meant that she had to risk her one life to do so, then she’d still do it. She couldn’t lose him, no matter what that cost her.

“They’ll see you coming. You can’t save him. You’ll die,” Ramon didn’t know why he tried to warn Nikita. What did he care if both Nikita and Michael died. After all, Nikita didn’t seem to care. Regardless of the threat of a fiery, gruesome death she was still going to race into danger for Michael. She would never give up in trying to save him. If he died, so did she.

“I’m dead without him.”

Chapter Text

“The window is closing. I need to take the shot,” Alex frustratedly muttered into her com. Kochenko was almost done with his speech. He had spent several minutes bragging about the wealth and prosperity of Zetrov under Sergei Semak’s leadership and how expansion into North America was a benefit for all (though, mostly for Semak’s greed). Each new word out of his creepy, egotistical mouth filled Alex with a deep, visceral venomous rage. The only thing holding her back from filling him with lead that very moment was the promise of having a cover story. She needed to stay hidden in order to keep hunting Semak. Her plans hinged on that fact.

“Negative. I don’t have confirmation,” Amanda warned in reply. Through her coms, Alex could faintly hear a commotion occurring inside Division. It didn’t sound as though everything was running smoothly. Although Amanda had enough control of her emotions to act like everything was alright as she spoke to Alex, the young agent could see right through her. Division had run into a huge problem, and now it was Alex’s problem.

“What’s wrong?” Barely restraining herself from holding down the trigger, Alex demanded to know. She had thought that Amanda had Ramon under control. She had been assured that he was a reliable asset. The only thing Alex was supposed to have worried about was sneaking in and out of the press conference. So what the hell was the hold up. It wasn’t as though Ramon suddenly grew a conscience; Kochenko was not the kind of person to be concerned about killing. No, something else was wrong. Something that had to do with Division.

“We’re working on it,” Amanda assured. Though, she didn’t sound as positive as she was attempting to be. Alex didn’t have to think hard about what exactly Amanda was concerned about. Ramon wasn’t the issue. Division could control the asset and get their cover story- Alex had been told that the fake video confession had already been filmed, after all. The problem they were facing was external. And annoying. And oh-so-righteous.

“It’s the rogues, isn’t it?” Alex groaned. Of course all of her plans were being ruined by the rogues. She doubted that they knew they were getting in the way of her revenge mission. They had always wanted to help her kill Semak- just as long as she was away from Division. They wouldn’t intentionally ruin her chance to finally make progress on her revenge mission. It was more likely that Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff were doing something they deemed righteous, and that was why Division had lost its cover story. Whatever they believed was right and for the best was what happened. No one else and nothing else mattered.

None of the rogues, specifically Nikita, thought about the consequences of their actions and how much they could affect others, specifically Alex. Once again, Alex’s mission was put on the back burner for the rogues’. She never got to be the priority.

Michael knew he was trapped in the safe room and was facing death. The insta nt he couldn’t contact Nikita and Birkhoff anymore, the instant he knew his time was limited. He had to find a way out of the room and through the Division agents on the other side of the room. Taking stock of the items filling the safe room, he discovered that he could create a makeshift explosion. The charge could blow the automatically locked door off the hinges, and it would stun the agents on the other side. He could free himself. Hopefully before his time was up.

Unable to hear anything through his coms, Michael had absolutely no idea what was happening outside the room. It had to have been some kind of trouble. However, unable to do anything about it while locked in the room, Michael refused to allow himself to dwell on it. If he thought about it for too long, he was going to worry so much he wouldn’t be able to think clearly. And with a makeshift explosive in his hand, he had to be able to think. He couldn’t anxiously ponder what could be happening to Nikita at that moment. He needed to free himself from the locked room so he could be by her side and help her.

He had just planted the charge on the door, and he was just about to detonate it (all while praying that he didn’t injure himself in the process) when he heard a phone ring. Michael was confused for a moment. Then, he remembered that all Division safe rooms came with a black line. Birkhoff or Nikita must’ve figured out the number and managed to call him. Hurriedly, Michael searched for the telephone. It didn’t take him long to find it underneath a loose floorboard. He answered it frantically, desperate to know what was happening and if Nikita was alright, “Nikita?”

“No. But she’s coming to save you. I, for one, don’t think she can make it. But you can. There is a panel next to the phone. It opens an underground passage,” Ramon’s voice came through the line. Once again, Michael was confused. Why would their target be helping him. Was it a trick. Didi Division have Nikita and now they were luring out Michael. Why should he believe a single word that Ramon said.

And where the hell was Nikita.

Before Michael could ask anything, Ramon hung up. Michael called out to him, yet all he heard was a dial tone. He didn’t waste any more time with his questions after that. It would’ve been pointless. Besides, there was a slight chance that Ramon was telling the truth. If so, then Michael could finally be free of the room and back by Nikita’s side. He quickly found the escape hatch Ramon had mentioned and threw it open. He didn’t see any nasty surprises waiting for him. Yet he still didn’t chance it. Michael grabbed his gun, held it in front of him, and descended down into the tunnel that hopefully led out of the compound and to Nikita.

Nikita had made it. She had managed to race to the compound before the drone had fired its missile. She assumed that the Division agents that had been inside had been cleared out by Amanda, which meant that nothing stood in between her and Michael. She could sprint inside, pull him out of the safe room, and find someplace to duck and cover before the missile was deployed. She and Michael would make it out of the situation alive. She was sure of it. Amanda and her scheming couldn’t best them then.

Except, just as Nikita hopped off the motorcycle, the world around her exploded.

She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. Nikita had been blown back by the blast, and everything seemed to go black for a moment. By the time she was able to open her eyes, she was surrounded by smoke, fire, and debris. The motorcycle helmet felt like it was choking her, so she finally threw it off of her head. However, her movements were slow and shaky. She couldn’t quite get command of her muscles. Standing took even more effort. She had to struggle to her feet and force herself to move.

The Division compound was completely obliterated. Absolutely nothing was left standing after the missile had been done with it. All that was left was smoke, fire, and debris. Even the grass, trees, and wildlife around the compound was destroyed. No structure- no life- could survive in the aftermath. The missile and flames consumed them all.

And Michael had still been inside.

“Michael?” Nikita stared at the flames in horror. A small part of her tried to argue that Michael could still be alive. If she just moved through the smoke towards the house, she’d see him standing in the flames completely unscathed. He’d be alive; he’d be safe. And he’d take her to Barbados and hold her tightly throughout the night.

As much as she wanted to prove that thought correct, Nikita couldn’t make herself move. She couldn’t approach the flames to see if Michael was still there. Because what if he wasn’t. What if Michael really was gone. What if that small part of her that wanted to argue was wrong. If Nikita walked into the wrecked compound, all she was going to find was Michael’s remains. He wouldn’t be okay. No one could’ve been okay after that blast. Walking towards the flames would’ve only confirmed what she already knew. He was gone.

Michael was dead.

“Michael?” His name choked out of her on a barely concealed sob. No. No, he couldn’t be dead. Michael did not survive years as a rogue only to be blown up because of her mistakes. Her terrible choices had gotten him locked into that room and used as Amanda’s pawn. He never would’ve been in danger if it hadn’t been for her. If Nikita had killed Ramon, if she had followed orders, if she had simply listened to others, Michael would’ve still been alive. He would’ve continued to fight for justice and do what was right. He would’ve been smiling at her and whisking her away to Barbados. He would’ve been alive.

But Michael was dead.

Her actions had killed him.

“Michael?” It was a miracle that Nikita didn’t collapse to her knees. How was she even still standing. Michael was dead. Which meant so was she. Her entire heart had been in the compound- her entire soul. What was she to do without it. What was she supposed to do now that the love of her life was dead because of her. She couldn’t go back to the crusade. How could she keep fighting if there was a possibility that she could get more of her loved ones killed, like Birkhoff. How was she supposed to keep fighting if she knew that Division would still wind. And how was she supposed to keep fighting when there was no end to fight for- not without him.

Nikita could not move on without Michael. She didn’t even think she could try.

Why even bother when he was dead.

Continuing to stare helplessly into the flames, Nikita didn’t know what she was supposed to do. She couldn’t leave the wreckage; she couldn’t leave Michael. But she also couldn’t stay. Division would eventually find her and kill her. Though, that thought didn’t sound too horrific. Her heart and soul were already dead. So why couldn’t Division come and finally shoot her. The pain from a bullet would be a welcome relief to the pain in her chest.

Before Nikita could completely give up and collapse on her knees, however, she heard what sounded like a door opening behind her. Curiously, she turned to see what it was. Through the smoke, she couldn’t make out anything at first. Then, she noticed disheveled dark hair. Then, she noticed strong shoulders and sturdy muscles. Then, she noticed him, walking towards her with long strides and sure steps.

It was him.

It was Michael.

He was alive.

“Michael…”

She didn’t waste any time crossing to her love. Nikita sprinted towards Michael, and he easily caught her in his arms. He held her as tightly as he could, securing her legs around his waist and running a soothing hand along her spine. She clung to him fiercely, nails biting his scalp and shoulders; and she sobbed into the crook of his neck, so grateful that he was alive. He did his best to calm her with caresses and kisses, yet it wasn’t enough. Nothing would ever truly be enough for a long time. Michael knew and understood. So he simply continued to hold Nikita until her sobs quieted.

“Ramon called. He said, ‘you’re welcome’,” When Michael believed Nikita was ready to listen to anything, he softly explained how he had gotten out of the house. Even in the underground tunnel, he had been rocked by the explosion; he had been blinded by dirt and debris, and he had lost his gun in the shock waves. But once he had managed to right himself and shake off the shock, he hurriedly stumbled through the rest of the tunnel until he found the hatch. He had thanked God- or whoever else was up there- that the hatch was near Nikita. He had instantly seen that she was okay. And he could instantly let her know that he was alive.

Although Nikita couldn’t stop crying, she managed to hug Michael tighter and place several kisses on his neck and cheek. He kissed her in return, using warm, tender, loving touch to let her know how alive he truly was. He could spend forever doing just that. And once the two could walk away from the burning area, he’d take Nikita to Barbados and continue to express how alive he was by touching and kissing and holding her for as long as he could.

Unfortunately, Barbados would have to wait for a moment. There were still things to take care of in Colombia. Namely, Division’s presence. Michael and Nikita had to escape it first before they could truly be safe. Amanda’s command in their coms was a reminder that the couple continued to have to run from many things before they could find their peace, “Do we have anything? Someone give me a status report.”

“Yeah. You missed. How’s that?” Michael snapped. Since he was out of the safe room, he could hear everything on his coms again, specifically Division. He didn’t know how they had hijacked the frequency, what their schemes were, or why Ramon would turn on them at the last minute. But he didn’t really care to receive answers then. He was certain that Nikita and Birkhoff would explain everything to him eventually. At that moment, he just wanted to hold his love as tightly as possible and assure her without a shadow of a doubt that he was right there and he was never going anywhere.

“Looks like you’ll have to call off that Kochenko hit,” Nikita managed to taunt Amanda. Though, her focus wasn’t on Division. She didn’t care what those bastards did next. She just wanted Michael to keep holding her.

Their foreheads brushed against each other, and green eyes bore into brown. Michael and Nikita stared at one another for as long as possible, never letting go. Nothing could separate them- not a missile, not Division, not Oversight. They were determined to be together forever. The war would eventually end, but they wouldn’t. They couldn’t.

Anton Kochenko’s speech was coming to an end. Soon, he would be off the stage, and Alex would lose her chance to kill him and be one step closer to killing Semak. Her finger was getting restless on the trigger. She needed the green light now, or else it would be too late. However, she never got her go-ahead. The next thing she heard from Division was Amanda advising her to stop, “Alex, abort. Ramon has been exposed. They’re broadcasting the video on the news right now.”

“So the rogues won, huh?” Alex wasn’t surprised. Once Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff had their minds set on something, they achieved it. It had been wishful thinking on Division’s part to believe they could beat the three. Of course they got to accomplish their righteous task and bask in the glory of yet another victory while Alex had to deal with their consequences. It wasn’t fair. She was supposed to be getting what she wanted then, not continuing to run and hide. What good was Division and Oversight if she was in the same position she had always been in. Nothing would change unless she made it change.

“Alex, pull back. It’s too dangerous. You won’t have a clean exit,” Sean Pierce warned. Yet Alex didn’t care to listen. Although a cover story would keep her hidden and would help her eventually rescue her mother, she wasn’t losing her shot. She had spent years in hell waiting for that moment; nothing could ruin it for her. Division would simply have to come up with another story to spin for her. She was done waiting and only reacting. It was her time to take action. She had her shot lined up, and for once she wasn’t going to waste it. No one, especially Sean Pierce, could stop her, “Alex…”

Sean’s attempts to rein Alex in were useless. It was too late. She pulled the trigger in one easy exhale of breath. And Kochenko was dead before he could utter his final word.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long after Amanda’s plan was ruined that Division dropped the jamming field. The rogues’ coms were finally free of the black ops group, and they could communicate openly with one another again. Nikita didn’t take the chance to immediately reach out to Birkhoff and confirm everything was alright, however. Instead, she reached into hers and Michael’s ears, ripped out their coms, and smashed them under her boot. She didn’t care that Birkhoff had worked hard on getting those coms for them- he could get new ones, better ones, ones that Division couldn’t intercept. She only wanted to be completely free of Amanda, “Fuck that bitch.”

“Come on, we need to get out of here,” Placing one more kiss to Nikita’s crown, Michael softly suggested. As much as he wanted to learn about everything he had missed while he had been trapped in the safe room, he could wait until they were out of the field. The two seriously needed to get out of Columbia. Not only was it not safe to remain near all that smoke and fire, but also, the explosion Amanda had caused was bound to alert the authorities. If Michael and Nikita wanted to keep breathing and being in each other’s arms- which they undoubtedly did- then they had to leave immediately.

Although Nikita nodded in agreement, she didn’t move. She didn’t believe she could just yet. Her body simply needed to remain as close to Michael as possible. While they hiked back through the forest to where their getaway vehicle was that’d take them back to Birkhoff’s jet, it was possible that they could be close. However, it wouldn’t be the same. She wouldn’t be able to feel his heartbeat pounding against her chest, she wouldn’t be able to feel his breath on her neck, and she wouldn’t be able to look deeply into his eyes. She needed a few more moments of that- of him- before she could even think about turning away from Michael.

In all honesty, Michael couldn’t move from Nikita just yet either. His fear of not knowing what was happening to her while he was in the safe room had had him in the chokehold. Seeing her alive and well- at least, physically well- was a huge relief. He couldn’t let go of her until the remaining anxiety eased from his heart. Hopefully, it would be soon. Though, after the shock and horror they had just experienced, it might take days to actually recover. At least the two would be together through it all.

Who knew how long Michael and Nikita remained standing in the smoldering debris of the missile attack. They simply continued to hold one another tightly, feeling each other’s steady heartbeat and intake breath. Until the burner phone in Nikita’s pocket rang. She had forgotten it was there. Perplexed, she pulled it out and studied the caller ID. For a brief moment, she feared that it was Amanda calling. But, thankfully, it was only Birkhoff. The instant his call was answered, he sighed in relief, “Mikey… Thank God you’re alive, man.”

“We can actually thank Ramon for that,” Michael aimed for a bit of humor, wanting to lighten tensions and prove that things really would be alright. Yet his attempts fell flat. Birkhoff fell silent over the phone, and Nikita looked at her boyfriend with fresh tears in her eyes. Michael had seriously underestimated just how much he had missed once Division had interfered. Something must have occurred between Nikita and Ramon that had led to his escape. He wanted to hear all about it. However, it wasn’t his girlfriend that told him; it was Birkhoff.

“Something you said must’ve gotten through to him, Nikki,” Birkhoff praised Nikita; though, there was a hint of confusion in his voice. He also wasn’t entirely sure what had happened between the rogue and their target. Indeed, he hadn’t even known that Ramon had called Michael until after the explosion. There were some serious gaps in the team of rogues’ knowledge that needed to be filled. Preferably, they filled each other in before they moved on to better things. They should expunge the incident from their minds completely and immediately. It was the best way to move forward; it wouldn’t drag them down as they fought for peace.

Nikita was well aware that Michael and Birkhoff wanted a full explanation of what had happened between her and Ramon. However, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything about it. She couldn’t talk about what was said, especially what he had said to her. She couldn’t admit to what she had almost done. And she couldn’t re-examine those thoughts that she had had. The only thing that truly mattered was that Ramon had decided to go against Division and save Michael. The rogue was safe and the assassin was free, “He was probably just serving himself. He saved us, and we’ll let him go. He’s free of Division and Interpol.”

Michael fought the urge to press Nikita for more. The fact that she had pulled away from him when she had replied had been enough to let him know that she was not in the right place to talk about what had happened. She might be eventually, but it certainly wasn’t then. So, Michael changed the subject. He took his girlfriend’s hand in his, squeezed it reassuringly, and finally led them away from the burning house. She stayed close by his side, and even seemed to gravitate closer as he said, “Birkhoff, just work on getting us home.”

“You want a layover in Barbados?” Recalling what he had overheard the couple say over the coms (the two seriously needed to learn how to turn them off before they had a personal conversation), Birkhoff offered. Besides leaving Columbia, there was no pressing issue for the rogues to attend to. It was possible that they could take some time off from their war, relax and recuperate after the hell they had just gone through. They deserved to take a break, at least. Facing the loss of a loved one put a serious strain on their emotions and mental well-being.

Whereas Michael continued to be all for an island paradise vacation with his girlfriend- they deserved one more then than after his undercover kiss- he glanced at her to see what she was thinking. Unfortunately, her thoughts were obscured from him at the moment. All he could see were the tears in her eyes, and all he could feel was the desperate way she needed to be near him. Considering the situation, he couldn’t blame her for any of that. He simply kept his grip on her hand as tight as possible, and he gave her the space to come up with her own response, “Just get us as far away from Division as possible.”

Despite the fact that he complained otherwise, there were some benefits to staying in the same safehouse as Michael and Nikita; Birkhoff knew the two incredibly well. And even when they weren’t in the mood to talk, he knew what was on their minds. After a few minutes, he had exactly what the couple needed, “I’ve got you two days in Barbados, completely isolated on your own private beach. If you guys don’t take it, I might. Depending on how you react to a near death experience, I might need to stay far away from any room you might be in.”

“We’ll take it. And you should get away too. It’s about time we take a break,” Instantly, Michael replied. It didn’t necessarily have to be on a beach in Barbados, but the couple did need a few days completely separated from their war and completely alone. Michael knew that he wouldn’t be able to leave Nikita’s side for a long time, and the feeling had to be the same for her. The two needed some time to reassure themselves that the war had not torn them apart. They were both still standing and still breathing. Which meant that they could continue to love each other and fight for their peaceful happily ever after together.

“With how much damage we’ve just leveled at Division, I think we can actually take a break,” Birkhoff smirked, finally feeling the triumph after that mission. Division would have to lay low for a few days to recover from the loss of Ramon and how that had impacted their hit on Kochenko (whoever that was), which meant that the rogues could lay low too. There would be no guns, no explosions, no near-deaths for at least a couple of days. That was the best award that the rogues could’ve ever received.

Alex had feared that the chaos created once she shot Kochenko would’ve made it difficult to escape. Fortunately, she had been wrong. She had been able to slip through the crowd easily and make it back to her transport. She was back in Division in no time. Although there was no one to take the blame for the assassination, no blame fell on her for Kochenko’s death. She had kept her anonymity, which meant she could stay on her revenge mission. The rogues’ asinine interference hadn’t ruined anything for her. Alex finally had a victory on her path to revenge. Or so she believed before she ran into Sean Peirce in the hallway, “Are you fucking stupid?”

Blinking, Alex regarded Sean Pierce in absolute confusion. She had thought that she would be reprimanded by Amanda or Oversight the second she returned to Division. However, she didn’t expect Sean Pierce to be the one to yell at her. She also hadn’t expected anyone to call her stupid for eliminating her target. She was so taken aback by his choice of words, that it took her a second to respond. A part of her wanted to start screaming at him in return. But she knew she had to be better than that. Alex wouldn’t stoop to Sean’s level, “Excuse me?”

“I said: ‘are you fucking stupid?’ Because only a stupid person would be so stubborn, so reckless, so pig fucking headed as to paint a giant fucking target on their back,” Sean snapped at Alexandra. Of all the reckless things he had seen her do, he had never believed that she would willingly make herself a target. Yes, she was fiercely determined to get revenge for her family. But he had never thought that she’d try to get herself killed in the process. She had seemed so much smarter than that. Unfortunately, Sean’s assumptions about her continued to be wrong.

It took everything in Alex’s power to not punch Sean in the face. Where in the fuck did he get off talking to her that way. Not that long ago, he had helped her plan her assassination. Now, he was pissed at her for actually going through with it. Could he not make up his mind with what he wanted from her or Division or Oversight. He couldn’t keep flipping between being an asshole and being helpful. He had to pick one annoying thing to do. Preferably, Sean would decide to stay away from Alex. There was a chance that she could force him to do so by sticking to her decisions and never wavering, “I did what I had to do.”

“No, you did what you wanted to do. What you needed to do was stand down and wait. You had no cover, no clear exit. There’s no one to blame for your stupid decision, and now they’re going to come after you,” Sean continued to ream Alexandra out for her decision to kill Kochenko even after Ramon had been burned. If she had only waited, then they could’ve found another cover story for her. She could’ve gotten another chance at Kochenko, and that one would’ve been safer. Instead, she didn’t think. And now, Gogol, Zetrov’s security force, was going to hunt her down for their own revenge.

“Stupid? I killed Semak’s right hand man. I’m finally one step closer to actually killing him. I can finally get justice for my family. Something Oversight has promised me for over a year, but I had to do everything on my own,” Alex didn’t care that she was screaming in the middle of a Division hallway. Her rage had been simmering since she had first been told to stand down. It was now boiling over, forcing her to explode. Sean was the best target for her outburst. After all, he had no fucking idea what he was talking about. Also, he had been on her for weeks, and she had grown so sick of it, she wanted to shoot him too.

“Right, where you then got involved with rogue agents and became a traitor. Great going,” Sean scoffed. He wouldn’t pretend to know the exact details of the dealings between Alexandra and Oversight- he didn’t need to know that information to complete his mission. However, he did know that in not trusting Oversight, Alexandra had made numerous mistakes. Killing Kochenko without a cover story was the latest harmful rash decision. If she didn’t stop, everything she was hoping for would be destroyed. Then, no one would get their happy ending.

“I’m not American! How can I be a traitor?” Fed up with the accusation, Alex shouted. Why was everyone she talked to obsessed with serving their country or whatever the fuck. Oversight, Division, Sean fucking Peirce, they were all intently focused on protecting the United States from the rogues and numerous other perceived threats. And they all wanted Alex to side with them on that mission. Except, she wasn’t American. She didn’t give two shits about the country; it had never given two shits about her. All she wanted was revenge and her mother. That shouldn’t have been so hard to ask for, but apparently it was.

“A traitor to Division and Oversight,” Sean corrected. Yet as soon as he did, Alexandra burst into laughter. It wasn’t the light, melodic sound that Sean had heard before. No, her laughter was bitter and cruel. Maybe he deserved that reaction. After all, what did Alexandra truly owe to the black ops group that had killed her family. He honestly shouldn’t be so hung up on the fact that she had betrayed Division. But then again, they had been the ones to save her. They had given her a second chance at life. If that couldn’t make her loyal, then how could she ever be trusted, “You’re gonna laugh at the people who gave you a second chance at life?”

Alex continued to laugh. That was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Division and Oversight had ruined her life; the so-called new one they had given her paled in comparison. She would never thank them for all they had done for her; if anything, she’d tell them to fuck off and burn in hell. In fact, there had been numerous times she had done so in the past. The only thing holding her tongue then was the promise of saving her mother. But even that wasn’t enough to keep her completely loyal and compliant. After all, Division and Oversight had done absolutely nothing to actually help her.

Of course the idea of singing Oversight and Division praise was something to laugh at. Except, Alex soon realized that Sean was being serious. He really believed that she should be grateful. She stopped laughing immediately, “Oh. You’re serious? Division and Oversight haven’t given me shit. I had to take everything for myself. I keep upholding my end of the deal: I’m going after their rogue investment, Semak, and I’m going after their rogue agents. But what have I gotten in return: scant information and bullshit. Maybe if Oversight wasn’t being such cowards, I wouldn’t be so- what did you fucking call me- pig fucking headed.”

The way Alexandra talked about it, Sean thought that maybe he hadn’t been given the full information. He hadn’t been given information about the black box until Michael had stolen one, and he hadn’t known about P9 until Mars had returned. There was a chance that more information was being held from him. Though, even if it was, that had nothing to do with his argument with Alexandra. His possible lack of information didn’t change the fact that Alexandra was going to get herself killed unless she finally listened to him- to reason, “Oversight is looking out for your safety. That’s why they have been holding you back.”

“Right. My safety. That’s why you’re here: to make sure I live long enough to get Oversight what they want. But, incase you haven’t noticed, I don’t need your protection,” Rolling her eyes, Alex called bullshit on what Sean claimed Oversight really wanted. She didn’t know what exactly that group was up to, but she didn’t care. She just wanted her revenge. Alex began to move past Sean so she could continue down the path she was carving on her own. However, he grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her back. She didn’t stop herself from striking him that time, “Don’t you dare fucking touch me.”

“Then fucking listen to me. You’re never going to get what you want if you keep being reckless. It might make you successful now, but you will suffer in the future,” Trying not to show how much the slap had affected him, Sean spoke sternly. He regarded Alexandra with a gaze that could not be fought. She would accept what he said, and that would be final. Except, when her striking blue eyes met his, Sean couldn’t stop himself from wavering. His gaze softened. He wanted to explain his side of the argument more gently. However, before he could stay anything, Alexandra’s blue eyes turned cold, freezing him in his spot.

“If you’re gonna make a threat, make sure it isn’t empty,” Noticing the torment in Sean Pierce’s hazel eyes, Alex remarked darkly. He stopped back from her, surprised that she had managed to see right through him. She, on the other hand, remained unfazed. She glared at him, daring him to say something else, to keep arguing. When he couldn’t, she turned on her heels and marched out of Division. Sean was left staring after her, unable to move for a long moment. When it finally clicked that she was walking right back into danger, despite all he had said, he suppressed a scream.

Chapter Text

Taking time away from their war had been the right call for the rogues. They had been able to relax, breathe, and settle their tremendous anxiety. The drone strike in Columbia had left them rattled, upset, terrified, and demoralized. It had been difficult to want to continue fighting their war when that much death and destruction was the possible- and highly likely- outcome. They could lose so much and gain so little as they continued to take on Division and Oversight. It hadn’t seemed worth it. After all, why should they be heroes- fight for truth and justice- when they could lose their happily ever after.

After taking a break, however, Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff were able to rally and come back with renewed energy, purpose, and drive. Their dark, morose thoughts had been dissipated, and they were no longer willing to just give up. Whereas Birkhoff found that strength to continue by laying low in the safehouse, Nikita and Michael needed to get away from everything. They spent the weekend in Barbados like they had planned, but it wasn’t all fun and light like they had originally thought. There had been a lot of tears, a lot of embraces, and a lot of reassurances that they were very much alive.

Fortunately, by the time they returned to the safehouse, Michael and Nikita were back to their normal spirits. They had healed, they had grown closer together, and their conviction to burn down Division was stronger than ever. To ensure that they never lost one another, they had to destroy the people that were tearing them apart. Yes, of course, they would still bring justice to those who had been wronged, and they would also protect the innocent. But they also had to bring justice to themselves and protect each other. Giving themselves the life they deserved seemed like the best way to go about that.

When the couple eventually returned to the safehouse with bright, relaxed smiles on their faces, Birkhoff realized that he had missed them. Although he had been glad to be alone, and he had been extremely glad that the two had been in another country as they dealt with their ‘I almost lost you’ and ‘holy crap we’re still alive’ emotions, he had discovered that he had a better state of mind when others were around. No one was meant to be alone for long. They needed interaction and care, no matter how annoying it was. Birkhoff could gripe about that fact, yet he wouldn’t dismiss it. He’d greet it with a smile, “How was the sand, surf, and sun?”

“Needed. Thank you,” Nikita embraced Birkhoff tightly. She had been too wrapped up in Michael to have thanked the nerd properly for the vacation he had managed to gift them. It had been incredibly thoughtful of him to fly them away to a beach paradise to recover after their brush with death. A few years ago, Nikita would’ve never believed that Birkhoff could’ve been capable of something like that. Maybe a few years ago he wouldn’t have been. But he had grown so much over the years. They all had. The influence they had over each other was immeasurable.

Michael also hugged Birkhoff as a thank you for the vacation, yet it wasn’t as long as Nikita’s embrace. That was mostly because he had to reach in his bag and present the souvenir that had been brought back for the nerd. It wasn’t anything major, just a magnet with a punny saying that reminded the couple of their friend. Birkhoff accepted the gift graciously and rushed to place it on the fridge. After securing it proudly in place, he then opened the door to grab yet another energy drink.

The refrigerator, much to Michael’s and Nikita’s surprise, was full of drinks and takeout. They had assumed it would’ve been empty since the three of them had been gone. But that was far from the truth, which then led the two to believe that Birkhoff hadn’t gone on vacation like he had said he would. Considering how enthusiastic he had seemed about getting away from the war, that seemed odd. So, with a judging lift of his eyebrow, Michael questioned Birkhoff about it, “You don’t look like you got any sun at all. I thought you were going to take a break too.”

“I did. I spent time making my own parts instead of fixing old ones. I caught up on my movies and comics. And I got some new lines of code I think I can test out,” Birkhoff explained excitedly. He hadn’t needed a grand vacation like Michael and Nikita. All he had needed was time to relax and work on his hobbies. Although the fact that he had done so much made Birkhoff proud, the couple shared an amused glance. It was one of their looks where they silently talked about the person in front of them. Birkhoff knew that look well and suddenly grew self-conscious. God, he hated that glance, “What?”

“Nothing,” Nikita flashed another knowing look at Michael, then brought her luggage to her bedroom. She couldn’t necessarily fault Birkhoff for being so nerdy as he relaxed. That was just who he was. She was glad that, despite the hells of the war with Division and the stress of being rogue, that fact hadn’t changed. Birkhoff was still as predictable and dependable as ever- if not more so for the latter. He was also as easy to poke fun of and rile up as ever. Nikita had no problem taunting her nerd, no matter the situation. The thought made her smile even brighter.

“I didn’t miss you,” Birkhoff shouted after Nikita. She called his bluff immediately and flipped him off. He had to stifle his laughter; he wouldn’t let her know that she had won. He’d find a way to get back at her and force the couple to tell them what they were thinking about him later. In the meantime, he could play with his new tech and ignore Michael’s snickering laughter. Time away from one another hadn’t truly made the team of rogues nicer to each other. But the playfulness, sarcasm, and teasing worked for them. Otherwise, how else were they to smile and laugh while the world constantly gave them hell.

Alex had been avoiding Division since her argument with Sean Peirce. She didn’t want to run into him and have to resist the urge to punch him; she was fairly certain that she would lose to the temptation. She just couldn’t understand his problem with her. She was the one doing everything asked of her; she went after the rogues, she killed Kochenko, she waited to kill Semak. What had Sean actually done besides be annoying and challenging. Another blessing of finally getting her revenge would be getting rid of Sean Pierce. Alex seriously didn’t need all that trouble and drama in her life. She had enough as it was already.

So, Alex decided to only go to Division if she was called. She wouldn’t hang around to do research; she could do that in the seclusion of her apartment. That way, she could avoid Sean entirely. For a few days, her strategy worked wonderfully. Then, Amanda demanded to talk to her. Alex carefully surveyed the bunker as she entered, praying not to see Sean. Fortunately, all she saw was an overactive Ops. Although that was strange, it was nothing for her to worry about. She could easily lift the weight from her shoulders, move on to Amanda’s office, and snark, “It’s very busy out there. Getting ready to overthrow some poor unsuspecting government?”

“We’ll get to that. First, I’d like to discuss what happened with the Kochenko assassination,” Amanda easily brushed off the snarky comment. A part of Alex wondered if she could ever get under the new head of Division’s skin. She hadn’t been able to as a recruit, when she was discovered as a mole, or even then when she was constantly battling against whatever she had to say. None of Alex’s sarcasm and harshness ever seemed to have an effect on Amanda. She simply kept pushing with whatever was on her agenda. Either her will was extremely strong. Or, she also utilized those masks that she had once taught Alex all about.

“Not much to discuss. You asked me to kill him, and I did,” Alex crossed her arms. Admittedly, she did have to thank Sean for their argument earlier. She was still unbelievably angry with him- seriously, she didn’t believe she had ever had that strong of an emotional response from someone before. But because of their fight, most of her irritation and annoyance had been released. Alex could then address Amanda calmly. It was important that she kept her head when dealing with Division and Oversight. One wrong step, and she could lose everything.

“I ordered you to abort the mission, and you disobeyed that order,” Amanda reminded Alex of her mistake. Except, only Division saw it as a mistake. They saw her unwillingness to follow an order as an act of rebellion that needed to be correct. Alex, however, saw what she had done as necessary. If she hadn’t killed Kochenko then, she would’ve never had another chance at him, and then, she would’ve never had a chance at Semak. Precautions didn’t matter when her mother’s life was at stake. Alex had to do everything she could to kill Semak and save her. Division and Oversight knew that. So why were they upset that she was still on her mission.

“Sergei Semak stole everything that mattered to me, and Kochenko helped him do it. If you didn’t want me to take the hit, you shouldn’t have put the gun in my hand,” Alex bitterly reminded Amanda. She had been following orders up to that point. She had played along with Oversight and Division, so where was her reward. The only times Alex had made any gains in her revenge mission were when she had gone out and taken it for herself. What was she even doing waiting around for Division and Oversight. By that point, she should simply steal the weapons and equipment she wanted from them and finish her mission by herself.

“I understand why you disobeyed me. Because of that, I’m giving you a second chance, an opportunity to redeem yourself,” At least Amanda responded directly to what Alex had to say that time. However, the young woman didn’t like the answer that she had heard. How could, after everything, Division still believe they were in the right. Yes, having Ramon as a cover story would have made the assassination perfect and wouldn’t have led to an investigation. But the hit had still been completed. Everyone had gotten what they wanted. Why couldn’t Oversight see that as the win that it was and let it go.

“I didn’t know I needed to be redeemed,” Alex fought the sudden wave of fresh anger. What happened to her being her own agent. She was free to come and go out of Division. She was allowed to only take missions that led her to Semak and her mother. So why did she have to pay for her mistakes like any other Division agent. She wasn’t like the others in every single way. She shouldn’t be treated the same- as a pawn. Alex deserved to be treated as a partner. After all, she had made a deal with Oversight. In order to uphold the deal to the best of her abilities, shouldn’t she be treated as an equal.

Amanda actually appeared to contemplate what Alex had to say that time. Her pause helped the young woman dispel the rest of her anger and focus on what came next. Hopefully, there was another reason she had been asked to come to Division than to be yelled at. Since it had been days since the assassination, that was a strong possibility. Amanda didn’t make Alex wait long for that information. After another moment of thought, she passed over a file and explained, “I want you to go to Turkey and track Kelly.”

“Kelly?” Alex asked in utter bewilderment. Why did she have to track down Kelly. Wasn’t she in Division. Though, thinking about it for a moment, Alex wasn’t so certain about that. She realized that she hadn’t seen or heard from Kelly in weeks. She had been so wrapped up in Sean Pierce, Oversight, the rogues, and Semak to notice that the head of agents had been gone. Maybe a part of her had noticed, and she thought she had been lucky to avoid her. But if Kelly needed to be tracked down, then there was no luck involved. Something had happened to her, something awful, and Alex had been too self-involved to notice.

“She had been captured on an assignment. You know what the punishment is for that,” Amanda confirmed Alex’s suspicion. Not only had something bad happened to Kelly, but also Division was running other missions. And Alex hadn’t noticed any of that. It wasn’t as though her knowledge about the situation would’ve changed anything. Alex wouldn’t have been able to stop Division from performing ops, she wouldn’t have been able to help Kelly in the field, nor would she have been able to save her when she had gotten caught. The outcome would’ve been the same no matter what.

However, Alex still felt guilty that she had been so focused on her own problems that she hadn’t noticed anyone else’s. What else could’ve escaped her notice while she was so involved with her revenge and what pissed her off. She seriously needed to start paying attention to the things around her. She could start with Kelly and the rest of the briefing. Fortunately, Amanda didn’t prey on Alex’s guilt as she continued. She let Alex’s mind do all the beating while she expressed the urgency of the issue, “Kelly has escaped, and now I believe Nikita may try to help her. She abandoned her partner once. She won’t do so again.”

Honestly, Alex didn’t believe she should stop Nikita or the rest of the rogues from helping Kelly. Division’s rule about abandoning captured agents was cruel and absolute bullshit. The black ops group had the skills, intel, weapons, and power to save an agent that had been captured. Yet they refused. They preached family until someone went against their values. Alex was sick of that. Kelly shouldn’t be abandoned; she should be saved. And if Nikita wanted to do that, Alex should let her.

She opened her mouth to say all that, then quickly decided against it. As much as she was tempted to, she shouldn’t burn her bridges with Division. Amanda was right about her being on rocky terrain after the Kochenko hit. Alex had proved that she was wild and untrustworthy. She needed to shape up if she wanted more of Division’s and Oversight’s help. And, unfortunately, She still needed them. So, she’d listen to Amanda despite her desire not to, “And you expect me to drop everything to go after them? What do I get in return?”

“Sergei Semak is not a fan of Russian winters. Every year, he picks a sunny spot to spend a month or two. His location is a closely guarded secret. We have eyes and ears inside his broker’s office. You would have all the intel you need to plan a hit,” Amanda offered exactly what Alex wanted. Finally, she could have her revenge. Finally, she could be with her mother again. Her choice was clear with that knowledge within reach. Alex would track down Kelly. And if the rogues got in her way, she would stop them.

The rest of the day wasn’t as exciting for the rogues as the morning had been. Michael and Nikita unpacked, Birkhoff worked on his projects, and the three talked lightly as they ate lunch together. The day was shaping up to be a relaxing one, a perfect way to ease back into their war after their break. That was, until Birkhoff got an alert on his computer. It took him a second to register the urgency of the alert at first. He couldn’t make sense of it. Yet, once he did, he gasped, “Whoa. Facial recog just tagged Kelly.”

“What? Where? How?” Falling from the yoga pose she had been doing to battle stiff muscles caused by traveling, Nikita demanded to know. She scrambled to her feet and hurried to Birkhoff’s computer to see what had triggered the alert. Usually, Division was so careful about exposure to their agents. They would’ve never let cameras capture their image. Hackers monitored that like hawks. It wasn’t like them to slip up in their abilities then. Something else had to have been going on. And whatever it was, it was putting Kelly in danger.

“News footage triggered the match in our system. Apparently, Kelly was tossed in a Turkish prison four weeks ago. She broke out today. Cameras flagged her about an hour after her escape,” Birkhoff shared what he had been able to find. He had thought it was odd that the rogues hadn’t run into Kelly in a while. Yet he had assumed that she had been busy with all the changes in Division. According to the news, unfortunately, that wasn’t necessarily the case. Kelly had gotten herself into serious trouble- trouble Division had refused to save her from.

The last time Nikita had seen Kelly, she had helped her save Alex from the Russians. The two had formed a mutual agreement then: to save another person, they could become partners again. With that goal in mind, they weren’t complete enemies. Unlike with Percy, Amanda, and the members of Oversight, Nikita could find some commonalities with Kelly. They had both been trapped, and they had only wanted to survive. They both wanted to protect others from their fate. Whereas Nikita was succeeding on her goals, Kelly was constantly left running. Nikita’s heart broke for her, “Look at her. She looks so pale, like a ghost.”

Nikita’s eyes did not waver from the image of Kelly running from the authorities. She tightly crossed her arms over herself and stared transfixed, nearly turning pale as well. Michael easily spotted her distress and moved to comfort her. He honestly hadn’t expected that reaction from her. She and Kelly hadn’t been the closest of partners in Division; the two fought all the time even before Nikita had gone rogue. There had been no love lost between them. Yet those facts didn’t change Nikita’s emotions. She was incredibly upset and needed a hug. Michael, of course, attempted to give her one, “Hey, it’s alright.”

Michael only managed to hold Nikita for a second. When her shock over seeing her former partner in so much trouble and distress had subsided, she burst out of her boyfriend’s arms and began to shift into mission mode. It was clear to her what they needed to do next. The rogues always wanted to help people- well- that didn’t end with people outside Division. Everyone deserved their help, even Kelly, who had hurt them so bad in the past, “You’re right. Kelly will head for the border. We need to help her.”

“The woman in that video didn’t look like she needed anyone’s help,” Michael huffed. The news footage Birkhoff had pulled up showed Kelly beating the shit out of several cops and sprinting off into the unknown. She had been handling herself in her escape attempt just fine. With the resources she could gather and the skills she had, she could reach the border in no time. And once she did, she’d be free. There was a chance that Division might even pick her up. Kelly was fine on her own. The rogues didn’t need to risk themselves by interfering.

“When I escaped, Michael, I believed that she would be okay- that she’d survive. I was wrong,” Nikita shared some of the thoughts racing around her head. As partners, she and Kelly had sworn to look out for one another when no one else would. Although they failed in that mission from time to time, they had never let each other get seriously hurt. Even on opposing sides of the war, Kelly and Nikita had found a way to protect each other when they had saved Alex. Their mission to keep one another safe had never ended. Nikita couldn’t let Kelly down.

“She won’t be happy to see you,” Michael honestly wasn’t happy with the idea of seeing Kelly either. The last time he had seen her, she had taunted him about Nikita’s believed death. That was not something he wanted to revisit. Nor did he want to revisit all the other times Kelly had hurt the rogues. She was still a Division agent, even if she had been abandoned by them. Her past actions had not been absolved. She was still that same person. In fact, there was a strong chance that given the opportunity she would reject the rogues’ help and turn them into Division. Helping Kelly would only put the rogues in danger; they wouldn’t be saving her from any.

“She’s been trapped in Division and now prison because I left her behind. Who’d be happy about that?” With her eyes still glued to Kelly’s image, Nikita had already made up her mind. She had believed that even without her watching Kelly’s back, her partner would still survive Division. Yet Nikita had never been so wrong. No one could survive Division on their own. Everyone needed someone to take care of them because that hellhole wouldn’t. Kelly should’ve had Nikita, but she had abandoned her. She wouldn’t do that again. She was going to go back for her partner and ensure that she made it out alive that time.

Chapter Text

“We’ve been tracking Kelly’s movements. There’s the jailbreak and the incident with the guards. This is where she abandoned their vehicle,” Sonya showed Alex what she had been able to find on Kelly. When the hacker had heard that Division was going to save Kelly after all, she had become excited. So Amanda had been right- things in Division would be different. The agents wouldn’t be abandoned. Unfortunately, that excitement was short-lived. Amanda didn’t actually care about Kelly. She was only concerned with the rogues- it was always about the rogues. It was only a matter of time before the rest of them were forgotten for the rogues too.

“She’s going west. If her goal was to get out of the country, she was closer to the eastern borders. I’ve never been to Turkey, but I’m pretty sure border patrol would notice a woman in a prison uniform trying to cross the border without a passport,” Pacing back and forth behind Sonya’s computer station, Alex mused. Of course Kelly’s goal was to escape the country; anyone fleeing prison would choose that option. But she seemed to be doing it in a roundabout way. Why risk going west if she was so close to escaping to the east. What was Kelly thinking- if she even could think at the moment.

“How would someone with no money or contacts get new documents?” Although Sonya had never been in the field, she had done enough training and gathered enough information to know what Kelly needed to get out of the country. She had no way to get any of those papers in her current state. She’d have to steal money in order to obtain them. And even if she did, most people who forged documents would think she was too hot to handle at the moment. There weren’t a lot of options for Kelly to choose from. Which should make it easier for Division to find her. And it’d make it easier for the rogues to find her too.

“She doesn’t need new documents. Not if she already had a backup. Where was she staying on that last mission?” Sonya’s question helped Alex understand what Kelly was doing. The only reason she wouldn’t head straight for the border was if she had documents or clothing stashed somewhere. She could escape the country easily if she changed out of her prison clothes and passed off Division created paperwork. Why leave the country by sprinting across the border when you could hand over documents that wouldn’t raise questions. Although she was in a desperate situation, Kelly was continuing to play it safe. Alex had to commend her for that.

All of Division’s safehouses came equipped with all the weapons, clothes, supplies, money, and paperwork an agent would need. As far as Sonya could tell, the safehouse Kelly had used hadn’t been cleaned or repurposed. Since she had been captured, Division thought it best to abandon any trace of themselves that could tie them to her. Their concern wasn’t what would happen to their agent; they only care about themselves. It had been, was, and always would be that way. Sonya was aware of it, yet she still helped Division. She just kept following orders despite herself, “A safehouse in Ankara. We abandoned the property after the mission.”

“If she had a safety net, it’s stashed there. She has to go back to get it,” Alex urged Sonya to send her the coordinates of the safehouse. By the time she flew out to Ankara, she doubted she’d be able to catch Kelly at the safehouse. But she could pick up clues as to where she might go next. Alex suspected that Kelly’s next move was to steal a car- public transport would be too risky. Yet she’d follow that lead once she was in Turkey. For now, she’d take it one step at a time. Getting too far ahead of yourself was a bad move whenever the rogues were involved. Things changed too quickly with them. Small steps was Alex’s best course of action.

Fortunately, with how long they had been rogue, it was likely that Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff didn’t know which safehouse Kelly could’ve been using. They’d end up searching the entire country while Alex managed to easily track down Kelly. It was possible that after she found the missing agent, she could convince her to help her bring in the rogues. Considering how much Kelly hated them, that should be easy to do. Then, the rogues could be brought to Amanda, and Alex would finally have the information she needed to kill Semak.

Though, she couldn’t get ahead of herself. Thinking like that had only disappointed herself in the past. She couldn’t put herself through that again. She had to be cautious and aware that anything could happen. Her plans wouldn’t go exactly how she wanted them. She needed to be prepared for any possible change. If she was, then maybe she could find a way to stay ahead of Division and the rogues and finally get what she wanted. It was all about keeping her head and rolling with the punches. Alex had to be prepared for everything, including the voice that suddenly spoke up behind her, “Do we have a location?

“We?” Alex was ashamed to admit how startled she was by Roan’s presence. She hadn’t heard him approach; she wasn’t aware that he was behind her until he had spoken. She knew that was what he had been trained to do and that was what made him so deadly. Yet it was still so unsettling that he could easily use those skills against Alex, and she would never know. All her training, all her skills, weren’t much against him. She was very lucky that he was on her side. What exactly he was doing on her side, though, she had no idea. But if Roan was following her into the field, Alex knew that it wasn’t good.

“It’s your job to track Nikita. My job starts when you find her,” Roan answered plainly. Alex noticed that he didn’t say anything about the other rogues. The Terminator (as Birkhoff accurately called him) was only focused on the woman who had thrown acid in his face when he had tried to clean her- who had only been in that position because Alex had left her there. A chill ran up the young agent’s spine. It didn’t look like Roan held any grudges against her for the incident, yet he definitely had his murderous sights on Nikita. For the first time since accepting the mission, Alex became concerned for Nikita’s life. Maybe catching her wouldn’t be worth it.

Assuming that Kelly would run to a Division safehouse before attempting to cross the border, the rogues located where she might go before flying out to meet her. Nikita remembered a couple of safehouses in Turkey that Division had used before she had gone rogue. Birkhoff worked his magic to triangulate Kelly’s arrest and her failed mission (luckily, the prep work had just been uploaded onto the black box before Michael had stolen it) with a safehouse in Ankara. Michael determined that they would search there first, then widen their area until they finally picked up on her trail.

Michael attempted to talk to Nikita as they flew to Ankara, yet she didn’t say much. She was too busy thinking about what she would say to Kelly once she saw her again. The agreement they had had when they had saved Alex from the brothel was long gone. Just like any lingering feelings of friendship from when they had been partners. Kelly absolutely hated Nikita, and Nikita didn’t blame her. However, that wasn’t going to stop her from trying to help her old partner. She didn’t deserve to be abandoned. Someone should actually care for her. And Nikita was going to make sure it was her.

Seeing the determination on his girlfriend’s face, Michael dropped the discussion for the time being. But later, he would make Nikita talk to him about what was going on in her head. He simply needed to find another time to bring it up. As soon as they landed in Ankara, all their focus was on their mission. They hurried to the safehouse and found that it was still full of Kelly’s belongings and contingencies. Nikita wanted to leave it and wait for Kelly there. Michael, on the other hand, suggested they take everything and have Kelly meet them in an open area- less damage could be caused that way. Nikita soon agreed.

After shoving clothes, supplies, and documentation into their mission bags, Michael and Nikita left a burner phone for Kelly to find, then moved back to their car to stake out the building. It wasn’t long later that Kelly arrived. Nikita waited until she was well inside the building before she called the burner. Kelly answered after a few rings, and Nikita immediately spoke, “Kelly? It’s me. It’s Nikita. I’m here to help. Division should be on their way. You need to get out of there. Do you know that park near the parliament building? Meet me there in three hours. I can get you out of the country. And I can explain everything.”

Before Kelly was even given a chance to respond, Nikita ended the call and disconnected the burner. Michael watched her movements, but didn’t say a word. He’d let her open up about Kelly in her own time. Then, their focus could remain on escaping Turkey. The plan they had created so far might work. However, Michael wasn’t entirely certain if they could convince Kelly to agree to their help. She had no reason to trust them. Just because they had her things didn’t mean she was beholden to them. She might not deem them worth it. The plan could fall apart before it could begin, “How can you be sure she’ll show?”

“If it were me, I’d want that explanation,” Her eyes locked on the far distance, Nikita muttered. She and Kelly hadn’t spoken much the last time they had met. But the entire time, Nikita knew that her former partner was dying to know why she had escaped Division and left her behind. It was time that Nikita told her. Kelly deserved to know everything. She had gone through the same hell in Division Nikita had, after all. It wasn’t fair to keep treating her like the enemy. She was another one of Division’s victims. It just hadn’t been so obvious until she had been abandoned in a Turkish prison.

Although it didn’t take long to reach the park that Michael had suggested they move to, they had to wait a few hours for the sun to go down. It was better to confront Kelly at night. It’d be harder for others to see what they were doing, and they could sneak an escaped convict around more easily. Kelly had the same thought as she waited for the sun to be completely down before she came out of her hiding spot in the bushes. The instant Nikita spotted her, she crossed over to her. She unfortunately didn’t get far. Once Kelly saw her, she withdrew a stolen gun and sneered, “Hey, partner. You cleared out the safehouse. I want my stuff back.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Nikita stopped in her tracks. She fought the urge to reach for her own weapon and draw it out. She didn’t have to protect herself; Michael had his gun trained on Kelly from his position behind her. She also couldn’t escalate the situation further. Someone had to remain calm. It normally wasn’t her, yet she had to prove that she wasn’t going to hurt Kelly. All she wanted to do was save her partner from more of Division’s abuse. A gun wouldn’t convince Kelly of her motives. Empty hands and a sincere expression would.

“I want to do this. Take off the bag and hand it over. Slowly,” Kelly’s eyes shifted between Nikita and Michael. She was attempting to determine who was the more dangerous one. Although Michael had his finger on the trigger, Kelly eventually determined that Nikita was the one she had to continue guarding herself against. Nikita wouldn’t fight her on that decision. Of the rogues, Nikita had been the one to hurt Kelly the most. A lack of weapons and a serious tone wasn’t enough to make up for all the past pain she had caused. Her offer of help had to be everything. Fortunately, Nikita was willing to do anything to get Kelly out of that situation.

“I told you: I’m here to help,” Nikita only dropped the bag to her feet. Kelly would have to lower her gun and trust her if she wanted new clothes, fake documents, and money. There were other ways for Kelly to obtain those things, yet all of them would grant her unwanted attention. The only way to slip silently out of Turkey was to trust the rogues. Nikita could see how much Kelly despised that fact. Rage was clear on her face. Yet at least she didn’t act on it. She had enough presence of mind to simply tighten her grip on her gun instead of shooting it.

“Are you really? Or are you gonna bail the instant things get too hard? Is it not enough to abandon me? You gotta kill me too?” Letting her rage drip acid on her tongue, Kelly accused Nikita of the worst. Although her mouth opened and closed, there was nothing Nikita could say to refute her former partner’s claims. Of course she could keep insisting that she wanted to help. But that would only fall on deaf ears. If Nikita had truly wanted to help Kelly, then there were so many other things she could’ve done over the years for her. Yet she didn’t do anything. She had just let Division hurt her.

There was no excuse for what Nikita had done to Kelly. After all, she had managed to help Alex, Sara, and Owen. So why hadn’t she helped Kelly. Why couldn’t she have helped her. Was it because, deep down, she was as awful as Kelly accused her of being. Or was it because she was the monster Percy had said was. Nikita leaned towards the latter. The only thing that stopped her from falling too deep down that rabbit hole of thought, though, was Birkhoff suddenly warning them through the com, “Somebody must have made a phone call. You’ve got half a dozen local police headed your way in a hurry.”

“We have to get you out of here,” Michael finally lowered his weapon as he warned. As soon as the words left his mouth, sirens could be heard in the distance. Kelly lowered her weapon as well. She began to study the park, looking for the best way to escape the approaching police. She couldn’t locate where they were coming from, so she had absolutely no idea where to run. Nikita instantly decided that she’d take Kelly with her wherever they did run. She wouldn’t let her partner remain so lost or scared. They’d face the challenges together, like they should’ve been doing all those years.

“We need to split up,” After taking in their situation, Nikita decided. It’d be difficult for three people to escape from several cops. Sure, those three had the skills for it. But not without the risk of injury to themselves or an innocent bystander. It was far better to distract the cops and hide. One of them could lead the police away while the other two escaped. That would not only give them the time and freedom to cross the border, but it might also throw Division off their trail. Splitting up wasn’t a part of their plan. Yet with the police involved, things had to change. Nikita was willing to change course. She just needed Michael and Kelly to agree with her.

“That’s not a good idea. We talked about this,” Michael argued against Nikita and his inclination to agree with her. Splitting up would undoubtedly save them from the encroaching police at that moment. However, he didn’t want to leave Nikita and Kelly alone together. He didn’t trust Kelly. And another he knew that Nikita could take care of herself, he didn’t want to leave her in potential danger. It was always better when they stayed together. They could be prepared for anything that way. Separate, they were more prone to danger.

“We didn’t expect a police chase either. We need a distraction,” Shaking her head, Nikita quickly defended her position. Michael couldn’t help but agree to it. He’d distract the cops while Nikita and Kelly escaped. Then, they’d meet up later and cross the border together. With Michael onboard with her plan, Nikita could turn to Kelly with stern confidence. The escaped agent continued to look around for her own plan, not knowing what the best way to save herself would be. Nikita made that decision for her by grabbing her arm and leading her away, “You’re coming with me. We can finish this fight after we escape.”

The jet to Ankara, Turkey wasn’t that adventurous. Alex felt awkward and on edge being in close proximity to Roan. Yet he didn’t say anything to her, so she was able to deal. Well, at least deal with his presence. The thoughts of what he would do once Nikita was found plagued Alex. Yes, she was annoyed with the rogues. And yes, she wanted them out of the way so she could finally kill Semak and save her mother. However, she didn’t want Nikita, Michael, or Birkhoff to suffer. As much as she was angry at them, she didn’t want them to die. The only person she was that livid at was Semak.

Thinking about how she would soon have the information needed to kill him helped Alex to shove aside her thoughts of the rogues. She simply had to think of them as a mission. They were a means to an end. Her mother was more important to her than whatever the hell they were up to. And, thankfully, it didn’t seem like they had been up to too much while Alex had flown to Turkey. Sonya didn’t have an update for her until she neared the abandoned safehouse. Then, a flurry of news came in all at once. Kelly had made another daring escape attempt; that time, in a flashy car that seemed like an odd choice, “A silver sports car? Was it stolen?”

“No report’s been filed yet,” Sonya answered Alex. She didn’t have a lot of the information. What she could glean from satellites and street cameras wasn’t much.  She had stopped being able to track Kelly’s movements once she had reached Ankara, and it was too dark to make out any faces in the vehicle. Most of Sonya’s information then came from multiple police reports. One alerted police to Kelly’s presence in the park, the other called for backup after the shooting. Sonya had to guess what happened, yet it was a fairly easy guess. Kelly was on the run again. Division and the rogues had to keep chasing.

“Then how are they sure that it’s Kelly?” Alex didn’t trust the Turkish police’s judgment. After all, as far as they knew, they were simply chasing an escaped convict. They didn’t know the training she had had, nor did they know her goals and motivations. Besides clearing the Division safehouse of money, clothes, and documents, Alex wasn’t positive she knew Kelly’s motivations either. There was a chance she wasn’t trying to return to Division; she was simply running. However, Alex at least understood the agent far more than the police did. She knew Kelly was smart, despite the fact that she was scared. And she knew she’d get what she wanted.

“She fired at them before fleeing,” Sonya read off what she had found in the Turkish police system. All units were on a look out for that silver sports car and Kelly. If she hadn’t fired at them, there was a chance that they wouldn’t have even known to follow her. Sonya couldn’t understand her purpose for firing at them. Had she been proving a point. Had she tried to take out their tires and missed. Had she finally been backed far enough into a corner that she was lashing out. It didn’t make sense. She had been doing so well- why screw up then.

“None of that sounds right. You pick a fancy car because who would suspect a fugitive in that? And then you shoot at the police, to what? Make sure that they follow you?” Alex couldn’t make sense of the series of events either. Despite her personal opinions about Kelly, she knew that she was an incredibly smart and capable agent. Kelly wouldn’t start making mistakes while fleeing from the police. No, she’d be smarter, more cunning- especially if the rogues were with her. The sports car and the gunfire had to have been a trick. There was a more devious plan in action, “Do the police cars have GPS tracking?”

“I’m already in the system. The police just left the park. Do you want me to monitor their route?” Honestly, Sonya was already following the police. She was curious to see what Kelly was thinking. The hacker doubted that the agent was acting on pure terrified instinct. She had to have some sort of plan. Why draw that much attention to herself if she wasn’t thinking of something. Where the police chase and the sports car ended up could be clues about what was going on. Kelly hadn’t given up yet, even if her methods seemed too dangerous to actually work.

“No, listen. The police are chasing a decoy. Nikita and Michael already have Kelly. They’re leading the police away. One of those cars should be heading off course,” Alex told Sonya her idea. It didn’t seem farfetched to her. She knew the rogues; she knew how much they liked diversions to throw Division off their scent. They were usually pretty good at causing chaos and forcing their enemies to follow the wrong lead. They were also very good at using other’s strengths against them. The stolen sports car and gun shots were obvious distractions to lead the police on a wild goose chase. That then left Kelly to escape in something no one would suspect.

Alex’s idea made a lot more sense than what Sonya was thinking. The rogues could’ve easily stolen a police car in the chaos and were making their great escape in that. Sonya watched the trackers of all the cars speeding away from the park. They were all heading in the same direction at first. But after a few miles, the vehicle in the back of the group peeled away from the others. Sonya watched it for a moment to confirm that it wasn’t joining police vehicles in another area. Then, she reported the anomaly to Alex, “I’ve got one headed north.”

“Okay, that’s Nikita. Watch that car, and tell me where it stops,” Alex ordered Sonya. No one would stop or question a police vehicle. It was the perfect car for Kelly to speed to her next destination in- or for Nikita to speed away in. Alex didn’t doubt that the rogue was with her former partner. The decoy seemed like something Nikita would come up with, so of course she had to be a part of the rescue side of things. Amanda had been right: Nikita had to help her partner, no matter the trouble that caused. If only that trouble wasn’t in the way of Alex killing Semak. Otherwise, Alex wouldn’t stop Nikita, or bring Roan right to her.