Set sometime in season 3, a day or two after last chapter's story. Inspired by Whinny's comment asking for femme fatale Sonya, and computer tech Alex.
Nikita was adamantly against the idea. They were supposed to be a new Division. They'd take down Amanda and the Dirty Thirty, then they'd all go free. That meant no more using their agents as tools and a means to an end. Ryan insisted that that wasn't what they were doing. The mission was necessary to decode the information on the flash drive they recently recovered- recon and information gathering only. It was an important mission. But the op wasn't what Nikita was arguing with. It was how they had planned to get the information.
She glanced at Michael for support. He had once promised her no more missions like that. He had to know that promise extended to everyone else as well. Her fiancé seemed to understand, and voiced for another mission plan. The two were outnumbered, however. No one else had a problem with it. And when Ryan had an idea, he was going to run with it- didn't matter if anyone agreed or not. But Nikita could play the stubborn game too. If they were going to do that, she was in charge. So at any moment she felt it was going too far, she was pulling the plug. There were no exceptions.
Ryan wanted to argue, yet Michael agreed; Nikita ran point and had final say. She had to stay inside Division and run the mission from ops, however. She didn't really have a problem with that. The more she could distance herself from the type of mission, the better. Also, though she would never admit it, she had been feeling unwell ever since she swallowed that flash drive. Apparently, there were consequences to ingesting a dusty, old piece of technology. Her stomach had been rocky and her head foggy. She was pushing through, yet she couldn't stand for long. Running an op while sitting inside sounded great to her.
Alex had been cleared for duty, and Ryan wanted her to be the agent out in the field. Although she wasn't as vocal as Nikita about her disdain, she did voice her discomfort with the assignment. Going to a club wasn't the best idea for her at the moment, so wasn't the mission itself. She agreed to help Nikita, though. She had improved her hacking and computer skills substantially, and could provide tech support.
That left Sonya as the agent of choice. She was as beautiful and as capable as the other two women. Her recent mission out in the field proved she could handle herself and any situation thrown at her. She agreed to the idea, not having much reservation. She understood why Alex didn't want to do it, and why Nikita didn't want anyone to do it. But she also understood Ryan's reasoning for it. So, Sonya agreed to be a honeytrap. Birkhoff balked at his girlfriend seducing a mark for information. Focusing on Ryan's briefing, she ignored him. Someone had to get the information, by any means necessary. And a seduction mission was the best means.
While Sonya was being transported to the club, Alex and Nikita set up ops in their own private area. Birkhoff kept staring at Sonya after she had gotten ready, like he wanted to kiss her right then and there. To be fair, she did look absolutely stunning. Sean gazed at Alex lovingly, proud of her various skills. She was exceptional at everything she put her mind to. And Michael studied Nikita, a small smile gracing his features. She figured he was thinking about her as the unflappable leader in command that she was. With those distracted men in their way, they had decided to move. They didn't need them messing with the op.
Getting comfortable at a computer chair, Alex pulled up the security camera feed at the club. Nikita collapsed back into a chair, slouching and sighing. Her best friend eyed her over, and noted the change of clothing. Usually she was dressed in stylish heels and business wear while at Division. But that day she was in old jeans and an oversized tee. Alex knowingly smirked, "You know, there's these things called sick days."
"You knew about those?" Nikita shot back immediately and sarcastically. She turned on the microphone and speaker so they could communicate with Sonya, who had just arrived at her destination. The women could see the computer tech turned agent on the screen adjust her curve-hugging dress before entering the club. She appeared nervous as she sat at the bar and ordered a drink. Nikita soothed her, "Don't worry, he won't show up for a while. Just relax and drink. We'll be with you the whole time."
Alex voiced her agreement, checking the area again for the mark. Once she had confirmed he was in fact not there yet, she turned to Nikita, "Okay fine. I should've taken time off instead of pushing myself harder. But, aren't you the one who knows best? You should be sleeping it off at home."
Before Nikita could run through her typical lines of 'I'm fine' Sonya interrupted, "Are you talking about the stomach bug Nikita got from swallowing the flash drive?"
Whereas Alex laughed, Nikita rolled her eyes. She should've known better than to try and fool those two, or any member of her family; they knew her too well. They noticed her slumping in chairs, hurriedly excusing herself to the bathroom, and her sluggish attitude. If not that, then definitely Michael's shirt she was trying to pass off as her own, because she was too tired to wear anything nice. She could at least pretend she was alright, though. But Alex didn't give her the chance, "That's what you get for improvising out in the field."
"I don't know. My boobs worked out pretty well for me," Smirking, Nikita glanced down at her chest, "These girls have never let me down."
Sonya and Alex burst out into laughter, bringing Nikita to laugh along with them. Sonya was the first to collect herself by sipping her drink, "You sure know how to work with what you have."
"Thanks, Sonya. But if anyone's working it here, it's you. Nerd was practically drooling when he saw you," Nikita's compliment made Sonya blush so red they could see it easily over the monitor. Alex and Nikita shared a look at her expense; the two nerds were hopelessly in love.
Suddenly remembering what she wanted to ask of her friends, Alex shifted focus, "Hey. I've been teasing Sean about who's boobs are better, and I need you guys to play along."
"Is that why he asked us not to tell you he saw anything? Because you were going to tease him?" Sonya studied the patrons around her as she wondered.
"How else do you react when your boyfriend sees your best friend's boobs on a mission?"
"I tease Michael all the time after he has to kiss another woman for an op."
Their confessions confused Sonya. Nikita and Alex had entirely different relationships with their boyfriends than she did. Sure, she and Seymour had fun with one another. But, she didn't mercilessly tease him. Not that Sean and Michael ever complained when they were made fun of. They rolled with the punches, and attempted to tease back. Nikita and Alex were more or less always a step ahead of them though. It amused Sonya how different each of their relationships were. Despite that and the harrowing situations they found themselves in, they all managed a way to be happy. And that was all that mattered.
"Target's coming in and heading to the bar," Alex's information brought Sonya back to the moment. She straightened in her seat, crossed her legs, and sipped her drink. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her mark a few seats down from her. He seemed to be alone- no backup.
Nikita confirmed that fact, and dove into some helpful hints she had gathered, "Alright. This guy is your textbook former Russian spy. He likes his vodka strong and his woman loose. Oh, and anything about the Cold War just gets him going."
Downing the rest of her drink, Sonya ordered an extra strong vodka. That caught the mark's attention, and at one glance at her beauty he moved over to her with a predatory grin. Nikita clenched her fists while she watched over the scene. She wasn't worried about Sonya, or the mission, she was just furious. She hadn't let go of what Ryan had said about seduction being necessary to get the job done. Sweethearts and Honeytraps made her skin crawl and her stomach churn- even more than the stomach bug already was.
Being forced to flirt and fuck with marks for information was another way Division used and abused their operatives. It always felt like she had never left the streets or her foster home. Nikita was never in charge of her own person. She had to make sure that mission didn't go too far for Sonya. She would flirt only. If the information wasn't retrieved in the bar alone, then they simply wouldn't have the information. Ryan and Division could be damned.
With Alex and Nikita helping her, and with her own flirtation skills, Sonya was able to get the intel needed to decode the flash drive. She slipped something into the target's drink to make him forget the night, and allow her to exfil easily. She made it back to Division without any hiccups, and the women met up to debrief. They were more at ease once the op was over, and they fell back into their playful conversation.
Honestly, Nikita, Alex, and Sonya felt far more comfortable with a sweetheart mission after having worked together. Bitter feelings were still present, but the easy success of the mission and the fact that the women had each other's backs helped ease them. And, the fact that they were all women helped as well. It was different than having a man watch over them. It seemed more secure, knowing that the person assisting you was empathetic to the situation you were in. Not that Michael, Sean, or Birkhoff couldn't be helpful and supportive, it was just different. The women could understand each other, communicate more efficiently (including switching between topics), and comfort one another. They were a great team, no matter the circumstances.