When it came to her versus death, she discovered she never really put up a fight. She fought like hell for her loved ones to survive death and never face that kind of destruction. But when it came to her life, she sat there and accepted her fate. That was what happened after she was first recruited into Division. The only reason she didn't let them kill her was Michael. Yet there were suicide missions she went out on where she let the pain catch up to her. After Daniel was murdered, she faced the barrel of a gun with her eyes closed. She was ready for death; she couldn't wait for death. The bullets had already been spent, however, so it never came. She had to escape the mission, alive despite everything. A moment like that happened again after Amanda got the best of her. She stared up at her attacker, ready for a bullet that never came.
Nikita couldn't make sense of it. She had collapsed on the ground, her hands bound and her chest burning. Amanda had the opportunity to eliminate the threat. The rogue would be gone forever, she even accepted it. But all Amanda could do was stare at Nikita with panicked blue eyes. The women were at a stalemate, despite one of them willing to give up the fight and let death finally take her. It wasn't until Michael shouted his partner's name that the stare down ended. The bitch took off, abandoning the rogue to deal with the emotional backlash alone.
The mission hadn't started that heavy. While Michael went to discuss the Division intel with Madeline, Nikita practiced yoga to settle some of her frustrations, and Birkhoff dug through the harddrive Alex and Sean stole from Ari. Despite the insane phone calls from earlier that morning, it wasn't any worse of a day than normal. It wasn't any better either. Nikita knew she and Sean should actually talk. Although she felt the need to protect her brother from her harsh feelings regarding his mother, keeping it to herself wouldn't do either of them any good in the long run. She was also certain that he wanted to speak to her about something serious in return. Why was it so much easier to talk to anyone else on her team than her brother. Shouldn't the siblings be closer. Maybe it was the years they were forced apart that continued to weigh them down. Or maybe because it hurt so much more to damage a sibling's feelings.
Either way, a hot sigh escaped Nikita just as Michael returned from his meeting. She was so grateful he was back. Not only because- well- he was her boyfriend, but she so desperately needed a mission to focus on instead of her thoughts. She could sort all that out once she and Sean could talk in person again. Until then, she'd concentrate on destroying Division, Gogol, Amanda, Percy, whatever. Birkhoff was glad for the reprieve as well. Translating the intel from Ari was a nightmare; he definitely needed a break. Michael appeared to be the only one hesitant. It wasn't about the operation- he knew they could complete it. It was just mentioning where he got the intel from that concerned him.
He was probably the only one delving too much into it. Nikita didn't seem to mind that her adopted mother was directing them on an operation. Even when Michael stumbled over Senator Pierce's name, unsure of how she would react, she didn't flinch. Her attention was completely absorbed by the information on the tablet he handed her and his movements as he paced the living room. He could breathe easier knowing that she (and Birkhoff) were focused on the current situation. The team was ready and willing to complete their next phase in their war, keeping their complicated emotions from recent situations firmly in the past. They said they had to move forward. Then was the perfect opportunity.
Birkhoff's and Nikita's quips certainly proved the next step was in high demand. It was about time they returned to destroying Division instead of putting out internal fires. The nerd was able to make jokes about the tech Amanda stole, while the rogue taunted her partner for his usual briefing voice and strides. Maybe she hadn't completely paid attention to what Michael informed her of. If that was the case, then it really was dé·jà vu. But as soon as he called her out on it, she rolled her eyes. They might have been partners- relationship and secret agent wise- yet he still didn't have her pegged. She could continue to surprise him and make him chuckle, "You kidding? You had me at Amanda."
"That's my girl," It was a reflex response that had Nikita laughing in return. Apparently once in a suit, Michael could slip back into his former handler role so easily. Birkhoff rolled his eyes and pretended to gag, but a small smile pulled at his lips at their ridiculousness. Unfortunately, that was all the time the three could put into their oh-so familiar antics. Madeline's intel about the item Amanda used a Division agent to steal came a tad too late. There was a handoff about to occur that the team had to stop. As the hacker searched satellites and the code he had on Division trackers for the location, the agents prepared themselves for battle. The mission had the chance to land a serious blow to their enemies. They had to be successful.
Considering the last time they had dealt with Dina Nikita received a nasty gash to her side, Michael urged them to wear their Kevlar lined jackets. Although a Guardian was the one to cut her, she didn't argue. What could've been her defense against that. The team was fortunate that the stolen device couldn't have been carried far. That narrowed their search area, allowing Birkhoff to track the Division agents to a car junkyard in Jersey. Quickly, they rolled out to ruin the black ops organization's day.
Once at the yard, Michael and Nikita questioned how odd it was that Dina was doing a handoff in an abandoned area instead of at Division. They'd probably get answers as everything occurred. However, it was Alex that was able to provide the information. She had been spending her days trying to find a trustworthy CEO for Zetrov. After the pain and heartbreak the company brought to her family, she refused to be a part of it anymore. Of course she'd accept her inheritance, but she was done with that aspect of her life. She had gotten her revenge, allowing her to focus on defeating the bad guys. The intel she managed to gather was certainly a huge help, "Guess who's bringing something game changing to the Zetrov meeting."
"Ari," Michael sighed. Amanda's and Ari's relationship already reared its ugly head as the two attempted to pressure Alex into handing them Zetrov. The young woman was able to defeat them, yet she had to send her mother to Greece to ensure she was no longer in danger. Sean agreed to watch after Katya, and act as her own personal Seal bodyguard. She barely had to ask him to do that; he did so without hesitation. She was so grateful, she almost kissed him. The sudden feeling confused and startled her. So much so, that it was all she could think about for hours. She hadn't talked to anyone about it, especially not Nikita. She had to figure it out first before being teased over such bizarre emotions.
"Just one more grab at power," Concentrating on Ari got her to shake away that heart-skip feeling over Sean. Amanda was going to keep fighting for power over Zetrov, Gogol, and Division until she got everything she wanted. If the team grabbed the energy device she stole before she could hand it to the Russians, then all her plans would be ruined. It'd only be a couple more steps to take her down after that. Their pardons and normalcy seemed to have been in sight, if only for a brief moment. It was a brightness they could hold to, fueling their determined dive and their intense actions.
"Let's put a stop to it then," Nikita's confidence didn't carry her and Michael successfully though the op, however. Their skills and willpower could only get them so far in stopping the Division goons they encountered. But Amanda got the drop on them. It shouldn't have been surprising. She had lived among elite assassins for over a decade. She had also gotten the drop on Alex when her identity as a mole and as an Udinov was revealed. The bitch had tricks up her sleeves that should not have been messed with. Nikita could take her in a fight no problem. But not when her hands were bound. And not against a gun. Harshly, the rogue was reminded of that. She could've been killed in a single instant.
But she wasn't. Amanda hesitated, then ran. Nikita could only sit there, stunned. Half of her shock came from being shot. Yet the other half couldn't believe the monster who had tormented her for years couldn't kill her. It was all she could think about as she, Michael, and Birkhoff traveled to meet up with Alex in Russia. Their mission wasn't over yet. They still had to stop Amanda's and Ari's grab for power. Except, neither Nikita nor Michael could shake what had happened at the junkyard. He was concerned about what he had missed- about how unresponsive his girlfriend was. She simply wanted to explore what was in her enemy's mind. What had made the bitch panic.
"Here. Let me," Once they had settled at Alex's hotel suite, Michael gently helped Nikita rewrap her injured shoulder. Although the Kevlar stopped the bullet, her bronze skin was badly bruised and her muscles were sore. She had somewhat patched it up on the plane, but she had been distracted by her thoughts. The only ones that hadn't been deterred were Birkhoff and Alex. The nerd pulled out all the stops in his hacking, and the young woman gathered the intel needed for the Zetrov board meeting. They had a way to grab the energy device and keep the company from power hungry bastards. Michael and Nikita just needed a moment to catch up before marching onward, "What happened?"
"She let me live," Despite him repeatedly asking her what occurred between her and Amanda, Nikita never really answered Michael. She gave him a breakdown of the fight- how she was caught by surprise. Yet as to why Amanda didn't pull the trigger, she had no idea. In a couple of seconds she probably could've fought through the incredible pain, gotten to her feet, and continued to kick the bitch's ass. Guns and being shot hadn't stopped her before. Her lack of desire to fight death, however, continued to weigh her down. She wasn't willing to share that with her boyfriend, though. He could just be as confused about Amanda as she was.
There was no doubt he already knew she fought more for her loved ones than for herself. The words she had screamed at him as a recruit never went away. Nikita would do anything to ensure everyone around her got to live, but she wouldn't lift a finger to save herself. She didn't see the value. Michael had made attempts to get her to change her mind, yet none stuck. They were going to have to have that conversation again once their op was over; he was going to get through her stubbornness. There were just more pressing matters at hand- unfortunately, "That doesn't seem like Amanda."
"It's a mistake she won't repeat again," Nikita was certain Amanda saw her hesitation as a weakness. Michael found himself agreeing. If she encountered the bitch again, she was going to take the opportunity to kill the rogue. The team couldn't let that happen. They had to strip her of her power before she could even have the chance to hurt them even more. His hands lingering on her sides, Michael moved closer to Nikita. He wanted to say something encouraging, or loving, or something else to that effect. But the look in her brown eyes distracted him. She appeared hurt and conflicted. He had to dive into that pain and try to help her. He simply wasn't afforded the time.
"Okay, kiddies. It's show and tell time," Poking his head in the room to pull the agents' attention back to the mission, Birkhoff interrupted. Nikita didn't miss a beat before following him out to where Alex was waiting. On the other hand, Michael had to take a steadying breath. The two could return to that moment later- possibly when he reminded her that she deserved to live as much as the rest of them. In the meantime, all their frustrations could be directed at Ari and Amanda. The team was going to deal with them once and for all.
Alex had a handle on all the mission prep and planning. She knew the most about Zetrov, what was going to occur at the board meeting, and the layout of the building. While she distracted the board, Nikita could grab the device under Birkhoff's and Michael's directions. The team could succeed with that plan no problem. Though, the nerd still had to tease the young woman for how she drew her battle plans. They looked more like something a child would draw than a spy. Laughter from the four of them and a knowing glance passed between the couple couldn't help but be expressed. There was something about planning that grounded them. Yes, they joked around. Yet when weren't they doing that. It was simply something productive they could do. In a world where everything could go wrong, they could get their scheming done right.
With assignments handed out and security measures accounted for, all the team had left to do was figure out how they were going to get inside the building. Alex was the easiest to get in- no one would deny entrance to the Udinov heir. Birkhoff was to remain at the hotel, monitoring from his laptop. Michael would pose as a security guard to plant devices for the team, then rejoin the hacker to run point. Nikita's entrance was the most difficult. She had to disguise herself as a Russian supermodel with the help of Nerd's equipment. The idea made her chuckle, but she was able to square her shoulders and lift her chin in determination. It was time to bring Ari and Amanda to their knees, "Cool. Let's go rob some Russians."