Alex felt like she was going to be sick. Whether it was her nerves or her anger, she wasn't sure. But bile burned in her throat nonetheless. As she arrived at the hotel where the Zetrov press conference was taking place, she had just been nervous. She had performed missions with Nikita and Sean before, but that was different; she was on her own. Sean had stayed in his car a few blocks from the hotel. He'd be available whenever she needed him, all she had to do was call. That was comforting, as well as the team at the beach house that was watching after her. Although it was a solo mission, she wasn't alone. She'd never be alone again.
Despite all of those assurances, she continued to feel eyes on the back of her neck. Someone had to have been watching her. Alex wasn't that paranoid to have fabricated the idea from nothing. Ever since she had helped Sean in Division, she had been followed. By who, she had no idea. There were times where she had been able to shake her tail. Her experience from living on the streets and the lessons Nikita had taught her made certain she avoided her shadow. Except, it just kept reappearing. She thought it had something to do with her job as Senator Pierce's assistant. That was how her team found her in the first place. As time went on, however, she doubted that was the case.
But she couldn't focus on that then. She had to approach the news reporter she had researched, and share with her the cover story she and the team had created. Alex would need a friend in the press to support her attack against Semak. And, God, did she want to attack Semak. He was such an ass. He stole her father's company- he stole her father's life- and he had the gall to insist it was rightfully earned. She hoped he rotted in hell whenever she was through with him. She didn't care that he used to be a friend of the family; she didn't care that she had once considered him an uncle. He had hurt her father, he had hurt her mother, and he had hurt her. He had to pay.
Squaring her shoulders, lifting her chin, and swallowing her fear, Alex took a step forward. The news reporter she had confided in asked her leading question: what would Semak say if there was an Udinov in the audience. He was stunned, unsure of how to actually respond. So Alex did so for him. She plastered on a daring smile- the one she flashed when she was teasing Sean, and the one she had seen Nikita employ to frighten her enemies- and spoke as confidently as she could. The look Semak gave her, encouraged her to keep going. He was both scared and pissed. Good. She wanted his composure to crumble on camera. The world should know what kind of person he was.
The reporters ate up her story. The instant she announced she was Alexandra Udinov, alive and well after surviving the attack on her family and being sold to human sex traffickers, excitement erupted in the room. She was bombarded with questions, but she had prepared for them. She was able to stay above everything with smooth composure. Alex was handling the press far better than Semak. And far better than Ari. She had caught the Gogol leader out of the corner of her eye the second she stepped onto the stage. He was just as stunned and in shock as his boss. No one had expected her.
And Alex was so proud of that fact. She was one step closer to saving her mother and avenging her father. All of the great things she had done with her team were fantastic. But stepping out into the limelight was something more. She felt as though she was right where she was supposed to be. Nerves melted away, as did her fury. She was filled with a sense of righteousness and justice. Becoming Alexandra Udinov again gave her power. Nothing was going to harm her again. She finally had a voice to put an end to things.
That was what gave her the confidence to stand up to Semak. When the press conference ended, she was swept backstage by Gogol- probably to keep her from saying anything too damaging. She didn't mind the action. It only meant that her plan had worked. Alex had scared the bastards who had hurt her family. Semak attempted to appease her, gave her a suite to stay in at the hotel for the night, offered her as much money as she wanted to just go away. How stupid he was to think she'd ever back down that easily. She was going to rescue her mother at any cost. If he died as a result, well, that was the preferred outcome wasn't it.
After ensuring she truly was alone in her room, and that there was no chance Gogol or Zetrov was listening, Alex called Sean. She assured him that she was alright and that he could join the others at the safehouse. He was hesitant to leave, but knew with Ari and Semak on edge it was for the best to not be suspiciously hanging around. Besides, she had handled herself just fine so far. It really was going to be okay. She was going to get what she deserved. Over the phone, she voiced as much. And he supported her, like he always would.
They talked for a while, about her next move and what they were going to do once her mother was saved. Yet Alex was still riding the high of the press conference to really focus. The world of spies and assassins always seemed so far off for her. The fact that her family was attacked by an American black ops unit just seemed so far fetched. But conspiracies and lies were a part of her life whether she liked it or not. Both she and her mother had survived that terrible night without the other knowing, after all. It was about time she made her mark on the world that took so much from her. She just never thought she'd be so good at scorching the earth. But it all felt so right. She was going to be an unstoppable voice. Her confidence and determination definitely agreed to that.
Sean eventually had to end the conversation, allowing Nikita to call. The rogue made certain the young woman was alright, before launching into how awesome she was. Alex informed her of the things she had noticed, and the ideas she and Sean had created. She was starting to get the feeling that a lot was happening too fast, yet she pushed through it. She'd be able to rest once her mom was safe and they could be together again. There was just still so much left to do. And so much left to worry about with the new intel that was relayed to her. Apparently Carla recognized Ari on the television; she had seen him with Amanda over a decade ago. Alex definitely wasn't expecting that. But with everything else occurring, what was one more twist.
Nikita advised to be on her guard and to watch Ari closely. Alex told her to do the same, knowing Birkhoff had already hacked into the hotel's security system to watch over her. Ending another phone call, she was alone once more. That time, however, it felt wrong. Not because she was anxious; she was more sure of herself and her abilities than she had ever been. But because she swore someone was watching her. No one had followed her to the hotel. She had shaken that tail before meeting her team at the safehouse. Yet her shadow was certainly in her room then. They must've seen her on television. Alex wasn't going to run and hide anymore, though. She was going to face her stalker head on- let them know exactly who they were dealing with.
She had been in another room of the hotel suite during her phone calls; she had felt more privacy in the bedroom. Whoever was falling her had guessed as much, footsteps approaching the door. Alex waited in the shadows for the perfect time to strike. The doorknob turned. The door creaked open. A tall, muscular figure stood in the doorway. She lunged at the person, tackling them into the other room. There was no move to fight back against her, which surprised her. She pulled back, and stared at the person who had been following her for weeks. It wasn't possible. It didn't seem right. But after all the other shocking connections she had been exposed to, was she really that surprised. Of course her childhood friend was involved, "Yuri?"