Alicia strode down the halls of Division, walking them without needing to think about where she was headed. She'd only been an active Agent for two weeks, and yet she'd already completed six jobs. According to Birkhoff it seemed as though Amanda was trying to set some sort of record with all the missions she had lined up. He felt bad that she had spent more of her time inside Division than at the apartment she'd received such a short while ago. While they'd only been able to slip in a handful of conversations on the invisible program he'd installed in her computer, they had been granted a surprising amount of face time. Half of the missions she'd had to go on were overseen by him in the Command Center, meaning that during both briefing and debriefing they found themselves in the same room.
Birkhoff had worried that upon being activated their interactions would be limited to being through the lens of a webcam. It had turned out that his worries were unnecessary. Working at Division suddenly had an upside that he'd never before experienced. Being coworkers provided them with excuses to see each other while under the guise of working. During missions he hadn't been able to refrain from opening up her personal line and talking to her as she worked. Luckily for him, having his voice in her ear proved as motivation rather than a distraction.
Nevertheless, when Amanda presented the pair with their mission for the day, they were both surprised by what the mission entailed. She met Alicia outside of the Command Center, her burgundy lips turned up into a smile. "Alicia," she greeted her, "you're looking fresh today."
Though she knew that Birkhoff was scared, for lack of a better word, of the woman who now smiled at her- she didn't hold the same fear. While she was aware Amanda's reputation around Division was well deserved, the woman had been nothing but nice to her. In fact, when Alicia had opened the closet in her new apartment it had been to find a note in the woman's elegant handwriting tapped to the back of the door. She'd opened it, her eyes scanning the closet that was filled with a well organized arrangement of clothes. Enjoy your second chance at life, and remember: dress for success. Amanda had personally overseen the selection of the clothes that were now Alicia's, and her taste was impeccable.
Still not used to all of the perks of being an Agent, Alicia's gaze flickered down to the fashionable skirt and blouse she now wore. "Well," her eyes rose to meet Amanda's, "I sent for some of my new outfits." She flashed the older woman a smile, who gave a small chuckle paired with a knowing nod.
"I know you've had to spend most of your nights in your old room," she motioned towards the hall in a sweeping motion of her arm, and Alicia took the hint, stepping up to her side in order to stroll down the hall beside her, "but that will be changing in a few hours."
"Am I going undercover?" she questioned, dread pulling at her gut even as she masked her voice with a twinge of hopefullness. Well aware that Amanda was putting her to more use than most Agents get after activation, she couldn't help but worry that she was about to be shipped off on some lengthy mission.
The smile that Amanda gave her as they arrived on the recruit floor was far from the false ones she donned for many of the others that comprised of Division. The young woman was truly her shining star. After Nikita had been reported dead, yet the body had mysteriously never turned up alerting them to the fact she was more than likely compromised, the woman had been striving for success. Disappointment was not something she would take easily and so she'd quickly gone about trying to find a replacement. While Alicia was nothing like the ex-Agent in question, she did hold the same level of potential. "No, for now I believe you will be better put to use here," Amanda replied, leading her down the hall. "When you complete today's operation," she flashed her star pupil a smile, "you will be granted a well earned break."
From the look in her eyes she could tell that the woman had played a hand in her current assignment, and Alicia made no effort to hide her gratitude. "You mean I may be able to sleep in my own bed?" she asked lightheartedly. She was aware of the fact that Amanda had overseen the furnishing of her apartment, and felt a level of compassion for the woman.
Pleasure at the young woman's appreciation, once more Amanda's smile reached her eyes. "You'll have plenty of time to get settled in," she confirmed, heels clicking on the floor in tune with Alicia's.
Walking through the training room felt oddly surreal. Every step Alicia took she could feel eyes following her, and she made no attempt to avoid meeting them. As a recruit she'd seen her fair share of Agents pass through Division's halls. Being able to see what she had to look forward to had proven as motivation during her time as a recruit. It gave her hope that she too would be able to achieve that second chance. The feeling of being undeserving had dissipated upon sight of seeing a once fellow recruit, now an active Agent, walking the halls with pride. As she met the eyes of the young men and women she wasn't surprised to note she recognized most of them.
From the corner of her eye Amanda was judging the recruits response to Alicia as well. It had caused a feeling of disappointment bordering on outrage with a few of the ones who had been training for much longer than Alicia to find that she'd been given her graduation mission. Now, as they followed her progress across the room with her head held high, it was clear from their expressions they understood why she'd been activated. Word had spread about Alicia's 100% success rate and that had earned respect in their eyes. Despite her disarmingly sweet appearance every inch of her made up a finely tuned assassin. It gave the recruits something to aspire to. While initially Amanda hadn't thought the recruits should ever come in contact with active Agents, she openly admitted that it had turned out to be a useful tool in motivating them towards success.
By the time they reached the Command Center, Alicia had a businesslike smile in place on her face. She had always been good at playing her part when the time came, and now was one of those moments where she had to play her role. Unlike her usually sunny demeanor, when it came to work she donned a professional attitude. Even when she was greeted with the pleasant sight of Birkhoff, busy at one of his computers, she maintained the cool attitude. It was clear from the way he was immersed in his work that he didn't know she was present or he would have greeted her with the same level of playfulness he always exuded these days. Broody Birkhoff was a thing of the past, and Amanda had confided in her that it was about time. Apparently the man had been uncharacteristically frosty ever since the incident with the mysterious Agent that had gone rogue. Now that we're back up and running, she'd informed Alicia, he has no reason to pout.
From the active atmosphere of the room Alicia quickly observed that multiple missions were in progress. It seemed as though every station was occupied by a techie absorbed by some task or another. The sound of typing keys and orders being calmly relayed into headsets filled the air, and the busy hum of the room was oddly comforting.
Amanda approached Birkhoff's work station, stopping a short distance behind him. Just what I needed, he groaned inwardly, dragon lady. He was able to sense her presence and didn't bother so much as a glance towards her. Instead he furrowed his brow, focusing all the more intently at his screen. "Whatever it is will have to wait," he huffed, "this baby isn't going to hack into itself."
"I'm aware you're busy Birkhoff," she said in an offhand manner, "but when you have a moment I have an update for you."
"I know I'm the only genius around here, but can't you give one of these other incompetent boneheads," his voice took on a frustrated tone, "whatever task you're about to assign me?" His hand snapped out, snagging the energy drink from the table, and he gulped it quickly down even has his free hand continued to type out a series of commands.
Amanda let out a sigh, pairing it with a small shake of her head. The man was truly full of himself, but she knew that despite the fact he got on her nerves he was a valuable asset. "This is important Birkhoff," her icy tone informed him.
"Everything I've got lined up is important," he rolled his eyes. "Hack into this server, decode this relay, track this target. . ." he listed off, motioning with one hand to the empty work station beside him that had up a handful of windows that informed him of work that he had to do, "I've only got two hands you know."
She pursed her lips, frustrated at his attitude. It was true, Percy had been loading the man up with more than his fair share of work, but she knew well enough that he could handle it. Nonetheless her eyes scanned the room before locking onto two techies. "You and you," she tersely called out, getting their attention instantly. While she didn't say another word, one look at her face had the two in question rising from their chairs and rushing to her side. They stood at attention, and while she didn't know their names, Amanda set about passing off the work onto them.
Birkhoff didn't even realized what she was doing. He was too busy finishing the final stages of the hack he was currently in the process of. Alicia watched, still standing back as she quietly waited to find out what she was doing in the Command Center, and though she remained impassive on the outside she smiled when the man behind the computer jumped up. "Bam!" he exclaimed, pointing at the screen triumphantly. "And that is how you do it!"
Not amused at his habit of celebrating every time he completed an assignment, Amanda turned her attention to him. "Now that you're done playing around," she practically seethed, "I need you to pay attention. Can you do that for me Birkhoff?"
He scowled over at the woman. She didn't have any idea just how complicated his job actually was. "Playing around," he scoffed, "you call-"
"Operation SplitLevel," she cut him off as though she hadn't heard him, "you've been prepped for it, correct?"
This had his attention, and he sunk begrudgingly back down into his seat. One glance at the empty screen at the station beside him and he realized that Amanda must have doled out his other tasks to some unsuspecting techies. "I've read the file," he shrugged, "but like I told Percy; it's not something I can do without careful preparation. I'll have to create a new program just to-"
"Yes, yes I've heard your complaints on the matter," Amanda once more dismissed him. She ignored his scowl, and instead gave him a tight lipped smile to show her lack of amusement at his attitude. She missed the days after Nikita's disappearance that had resulted in the man being withdrawn. Now that Division had tasted a boost in success, following Alicia's activation, Seymour was back to his old annoyingly lively ways. Regardless of his good mood returning, one look from Amanda and she had him accordingly subdued. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she intoned, "but you can avoid that if you have a second set of hands, can you not?"
Amanda was right, he knew she was aware of this fact, and he groaned. Running a hand through his shaggy brown hair he leaned back into his seat. "They'd be covering my tracks so I could do the real work," he informed her, not liking that she'd brought up the option, "so excuse me for not trusting any of these slackers to do it right. I'd rather just write a new program to do it and save the headache."
At this confirmation she flashed him another one of her painted on smiles. "You've become acquainted with Alicia's success rate I'm sure?" Birkhoff didn't know why she was asking, and he met her eyes with a curious nod. "Good," she nodded briskly, "and I seem to remember that you had positive things to say about her performance in class. In fact, you recommended her for a technician position you, did you not?"
From where she stood, Alicia was surprised by this news. Birkhoff thought I was a good student? She marveled, a happy sensation taking over her. She'd always performed to the best of her abilities, that much was true, but she knew that she couldn't hold a candle to his level of skill. Just hearing that he'd thought she was good enough to work in the Command Center with him made her spirits soar. Coming from the prodigy that was quite a compliment in her eyes.
Birkhoff was hesitant to reply as he nodded. They couldn't know he assured himself, dismissing the wild thought that had flickered into his mind at Amanda bringing up Alicia. He'd made sure that their interactions were undetectable, and so there was no way that she knew about their connection outside of work. "Yeah, that was me," he replied, keeping his reply casual as he shrugged. He'd recommended her for a position as a techie before he'd gotten to know her as anything more than a bright recruit, and well before he saw she was even more skilled in active combat than virtual. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Ignoring his question she smiled, waving Alicia forward. "Her specialty was in encoding and defense related tasks," Amanda droned as Birkhoff's eyes landed on the young woman who now joined them, "wasn't it?" Not waiting for his answer she turned her eyes from Alicia to Birkhoff, giving him a smug look. "You should be able to prep her to aid you in the mission, unless you don't think you're up to the task?"
There was no reason to hide the pleasantly surprised expression that washed over his face as he looked up at Alicia. He hadn't even realized she was present, and now that he realized what Amanda was saying he was suddenly looking forward to the Operation he'd been dreading only minutes ago. "What do you say sweetheart, think you can handle another lesson?" he openly teased her.
Alicia returned his playful comment with a small smile. She could hardly believe her luck! Now that she was no longer a recruit, and Birkhoff's mood had lifted, it wasn't suspicious for the pair to be seen smiling at each other. In fact, they were the two most well known Agents in Division for having lighthearted attitudes when not in the middle of a mission. It would have been more unusual for them not to be smiling at each other, and luckily for them they didn't have to worry about that. "I'm sure I can manage," Alicia responded with a nod.
Satisfied with the pairing, Amanda had no reason to fake her smile when she looked to Alicia. The young woman's acceptance of the operation gave her a sense of satisfaction. The Agent was easily her favorite, and this Operation's success would give her the chance to allow the girl a break from work. Percy wouldn't deny the girl's shining potential when he got the report that she was just as good off the field as on the field. Alicia already had Michael's endorsement, and while it was no secret Amanda was fond of the girl, the only thing left was Birkhoff's seal of approval. Once she had it Percy wouldn't feel the need to monitor her assignments so closely. That would mean Amanda could use the Agent as she saw fit, and pave the path towards a bright future for her. If there was anything Amanda enjoyed more than mind games it was success, and she had no doubts Alicia would provide her with just that.
"I'll leave Birkhoff to prep you on the mission," she rested her hand on the girl's shoulder, staring down into the girls emerald eyes. "When you're finished here you'll have some time off before you'll be needed again," Amanda was glad to inform the girl of the news. From what she'd learned of Alicia in their sessions, the young woman had never been able to experience what a home was. The fact that Division could provide her with that meant its hold on her would be all the more secure, and Amanda was not going to let this one slip through her fingers.
"Shall I stop by your office when I've finished?" Alicia questioned, staring up at the woman. Though the smile on her lips wasn't the same as the ones she shared with Birkhoff, it was just as genuine nonetheless.
"There will be no need for debriefing on this Operation," Amanda gave a small shake of her head, her short dark hair swaying the slightest bit. "You'll be able to return home and settle in, I know you haven't had the chance to do that yet," the trusting look in the young woman's eyes made her feel all the more secure in her selection of the girl as her favorite. "Feel free to explore the city and take some time to get acquainted with the area. It will be a little while before you'll be needed, so enjoy your new home and get comfortable."
As Amanda had intended it to, the word home warmed Alicia's heart. "I'm looking forward to it," she couldn't contain her dazzling grin.
Turning her attention to Birkhoff, Amanda picked up on the man's grimace. The unhappy expression on his boyish face gave her the same sense of pleasure it always did. "Play nice Birkhoff," her voice was patronizing as she addressed him, "you won't want to get on Alicia's bad side if you know what's good for you." With that said she turned and strode from Operations, leaving the two to finish the assignment they'd been given.
Seymour scowled after the woman, a sour taste in his mouth just from talking to her. While he was glad that Alicia wasn't on the Inquisitor's hitlist, unlike him, things still didn't sit well. He hated Amanda's interest in Alicia. It made him feel sick to the stomach every time he caught sight of the smile that she'd give his favorite Agent. Unlike the cold calculated smiled that Amanda was known for, she exchanged honest ones with Alicia and that was an expression that terrified him. Anything that gained the dragon lady's interest was doomed in his opinion. She had a way of molding people into what she wanted, and what the psychotic woman wanted was never good.
At first he'd worried that she'd want to turn Alicia into a cruel professional such as herself. Instead the woman had done the unexpected, and instead she openly encouraged and supported the young woman's lighthearted manner. Since it didn't affect her ability to kill, there had been no reason for Amanda to mold her personality into a different state. In fact, if Birkhoff knew anything about the woman- and he did, he'd say that Amanda had realized she could use Alicia's unlikely pureness to her advantage.
"She's lying," Alicia's voice broke him from the worried path it had started down, "I don't have a bad side."
He laughed, the concern Amanda had left him with dissipating with one of her smiles. "You're not very modest," he observed with a playful scoff, "but you are honest."
Glad that the frustrated look he'd been wearing just a moment ago was gone, she beamed down at him. "Look who's talking, ShadowStalker," she whispered with a secretive smile. The name he'd given the program that the two chatted on made her giddy every time she saw it. It was just so entirely Birkhoff.
"That's Master to you," he gave her a wry smile. Before she could react to his comment he pointed towards the open computer station next to him. "Sit your ass down and get ready to obey," he ordered her, suddenly loving the mission they'd just been given, "because I'm not going to take it easy on you, despite Amanda's little warning."
With a surprised laugh she did as he said, slipping into the computer chair. The moment she was seated Birkhoff had rolled up to her side, eyes on the screen as he reached in front of her, fingers on the keys. "What am I going to be doing exactly?" she asked, looking at the man who was hovering just an inch from her as he bent forward to invade her computer station.
"Operation SplitLevel," he informed her as he pulled up the corresponding file on her screen. Once it was up he relaxed back into his seat, watching as she read the information that he had pulled up for her. He studied the side of her face without any hint of discretion, taking in the serious expression she donned as she made herself familiar with the mission. If he didn't know better he'd say she was part chameleon. The way she was able to switch emotions without any effort wasn't a skill she'd picked up from Division; it came naturally.
When she finished reading over the details of the mission she turned her eyes over to where Birkhoff sat, his chair pressed up against hers. "Fairly straight forward," she gave a small nod, her eyes returned to the screen. "A virtual attack coordinated with a ground assault," she observed.
"Not as easy as it may sound," he reached over her again, arm brushing against hers as he maneuvered the mouse. With a few clicks he pulled up some more information on the criminal organization in question. "While they try to subdue the threat on the ground I'll only have a short window to break down their defenses and launch my attack before they wise up," Birkhoff's eyes flickered to see that Alicia was still paying attention to the screen in front of her.
He ran through the details of the plan, filling her in on anything that she'd need to know for things to go smoothly. Before long he was leaning back in his seat, sipping on his energy drink with pride in his eyes as he took in his student. She'd come a long way from the girl who'd struggled through her first week. Looking back he felt bad for all of the insults that he'd thrown out when she and her fellow recruits failed. Granted, he treated all of his students like that, but now it made him wonder. How had she been able to smile at him every day regardless of the biting comments that rolled from his lips? He knew better than anyone that he'd be a stick in the mud ever since the whole Nikita ordeal.
Pulling his eyes away from Alicia, he returned to his own station, getting to work as he left her to her task. The pair were submerged in their work, and yet remained aware of the fact the other was at their side. It felt natural to be under Birkhoff's direction once more, and whenever he invaded her personal bubble to give her directions on what to do she paid rapt attention. The man was truly a genius when it came to computers.
Alicia didn't even have time to doubt her abilities before she was met with his grin, his eyes moving from her screen to commandeer her attention. "You're easier to program than a computer," he laughed, "and better to look at too."
"Is that a compliment?" she asked, quirking a brow. Though she played it cool, his words gave her confidence. If Birkhoff was comparing her to the computers that he reigned over, than she must be doing something right.
"Don't let it get to your pretty little head," he reached out, ruffling her hair. One of the techies cleared his throat, causing the pair to look up in surprise. He stood behind Alicia's station, but with Birkhoff's rolling chair pressed up against hers it was hard to tell who he'd come up to talk to. "What?" Birkhoff snapped, shooting a narrowed glare.
The man straightened the slightest bit, his eyes darting from Alicia to Birkhoff. "Teams are in place," he announced, adjusting his headset.
"Send them in," he ordered. Turning his attention to Alicia, Seymour smiled. "Ready to rock n' roll?"
Before she could respond the sound of the man behind them interrupted once more. "You have the green light," he spoke into his mike, but his eyes were on Alicia as he said it. She met his blue eyes, not quite sure why he was staring at her so steadily. "Team one and two hold for further instructions," his low voice continued on, despite the fact he continued to hold her gaze. Wondering why she was being stared at, her eyes shifted to Birkhoff's to see if she could find the answer there.
He grimaced at the techie, whose eyes had finally moved to meet his. He didn't even get the chance to shoot him a glare, not liking the way he'd been looking at Alicia one bit, before the man's eyes were once more on her. It rubbed him the wrong way and he growled, "Well?"
"Operation is in motion," the man's voice was directed at Birkhoff this time, his eyes snapping to the man.
"Then get to work," Birkhoff hissed, shooing the man off with a waving of hands. His tone sent the techie scrambling back to his station without so much as a glance back. When Birkhoff finally turned his irritated gaze back to Alicia she flashed him a little teasing smile. "What's so funny?" he asked, lips tight.
She leaned in towards him, flashing a little glance in the direction of the techie who was now staring at his computer with great determination. "Everyone here is scared of you," she whispered, realizing what the look the technician had been giving her meant. He was surprised Birkhoff was being playful, she realized. She hadn't noticed until that point that everyone had been staying out of Seymour's business. The only time they interacted with him was when he was barking orders to them or demanding a refill for the energy drink addiction he clearly had. While he no longer had the brooding attitude that he had when she'd first met him, the humor he held wasn't shared with anyone. Apparently she was the only one who understood and participated in it.
Not scared enough, he thought, his eyes narrowing angrily on the man who had ruined the moment. This was the first time he had Alicia in his domain. In the Command center he was the one in control. Unlike when she was out on the field and he could only sit back and watch, here he could let her see the real work that he did. She'd get to see him in action, and he was enjoying every second of it. When he realized Alicia was staring at him he turned, only to be met with her smile. It broke him down instantly, and the annoyance evaporated. "They're not the only ones who should be scared," he wheeled back to his station. Flashing her a grin he laced his fingers, flexing them in front of him, before placing them on the keys. "Ready?"
Alicia nodded, turning her attention to her own screen. Nervousness pulled at her gut, but she shrugged it off. Being in the field didn't hold as much tension as being behind a computer did. This wasn't just some simulation. If she didn't perform well then it wasn't just her at risk, it was other people at risk. If she failed then the entire mission went down the drain. I don't even have the hard part, her gaze shifted to Birkhoff, who sat hunched over his computer. His fingers were flying, eyes locked on the screen. Time seemed to stand still as the figures on his display caught her attention. They raced so quickly she couldn't make sense of any of it, and yet it felt like she'd only had the time to blink once when Birkhoff's voice brought her back to earth.
"I'm almost in," his words were directed at her, but he was still intently focused on his monitor, "get ready babe."
Her eyes snapped to the computer and she waited, fingers ready at the keys. Every second that passed she could feel some imaginary gear in her stomach winding her tighter and tighter. She exhaled a little breath, trying to calm herself as she watched Birkhoff's progress on her screen. He had worked his magic; assaulting the virtual defenses that had been put up to keep people like him out. Only Birkhoff wasn't just anyone. "Take that," he exclaimed, and Alicia could see her screen change as they were granted access, "you are now ShadowWalker's biznotch!"
Alicia launched right into it, her fingers dancing over the keys. Birkhoff had time to glance over at her, taking in the sight of her at work. She looked calm and composed, engrossed in her work. He loved the sight of her behind a computer, working the virtual world with the skills that she'd developed under his instruction. Once more his eyes returned to his screen, instantly diving back into his work.
They were a team to be reckoned with, and he couldn't stop the grin from taking over his lips. Alicia worked, trying to resist from biting her lip as she frantically commandeered the defenses that Birkhoff had just broken through. The second she had control of the system Birkhoff took over on his screen, but not before saying, "Now's the fun part."
An alert flashed, and Alicia realized that her opponent this time was virtual. It's just like on the field, she told herself, use what I know. She exhaled a little breath and began to do what Birkhoff had made her practice earlier. With trained precision she typed out the strings of commands that had been engraved into her mind after weeks of practice. Her job was simple: play defense while Birkhoff ran offense. As he worked his way through the web of information Alicia felt the tension in her veins lifting. She skillfully led whoever was trying to track Seymour's progress on a wild goose chase.
The plan had worked, and whatever the Agents where doing out in the real world was going off without a hitch. While she didn't know what exactly they were doing, the chatter that filled her ears from the Command Center all sounded positive. All that mattered was it had gone just as Birkhoff had informed her it would. While the Agents sent the people on the ground into a scramble, he had been able to break into their system before they were any the wiser. Alicia had jumped in, resurrecting the scraps of the defense that he'd left behind, piecing them back together under Division's control.
Now, as Birkhoff dug for whatever was the goal of the mission, Alicia was left to fend off the desperate attempts to regain control of their systems. In the time it had taken them to realize what was going on she had already gotten five steps ahead. Everything was going perfectly until Birkhoff tripped an alert. "You snake bastard!" he growled in outrage. "No, no, no, this isn't happening." Alicia watched the defenses she'd built up shattering. It only took her a heartbeat to realize that whatever Birkhoff had tripped allowed remote access on the system. He swiftly launched into a frantic attack on his keyboard, tapping so quickly on the keys that it was a wonder he didn't break them.
Think, what would Birkhoff do? Her mind prompted and so she observed, taking a moment to recognize what he was doing, before jumping into action. Before he could finish the first string of code she'd already started on the second, working at a furious pace to catch up to him. The moment it appeared on her screen that he'd sent his out to be processed she quickly followed it by sending out her own. The wall was back up, whoever was on the other end probably stunned at how quickly their override had been shut down. It was clear Birkhoff was, for he muttered a stunned, "What the hell?"
"Chill," Alicia's voice surprised him. His eyes darted to her, and when he saw the quick smile she flashed him, her eyes only flickering to him for an instant before returning to the screen. "I've got your back," she mirrored the words that he'd once used on her.
Birkhoff quickly realized what she'd just done. She'd finished the second step of his code, reading his mind on how to regain control, and cut the time it would have taken in half. He wasn't used to working so closely with someone, and had forgotten that she was there when things had gone out of control. Not missing a beat he followed her lead, strengthening the defense as Alicia did the same. While she had a head start on him, they finished at the same time and once more they were ahead of the competition by a good few steps. "Cover me," he ordered, "I'm going back in."
His face loomed closer to the screen as he bent forward. On her computer Alicia obeyed, sending the invisible enemies after false leads. It wasn't difficult to do, and she watched as their attempts were redirected to directories that Division didn't have the slightest interest in. Whipping up an algorithm like Birkhoff had taught her, she could almost hear his directions repeating in her mind. Following them blindly, judging her memory to be accurate, she soon had it active and codes were generated at a fast enough pace that it would hold off anyone who triggered it for a good minute or two. It wasn't long, and it wasn't perfect, but it was just enough to buy some time.
"It's a fucking minefield," Seymour remarked, eyes narrowing as he maneuvered his way through the directories that were now filling his screen.
"More than half of this information is nothing but bugs," Alicia agreed with a mystified nod. She watched his progress, keeping track of the defense they'd built up out of the corner of her eye. No one had triggered her trap yet, meaning she had time to watch the man work.
"These guys are paranoid," he muttered, shaking his head as he hunted for the files that he was supposed to be retrieving. It didn't take long for the master hacker, and soon he had exactly what he'd been sent to obtain. "Not paranoid enough," he grinned, starting the download. The progress bar quickly filled and the ping of completion came at the same time that Alicia's trap was sprung. When Birkhoff spotted it he took complete control, leaving Alicia nothing to do but watch as he typed in a series of commands before relaxing back into his chair with a satisfied grin.
She stared at the screen for a moment. It's done, she marveled at the completed progress bar that lingered on the black of the monitor, just like that. It had been her first Operation from behind a computer, and the whole thing felt sort of surreal. It was hard to believe that just moments ago she'd been frantically calling up code and launching a cyber intrusion.
While the look on her face gave nothing away, he could almost sense her incredulity what she'd just done. Active duty was nothing like the work that went on in Operations. He knew from teaching the recruits for so many years that the feeling of completing a mission from behind a screen was unique. Some people couldn't handle the pressure the job entailed. Working solely with your brain wasn't something that everyone could do. "We're out," Birkhoff called out towards the two techies who were overseeing the Agents in the field, the man from earlier included.
"That was so," Alicia paused, her breathy voice hanging in the air as she searched for the right word to use, "fast."
"Time flies when you're having fun," he teased, catching her wide eyes in his.
Birkhoff's grin caused her to smile, and she relaxed back into the seat. "You call that fun?" she chuckled, shaking her head. How Birkhoff couldn't manage to do that day in and day out she had no idea. It had only been two hours and she felt like time had flown, and yet fried her brain at the same time. "I don't know how you can do it," she admitted, "I'm drained."
"There's a reason for my addiction," he teased, lifting his energy drink from the table. Birkhoff finished off the remained of the acidic beverage with a few large gulps before setting the empty can aside.
The same techie that had interrupted them before did so again, hovering a few steps behind the two. "All teams have reported in. Zero casualties," he reported. His eyes never left Birkhoff's. "Percy has requested you for debriefing."
While Seymour had wanted to walk Alicia to her car, at least this once, he found himself denied that chance. Instead all he could do was walk her out the door of Operations. The moment they stepped into the hall they had to part ways, and left with a casual goodbye and an exchange of smiles. It felt weird to let her leave, knowing that he wouldn't be seeing her at Division for an undisclosed period of time. Amanda had made it clear that Alicia was about to get some time off. How much time, however, he didn't know. Everything surrounding Alicia was unusual. It was an unusual he thoroughly loved, and the moment he finished with Percy he found himself settling down in front of his computer, booting up ShadowStalker.
The elevator doors closed behind Alicia, and she was surprised to find a bottle of wine sitting out on her counter complete with a crystal glass. A card was leaning against it, and she lifted up the ivory cardstock. When she opened it, the elegant print of Amanda met her eyes. A little housewarming gift. Enjoy – A. Alicia didn't need to be told twice and she scooped up the glass and bottle, striding into her bedroom. After slipping into a nightgown it was only a matter of time until she'd opened her laptop. Sitting cross legged with her back resting against the headboard, she had just opened the wine when the request for a video call came in.