Slipping her arms into the black jacket, Alicia smiled. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this," she admitted, her eyes flickering over to the female Operative beside her.
"Which part?" the Operative asked, her finely plucked eyebrows rising.
"This whole co-ed changing experience," she laughed. Her green eyes flittered over the four men who were on the opposite side of the room, all in the process of gearing up as well.
The woman gave a nod of agreement. "You get used to it," she shrugged on her jacket. After zipping it up she met Alicia's eyes. "Other than the Op's where you need to dress for a cover," she informed her, "you'll be down here with the rest of the team."
"Well that makes sense: when you're dressed to be undressed you get privacy," Alicia couldn't help but smile, finding it a bit humorous. While the woman refrained from laughing, she did share in the smile. "You'd think they could manage locker rooms," she shrugged, realizing for the first time just how weird it was. With everything that Division had she couldn't help but find it odd that they made everyone change together. Not like there's anything to see, she realized, thinking to the underclothes she wore. The issued boy short underwear and sports bra weren't exactly lingerie grade.
"You could always bring it up to Amanda," one of the male Agents interrupted, "I'm sure she'd take it into consideration for you." His brown eyes were locked on Alicia, words directed towards her as well. The tone of his voice was clearly patronizing, and she picked up on it instantly. One look at the man who had approached, already fully geared up, and she was reminded of Samson. He had the same superior attitude that Samson always held when he would harass Alicia about Birkhoff.
His attitude only amused Alicia. "I just might," she flashed him a bright smile, turning to stride from the room. She wasn't about to let the petty words get to her. It was no secret that Amanda was fond of her. The fact she was being sent on yet another mission was proof of that. While Alicia had managed to get two weeks away from Division she found herself being called in once more.
An Operative had dropped out of the mission, the reasons behind it unknown to Alicia, and she had been assigned as the replacement. It was odd considering the Operation had nothing to do with the skill set that Amanda was so fond of. No, this time she wouldn't have to play a character. She was merely a part of the field team and didn't have any significant part to play. There was no reason that another Agent shouldn't have been able to fill the spot. Yet here she was, strolling down into the parking garage to take her place in the back of a black SUV. In the matter of a few hours she'd be out on the field and part of a strike team sanctioned to take out a dirty corporation.
It felt weird to be a part of a Team. The handful of missions she'd been a part of she always played a part that made use of her looks and ability to act convincingly. The mission in question had nothing to do with that, and as she strode towards the awaiting SUV she wondered how she'd gotten drafted for it. With all of the Agents that Division has at their disposal, she asked herself, why me? It wasn't that she didn't like being put to use. She'd happily do whatever Division asked of her, eagerly earning the second chance they had given her. However, like the other Agents climbing into the van, she wasn't sure what circumstances led to her being activated so often.
Resting her firearm across her lap, she scanned the others that comprised of her Team. The leader for this mission was Agent Monroe, one she'd never before had an opportunity to work with, and he seemed to be the only one impartial to her involvement. As everyone got settled into the van she tried to get comfortable on the bench seats that had her facing the three men who clearly didn't think she was up to the task. Monroe had slipped in between her and the female operative, and she felt an unusual sensation of confinement. It was going to be a long drive to the drop point.
Worse yet was Birkhoff wasn't a part of this mission. When she had been called in she didn't have time to contact him to let him know. She figured she wouldn't have to; he was always in Operations after all. But when she'd showed up for briefing he was nowhere to be seen. The station he usually occupied was empty and she didn't have an opportunity to look into where he was. Even more unusual was the absence of Michael and Amanda. Briefing had been handled by Agent Monroe and after receiving all of the intel she'd filed straight down to sublevel eight to get geared up.
Now she sat in the moving vehicle, listening to the men make small talk. They'd shoot glances her way on occasion, voices lowered as they whispered to each other. Clearly these Agents had worked together before. The ground teams were always well oiled units; it was a necessary for the role that they played. Being a new addition, with no prior experience as part of a strike team, made her the odd man out. Pair that with her innocent face and title as Amanda's Pet and she could feel none of them were taking her seriously.
They didn't doubt she could kill, they were all up to date on the four successful kill missions she'd completed, and they didn't doubt in her training. Rather it was the fact that she had proven that she wasn't expendable. If anything went wrong on this mission and she was injured, or worse- killed, then it was their heads on the line. Amanda wouldn't be happy with whoever was responsible for her rising star being hindered. Having Alicia as a member of their Strike Team only added a new dimension to everything they had to worry about.
She couldn't blame her fellow Agents for their apprehension towards working with her. When out on the field you couldn't be worrying about the man on your side. You had to focus solely on the task at hand, trusting them to coordinate with you. A strike team had to work as a unit, and that was hard to accomplish when a piece of you was off thinking about another member. It was the entire reason relationships weren't allowed in Division after all.
When the SUV came to a stop Alicia knew it was time to prove herself yet again. It seemed like that was all she was doing on these missions. Every one had some new aspect she found herself having to deal with. This one would be no different. So, when the back door opened to reveal Roan, she wasn't entirely surprised.
Back in Operations the same couldn't be said for Michael. "What is Roan doing there?" he asked, eyes flittering over to Percy.
While Percy felt the man's eyes on him, he was preoccupied with the image on the screen. "His services are needed," he informed him. With narrow eyes he took in the large screen that overlooked all of Operations. It displayed the strike team as they climbed from the transport vehicle, breaking up into three separate groups.
Michael watched as Roan and Alicia were paired together, hanging back as the other two groups disappeared into the trees. They waited on the edge of the large estate, standing beside each other without a word between them. The silence didn't strike him as odd but rather the combination of Agents. "Is there new intel on the mission?" he asked, wondering over the presence of the Cleaner. When he'd been briefed upon arriving in Operations the mission details didn't call for anything other than a Strike Team. "It was my understanding that this was a simple elimination job."
Percy turned his piercing blue eyes to his right hand man. Taking in his curious expression he was left with a feeling of satisfaction. "Perceptive as ever Michael," he smiled coolly. "Think of this as an opportunity," his eyes returned to the screen.
"An opportunity for what?"
"To kill two birds with one stone," he answered dismissively. Before Michael could question him further he turned his attention to the man behind the computer at his side. "Pull up communications," he ordered, "I want audio on the team frequency."
The man gave a quick nod, typing the command onto his keyboard. He patched the line through to the Operation's speakers and soon the sound of the Strike Team was filling the Command Center. "Perimeter guards down," one of the members were confirming, "approaching the entrance."
"Doors are now unlocked," a techie informed the team, his voice amplified over the speakers.
Michael watched, lips pursed as he observed Alicia and Roan start towards the large estate. With their path cleared by the two teams they were able to move quickly through the trees. "Amanda had told me that Alicia was on standby," he saw no reason not to express his concerns with the mission. His instincts told him that there was something about this Operation that was fishy, and he wasn't going to stop until he knew what it was. "Why was she activated without my knowledge?" Michael turned his attention to Percy.
"Not everything goes through you Michael," he replied in an offhand manner, "sometimes decisions must be made when the occasion arises. This was one of those instances."
Down on the ground Alicia had no idea that Percy was overseeing the entire thing, Michael at his side. She followed along with Roan, weapons at the ready as they made their way up to the large white building. Passing by the body of a downed guard she could hear a volley of shots being exchanged just up ahead. "Do we have eyes on the balcony?" Monroe chirped through her headset.
"Negative, cameras are down," a voice responded.
"Team C, progress?" Monroe requested, the sound of shots in the background even as he asked it.
Roan came to a stop beside the open door, Alicia taking her post on the opposite side. "In position at entrance A," his cool voice came, eyes meeting Alicia's as they stood with their weapons at the ready.
"Hold your position," he informed them, "taking fire from the balcony." A few seconds passed, ticking by slowly as Alicia waited for the green light. The original plans for the mission had been adjusted only slightly upon Roan's arrival. Instead of being part of the suppression team that was on the other side of door they waited near, she had found herself playing a different role. When the words, "Ten second window," came, she knew exactly what it meant.
Moving quickly she filed through the door, weapon drawn and finger ready at the trigger. She made a quick sweep of the grand entrance, covering the left side as Roan mirrored her actions for the right. They moved swiftly, passing through the doorway that lead to the cocktail room. Ducking behind an overturned coach she joined Monroe just as a volley of shots flew past her. Roan followed suit, joining the other two agents behind the bar, expertly rolling to avoid being hit.
Michael could feel the tension all the way back in Operations as he listened in on the mission. Video feeds had been cut, and the moment the visual had been lost Percy had turned vicious. "Where are my cameras?" he snapped, pointing towards the screen overhead. All that it contained was a sky view of the building, small green dots marking off the positions of the agents.
"Working on it," a techie responded, his fingers flying.
"Well work faster," he growled, "I want a visual and I want it now."
For a moment Michael watched the man working on the problem at hand when realization dawned on him. "Where is Birkhoff?" he questioned.
"His presence was not needed," Percy answered without hesitation, voice clipped.
As he heard the sound of more gun shots, Michael could hardly control his frustration at the situation. He hadn't been informed that one of his Agents was being activated which was reason enough to be suspicious, but now there was more to it than that. Where is Amanda? He wondered, eyes scanning over the Command Center for the hundredth time. And Birkhoff, his eyes narrowed on the techie who was still working on gaining control of the cameras, why isn't he here? Every aspect of the Operation that was being carried out made warnings go off in his head. For the first time he questioned Percy's presence in the room. He hadn't thought about it until that moment, but it was definitely odd that the man was overseeing the mission personally.
He took in the man with a quick sweep of his eyes. The irritated look on his face as he listened in on the mission, eyes locked intensely on the screen as though anticipating at any second the picture would be back, revealed that he was invested in the Operation at hand. Unable to hold back any longer Michael made the decision to press for answers. "What are you not telling me about this Operation?" he asked his boss without hesitation.
Percy had known that it was only a matter of time before he decided to question further. In fact, he'd been counting on it. "Don't think of it as just an Operation," he gave the younger man a dry smile, "consider it more of a test."
"Who's being tested?" he asked, meeting the blue eyes that were now focused on him. One look at the man and he knew the answer. "Alicia," he breathed, eyes flickering back to the screen. While the cameras remained unavailable, the dot that indicated her tracker was on the move still remained. It was coupled with Roan's and he tracked their progress on the screen with his eyes. The other teams moved in groups of three, branching out in different directions.
"Don't look so worried Michael," he gave a low chuckle. "If she's as good as Amanda seems to believe," Percy tilted his head slightly, observing Michael as he spoke, "then she'll pass this little field mission."
Michael knew better that to believe that was the whole truth, and so he didn't back down. "Shouldn't Amanda be present?" he questioned the man. He never thought the day would come where he desired her presence. It had nothing to do with wanting to see the woman and everything to do with Alicia being out on the field. She was his Agent, and he should have been involved in the organizing of this test- whatever it was. The only way he could have accepted being left out would have been if Amanda played a hand in it. It was no secret that she'd pegged Alicia as a favorite and at least she would have some reserves about sending her out on a dangerous mission. Percy, on the other hand, held no qualms about potentially losing the Agent.
"She'll be informed of the results," he dismissed the question with an easy smile. "Her presence would only interfere with the test," Percy informed him, eyes returning to the screen.
"What are we testing her on?" Michael inquired, genuinely concerned now. His low, gravelly voice gave nothing away. If anything it sounded interested and easy as he refrained from letting the worry show.
"A pretty face can only go so far Michael," he gave his head a small shake. While Percy was pleased with the success rate that Alicia held, he wasn't yet convinced she held the potential Amanda claimed she did.
"Alicia has proven she has no reservations about killing," he defended the Agent. He'd spent countless hours training the girl and would have never approved of her being activated so early if he felt it premature. "Not to mention she held up fine when working with Birkhoff," he pointed out. "Amanda isn't the only one who approves of her use," he continued on, "we all signed off on her training, you saw to that."
Percy turned his eyes on Michael, giving him an amused look. "If you are so certain in her abilities why try to shield her from a simple test?" he asked, all the more certain that this Operation was entirely necessary. Not giving Michael a chance to answer, he shot a satisfied smile his way. "It's that innocent face of hers that has you worried for her, and that's not something I can overlook. I expected this of Birkhoff," he sighed, "but I'd rather hoped you would have seen past it."
"Birkhoff?" Michael asked, curious once more why the computer nerd wasn't present.
"Yes," he nodded deftly, "Birkhoff. Alicia has managed to break him from his little mourning period over Nikita. He's been performing much better ever since she was activated. Before I can make use of that I need to know that she is devoted to Division." He turned his eyes to the screen, once more observing the progress of the Agents on the screen. "If she passes this little assessment then I will personally grant her my approval," he added casually. For a moment the sound of the field Agents once more filled Operations. The moment they finished relaying information to each other Percy turned his eyes to the techie at the computer beside him. "Speaking of Birkhoff," his voice was suddenly sour, "he would have had the cameras up by now."
"I've almost-" the man started to say, stopping himself as the image of the Agents popped back up on the control screen. The moment he did he sighed in relief, "They're up," he stated the obvious.
Both Percy and Michael were momentarily consumed with watching the figures on the monitor. The camera angles showed the six field Agents on the screen as they engaged in a volley on the ground floor. Alicia and Roan were nowhere to be seen, and this didn't escape Percy. "I want a visual on Roan now," he demanded roughly. The request was quickly granted and the image of the two took precedence on the screen.
Alicia was working her way down the hallway a step behind Roan as they made their way to the primary target. "Retire your weapon," he instructed, slipping his gun into his holster.
She followed suit just as the sound of the techie rang out over their earpiece. "You're nearing the target. Prepare for close quarters combat. From here on out it is imperative you do not broadcast your position."
If it wasn't for the fact that she knew the cameras were on her, having been informed they were once more active, she would have rolled her eyes. Roan had briefed her on their role in the mission once he'd been added to the team and she was well aware what the mission now entailed. While the ground teams provided a distraction, currently in a heated exchange two floors below, it was their job to proceed to the main target. The guards would all be taken care of in due time, but the head of the operation had to be eliminated before he had the chance to make an escape. While she doubted that was possible, what with six highly trained gunmen covering all the exits on the ground floor, she wasn't going to question orders.
While Roan had retired his sidearm, he now donned a pair of double edged blades in his hands. Alicia didn't have the same caliber of weapon, but she did unsheathe her knife. With it at the ready in her hand she followed him down the hall, on high alert as they made their way down the narrow corridor. The current level they were on didn't have many camera angles available for Operations to observe from, but they'd been able to confirm there were only five people present on the floor their primary target included.
Just as they rounded a corner they came face to face with one of the men. Before he could get a shot off Alicia was on him, knocking the weapon away with a well placed kick. He launched into action just as quickly, going into a quick succession of attacks. She dodged his fists, blocking a well aimed swing towards her head before it could connect. In the narrow hallway her size was to her advantage, and she slipped through his legs, popping up behind him with speed. In a heartbeat her knife found its target; burying deep into the back of the man's neck.
As he crumpled forward Roan caught him, giving her just enough time to yank the knife free. Blood glistened on the ceramic blade and she stared at it for a moment before wiping it off on the leg of her pants without a second thought. The Cleaner set the body aside, Alicia scanning the hallway with blade at the ready as she remained vigilant in case of another attacker. It only took a moment for Roan to have the dead guard out of the way and he met her eyes, giving a small nod.
She hung back, keeping a watch on the hallway they'd just come down as Roan took the lead. He led them down the hall, following the path that had been mapped out for them. In the headset the sound of the other Agents continued to ring out. They were playing their part perfectly and had managed to get all of the remaining guards' attention. When Roan and Alicia had slipped up the stairs it had been during the only break in fire, and no more lulls in combat had occurred so far.
Just as they caught sight of the door that the target was behind the remaining three guards all appeared at once. They had the misfortune of turning the corner straight into the pair of Division Agents, having little time to react. Like a well oiled machine Roan and Alicia acted in unison, removing the threat of the firearms from the equation. Before they had the chance to take any of the men down a warning sounded in their earpieces. "Someone alerted the guards," Monroe's hurried voice came, "they are headed to your floor."
As if that wasn't enough, another voice soon followed. "Target has called for an evac," a techie informed them. "You only have a few minutes before we lose him," his words were rushed, "take him out now."
Alicia narrowly dodged a knife that one of the guards had pulled just as the information stopped flooding in. He swiped at her again, this time cutting through her jacket and shirt, barely grazing over her skin. She met his attack with one of her own, engaging him in combat and ignoring the burning pain on her torso. Roan had his hands full with the other two, in a heated back and forth with the men. Just as he managed to slice into the stomach of one of the men he met Alicia's eyes. "Go," he ordered.
Back in Operations Percy couldn't believe his ears. "What is he doing?" he asked no one in particular, taking a step towards the screen that showed the two Agents. Roan had engaged the third man without any hesitation. Alicia tried to even the odds, her knife connecting with one of the man's legs as she dropped down to avoid the flurry of hands and knives as the men all focused their attacks on Roan.
She sprung to her feet, dodging a blade as she fell back from the fight. Without a second thought she took off down the hall, leaving Roan to handle the three guards. She stripped off the torn jacket, tossing it to the side as she went. Michael could hardly believe his eyes, a similar level of disbelief at Roan's behavior. He knew that the Cleaner would have no problem with the three to one odds he faced, that didn't concern him. What was so unexpected was that he had taken on the man that Alicia had been engaging. It would have been easy for him to take out one of the men and leave Alicia to handle the other two. Instead he'd taken on the responsibilities of the guards and entrusted Alicia with the task of stopping the target from slipping away.
Alicia, on the other hand, didn't share in the shock that coated Operations. She'd proven to Roan that she was fast, and he was well aware that her size gave her an advantage when it came to slipping away. Though she was well trained and could have taken out the man she had been in combat with, it would have taken longer to kill him then it did for her to slip away. What no one in the Command Center knew was that she'd proven to the Cleaner she was qualified for the mission during the time the cameras had been down. The pair worked surprisingly well together. His precision paired with her nimbleness were deadly to everyone they'd run across.
There was no doubt in her mind that he'd made the right decision even as she heard the chatter over her earpiece as the people back in Operations panicked. From what she picked up on Roan had managed to take out two of the three men before the guards they'd been warned were approaching closed in on his position. That meant there was even less time for her to get to the target than before. While he must know by now that the floor he was on had been breached, he had no way of knowing just how close the Operatives had gotten. Hand to hand combat had ensured a silent approach, the sounds being undetectable over the noise of gunshots that rang out from below, but once the other guards happened onto Roan they would surely open fire.
Drawing her gun, she pulled open the heavy door, going through it without missing a beat. She started the scan on the room, but only had a second before the gun was knocked from her hand, the door she'd just come through slamming closed behind her. Responding off of instinct she dropped to the ground, rolling quickly away. Her eyes had locked on the man who stood near the door before she'd even gotten to her feet.
His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her, quickly taking in the tear in her shirt that exposed her stomach and the wound she'd received. "They sent a girl?" he asked, awestruck at the sight of her.
Alicia straightened up, unable to move from her spot across the room as she eyed him up. Her gun lay near his feet, while he had a gun already directed at her. He hasn't fired yet, her mind called out. It took a second to process what this meant, when she realized how she must look. With her innocent face and small figure she didn't appear to be much of a threat. Especially not when the tight white tank top she wore was split, the cut on her toned stomach glistening with blood. While it was merely a scratch it was impossible to tell that with how the small amount of blood had smeared when she'd torn off her jacket. Using her disheveled appearance to her advantage she nodded weakly. "Air ducts are a tight squeeze," she lied in a soft voice.
The man stared at her for a long moment, a silence falling over the room. In her ear, however, there was a steady stream of chatter. She couldn't make sense of it, every iota of her attention being used to assess the situation. I'm unarmed, she took inventory, injured and alone. Just as she tried to come up with a plan, the man's small chuckle gave her hope. "So that's how you got past my guards," he said easily, reaching back with his free hand to lock the thick door. Gun still pointed at her he did a quick scan of her once more, taking inventory on her appearance. "But not without a little trouble I see," he observed, eyes lingering on her stomach.
Playing the part her mind had just assigned her, she allowed her hand to find its way to the cut on her stomach. Wincing, she set her hand over the wound, playing up the amount of pain it was actually giving her. "Nothing I can't handle," Alicia's soft voice filled the room. Her tone was determined yet shaken, almost defiant.
Once more the man laughed, clearly buying into her act of weakness. "Is that so?" he asked, observing her every move closely. When her lip trembled the slightest bit, her eyes glistening in tears that she refused to let show, he ate it all up.
"I'm fine," she growled, drawing her hand away from the wound as she narrowed her eyes on him. One thing that Amanda had taught her was never to play things up too much. Defiance can be crucial to a convincing play of weakness. Reaching up she wiped the blood off on the breast of her shirt, staining the white material. "You're the one that should be worried," she added, gritting her teeth.
For once she was glad that the outfit Division had provided was so common. When she saw his eyes taking in the black pants she wore paired with the ripped white shirt she knew what he was looking for. "Who do you work for?" he asked, as she knew he was about to.
Running over all the intel she had on the target that stood before her she worked out a story in the blink of an eye. The weapons corporation was beyond dirty. Using shell companies they stockpiled money that they made through the illegal sale of firearms. But, worse than that, the firearms that weren't sold to legitimate dealers were instead sold to specific gangs. By providing warring gangs with weapons the company had ensured that both sides would always need more firepower. "I work for no one," she stated proudly, raising her head high.
"Oh," he questioned, taking the bait, "so you and your friends are just here for fun?"
"They aren't my friends, they're my family!" she responded, glaring at him. Time's running out, her mind reminded her as the voices in her ear rambled off information about the approaching evac he had coming. "You wouldn't know anything about that," she hissed, allowing her voice to come out raw and emotional, "because all you care about is money!"
His gun lowered the slightest bit, taking in this information. Alicia found it odd that gunshots hadn't sounded from the hallway yet, but she quickly credited it to Roan. The fact the only gunfire that sounded came in short bursts from two floors down worked well with her story. As long as it stayed that way she'd be safe. He had no idea his guards from this floor were dead, and for all he knew she'd barely managed to slip past one on her way to the door. "Some family, sending you up here all alone," he mused, trying to dishearten her.
"They didn't send me," she choked out, "I volunteered!" At her sides her hands balled into fists, trembling slightly as she stared him down. "Your guns killed my brother," Alicia fed him another lie, "and I'm going to kill you."
The man laughed at this, his gun lowering completely as he looked at her. Clearly her show of hurt and outrage had him amused. She couldn't really blame him. With her innocent face, small size, disheveled appearance and current act of weakness she didn't seem much of a threat to the man. "How do you plan to do that?" he asked with a small smile. "You don't have a gun anymore," he motioned with his gun towards the one he'd knocked away from her earlier.
"I don't need a gun," she shot back, "I'll kill you with my own two hands if I have to!"
"So much anger for such a young girl," he shook his head, a small sad smile on his lips.
"I'm not a girl," she huffed out, sticking her chin in the air, "I am a woman," Alicia declared. When he laughed, as she knew he would, she raised her fists, making sure to make them look like she was only trained in street fighting. "If you think it's so funny then fight me! I'll kill you, you'll see," she felt a little foolish at how weak she sounded, knowing that all the Agents could hear her every word, "I can take you!"
Her target hesitated a moment before a smile played across his lips. "That wouldn't be very fair," he chimed out, enjoying her anger, "you're hurt."
"You're scared," she accused him. In a risky step she took a few steps towards him. When he didn't raise his gun she knew she had him. "You hide behind your guns because that's all you have."
Those words were all she needed to seal the deal. Seeing her as nothing but a weak desperate girl he set aside his gun, a smile on his face. He raised his hands, motioning for her to come forward. "Come on, let's see what you have," he taunted her.
She didn't need to be told twice. Closing the ground between them, wincing as she went to sell the act, she threw a few wild uncoordinated punches. He dodged them easily, laughing even as he did so. Falling back a few steps, chest heaving, her eyes glowed with anger. "Fight back!" she demanded. "You killed my brother, and now I'm going to kill you."
The man took the bait, coming forward with a little smile as he threw a lazy punch her way. "You've got spirit," he said as she clumsily avoided the fist, "I'll give you that." Once more she fell back a few steps, keeping her eyes locked on his and her fists up.
This time when he stepped forward and gave a little swing she switched off acting mode and jumped into action. Without any restraint she assaulted him with a quick combination of moves. It came as a surprise when he dodged over half of them, falling into tune with her pace instantly. In under a second the exchange turned from the playact she'd been carrying on to legitimate hand to hand combat. The two fell into rhythm with each other, and it was almost as though they were dancing as they battled it out. When she aimed a kick at his face and he dodged it perfectly, taking a step back, they were left staring at each other. I know that move! Her mind screamed out, eyes widening.
At the same time their lips formed the stunned words; "You're Division?" She wasn't sure who was more shocked, her or him. For a second the air seemed to be full of electricity as realization dawned on her: That's why Roan was here! The main target for today's mission was a Division Agent. It was a revelation she hadn't expected, not at all.
Back in Operations Michael was just as shocked. "He's Division?" he demanded, eyes snapping to Percy angrily.
He didn't answer. He was too busy barking out orders. "Get me eyes on Roan!" he demanded. "I want the situation contained now! He can't make that evac!"
Michael opened his mouth to express his rage at the situation, only for the words to fall flat. He watched as the impossible happened, all of Operations going into a stunned silence. Alicia had managed to reach her knife during the spar that had just occurred, unbeknownst to anyone. No longer sheathed in her holster, the knife was instead flashing through the air. Awe at the resulting scene was instantaneous as she darted at the man. Dodging the first swipe of her blade, he didn't have time to react as she dropped down to her knees, digging the blade deep into his stomach. With a growl she pushed it in up to the hilt, face tilted up to take in the man who stared down at her.
Alicia drew her hand from the blade, moving them instead to grab onto his ankles and give a pull. Even as the man's hand snapped to the handle of the blade in his gut, he fell backwards towards the ground. In a heartbeat Alicia was on him, straddling his waist. His hands were trapped beneath her as he tried to remove the blade, and she squeezed his torso with all the power her legs muscles could exert to hold them trapped. There wasn't a thought in her mind as she latched her hands onto his throat and crushed his airways with all of the strength she could muster. The only sound she heard was the thudding of her heart in her chest as she snapped her eyes closed, unable to bear seeing the last of the life drain away from him. She felt him go limp beneath her and she eased herself off of him, refusing to glance down at the body even as she withdrew her knife.
"Target down," her voice rang out over Operations.
Percy didn't hesitate to stride forward, yanking the headset away from the nearest techie. "Unlock the door and stay put," he demanded. As she strode forward to do as told, her face was calm and controlled. "Roan," he snapped into the headset, "where are you?"
The question was unneeded however, for the moment the door was unlocked Roan was pushing it open. "Situation under control," he confirmed coolly, giving Alicia a small nod of approval before striding past her to check on the body.
Michael spun, facing Percy with outrage. "That was your test? To send her in after an Agent?!" he couldn't contain his anger.
"A rogue Agent," Percy surprisingly defended himself.
"She wasn't trained as a Cleaner!" he exclaimed. He knew Percy always pushed the envelope but this, this was beyond his belief. "Not only that but she wasn't even aware he was an Agent. Alicia's barely been activated a month and you sent her in against a seasoned Agent without proper intel and all as what, some kind of test?" he growled. "Since when do we do that Percy?"
He sighed, shaking his head as he let the young man's anger roll off of him. He'd expected Michael to get upset. The man connected with the recruits when he was training them, it was part of what made him so good at his job. "We don't Michael," he answered. Before the man could ask what that meant he silenced him with a piercing look. "The test was to see her reaction to Roan removing an Agent who had lost sight of his mission," Percy calmly informed him before he could lose his temper even further, "that was all." He turned his icy blue eyes to the screen, taking in Alicia on the screen. "I wanted to see how devoted she was to the cause," his voice gave nothing away, "and give her an example of what happens to those who go astray."
This wasn't justification, not to Michael. "And," he icily demanded to know, "are you satisfied?"
A smirk crept onto Percy's face as he took in the young woman on the screen. "Very."