While Alicia could hear the voices of the medical staff that were in the room, she didn't pay attention to the words themselves. Her mind was elsewhere as she stared down at the red line that ran in a diagonal from one hip bone and up towards her ribs. The wound hadn't been a deep one, she'd known that when she'd received it, but it had opened up during her little spar with the Agent. At the time she hadn't paid any attention to the injury, jumping into action without a second thought. Now, as she stared at the little butterfly bandages positioned in the middle of the line, she went over all the ways she could have avoided this.
I should have been more careful, she chastised herself. It wasn't the wound that was bothering her. No; she knew it would heal. Division had an advanced medical team and they'd patched her up in no time. In a week or two there wouldn't even be a scar. A few applications of the cream they'd given her paired with the handful of butterfly bandages and it would be as though it had never happened. As long as she followed the directions they gave her then it would heal on its own. Like the smooth skin where her tracker had been implanted, there'd soon be no evidence left. Scars would be difficult to explain the next time she played a part where she needed to show some skin.
With everything taken care of she didn't have to worry about that now. Instead, she was going over the mission in her mind again and again. No matter how many times she ran over it she couldn't refrain from the disappointment that coursed through her veins. I let him get the drop on me, her thoughts growled, I was trained better than that!
While she had completed the Operation and made it through debriefing with nothing but positive remarks on her performance, she didn't feel the same level of accomplishment. No, she felt downright awful as she went over the final kill in her mind. Her fingers curled involuntarily, hands balling into fists as her eyes fluttered closed. With perfect clarity she recalled the sensation of driving the knife into his gut, her eyes turned up as she met the man's eyes. Only she hadn't seen dirty arms dealer Louis Claint; a Division Agent who'd taken things into his own hands. No, she'd seen her uncle. She'd pictured his face as she kneeled before the man.
When she had pulled him towards the ground it wasn't to gain the upper hand. The reasons behind it had nothing to do with completing the mission and everything to do with her own rage. All of her training told her to withdraw the blade and finish him off with a swift plunge into the heart. Not exactly a clean kill, but it would do the job. But she'd been lost in the moment and every thought of the Operation she was on dissipated. Instead she was filled with blind wrath. She allowed the man to reach for the knife only to pin his arms with her legs, allowing him the hope of retrieving the blade only to deny it. Her hands wound around his neck on impulse and as she began to put pressure she stared down into the eyes of the man she loathed so much.
Pleasure had spiked in her mind and the urge to laugh had pulled her from her delusions. Her eyes snapped closed not so she wouldn't see the man die, but so she wouldn't be able to feel the elation at the final moment. It didn't matter at that instant what he was; Agent or not he was her uncle in her eyes. But the cameras were watching and she couldn't lose her mind in front of Operations, in front of Percy. His voice had barked out through her headset before she'd even made a move for the kill, and repeating it in her mind brought her back down to planet earth.
Disappointed in herself at almost losing it, she hadn't been able to bear looking at the Agent she'd just Cancelled. She obeyed orders and allowed Roan into the room. While his grey eyes remained as expressionless as always behind his glasses, he had given her a nod of approval. That simple action had made it possible to set aside her anger at the momentary lapse in sanity. Though he would have been able to manage a much cleaner kill, she had no doubts about that, he didn't appear the slightest bit put off by the mess she'd left for him. All that seemed to matter to the man was that she'd succeeded in completing what could have only been his mission. It dawned on her that when he'd given her the simple command of Go he'd entrusted her with the task. Unlike with the Strike Team she had the approval of Division's best Cleaner.
Still, when he showed up in medical it came as a shock. While she was still in her Division issued black pants and sports bra, he'd had the opportunity to change into his usual dark ensemble. Roan took in the injury, making a quick assessment of the damage with cool eyes. "It's a clean wound," he commented, stepping up to the medical chair she sat in.
The two members of the medical staff that had been chattering away just a moment ago had gone silent. Alicia noted they had averted their eyes to the medical instruments they were in the process of sanitizing. She could feel their apprehension in the air like smog but didn't share in it. Instead she smiled openly at the man. "Just a scratch," she acknowledged with a nod, "nothing impressive."
Behind his thick framed glasses his grey eyes didn't disapprove of her emotion like they would have done with anyone else. He accepted her smile, not going as far as returning it. "You preformed well," he voiced his approval.
"Careful," she teased, "if you talk like that they may start to say we're a couple." Her words were instantly followed by loud clattering sound from the direction of the medics. Her eyes flickered over towards them, watching as the man picked up the tool he'd been holding. Alicia rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement at the reaction of the man. One look at the two medics and she was surprised they hadn't stopped breathing out of shock.
When her eyes flickered back to Roan she could swear she saw a slight sheen of amusement in his eyes. "When cleaning your kill," he said calmly, extending forth his hand, "I found this."
Her ceramic knife rested in his palm as he offered it forth. "My knife," she breathed, deftly plucking it from his hand. I thought it was gone for good, Alicia smiled at the blade in her hand. When she'd initially realized she'd left it in the body she'd felt a sense of lost. Guns were fine and dandy, but she'd take a knife over one any given day. Unlike the mission they'd just completed, she usually didn't have the issue of a target being out of cutting range. The knife gave her a sense of security, and she turned her eyes back up to Roan. "Thank you," she voiced her gratitude.
"It's not Division issued," he noted, eyeing the way she handled the blade in an almost loving manner. It was clear to see she valued the weapon.
"My first purchase as an Agent," she admitted openly. There was no rule against the use of weapons that came from outside sources. "I didn't like the field knives," Alicia explained, "so I went and got my own."
Roan clearly understood for he gave a small nod. "You prefer a blade," he keenly observed. She didn't need to tell him he was right, because they both knew that he was. Instead he looked once more to the knife that was back in her possession. He was a man who understood perfectly the appeal of a sharp cutting edge. "Ceramic;" he commented, "good for avoiding metal detectors. Though the quality of this one leaves something to be desired."
"It was the best I could find," she sighed, knowing once more he spoke the truth. It was a good knife, and she was ecstatic to have it returned to her, but it could have been better.
"You'll be provided with a better one," Roan informed her.
She couldn't linger on this fact, for the sound of heels clicking to a stop caused the pair to turn their attention to the doorway. Amanda greeted them with her cool smile, tilting her head slightly as she took them in. "Oh good," she motioned lazily with her hand, shooing the medical members from the room, "just the two I wanted to see." With her burgundy lips still turned up in a smile she waited until they'd left before continuing. "I've just come from Percy's office," Amanda's eyes flickered to Alicia, "and I was given some rather interesting news. Am I to believe you removed an Agent?"
It took Alicia a moment to understand the question. She didn't know she realized after meeting the woman's eyes, no wonder she wasn't there for briefing. It became clear that Percy had been the one who had assigned Alicia the Operation. Everything began to make sense, and she gave a small nod. "The primary objective was a rogue Agent," she confirmed.
"Roan was present, but you made the kill?" she pressed forward, eyes moving over to Roan.
"He was otherwise engaged," Alicia explained. From the line of questioning it was clear that Amanda hadn't seen the footage. If she had then she wouldn't need to be asking. While she didn't know why Percy hadn't allowed her to see the video from the mission, she decided not to question it.
For a long moment she was quiet as she stared at the Cleaner. Alicia had the creeping sensation that the man knew something that she didn't, for the silent stand off the two appeared to be in was unprovoked. "You're wanted in Percy's office," Amanda finally returned her eyes to Alicia, dismissing Roan without another look his way. The moment the man was gone she eased the door closed and strode towards the young woman. "Does it hurt?" she asked sweetly, stopping before the medical chair Alicia was seated in.
"Only a little," she admitted honestly. It wasn't a deep cut and had only split the skin, resulting in a constant dull burn. While the sensation wasn't pleasant it was nothing that wouldn't go away. Compared to how it had stung during debriefing the pain now was nothing. Not wanting to have a separate debriefing from the rest of the team, she'd insisted the wound could wait until after it was completed to be treated.
"I was told you refused pain medication," Amanda informed her, that smile still in place.
It was true, and so Alicia nodded. "I've never been a fan of taking medication," she admitted, "I prefer just to wait it out. You can never get stronger if you always rely on outside help after all."
Pleased with her reply she reached out, resting her hand on top of Alicia's. She gave it a soft squeeze, looking down into the young woman's emerald eyes. "Imagine my worry when I found out you were not only activated without my knowledge, but wounded as well. I came down to medical as soon as I heard the news," she released her hand after another gentle squeeze. Worry wasn't the only thing she'd felt when she'd caught wind of what had happened. Outrage would have better describe her reaction.
"It's just a scratch," she dismissed the woman's worry. "I've had worse injuries on the playground," the words were followed by her famous smile.
Even Amanda cheered up at the spark in the green eyes that stared up at her. "I'm sure you're wondering why you were sent on such a dangerous mission," she gave a small shake of her head, "I know I did when I found out about it. I hope you know Percy went behind my back on this one. I would never put you so recklessly at risk."
"I assumed you were busy elsewhere," Alicia admitted softly.
"Not by choice," Amanda remarked. "Distracted is a more accurate description. While I had my hands full with a particularly rough new recruit Percy was orchestrating this entire mess. While it was never his intention for you to remove the Agent on your own," she paused, pursing her lips, "he knowingly withheld information from you and put you at risk." For a second it seemed as though she was about to start venting her frustrations about Percy. She almost did, Alicia's smile disarming her as it did everyone else, before catching herself. There was more to her visiting the young Agent in medical than just concern for her wellbeing.
Deciding to stay on track she tilted her head, taking in Alicia before her. For a second her eyes lingered on the crass red mark on her stomach, lips pinching in annoyance. The injury was minor but it would still take some time to heal. While she didn't have any missions lined up for the next few weeks, believing more than ever the young woman required a period of rest, she didn't like that the injury restricted from using her if something came up. It may not have been a deep wound but it still nothing pretty to look at. Alicia's greatest asset was her appearance, at least in Amanda's mind, and how well she used it to her advantage.
Nevertheless it didn't ruin her current use for the young woman. "The Operation did accomplish something however," she said in an offhand manner before returning her eyes to Alicia's, "something beyond just removing a problematic Agent."
Percy's involvement and all of the secrecy behind the mission could only mean one thing. "It was a test," she voiced her suspicion aloud. Staring up into Amanda's eyes Alicia knew she had deduced the situation correctly.
"One that you passed," she confirmed with a smile. The young woman was observant and it saved her time to pretend to justify Percy's actions. Instead she could get right to the good part, her favorite part. "You displayed your devotion to Division," Amanda praised her, "your willingness to do what it takes for the cause. While I had rather hoped to go about it in a less extreme fashion, I can't deny this worked just as well. Your performance has earned Percy's approval for your new mission."
At the news Alicia could feel her heart sinking. Though she didn't show it on her face, there was no hiding the worry from her thoughts. "I'll be going on another Operation?" she questioned, her voice soft.
"More of an assignment really," the smile she wore sent a shiver down Alicia's spine, "one that will continue over an extended period of time."
Birkhoff, her mind panicked. She hadn't been able to contact him the entire day. When she'd received the call to say she'd been activated she had believed she would have time. Now it seemed as though that wasn't the case. "One where I need to build a cover?" she questioned, knowing her voice sounded curious.
"No, this is an entirely unique assignment Alicia," Amanda grinned, taking the curiosity as a sign of eagerness. "It won't interfere with your involvement with other missions. In fact, I think you'll find this little venture to be a good use of your particular skill set. You'll have to make a few sacrifices, but they pale in comparison in the service you will be providing Division."
"Anything to deserve this second chance," she didn't even need to fake her sincerity. She owed Division her life, and that was something she wouldn't easily forget. When she'd first woken in the cement cell with Michael looming at the other end of the room she had thought that he was there to kill her. Then his smoky voice filled the room informing her that she was no longer in jail awaiting sentencing, but was being given a rare opportunity. After that everything fell into place and day after day she'd become faster, stronger and smarter. The only thing she desired to add to that list was worthy.
Amanda had never been more sure that she'd finally found the one she'd been waiting for than at that moment. Not wasting any time she smiled openly at the young woman. "What do you know about Seymour Birkhoff?"
The question caught her so off guard it took her a moment to choke out a reply. "Not much," there was no hiding her shock at the sudden question from her voice, "I know he was a hacker before coming to Division." Quickly composing herself she tilted her head, looking as though she was trying to come up with a sufficient answer instead of thinking only about the man himself. She can't know, she assured herself, Birkhoff has been covering our tracks. Trusting in the man she met Amanda's eyes even as she smothered the panic that threatened to bubble up. "Shadow Walker," she continued once she'd found her voice, "that was what he went by. Only he was caught and Percy saved him from prison. The recruits say he lives in Division."
Finding the last bit humorous she gave a small laugh. "They aren't very far off on that," Amanda gave the young Agent a nod as if to say she'd heard enough. Alicia didn't need to be told twice and happily stopped trying to come up with facts to list off. "It may surprise you to learn that he was personally associated with Nikita."
It did indeed surprise Alicia. Seymour had never talked about the agent that was so famous for being the only one to successfully go rogue from Division. "Nikita?" she asked, bewildered.
"Yes, the Agent who we have established to be rogue," she nodded briskly, "though she would like us to believe she is dead, we know that is not the case." Unable to talk about the woman without feeling the familiar anger that always came when Nikita was brought up, she began to pace slowly black and forth. Hands clasped behind her back she took a moment to calm herself before continuing. "The two worked closely together. He, Michael and Nikita made quite the trio back in the day. In fact," she stopped her pacing, staring straight at Alicia, "you could say that they shared an intimate relationship. An extremely close friendship if you will. While Nikita was always more inclined towards Michael, she didn't hold any reserves about flirting with Birkhoff. It was only natural that he developed a crush."
Alicia took in the information, trying to figure out just what to do with it. She didn't understand why Amanda of all people was telling her this. More importantly, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Birkhoff had never breathed a single word about this Nikita to Alicia. Because she was a secret, her mind taunted her. As much as she wanted to grimace she only gave Amanda a slightly taken aback look. "The rumors didn't say anything about that," she breathed.
"That's no surprise," Amanda resumed her pacing, "you see, Nikita slipping out from under our control was no small feat. Not only did she find a way to disable her tracker, but she has managed to evade us for almost a year now. This is not something easily done, especially considering that Birkhoff is the one in charge of the net set to catch her."
Once more Amanda ceased her pacing, eyes locking on to Alicia's green ones. Every word she'd said seemed to follow a two second delay as her mind absorbed them. "You think Birkhoff had something to do with her escape," the realization rolled from her lips. This was not what she'd expected when Amanda had informed her she had a mission for her.
"After Nikita left, Seymour fell into quite a bitter mood. He became difficult to work with and his sour attitude discouraged recruits from reaching full potential. Now this could be because he's upset over being unsuccessful in finding her, and at having no knowledge she was going to leave in the first place," she paused for effect, "or there's the possibility he aided in coordinating the entire thing."
"Birkhoff might be a traitor?" Alicia asked, dumbfounded.
Amanda gave a small sad smile. "He may," she agreed, "or, he may just be easily manipulated. There is the possibility that he unknowingly gave Nikita the means to disappear. You may have noticed he has a tendency to brag. With his feelings towards Nikita it's not entirely impossible that she managed to get information from him without considering how she may utilize it."
Taking in all of this new information Alicia pieced together what Amanda had in store for her. When the idea came it almost seemed too unbelievable, given the circumstances between her and Birkhoff. "You want me to find out the truth," she marveled at the fact, "but how?"
"Ever since you first worked with Birkhoff his mood has increased greatly. In fact," she gave a scheming smile, "you could say he's almost reverted back to his old self." Taking two steps forward, her heels clicking on the floor, she approached the side of the medical chair. Her hand raised, well perfectly manicured fingers coming to rest on Alicia's cheek. "You have such an inviting face, such a welcoming smile. It came as no surprise to me when you managed to lighten Seymour's mood," she brushed her fingers down the soft skin of Alicia's face. Looking down into the wide emerald eyes that gazed up at her Amanda knew that her plan would work.
She withdrew her hand slowly from the girls face, eyes glittering deviously. Percy had given her permission to go through with her pet project. While he didn't believe it would produce any results, Amanda firmly believed otherwise. "Nikita had six years during which she could have gathered enough information for her betrayal, let's see how long it will take you," the woman flashed a cunning smile.
"What is my approach?" Alicia asked, not sure if she could believe what was being proposed to her.
"Your assignment is simple; win over Birkhoff," she dictated to her, "You will put yourself in his path and gain his trust."
She blinked slowly, her suspicions confirmed. "Why should he trust me?" she asked, finding it too amazing to just be a coincidence. "Lesson One: Relationships are forbidden. Everyone knows that, surely Birkhoff wouldn't chance breaking this rule."
"But relations are not," Amanda's burgundy lips turned upwards as she smiled down at her shining star. "I've trained you well Alicia, never doubt in your abilities. While some may say that your innocent appearance is a hindrance for Division's line of work, I've assure you that isn't the case. You've already gotten Seymour to break out of his little shell. When he finds out a beautiful young woman like you is interested in him he won't be able to resist; not after I have a talk with him."
At hearing the words leave Amanda's lips she didn't even try to hide her shock. "You want me to start a false relationship with him," Alicia breathed, "so I can get close enough to find out the truth."
She lifted a hand, gently patting the auburn waves that were tied up into a pony tail. "I know, it's not an ideal assignment," her tone was one of sympathy, "but it is necessary. While getting intimate with him is unpleasant, it is essential to the plan. A man who is ruled by his brain has one great weakness; his body." Everything that Amanda was saying overwhelmed Alicia, and her mouth opened and closed in pure shock of it all. I'm being ordered to sleep with Birkhoff, her mind tried to wrap itself around this piece of information. Taking her reaction as one of repulsion Amanda stared directly into her eyes, making sure her next words weren't missed. "Don't think too deeply into the action itself Alicia. Focus on what you will be accomplishing. If Birkhoff does have knowledge on how to betray Division then it's crucial that we know this. We can't have a bunch of trained assassins running lose in the world. Think of all the damage that would cause; all the innocent lives that would be lost."
Alicia almost felt like laughing. She'd just been assigned to start a fake relationship with a man whom she was secretly already involved with. The irony of it all was unbelievable. While she owed Division everything she knew that she was going to tell Seymour what is was Amanda had tasked her with. How could she not? If she held back that vital information and he continued to go about hiding all their interactions then Amanda would know for certain that Birkhoff had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Though she didn't quite know what to do with all of this information revolving around Nikita, she decided she would be able to figure that out later. For now she had to focus on the woman in front of her. "I will do my best," she lowered her head in a sign of obedience.
Once more Amanda was patting her soft hair, causing the young woman to look up at her. The look in those green eyes was that of determination, and Amanda returned it with a pleased smile. "I know you will Alicia, I have faith in you," she praised in a sweet tone. Once more drawing her hand back from Alicia's hair she stepped away. "I'm sure you're dying to return home," Amanda held her hand out to instead offer it to Alicia, "you've had a long day all things considered."
She accepted it, allowing the woman to help her to her feet. "Almost as much as I'm looking forward to getting out of these clothes," she admitted, looking down at what she wore. The grey sports bra and black pants were plain and uninspiring. Worse yet; it reminded her of being a recruit.
Amanda paused just outside of the room, giving a smile to Alicia. "I've had an outfit sent to your old room along with information on your new assignment," she informed her, happy that she could accommodate to the needs of the young woman. "You'll find the supplies to take care of that wound," she motioned idly to Alicia's bared torso, "are in there as well. Do be sure to take care of it. While we can remove scars here it's much easier to allow them to heal on their own."
"Of course," she nodded, having every intention to do just that. "Thank you Amanda, I appreciate everything you've done for me."
At this she positively beamed, which was an expression that made the hairs on the back of Alicia's neck stand on end. "You'll come to see that those who are in my good graces are well taken care of," she informed her. "Continue on the way you have and you will see just how much Division can offer you. This assignment is a big opportunity for you Alicia. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. You can wait until tomorrow to go over the information I've provided you with, and I will update you accordingly."
With a few more words the pair parted, and Alicia followed the familiar path towards the training rooms. The entire time she couldn't get the new development out of her mind. She simply had to tell Birkhoff. His reaction was one that she was prepared to savor. After all that he'd done for her, it seemed like she was finally able to share a little good news in return. Her new assignment provided a freedom that she'd never dreamed they'd ever had; they could be seen together in public. While Alicia had never been a part of a real couple before, she couldn't help but desire to go on a legitimate date.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Samson until he was right in front of her. "Well, if it isn't Agent Alicia," he teased, a smirk playing on his lips.
Alicia barely managed to get her feet to stop before she could have the misfortune of running directly into him. "Samson," she greeted him, suddenly realizing where she was, "it's been a while." She'd found herself a few feet away from the steps that lead from the training room. All around her the sound of people sparring and fists connecting with punching dummies sounded. In front of her Samson wore a pair of black sparring gloves as he blocked her path.
"You'll be seeing a lot more of me soon," he proudly informed her.
"You're going to graduate?" she asked, pleased for the recruit who she'd been paired with for so long.
"Yeah, I go out tomorrow," Samson nodded, his eyes flickering over her. When his eyes landed on the wound across her stomach they lingered for a long minute before rising to meet her eyes. "I'd ask you to go a round for old time sakes, but it looks like you're out of commission."
Alicia returned his smile with a dazzling one of her own. "Oh don't let it fool you," she patted her stomach before lowering her hand to pat lower, this time on the hilt of the knife that was sheathed at her waist. "Unless they changed the rules around here about recruits having weapons," her smile became a smirk, "you're the one at a disadvantage."
She wasn't prepared for him to grab her arm, pulling her in close. "Speaking of things being out of commission," he lowered his voice, glancing around before continuing on, "rumor is you took out an active." Startled that the news had spread so fast, she took a quick step back. One look at her face was enough for Samson, and a look of awe took over his usually smug expression. "You did!" he breathed in astonishment. "I thought it was just a rumor!"
Aware that eyes were on them she glared at him. "He was a rogue," she whispered angrily, "I was just doing my mission."
"You're a Cleaner?" he asked, looking shaken.
"No," she laughed, shaking her head. Thank god I'm not, she couldn't help but think, I'd be taking out Birkhoff then, not going out. When Samson gave her a bewildered look she sighed. "You know how Birkhoff said we have to be prepared for anything? Well, if I hadn't been then I wouldn't be here right now," she informed him. Before he could ask another question she realized that she now had an excuse to ask, "Speaking of Birkhoff, do you know where he is? When I passed by the Lab he wasn't in there."
Samson grimaced at the question. "The geek wasn't in today. We had a sub," he shrugged.
"Do you know where he was?" she asked, this information surprising her. In the time she'd been a recruit Birkhoff had never missed a class.
"Something about him taking a break," he informed her, not liking that she was asking about him, "probably overdosed on energy drinks or something."
At this she only rolled her eyes. Patting Samson on the chest, she managed to slip past him and start up the steps. "Good luck on your graduation," she shot back, looking over her shoulder to give him a goodbye, "catch you on the flip side." And with a wink she was on her way to her old room, every step of the way thinking of Birkhoff and how she'd go about telling him that she'd just been ordered to sleep with him in a sense. Really, life at Division was actually kind of fun if you overlooked the whole government issued assassin thing.