"You're not sleeping. You're always working on some secret project. You're not talking to me, and if you are, you bite my head off. Just tell me what's wrong. Tell me why that thing is on your desk," Pointing to the black box on Seymour's desk, Sonya demanded. The instant she had noticed Nikita, Sean, and Owen leaving for a mission they hadn't told anyone about, Sonya went to force Seymour to talk to her. The amount of secrets the team of former rogues was keeping from the others was ridiculous. Division was supposed to know everything. They were supposed to be finally trusted and treated like real people. They couldn't start being used again.
Birkhoff should've told Sonya what was going on. He should've told her everything the minute he had known the truth. But he continued to keep his mouth shut. He was afraid to spill any little secret, even why the black box was on his desk instead of destroyed. Both Sean and Nikita wanted the damn thing finally gone, but Ryan wanted to undo Amanda's encryption just in case. Birkhoff should've fought him on the idea. Just as he should've told his girlfriend what he was hiding. Then would've been the perfect moment for it. Yet, before he could open his mouth, Alex interrupted, "Hey, B, I got your text."
"And what did it say? Since Seymour's not talking to me, maybe you will," Sonya instantly turned towards Alex. Utterly confused, Alex glanced between the couple for some kind of answer. Between Sonya's frustration and Birkhoff's guilt, she found none; she just opened and closed her mouth helplessly. Sonya didn't have the patience to wait for her. She needed answers imminently. The more she and the others were kept in the dark, the worse things would become, "I know you're hiding something from us. You and your super friends are either locked behind closed doors or pretending not to fight. Yes, we've noticed. So don't play dumb."
If he told Sonya the truth, there was no way Birkhoff could continue keeping her safe. Only a few short months ago, her life had been threatened so Amanda could use her as a mole. Birkhoff couldn't do anything that'd put Sonya in that position again. If she didn't know what was going on, then she couldn't be pried open for information. She could stay safe and sound; she could also stay sane without all the worry and stress knowledge brought, "Sometimes, people think they want to know the truth, and then they get it and they wish they never knew."
"We stayed because we were promised there would be no more lies. So stop lying," Sonya snapped. The team of former rogues had done well with keeping the others in the loop- well, as far as Sonya knew. But then, something shifted. All of a sudden, they were fighting and distant and not at all like a team. And it just kept getting worse. If Sonya knew what was going on, then maybe she could help with whatever was plaguing the team. She could certainly help Seymour with his stress and anxiety. He didn't have to deal with his fears and troubles alone. She could be there for him. He simply had to let her in.
Honestly, Alex couldn't understand why she had ever agreed to keep the President's contingency plan a secret from the other Division agents. They should know that a target was painted on their backs. Nikita had told the team when Amanda had threatened all of them. So why couldn't the team tell Division that the President had threatened them. Not knowing about the death threat was going to lead to more problems and danger; they wouldn't even know they were marching towards their death if it happened. Division had to know what was going on so they could finally save themselves, "You're right. You deserve the truth…"
"And the truth is that everyone is overreacting. Nikita always says we're a family. Well, families always fight. We're just in a rough patch. That's all," Before Alex could say anything else, Birkhoff interrupted. Sonya lost all her patience with her boyfriend. She glared at him and Alex and stormed out of the room. Birkhoff sighed. A part of him wanted to chase after her. However, he knew that wouldn't make anything better. He needed to give Sonya space. At least until he could finally tell her the truth. While the threat was still active, that couldn't be done. Alex seemed to think otherwise, though, "What were you gonna do, Alex, tell her everything?"
"Aren't you tired of lying? Nikita just keeps saying that this is her choice. But it's not a choice. It's a hostage crisis. It's like Oversight and Clean Sweep all over again. Which made me think. If there's one thing I've learned from Oversight, it's that everybody has a weakness. Especially the guy holding the gun. If we could figure out a way to prove that Danforth isn't trustworthy, Ryan and Nikita would finally have to open their eyes," As Alex had paced Division after her conversation with Nikita (that of course went nowhere because Nikita didn't listen) she had thought of the perfect plan to save Division. All she needed was a partner to pull it off.
When Birkhoff had texted Alex, he had wanted to talk about the blue files and the hole Nikita, Ryan, and Michael were digging. What she had entered the room with ready to tell him, however, seemed like one step too far. Exposing Danforth's possible secrets wouldn't snap the others out of it. They just needed to be seriously talked to. And possibly shown evidence against their arguments. They wouldn't be able to fight anymore if they were shown the truth. Then, they'd have to accept the error of their ways, "Good idea. But, I don't think some dirty little secret from his past is gonna cut it."
"We need to know what he's up to now. Where he goes. Who he talks to. What he's hiding," Alex continued to share. She'd much rather have Sean follow her; he'd be far more suited for the task. But there was a chance that he'd side with his sister, or annoyingly continue to refuse to pick a side. So, Alex didn't bother involving him. That left her with Birkhoff. The hacker, although not field trained, could still be useful however. While she dug through closets, he could scan the computer, "We're gonna tail him. After we search his apartment."
Staring dumbfoundedly at Alex, Birkhoff wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. Not only did she want to tail and investigate one of the President's closest advisors, but she also wanted him to accompany her. Either she had lost it, or she was on to something that he couldn't wrap his head around. Birkhoff was hoping for the latter. The latter could lead to the end of the blue files, and it could allow him to finally tell Sonya the truth. Birkhoff was going to cling to the latter and join Alex for the ride, "We are? Uh, should I bring a gun? Or maybe a disguise?"
"Maybe you should just stay here," Alex didn't want to regret her decision to involve Birkhoff. Although going solo might be her best choice, she knew she'd need at least one ally if she was going to confront Nikita. Also, Birkhoff's hacking skills could definitely get Alex what she needed more than her own. If he was going to act like that, however, then she would stick to her instincts and go alone. The last thing she needed was for the nerd to act out his field agent dreams. There wasn't room for any errors on their mission. She had to get what she needed.
"Okay, no, no. We don't need disguises. But should we tell the others?" Birkhoff knew he shouldn't bring a gun the instant he mentioned it. The last time he had had a gun on a mission, things didn't end well. Disguises, on the other hand, might be helpful for the two. If they got caught by Danforth, things would undoubtedly get so much worse. They had to be as careful as possible. If Alex was vetoing disguises, then maybe they should tell the rest of the team what was going on. They'd need the help to stay stealthy. Also, in the off chance that Birkhoff and Alex got into trouble, they'd have people to help them.
"I think we should wait until we have something more concrete. Besides, they're gonna be very busy in Paris," Again, Alex completely shut down Birkhoff's ideas. The instant they told the rest of the team what they were up to, the instant they would be shut down. Alex couldn't be stopped. She had to accomplish her mission, and she had to get what she wanted. Nikita and the team could not stop her anymore. Alex was going to follow her own path and ideas. Besides, their mission in Paris was going to keep them busy for a while.
"Okay. Nikita's in. Sean, Owen, you set?" While Michael spoke with Sean and Owen, and the three made mission typical jokes, Nikita fought the desire to sulk. First, she hated that she had to be nice to and even flirt with Batouala. Second, she couldn't stop thinking about her conversations with Birkhoff, Alex, and Owen. Both Birkhoff and Alex refused to go on the op. Birkhoff stood his ground against obeying blue file missions. And Alex argued about control and Division falling into bad habits. Although Nikita said that they had control and that they'd never be dirty, Alex wouldn't listen. She was on her own path- one that completely iced Nikita out.
She had done something similar a year ago, but her decisions then had made sense to Nikita. Currently, though, she couldn't wrap her head around why Alex was so pissed at her. Nikita had tried to talk to her, make herself clear, but Alex's emotions never changed. Maybe it had to do with what Owen had told Nikita. He had claimed that he had been okay with the assassination, he just never thought he'd receive a kill order from her. Nikita was supposed to have been better than that. She thought she had been. Batouala's assassination was a good kill, after all. But she really was no better than those she said she had hated.
Conversations on her com told Nikita that the op was continuing as it should've. Sean, Owen, and Michael continued their snide comments while Nikita moved on automatic as she got Batouala to drink the poisoned wine and kept him distracted. She should've been more present, yet it was so hard to focus when the back of her mind continuously told her that she shouldn't have been there- that Birkhoff, Alex, and Owen had made great points. Before she could drown in those thoughts, though, Ryan managed to alert her with a panicked question, "There's another buyer? It can't be the Russian. She's still at the airport, stuck in immigration."
The problem Ryan raised was something Nikita could actually focus on. She stopped moving on automatic and finally took a good look around the room. Owen and Michael speculated over the coms who the other buyers could be, yet Nikita wasn't going to make any assumptions. Being lost in thought had already set her back on that op; she couldn't let anything else slip by her. She watched Batouala move across the room and meet with the new woman who had entered. The second Nikita saw her, she sprang to her feet, "Zoe? The other buyer, it's Zoe!"
"What the hell is a rogue Division agent doing there?" Ryan looked around helplessly, but all he was met with was Michael shrugging. No one had any idea why a Dirty Thirty would be in Paris talking with Batouala. Most of Division's rogues kept their heads down, not wanting to draw attention. Zoe had been doing that for months. So what possible reason could she have in resurfacing then. How much information was the team missing. Even if it was a little bit, it had the power to completely ruin the op- and it could get them killed.
"She's pretending to be the Russian buyer," Nikita reported urgently. Amanda was obviously at fault for Zoe's presence there. No way a Dirty Thirty would be interested in the CIA list on their own; they'd have to be instructed by Amanda. And they had to have been sent to cause havoc. Nikita tried to reach Batouala before Zoe could put Amanda's plans into action. Yet she was far too late. Zoe shot Batouala, killing him instantly; then she sprinted away with the list. Nikita could only give chase as the chaos erupted around her, "Sean, Zoe will exit the south side of the building. Be there to grab her before she hits the street."
It didn't take Nikita long to catch up to Zoe. She managed to grab the Dirty Thirty and engage her in a fight. Just like their time together in Division, Nikita was easily handing Zoe's ass to her. She would've won the fight and recovered the list had it not been for the French police. They managed to surround the women and subdue them. Zoe and Nikita were then left waiting for their chance to strike and escape. Nikita believed she could get their first. She had back up with her, after all. Also, her motives were pure, unlike Zoe and the bitch she was working with, "Who sent you, Zoe? Gotta be Amanda."
Zoe flashed Nikita a snarky grin as she expressed how pissed Amanda was at the former rogues. It almost felt like the two were recruits again, taunting the other for getting in trouble. Nikita rolled her eyes. She constantly knew how much trouble she was in. She was also intensely aware of how much Amanda hated her. Zoe didn't need to remind her. Nikita, however, could warn her what would happen if she kept working with Amanda. Once they were out of the police's custody, Nikita would make that threat a reality, "So, what, you're her little minion now? I gotta warn you, it didn't really work out for the last one."
"I'm just here doing a job. For a lot of money. A free agent," Zoe almost seemed to gloat. Nikita fought another eye roll. She wasn't surprised by that. Zoe was always looking out for her own self-interests. She wouldn't join Amanda for a cause. But she'd definitely join for a lot of money. Selling the list was going to make her a very rich woman. Unless the team stopped her first. And the motivation to do that only increased exponentially, "But, uh, Amanda wanted me to ask: how's your brother doing?"
Later, Nikita would realize that Amanda, through Zoe, was goading her into doing something stupid. But at that moment, she wasn't able to think clearly. She heard the harsh taunt about her brother, and was immediately overcome with anger. She lashed out at Zoe, despite the nearby cops, and tried to maim her. Nikita was almost successful in her attempt. But with the police and civilians acting as distractors, Zoe managed to slip away. Nikita wasn't able to catch her, and neither could Sean once he reached the south side of the building, "Where'd she go?"
"I didn't see her. Did she double back?" Owen breathlessly asked in the com. He broke through the crowd after the assassination and tried to catch up with Nikita and Zoe. Since he couldn't (someone had to not get caught by the police), he decided to join Sean on the south side of the building; he believed there still could've been a chance to capture their Dirty Thirty. But despite all their running and exit-blocking, Zoe was nowhere to be seen. She had somehow managed to slip past three agents like it was nothing. She had completely surprised them and had completely bested them. Division was fucked.
"She must have had another escape plan. She knew we'd be here tonight," When she caught up with Owen and Sean, Nikita continued to seethe with rage. A small, quiet part of her was angry with herself for letting her emotions get the best of her- maybe if she hadn't, Zoe wouldn't have gotten away. But the majority of her was pissed at Amanda's and the Dirty Thirty's involvement. Of course when things were starting to go right for Division, Amanda ruined it. And of course there could be no easy fix. They were screwed. They had lost all control, "We need to find her. And that damn list."
