Alex decided to work with Owen since he had discovered what she was up to. It'd be easier if she had a partner help her, anyway. There wasn't just a mole; there was another explosion. Fortunately, that one didn't almost bring Division to its knees. A left behind torch and an open gas line could be explained as a construction accident to the agents. They didn't need to worry, and things could be kept quiet. That should help Owen and Alex with their investigation. Amanda's mole wouldn't know what hit them, until the two attacked.

In the meantime, the rest of the team went after Markov. Birkhoff had a computer program actively decrypt the mole's messages, allowing him to help with the mission. Michael and Nikita seemed to have it handled on their own, however. The two even made flirtatious jokes over the coms. Though, Birkhoff could hear the tenseness in their voices. They wanted to get that operation just right. They had to prove that they could pull off the crazy scheme of replacing and killing Markov. With everything else against them, they should be able to do that.

The team was successful in the first part of their operation- thankfully. Under Michael's directions, Nikita managed to sneak Markov past his security and into Division. Once in Birkhoff's nerd cave, the Dirty Thirty was pumped full of enough drugs to keep him under for a while. That gave the three agents plenty of time to work on the fake Markov disguise. Birkhoff molded a mask based on Markov's exact likeness, as the other two prepared the matching wig and clothes. It was all weird, especially the mask. Nikita couldn't wrap her head around Michael wearing it. Considering that they'd be apart when he did, didn't help, "We've been apart before."

"Not since we've been engaged," Adjusting the tie around Michael's neck, Nikita reminded him. The two hadn't been apart for longer than a few hours since he had returned from London. It wasn't so much that they couldn't bear the thought of being away from one another for long; that was simply how their lives were. They didn't need to be apart from one another, so why would they choose that option. Suddenly not seeing each other for weeks would be strange. The fact that they might not be able to communicate made it worse.

"It makes a difference, huh?" Michael couldn't help but grin. Although he wasn't looking forward to being separated from his fiancée, he was glad he wasn't the only one who felt that way. Nikita hated being apart just as much as he did. He wasn't the only one being dramatic. She pouted in response, and he chuckled softly. A part of him knew she was also thinking about her brother leaving, hence how upset she was. Yet he could promise that that wouldn't be him. Michael couldn't be kept from Nikita for long. The tender kiss he placed on her lips expressed the fact and then some.

A scoff followed the engaged couple's kiss, pulling them sharply from their moment. Nikita and Michael glanced at Birkhoff, but he was concentrating on the mask; he had learned long ago to simply ignore the two. Someone else had scoffed at them. Studying Markov, they soon had their answer of who that was. Apparently, he had gained consciousness, and he was quick to judge the couple. He wasn't surprised about being captured, nor was he curious about where he was. Markov simply taunted the agents around him, "Look at you two. Completely ridiculous. You should be the greatest agents. Instead, you're playing house."

"Shut up," Rolling his eyes, Birkhoff ordered. He needed Markov still for the facial scan that formed the mask. He didn't care about what the Dirty Thirty had to say. He seemed to be only trying to get under Nikita's and Michael's skin anyway. Naturally, it didn't work. The engaged couple only glared at Markov- they had heard worse things from their team, anyway. They didn't have to regard their captive at all. The three agents could put him back to sleep, get what they needed from him, then kill him.

"You think I don't have a contingency in place if you kill me?" However, Markov's snide words put a stop to their movements. Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff glanced at one another, unsure if they should believe Markov or not. He could've been playing them in order to live longer. As the three considered that, though, he kept talking. He had known Division would attempt to kill him once he became president, so he had made a video set to be released upon his death. It outlined everything he knew about Division, including his mission to undermine the Uzbekistan government. The team killed him, those harmful secrets were out in the world.

Birkhoff was able to confirm the video's existence on the laptop taken from Markov's hotel room. His immediate response was to try to delete it. Except, attempts to delete the video also released it to the news. With that revelation, he, Nikita, and Michael knocked Markov out again and rushed to tell Ryan. They found him locked away in his office, pouring over reports. The instant he discovered what was going on, however, he dropped the files for his team. Nothing could be more important than that disaster, "Obviously, we can't kill Markov."

"We have to do something. Maybe if we explain the situation to the President, we could make a plan," Michael shook his head. The video Markov made couldn't be revealed to the public- that was obvious. Owen had once released Division secrets, and the world almost fell apart. That couldn't happen again. However, there had to be something else the team could do. Markov couldn't be allowed to live and run a country. He had killed his way to the top. Who knew what he'd do to maintain power. He had to be taken out, video or not.

"We can't do that," Although Ryan wanted to work with everyone he could to discover a way to beat Markov, Division couldn't involve the government. If it came down to the entire black ops organization dying, or one rogue agent leading a foreign country, he'd choose the latter. It was simply the lesser of two evils. Besides, the team could possibly take out Markov some other time. Just because it wasn't instant didn't mean they would never get to him. Even Ryan found that hard to believe. Yet he had to hold onto one positive.

"Why not?" Nikita wondered. She had the sinking suspicion that Ryan was holding something back. She had had that feeling since Hong Kong, yet it was even stronger then. Ryan wasn't telling them something. It was potentially related to how stressed he had been, and his constant desire for Division to do things secretly. Whatever it was exactly, it must've been terrible. Nikita didn't doubt that. Ryan had told them everything in the past, including things they didn't want to hear. If he was secretive then, things were way worse than she had thought.

It was about time Ryan was honest with his team. He had hid the truth long enough, and that had proven to be an atrocious decision. Hiding the President's stipulation for keeping Division open only made it harder to ensure the worst outcome never happened. It was all catching up to them. If Ryan really wanted to protect everyone in the bunker, then he had to tell them the truth, "The President has stated that Division has to remain quiet and invisible moving forward. Any unwanted attention could shut us down."

"Shut us down how?" Tensely, Birkhoff asked. He knew. After experiencing Clean Sweep and the Marines, he knew exactly how the President was going to shut down Division. He simply wanted Ryan to admit it. Birkhoff couldn't stand the fact that he would hide something like that from them. If they really had to be quiet on missions, shouldn't they know exactly why. Sure, it'd freak them out. But it'd also make them work harder. The agents would fight to prove they deserved their pardons. After all they went through, it was the least they deserved.

"Send the agents back where they came from," Ryan admitted quietly. It was a weak answer, but it was all he could bring himself to say at the moment. Glancing at Nikita, however, he wished he hadn't said anything at all. Hope flashed in her eyes at first. She had been stolen from her home. Going back to where she came from meant returning to her sisters. But then reality set in, and darkness overwhelmed her hope. Most Division agents came from prison. The government could easily hide them away in cells, never to be heard from again. Those that didn't come from prison faced a different fate. There were other ways to silence people.

"Prison?" Missing the apprehensive look shared between Michael and Nikita, Birkhoff blurted. He couldn't go back to prison. It wasn't as awful as Division, but prison still wasn't pleasant. Besides, didn't his service to the black ops unit count as time served. Shouldn't all he had done make up for his crime; though, he had committed more crimes in the process. Sending him back to prison didn't make sense, especially since his identity was erased. Unless, of course, there was another reason to send him and all the other agents back to prison. It would control and silence them. Birkhoff finally caught the expression cast between Nikita and Michael.

"Or death, right?" Nikita snapped. She glared at Ryan, daring him to contradict her. He couldn't. More rage surged through her. How could he have not told them that from the beginning. How could he not tell them that staying in Division could get them killed. After all, if the government was going to sweep them under a rug, they weren't just going to throw the agents in prison. The best way to control them would be to kill them, "You think that stipulation just applies to the agents taken from prison? They won't let any of us go. We've seen too much, know too much. No one can go home. We're all dead unless we run."

Instead of sitting around to discuss the decision, Nikita left Ryan's office. She was done. If everything she'd done kept her away from returning home, then there was no point anymore. Michael considered following her. He should talk to her, comfort her. But he had seen the livid and hurt expression on her face. Approaching her might make things worse- she might rip someone's head off. The rest of the team should stay calm and attempt to deal with Ryan's confession. Death or running away couldn't be their only options. There had to be something else they could do, "Don't go after her. Let's just figure this out."

What Nikita hated most about the whole thing was that a part of her had always known Sean was right. She never wanted to address it. Running away meant she couldn't go home, and all she wanted was to bring Michael and her team home. However, staying in Division was a death sentence. It always had been; the team taking over never changed anything. They couldn't change anyone's minds about the place. Division continued to be full of unwanted people, ready to be cast aside by their own government one last time. There was no change, only death.

"Fucking Sean," Nikita cursed under her breath. She should've listened to Sean. She couldn't go home; she was right about that. Except, if she had followed him, she could be alive. Michael, Alex, Ryan, and Birkhoff could be too. She would've made sure of that. But what about the rest of Division. Nikita had originally stayed to fight for them. No one ever had before. She'd be the first. Not if she ran, though. No matter what, Division's agents always received the worst outcome. They didn't get their happy ending. All they knew was death.

Nikita wanted to scream. It was a shit situation. Usually, that was when the team found a miracle to still win the day. There was none that time, however. Not one that'd save everybody. The fact that Division was full of unwanted people would never change. Being cast aside was a constant. Nikita would do anything to make that untrue. It just wasn't within her power. She should give up- give in. Division had done nothing for her but reveal how monstrous she was. Even if she denied it, and did everything she could to change it, she couldn't. Sean was right.

Somehow, Nikita found herself by the interrogation rooms. Her subconscious probably led her there. Alex and Owen were still hunting for Amanda's mole. After checking the Medical logs to see who was around during the explosion, the two worked together to see who was responsible. They weren't making much progress. In fact, they were starting to believe the explosion had nothing to do with Amanda. It was one too many attacks at a time for a mole to make discreetly. Alex and Owen had no idea what was truly occurring. Yet, Alex made them keep going regardless. They had to receive answers. It was how they kept control.

Walking past the interrogation rooms, Nikita thought about checking in on Owen's and Alex's progress. Maybe they found something that could help. Nikita doubted it. There was no way to help. She really just wanted to talk to Alex. If anyone would understand the screaming thoughts in her head, it'd be her best friend. She had gotten into it with Sean as well, and she had decided to stay. Obviously, it was the right choice. Or, they were both stupid and they had to die on that hill together. Nikita couldn't stand being all in her head; she had to talk. However, as she approached the interrogation room, she heard shouting. It was soon followed by a bang.

Immediately, Nikita burst into the room. The table had crashed to the floor, and a knife was scattered on the floor. While Owen pressed on an open cut in his chest, Alex had another Division agent in a submission hold. Nikita tried to ask what the hell was going on, but the three appeared to be in their own world. The agent Alex had in a hold had been the one to cause the explosion in Medical. But he wasn't Amanda's mole. He simply wanted to kill Owen for killing his girlfriend on a cleaning mission years ago.

Rather than go ballistic on the man that tried to murder him, Owen spoke softly to him about what it was like to lose a loved one to Division. He simply let his hurt roll through him, not his rage. He also focused on the hope he had for another life. That appeased the agent more than Alex's harsh hold did. Nikita was surprised by it. She didn't think Owen had that softness in him. He had definitely changed over the years. He wasn't the cruel Cleaner that took away so many agents' happiness. He was an agent just like them, fighting to just make it one more day.

If Owen could change that much, then certainly so could so many other things. That hope surged through Nikita. After ensuring Owen and Alex had the situation handled with the agent, she hurried back to Ryan's office. Birkhoff, Michael, and Ryan were still debating the President's stipulation and what they were supposed to do with Markov. Nikita immediately shut them up. She had a point of attack for them all to follow. It was to keep doing what they always did. Fight to change the world, "No. We're not running. We're not giving up. There's always another option. We're going to find it, and we're going to run it into the ground."