The first thing she should've done was call her team. It didn't matter that she just got off the phone with them; she should've kept them informed of what was going on. But Alex was so confused and lost, she couldn't think straight. Everytime she felt sure and satisfied with herself, the rug got ripped out from under her. She might have made a striking move against Semak, but Gogol returned the blow with one of their own surprises. She wasn't shocked to know that the organization was the one following her. Seeing Yuri, however, seeing her childhood friend hurt. After her mother chose Semak over her safety, she thought she was done experiencing betrayal. Figures from her past just kept coming back to haunt her.
Instead of trying to process that, Alex had to deal with Yuri's threat. He had a pistol in his holster, but that wasn't the weapon he had aimed at her. A broken syringe lay by his side, liquid leaking out. She didn't want to question it at the moment. She couldn't just have him pinned down; she had to tie him up or something. Taking his gun, she urged him to get to his feet and sit in the desk chair. Yuri did so without a fight. He just stared at Alex, letting her tie him up tightly with whatever she had available (it just so happened to be an extra bed sheet). Again, she really should've called her team. She had no idea what she was supposed to do with a captive. Except he wasn't a captive. He was her friend. She shouldn't have to interrogate him, just talk, "Are there any of our other friends out there trying to shoot me?"
"You don't have any friends. Not anymore," Yuri made direct eye contact with her. It was unnerving. He wasn't ashamed of his actions, nor was he willing to pull his punches. Alex couldn't understand it. She couldn't wrap her head around why someone she was so close to would want to kill her. Sure she understood Semak. He was an egotistical jackass that would do anything to get what he wanted. But Yuri had always been so kind and sweet. They used to play soccer in the yard together. What could have made him work for Gogol. Or even worse, what could've made him want to hurt her.
"Why are you doing this?" Daring to ask, Alex sat on the edge of the bed. She tried to keep herself open with him. Yuri had to know that he could be honest with her. She wasn't angry at him, which was surprising even to her. She just had to know what was going on. Maybe she could help him. Division agents were forced to do the things they did; it could be the same for Gogol. The Yuri she knew wouldn't have volunteered for that kind of life. But then again, she never thought her mother would put her in any kind of danger. The comforting memories she had held onto over the years were failing her.
But she couldn't let that weigh her down. Alex had to remain strong and unmovable. She had no idea how she was supposed to interview Yuri. It was naïve to think that was a normal conversation. He was tied to a chair, after all. Yet how was she to talk to a captive. Her only experience in the matter was Nikita interrogating her and Sean. She could emulate the rogue, though. She had been trained by her enough to copy her open yet stern composure. Whether or not that actually worked on Yuri, she couldn't tell. He continued to stare at her as he replied, "I am sorry for this. I know it is not your fault."
"What exactly do you think you know, Yuri?" For some reason, she thought she was going to laugh. Both she and her childhood friend had the same ideas about their motives; there was no way this could all be their fault. But Alex fought to contain her composure. That was her interrogation- she had to be in control. However, she could still grin softly at Yuri. Despite the circumstances, she could still be friendly towards him. There didn't have to be animosity between them. Not everything from the past had to be painful.
"I will not tell your Division anything," Yet it could be beyond confusing. Yuri finally shifted his gaze, scanning the hotel suite around them. Alex glanced at him in bewilderment. Why would he bring up Division. There had been no mention of that despicable organization all day. Could he have been mistaken. Gogol and Division were rivals in a sense; he could have gotten things mixed up. Yuri wasn't stupid, though. He wasn't confused. He was operating off of what someone had told them. That only made things more complicated.
"What? You're not talking to Division. You're talking to me," Alex tried to correct his statement. It was simply her and Yuri. He didn't need to be worried about anyone listening or being compromised. He could be safe with her. Except she had lost him. His eyes were still roaming for some kind of listening device. She needed him to refocus. They didn't have to be secret agents for a second, "Look at me, Yuri. It's me, Alexandra. We used to play together in the backyard, remember?"
A brief, barely there, smile pulled at his lips. So Yuri did remember. And he still saw their past friendship as something to smile about. Alex could continue to appeal to him; she could keep fighting to get through to him. Grinning in return, she decided to further her questioning in Russian. They could both be reminded of home. They could think of simpler times, before they nearly killed one another, "Look. You don't have to tell me about anyone else. Just tell me about you. What happened?"
Fury flashed in Yuri's gaze. It wasn't the fiery fury Alex was used to seeing. The look in his eyes was quiet and tamed. Anger had been simmering within him for a long time, "What happened? My father died protecting your father. They told us there were no survivors that night. The Udinovs were dead. I left school to work. I was fourteen, an orphan. Until Bratva took me in. When I turned seventeen, I get call from company- from Zetrov. They say, we have been watching you. We knew your father. He was a good man- strong. There is a job for you in our security department."
"Gogol," Alex wasn't sure why she spoke. She didn't need to. Though, calling Gogol a security firm was a stretch. Nikita was right in calling it the Russian version of Division. The organization was simply a gun for hire. It took out any enemies that were a threat to their leader's power, and they handled any troubling things that needed to be covered up. Of course Semak would ally himself with such a group. After all, he had made a deal with Percy to control Zetrov. That bastard would do anything for just some semblance of power and control.
"They have been my family. Five years now. But I only learned the truth about you two weeks ago," Yuri continued as if she hadn't spoken. He wanted it known that their friendship was well and truly gone; it died the same night as their fathers. Yet Alex couldn't focus on that. She was trying to think what could've happened two weeks ago that changed things. All that came to mind was Clean Sweep. The attempt on Oversight and Division had far more lasting effects than the team had thought.
"The truth?" She just couldn't connect the dots of how exactly that could've been. Semak and Ari discovered she was alive almost a month prior, when she had crashed into her rebuilt childhood home. Why would they have waited to send someone to follow her. Infiltrating Division was the only thing that made sense to Alex. What Nikita had informed her of Ari and Amanda must've been true. The two were sharing information with one another. That was not going to bode well for the team.
"That you were spared by Division that night and was brought here to be raised by them. Brainwashed to be their doll to one day return to take over Zetrov. You'd claim it in the name of Nikolai Udinov. But secretly, you'd take your orders by your American masters," Yuri wasn't helping matters. He was adding to the confusion and how strange and awful things were. Yet he wasn't going to spare Alex from anymore overwhelming thoughts. He just kept going, "I don't hate you, Alexandra. I pity you. I volunteered to be a part of team that hunts you down and put you out of your misery. I came here to give you mercy."
That was enough. Alex had to put a stop to things and regain control of the interrogation. She wasn't the one to have been brainwashed; he was. She needed him to see the real truth. There were actual monsters out in the world, and he was working for them, "Yuri, everything you have been fed is a lie. It was Semak who was behind the massacre that night. The attack by Division was his alibi to make him look like a hero in the aftermath. It's Semak who made a deal to take over Zetrov."
"This is what they taught you," Shaking his head, Yuri wouldn't accept what she was saying. Alex felt like she was speaking to her mother all over again. Semak had his claws deep into those she cared for. It was as though he had to keep tearing her apart. Destroying her childhood and killing her father wasn't enough for him. He had to steal what was left of her friends and family. The only way to make all of it stop was to kill him. If her drive for revenge wasn't powerful enough already, it certainly was then.
"No. It's the truth. Listen to me. Division did not save me that night. It was one of their agents. A rogue agent, Nikita," Alex took back the conversation. She shared the fact willingly, hoping Yuri would see her earnestness and sincerity. She didn't remember him being so stubborn before. Out of their friends, she was definitely the one to change her mind the least. But he wouldn't budge. A look of pity simply settled across his features.
"A rogue agent who was part of the strike team," He said it like she was the one who was blind. She really was saved by Division that night. Alex shook her head and got to her feet. Everything was some kind of awful spin of what had actually occurred. She couldn't fight the sinking feeling in her stomach that that was the story her mother was told. Even when faced with the truth, Semak was going to continue to lie and try to save his reputation. God, she couldn't wait to rip everything to shreds.
First, however, she had to talk to Yuri. Alex wouldn't let him believe in all those lies any longer. She was just consumed with too much rage and confusion. Thoughts were tumbling around her head, attempting to form some sort of order or sense. Her explanation came spilling out of her without the control she once had. The interrogation was nowhere near a success, "Yeah, but she hadn't gone rogue yet. She… this was a year before that. She made a decision that night to save me. She had never disobeyed one of their orders before."
"Then why are you working for them? Why were you seen in their ranks?" Able to fire back easily, Yuri challenged. He must've been mentioning Clean Sweep again. The back of her mind always thought that she got in that underground bunker with Sean just a bit too easily. Amanda should've questioned her more. Yet she knew who she was. She knew Alex was alive and possibly working for Nikita. With the threat on Division, she probably let it go and utilized her help. That wasn't going to be the case anymore, however.
"What? No. I was there to spy. I… how do you know that? Did Ari tell you?" Alex had to call her team immediately. She couldn't pretend she could handle the situation on her own anymore. The news about Ari and Amanda was too detrimental to ignore. Redialing Nikita's burner, she realized she couldn't leave Yuri out of the loop as well. She wanted him to know the truth, so she had to tell all of it, "Do you know how he got his information? He's working with Division's current leader."
Before Yuri could argue a word, the door to the suite crept open. Alex steadied the gun she had confiscated, ready for another potential fight. That time, her team was on the line and would be able to hear everything. The person who entered the room wasn't looking for a fight, however. He raised placating hands, and flashed a small smirk. She didn't know whether to be shocked or angry or both at Ari's presence. He didn't seem to care either way, "That's right. And we have a deal for you, Alexandra."