There was no preamble. The second Nikita stepped off the elevator, back inside the hell of Division, she informed the awaiting agents of what was occurring. Although all threats had been neutralized, the Marines remained topside, waiting on their kill order. Ryan attempted to diffuse the situation by arguing with the President that it was time to let it go. Percy was dead; Division could be left to ruin. But it was of no use. Quiet murmurs rattled the crowd of former agents. The radio silence they had received and Nikita's reappearance were suspicious and frightening. However, excitement became palpable once they heard, "It's over. Percy's dead."
Unsure if they were going to be met with the military, Percy, or one of the rogues, Michael had led the agents to the elevator. The instant he saw his fiancée step through the doors, he wanted to rush into her arms; however, the look in her eyes held him back. Nikita shared happy news, except they weren't out of the woods just yet. Celebrations couldn't come without a price, "But the threat's not gone. The Marines are still outside ready to kill us. We need to prove to them that we're not scared. They can't bully us into submission. We're going to keep fighting for what we deserve."
"And what's that?" Sonya spoke for the cautious former Division agents. The murmurs increased throughout the crowd, excitement strangled by fear once again. One threat was constantly replaced with another, how were they to keep fighting if that was the case. What was there to even fight for, anyway. Wouldn't it have been easier if the agents just cut and run. They had always been better at staying hidden in the shadows and escaping when they could. The team of rogues were the fighters. They had the goals while the agents just had the orders.
"Our freedom," Nikita stared directly at her fiancé as she responded. No one was going to be left in the dark. Division was gone, which meant life could begin. Orders didn't have to be blindly followed, lives didn't have to be at risk, and fear didn't have to motivate their actions. Freedom was no longer a foreign word; though, only if they stood their ground against the Marines and the President. With all the agents at the rogues' backs, and Ryan and Kendrick continuing to fight for them, making one last stand could be possible. Killing Percy and destroying Division didn't amount to nothing. Everyone would be free.
It took a while to convince the President to call off the military and consider giving the rogues and former agents pardons. Sure they were criminals, but they were forced to do the things they did. Also, they had just saved the country and by extension the world. Death shouldn't have been their payment. A deal could be struck, yet not without its drawbacks. Ryan had to eventually inform Michael and Nikita of the stipulations. The price of freedom was more costly than they had believed, "The only way the President is allowing us all to walk free is if we clean up this place, shut it down for good."
"So we run it instead? No way," Michael was quick to negate. Running Division instead of Percy wasn't the plan. Nothing after dropping Nikita alone down the silo had necessarily been a part of the plan; however, the rogues were supposed to be done with the hellhole. What happened to it after they killed their leader shouldn't have been their concern. They completed the mission they had set out to do since the former analyst first learned about Division. There wasn't supposed to be more. How could there have been more if they had won.
"Just temporarily. We bring in all the agents. We end any open op. Then, we all get pardons," Explaining, Ryan tried to make his case. Division couldn't shut down just yet. There were still agents out in the field, active ops that had to end, and enemies that could strike at any moment. If the rogues and former agents could contain the fallout the end of a black ops unit of the government brought, then there would be no worry in the future. Everything could be blissful and wonderful; everyone could have their golden parachute. They just had to put in more effort.
While Ryan and Michael argued over the ramifications of running Division, Nikita escaped from the bunker again. She needed real air if she was going to make a decision. Both of them made excellent points. The rogues shouldn't have to clean up Division's mess, but they also shouldn't leave the agents to their death. Honestly, the latter was the more compelling argument. She didn't want the former agents to suffer more than they already had. As she shared with Michael when he caught up with her, they had her empathy, "I'm not leaving these people behind. We get our shot at life, but they don't. It's not fair. They deserve a chance for once."
"You don't owe them anything. Ryan can stay while we go," Softly, Michael replied. They had done enough. For years upon years, all he and Nikita had done was fight against Division. They did everything they could so that they'd have a real life together (and, of course, get vengeance against those that had harmed them). The two had reached their goal; they could find a home together and leave the world of spies and assassinations behind them. There was nothing else they owed to anyone, except to themselves.
"This is the only home I've ever known, Mike. I can't start a new one if I've left my friends and all the others in the lurch," Stepping into her fiancé's arms, Nikita confessed. She had been one of the former agents in the bunker. She knew what they were experiencing, and she couldn't leave them behind. She also couldn't let Ryan and Birkhoff and whoever else do all the work while she lived happily ever after. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right. They all had their chance at happiness, or none of them did. It was that simple.
"How can I argue with your heart," Michael easily relented. If his fiancée was determined to ensure everyone had a life, then how could he argue with her. Wasn't that a part of their mission to defeat Division, anyway; those trapped would be free. That aspect of their operation just wasn't over yet. Though, it couldn't be at the expense of their own lives any longer. The rogues- the couple- didn't have to sacrifice their wants and desires to save the world. Michael kissed Nikita sweetly and passionately. Determination flowed through the affection, fueling him to grip her tightly and whisper against her lips, "Marry me."
"I think I've already said 'yes'," Giggling lightly, Nikita pressed her forehead into his. She would always say 'yes' to Michael. It didn't matter when or where or how it all came to be; she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. What was another obstacle thrown in the engaged couple's way. They had survived together that long. And with the number one deterrent to their relationship gone, there was nothing else stopping them. When things settled, they'd be married. Hopefully, that would be soon.
"No. The first chance we get, we're getting married," Michael amended. He didn't want to wait for pardons to marry Nikita. He wanted their future to start immediately. The earnestness in his gaze clued her in to his desire, and she instantly nodded. Once they could run out of there, they'd get married. Brilliant smiles shone on both their faces. The joy spread so easily and readily between them, it had to be expressed. Who cared that they were standing on top of Division and they still had a mission to run. He scooped her up in his arms, twirled her around, and kissed her. She laughed the entire time, holding him tightly and never letting go.
In the meantime, Birkhoff had taken his time returning to Division. Michael had given him an update and told him to return, but he didn't want to rush from the safehouse. Important things were occurring; he just didn't want to be a part of it yet. Shouldn't the team be allowed to rest before being thrust into more. A whole bunch of hell had been thrown at them at once. It was barely even the next day. All those complaining thoughts left the hacker once he stepped into Ops, however. He spotted Sonya across the room, and his heart skipped a beat. She looked so much better not on a computer screen, "Wow. You're even more beautiful in person."
Unable to stop himself, Birkhoff kissed Sonya. He felt so lucky that she kissed him in return. Maybe it was the euphoria of killing Percy, saving the world, and finally defeating Division that lent to the passion of the kiss. Though, the nerd was certain the other hacker had a strong influence. They had only been able to battle keyboards and taunt in the past. Yet that didn't mean a strong attraction and fondness couldn't form, especially since Sonya had risked everything to help the rogues, "Thanks for helping us end Division."
Sonya smiled, but only briefly. Birkhoff wanted to bask in the joy a moment longer, but the shift in her emotions worried him. He finally got a good look around him, noticing the blur of activity from agents and Ryan pacing the floor. Division didn't look like it was ending. In fact, things seemed to be picking back up for more. The elation Birkhoff's heart had felt after kissing Sonya began to sink. The urgency in Michael's voice as he ordered the hacker to meet them in the bunker made a lot more sense at that moment. It wasn't quite the end, "It is over, isn't it?"
Although back inside the bunker as well, Alex didn't have any more clue of what was occurring than Birkhoff. After she had stopped Roan, she couldn't help but lose consciousness. A broken arm and electrocution were too much for her to take. The pain overwhelmed her, and she was gone. Sean had to carry her out of the underground maze and to somewhere safe. Division was unfortunately the only solution once he had heard the update from Michael. At least he could remain by her side the entire time. He was there as she woke, settling her as she shakily asked, "Where are we?"
"The closest hospital that won't ask any questions," Sean answered simply, gently brushing Alex's hair out of her face. The Division medics were quick to mend her broken arm. They didn't even ask how it happened; they were simply focused on something they could control. The Seal definitely understood that. It was one of the reasons he let Michael, Nikita, and Ryan handle the conversation of what was to come next. Their future was so full of uncertainties, he didn't want to consider it. Only focusing on his girlfriend was better for his sanity.
"Division?" Her mind was a bit foggy from the injuries she had sustained, but at least Alex could somewhat understand what Sean was saying. The unfamiliar room certainly didn't belong to a hospital. She was inside Division; she was trapped in its walls. Despite her aching body, she tried to push herself up and out of the chair she was in. She couldn't remain in that hellhole any longer. Only death and destruction came from those walls. And, if she was inside of it, then something terrible must've happened to the team. Killing Percy and Roan hadn't saved them. It just made things worse.
"Whoa, hey. It's alright. It's over. It's over," Gently, Sean got Alex to relax again. Nothing was wrong. She was recovering in Division for her safety, not cause she was in danger. That fact was difficult for her to wrap her head around. She just stared at her boyfriend, searching his eyes for answers. He wished he had any for her. He was just as lost as she was. But at least he could calm himself knowing she was alright. They both were safe and sound. They had survived hell together, which meant they could go on that vacation he had asked her about.
"Hey. You alright?" Before Sean could mention the idea again, however, Nikita came crashing into Medical. Her eyes frantically raked over Alex, needing to know if she was okay; the rogue must've just found out what had happened. The instant she did, she ran to her friend. There were still decisions she had to make, and plans to create. Yet who cared when Alex had been so badly injured following her orders in the field. As weird as it was to think, the team was lucky they had access to Division's medical. They could actually heal themselves.
"Yeah. I'm fine. What's going on?" Shrugging aside Nikita's (and Sean's) concern, Alex demanded answers. Just because she had been unconscious didn't mean she could be out of the loop. She needed to know what had happened between Roan's and Percy's deaths, and waking up in a strange new place. Whatever it was, it was serious. Alex didn't need to read Nikita's expression to guess that much. The government had been on the team's ass for a while. That probably caught up to them. Or, something else they had been ignoring.
Nikita sighed and shared a glance with Sean. He and Alex deserved to be caught up; she simply wanted to hold off on the shock that their war wasn't over yet. Well, the war was done. The team didn't have to keep battling as rogues. But the fighting was nowhere near the end. The destruction of things wasn't the clean break they believed it could be. Sean and Alex should have a moment of peace before being thrown through the frustrations. Or, even better, they should have a choice if they wanted to continue fighting or not. It was never their war in the first place. They didn't have to stay, "You still with me?"
"Always," Alex nodded in all sincerity. She knew she didn't need to be. She had gotten revenge for her family. She had saved her mother. She had helped stop Division. She could ride off into the sunset with her boyfriend and her massive amounts of money, and never look back. Yet she knew herself better than that. She had the ability to help, to make a difference. Her best chance of doing so was to remain by Nikita's side. Besides, she couldn't leave her friends completely. They had become her new family. They were stuck together through thick and thin.
"Then here we go again."