As soon as Ari gained consciousness, Michael hurried back to Medical. There had been no further communication from Nikita. And Alex's attempt to deal with Krieg had so far been a bust. Division was scrambling to find any leads to save Stefan and rescue Nikita. Although Michael was concerned about what Amanda's henchmen might do to Stefan, he was more worried about his wife being trapped with Amanda. He had to get her out of there. Ari should've been able to help him. After all, he did know who they were up against the most, "We really need your help. Stefan was captured by one of Amanda's crew."
"Where the hell is Nikita?" Ari immediately panicked. He wasn't so concerned about her safety. Yes, he was slightly worried. However, his fear for Nikita wasn't as great as his fear for his son. If she was gone, if something had happened to her, then what worse fate had befell his son. Amanda wasn't going to keep him alive for long. With Nikita out of the picture, no one could stop the bitch. She'd be able to do whatever she wanted- including killing his son.
"Just please, focus on this. Alex flagged these men as Amanda's operatives in Geneva. Do you recognize any of them?" Michael struggled to keep the panic and desperation out of his own voice. He shouldn't be so anxious about Nikita. She could handle herself- she sounded unharmed when he had talked to her. Like Ari, his main concern should be on Stefan. Tracking down Amanda's henchmen to find the teenager was a manageable task. Alex could easily grab him if she had the right information. The problem could be resolved if they just focused.
"This man, I know him. He's ex-Gogol," After taking a settling breath, Ari pointed out a man he recognized. There were a few men Alex had managed to capture images of and send over to Division. They were all roughly the same- meathead mercenary types who proved that Amanda couldn't stretch a buck. In that particular instance, Ari was grateful for that. Her stinginess helped him recognize one man. He knew his name, his details, anything that'd lead Division right to his hideout- and right to Stefan.
"Do you remember his phone number?" Michael wondered. That was all Division needed to track him down. The ex-Gogol goon didn't even need to be talking on his phone. The number was enough for Birkhoff to work his magic. Ari was aware of that, and excitedly told Michael what he needed to know. Wherever Nikita was could become an afterthought. With that information, Alex could be enough to save Stefan.
Alex was waiting right where Krieg told her to meet him; however, he was nowhere in sight. For a while, she assumed he was just watching her, trying to gauge what kind of threat she'd be. Yet the longer she waited, the more she believed that he was never going to show. Krieg had set her up so he could follow his own leads on Stefan. Alex honestly couldn't blame him. But she had to help Nikita. Who knew if she could escape on her own that time. They had to find a way to get her out of there, "Birkhoff, this guy's a no-show."
"We got a new lead. Ari got us the number of one of Amanda's flunkies. We traced it. I'm uploading the location to you now. That'll be where they have Stefan," Birkhoff took Alex's mind off Krieg. Nikita would have to wait; although she was with Amanda, she'd be relatively fine. Stefan had to take center stage. Alex instantly agreed to that. She took the intel Birkhoff gave her and sped off to her new destination.
The fire in the abandoned workshop quickly got out of control. The whole building was engulfed in flames, smoking and burning Amanda and Nikita out. The two desperately jumped in their chairs in order to break their bonds. But it was of no use. They were going to die in that fire. Amanda was sure of it, "So this is how it ends. Just like it began."
"You and I didn't meet in a fire," Nikita couldn't help but mutter. Honestly, she wasn't really listening to Amanda. She was still focused on trying to break out of her restraint. She refused to believe that it was a hopeless endeavor. Either she'd escape the fiery inferno, or the fire department would come pull her from the wreckage. Nikita was going to survive no matter what. There were people out there that needed her to keep fighting. She couldn't let them down.
"I'm not talking about you, you solipsistic junkie. Although, I guess one version of Nikita was born in the fire- the rogue Nikita," Amanda snapped. She had stopped caring about Nikita as soon as the fire consumed the whole room. Amanda was only concerned with her own life. But, since the former rogue mentioned it, it was ironic that the so-called hero would die just like how she was born. She believed she could save everyone, but her heroic actions only led to more destruction. The two were going to die because of her actions. She just had to save them, even if she signed their death warrant in the process.
Glancing at Amanda, Nikita had no idea what she was talking about. Was she having some sort of end of life epiphany. Or had inhaling that much smoke made her delirious. Nikita had to admit that the smoke was starting to affect her. She could stand the heat of the fire. But her stinging eyes and burning chest was wearing her out. Nikita couldn't pull at her restraints anymore. She could hardly even look clearly at Amanda. The fire department better arrive soon. At least to save her from that conversation, "When I saved Alex…"
"And defied the people who made you," Amanda didn't let Nikita finish. That had been, and always would be, her takeaway after discovering the truth about Operation Pale Fire. Nikita had gone rogue that day. She defied everyone who cared for her, raised her, and she had never looked back. The whole world wouldn't have turned upside down if she hadn't betrayed Division that day. But because of her decision that night, everything had been lost and destroyed.
"Made me? Amanda, you taught me skills. I passed some of them on to the others, but you didn't make me any more than I made them," Did the bitch seriously still believe that she had made Nikita. That was like Nikita claiming she had made Michael and Alex by making them become double-agents, or Ryan, Birkhoff and Owen by making them go rogue. That was their choices; she only helped hone their skills. She hadn't made anyone. And neither had Amanda. Although the bitch thought so, she wasn't God.
"You made your rogues. And like everything else you love, they will either turn against you or die," Shaking her head, Amanda refused to listen to Nikita. She made her henchmen go after her, and the former rogue was going to pay. The best way for Amanda to get her revenge was to force Nikita to go though what she had to. Those she cared for and molded in her image were going to turn against her. And if not, then they were going to die. It was that simple.
Rather than respond to the threat Amanda leveled against her friends and family (for the umpteenth time) Nikita focused on the things Amanda wasn't saying. She didn't just believe she had made Nikita and, in turn, Nikita made the rogues. The bitch believed that that was simply how the world worked. Everybody manipulated and tortured everybody to form them into their own image. That viewpoint had to have come from experience. Amanda had gone through some serious shit before she arrived in Division. It wasn't just the prospect of dying that made Nikita curious as to what that was, "Who made you, Amanda? How did it begin?"
"I am so much worse than all you bitches put together," With the fire igniting the pure rage reflecting in Amanda's cold blue eyes, Nikita was actually afraid of her. She didn't doubt that Amanda had gone through a hell that made her way worse than they could ever possibly imagine. But when Nikita dared to get Amanda to say more- at least use her dying breath to explain- she only received another vague, terrifying, detached-from-reality answer, "You think you're the only one with daddy issues?"
Nikita didn't have any memories of what happened after that. The smoke caused her to lose consciousness, and she only regained it while receiving oxygen in an ambulance. The paramedics spoke to her as soon as she woke, yet she was too out of it to understand a foreign language. Nikita simply waved them off and waited until she was left alone. Once the coast was clear, she escaped the scene. She had to steal an ambulance, however she wasn't really thinking too much about that. Her only thoughts revolve around Stefan and Alex. She had to save the teenager and warn her partner, even though it hurt to breathe, "Alex, Krieg is on his way."
"He's here with me," Alex didn't have time to be relieved that Nikita had escaped. She had to jump straight into sharing information. She had slammed right into Krieg while she was chasing down Amanda's henchmen. She had managed to hold him at bay by discussing Ari, but Nikita definitely called at the right time. Alex was going to need help if she was going to fully convince Krieg to trust them. Maybe then was the time they called Ari.
"Look, Amanda got free too. Don't know where she is. You have to find Stefan before she moves him," Coughing, Nikita caught Alex up on the urgent danger. There was still a chance they could save Stefan before Amanda returned to their men. They'd have to hurry, though. Hopefully, Division had found them a lead while she had been captured and unconscious.
"Okay. What about Krieg?" Although Nikita seriously needed to be caught up on what had happened while she was out of it, Alex focused on the present. As she drove to Alex's location, someone in Division would tell Nikita everything she needed to know. In the meantime, the team had to work on getting Krieg on their side. Stefan would never truly be safe if Division and his protector were at war. An understanding had to pass between them. Not enough that they liked each other, just so they could finally be on the same page.
"We have Ari here. They should talk. Call the number I gave you," Birkhoff cut into the conversation. He could patch a call through to Alex, so Krieg and Ari could finally talk. The miscommunication had gone on long enough. They had to set everything aside if they wanted to save Stefan before Amanda made her way back to her men. Thankfully, Alex and Krieg were already in the area. After an educating phone call, the two could jump right into being heroes.
While Krieg talked with Ari, Birkhoff told Nikita what she needed to know and where she needed to go. She was extremely grateful that she had stolen an ambulance (despite the nagging thought in the back of her mind that someone might eventually need it). She was able to speed through lights and weave around traffic without concern. Nikita would be able to catch up to Alex and Krieg in no time. Which was an increasingly good thing, since the second Krieg and Ari ended their conversation, the former special forces soldier was ready to work with Division to save Stefan, "Enough nonsense. Let's get the boy back, yes?
"Yes," Alex agreed excitedly. She and Krieg worked quickly on a plan, then immediately put it into action. Krieg got shot in the process; however, Stefan remained unharmed, so it was well worth it. The teenager could finally be safe. He and his protector hurried out of the building while Alex took care of the rest of the mercenaries. She was soon pinned down by gunfire. But she had an idea of how to get out of the line of fire. She simply had to make sure that Krieg and Stefan were out of the building first, then she'd worry about herself, "Nikita? They're coming your way, out of the northwest maintenance tunnel."
"Got it. Can you hold out?" Nikita had parked her stolen ambulance where Stefan and Krieg should've been emerging. She prepared bandages and disinfectant for Krieg's gunshot wound (again, it was a great thing she had an ambulance) and she readied her weapon incase she had to join Alex in the fight. Nikita wasn't going to leave her alone to Amanda's goons again. The instant the young agent needed help, she'd be right there. She was still foggy from the smoke, but she could fire a gun and get her best friend out of hell if needed. There had been enough kidnappings on that mission. It was about time they all went home safe.
"Police are on their way. I learned that from the best," Alex smiled. A part of the plan she had created with Krieg involved her calling the police. Amanda's henchmen had them outgunned, so the best way to deal with them was to call in backup. The police and their weapons should be efficient. Although Alex would have to let herself get arrested, at least the mercenaries would be taken care of. No one would be left to hurt Stefan.
After Nikita praised Alex for the great job, she focused on helping Krieg and Stefan into the ambulance and speeding off. She split her time driving by instructing Stefan on how to patch up a bullet wound, contacting Division, and listening to Stefan and Krieg's heart to heart. They decided to keep hiding together as long as they listened to each other. The two were going to be just fine. It was a sweet moment. And the good feeling got to continue as Birkhoff informed Nikita that Alex had survived the firefight, "Alex is okay, Nikki. She's been taken into custody."
"Alright, Birkhoff, let's go and get Alex," Nikita began to turn towards Alex's location. It'd be easy to pick her up while in an ambulance- and with Shadowwalker's help. The police wouldn't know what had hit them until it was too late. Birkhoff even agreed that they could intercept before bail was even paid. Division had managed another win against Amanda. And that one felt like an actual good victory. An innocent had been saved, and no one had been lost. Hopefully, Amanda would stay down after that defeat for a long time.
Seeing flashing lights behind her, Alex smiled. She knew Nikita would pick her up in the stolen ambulance soon. She thought she'd arrive at the police station before then, but being picked up on the side of the road was way better; she didn't have to get processed. Her smile dropped, however, when the cop got out of the car and was instantly shot. Nikita wouldn't have shot at them. Something else was going on. Something was wrong.
Alex's answer to what that was came swiftly. While she was trapped in the backseat of a police car, the shooter climbed into the dead cop's driver's seat. She turned to smirk at Alex before she drove away. It wasn't Nikita who had come to save her. Amanda had arrived to torture her and enact her revenge, "Looks like I'm not leaving Geneva empty-handed after all. Let's see how well she taught you."