Frantically, Alex followed Percy down the hall. She had been separated from Nikita on the way back to Division. She had absolutely no idea what happened to the rogue. She also had no idea what was to happen to her. The operation had been blown. Alex hadn't killed the target. Everything was a huge mess, and the young recruit could be seen as a liability- disaster followed her. Percy was probably leading her to her death that instant. She had to save herself; Alex had to talk her way out of that shitstorm, for both herself and Nikita, "Listen, about the target…"
"The target was taken care of," Percy brushed Alex off, completely dismissing her concerns. He kept stalking down the hall with long, purposeful strides. The young recruit had to jog to keep up; though, the others that walked with them didn't hurry. Guards hung back, watching everyone's moves. And another recruit lagged behind as well, but she was too full of nervous anxiety to take bigger steps. A pang of sympathy rolled through Alex at the sight of her. Yet she quickly shook it off. She had other concerns at the moment.
Something horrific was going to happen unless she got ahead of the problem. Alex had to extend the lie that Nikita was the one to ruin her operation. She had to keep being the exemplary agent Division wanted from her to get what she needed. She had to remain calculating, smart, brave. The horrors couldn't catch up to her, "I know. It's just that, if Nikita wasn't there…"
"We'll deal with that later. Let's just focus on the positive for now, hmm," Clutching the handle of the door at the end of the dark hallway, Percy sounded far too tense to be thinking positively. Alex and the other recruit stopped dead in their tracks in front of him. They glanced between him and the guards behind them, attempting to understand what was going to happen. Only then did Alex start to question why the other recruit was with her. She was one of the newer recruits that had arrived recently. Alex had really only seen her in the computer lab. Maybe she was in trouble as well. The two were both about to be punished- possibly killed.
"Relax, Alex, Sonya. Don't be nervous," Percy flashed a smile that didn't settle Alex or Sonya. He shoved open the door and led the others inside. The only thing in the dark, bare room was the captured rogue. Of all the things Alex had expected to have happened to Nikita, being chained to the ceiling was not one of them. She thought the torture would've been well under way and there'd be blood everywhere. Instead, Nikita was untouched- besides the bullet wound in her thigh. But even that was patched up- at least enough to staunch the bleeding. Someone had taken care of the rogue. For some reason, that unnerved Alex more than blood would have.
Then wasn't the time to begin to cower, however. Nikita wasn't afraid. Alex couldn't be either. She still had a mission to complete. She still had to prove to herself that she was ready to take on Semak. So while Percy taunted, Alex searched for ways to help the rogue, "Nikita. You know Alex, the young recruit you tried to save from doing what's necessary. Tried and failed, thanks to Sonya, another young recruit you can't stop. You know, once she had access, your little shell program was easy to find. One great rogue taken down by two trainees."
"Their loss," Nikita's voice was thick, deep, and hoarse. Between screaming in pain, being unconscious, and hanging painfully by her wrists, her throat wasn't happy. Her whole body wasn't happy. But she had to fight through it all, especially the agonizing pain in her thigh. She had to keep her head if she wanted to survive the hellhole- again.
"Don't listen to her. She's just jealous of the new models," Percy snide remark didn't get any rise out of Nikita. She just stared. Alex found a sort of strength in it. If the rogue was unbothered, even though she kept shifting her injured leg, then so could the young woman. She could keep searching for an escape route and ignore Percy as he mocked, "Tell me, recruits. How does it feel to have brought down one of Division's greatest traitors?"
Sonya didn't say anything. She- like Alex- was relieved that they were only there to gloat; the two weren't dead. However, Sonya didn't reply to Percy besides a smile and a nod. Alex considered doing the same, but that was her one chance to talk to Nikita. Not only was she certain that she could blow open the silo access with explosives, she could also break the rogue out of her chains with the same method. She simply had to express that, "She's not so tough."
"Little girl, your fifteen minutes of fame starts right now. Enjoy," Nikita forced her voice to remain steely and dark. The pain in her thigh was steadily getting worse. She had no idea how she was going to escape with it, which was probably why Kelly shot her. Well, that was at least one of her motivations. Whatever the reason, Nikita couldn't show how much it affected her. Percy and Amanda couldn't find an easy way to get to her. And Alex couldn't be frightened off.
"I think it's gonna be a little longer than that," Flickering her eyes to the ceiling, Alex silently begged Nikita to understand her. She had studied the air vent routes after discovering the silo. She knew how to access that room. She could plant an explosive above Nikita's head when she planted the one at the grate. All Alex needed was time to pull it all off.
"Fine. Twenty minutes," Barely nodding (she mostly just let her head hang) Nikita understood. She had spotted Alex examining the ceiling. It was easy to figure out what she was thinking after their discussion about explosives in the shed. However, the rogue didn't have all the time in the world to wait to be broken out. Twenty minutes alone was pushing it.
"Alright. Give me a minute," Percy dismissed the charged conversation by brushing Alex and Sonya away. Sonya hurried out, having never wanted to be a part of Percy's schemes. Alex, on the other hand, slowly exited. She deliberately brushed against a guard so she could steal his keycard. She needed at least that in order to start blowing things up. Until she had the chance to, she had to pretend everything was normal. Suspicion had to be thrown completely off her. If she could cause utter chaos in Division without getting caught, then she was ready for Semak. The skills she had learned were tested far more with that op than they were on the kill mission.
Nikita trusted Alex to help break her out. She seemed incredibly determined to complete at least one dangerous mission. The rogue simply didn't believe in herself. Yes, her injured leg was a huge obstacle. But she had gotten herself into that shit situation even before that. Being back inside Division had her beyond fucked. Percy taunting her wasn't even the worst thing, "You know, I have to admit, despite all the trouble you've caused, it still feels good to see you back where you belong. All we need now is Michael and Birkhoff."
"I've never belonged here," Nikita shouldn't have engaged. She shouldn't have let Percy get under her skin. But her head was spinning in pain. Her thoughts pulsed between the barely patched wound in her thigh and plans to escape with each sharp pang. It was becoming far too difficult to focus. Dread seeped into her at the revelation. How was she going to escape when she couldn't think past her pain.
"You were born here. This is where your new life began, and where it was always meant to end," Stalking in front of his captured prey, Percy cracked a snide smile. The expression made Nikita want to launch herself at the bastard and claw the smugness off his face. Unfortunately, even tensing her muscles against the chains caused her incredible pain. She was screwed.
Her whole plan to save Alex by sacrificing herself to Division was fucked up. Of course Nikita would never take back her decision to protect her mole. But did she seriously think she could be captured by Division and then escape easily. That was a grave oversight on her part. She couldn't crawl her way out of hell a second time while injured. Division was ready for everything she'd try. Nikita just had to hope that they weren't prepared for Alex. Her mole- her partner- could help her see the shitty plan through, "It's not over yet."
"Almost. But before you go, you will tell me where you've been getting your intel from," Although Percy attempted to pretend that Nikita's bravado didn't affect him, she could see the cracks in his perfectly tailored appearance. He hated that the rogue had more information, and therefore power, than him. For once, he didn't have everything in his control.
"I think the question is where haven't I been getting it from. Division's got more leaks than BP, and I have friends everywhere," Smirking, Nikita believed she was gaining the upper hand in the interrogation- if what Percy was doing was the interrogation. As awful as it was, Nikita hoped talking to the bastard was all she had to face. She didn't think she'd be able to handle anything else.
"See, and I think you have one, here. And when I find out who that person is, either you or they will tell me where my black box is. Then after that, where Michael and Birkhoff are," Percy actually snapped, stalking so close to Nikita she could practically feel his rage. A part of her wanted to cower away. If she was still an agent or recruit, she would have. But she had to be stronger as a rogue. Division didn't have a hold on her anymore.
"Or you'll do what?" The threatening tone to Nikita's voice surprised even her. She was surprised that much bravado resided in her. Though, it was honestly her rage that made her seethe. She had spent years being intimidated and frightened by Division. Even in the months after she had escaped, she was afraid of what they had done to her. Every aspect of her life had been fueled by the fear others had imposed on her. Until then. She was sick and tired of being terrified. It was everyone else's turn.
"I'm not going to do anything," Stepping away from the rogue, Percy's snide grin returned. He walked back towards the door, his demonic eyes never leaving her. Nikita didn't want to even consider what that was about. She knew it wasn't good- especially when the sharp knock on the door made Percy smile wider, "Now her, I can't speak for."
Amanda entered the room with guards on either side of her; one brought in a television. Nikita struggled to remain strong. She knew all about Amanda's torture techniques. She could get anything out of anyone- especially when she didn't have an audience. Percy and the guards soon left the room, forcing the women completely alone. Nikita tried to smirk at Amanda, yet it fell flat. Her anxiety was palpable, "The inquisitor, huh? This is gonna hurt."
"You have no idea," There was no joy on Amanda's face, unlike Percy's. She wasn't going to enjoy hurting Nikita, which only made it worse. It wasn't going to be any physical torture. The rogue was about to experience gut-wrenching emotional trauma from her former mentor and confidant. No amount of bracing could save Nikita from that pain.
Attempting to ignore her thoughts about what was happening to Nikita at the moment, Alex rushed around Division. She stole as much C4 from the weapons locker as she could, and hurriedly thought of all the places she could plant the explosives. The air vent above where the rogue was chained and the entrance to the silo were obvious choices. But she had to cause chaos in other places. It was the only way Nikita could actually escape and no blame could be placed on Alex. There had to be so much destruction, no one could know what was occurring.
The best place Alex could think of was the cafeteria. She had to be there anyway to eat lunch (had it really not been a full day). She could swing by and pretend she was still following her normal routine. No one would notice her planting the C4 under a table. And if anyone suspected her, they might think she was acting weird after her first mission. As long as Alex stayed smart and kept her head, things would work out. She had gotten that far, after all. She just had to continue her mission and hope for the best.
All hope had left Nikita. The television Amanda had brought in was used to show old recordings of Nikita. She was shown in a happy conversation with Amanda, and in a moment of bliss with Daniel. They were both moments the rogue had destroyed by being the monster she truly was. She wasn't able to be the star she was supposed to be. Division could have made her that, but she chose death instead. Nikita ruined everyone's lives, including her own.
At least, that was all according to Amanda. Nikita didn't want to believe her, but the onslaught just kept coming. The inquisitor was relentless, "I know you think you're fighting fire with fire. But if you keep down that path, everyone will burn, including innocents like Daniel and Alexandra. Or did you forget Alex's one of ours now. You know what will happen if our secrets get out in the open. You will do more harm than good. Give up Michael, Birkhoff, and the black box. It's too late to save yourself, but there may be time to save others."
"Right now, I'd be wondering about who's going to save you," Despite the tears running down her cheeks, Nikita bit. It was difficult, especially with all the things Amanda had said about how she had turned from a star to a monster, but Nikita had been mentally counting down the twenty minute timer she had given Alex. Time was up. Hopefully, Alex pulled through. Nikita really needed her to come through.
Before doubt could completely overtake Nikita, explosions rocked Division. Amanda was startled by them. Yet the rogue collected herself together. She needed all the strength she could muster to push past the agonizing pain in her thigh. And once the explosions reached her, she needed all her will power to break herself out of her chains.
"She's loose!" Amanda shouted for the guards outside. As they burst into the room, she ran away. Nikita was alright with that. She didn't think she had the strength to chase her down anyway. The rogue just had to focus on escape. Using the chains still attached to her wrists, she knocked the guards unconscious. The movements caused her too much strain. But she couldn't dwell on that. She just took the keys, freed herself, and made a break for it.
Adrenaline. Nikita wouldn't be able to make it to the silo or back to her safehouse without adrenaline. The chemical naturally coursing through her body was fine for helping her shake her chains loose and run down the hall. Yet if she wanted to keep fighting, she'd need more. She was already sprinting past Medical. She could slip inside, steal adrenaline shots, and continue running. Crashing into the closest room, Nikita thought that was a good idea. However, her track record on good ideas had run short. As she grabbed the medicine, Kelly found her.
Instinctively, the agent shot the rogue. Because of Kelly's surprise at accidentally stumbling upon her foe, the bullet only grazed Nikita's ribs. The rogue was able to recover from her agony quickly. There wasn't much she could do to fight Kelly- not while she had a gun, and she was severely injured. She just threw nearby medical supplies at the agent. Somehow, that worked. Kelly was too shocked by the feeble attack to do anything but stare. Nikita took that to her rare advantage. Grabbing a nearby syringe, she injected it into her former partner's arm.
Kelly pushed her away and raised her weapon. Nikita braced herself for another bullet. Except it never came. The agent faltered, her arms dropping lazily to her sides. The rogue didn't question what she had injected her with. Nikita simply punched Kelly unconscious and ran. Once she managed to reach the elevator, she shot herself with artificial adrenaline. That should've been enough to get her to the silo and outside. From there, she had no idea how'd she make it back to her safehouse. But she'd just have to figure that out later. More trouble found her on the elevator. Division hackers made it stop before her destination. The doors opened onto the recruit floor.
Thom shoved Alex against the wall. After she had deceived her fellow recruits and planted C4 throughout Division, she placed the last explosive at the silo entrance. Thom caught her in the act. She tried to lie, but it was no use. The explosions started, and the two were fighting. With more strength and field experience than Alex, Thom quickly had the upper hand. She knew he was going to take her out and turn her in if she didn't think of something. She couldn't let everything slip away from her then. Fortunately, another explosion gave her the help she needed. She pushed back against Thom and grabbed his gun. The two wrestled for it.
A gunshot rang in the air.
"Alex!" Rounding the corner to the hall that led to the silo, Nikita heard the gunshot loud and clear. At first, she thought a guard had caught up to her. She had taken out the entire recruit room, but someone could've still been chasing her. Instead, she was met with something far worse. Alex crumbled to the ground after the gunshot. Another person fell with her, yet Nikita's sole attention was on the young woman. She couldn't be hurt. Please. She couldn't be dead.
When she collapsed next to Alex's side, Nikita almost sighed in relief. The young woman was fine. Well, she wasn't bleeding. She was nowhere near fine. Her watery blue eyes were glued to the bloody body in front of her. Thom gasped and struggled for air, a bullet wound in his chest. He wouldn't be able to breathe, though. Nikita knew that instantly. The wound was fatal. Remaining by his side wouldn't fix anything, "We have to go."
"I sh… I shot him," Alex couldn't listen. She couldn't focus on anything besides Thom bleeding out. She should stop the bleeding, shouldn't she. She should help Thom after accidentally shooting him. She hadn't meant to pull the trigger. It happened by accident while they fought for control. She didn't want to shoot him. Except, she had shot him. If Thom lived, he'd tell everyone what he saw. If she saved Thom from what she did to him, he'd kill her.
"I'm sorry. There's nothing you can do. The guards will be here any minute," Nikita tried to pull Alex off of Thom. She remembered when he was first recruited. He was sweet for Division. Yet the women didn't have time to grieve. More armed guards and agents would be on them any moment. If they wanted to live, they had to run.
"I'm not leaving him," Alex shook her head. She couldn't go. She killed Thom. How could she just leave. Glancing at Nikita, she begged to know if the rogue had any answers. However, that was when she finally noticed all the blood Nikita was covered in. She was tortured, and injured, and staying in Division any longer would get her killed. Enough life had been lost in that place. Alex couldn't let Nikita die too. No, there had to be another way. The young woman was determined to find it, "Go. I can handle it."
"They're looking for the mole," Under normal circumstances, Nikita would've taken Alex's word for it. She would've believed her and ran. Yet Amanda and Percy were dead set on finding their mole. If they discovered it was Alex, she'd never get what she wanted. She would've fought for nothing. Nikita wouldn't let that happen. The team of rogues could maybe help the young woman with her revenge if she joined them. They could figure things out together. Whatever it took to ensure none of them died.
Alex palmed the keycard in her pocket. Although she hated the thought that came to her mind, she knew it was her only option. To save herself, protect Nikita, and gain what she wanted, she had to pass blame for the whole thing on Thom. It was a shitty thing to do to a dead man- to a friend. Yet Alex didn't have another choice. She'd have to do other shitty things to get to Semak. Unfortunately, that was just the first, "I know. I can handle this."
"We'll make them pay. Shell's gone. Call me when you're on the outside," Nikita swore, then parted with the order. The two had to stay in touch. Not only did they have to ensure that they survived the terrible situation, but they had to keep working together. Alex and Nikita had each other's interest at heart. They needed people like that in order to complete their missions.
"I'm so sorry… so sorry. I'm so sorry," Alex thought Thom could've been one of those people. She thought he could've been her friend throughout all the hells of Division. Sadly, she couldn't have everything she wanted. No matter how much she apologized, it wouldn't take back her actions. She had to live with the pain and grief, and she had to move on. Once she killed Semak, everything she had done would be justified. Until then, she had to stay on mission. Only afterwards could she spend the rest of her days making up for it all.