After Michael and Nikita returned to the safehouse, Nikita cleaned herself up then debriefed with her team. Birkhoff released the audio he had captured of Princess Kristina admitting to planning the assassination attempt. She was soon arrested, along with the head of security who had helped her. Division managed to escape custody thanks to their disguise as the FBI. Despite that, the rogues were still victorious. They saved their target, punished the villains, and dealt a serious blow to Division. Even with the setbacks they had experienced, it was an overall great mission.
The rogues decided to relish in their success the next day as they watched the news coverage of Prince Erik's rescue and Princess Kristina's betrayal. They went to Nikita's loft to meet with Alex and discuss their next moves. It was easier to have their mole meet them in the city. They could hide her location better, and their safehouse could remain secure. Also, it had been suggested that the loft be used to run missions in the city. Not only was it closer to the action, it was also a great place to work.
There were so many windows that had an amazing view of the city; they looked out across the vast cityscape in multiple directions. The loft also had a kitchen, bathroom, rest area, and its own security measures. Nikita was right to keep it around. As he studied the reconstructed abandoned building, Michael had to admit that. The safehouse was a better place to live, especially since the rogues were all together. Yet, the loft was the perfect staging ground, "You're right. We should stage missions from here."
Smugly, Nikita glanced at Michael. He had supported her decision once she had explained herself weeks prior. Yet it must've taken him actually seeing the loft to fully get behind the idea. She wanted to roll her eyes at him and get on him for ever doubting her. She could make great plans and decisions too. Just because it didn't support what he wanted didn't mean she was ever wrong (she was wrong at times for other reasons). She had to prove that to him. But not by regular means. Nikita had to obnoxiously say 'I told you so', "I'm sorry. What was that? I was what?"
"Alright, don't rub it in," Michael nudged Nikita while hiding a small grin. She chuckled beside him, but he managed to ignore it to continue studying her loft. She had outfitted it pretty well for the few months she had lived there. Although it wasn't anything like Shadownet, she had her own computer system equipped with some basic hacks and a signal jammer. She had plenty of nonperishable foods stacked in her kitchen. The bed in the corner wasn't much, but at least it was better than a cot- it'd be more comfortable to pass out on. And she had the amenities to make life more comfortable. The rogues should have a great time running ops from there.
"Or what? You know you can't take me," Gaining Michael's attention, Nikita taunted him. He didn't have to keep studying her loft. They weren't organizing another mission yet. They were allowed some time to relax before they had to rush off and save the world again. She wanted to spend that time playing around with her friends. Since each of them had gone rogue from Division, that seemed like such a rare opportunity; there was no chance for joy. Since they were together again, they should change that. She knew she needed to at least find the good in things. What better way than smiling with Michael- and Birkhoff.
"I'm sorry. I remember kicking your ass just fine in Division," Michael was quick to return the taunt. He could easily jump aboard Nikita's plans to mess around. After all, he had to set the record straight. When he was her handler, he often bested her in sparring matches. Sure, there were times later when she handed his ass to him. But overall, he had the superior track record. It mostly boiled down to experience. With his time in the Navy, Michael had more training than Nikita did. He could utilize his strength better.
"That was years ago. I can take out entire rooms of agents now. Even while injured," Nikita, however, had remained in Division longer. She had gone on far more missions, allowing her multiple opportunities to put her skills to practice. She had also learned how to use her opponents' strength against them. She knew she wasn't that strong or imposing; though, she was fast. If she just trusted her instincts and used her head, she could take anyone down no matter who they were. Michael didn't stand a chance against her anymore.
"It was only a room of recruits. Calm down," Michael flashed a crooked grin. He would by no means devalue any of her accomplishments in a serious conversation. Nikita had done some truly remarkable things. Being able to escape from Division while injured (on multiple occasions) was an absolutely amazing feat. And that didn't even scratch the surface on all the awe inspiring things she had done. However, if he was going to tease her, then he'd definitely belittle impressive exploits. It was the fastest way to get under her skin.
"Oh. It's on," Completely riled up, Nikita launched herself at Michael. He was prepared for her attack. He blocked her fist and parried with his own strike. She was quick to recover and not be surprised by his attack. Both were fortunate that her loft had a lot of space. In their safehouse they had to move furniture around if they wanted to spar. At the loft, though, they could just attack one another. Laughter rang around them as they did. Neither were taking the sparring as seriously as they should've with flying fists and kicks. But that was all part of the fun. Michael and Nikita could give themselves a few minutes to act like idiots.
Besides, sparring like that allowed Nikita to try out a new technique without much consequence. As Michael moved to strike her again, she grabbed his arm and twisted her lithe body around his. She had intended to do a sort of flying scissor kick that would've left him landing on his stomach with his arm wrenched behind his back. But he moved against her, and he landed on his back with her atop him. She could've pinned him to the ground then, yet she was frozen in place. So was he. Their hips were glued together, and their noses brushed. Green and brown eyes locked onto one another, only to be broken apart as they stared at parted lips instead.
Birkhoff had lagged behind Michael and Nikita, needing to bring some of his spare computer parts to the loft to update the computer. He didn't know how intensive the act would be, so he just brought everything he could. A part of him wished that he hadn't. Then, he wouldn't have walked in on Nikita and Michael laying in a tangle of limbs on the floor. Lagging behind had caused him to miss so much. And he honestly didn't want to think about what that entailed. The mess of a computer he saw was enough of a struggle, "This is the computer setup you want me working with? How were you able to function like this?"
"You're right, Nerd. I can't do anything without you," Shaking her head clear of its fogged thoughts, Nikita got to her feet. She held out her hand to help Michael up as well. They were both incredibly relieved that Birkhoff had entered when he did (even if he pointedly stepped over them on his way to the computer). They had put a pause on whatever it was between them for a reason. The two couldn't ruin what they had established. If they did, neither knew where they would go from there. It was better just to ignore it for the meantime.
Focusing on preparing the loft for operations was a better use of their time anyway. While Birkhoff worked diligently on the computer system, Michael and Nikita cleaned and spruced things up. After a while, when the awkwardness had subsided, the team of rogues began to talk and trade jokes. Laughter once again filled the spacious loft. That was the moment Alex walked in on. She honestly wasn't too surprised to join the others while they were so joyful. The rogues always seemed more lighthearted than Division's current agents. That was one of the reasons Alex was so drawn to them, "Now this is the kind of party I should be crashing."
"Hey, Alex. You know Michael. Well, this is Birkhoff," Smiling brightly, Nikita made a quick introduction. The other reason she had called Alex to the loft, besides reviewing the next course of action, was to formally introduce the mole and the nerd. She already knew Michael; though, they weren't that acquainted. Only Alex and Nikita were comfortable enough to call one another friends. That needed to change. The rogues had worked hard to improve their relationships with one another. They had to extend the same energy to their mole. It was the only way they could stay cohesive and strong.
"Thanks for your help," Alex extended her hand out to Birkhoff. It was the least she could do after Birkhoff had helped her on the latest mission. And after he had established safe communication between herself and the others. She wouldn't feel as comfortable being a double agent if the superstar hacker hadn't been helping to cover her electronic trail. Her own hacking skills needed a massive improvement; Division's nerds couldn't teach her like Birkhoff could've. It was great that she had him in her corner. She could really use his skills in the future.
"No. Thank you. You're the one risking your life," Birkhoff shook Alex's hand immediately. The whole team of rogues' lives were in danger. However, it was different with the young agent. The other three had painted intentional targets on their backs. They knew they were there, and they knew their lives could be over at any second. Alex wouldn't know if she was discovered as a traitor until the last horrific second; she wouldn't know if the jig was up until she was actively being killed. That was a vastly different kind of danger. She had to be beyond careful. Birkhoff didn't think he could have that kind of guts or fortitude. The kind of armor Alex walked around with was truly incredible.
She didn't need to be reminded of that, however. Alex was consistently aware of the dangerous tightrope she was walking. Although being a double agent gave her the chance to completely avenge her family, she could get killed in the process. Working just for Division would've been far easier. Yet the rogues could still help Alex. It was difficult, but it could still be worth it for her to play for both sides. Nikita would make certain of that, "Right. Which is why we're also going to help her with her mission."
"Just intel. I can get the manpower from Division. Information's the one thing Percy and Amanda are holding out on," Alex amended. She knew Michael and Nikita could be formidable in the field; however, there were only two of them. She needed a full alpha team by her side to take on Semak and Gogol. She still didn't have a lot of viable information on Gogol, though. That was where the rogues could come in. She needed them for the intel she knew Division was hiding from her, "They only told me that Sergei Semak was behind the attack, he took over Zetrov, and he's surrounded by Gogol agents now. That's about it."
"That's more than we know," Michael shrugged. He had only discovered that Alexandra Udinov was alive and working with Division a few weeks ago. Nikita hadn't caught him and Birkhoff up on much else; besides, of course, that Alex was determined to get revenge- the same as them. Sharing information still wasn't Nikita's strong suit. A part of Michael thought that she still hadn't told the young woman about her killchip. But then wasn't the time to bring that topic up. They had other crises on their hands to learn about.
"But that's not all we're gonna find out," Glancing at Alex, Nikita left it up to her to share the full extent of her mission. It wasn't for the rogue to tell. The young woman had to voice her own story. With a deep breath of much needed air, Alex soon did just that. She told Birkhoff and Michael about her deal with Division and her need to get revenge. Fortunately, the two already knew about Operation Pale Fire, so she didn't have to go into detail there. But she did have to tell them everything else she had learned. Lucky for her, the men were great and kind listeners. It made it so much easier for her to talk to them.
Once Alex had finished sharing all that she could, silence washed over the room. The rogues took a moment to adjust to the information, and the young woman took a moment to collect herself after being so open. Eventually, the first person to get his thoughts in order was Birkhoff. But he didn't have something helpful to suggest like the team was hoping for. He just expressed the one thing on his mind, "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this. But maybe if we had a black box, we could figure all this out."
"One step at a time," Michael instantly sighed. He couldn't say that he hadn't thought about utilizing a black box as well. However, holding onto one had proven to be too dangerous. The rogues should just destroy them so they could finally kill Percy. Of course, they'd have to find the black boxes first. Owen was working on that for them having been a former guardian and thus knowing who and what to look for. But the others hadn't been made aware of any progress. Michael should probably check in with him at some point.
Whether that point should've been then or not was soon lost from his mind, however. Alex's Division issued cellphone began to ring at that moment. She immediately fished it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID. Neither her Division phone nor her rogue burner had any saved numbers in it. She had taught herself how to recognize phone numbers in case someone else ever got a hold of her cells. That skill really saved her ass then. She didn't answer and almost blow her cover. She just glanced at the ID and held back a gasp, "Hold on, it's Amanda."
"You're blocked. We're good," Double checking the computer programs he had been messing with, Birkhoff quickly assured. Nikita already had a perfectly great signal jamming system in place. It blocked both trackers and any traces on phone calls. Birkhoff only enhanced the jamming field from the building to a few block radius. That should provide the rogues and their mole a more substantial safety net. If Division were to ever grow suspicious, they couldn't get anywhere near the loft. It'd be as safe of a place as the safehouse.
Taking another steady breath of air, Alex moved away from the rogues and answered the phone. The three stayed perfectly still and silent while she addressed Amanda; they didn't dare do anything that could jeopardize her cover. Alex stifled her smile at the thought. The team of rogues continued to prove themselves far better than any Division agent. Once she got her use out of the black ops unit, the young woman hoped Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff won their war. In the meantime, though, Alex had to focus on Amanda, "How are you enjoying your day off? You deserve some rest after your performance on the mission."
"But we lost, thanks to Nikita," Although Alex made herself sound disappointed, she cast a sly grin at Nikita. The rogue returned the smile easily. The expression wound up fading fast, however. Having forgotten why they were so silent, Birkhoff began to argue that he had helped on the mission too. He had caused Division to fail as well. Nikita and Michael quickly made him shut up by slapping their hands over his mouth. Alex had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. She moved further away from the rogues, keeping them out of her line of sight.
"Yes. However, you managed to keep your head. You did everything you could to save the mission, and you were almost successful. I'd say you did a great job," Amanda's proud words snapped Alex's attention back to the conversation. There had been a reason behind her call. She wanted to congratulate the young woman on her stellar performance. The success of the operation didn't matter. Alex had proven herself well regardless. It took a lot for a person to stay calm while their plans fell apart. Not once did she give into her frustrations- unlike others.
"Thanks. I've been learning a lot," Alex's smile was more genuine that time. She was learning a lot, and not just from Division. The rogues and being a mole taught her even more spying skills than she could've possibly picked up from the black ops organization. She would be far more prepared to take on Semak and Gogol once she finally got there. She really wished that it'd be soon. Not only was she worried about playing the double agent for long, but she also needed her revenge instantly. The longer Semak got to live, the more enraged she felt.
"Well, enjoy your time at home," Amanda didn't force Alex to stay on the line for long. She quickly said her goodbyes, her tone dropping on 'home'. For half a second, the young woman thought that meant something. A sudden jolt of fear coursed through her veins, warning her that Amanda knew. Despite the fact that the rogues had control of her tracker and had redirected the signal, Amanda knew Alex wasn't home. That fear was abated as quickly as it had arrived, however. There was no way Division could know she was lying. Alex was safe and sound. She was simply being paranoid.
"I will," Cheerily, Alex ended her call with Amanda and returned to her team of rogues. She would enjoy her time planning with the others to complete her mission and end Division. They were going to keep saving the world, protecting innocents, avenging loved ones, and punishing those who wished to do harm. It was like they were a team of superheroes. Though, sometimes, Alex didn't feel very heroic. Instead, she believed the rogues were more like vigilantes. That seemed more like it. They weren't quite heroes, yet they were necessary. They'd take down corruption no matter the cost- especially to their own lives.