Michael was an idiot. He shouldn't have gone to Alex's apartment alone. He shouldn't have let his guard down. He should've completely surveyed the area before blindly stepping into Alex's apartment. Of course Division would still be around; it was a crime scene. Getting captured was his fault. And getting trapped in Division was his fate. Gaining consciousness chained in the basement of hell, Michael was not surprised to be where he was. Nor was he surprised when Percy entered the room. His luck had finally run out, "Come to gloat?"
"Come on, you think I enjoy seeing you in here? I thought I knew you. Then you surprised me," Percy slowly moved into the dim light so Michael could see him. Although he had that permanent air of smugness around him, the bastard did seem- deep down- upset by Michael's betrayal. He had been Percy's right-hand man before he had gone rogue; he had been one of the few people he could somewhat trust. All of that had changed in an instant. Yet it had changed for the better.
"Well, imagine my surprise when I found out it was you who put out the hit on my family," Michael spat. Years of pent up rage were bubbling to the surface. Kasim had been killed for his part in Hayley's and Elizabeth's deaths, however, Percy had remained untouched. Years after the truth had been revealed, that remained to be true. Yet with the black boxes out of the way, Michael vowed to change all that. The bastard finally had to pay for his sins.
"Your family wasn't the target," Shrugging, Percy tried to justify himself. That bomb was supposed to have killed Michael, not his wife and daughter. The fact that they had been killed instead was an unfortunate accident. But there was no purpose in changing the past. One just had to take what they were given and run with it.
"You think that makes it any better?" Michael could never understand the way Percy rationalized things. When he had been in Division, he had been able to turn a blind eye to the shit the bastard had pulled to get what he wanted. But since learning the truth, he was outraged by the things Percy would condone. So what if Hayley and Elizabeth weren't the targets. His actions still got them killed. He still did not care if innocents died, as long as it lined his pockets. Percy was an absolute monster. And Michael couldn't wait to send him to hell.
"No, I think it makes it tragic," Although his words expressed sorrow, Percy's tone absolutely did not. He couldn't care one way or another about Michael or his family. As long as he still found a way to be in control, what did anyone else matter.
"You're such a liar," It was beyond bewildering that Michael had ever followed Percy. His pain and guilt must've had him so twisted up inside, he refused to accept reality. He was so glad he willingly saw the truth then. He wouldn't be swept up in the bullshit anymore. Percy couldn't convince him that he was trying to save the country or whatever. He had always been a selfish man, desperately wanting more than just what life had given him.
Whereas Michael spat venom, Percy remained unfazed. He wasn't rattled or shocked by anything that was occurring, especially since he had predicted it, "And you're such a man of principle. Always have been. That's why it was so easy to goad you into this mission."
"What are you talking about?" Michael wanted to be as livid and furious as before. However, his curiosity was getting the better of him. What did Percy mean by goaded. Alex had given the rogues the intel on Operation Sparrow after a conversation with Kelly. There was no way that Percy could've predicted that. The rogues were steps ahead of him. Weren't they.
"You really think Kelly would ever give Alex all the pertinent information on Operation Sparrow. I had her bait your mole, and she greedily took the information. You rogues are very predictable. Always have to do the right thing," Percy smiled smugly and cruelly. It had been no coincidence that Kelly taunted Alex with the super important operation. The head of agents excitedly took the opportunity to help lead to the mole's downfall. It had all been a setup, even right down to the black box.
"Nikita's a light woman with a heavy foot, and there are a lot of traffic cameras in London. As fate would have it, we put in a call to Alex while she was sitting right next to you. So I knew the three of you were in it together," Noticing Michael's bewilderment, Percy continued to explain. He had had his suspicions about Alex for a while. But he wasn't able to confirm she was the mole until London. Since then, Percy had been putting a plan into effect that'd take down the rogues and move him up in the world. After weeks of preparation, it was finally coming to fruition.
"Why did you let her live?" Michael could hardly wrap his head around what he was hearing. The rogues weren't as accomplished, successful, amazing, undefeated as they thought they had been. They had been tricked; they had been played. They had been defeated so terribly that they still didn't notice it.
"You don't have to get rid of people just because they make mistakes. Look at Dana Winters. I knew about her family before I sent Alex to Plainview. I made a deal with her in advance. She could retire with the cop and his kid as long as she played along with you," Starting to grow excited, Percy continued to gloat. It was just so satisfying to see his plan come to fruition. No more waiting. No more biding his time. He could steal what should've always been his right then and there.
He could also taunt the rogues and finally bring them down from their high and mighty pedestals. That was also extremely satisfying, "Losing a few early rounds to you was helpful. My losses made you overconfident. You didn't notice when I started to lose on purpose. A box in plain view, Ryan and his SCIF room. I led you to those victories. They were my victories."
Although Michael knew Percy was actually telling the truth- he'd never give up a chance to brag about how smart and powerful he was- the rogue still couldn't believe it. There was no way that the rogues were that predictable. There was no way that they were playing right into Percy's schemes. The bastard wasn't that smart. He couldn't have been that manipulative, "There is no way you could have pulled that off."
"I built this place. I've kept it running for years. You have no idea what I'm capable of pulling off," Percy's smugness instantly dropped. His smile melted into a sneer, and his dangerousness shone brightly. The rogues had seriously underestimated how evil he could be- if that was even possible. And they were going to pay the price.
"We're still gonna stop Sparrow," Straining against his restraint, Michael attempted to have hope and to show resistance. Birkhoff, Nikita, and Ryan had the black box, after all. They could still save the day. It wasn't over yet.
"Michael, I intended for Birkhoff to deliver the box to Langley. I wasn't worried that you'd give my box to the CIA. I was worried that you wouldn't," Snidely, Percy crushed the last remaining hope Michael had. There were no more options for the rogues. They had been completely boxed in. The bastard had foreseen everything, far more and far better than the team ever could, "Capturing you was just a bonus. Though, I'm glad I did. It's easier keeping you all apart. You're more manageable- more easy to kill."
Michael couldn't give up. He had to keep fighting. He had to escape Division. He had to get Alex out of whatever hell she was currently trapped in. He had to warn Nikita, Birkhoff, and Ryan. and he had to kill Percy. However, he didn't have the strength left to do anything. It was far easier to accept defeat. There was nothing the rogues could do to stop Percy that late in the game. It was his game, after all, "You rigged this whole thing."
"And I couldn't have done it without you," Percy smirked.
Alex left Division with a com, a hidden camera, and Percy's lie rattling around in her head. She drifted thoughtlessly to the rogues' loft, her limbs mostly moving on automatic. She refused to allow herself to think about what she was doing. If she began to think, she'd start to back out. And if she started to back out, she'd die. And if she died, Semak would continue to live. Percy said she had to start thinking for herself. Yet she was still trapped. There was still nothing else she could do but do what others wanted, "Nikita."
"Hey. I've been worried about you. What's wrong? What happened?" As soon as she saw Alex, Nikita sprang to her feet and rushed over to her. She and Birkhoff had just been sitting around deciding what to do with the black box, waiting for their meeting with Ryan, and waiting for word back from Michael and Alex. Birkhoff had just given up and gone to the bathroom, yet Nikita was a nervous wreck. She was pacing the loft maddingly. Seeing Alex helped calm her down. If she had escaped Division, then maybe everything could be alright.
"I've been placed in inactive status pending the final report. Then I was sent home. All non-essential agents had to leave Division," Alex shared matter of factly. Nikita only deserved to know the lies she had been told to share. That was all the rogue had told her. It was about time that the favor was returned.
"I mean, before that," Nikita shook her head. She didn't care about what was going on inside Division at that moment. She only cared about what had happened to Alex. It had been horrifying not hearing from her for so long. Nikita had to know if she was alright, and if she really was okay with what had happened to Jaden.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Averting her gaze, Alex muttered. Although she was mostly trying to get Nikita to focus on the lie she had to tell her, Alex really didn't want to talk about what had happened in her apartment. Losing Nathan, watching Roan clear Jaden, knowing that at any minute she or Nathan could die, the young agent couldn't revisit that. She wouldn't be able to survive it if she did. She just had to keep focusing on the next mission. Then the next after that. Then the next after that. And so on and so forth until she could kill Semak. Only then would things settle down. Only then could she make it all stop.
Curiously, Nikita tried to study Alex. Something was wrong. That wasn't just typical avoidance. Something else had happened that she wasn't telling her. Gently reaching for Alex, Nikita attempted to figure out what that was, "Okay. Why?"
"I wasn't sure I was gonna make it out of there alive," Alex pulled away from Nikita. She couldn't accept her comfort then. Everything would fall apart the second she did. Though, honestly, things were already falling apart. She had more lies- Percy's lies- ready on her lips, but she couldn't say them yet. She was just so angry and scared and hurt. Her rage had to be felt. The hurt crushing her chest needed to explode, "Why didn't you tell me to escape?"
"I wanted out before Jaden died. Alex, I gave you many chances to leave Division, and you passed on every one of them. I wanted you out more than you did," Nikita had no idea what was going on with Alex, and she was growing more and more concerned. The young agent couldn't have been that affected by Jaden's death- they weren't close, and she had shot people before. So what was Nikita missing. What had Alex so upset that she was considering running away from everything, "I thought you wanted to use Division to get to Semak?"
"It's starting to get more dangerous. You know that. It's better if I join you. You have control of my tracker, right?" Alex knew she was pushing it. She hadn't mentioned her tracker- her killchip- since the mission where the rogues had turned it off. However, a part of her wanted to give Nikita the chance to tell the truth. If she finally did, then maybe there could be a way out of that situation. Maybe she did have choices.
"Until the surgeon takes out your tracker in a couple weeks, yeah. Unless you have a better idea," Nikita and Michael, with the help of Shadownet, had found a surgeon that could remove Alex's killchip without killing her. It'd take a while to set it up and make sure it stayed on the downlow. But as soon as they were able, the rogues were going to help Alex get the killchip out of her head. They simply had to ensure that she survived until then, "I mean, I thought that we agreed until then you'd stay put."
Biting her lip and clenching her hands into fists, Alex fought the urge to scream. Even when given the opportunity, Nikita still wouldn't admit the truth. She'd just keep lying, keep hurting her, keep being a murderous monster, "Is that what we agreed? Or is that what you needed me to do so you can keep hunting your black boxes?"
"Alex, I would never have let you go back in there if I thought you were in danger. The minute I didn't hear from you, I sent Michael to your apartment. Did he find you?" Nikita's deep concern for what was going on with Alex was only interrupted by her concern for Michael. If Alex was in the loft, then so should've been Michael. Where was he. Why hadn't he called by then. Did something happen to him too.
Alex blinked. She hadn't heard anything about Michael. But if he had gone to her apartment, then there was a good chance that he was in danger. She opened her mouth to share that with Nikita, but Percy silenced her. Through her com, the bastard warned that if she said anything about Michael, she would die. That meant the rogue was definitely in trouble. However, Alex soon found herself not caring. He had lied to her too, after all. They had all lied, "Uh. No. I haven't been back to my apartment. But he's probably still there waiting for me. We can call him while we check something I overheard."
"What is it?" Nikita tried to clear her head of any worry. Alex was probably just overwrought with emotion after Jaden's violent death, dealing with Amanda, and Operation Sparrow. And Michael was probably just cautiously waiting for Alex. Nikita shouldn't let her anxiousness for Sparrow cloud her mind. She had to stay focused. The rogues weren't going to save the day if they got distracted then.
"Agents are mobilizing everywhere. They're about to hit targets all over the country," Walking away from Nikita, Alex finally told the lies Percy had fed her. She was supposed to get Nikita out of the loft, so more of Percy's plan could go into effect. She knew it was a death sentence for the rogue. But she didn't care. How could she care for the woman who had killed her father and who constantly lied to her. Though, she didn't care for the bastard who had made a deal with Semak to have her family killed either. So why was she working for him.
"What targets? Where?" Reaching for her weapons, Nikita demanded more information. After she delivered Birkhoff to Ryan, maybe she and Alex could start knocking out Division agents. They could call Michael on the way, and he could join them on the new mission. With all the rogues they had on their team, they could actually attack Division on two fronts. They had a real shot of finally taking them down.
"All I could get was the location of the staging area for the strike on New York. I have an address," Alex shouldn't have been doing that. Yes, she hated Nikita for what she had done. Yes, she wanted her chance to kill Semak. But she definitely didn't want to be helping Percy. And she definitely didn't want him to win. She had to start thinking of another way out.
"Good. Now we have a target too," Nikita claimed excitedly. Attacking the staging area Alex had an address to, the rogues could do real damage against Division. They could also learn the rest of the plans to Sparrow and stop further destruction. Things really were looking great for the team. Maybe Nikita shouldn't get too excited, but she was so ready for the war to end once and for all. Then could've been it.
A part of Alex wanted to curse out Percy. That damn bastard had been right. Nikita trusted Alex completely, and she easily took the bait. Percy was going to win. Unless Alex actually did something, "You're gonna hit the staging area?"
"After I get Birkhoff and the black box to the CIA. And you're gonna help me. Good thing you're non-essential," Nikita beamed. Alex only looked at her. The young agent's anxiety must've been as bad as the rogue had assumed. But it was going to be okay. Nikita could promise that. She was determined to end all that shit that day, "Here. Suit up. You can borrow my BDUs."
"You're always taking care of me," Hesitatingly, Alex took the mission gear handed out to her. Despite her anger and hatred, Alex couldn't argue that Nikita hadn't taken care of her. The rogue had done everything to help her. She had always been willing to save her, even at the risk of her own life. Her lies couldn't diminish that. The love and care she had shown Alex was real and genuine- unlike Amanda's and Percy's. Alex shouldn't kill her. Nor should she let Division. It was time she started to find a third option.
"Somebody's got to," Nikita continued to smile at Alex. When Birkhoff finally emerged from the bathroom, though, her attention shifted to him. It was time to meet with Ryan and hand over the black box. Hopefully, they wouldn't be handing over their lives with it.
The rogues grew gravely serious as they drove to the rendezvous point. Alex called Michael along the way and claimed that he'd meet her and Nikita at the staging area. That left the other three to face Ryan and the CIA alone. It wasn't dangerous. Birkhoff knew Ryan, and he knew that he'd be safe with him. All the problems stemmed from the black box. It was still risky to just hand it over like that. So many people could get hurt. However, more people could get hurt if they didn't. The rogues had to think of the greater good, like Ryan did, "I'm glad you decided to do this."
"Yeah, that makes one of us. My life is on this box. And the lives of people I care about," Nikita muttered. She still didn't like handing the CIA all that damaging information. Yet it was the only way to stop Operation Sparrow. Saving the world had to be more important than her personal feelings. Especially when she didn't know the kind of danger that might occur if she didn't make that sacrifice.
"I'll guard it with mine. Trust me," Ryan swore. The second the CIA got too greedy, he'd refocus them on Sparrow. The only one going down that day was Percy. The rogues would remain safe. It was the least they deserved.
Before Ryan left the meeting area with Birkhoff, however, he became distracted. He finally noticed a young woman next to Nikita. He instantly assumed that she was Alex, the team's mole. He had always been interested in meeting her, especially after the mission to disable her killchip. Despite the circumstances, he was glad then was his chance. He could smile brightly and praise her for all she had done, "You must be Alex. It's an honor to meet you. You're very brave."
"Not so brave," Alex mumbled. A brave person wouldn't be scrambling for a third option. A brave person wouldn't have been so deceptive. A brave person wouldn't be following Percy's lead. Alex had to step it up; she had to do better. She had to remember what her Papa had taught her- before Nikita murdered him.
"Being in that lion's den, living a lie, never flinching, I couldn't have done it," Ryan interrupted Alex from the rest of those thoughts. His praise was so earnest that Alex couldn't help but listen to him. She also couldn't help but feel better. Ryan was right. She was amazing and capable. She was awesome. Alex could ensure that no one but herself won. Thinking like that, she was starting to have real ideas about what her third option could've been.
"I have a good mentor," Alex couldn't stop herself from looking at Nikita with a smile. Rage continued to race through her veins. But she couldn't dismiss the care she somehow still felt for the rogue. Maybe it was because deep down she knew that Nikita was only following orders when she had killed her father. If she didn't do it, someone else in Division would've, and Alex would've died as well. Killing her father wasn't Nikita's greatest sin: lying was. And that was what Alex could never forgive her for. Even if she could still look at her with a smile.
Stunned that she had such a positive impact on somebody, Nikita smiled as well. The only thing that broke the happy moment was Ryan bringing the two women back to the present with another comment, "I'm glad I could help the team deactivate your kill…"
"Your tracker. Yeah. Ooh. That was quite the mission. Come on, Alex. Let's go," Nikita instantly interrupted. If she was being honest with herself, she hated the fact that she had done that. It was way past time that she told Alex the truth about her tracker. However, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't distract Alex or give her anymore crushing anxiety then. Maybe once the killchip was removed, she'd tell the truth. As for that moment, though, she'd keep telling that awful lie.
"Actually, I'd love to talk about it. You know, we never did debrief about it. How did you turn it off?" Ignoring Percy's warning through her com, Alex continued to push the topic. She wasn't going to let Nikita keep lying. And she wasn't going to let Birkhoff just walk away from the conversation. She needed to know the truth once and for all. If anyone could give her that, it could be Ryan, "Do you know anyone who could take it out? Nikita says it's very complicated."
"We'll get your tracker out. Don't worry. Now we have to get to the staging area. Come on," Pulling Alex gently by her arm, Nikita led her away from Birkhoff and Ryan. Operation Sparrow and staging grounds first. Then they could talk about killchips and trackers. Besides, when Percy went down for what was about to occur, who would have to worry about killchips ever again. There was no need to worry- no need to get distracted.
After that last lie, Alex stopped talking to Nikita. She didn't want to associate with her anymore. She just wanted to screw over Percy, let the rogues do their thing, and finally go on her own. Until she could manage that though, she had to go through the charade of the staging area. And she had to put her third option into action.
Once at the address Percy had given her, Alex faked another call to Michael. She told Nikita that he was checking out the lower floors, and that they should start with the upper. Although Nikita agreed with her, she didn't move towards the building just yet. She just stared with a scrutinizing eye and an unsteady nerve, "I know this is the right address, but are you sure this place is it? Shouldn't there be guards?"
"Not if they wanna keep this under the radar," Alex maybe said a little too quickly. But they were starting to run out of time. Her plan had to happen then before Division caught up to them. And before Nikita realized that Alex was lying about Michael. As soon as she discovered that, she'd never trust the young woman ever again. Alex didn't care too much about that, but she needed the rogue's trust for a little while longer. Just long enough to finally hear the truth.
"There's no cameras either," No guards could maybe be excused. But no cameras didn't fit with Division's paranoia; there had to be some kind of security measure. Nikita didn't like what was going on. It just didn't feel right.
"I went through a lot of trouble to get this intel. The least we can do is check it out," Rushing towards the building, Alex forced Nikita to follow. The rogue was going to catch onto her soon enough. But they should've been approaching the end of things. No more lies. No more betrayals. She'd just have the truth and the option to do what she wanted.
It didn't take Nikita long to examine the upper floors and know that something was wrong. There were no signs of Division. There were no signs of anyone. Well, except for the car Nikita had spotted tailing them after Birkhoff walked away with Ryan. She, Alex, and Michael had been led right into a trap. Whoever fed that intel to Alex knew she was the mole, "Empty. I was afraid of that. Listen, an Alpha team's been tracking us for the past half hour."
Alex paused. If the Alpha team was almost there, then she had no time to waste. Nikita should've told her as soon as she spotted the team, then she could've had more time. Why did the rogue keep lying to her. What was she gaining with that much deception besides further trouble, "What? Why didn't you…"
"I didn't wanna spook you, tip them off. This isn't a staging area, it's an ambush. You were fed bad intel. You could be compromised. It's time you left Division. But first, we ambush them," Gripping her weapon tightly, Nikita prepared for a battle. She hadn't expected one so soon- at least not until after the black box was decrypted. But the rogues' good luck was bound to run out eventually. Fortunately, she, Alex, and Michael (once he met them upstairs) were powerful enough to take out an Alpha team.
"There's no cover here," Although Alex grabbed her gun, she didn't follow Nikita. She stayed rooted in her spot, psyching herself up for what she was about to do. That was her moment. She could hear the truth, screw Percy over, and be free. All she needed was for Nikita to look at her first. Alex had to look her in the eyes when she finally told the truth. Otherwise, what was the point. How could the rogue ever know that she had fucked up by lying to her if she didn't feel her pain.
"This is what's gonna happen: Michael and I are gonna be at that door popping them off as they come in. You hold your fire. If they get past the kill zone, you keep them busy till we can reload. Then we all cover each other till Michael and I can leapfrog back," Studying the bare surroundings, Nikita thought quickly. There was a solid chance that that idea would work. She simply needed Alex on board with it. She also needed Michael upstairs. Where was he, anyway. Shouldn't he have been with her by then. The building was empty, so he couldn't have found anything. Was there something Nikita was missing.
"I don't think that's gonna work," Alex responded sternly. Concerned, Nikita finally turned to look at her. As soon as Alex saw her eyes, she raised her gun and aimed it right at the rogue's chest. Although she felt unsteady, her body stood tall and firm. Her resolve was unwavering, and so was her weapon, "If I'm gonna die, I wanna know. Did you do it?"
Mouth opening then closing, Nikita had absolutely no idea what was going on. She knew she had been lied to- that much was obvious. However, she couldn't figure out Alex. She didn't recognize the look in her eyes. It wasn't only full of rage and murder; there was also fear mixed in there, and pain, and sorrow. Alex had gone through more hell recently than just killing Jaden. She encountered something in Division- something that left her broken. Nikita had to know what that was. She could maybe help, "Alex, what are you talking about?"
"Did you kill my father?" That was all Alex wanted to know. One truth. If Nikita continued to lie about the killchips, then the least she could do was tell her about Operation Pale Fire. It was just one truth she had to tell. Was she the agent who had disobeyed orders to save a thirteen year old girl but followed orders to kill her father. Or was she a liar.
"Put the gun down," Gently, Nikita urged Alex. She'd tell her friend everything she wanted to know. She'd answer all her questions and then some. Just not at gunpoint, and not while an Alpha team was right outside.
"I wanna hear you say it!" Alex screamed. But she never actually gave Nikita a chance to say anything. As the rogue opened her mouth, the young woman pulled the trigger.