There was nothing else for Michael to lose. Elizabeth was dead. Hayley was dead. Nikita was dead. He didn't care if he died or not. He only wanted Percy dead. Just a few agents were in his way as he scrambled towards the bastard's office. He took them out easily, grabbing a gun in the process. He didn't put thought into his actions. He ran solely on anger and rage. The instant he broke into Percy's office, he pushed the bastard on the desk and shoved the gun in his face. Whatever reason he had for not killing him before soon vanished from his mind. Michael didn't care anymore. He couldn't care about anything. Nikita was dead.
"I die, the Guardians upload the boxes. You ready for that?" Before Michael could finally pull the trigger, Percy tried to weasel out of death. He didn't state that fact pleadingly. A snide smile pulled at his lips as he reminded the rogue that his death would destroy the world. Michael told himself that he didn't care- that with Nikita dead, who cared if the world burned. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Percy and cause chaos. That would lead to other families suffering- other senseless deaths. Just because Michael was hurting didn't mean he could hurt the world. A fact Percy knew he would come to, "Still can't make the hard choices, can you?"
A fresh wave of rage rolled over Michael. He so desperately wanted to kill Percy for all he had said and done. The trigger under his finger was so loose; it would've been so easy. Yet he knew better. Nikita knew better. Innocents couldn't keep dying because of Division. The world needed to be saved. Black boxes had to be destroyed. Then Percy could die. Until that moment, Michael couldn't pull the trigger. But he could pistol whip the bastard, knocking him unconscious. He could also steal the black box found in the office, keeping the secrets out of Division, "That one wasn't too hard. I think I'll keep this."
Remembering that Percy kept sedatives in his desk, Michael nearly smiled. He pumped the bastard so full of drugs, there was no guarantee he'd wake that night. That allowed Michael to escape Division. And then what. What was he going to do with a black box and without Nikita. The latter thought completely gutted him. But the former, he could do something about. If he found a hacker, he could hold a gun to their head and force them to decrypt the black box. He could then have answers that had been hidden away. He could have answers that brought light to the world. He could have answers that meant Nikita didn't die in vain.
Finding a lone hacker wasn't that difficult. Michael found one in Birkhoff's old hacker cave. It seemed as though she was hiding out there while chaos exploded in Division around them. Michael didn't really care why the hacker was down there, just that she had access to Division's supercomputers. He instantly jammed the gun against the back of her head, and held out the black box so she could see it. She tried to move, to speak, but Michael stopped her. He didn't care about her, just the box, "Shut up. Don't move. I want you to decrypt that."
"Please listen to me…" The hacker tried once again to turn around and talk to Michael. He still refused to listen to her. He forced her to turn back around and harshly told her to shut up. He couldn't kill her, but he also wouldn't spare her. There was nothing she could say that'd stop him from decrypting the black box. There was no amount of begging, trickery, or whatever else someone would do to get a gun out of their face that'd steer him off his course. Division had taken so much from him, so he was going to take from them. It was that simple.
"She's alive."
"What?" Michael blinked. The hacker didn't need to clarify who she was talking about. She didn't need to be specific about who 'she' was. Michael knew. He knew the hacker was talking about Nikita. He simply wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't allow himself to be swept up in that false hope. He couldn't let himself believe a lie only to be crushed by the truth later. He couldn't keep falling for Division's games that were only designed to hurt him and others. He couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel if he was only surrounded by darkness.
"Nikita's alive. She just ruined Percy's whole plan," Sonya clarified slowly yet steadily. She knew Michael would be hysterical once she released him. She didn't doubt that either Kelly, Percy, or Amanda would've bragged to him that Nikita had apparently been killed. But it wasn't true- Division had been tricked- and he had to know. He deserved to know the truth. It was the only thing that would save him. After she had helped him out, of course, "Who do you think let you out of your cell? I did it remotely."
The gun in Michael's hand loosened. Did the hacker just say what he thought she did. Not only was Nikita alive, but she had stopped Operation Sparrow. Nikita was so wonderfully, amazingly, beautifully alive. And she continued to be a force to be reckoned with. Michael was so relieved he could start crying again. Yet he stopped himself short. Nikita being alive and screwing over Percy made sense. But the hacker saving him didn't. What did she have to gain by helping him. Why did she dare help the rogues, "Why?"
"If you, Nikita, Alex and even Birkhoff can continue to be brave enough to fight Division, then I could find a way to be brave too," Quietly, Sonya admitted. After she had heard that Nikita had saved the CIA from whatever Percy had attacked them with, she knew she had to do something too. She couldn't just sit around, waiting for others to defeat the big bad and save her. She had to help save herself. There was a strong possibility that Percy would pay for what he had done to the CIA. So no one would've known what she did. She wouldn't be punished for helping the rogues and striking back. She could just free herself.
Michael didn't have time to dissect exactly what the hacker meant. He wasn't entirely convinced of her motivations, or if she really could be trustworthy or used as an ally. However, he had the assumption that the hacker he held at gunpoint was Sonya. She matched the description Alex had given. And judging by the isolated station and computer equipment, he had found the head hacker of Division. If he was dealing with Sonya, then maybe she could be trusted. She had helped Alex enough to the point that the mole liked her, after all. Michael didn't have to be so guarded or brash. He could lower the gun and just find Nikita, "Where is she?"
"She's trapped inside Langley," Turning back to the computer, Sonya caught Michael up. Once Ops descended into chaos after the hell Nikita had raised in the CIA, the head hacker disappeared to her area. Percy was too busy dealing with that fallout to notice her, which was how she became so brave. And she continued to be brave. She reclaimed the hack she had made against the CIA servers and tried to figure out how she could help Nikita. There wasn't much she could do on her own, but Michael could help. From what she had heard, he was a great planner.
"And Alex?" Michael remembered to ask about the mole. Kelly had said she was compromised. Did that mean Alex was then dead. Had Division killed her once they were done with her. Was she trapped somewhere in the bunker, being tortured for her doublecross. No. If she had been trapped, Sonya would've released her too. So where was she. What had happened to her. Michael should've been worried about Alex a long time ago. He should've been thinking about how the both of them were going to escape. He was just so distraught over Nikita, he forgot Alex was in trouble too. He had to correct that mistake.
"I saw her walk out of here not too long ago," Sonya answered with a shrug. She honestly couldn't make sense of that. She had heard Alex was the rogues' mole. Then she had heard Alex had killed Nikita. Then she had heard Nikita was alive. And finally, Sonya had heard Alex mutter something as she walked freely out of Division. No one stopped her. No one chased the mole. It was as though Division forgot all about her. Sonya couldn't make any sense of it. Though, she couldn't make sense of anything that had happened recently. It was all a mess. But maybe she could help the rogues clean some of it up.
"Just get me Nikita," Crowding into Sonya's hacking space, Michael ordered. He was certain he would find out what was going on with Alex later. She could handle herself, especially if she had managed to walk out of Division on her own. The person in trouble at the moment was Nikita. Even with all her skills, she couldn't get out of Langley on her own. The CIA had her on lockdown. She'd need all the help from friends she could get. Michael just hoped that Birkhoff and Ryan were nearby to assist her as well.
Ryan did all he could to get Abbott to listen to him and to trust Nikita. He luckily got the CIA off Birkhoff's ass; the hacker was able to scramble out of there and towards helping Michael and Alex. However, the CIA director had a target on Nikita. He wanted to blame her for the death of the agents (and the Division plants he thought were agents) and for the Sarin gas. Nikita didn't say much to save herself, keeping things close to the chest. Ryan couldn't blame her. But that just made things worse for them. There was no winning for Abbott. Either Nikita or Ryan were going to go to jail, "It was worth a try, right?"
"You can use this to launch a quiet investigation," Shaking her head, Nikita advised Ryan. He didn't have to sound so apologetic or defeated. There was always another option. If that was it for her, if she was going to be locked up before the others could come for her, then that didn't mean Ryan had to give up. He could keep investigating as he always did. He could look into Division and whoever in the government was controlling them. No one else would've been able to find that information, but him. He had to keep looking for the truth.
"It's gonna be hard to do from Leavenworth, or the supermax prison in Colorado. Depends on where I end up," Ryan mused. Before Nikita said anything, he had already made up his mind about how they were going to get out of that situation. As a rogue agent, Nikita would not survive in jail. She'd get burned by the government or killed by Division. But Ryan, a lowly analyst, would be fine. He could stay low, be in hiding, keep digging until the team of rogue agents came for him. They'd do anything to stay alive, to keep winning, to find the truth. Well, that was what he would do.
"You didn't do anything, this was all Division," Unsure of what Ryan was talking about, Nikita argued. Ryan had never done anything wrong. He only ever wanted the truth. If anyone had screwed up, it was her. She had messed up by giving him the black box. He was the hero, who fought for good and truth. She just kept ruining things- how else could she explain the pain in Alex's eyes before she had shot her. Nikita and Division were to blame for that mess. Ryan shouldn't have to shoulder the punishment. He should keep being a hero.
"I'm not talking about the attack. I'm talking about this," Ryan replied simply. Both Nikita and Abbott glanced at him in confusion, until he picked up a chair and swung it at his boss. Ryan managed to knock Abbott and the guard stationed in the room unconscious, all while Nikita sat in shock. She hadn't been expecting that. Neither had the agents in the room, which was why Ryan had been able to get a jump on them so easily. Those actions were going to bite him in the ass later. Yet that didn't matter. He just uncuffed Nikita and urged her to escape for them, "I expect you to break me out of prison as soon as you get the chance."
"Count on it," Nikita promised. She would never leave Ryan, or anyone on her team, behind. As soon as she escaped Langley, as soon as she reunited with Birkhoff, as soon as she saved Michael and Alex from Division, she was going back for Ryan. Breaking him out of prison- supermax or not- couldn't have been any more difficult than escaping Division. With a whole team of rogues working with him, he'd be clear and safe in no time. Again, Nikita promised. The good guys couldn't keep getting punished for defeating the bad guys. They had to win. So with a grateful kiss to Ryan's cheek, Nikita ran, vowing to come back for him.
Nikita didn't get far. Langley was under lockdown. Guards were looking for intruders, and agents were on high alert. At any moment, she was going to be discovered, and she'd be right back where she was; Ryan's sacrifice would've meant nothing. She needed to find an alternative way out of there. She needed some sort of distraction, or miracle. Somehow, the latter occurred. As she wandered around cubicles, a familiar voice rang, "Paging Special Agent Nikki. Agent Nikki, please proceed to the nearest phone and dial 626."
That was Michael's voice. Michael's voice rang loud and clear through the intercom system. He had called her Nikki. He had sounded light, free, alive. He was alive and calling for her. Nikita was so relieved, she almost missed the second half of the message. She had to get to a phone and dial out. Thankfully, there was an empty desk close to her. She grabbed the phone, crouched low to the ground, and called the extension she prayed was her lifeline, "Michael? Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
"I'm still in Division, but I'm okay. I have help. Are you okay?" Sighing, Michael replied. He could've lied to Nikita about where he was so she wouldn't have to worry. But that honestly wouldn't have helped them at that moment. They just had to be honest, straight to the point, and be willing to go into full details later. When the team met up again after the shitstorm blew over- and hopefully they'd meet again- they could ask in depth questions and all that. They simply had to focus on saving each other first. If they weren't alive by the end of the night, then what would've been the point of all those answers.
"Oh, Babe, I will be when you get me out of here," Nikita mostly meant that she'd be okay once she was safe outside of Langley. But she also knew she'd be okay once she was in Michael's arms. And once she was finally able to understand everything that had happened. She just kept gaining more questions than answers. Like when she heard the sigh over the phone. Nikita had thought the help Michael had mentioned was Alex. But that awkward breath didn't sound like Alex. Someone else was with Michael. But who in Division would be helping him, "Wait. Who's there with you?"
"Uh. It's that hacker Alex mentioned, Sonya. I'll explain later. Can you get a mobile com?" Michael tried to move the conversation along. Sonya seemed surprised that he knew who she was, and Nikita was surprised that Sonya was helping them. But, again, that could be explained later. Nikita needed a com. After a few seconds- and a few grunts- she managed to get one. She relayed the information to Michael, and he began to direct her to safety, "Proceed out into the corridor east of you and make your way north. Here's what we're thinking for the exfil. I have your escape route. You need to go out with the evidence. Sublevel two. Incinerator room."
Guards almost caught up to Nikita as she followed the directions, but Sonya led them away from her tail. For a solid minute, Michael considered having Sonya join their team. She'd be a great addition to the rogues. She and Birkhoff could be unstoppable on the computer together. And they could effectively help the rogues as they constantly went up against better staffed and better equipped enemies. Though those thoughts quickly left his head as Nikita gave him the update on her location. She still needed his help. Once she was safe, they could then consider their future, "I'm here…"
"What the hell happened?" Michael frantically shouted as Nikita's com cut out and the monitors Sonya was using to spy on the CIA went black. Nikita had almost been out of there. He had almost gotten her out of there and back to safety. Why would things go to shit then. Did something happen to Nikita. Had the CIA caught onto them. Worse, had Division realized what they were doing. Was Sonya truly on the rogues' side, or had she played the long con. Had Michael trusted the wrong person yet again, and his love was going to pay the price.
"I lost it. They kicked me out," Sonya barely acknowledged Michael as she responded. She just typed furiously on her keyboard as she tried to regain access to the CIA. Honestly, Michael lost the tension in his shoulders upon seeing Sonya act like that. It was what Birkhoff did whenever he was cut out while hacking; both had the same frustrated, refusal to believe they had been beaten. There was no way Sonya could've been faking that. She had done all she could to help. The rest was up to Nikita.
In order to distract himself from that fact, and in order to remind himself that Nikita was strong and capable and could take care of herself, Michael handed Sonya the black box again. She took it immediately. Until the next move was clear, the hacker could decrypt the black box. The two would be left alone in her isolated area, especially with Percy removed from the situation. That gave them the time to wait. Fortunately, the waiting wasn't too unbearable. Michael soon received a on the same extension Nikita had dialed in the CIA. He didn't even wait to hear her voice before hurriedly asking, "Where are you?"
"Safe. I rode out on a loading bay in a garbage truck. They were still evacuating the building. I just got to the loft," Nikita gave a vague account of what she had done. The most important thing was that she was safe. She could gather their equipment from the loft and abandon the place. No matter what had happened to Alex (she hoped and prayed she was alive) Division had to have known where the loft was once she had stepped inside it. The location was compromised. As wonderful as it was as a staging area, the place had to go. There went any escape from Birkhoff in the safehouse when the couple wanted to be alone.
"You're not safe there," Michael negated Nikita's claim. Both Alex's apartment and the loft were compromised. Returning to either one of them would only get the rogues killed. Michael had learned that the hard way. But he had survived, and he was on his way out of Division. He was going to ensure Nikita stayed alive as well. No more crazy risks for the next decade. She had to get out of the loft and head to the safehouse. He'd meet her there soon. Then they could just breathe and relax for a while.
"Said the man inside Division," Nikita scoffed. The team was nowhere near relaxing or breathing yet. Ryan was heading to prison for assaulting the director of the CIA. Michael was trapped in Division. And Nikita had no earthly idea where Birkhoff and Alex were. Yet she had the feeling they were also somewhere in trouble. The mission wasn't over yet, and no one was out of the woods yet. They were going to have to keep fighting for a little while longer. It was easier with Michael by her side, at least. Nikita could focus on what she had to do next, and she could let her tense nerves die down.
"Percy's been neutralized for the moment. He has sedatives in his desk drawer. I'm ten minutes away… five minutes away from walking out of here with a fully decrypted black box," Seeing Sonya flash five fingers at him, Michael corrected his estimate. In five minutes, the rogues would have a black box, and they could make some real strides in that war. Nikita was completely bewildered by the fact- after all that, they were still going to look into the box. Michael understood her reservations, but he had his reasonings. He still wanted those truths and answers, "It is time to get a good look at the truth. All of it."
Protests began to bubble on Nikita's lips. A black box was far too dangerous to have. Michael should just destroy it and run. They don't need that curse on their heads. The rogues had faced enough torment. They couldn't bring more hell down on themselves. Unfortunately, Michael remained resolute, "Look, for every truth in that box, there is a lie out in the real world. Innocent people who are being framed for crimes they didn't commit. Corrupt people who are in charge, thanks to crimes that no one knows about. That's gotta end."
Sighing, Nikita prepared to start arguing with Michael. However, she soon realized he was right. It wasn't enough to destroy Division. The rogues had to destroy everything that the hellhole had done. They wanted to protect the innocent, after all. What better way to protect them than to remove corruption from the whole world. The truth wasn't just important to the team, but also to people struggling to understand the misfortunes that had unjustly befell them. Everyone deserved to see the light. It was time for the rogues to be true heroes- to be vigilantes, "So we're playing Lone Ranger?"
"That's the plan. What's yours?" Michael couldn't help but crack a small smile. He was glad Nikita had agreed with him; she was with him one hundred percent, like she always promised to be since they had found their way to each other. Convincing the others to be onboard wouldn't be difficult if the couple was working together. Also, even if they were reserved about delving into the black box, anyone can see that ending corruption was a good and noble thing. It was going to be difficult, but worthwhile. Just like everything else in their war.
"I'm gonna torch the loft. Meet me at the First America building at 2400 hours. I'm also gonna try to get a hold of Birkhoff. We got separated in the chaos," Nikita informed Michael. She had to tell Birkhoff that both she and Michael were alright. She didn't know what he had been doing or what he was planning, but he didn't have to stress anymore. He simply had to meet them at the rendezvous so they could all move on together. As for Alex, Nikita had no idea how to proceed there. Was it safe to call. Would it have been okay to call. Maybe she should just wait for her to reach out. Then she and Alex could have real answers.
Nodding, Michael agreed with Nikita's plan. He then hung up to give her the time to set the explosives to the loft, and turned back to Sonya. She just finished decrypting the box. Except, she didn't hand it back to him yet. She held to it for a moment, frightened by the power inside it. Division wasn't the only thing protected by all those secrets. The instant they came to light, the rogues were going to start a whole new war. She wasn't sure if they were ready for that yet, "Forget about Division. The whole world will be hunting you. You have to be careful. This box? It's like the lost ark; it's not of this Earth. The truth on there is dangerous."
"You sound like Birkhoff," Michael scoffed. He was sure that Sonya's concerns were genuine. But she didn't have to worry about the rogues. They had taken care of themselves that long; they could do so again with the black box. Instead, Sonya should've been worried about herself. She might get away with her actions that day. But soon enough, someone was going to know she was the one who helped the rogues. She had to start saving herself then. If not running away with the team, then by some other drastic measure.
Yet, Michael had the feeling that- like Alex- Sonya could take care of herself. She could make her decision of what to do on her own. Michael wouldn't pressure her; he'd simply take the black box and run. He escaped Division through the air ducts Nikita had told him about, and sprinted across the farmland and through the trees in the nearby forest. He had no idea where to go or how he'd get to the loft, but he was sure to figure it out on the way. Or, luck could finally find him. When he stumbled out onto the road, Birkhoff was sitting in a car, waiting for him. Nikita's call to him must've gone through, "I was just about to come get you."
"Sonya already took care of that," Sliding into the car, Michael half-explained. Birkhoff just stared at him from the driver's seat. There had been so much he had missed while in the SCIF room and then while he sped towards Division with a half formed plan. The hacker was in a desperate need of information. Michael would give him answers, just as long as he drove. Sitting there wouldn't save them, nor would it Nikita. And they definitely still needed saving, "I'll explain on the way. We have to meet Nikita now."