Amanda had been right; Alex didn't want Nikita to die. Nor did she want Michael or even Birkhoff to die. She didn't want any death or destruction. There had been enough of that, especially to people she cared about. Division couldn't take any more people from her, including those she had had a falling out with. If Alex had gotten her way, the rogues would've never been in danger as she stole what she wanted. Everyone could've been safe, and she could've had the black box and her mother. But stupid fucking Lieutenant Commander Sean fucking Pierce stepped in and almost ruined everything.
When Alex had groggily came to after being gassed by a drone (she was one thousand percent certain she had Birkhoff to thank for that), Division cleaners were on the scene attempting to mitigate the disaster that had been left behind. The few agents that were left alive were slowly coming to as well. They were all in ambulances, so that must've been a part of the cover story. However, as Alex glanced around, she noticed that Sean Pierce was nowhere to be seen. He must've come to before her and instantly drove back to Division. If that was the case, then she wasn't going to stick around either. She was going to immediately follow Sean.
The drive back to Division was a bitter one. Alex stewed in her lividity and frustration all the way down the highway and across the country roads. That had been her chance. With Nikita chasing her ghost in Brighton Beach, Alex could've gassed an unsuspecting Michael and Merrick and taken the black box. Alex would then be able to save her mother. And the rogues would continue to be safe since their safehouse still wasn't compromised. Everyone would've been happy. Everyone would've been safe. Except Sean fucking Pierce had to intervene.
By the time Alex returned to Division, Sean had taken control of Ops. He was commanding Sonya on the best way to track the rogues and the drone support they had miraculously been able to use. Although Alex was wondering just how the hell Birkhoff had managed to get his hands on that sort of weapon, she ultimately didn't care. Her main focus was on releasing her rage on Sean. She stormed across Ops to meet him; then, she roughly pulled him away from the computer and shoved at his chest, "What the fuck was that, Sean!"
"I need a drone scrambled from Andrews AFB. Something with range. My guess is they've gone to ground. I need a sat re-task over the Eastern seaboard," Nudging Alexandra away, Sean returned to what he had been doing. Alexandra's anger was completely misplaced. Her ill-planning and the rogues were to blame for what had happened. His plan would've worked and he would've been able to destroy the black box had it not been for the drones and the fact that Nikita had been lured outside, ruining the surprise. Alexandra had been the one to ruin the operation. If she had shared what she had known. Everything would've been over.
"Who do you fucking think you are?" Roughly yanking on Sean's arm, Alex forced him to look at her. He absolutely could not dismiss her then; after everything he had done to her- lying, decisive, backstabbing- he could not ignore her. He wasn't special. Just because he wasn't Division didn't mean he had some superiority over her. He was on the same mission and he followed the same people. He had fucked up by going against that- by going against her he had to pay the consequences.
"Also, new transport," Sean refused to listen to Alexandra, continuing to order Sonya on what he wanted. When he had just been assigned to watch Alexandra, he hadn't been so concerned with what the rogues were doing. Division had seemed to have been handling it. Besides, his mission had only been to protect Alexandra; he wasn't focused on anything else. Until the black box had been stolen, and his family had been put at risk. Then, destroying that damn thing became his only priority.
"Belay that order," Amanda called down from her office. Everything in Ops went still at her order. Sonya glanced warily at Sean, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do. However, he had ignored her. He glared at Amanda, annoyance and anger sparking in his hazel eyes. He quickly marched into the new head of Division's office. Not done yelling at Sean, Alex followed. She was interested in what Amanda had to say, especially since it looked like Sean was about to get his assed chewed out, "I spoke with your superiors: we agreed you will never commandeer Division assets without my permission."
"You mean your superiors. And what? I can't go around your back like you went around mine?" Sean snapped. Oversight controlled both of them- all of them. He wasn't the only one who had to follow their orders and do as he was told. Or had Amanda forgotten what had happened to Percy when he had stepped out of line. Amanda was just as beholden to Oversight as Sean. she couldn't go around people's backs- be rogue. Nothing would ever get resolved or end if that shit kept happening. No one would ever be saved.
"I didn't ask for you, you were assigned," Harshly, Amanda reminded. Although Alex had assumed that was why Sean had begun to follow her- ordered by Oversight to protect their investment- it was surprising to see the look on Sean's face when confronted about it. Whatever hold Oversight had over him where they could order him around and even make him come back after things had changed was fascinating. Why had Sean returned when Alex didn't need protection anymore and when he didn't want to be there. What else could Oversight want- besides maintaining their power. What was Sean really doing in Division.
Sean was doing an excellent job of ignoring Alexandra. Not only did he not want to talk to her, but he also didn't want to give her the chance to study him. She had hidden things from him- important vital things that could've given them both what they wanted. So why should he share everything with her. He could keep secrets too. And his secrets would actually help people. Alexandra was hardly helping herself with her actions. She and everyone else were screwed because of what she had done. Maybe it was a good thing he had returned. He was the only way people would be saved, "Apparently with good reason. Sending her in…"
"Would have worked if you hadn't blown it," Alex instantly yelled. She had had the situation contained. She had had everything planned and ready to go. Gassing Michael and Merrick would've worked, and Division would've had the black box. The only reason it didn't was because a strike team arrived. Nikita had spotted them then Alex (and had looked so shocked and heartbroken to see her there), and it was all over. The perfect, harmless plan had been shattered because Sean Pierce couldn't fucking wait. If he had just trusted her- if anyone had just trusted her- none of that would've been happening.
"What would've worked is if you told the truth. You had a way of contacting Nikita this entire time. And didn't tell. Don't you think that's intel you could've used?" Finally, Sean rounded on Alexandra. The only reason Division knew where to ambush Nikita and Michael was because of the former mole's phone call. If she had just disclosed that information sooner, then they wouldn't have been having that problem. Since Alexandra had lied, things were so much worse. The rogues were in the wind and there was no chance of destroying the black box. That war was going to continue for no reason, and more people would be hurt because of all the lies.
"I had one chance to use that number without suspicion. That's all you get with Nikita. One chance," Alex crowded into Sean's space and shouted in his face. The only way she could call Nikita and get her to listen to her was if she convinced her that she was in trouble. Despite what had happened, Alex knew Nikita would come running if she believed she was hurt. But the instant the rogue knew the agent was lying- was still with Division- she'd stop running. Once Nikita's trust was lost, it was lost forever. Alex couldn't necessarily blame her for that, though. She knew she was the same. Trust was hard to earn but easy to lose.
"Enough. The situation is still fluid, and I'm not interested in conceding defeat yet. We have one advantage left to us. But it requires you talking to someone you like even less than Sean," Stepping between Sean and Alex, Amanda offered another solution. She didn't offer it to Oversight's personal soldier, however; she only offered it to Alex. The young agent was instantly put on edge. She couldn't think of anyone she liked less than Sean Pierce. She'd even have a conversation with Oversight again than continue talking to him. Unfortunately, that wasn't the option Amanda was offering. Instead, she led Alex to the bottom of Division.
Once again, Amanda had been right; there was someone Alex did like less than Sean: Percy. After Operation Sparrow, Oversight and Amanda had locked him up in the basement of Division Hannibal Lecter style. The agents didn't even know he was down there. He was Oversight's dirty secret they were trying to sweep under the rug. They would've killed him, but the black boxes kept him alive. He was then just a pest they were stuck with. Alex would've loved it if that had never become her problem too. Yet there she was, walking towards his cage while he smiled at her, "Alex, right on time. Good to see you."
"Wish I could say the same," Alex muttered. She had to keep reminding herself that she was there for her mother. When Amanda had told her that Percy had information to share with Division but he would only share it with a neutral party, Alex wanted to refuse the idea. She absolutely could not be the middleman between Percy and Amanda. She did not want to talk to the bastard, and she did not want to get caught in another one of their games. However, Division had no leads. And if Division had no leads, then Alex couldn't kill Semak and save her mother. So she agreed to talk to Percy. And she fought to keep the glower off her face.
"Though I must admit, I am surprised. I have to be here, for the time being, but you, you choose to be a prisoner. I wonder why that is," All that time locked in a glass cage hadn't diminished how much of an asshole Percy was. Alex was so tempted to just turn around and forget everything. Yet the thought of her mother trapped with Semak kept her in place. She could get through hell if her mother was on the other side of it. All Alex had to do was stay on mission and not get swept up in Percy's games.
"I need to ask you about Operation Game Change. Michael and Nikita have broken Tony Merrick out of Leavenworth," Staring at a point beyond Percy so she wouldn't have to look at him, Alex repeated what Amanda had told her. After the disaster at the motel, Division was at least able to discover that the rogues had broken a soldier out of prison. He was tied to an old operation that Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff were no doubt trying to set right. It wasn't important if they succeeded or not, at least not to Alex. She only wanted to know where she could intercept them next so she could steal back the box and end that nightmare.
"Straight to business. Bad etiquette. Your father raised you better than that," Percy smirked. Alex half-wondered how long he had been waiting to say that to her. He had loved it when he had made the quip about her being Russian and knowing how to play chess (which, yeah, she did, but her mother had taught her, not her father). That moment didn't feel any different. Percy loved when he made himself smarter or cleverer or more important. No wonder the rogues wanted desperately to kill him. Two seconds after talking to him without wearing her mole-mask and she was ready to lunge.
"Don't you ever mention my father," Alex seethed. She had to stop herself from stalking even closer to the cage. Although Percy couldn't hurt her through the glass, she continued to not trust him. He was far too cunning. And a part of her felt as though he was only trying to get a rise out of her. She couldn't jump at his bait. She had to keep the power that she had. Though, she began to doubt that she had any power. She felt like she was a pawn again. She might've moved places on the board, yet it was all the same (God, now she was starting to think like Percy; she seriously had to get away from him).
"Okay, we'll talk about your mother," Percy continued to smirk. Alex somehow managed to keep her cool that time. She breathed through her rage and tried to redirect the topic. The bastard ignored her, however. He had his own agenda, and he was going to follow it before he even thought about hers. More than ever Alex wanted to strangle him. Or at least punch the smirk off his lips, "What was her name? You rarely spoke of her. There must be a reason why you keep seeking out mother-figures. What was her name? I forget."
Michael had once warned Alex that Percy had an eidetic memory. She could never underestimate the bastard's ability to recall details. The instant she did, was the instant that she was dead. Amanda had also warned Alex that Percy remembered everything; that was why they could turn to him for knowledge about what was on the black box. The bastard was aware of everything he had put on there, just as he was aware of all of his victims. Percy knew exactly who Alex's mother was. She didn't need to tell him anything, "No, you don't."
"But do you? Have you forgotten her, Alex?" Although Percy dropped the smirk, his features distorting into mock sympathy, he continued to taunt Alex. She fought against raising to the bait. But it was a severely losing battle. How could anyone accuse her of forgetting about her family. All she was, all she did every day, was because of her mother and father. She could never forget them. She'd carry them with her every second of every day. And once she had her mother back in her life, a part of her shattered heart would be mended. Alex could never forget her family, not when their love was always with her.
"Her name is Katya, and she's better than all of you. Amanda, Nikita, you're all killers. She never hurt anyone. There was no reason for her to be a target, no reason," Practically yelling, Alex let her anger overwhelm her. She knew better. She should've stayed on topic and forced Percy to talk about Operation Game Change. Yet she had to let it known that Katya Udinov was better than any person she had ever met. Nikita and Amanda weren't half the woman Alex's mother was. She had been an angel who hadn't deserved the fate that had been so cruelly given to her. She hadn't deserved to be threatened and stolen just because of who she had married.
When Percy smirked again, Alex realized what she had just done. She had just confirmed that she knew her mother was alive. Percy knew why she was still in Division and why she was still working with Oversight. And he could possibly use the information he had goaded out of her to his advantage, "I see her strength in you, Alex. Which is why I'm going to help you. You want to know where Nikita is going next. I don't know where, but I know who. And I can tell you. In exchange for a small token. A television, with a live news feed. The more I know what's going on, the more I can predict Michael and Nikita's moves."
"Amanda will never go for that," Alex argued lamely. She had been so stupid. She should've fought harder to keep her cool. She should've ignored everything Percy had said and kept the conversation on Game Change. Now, Percy had more information to lord over her. The black box secrets trapped in his head had been enough. Yet now, he had more ways to control her. Alex had to be more careful in future interactions with Percy. Hopefully, there wouldn't be anymore; she would retrieve the black box that night. But luck had not been on her side lately.
"But she will, because I'm going to give you a gift in advance. As a show of good faith," Percy offered the information Alex needed for free, though, not without a catch. She shouldn't accept what was offered to her. She shouldn't take the catch and trust Percy. However, she wasn't the one in need. All the information she gathered, all the plans she created, all the progress she made on her revenge mission, everything she did was for her mother. And Percy knew that. Alex had no choice but to agree.