"You clean up nice. First time I've seen you look like a girl," Owen glanced at Nikita in her dress, heels, and makeup. She fought an eye roll. After the three agents realized that Mars's research had been taken, they dove into the black box for any clues of what to do next. They assumed that Mars would want to complete the failed assassination. So, they found where the Senator would be next and crashed the party.
It was a black tie event, which required more dressing up than they were used to for rogue missions. Michael and Owen donned tuxedos, and Nikita wore a cocktail dress she could easily move around in. Of course heels and makeup followed her outfit; she could blend in easier if she looked like every other dolled up women. However, Owen couldn't stop himself from trying to compliment her on her appearance- try was the operative word, "Owen, we need to work on your compliment skills."
"Keep an eye out for people on cell phones. I'm guessing that's how Mars activates his sleeper," Michael ordered, stepping between Owen and Nikita. Of course his girlfriend looked good; she always looked good. But Owen didn't need to check her out and attempt to flirt with her. They had a mission to stick to. The former Cleaner had to make that his priority, not Nikita.
With a roll of her eyes, Nikita separated first from the men. The last thing she wanted to deal with was their petty jealousies. Thankfully, staying vigilant on their mission took most of their attention. There were a few close calls with people on their cellphones, but none of them were the sleeper. Until Michael noticed a woman in a purple dress head straight towards the Senator in a trance-like state. Nikita immediately moved towards her, "I got her."
Well, she thought she had the woman. As Nikita looked around to see if anyone else had noticed what was occurring- the team hoped to end the threat stealthily- she caught Alex in the crowd. Despite the cast on her wrist, splint on her leg, and cane in her hand, she was as dolled up as Nikita for the event. She was there to stop the P9 assassination as well, and she wanted to do it quietly. There were no other Division agents in the room. It was just Alex staring at Nikita, a mixture of shock and betrayal on her face.
A part of Nikita wanted to head towards Alex instead of the woman. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to drag her out of that room and away from Division. She wanted to make things right. But then the woman pulled out a gun, and her moment was ruined. Nikita and Alex pulled away from one another to deal with the real threat. Whereas Alex saved the Senator from the assassination attempt, Nikita- with Michael's and Owen's help- stopped the woman and pulled her out of the panicked room. With the attention on Alex, the rogues managed to escape unnoticed. Though, Nikita couldn't help but look back at the injured young woman.
Her mind was still on Alex even as they returned to the safehouse. The woman in the purple dress was brought to an empty room until she could regain consciousness, and until the team could figure out what to do with her. They discovered that her name was Alicia, however, they couldn't gather any intel on how she was connected to P9. Nikita wasn't trying as hard as the others to search for connections, though. She kept thinking about Alex being in the field, despite her injuries and despite being alone.
"So where'd you get a black box?" Eventually, Owen snapped Nikita out of her thoughts. He nodded towards the black box on Birkhoff's desk and asked what he had wanted to know since Nikita and Michael and informed him of what they knew about P9. Nikita only glanced at him in confusion when he asked, however. So, he rolled his eyes and elaborated, "Come on, Nikita. I'm not stupid. The things you know about P9 and the op, all those details. I was on the ground, and I don't know half that stuff."
"Michael took Percy's master drive when he escaped Division," Nikita explained simply. She knew why Owen was asking about it; it just took her mind a moment to change course. She seriously had to get Alex out of her head. She had made her decision. There was nothing Nikita could do to take her off course. Even though that course would get her killed. It was Alex's death wish. Nikita had to move on and accept that.
"So you peeked inside it? I thought you were Miss. Destroy All Boxes," Owen continued to be confused. One constant he knew about Nikita was that she had to destroy all the boxes. Even if there was a way the team could use them to help people, she had to destroy those secrets. He couldn't imagine any reason for why she would change her mind. It wasn't as though the boxes or their war had changed.
"He convinced me that this one we would use for good," Distractedly, Nikita glanced at the black box. She still wanted to destroy the damn thing. However, after Merrick, she knew Michael was right. Correcting the sins on the black box was the best way to save people, expose Oversight, and bring down Division. Only running countermissions wasn't enough anymore, especially since they had lost Alex and Ryan. The rogue had to do more to fight and to win. They needed to be more proactive with their battles.
"Oh. So you and Michael can handle all the dangerous secrets, but I can't," Owen snapped. When he had wanted to do the same thing in London, Michael and Nikita consistently fought him. They went on a whole tirade about how dangerous those secrets were. However, months later, they were allowed to do the same thing. How did that make any sense.
Finally, Nikita gave Owen her full attention. She couldn't understand how he could be asking her that. She, Michael, and Birkhoff weren't releasing the secrets into the world; they were simply fighting the corruption they saw. It wasn't at all like what Owen had tried to do. After all, none of them were becoming obsessive or insane. Or had he forgotten about that part, "Am I wrong? The last time I saw you…"
"I was suffering from Regimen withdrawal when I tried to upload the box in London. I wasn't in a sound state of mind. I'm better now, Nikita," More calmly, Owen expressed. Since using the Guardian in London's Regimen supply, he had felt much better. He could actually think. He could handle black box secrets then. The team didn't have to keep him out of the loop.
"You still need a cure," Nikita wasn't exactly arguing with Owen. She could tell that he was in a better place than the last time she had seen him. However, he had been the one to pull away from the team so he could focus on himself. He couldn't be upset that the team had moved on without him. He also couldn't be upset if there was any lingering mistrust. As long as he was on the Regimen, he could snap at any moment.
"Yeah, and once I get it, I'm gonna hunt down the rest of Percy's Guardians, and I'm gonna destroy their black boxes. And then I'm gonna finish Percy. You think I can handle that, right?" Owen gruffly laid out his battle plan. Once he was off the pills he was forced to take, he was going to be an unstoppable force against Division. He wouldn't need the team and the black box to help him. Though, the other rogues on his side would be appreciated, especially Nikita.
"I won't stop you," Nikita nodded. She believed Owen's plans, and she believed he would achieve them once off the Regimen. But getting off those pills should've been his only priority. The next time he experienced withdrawal, he could die. The team couldn't have that happen. They couldn't lose another friend to Division.
Soon, Nikita left the men in the livingroom to wait for Alicia to wake up. The woman shouldn't be alone as she gained consciousness and faced a great shock. Someone who could understand the situation she was in should try to be there for her. And although Nikita had never been brainwashed to kill, she definitely knew what it was like to wake up in a completely new environment and be told that she'd be trained to be a killer. That was one of the worst moments to experience. Alicia needed a kind hand to guide her through it, especially since she woke so violently, "What… Who are you? What am I doing here?"
"We had to get you away from the cops, but you're safe here," Instantly, Nikita tried to settle Alicia against the bed. She had to take it easy. The rogue had delivered a nasty blow to her head to stop her entranced assassination attempt. Alicia needed to just relax, sit back, and listen for a moment.
That was easier said than done, however. From the guest room she was brought to, Alicia could see the news report on the attempted assassination. The rogues had been watching it to gather any information they might have missed and had never thought to turn it off. Alicia could then see every second of it, including when she had tried to kill the Senator. Upon seeing herself hold the gun and approach her target, she began to panic. There wasn't much Nikita could do to calm her, "Oh, my God. Is that me?"
"Hey. Look, I know this is scary. Nothing makes sense. But you have to trust me," Nikita blocked Alicia's view of the television. The team should've made sure she couldn't see the news from the bedroom; that way, they could ease her more gently into the situation. Though, honestly, there was no easy way to deal with the current situation. It was going to be a shock no matter what. At least with a news resort, Alicia could see the footage and instantly believe it. Nikita could then immediately help her with her shock instead of trying to get her to believe them.
"I was gonna kill him. I mean, I…I don't even kill spiders when I find them at home," Alicia began to shake as the realization struck her. She had no memory of the event. However, there was no disputing the video or the news report. She had tried to kill a senator, and now she was one of the most wanted women in America.
"I believe you, Alicia. Someone did this to you. They trained you to kill without giving you a choice," Gently, Nikita sat next to Alicia on the bed and tried to have her focus on her. What had happened hadn't been her fault. She had been used as a corrupt asshole's tool. But the team was going to put a stop to that. Just as soon as they knew everything that Alicia did.
"But that's… How? I don't remember anything," Alicia continued to panic. Nothing she was seeing or hearing made any sense. How could she have possibly been trained to kill someone. She had lived a relatively normal life until then. She hardly even knew how to shoot a gun. There was no possible way that the woman on the news could've been her. She couldn't have been that violent or cold or skilled. Yet, there she was in a stranger's house, being hunted by the cops. Alicia could refute the claim all she wanted, but it was still true. It'd always be true.
Nikita had suspected that Alicia wouldn't remember anything. Michael, Birkhoff, and the black box claimed that P9 victims were brainwashed and put into trances; none of the 'operatives' remembered anything. Hopefully, though, Alicia could give the team of rogues something to work with. It was possible that Mars had been a part of her brainwashing processes. If so, then Alicia could tell them where to find him. Grabbing her tablet, Nikita showed the woman a picture of Mars and asked softly, "What about him?"
"That's Dr. Francis from the Vory Clinic," Alicia said immediately. She was so relieved to see something familiar. Though, some of that relief died when she noticed Nikita's confusion. Alicia had to admit where she had met the doctor and why she had been there. It was difficult to discuss, and a part of her didn't want to. However, she knew she had to share everything if she was going to understand what was occurring, "I, uh… Went to rehab there… Pain pills."
"Well, you got clean. That's all that matters. I tell myself the same thing every day," Nikita fought the urge to mumble and shy away from the fact that she was also an addict. She still didn't like talking about it, even to members of her own team. But she knew she had to say something to Alicia. She had to gain her trust. She also had to let her know it'd all be okay. The team of rogues would stop what was happening and Alicia would be safe. She could trust them- specifically, she could trust a woman just like her.
After hearing Nikita's admission, Alicia seemed to finally be able to relax. She knew she could explain herself without judgment, and that whatever she said would be completely understood, "I tried N.A., therapy… Nothing worked. Then one day I got this letter from Vory. They said they could change the feedback loops in your brain so you wouldn't crave a fix. I figured I had nothing to lose."
"What do you mean, change the feedback loops?" Nikita wondered. That phrasing sounded like what Birkhoff had been talking about when he had said that P9 was way too X-Files. She didn't think that there were any feedback loops in the mind to mess with. Though, what did she actually know about brainwashing. Maybe she should read up on it at some point. Considering Amanda's torturing techniques, it'd be worth studying and guarding against.
"I'd wear these headphones and sensors to monitor my brain waves. Then I'd get kind of sleepy, and next thing I knew, I was awake, and that need… You know that feeling? It was gone," Alicia shared. Nikita nodded. She understood that burning desire to take a hit all too well. She constantly fought with it. Sometimes, she wished it really was that easy to make it go away. Except, things that were that easy always had a catch. Alicia figured that out after a few seconds of thought, "Oh, my God. You mean this whole time it was Dr. Francis?"
Nikita calmed Alicia down again. Once she was settled and assured that none of that was her fault- she had been used- Nikita went to inform the others of what she had discovered. Despite her reservations about P9 earlier, she was completely fired up to take them down then. Addicts like Alicia were only looking for help, and they were continuously treated like trash. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, and it had to end that very moment, "We got to raid the clinic and grab Mars. There are rehab patients in there. We need to find out how many and what kind of security he is using."
"Mars would recognize Owen. He wouldn't recognize me," Michael agreed with Nikita. The team had to get into the clinic, figure out what they were working against, then strike. Because of Mars's time in Division, Birkhoff's hacking skills and Owen's involvement couldn't be utilized. Mars would recognize them and get spooked. Michael was the best choice then for infiltration and reconnaissance. He'd get them the information they needed, then they could stop Mars and burn the place down.
"Michael, my love, Jag officer, yes. Junkie, no," Grabbing Michael's hand and kissing his knuckles, Nikita refuted his plan. Although he had easily disguised himself as a Jag officer to grab Merrick, he couldn't pull off a junkie. He didn't know what it was like to fight those kinds of demons. He could try, but he'd be spotted as a fake almost instantly. Someone else had to infiltrate the clinic. Someone who knew what it was like to be that desperate for help.
"Hey, I've passed as worse. Infiltration is our best chance at getting recon," Michael continued to hold Nikita's hand. He knew that she was going to suggest that she go instead. However, he didn't want her to put herself in that situation. She could hardly talk about her addiction. Putting herself into that mindset might hurt her, or it might send her down a dark road. She shouldn't have to do that for a mission. The others could handle it.
"I know. That's why I'm going," Finally letting go of her boyfriend's hand, Nikita finalized. She understood Michael's concern, but she was positive she could handle herself. She had a clear goal in mind that would keep her from any dark memories and thoughts. She'd also have him watching over her to keep her grounded.
"Nikita, be careful," Michael warned. She gave him a sincere nod as she moved to prepare for the mission. The team got the address for the Vory Clinic from Alicia. She also told Nikita what to expect when she walked through the doors and where she could possibly find Dr. Francis- Mars. The rogue focused on that as she made herself look how she did when she had been a junkie on the streets. It wasn't difficult to bring her appearance back to that point. Though, it was difficult to not let her mind drift there. The mission to help other used and abused addicts helped. But she'd feel a whole lot better once Mars was taken care of.
Michael and Owen followed Nikita closely and parked their car nearby incase she needed backup. She updated them on her progress, but she hadn't found anything yet; she had to do more digging to get to Mars. Whereas Michael sat impatiently, waiting for her to return to safety, Owen let his mind wander. He didn't share any of his thoughts aloud for a while. But once a certain topic came to mind, he couldn't help but blurt, "You get how lucky you are? You got out of Division with the woman you love. That's what I used to want for me and Emily."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." Michael remembered how distraught Owen had been when his girlfriend had been killed by Division. He had gone through the pain that Michael didn't wish on anybody. He had also gone through all that grief and guilt alone. Michael knew first hand that that wasn't the best way to heal. You always needed somebody to support you. He had eventually found that in Nikita, and even Birkhoff. Owen should have that as well. He should have an empathetic shoulder to cry on, "You know, when things like that happen, you feel like the sun should turn dark. The Earth should stop spinning. But the world keeps going on around you."
"Yeah, and you wonder if it's a place worth living in," Owen sighed. Though, that wasn't the end of the conversation. He had only mentioned Emily to make Michael think about him and Nikita. Those two shouldn't be like all the other couples who had suffered because of Division. They deserved more, "You and Nikita, why are you still living this life? If I had a chance to do it over again, I'd just take off with Emily, you know. I wouldn't wait for the right moment. Cause that's when it happens: the threat you don't see coming."
Michael could've argued that he and Nikita were doing what they had to; they were still fighting because that was the only way to live happily ever after. However, no words left his mouth. He just thought about how Nikita had pushed for them to run before, and how he should've taken that chance. Who cared if they'd be running forever. As long as they were together, what did it truly matter. Before his thoughts could wonder too much about that, however, Nikita updated him and Owen again. She was close to Mars. Soon, it'll be over, "Michael, I think I got him."
Nikita did have Mars. Unfortunately, it didn't take him long to clock her as Division. She was grabbed and dragged away kicking and screaming. Hearing her distress, Michael immediately cocked his gun and threw open the car door. Owen barely managed to stop him and force him to think, "Wait. We have no idea where she is or how many guys we'd be dealing with. We'd be going in blind."
Although every fiber of his being was pulling him towards Nikita, Michael forced himself to listen to Owen. If they went in blind, Nikita could get hurt- or worse. He needed to calm down and think; she needed him to be calm and rational. Thankfully, after taking a second to breathe, Michael found a solution to their problems. He remembered Birkhoff was on the coms, and radioed for him, "Birkhoff, I need you to hack into Vory. Phones, security cameras, the works. Mars grabbed Nikita."
"Give me two minutes," Birkhoff responded immediately. The team had decided that he shouldn't hack the building incase that tipped off Mars. The doctor had worked in Division; he knew the tricks and protocols and would've been on the lookout for them. However, since Nikita was in danger, the need for the rogues to be careful was gone. Who cared about alerting their enemies to their presence when their friend needed their help.
Alicia had been talking to Birkhoff about computer stuff and funny videos (they had a lot in common) when Michael called for his help. She continued to hang around, watching the hacker in awe as he worked his magic. She recognized a lot of the things he was doing having worked for an IT company herself. However, his skill was unmatched. She could've sworn he was one of the hackers she had read about and studied in fascination, "Oh, wow. I bet you could give ShadowWalker a run for his money."
"Did you just say ShadowWalker?" Birkhoff's fingers halted in their typing for a brief second. He had already been amazed by Alicia's tech knowledge when she had joined him for pizza. But hearing her mention his hacking moniker had him stunned. He couldn't stop thinking how amazing she was- and how terribly he felt that all that shit was happening to her.
"Yeah, he's done, like, the most ingenious hacks of the last decade," Alicia continued to gush about ShadowWalker to ShadowWalker. If he wasn't so distracted by helping Nikita, he would've responded to Alicia more intelligently than he did. Maybe he would've made a quip or alluded to the fact that he was the best hacker in the world. Instead, he floundered, making Alicia ask, "What, you've never heard of him?"
"No, I… I know him. Dude's a legend. You know, most of his targets are, uh, shady wall street guys. He's kind of Robin Hood," Birkhoff decided to lie. Normally, he would've loved to brag. But that moment wasn't about him (especially since that information and his ties to Division could harm Alicia). The two should focus on helping the team so that they could then help the world, "Nikita and them, they kinda are too. They're gonna set things straight. Things are gonna work out. I promise."
Although Birkhoff swore things would work out, he could hear the team struggling over the coms, specifically Nikita. She tried to fight off Mars while he laid out his entire villain plan. Apparently, he and the Venezuelans he was working with felt wronged and wanted revenge. That thought seemed to spur Nikita into action- either that or the sound of Michael and Owen rushing to rescue her. She fought harder and shouted, "You think you're so righteous, don't you, huh? I know what it's like to want revenge, but I would never hurt innocent people to do it."
Finally, Nikita broke past her confinement and took out the goons holding her down. Her next target was Mars, yet Owen beat her to him. He and Michael finally caught up to her, and the former Guardian shoved his weapon into the doctor's face. He wasn't letting him go without answers. There was his chance to get off the Regimen, and he wasn't going to let it go, "You. I want everything on the Regimen. Every formula, every piece of research, all of it."
While Michael rushed to Nikita to check on her, Owen watched Mars like a hawk. The doctor reached for his computer as though he was going to give the man with the gun what he wanted. But then, he pressed a key and strange tones played over the speakers. People burst out of their rooms, creating chaos. Owen tried to get Mars to stop, yet he only smirked, "Turn it off. Hey! Turn it off!"
Mars tried to run, but Owen shot him. Michael and Nikita then tried to stop the people roaming the hallways, yet there was nothing to stop. They were activated sleepers with no mission to follow. So they were just set to roam until the rogues could find a way to turn off the tones. Well, not all of the sleepers were only roaming. Birkhoff soon frantically called the rogues with a terrifying result that the tones had brought, "It's Alicia. She heard the tones at the clinic and got all zombified. She grabbed a gun and took off. I'm tailing her now, but I'm not sure where she's headed."
"She's back on her original mission," Michael warned. Mars was dead, but the rogues had failed their mission. P9 was far from over, and Alicia was still in trouble.