There was some breathing room between missions that gave the rogues time to clean and restock equipment, train and sharpen their skills, go grocery shopping and take care of the safehouse, and find ways to battle their anxiety and relax. Although the down time was much appreciated to keep their sanity, there came a point where doing nothing to further their war effort became tedious and boring. The rogues had to stay active and productive. Days of waiting was tortuous. So when Michael heard a chime on Birkhoff's computer, he jumped at the chance for a new mission, "So what happened? You got an alert?"
"An alert? It's not a Twitter feed, Michael, it's Shadowbot," Birkhoff rolled his eyes. Yes, he was ready for a new mission as well. But he had to ensure that his tech was completely understood first. He couldn't have the agents be tragically misinformed about what he did and have them make wild demands he couldn't follow. He had to set them straight as soon as possible, "It scours the news, the blogosphere, the atmosphere. If something happens out there and it has a link to a file on the black box…"
"You get an alert," Michael cut the nerd off. He didn't need to hear the techno-babble. All he wanted to know was what problem needed fixing. Birkhoff grumbled as he showed him what Shadowbot had found. The instant the newsfeed was opened, Michael knew why they had gotten an alert. He recognized the assassin being discussed. He had been a Division target years ago, "Think I know why it flagged him. Ramon was captured by Division in Paris. Six years ago, I want to say. The agent lost him on the way to the airport."
"Not true. I caught him. Handed him to the grab team. They blew it. He slipped their net," Finally joining the others, Nikita corrected. She would never brag about any of her missions with Division. However, she would set the record straight if anyone thought she had never been successful. She always completed her mission. Sometimes that had aligned with what Division had wanted; sometimes it was what she herself had set out to do. Regardless, Nikita never failed her missions. She failed people. But never her goals. She couldn't have rumors spread otherwise. Her enemies couldn't get the wrong ideas.
"Actually, it was more like catch and release," Birkhoff corrected after reading about Ramon on the black box. There was a lot more information about him than any other Division target which should've tipped the rogues off that something was up. Nikita was the most perplexed by it. Birkhoff spun one of his monitors around to show her what exactly he was looking at, "According to the black box, Division released him and kept him on the payroll. He kills for them now."
Nikita shook her head before she actually responded. The information on the black box wasn't something to doubt. The truth hidden on the damn thing was far more dangerous than any lie or rumor. However, Nikita refused to believe that Ramon could work for Division. When she had captured him, he had railed against such governments and organizations as Oversight and Division. There was absolutely no way he would disregard what he believed in and fought for so suddenly. There had to have been some sort of mistake. The information had to have been wrong, "What? Ramon? No way."
"Way. Read it and weep. These are all the sanctioned kills he's claimed responsibility for in the last six years," Birkhoff scrolled through the information on the black box highlighting all Ramon had done for Division- or had claimed to have done for Division. He had been Percy's favorite scapegoat for years. Any anarchist style assassination- and there were plenty- was blamed on him. And the news completely ate it up. No one suspected a thing. Division could keep operating in the shadows, and Oversight could continue to hold all the power. Until the rogues stepped in and ruined everything.
"All this for Division?" Nikita couldn't rush off on a mission to expose Ramon, Division, and Oversight just yet. She was still attempting to comprehend how Ramon was working for Division. Nikita hadn't saved his life because she thought he'd make a great agent. In fact, it was the opposite. He had stirred a feeling of rebellion in her that she couldn't eliminate. Although that feeling disappeared at times, there was always a spark that encouraged her to defy orders and think for herself. There was no way the man who had done that ended up in Division's claws. Ramon was supposed to have been better than that.
"It makes sense. The crazy anarchist takes the blame. No one asks questions. Not even cable news. It's brilliant," Michael couldn't help but comment. He had wondered how Division was able to hide their involvement in high-profile assassinations. There were hardly any rumors or conspiracies about the hellhole- besides the ones Ryan Fletcher had caught onto. Having someone take the blame for everything certainly helped Division more than Cleaners could. A story was spun that was easily swallowed by the general public. No questions were asked, which meant no problems for Division.
"It's Percy. Was his idea. And he couldn't have done it without me," Bitterly, Nikita replied. If she had never saved Ramon and brought him to Division, then Percy never would've had his perfect scapegoat. She should've followed her orders instead of thinking she knew better. Well, maybe not exactly. She didn't completely regret not killing Ramon. But she hated that she had brought him to Percy. She should've let him escape. What was she thinking involving the hellhole, "I thought we could bring him in, ask him questions, learn more… Does the box have his current location?"
"No. They move him to a different Division facility every few months," Birkhoff easily went along with Nikita's topic change. Although he spared a quick glance at Michael, he didn't mention what could've possibly been on Nikita's mind. He was positive that she would eventually share it. If not with him, then definitely with Michael. It wouldn't be a problem for long. At least if she could move on, then so could the rest of them.
Michael continued to glance at Nikita. She was doing a good job of ignoring him; she didn't want him reading her numerous thoughts about what had actually occurred on her mission with Ramon. Later, he definitely had to pry into them so she didn't drown in them. At the moment, however, his focus should be on exposing Division. Slowly, Michael redirected his attention to the black box and the news feed. The rogues might not know where Ramon was, but the reporter discussing him might. After all, she had the most direct contact with him, "She might know where he is, though. She says the videos just show up at the network."
"Not true. According to the black box, she gets them direct," Once more, Birkhoff corrected. Division's use of Ramon as a scapegoat was more convoluted and planned out than the rogues had originally thought. It wasn't enough for Ramon to simply claim he had committed the assassination; a news reporter also had to believably sell the story and gain people's interest. Division had a plant hidden at the news station. If anyone knew where Ramon was and what he was up to, it was undoubtedly her.
"Then we start with her. This time we catch him. No release," Nikita commanded. Exposing Ramon as a scapegoat was one way to expose Division and ruin their schemes. Although that was a huge motivator, it wasn't what was driving Nikita. She had to make up for her mistakes six years ago. She also had to understand why Ramon would suddenly go back on his word. He had once snapped at her for not being honorable, but then what was he at that moment. Unlike what she had previously thought, he was no better than her.
Honestly, Alex found it difficult to focus on her mission lately. She couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Sean and his Seal partner. She should say something to him about it. She should dispel those thoughts in his head he had expressed. But she wasn't entirely sure what she should say. She also wasn't sure if he would listen. Things continued to be rocky between them. And he didn't seem to be in the best headspace whenever he was in Division. Why did he keep coming back then. Why did she keep coming back. She didn't exactly want to be there talking to Amanda either, "On the mend, I hope."
"Last day it ruins the outfit," Alex halfheartedly waved the cast on her arm. One good thing about all her time in Division recently was that she had been able to heal quickly from her injuries. She had also been able to gather more information on Semak and Zetrov. Though, not as much as she would've liked. Her distraction with Sean was completely to blame for that. However, she couldn't force herself to refocus. She had to talk to him. She had to figure out what exactly he was thinning and why exactly he was in Division. But he had made himself scarce recently, leaving Alex was left completely alone with her thoughts.
"Good. I have an assignment for you," Amanda snapped Alex out of her head. There was a real reason Amanda had called her into her office. Alex wasn't just there to talk about her recovery or any updates like that. Division and Oversight had a mission for her. Her first instinct was to just walk out of the room and never return. She was supposed to be done doing things like that. She wasn't supposed to be used as a weapon anymore. Alex was her own agent- her own person. She couldn't be ordered around. And she'd say as much if she didn't need Division's and Oversight's resources to save her mother.
"How've you had time to track down Nikita, when you're busy handling assets like Ramon?" So, instead, Alex snarked about something she had overheard that morning. Amanda had called Ramon and had him take the blame for an assassination Division had performed. Alex didn't know what the full deal entailed, but she did know that Division wasn't supposed to be performing assassinations anymore. Since Amanda had taken control from Percy, things were supposed to change. But nothing had. The hellhole was still as awful as ever, "You said Division would be different."
"I also said we would continue to eliminate threats. Letting Ramon take the blame allows us to do it with minimal blowback," Amanda found a way to spin the situation. Alex figured that Ramon was no different than Division's Cleaners; the black ops group had to utilize different strategies to ensure they stayed hidden. However, there shouldn't have been anything for Division to clean up. Their focus should only be on stopping the rogues and recovering the black box. That was what Alex had been promised by both Amanda and Oversight.
"You people could rationalize baby killing," Rolling her eyes, Alex huffed. Of course their promises would only last for so long. Since it wasn't explicit with what kind of threats they were stopping, Division could continue the assassinations Oversight deemed necessary- even if that wasn't strictly the case. Alex couldn't wait to completely distance herself from those people. As soon as she had the black box and her mother, she could do just that, "Where'd you pick up on the rogues' trail?"
Amanda didn't comment on what Alex said about Division and Oversight rationalizing baby killing. It wasn't worth her time to get into a battle of wills with Alex. After all, the mission she had for her was far more important to both their interests. It didn't have anything to do with the black box or the rogues. But it still had to do with what Alex wanted most, "We haven't. I have a Division assignment for you. A sanction."
"I don't work for you, remember? And I certainly don't kill for you," Alex huffed and began to walk out of Amanda's office. Her deal didn't involve regular Division missions. She was only there to stop the rogues since she knew them best, recapture the black box so the information didn't leak, then save her mother and finally live happily ever after. She didn't have to do anything else while in Division- certainly not a government sanctioned kill mission that'd support a country that wasn't even hers.
"Just take a look. For me," Amanda tried to offer Alex the mission file. Although she turned around- her damn curiosity got the better of her- she didn't take what was offered to her. That didn't frustrate Amanda or even discourage her. She simply continued her pitch for the mission, flipping open the file and showing Alex a picture of the target, "Do you know who that is? Anton Kochenko. He worked for your father."
"He was a low-level thug for my father," Alex grumbled. She remembered exactly who Anton Kochenko was. She had never liked him. He was always brash and rude whenever he had visited the house, and he had always paid her a weird kind of special attention. She had missed him the least when everything had gone to shit. In fact, a part of her had hoped that something bad had happened to him after Pale Fire. Unfortunately, that was not the case. According to the information Amanda had, things had only gotten better for Kochenko.
"Now he's the Chief Public Liaison of Zetrov, which is a euphemism for 'Vice President of Bribery'. He's helping extend Zetrov's reach across the globe. In thirty-six hours, Kochenko will attend the ribbon-cutting of a new Zetrov venture on the St. Lawrence river. That venture represents significant expansion by Zetrov in our hemisphere," Amanda explained Division's and Oversight's sudden interest in Kochenko. She also implied why Alex should care about it as well. She was drawn by the information. Slowly, she came back into the office.
If Alex killed Kochenko, that'd be a dent in Semak's armor. She'd be one step closer to killing the bastard who had ordered the hit on her family and one step closer to saving her mother from his grasp. Killing Kochenko could also put her in an even better position with Oversight. They could give her more information and resources. They could even give her an army. There was a reason they were having her kill Kochenko then, after all. His death would serve all of them, which meant Alex could receive more benefits from it, "Let me guess. Oversight has asked you to make sure it never opens."
"Correct. I need Kochenko dead. As it turns out, so do you. He's the face of Zetrov. If he were eliminated, his boss would be forced to make more public appearances. Kochenko's boss is Sergei Semak. You'd be one step closer. All you have to do is end Kochenko's life. Something tells me you can rationalize that," Amanda smiled softly as she handed Alex the file again. The young agent took it without hesitation.
The rogues decided the best way to get information from an ambitious reporter was to dangle a promotion in front of her. Birkhoff was busy hacking, and Nikita didn't think her charms would work for that mission, so Michael was assigned to approach the Division plant. Nikita also urged him to flirt with her so she wouldn't be suspicious. Michael didn't like the idea, yet he knew Nikita was right. He just felt so awkward as he approached the Division agent, "Uh, Ms. Patel, I'm, uh, Mike Royce, CNN. Senior Evening News Producer. I've been watching you. Not just right now… but, I mean, on the air. Your… your, uh, your network. Your reports."
"Nice. Awkward. Girls like awkward. Makes them feel special," Nikita teased her boyfriend over the com. Michael hadn't shared his plans with her as they had gone over the mission. The only thing that was certain was that Michael would make the plant call Division on her satellite phone and confirm Ramon's location. As soon as she dialed the number, Birkhoff would be able to hack the phone and interrupt the conversation.
How Michael would get the agent to make the call remained to be seen, however. Nikita had thought that he'd try to be smooth and suave like she knew he could be. Instead, he seemed to be going for a stumbling and awkward approach. She didn't know if it was because she was listening or what, but Michael couldn't shake himself out of it. He continued to fight for the right words to say to push the conversation where he wanted it to be, "Uh… Anyway, you filed some great pieces on Ramon. Not to mention, you always seem to have the exclusives."
"I'm a lucky girl," The Division agent shrugged, still uncertain if she should be giving Michael her time. She was at least listening to what he had to say. He could continue talking to her, but he had to do more to have her completely engaged. Nikita's flirtation idea, although Michael continued to hate it, really did seem like his best bet. The focus of his conversation had to be less on the job and more on her.
"Well, let's just say you're about to get luckier," Michael responded automatically. He was struggling to think of what to say to captivate the plant's attention with the flirting strategy. So, he pretended that he was talking to Nikita. He would definitely drop that innuendo with his girlfriend to make her laugh and to pull her in for a kiss. The line worked with the plant too. She arched her eyebrows in surprise and smirked at him. Yet Michael didn't feel satisfied with the reaction. Nikita snarked over the com, and he felt terrible for 'flirting' with another woman.
He blushed and stammered and tried to take back his words, but it was too late. The words were out there, and the Division agent gladly latched onto them. She moved closer to Michael and smiled softly. He attempted to calm his thoughts and smile back, but he wasn't so sure about how well it worked. At least the Division agent continued to smile, "Do you want to get a coffee? I know a great place nearby. Walk me to my car?"
"Absolutely," Michael beamed and breathed easier. Getting the Division plant to call Division would work a lot better if they were in private. He followed her to her car and tried to ignore the sudden silence on the com. He believed that Nikita was starting to regret the flirting idea, and a part of him wanted to laugh. She had gotten onto him for being needlessly jealous, and she was starting to feel the same way. He'd have to find some way to tease her about that- just after he dealt with the Division plant, "Uh, we're looking to do a news magazine: five night strip, prime time, big stories. But we need a face that can make a… cross-cultural impact."
"Cross-what? Where does he come up with this stuff?" Nikita mostly said to Birkhoff. The nerd was having the time of his life listening to Michael 'flirt' with another woman in front of his girlfriend; he couldn't stop chuckling and fighting back peels of laughter. Though, he was just as confused as Nikita was about the things Michael was saying. He sounded just like a CNN producer would. There was no way he had managed to come up with that on his own. He must've read or heard something as he had prepared for the mission.
"I did my research," Michael snarked in reply to Nikita. He could practically hear her eye roll in response. Yet he couldn't say anything else on the matter. The Division plant was glancing at him curiously, and he had to cover for his blunder. He couldn't have her getting suspicious too soon. The rogues still needed her to make that phone call, "That's what I do best. But, I'm telling you, uh, as of now, you are a leading candidate."
"Candidate? Well, I think I need to make you forget the others." Grabbing the lapels of Michael's jacket, the Division agent smiled flirtatiously. Michael instinctively attempted to pull out of her grasp, but he was still supposed to be playing a role. He couldn't just break cover because he felt uncomfortable. Besides, he was fairly certain he finally figured out how he could push the plant to make that call to Division. If he went along with what she wanted, he could get what he wanted. He just hoped it didn't go down exactly like that.
"Um… maybe I should do a little more research," Michael did his best to back away from the Division plant. He had barely wrapped his head around flirting with her. There was absolutely no way he could kiss her. And it wouldn't just be because Nikita was listening. He couldn't be convincing while kissing another woman. The whole time he would just want to pull away and call the whole thing off. Even undercover he couldn't cheat like that. It would be so wrong, and he would feel so awful.
Regardless of Michael's attempts to pull away, the Division plant kissed him. Although a part of her was glad that she couldn't see another woman kiss her boyfriend, Nikita was not happy about what she was hearing. She wanted to spring out of the car and immediately take down the Division agent. If it wasn't for the information they needed, she absolutely would've. She had to fight the urge as she slumped in her seat. Birkhoff, on the other hand, continued to have his fun, "Wow. The state of journalism in our culture."
"Okay, Mr. Bond, just complete the mission," Nikita huffed. Listening to her boyfriend 'flirt' with the Division agent had been fun at first. She could tease him for the things he did and said and make snarky comments over the coms. But hearing him makeout with someone else made her sulk in her seat. She knew it meant nothing. Michael had to completely grieve his late wife before he could move forward with Nikita; he would never cheat on her. But she couldn't help feeling angry and jealous and spiteful.
Gladly, Michael reached for his way to end the kiss. He had seen the Division agent put her purse on top of her car. He was certain her satellite phone was in her purse, so all he had to do was knock it over and pull it out. That'd force her to make a call, and that could lead to Birkhoff getting the rogues the information they needed. Continuing the awkward act, Michael soon knocked over the Division plant's purse and scrambled to clean it up for her. As soon as he found the satellite phone, he held it up and thankfully cut the flirtatious act, "Do you want to call Division, or should I?"
As suspected, the Division agent engaged the rogue into a fight. He purposefully lost and pretended to be knocked unconscious, leading her to finally make her call. She had no idea Birkhoff was on the other end of the line. He got her to give up Ramon's location- he was being held in a Division station in Monte de Concepción, Colombia- before exposing the ruse for what it was. Both he and Nikita joined the Division plant and Michael by the car with proud, triumphant smiles on their lips, "Awesome. Thanks for that."
While the Division plant glanced around in confusion, Nikita very gladly knocked her out with a paralytic drug. She wouldn't be able to chase after the rogues or alert Division for a while. She also couldn't keep making moves on Nikita's boyfriend. As the rogue smirked in triumph, she held out a hand to help Michael up and turned to walk away. He pulled her back gently by the arm before she could completely leave his side. He had something to clear up that took more precedence than their mission. He couldn't have his girlfriend thinking of the wrong things, "Hey. Hey. You know, when I kissed her, I was totally picturing you."
Despite the grin on Michael's lips, Nikita glared at him. She took the fake glasses he was wearing off his face and stepped closer to him. He drew closer as well, believing that she was about to kiss him. However, his girlfriend surprised him by breaking the glasses and walking away. Michael couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected Nikita to get so jealous. Since she was, he could finally return the teases she had thrown at him. Or, he could spend the flight to Columbia making things up to her. The latter seemed like the better option. After all, it'd be a great way to clear their minds before they finally exposed Ramon.