After ending the call with Owen, Ryan, Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff contemplated what they had to do next. Stopping Amanda was a given. Yet she wasn't their only problem. Although the news had claimed that Danforth had died of natural causes, the President would be suspicious. Division needed a way to appease her so she didn't think either they or one of the Dirty Thirties was behind it. Though, what could they say without revealing or leaving out too much. Michael had no idea, "The President's going to want to talk about this. You think whatever we say will be enough to keep her finger off the Seal trigger?"
Neither Ryan, Nikita, or Birkhoff could answer that question. The threat of Navy Seals raiding Division had been so prevalent lately that there really was no surefire way to stop it. Blackmailing Danforth with the Batouala hit on the black box had helped keep things at bay, yet obviously it wasn't long lasting. And now with the rebels causing trouble, the Seals could be at their door at any minute. Division had to move forward smartly and carefully. With all the drama they encountered, however, that was getting harder and harder. Owen emphasized that as he suddenly called back in, "Ops, we have a problem."
"Owen? Owen?" Instantly, Nikita called. His tracker showed that he had made it to Danforth's place. Except, he hadn't been there long before he radioed the team again. His voice sounded strange as he did; it was slurred and scared and full or warning. He didn't sound as though he was in active danger, but he was close to it. Nikita called out to him again, yet he was gone. There were no other sounds coming from his com despite the fact that it was still on. That solidified things for Nikita. Whatever was going on, she was going to race out and meet it. She couldn't leave her friend in danger, "No response. I'm going out there."
"Take a team," Was all Michael managed to say before Nikita hurriedly sprinted out of Ops to help Owen. She did at least listen to her husband and grabbed some agents before she raced out of Division. She didn't know what she was going to find at Danforth's apartment. But with Amanda involved and the threat of the Navy Seals hanging over Division, she wasn't going to take any chances. She was going to assume the worst had happened to Owen, and she was going to be prepared to face that.
The worst part about speeding from Division to DC was how long it took. It was well over any hour before Nikita could burst through the door and see if Owen was alright. Birkhoff reported that there was still no response on the coms and that Owen's tracker showed him in the same position. He wasn't dead- that was a relief- but he also wasn't moving. Nikita decided not to think about the ramifications of that, and only focused on helping Owen. She eventually found him alone and unconscious in Danforth's apartment. While the team checked the area for any threats, she crashed down beside him, "Owen? Owen, are you okay?"
It took another moment longer before Owen began to wake up. His eyes were bleary and dazed, and he couldn't push himself up off the floor. Nikita had to help ease him into a sitting position. Once he was upright, though, he wasn't one hundred percent himself again. He held his head and winced in pain. Nikita instantly checked for any injuries, and found a welt on the back of his head. A blow could've been what knocked him out. Yet how he had gotten it, she had no idea. Owen didn't seem to either. When he was able to look at Nikita again, all he could do was ask, "What happened?"
"You called in, said there was a problem, and then radio silence," Nikita informed Owen gently. An agent then told her that the area was clear- there were no threats. She ordered the team to start cleaning the apartment of any traces of Division. Owen was absolutely not up for the task. As soon as he was able to get to his feet, Nikita was going to bring him back to Medical. Being unconscious for an hour, no matter how it came to be, was not good. There could be some brain damage that needed to be examined. And his already severely damaged brain couldn't handle anymore trauma.
"Where are they?" Eyes focused on the front door, Owen wondered. He remembered seeing Amanda and one of her latest groupies (where did she get those people) before he had passed out. However, they were nowhere to be seen then, or else Division would've started attacking. Nikita glanced at Owen in confusion at his question, though. She had no idea what he was talking about. They didn't know about Amanda. Owen could've told her. Instead, he didn't. He decided that he wanted to figure out what Amanda was doing on his own. He wouldn't bother the others with it. They had their own concerns, after all, "I mean Danforth."
"Danforth's dead. You don't remember? It's been over an hour since you called in," Sitting back, Nikita examined Owen again. Besides the head injury, he looked okay. There didn't appear to be anything else physically wrong with him. But there was no doubt that there was something wrong with him. The blow he had somehow received on the back of his head must've messed him up. They needed to figure out how and what had caused it. Though, Nikita believed she was the only one focused on that issue. Owen, on the other hand, appeared lost in thought a million miles away, "Owen?"
"Sam. My name. It's Sam Matthews. First Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta. I remember," Owen snapped at Nikita, surprising them both. They stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment. Then, Nikita dragged Owen to his feet and back to Division. The team could finish cleaning Danforth's apartment without them. Whatever had happened to Owen needed to be checked out by a medical professional immediately. He couldn't just be knocked unconscious then wake up with all of his stolen memories returned. There was something wrong, and Nikita needed to know what.
Michael soon joined Nikita and Owen in Medical where a doctor explained that Owen had suffered a concussion that was causing his brain to rewire sections that had been previously damaged. Nikita wondered if that was also bringing his memories back. The doctor confirmed that was the case; it was rare, but it had been known to happen. Whatever had delivered the blow to Owen's head was returning him back to himself. Whereas Nikita and Michael needed a moment to adjust to that fact, Owen was ready to jump and run with all his new ideas. The doctor had to force him back down on the cot so he didn't strain himself, "You need to relax."
"I'm fine. I'm fine," Owen waved the doctor off. Though, it wasn't until Michael gave the doctor the nod to leave that he left the three alone. Owen getting his memories back was a huge deal. It was something worth celebrating, especially after how long Owen had searched for answers about his past. Yet the strangeness in which it had occurred didn't mix well with all the other problems the team had going on. It was a miracle that needed to be questioned. After all, it couldn't have just happened randomly.
"Were you attacked? Was somebody already there?" Nikita hadn't let go of what Owen had said when he had woken up. He had clearly asked where several people had been; he hadn't just been asking about Danforth. A part of her believed that he was holding something back from her. Yet that could've been her stress and paranoia over the situation with Alex and Danforth. Owen wouldn't start lying to her then. Whatever was going through his mind, he'd tell her. He had always trusted her to help him work through difficult situations. Then was no exception.
"No. Nobody was there. It's like I had a seizure or something. I must have hit my head on the floor when I fell," Owen lied. He knew it would've been easier if he had told Nikita and Michael about Amanda; they'd help him track her down so he could get answers for what she had done to him. However, they'd also get in the way of what he was planning. He wanted to make the bitch pay for what she had done, and he wanted his revenge to be immediate. The others wanted to talk to Amanda first before killing her. Owen didn't have that patience. Which meant he wouldn't have their cooperation.
"It's a good thing we recovered you when we did. The CIA got to Danforth's right after Nikita pulled you out of there. We managed to finish cleaning the place. Birkhoff's hacking their system just to make sure, but I'm going to go see how he's doing," Michael informed Owen. The former Cleaner didn't have to worry about his failed assignment or ramifications for being knocked unconscious in the field. Division had everything covered at the moment. The only thing Owen had to focus on was taking care of himself, "You should take it easy."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Shrugging off Michael's comfort, Owen huffed. Michael opened his mouth to say something- probably something scathing and sarcastic to match Owen's harsh brush off. Yet Nikita shot him a look to shut him up. Owen was going through a lot at the moment. His head was killing him, both from the concussion and flood of memories, and he was trying to deal with the affects of his identity returning to him. His rude comment couldn't be matched with others. Although Michael wanted to say otherwise, he couldn't disagree with his wife. So he shut his mouth and walked away.
Later, Nikita would have to talk to Owen about his attitude with Michael. She didn't understand why there was still animosity between the two, especially since all Michael had done at that moment was show concern. Hopefully it was simply Owen's headache making him so surly. She'd completely understand if that was the case. She couldn't begin to imagine what it must've been like to have memories stolen from her and then rapidly returned. It had to have been hell. No wonder Owen said mean quips. But the lashing out had to stop before it got worse. Hopefully, soothing his pain would help, "Still hurt?"
"No. I had worse hangovers in the Army," Owen shrugged off Nikita's concern. He had also had worse head injuries when he had been in Division, so he wasn't certain why he had emphasized the Army. However, it just seemed right. Since the memory had come back to him, referring to his time in the Army felt more apt than Division. It was a part of him- the real him. Owen was something that Amanda had made up. For what reason, he couldn't even guess. Yet at least he knew who he was again. And as the memories kept coming back, he'd cling to each new one and bring himself back to who he was supposed to be.
"When you were Sam," Nikita finished Owen's thought for him. Amanda had told him his name and a few facts about him in the past. But at that moment, it seemed like he was remembering those things for himself. He wasn't just relying on what the bitch had told him probably just so she could manipulate him further. He had his own memories and his own thoughts. Nikita was amazed by that. Owen had been searching for answers for years, and it all came back to him in a flash. It was like some sort of miracle, "So it really is coming back."
"In flashes, like a strobe light. I remember my unit going down. I was hit," Owen- Sam- admitted. There were more memories than just that. But Nikita didn't need to know anything else. He was still determined to sort out what had happened at Danforth's and all his new- old- memories on his own. There were some things that he was beginning to recall that he did not want the others to know. The kinds of questions they would ask would be far too annoying. And what they would start to think of him wouldn't help him accomplish his new goal.
"And Amanda? Do you remember why she tried to wipe your memories in the first place?" Nikita tried not to sound too eager as she asked. She failed. Yet Owen didn't comment on it. He simply shook his head 'no'. Nikita bit back her frustrations. If the team knew what had happened to Owen, then they could also discover what Amanda had done to Alex. Then, all of the pain and misery would stop, "There has to be a reason why she did this to you. We figure that out, we can find out why she tried to grab you back in Russia. And, hopefully, we can also find out what she did to Alex in South Ossetia."
After the shooting, Alex had either been in Medical with Sean, or absent from Division entirely. Since the team wanted her out of the way while they figured out what Amanda had done to her, and they wanted her to take care of herself and her boyfriend, they let her focus only on herself and Sean. They only shared soft, comforting words with her when they saw her. Otherwise, they let her be. Things seemed to be calm with Alex with that strategy. There was nothing for the team to worry about immediately. Until Sonya saw Alex wandering the halls.
She didn't look as though she was heading to or leaving Medical. It looked like she had an entirely different destination in mind. Sonya was curious to know where that was, so she followed Alex. Her recruit training in tailing someone was a bit rusty (once her hacking talents had been proven, her field training had stopped), but Nikita had shared some tips with her that made following Alex easy. The young woman seemed too lost in thought to notice the hacker anyway. Sonya was able to follow Alex up to the point where she was grabbed by several people.
Alex struggled against whoever had grabbed her, yet they had the strength and numbers to drag her along with them. Sonya fought the urge to rush over and help. A part of her believed that the grab had something to do with the rebellion, so she kept her distance as she continued to follow. Eventually, the rebels brought Alex to a secluded, dark hallway and let her go. Sonya hid around the corner, remaining in the shadows and praying she wasn't discovered. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her. The attention was on Alex and her lividity as she demanded to know, "What the hell are you doing?"
"They were worried you might have been followed. How's Jaden?" One of the rebels excused her actions briefly before jumping immediately to the matter at hand. Sonya was fairly certain that the rebel speaking was Rachel. She recognized two other agents as well: Thom and Chris. But the others were a mystery to her. Maybe she could try to remember their faces and match them to their in the system later. Yet, their identities weren't really the issue. Just from the small group surrounding Alex, Sonya could tell that the rebellion was far larger than the team could've imagined. They were well past the tipping point.
"She's holding up," Was all Alex offered. Sonya didn't believe she had actually gone to see Jaden. The only person on the record who had gone into the interrogation room had been Nikita. Alex was probably just trying to appease the frantic rebels and get them to calm down before anything worse happened. Sonya wondered if Alex was also regretting her decision to start the rebellion, and may be wanting to end it. Sean had been caught in the crosshairs because of her decisions. Even if she had been brainwashed by Amanda, Alex wouldn't have that continue. She'd stop the rebellion before more people got hurt.
"But for how long? This is Division. They are going to break her. Even if they don't, once Sean wakes up, he'll I.D you as the shooter," Rachel expressed her concern harshly. Though, Sonya wasn't too focused on her tone. It was Rachel's words that forced Sonya to cover her mouth so her gasp couldn't be heard. Alex had shot Sean. It hadn't been Jaden or some other rebel. Alex had shot her own boyfriend. Amanda's conditioning was far worse than the team had ever realized. Alex hadn't just been changed to the point of rebelling; she had been forced to become a different person- someone who caused the pain she always sought to avoid.
Sonya clamped her hand harder over her mouth as she began to shake. It, of course, had been shocking to discover that Alex had started the rebellion that had led to Sean getting shot. But discovering that she had been the one to actually pull the trigger terrified Sonya. No rational or sane thought had crossed Alex's mind if she had been willing to shoot someone she loved so much. Amanda's conditioning had completely taken over Alex. Her mind, actions, and words weren't her own, "Let me worry about that. The plan is still on track. We get everyone new identities and money to start new lives, then we get out. Jaden too. All of us."
Honestly, Sonya would've supported Alex's plans if she had talked to her. All the sneaking around, scheming, and hurting others was what turned the hacker off to the idea. If Alex had simply talked to the team, they could've worked together. But of course she wasn't thinking rationally. Amanda had corrupted her entire mind. It was so obvious to Sonya then. If only it was also obvious to the rebels, "We're going to have to do something about the trackers. Birkhoff's decentralized the entire array, so we can't just take out one server to bring down the system. That means we need software access to bring the trackers down. We'll never get that."
"Let me handle it," Alex dismissed Rachel's concerns. In fact, she seemed dismissive of all the rebels. She didn't appear like she wanted to be there. She looked as though she was done with all the cloak and dagger shit and she just wanted to return to Sean's side. Maybe shooting him had helped a small part of her mind that was still herself snap out of it. She could possibly fight whatever manipulation Amanda had done to her. The team could undoubtedly help with that. They'd break the conditioning and stop the madness. It wasn't completely hopeless.
"How? Birkhoff is the only one who has access to those systems," Unfortunately, whatever hope Sonya had was quickly wiped away. As Rachel continued to argue with Alex, her disinterested depression turned hard. Her blue eyes became steely and deadly, and Sonya was harshly reminded that they weren't dealing with Alex anymore. Even if a small part of her remained, it wasn't enough to battle Amanda's brainwashing. She had shot Sean. That alone showed she was too far gone. The team wasn't going to get her back easily. It was going to be a fight. And with Amanda and the number of rebels involved, it was going to be a bad one.
"I told you that I will handle Birkhoff," Alex spoke so forcefully that it scared Rachel. None of the rebels would argue with her again. Sonya wished they would, however. Then, Alex would be forced to remain in the hallway, and Sonya would have time to slip away unnoticed and warn Seymour about what was going to happen. Alex completely terrified Sonya, which was something she never suspected from her. Yet Alex had shot Sean- her own boyfriend. If her mind was so fucked up that she had turned on someone she loved more than anything in the entire world, then what would she do to her friends. Sonya didn't want to find out.