Forgive Me, Not

Nikita dropped to the floor from a moved panel in the ceiling with a huff. She waited, listening intently for a sign that the building wasn't abandoned like her anonymous employer had promised. She didn't like surprises. Hell, she didn't even like nicknames. When nothing moved and no alarm sounded off, she stood slowly, pulling out her two black pistols from the gun holsters attached to her thighs. She advanced slowly, having spent days remembering the layout of the research lab. Various machines whirred quietly, giving her something to focus on.

Her instructions were clear - destroy the data on the computers then torch the place, including the specimens. For five million dollars, it was a very simple task. She'd already received half of it in good faith; her reputation as a diligent mercenary preceded her.

She reached into her bra and pulled out a small silver bar, the size of a battery. She found one of the many surge protectors and placed the bar next to it, then pressed a button on the side of it. It made five clicks before it chimed. An electrical sizzle was heard and suddenly the lights went out. She pulled a slim flashlight out of her cleavage and turned it on, scanning the room. Every computer, every monitor was smoking. A magnetic pulse as strong as that should have successfully wiped every computer clean.

She went back to her entrance, used a chair to reach the ceiling, and pulled down a container of gasoline. Working quickly and efficiently, she doused everything, taking care to concentrate on the computers and specimens. She tried not to focus on their sleeping faces; that just made it harder. She was pleased that her employer hadn't tried to lie to her - there weren't any children there. She didn't kill children, no matter the price or reason. And if she heard that someone else had taken up the contract she denied, she personally went back to end that fucker's life.

Just as she rehearsed, everything only took her five minutes. She aimed her gun at a puddle of gasoline, ready to pull the trigger, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A faint light pulsed along the baseboard of the wall behind the computers. "The fuck?" She put away her gun and stepped towards the wall. She felt along the wall until she felt a dent and pressed it. With a loud click and a whir, the wall slid away into its pocket, revealing a large cryogenic chamber. She hadn't seen one like it since she'd last seen Batman & Robin, with Nora Fries floating in it. The glass was frosted over, so she couldn't see who was in it. Whoever it was, they were tall. She tilted her head to the side, curious. She raised her hand up to brush the frost away.

She shouldn't.

She shook her head, mentally scolding herself. She pulled her hand back and went for her gun with the other. It wasn't her business. She didn't need to know.

Ugh. But she just knew if she didn't look, she'd spend the next few days obsessing over it.

Fuck.

She spun around and used her forearm to brush the frost away. If that wasn't enough for her to see, then she didn't need to look. She lifted her eyes to the cleared glass and gasped.

She stared at the tank, shell shocked. 'It couldn't be...' Yet it was. She knew those eyes, nose, and lips anywhere. Confusion gripped her. 'But it was announced that he was dead!' Her mind screamed. Not too many things could catch her off guard, make her lose her cool and focus when on a mission. But this? Holy shit.

Her eyes watered and she covered her mouth. He was in a cryogenic chamber, so by definition, her employer wanted him dead as well. Her shoulders slumped. She hated him for what he did to her, sure, but did she hate him enough to kill him? Was five million dollars worth it?

She knew then she was well and truly fucked. She dropped her head back and sighed loudly, pushing her fingers through her long hair then pulling it in frustration. He was an asshole, but he didn't deserve to die.

Nikita stepped back, then fired two rounds into the glass. Water leaked from the bullet holes, pushing the gasoline on the floor back away from the chamber. With a quick roundhouse kick, she broke the glass with her heel to avoid the chance of harming him. The water rushed out to greet her, soaking her leather bodysuit with ice cold water. She forced herself to ignore the sudden drop in temperature, holding her arms out to catch his unconscious form. She underestimated the force behind the water and his weight, lost her balance, and fell, his body trapping her on the floor. "Damn it." He had to have weighed at least two hundred pounds!

After a half hour of struggling with dead weight, she managed to stuff him in the passenger seat of her black Hayate Z70 and buckle him in. She exhaled and wiped sweat from her brow. She hoped like hell that her employer wouldn't notice that she hadn't exactly disposed of every specimen. She quickly made it around the car to the driver's side and hopped in, the smoke becoming thicker in the air. The car roared to life and she looked at him, forcing herself to keep her hands to herself. At one time, she loved touching his cheeks.

But that was before he'd chosen Aisha over her...

She closed her eyes. There was something seriously wrong with her.

She stomped down on the gas, and the car shot forward. Within minutes, she was on the highway, heading back to Stilwater.

Her phone rang and she reached over to the dashboard and hit the Send button. "Yeah."

"You done?"

She smiled. "Yeah, Ace, I'm done. There's not a trace of anything left."

There was a triumphant shout. "Yes! An easy million dollars just landed in my pocket!"

Nikita allowed herself to relax. "Yeah, what are you gonna do with it?"

"I don't fucking know, yet. But thank you, Nikita, for taking me on as your tech. If it weren't for you - "

"Don't mention it, girl. I'm on my way back to my condo in Stilwater. Turn down all contract offers until I tell you I'm ready to be put back on."

"Are you finally taking that vacation? Your girl will be pleased you're making time for her."

She smiled brightly, embracing the warm fuzzies she got whenever she thought about Sophia. "God, I haven't seen her in a month."

"Take it easy then. Text me if you need me okay?"

"Will do." She ended the phone call and sighed. She hadn't had the heart to tell the girl that it was very possible they wouldn't get paid for that job. She looked over at her passenger. "You'd better be worth it, Gat."

A/N: This is actually set after the events of Free Falling, my first Saints Row fanfic. Of course, you don't have to read that to get this (which is why this note's after the chapter and not before), but the Boss portrayed later on here is first introduced there.