Five Years Earlier

She knew better. She was smart. Yet Nikita couldn't take the ring off. Her apartment wasn't the safe haven she believed it had been. Hidden cameras were everywhere; the watchful eye of Division invaded her peaceful escape. That hellhole had creeped its way into every aspect of her life, controlling even what she thought was her freedom. She never began a new life. She was killed in every aspect of the word. The engagement ring on her finger wasn't even the promise she had hoped it could be. Destruction laid at her feet.

Who cared if anyone saw her moping, however. Let Division know she was mourning Daniel's death. What were they going to do to her then. They already killed her love. They already ripped her away from her family. Division couldn't do anything else to Nikita. Percy could cancel her, but that was exactly what she wanted. She deserved to die. She had caused so much death and destruction. Innocents who hadn't experienced the cruelty of the world were needlessly killed because of her. In fact, death might've been too good for a monster like her.

Twisting Daniel's engagement ring around her finger, Nikita fought the hateful tears in her eyes. It was all her fault- her fiancé's death, her being there, the pain she and her loved ones always felt. She knew better. She was smart. But, God, was she so fucking stupid. She never thought of the consequences. Her brilliant plans were built off instinct, letting harsh repercussions follow. If she was just taken out of the world, then that would no longer be a problem. People could be safe. Before those thoughts overwhelmed Nikita again, however, there was a knock on her door. She made no move to answer it, not even when the visitor spoke.

"Nikita, please. Can we talk?" Voice soft, yet loud enough to reach Nikita on the couch, Michael called through the door. He sounded as concerned and distraught as he had in Division. He didn't want her going on that suicide mission. He didn't want her dead. She didn't care. What Michel wanted wasn't important. He had pushed her away. He had watched her fall in love and get her heartbroken, despite knowing the danger. He wasn't a friend; he was an annoyance. Nikita couldn't stand a word he said. Where the hell did he even get off begging her to stay, "Nikki, whatever you're thinking, please don't."

In an instant, she was on her feet and throwing open the door. Although she hadn't wanted to see or even acknowledge Michael, there was just something about him using her old family nickname that made her snap. Nikita glared at him with every scrap of fury she had. He actually took a step back. Though, that might've been because they were just so close when she stepped into the doorway. Why were they always so close. She shook that thought away, focusing on her anger instead. That was easier to understand.

Whatever she was thinking of doing next wasn't clear to her either. But Michael didn't get the privilege of knowing when she figured it out or not. If she went to die on that Barcelona op, or if she managed to find the strength to survive, he wasn't allowed to know. He gave up the right to know what she was thinking- all of Division did. The thoughts of escaping the life Amanda and Percy had forced down her throat was for her mind only. Her original escape had been running away in love. Then, it turned to the sweet release of death. Either way, no one could control her anymore. She would get what she deserved, "Watch me."

Present

Although Michael despised the idea of splitting up (hadn't they been separated enough) that was the best plan the team had. While he distracted Ops from what was happening around them, Nikita made her final run at Percy. It seemed simple on paper. The rogues could check off boxes on a to-do list as they easily made it happen. Except, nothing about what they were doing was easy. The chance for things to go wrong was great. They'd have to be flexible, change their plans on the fly. For a final push, that shouldn't have been the case. But with Percy as their enemy, they didn't have any other choice.

As Nikita crashed into his office, prepared for the kill, his contingency came into effect. Percy couldn't die just yet. His damn deadman's switch could still send out a signal. Instead of black box secrets being released upon his death, however, Roan would set off a nuclear reaction. The only way to prevent that would be to keep the bastard alive and give him exactly what he wanted. After hearing the stipulation, the trigger on Nikita's weapon felt looser. It would've been so easy to just pull it. Everything could end with one simple movement.

Despite the consequences, she really did consider it. Nikita was so close to killing Percy. She knew she shouldn't. She knew the world was at stake, and a nuclear fallout in a major city would kill so many people. But she wanted to shoot the bastard. He wouldn't be able to haunt her dreams anymore. He wouldn't terrorize the country, or make people suffer. His death would be a blessing upon the universe. If only she could pull the trigger. Her damn conscience had to come in and pull her back. She couldn't be the reason people died. She wasn't the monster; he was.

Which was why it was so easy to pistol whip it. Nikita couldn't kill Percy, but she could hurt him. She could make him pay for everything he had ever done, starting with what he did to her family. The outside world didn't have to hold any importance to her. Michael had Ops thoroughly distracted, an armed grenade keeping them in place. Ryan was holding back the Marines. And Sean, Alex, and Birkhoff began the hunt for Roan. Her team had the chaos handled. She was lucky to have them. They allowed her to release all of her anger on the bastard, do everything she could to him without his heart stopping.

The possibilities were endless. Her imagination was running wild, and her urge to hurt him like he had hurt all of his victims was powerful. With every step Nikita stalked towards Percy, he tried to weasel out of the situation. The cockroach escaped death, but he wouldn't escape her vengeance. Just as she struck him again and shoved him onto his desk, however, Michael reported a problem. Division agents were growing restless, believing the Marines were there to save them from the rogues. The truth had to come out once and for all.

For some reason, Nikita thought Percy should be the one to tell the Division agents everything. Although it felt great to force him to tell the truth for once- he was stripped of his power and defenses, and he had to owe up to the shit he had done- she forgot who she was talking to. The last time she had forced him to talk on the phone, he had Oversight killed. She knew better. He was smarter than her, more conniving in every way. He told the Division agents the truth of the hellhole, yet he also told them the truth of his thoughts. He believed they were worthless and should've died a long time ago.

He was baiting them. He wanted the agents to swarm his location and kill him. He got his damn wish. Nikita was closer to killing Percy that time. She was nearly shaking in her anger. All the rat bastard did was smirk. If the team of rogues wanted his plutonium out of play, then they'd have to save him from the new rogues he had just created. The only sanctuary for him then was up top with the Marines, making a deal with the President. He could let Division go if he could still have his life. That seemed like a fair deal to him.

Nikita wanted to scream, reign down terror and destruction, let the world burn as she killed Percy. But she was better than that; she had to be the goddamn hero. Slipping past the teeming hordes was more difficult the second time around with Percy being dragged behind her. She refused to kill the agents that were acting just like her. Yet he had no problem goading them on and taunting her. At least she had Michael in her ear, directing her away from the Division agents and calming her down. She wasn't alone. Her team had her back, and they'd be with her through every hellish twist the night turned.

Fortunately, the team wasn't all each other had. They continued to accrue more allies as they went. Kendrick still had their back as he argued with the President. And Sonya listened to Michael's appeal. She helped Nikita slip past guards, despite the judgement from her fellow agents. She had assisted the rogues before, but in that moment, she was in more control of her actions. The hacker made the active decision to be on the side of good for once. The team only wanted to help everyone- their selfish motivations were behind them. Sonya wanted to save the world as well. How else was she to live the life Michael promised.

It was punishing having to listen to the chaos Nikita and Michael were experiencing and not be able to help. However, Birkhoff, Sean, and Alex had their own important mission to adhere to. They had to find Roan. Once they put a stop to him and finally got rid of the plutonium, Percy could be taken down. There were more problems awaiting them after that, such as the military. Yet the team would have to cross that bridge when they came to it. In the meantime, focusing on what they knew and could control would let them survive the night.

Roan, of course, was nearly impossible to track down. But the team wasn't considered fearsome and indomitable for nothing. As long as their head was in the game, as long as they had enough drive, they could pull it off. That part of their war could be over soon. Birkhoff was able to locate Roan to a specific area underneath DC. That gave Sean and Alex something to work with. They could search the tunnels, praying to whoever was listening that they'd be able to find him in time and be able to stop him.

Sean should've also prayed for the ability to focus. His mind was pulled in different directions, from worrying about his sister to thinking about what to say to Alex. He had to fix his blunder in the barn. She had to know that he thought so much more of her than just a goal to keep him active in their mission. As she'd argue, though, then wasn't the time to bring that up. Stopping hell from rising to the Earth had to be their one and only priority. The team was the only ones who could stop total destruction. They didn't have all of the knowledge or resources, but they had the anger. They had the heart to save people they didn't even know.

Fighting for others had fueled Nikita for years. She refused to let anyone end up like her. No one should be like the monster she had become. That fighting spirit just needed to get her a little further. At least enough to get Percy safely out of Division and hand him over to the authorities. Ryan planned to take over from there. She could slip back into the shadows, and hope all of her sacrifices meant something. There would be no more victims. The black ops unit of the government would be shut down for good. Everyone could be free.

Percy, however, had one more surprise up his sleeve. As Nikita brought him to the President, he turned on her and punched her in the abdomen. She didn't have time to recover from the breathless pain before he dragged her by the hair towards the open silo. Since he had used her for protection, he intended to kill her. She had to pay for all the times she took his power away from him. He should've never given Madeline Pierce the offer to save her daughter. Nikita should've been killed the instant she witnessed the assassination. She never became the weapon he wanted, so he couldn't allow her to keep breathing.

Summoning her strength, Nikita broke free of Percy's hold. She wrestled him to the ground, and struck him with all the anger she had wanted to show him earlier. Ryan and the Marines had been ordered back, but she didn't need them to overpower the bastard. Eventually, she flipped him into the silo and held tightly to his hand. He'd listen to her as she dangled him so close to death. Or, even better, she could express the new idea that sprang to mind. Percy's deadman's switch released a signal. It would ping the second he died. What if instead of Roan only getting the notification to destroy the world, Birkhoff was able to trace it to his location.

Hurriedly, Nikita informed her nerd of the thought. She'd kill Percy, and he'd find Roan without a second to spare. Although Birkhoff was hesitant about their chances, he trusted her gamble. If anyone could pull off the impossible, it'd be them. His hacking and Sean's and Alex's field abilities were up to par with her scheme. The bastard soon became frantic in Nikita's grip. He tried to claw his way up, pleading for one last way to cheat death. The rogue just stared at him. He couldn't bargain with her. He had no power, "Nikita…"

"This is for my mom," Snarling, Nikita brought her face as close to Percy's as she could. She wanted him to see the lividity and determination in her eyes. He had antagonized her mother. He had had her killed. He was the reason for all of her family's pain. And she was about to put an end to it. The instant Birkhoff said he was ready to follow the signal, she let go. Fear flashed in Percy's eyes as he hung in the air for a brief second. Nikita smirked. Then, he fell. He fell noiselessly, until he reached the glass cage he was once held in. The impact killed him. In the very place he once held power, he died helplessly.

Alex and Sean (and the rest of the team) didn't have time to celebrate Percy's death. Their hearts were lifted by the news, but they couldn't act on it yet. All the young woman and Seal could do was pray the hope would carry them through their side of the mission. Birkhoff quickly helped them narrow in on Roan's location. They caught up to him just in time. They freed the plutonium from his grasp, and stopped him once and for all. Although that caused Alex to be beaten and electrocuted and Sean to gain another concussion, they did it. The threat was over. The world was saved. The team had won their war.