NOTE: finally! I've been wanting to post this chapter but i'm having computer problems =( Well, luckily I was able to pull it together so here it is! Hope you like it, let me know what you think! (btw: I went back and fixed all of the grammar mistakes. Thanks for the feedback and I'm sooo happy everyone is enjoying the story! I'm working on the next chapter now! Hope to have it up soon!)

You Can't Save Everyone

Even though they were all out of breath, Michael, Alex, Owen, and President Spencer used the last bit of energy they had to run up to the door leading outside to freedom.

Owen rammed his shoulder into the door, but it wouldn't budge. Alex tried too but with no luck. Michael looked around to see if there were any windows. There was a small rectangular window that was too high for them to reach. Michael knew that the soldiers were outside after having evacuated the building. He tried to call to Birkhoff through his earpiece, but it was disconnected. He knew that he had to call attention to them, otherwise, they would be stuck. He took out his gun and shot at the window shattering the glass. He also shot at the steel door only leaving imprints with his bullets but hopefully making a lot of noise. He shot his last bullet and stepped back. They all sat there silent; there was nothing they could do but wait and hope.

Nikita walked in front of Amanda struggling to keep herself up. The more she began to slow down the more Amanda pushed her forward.

"Amanda...the place is going to burn down. Do you know a way out?"

"I hadn't thought about it..." Nikita's heart dropped. Amanda hasn't even thought of a way to save herself. Does that mean we are going to die in here...together?
Everyone kept walking through the building trying to figure out a way to safety. The building was filling up with smoke and the fire was spreading.
"Nikita-" Michael turned to his side expecting her to be there. But she wasn't. He stopped and
looked around but she was gone. "Where is she?"

"She was...right here," Alex said. Michael frowned and balled his fists.
"I'm going back for her-"

"You can't. The fire is becoming too strong," Owen told him.

"It doesn't matter." Michael pushed through but was stopped by a large man standing in the middle of the corridor. The man stood speechless, arms bulging out of his short sleeve T-shirt.

Michael was shocked by the sight of the man. The man grabbed him and punched him across the face. Once Michael was on the ground the man began to pound on him with his heavy fists. Completely defenseless, Michael grabbed the mans wrists, but it was no help. Owen jumped in and tried hitting the man. He took the attention off of Michael. The large man turned around to face Owen. Without any effort, the man grabbed Owen and threw him against the wall. Michael struggled to focus his vision and pull himself off of the ground. Alex ran over to him and grabbed
his gun. Without hesitation she pointed and shot the man in the back. He groaned and collapsed onto his knees. Owen caught his breath and rested against the wall. The smoke became thicker and heavier, and they were all struggling to breathe. Michael got up and turned his back to them.

"Michael! Michael, I'm sorry, you can't go back," Alex told him. Michael already began to turn the corner. Alex ran to catch him but didn't have to run far; the fire had already began to creep towards them. Michael stared at the flames reluctantly before letting Alex pull him back down the hall.

Amanda led Nikita down the smoke filled hall. The heat was rising, and they both began to cough.

"Doesn't this...remind you-that day we almost died in that building together?" Nikita managed to let out.

"That time the fire was your fault," Amanda said.

Another flash of Amanda's past shot through Nikita's vision.

"But every other time it was your fault," Nikita told her.

"Just go away!" Nikita shook the voice out of her head. What is happening? The scene of Amanda-or Helen-killing her family and burning down her house replayed in her head.

"You killed your family," Nikita muttered. "Let them burn in the fire."

"I already told you what they did...they deserved it."

"No one deserves that...no one deserves this, Amanda." Nikita was panting as she tried to walk forward. The fire was spreading and blocked most of the hallways. Amanda led them through the dilapidated building and Nikita hoped she was leading them towards freedom from the flames. This is not how she wanted to go.

Alex escaped the flames that swallowed her childhood; Michael survived the fire that erupted in the car that held his family. If it weren't for that night when she defied Percy, Division, and the whole system that failed her, by rescuing Alex, they would never have had the bond they do now. If Michael had not decided to live after that fateful day, they would have never been together. Now she knew, although fire destroys, a new beginning arises from the ashes. She believed that with all her heart, but Amanda, on the other hand, only saw its destruction.

Birkhoff and Sonya sat guarded by two men. Birkhoff watched as Avet stood outside of the van giving empty orders. Everyone was standing around now knowing what to do. Firetrucks were on the way, but Avet had them put on idle. There were still people inside and not just anyone, criminals. Ryan stood next to Avet with frustration.

"Sir we need too let Bikhoff and Sonya help. They are the key to helping us get everyone out," Ryan said.

"I beg to differ. They were doing nothing but helping out your friend. If they wanted to help us catch these criminals, they would have focused more on communicating with my men," Avet replied.

"Sir-"

"Are you trying to overstep my authority Mr. Fletcher?"

"No sir-"

"Then stand down...unless you want to join your friends in the van." Ryan stepped away and looked back at Birkhoff and Sonya. He wanted to help them, but didn't know how. Everything was not working out the way they had hoped, but he knew he had to act and fast. Then, something happened.

They all became alert when they heard the sounds of gunshots ricochet off of of the trees through the vast woods.
Avet had a group of men move towards the door. Birkhoff became anxious. He wanted to help his friends. He already felt like he had failed them. Michael, Nikita, Alex, and Sam were still in the building. He wanted to do something...but what?

"Come on guys is this really necessary?" He asked the two men guarding the door from outside of the van. They didn't even flinch.

Birkhoff sat there frustratedly. He saw the soldiers armed and preparing to open the door. As two men worked to pry the door open, the rest of them held their guns up ready to shoot if necessary. The men pried the door open and watched as Alex, Michael, Owen, and President Spencer stumbled out of the building. Alex lifted her face towards the sky gasping for fresh air. She turned and hugged Owen; they were free. She was still disappointed in him; maybe some of this could've been avoided if he hadn't told Amanda everything, but at the moment, she was just relieved and happy they were alive. But Nikita... She looked back at Michael who was supporting President Spencer. The men immediately recognized the president, grabbed her, and sheltered her in between them. Half of the men escorted her towards the medic van. Avet was stunned. They were telling the truth. The president is still alive. They all thought they were safe until they were apprehended. The soldiers grabbed them and put them in handcuffs.

"What-why are you arresting us?" Owen yelled. The man frowned and pushed Owen towards the van where Birkhoff and Sonya were being held. Avet walked up to President Spencer wide-eyed.

"Mrs. President," he said. "We are glad to know that you are okay."

"Thank you Avet," Spencer said tiredly. She became faint and the men hurried to support her.

"Get her medical attention," Avet ordered. The men led Spencer over to the ambulance.

"No! You have to let me go! Nikita is still in there!" Michael yelled struggling to get out of the
soldiers tight grip.

Avet looked at Michael then at the burning building. One of their targets was still in there. And Nikita. He wanted to talk to her. She completely disobeyed their orders. He debated if he wanted to send someone in there. It may not be worth it, not for criminals. They saved the president, there was nothing left to do but wait.

Amanda and Nikita struggled to find their way out of the disintegrating building.

"Amanda...we've got to get out of here..." Nikita said through fits of coughs.

"It's too late, Nikita don't you get it?"

Birkhoff managed to get back onto his computer when all of the soldiers ran over to help the president and arrest Owen, Alex, and Michael. I need to do something now.

"Seymour, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to help Niki," he typed at record speed.

"How are you going to do that?"

"Remember that com Amanda inserted into Nikita? We hacked it the day Nikita was sent to assassinate the president. I'm going to try it again. Hopefully it still works even though we did disable it."

"Do you think you'll be able to access it and activate it from here?"

"I don't know...but I hope so." It took him a little longer considering that he wasn't using Shadow Net, but he found a signal.

"Nikita-" Nikita became alert. She heard her name, but could she be imaging it? "Nikita!" Then
she realized.

"Birkhoff..." She mumbled so Amanda couldn't hear her.

"I don't know if you can hear me or if you can speak but if you could give me a sign that you can
hear me."

Nikita coughed as loud as she could.

"I'm going to get you out of that fire. I'm tracking your signal now. Make a right at this corridor."

She was worried that Amanda would realize that she was getting directions from Birkhoff, but Amanda seemed not to be aware, only aimlessly walking. Michael...She hadn't seen any of them. Are they okay?

"Michael..." She said aloud.

"He is not coming back for you," Amanda said. Birkhoff understood.

"He is okay. Everyone is okay." She was able to make a small smile.

She kept following Birkhoff's directions until finally they made it to the open doorway.

Nikita gathered her strength to run out, but Amanda grabbed her and put the gun to her head.

"Not so fast."

They walked out slowly. Amanda paused when she saw the large group of soldiers. When they noticed Nikita and Amanda, they armed themselves and surrounded them. None of the men were visible. They were shadowed behind gunlights, headlights, and helicopter lights. A spotlight shined on Amanda and Nikita. The key players in this game. The ones with the never-ending feud, with love and hate so strong that they couldn't let one overpower the other. Someone else had to decide their fate. They stood there, Amanda pointing her gun at Nikita, Nikita who was trying to keep herself up while clutching at her wound. She knew she needed to attend to her wound, but she just didn't know if she'd have a chance to. At this point, guns surrounded her at every angle. Any sudden movements and they may be the subject of conversation for a barrage of bullets.

"Put your gun down and put your hands up!" Nikita recognized the voice beaming through the megaphone as Avet's. It was suggested at Amanda. Nikita was completely defenseless. Although she had a feeling that she wouldn't get out of breaking out of prison that easily. Amanda hesitated. She didn't want to be arrested. She wanted to win this battle.

"I have her!" Her voice echoed in a crackling scream that made some of the guns re-position themselves. "I have the criminal. The one you've been looking for who assassinated President Spencer. Nikita!"

"We have the president safely in our custody."

"And I am the one who kept her safe and captured Nikita."

Avet paused then spoke.

"We thank you for your effort to keep our country safe. We can take over from here. You can
give us Nikita."

"I am president Victor Allen's adviser. I helped him control the situation behind the scenes. I would like to speak with him-"

"Stand down Amanda or we will have to use force. You are no one's puppet anymore." This time the voice was different. It was President Spencer's, a little weak yet very clear and concise.

Nikita looked at Amanda, panting, wide-eyed, frantic. She could tell Amanda was unstable. Her conscious was catching up; she realized that her plan hadn't turned out the way she expected, and that she might not get what she wants in the end. She may be the one locked away, punished for her crimes-how? When she had done things to protect her country. When she helped build Division for those rogue government politicians. She helped her country, she-"Amanda...please. Just drop the gun," Nikita said almost pleadingly.

"She can't win...I'm the one who suffered. Why does she get everything she wants...why does he like her better..." Amanda with distant eyes stared at nothing, tears making their way down her face. She sniffled. Nikita wouldn't have known what Amanda was mumbling about had she not
seen Amanda's life, felt it firsthand. Her sister was favored. Her sister experienced life as a teenage girl while shespent every waking hour locked away where the sun doesn't shine. Helen felt envious, hurt, confusion, rage. She had no control over her life. Now, she wanted control.

"It was you. Always you. Things were fine until you came a long. I made you and you defied me. You always tried to impress Percy. He favored you. Nikita. he became obsessed with finding you when you reappeared after everyone thought you were dead. After everything, after everything you put your friends through you still have them. You're lucky. But not for long."

"Amanda...I'm sorry that you feel that way, but I won't apologize for leaving Division. That place...is evil and it made you evil...Helen."

Amanda turned so fast that it startled Nikita. Her eyes were wide, shocked, and raging.

"What did you just call me?"

"You're not Amanda. You're Helen. You've been fooling yourself and everyone your whole life."

"I did what I had to do to survive. You out of all people should be able to understand that."

"But you have a chance now to end this. To start over. Why not?"

Nikita saw a tear flow down Amanda's cheek.

"I don't deserve to."

"Yes you do. You can."

"No. Helen died in that fire. Then, Amanda was reborn."

"I don't think so. I think-"

"Just give it up Nikita. You can't save everyone. I'm no better than my father. He did unforgivable things to me, I did unforgivable things to you and a lot of people. I brought this on myself."

Amanda looked her deep in the eyes. They didn't look angry, but sad, almost apologetic. Then, Amanda did something unexpected. She shoved Nikita on to the ground. Nikita's legs gave in immediately being so weak from all of the stress and loss of blood. Then, Amanda was able to shoot three bullets before every soldier who had been waiting, armed, began to shoot. The sound was deafening, the lights blinding. Nikita watched as the first bullet hit Amanda in the chest. She stumbled backwards and another bullet hit her. Nikita closed her eyes. She knew exactly what was happening; she knew exactly what Amanda purposefully did. You can't save everyone.