Hello everyone!

It's a little bit sad that most of you seem to have lost interest in this story and I do apologize for the infrequent updates. It took me a hell of a lot of time to finally, finally finish chapter 8! I re-wrote the second part of it what feels like a thousand times, not liking the way it ended. But, here you have it, the official version of it! ;)

It would be great if I could get some reviews on how I am doing. I know I've left you waiting for a year for chapter 7 but I have picked things up again.

Thanks and enjoy!

Kaleb POV:

Sitting behind the desk in his office, Kaleb Krychek wondered if telling Nikita of the imminent threat of the PsyNet's deterioration around San Francisco had been the right decision. Yet, none of his actions had ever been without deliberation and a clear understanding of the benefits that could result for him.

The Net needed stability right now, more so than ever before. Even though the Council had split up months ago, the death of a former Councilor would have catastrophic consequences, their psychic powers strong enough that their race might not recover from the blast – and San Francisco was home to not only one, but two of the most powerful Psy in the Net.

Kaleb would make sure to remind them both that it had been him who'd warned them of the danger, would collect his favor when the time was due. But first, he had to contact Anthony. Nikita was of no use to him if she succumbed to her injuries; as unlikely as that scenario seemed. He'd make sure that there'd be another ally alive who knew he owed Kaleb a favor.

Silver, he pathed. Reschedule my appointment with BlackEagle. I have another matter that needs my attention now.

Consider it done, Sir.

Thank you.

Silver Mercant had never let him down, and Kaleb Krychek never forgot those loyal to him.

Andrew POV:

Andrew ran his hand though his unruly hair, brushing some of the black strands out of his face in the process. He'd tried to get a hold of Eric once the meeting had ended, but the man was either horribly busy or something else was keeping him from answering his phone.

Andrew decided to give his old friend another day until he'd ask Lucas to pay him a visit. The DarkRiver Alpha usually didn't follow such requests, not if the person in question wasn't someone he held dear. He'd make an exception for one of his most trusted advisors though; and because Eric might be able to provide them with the necessary contacts to find out more about the unknown shooter.

Overcome with a sudden protective instinct, the leopard extended its claws with a low growl. He'd been assigned to guard Nikita Duncan. It was his job now to keep her safe.

Within a span of five minutes, he reached the door to her room and opened it, the beast inside him surprisingly calm and collected.

Almond-shaped eyes met his blue ones, cold and emotionless as ever. It reminded him of Sascha's words earlier after the meeting, of her genuine concern about the woman who had, despite her seemingly cold-hearted nature, raised her. The thought of the upcoming procedure made his blood boil and Andrew had to use every ounce of his self-control to contain his anger.

It was in this moment, however, that he realized that an open confrontation wouldn't get him very far. The woman before him had come off age in a world ruled by Silence, her shields weaved and readjusted over more than five decades, flawless and unyielding. She'd been in the Council for a considerable period of time, her lethal ability combined with a razor-sharp intelligence making her a dangerous opponent. Andrew didn't need Sascha to tell him that Nikita would not tolerate his touch; he had learned that the hard way. And even though everything in his nature as a changeling screamed that she was strong enough to handle it, the man knew that this Psy was nothing like her daughter or the petite F-Psy who'd grown up in total isolation. Her age and experience, however, was not what set her apart from Sascha and Faith. They both lacked something Nikita had been born with; the killer gene.

"The coat we found at the crime scene belonged to a human called Michael Werner," he said when Nikita remained silent, only staring at him with cool interest. "Lucas and Aden are going to interrogate the employees at his former workplace, a downtown diner, to see if they can get a lead on the shooter."

Andrew was glad he didn't have to explain all the details to the former Councilor. Nikita had already been informed by her security chief, Max Shannon. She was familiar with the case.

"Good."

Andrew suppressed a growl. The woman's obvious lack of emotions when it came to a threat to her own life made the leopard furious.

"Do you even care?", he suddenly asked, his voice harsh.

The question had caught her off guard. Good, Andrew thought. It gave her less time to come up with a potential lie to avoid telling him the truth.

"Your question is directed at the emotional level," Nikita said steely. "I do not feel."

Liar, Andrew thought, the leopard hissing at the woman before him. He knew what he'd seen in the short moment when he'd been in her dream and it was not the stone-cold bitch the world thought her to be.

"I told you, Nikita, you can fool other Psy with your flawless conditioning," he said quietly, observing her reaction. "I'm a changeling, I know when I'm right. I just don't understand why you would try to hide it."

"I am not my daughter, Mr. Brown." Her appearance was that of an arctic ice-sculpture, her gaze hard. "I am Silent. I can't be anything but Silent."

"Who are you trying to convince?" he asked with a snort, sitting down in the chair next to her bed. "We both know your lying, Nikita."

"It is dangerous to make assumptions about someone you do not know, Mr. Brown," Nikita replied, a silent but unmistakable threat to let the matter rest in her tone. "You will find that it would be better for your… health, if you refrained from digging into strangers' private lives."

A cat-like grin appeared on his features. He knew that she was trying to put him off with a death threat, her ability to infect other minds with deadly viruses a rumor that Andrew knew to be true. He'd seen her kill when Henry Scott's men tried to infiltrate Duncan Tower in an attempt to end her life.

"It's a good thing then, that we'll get to know each other while I'm guarding you, isn't it?" He chuckled when he met her icy glare. "That way I won't have to worry about a sudden… decline in my health. It'd be very inconvenient, if I found myself bedridden with a nasty case of the flu…"

He was mocking her now and the slightest twitch of her eye told Andrew that his new tactic was getting to her. The leopard purred contently in its mental cage, its tail flicking with playful anticipation. If the woman wanted to play, it was more than happy to oblige.

Andrew leaned back in the chair with a smug expression on his face. He'd thaw her out of that giant mountain of ice she'd built around herself. He'd promised Sascha to keep Nikita from hurting herself even further, and Andrew Brown was a man of his word.

Unknown POV:

Once more, the invisible door in the PsyNet fell shut. The stars of the eight minds present for their secret meeting shone brightly in the darkness, their lights cold and powerful.

"Z117 is ready for transplantation."

He'd made sure Dr. Schwarz would focus solely on their most important subject. Everything else was neglectable in comparison.

"There have been no other casualties?" Agent 1 had been there longer than any of them, his mind as sharp as a razor.

"No."

Silence.

"When can we expect her to be ready for use?"

"A week from now."

There was no interruption. Z117 was the sole purpose of their meeting, her importance big enough to include all agents.

"What about Nikita Duncan?"

"Still in the safe location," Agent 9 replied. "According to our sources, the Arrows are providing additional protection."

Her star shone brightly next to his. He would not make the mistake to trust her. His predecessor had decided to let down his guard, believing her to be a loyal ally. He was no longer among their ranks.

"We can't strike against Krychek," said Agent 4 coolly. "We cannot afford to attract unwanted attention of any kind."

"I agree. We will wait until Duncan moves out of her hideout. I will think of an adequate strategy to remove her from the equation until then."

There was a silent agreement among their ranks. Patience was necessary to deal with a matter of this delicate nature. Nikita Duncan was a thorn in their side. One that had to be removed.

Nikita POV[FW1] :

Nikita's sleep was dreamless. As it had always been before Sascha was born. Before her air-tight walls of Silence had been ripped apart for the first time by the force that was her daughter's cardinal nature.

The pain in her body was slowly beginning to subside, diminished to a numb throbbing of the healing wounds that covered her torso. Using her mind to control the pain was merely a temporary solution. Of course, she was not careless enough to subdue all of it. Numbing her nerves could result in catastrophic consequences should she miss the sings of internal damages.

For the moment, she let herself float in the dark nothingness of her mind.

Something brushed her inner shields on the psychic plane. Suddenly, Nikita's senses were on high alert. She didn't panic, remained calm like the Psy she had been brought up to be. She immediately checked her outer shields for cracks, found none and returned to the deeper part of her mind. Someone had managed to sneak past her defences without triggering the alarms she'd so carefully set up.

Carefully, Nikita stretched out her senses, when she felt the other being brush her shields again. Prepared to strike, one of her deadliest viruses ready to be unleashed, she went after the uninvited guest.

???

Confusion. Uncertainty. Sadness. A picture followed. One of the exact same virus she'd been about to set free.

Was this the NetMind? Nikita had never communicated with it. She stopped in her pursuit, watching it with interest. She was not able to feel the emotions it emitted, yet she knew exactly what they were.

The Net Mind sent her another image, this time of her inner shields.

They are crumbling, she pathed. They have to be restored.

???

It didn't understand her words. Nikita replied with an image showing the cracks in her shields, followed by one when her Silence had still kept them intact.

The NetMind sent her a cascade of pictures, too fast to see all of them clearly despite her high telepathic abilities.

It floated back to her shields, examining them Nikita realized. She had never dealt with the young mind before, its intentions unknown to her.

She followed as it circled around her defences. There was a new crack in the walls, an almost invisible fracture; but it was there. Nikita reached out to close it.

???

Images of the Net popped up in her head, the black tendrils of the disease eating away at it, massive parts collapsing.

I don't understand. She sent back a question mark, unable to connect the events.

Another image. The brightly shining star of Sophia Russo, its light getting weaker under the weight of the many minds connected to it.

Your anchors will not be able to support the region on their own for very much longer. Nikita remembered Krychek's warning. She would have to schedule a meeting with her current aide. The threat was too severe to ignore it. It would mean their death.

Nikita sensed a telepathic knock on her outer shields, polite and familiar.

Anthony, she greeted the other mind, allowing the connection.

The NetMind's presence had vanished.

We need to talk, Anthony pathed, then paused. Is this time not convenient for you?

It's fine.

Her outer shields were intact, flawless to observers. However, lately, Anthony seemed to have developed the ability to see through her façade. It was a dangerous gamble, working closer together to defend their territory, but he had yet to betray her. Nikita valued loyalty and as long as he did not stab her in the back, she saw no reason to jeopardize their alliance.

I had an interesting conversation with Kaleb today, Anthony informed her.

Is this about the anchors supporting our region?

You already know?

Yes, she replied unfazed.

She did not tell him about the NetMind. Not yet. She couldn't risk to let him think something was wrong.

We have too many Psy moving to San Francisco. Anthony's voice was hard. A collapse would be catastrophic.

He was right.

What do you suggest?

An emergency meeting with the Coalition, Anthony said.

Nikita remained silent, considering their options.

We can't keep this quiet, Nikita. If the Net collapses, we will die with it.

And if they fell, the city would fall with them. The truth of these unspoken words hung between them.

I agree, she replied finally. There will undoubtedly be a mass panic if this is made public.

I am aware. Of course, Anthony had considered the possible disadvantages beforehand. But we cannot not do this on our own.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her as her mind struggled to maintain her connection with Anthony while simultaneously attending to her injuries and shields.

You should rest, he told her. I will request a Coalition meeting tomorrow.

I am not that weak. Protesting was against her nature, yet Nikita had the sudden need to defend herself. It was unfamiliar, did not fit with her worldview, but her senses were already slipping.

You are exhausted, Anthony's voice whispered in her head. Go to sleep, Nikita.

Don't tell me what to do…

She didn't stay conscious long enough to hear his reply.