Niki Sanders

Nicole Sanders
Portrayed By	Ali Larter
Gender	Female
Date of Birth	1974
Age	33
Zodiac Sign	???
Aliases	Niki, Jessica, Gina
Place of Birth	Los Angeles, CA, USA
Current Location	New York City, NY, USA
Occupation	Unemployed
Known Relatives	Hal Sanders (father), Jessica Sanders (sister; deceased), Micah Sanders (son), Monica Dawson (cousin-in-law)
Significant Other	D.L. Hawkins (husband)
Known Abilities	Superhuman Strength
First Appearance	Genesis

Niki is a former casino worker and webcam model, among other things, who just so happens to have a badass alter-ego and superhuman strength.

History

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Born in 1974, Nicole Sanders grew up in a household that was not the perfect family every little girl envisions. She was born in Los Angeles, California and had an older sister, Jessica. It was Nevada that the Sanderses made their permanent home, however. Niki and Jessica's father Hal was a wealthy stockholder - theoretically, they could have been given everything they wanted, but it never quite seemed that way.

The abusive nature of her father should have been obvious. He frequently took out his alcoholic rages on his daughters, but Jessica - even at such a young age - would take the brunt of it so that Niki wouldn't have to bear witness to the worst abuse. The sisters were very close, rarely apart; Niki looked up to her sister, who seemed, to her, so much more gifted and articulate than she was.

One day, something irrevocable happened. Their father's abusive personality (and drunkenness) was at its height - and although every single beating was a step far too far, this time it went above and beyond. Furious with Jessica for some reason that could never be justified enough, she was choked to death. To say it was an accident would be treading a thin line. Although Niki saw it happen, or at the very least saw the after-effects enough to logically ascertain what had happened, even as young as she was, logic wasn't at work. She blocked the horrific event from her memory, along with all the others; it wasn't possible, it didn't happen. It was too awful. When Hal abandoned Niki after Jessica's death (which was never blamed on him), she just assumed he ran out on them, a letdown like always. She would see him very little in the years to follow.

Niki grew up tumultuously, her life very nearly spinning out of control a few times. She became somewhat of a party girl, struggling with alcohol addiction. When the pressures of real life became too much to bear, she'd try to escape them - for example, running away to L.A. and telling everyone her name was Gina one year. But when she met D.L. Hawkins and they fell madly in love - just kids, really - and got married, she gradually matured. She still had issues with alcohol, but D.L. was always by her side. They had a son together, Micah, who became her world - the boy-genius-to-be triggered the responsibility she always had in her, the strength of a mother. In 2005, she became sober for good.

It was about a year later when Niki's life really started to go haywire in ways that she couldn't explain, let alone control. For one, D.L. was blamed for robbing Mr. Linderman of two million dollars and killing his crew. With her husband suddenly disappearing from she and Micah's life because he was a convict, she had to find a way to support her family. She'd had sundry jobs in the past - casino worker, stripper - but at those involved being out of the house, distant from Micah. She worked as a webcam model on her own site, just barely paying the bills. It was during this time of struggle that she started seeing a different reflection in the mirror. Someone who looked like her, but somehow, was not Niki: it was someone much more wicked.

When thugs sent by Linderman came by to collect the money she had borrowed to pay Micah's tuition and tried to be violent with her, the blacking out began. When she awoke, she was surrounded by the gruesomely mutilated bodies of Linderman's men. Her bloody reflection indicated that she keep quiet. And what else was she supposed to do?

The blackouts continued. Every time, she'd wake up somewhere else with no recollection of how she got there or what she - or rather, her other self, if indeed that's what it was - had done. She followed the directions left for her, took a mysteriously-appearing Cadillac, and buried bodies in the desert. What had she done? The violent rollercoaster ride to follow was because of Jessica, her violent alter ego, capable of tearing people limb from limb.

After returning from a casino one night where she (and Jessica) spent an evening with Nathan Petrelli, Niki came home to police officers, looking for D.L. She soon reunited with him - away from the eyes of the police - and although she still wasn't sure what to believe about her wanted husband, they tried to reconcile. It was shortly thereafter that she found out who stole Linderman's money and killed those men: Jessica, not D.L. at all.

Jessica took over and went on the hunt for D.L., who was on the run with Micah, fearing for his safety. When Niki eventually took control again, she turned herself in for murder. Imprisoned at the Women's Correctional Facility and potentially facing the death penalty, she was eventually placed in a padded cell. Luckily (depending on one's point of view; certainly not Niki's), arrangements were made via Linderman to have her sent home and the dire charges dismissed - in exchange for Jessica becoming his assassin. With this new freedom from prison, Jessica took over and posed as Niki, leaving Niki trapped.

During this time, Micah was abducted by Linderman and his people in order to further one of their plans, an act that would put several events into motion. Niki pleaded with Jessica for her to help rescue Micah with D.L.; she conceded, and they went to the Corinthian to find Linderman (and thus Micah, presumably, but it wasn't quite that smooth). Meeting Linderman there left Jessica tempted with an astronomical amount of money if she would kill D.L. - money meant security, but that wasn't what /Niki/ wanted. The encounter brought Niki to the forefront again and left Linderman dead at the hands of D.L, who took a bullet to save her.

Rescuing Micah from Candice provided a surprise by the way of Niki coming into her own power - Jessica wasn't the only one with superhuman strength, it turned out. They weren't the only ones on a mission that night; they encountered various others who were in the fight to save the world. After it was over (and the world saved!) and D.L. was recovering from his injuries, Niki encountered Bob, who had a proposition.

The Company's pills provided a way to put a damper on Jessica to ensure she didn't emerge again. It was hope, a cure. Her life should have been as idyllic as it could be - she was back with her family, Jessica was gone, everything was normal again (even though they were anything but, each of them with unusual abilities). It should have been that way… but the medication was not without its side effects. Finding herself so depressed that she could barely smile at Micah without it being a forced effort, she could only cope patiently for so long.

It was while pouring the pills down the drain that D.L. caught her in the act, so to speak. She explained herself to him: she couldn't stand being depressed 24/7. She couldn't even get a job in that state. How was she supposed to be a good mother? Niki wasn't without a plan. Though it would hurt her to leave her family, she knew she had to go to the Company's hospital in New York to get proper treatment for what had been dubbed as Multiple Personality Disorder (or DID).

Her husband insisted on going with her and seeing it through; Niki countered that he needed to take care of Micah here in Las Vegas, and that there was no point in disrupting his schooling. She'd be back, after all, and everything would be okay again, she said - but she knew D.L. was making plans. She went along with them, but she felt this was something she had to do herself, especially since she was no longer under the pills' effects. It would be safer for everyone if she went alone.

So, while D.L. was at work and Micah was at school, she packed her suitcase, left notes for both of them, and set off for New York.

Abilities

(SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH: click to display.)

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SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH means exactly what it sounds like: Niki has enhanced strength, far above and beyond normal human capabilities. The fact that she doesn't look obviously strong isn't a factor here; her strength lies in the evolved abilities of her muscles to generate unusually high force for their size.

Niki's body is capable of extreme feats of greater than normal physical force, such as ripping open a secured steel safe, lifting grown men twice (or thrice, or quadruple) her size up with ease - and ripping them asunder, even completely in half. Her throws and punches can easily send objects - or people - flying at least ten feet. She can break objects that seem "unbreakable" to others (handcuffs, prison guard baton).

Doors are a non-issue, unless they're very thick and reinforced - thus, her strength is not without its limitations. For example, Jessica could not break out of her prison cell using her superhuman strength. Niki isn't currently aware of what her limitations truly are - can she move a whole vehicle? The answer: probably, considering she can toss around other heavy objects with as much effort as a normal person would use carrying something of a light or average weight.

Niki also has the ability to RESIST FORCES using her superhuman strength, meaning that she can resist the forces she exerts. In this way, she doesn't injure herself when wielding her power.

Known Personalities

Jessica

"What do you know about control, Niki?"

Violent. Manipulative. Intense. Can we say violent again? Jessica will do whatever it takes to protect the mother/son unit and get what's done, done. It's one thing to say you'll stop at nothing for the people you love. When you're Jessica, and that means tearing people apart, stealing millions of dollars, and becoming an assassin? So be it.

For the longest time, Jessica was the only one capable of accessing their enhanced strength. Since Niki came into her own at Kirby Plaza the night of the explosion in the sky, Jessica wasn't seen until she appeared in the mirror in Trading Sanity, then later emerged in The Heist, marking her return. She appeared several more times since then, seeming to have some sort of tenuous connection to the Company. After trapping Niki in order to play out a grand plan, she really turned things upside-down in May, including killing Peter (don't worry, he came back), getting Niki fired from her job, and robbing a Vegas casino for millions, during which D.L. was killed. Since the events in Vegas, Niki seems to have taken control… mostly.

Last Appearance: Beginning of the End

Gina

"Oh come on, Niki. What, would you rather Jessica? Lighten up a little. When did you get so boring?"

The escapist. The newest personality to unexpectedly emerge, Gina was the name Niki took one year when she ran off to L.A., and this personality embodies the same sentiments. Unlike Jessica, who exists to face challenges head-on, Gina runs away from Niki's problems and being an irresponsible party girl.

While Niki was trying to get to the Company hospital in New York, Gina delayed the process considerably by causing detours of the drug-and-alcohol heavy variety until she was paralyzed by Angie.

Last Appearance: Room Service

Timeline

Winter 2007 - September 2007

Relationships

(Family)

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• Family
  • Micah Sanders —> Micah is Niki's eleven-year-old son. He's her whole world. She'd do anything to protect him. Their relationship can sometimes be a little strained because of Jessica, but they're usually pretty inseparable.
  • D.L. Hawkins —> Niki and D.L. met when they were young and full of hope for the future. Sure, he was an ex-con and neither of them had a lot of money, but love doesn't care about those things. They made it work. They got married and had a son, Micah. They went through a hell of a lot together in the years that followed — especially the recent ones. In May of 2007, D.L. was shot and caught in an explosion when the tail end of a casino heist organized by Niki's alter ego, Jessica, went awry. R.I.P.
  • Monica Dawson —> D.L. called on his cousin Monica for a place to stay when he first came to New York to get Niki from the facility she was being held in - willingly - by the Company. Since then, Niki, D.L. and Micah have been living with Monica. Niki doesn't know the young woman very well, even after living with her for a few months, but likes her. She also owes her a lot.

(Something Like Friends)

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• Something Like Friends
  • Benjamin Winters —> When Niki was on her way to New York City, she had a bit of car trouble — and Benjamin happened along to help out. She didn't think she'd ever see the friendly stranger again, but there he was again a few days later when Niki's journey to the Company facility was waylaid by another alter ego, Gina. Benjamin helped her get off the streets and gave her a place to stay for the night. Later, they were both patients in the Company hospital. Lately, Niki owes Benjamin a lot.
  • Cass Aldric —> Niki first met Cass soon after arriving in New York, before going to the Company. They were both present during a bank robbery in which Niki threw a man across the room to protect her. In a twist of fate, after meeting once more while Niki was trying to get to Hartsdale, they met a couple of months later when Niki was looking for a job — at Cass's store, Enlightenment Books. The interview consisted of "What are your feelings on alien abductions, the apocalypse of 2012, and government conspiracies?". Niki worked at Enlightenment until May of 2007 when Jessica forced her to quit and knocked out Cass. Oops!
  • Peter Petrelli —> The first time Niki officially met Peter after the night of the bomb at Kirby Plaza, she was falling to her inevitable death out of a window. …or not so inevitable, as it turned out — the flying Peter caught and saved her. Their relationship, such as it is, seems to be based on Peter truly seeming to believe she's a good person… despite Niki taking him to a scene of a crime (a la Jessica), and Jessica later brutally killing him in the back room of Enlightenment Books. Oops again! He regenerated and doesn't blame her, though, so it's all good. Right? (There's also that whole thing about her being "the blonde in Vegas" with Peter's brother, but she doesn't know he knows that.) Their connection grows a little stronger bit by bit.
  • Jack Derex —> To be fair, Niki has met very few times. Mostly, he's seen Jessica. He's one of the few people she actually explained her particular … issues to. She likes Jack, even though he gave her liquor after an AA meeting. She even called him for help after the Vegas heist he was almost a part of.
  • Mohinder Suresh —> After first meeting at Kirby Plaza on the night she and D.L. were trying to rescue Micah, Niki is on good terms with this geneticist even though she's since parted ways with the Company he works with. Her son and his ward, Molly, are good friends. She doesn't, however, entirely trust him.
  • Lachlan Deatley —> Niki appreciates Lachlan after he unexpectedly forgave her what Jessica did to his girlfriend Cass. She's seen both sides of him, the side that yelled at her on the subway, and the sweeter side that gave her a rose and a puppy.

(Grey Areas)

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• Grey Areas
  • Nathan Petrelli —> Niki actually hit it off with Nathan when she was ordered by Linderman's people to create blackmail material. When she couldn't go through with it, Jessica did. This, paired with the fact that Nathan turned her away when she needed help, an awkward incident involving his wife's bathrobe and the Petrelli kitchen, and some brief run-ins with Jessica makes for a relationship that is basically pretty confusing.

Quotes

Niki: "Sometimes I look in the mirror… and I'm not sure it's me that I'm seeing." - Don't Look Back

Niki: "God, please help me."
Jessica: "Who needs God when you've got me?" - Godsend

Jessica: "Didn't I throw you out a window?" - Landslide

Gina: "Oh come on, Niki. What, would you rather Jessica? Lighten up a little. When did you get so boring?" - Directions

Niki: "All I know is, I owe them. Just like I always owe someone." - One Big Happy Family

Niki: "You'd be scared too if everything you know kept getting ripped apart." - Let Me Help You

Niki: "I should've just quit when I realized I could be putting everyone in danger just by pretending to be normal." - Take Two In Apologies

Peter: "But it might— still help. Sometimes all that's needed— is someone to believe in you."
Niki: "How are you the one that looks guilty? People who believe in me have a bad habit of dying." - Could Believe

Soundtrack

Niki

• The Dresden Dolls – "Half Jack"
• Wilson Pickett – "Mustang Sally"
• The Grates – "Feels Like Pain"
• Wintersleep – "Weighty Ghost"
• Avid – "My Evil Twin"
• Three Days Grace – "Animal I Have Become"
• Full Blown Rose - "Somebody Help Me"
• Skillet - "Falling Inside the Black"
• Trapt - "Repeat Offender"
• Foo Fighters - "The Pretender"

Niki & Jessica

• Pretty Girls Make Graves – "Modern Day Emma Goldman"
• Seal - "Crazy"
• Saliva - "Always"
• Breaking Benjamin - "Breath"
• 10 Years - "Beautiful"

Niki & Micah

• Phil Colins - "You'll Be In My Heart"
• Jon MacLaughlin - "Human"
• Matchbox Twenty - "Hand Me Down"

Niki & D.L.

• Tupac Shakur – "Me and My Girlfriend"
• Daughtry - "It's Not Over"
• Nickelback - "Someday"
• Royal Wood - "Weigh Me Down"
• Breaking Benjamin - "Rain"

Niki, Jessica & D.L.

• Jimi Hendrix - Red House

Trivia

• Niki's online username when she ran lasvegasniki.com was XXXNikki4u. As of July 2007, the website is back up as a front to launder money.
• Jessica has a tattoo of the Symbol on her right shoulderblade. Niki doesn't.
• Niki is on The List.
• In March, even though the Company insinuated that they didn't predict one of Niki's split personalities to reemerge for roughly a week, Jessica appears fleetingly in the mirror, and then comes out in a serious way later that day. Jessica shown to have contact with the Company even after Niki and D.L. sever ties with them. At this time, the why and how hasn't been revealed.
• Niki is the owner of a series of memories that don't belong to her or her other selves: thanks to Sydney, several awful and vivid memories of others were forced into her mind.
• Items of Interest: photographs of the most recently uncovered Isaac Mendez paintings, marked with a stamp from the Linderman Group.
• Meerkatted