A/N Okay don't review all at once lol, so to all my shy readers you just keep on being shy but don't stop reading, the story will continue as planned and you have goddess of imagery, and wolves567 to thank for that, they alone gave me the inspiration to go on, you also have solarsystemex's story Kung Fu night fall to thank for giving me an idea (I was reading his story, broke, out of ideas, running on fumes, well I had ideas but they were fractured with holes in them but then I read the words 'shape shifter' and then the plot came together in my head, so here is your chapter that you inspired me to make, and just keep in mind a lot of love went into this chapter…
I grabbed my helmet and stumbled out of the training hall and over to the barracks.
I went to the end of the hall and to the left in my room.
I busted through the door and the four turned around.
"Oh you're alive" Monkey said.
They expected to see either Tigress walking in with bloody paws, or see me walking in after looking like I had been through a shredder.
I stopped "sadly enough" I grumbled.
"So how did it work" Mantis said hopping in my shoulder.
"Not the way I expected it to, but she is feeling better now" I said clipping my gun belt on.
"What do you mean not the way you expected it to?" Po asked.
"In her eyes I'm just another person who don't care/understand, just business as usual" I said picking up my assault rifle and examining it.
"Did she hurt you" Viper asked.
"I wish I knew myself" I said lying down the rifle and deciding I don't need it to meet my guys.
"Did she ruff you up" Mantis asked.
"That would had been so much easier" I said picking up my helmet and wiping it with my hand.
They all exchanged glances "what exactly did she do to you" Po said.
"She left me with an unanswered question" I said sliding my helmet on.
Why do I care? I put my hand on my head.
"Oh there it goes again" I said.
They ignored that.
"Ask us, maybe we can help you" Po said innocently.
I giggled evilly "If I thought you could answer I would have already asked you, but since you want to know anyway, why do I care? I mean why do I care if she is having a good day or not, Why do I care if she's mad or sad, why?" I asked walking closer and closer to Po causing him to step back little by little.
I stood there while they looked at each other dumbfounded.
"Well people only usually worry about another's problems if that other is in some way important to them" a familiar voice said behind of me.
I spun around hoping not to go through the Oogway thing again, and there was a little Red Panda with his staff standing there with a light smile on his face.
I thought about it for a moment, and it made sense, but that led to another question.
"Okay in what way is she important to me?" I asked him.
He looked down to think, and then his head popped back up and he regained his smile.
"Only you can answer that question" said Shifu.
Now it was my turn to think…
She had shared her secrets with me and mine with her, we had laughed and smiled together, she comforted me and I would do the same for her, I was able to do something the others never could had done, I made her feel better. I began to put the pieces together I was someone she could trust to help her and what are people that help one another. The answer was very clear now.
"Friends" I said shrugging my shoulders.
He was still holding his smile he nodded.
"Well if we are friends than how come she refuses me and pushes me away every time I try to open up to her." I asked.
"So many people have said they cared for her but in the end they stabbed her in the back and she can't be sure you are any different, and she doesn't know you that well" he said still looking at me.
I looked down I was now ashamed again and felt sorry for her.
"I wouldn't" I said walking past them and out into the night.
I hadn't known that Tigress was listening to that whole conversation from her room.
Friends she thought to herself, I don't need friends I'm a warrior.
"Then what was all of that for, that show you put on a few days ago" a voice penetrated her head, it was familiar.
"Oogway, l-look I didn't- that was just a show, I was just playing with him" she said.
"Bad liar, you play with friends, but that is not what I'm here to tell you about" Oogway said.
"Oh really what than" Tigress said.
"His next task is going to be hard for him to accomplish, he's going to need your help" Oogway said softly.
"Well I'm a Kung Fu warrior, I can probably help him with everything he needs…" she said confidently.
"You are truly your master's student aren't you; his dependence will not come from the outside as much as it will the inside." SaidOogway softly.
"You mean…" Tigress said with a disgusted look on her face.
I'm pretty sure if Oogway where there he would have face palmed.
"No Shifu thinks he can make him accomplish inner peace, but he is going about it wrong, when Nikolas comes face to face with the one he hates most, he will forget what is most important to him, and you are the only one who can make him forgive that one that has caused him so much pain and so much suffering in the past." Oogway said with a soft voice.
"You mean GDI, wait there are GDI here" she said with disbelief.
"He does not hate the body as much as he hates the heart" Oogway said.
Tigress looked confused
"Uh what" she said.
"This small talk is not important, the important part is, is that he cannot let go of the past, he is at war with himself, he can't decide whether to let go or not, he needs someone with some sort of spiritual influence over him to point him the right direction" Oogway said
"I have no control over him at all, besides what is the problem with letting him battle with himself, I don't like him and he don't like me" Tigress said shaking her head.
Oogway just chuckled "Tigress if you could touch someone's life, if you could change it and make them a better person, would you?"
She now knew what she had to do, and deep down inside she had been wanting to all along…
…
Meanwhile sitting on the highest step of the 1000 steps
I had my helmet sitting beside of me, I was star gazing, and waiting for my brothers to arrive, but more than that I needed some time to think things through.
I heard the gate open and then a very faint foot step behind of me.
I saw an orange figure come and sit down beside of me out of the corner of my eye, for a while there was nothing but silence it was getting to me so I decided to break the silence.
"I thought nothing had changed between me and you" I said still looking up…
She just sighed and shook her head.
"It's okay you don't have to explain to me" I said not wanting her to go away even though I didn't know why…
"Man I just can't get enough of this sight; I wish I could have seen this where I came from."
She slowly turned her head towards me and then looked up, "you act as though you have never seen the stars before" she said softly.
"That's right I haven't" I said mindlessly.
She slowly looked back at me she raised her eyebrows, I looked at her and then glanced down, "you know you are lucky, these things you take for granted, these stars, these trees, this air, this peace, this water, this love, this family, I never had any of that nobody did, we never had the chance at a normal life, we suffered endlessly, all we had was each other and that's why all Nod soldiers call each other brother." I giggled "it rains water here; it rains acid where I'm from".
"So you mean you were never even able to look up at the stars" she said.
"No, light bounces off of Tiberium the light then reflects off of the low thin cloud cover, blocking out the stars" I said.
It made sense, and Tigress couldn't believe it.
"See before I came here my life expectancy was the same as any human on the battlefield or on Earth for that matter, I would have had just a few more years left of my life" I said.
"And how old are you" she asked.
"24 about to turn 25" I said looking back up at the sky "in other words I would be dead before I was 28."
She looked down, "I'm 27" (A/N Take note this story takes place after the events of KFP 1 but months before the events of KFP 2) she said.
"Well that's just the circle of life" I said "tomorrow is promise to no mortal".
"You really don't have a very happy outlook on life do you" she said.
I chuckled "life doesn't mean much when it is filled with pain and suffering but, but geez this place, this heaven on Earth has really changed me, you and the others have changed me."
"What is GDI" she asked innocently "I'm sorry I wasn't listening to the story that day."
I looked at her, I didn't want to ruin the night with my raging, but I kept cool.
"It's okay I'll tell you anything you want to know. They are the Global Defense Initiative, they were formed after the 3rd world war came to an end and Tiberium hit the planet, in 1995 they had a very simple goal and that was to get rid of the Tiberium infestation, Tiberium would kill or mutate anything that came in contact with it, this conflicted with Nod's views, and after 4 years of failed attempts the brotherhood declared war on GDI, there were 4 Tiberium wars, I was in the last one." I said.
"What is Nod" she asked.
"The Brotherhood was formed to unite the poor and beaten down, the impoverished, the guy who works in a factory for less than minimum wage, and the guy who has no voice, because when you unite people their voice becomes much louder." I said.
"I see now" she said.
"So tell me what were you doing out here" she said
"Oh boy back to this, I promise you I wasn't burning anything down or blowing anything up-" I was cut off.
"No I didn't mean it like that" she said.
"Oh" I said embarrassed "I was… star gazing" I said looking down.
"You're lying… Tigers can sense these things" she said.
I sighed, she was staring right through me with her amber eyes.
"I feel like I can tell you anything, and you would understand" I said looking deep into her eyes
She was kind of shocked or maybe she was just acting.
"Well then why don't you tell me?" she said still looking at me.
I couldn't run anywhere now…
"You remember when I had that dream, and Oogway predicted a hard task" I said.
She nodded
"He said the first sign would be contact with others of my kind, and then when I woke up, an SOS beacon was detected that means that there are others here, and then I came in contact with others from the 473rd infantry, they were there at the Scrin Tower, with me, if they could come through, who knows what followed, after all my world breeds nothing but destruction." I said.
"So it's coming true" she said not surprised.
"Yeah, I just…" I couldn't say anymore, there was something that I didn't want to admit.
"Fine if you don't want to tell me that's fine" she stood up to walk away.
"Please don't go" I said quickly.
She slowly turned and sat back down "Tell me what's wrong, and this time I want the truth, I don't like having things hid from me."
I sighed "the truth is Tigress… I'm scared" I said looking at her.
She then scooted closer to me and put her paw on my shoulder "I could sense that but scared of what" she asked softly.
"I'm scared of the future, I don't think I can do it this time, this place, these friends, and mainly… you have turned my life around, I am not the soldier I used to be" I said.
She turned her head to the side "You shouldn't be…" she said.
I looked into her amber eyes; they were beautiful "why not" why not I said dreamily.
"Because I understand, you never want to go back to that horrible place again, and I don't want you to go back either." She said kind of sternly, but in her head she meant it.
"Thank you" I said blushing.
"Can I tell you something" she asked.
"Of course" I said smiling weakly at her.
"The reason I protected this place so whole heartedly for so many years, is because I never wanted to end up at a place like Bau Gu ever again." She said.
"And I never want you to go back either" I quoted, and she smiled at me, her shiny white fangs were glowing in the moonlight.
"But I am still unsure of this task, I can't be sure what is going to become of me, mainly because I don't know what the task is, I'm just uncertain" I said breaking eye contact and looking at the ground, with my smile fading.
"Don't be" She said, I slowly looked up and into her eyes, they had a gleam in them from the moonlight, it had a great effect, she was truly a sight to be marveled at.
"I'll be right there with you every step of the way, we all will be, and if you are ever in need of help, I'll be right here in one place… waiting" She said, her fangs were sticking out a very long way, but I preferred to see them, I liked her just the way she was.
By now we were both blushing very madly.
I (mindlessly) gently pulled her into a hug and she didn't try to resist… we didn't try to resist, she just pulled me closer, it felt so natural.
Is this love? I thought. And the same thought was in her head, I felt something I had not felt in almost 17 years, my entire life was filled with pain up until this point.
We were in each other's warm embrace, nothing could ruin that moment, that's when I realized, she was worth accomplishing this task and then some, but then memories of my parents dying in front of me, and then memories of the war flashed through my memory, causing me to tremble.
She felt this and pulled me tighter "we have faith in you, but mostly I have faith in you…" she said never pulling out of our embrace.
"Tigress I don't want to lose you too, you are all I have… you're all I got" I said clenching my eyes shut and choking up.
"I am not going anywhere, and I hope you aren't" she said softly.
"If I can help it Tigress" I said softly letting a tear escape my clenched eyelids, it rolled down my cheek and hit her vest.
I could feel her soft fur up against my neck, I wish I could had taken my armor off, so that she didn't have to feel the cold, hard metal while I enjoyed her nice, soft, warm fur.
The fear of the future was gone, now it was just the fear of losing her. Little did either of them know every moment of every minute; the giant was rising, regrouping, rerouting, rebuilding and plotting to make their next move.
"I can sense your fear, and pain, Nikolas and I don't want that for you" she said laying her head in my chest, so she could faintly hear my heartbeat through the armor.
"Tigress I want to make you happy but I don't know how, your life has been filled with the same emotions and I want to take that burden off of your shoulders, you deserve better, I just wish I knew how" I said tearing up.
"You being happy, that would be the only thing that could make me happy, right now" She said.
I smiled my jagged smile, I felt a wave of happiness, even though she was 'hardcore' she was there comforting me, and even though I was supposed to be a ruthless soldier there I was, there comforting her, we had, had thoughts about each other in the back of our heads all along, but I never thought it would escalate into this, we both knew what we were doing, what was happening, and we meant it, she had not intended for it to happen like this and neither did I, but it did, so let it be so, (get those thoughts out of your head, I am referring to the hugging, and I will not have it in any of my stories, so just keep those thoughts to yourself, also keep in mind we are sitting upright the whole time).
She smiled warmly allowing her fangs to show just barely, "that's better" she murmured still laying her head on my chest, and hearing the ever gentle thud of my heart.
It was a flawless moment, there we were in the moonlight comforting each other, two enemies of the past, now… Friends of the moment I thought with lack of anything better to call it, who would had known a simple gesture would had grown into this, you can't start a fire without a spark (do look it up dancing in the dark by Bruce Springsteen) I thought .
Meanwhile in Tigress' head You don't want to go and I don't want you to so why do we have to accomplish this dumb task… oh what am I doing these are not the actions of a warrior, I'm pathetic, this isn't what a strong warrior does.
A voice than penetrated her head before she could break the embrace, that's right this isn't what a warrior does, it is what a powerful warrior does.
"What, master Oogway what do you mean." She thought back.
Just moments ago, you were a lonely warrior with nothing but blind rage inside of you, and he was too, now you are both warriors with the most powerful power, the power to care more than anyone.
"Oogway, you approve of this?" she thought to herself.
"Of course, there is someone for everyone but you had me doubting, now I am sure, you have given him peace of mind, and he has given you equally as much, now there is no threat that he won't back down to, to protect you, and you would do the same for him.
Oogway's words had a reassuring effect on Tigress, allowing her to enjoy the moment even more than ever before.
I looked up, and I saw a fireball streaking across the sky, going west, "a shooting star, make a wish" I said looking down at her, she slowly looked up, and then she put her head back on my chest.
Don't separate us, don't take him away, he's mine, at first I didn't want him but now he's mine… she kept repeating in her head.
I took off my glove and started slowly streaking her back, and I could have sworn I heard a faint purr in response, and then her tail began rubbing my hand, but I kept on stroking her gently.
We just sat there for the next few minutes.
Little did we know Shifu had been watching us the whole time, with mixed emotions, is this good or bad he thought to himself.
(Wherever there is a _ it was smudged)
He was happy to see Tigress happy, but he knew what was going to happen, as the prophecy said one day it shall come to pass a foreigner will arrive in The Valley _ eventually the foreigner and a Kung Fu warrior that practices Tiger style Kung Fu will fall in love, afterwards there will be a _between the ones of _ and blue, and the ones of _ and red, It will end with a bilateral _, after that _ will reemerge to _ world _, thus the foreigner will _, and _, this- (the rest of the scroll had been lost, buried beneath the sands of time).
Oogway was the only one who could fill in those blanks, and even though he was looking down on them smiling, but he was frowning too. He knew what was happening and he knew what was going to happen but he wasn't scared he had faith in both of them, together they could do anything, and they were a great team, but Oogway knew something horrible was going to happen to both of them, that Nikolas was going to get brutally punished for doing the right thing, and Tigress would too for being bonded with him.
Eventually she sat back up, and looked me in the eye, "it's late I should get to bed…".
"Oh uh…um… yeah I got to wait for my guys to arrive" I said blushing.
She was blushing too, but then it hit her, "wait your guys? They are coming here?"
"Yeah Crane is leading them hear they should be here any moment now" I said.
She didn't know what to do, she wanted to stay and wait with me, but then she was tired too and wanted to sleep.
"It's okay I understand you are tired, and want to sleep, I'll be fine, if you hear gunshots and, or explosions then you know something has gone wrong." I said trying to reassure.
"I… uh… um, I just want you to be safe, uh… yeah" she stuttered looking me square in the eye.
"It's okay I'll be here when you wake up tomorrow" I said even though I didn't want her gone I wanted what was best for her.
I saw her ears perk up and she looked to the bottom of the staircase.
I glanced down at the very bottom of the stair case, I could see 5 very faint shadows illuminated by the moonlight moving towards me slowly "there they are" I said looking down at them.
She glanced back at me and then she stood up and straightened up, and got a very serious look on her face.
I stood up slowly and put my hand on her shoulder, "its okay they're on our side" I said softly looking at the side of her head, even though she wouldn't even look at me.
She relaxed a bit, but remained ready to attack at a moment's notice, "I don't trust them, I can hear their conversation they don't seem… like you" she said.
"Tigress that is another thing I have hesitated to tell you…" I said taking my hand off of her shoulder.
She turned her head slowly "what do you mean?" she said giving me a 'What do you mean' look, she knew what I meant but she didn't want to believe it.
"Tigress I am no saint, I have done horrible things in my short life…" I said looking down she raised her eyebrows at me.
"I haven't done anything they haven't done…" there was no reaction from her except the sound of her breathing.
I didn't want to go on, because I knew she would never forgive me, but then she would hate me more if I didn't tell her what happened.
"Like what" she said on cue (go figure right).
"Tigress" I said with a sigh.
"War turns people into monsters; that said in desperate times we do what we think is necessary for the prosperity of our people. We just follow orders and don't ask 'why' or 'why not' as much as we should, if any at all… I just want you to know that I am not what you think, in reality I am a soldier, I follow orders whether they are right or wrong, it makes no difference what I think, in the end it comes down to you or the guy over there, and to be quite honest with you I look at it like it is, 'it's not me, it's not my family'… believe me I have never found pleasure in hurting anyone, I just never had any choice in the matter and I just wish that you would take that into consideration." I said trying to get her to forgive me.
She just looked at me horrified but then she spoke up "no, it goes deeper than that doesn't it" she said.
As soon as he said that, memories started flashing through my head.
One was of people running and screaming and then being shot down by all of us 'soldiers', another was the flames of New Adana reaching high into the night after the riots, as all of the Nod soldiers watched front the hillside, then there was that one that was always haunting me, the most painful one, my parents being killed in front of me, the memories flashed past me once more and I thought about how I always examined all of the bodies to see if it was the one I wanted, the one who had always alluded me and I had killed hundreds just to try to find him, it had been my ultimate goal for 17 years, to see the body with the numbers 666 (it stood for the 666th armored) stamped across the back, this man, this beast was going to pay for what he had done...
I cringed and closed my eyes tight trying to hold the tears back, as my hands clinched in fists of rage.
She just stood there watching me waiting for an answer, "doesn't it" she repeated sternly.
I inhaled deeply, and then exhaled "yes it does" I said trying to keep my cool.
"More than you know…" I said as I choked up.
Oogway's words went through her head once more…
"Tigress if you could touch someone's life, if you could change it and make them a better person, would you?"
She thought on the issue for a moment, I knew right then I was going to receive judgment.
"Nikolas, what you did was wrong, very, very wrong… and your intentions are wrong" she said very slowly.
My heart shattered, and my knees buckled, I thought about the gun on my waist, and I was about to pull it out, and use it… on me, but then she spoke up.
"However I am going to give you the second chance no one gave me, I will give you the benefit of a doubt. On one condition…" She said sternly, crossing her arms.
I felt like jumping with joy, but on what condition?
"Yes" I said trying to contain my excitement.
"You have got to promise me never to be that person again… You have got to promise me not to do those things again, unless it is for the benefit of everyone." She said
I than remembered something my dad had told me when I was little… it forced itself into my head.
"How about another story dad" I said with joy.
"Yeah!" Cameron said.
"It's almost time for bed" my dad said.
"Awwww!" We said in unison
"But dad what you did was so cool." Cameron said.
Dad looked down and then mumbled "Boys I was never proud of the things I have done, so I want you to promise me something" he said.
"What!" we said in unison.
"Well it comes from an old song, by a man named Kenny Rogers" he said.
"Really!" I said excitedly.
"Yep, it was called coward of the county" he said.
"Cool!" we said in unison.
"It went like this…
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man." He sang.
"See it was about a boy named tommy, his dad got in a lot of trouble and died in prison, but the last words his dad told him before his dad died was those words, and Tommy promised not to do what he had done, so as Tommy grew everyone thought he was a coward, when he was just doing what his dad said… well one day the Gatlin boys attacked his girlfriend and this angered him, and then he had no choice but to fight, so he did and he won, but he wasn't happy because he had broken his dad's promise, and everyone still thought he was a coward afterwards." My dad said.
"Wow" we said in unison.
"Boys I want you to promise me not to do the things I have done, and walk away from trouble if you can, you don't have to fight to be men, I sure hope you are old enough to understand." He said softly.
"We promise dad" we said in unison.
"Good" he said softly with a smile.
"Now go to sleep" he said softly he wasn't really one for hugs and 'I love you' but we accepted him the way he was because we was our dad.
Usually we would had fought him over the issue, but tonight it was different, me and Cameron were too busy thinking over what he just said.
We laid back in preparation to go to sleep, we shared a bed. We couldn't sleep over the occasional explosion and gunshots in the distance though, Pretoria was being sieged.
Our dad got up and slowly walked to the door, he stopped and looked back and smiled warmly, he couldn't be more proud.
"Cameron" I whispered.
"Yeah" he whispered back.
"What exactly did dad do" I asked.
"I think he was a soldier" Cameron whispered.
"Oh" I whispered.
"Hey I wander where Jacob is" I whispered as I got up and walked over to the window, and looked up so I could see the moon.
Cameron got up and walked over to the window and looked up at it too, it was something we did often, we would look at the moon and wander if Jacob was… looking up at it too, wandering the same thing about us.
"I don't know" Cameron said mindlessly.
After standing there a while we eventually got back in bed.
That all happened mere hours before my parents and brother died.
I was slapped back into reality… literally, I was lying on the ground, when I came back to my senses I was greeted by Ivory fangs and a loud roaring noise, and it was just Tigress trying to get my attention, by slapping me and then roaring at me.
"Ja, Ja, I zink ve have his attention now" an unfamiliar German voice said.
(P.S. I will spell whatever he says like this)
I stood up.
I saw 4 dark figures standing off to the side…
"Who are you" I asked.
"Vell ve are Nod soldiers" the German voice said.
"Yep, that's us" a deep American voice said.
"You called us here, remember" a British voice said.
"Huh, what are we talking about again" a voice said that sounded like it was from somewhere in the Balkans.
"No, do not tell me you weren't paying attention again… Deimos" the American said.
"Wait, wait one moment" I said "so you are the squad".
"Yes ve are, ve vere at the battle of ze Scrin towa" the German said.
"That's right, we went through ascended through the Scrin portal, and bobs your uncle, here we are!" the British guy said.
"I think we should at least introduce ourselves before going into a life story, by the way why do you have your helmet off" the American grunted.
"It is safe to breath here" I said.
They all exchanged glances and took their helmets off.
"Oh ja, I am Anton Hiemler, from Munich Germany" He said stepping out of the shadows to shake my hand. He had pale white skin, golden blonde hair, and blue eyes.
"Nikolas (I keep spelling it this way because this is the way it was originally spelled in Greece if translated to English) Norrison from Pretoria, South Africa" I said shaking his hand.
This intrigued him "a real live Boer, with a Greek name… interesting" he said the last part turning and walking away.
"The one and only" I commented.
The next one had a big scar going down his cheek, he had two big green eyes, and black hair, he walked up to me and even standing two steps below me he was still looking down on me.
He wrapped his hand around mine, nearly crushing it "Frank, Frank Dempsey (like what I did there), from Carson City, Nevada, U.S.A." he then slowly turned and began walking away; he gave me one last glance over his shoulder, that made my blood run cold.
The after that one, the next one came up, he had Brown hair, brown eyes and he was pale like Anton "Jeremiah Cooper, from South Shields, England" he said shaking my hand.
The next one walked up to me he was white, he had brown hair and brown eyes, and he had a slight tan and a very lite mustache "I don't know my real name so they just call me Deimos, and I am from Kosovo"
I noticed Crane standing behind of everyone that reminded me "I almost forgot I am sure that you know Master Crane but this is Master Tigress" I said gesturing to her, she looked ill.
They all looked at her and then and exchanged glances, they could all tell she wasn't one for joking around.
They exchanged glances and then huddled up they all looked at Anton…
"You are leader" the Frank whispered.
"That's right" the Jeremiah said.
Diemos just stood there watching.
"No ve vill vork, togeza Ja" Anton said with a nervous laugh.
The other three exchanged glances, and then they looked at him and said in unison "No".
They all stood up straight and faced back towards me and Tigress, who was looking at them with a 'go to hell' look, and I knew why, I had not promised the promise I made 17 years ago to someone I loved dearly, I couldn't keep it then, I couldn't keep it now, as bad as I wanted too. I couldn't, when duty called I had to do the work no one else would, and she didn't like that, she wanted to liberate me from this vicious habit, but I couldn't stop… I couldn't… not until the circle was complete…
Anton walked up to her slowly, and then reached his hand out "I am-uh…" she was glaring at him with a 'im gonna kill you' look, he glanced over his shoulder at the other 3, he then straightened up…
"Vhat I am trying to say is, I am An-" she cut him off "Anton Hiemler , from Munich Germany, wherever that is." She said with an ill tone of voice, that's Deimos from Kosovo, Frank Dempsey from Carson City, and Jeremiah Cooper from South Shields, England. Wherever all of those places are…" she said pointing to each, she then slowly turned her head towards me making me shiver a little "And he… he… is Nikolas Norrison from Pretoria, South Africa" she said with hatred.
"Well, yes that's us the modern day Spartans" Jeremiah said.
"What is a Spartan" Crane asked.
Everyone giggled except me and Tigress who was locked in a fierce glare, except I wasn't glaring she was, Anton walked back to the group, and they began explaining it to him.
"More like misfits" Frank said with a giggle.
"Ja, Misfits, of ze 473rd Infantry, AKA Spartans, Ja!" Anton said with a laugh.
Tigress was still glaring at me, "we need to talk" I mumbled barely audible, but she just turned and walked away, Anton noticed this. He smiled lightly he knew what was going on and he knew he could help, Frank saw him smiling but he just shrugged.
Tigress hated me for not excepting her change, she also hated me for loving me, she hated those soldiers because she felt like they took me away, and I had to straighten this out as soon as possible, and she hated all of us for making her feel like she failed which was something she never liked feeling.
"So that's what a Spartan is, sounds like they had to train hard" Crane said.
"Oh yes, and in the Nod army we have to be able to swim through pools of blood, and have the will to fight when we get out, we have to be able to do one handed pull up ad push up, with our armor on, we have to be able to hit a target 100 yards, and we have to be flexible enough to put our knuckles on the floor." Jeremiah said.
Crane just shook his head in disbelief and went to the barracks.
They all walked up to me.
"What now Brother" Deimos said.
"I don't know" I said back.
"Enjoy the stay, huh" Jeremiah said.
"Yeah I like it here, no Tiberium or threat of being killed" Deimos said.
"For real" Frank said.
I wasn't paying attention though.
"I Zink you all should get some sleep" Anton said.
"Yeah probably" they all agreed as they headed off to find their resting place, but then I heard a familiar voice stop all of us.
"Well it's nice to meet all of you" Shifu said.
"You too" Jeremiah said.
"If you will follow me I will show you your sleeping quarters" Shifu said gesturing for them to follow.
They began following, but Diemos stopped and turned "coming brothers" he said.
"Ve vill be zere soon" Anton said.
Diemos just shrugged and began following all of them had their helmets and guns.
I just sat down and stared downwards.
Anton sat down beside of me.
"I don't know what to do" I said not realizing I did.
"I do" Anton said.
I realized what had happened.
I sighed.
"Look you need help I am offering it" Anton said.
I sighed again "she wants me to make a promise that I can't keep" I said still staring down.
"Vhat type of promise" he asked.
"One that prevents me from being a soldier, the weird thing is my dad made me promise the weird thing is, is that he got it from a song" I said.
"Vhat song" Anton asked.
"An old one by Kenny Rogers called Coward of the County" I said.
He nodded "Vhat did he make you promise, exactly" Anton asked.
"See he was a soldier, and he made me promise not to do what he had done, but my family got killed by a man bearing the mark of the beast and I have been trying to find him and kill him ever since, and I had killed hundreds to try to find him but he always alludes me." I said,
"Mark of ze beast huh, you are a Christian?" he asked.
I than realized what I had said, but I wasn't going to lie.
"Yes I am, so what are you going to execute me now" I asked him sarcastically.
"Vhy vould I kill one of my own, in the squad we are all secretly Christians" He simply replied.
(A/N in the future the GDI are atheists, because they are the one world government and Nod worships Kane. Many people lost faith after decades of no hope and aliens showing up, and the near destruction of all living things. Or at least I would assume, but it's not up for debate just read and enjoy.)
"Good" I said relieved.
"Now in zat song apparently you don't know the whole thing." He said.
"What" I asked.
"I have it on my media player (we will call it this from now on) in my helmet" I said.
"Play it than" he said.
I did as he said and started it up.
After a while of playing, I realized I really hadn't known this song, this media player was my grandpa's he gave it to me this was all his music.
It eventually got close to the end "now listen" he said.
I promised you dad
Not to do the things you have done
I walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak
I didn't turn the other cheek
And papa I sure hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
I then turned it off and looked over at him, he was smiling.
"Zere are 2 sides of zat story, your dad probably understands and is looking down on you smiling, however you must not seek active vengeance against this man your dad probably vould not approve of zis, however it matters more who ze man was, did you know him?" he asked.
"Yeah, I knew him" I said.
"How?" He asked.
"He was… was… my older brother Jacob" I said.
A/N Bombshell I know, but it was a good chapter right, a lot of love went into it, and a lot of love will go into the next one too so be prepared. Anyway just a quick review, 4 Nod soldiers that can be funny at times (as a matter of fact they are a lot like the 4 survivors off of black ops zombies even though I wasn't trying to mirror them), Nikolas and Tigress had a relationship for 15 minutes and then it went to hell and now he's going to try to mend it back, Nikolas' older abusive older brother Jacob is the one who bears the mark of the beast, and to spice things up the giant is rising who could that be, and please do not argue about that thing with the GDI and Nod… so wow… ain't much left to say other than thanks for reviewing and keep on reading.