Chapter 5

Love's reasons

"Allison was a soldier," Sapphire started, stepping a small step back. "And she died because of her own failure. But the sick bastards that found her took what blood they found left in her body and distributed it out for money. Some of it somehow found its way into you."

Sapphire observed Niko's upset structure and tone and gently hit his arm. "Hey, don't be so down," she told him with a smile that was a simple turn up of the corner of her mouth. "I'm gonna need you around to help me rebuild out of the ashes. You're still my best friend."

"Yeah." Niko said. "So in what ways could I possibly help when the only reason I helped was you. It's nice to finally know where my powers come from, but why do I feel more is to be told with time? And where can we find the bastards who distributed her blood?"

Sapphire, taken aback by Niko's forced want to help when he lost the main reason to do so, shook her head in exasperation. She couldn't believe her friend would do this to himself, when he totally and completely had no reason to do so. She decided to finally take off her visor and ask Niko what his problem was. She knew as long as she put her Insurgent work before the person, who has been with her centuries, he would never truly be happy. Taking out a pack of Poky (A/N: a Japanese candy stick if you didn't know) and handing one to him and putting one in her mouth and lighting it with her cigarette lighter, she looked at him with an expression saying, "wanna tell me your problems?"

Niko took the Poky, munched it, and began to talk.

"Ever since we were kids," Niko began. "I always to be like you, because you would defend me when kids would pick on me and I couldn't fight back. You were the strong one, who, unlike most girls at school, could bust a dude's skull in if they fucked with me or anyone connected to you. As the years went by, my likeness of you grew to love and I didn't until a while ago, know how to tell you. It kills me a little to know our relationship had to end so quickly over this, but this is more important and I guess if it's more important than we are, I can't change your thinking on that. But I'll still love you and I'll still help make these assholes pay for doing this to Allison."

Sapphire couldn't help but let out a quickly chuckle. She blew out the end of her Poky and ate hers before putting her helmet back on and turning back to the data station.

"What can I say?" she asked, "I'm a badass." She didn't feel like getting so serious in something other than the data stored in the dog tags lying near the keyboard now. Any time but then would have been fantastic.

"Finding those people is a fight we can take care of another day," she told Niko as she thought over everything he said, becoming serious once again. "But, this is more important than anything right now. You said it yourself." She looked down once again. "Niko, I don't need a boyfriend distracting me now, or anytime soon. What I need is a good friend to understand that. Stay in touch, and... When I get the information I need, I'll tell you everything I can. I can't do this alone, no matter how much I want to." She thought a moment longer before adding, "There's gonna be a war. And I'm going to need someone to fight that one with me."

"I understand." Niko said. He didn't quite get his friends reasoning, but he understood it enough to know she needed space and didn't need a boyfriend. He got up and looked at Sapphire. "Well I'll leave you to it."

He then left. Sapphire didn't see him for a while after that.

As Niko looked through records that he "borrowed" from the Hesitance, he saw something from Sally Acorn that was interesting. He walked over to his computer and inserted the flash drive and what he saw was a transmission to him from Sally.

"Niko." Sally said. From what Niko saw, she was beaten up pretty badly and looked like she was going to die in a matter of seconds.

"This transmission is to tell you, whenever you get it, that your mother, Tikal, isn't your true mother. Your true mother is Rosemary Prower and your brother, Tails, is a mole for the Insurgents. He was recruited by the Hesitance to implant the blood sample from Allison in you and then teach you to use it then recruit you for the Hesitance. What he didn't expect was for Sapphire, your friend, to get in the way and move your mind past his intentions and so he let you have a friend that he would make you turn against later. The Insurgents are the ones who killed Allison. Your mother and I tried to look into this, but was killed."

Niko began to cry at this.

"Mom…" Niko mumbled before breaking down in tears. After a while, he regained himself and continued to watch the transmission.

"Niko," Sally continued. "You must continue what your mother and I started, join the Hesitance and stop the Insurgents."

With that, the transmission ends. Niko now knew what he had to do. He got his gear and ran towards the Insurgents base.

Niko began to cry at this.