"That is very important information, thank you for being such a help to the gang. Please let me show you gratitude with a warm place to stay and a warm meal beneath your tongue."

Niké met the woman’s eyes briefly, he could tell that the offer just made was none of gratitude nor was it optional. He had just gone from the watchful eyes of his superiors on the force, to the eyes of the temporary gang leader.

It would be a lie to say that the woman didn't intimidate him, she seemed almost completely void of emotion when she spoke to him. She was smart enough to see that there were details missing from his story, he was sure of it.

Soon the woman, Skye, left him and Alleya behind, returning back in the direction of the gang hideout.

The grey-haired man casted a glance towards Alleya, however not daring to meet her eyes. He hadn't just betrayed Theo, he had betrayed Alleya too, the closest thing he had had to a genuine friend in a long time.

“She will kill me if she finds out I'm a cop, right?” He finally spoke after moments of silence, glancing around slightly as he kept his voice hushed.

No matter what Alleya answered, he knew he had no other choice than to go with her. And in all honesty, with how badly he had fucked everything up, death didn't actually seem like the worst thing that could happen. Theo hated him, he had officially become a corrupted cop so when that was found out, he was most certainly going to prison, and he had ruined the trust between himself and Alleya. He had no one and nothing that gave him a reason to keep fighting what he had avoided for years.

If he could get Theo out of prison, save an innocent man from the unjust and corrupt system that controlled the world, then he would have no problem giving up his life in the process. He knew that no matter if he helped get Theo out of prison, it would not fix anything, he himself was still a messed up person and he had crushed any trust there had been between them.

With a soft sigh, Niké finally looked up at Alleya, now meeting her eyes for the first time, “I would not blame her if she did. Let's go,” he spoke, his voice having a slightly calmer tone now.

Paranoia still tainted the man with sounds and illusions of movement in the corners of his eyes, yet he did not acknowledge it not, his body language having grown less twitchy and was now much more harmonic. He would not explain his thoughts to anyone but the fact that he had accepted his own willingness to die if it meant he could do this one good thing and get it right, it calmed him, made him feel slightly more at peace with himself.

When Alleya didn't move when he said that they could go, Niké simply turned and started walking.

The grey-haired man had noticed how the smaller woman had averted her gaze when he had finally met it. Even if she didn't say anything, it was clear she hated him, probably just as much as Theo did, in fact, her not speaking was a bigger indicator of her feelings towards him than if she had actually said something. The Alleya he had first gotten to know had been a bubbly and talkative person and thanks to him, she no longer was.

Niké walked quietly back towards the house. Normally he would have enjoyed the silence but now it was just stressing him out more. A million questions raced through his head but he could not force his mouth open to ask them, especially not when it seemed as if Alleya wanted nothing to do with him.

Occasionally the young man would glance around the forest, sometimes even stopping halfway through a step just to look at nothing for a few seconds. He had not slept in days and his mind was making it known by playing tricks on him, playing sounds for only his ears and showing images in the corners of his eyes, only feeding his paranoia to grow worse and worse. It was not his first time experiencing it but usually he wouldn't not be this bothered by it.

The cure was simple, Niké knew that, all he had to do was just to sleep, but how was he supposed to sleep in a house full of other people? No one would appreciate his tossing and turning while yelling at the figure in his dreams, so sleeping was not an option he had.

As the house came into view, Niké’s feet started dragging behind him more and more, his steps growing slower as his heart beat faster and faster. He had no idea what awaited him inside the walls of the place he had lived safely in just a couple of days prior.

The grey-haired man shoot a quick glance back at Alleya, he so deeply wished for her endless chatter to fill his ears once more and silence the voice of stress and paranoia that filled his head. But he had broken her by betraying the gang and taking Theo away from them.

Getting Theo back was the only way he could make things somewhat better, hopefully. Even if he never saw them again afterwards, if he knew they were happy then that would be enough.

Too preoccupied with his own thoughts, Niké didn't realize they'd reached the house before he stood right in front of the door, one hand on the handle and ready to open it.

The young man sighed softly, he didn't know what awaited him in there, how much other people knew of what had happened or how they would react to Niké coming back, would anyone suspect him? The last thing he wanted was a fight but he was still trying to prepare himself for it, he just had to expect the worst.

"You never loved us, did you?"

Niké looked at Alleya, frozen in place with a defeated look on his face. Her words physically hurt him, hitting him like a bullet in the chest. He still couldn't force himself to speak, instead he just stood quiet while looking at her.

Feeling her touch as she moved his hand off the doorknob, he flinched and quickly stepped back, not having expected it.

"How could you do something like this?"

Niké opened his mouth to speak but the words caught in his throat as he looked through the open door. He wanted to explain everything, he wanted to prove how truly sorry he was, but what good would it do? No matter if she knew the whole story it would not justify his actions and he would not allow himself to beg for forgiveness as patheticly as he had to Theo, he didn't deserve it. He would not ask or beg for something he knew he didn't deserve.

“I don't know,” Niké finally managed to push out, his voice barely audible. His gaze fell to the ground as he leaned back against the wall next to the door and fished the package of cigarettes out of his pocket. With shakey fingers he grabbed one and placed it between his lips, lighting it quickly as he tried to collect himself. This would be his last one, or at least he tried to convince himself that. He was going to quit, he was going to try and better himself, but now wasn't the time.

He glanced at the open door as he inhaled the smoke. His eyes shifted to look at Alleya before reaching out and slowly closing the door again, no one else needed to hear him as he fumbled to explain everything in a sensible way.

“It was never my intention…” he started, taking another drag as he searched for the next thing to say, “Or well, it was… To start with, before I knew any of you, I just assumed all rumors were true and you would be like any other gang members I had met before…”

The man sighed and looked away, sighing softly. “You and Theo showed me that wasn't true. I wasn't going to turn any of you in, I was trying to figure out a way for me to get out without anyone getting hurt or in trouble, I was too slow though…”

Niké’s eyes scanned their surroundings in silence for a few moments as he smoked his cigarette before focusing back in on the conversation, “I didn't arrest Theo, I didn't tell anyone about this place, they found Theo and me when we were out together and arrested him. I don't expect you to believe me or forgive me, I don't want you to, but please just trust me on this one thing, I will do anything to help you get Theo back, after that I'm gone, you won't ever have to think about me after that, you'll never have to see my face again, just trust me enough to help get Theo back, I love him and I can't stand to see him end up in prison for things he didn't do, no matter how much he hates me.”

He glanced up at Alleya briefly before his eyes went back to the ground, smoking a few more drags in an attempt to remain somewhat calm, he didn't want to get too emotional in this conversation, he had to try and keep his cool, getting emotional would not help anyone.

Niké didn't say anything else when Alleya stated that she needed to sit down, he understood, it was all a lot for her, it was for him too, but in a very different way.

He watched quietly as she moved to sit down, pulling his hand back a bit as the end of his cigarette got dangerously close to the woman. He saw how she slid down onto the ground with now grace, she looked like a wreck, not that he was one to judge, he was definitely no better.

"We can't function without him, even with somebody that is as respected and old as Skai. She's losing support, the gang is divided. I sit there and watch every day, I see it all."

Niké took another drag of the smoke, not taking the cigarette from his lips until he could feel that burning sensation in his throat and lungs. This was his fault, his and no one else's. He should have done something, anything, to avoid this but instead he had just stayed passive, trying to figure out the perfect plan, there was none though, there would never have been one, he should have just said the truth, at least then they would have been warned.

"We need Theo."

The young man glanced down at Alleya, the red-head looked so small when she sat curled up like that on the ground next to him. What had he done? He had ruined her by having allowed for Theo to be taken away.

“I’m really sorry Alleya, I am. I wish I could go back and change what I did but I can't so the only thing I can do now is at least try to fix what I did…” he said quietly before taking a final drag of the cigarette.

Flicking what was left of the cigarette onto the ground, Niké leaned his back against the wall and sunk down to the woman’s level.

“I understand that you can't believe me, I don't expect you to, I ruined everything between us, just like I ruined everything between me and Theo with my choices, but I swear I'll do anything I can to help get Theo back, it's the only right thing and the only thing I can do… I can't guarantee we will be able to but I do think there is a high chance.”

The man’s pale gaze fell on the ground at his side as he ran his finger through the frost, painting doodles in it despite the coldness that spread through his already frozen hand, almost numbing it.

“I wish things could go back, but it can't, so I just hope I can make things somewhat normal again for you and the gang by helping get Theo back, once I can do that, I'm gone, I promise.”

"I thought you loved him...."

Niké clenched his hand, balling it up into a fist as those words pierced into him like a knife. They physically hurt him having to hear them, not quite as much as when Theo himself had said it to him but it still hurt, a lot.

And not only did it hurt but it was getting frustrating now, how many times would he have to repeat himself? Not just that but he was here! He could have easily turned his back on them all and forgotten about them but he was here, he was trying to do good, trying to fix things.

“I do! I don't know how I'm supposed to make it any clearer! I'm here, am I not? I’m trying to help, not just because I love him but also because I care about the rest of you,” he started, looking over at Alleya with a defeated look.

“I really don't know how else you want me to prove it, I’m here and I'm trying everything I can to help. I know I messed up, I know that what I'm trying to fix is something I caused. I’m not asking anyone to be thankful for my help, but at least accept it, let me help. We both know I’m the best chance for getting Theo back right now,” he said while standing up.

The young man dusted himself off a bit, taking a moment to look around and try to clear his head again. The frustration of having to explain himself time and time again was really starting to get to Niké now but he didn't want to get angry, not at Alleya, she had already been hurt by him, he didn't need to make things worse.

“I do love him, I love him so much that it hurts and trust me, I hate myself for what I've done and how I've handled things, both with Theo and the gang, which is why I'm here now to try and fix things somewhat. I can't go back and change things but I can at least try to fix it somewhat now. Either you can believe me and help me get Theo back, or you can tell me what I need to do to prove to you that I'm actually here to help because I'm not going to repeat myself time and time again, I know why I'm here but I can't force you to believe me,” Niké finished as he was still looking out into the forest, his hands in his pockets, attempting to keep them warm as his eyes scanned the surroundings, he felt watched, constantly on edge but he was trying to remind himself constantly that the only reason he had that feeling was due to the lack of sleep.