Chapter One: White Sparks.

It was strange how everything could just change all of a sudden, without a hint or a clue. Johnny was still adjusting to the major changes in his life. From the loss of Aisha to the destruction of his normal, everyday life in Stilwater. It'd been quite a few years since he saw his girlfriend's decapitation right before his very own eyes, but everytime he blinked, the scene was still fresh. Luckily for him, however, his heart was one of steel. It was growing incredibly easier for him to push the hurt away. He was thankful for the time he had with Aisha; The fact that he had to relive it in his hellish simulation... It was a nightmare. But the simulation had also made him appreciate everything from Pierce's shitty jokes to Shaundi's unruly attitude.

Then there was Phillipe Loren. The asshole who thought he was high and mighty - All knowing - over everyone. Little did the Belgian man know that he was time was soon due. If Johnny couldn't take care of him, he knew his boss would. He could always count on her. Always. There wasn't a time where she had let him down, excluding when she was blown to hell on the yacht all those years ago. But even then, she had prevailed from her two year long coma and saved him from death row.

Without her, not only would the Saints be long forgotten but he himself would be dead. Johnny practically owed that woman his life and then some.

She was a... A hell of a character. Johnny knew almost nothing about her and he was supposed to be her best friend. The only things that he really knew about her was the fact that she had family issues (And this was thanks to Asha), the only rappers she could stand were Eminem and Kanye West (She was mostly into the rock/alternative genre), and her favorite color was teal. Other than that, it was as if she was a complete stranger to Johnny. But she didn't want to reveal anything; She loved keeping up her mysterious facade. And he hated that more than anything.

Hell, he would kill just to know her first name. He was growing tired of calling her 'boss' every waking second of his life. As he stood up from his bed, Johnny knew that things had to change. He had to get to know his bo- His best friend better. Maybe it was because she had been there for him through it all. When everyone believed he was dead, she held onto the small white spark of courage that he was alive. It was a weak spark, sure, but she never let that spark fade. According to each Saint, from Pierce to Kinzie, the boss was never the same. Then again, neither was Shaundi, but that was expected. Johnny was like her big brother. But with the boss, the story was completely different. She had led him through everything and for his disappearance to affect her as it did... It was strange.

And then when Ben had informed him of the boss beating the shit out of Matt Miller because he had somewhat insulted him - It had bought a bit of a smile to his face. To know that she was practically the only one who really defended him when he couldn't... It warmed the cockles of his heart.

"Anyone seen the boss?" Johnny questioned as he stepped into the commons room of the ship.

Pierce glanced up and pointed up. "She's up there with Kinzie and Miller. They're strategizing for our next attack on the simulation. That's really all I know - If you wanna know more, go ask one of them."

Johnny chuckled softly and thanked him before he headed upstairs. As he stepped into the room, the boss let out a loud groan. "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me!" She complained, rubbing her hands down her face.

Kinzie and Matt both let out a unanimous sigh. "Okay, let me try to dumb this down for you," Kinzie used a different tone of voice,"Matt and I have picked up another signal in the simulation - For example, when Shaundi was trapped on Zinyak's ship, we found that out because of her signal in the simulation. Understand so far?"

The boss nodded softly. "Okay, so... There's someone else on Zinyak's ship? Who the hell could we have missed?"

"We aren't sure yet. We've been trying to decode the signal but it isn't working. Zinyak must've upgraded the masks on his signals so we wouldn't be able to save whoever it is-"

"But there's always the possibility that he's put a false signal in the simulation. I'm not quite sure that it's really possible, but Zinyak is highly intelligent. We can't rule out the possibility that he's trying to lure you back onto the ship so he can kill you. I wouldn't doubt that he's got a raging bloodlust for you, considering that you've outsmarted him several times and saved the sole members of the Saints." Matt piped in, only to receive another groan from the boss.

She ran her hands through her dirty blonde hair, trying to get a grip on herself. "So... There's a fifty percent chance that he's fucking with us - Me - and a fifty percent chance that he's trying to protect someone? But who the hell could be this important to protect? I got brains, I got brawn, I got attitude, I got fame and I got CID... I don't underst-"

"Brains? Brawn? Attitude? Fame?"

"Brains - You, Kinzie, Ben and Asha. Brawn - Johnny. Attitude is Shaundi and Pierce. Fame is Keith David."

"So you've incorporated us into groups?" Kinzie questioned; The boss nodded.

"Makes it easier to identify you all."

Johnny walked over to the boss and rested his hands on her shoulders, massaging them. "Relax, boss. You know I'll roll with you so that Zinyak motherfucker won't even lay a damn alien finger on you." The boss looked up with an appreciative smile as she shook Johnny's hands off. She stood, brushing her collarbone length hair behind her shoulders. "When the brains figure out if Zinyak is truly hiding someone or if he's just fucking with us, then we'll see what needs to happen. I don't want to go out and face him unless I have a good reason to."

"What about killing him? That's always a damn good reason - We can't just stay here and hide like pussies."

The boss rolled her eyes. "We need a decent plan, other than to go into his ship guns blazing. According to CID, Zinyak is highly advanced - He probably has false rooms with false signals, according to Matt on that last part." She gave her second lieutenant a delicate smile before she walked off. Johnny waited a good few seconds before pursuing her.

"Boss!" He called. "I gotta talk to you, right quick."

She turned quickly, her hair flying about. "What's up?"

Johnny approached her and grabbed her arm gently, towing her to the front of the ship. For once, Keith wasn't in the front. "We've been best friends for years-"

The boss snickered; This was the first time those words had actually left Johnny's mouth. "I'm sorry, go ahead."

With a roll of his eyes, Johnny continued. "I was just thinking... Maybe we should get to know more about each other."

"What? Are we getting married or something?" She laughed, tossing her head back. "Everything you need to know about me - You already know. Same goes for everyone else."

"You know my name and everyone else's. We don't knows yours."

"Because it isn't necessary. 'Boss' is pretty sufficient."

Johnny's eyes darkened. He was growing increasingly angry - Too quickly. He was realizing that he wasn't getting his way and he really didn't like that. Normally, he'd take out his knife to get his way - But this was the boss. Johnny wouldn't dare lay a finger on his boss. His best friend. Literally, the reason why he was still alive and not on Zinyak's ship anymore enduring his hell. "Boss, come on. I won't tell anyone."

She pursed her lips and sighed quietly. "If you tell, I swear to god, Johnny-"

"I won't. This'll stay between you and me. I promise."

The boss looked around, ensuring their privacy, before she opened her mouth. Her voice was nearly inaudible - Barely above a whisper. "Monroe."

Monroe? He'd never heard of that name before. And in all honesty, he had expected a more... Feminine name. "You mean like-"

"If you say what I think you're gonna say, I won't hesitate shooting you in your other fucking knee, Gat."

Johnny chuckled as he laced an arm around her shoulders. He leaned close, his lips at her ear. "Like Marilyn Monroe?" A broad smirk crossed his face as the anger flashed across Monroe's facial features but she worked to control it. She had already beat the shit out of Matt; Adding Johnny to the list would only worsen her trip to hell.

"Shut the fuck up."

Monroe yanked away from him but Johnny grabbed her arm, bringing her right back to him. "Hey now, play nice with your second lieutenant." He grinned, brushing his fingers through her hair. As much as Monroe hated the immense feeling of softness from Johnny, she couldn't help but to relax. It was a calming action. She put her hand on his chest.

"Johnny, can I ask you something?"

He pursed his lips. The last time she had asked him a question, it ended with an argument and they hadn't spoken for weeks. That was before Loren came into the picture – Just after Carlos had died. "Yeah, of course. " Johnny eventually answered.

"How are you so… Calm? Aisha died and you just seem so collected. I'm still a mess after Lin and Carlos' deaths… Not to mention the whole annihilation of earth." Monroe forced a hard laugh, trying to get herself out of her shitty mood. But it didn't work. She still felt ultimately terrible. "I just don't understand how you can push away those feelings so well – I hope I'm not offending you."

Johnny chuckled quietly. "Don't worry about it. You aren't offending me. It's just – I guess I'm used to it. I mean, fuck, it's been awhile since I lost her. I can't be hung up on her forever."

Monroe smiled a bit. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess you're right."

She walked away from Johnny, her shoulders feeling just a little lighter. She wasn't entirely content but she wasn't entirely upset, anymore. Monroe sat down in the rec room, watching as Pierce and Matt played pool.