A/N: On to our Saint's triumphant return! I love how 2 starts. This will be longer than one, mostly following the Ronin storyline. And I think I figured out why Johnny died in 3. There's no yellow gang for him to be in charge of taking out. XD Yes, I finally got back to this. Thanks to Adam's urging.
Appointed Defender
I looked around Stilwater. It wasn't the same.
"Who the fuck did all this?" I asked. Carlos sighed.
"Ultor. They came in and cleaned up the row after you died. If you ever forget who Ultor is just look at the row and look at that fucking eyesore." We arrived on shore, and I stepped off the boat.
"You should lie low for a while, maybe go to a bar, regain your bearings."
"Right. Thanks for the help Carlos." I walked to Sloppy Seconds, getting out of my jumpsuit and into a pair of well fitting dark wash jeans and a Saints purple tank top. Then, to Teeany, the nearest bar. Stilwater had changed, but it was much the same. I drank a beer, looking up at the TV. Fuck. Johnny.
"Turn that shit off!" I looked over my sholder.
"I was watching that."
"Well, now you're not." I picked up his bottle, and smashed him in the face with it.
"Could you turn the TV back on?"
"We will see if he gets to pay for his crimes, or go free soon."
"Shit." I loaded my pistol as several brutish men attacked me, and shot them down, hurrying to a car outside. I had to save Johnny.
When I arrived at the courthouse, I found him. Shooting a police officer, I smirked at him. His eyes said it all. I pulled the keys off the guard, and tossed them to Johnny.
"About fucking time you showed up."
"You all right Johnny?" I asked.
"Other than almost being sent to the chair, yeah, I'm fucking great." He'd changed. It felt like I'd been in bed with him only hours ago, but looking at him, I knew it had been years. The last time I'd seen him, he was young and looked it. Now he looked older, more mature, but that could just be the suit.
I tossed him a pistol, and we shot our way out. As we got into a car and started to drive away, I relaxed.
"Aish would have killed me if I got executed."
"…you're still with Aisha?" I asked. I was a little hurt, but I died. Did I expect him not to move on?
"With you dead and having never told her… yeah. I was."
"How long were you in jail?"
"Two years. Longer than that."
"Fuck. How long was I gone?"
"Too long. You know, no one thought I was going to last long in prison, but every time they were going to kill me… Troy got me out. I guess he doesn't hold grudges like I do."
"Troy?"
"Yeah man! Troy's chief of police now! You gotta get with the times."
"Troy's the chief of police? I must have woke up in an alternate universe."
"Something like that. Dex is working for Ultor, Julius is missing, Ben King wrote an autobiography… but the real interesting one is Troy."
"Where are we going?"
"Head to Aisha's. It's out by Price's old mansion." I nodded and drove. Without thinking, I took Johnny's hand. He smiled.
"Miss me?"
"I was dead. For me it's like you were only gone for a few hours." Johnny sighed.
"For me it's been two and a half years."
"How'd you end up in jail? Dex and Julius got away, and I'm sure some other Saints did…" I asked.
"I heard you were dead, and it was Troy's fault. I stormed the police station, and attacked him. Killed three cops and grazed Troy before I was taken down. Troy wouldn't let them kill me," he replied. I nodded.
"Troy was one of us. He became a Saint. It's hard to leave."
"Yeah." We got to Aisha's, and I followed him inside.
"You want a beer?" He asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
"Hey Aish! You home! I brought company!"
"Johnny! Who is it?" I sat down in her living room with him.
"Come to the living room and find out!" She showed up, her hair cropped and looking much older as well. It was like I was still seventeen and they were almost thirty.
"Oh my god, it's you."
"Surprised Aisha?" I asked as Johnny handed me a beer.
"What, that you're alive, or that you're talking?"
"Pick one."
"We've got to remind people who the Saints are," Johnny said.
"Definitely. But where do we start?"
"We gotta get a crew together."
"Already?"
"I've been cooped up on death row, and this bitch has been laid out in acoma!" Johnny replied.
"It can't wait till after dinner?"
"NO!" We both yelled. She laughed.
"You two never change."
"Well, you know what they say about dogs and blowing shit up."
"So who've you got?"
"I know a few people. We can get them together and get the Saints back on their feet again." I nodded.
"And where exactly are you planning on having this meeting?" Aisha asked. Both of us looked around, and nodded to each other.
"This place is pretty spacious."
"The color is soothing."
"Un-uh. This ain't no gang clubhouse!" She turned around, arms crossed over her chest.
"We're gonna have to find a new place?"
"Yeah. I got an idea. Let's go." Johnny lead me out, and got into the car again.
"So, where are we going?"
"The old mission house."
"Why not the church?" I asked as I started to drive.
"Ultor bought it and renovated it. IT's a tourist trap now."
"You're shitting me!"
"Nope."
"Why the mission? Religious buildings are a little been there, done that." Johnny laughed.
"We're not staying in the mission. See, there was an earthquake years ago that put half the city underground, and they just build over the ruins. We're going for the hotel under the mission."
"Sounds too easy," I replied as I turned, hitting two cars and ignoring the impact.
"Problem is, we've gotta evict the current tenants."
"Sounds like fun!" Johnny smiled.
"You really haven't changed."
"And you have. What happened?" I asked. He sighed.
"You died."
"I know. But what the hell happened to you?"
"I went for Troy and spent all the time that you were comatose in prison. Aish kept up with me… I… I never told her." Johnny looked down. We got to the mission, and I stopped.
"I understand Johnny. You look different."
"Do I?"
"Yeah. You look a lot older." He laughed.
"And you still look like a seventeen year old punk."
"I am a seventeen year old punk."
"Technically, you're nineteen." I laughed now. But really it was terrifying to think that two years of my life were just gone. It made me wonder how my last ex was. Did he think I was dead? Would he care?
We went inside, and cleared out the gang in the hotel. Johnny sat down on the couch with a smile.
"So, what do you think?" I looked around, and decided hey, it's Johnny. I can be honest.
"It's a shithole."
"But it's a shithole with potential." I laughed and sat down next to him.
"A better couch, nice Tvs, maybe a few stripper poles…"
"You had me at stripper pole."
"Fuckin' A."
"If you're going to use one," I joked.
"Uh-huh."
"How 'bout a nice office with a king size bed and a huge bathtub?"
"Yeah."
"Johnny... are we okay?" I asked. He took my hand.
"I am now. I spent two and a half years hating everything, not giving a damn, and now, you're here. Hell, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do here."
"I know it's been a bloody long time for you, but as I've said, for me, I was asleep in your arms last night. I know what I want, and if you don't, I get it. Johnny, I still love you." Johnny smiled. I took that as a good sign. He leaned forward, kissing me.
"I still love you too, Dante."
"Right, that reminds me... when we do get the new crew together, no one knows my name. From now on, it's just boss. But... you can call me Dante when we're alone."
"We've got a crew to get put together. So, let's get this shit started."
"Hell yeah."
A/N: I finally got it done! ^^ A miracle. I think now I'm going to get off the computer and go kick someone's ass in Street Fighter.
