Boss: Yea...so...here's the next thing. Please read and review.

Enjoy.

Perhaps Matt was right. That's what Asha thought the day (or night. Who knew what time it was in space) after their brief conversation. In MI6, one of the first things taught was how to keep a lock on your emotions and 'view everything from the eyes of God' as it was put to her. Personal feelings had little to no room in her line of work unless it had something to do with assessing a threat and even then that was more analysis than personal thought. But this wasn't MI6. This was a crew of 10 flying through space in attempts to find a new home world that could possibly be inhabited by humans while they decided what to do with the new technology they acquired. Seeing things from a more personal perspective was quite hard for her, all things considered, but that didn't mean she didn't find the boss's new behavior odd. Sure, she gave the Boss shit and the Boss gave it right back. That was just how their relationship worked since Pakistan. The more she thought about it, the more she agreed with Matt. Something was off, but she knew better than to approach the Boss without some type of plan to go about it. For now, she would wait and see how the Boss behaved for the next few days to see the extent of this odd shift in the Boss's demeanor. In the meantime, she would work on her benchpress. The lactic acid building up in her arms was a pretty good distraction from the batshit crazy they've had to endure thus far.

Keith's brief betrayal wasn't something he was necessarily proud of. It wasn't so much about becoming ruler of a 'bullshit daydream' as it was the opportunity to maybe save 7 billion people that had no idea of the alien threat that decided now was the time to attack. He really did have good intentions, but as it was well known, the road to Hell is paved with them. For normal people, at least. God only knows what the Boss was paving her road to Hell with. Regardless, in the end, he knew he didn't have it in him. He wasn't Julius. The Boss knew that, even after getting him out of the tight spot he semi-put himself in. The Boss was loyal and that was really all she asked for in return, so he was pretty surprised when the Boss forgave him after what he had done. Even Shaundi forgave him which was an even bigger relief for him. Since the day she asked him on a date, he had actually grown quite fond of the Saint and she returned the sentiment fully. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't have a bit of fall out to deal with from her after what he had done. He fully expected her to completely lose her shit and possibly break something but she didn't do that. She brought him to the bridge, asked everyone to stay away from the area, and THEN proceeded to lose her shit at him, to which he accepted full responsibility and admitted he was in the wrong. Eventually, she calmed down and they talked through it, leading to them planning out their future date. Unexpected, but he was pleased. She was still willing to give him a shot.

Keith and Shaundi were currently sitting in the bridge like they usually did, looking out for anything that showed some sign of life and possible inhabitants, but today, things felt off. Something was on her mind and she wasn't telling him. He could tell.

"So...Shaundi", he started.

"Yea?" she said, not looking over her shoulder as her fingers flew over the keyboard in front of her. He shook his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He could practically hear her tense at his question.

"Nothing", she quipped. There was the sign that something was, in fact, wrong. He rose from his station and went over to hers, leaning over her shoulder as he looked at her screen.

"Shaundi. For someone who has been on TV, you're not that good at acting", he lightly joked in an attempt to lighten her mood. "Now, how about the truth?". A deep sigh left her as she dropped her hands from the board and leaned her head back.

"Nothing, it's just...something has been up with the Boss lately and its kinda freaking out some of the crew. I mean I know a lot has happened lately but this is different. She's NEVER acted this way, no matter whats happened and its starting to stress me out because I've known her for so long and I don't even know what's wrong". He could tell by how fast and loud she got that it was taking a toll on her and he kneeled down before turning the chair around, making her face him.

"Shaundi. Listen. She may not have responded to anything like this before, but you really have to take into consideration the situation we're all in now. We're in space. The earth was blown up right in front of her. She risked permanent brain damage to get you and everyone else out of a simulation that could've driven you all into madness. Her best friend that she believed to be dead all this time is actually alive. We just took over an alien empire. Perhaps it isn't so strange for her to be acting a bit odd in all honesty"

"Yea, but-"

"I'm not saying there isn't more to it than that. You've known the Boss longer than I have, so I know you know her better. I'm just saying maybe this isn't really something that should be unexpected". Shaundi sighed and thought about it for a minute. Everything that happened was pretty wild, but still. The Boss handled everything so well, so what exactly was tipping the scales now? She looked at Keith and nodded.

"You're right. But I do still have Kinzie keeping an eye on her just in case. This is just...so out of character for her". Keith grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it in reassurance.

"It's gonna be alright. I promise", he said. She kinda smiled a bit and held onto his hand. Coming from Keith, she could believe it. Maybe things would be okay.

Kinzie ran a hand over her forehead as she stared at the screen in front of her. Maybe they were overreacting a little bit. Maybe this would just be one of those things that smoothed itself out in the end. Change was inevitable in situations like this. Or at least in whatever situation you could compare to the one they were in now. Still. Something just wasn't sitting right and there had to be some type of logical explanation for it. Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned to see Benjamin making his way into the room across from CIDs that he seemed to enjoy hanging out in.

"Benjamin", she called out. He looked up from his notes and turned to her.

"Yea? What's up, Kinzie?". She awkwardly bit her lip and turned in her chair towards him.

"I was just wondering if you could give me some insight about how things were back then in Stilwater". Ben raised a brow.

"Why don't you just read my book? I know the playa has a copy still". Kinzie sighed.

"I have. But since we have nothing but time on our hands now, I kinda wanted to hear it from you...on a more personal note". He thought for a moment on her words before sitting down in the chair beside her.

"Alright. What do you want to know?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess. Some of the nightmares that came through the portals in the simulation got me thinking after I saw everyone's reactions to them. I figured there was something deeper than just what you have written in your book. The Vice Kings, the Rollerz, Los Carnales...the Saints". Ben set his paper and pen down on the desk.

"Oh, girl. I remember everything so clearly. As if all these years as a writer and all these years in the White House never happened". Kinzie crossed her legs in her chair and leaned in to listen.

If there was one thing that the Boss missed dearly (other than real wind blowing real blood spray back into her face), it was driving a real car on a real road. Unfortunately, this simulation was all she could get but it was close enough. If she didn't know this was a simulation, she'd almost pass it off for real, though the occasional glitches in everything would give it away. The window was rolled down. The radio was on. She was going quite a good bit over the speed limit, weaving in and out between cars. Pierce was singing to his heart's content to Biz Markie now that Zinyak wasn't there to butcher it. This felt right.

There was always the popular assumption that everyone picked on Pierce because they didn't like him but on the contrary, the Boss couldn't imagine the Saints without him. He didn't know it, but he was far more beloved than Shaundi would let him believe. Gat was right. Pierce was the brother she didn't have and always wanted, so when he was recruited along with her, that was the day she knew she found the brother she needed. The brother that would have her back no matter how much shit they gave each other. The song was just ending when the car suddenly plowed right into a program, making the vehicle jump. Why these programs insisted on running out in the middle of the road like they could make it across, the Boss couldn't understand but at the same time, she didn't care.

"There a reason you had to hit that?" he asked, adjusting his hat. She shrugged.

"I didn't tell them to run out in front of my car, so it's really not my fault".

"Still. You can't swerve around or something?"

"If I swerved for every pedestrian that decided they didn't want to live anymore, everyone would end up carsick within the first 5 minutes of the ride. So, no. I'm not gonna swerve around each and every pedestrian". That was another thing that amazed her about Pierce. He still had a small concern for life. Small, but still there. It was a quality that made him perfect for being the face of the Saints. He was about to comment until he heard 'Insane in the Membrane' start up and a huge grin came across his face.

"Ooohh, shit, Boss! I know you still love this one! Come on, sing it with me!"

"Pierce, I don't-"

"Come on, just this one, Boss!". Boss sighed and looked at him with a small smile.

"Alright alright. This one", she chuckled.

Their drive around the city involved a few passes over the same bridges once or twice as they jammed out. It almost felt like home again. Easier times. Times that felt...freer.

The ride eventually ended as they pulled into the park and she cut the engine. Pierce turned to the Boss with a smile.

"Imma head back to the ship, Boss. You gonna follow?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Not yet. Got some things I want to check out beforehand". He nodded.

"Alright. Before I go back, I got a quick question for ya"

"What's up?"

"You aight?". A small drop in her stomach forced her to swallow a lump in her throat that suddenly formed at the sudden question.

"What do you mean, Pierce?"

"Look, I know a lot of shits happened and it's all some real crazy shit, but I can tell somethin' is buggin' you. You sure you're good?". Sometimes she forgot just how smart Pierce really was. Just because nothing ever dulled his sparkle doesn't mean he didn't know what was happening around him. The man was a people person, so he knew people. God love him, as much of a ball of sass and sunshine he was, she imagined he'd have no problem possibly getting into Heaven while they were busy taking Hell right out from under Satan himself. She grabbed his shoulder and gently squeezed it.

"I'm sure, Pierce. I'm good. Go ahead back to the ship. I'll be back soon, man". He nodded and grabbed her shoulder in return.

"Alright. I'll see ya on the ship, Boss". The Boss watched as he exited the car and went through the door on the small island in the middle of the water. For a minute, she just sat in her car, her head in her hand as she stared at the steering wheel. If Pierce was noticing, who else noticed? While the simulation wasn't real, she could still feel her teeth biting into her lip and it was real enough to snap her from her wandering thoughts. She shook her head and started the engine back up before speeding out of the park. Back on earth, in the real Steelport, she used to take late night rides around the city when her insomnia decided that 2 am was the best time for her to be conscious. She loved city settings. Bright lights and colors. Watching the different types of people that wandered the streets. And knowing that it was all under her control was the puffy purple bow on top. It was everything she wanted the Saints to be and everything they deserved. It didn't dawn on her until she got close to the Three Count that the entire block was suddenly empty. No cops, no pedestrians. Hell, not even any other cars along the sidewalks.

"What the fuck?" she mumbled, bringing the car to a stop in the middle of the road before getting out. "Kinzie? Is there something going on with the simulation?". No answer. "Kinzie? Kinzie, are you there?". Again, no answer. "Guess not. Okay". She walked down the empty street, looking around for anything, but it was completely silent. A frown came across her face as she pulled out her pistol. If nobody would answer her, she'd just make something appear. She fired a round into the air. A sudden glitch blurred the buildings for a minute before readjusting again. "...The fuck?". She did it again, this time shattering the window of a door. Again, everything blurred but longer this time. "What the fuck is going on?". Flames engulfed her hand and she threw a fireball into the window of a store. The colors of everything suddenly began to flicker and shift. Bright neon signs suddenly went dull and muted and shifted to dark browns and reds. Brick walls suddenly cracked and bled black and green mold. The sky shifted from sunset purple and pink to gray and black. "Okay, Kinzie. Matt. Whichever one of you thinks this shit is funny, it's fucking not! That's enough!". Dead silence. Nobody was there. She took a few steps down the street again, confused as to why the simulation was shifting without either one of her geniuses behind the keyboard. Steps sounded behind her and she turned to see a wireframe program standing beside her car. It simply stood there once she saw it, so she drew her pistol again, keeping it aimed at its head. "Seriously, this shit isn't cute!". Silence. She slowly approached the program, keeping 6 ft between them. "You're another one of those fucking respawned programs, huh?". Nothing. Annoyance overtook her and she aimed her gun at the program's knee before pulling the trigger, causing it to collapse onto one knee. Sharp pain hit her in the same knee and she also collapsed the same. "What the fuck is this?!". Alarm. It had been a while since she actually felt alarm. How the fuck was this happening and how the fuck was she supposed to kill this fucking thing? She racked her brain in attempts to remember where one of the doors were to get out of here as she got back up and backed away from the program. "Kinzie! Matt!" she yelled again, hoping this time someone would respond, but nothing. "Fuck it, I'll figure it out myself!". Flames again encircled her hand and she threw a fireball at the program, jumping away when one was also coming towards her. "This is fucking bullshit!". She aimed both of her guns at the program, who raised both arms in her direction. No guns, but mirroring her perfectly. She couldn't shoot it unless she wanted to shoot herself, but she had another theory. She took a few steps backwards to see if it would copy. It only stepped towards her, so she took a few steps to the right. It went right. 'Okay, so it will copy me left and right but makes sure to stay close to me'. The Boss rolled her neck. So did the program. 'Alright. Let's do this'. She began to back up into an alley, keeping her guns drawn and the program followed her through the twists and turns until they were both sandwiched between two brick walls. She let her guns disappear and stepped towards the program, making it back up before suddenly falling backwards into a backbend. A loud crunch made her smirk as she stood back up, seeing the brick wall the program smashed its wireframe skull against. The dark red spot on the wall let her know it had to be fatal. A sigh left her and she looked down at the wireframe body, the top of its head smashed in and oozing blood. But the Boss's smirk soon faded when the frame began to flicker and move, it's broken frame rising. "What the fuck does it take to kill you?!" she yelled. She backed away, the program approaching her slowly, flickering and twitching as it's concave skull continued to bleed out all over it. Her heart rate. She could feel it rising. Now was not the time but it was happening regardless. She stopped and pulled out a six shooter. 'Been a while since I played russian roulette but fuck it, now is as good as ever'. This thing couldn't have been an accidental respawn. She spun the chamber of the revolver and aimed it at her head, watching the program do the same. Now all she had to do was pull the trigger.

"BOSS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Matt suddenly screamed at her. The car. She was still sitting in the car. She blinked, seeing the park outside the windshield and felt metal pushed to the side of her head. It was her revolver. She let the gun fall into the console before taking a few deep breaths, grabbing onto the steering wheel.

"Matt?" she said.

"What the hell was that?! Are you mad?!" he yelled.

"Matt, what happened?" she asked, ignoring his screaming.

"You've been sitting in your car for almost an hour and apparently, you were about to blow your bloody brains out!". The flickering wireframe program. The empty streets. It wasn't real?

"Is there anyone else in the simulation right now? Crew or rogue programs?"

"What the-no! Why? Boss, what is going on?" he asked again. She shook her head.

"Nothing. Listen, keep this between us".

"What? Why? Boss, are you-"

"Matthew. This. Stays. Between. Us." she ground out from between her teeth. He wanted to argue, but he couldn't find the words. When he turned back to the screen, the Boss was gone and a hand grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. The Boss caged him in against the table. "Not one word, Miller. To anybody. Not even Kinzie. Alright?". To say the Boss's behavior was even more alarming now was an understatement. He just watched her put a gun to her head and she had no idea what had been happening, but he shook his head, clenching his jaw.

"Alright. Not one word". A moment of silence took hold and the Boss dropped her head before backing away from the hacker.

"I'm sorry, Matt. Just...this has to stay quiet...", she said, running her hand through her hair. Sympathy. At this point, that's all Matt had to offer the Boss. A worried look twisted his features. Was this it? Was the Boss finally cracking?

"I understand. I won't say anything", he said.

"...Thanks", she said before she turned and headed down to the common room to lie down on the couch, exhaustion setting in. Matt squeezed his eyes shut, guilt briefly sweeping over him.

He had recorded the whole thing.

Boss: So..yea. Hope you liked it. Please review...