On the Edge of Glory
(Part One)
Rating: T (Violence and language)
Summary: After defeating Zinyak, Shaundi suggests that they use the time traveling device to go back in time to rescue their friends before the Earth is destroyed. The boss agrees, but the first two people she wants to bring back to the ship are the DeWynter sisters. Matt tells her that she only has a limited amount of time before Killbane loses it and snaps Kiki's neck. Alexis knows that she can do it, even if it means Viola won't remember their relationship afterward.
Author's Note: Dear Volition, please turn this into a mission pack.
Alexis refuses to waste any more time pacing back and forth on this god forsaken ship any longer. Last night, the Saints held a very important meeting that seemed to push Shaundi's idea of rescuing their former lieutenants into culmination. Ever since Zinyak's defeat, the boss and the Saints found themselves becoming overly dependent on the simulation as there was absolutely nothing exciting to do on the ship anymore, with the exception of awkward sexual encounters with one another every now and then. Alexis was sick of this life that she unintentionally forced upon herself and her friends. Although she would never tell the Saints, the boss burdened herself with the blame of the loss of their home planet and she would sacrifice anything if it meant that she could permanently restore their former lives. She wanted them to be happy. Alexis vowed that as the leader of the Third Street Saints she would carry them all on a broken back and blown out knees and that's what she intended to do until her very last breath. She was going to find a way to restore Earth herself using the alien technology the Saints keep stumbling upon as she did not want Kinzie or Matt in on the project; this was something she had to do herself. Alexis figured she had done enough damage to last several lifetimes…
Shaundi's aggravated voice broke her out of her reverie. "Boss, are you even listening right now? Snap the fuck out of it and let's get going. We've finally figured out how to use this time travel thing-a-ma-jig to rescue our friends but it's up to you to decide who you want to rescue first." Shaundi had become extremely short tempered and impatient when it came to dealing with Alexis lately. She's been zoning out quite often and while that in itself was nothing to worry about, the boss no longer contributed much to their conversations anymore. Her obnoxious lover always had something to say about everything and being met with uncomfortable silence from the older woman meant that there was definitely something to be concerned about. Alexis didn't have to think about this for too long as she already assigned two people in mind to look after the Saints in case anything happened to her. Not that she was expecting anything drastic to occur just yet, she just wanted to place the fate of the Saints in the capable hands of the DeWynter sisters in order to keep the business running. With the immeasurable amount of guilt that's been tormenting her lately, Alexis can feel the tides of change washing over her. Whatever these changes were going to be, she knew that in the end these changes would be good for the Saints and her plans to restore Earth; however, the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she just wouldn't be apart of it.
This mission was going to be dangerous, they were tampering with alien technology none of them were too familiar with but the risks were absolutely necessary if she was going to figure out a way to clean up her mess. Alexis offered Shaundi a sad smile, which only deepened the frown on the latter's face. "We're going back a few years to kidnap the DeWynter sisters. Before anyone says anything, I am aware of what the risks entail if we decide to go through with this. We're traveling back to a time where we barely acquired Oleg as an ally, we're going back to when Killbane is still alive and we'll be facing Matt Miller as his former cyber goth jailbait self instead of the Nyteblade obsessed twenty one year old virgin we see standing before us today."
Matt groaned in embarrassment as Asha nudged him with a teasing smirk playing on her lips. "I'll have you know that I resent that!"
Alexis chuckled bitterly. "I'll have you know that I don't give a shit. As I was saying, I'll be taking Pierce, Shaundi and Johnny with me on this journey. If we don't fuck this up, which I'm ninety nine percent sure we won't, we'll be meeting the rest of you back on the ship when we come back. Matt, I want you to tell me the last time you saw Kiki and Viola together and we'll go from there." The boss said before realization dawned on her. Matt hesitated but he continued on anyway. "I-I remember the day as if it just happened just seconds ago actually. The last time I saw them together was during a Syndicate meeting seconds before Killbane…well, you know, loses his temper and snaps Kiki's neck." The boss grimaced at the mental image playing in her mind. Matt didn't have to go into details; that was so unnecessary. It wasn't exactly ideal but if he could give them an exact date and time, it would help Alexis salvage what she can of her past before she loses her only chance at restoring the Earth. "Matt, if you can wrack your brain and give us an exact date and time of the meeting, I'll be sure to come back with the DeWynter sisters in tow. As much as I don't want to interfere with the past, if you're alone with Killbane, kill the motherfucker. We'll be taking down the Syndicate a lot more quickly but it still won't change the fate of our planet because of the inevitable Zin invasion. With that said, our priorities are to keep Matt's past self alive and unharmed and to bring back the DeWynter sisters. Brownie points go to the lucky son of a bitch that teaches Killbane a lesson."
Johnny and Pierce seemed enthralled at the idea of finally getting their revenge but it was Shaundi who was concerned about a different matter entirely. "Boss, are you sure this is a good idea? You're going to rescue someone you were in love with during a time they considered you their enemy. I just don't want to see you getting hurt because of an easy distraction." Shaundi placed a hand over the boss' shoulder and Alexis reached up to cover her lieutenant's hand with her own before pressing a gentle kiss on her delicate fingers. "Don't worry about me, Shaundi. I know what I'm getting myself into. I'll always have a place for her in my heart but that's something to worry about another day. Now, if we ever get the chance to restore the Earth, Viola and Kiki would make valuable assets seeing as they would expertly manage our business since none of us really know how to." Alexis joked half-heartedly. Shaundi tried to share a laugh with the boss but she found that she couldn't without much resistance. There was something in Alexis' tone of voice that made her feel uneasy and incredibly uncomfortable. Alexis wasn't herself and Shaundi didn't think it would be a good idea to leave the boss unguarded if she wasn't going to completely focus on the mission. She wished she would just open up to her instead of shutting her out like she had been these past few weeks.
Johnny walked up to the boss and startled the woman when he playfully slapped her on the back. "Wake the fuck up, boss! What are we doing just standing around here and playing with our dicks for when we can fuckin' travel back in time and go on a throwback murdering spree? Let's get our revenge on!" He shouted enthusiastically, earning some cheers from the rest of the Saints. Alexis met Shaundi's gaze for one brief second and almost immediately Shaundi knew something was wrong. She didn't know what but there was something off in the way the boss looked at her. The veteran lieutenant was anxious. She was going to make sure that she didn't stray too far away from Alexis if she could help it; she just needs to make sure that they were all going to return in one piece. Shaundi doesn't think she could handle losing the woman she loves and so she promised herself right then and there that the Saints weren't going to lose their leader and best friend. Shaundi was going to make damn sure of that.
The device they used in order to travel back to the date and time Matt reassured the Saints was the absolute last time he had seen the DeWynter sisters together nearly malfunctioned during their trip. Alexis didn't know how to describe the experience but for one brief moment, it felt euphoric before the device she mistakenly entrusted Johnny with went haywire. It wasn't exactly like plugging into the Steelport simulation back on the ship, but all Alexis could really remember was passing through what she assumed was purgatory at an incredible speed for what felt like a really long time before her body landed on something concrete. Thankfully, she had been wearing her power armor suit that she earned after kicking Zinyak's ass but at this point and time, she wasn't certain if their half assed plan was going to work so she played it safe and donned the Iron Maiden. When she opened her eyes, it took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the light that enveloped her. Chills suddenly ran down Alexis' spine when she turned her head to observe her environment. She was lying on grass, actual fucking grass and not that simulated pixel shit she was forced to adjust to for the longest time. Bolting upright, the boss wasted no time in taking off her helmet and tossing it to the side when she realized she was back on Earth.
Holy shit.
She was actually back on Earth where she could actually breathe in the oxygen, feel the textures of everything that surrounded her and…and she no longer had to be plugged in to relive the experience she didn't realize she had missed so much. Alexis spent quite a bit of time feeling up on the trees on the very familiar park she recognized right away, took her time to play in the water fountains and observed the actual living human beings who walked past her. It was so incredible. Never again would she ever take this simple yet amazing moment in her life for granted; she was going to cherish it forever. She must have looked out of place in her Iron Maiden power armor as the live(not simulated) citizens of Steelport began to whisper behind her back as she jogged past them but their criticism didn't bother her; she just remembered she had to reunite with the rest of the Saints before they set out to complete their mission. Being back on Earth, even if it was temporary, was enough to uplift Alexis' spirits. They didn't have much time left but looking back on this moment Alexis knew this was going to be well worth the journey. It didn't take her very long to locate Gat when she saw that her best friend was calmly walking away from a smashed up car and the unfortunate owner of the vehicle who appeared to be knocked out cold on the ground. Johnny took a minute to stretch out his limbs, popped his neck and back before he explained the situation though it seemed pretty obvious to the boss. "I fell hard and fast from who knows where the fuck we were and landed on that piece of shit Temptress. It was an accident but the owner wouldn't stop insisting on calling the cops so I decked him. Where have you been?" Gat asked as he attempted to wipe away the grass stains on his space suit. Alexis shook her head and grinned.
"I landed on some actual grass by a park with real trees, people, and water fountains. It's incredible. I almost forgot what it's like to feel real." She replied softly.
Johnny tilted his head to side and recognized the sad tone in his best friend's voice. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led them away from the crowd of people who couldn't stop staring at them. "Yo, don't get caught up in all this nostalgic shit or you'll show the Syndicate how vulnerable you really are. Let's find Shaundi and Pierce and do what we came here to do. We have a job to do, Lexi, don't lose focus."
Unable to properly respond to Gat's wisdom, Alexis nodded and the two went their separate ways in order to reunite with their friends. Luckily for the boss, both Shaundi and Pierce landed nearby with the time traveling device still in tact thanks to Shaundi's overprotective nature after Johnny demonstrated he clearly couldn't be trusted with alien technology. Pierce clearly demonstrated he wasn't going to waste any time now that he was back on Earth; he was quickly downing an entire sixteen ounce can of Saints Flow as the boss approached him. "Damn, I almost forgot what money tasted like!" He said excitedly, crushing the can and tossing it aside. His good vibes were instantly ruined when he felt an overwhelming presence loom over him. Shaundi was drenched in water and she couldn't help but glare at the man she considered an annoying younger brother. "Watch where you throw your garbage, Pierce! I almost fucking drowned in a covered up penthouse pool right now! What an incredible way to start the mission, guys!." Shaundi grumbled as she began stripping herself of her spacesuit.
Alexis rolled her eyes and casually approached Shaundi before she steadied the younger woman and began rubbing her shoulders sensually. Almost immediately, the tension Shaundi's felt since even before embarking on this adventure went away. "Easy tiger, save the 'tude for Killbane. We should probably get going; we don't have the luxury of time right now. It shouldn't take us long to get to the main Decker hideout. Let's head out Third Street!" With that said, Alexis placed a soft kiss against Shaundi's cheek before she turned on her heel. The Saints would have to make do with hijacking an actual vehicle while she could afford the ability to fly above the entire city of Steelport thanks to the power armor. Johnny must have read her mind and went off to steal an unoccupied four door vehicle as she knelt on the ground staring off into the distance. Alexis reveled in the immense power that seemed to be radiating out of her Iron Maiden suit, charging it for a super jump that would definitely give her a head start towards their destination. If there was one thing that she did miss about the simulation, it was the ability to use superpowers but at the same time, it certainly didn't compare to how real everything felt right at this moment. It was beautiful.
Johnny pulled up in a stylish Bootlegger, his parking job a bit sloppy since none of the Saints really bothered driving simulated vehicles anymore. None of the Saints carried valid drivers' licenses anyway. He grinned and signaled towards the boss to get going so without further ado, Alexis inhaled and immediately shot straight up into the air. Her mind was racing but she knew she couldn't allow her emotions to distract her even for a second. She was going to rescue Kiki from certain death and Viola would no longer have to suffer silently from the loss of her twin sister for the years to come. She had to make everything right again, she just had to. None of them deserved this. Perhaps Zinyak was right…humanity would have been better off without her in the first place.
"Hooker assassins!?" Killbane shouted, enraged at the fact that he allowed the DeWynter sisters to execute an assassination attempt against the Saints. At least Matt Miller and the Deckers were a relentless force to be reckoned with but now that Phillipe Loren was dead, the Morningstar was no longer relevant to the Syndicate and his assistants were quickly grating on his last nerve. "They came highly recommended!" Viola retorted as she attempted to step in front of Kiki but being the overprotective twin sister, Kiki denied her sister permission and made sure to keep her as far away from Killbane as possible. This was not going to end well.
"Ladies, it was a pretty shit plan." The youthful voice belonged to the cyber terrorist Matt Miller. He chuckled nervously, desperately trying to ignore the fact that Killbane was about to lose his temper. He had to do something to keep the situation from escalating, even if it meant siding with Killbane could incur Kiki's wrath. 'Better me than Killbane,' Matt thought to himself as he shifted in his chair. Kiki DeWynter had a mouth on her and she's already tested enough of Killbane's patience. He didn't want to lose one of his dearest friends to a psychopath. The DeWynter sisters turned their attention to the sixteen year old leader of the Deckers. Aggravated by Matt's criticism and Eddie's bitching, Kiki rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips disapprovingly. "Tell me Matt, did you have a plan? How about you, Eddie?" She asked impatiently, knowing fully well that Eddie did not appreciate being called anything other than his ridiculous alter ego. It was such bullshit; she was no longer going to give the idiot the satisfaction. How the hell could one take business matters seriously when one of Loren's biggest partners was a completely useless moron? She finally had enough. She was going to officially resign from the Syndicate seeing as these imbeciles couldn't do a damn thing to stop the Third Street Saints from taking over Steelport. As a matter of fact, she was going to take Viola and offer their services to the Saints if their leader would give them a chance.
Killbane gritted his teeth and growled. Kiki DeWynter had some nerve calling him by the birth name he refuses to acknowledge anymore and she was going to pay for it. The outspoken twin finally crossed the line; she really shouldn't have tested his limits. "There's a reason Phillipe left the thinking to us. We're done here." Kiki said, turning on her heel and motioned for the ever so timid Viola to follow suit. Just as soon as she had begun walking away, Killbane reached for her neck and lifted her up in the air, squeezing as tightly as he possibly could. Kiki's eyes widened in fear as she recognized the look of panic clearly written on her sister's face; this was the last time they would ever see each other. Viola stepped forward, heart freezing over and dropping to the floor as she attempted to pry Killbane's gigantic hands off of her twin sister. She had to do something, anything really; she just doesn't think she'll be able to handle watching her twin sister die at the hands of a mentally unstable psychopath. Just as Killbane was ready to snap Kiki's neck in half, the occupants of the room heard a loud disturbance from up above. The ceiling came crashing down and several bulky figures invaded the Decker hideout rappelling down from ropes. Killbane didn't have much time to react when he saw the familiar face of Alexis suddenly charging from across the room wearing advanced armor of some sort. The boss growled when she noticed Kiki dangling mid-air from Killbane's death grip although she was thankful that she was still alive. "Put her down you piece of shit! This is between you and me now." She cried out as she glided towards them as gracefully as she could.
Killbane shrugged and decided that tossing Kiki aside with as much force as he could muster would be enough to kill her. The angered brute suddenly hurled the petite young woman behind him, sending her flying towards a piece of equipment that could possibly impale her. "Kiki, no!" Viola's panicked voice only fueled Alexis' determination even further to teach Eddie a valuable lesson about family and loyalty. Eddie braced himself for impact but could not withstand the force of the boss' power armor and found himself knocked over to the ground. What he wasn't expecting was the leader of the Third Street Saints to blatantly ignore him and fly towards Kiki DeWynter instead. Alexis managed to wrap her extended arms around Kiki's waist in time and instinctively turned them around so that it was the Iron Maiden suit that was impaled by an electrical rod that sent shockwaves down the boss' spine. Kiki ducked her head and curled herself into her savior's arms as she held on tightly to their armor. Grunting in pain, Alexis carefully lowered Kiki to the ground as she pushed herself off the protruding antenna. She didn't have much time to keep it together as shots were fired in their direction from Killbane, the Deckers, and several of the Luchadores that escorted Eddie to the hideout. "Duck!" Alexis shouted as she shoved Kiki to the floor, hovering above her so that her armor was being pierced by the bullets. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to find Johnny and Pierce taking care of the opposition while Shaundi and Viola found themselves fighting together as teammates.
Kiki was in absolute shock. She couldn't help but clutch onto the broad shoulders of Haleigh Alexis Hart, the one person that was able to take down Phillipe Loren in a heartbeat. Her supposed sworn enemy-now-turned-ally had risked her own neck for her. Alexis suddenly felt curious eyes on her and turned to face Kiki. A blush adorning her cheeks, the boss smiled sheepishly and winked at Kiki DeWynter. "Hey beautiful. Let's see how handy you are with a pistol and help me take down this useless piece of shit." Kiki actually blushed at that but not wanting to show an ounce of vulnerability, she grinned. "Gee, I'd love to help but I'm currently pinned to the ground with my legs wrapped around your waist." Laughing nervously, Alexis picked herself off the ground and continued to shelter Kiki using her armor, which was now falling apart due to the amount of excessive damage it was taking. The armor piercing bullets were starting to hurt. "Here, use this. Don't worry about Eddie, the son of a bitch is mine. You should head over to where Shaundi and Viola are fighting off the swarms of idiots you once called your allies." Alexis suggested as she gently nudged Kiki towards a column in order to avoid the hail of bullets heading their way. Kiki nodded and carefully glanced over the damaged column, her gaze eventually meeting Viola's, who seemed absolutely relieved at the sight of her twin sister. When she was able to reach the veteran Saints lieutenant, Viola immediately threw her arms around Kiki and embraced her for a brief moment before they remembered they were fighting against the Deckers and Luchadores.
Before words could be exchanged between the reunited DeWynter sisters, their attention turned towards the leader of the Third Street Saints who was about to face off with Killbane. "Boss, what the hell do you think you're doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Shaundi shouted worriedly as she helplessly observed the boss stripping herself of the damaged power armor she came here with. Alexis gently placed a hand to cover the wound she had earned from being impaled and flinched when blood came oozing out. Eddie noticed this and smiled menacingly at Alexis. This did not seem to bother the boss at all although Alexis was legit terrified. She had never felt this weak and powerless before but she had to keep moving forward if she wanted to set her plans into motion once they rescued their friends from the past. Alexis beckoned Killbane to come for her and he did just that, charging after her without a second thought in the world. This would be a fight to the death and this time, he wasn't going to get away with all the wrong he'd done to them before. The boss braced herself for battle, wincing at the slight discomfort she felt when she raised her arms up defensively. "Revenge is a dish best served cold, mother fucker. This is for Viola and all the suffering you put her through. Your life ends here and now." She whispered to herself as she recklessly offered her body to Killbane.