A/N: And back to the serious story.

Would you believe me if I said I didn't know what 'Salting the Earth' means until now? I googled it and I was like ah, that makes so much sense.

Chapter 13: Re-planting the Seeds

"Still don't get it," Kinzie took a sip from her cup of green tea, "I mean, what's the point of trying to contact your past enemies? He's not really doing anything to her anymore."

Matt Miller, her rival now turned her assistant-slash-the Boss' pet, sat across the room, typing quietly behind his laptop. He looked at her and shrugged. He had just received a scolding from the Boss.

"I think she's trying to tie loose ends." Oleg walked inside the room, making the young Brit cringe at the sound of his voice.

"Tie loose ends?" Kinzie set down her cup and looked at him.

"She is trying to fix everything before she leaves. The past blunders she had caused, she's trying to straighten them so she can rest at ease." His words were thick with his Russian accent.

"Still, I don't see why she would want to see Dexter Jackson. She never talked about him but I did my research and it turns out that he's partly responsible for the Boss' boat explosion. If he hadn't abandoned her, it wouldn't have happened. He probably would've read to their plan. She was left alone by the people she was expecting to guide her."

"She's trying to reconcile with her enemies so we don't have to worry about them in the future" he spoke, "It's not about her anymore. She is trying to think of the future of the Saints. The Masako could've been just as much trouble as STAG, had they not backed out after Dex fled Stilwater".

"Guess you're right." She stared at her monitor, "It's true. By reconciling with Dex Jackson, the Saints will have one less enemy, and possibly another ally."

"She might not look like it but she's actually pretty smart, isn't she?" Matt said, finally joining in the conversation.

"Considering that she managed to overthrow the Syndicate who had been grounded deep in Steelport, I'd say she's a genius criminal mastermind." Kinzie sighed. "Our talents and skills would've been rendered useless against the Syndicate, but because of her leadership, the Saints actually made a great team."

"Right." Oleg shook his head, "It's really a pity she had to die so early. What are we gonna do without her?"

A dead silence ensued on the room afterwards.

Matt looked at his monitor intently. It had frozen. "Aw, seriously, Kensington?" he tapped on his keyboard loudly.

"What?" She peered over her monitor.

"Don't ask me 'what'." He continued to tap on his keyboard, "You froze my PC!"

"No I didn't." She looked down her own monitor and tried to move the mouse. It didn't respond.

"What is it?" Oleg looked at her computer screen, slowly fading to black.

"Shit." The two hackers said simultaneously.

Dexter Jackson. Head of Ultor Security. Former gang lieutenant. The brains of Julius Little's Third Street Saints.

"Johnny."

"Dex." Gat greeted back with a stern face. "Been a long time."

The former Saint turned to the Boss, a few steps behind Johnny. "Hey there, playa."

She frowned. Her heart was pounding. The traitor, Dexter Jackson, is standing in front of her, so casually. He wore a tacky grey suit and an Ultor pin on his collar. He looked so much mature now. Different from what she remembered. The man he chased out of Stilwater is back.

"Dex." She inhaled deeply, reminding herself in her head her real intentions in meeting him. Yes, she was still angry at him. She wanted to throw him off the rooftop they were in for joining Ultor and leaving them when they needed him the most. He sold them out. "Dex, I want a truce."

"Come again?" Dex looked at her with confusion.

"I said I want a truce." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Let's end this meaningless fight."

"Seriously, Boss?" Johnny turned his head to look at her.

"I'm not saying I forgive you." She gritted her teeth, "I'm saying we should stop fighting. Just back down."

"Why?" Dex asked, unable to say anything more. He looked at her intently, trying to decipher what she was planning in her head. Is it a trap? Is this for real? The real problem with being a deceitful person is that you expect everyone else to do the same to you at one point.

"Does it really matter?" She scoffed, "I want to make one less enemy to deal with and worry about."

He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, the steel doors creaked open. Gat and Dex' eyes both widened as they saw the man stepping out to the rooftop. He pointed his standard issue handgun at them.

"Troy!" Johnny drew his GDHC and quickly pointed it back at him. "How dare you show your face to me?"

"Johnny, put your gun down." She stepped between the two. "You too, Troy."

"Geez, I can't believe I came here." Troy shook his head, still holding his position.

Troy Bradshaw. Stilwater Chief of Police. Former Saints lieutenant. Former undercover cop tasked to infiltrate the gang industry.

"I said put your motherfuckin' guns!" She yelled, "SO PUT THEM DOWN NOW!"

Johnny sighed and raised both his hand over his head before dropping them. Troy holstered his gun afterwards. He wasn't in his uniform today. He wore a denim jacket over a black shirt. He had a baseball cap over his head to avoid being recognized.

"Boss, tell me what this guy is doing here and why I'm not allowed to kill him." Johnny kept his eyes on Troy.

"I asked him to."

"Ah, so the plot thickens." Dex looked at them with amusement. "So what's your plan now?"

"I already told you my plan." She turned at him. "I want to call a truce... to both of you, that is." She sighed, "The four of us, we're the last of the original Saints lieutenants. And god, I have to admit, we used to be really good friends." She looked at each of them, "I think it's time we make amends."

"You're really expecting me to make amends with this guy?" Johnny pointed his finger at Troy.

"Hey, I told you to back down, to drop flags and you didn't!" Troy yelled back. "And you tried to kill me in front of my men, what am I supposed to do?"

"Your men?" Gat scoffed, "Well, that's kinda funny, considering that you threw the people you formerly considered as your men, your crew, your friends, to prison afterwards."

"Oh you think I enjoy doing that?" They both took a step towards each other.

"Well, I seriously doubt that, Chief." They glared at each other. They were ready to pounce at each other any second.

"Yo, Gat, Troy, cut it out." Dex stepped forward. The tension was building in the air. "Be cool, man."

"Shut it." They both said.

"Hey, I said stop it." She pushed them away from each other. She glared at Gat, warning him with her eyes. He frowned at her and turned his back.

"I don't know about you, Boss, but I am definitely not okay with all this." He looked at her, "I can't work with these guys."

"I'm not asking you to hang out and grab a beer with them." She sighed. "All I'm asking is for you to put the past behind you. Be civil and not plot ways to kill each other every time we meet. That's all I'm asking." He looked at Dex, clearly directing it to him, "We need to fix this, once and for all."

"I agree," Dex decided to take her side, "I'm tired of running away from the Saints. If you would stop trying to hunt me down, then I promise not to come after the Saints as well."

"Bitch, you're the one who came after us first with your squad." Gat scowled at him.

"Then we're good." She ignored her right hand. "You are free to go back to Stilwater and do as you please, as long as you don't touch my gang or harm my people."

"You got yourself a deal."

"And you two," She turned to Troy and Gat, "Jesus, you two used to be best friends. What's wrong with you?"

"He was a cop, that's what's wrong." Johnny said coolly.

"Yep, and you're a fucking hot-headed delinquent criminal." Troy added.

The Boss sighed again, "Listen, just-"

A loud explosion cut her off. They all looked at the burning building at a distant. It was the Phillips building, the tallest building in her city, she recognized it in a matter of seconds. She felt her heart race as she wondered if anyone was inside the building at the moment.

"What the hell is that?" Troy looked up the sky.

Everyone and stopped whatever they were doing to look up in the sky. Saints, cops, pedestrians, taxi drivers, bums, sidewalk vendors, businessmen; they were all at awe at what they saw. It was nothing like they ever seen before.

A giant silhouette was up high in the sky, casting a dark shadow underneath it. It shot another missile, and another building not far from the first one burst into flames.

The people screamed and scrambled under the huge airship, hovering above the tall buildings of Stilwater.

It launched another hail of bullets, not caring about the innocent people below.

Several Condors and VTOLs flew above them, open firing every building in the vicinity and dropping troops of soldiers down.

"This is Commander Temple of STAG. Butcher of Stilwater, you will pay for your deeds. Surrender yourself and your Saints to STAG immediately or we will unleash hell on your beloved city."

A/N: Short chap. : I have to cut it here or else I might cut it somewhere it shouldn't be.

I brought the STAG to Stilwater. Because if I was Cyrus and I wanted to hit the Boss where it really hurts, I'd cream Stilwater instead of Steelport. It's her home! And also because I know Stilwater better than Steelport, so it'd be easier to write.

Somewhere deep in my heart, I want to see these four reconcile. I don't mean for Dex and Troy to drop what they are doing now, because that's just crazy, but I want to see them... I dunno, shake hands? Something.