After that fiasco, it didn't take long to reach the safehouse. Elizabeth Kress street…home to the junkies, addicts, and homeless. Abandoned buildings all throughout the street. One of them being a hotel.
Lei had told the metal chimera to 'get lost.' She would call it if she needed it. Myers had grown a newfound respect for the drifter's abilities. It was easy to see that the merc was talented. More than that. Inhuman. This led to wariness, but even more than that, understanding.
'Even someone as incredible as her needs gigs and credits to survive. In the end, we're all crabs in a bucket trying to climb out.' The president thought.
"I'm heading out." Loralei stated.
She couldn't break down here. She couldn't break down anywhere. Anywhere except her home…but she couldn't go home. Sneaking out just to sneak back in later. Not a smart plan. She didn't have clearance yet. Only then would she leave Dogtown from the front entrance.
Thus, the drifter was going to do as she did best. Drift. No, not in a car. She was going to wander. If the illness was going to kill her today, she would die on her feet.
Something had changed.
Lei wasn't worried about Barghest finding her. They didn't even know what she looked like. She moved too fast to be clearly spotted.
"You don't want to rest here?" President Myers asked. After all, they'd just gone through several ordeals in the last few hours.
"Not yet. This is the end of my gig. Songbird should be getting things set up for you."
"I understand. Thank you for bringing me to safety, Drifter. An undercover agent should be smuggling me out tomorrow. I'll have Songbird reach out to you when I'm safe."
"Sure. Good luck, president."
With those words, Lei casually exited the building. Myers watched her leave with a sigh. The type of protection Lei offered was absolute. Losing that security made her on edge. She would definitely try to keep tabs on this merc.
Loralei waded through trash, people lying all over the ground, and debris. Once she made it to the open street, she took off her breather. She just wanted to breathe the air. Night had long since fallen. The moonlight felt good.
'The night is young. Why not get a bite to eat? Maybe have a smoke.' Johnny suggested. Lei rolled her eyes.
'Food, yes. Having a smoke, no.'
'Gonk.'
'Addict.'
'Dumbass.' Johnny rebutted.
'Manchild.'
'It's called being a rockstar. Something you wouldn't get. Cuz you have no charisma.' He quipped.
'I have good charisma! It's just subtle. A meathead like you wouldn't be able to tell anyways.'
'Is that why people run at the sight of you?'
'Don't push it, buddy.' Lei growled.
'Just saying. Don't be sad about it. Once I get a body, I'll take you to get a makeover.'
'One day...' A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips.
Something had changed.
'I mean in this life. Not any other. Today isn't the end.'
'Johnny…you just don't understand. It's something I can feel in my bones. I'm not making it past today.'
'Then you'll have to prove those bones wrong. Fight. You've been fighting your whole life. Don't stop now.'
Loralei strolled around the district, taking slow steps and looking directly at security cams. Almost as if she was expecting someone to find her. She hadn't put her breather back on either.
"I think I want a burger. Yeah…a nice juicy burger with fries. That should be a good final meal, right?" She spoke out loud.
'Dooming and glooming. Fucking stop it. You're pissing me off.' Johnny's voice sounded strange. Sad almost.
"Haha. I'm not being a downer. It feels inevitable, and I'm at peace. I failed to reach my goals. But I was close. There's no shame in that." Lei's voice shook a bit.
Her attitude was a complete 180 from before when she vowed to keep moving forward. Almost as if something had completely rewired her brain. And it was true. The nanobots were almost done making her the perfect vessel. It was no longer about willpower. The illness had finally spread to the brain.
Stopping at a nice hole in the wall joint, she noticed the good smell. Oh yeah. These burgers looked delicious. Loralei got a large burger and fries in the to-go bag. Now she only needed to find a nice view to eat it.
Almost 30 minutes passed until she noticed a construction zone. Didn't seem like it had been worked on in a long time. The crane was pretty high up.
'That should be a nice view.'
The sickly girl separated from the crowd of civilians and stepped into the dusty zone. With a casual display of superb acrobatics, she easily made her way up the crane. It was almost as tall as the Black Saphire, the tallest building in Dogtown. Also known as Barghest's military HQ.
After reaching the top, Lei hummed as the breeze swept through her body. It felt good. Too good. It was time to eat. Lei sat down and opened up the bag. The burger wrapper was already drenched in juice.
Unwrapping the delectable meal, she finally took a bite. Imagine taking a bite of something that was the pinnacle of all flavors. It was a perfect balance of savory, smoky, juicy, and slightly sweet. All of it came together to create something new.
The beef patty was seared to perfection, the exterior crisp with a slight char, while the inside was juicy and tender. Not to mention the bun. Slightly toasted on the inside but just the right amount of crunch on the outside. The lettuce added incredible freshness alongside a few thin rings of onion. This added a gentle sharpness, but it wasn't enough to overwhelm the other flavors.
The cheese. Melted into a velvet-like gooey form…wrapped around the patty like a hug from mother and son. A signature sauce to bring it all together adding a burst to every single bite. This was it. This was the burger she wanted.
At least for today, Loralei would've killed to get this burger. She was happy. Happy that she could enjoy something like this one more time. A beautiful view, delicious food, and a friend at her side.
'Gonk…' Johnny sighed. He appeared beside her.
Time passed as she finished her meal. The fries were just as good. It was a shame that Dogtown had this burger stand all to itself. Was it really this good? Maybe she was just hungry…or maybe it was something else.
"I should check my inbox." Lei muttered.
She didn't skip a single person from Night City. Panam was given a response, Kagami was given an apology for the lack of response, she told Rogue to take care of Johnny, told Dr. Parzik that he was the greatest of all time, and she told Sasha that she would come visit again. Then she read Emi's death threat of a message before ignoring it and searching for Nana…
She told Nana…nothing. There was no point. At this moment, a tiny drone flew up to her. It was peculiar for sure. The size of a tennis ball. It was all white, with small bunny ears. A blue light pulsing as an optic.
Lei waved to the little guy before making her way back down the crane. It was a much slower descent than the previous ascent. Why? It was simple…the illness had started to creep in.
The sickly girl hadn't lied down since before entering Dogtown. If she did, she knew it would be impossible to get back up. So she remained on her feet…wandering throughout the night.
A fog had started to set in. The longer she walked the harder it became to see…or was it really fog? Everything was getting blurry. Lei dragged herself through the side streets and alleys, not planning to stop anywhere. She would walk until she couldn't anymore.
COUGH COUGH
More blood. Not even worth talking about at this point. That food was so damn good though. Lei couldn't help but smile while thinking about it. She didn't think about her past, the people that paved the way for her, the wishes of those who fell so she could live. Her true teacher, the true Drifter who taught her to wield the beam saber…
"Damn. I'm getting emotional." She giggled.
'You've been emotional all day. Maybe it's your period.'
'Fuck you, Johnny.'
Lei slipped into an abandoned club venue and found herself an old bottle of whiskey. What a good find. A few gulps later, and her body started to relax. Much better.
She kept moving. Eventually finding herself on an empty road full of fog, the road felt endless. Or maybe that was because of how slow she was walking. Her legs felt like they were made of lead.
A silhouette could be seen on the foggy rooftops, watching her walk this path. After five minutes, another silhouette appeared. Then another. And another. Or was it the same silhouette? Lei couldn't tell anymore. Regardless, she equipped her breather while the fog was still thick. Then she put her hood up. The beam saber rested in her hand.
SWISH
Something glinted in the fog, causing the sickly girl to accelerate to the side. A blade passed where her neck used to be. Another gleam appeared, this time going for a straight pierce. Lei twirled around it with elegance, even when her eyesight was blurry. It mattered not. A powerful downward slash to the owner of this blade.
Only then did the saber ignite, but right before it landed…it didn't connect. Another blade crackling with electricity blocked the blow. It reminded her of…
"Nana." Lei called out happily. "It must be your destiny to save your sister. Time and time again."
"Lei…it wasn't smart of you going around in the open like that…Not while we're in town. I thought you knew better."
Nana's figure was revealed through the fog. Her jaw was fixed, a bit of sleek chrome outlining some parts. The tiny white drone with bunny ears hovered in the distance.
"What's the point of living if it's in hiding the whole time?" Lei answered sluggishly.
Even now, Nana's white hair blended with the fog in her eyes. Her eyesight was only deteriorating, her body shutting down. That was when Emi flashed onto the scene again. Her katana was already coming up in a diagonal slash.
Lei evaded the stroke while sweeping Emi's feet. Unfortunately, the braided twin was expecting it. Leaping over the sweep, rings of air burst out from her right foot. This spun her into a powerful momentous spin, a kick snapping out toward Lei's chest. Loralei raised her arms to block while also leaping back.
BAM
The blow crashed into the sickly girl, sending her flying down the street. It also gave her enough space to run. So she did. Her body flickered with red afterimages as soon as her feet hit the ground.
Emi and Nana immediately pursued. From the beginning, Emi hadn't said a word. The hotheaded girl was currently the spitting image of focus and concentration. She would kill Loralei today. Right here. Right now.
As the masked girl accelerated down the empty street, Nana trailed behind from the left side rooftops. Rings of air burst from her feet with every step. Emi was starting to catch up though. The ground cracked beneath the braided twin with every step.
'Arms feel fractured.' Lei thought.
She was running low on everything. Dashing at this current speed was all she could do at the moment. If this continued for another half minute, Lei would pass out.
Making an instant judgement, the drifter turned left into an alley. Running diagonally up the side of the wall, she leapt right in front of Nana's path. The white haired twin leapt off the rooftop, immediately getting into her quickdraw stance.
Lei swung her blade, and so did Nana. Their blades clashed…but the difference in strength was clear. The sickly girl was blown away like a ragdoll. Her body crashed into a heap of debris and cardboard boxes.
BAM
That wasn't the end. Emi appeared at this moment, her face filled with glee. The katana swung down with force and speed. It would disembowel the drifter. Lei couldn't even spit out the blood in her mouth as she moved to defend. The beam saber extended into its polearm form, the shaft blocking Emi's strike.
Their weapons were locked. Sparks shot out from the blow. Such a powerful blow forced Lei to kneel. The braided twin grew even more elated, seeing how far they were able to push Lei this time.
"I'm sure of it now. We caught you at the worst time. Your disease…it's eating you up isn't it?" Emi mocked.
"...Emi…are you…losing focus again? What have I…always told you?" Lei responded with choked breaths. Emi frowned.
"Shut up!"
BAM
Another kick to the stomach sent Lei rolling across the ground. By this point, both Emi and Nana realized it. Things were going much better than last time. The bitch was weak. They'd caught her at the perfect time.
Lei's breather fell to the ground, finally allowing her to release the build up of blood. The red liquid hit the floor in waves. It didn't stop.
COUGH COUGH COUGH
…
COUGH COUGH
…
COUGH
…
COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH
A few more seconds and something snapped. Like a light switch, the sickly girl could no longer see. Her eyesight was gone. All that was left was grey and black. Then she started to sweat…and her body started to tremble.
Nana and Emi looked at each other once again. This time, it wasn't of smug satisfaction. They were uncomfortable. The twins had never seen Loralei this low in life. The image of the invincible Lei in their minds shattered, replaced with this sorry figure on the ground.
"Haha…hahahahahah…" Lei started to laugh, ignoring the blood leaking from her lips. It sounded like despair.
"................" Emi had turned deathly silent.
"Lei…" Nana spoke up.
"My eyesight is…gone. Hahahahaha! My sense of taste is gone…can't taste the blood anymore. Haha…ah man, that's so funny."
'Lei, stop messing around. Grab your blade and stand up.' Johnny growled.
"Sisters…my hearing is about to go next. Anything you wanna say before it's gone?" Lei joked.
The dying girl struggled to her feet. Her limbs trembled with effort. How ridiculous. Her illness was such a joke. A divine joke. Of course it would be her who was afflicted with such a thing. A heavenly comedy.
"Are you trying to gain our sympathy? You lost that chance long ago when you-"
"SHUT UP! You think I need your sympathy?! I don't need my senses to kill you! Are you daft?! Come on! Both of you, bring it!" Lei roared over Nana's words.
As blood seeped from her eyes, nose, and lips, the dying girl took a stance. It was something she never did…but now it mattered. This was it. THIS was her moment. The final point in her life.
Emi didn't speak, only accelerating and going in for the kill. Her expression was dark. No longer filled with rage and hate. It was unknown how she was feeling.
A horizontal stroke of the blade. One that would kill without pain. That was what Emi had granted Lei. Straight toward the neck. Lei smirked at nothing. Her body accelerated, ducking below the attack and coming around for an upward slash.
Emi evaded the attack in shock, realizing that Lei was still able to fight somehow. This caused the braided twin to bite her lip, holding in the emotions that threatened to leak out. What reason was there to fight this hard, especially when it was obvious that she wouldn't win?
The two exchanged several moves in under a second, shocking Nana who was watching nearby. Even when dying to her own sickness, Lei still seemed infallible. It was insane…and sad. After heaving a sigh…Nana went in for the kill.
Lei was expecting that though, and blitzed the white haired twin. Several moves later, the sickly girl had fought both of them perfectly without a single flaw. Almost as if she was in perfect health…but that only lasted for a few more seconds.
The dying merc slipped on her own blood, leaving her off balance. That was when Emi came in for a low slash to bisect the legs. Lei flexed her abdomen, flipping her body without even jumping. Another stroke evaded…but it wasn't over.
Lei came down with powerful momentum, ready to rend Emi in two…but as expected…Nana was there. Pulling the trigger of her sheath, an incredibly fast quickdraw blocked the attack, while also blowing Loralei into the distance. Her back slammed into the wall.
BOOM
"Kfff….agh!"
Spit and blood poured out of Lei's mouth…but that wasn't the end. Emi's blade finally found purchase, piercing through her stomach and pinning her to the wall. It was over.
Blood poured onto the katana and Emi's hands. Suddenly everything turned clear. From a blurry filter to clean and crisp HD. Lei could see her kouhai, but what she found made her smile.
"Why…are you trembling? I thought…I thought this…was what you wanted."
"...................." Emi's hands were shaking. Her breaths were short. Her eyes were watery.
Lei chuckled weakly. How cute. Emi was always like this. She reached out to the braided twin and pulled her close. The blade sunk in even deeper…but it was a loving hug.
"It's…okay. You were incredible. Good job…and…for what it's worth…I'm sorry."
Emi's tears couldn't hold any longer. Resting her head on Loralei's chest, she began to sob. The dying girl rubbed her back with a warm smile. Relief. That was all Lei felt. It filled her body to the brim.
'I'd rather die to my sisters than some illness.' This was her thought process.
Nana watched with watery eyes. Damn. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to kill her after a difficult battle full of adrenaline…not like…this. Lei's gaze turned to her.
"Nana…come." She called with a soft voice. Nana couldn't help but heed her words.
"You…you wanted us to find you. That's why you were out in the open. You WANTED us to kill you."
"Nana…take this." Lei reached toward her own neck.
'Lei…no! The fuck are you doing?!' Johnny roared. He wasn't fucking around anymore. This was too much.
'We talked about this. Nana will help you.'
'We. Made. A. DEAL!' He thundered.
'I'm sorry, Johnny. I'll make it up to you in the next life.'
'AAAHH! You FUCKING-'
His words cut off as Lei pulled the chip from her neck. No longer the purple engram chip, but a safe and brand new one. Safe even if it fried.
"Nana…help him."
"What? Why would I help you?"
"Look…at me…" Lei stared into Nana's soul.
"..............." Without realizing it, tears streamed down the white haired twin's face.
Only then did she take the chip from Lei's bloody hand. Emi hadn't left Lei's chest, still crying softly. It seems they did still care about her.
"My…vengeful kouhais…crying for me even now. So...…cute…"
Lei's consciousness was going dark. There was only silence left. Emi pulled back, ready to retrieve her sword…but Nana grabbed her arm.
"Are you sure? This is it. If you pull out that sword, she will truly die. If you leave it in, there's a small chance of recovery."
"...I-I…don't know. This…it doesn't feel good at all. I hate it." Emi hummed softly.
"This decision is yours to make, Emi. I brought you this far. You have to decide. Do you want revenge? Or is it something else?"
"............"
"Hesitation will only make her bleed out."
"Right now…it just feels like death…is too quick. That sickness…look what it did to her. She was basically begging us to kill her without saying it." Emi's words grew more confident as she spoke.
"And so?" Nana urged her to continue.
"And so, we're going to make sure she stays alive. I won't let her run away from her problems." She decided.
Both twins turned their gaze back to Lei. What they saw shocked them. Her expression…It was fear. Dread. Nana couldn't help but grin.
"Now that's a lot better. See that, Emi?"
"Hmph." Emi grunted. A tiny smile rose from her lips.
"No…no way…just kill me…I can't fight it…anymore. I won't be…myself…don't do this…to me!" Loralei croaked.
Tears started to fall, this time from her. She truly didn't want to do it anymore. She was tired. She was ready to die.
"Kill me…kill…me…kill me…KILL ME!"
"Senpai…sorry, but your death has been denied." Nana declared before knocking her unconscious.