NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: Infamous
"Ugh…I don't wanna go to practice!"
"...You never do. Don't you want to get better?"
"Why? I'm already better than you."
"Don't get overconfident, Emi. You may have better swordplay than her, but she doesn't only use the sword." Nana said.
"...Exactly. Never get too confident. It could lead to a bad ending." Loralei said.
Three beautiful women of similar ages. This trio could be seen in a courtyard, resting below a synthetic cherry blossom tree. In front of them was an entrance to a traditional dojo. Writing was carved into the material.
'Kumorui Dojo.' It read.
Dressed in traditional Japanese martial wear, they lazed without care. Emi used Lei's thighs as a pillow while Nana sat nearby. Even now, Loralei looked pale and weak. Sickly. Her slightly shaking hand moved the hair out of Emi's eyes.
"There is no bad ending. Your sick self won't catch up to me. I don't even know why you try. You should just rest all day. Hmph." The rambunctious twin commented. Her curly brown hair wasn't braided yet.
"What about other people? There's all types of fighters. You can't get complacent." Lei said.
"Are you speaking from experience?" Nana spoke up. Emi turned to look up at the sickly girl. Both sisters were curious. Lei could only nod with a weak smile.
"Yes. I've seen people that don't look human. Massive people. Weird people. Have you ever gone beyond the dojo?"
Both twins shook their heads. They'd never left the safety net of their sensei. Loralei could only roll her eyes.
"You need to stop relying on Sensei."
"The same man who pulled your dying ass off the street and brought you in?" Emi quipped.
"...Mnn."
"Don't be rude, sister. I'm sure Loralei knows what she's talking about." Nana commented.
Loralei wrapped her other arm around Nana and pulled her in. After rubbing cheeks with the white haired girl, she leaned down and did the same with Emi. It was plain to see how close the three were.
"GIRLS! Break time is over. Get back in here with your peers." A masculine voice rang from within the dojo.
"Ugh…Damn!" Emi groaned.
The three rose to their feet. As they made their way back inside, the sound of wooden swords were constantly resounding. Martials students were all over the dojo. What a lovely day it was…
…
…
…
Lei opened her empty eyes with a trace of solemnity. Her body was covered in bandages. Currently sitting on the window sill of her Night City apartment, she went through her inbox.
'Was that you in Las Vegas? You're on the news. I saw the red blade and knew it was you.' ~ Panam
'Good job. Las Vegas belongs to Millitech now. Enjoy your payment.' ~ Meredith
'I'll find you. Keep looking over your shoulder, bitch.' ~ Emi
'A drink will be named after you in the bar once you die. Congrats.' ~ Rogue
'You should lay low.' ~ Lucy
'Are you ever going to respond? Not trying to be weird, just worried.' ~ Kagami
'Didn't think you would make breaking news. Be careful.' ~ Parzik
The sickly girl scrolled through the messages. It seems her beam saber had now become an iconic part of her merc persona. People may think twice when they see it now. With her scrambler cloak, a clear shot of her face wouldn't be possible…not to mention the breather and hood covering almost everything.
Millitech had smuggled Lei back to Night City, making it easy to leave Vegas. The Santeau Group still believed she was there, searching high and low for the culprit. The Group had labeled her a terrorist…rightfully so. A bounty had been placed on her head. 1.3 million credits.
'You spared the twins.' Johnny glitched onto the pool table. A fake cigarette was lit up in his hand.
'...Mnn.'
'Since you aren't going to tell me why, I came to my own conclusion.'
Lei turned to the merc legend with a raised eyebrow. Johnny leaned forward with a smirk. Seems like his theory was worth hearing.
'Let's hear it.' She said.
'You killed their sensei or teacher. Martial arts type of shit, right? It's like the plot to a B-Roll kung fu movie.'
'...Isn't it funny?' Lei couldn't help but make a joke of the situation.
'Did he teach you how to fight like that?' He asked. Lei shook her head.
'No. He taught me his way of the sword. I only mixed it into my own style.'
'Preem…you're a movie villain. So what now?'
'Now…I need to find someone willing to go to the moon. Not only that, but be willing to enter the experimental facility, THEN convince the scientists to make a cure.'
The sickly girl was 2 million credits richer. On top of what she already had, it was quite possible to pay someone to help her. Just needed the right person for the job. As of now, Lei was considering Lucy, since they understood each other on an emotional level. Just after one meeting.
'Sounds like you're getting closer.' Johnny said.
'.........'
'What about me? When do we get to Mikoshi?'
"Hmmmm…" Loralei hummed while thinking of an answer.
Scrolling her inbox one more time, she stopped at a message she'd glossed over. It was glitched out in some parts. Weird…Lei opened it up.
'You've gone past the Blackwall. So have I…Let's talk.' ~ Songbird
'Alright Johnny. After I see what's up with this, we'll blow up Mikoshi.' Lei spoke mentally.
'Preem.'
Lei responded to Songbird's message.
'Why should I talk to you?'
'Because we can help each other.' The reply was incredibly fast.
'How?'
'You wouldn't break past the Blackwall if you didn't need something.'
'Doubt you could help me.'
'Won't know till you try. Let's connect over the fact that we're similar.' Songbird suggested.
'Fine. Where to?'
'I'll send you the coordinates…but I need you in Dogtown.'
'Hell nah.' Lei quickly responded. That wasn't a place she wanted to go just yet.
'Stop being like that. Hear me out, then you can make a decision.'
'I'm in no condition to be looking over my shoulder in that lawless place. Worse than Pacifica.'
'The news channels lie. Dogtown is much safer than Pacifica. The Barghest, Kurt's private military force, make sure of that.'
'Kurt?'
'Meet me. We'll talk.'
'Fine.'
After more than a few bloody coughs, Lei was on her way. The best way to stay incognito now might be in normal clothing. Pretending to be the average everyday citizen. The only footage that was clear enough to glimpse anything was Lei's assault on the tower. Before she went up to the stratosphere.
Everything on the way down was blurry and too fast. Besides her ruby colored beam saber and red afterimages, she should be safe. Keyword…SHOULD. It was unknown if anyone had perfect intel.
She still wore her merc clothing, going out only at night for the time being. It was quite simple. Loralei was paranoid. For good reason. A fighter like her always had to look over her shoulder. Going from place to place, she was called Drifter for a reason.
Whenever she made it to a new location or city, there was always a buffer of about a month or two before people got wind of her. It was no surprise that the twins had caught up. She had spared them, so they were definitely searching high and low for the sickly girl. Not to mention bounty hunters or other long time enemies. Lei didn't feel safe.
'Siigh.'
As she made her way to Dogtown, a tired exhale escaped her breather.