Red Parade

Beautiful. If there was one word to describe the surroundings, that would be it. Festive tassels and flapping Arasaka banners were hung all over Japantown. Thousands of paper lanterns floated in the night sky. Throughout the whole district in fact. 

That wasn't all. Holograms of koi fish swam through the air. Every part of them was detailed, down to the binary code. Lei could easily tell since her own blood was binary code when outside of the body. Thank you, crippling cyber illness.

Large vehicular contraptions carried the Arasaka board of directors, executives, and elite employees. They resembled fancy AVs that specialized in luxury. In between each vehicle were dancers and entertainers. 

Some swallowed fire and released it like dragons. Others did incredible flips or contortions that challenged the human body. It was a merry atmosphere, with vendors on the side selling churros, ice cream, popcorn, toys, and more.

The entire parade moved to the sound of the drumline. A large band was scattered through the massive line, playing in sync as if right beside the other. The watching civilians held sparklers which were passed out for free. Fireworks found their way into the sky, forming the Arasaka logo and more. 

"This…" Lei could only gawk at the festivities.

"Beautiful isn't it? Something awesome like this happens every few years. Definitely not from Arasaka though." Kagami said.

"Look at the specs on that AV! Wow…is that the 22 Xi-silac thruster?! Look at those flight stabilizers!" Carly seemed to drool as she eyed the parade vehicles. Her withdrawn personality was gone. 

"Geeking out already?" June commented with a smile. 

"Hmph." Yoshi gave a lighthearted smirk. 

"I normally go to events like these with my grandpa, but he was too busy this time around." Carly said. June's hand patted her shoulder. 

"Wish I could say the same. Mom doesn't leave the house anymore. Not since she got fired." The Haitian girl revealed.

"My little sis is doing her homework right now. Work hard, play hard. Always taught her that." Kagami said. 

At that moment, all of them turned to Lei. Their faces seemed like devils to the sickly girl. Her expression had started to falter once they spoke about family…It wasn't something she spoke about. 

"What about you, Lei?"

"Do you normally go with your fam?"

"You look like a daddy's girl."

"Hell no she doesn't! More like a mother's best friend type of dynamic."

Everyone made their assumptions and jokes. Lei's hands unconsciously balled into fists…but she took a breath, relaxed…and forced a smile. Then she spoke. 

"Haven't spoken with my family in a while. They aren't in Night City." She lied.

"Must be nice."

"Don't gotta fight over toilet paper."

"Hahaha! Imagining you fight your sis over toilet paper is crazy."

The group watched the parade while conversing about anything and everything. It was just another day for them. Another day in Night City. 

Lei watched the parade as well, but her content expression had slowly been replaced by a blank one. The festive cheers and chatter were now blaring to her ears. As time went on, her face had deteriorated into an emotionless scowl. 

It was at this moment that someone bumped into her leg. Looking down, she noticed a child running after a ball. Three other kids were chasing as well. It was a happy moment…but all she saw were dead children. 

All of the white noise from the crowd had transformed into horrified screams. Pleas of mercy. Groans and grunts followed by the vomiting of blood. That glitching blood. The binary code. The numbers.

Lei glanced away from the crowd only to see another child walking with a young adult. Most likely a big and little sister. Images raced through the sickly girl's mind…images of dead people. People who died around her. Sickly people. They died screaming. Crying. Begging.

If one were to look at Lei's face now, they would have no doubt that she was a cyberpsycho. Much more than the suspicion during normal times. It would be confirmation. Kagami was the first to notice her expression. 

The pink haired man quietly nudged Yoshiro's arm. After gaining his cousin's attention, he gestured to Lei in a way the others wouldn't notice. Yoshi glanced at the sickly girl's face and immediately understood. Wrapping his arms around the oblivious June and Carly, he coerced them into leaving the area for food. 

Kagami remained by Lei's side. He'd already known something was up, and his curiosity had no bounds. The arrogant young man decided to wait and see what would come of it.

'Lei, your vitals are going haywire.' Johnny appeared beside her. 

'..............................' Her breathing had gotten erratic. Her empty eyes stared at nothing. She was lost in her mind.

"Lei? You good?" Kagami asked.

'Lei! Snap out of it! You're deteriorating. The sickness is flaring up.' Johnny continued.

'...Johnny…I…I hate it. All of it.' Her mind revealed. The tone of her voice was flat. Emotionless.

'LEI!' Johnny roared. The sickly girl's consciousness went dark.

Kagami, who was still staring at her, blinked in confusion. Where the FUCK did she go?! Suddenly she was there…until she wasn't. Now the young man was truly worried.

BOOM BOOM BOOOM

At that moment, explosions rocked the streets below. The buildings and structures shook from the force. Gunfire could be heard. Yells from Arasaka soldiers. Death cries. Slaughter. 

The crowd immediately started to panic. What was happening? Just like that, everyone fled in different directions. Trampling others underfoot. People were also dying from stray bullets. Explosions. Grenades. Shrapnel. 

"The princess has been kidnapped!" A japanese voice exclaimed.

"Find Hanako! NOW!" Yorinobu's voice responded. 

"Perpetrator has been found, but he got away!"

"He's been unmasked!"

"No way…"

"Shit! I can't believe it."

"It-It was Takemura!"

"What?! But he was the most loyal…"

"How could it be?"

"FIND HIM! SMASHER! GO!" Yorinobu screamed.

KABOOM

The sound of a heavy borg falling from an incredible height resounded. It was followed by the sounds of screams and slaughter. The first ever Arasaka memorial parade had turned into pandemonium. 

…

…

…

When Loralei came to, she found herself standing on a hill of corpses. Every single one of them was an Arasaka soldier. Weird…she was also fully geared in her Drifter armor. The sudden influx of stimuli overwhelmed the sickly girl. It was too much. 

'-then we'll go around the back street and find Takemura. Only if it stays quiet. I've waited so long for this moment…Arasaka burns tonight.' Johnny seemed to be in the middle of an obsessive dialogue.

"Blaaaach…" Lei vomited a mouthful of blood. Blood that glitched and dispersed into numbers. All she could see were numbers. 0…1…1…0. Her mind was filled with digits.

'Lei…are you there?' Johnny asked. 

'Johnny, where the fuck am I? And why do I feel more shitty than usual?' She asked. 

'This is the first time you've spoken in 3 hours. Fucking hell. You're losing it, Loralei.' He exclaimed

'...What? No…'

'Listen. I need you to focus. Can you do that? Look up.'

The drifter turned her gaze to the destroyed rooftops above her death pit. A single Japanese man stood on the edge, dressed in Arasaka SWAT gear. He was angry. 

"Think you can hide Takemura from ME?!" He roared with fury. Lei immediately scanned him. 

[Sandayu Oda - Special Forces Arasaka]

"........................."

VRMM 

The beam saber ignited, washing over the bloody land with bright crimson. More red was added onto the painter's canvas. Just a red fucking frenzy. Sandayu Oda's body twitched before blinking out of existence.

One moment he was on the roof, and the next moment, red pulsing mantis blades were threatening to sever the drifter's head. Lei instinctually sped up her mind in order to evade the deadly cut. She ducked as fast she could, her beam saber already swinging toward the back of his knee.

Oda was quick on the uptake. Trained to be Hanako Arasaka's personal guard, he was a fully employed cyberninja. His martial arts were not sloppy. As such he reacted. 

Lifting his leg and flipping sideways, his other blade came around like a sickle. A powerful chop. Lei leaned diagonally to the side and reached his blind spot. Her saber came up for a diagonal slash to finish…but Oda caught her wrist. 

The cyberninja's foot came stomping down in an attempt to break her tibula. Lei hopped over it, her knee striking toward his jaw. His free hand blocked the strike with softness…but that wasn't the end. The drifter's elbow crashed into the man's cheek. Contact.

Both of them leapt away to gain space. That entire exchange had taken about 2 seconds. When two people had that type of speed, such a fight could end in a blink. 

When Lei had first engaged Adam Smasher in combat, her speed was much superior. Both him and Oda most likely carried the same type of Sandevistan…so what was the difference? Light body weight. Nimbleness and flexibility. These are all things Smasher didn't have but Oda did. 

The drifter was slightly faster, but not enough to completely dominate. This explained why only now had the first blow been delivered. What this battle would come down to was focus, technique, and stamina. Who could stay in bullet time the longest?

'...one…zero…zero…one.' The numbers kept going in her head. It wouldn't stop. It was nauseating. 

"Lady Hanako doesn't deserve this. She is not like the others! You will NOT take her from me today. I will find her. GIVE ME TAKEMURA!" Oda roared. 

Both of their figures vanished. Time froze, allowing their figures to become visible again. Each movement was fluid. 

The drifter's blade was now held in a backhand grip. She would no longer lead with the beam saber. It was disrespectful to a skilled opponent. An opening to be taken advantage of. A good swing would only come when there was an opening. 

In an instant, several exchanges had already happened. Many of them were setups for a deadly attack. The glowing saber had long since become a blur. Each time a setup was created, the other would notice and dismantle it. Two technical fighters…thinking and devising…throwing feints and looking for grabs. 

Lei stepped over a low sweep and swung down her blade. Oda slid to the side while crouched on all four limbs. He then immediately rose with a pierce of his right mantis blade. The drifter tapped the skin of his elbow joint, causing the arm to fold slightly inward…barely missing her neck. This allowed her to accelerate with a twirling slash. 

The cyberninja immediately jumped back to avoid…then turned invisible. He'd activated an optical camo. Lei's empty eyes widened slightly, then she accelerated to her left. The destroyed building was there. It allowed her to dash right up the side. 

She didn't stop moving…her legs took her from roof to roof. He was probably right next to her and waiting to strike. It was hard to see him at such a speed. 

As soon as she leapt toward the next roof, she flexed her abdomen. This allowed her to flip her body upside down. Something sharp ripped through her hood, causing her hair to fly out. Barely dodged it. While still in midair, she pulled out her Burya and fired at his estimated location. 

It was a calculated move. Oda had just attacked and was probably still in midair as well. His speed wouldn't stop him from dodging the bullet either. Momentum made it inevitable. 

Lei crashed onto the other roof back first. It was painful but the inertia allowed her to roll upright. Oda's camouflage deactivated as well. He leaned against a water tower with his hand covering the trap of his left shoulder. A whole piece of his trapezoid and shoulder had been blown clean off. 

"Aarrgh…dishonorable woman." He insulted with a grunt of pain.

"No more camouflage for you." She commented blandly. Her expression had been blank since the beginning. 

"You have taken everything from me. It is my DUTY to stay by Hanako-sama's side. Now I don't know whether she is alive or dead. And to think it was because of Takemura."

'Some guy kidnapped Hanako Arasaka?' Lei asked Johnny.

'Takemura. You slaughtered the soldiers who caught up to him after an hour of hunting. While you were…'

'While I was out.' She finished.

'It's quite funny, really. You only targeted the corpos. Maybe it was their bad luck.'

'As much as I interact with corporations…I do hate them. Deep down…I always have. They make me sick. Haha. Get it?' She joked. What morbid humor.

Oda bit down on something inside his mouth. After a few seconds, he stopped holding his wound. Blood spurted from each movement of the arm but it didn't seem like it hurt anymore. Was it a type of numbing agent? This would allow him to fight at full strength despite the injury.

"If I have to die here, so be it. I will haunt you like a ghost. For the rest of your days."

"...Scary."

The cyberninja cut through the water tank, causing a huge volume of water to continuously gush onto and over the roof. High speed movement would cause them to slip and slide. If someone overextended, that would be the end.

Both of them slowly approached each other with careful steps. Only once they were point blank, did they accelerate. Water droplets rose into the air from their intense combat. 

With time slowed down as much as it was, the water droplets were hovering in the air. Reflections of movement could be seen within. Hands clashed against hands. Block. Deflect. Parry. A sequence of events.

Strike the elbow to break the arm. He pulled back and kicked at her face. Evade with a spinning crouch and cut off his standing leg. He jumped over the blade stroke and performed a double running kick at her chest. Block the second kick and grab his foot. A mantis blade pierced at her face, dismantling the grab attempt. 

It was a back and forth display of technique. Neither of them were taking big steps or moving large distances…so she made a gamble. Lei swiped the beam saber at the wet ground before slashing back around. Mist and vapor now covered the blade. This added a bit of mystery to the next attack.

Expecting some fancy display, he took a step back. Wrong move. Lei's swing was a feint which turned into a pierce. The laser blade finally drilled through flesh, going right through Oda's stomach. He fell to his knees as she pulled out the blade. His limbs turned weak. 

"Aaargh! Woman…you fight more like a machine than a human." Sandayu Oda commented weakly. Blood spilled from his lips. 

"I'm just as human as you are." She commented. The japanese man shook his head. 

"No…calculation and creativity make openings. The problem…your calculation was too fast. Inhuman. You will lose your sense of self one day…if you haven't already." He chuckled darkly. 

"...Just die…quietly. I'm already…tired…as hell."

"Forgive me Hanako-sama…I have failed you." He groaned weakly. Only then did he lose consciousness. 

'He's still alive.' Johnny said. His voice was a bit weird. 

Lei took a step to finish the job. 

'Wait…If I was still in the military, I'd be just like him.'

'Are you asking me to spare him?' Her tired face turned to Johnny.

'...............' He remained quiet. 

'The one and only Johnny Silverhand wants to spare an enemy. What a day.' She mocked before turning away. 

Lei didn't kill him in the end. His devotion to Hanako was admirable, not to mention that the princess was the purest of the Arasakas. It wasn't as if she was without flaws though.

"I need sleep. My head is killing me." She muttered out loud. 

'What about Takemura? Not gonna find him?'

'Fuck him. Never heard of him.'

'He has your contact though. I'm sure he'll call you eventually. Especially once he finds out that his work buddy was taken down.'

'When did he get my deets?'

'I added him while you were going psycho. He's a piece we can use to ruin Arasaka.'

'...Ugh..the fucking numbers.' A small groan rumbled in her throat. Her hands started to shake. 

Lei immediately vanished from the scene. Destination - home. What a shitty day this turned out to be.