Sunrise

Songbird ran into the sliding doors of NCX spaceport. It sounded like mayhem behind her. The sheer brutality and force of each sound tempted her to look…but she trusted Lei. The civilians inside could hear the commotion outside. Constant explosions, dying screams, searing flesh, and bloody splatters. 

It was as if a war had erupted two steps away. The civilians that were too close were immediately blasted away like unwanted dust. So Mi bit her lip as she turned the corner. Loralei was fighting hard. They would succeed. They had to. 

CRASH

A helicopter crashed through the front entrance, crumpling before finally exploding. The shrapnel pierced through several escaping civilians, while the propeller broke off from the aircraft and burst forward. 

"AAAAGGHHHGH-" 

The scream was cut off as another was bisected in two. It was a bloody path the dangerous object made. Not to mention the glass shards.

The propeller slammed onto the security check-in booth, shredding through like a beyblade. The guard was speared through the neck. Due to the size of the deadly object, the man was raised into the air like a flag. Finally, it stopped moving. 

An alarm blared throughout the spaceport, and the structure entered lockdown. Metal gates came down from every door, locking the nearby civilians and fighters in the same rooms. 

Time slowed to a crawl. At speeds that couldn't be seen, a battle was already underway. Lei dashed through the exploding helicopter's cockpit and swerved the same corner Songbird had. In less than a second, she'd caught up to the Korean woman. 

"Terminal 6. The shuttle is waiting. Go." Lei's colorless voice resounded. 

"I'm going!" So Mi exclaimed. 

Every gate on her way needed to be hacked open. Easy. Now…all she needed to do was not die from using the Blackwall. If Lei could fight, so could she. This would be the last time using it anyways.

Loralei's eyes looked in every direction before accelerating. Melissa Rory appeared in a burst of speed. The crooked smile never left the cyberpsycho's face. Her mantis blades were glowing with searing heat. 

The crimson beam saber was already on a direct path to the enforcer's neck. Melissa leaned back in an attempt to evade the slash…but it seemed futile. It wasn't working. Like there was a magnet on her throat, the blade kept coming. 

At this point the enforcer was leaning back so far that the back of her head was on the floor. Her legs went up into the sky and she flipped backward. The beam saber slashed into the ground, leaving a scar of melted concrete. Barely dodged it! 

"Fuck. What a workout." Melissa snarled. 

This terrorist wasn't going down easy. The drifter fought to win. It was at this moment that the other four enforcers arrived with a burst of speed. A large brute the size of Adam Smasher ran into the fray like he was untouchable. 

Both arms opened wide to grab Lei in a bear hug. Loralei jumped over the brute's tackle and landed on his tree trunk arms. Her blade came down once again. Right at the neck. 

VSSHHZZMMM

The sound of her laser sword echoed across the area. It wasn't going through the man's neck! Where the blade was touching the big man's skin, thick titanium plating was revealed. It glowed with heat due to the beam saber.

"Thick plating, Bitch." He growled.

This was a problem. It's not that the blade couldn't cut through, it was that it couldn't do it fast enough. The brute grinned menacingly before swiping both hands at the terrorist. Another grab. 

Lei jumped high into the air. Another grapple evaded…but the other three enforcers weren't idle. A disgusting looking man raised his arms like a gladiator. With a smile that seemed as if he'd just orgasmed, his body opened up like a transformer. 

More than twenty gun barrels were revealed inside. Some of them were glowing with blue energy. Every single one of them shot at Loralei with extreme prejudice. Thin blue laser beams, electromagnetic bullets, rockets, and energy cannons. 

"Useless." Lei muttered. 

Her body dispersed into data fragments, materializing behind the man. Her blade cut right through his brain and continued moving down and stopping at the stomach. Only then did she swipe to the side, the controlled beam exiting his body. Dead.

The aftermath of his attack wasn't small. Lethal force crashed through the ceiling and dragged across the terminal. Part of the ceiling was coming down. All of the debris froze in the air due to the speed the combatants were moving. 

Drifter twirled the hilt of her weapon as it shifted to swordstaff mode. Another enforcer was already approaching. This man was covered in marks and scars. His face…was familiar. All of his limbs had been replaced. He wasn't smiling like the others. No. He was ice cold. 

"Remember me?"

"....."

"Konpeki Plaza. You killed my partner. His name was Jackie. Because of you…because of you…Arasaka turned me into a fucking lab rat." It sounded as if there was poison in his voice. Pure venom.

"....."

"I've been in hell for more than a year. Thrown to MaxTac once they got bored. Like garbage. All this because of you. EVERYTHING…is because of YOU!" He roared."

It was V. His eyes shined with cruelty. Showing symptoms of cyberpsychosis. With only a combat knife and an Arisaka JKE-X2 Kenshin pistol, he engaged. Another enforcer with a Sandevistan. This one seemed experimental. Fast enough to keep up with the drifter.

An intense battle ensued. Every move was calculated to achieve a kill with maximum efficiency. It was like chess…at least until the brute enforcer would step in, smashing everything apart like a raging bull. 

The final enforcer ignored the terrorist. He ran after Songbird. Due to being a Netrunner, he was the only living member without a Sandy. A few seconds passed before he could see So Mi's figure. The Korean woman was running out of breath, her run now reduced to a tired trot. His hand went to his temple in an attempt to shut down her system. He wasn't even able to react as the beam saber swept through him. Instant death. 

Melissa and V fought in perfect sync. Their teamwork was beyond human capabilities. The two cyberpsychos had connected on a deeper level. Nobody had ever escaped them.

The momentum of the massive battle had carried across the spaceport. Loralei slid into an outlet store due to the force of a blocked attack. She backflipped over a cabinet as Melissa swept through like a ghost. The cabinet was diced into pieces. 

V was already prepared. His tech pistol charged fully, shooting where Lei had yet to be. It was as if he could tell the future. The drifter appeared directly in front of the volley. 

With practiced ease, she deflected each bullet. That was when two massive arms wrapped around her body. The brute had finally caught her. 

"Hehehe! Finally." He exclaimed.

With a powerful leap, he crashed through the ceiling, Lei being forcefully dragged along. For a few seconds…the drifter could feel the cold rain and wind. Her eyes narrowed on Terminal 6, which could be seen in the distance. Songbird was approaching the tram station. 

The only problem…was that an army of unknown affiliation was already waiting there. Loralei saw countless dots, all of them being people. Like a pack of sardines. Too many soldiers. 

Time froze. Still held in the brute enforcer's grasp, their falling speed slowed until they were frozen in the air. Alt appeared beside her. Lei stared at her. 

'If only you would let your true self come out and play. Everyone else would already be dead.' It said. 

'AI. Is not. The real me.' Lei answered. 

'You're almost complete. Only 0.15 percent of your humanity remains. You're about to experience a new world. Don't fight it any longer.'

'I'll fight it until I die. I'll succeed. Only I can do this.'

'Do you consider yourself special, Loralei?'

'....'

'Everyone considers themself special. Different.'

'.....'

'Words are not enough to sway you. Regrettable. According to your conversion rate, you only have 15 minutes left. See you soon…Drifter.'

Time resumed. The MaxTac brute and Lei crashed through the ceiling, their new location being the food court. Turning into data fragments once again, she escaped his grasp. Her body materialized in front of him. 

She twirled her polearm before accelerating. Red afterimages surrounded the hulking cyborg. Multiple slash marks appeared on his body. They glowed with molten heat…but that was all. The man grinned again. 

"Right now I'm just having fun. You wouldn't want to piss me off." He said.

"....."

Drifter ignored his words. One stroke after the other. Slash after slash. Her speed increased to levels that he couldn't match anymore. In futile attempts to catch her, the brute swung his arms wildly. He hit nothing. 

"Fucking fly!"

"....."

His body was starting to glow. The titanium plating was heating up. Malleable. Even the brute realized that shit had gotten dangerous. Everything was going wrong.

"Shit…It's getting hot! Argh!" He roared. 

At this moment, Lei appeared again. The muzzle of her Burya was pressed inside his open mouth. All he could see was crimson eyes. 

BANG

The powerful bullet went down his throat and out the back of his stomach. Broken off parts of the bullet ricocheted within his body. His organs were shredded. 

Falling to his knees, the brute trembled. He was dying…but it was too slow. Lei twirled her swordstaff for added momentum then swung down. The beam saber crashed against his superheated neck. 

Loralei pressed down hard on the shaft. Steam rose from her body as the nanobots within channeled more strength. After what felt like too long…the laser blade finally cut through his neck. His head fell to the ground. Dead. 

Waiting for Melissa and V to catch up was stupid. The drifter vanished from the food court. Only red afterimages remained. 

—

It didn't take long to reach Songbird. She was a few steps in front of the final gate. Beyond it was the tram station. Too scared to open it…she stood still. 

Loralei slid to a stop beside the woman. Appearing in a flash of red light. So Mi immediately turned in fear. Once she realized it was Lei, she cursed under her breath. 

"There's too many enemies on the other side. I can see it through the cameras." She exclaimed. 

"We're going to break through." Drifter answered calmly.

"There's too many! We'll die."

"I'm opening the gate." The terrorist said. Completely ignoring Songbird's fear.

[Incoming Call: Meredith Stout]

Glancing at her HUD, Loralei paused. Instead of opening the gate…she answered. The Millitech woman appeared on the feed. The mature woman's surroundings didn't look like an office. It looked like…a vehicle. Monitors were all over the place. Subordinates were speaking through the headsets.

"Drifter." Meredith stated. 

There was a cigarette in her hand. She seemed stressed. Slightly pale. Her demeanor was still cold as ice though.

"..."

"What are you doing? Where are you?"

"...." Loralei no longer spoke as much. It was hard enough to stay in control.

"Loralei. I'm only going to say this once. Are you listening?"

"...I'm listening."

"Leave Songbird there. Escape the spaceport. I'll smuggle you to a different state. My scientists and doctors will work to find you a cure. Leave now."

"That's too long. I don't have that much time."

"Loralei Mizuhasu. Follow orders. NOW."

"....."

For the first time since entering Night City, someone had uttered Lei's full name. There was no last name on her file. That meant that Meredith had been digging. It also meant that she was serious. Still…it was too late to go back. There WAS no going back.

BEEP

Lei ended the call. After waving her hand, the lockdown gate started to rise. It hadn't even risen halfway before countless red laser sights locked onto her and So Mi.

Both women stepped into the tram station. Millitech soldiers littered the entire area. Dressed in all black, they truly resembled a special force. More intimidating than Barghest forsure. More deadly. Specialized. 

A command AV flew high above the station, far out of Lei's attack and hacking range. The drifter couldn't help but look up to the brightening sky. The sun was coming up. Despite the rain. Despite the cold. Despite the enemies. Despite…Meredith…the sunrise was beautiful. 

"I gave you a chance. You threw it away." Meredith Stout's voice sounded throughout the station. 

Behind the Millitech army, Solomon Reed and his partner Alex, touched down from an AV. Barghest slowly approached from behind Lei and So Mi. V and Melissa were casually walking over, flanked by NCPD. Malice in one enforcer's gaze, amusement in the other.

"Who bought you?" Lei finally asked. 

"Put down your weapons and surrender. Step away from Songbird." Stout ignored the question.

"Was it Yorinobu Arasaka? Kurt Hansen? Or was it Rosalind Myers?"

"...You have ten seconds."

"I must admit. It disappoints me to see you involved in this." Lei stated calmly. There was no change of expression. Truly lifeless.

"Oh? YOU'RE disappointed? Welcome to the fucking club. You were supposed to stay under the radar. You didn't. Now you have to die since you can't be controlled."

"...A shame."

"It truly is a shame. There's an army in front and another at your tail. What can you do alone, surrounded by two forces?"

"...Alone?" Drifter's mechanized voice trailed off.

Her eyes closed as she called out. Called out to everything. Throughout her entire lifetime in Night City. Everything she'd interacted with here. It was time for them to push their weight. It was time for them to serve.

RUMBLE 

The ground shook with force. It was like an earthquake. Beneath Loralei's feet, the ground crumbled. Out of the hole came a massive mechanical head. Following the head were six shielded legs. Tungsten innards. Titanium outer plating. The Chimera. 

Its true size was revealed. The mechanical beast towered over the tanks, soldiers, and the station itself. It was as large as a two story building. The drifter stood on top of it with So Mi tucked away. 

That wasn't all. More than six massive spiderbots crawled out of the same hole. Almost as large as the Chimera, just as menacing. Eight-legged murderbots…the same ones from Lei's second Millitech gig. 

Following the robospiders were hordes and hordes of armed security bots. All coming from Biotechnica. All under her control. The Barghest tanks ignored the orders of those piloting it, moving beside her. As Loralei reveled in this feeling of absolute dominance, Alt's voice whispered in her mind.

'Ten minutes.'

The drifter's eyes snapped open, ignoring the shocked and fearful gazes of every soldier present. Even Songbird was shocked. High up in the command AV, Meredith clenched her fist. This would get bloody. 

Loralei tilted her head in an eerie manner. A gust of wind blew her hood off, releasing her black hair. Her empty eyes pulsed with red energy. She took a breath, the filter of her breather purifying the intake. Then she exhaled. Steam shot out of the breather along with an ominous sound. Only then did she speak. 

"I am not alone."