Neon District: Redux

Part Three Chapter Eleven: Unremarkable

       Eiji and Yuka exited the building through the fire escape that led out to the parking garage. As they descended the garage's levels, Yuka couldn't help herself by glancing down at Eiji's clenching fists. They had to leave Sayuri behind as to not draw themselves any new attention by carrying a dead woman's body around the clustered District. Although, the blood stains on all their clothing would have made a dead giveaway.

       "I want to leave," Eiji finally said after minutes of silence, his eyes were red and puffy from him crying earlier.

      Yuka wasn't surprised by the sudden declaration as they discussed it moments before they left. They both felt as if it was the right thing to do, but they had to let the rest of the group know.

       The rest of them... Yuka wondered if any of them were still alive. Veila's grim remarks, Zoo's fatherly advice, Jonah's unwavering courage, or Abby's snide comments... Would she see any of that again? She didn't dwell on it much.

       They loitered on the ground level of the garage and found a hidden place behind some dumpsters to wait for everyone else to show up. This spot was the meet up spot once their plan succeeded, but Yuka questioned if they succeeded at all. Was Manzo's death really their definition of a job well done?

        As they waited, Yuka assisted Eiji with using his shirt sleeves as bandages for the more nastier cuts he was awarded with. Although, most of the damage had already bruised over and there was nothing they could do about it.  

       Shuffles from around the dumpster startled them both and Yuka peeked slowly around the dumpster to see Zoo, Jonah, and Veila heading towards them. Her eyes lit up, but the absence of Abby dimmed them.

       "Abby... Is she...?" was the first thing Yuka asked when the group huddled together behind the dumpster. Veila only peered at her with puffy eyes as if she were crying, too. That was all the confirmation Yuka needed. 

       She tried to stop the tears that threatened to drip down her face or reduce the sniffles in her nose to absent air, but she was exhausted. Also, she guessed Abby, where ever she was, deserved to see her vulnerable at least once. Tears fell from her bloodied face and dripped onto her now scarred palms followed by the echoes of her sniffles. 

       They all sat in silence and waited, except that nobody else was to join them.

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       A few hours later, everyone met in an alley near Manzo's body; Yuka told them all that she needed to see it. They spent a few minutes just staring at his body with the rain dropping on his cold exterior before Eiji told them all about their plan.

       "You really are leaving?" Eri asked rhetorically, "and what do you two plan on doing God knows where?"

        Shrugging, Eiji followed up and told them: "wherever the rain stops is where we belong." Yuka scoffs at that remark.

       "What do you plan on doing now that you both taken your names back?" Yuka asked the rest of them, their backs now turned away from the body.

       "We are selfish for abandoning the problems in the District for someone entirely new to deal with, so Jonah and I are going to help around wherever we can in order to alleviate some of that stress," Eri answered, glancing over her shoulder briefly.

       "I plan on visiting my father again," Zoo, Victor, said, "I guess it is my time to stop cowering in fear and make myself a life I can be proud of." His eyes drifted from the top of a faraway building and down to Yuka, "what are you thinking about right now?"

       Yuka's head whipped up and her mouth hung open. "I don't know... I just wonder if Sam would be willing to forgive me one day. I know I said he didn't have to, but that part of me wants him to. I may never meet him again, but in the slight chance that I can... I just wonder if someday he might grant me his forgiveness.'

       "Probably give you a knuckle sandwich before that happens," Eri stated, followed by a low chuckle.

       "Maybe," was all she replied with before bringing them all into a group hug.

       "Thanks for not leaking our information all those years ago, Eiji," Victor thanked.

       "And thanks for not shooting me with that pistol back then, too."

       "So you did notice."

       "I noticed all those things."

       "You," Yuka started, "you all be happy now."

        They ended the hug and said their goodbyes with Yuka and Eiji exiting the alley and found themselves observing Manzo's body from afar. Nobody in the area heeded them any attention.

       "In the end, I guess the District won. We were all pawns and the king was the District itself," she explained as she watched small androids exploring the crime scene. Shards of glass and blood littered the area where not long ago was a hoard of angry citizens. The area was now clear of possible suspects.

       "But pawns can still win the game; just not our pawns," Eiji told her with a slight nudge in the shoulder. That motion caused him to wince as his shoulder was dislocated and broken in multiple spots. She guessed the first place they were headed to was a hospital- she didn't need to hear him wincing every two seconds on their journey.

       "I guess you're right, after all," she reached into her pants pocket and revealed a black pawn and a white king. She handed him the white king. "However, this pawn and king can't be in use anymore."

       The rain began to patter the ground harder and they both took this as God's way of telling them to hurry it up.

       "One day we'll be back," Yuka stated, their steps hurrying towards the exit of the District a few streets away, "we'll be back once this place becomes unremarkable."

       Eiji chuckled. "You always have a way with words, Miss Hara."

       The gates of the Neon District beckoned for them to exit through them, and Yuka hoped that the gates will remain open for them to return... Someday.

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       The rain pattered against the concrete streets of the infamous Neon District, where its tall buildings and their blinding neon lights gave life to the city that never sleeps. Digital billboards atop buildings and along the walls of the many small businesses alerted potential customers of upcoming or current sales. Along with ads reminding the citizens that "the Watch are always watching."

       The rain drummed lightly against the blood soaked concrete around a motionless man in the middle of the street where his crisp suit was stained with his own blood from the chest and shoulder. Blue digital caution tape was set up around the perimeter of the crime scene where within it many Watch officers, detectives, and androids littered themselves around the body in search of any clues that led to this man's death.

       But of course, no evidence was to be found as the Syndicate knew how to make a clean getaway. 

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Original upload: December 20th, 2021.