On her way back, she gave herself a name; Linda. It just happened without even thinking about what name would fit. Maybe it was due to seeing a nametag on one of the elites' tactical uniforms, which read 'Lind' on the right of his chest. She cocked a smile, closed her eyes, and leaned with stunning relaxation on her seat. She carried an awful stench with her that made them all gag, including Liena, who had not caught whiff of the odor before.
"So, I think I've chosen a name for myself," Linda told Liena.
Liena removed her beanie and placed it over her nose. "Couldn't you have chosen deodorant instead? Hey, driver-" Linda slapped Liena upside the head. "-Open a window, if you can!"
"You weren't complaining when we were up there, you nose-less pinhead," Linda snorted.
"Nose-less? Look, the air must've been moving the stench from my sniffing range, okay? Ugh, you have to take a shower immmedialy!"
"No shit, icy hair! Until then, you all are stuck with my unbearable gift, so suck my dick!" Linda had a lovely way with words. She was fun that way, but had also some crazy, limitless qualities that brought upon a fearless nature that Liena hadn't seen yet. And God help anyone got first-hand experience when after getting on Linda's bad side. "I could use a nap, so..."
And did I mention she also did as she pleased? For the most part, Linda came with the "Litter Box Complex." What this was, it was being able to do anything when she wanted, where she wanted. Anyone who would dare say otherwise would get this kitty's claws. A basic death wish at will. Scythe members were indeed happy with this Linda trait, until they ended up receiving Linda's heavy rebellion, which ended up in a fight. She took three of Scythe's members before fleeing on foot. Obviously, they considered her a valuable asset to them as no one fired off any gun when she was running from their headquarters, located underneath some woodlands. She had come out through a maze of sewers, lost and wandering about until she made it out of there.
Linda rested her head on Liena's lap without the latter's permission. "Oh, and it's Linda, by the way! Thanks for asking!" Her sarcasm was truly something to behold.
Before Liena could protest about boundaries, Linda closed her eyes and dozed off comfortably on her lap. She began to snore in the same minute, too. Poor Linda was actually starving and weary by the time she had been found, and by the right people over those who brought her to life. Hopefully she wouldn't be mistreated like an enemy she was created to be when she got over there.
Man... Liena had some warm legs that gave Linda such a great experience. She either slept on the cold floor or not at all, so of course Liena felt like a soft marshmallow to her. "I love you..." Linda muttered through her snores.
"Oh, uhhh...?" Liena ended up blushing, but the red cheeks either went unnoticed by the two guards across her, or they saw it but didn't remotely care about it. Liena only began to gently stroke Linda's hair one-handed, while still covering her nose from the God-awful stench. "Thanks, I think?"
Linda smiled when Liena stroked behind the ears.
Way Later
It worked out just as Liena had hoped. Linda gave everything to The Domicile, and that included the names of all members within the organization, many of their connections to other players, such as arms dealers and terrorist syndicates, their main base and other tinier details that ensured the lids they planned to have would forever be on Santa's naughty list. Linda was confident and triumphant throughout the whole "interrogation" process, which was really her just willingly playing it cool.
When the man, a middle-aged bald fellow in a tan business casual suit, had asked on why Linda wasn't resisting or refusing to answer any of his questions, she simply answered with, "I did it for the funnies. Now put on a spectacle for me, will you?"
The interrogator was studying her expression, trying to figure her out. "Intriguing, so you just told us all we need to know. How do we know this is not a trap?"
"I'd have a wire or a bug on me that transmitted back to them!" Linda stood up, kicked her chair back, and slammed her hands onto the steel table, making it rattle with the impact. "I know I've been checked for weapons when you guys handcuffed me, but you didn't go all the way, you pansies! So go on! Go on and check me all the way! X-rays, metal detectors, and anything else that says I'm not with them! God, I don't want anything to do with them..."
"Is that all you have to say as your defense?" The interrogator asked, having already written three pages worth of notes on a clipboard. "Well, this intel you've disclosed with me, specifically the location of the Scythe base, I cannot say whether or not this information is legitimate and authentic until we dispatch units and check the HQ out. In the meantime, I'm afraid that you're going to have to be placed in one of our special holding cells until we figure this out."
"Fuck," Linda muttered under her breath.
"Want my advice? Our agents who been sent to collect you say you showed no sign of hostility in any way, and that's as good a chance to spare you from the special way we treat our guests here."
"Hmmm..." Linda was ready to strip down naked, just to prove she wasn't with Scythe. She didn't know how these things work yet, or anything above basic knowledge and common sense. Finding out who... Or rather, what she was in nature made her verbally jumpy and uncleansed with blood sin of past devious acts of atrocious humans who walked the dead earth before her. A clone... A clone with no real lease on life or a path to peace like she would see around Scythe. Even some of the members got in on the action, and Linda was only a spectator to love. To these human qualities. Did they have a place in her life? Did life have something special for her?
She rendered herself calm. Guess there was no need to go berserk as of yet. The Domicile hadnt played out their hostile card, so Linda had no reason to go to war. Despite herself actually in favor of cashing in for some type of trouble, she didn't bring out that from inside. The girl who brought her, that one was the same as her. Liena was a nice girl, alright. Nice, but maybe an airhead as well. Linda had more to find out about her, but there was something about Liena that she liked. Something she could not explain yet.
Linda went back in her chair, impatiently waiting to leave the room. Her mind went back to hell. The Louds. Luna and Sam, punk rockers from a band with a name she didn't know what. What was it? She hit her hands on the table. What was the name? She did it again, harder.
Noize Complaint. She had nothing passed down from them. Nothing, but was given the rapsheets and all info on the lives of Luna Loud and company. There were clones before them. Linka, Lupa, Liby, Lacy. So she wasn't the first one like she thought she'd be when she learned this. Eleven kids, four clones, and a history of battles with other freaks of nature. She learned a whole lot this way. But she also learn that they were all dead. All of them, and that included two kids that one Lori and one Lily had given birth to in this horrid world. The primary Loud generation had fallen, wiped off the face of the earth.
And here she was, having just found someone else who belonged in that particular gene pool. What were the fucking odds? Maybe that was it. Maybe it was their relation that made Linda interested in Liena. They were basically related. "That girl, she said her name was Liena, a cell relative to Lincoln Loud. That makes her my own relative as well, so... If it's not too much trouble, I want to stick around her."
"And what makes you think you're in a position to negotiate?"
Linda had no right answer. "Uhhh..." She was clearly not a planner. "Fuck."
"Adorable. Okay, well just need my advice, and maybe my advisors can slide in some wonderful perks. I'm going to take these to them right now, and we'll see what happen. Stay put."
Linda rested her head on the table. She couldn't help but wander back to the nice, smooth feel of Liena's legs. Perfect pillows. "Oh, God..." She moaned. Now that she thought about it... Weird. Liena was... Cute? "Um..." Linda blushed a perfect tomato red. "Christ, I'm a lesbian."
She put her hoodie up in pure embarrassment when the interrogator came back with an older man. Results were in.
An Hour Later
Linda was escorted to a random room in what she recognized as the living quarters. It was a narrow hallway with concrete walls and ceramic tiles. Being a government agency, they weren't stuck in the past with their decor and foundation layout.
Her room was right across from Liena's. Her escort, one of the many agents in The Domicile, stopped and showed her in. She didn't need to open the door, as there were motion detectors to allow her inside. "What, no food?"
The agent left without a word.
"I don't like this service!" Linda cried out.
Liena heard the familiar voice of the wild, unchained girl outside, and exited her room to see her. "Hey, Linda! You cooperated, I'm guessing."
"Scythe isn't my home, Liena," Linda opened up. "I didn't want to side with them, but I also don't want to be here."
"Oh? R-really?" Linda didn't know that Liena felt the same way about this place. "Hey, you wanna come inside? I've got a hotel room in this place. They treat me like a princess, but-"
Linda wasted no time running right into Liena's room. "Fuck out of my way!"
Once in, she witness the motherload. A gaming console was vastly awaiting her, and so was a half-eaten thick burger at the table, on the side of Liena's bed. The burger, and a bottle of coke. She went and devoured it without asking for permission. "So good... Mmmmm!"
"Hey, I was... Aww..." Liena raised a finger, only to hopelessly lower it. "You're so mean."
"Oh, I'm sorry, girlie, but the world isn't as nice as you think it is." Linda wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater, burping loudly. "Oh, man, that hit the spot. Thanks for that." She took the coke as well. Liena was done objecting, and Linda studied her.
"You're welcome, I guess..." Liena rubbed her arm, feeling hurt.
"Hey, hey, what's with the weakity-whack?" Linda chugged the coke at halfway before setting it down. "Aren't you trained to slaughter people? That's why they created me, you know. I'm a weapon, and you know are as well... You do know that, don't you?"
Liena didn't respond. She merely looked down to the ground, prompting Linda to go and sit her down on the bed. "I... Should," Liena whimpered. "Is there... Something wrong with me?"
"Do you really believe that there's... No need for what they need of you?"
Liena nodded. "I have dreams, Linda. I want to... Leave this place. I've learned about the outside world, I... I had my chance... When I went out to go collect you, it was my first ever time."
Linda had been staring at her deeply, listening closely up until now. She shifted her eyes away from Liena, relating to her somehow. "Really? Your first ever?"
"Yeah... Yeah, and I forgot- I simply forgot to enjoy it. I forgot to live-" She trailed off.
"Oh... So, they don't give you freedom? These faggots are keeping you locked up?"
Liena pointed to the many things around her room. "Those are briberies..."
"Briber- Is this the price of slavery now? You should be free, Liena. Not living like this, locked in a cage!" Linda stood back up and grabbed Liena's hands, pulling her up as well. "Come on, you and me! We can have it, Liena! We can have freedom for ourselves! Proper freedom, and none of that boss bullshit! It's just out these doors!"
"Escape? I... I could never-"
"Sure you can! I did it, too! I escaped Scythe, did I not?" She dropped her enthusiastic tone and leveled down for a softer one. "Look, I thought I didn't have a real reason to come here except to be a pain in Scythe's ass, and these guys, I don't trust them. They're people with agendas, and they're just going to use you rather than get themselves to fight for their cause and beliefs. And you, you couldn't even bring yourself to fight me, no matter how much you've learned here. They'll- No, they're gonna get you killed in their battles! You got lucky with me, but you won't be!"
"Y-you really want me to escape with you?" Liena didn't know how to feel about it. Linda was doing her best to convince her at this point.
"No, I want you to break free from confinement, girlie! Have a life of your own, live long, and don't die questioning why so young!"
It scared little Liena in that instant; she gripped onto her beanie with fully-fledged fear, totally not ready to die. "I don't want that..."
"And you won't! Not if you come with me! If you don't, I'll-" She looked around and went over to Liena's console. "I will smash this to bits!"
"Oh! Hey, now you're just forcing me!"
"Tough love, brat! You need the push, and this is for your own good!"
Liena looked deep into Linda's green eyes. She wasn't lying about this, and Linda would very well do this to her. "Oh, please! Wait, I- I'll go with you!"
Linda smiled, glad to hear the right answer. "That's what I like to hear."
Liena gulped. "So... I don't know what to do..."
Linda gave herself a facepalm. "Okay, then I guess I'll have to remodel you, don't I?"
"R-remodel?"
Days Later
"Do it again, you little runt!" Linda held her fists up to her face, in an attempt to block Liena's incoming punches. "Let's see how strong you've gotten now!"
They were in the combat room, taking up the custom boxing ring. No punching gloves or safety gear was being used this time. Liena had to fight with her bare fists, and hold her own. After the first fifty-four training sessions, and sixteen matches, she might've been ready for the first step in becoming a fighter and a killing machine. She didn't have to surrender her morals at all, but this was a necessity should ever the time come that she needed to actually take someone's life.
It helped that she had already known how to fight, which brought a challenge to Linda more than she initially believed Liena could put up. And to tell you the truth, she loved it. She loved to spar with Liena, despite having secretly going easy on her. She might've been rough, and had every reason to be rough with her, but Linda held back her brutality for Liena.
Liena, basically a young cinnamon roll at heart, did not earn the hardest strikes yet. Not physically, and not emotionally. Not until Linda was there to show her, and not until Linda succeeded in doing what The Domicile spooks haven't achieved with Liena. And Linda knew she beat them, because she offered a golden incentive to motivate Liena, even as scared as the white-haired chick was to carry the escape out. Freedom. Linda came with freedom. The savior in Liena's life, and the beginning to her new one.
No, their new one.
And Linda, somewhere along the way, had fallen in love with her. Liena, a gentle soul, adorable by her innocence, and a fun-size girl who had a sensitive quality. She was more alive than anyone Linda has met so far, and it accounted for something. Linda wanted to have it with her, but could she? Could they quite possibly have a life together, even as artificial humans? Even as relatives? What would Liena think of her, if she opened up her feelings to her?
She was distracted by it long enough for Liena to strike a punch from the side. Linda went down hard, groaning with a muffle. "Sh-shit-"
"Oh, oh- Hey, I'm sorry, did I-?" But to her surprise, Linda was laughing with joy.
"That wasn't half bad, icy hair! Not bad at all!"
Liena formed such a cute, sunshine-like smile. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah, you're getting to be a real pro," Linda complimented. "And pity the other guys, okay? You'll have me."
The concept of a friend struck them both to unify them. And the bond strengthened further with each of their one-on-ones. And Linda's heart was craving for something more than a friend from within Liena. But she couldn't share this just yet.
When they finished their fight, Linda went to the showers while Liena took a breather, resting up back in her room. When she did finally catch her breath again, Linda came in half-naked, in a tan bikini and a blue bra with a purple towel wrapped around her hair. "I think our roles are reversed, stinky," Linda joked. "Peeeeyoooouuu!"
"Hey, I wasn't the one smelly back where I found you!" Liena removed her beanie and tossed it at Linda. It was one of those rare times when she would take it off, save for when she showered and went to sleep.
"Oh, how the tables have turned, am I right?" She nudged, messing around with Liena's hair.
"Hey, you! Stop!" Liena let out some cute laughs, lightly trying to push Linda's arms away.
"Why don't you make-?" Linda was dragged into Liena's bed and pushed down playfully. "Oh, my!"
Liena kept her pinned down, and both of the young girls were laughing away as they met each other's eyes. Linda's towel fell from her head, revealing her moist hair. Liena returned the notion and messed around with hers. "Gotcha!"
"No fair! You're becoming unpredictable!" Linda didn't fight her fun advances, letting Liena have this. "Okay, you can let go now."
Liena didn't release her grips right away, only staring down into Linda's eyes. There was a second where Linda believed that, somewhere in the sparkling pair of blue eyes, she saw some unexplored pain spread out around them, which only let her know that their running away had to come fast. Who knows when they'd have a break and go out on their next assignment?
"Something wrong?" Linda got the feeling Liena wanted to say something- And she secretly hoped Liena would give her a nice kiss to ease this clear tension.
"Oh, uhhh..." She let go of Linda and then fell right beside her, bringing her tiny hands to her chest. "I know I've said it a few times before, but... I'm really glad they chose to keep you in the meantime. I like having you around."
"Is that mush I'm sensing, icy hair?" Linda shrugged jokingly. "Get that nasty shit away from me!"
"Aw, come on! I'm being truthful here... Again." She coughed. "I just... I'm sorry, but I'm just so happy that you... You came-" She had a girly moment, and Linda turned away, concealing herself with her towel.
"You are filled with endless mush, you know?" Linda dragged herself to the front of the bed and closed her eyes. "I mean, I appreciate them letting me crash and all, but I'm not gonna be all sappy for that."
Liena looked at her with puppy dog eyes when Linda faced her again.
"I mean... Okay, yeah, I think you're pretty cool, too," she admitted, turning slightly red. "I'm tired..." No joke, she really was, and helplessly began drifting off again.
"Whoa, hey, no! No, you have a need across the room-" But once Liena her her friend's ugly snoring, she was out like a baby. "Linda!"
Liena had no choice than to allow Linda to crash for the night. It was hard to get her under the covers, especially with the sudden kicking she did in her sleep. It took three minutes to achieve getting one leg down, and the other took twice as long. She could have simply covered Linda with the covers on her side, and switched to her bed. She didn't, however, allowing Linda to have her first unofficial sleepover with the sweetheart of a girl. Who was Liena to deny her this?
Liena wrapped up for the night after switching the light off, and tucked herself asleep.
The Next Day
Somewhere in the night, Linda turned over and spooned the shorter girl, and she would be the only one to know of what she did the next morning, and be utmost embarrassed. She was pretty sure Liena was enjoying it, having been moaning before she moved her hands from Liena's skin. Probably fantasized over some boy. Some... Boy...
Why did this matter so much to her? "Ugh... Oh my fuck-"
"Mmmm," Liena was waking up, urging Linda to rush out.
She sneezed a few times, having slept more naked than she was used to. The towel on her head hadn't helped either. When she got dressed up in her own room, sporting the same clothes she grew into, two of the spooks within the facility had come to ring for them. Linda came out, only to be stopped by them. "Hey, slaves, what's the word on the street?"
"We need you two to accompany us for a news report," one of them said.
"Wonderful, a mission! Liena, get your short butt out here!" Linda leaned against the wall, waiting up for her apprentice-in-training.
Liena yawned from the room. "Hang on, I'll be right out!"
The Domicile's director had her own private room at the end of the top floor, a round room that was the fusion of an office and a high-end hotel room. The front of the room was like an office desk, with two chairs on the other end, and behind it, two entryways on either side led to the exclusive access of the room. They didn't know what was on that side, and would probably never find out.
The girls sat down on the seats, while the director, a middle aged blonde woman, had her hands locked together, set at the table. She was a serious woman not to be trifled with, no matter what the occasion or reason. On her desk, she had a nametag on her desk that read; RAMELLE
"Good morning, Loud clones," Ramelle began. "Normally, no one here gets such special treatment for hard work, apart from a sense of accomplishment and pride. But today, I called you in to announce an exception, and I'm sure you'll love this."
Liena, wholeheartedly curious, listened closely, while Linda wanted to leave right away.
"I've decided that you two have been good enough with The Domicile, and you-" Ramelle gazed her eyes to Linda. "The intel you've given us has checked out, so you're in the clear, meaning-"
Linda rolled her eyes. She knew what was coming. "Ugh, get it over with..."
"I'm sorry?" Ramelle asked.
Liena bumped Linda's shoulder with her elbow. "Please continue."
"As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, Linda here does no longer have a place here. We here at The Domicile are thankful for the training that you've given Liena here, but your services are no longer required. Effective immediately."
Liena gasped with horror, and Linda was mentally objecting to it. She got up and slammed her hands onto the desk table. "Hey, that's- That's not fair! I did it! I helped you guys, and you still don't want me around?!"
"We have no use for you-"
"COME ON, THIS GIRL NEEDS MORE TRAINING! I'M THE ONE WITH THE PROPER METHODS TO SHOW HER, NOT YOU! NOT ANY OF YOU!"
Liena looked down, reeling in disappointment. Then, she gasped again, grabbing Linda by her sleeves. "Hey-"
"THIS GIRL NEEDS ME, AND I'M NOT LEAVING! YOU'RE A FOOL IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE, DAMN YOU!" Linda huffed and puffed with rage so hard, that she became a vape pen, emotionally letting off steam as if she were getting angry in a fandom for nothing.
"Linda, she's testing you!" Liena cut in, still tugging at her.
Linda stopped. "What?" She calmed, shifting her head from one to the other. "You... Are testing me?"
"Very preceptive of you, Liena," Ramelle stated with astonishment. "So, you are able to see through me, eh?" She smiled.
"So, that means..." Linda rewinded. She got to stay, and it was good for them. No setback to delay Liena's escape, for she couldn't do it without Linda. Or... Or so she thought this was the case. She didn't bother to find out more about her, and didn't know about her super strength. Come to think of it, Linda remembered reading about it on Lincoln's file. She hadn't seen it yet from Liena, making her wonder what was up with that.
"I had to see if you'd leave or not. Based on evaluations, I was under the impression you would get the hell out of dodge and book it, but it appears I'm wrong."
"So... You're not kicking me out?"
"Oh, heavens no! I see potential in you, and I tend to exploit your specialness to its fullest degree. But, enough about that. I've brought you to here to inform you that I've decided to take the leashes off of you."
"Wait-" It sounded like good news to Liena, but she felt there was some sort of catch.
"You're-" Linda thought she head wrong.
"Congratulations, you two! You now have the access pass out of here! Of course, you simply can't leave us, so we will supply you with some comms. I realize you two are teens who need fresh sir, socialization, a life, so... Go on, have some fun. Maybe you might just meet a pair of suitable boyfriends... Or maybe some girlfriends."
Liena squeaked, scoffing at the idea. "Whoa there, ma'am, I... Uhhh..."
Ramelle smiled. "Oh, I'm just teasing, sweety! Go on bsck to your rooms, while the technicians team construct some high-tech three-way walkie-talkies. You can talk to each other while I'll be able to tall to you for assignments."
"Speaking of assignments... Pardon me for being direct, Rammy, but what's the nature of our assignments? I haven't been to my first one yet, and Liena here has shown great interest in goinh again for a second round."
"Wha- Hey!"
Ramelle studied them. "Hmmm, you want to go out there together, do you?"
Linda nodded while Liena shook her head.
"Okay, well-"
"And what of Scythe? I personally want to see them get pummeled in by your oh-so-special guys here."
"Scythe? That's our business, not yours."
Linda groaned. "Goddamnit..." She muttered under her breath.
"But, there are some... Events of interest that have caught our attention. Unfortunately, they have been piling up, and these events are not exactly for the regular men here. So, if you really want to get to work, I can dig up our special cases that need attending to, and you go and do your thing. Would that be fair?"
"Yes, I guess I'm not opposed to it," Linda said.
"Great! Well, now that we've got all that out of the way, you are dismissed. What you'll need will be delivered shortly."
Liena sat up and bolted out in disbelief.
"How could you do that?" She wanted out of the assignments, but Linda was there to keep her from going the easier routes. "We had it! We have freedom, and you-"
"Easy, Liena." Linda had followed her back into her room.
"You just want to jump into a fight! Into danger! And after everything you said to me, you wanna do it yourself?! Are you that crazy?!"
"Liena-"
"We already had it! Ramelle's giving us what we wanted, and yet- And y-you just-"
Linda then understood what it was that Liena had been worked up over. She advanced close enough to her to give her a tightening hug. "It's okay, Liena. I know... I know you're scared, but it's going to be okay."
Liena was allowed to cry again, and on a deeper scale as well. Linda had made herself an important person in the girl's life, so of course she didn't want them to go through with these missions now that they've gotten this close and bonded like no other. Liena didn't want her to leave, and that's what Linda was able to tell from the sad girl with the sad life.
"I-I'm sorry..." She sniffed.
"I... Liena, I like you," Linda opened up. "I care about you, but I'm also doing this for us. Look, we don't have to do them if you don't wanna, but it won't stop me from going on with these."
"R-really? I- I can't change your mind, then?"
"Something's just broken, icy hair. I'm not afraid."
"Y-you're so dark, it's not even funny," Liena states, bringing herself to laugh. "You need happiness."
"I have you," Linda gagged, going red.
Liena smiled like a goofball, rubbing her head onto Linda. "Aw, you big lug!"
Linda savored the girl's affection, gently rubbing her head. "You touchy shorty. So..."
"Okay, I- I'm in... I'll join you on these missions, why should you get to have all the fun? As- As long as you keep me safe, that is."
"Atta girl," Linda accepted. "We'll take on the less dangerous ones, by the way."
It relieved Liena of grave concern. "Sounds better!"
They stayed in agreement to this, and soon, they would come not only to be thankful for what came down their way, but for the things that would wedge them closer to each other. Closer beyond a friendship. And Linda would wait until then.