Earlier that day...

"And... check." Linda smirked as she looked over their trusty truck, taking particular enjoyment in how the crates were neatly stacked in the back. "All looks good. Thanks for the help boys."

The few goons gave off a sort of gurgling sound, which Linda took as a sign they heard her. It was damn weird to try and talk with those things, but hey, they got the job done so she supposed it didn't make a difference if they were screeching monsters; they weren't the first monsters who helped with work.

"So we're finally set?" Linda looked over as Kurome observed the job, her voice ever judgemental. "Well, it looks fine enough; cables are firmly in place. Now all that's left is to hit the road."

"Yep." Linda smirked internally as they hopped in. "All we need is to drive a few hours, and then we'll be rolling in the good stuff."

"Whatever." Kurome leaned back and shut her eyes. "Just keep it down. I want to get some sleep; four in the morning is too damn early for this nonsense."

"Yeah yeah, sleep tight blueberry. I'll get us there in no time."

"Never call me that again." The equally colored girl spat, not bothering to even open her eyes.

"Roger that."

Not feeling even the slightest bit intimidated, Linda took off, all the while just barely managing to hold back a vicious smirk. The boss was giving them the chance of a lifetime, and unlike her friend who was dosing away in the seat, Linda was more than happy to be on the job. Kurome was strong sure, but she didn't look to be taking this all that seriously.

Eh, her loss. There was plenty of joy to be had on the open road, from the relaxing smooth turns to the saturated and bright landscape. Yes, there were the occasional monsters, but those nasty critters tended to avoid the roads a good chunk of the time; when the goddesses are seemingly drawn towards violence against humans, the monsters very quickly tend to catch on to that little pattern. Every now and then a monster would strike, but that was only in times of desperation, such as when their natural prey is on the down low.

For how much prodding and trouble this job took to get, it seemed simple enough. For about an hour and a half Linda was 'smooth sailing' as it were, and making sure to enjoy the peaceful calm that came with the isolation. Kurome's soft breathing did nothing to hinder her ears, and it looked as though the sounds of the road were nothing to her. Every now and then they'd cross a bump or hole in the pavement, and even then Kurome would continue to rest. Either she was tired as hell, or the heaviest sleeper ever; considering how they met, Linda was partially considering the latter.

Up ahead she spotted a small gas station, and feeling a little chipper she pulled in. They were running dang near empty now that she looked at it - a fault all her own for not filling up beforehand - so this was a stroke of much needed luck, plus the prospect of grabbing a few snacks was a temptation accentuated by the relaxed air. Parking next to the gas pump she hopped out. Linda had been tempted to fill it right now, but opted to ignore that momentarily and head inside to get some munchies first; her stomach was not happy for skipping breakfast, and the churning it bubbled up made sure she knew that.

She was greeted with racks and rows of... nothing. This was mildly concerning, especially for her tummy, but she figured they were just in the middle of stocking up.

"Hello?" She called, getting no answer in return, leaving her to nearly reconsider that idea. Yet she reasoned that maybe they were in the back, but even so why didn't they at least call out to her. Assuming they couldn't hear her she started walking around, in search of the backdoor. She found one, and was just about to enter when she stopped. Looking around she saw the small security camera near the top corner looking her way.

Damn, that was close. Linda was about to just up and strut in, however doing so without permission was illegal, and the fact she needed to remember that didn't exactly bode well in her mind. So many times she'd played the crook, only now she had an actual job... okay, this didn't count, but still; the boss man's delivery was just a side hustle.

A well paying side hustle.

"Hello?" Linda gave a few solid knocks on the door, and baring a few seconds time she earned not even the hint of an answer. She tired again, only louder. "Hello!"

Still nothing, and right as she was about to go 'third time's the charm' there was an odd noise from outside. Curiously it sounded like a screeching bit of metal, followed by a vehicle starting. A smile stretched itself over her face again, and she assumed somebody else had arrived. And so Linda made her way back to the front, oblivious to the security camera's light dying.

Huh? When did it get foggy? It was clear as glass when they first arrived, but for some strange reason the weather seemed to flip on its head so suddenly. The fog was also an off center green, usually not a good sign, but the reformed crook chalked it up to a trick of the light. She stepped outside, and then the smell hit her.

Wait... WAIT-NO-SHIT!

She recognised this smell, and instantly covered her nose and mouth. Holding back coughs, Linda did her best to avoid breathing directly. This particular gas was familiar, mostly because it was the same type she once used to abduct the Lowee sisters. Yes, trick was a sicko creep, but credits are credits, and she wanted cash. ASIC paid well, and ironically it was having that on her resume that got her hired by Chuko; something about knowing the unsavory side of the market making her useful - parole officer was happy enough though.

A screeching was heard, and with the roar of an engine had Linda's eyes widened. Her fears were confirmed as the smoke parted lightly, and she saw their truck speeding down the road. Instantly Linda took off as fast as her legs could carry her.

Some fool was jacking their truck.

NONONONONONONONO! Linda continued these riveting thoughts as she gave chase hopelessly, and after a few minutes collapsed, completely out of breath and utterly defeated. Another fit of coughing later and Linda was sitting on her backside contemplating her life choices.

"What did I do to deserve this?" She spoke to herself, soon after being bombarded with memories of all her previous criminal acts. "Okay, scratch that. What did I do recently to deserve this?" And then came the recollection of helping Kurome steal Planeptune files. She shook her head. "Come on, I mean violent recently?" Then there was the paintball shootout-

"Oh, forget it!" Fed up with her seemingly non-existent innocence being punished senselessly, Linda stood on her own two feet again. They thief couldn't have gotten far, right? With any luck she'd be able to continue on by foot, and hopefully come across some clues as to where the truck-jackers were. Besides, Kurome would surely wake up, and upon noticing the thief, beat their ass black and blue.

"Kurome sure is super cool like that, going 'pow', and 'bam' and-

.

.

"I'm not going to go any easier on your punishment Linda, so stop with the sucking up."

"Drat."

"Now continue."

"Right, right."

.

.

Linda would spend the next hour walking, her gut rumbling harder in need of sustenance, and so her body would grow weary. Skipping breakfast was never an issue before, but having to actually face the consequences of her own actions was tedious. Hopefully when she found the truck, their criminal adversary would be willing to spare a quick lunch.

Every step raged like fire, each motion more and more stilted than the last. Her very core was burning up with the vengeance of one who really should have been used to running around like this but for some reason lost that practiced stamina when she got an actual job and place to sit around in and eat pizza. In short the woman was a tad out of shape, just a little bit, may haps by the smallest margin.

The moment of self loathing and denial was cut short when her eyes zeroed in on a peculiar sight. Now to put this clearly, when traveling down a road there's a certain effect when the driver makes a sudden and unexpected turn. What happens is called a skid, something Linda used to be rather damn good at if she said so herself. However this often left tire marks that others could see and follow; something you didn't particularly want if trying to evade your enemies in a chase.

There, just at the very edge of the road on the right were the near wiped away hints of a skid... right before the caved in shrubbery and dirt leading into the woods.

Patting herself on the back for noticing this crucial and subtle detail Linda - with way too much vigor for a girl who was just duped an hour ago - set off into the path of complete natural destruction. Her boots sank into the muck and mud with every step, somewhat wetting her socks a little; she knew then she wasn't wearing water-proof boots. At least the smell of pine was enough to alleviate her senses, even if it was only so stagnant due to the amount of ripped bushes and grass from the truck.

Now why can't she be this good when 'we' need her? Internal whining at Gary's apparent power when outside of their influence, Linda noted how the path went downwards. She continued through, heading downhill and slowing to a stop before a tiny cave.

There sat the truck.

"Score." She whispered to herself, careful as to not make too much noise; who knew if anybody was around. Quietly the woman creeped over to the side, and poking her sights past the glass of the passenger side window revealed a distinct lack of gothic booty. "Of course it won't be this easy... oh!" She noticed the wrapper inside, and slowly she popped the door open and took the tiny treat. A small chunk of chocolate remained, and she scarfed it down.

A little food was better than none, and like any grade-schooler ever she regained nearly all of her strength.

However her celebration was cut short as her senses spiked as her ears picked up a couple voices, and ducking low she closed the door lightly and shimmied under the truck, coating herself in the same muddy dirt she just complained about.

Stupid karma. She did her best not to make a noise, even as the slushy muck slathered her pale midsection; apparently leaving your hoody unbuttoned could have some drawbacks. Linda liked to count herself as a rather skilled individual when it came to scouting, which was the main reason she'd always been delegated to the grunt work of info gathering and theft; always getting the job done in one way or another.

Fighting wasn't quite part of that ravishing resume of technique she boasted; in reality it was more akin to bashing.

"Dood~ That was like... killer." One oddly shaped hooded figure let out, slurring his words all the way.

"You got it dood~ I effin love that chick." Equally as wasted, but with a bit more sensibility, and a lot less focus.

"Man, like, I wish the priestess would let us groove all the time."

"Don't diss her like that dood, she's a 'mistress', get your facts straight."

"What's a 'mistress'?"

"A miss-what?"

"Huh?"

"Do?"

Deadly, dangerous, and skilled in the arts of speech-craft; Linda made a point to steer clear as she moseyed on by, only poking one of their 'out there' faces a little before continuing inside. Within the cave Linda squinted a little. The darkness was near complete in its domination of the stilted gray entrance, kept at bay by a few torches lining the wall. Up ahead Linda stopped and ducked, seeing another short robed figure. Part of her wanted this apparent guardian of the wooden door ahead to be as 'intellectual' as the previous two, but his - she thought it was a 'he' - firm stance left little to aid in that assumption.

Linda squinted her eyes a little, before reaching down and picking up a pebble. Aiming just above the robed one she chucked it with all her strength. The rock crashed against the tip top of the door, and the guard jumped as he frantically shot his look back. As he did this the girl rushed up as quick and quietly as possible, and stood firm and ready as the guard calmed down. He turned...

Linda was faster.

Her motions were swift, and from her own perspective it was as if the world itself was rotating around the guard. He may have been shorter than her, but his hood blocked out quite the bit of view, and Linda took advantage of this. He turned from the right, and so she moved left, keeping her sudden footfalls suppressed and dampened, with the very act aided by his loud ragged breathing.

"Anyone there." He called, looking ahead towards the entrance. Linda, from behind him, held her breath a little as she reached her hand back to feel the wood. There was no knob, but she could fell how the door moved with pressure; it was nothing more than a sheet of plywood. If she timed it right she could perhaps move it in tune to his shouting, muffling the sound of shifting dirt. "Hello."

His second call had been noticeably weaker, but Linda was already behind the 'door' and down another path. Years of practice in the arts of thievery sharpened nearly all of her physical senses, and even though she'd been out of practice the techniques learned over the years were still as useful as ever. This new hallway was much brighter, and the walls looked like something out of a castle. A few real doors were scattered on the left and right, and from the now brick patterned path, it was clear this place was no simple cave.

Linda had wandered right into a dungeon.

Okay, so all I need to do is find the item, which is probably a cool weapon, then get the boss key, because they usually guard a kick-ass reward, and find Kurome, who'll threaten to slap me for losing the truck.

A simple state of affairs really, and with any luck her partner will have already dealt with the boss, meaning all that Linda herself needed to do was loot the place.

"Heck yeah, it's my turn to play hero!"

Simultaneously every single door opened, and out popped the heads of many hooded figures, all of which offered a confused 'dood?'.

.

.

"You couldn't have stayed quiet a little longer?" Kurome's brow was raised, and yes, she could have put more emphasis in showing her disappointment, but there was no expression equal to the level of shame she felt in Linda at that moment.

"C'mon, cut me some slack here." Linda was sweating a little while trying to save what little of her dignity remained. "I don't usually get to run through the dungeon; most of the time I'm the boss at the end."

This earned nothing but a tired sigh from the dark one, and rather than think of all the possible ways to train her partner into having sense, Kurome instead focused more on the chains around her wrists. Solid steel, and pretty damn tight too; these idiots weren't playing around. Her ears were accosted by the chanting again, and once more she felt a headache coming on.

Three claps echoed off the walls, and all fell silent - much to Kurome's relief.

"Silence all." It was a woman, who was dressed like a mix between an idol and a stripper. Sporting a short red ponytail, the tall woman walked forward, and both apparent damsels were forced to gaze downwards at the one who commanded the cult. She scoffed. "You dare look down on me?"

"You tied us up here."

"That is no excuse!" She challenged with a growl, crossing her arms as the key on her necklace bounced against her supple chest. "I demand you face me head on!"

"Then climb up here and make us." Kurome could almost feel the panic Linda was radiating, mostly due to the increase in rattling chain noises. However Linda was currently in time out, at least in Kurome's mind, and so her panicked movements were ignored.

"Heh, you've got guts to be talking to me like that." The stripper spat. "Wanna say that to my face?"

"Wow, deaf too? You're turning out to be quite the catch." Kurome wouldn't lie, she was having the smallest bit of fun right now, however it seemed that fun was just about over as the woman leaped up and got right in her face.

"Say that again, I dare you. Say it agai-" Clearly miss underdressed wasn't prepared for the brutal headbutt, and recoiled holding her nose. Kurome smirked as the woman let out some muffled swears. A glance to the side showed a near pale Linda, however that look left her eyes as her vision settled on the object clenched between the violent one's teeth.

Closest I've been to getting a mouthful. Kurome spat the key up to her right hand, and luckily for her the shackle came easy. With one hand free she removed the other bindings. Leaping to Linda the agile woman set her partner free, and the pale girl near instantly regained her usual cocky attitude.

"Damn you." The woman looked to them again, and then she faced the cultists and screamed. "WHY AREN'T YOU ATTACKING THEM!?"

"You never asked, dood." One brave soul called. The woman looked to almost flat-line right there, but managed to revive her composure soon after.

"Useless cretins. Very well, as by my command... FIGHT!"

That kicked them into high gear, and all of them charged. Kurome readied herself, taking a fairly loose stance, almost lazily so, but with just enough room to allow for bursts of quick movement. How long had it been since she'd fought hand to hand? In her opinion, too long, but things had shaped up to allow for the stretching of that tense combat muscle, which was so often neglected in favor of weaponry or disposable minions.

Three leapt up, wielding pikes at the ready to stab. Where they got those tools she couldn't say, but regardless of pulling them from seemingly thin air, the once vile and hate driven woman could only smirk cruelly, teeth clenched in excitement. A twist, no different than a dancers sway, was all it took to mold herself between all the attempts to thrust into her. They stilted a bit and bumbled together, and seeing their off-balance stumble brought out that fire in her core.

Kurome brought both arms together, crossed over her chest as if hugging herself, and flung them wide to throw away the tangle of wood. This had the consequence of ripping the items from the cultists tiny hands... flippers; it didn't matter all that much to her, as they weren't worth the thought.

Two more came from the sides, and she ducked low, feeling a small thrill in seeing them clash above her head, and with a step back she saw them fall before her.

"Is that it?" She taunted, taking a sudden glance to Linda who was doing a fine enough job herself. The woman didn't have the sassy style Kurome had mastered during her time alone in Zero Dimension, but rather a tone uniquely her own; quick, and with a brush of instinctual caution. Linda was a survivor, and her dodging displayed that in its entirety, while her attacks consisted of brutish bumbling.

Many more challenged the pair, and as expected the duo kept up their ballet of chaos; mostly just letting the little guys tucker themselves out. Kurome enjoyed the complete and utter control she had over her foes; the feeling of domination was so meaty and crisp. It was really a bit of a let down when the last one fell, leaving nothing but a disheartened 'dood' as his final call. Pity it was, as Kurome was not yet satisfied.

Typical for the brash and boasting, to always leave a girl wanting.

"Woo! Hell yeah!" Linda joyously pointed to the stripper with a juvenile face of victory. "Take that you stupid bitch!"

The woman, with all her dignity and maturity, looked to mostly withhold her fury, which bubbled just below the skin, writhing with the need to probably scream. Rather their foe did something else, something that interested Kurome. Her body began to glow, and her look of fury slowly dug itself free from the mounds of restraint burying it. A vengeful crimson smoke roared around her as strips of electricity crackled in her own personal storm.

"Fine, you want it rough, then let's play rough!"

There was this strange oddity in her gut, something Kurome herself couldn't fully explain. It was tense, pounding, and so prominently stirring her insides. She felt the coming cough, and saw how bits of shadowed red sprinkled the stripper's face. The shamed woman smiled honestly this time, her lips pursed in mock pity.

"Awe, whatever is the matter little girl?" Her fist twisted, and Kurome with all the strength of her will bit down on her tongue, hoping the pain of teeth tearing through the organ's skin would be enough to mute the agony of the fist twisting in her gut. "Does it hurt?"

The woman pulled back, and Kurome dropped to her knees. Physical pain was not something Kurome expected to feel any time soon, especially of this severity. Yes, her first meeting with Linda and Warechu provided a small sting, but that was nothing more than a minor prickling compared to the suffering her body now hosted. Half wanting to puke and half about ready to piss herself; it took all of her willpower to not commit to both. Layered breathing was the only action she could perform consistently for the small moments she could solidly focus.

And there it was again, that feeling of abstract suffocation.

Being without share energy, Kurome was little more than a buffed-up human, and yet initially she believed her other source of strength to be long lost. Apparently that was a lie, as while the dirty skank walked past her towards Linda, Kurome could nearly hear the screaming of desire licking the edges of her soul. The wriggling, burrowed tickling of tortures, speaking their vile curses of pleasureful horror. The greedy, hateful, addictive dark side, who's very presence alone is the personification of humanity's evil. It was the very essence of her being, of her own fall into darkness which bestowed upon her the ability to pervert her acceptance of human hopes and prayers, to instead leech off their fear and torment.

Delusion; a liquor she'd savored so thoroughly during her years of secluded insanity.

Linda was pulsing with the fragrance of despair, and though ghastly the idea may have seemed, Kurome yearned to indulge in the succulent flavors her partner's prominent musk promised. Every instance of pulsing, living flesh and blood needed the relief of this long abandoned drug; one Kurome herself was under the belief she was no longer enslaved to. Kurome stood, the pain of her previous wound forgotten and buried in her desire, turning to look back at the woman walking arrogantly towards Linda, and smiling lightly to herself as the realization dawned on her.

Apparently the chains remained, as did the freedom such a binding provided.

Author's note

...

And here we are, cliff-hanger and all.

Secret agent Linda makes her move, and like the skilled rogue she is the woman expertly navigated into the cult; too bad her excitement took control. Kurome also had her moment to shine, even if that shine has awakened some... 'unpleasant' aspects of her being.

May chaos reign supreme, as the goddess of suffering has awoken.

Until next time.