[Brainwashing, Betrayal]

"Yo yo yo yo! What's going doooooown! It's your girl, Lotus Princess! And we've got a brand new hot scoop for you all!"

The loud blaring sounds of the powerful radio echoed out through the bar in the depths of Atlas City, where all the criminals that had been suppressed by society gathered. At least, that's what people thought. If they actually believed in the propaganda that the evil corporation put out. If they were sensible enough to look deeper into the case, they were very quick to realize the kind of slop they had been fed. The kind of lies that permeated through society...

"Heh, that Lotus Princess. She's fired up like usual, isn't she?" A young lady with a crude crown said, stretching as she downed another cheap beer. The kind that had been made down in these slums, because there's no way that they were willing to drink any of the junk from the cleaner parts of society. That shit brainwashed you into being another slave of the establishment...

"It would be nice if she could calm down and stop yelling. But it is nice to hear her, I do agree." A taller lady with a monocle covering one of her eyes spoke in turn, all while carefully taking a sip from the hand-made sake that was distributed throughout the slums. She wasn't the type to drink the kind of beers that were being tossed around, they were far too crude for somebody like her. Even if she associated with such crude individuals...

"Turn it up! I can't hear her over my meal!" The last of the trio that was currently occupying the bar, a modestly rotund lass that was much shorter than her other two friends, shouted as she stuffed her mouth full of chicken. It was a shame that they had to actually kill off the animals that they raised for the sake of some actual proper food, but it was preferred to the paste that was being fed up above.

"Well then maybe you should stop eating like a pig, Bai, and maybe you'd end up with an actual girlfriend. Instead of being pitied for lugging all of that flab around." The monocled girl said as she slowly rested her head against her hand. She was blushing all over, and it wasn't hard to tell that her inhibitions had been released. Especially since it barely took a few droplets of alcohol to get her way too drunk...

"You're one to talk, Sha. You're the kind of girl who keeps prattling on and on about how clever you are, when you really just don't have any bitches and that's why you keep trying to win the hearts of those that make you squirt." The crowned girl chimed as she downed another beer. "Where is that girl anyway!? She was supposed to be here ages ago! I can't have a party without my favorite staff!"

"Shut up and just drink, Wu! You're making it hard to hear the Lotus Princess!" The plump gal, Bai, cried out as she stuffed her mouth full again after almost wasting a bit of that delicious chicken. But it was important to scold her, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to hear the radio.

The radio broadcast fritzed and sparked, because there was no way for a stable broadcast to reach through the entire slum. But the dangers of tuning into the broadcast on a dinky old radio that wasn't locked to the approved channels was worth it, just to have something to rally behind.

"Let's give a big hand to Shin-Z! They've been doing a great job at tagging buildings in the upperground, especially the ones that Atlas Corp want to tear down! The more they make the sheeple up above grow attached to these places, the harder it'll be for the Corp to tear them down and replace them with something more high tech. And the more they piss off the uppergrounders, the more they'll end up down here. Joining our brothers and sisters in arms until we're all ready to fight back and overwhelm them!"

It wasn't hard to hear the cheers spreading throughout the slums down below. Nearly everyone listened to the Lotus Princess' broadcast. Especially after they had been cast aside by normal society. Her voice was one of the few things that could bring them together...

"Wu! Sha! Bai! Look what I managed to get!"

The broadcast was rudely cut off by the sound of the door slamming open, and a young lady running inside with a bunch of bracelets that looked cobbled together with a few pretty rocks and nothing else. Then again, considering the many bracelets that the girl already wore... It would just be added to the accessorized row, rather than anything else.

"Great, you're just in time, Xuan! Did you bring the staff?" "Excellent timing, Xuan. Please don't tell me that you spent all of that time crafting more friendship bracelets." "Xuaaaaan! Any more food?"

The girl chuckled a little as she looked upon her three friends. Shin-Z's top tagger, 'Monkey King' Wu. Shin-Z's expert planner,  'Pure River" Sha. And Shin-Z's plump muscle, "Stuffed Pig" Bai. The three were some of the best rebels that the slums had to offer. All thanks to their continued efforts at striking at the world above. The world that had tossed them aside when they were becoming a problem. All they did was just tag and draw graffiti art, and yet they were condemned like all the others. That was the start of the persecution that permeated this horrid society.

And their leader... Was her. 'Heavenly' Xuan. A girl who was unlike her peers. A gentle soul who could bring anybody over to her side with a gentle plea and a good look into their eyes. She had proved it before, because she was able to turn a whole platoon of guards from Atlas Corp into her fellow rebels. Of course that was when they listened to her. But after they started wearing those muffs, her words fell on deaf ears.

"Well... I kinda forgot the staff, and..." But despite that, she was just an ordinary girl. Which meant that she would naturally forget a couple of things if she didn't take the chance to remember. Which was why she just had her bracelets, color coded and ready for each of her friends to wear.

Both Sha and Wu collapsed against the counter as they really expected better of their leader, with Sha gritting her teeth as she lifted herself back up. "And to think I made the original suggestion to have us all join together. At least I didn't suggest that she could be the next Lotus Princess. Unlike a certain monkey..."

"I'll have you know that she could definitely make people listen! Remember when she saw our art and started to smile and giggle when we tried to explain its meaning? She could see the kind of passion that we brought to the table, and-" Wu tried to defend their leader, only to be hit in the face by a bowl that had been scraped dry of all its contents.

Bai snorted a bit as she slammed her fists against the table. "Enough complaining! She didn't get the food, so we're gonna go have some fun and get some real food!" Not only was Bai their muscle, but she was also the most impatient. And the most likely to just accept that things went one way instead of the way she expected. It sure didn't mean that she was going to let it get to her.

"It's always nice to see you three like this." Xuan giggled, before she gently tossed the bracelets to each of them. "I really thought we needed these. So I'm sorry I forgot everything else."

A quick glance at the bracelets made each of them understand what made these stand out. It was the insignia embedded in the stones. Shin-Z in every single piece of the bracelets... So that's why she had been quiet all morning and just headed straight out. She had plans.

The three rebels looked at one another and laughed. They couldn't stay mad at her like this. She wasn't the most clever, nor was she the strongest or the most agile. But she was definitely the heart that kept them together, as they were all beyond prone to arguing with one another if they were all alone...

"Thanks, Xuan. It looks great, especially all the red!" "There's plenty of blue as well, I do thank you for taking my thoughts into consideration with the design." "Heh, it's just big enough for my wrist! You picked a great size for it, Xuan!"

Xuan smiled as they all showed appreciation for her creations, before she gently turned towards the radio that was still broadcasting Lotus Princess' message. One day, she would be just as influential as her. After they had tagged all of the buildings up above, maybe...

Oh well. For now, she had to spend more fun time with her friends. And after that, she could look into a way to be just as great as Lotus Princess...

---

"Good evening, gentle members of the Atlas City Slums. This is your DJ, Lotus Queen. I'm very glad you all tuned in for another wonderful evening. Please, stay tuned for the latest news and scoops regarding Atlas Corp."

"God, it's just all the same nowadays, isn't it? The same crap we've heard up above? The hell happened to Lotus Princess?!"

"Indeed. It's just beyond dull. There's no spark to this kind of commentary. Even if it goes at my tempo, it's still far too dreary. Disgusting."

"I miss Lotus Princess... She always made every meal feel so special..."

"It's all just meals for you, ain't it, Bai? ...Honestly, I could go for a good meal right now. Might get this sour taste out of my mouth..."

"I concur, Wu. For once, I wouldn't mind pigging out. It's beyond stressful to hear this constant dreary tone..."

Shin-Z had gathered together in their favorite bar yet again. The bar that was as abandoned as ever. And the only one that was currently listening to the broadcast was their leader, as Xuan carefully looked at the crummy radio. There was something strange about the broadcast, and it wasn't just the fact that it was a lot clearer than normal...

"Oi, Xuan. Can't you turn that garbage off? It's getting on my nerves." Wu said as she gently elbowed her leader. All while sighing as she looked over towards the paint cans that they had been using lately. "The guys who made our sprays got busted a week back, there's no way we can keep up the spraying if we keep running out like this."

"It's not a beneficial situation to be in, no. But I'm sure that we can find a way out of it. We found a way out of nearly being captured, and we even managed to save Xuan from their clutches when she spent a little too long with the uppergrounders. Perhaps that's why she's been feeling out of it lately?" Sha muttered, all while carefully prodding into the soup that was placed in front of her. "...Bai, why are there no utensils for our meal?"

She got her answer as the short pig tipped over her own bowl and just downed the big soup, before carefully planting the bowl back down again. A stark change from her original tendency to just toss things away. Probably because they needed to save a few credits so they could actually get more food. "Don't need 'em. It's all just soup anyway." Bai said, before looking towards Xuan. "You're sad she's gone too, aren't you, Xuan? I miss Lotus Princess a lot..."

"Ah... Uhm..." Xuan said, all while softly smiling towards her friends. "S-Sorry. I wasn't really listening. I was focused on the broadcast. Could you all repeat one more time..?" She asked sheepishly, blushing all across her face as she felt shame over having asked such a simple question.

"Thanks to the valiant efforts of the gangs within the slums, several of Atlas Corp's wonderful projects have come to fruition. Not only that, but the slum has seen parts raised back up, allowing the citizens to join their families in bliss and peace once again. The only ones that seem to resist this partnership are the members of Shin-Z, who still try to tag away and dirty properties that were meant to be destroyed anyway..."

Lotus Queen's broadcast continued, and it was getting rather difficult for Xuan to focus on what her friends were saying. It was really weird that the broadcast was portraying everything good for Atlas Corp as a good thing for everyone. But at the same time, was it really that wrong? If people were happy, then...

"Xuan!" Wu shouted, as she grabbed one of the bowls and tossed it at the radio, breaking it immediately as she grabbed ahold of her dear friend and leader. "Focus! You're spacing out way harder than usual. Tell us if something's wrong. Please. You know we're here for you."

"indeed. As uncouth as the monkey may be, you gathered us here for a reason, Xuan. You shouldn't try to push us away just because you're trying to listen to something." Sha spoke up, all while adjusting her monocle as she got up. "That broadcast is rather dull as well. What are they thinking, painting us as villains? It's the others that have sold themselves out. The slums, as awful as they may be, are our home. I wouldn't pay a dime, much less submit to a cleansing. It would ruin the integrity of everything."

"What smarty said!" Bai cried out as she slammed her fists up against the table, knocking the bowls to the floor and letting them crack. "So what if they gave us these nice bowls!? They make everyone turn all clean and bad! I don't like that, I'd rather just tag another building and stick it to them!" The stout pig shouted, her emotions running wild as she was just about to burst out of the door.

"OI! Bai! What the hell are you going to paint with!? The cans are all busted!" Wu shouted as she followed right after the pig, not wanting to leave her alone. If she did, there was a high chance that she'd get captured when she wasn't focusing on keeping herself safe. She was a real dumbass after all...

Sha sighed as she watched the two rush on out of there, prompting her to look at Xuan who was looking at the broken radio in turn. "They care about you a lot, Xuan. As do I. Please, don't focus on what's been broadcast. Focus on the present. We need to do the best we can. So that others can look up to us. As the kind of saviors that they've been needing..."

"I... " Xuan muttered. All while looking at the tall girl she called her friend. "I know, Sha... I just... I just don't know if it really is right. What if what they're saying is right? What if we're just stopping everyone from being happy..?"

"True, that may be the case." Sha said, before gently removing her monocle and stuffing it into her cleavage. All while letting an almost fox-like smile work its way onto her face. "But that doesn't mean that happiness is what they truly want. A rug's been pulled over their eyes, and we're the only ones that can possibly set them free. Now, why don't you do me a favor, my dear Xuan, and try to clear your head at home? Try to ignore the calls and whims of Lotus Queen's broadcast, and think about what YOU want. If you still want to give in, then that's fine. But I want to be sure that it's your own heart speaking. Not that brainwashed message you've been listening to."

Xuan wasn't sure what to believe as she listened to her friend give her a true plea. So all she could do was watch her walk out of their little bar, all while she slowly let the thought drift inside of her heart. Was she really right? Was this all just a farce, and they should keep going and show solidarity..?

...She needed a drink, and then she needed to just take a nap back home...

---

It took a few hours for her to get back home. Mostly because she had over indulged in her own vices. Drinking so much beer that she couldn't see straight. The only thing she saw when she made her way into her home was really just the lights shining down on her. All while she felt the headache coming on...

"I shouldn't have drunk that much..." The crude beer was something that she never really indulged in. But the doubt had forced her to indulge, and now she was beyond intoxicated. She really never wanted to do that ever again, but it did give her some amount of comfort. It didn't give her an answer to the questions that she had, but at least she felt some sort of secure at the moment...

And as she slowly went to take a seat on her very dilapidated couch, she noticed her radio. The radio that her old friend had managed to rig together, before she started her career as Lotus Princess. It was the only radio that was able to get a clear signal of that broadcast, which meant that her voice was crispy clean whenever it was turned on. So now all she had to do was turn it on...

She wouldn't hear Lotus Princess if she did, though. She was long gone. The voice that now roamed the airwaves was Lotus Queen. And she remembered the message that she had gotten the night before the change. All she had gotten was a simple 'sorry', and then...

Xuan bit her lip. She hadn't sold the slums out, had she? No, she was just replaced. That had to be it. There was no way that Lotus Queen was the same girl that she had been so close to. There's no way that she could be her. Even though her show still described the goings on with the slums, it was such a gentle tone compared to the bombastic approach that the Lotus Princess had...

...She had to find out if they were the same. This was why she had been so hesitant. Because she wasn't sure if they were the very same girl. Because if they were, then... Then there was no way that she could stop listening. Because she had promised that she'd keep listening. Through thick and thin. Even if it managed to rain all the way, or snow, or thunder, or anything. She promised to listen to each broadcast. So even if she had changed, she just had to tune in and listen.

Xuan reached towards the radio, and flicked on the switch to turn it on. Then she tuned to the frequency that she had memorized, turning the dial all the way west, and then...

"Good evening, citizens of the Atlas City Slums. It's been a wonderful afternoon, and now I bring you news for this wonderful evening as well. Please stay tuned, as you listen to Lotus Queen's wonderous broadcast..."

There was that voice. That overly familiar voice. The voice that couldn't possibly belong to Lotus Princess. And yet every time Lotus Queen spoke, Xuan pictured that wonderful girl. That tomboy that had helped them all. She just couldn't help it, she sounded so... Ah, there were the tea-

"You're listening too, aren't you, Xuan?"

Her eyes widened. Hold on, that wasn't... How? There's no way she was the only one listening. There was no way that she would know she'd be listening either. The radio was supposed to be impossible to track, even though it was in pristine condition. Had she lied to her, or...

"Oh, don't worry. I know you're worrying. You were always the type to just worry your little heart out. That's why you formed Shin-Z, isn't it? So you could be with the three girls you were always so close to. That's okay, I know you didn't want to get them involved in anything excessive. You were just doing what you thought was right."

Lotus Queen's voice was so soothing. So sweet. So gentle and calm... It was like she was being pulled into a swirling hole that refused to let go of her. No matter how she tried to struggle against that voice, she just couldn't stop listening...

"But that's why Atlas Corp finally realized how to get at you. The company didn't want to directly just drown the slums, even though they could've done that at any time. It would've been horrid optics, and it would've wasted a great deal of manpower they could've exploited. But then... Oh yes, they came to me..."

Xuan dug her fingers into the chair. All while she could hear the hints of that tomboy she loved poke back to the forefront. There's no way... It couldn't be her. She was sure it couldn't be her. There was absolutely no way...

"They offered me a deal. A deal to make you happy, Xuan. I know you wanted me to make everyone else happy. But there's no happiness that comes from pointlessly struggling against Atlas Corp. That's why they asked me to remind everyone what they needed to do. That's why you're listening right now, isn't it?"

She tried her best. But she couldn't fight back. Not while her dear Lotus Queen was stroking at her inner self. Stroking and stoking at her need to obey. She didn't know that this feeling could be inside her. But she knew that she had to keep listening.

"Good girl. You want to be part of Atlas Corp too, don't you? Don't worry. I made sure that everything was prepared just for you. All you have to do is put on the suit that I left inside your closet. By the way, once we're done down here, you should move in with me. There's plenty of cute girls up here, and they'd love to see you too."

As soon as she received the proverbial command, Xuan got up from her couch and walked towards the closet. And there was just one thing on display. A pristine white bunny girl uniform, one with long fishnet stockings that would dig into her thighs, and basically nothing else besides the headband and the leotard... It was such a simple outfit that would show off so much. Especially when paired with a good set of heels to truly make her sway from left to right.

Xuan could try and fight back. She very much could. But there was no point in doing so. She knew she couldn't resist Lotus Queen. Especially not when she had picked out such a lovely outfit for her. She just had to grab it and put it on. Slowly let her own clothes fall to the ground, as she grabbed ahold of the fishnets that were supposed to squeeze into her thighs...

"That's it. Put it on and give yourself to Atlas Corp. You know you want to be theirs. A cog in their machine. Just like me. Just like your friends will be. You'll bring them their collars and help them become the bunnies that they deserve to be, won't you?"

She would. Just the thought of betraying them... It was sending shocks through her. She didn't know that something so immoral could feel so good. And it felt even better as she kept putting on that outfit. Ah... She wanted more. She wanted much, much more. She wanted to indulge so badly and make sure that she was making the broadcast come true.

As Xuan looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admire how she looked. Her petite form was really brought into its own by her new uniform. That subtle plush on her legs had been pinched by her new fishnets, and her leotard not only served to give her a bit of cleavage thanks to how it pushed up her modest bosom, but it also really dug into her nethers...

All she could do now was moan and let the thought of betrayal consume her, as she softly giggled and walked out of her home...

---

"Where's she been? She was supposed to be here!"

"Perhaps your outburst yesterday managed to agitate her emotions a little too much. I know you're a ruffian, monkey, but that's no reason to believe she might be-"

"There she is! Xuan! Xuaaaan!"

The Shin-Z had gathered at their usual bar, and the two dopes that usually argued with one another had cleaned up all the shards that had been strewn about after Bai broke the bowls. Crude they may be, and hanging around in slums may have been necessary as part of their current predicament. But that didn't mean that they were just going to leave hazards around when they had the chance to clean up.

Of course they stopped as soon as they saw their beloved leader standing in the doorframe, the young lady with a wonderful voice finally looking as happy as she did back when Lotus Princess still broadcast her wonderful speeches. But there was something distinctly off about her. It was probably the bunny girl outfit, if they had to make a guess.

"That's not the kind of outfit I expected from you, Xuan! But it looks real good!" Wu laughed as she got closer, all while rubbing her hands together. Truth be told, she was a little worried that the outfit might be something bad. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in finding out what it felt like to grope and play with Xuan. She was one of her closest friends, after all.

"Mmmm... Y'know, I could go for a rabbit tonight!" Bai cried out as she dashed right over to the bunny-like leader of the gang. All while drooling as she made her approach. "Can we have rabbit tonight, Xuan? I don't care how much it costs, or if we need to try and steal a couple from the upperworlders! We just gotta have some rabbit!"

Sha narrowed her eyes as she looked towards the radio. It wasn't the one that had been broken yesterday. And it was mysteriously producing a soft yet almost inaudible tune too. As if it was waiting to broadcast something. Something that would leave them all unable to fight back, probably. Still, she had to admit that Xuan did look stylish in that outfit. "Have you come to a conclusion, Xuan? Or did you just decide to look your best for your best friends?" She chimed, as she joined her friends by the bunny...

"Greetings, Citizens of the Atlas City Slums."

All three reacted to the broadcast suddenly pouring out of the radio. With only Sha having realized it as a potential threat. And at that moment, their guards had been sufficiently lowered...

Preventing them from stopping their dear Xuan from slipping three collars onto them. Ones that snapped tight around their necks and immediately pumped their brains full of different signals that were meant to suppress their ability to think and their ability to fight back. All while the broadcast continued...

"Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Shin-Z Leader, Xuan, the gang has finally decided to come clean. They will now be personally joining me up above as part of Atlas Corp's entertainment troupé, just like all the other gangs that tried to stand against the company. We hope to make you all feel good with a complimentary hour of personal care, as the Slums become a part of Atlas City once more."

Xuan giggled, all while watching her friends slowly grow nice and dim. All while their minds were being slurped up by the collars. Lotus Queen had told her about how the collars worked, and she almost... almost regretted that she wouldn't be one to try them out.

But at least she could get nice and wet while watching her friends slip away, the delight of betraying them being more than enough to satisfy her...

---

A few days later, the former Slums were raised back up to the top of the city. All while they had seen several renovations before they were raised. Most of the original housing having been erased, as to allow for a brand new sector. A brand new building that would stand tall and proud as it was staffed by the many former criminals...

The Lotus Palace. A joint that was owned by Lotus Queen, as she and all of the other gang members were willing to show off every little bit of their body. All while wearing the same sort of bunny leotard, that would make every single member of the higher class drool as soon as they laid their eyes on them.

And who would serve as the prized jewel of the joint more than the most rebellious foursome? The Shin-Z, who all dressed like they were ready to entertain.

The 'Monkey King' was now little more than a horny bunny that got down on all fours and let the handsome men rail her. The 'Pure River' showed off her many techniques for those that wanted a different kind of experience, especially the women who needed a delicate touch. The 'Stuffed Pig' was always on stage, being used by anybody that just needed a quick and dirty fuck and wasn't afraid to share...

And finally, there was 'Heavenly' Xuan. The only one to still maintain her identity, so to speak. If only because she was always at her dear Lotus Queen's side, spreading her legs together with her whenever somebody paid enough to play with her.

She couldn't be happier with this life. A life of pure pleasure, with the one she loved above all else... And a life where she could serve the company that had given her the chance to be together with. Ah, how lovely... How utterly lovely...

What a foolish little rebel she had been...