[Corruption, Brainwashing]

"Why can't I catch a damn break!? Scram! I'm not in the mood to deal with a heroine!"

"Maybe if you hadn't tried to slash me and Mikai I wouldn't be chasing after you, meanie!"

Grim, an agent of The Darkness, was currently fleeing through the gaps in between various worlds. All for the sake of getting the hell away from her pursuer. Which should be easy, considering how black her armor was and how easy it should be to just... Y'know, blend in.

And yet the redhead with the scarf just kept on chasing after her. She was sticking to her like glue! Making it really, really hard to avoid being caught. It's not like she couldn't fight her, Grim was sure that she could fight somebody like her. But she didn't want to! She just wanted to get away and not spend too much energy fighting. Because those two had ruined her mood!

The girl chasing her, Vessa, also didn't really want to fight her. Sure, she was mean, but she also hadn't actually hurt them. Not to mention, it seemed like Mikai and her were acquainted. So... Well, she wanted to find out what her deal was. And if she really was a big baddie, then she'd teach her a lesson. But right now, she had to keep on her tail.

"Come on! Aren't you going to stop chasing me!?" Grim shouted, as she continued to fly faster and faster while turning around to slash with her greatsword. The slashes sent shockwaves made from her inner energy, with each slash bigger than the last in an attempt to make the scarfed girl disappear!

Not that Vessa couldn't dodge. She was really good at it, in fact. Grazing just up against the shocks with a grin on her face, before dodging clean out of the way of the last one and returning the favor with an attack of her own. Using the strands of her scarf that unraveled and formed a drill around her hand, she boosted forward and slammed straight into the armored girl. Not with enough power to shatter or break anything, but enough to stop her from getting away.

Grim let out a powerful groan as she was forced to cut off her energy, leaving her floating in the Darkness before regaining her footing. All while she scowled at the young girl that had chased after her. "You... You're one of the most frustrating people I've ever met! And the most is that girl that you were with! It's like hearing two idiots speak in stereo!" Grim shouted, slamming her blade into the 'ground' below.

"I just want to talk! And if that means I have to knock a bit of sense into you, then that's just how it's going to be!" Vessa said, her scarf returning to normal as she steeled herself. "Besides! You really don't want to fight like this, do you? Mikai said you had been nice before, even though you tried to hurt her too!"

Grim grit her teeth. "Of course I don't want to fight! Fighting's for suckers! I just want to corrupt you and be done with it! Not get all buddy buddy with a pair of stupid girls that think I'm trying to be friendly!" The black-haired girl cried out. This was exactly why she had tried to slash the two! In fact, her sword arm was begging for her to cut loose and slash again..!

Only for her to freeze as a sense of dread overwhelmed her. She could hear it. The sound of clapping ringing through her ears. He was nearby. Oh no. No no no. Out of every single possible Prime, why'd it have to be him? Why couldn't it be old Helheim!? At least he was straight forward with his means and methods!

Vessa blinked a little as she noticed Grim losing her confidence. "What's wrong? What's happening?" She asked, only for her to hear the sound of clapping as well. But instead of feeling panic take hold of her form, she just started looking around in an attempt to figure out what exactly was happening. Who was trying to reach them..?

"My my. Grim, was it? Here I thought you had learned from the last time you made such a big error. But here you are. Running around in the Darkness. Escaping from a girl that you should be able to beat."

Grim trembled all over as she turned around, and came face to face with the Magician. Lumiel. Just looking into his eyes was enough to make her tremble all over. "L-Lord Lumiel! I can explain! Please! Don't turn me into a Shade!"

"Lord?" Vessa said, all while letting her scarf wrap around her arm just like before. Judging by the tone of Grim's voice, this guy was something else. So she wasn't going to leave him able to deal with her, or catch her off guard either. She was going to bring him down. Especially with how scared Grim was!

Lumiel, the dark-clad pale-faced Magician, tipped his hat slightly as his smile widened. "Oh, Grim. Darling. You really think I would do something like that, just because you failed repeatedly?" He said, before bowing and letting his smile widen while directing his attention to Vessa. "And you, traveler. Please, excuse me for a mere few moments. My minion and I have a bit of business to attend to-"

Just as he was about to do something that would make Grim even more terrified, a fireball launched towards the Magician... And he disappeared, letting his hat fall to the 'ground'. All while Vessa tried to keep an eye on where he might reappear. These types always had some sort of pattern.

"I... I..." Grim muttered as she watched the hat, panting and gasping as she looked at Vessa. "Y-You! V-Vessa, right?! D-Don't let his hat get near you! You don't know what that thing might be capable of!" Even if she wasn't a fan of the girl, nor her friend, she also wasn't about to let her fall victim to Lumiel's tricks.

"Thanks, Grim!" Vessa smiled, before trying to find him again. Only to notice that the hat that had fallen to the ground suddenly started to float. "Wait, watch out! It's doing something!"

"Indeed it is. But she can't hear you any longer."

Lumiel's voice rang out just as his hat floated right above Grim. And before she had the chance to notice what was going on, it released a splash of liquid Darkness, which quickly wrapped around her and squeezed her tight until she couldn't move. Rendering her in a humiliated state, where she couldn't even speak or squeak...

"Grim!" Vessa cried out, all while trying her best to help. She didn't know how to try and get rid of the black goop that was covering her, but she could try and burn it away. That was why she started forming a fireball using those strands wrapped around her hand...

Only for the hat to turn towards her and start sucking away at the air. Not just a little either, this was a powerful vacuum. So much so that it almost made her lose her footing, even if she tried her hardest to stay standing.

"No... Fair..!" Vessa cried out, only to let out a yelp as she watched her scarf get forcibly pulled off her. How was the suction so strong that it could single out her scarf!? She didn't understand, especially as the suction stopped once the scarf had been swallowed by the hat...

Lumiel cleared his throat as the hat tipped, as if he was holding it. Because that's exactly what he was doing, as he reappeared once the hat was tipped. "That's an awfully helpful little accessory you have there. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take it away for a bit." He said, smiling all the while. "So, Vessa, is it? That's a rather nice name, Darling. Though it pains me, not knowing what world you've come from. It makes these next few parts so much more difficult..."

"Give it back! And free Grim from that goo!" Vessa cried out, balling up her fists. Even though she mostly fought with her scarf, she wasn't afraid to throw down if things got to this point. And definitely deserved it!

Lumiel chuckled at the sound of her struggle, before nodding and gently snapping his fingers. "Very well. I'll free the girl from her prison. Though I'm afraid she's not exactly a 'Grim' any longer." He explained, not bothering to turn his head towards the captive girl as the goo slowly absorbed into her form...

Slowly but surely, Grim was revealed once more. Though this time, her characteristic armor had vanished. She was now wearing a jet black leotard, and a pair of black bunny ears as well. All while her face had been covered up by a pristine porcelain mask with a pair of sculpted lips, which served to really contrast the rough way she had been acting just a few moments prior. She looked so harmless now. In fact, she looked like she emphasized her sensuality rather than her combat ability... Which was more than enough to throw anybody that knew her for a loop...

Especially Vessa, who couldn't help but blush and blink a bit. "W-What? Grim! Grim, say something!" Vessa said, running towards the bunny girl with the mask on. She even tried to shake her once she got close, as it seemed like Grim didn't wish to do anything. "Grim! Hey, Grim! Slash me! Don't you hate me!? Do something, please!"

But Grim didn't do a thing. She just remained still. Letting her mask talk for her. Letting those beautiful lips slowly but surely burn their way into Vessa's mind, as she had more and more trouble looking away from them. Why were they so mesmerizing..? Why couldn't she just look away..?

"I told you that she's not exactly Grim any longer, Darling." Lumiel said, carefully caressing the Shade's cheek as he walked around her, prompting the masked minion to tremble with excitement. "She's now my dearest Assistant Shade. A mere pawn in the grand scheme of things. I think I'll call her G. Doesn't that sound like a nice name to you?"

G... Being reduced to little more than a letter. It was something that should fill her with more anger. And yet right now, it sounded just right for a maskless girl with such beautiful lips that made her want to kiss them. Vessa tried her best to stop herself, but her feet slowly made her walk forward...

Only for Lumiel to stop her, gently pushing the Assistant Shade away. "You can only look, Darling. Touching is strictly forbidden." He admonished her, before reaching into his hat and pulling out the girl's scarf once again. "Here. This looks much better on you."

Vessa blinked a little as the scarf was wrapped around her, only to suddenly snap to attention once she realized what was going on. "Y-You! Turn her back to normal!" She said, the strands at the end of her scarf already starting to move in response to her will. He was a bad man, and she was going to stop him from doing even worse things than he already had!

Lumiel smiled as he stepped back, before making a few motions with his pointer fingers. It was like he was conducting a symphony. But there was no music echoing around them. So why..?

Vessa gasped as she realized what happened, though at that point it was already too late. The strands that had listened to her now listened to him, wrapping around her body bit by bit until the scarf had practically been undone completely. Leaving her completely and utterly tied up, leaving her unable to do anything except stare at him with very angry eyes. "You did something to my scarf! Meanie!"

"It's what I do." Lumiel chimed, tipping his hat ever slightly. "As a Prime of The Darkness, it's up to me to make sure that you and all of your friends, and especially the world that you belong to.. All of it must become part of The Darkness. It happened to Grim in the far past, and now she's nothing more than a Shade of her former self. Perhaps she'll start recovering and turn back into the failure she was before, but I would highly doubt that."

"I hate you!" Vessa cried out, as she tried her hardest to make those strings listen to her. They needed to listen to her, so they could hurt the bad man that had caused all the bad things. They just had to listen to her a little. Then everything would work out!

Lumiel smiled and watched, before chuckling a little. "It's very admirable that you struggle so hard, Darling. However, why are you putting so much effort into trying to put yourself under?"

Vessa blinked. And as she lost concentration, she finally noticed that something was swinging in front of her. Something bright... and gold... and... and...

Her eyes drifted left to right. Right to left. Back and forth. Over and over. As the pocket watch that hung from one of her scarf's threads continued to swing back and forth. All while her eyes began to dim further and further...

What was she doing, exactly..? The man in front of her... What was he..? He was really pretty... But that's about all that she could think about. Especially as she kept her focus on the watch that kept swinging back and forth...

"I'm very glad that you decided to put yourself under." Lumiel said, his lies beyond obvious to anybody that was watching them. "So, I trust that you would like to become one of my assistants as well? I could use somebody with your talents, my Darling."

Talents... Assistant... Ahh... That was why she was here, wasn't it? To become his assistant... It sounded really nice, to be on stage with such a nice man. So much so that Vessa idly nodded, even as the watch stopped swinging. She was completely and utterly entranced...

Lumiel smiled, before taking a single step forward and planting a kiss straight on Vessa's cheek. A kiss that made the same sigil that was in his brooch appear on her cheek, signifying that The Darkness had taken hold...

As soon as that bright yellow sigil started to glow, its effects started to spread further. The girl's clothes quickly changed into the same sort of leotard that Grim was wearing, and her skin paled so it matched the Magician's. All while her scarf stitched itself back together and tied itself around her shoulders as a shawl, with a matching brooch keeping it all held together. All while she began to smile and gently wink towards her Magician.

Just like Grim, she had been turned into an Assistant. Though the look in her eyes was only just starting to blacken, it wouldn't be long before she'd be one with The Darkness in every sense of the word. And the thought of being with Lumiel and presenting his show with him... Ah, it excited her. So much so that her pale cheeks reddened without him saying a thing.

Lumiel smiled, before letting both of his Assistants wrap their arms around his. "I think it's time that we three go visit that friend of yours, Darling. She's been a bit of a thorn in my side, and I'm sure that you two can help her see what she's done wrong."

To help him turn somebody else into an Assistant, because she had been naughty... It was a thought that filled both Assistants' heads. And while G couldn't do much except for tremble, Vessa could definitely let her beautiful red lips curve into a very seductive smile...

She couldn't wait to help him out... And to kiss that silly 'friend' of hers, to make her see what she had done wrong...