The scorching sun beat down upon the bleached dirt in Quadrant 3, where Flower paced relentlessly. Her meeting with Luka the previous day had been a tense one at first, and she was thankful that it had ended in compromise. An alliance with Luka was going to pay off: she knew it. Her injuries from the "interrogation" still ached, though, and she tried her best to focus on something else; something that was going to happen any minute now.

Flower squinted her eyes up at the sun. It was a bit past morning, heading into the midday hours. It was around now the girl had negotiated to meet with Luka. She needed to do several things, after all— one of which being introducing the High Rank to the other members of the rebellion. That'll be easy, Flower's thoughts sarcastically interjected. She stifled a chuckle. Yeah, right.

The white-haired girl glanced around once again, seeking the woman she was supposed to encounter. When nothing caught her eye, she sighed.

Come on... where are you, Luka? I don't have all day.

Agitated, Flower began to growl to herself. She had everything she required to launch a full attack on Miku's rule. And Luka was going to be late? They needed a plan, and soon. Soon— or else they'd be apprehended before anything could be done... just like the first rebellion.

At last, from the corner of Flower's eye, she spotted movement. The fuchsia-haired High Rank was sweeping her way through the rubble towards where Flower stood. A slight smile donned Luka's face, indicating she was doing well. Flower smiled too, more so from relief than anything else, and walked over to meet her acquaintance.

"Hello, Flower." Luka greeted her companion with a smile, looking down at the shorter girl. "How have you been?"

"I've been alright," Flower shrugged. "Were you followed out?"

"No," Luka replied. "I've actually taken over as overseer for this Quadrant for the day. We're more than safe." She hesitated. "How are your injuries?"

"They'll heal."

"That's good."

"I suppose."

Luka paused, looking around the scene before her before speaking once more. "Tell me, Flower, do you know where Daina and Yohio are...?"

Flower paused for a second, processing the question, before her face lit up. Her purple eyes twinkled. "Actually... I do. I found them this morning. We haven't quite caught up yet; I thought I should wait for you."

"Really...?" Luka blinked. "Well... nevermind. Where are they?"

"Follow me."

The girl immediately set off in the other direction, walking hastily and with purpose. Luka directly followed, matching Flower's pace. The duo sped through what seemed like the entirety of the Quadrant before eventually reaching a short, abandoned building. The white-haired rebel stopped in the entrance, grinning.

"It's really clever what they did."

Luka gazed down at the younger girl, gaze brimming with curiosity. "Please show me."

Flower nodded, slightly smirking. She took the High Rank to the back of the building's lobby, pausing over a misplaced piece of wood. Kneeling down, she gently rapped the door with a clenched fist. There was a moment of silence as Flower stood back up. She glanced at Luka, who appeared perplexed, before a shuffling sound could be heard from beneath the floor.

"Hello...?" The curious voice from underneath the plank of wood seemed to startle Luka, but Flower hardly flinched. The voice was all too familiar.

"It's Flower," she responded. "It's safe. You can open up."

There was another long moment where nothing happened before a hand reached out, sliding the wooden blockade away to reveal a small staircase running down to what appeared to be a rundown storage closet. In the entrance to the staircase stood a concerned Daina, who was staring directly at Luka.

"What's going on? What is she doing here? Flower??"

"It's okay, I can explain--"

"Uhh, yeah, I sure hope you can. Leading a High Rank directly to where we're hidden? Are you betraying us?" As that last statement left the girl's lips, Flower could see genuine hurt in her eyes.

"No," Flower calmly assured her. "Of course not. She's an ally-- she joined the rebellion."

Now Daina simply looked confused. "How?"

"I can help explain," Luka piped up, nervously smiling.

The ginger-haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly interrupted by another voice resounding from deeper within the room.

"What's going on up there...?" an anxious voice called out.

"It's Flower," Daina said, looking back into the darkness which she had emerged from. "She brought... a friend."

"What do you mean?" the voice called out again, sounding yet even more anxious-- if that was even possible.

Flower quickly glanced up at Luka, who looked concerned. The High Rank looked like she wanted to help with settling the confusion, but wouldn't out of fear of being misunderstood. Flower sighed. Yeah, this will be easy.

"I got another ally," the leader of the rebellion tried explaining.

It was then the blond-haired boy finally showed his face from out of the darkness. His copper eyes immediately widened as they landed on Luka, and he retreated once more; Flower thought she even heard the slightest echo of a whimper.

Daina narrowed her frosty blue eyes at the white-haired girl. "You had better get to explaining."

Flower opened her mouth to speak, but Luka placed a hand on her shoulder before she could, silencing her. The fuschia-haired woman sighed.

"The thing is, Daina... your rebellion wasn't exactly the safest. You had actually recruited a spy of Lord Miku's: Ruby. Fortunately, though, she went to me instead of any of the other High Ranks. You see..."

"What do you mean, Ruby was a spy?" Daina interjected. "No. There's no way."

Luka frowned. "Why else do you think she befriended you shortly after... you-know-what happened...?"

Daina's eyes widened. She froze for a second before drawing in a breath to defend herself, but yet then she also froze. The ginger-haired girl directed her gaze downwards.

"But you let that happen."

"I couldn't go against Lord Miku or I'd be killed. She knows no mercy."

"..." Daina went silent.

Flower, on the other hand, was entirely confused. What happened?

From the dark, the anxious voice resounded again. "...Daina?"

Daina swayed her head, as though she didn't want to believe what Luka was telling her. It made well sense to Flower; her whole world must have been shaken. One of her dearest friends working with her fiercest enemy? Yikes.

The High Rank continued. "I've been working alongside Miku since the beginning of this institution. I watched her plunge into darkness. And it's not like I had the choice to leave, either: it was either stay, survive, and follow by her cruelty, or leave, stave, and die."

"Your rebellion is the most promising yet," Luka continued. "But we need to act soon, before Ruby goes to another High Rank."

The group of rebels went silent. Daina still stood in the entrance to the storage closet, arms hugged over her chest as she stared down at the ground. Flower observed the girl closely, hoping she'd accept Luka's help. After all, if Luka helped, they'd almost certainly be capable of making a dent in Miku's leadership...

"...Fine," Daina muttered. "Fine. What plans do we have?"

Luka's face lit up with relief. "Well, I was hoping we could start planning--"

"Not you, Luka. Flower," Daina hissed.

Flower sighed. She couldn't have expected much more, could she have? "I agree with Luka. We should start planning now."

The ginger-haired girl nodded before retreating back into the shadows of the abandoned storage closet. Flower shortly followed, with Luka trailing yet behind.

The space was very tightly packed for the four people, that was for sure. Flower and Luka sat closer to the staircase while Daina and Hio sat in the back corners. At least, Flower thought Hio was there. He had seemed to make himself as small as possible in the presence of the High Rank, who the white-haired girl assumed he still did not trust. But why?

"So..." Daina began, straightening herself up.

"I was thinking we could get Luka to isolate Miku somewhere that we can safely attack her," Flower said, glancing over at the woman.

"I could probably do that..." Luka spoke slowly, as though in thought. "But we'd need to figure out our individual schedules first. Lord Miku typically has the most concurrent freetime with us around midday, when we eat lunch. I could most likely request her to speak with me after she finishes eating, at a certain specified location."

"That sounds good," Daina muttered. She seemed surprisingly satisfied.

"Where would we come in?" Flower asked.

"Well... hmmm. There's a couple of places I know that have weaponry that you could use in an attack. I could probably slip you guys some knives in the middle of the night," Luka suggested.

"When would we plan on ambushing her again?" Flower asked. She liked this plan.

"After she finishes eating lunch. I'd probably be able to give you guys a sign of some sort..."

Luka continued speaking, but Flower had stopped paying attention. Hio was muttering something aggressively to Daina, who was listening intently. What are they talking about...?

"... so you'd head over to the back of the Sanctuary whenever you see me walk outside and look up at the sun. Got that?"

Flower flinched a little as she was suddenly snapped back into reality. She redirected her gaze to Luka, who she had barely been half-mindedly paying attention to.

"Whenever you walk outside and look at the sun?"

"Yep!"

"Got it."

The white-haired girl glanced back over to the duo in the back of the cramped space. Hio had gone back to cowering in the corner, while Daina now looked aggravated. Flower opened her mouth to say something to Daina, but the latter was the first to speak.

"Luka."

The High Rank glanced up, blinking. "Yes?"

"I think it's kind of hypocritic of you to offer us help when you were one of the ones who issued Hio his prison sentence."

Luka frowned. "I had no control over that. That was Lord Miku's doing."

"But you could have stopped that from happening. I know you could've, because you're the closest High Rank to Miku. Naturally, you would have a say in some of her decisions, wouldn't you?"

"Not disciplinary."

Flower glanced up at Luka. "What happened?"

The pink-haired woman looked down upon the leader of the rebellion, whose violet eyes burned into hers. The High Rank hesitated, and Daina seized that opportunity to continue her rant.

"Don't lie to me! I know you could've influenced her decision. I know you could've." She went quiet, her turquoise eyes glowing with hatred. "And I know you're one of the ones that tortured Dex, weren't you?"

Luka's head snapped up, eyes meeting Daina's. The High Rank looked genuinely hurt. "...I--"

"Oh, you had no choice, right?" The girl spoke mockingly, her fox tail lashing. "Don't try me with that bullshit."

Luka's eyes narrowed now. "Bullshit? You wanna talk about that? Do you really have the audacity to think I wanted to get myself killed? I'm sorry to burst your bubble, honey, but I didn't. I really didn't have a choice. I went through with every single fucking order Lord Miku gave to me. And I'm only just now getting my chance at revenge. Are you trying to invalidate that?"

Daina didn't speak, but her eyes remained narrowed.

Luka sighed. "Look. I understand what you must've had to suffer through. I understand you'll probably never fully trust me. But... give me a try, will you...?"

A deep growl resounded from the ginger-haired girl. She looked down.

"...sure," she begrudgingly agreed. There was a slight pause, and Daina leaned over to murmur something in Hio's ear. When Daina finished delivering whatever message she whispered, Hio nodded.

Luka sighed. "So... we're meeting behind the Sanctuary around midday. The signal to go is whenever I step outside to look at the sun. I'll give you guys knives tonight while you're sleeping. You should conceal them on yourselves for the day in preparation for the attack. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

The fuschia-haired High Rank smiled. "Good."

There was a small, uneasy silence.

"... and we all trust each other, right...?"

Everyone nodded again, with the exception of Hio, who was noticeably late in his nodding.

Flower was the first to speak this time. "Then we're all set."

The group looked satisfied in their conclusion at last, yet an air of anxiety hung in the air. They all knew the dangers of launching a full attack on Miku and her reign, as well as the possible consequences. If they failed, they'd be slain in an instant. About now, it was a matter of execution, and how well they followed through with their plans. And everyone was terrified.

This could have been the last time they sat together as friends, unharmed.

Flower absolutely knew this. She knew what kind of danger they were imposing themselves into.

But she was prepared.