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"We seek the truth and will endure the consequences."

~Charles Seymour

The feeling of cold water, surprisingly icy, stabs Millie as she hits it. Choking, she popped up and gasped, arms frantically failing around as she swam against the rushing currents, trying her best to stay afloat amid the crumbling of the dam. Once that dam collapses, she would be sucked into the vortex of the water.

She struggled as she looked for Lyserg.

"LYSERG!" she screamed and choked. Another explosion is heard.

Waves of water send her tumbling underneath, her world suddenly becoming dark, and calm.

Millie struggled to regain her senses, her arms failing as she is pulled under the sucking current. But underneath all that rushing water, she felt tired, almost sleepy. It felt refreshing if she ignored that her lungs were going to burst, the darkness and serenity underwater.

'Darn it Millie, snap out of it!' she told herself as she started to swim up. She kept on swimming, but she felt a dreading feeling that she wasn't going to make it. She furiously plowed forward; kicking her legs like her life depended on it. It did depend on it.

'Urgh, I'm not going to make it!' she choked, and started to fail around, feeling the oxygen leave in bubbles around her. The confusion of the waves sends her struggling to determine which place takes her up to the air. She swam furiously up, bursting out with a choking gasp andthen letting out a cry as she was knocked over again. She struggled but felt her conscious fading…

'Guys, I'm so sorry,' she told herself as she stopped swimming and slowly started to drift deeper into the murky abyss.

'This isn't so bad...at least I tried...oh look a cute guy is even swimming towards me!' she told herself halfheartly.

A sudden strong arm wrapped around her waist and started to pull her up as she faded into the dark oblivion.

Millie woke up choking and spitting out copious amounts of filthy water.

She was on a side ledge with an equally soaked Lyserg coughing too.

Millie just glance at the knelling Lyserg after a minute of gasping. "Did you just saved me?"

Lyserg ignored her and stood up quickly. He then started to climb up the ledge, which would take him back onto the path they were originally at.

"Lyserg, wait!" called Millie frantically; she stood up and fell back down in frustration.

He stopped. "Can you move?" asked Lyserg.

Millie looked down. "Yeah after a while maybe, but I still feel really lightheaded…"

"Good, stay where you're at."

Millie looked up in shock at Lyserg, only to see him disappear over the ledge. Millie felt a wave of frustration overtake her, not only were her friends probably dead, she had to be so weak!

Millie knew Lyserg was probably going to try and somehow stop the dam from collapsing, but it was futile at this point, so why would he leave?

Millie shook her head in confusion. She started to stand up but felt something holding her left arm back. She glanced over to realize that her hand was handcuffed. Again.

Millie let out an angry sigh, and yelled out at the cliffs. "Lyserg! I can help you, don't think that handcuffing me to a fence would do any good!"

Millie began to tug her self against the old chain link fence that runs to the side of the cliffs. When it wouldn't budge she looked around for something sharp to bring on impact and hopefully shatter it. Millie noticed something coming up to her way so she froze.

It sounded like light footsteps and snuffling. Millie stayed as still as possible, it could be one of the many giant monsters that roam around at the wastelands…and to die eaten wouldn't be the best death that she bargains for.

The steps stopped near the top of the cliffs, Millie held her breath anticipating something…only to see Onibi's face pop out.

Millie let out a relieved sigh, followed by Onibi's happy yips.

"Onibi! You scared me for a second! How did you find me and escape Lilly?" breathed Millie.

Onibi yipped something intelligible before jumping nimbly down, leaping from rock to rock with ease and grace. He stopped at the base and sniffed at the chain link fence that separates Millie and him.

"Hey, Onibi, do you think you can try knowing on these handcuffs or something?"

Onibi cocked his fluffy head to one side.

Millie gave another sigh, "I guess there's no point in trying to reason with a fire fox…I heard you can give magical powers to people…but I guess that's only in legends…"

Onibi responded with a happy yip and started to gnaw on her handcuffs.

"Onibi, it won't do any good," sniffed Millie, as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She angrily wipes them with her free hand and gave the cuffs another yank.

She felt back at the force of her tug. Shock registered in her face.

"How…did that happen?"

She took the broken end of the handcuffs and looked at it up close. The end was glowing red, heated up to a point that the metal would have become weak and flexible. She observes it curiously before it quickly cooled down and turned back into a silver-black color.

She glanced back at Onibi, but the fox only gave a happy wave of his bushy tail.

"Umm…" started Millie hesitantly as she stood up, "come on Onibi, lets go look for the Lily 5 first."

Lyserg felt a little worried about Millie, but concluded she'll be safe until the authorities come and deal with her.

He was running past the edge of the dam hoping to look for help, before he spotted a group of people dressed in white standing on the brigde bypass that overlooks the crumbling dam.

They couldn't be with HAO so he assumed it was safe to approach them.

When Lyserg came up to them, he saw that they were a group of X-Laws…probably top commanders too from their uniforms.

"Commanders!" said Lyserg as he approaches them. "Youhave to leave the scene now, the dam is threatening to collapse any second now, which can pose a danger for all of us!"

The top chief, Marco walked out of the group and approached Lyserg.

"You must be that private detective that runs the Diethel private eye..." said the blond man.

Lyserg looked warily at Marco, he heard of Marco, often seen him walking in parades and giving speeches to armies...but up close the man seemed even more intimidating. Remembering that the X-Laws had intentions of recruiting him, he ignored the nagging thoughts that were building in his mind.

"Yes I am, Commander Marco."

"Lyserg," Marco drawled out slowly, "I find it hard to comprehend that you wouldn't take part in such an atrocious act of defilement towards our country…" Marco eyes glowed with anger and coldness as he survey Lyserg with contempt.

"Of course not!" he protests furiously. "I was only a witness…and we had already evacuated the main part of the Slums by now…Zeke was responsible for this act of terrorism!"

"Oh I know that!" snapped Marco. "What's repulsive about you is that you had to turn to the Rebels as help instead of your own Government, the X-Laws. Those conniving scum are mere allies of the Destruction..."

Lyserg stared at him is shock at Marco's apathy towards what was actually going on. A thought of how Yoh and Tobais once said that the Government runs the country and the X-Laws protect it is merely a sham ran through Lyserg's mind again. Was it true that the Government was merely a puppet of the puppetmasters? Lyserg's conflicting confusion was only the tip of the inner turmoil threatening to spill.

Once Marco finished his rant, the dam collapsed entirely, sending in a torrent of floodwaters behind Marco.

Lyserg still stared in shock at as Marco glanced behind him at the flooding before leaning back and delivering a punch to his face.

Lyserg fell back, stunned, before Marco continued calmly. "It doesn't matter if Zeke destroyed the dam…it just adds to one more atrocity that the madman committed, such an attack would cripple the city in fear…and allow the X-Laws to gain more support for our purification of the Evil."

"What in the world are you talking about!" spat Lyserg angrily as he staggered up again.

Marco smiled, "I know what pain you are feeling Lyserg, the death of all those people that Zeke has killed, the corruption that he created with all the illegal trade, the love ones he took from you."

Lyserg knew his anger wasn't directed toward Marco or the X-Laws but towards Zeke, but he still wasn't getting what Marco was saying.

"The flood would be a good thing in the end," continued Marco lightly. "If people were truly innocent, they would be protected by the Lady, and if they weren't then they would be purified before they died."

Shock registered again in Lyserg's face before Marco continued.

"This is good in the name of this holy war against the true Evil."

"Evil?" whispered Lyserg.

Marco smiled spread. "Yes, there is evil but true Evil has a name, and that name is Zeke."

Millie and Onibi were running when the entire dam collapsed finally.

"Eeek!" she cried as she covered her ears amid the deafening breaking of the concrete dam.

She looked on in horror at the flood wreck havoc amid the Slums. What were originally tiny gray buildings in her eyes became a rushing river. She looked on past the low outcrop of the gray Slums that surround the shining Capitol.

From here the Capitol looks like a shining metropolis, like some god's kingdom, as the water surrounded it. The Capitol has a high-elevated foundation, surrounded by many walls…so it would be unlikely to suffer any damage at all from this flood.

The only thing that remained from the Slums are the tiny buildings that were tall enough to not receive the water. She prayed that Lilly and the rest of the Slum evacuees were in one of those buildings.

Millie slumped down in horror at the mess Zeke has created.

She felt both angry and disgusted at what she had just witnessed. But quickly composed herself and started to make her way down towards the dam. She watched in anger as the giant flood transformed into a river, the great dam now diminished. She climbed over ledges slowly, until she reached the now flowing river.

Before the dam was built the river flowed with vigor through the entire city, but with the dam it became almost a trickle. Millie recalled hating the dam when she was younger, hoping someday it would be gone so that the river can flow like it did before and provided drinkable water for her people, and not energy to the Capitol.

Never did she think it would cause the opposite.

After a couple of minutes, Millie had the courage to climb into the dam, and hope to at least find her friends. She carefully walked down the side of the hill, stopping at the edge of the empty dam, before climbing down it.

The sides of the dam were slippery with wet mud as she slides down into the empty canyon that once held all the water.

Millie stumbled a bit, landing on her face deep in the mud.

Onibi eagerly ran after her, lightly plowing his feet into the mud, leaving delicate footprints behind.

A sudden hand reached grabbed Millie's arm, sending her screaming in shock.

"Ahhh! Let's go of me you monster!"

"Idiot! Millie, it's me Elly!"

Millie stopped screaming and glanced up to a drenched and very dirty Elly. Elly gave Millie a grin before coughing out water herself. Elly then quickly wiped off the mud from her face.

"Elly!" cried Millie as she hugged Elly. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? What about Sharona and Sally?"

"They're alright, we were blasted into the water, but Sally and me can swim, so we dragged the hysteric Sharona onto a near by ledge…I was surprised to see you though."

"You're the idiot! Lilly and me were so worried about you guys! What happened? How did you guys survived?"

Elly gave another cough and grimace. "Barely of course."

Millie felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but she pushed them aside. "Elly, did you know this would of happen to the Slums?" She angrily pointed to the flooded wastelands of their home.

Elly shook her head and gave a sad look. "No, if I did I wouldn't have gone…we just followed Sharona."

"Why? She could be the one to be blamed for almost getting us killed, and drowning half the city!"

Elly winced at Millie's comment. "I know Sharona isn't the most brightest person, but she's our leader. And we weren't responsible for the bombing, we had intentions to join Zeke on the idea that it would improve our lives and reputation…we were wrong I guess."

"No duh you guys mess up big time," spat Millie acidly. "I almost got burned, squashed, shot, and drowned because you idiots wouldn't even tell me where you went, if you guys thought we were a team, then where was my part in this conspiracy?"

"You know it was dangerous an-"

"Dangerous!" screamed Millie. "I'm not sure I understand that last part, you knew it was dangerous to deal with Zeke, and yet you guys went anyways!"

"We were just being cautious, we're in a lot more debt than we let you know, and we thought by sacrificing the Lily 5 temporary…and joining with HAO would be best…"

"YOU GUYS WERE THINKING ABOUT DISBANDING!" cried Millie in disbelief.

Elly didn't even try to hide her shame. "Yes, we didn't want to tell you Millie because you'll be able to do something about it."

"What about Lilly?"

"Lilly didn't want any part in dealing with Zeke, she would of been taking care of you in some rented apartment while we worked for Zeke. Or at least that was our original plan..."

"You guys are stupid, you know that once you work for Zeke it's life right? He would hate it if you left him and back to create a potential rival gang. Plus I can take perfectly care of myself, I'm not some baby!"

"I know…sometimes you're too smart for your own good." Elly gave a bitter sigh in defeat and glanced away from Millie.

"Tell me your true motive Elly, Sharona may believe that, and Sally just goes for whatever Sharona does, but you're too smart to go for it…"

Elly ignored the tears that filled her eyes as she glared back at Millie. "I give up, that's why! Don't you see Millie? This life that we're living has no hope, everyday seeing torture, filth, and misery! I doubt the Rebels would put up much to help the people and I had my hopes that by joining HAO we would get things done in this horrible world!"

Before Millie could say something, Elly interrupted her again.

"But I was wrong! Zeke is no better than the X-Laws, he's probably worse! You see all of this? Zeke caused it, but I'll always feel that guilt of playing a part in the dam!" sobbed Elly.

While Elly cried, Millie hestiantly approached her.

Elly, who was the big sister she never had, the tomboy of the gang, and the tough girl who saved Millie all the time. The one who found her during the great Famine, and took her in. Elly, who flirted, laughed, swore, and sang. Here, trembling and crying her heart out at the pain and guilt she burdened.

Sharona may have created this confident aura, Sally a cold one, but Elly was caring.
All three, Millie realized, was set on a gamble, a false hope that they can strike it lucky, and save their gang. All three had different reasons for deciding to join Zeke, and all three knew it was a risk.

Millie hugged Elly from behind; Elly suddenly seemed older and younger at the same time. The Slums takes its toll on the people, the drugs, the sadness, and the oppression. She weighed a lot but never showed it.

All of them did.

"I'm sorry Millie," whispered Elly hoarsely.

"It's okay…this world can be really cruel, sometimes you feel like even with friends and family you're alone alone in the end. You were tricked by the power and greed that the HAO and Zeke had...and you hoped you can use some of that to end your suffering, our's, and this city.
You did the right thing about refusing to blow up the dam, we had the Rebels evacuate a majority of the citizens I believe. Besides the Slum people are tough people."

A look of relief flooded though Elly; she stood up and hugged Millie back.

"I'm sorry Elly too," sniffed Millie. "For yelling at you even though I should have been happy to see you alive…"

"It's okay Millie, sometimes you're such a baby, but other times you act along older..."

Millie sighed, and continued.

"I have a question Elly, and answer it honestly."

"Okay."

"If you were to go back to that cliff with Zeke, would you have done the same thing again?"

"Yes," replied Elly instantaneously. "We aren't evil people, stupid, yes. We only want a better life, but we still have compassion and a soul. And sanity."

"Elly?"

"Yes?"

"I knew you would have said that."

Ahh, I know a rather depressing chapter! I don't like actually writing sad angst stuff because as beautiful as that stuff can be, it's sad. And I believe the world has too much sad and bad stuff already, so there.

Also deep long conversations can be a bit boring to read and write but I have to add in detail and practical actions for the characters. No point in jumping from, "Hey you're okay, to now let's go!" Only the dense or lazy people react like that or one's lacking empathy. And on the Capitol dam...think of the Hoover dam...yeah that's pretty much what's its base off.

I have no experience in writing romance as of course this is a Millie x Lyserg fic, so I'll have to watch a few episodes to get in the mood or inspiration. When I have time. =.= On another note, I know my grammar isn't perfect, I realize that no matter how much you re-read and check, there will always be that one mistake that appears. It doesn't mean that I'll be sloppy in my writing though, I just won't be perfect. Another note, quotes are nice, but sometimes they don't really have a dead meaning to the story so don't try to ponder over it excessively XP

School is still bashing me, but I'm pacing it out, and trying to procrastinate less. XP I was surprise given the time to finish this was actually meant for break, but I guess my passion for this overrides the math homework I have due tomorrow XD Tests will be next week, so I'll be prepared to take a hit .

Thank you to Cronomon for that 1 review =)

All I need is just one to keep on going…like that one famous quote says
"There are billions of people in this world, and all you need is just one." So thanks :D

I'll just go with my flow in the story; I have a plot that keeps bouncing back and forth so it might take some time to develop…Also I'm surprised that some people found the characters actually in character. Yay! Though to be sure it's still an AU so people out of character will be inevitable someday. =3 I'm thinking about also adding a mini chapter of each of the Lily 5's backgrounds, their past life in order to further develop the AU and their character.

Someone named Hey also review, but I know who that person is...thanks circle 3!

Love,

Wuchen

Circle 1