Caine & Diana || ˢᵗºʳʸ ºf ᵘˢ

CHAPTER FIVE - 255 hours, 42 minutes

HE NERVOUSLY BIT at his thumbnail, a very Caine-like gesture. He waited impatiently as Coates kids filed into the BMV's. "Get a move on!" Drake snarled, clutching a wicked looking gun.

That seemed to urge the kids, and they began to go twice as fast. Caine glanced at Drake Merwin, wondering if he should thank the psychopath for getting a move on.

Probably not. That weirdo didn't need thanks.

His heart was hammering. He had to make everything look perfect upon arrival to Perdido Beach. He really needed the town's attention, the town's trust.

Breathing heavily, he made his way to the front BMV and nodded at Panda, a kid with rings under his eyes that gave him the nickname, who lowered his foot to the pedal.

As they drove along with the Coates kids that had agreed to come along with them, Caine couldn't help but wonder where Diana was.
He knew - of course, that she was coming. But what car, he had no idea.

Hopefully not the car Drake was in.

Drake was mean, an obvious bully, but helpful, Caine knew. Necessary.

He also knew he would take any chance he could to overpower Caine. He wanted to be leader, not one of Caine's minions. He'd wait for the right moment, though, once Caine was vulnerable and he had more power.

Sighing to himself, Caine ran a hand through his dark, shaggy charcoal hair and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He hoped there were no other four bars like him. The power that had come to the FAYZ had four bars Caine was aware of: one, two, three, four.

One was nothing. A minor power. Two was a little more - something useful like Diana's power: power reading. A three bar was an annoyance to Caine.

There was one girl, back at Coates, named Dekka. She'd been a handful to deal with, but Caine managed to control her, only just.

Maybe if she had help from some other three-bar kids, they would have beat Caine, and he shivered at the thought, let alone the possibility.

Four bars, as anyone could guess, were the overpowered kids of the FAYZ. The ones who would end up leading and barking orders - the bosses. Caine found himself grinning.

Not for long, however, for they had arrived at Perdido Beach.

Hundreds of curious eyes turned on the BMVs, waiting, expecting, just outside what Caine thought must be the church.

He adjusted his yellow V-neck sweater, sleeking back his hair.

Show time.

***

Diana smiled as Caine stood on the trunk of the convertible, giving his humble speech to the kids of Perdido beach. She noticed the kid from before, Mallet. He was crouched down, as if hiding. Diana felt a pang of sympathy for him, but she quickly brushed it off.

He was mid speech, when someone from the crowd asked, "Do you know what happened?"

Diana half expected Caine to reveal his power right there and then, and show everybody how powerful he was. Name himself king or something.

But he was too smart to play that card.

There was still time.

Instead, he shook his head and replied, honestly, "No. I don't think we probably know any more than you do."

She stopped listening when he mentioned everyone over fifteen disappearing. It freaked Diana out. She was fourteen. How long until she went away along with everybody else?

She looked at her feet until she realised the crowd had gone dead quiet. Glancing up quickly, she watched as Caine hopped off the car and approached a little boy. He murmured gentle words to the boy and - Diana had a hard time believing it - hugged the young kid.

It was working, his brilliant plan. He was gaining the town's trust. Diana couldn't help but feel admiration toward the handsome teenager.

His charm and rehearsed display had won the crowd, as he expected.

Diana perked up when she heard the name Sam Temple being called. The crowd was murmuring words like, "Hero" and "Leader" as Caine walked over to him.

Sam was a teen, about fourteen, with sky blue eyes and brown hair - Diana thought he was handsome.

He was modest, too. And apparently a leader. Diana could tell, that underneath Caine's practised, humble smile, he was annoyed.

Sam would end up being a problem for Caine, most likely.

Once people started to move in toward the church, Diana advanced to Sam, who blinked at her like she was an angel sent from heaven. She extended out her hand, and he took it, almost too willingly. Now was her chance to read him.

She barely hid her surprise when she read four bars. "Ah," she managed, trying to keep her expression neural.

Four bars?

There was only one four bar. If there were more, there could be serious trouble. Instead of freaking out, Diana just smirked at him. "Well, well. I guess we'd better go in. We don't want to leave Fearless Leader without followers."

Yeah, Fearless Leader. As if.

Diana bit her lip.

He wasn't going to like this.

***

Diana stood to Caine's right, staring blankly into nothing as he discussed things with the other kids. She was still trying to grasp the fact there were two four bars. This could be disastrous - it was disastrous.

And she desperately wanted to know Sam's power.

Surely, something as strong as Caine's telekinesis.

Maybe they had the same power.

Maybe Sam was even stronger than Caine.

Diana shuddered at the thought.

She was about to draw her attention back to the conversation, she felt it was beginning to tense, when the ground rumbled.

Diana stood up, lightning fast. Prepared.

The church crumbled down, an immense display of Caine's power. Children looked on in fear - and awe.

She wasn't afraid. She wasn't running.

Instead, she kept her gaze on Sam Temple, smirking knowingly. He noticed this and a blond girl muttered something to him, not realising Diana's gaze was on them. She casually made her way to Caine. He leaned forward as she whispered in his ear, "No more local bullies. That Sam guy's the only leader I know of. No potential threat: you've got this covered."

Caine formed a bare smile and gradually nodded his head.

Drake told the bully, the one named Captain Orc, to gather his crew to meet them outside. Diana half-noticed a boy - was his name Cookie? He was wailing, his shoulder bleeding from being crushed by the rubble of the church.

Oh well.

There were to be a lot more injuries like that.

There was nothing she could do. As always, she trailed after Caine.