Caine & Diana || ˢᵗºʳʸ ºf ᵘˢ

CHAPTER SIX - 251 hours, 32 minutes

Diana wandered around the church, watching people either run in fear or just casually observe, like she was doing. She'd strayed away from Caine, looking for Jack, more commonly known as Computer Jack for his tech skills, wherever the heck he was.

Jack was nice. He was a twelve year old kid with scruffy blond hair and large round glasses. Diana was aware Jack had a bit of a crush on her. Yet she snorted at the thought of them together.

It was fun to play with him, lead him on. But Diana didn't feel the same. She wasn't even sure how she felt, for anyone, really. After what had happened. Eventually, she spotted him chatting with a the pretty blond girl, the one who was friends with Sam.

Astrid.

Was that her name?

Something about her being a genius?

Diana strode over. "Jack. There you are." They both looked surprised to see her. Diana nodded at Astrid, asking if her brother was okay, to seem caring and kind. First impression counts.

Then carefully, casually, she took Astrid's hands and stated how lucky her brother was to have a sister like her, so she could read her power.

Astrid flinched away, but Diana got something. A two bar. She wondered if maybe she should have held onto the girl longer, to be entirely sure, but what was done was done. She tried not to scowl as she turned around.

A kid, a Mexican guy, probably not from here, was driving a backhoe down the street. Diana realised he was digging a trench. When she asked, Astrid said he was burying the dead.

That's funny, Diana thought. Caine hadn't requested that.

"Caine didn't tell him to do that," she said aloud, glancing at the smart blond teenage girl.

"What does it matter? It had to be done," Astrid told her simply. "In fact, I think I'll go and see if I can help. You know, if that would be okay with Caine."

Diana sensed a taunt in her voice. However, she didn't react. Just launched into a talk about how things were different now, that this neighbourhood was suddenly more dangerous than ever before.

To her slight amusement, Astrid just asked, "What caused it? The FAYZ. Do you know?"

Diana laughed. "Aliens. God. A sudden shift in the space time continuum." Then, just because she felt she had to, she said, "I heard someone call you Astrid the Genius, so you've probably thought of explanations I can't even guess at. It doesn't matter. It's happened. We're here."

To Diana's surprise, Astrid asked, "What does Caine want?"

Astrid was a talker, for sure. She asked a load of questions. It reminded Diana of that one annoying student who knew everything.

"What does Caine want?" she repeated, dark eyes narrowing, "He wants what he wants. And he'll get it. Now, run off to the funeral over there. Stay out of my way." Diana smiled sweetly, adding, "And take care of your little brother," just to seem nice.

"Jack?"

"Yes," replied Jack automatically, looking up.

Diana's expression was blank. "Come."

They left Astrid staring after them as they ascended up the Town Hall, bursting into the mayor's office, where Caine spun on a leather chair.  "Where did you go?" he asked immediately, eyeing Diana and Jack.

Diana thought he was cute when he was nervous, always a hand smoothing his hair, his teeth gnawing on his thumbnail. Well, he was cute all the time, honestly. Except when he was mad.