Caine & Diana || ˢᵗºʳʸ ºf ᵘˢ

CHAPTER THREE - 259 hours, 1 minute

Drake lazily rolled out of his duvet, gun on his shoulder. He turned back to examine Caine and... He shuddered... Diana.

Diana was peacefully sleeping while Caine twitched in his dreams. Drake grinned.

Wouldn't now be the perfect time to kill them?

Yes. Yeah, it would... If he killed Caine now, and Diana not too long after... He'd take over.

Then his grin spread wider. No police were here to stop him were they? No. They weren't.

At long last, Drake aimed the gun at Caine. Then he pulled the trigger.

Diana awoke at the sound of a bang. She sat bolt upright, frightened.

She checked herself over. She was in her clothes from yesterday: black shirt with a grey coat, followed by her designer jeans and trainers.

No, she wasn't hurt. Her blurred vision refused to come into focus. She shook her head irratatably, eager to know what had happened.

But all she got to see was a glimpse of a figure hovering over her as a gun was raised once more-

Caine leapt out of his bed lightning fast, avoiding the bullet sharply.

He panted, surprised, and glared wearily into the cold eyes of Drake. He grinned as he studied Drakes expression. He looked as shocked as Caine had been. "If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you usually only put one bullet in that thing, unless we're fighting." He observed Drake with a smirk. "And did I say we were fighting?"

Drake snarled sulkily. "No."

Caine smiled with satisfaction. "Ok, then we're all good."

Drake was angry. Angry because Caine was right. It was true. Next time, Drake vowed, I will bring enough bullets to make Caine scream and scream and scream.

"Now hush, Drake, Diana is still asleep."

Diana stiffened from her bed, thankful they'd fallen for it. She wasn't eager to face them now, not when they were both on edge.

Drake rolled his cold, blue-grey eyes. Caine was over the moon for that witch. Drake knew now wasn't time for him to attack. He'd wait.

Yes.

And then he'd kill.

***

Caine was still shaky from Drake's actions. One day he probably would manage to kill Caine. Caine didn't want to think about that day.

Biting his thumb-nail, a nasty habit when he was nervous, Caine stalked out the room, leaving Diana to sleep. Drake had stomped away, ordered, by yours truly, to call a Coates meeting.

Caine knew today had to be the day to step up for the kids in Perdido Beach. After all, no-one could stop him in Coates, so there was no possibility there would be anyone strong enough to go after him. Or would there?

"Nah." Caine whispered as he entered the atrium, stepping up onto the wide, spacious stage. People panicked, shouted, whimpered, cried and laughed.

"No adults," A kid named Brianna cheered, "No adults!" Caine stared over at the crowd and turned to Drake. Drake leant casually against the wall, glaring at Caine.

Smiling crookedly, Caine called over the hysterical crowd, "Everyone! Settle down!"

Slowly, the group of kids turned to him, faces filled with fear, excitement and sadness.

"Okay, the kids of Perdido beach want someone to look up to, right?" He paused and watched a wave of nodding heads. "So, we need to make it seem like we know what the hell we're doing, and walk in there with style. You know?"

No one spoke. "Okay, don't speak then, but if you're not stopping me, it probably means you're okay with me leading you?"

He smiled, his gaze challenging. Kids stared shakily at one another, and a little girl whined, "I want my mommy!"

"Well, if this is to work, we need to practise our routine. Does anyone not want to participate?" When no one moved, he said, "Great! Now, I'd like to have the Coates cars, and some-" he paused as the large atrium doors swung open.

Dark hazel hair swaying, brown eyes glaring, hip swaying, Diana stalked in, her gaze raking the kids that turned to her. She smiled at Caine and he stared back, speechless.

Someone hooted, and Caine instantly turned to him, embarrassed and frustrated. "And we need some volunteers to drive." He finished as Diana plopped down in a chair at the front of the stage.

Kids departed, and Caine's eyes didn't leave Diana's. She smirked, and while Drake stomped away, she whispered, "Why'd you let me sleep in, Caine? I missed your inspiring speech."

Caine couldn't stop his grin.

***

Morning light shone across the concrete and on Bug, and he thought it was strange, and weird that he lacked a shadow.

Houses spread across either side of him, and he saw kids spilling out of what appeared to be a school. A kid, fourteen or so, with browny blond hair, rushed past him, and beside him was a sleek, black-haired guy with brown eyes. Bug, invisible to the swarm of kids, strolled through.

Suddenly the smell of smoke was in his senses, and Bug squinted up to see a tall building ahead of him, with flames licking inside it.

He stared, wondering. The guy from before ran towards the building like a mad thing. Kids crowded around and watched in fear as the sleek teen ran through the swirl of smoke and fire to the building. Bug, still hidden, asked a blond-haired girl beside him, "What's he doing?"

The girl turned and faced a boy, assuming he had asked, and replied. Which seemed funny to Bug, like it was a prank.

"He's saving a poor girl in the fire. He's pretty reckless though." The boy, the blonde, raised an eyebrow at the girl and nodded.

From the building, Bug saw, with astounded eyes, a blinding flash of emerald light.