Thirst Chapter 1: Part One: Thirst, a gone fanfic

A/N: Hello Gone readers! I would just like to give a brief explanation of this story before we begin. Hyperactive Lioness asked me to write a oneshot for Astrid/Caine and Diana/Sam, and it evolved into this. Yes, I know I promised to write you something with snowball fights and ice skating in it, but this idea popped into my head, and I'm pretty sure I would have exploded had I not written it. It has a surprisingly detailed plot, though elements of Caine/Astrid and Diana/Sam will be included in later chapters. And, yes, I said chapters. This is not, in fact, a oneshot. It was intended to be, but I think it's going to turn into a threeshot.

Another thing I think you all should know about this story: it contains spoilers for LIES. I know, you're all wondering how that's possible, right? Well, I don't magically have the book, if that's what you're thinking. What I mean by spoilers for LIES, is spoilers for the first six chapters, which have been made viewable to the public. This story takes place in the beginning of LIES, and some of the characters and pieces of the plot will relate back to those first six chapters. I don't think it will ruin your reading experience to read my story first before those first six chapters (found on Pensive Sarcasm's blogspot), but I thought I should include the spoiler alert anyway.

And now, on with the story after this ridiculously long A/N.

Disclaimer: I don't own LIES or any other works produced by Michael Grant. I also don't own the lyrics to Sober by Pink.

Dedication: To Hyperactive Lioness. Because she rocks.

"We're going to die in here."

Astrid's words echoed throughout the cavern, ominous and profound. Caine halted his pacing, turning to stare at his blond companion.

Astrid Ellison had certainly seen better days. Her hair was tangled and strewn carelessly across her face. Her sapphire-like eyes were dull and lifeless, staring at her feet, unmoving. Her skin was covered in a blanket of dirt and blood, though most of it was Caine's, not her own. Soren frowned; he had never seen the girl so hopeless, so dejected. How could she just give up?

"We're not going to die, Astrid," Caine said confidently, staring at the boulders before them with a grim determination. "They'll come for us." But Astrid shook her head.

"They'll be too late," she whispered, her voice horse and cracking. "They'll never get us out in time. You've lost too much blood. You're too weak. And me? What can I do?" Astrid shook her head. "No, Caine, this is it. The end. This is where I shall die."

Caine vehemently shook his head. "Don't talk like that. They're coming. We're going to be fine." But Astrid wasn't listening. She stared out into the space above Caine's head. With a jolt of astonishment, Caine saw a small, crystal tear trickle down Astrid's cheek and onto the cave floor. He'd never seen her look so small and helpless before.

"Tell Sam…tell him goodbye for me."

"You tell him yourself!" Caine protested.

"Goodbye, Caine…I'm sorry we never got to know each other better. It would have been interesting, swapping stories and all that." Astrid gave a weak chuckle, which soon evolved into a coughing fit. Caine watched, horrified, as Astrid curled up into a ball, her head pillowed on a flat rock. She closed her eyes.

"Astrid! No, Astrid, don't go to sleep!" He rushed to her side, but he was too late; gentle snores escaped from her parted lips. He couldn't believe Astrid had been stupid enough to just fall asleep in the middle of a life-or-death situation, and was just about to wake her when his fingers brushed over her lower back.

Wet. That was the only word that would process in Caine's mind to describe what he felt. Soft, sticky, wetness. He lifted trembling fingers to his face and discovered the awful truth; Astrid had lied to him. She was hurt after all. Badly hurt. Her whole back was cut up and bleeding from what appeared to be a thousand individual cuts, most likely caused by the rocks that had fallen on top of her.

In a moment of desperation Caine raised his hands to the sky and screamed. "Help! Somebody, help! She's dying! Oh, god, Sam, she's dying! Help! Lana, Quinn, Brianna, Sam, help! Astrid is dying!"

Let's rewind…to ten hours previous. Let's begin in the morning.

The hot sun beat down relentlessly on the occupants of the FAYZ. Kids were gathered under the promising shade of nearby buildings, socializing, or else wise indoors. Girls wore reveling tank tops and shorts that would have made their mothers gasp, while the boys strode around shirtless, unabashed. A few even had swim trunks on and surfboards in hand; despite the lack of waves in the ocean as of late, their intent to hang out and spend the day relaxing at the beach was clear.

For Astrid Ellison, however, the day was sure to be anything but relaxing.

Being a member of the council meant several things; going to meetings, arguing over laws, doing your part in the community, ect. Being a member of the council and Sam Temple's girlfriend…well, it gave a whole new definition to the word "responsibility".

Kids looked up to her. Sam was the father figure of the FAYZ; the hero, the good guy. Astrid was, unquestionably, the mother figure; strong, beautiful, loyal. They were the first official couple of the FAYZ; a sense of guidance and normalcy to hang onto in such troubling times. They were stability, something for kids to respect and be reassured by. It all depended on the two staying together, which, luckily wasn't a problem. Astrid was very much in love with her boyfriend and had no intention of finding anyone else any time soon, if ever.

Still, there were some downsides to being the mother figure for a bunch of orphaned kids. You had twice the responsibility of everyone else. You had to work harder, live up to expectations. These kids were depending on her. Letting them down was out of the question.

This was the reason Astrid was not slipping into her blue bikini and taking the day off. She couldn't afford to. Being the leader of the FAYZ's girlfriend didn't leave much room for holidays, and there were far too many problems for Astrid to be going off swimming.

For instance, the problem of water. With the power shut off kids had been driving back and forth from the reservoir and bringing jugs of water back. Astrid and the other council members had estimated that they had around six months before the water either ran out or the gas did. Not enough time. Not nearly enough. It made Astrid nervous to think about what they would do when the water ran out, and she wasn't the only one. Would it be the same as starvation? Worse? Who could tell? All Astrid knew where the facts, and the facts were these; a human could live for two to three weeks without food, depending on their state of health, but only a few days without water. And if hunger had driven kids—sweet, gentle kids—almost to the point of murder, what would thirst do? Astrid shuddered at the thought. Though she had never experienced it herself, she knew that the thirst was worse, could drive a person mad.

Which was why she was planning on getting ahead of the game. Instead of taking the day off, Astrid and a few other select council members were going off in search of water. Astrid hoped from the stories that Duck had told before his untimely demise, that there might be some pools of fresh water found in some of the nearby caves. Using some rationed gas, Astrid was planning on searching for said water. She just hoped she wasn't wasting everyone's time with a wild goose chase.

"Hey, Astrid, you ready to go yet?" Astrid turned to face Howard, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a beat up old truck. In the passenger's seat sat Quinn; in the back Albert, Computer Jack, and Brianna. Astrid nodded, shoving a water bottle and some sunscreen into her bag. Satisfied with its contents, she ran down the steps of her house and bounded into the back, squishing Jack and Albert into a small corner. Brianna snickered at Jack's horrified expression.

"Is anyone else coming with us?" Astrid asked, buckling her seat belt. Although Howard was an experienced driver, she'd seen some of the wild moves the kids of the FAYZ could pull with their cars, and wasn't taking any chances.

"Nope," Howard said, revving the engine with obvious relish, "that's everyone. Orc's on veggie duty today, and Dekka and Edilio are out hunting with Sam. Mary and John have to take care of the prees, and there really isn't anyone else who'd bother coming with us." Astrid nodded to herself as Howard pulled off the curb and onto the empty road. Soon the wind was tearing past the gang of kids, causing Astrid to sigh with relief at the sudden blast of cool air. Howard let his elbow hang out of the side of the car while Quinn fiddled with a few of the dials on the stereo box. Soon music was blasting out of it.

"Oh, nice song, Quinn. Keep it on; I haven't heard any music in, like, forever." And this was true. With the power gone there were no more ipods, MP3 players, or other means of music left. A few kids had old fashioned portable CD players that ran on batteries, but most had nothing. Listening to music was now a rare treat in the FAYZ.

"I don't wanna be the girl that laughs the loudest, or the girl who never wants to be alone. I don't wanna be that call at four o'clock in the morning, 'cause I'm the only one you know in the world that won't be home," Brianna sang along. She bopped her head along to the music, grinning at Astrid.

"Aah, sun is blinding. I stayed up again. Oh, I am finding…that's not the way I want my story to end."

"I'm safe up high; nothing can touch me. But why do I feel this party's over? No pain inside; you're my protection. But how do I feel this good sober?

"I don't wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence. The quiet scares me, 'cause it screams the truth. Please don't tell me that we had that conversation (I know we did) 'cause I won't remember, save your breath, 'cause what's the use?

"Aah, night is calling, and it whispers to me softly come and play. I, I am falling, and if I let myself go I'm the only one to blame.

"Comin' down, comin' down, comin' down. Spinning 'round, spinning 'round, spinning 'round. I'm looking for myself sober. When it's good then it's so good, 'til it goes bad, 'til you're trying to find the you that you once had. I have heard myself cry never again, 'til I'm broken down and just trying to find a friend.

"I'm safe up high; nothing can touch me. But why do I feel this party's over? No pain inside; you're my protection. But how do I feel this good sober?"

The music shut off. Astrid snapped out of her trance to find the car had come to a stop. Brianna stopped singing and unbuckled herself, just as the all the others did. Astrid shook herself and untangled herself from her seatbelt; it wasn't healthy to get caught up in a song like that.

But how could she help it? Each day more kids succumbed to the urge to drink away all of their problems. Astrid could hear their drunken laughter, high pitched giggles and low, throaty chuckles. She saw them stumbling home, some still clutching empty bottles or packets of drugs. And each time hurt her more than the last. Kids were dying from this stuff. Dying! And there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

"Hey, Astrid, you coming?" Quinn called from the entrance of the first cave on their check list. Albert was standing by his side, scribbling furiously on a scrap of paper, oblivious to the world around him. Computer Jack and Howard were engaged in heated discussion while the Breeze stood off to the side, looking bored. Suddenly the girl's eyes landed on Astrid. Her gaze was deep and penetrating, as if searching for the answer to some complicated problem. Astrid shuddered.

"Yeah, be right there," she managed to call out to Quinn. This response satisfied him; the boy turned back toward the cave. Only the Breeze remained looking on after Astrid but, after a moment, she, too, headed for the cave, easily keeping pace with her male companions.

Astrid took a deep breath, grabbed her bag, and hurried to catch up to her friends.

Caine opened the door of Moose's shed to find Diana asleep on her bed. Her short, black hair was splayed around her face in a messy halo; her clothes were rumpled, her eyes had black circles under them. Her limbs were thin and frayed from lack of nutrition, and her cheekbones stood pronounced on her face. If Caine had chosen to run his fingers along her chest, he could have probably counted her rib bones. And yet, to Caine's eyes, she was still lovely. Still elegant, graceful Diana Landris, the same girl that he had fallen in love with so long ago.

Crossing to the other side of the room, Caine stepped on a loose floorboard. The responding creak startled Diana into consciousness; she shot up in bed, her midnight eyes darting fearfully around. They came to rest on Caine, and relief swept over her. Despite everything that they had been through, she knew that Caine would not harm her.

"Caine, what're you doing here?" she croaked out. Her voice was raw from lack of use, and Diana winced at its helpless sound. She ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her clothes, a sight that made Caine smile. Still, even after all this time, Diana still had the awareness, the self-dignity, to try to make herself look presentable in front of others. One of the many reasons she had become endearing to him; why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place.

"Just came to check up on you, see how you're doing," Caine said nonchalantly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Diana snorted.

"What, I need a babysitter now?" Caine grinned and Diana's eyes regained some life. Even in the face of death Diana had not lost her sarcasm.

"No, I just…I just worry about you sometimes," Caine finished lamely. Diana smirked.

"Well, isn't that sweet of you."

"Yes, actually, it is."

"Then excuse me for not bowing down, oh fearless leader." Caine rolled his eyes, watching with great interest as Diana stretched and rose from her bed. She swayed slightly, still somewhat asleep, and Caine reached out to her. He placed a steadying arm around her waist, waiting for her to regain her balance. Diana stiffened, but allowed him to hold her for a moment before prying his arm from its place on her. However, the mere fact that Diana had even accepted momentary assistance frightened Caine. As he'd feared, she was getting worse. Sicker, weaker than before. When would the time come when she could no longer stand on her own? Rise on her own? When she would become completely dependant on him? It would be then that she would begin to die.

Caine shuddered. Die. What an ugly, awful word, especially when used in a sentence that contained the name Diana in it. He could hardly bare the thought of her dying, leaving him all alone in this desolate and hopeless world. A life without Diana simply wouldn't be living; he couldn't let her go. He wouldn't let her go.

"Hey, Di, I think I'm going to put together a search party to hunt for some animals, maybe find some more water. What do you think?" Diana shrugged and walked past Caine to her only window, which overlooked the desert. For a moment she said nothing.

"I don't know, Caine," she finally responded. "You're the leader. I'm just the girl on the sidelines. Do what you like." Caine suppressed a wince. Her words stung.

"You know I like to hear whatever you have to say," he murmured. Diana chuckled darkly.

"Yeah, well, you might like hearing it, but you certainly won't listen. When was the last time you took what I had to say seriously, Caine? When was the last time you actually took anything I've had to say to heart? Oh, that's right, never. You never have and never will." She strode past him, an air of annoyance about her. Diana sat down on the opposite end of the bed, refusing to meet Caine's eyes.

"Things are different now." She snorted. "I'm serious! For one thing, almost all the freaks are gone. For another, so is Drake." Caine took some satisfaction in seeing Diana's lips twitch at that statement. "We're almost completely on our own. We're not going to be invading Perdido Beach again any time soon, and we have absolutely no food. So, yeah, you could say that I'm going to start listening to what you have to say."

Diana raised her head to meet his eyes. Their gazes locked for an immeasurable amount of time. "I don't believe you."

Caine's heart sunk as Diana lay back down in bed, pulling her covers tight around her. That was her way of saying that their conversation was over and done with. Caine sighed internally; he knew regaining Diana's trust in him wouldn't be easy, but he had never imagined the length to her stubbornness.

He rose, heading for the door. At the handle he paused, turning back to stare at the dark-haired beauty that lay on the bed before him. Deciding on a new tactic, Caine crept over to the bed, making almost no noise. He leaned over Diana and quickly kissed her cheek before she could say a word.

"Sleep well," he said quietly before exiting the room, a search plan already forming in his mind.

"Any luck?" Quinn called out to Howard and Brianna as they exited the fifth cave on their so-far pointless trip. Howard shook his head and Computer Jack groaned. Astrid gave him a weak smile; her sentiments exactly.

"Alright, five down, three more to go. At least for today," Albert said, scribbling something in his pocket-sized notebook.

Brianna zipped over to the driver's side, grinning widely. "I'll drive this time." Howard and Quinn exchanged glances.

"Uh, Breeze, not exactly sure that's your best idea…" Quinn said lamely. The Breeze narrowed her eyes.

"What, you don't think I can drive?" she demanded, tapping her foot.

"Well, you are the shortest of us, even if you do have the fastest reaction time," Computer Jack piped up, putting his foot in his mouth as per usual. The Breeze glared at her almost-boyfriend.

"What are you implying with that 'short' statement? I mean, it's not like we've got anything to watch out for, right? Right?" Jack stuttered, and Astrid had to struggle to keep her composure and not burst out laughing.

"Well, yes, but—"

"But what? But nothing, that's what."

"Uh, Brianna, why can't we just let Albert drive? He hasn't had a turn yet," Quinn interrupted. This stopped the Breeze in mid-rant, and she thought it over.

"Yeah…okay. I guess," she consented, stepping away from the driver's side door. Albert gave her a nod and they all climbed in, Astrid squished in the back between Howard and Jack while Brianna got shot gun and Quinn rode in the 'trunk', which was really just a bare, yet closed in, back end without seats.

"Turn left about a mile from now," Jack called out, holding up a map to the sunlight. It was mid-day now, and the heat was incredible. Astrid was sweating profusely, as was everyone else. She knew they all were craving the cool waves of the surf as much as she, but Astrid wasn't quite ready to give up her search yet. She still had hope of finding a fresh water source, and if they did, it would be a great accomplishment. That thought alone kept her moving forward.

About twenty minutes later the gang pulled up before their sixth cave of the day. Astrid glanced over Jack's shoulder, scanning the map to make sure they had the right location. They did, and this cave was one of the most promising. It was large and deep, and was rumored to have bats living in it.

Astrid and the others unbuckled their seat belts, slung their bags over their shoulders, and headed for the cave. Astrid crossed their fingers as they walked, praying that this would be the one.

Water.

Pure, beautiful, wonderful water.

Caine could hardly believe his luck. On his very first try, his search team had stumbled across a fresh water stream, bubbling with the cool, refreshing liquid. Bug and Penny, the two Coates kids he'd taken with him, had drunk greedily, savoring each gulp. After a moment they moved aside, allowing their leader to take a drink. When all three were through, Caine had ordered the two to go and fetch as many water bottles and jugs as they could find to fill up at the stream. His only thoughts were focused on getting the water back to Coates, back to Diana. He could just see her face now, how her eyes would light up at the sound of sloshing water, the promise of relief…

Caine took anther drink to relive his own thirst. He couldn't get enough of the stuff.

After a nice, long drink, Caine leaned against one of the cave walls, listening to the gentle drip, drip of water. He closed his eyes, resting. He went through his internal schedule in his mind; first was find water (check), second was find food (hunt for a rabbit) and third was take over Perdido Beach. Obviously, the third was not to happen for a long while. Caine needed to re-group. To re-asses, and to make plans. He'd been sloppy the last couple of times. He'd rushed into things without any real plan. He wouldn't make that same mistake again. This time, he'd be careful, more wary of his brother. He wouldn't underestimate Sam again. Sam or his little band of merry mutants…

Caine's thoughts were cut off. He froze. Had he just heard a car engine?

Immediately his mind went to the adults. The adults had come back and were looking for him. But, no, it wasn't adults making those loud, obnoxious noises, coming from outside of the cave. For a moment Caine wondered if it was Penny and Bug back from the cars; whether they had gone back to Coates and brought others to share in the water. He dismissed these thoughts from his mind. The chances of Penny and Bug being that generous were zero to none, and these voices weren't ones he recognized. At least, not right away. Caine frowned, concentrating. After a moment he picked out Computer Jack's voice, and then Brianna's.

It was much, much worse than the adults coming back, Caine realized with a growing horror. It was the Perdido Beach kids instead.

"Okay, guys, let's split up and search the cave in groups," Astrid said, peering at her map with a flashlight. The gang stood at the entrance to the cave, deciding what to do next.

"Okay, how about Howard, Albert, and Quinn go left and Jack, Brianna, and I go right? Sound good?" There were nods all around.

Astrid handed a flashlight to Quinn and kept one for herself. With the Breeze and Computer Jack flanking her sides, Astrid set out into the dark cave.

Even with her flashlight shining in front of her, it was almost impossible to make out anything in the dark cave. Astrid squinted at her map and prayed that they wouldn't get lost. A genius she was, a cave explorer she was not.

"Hello?" the Breeze called out. "Echo!" Her response reverberated off the walls of the cave, coming back to their ears in a creepy impression of the Brianna they knew. The Breeze grinned as the last of her cries faded, and skipped down further into the tunnel. Jack hurried to keep up with her, a hopeless task that Brianna seemed especially fond of taunting him with. Astrid rolled her eyes at their tomfoolery and continued on her own.

She walked on her own for quite some time, reassured by the distant calls the Breeze and Jack would let loose every once in a while. The tunnel seemed endless, and the depths of the darkness were undefined. It came to the point where, if Astrid hadn't had the flashlight, she wouldn't have even been able to make out the shape of her own hand. A frightening prospect, one which ensured that Astrid would be about as likely to flick off her beam of constant light as she would chop off her own arm.

After a few minutes Astrid realized that she could no longer hear the sounds of Brianna's laughter and Jack's agitated replies to her idiotic questions. "Guys?" she called out, hearing only the sound of her own voice bounce across the walls and cling to the ceiling. For a moment Astrid panicked, thinking that the pair had gotten lost on their own. She forced herself to take several deep breaths, telling herself that they had probably just wandered down a different tunnel and would return in a moment.

Astrid decided that, as long as she was alone, to take a load off her aching feet and rest. She plopped down onto the hard earth, resting her chin in her hands. The map and flashlight lay before her; the beam's light creating an eerie glow. Astrid stared at the light, transfixed, for a moment, before her eyes fell on the illuminated ground beneath her. There was something about it that was off. Astrid's eyes narrowed in concentration; there was something that she should be remembering, something about dark earth…

Unthinkingly, Astrid reached out and touched it. The ground was cold to the touch; cold and hard. Astrid retracted her fingers. Cold and hard earth. What was so special about that? Astrid rubbed her fingers together, thinking. Cold and hard, cold and hard…

And wet.

Astrid gasped, jerking into an upright position. Of course! The earth was cold and hard because it was wet! Which meant…that meant…Astrid could have leaped for joy; she was almost sure she'd found water.

In fact, wasn't that a distant dripping sound she heard? Astrid strained her keen ears, focusing on the sound. It was faint and hollow, but most definitely there. Astrid leapt to her feet, scooping up her map and flashlight and heading for the sound of the dripping water.

In her excitement Astrid tripped over several rocks, hardly caring about the ensuing pain. All she could think was this; I've done it! I've found us all water! Her heart was filled with the most incredible joy, and she very nearly laughed as she walked. God, she felt like singing she was so happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this way.

The drip, drip, drip had grown increasingly louder. Now Astrid could just make out some kind of opaque pool before her, filled with cold, precious water. She let loose a single whoop of joy before bending down and putting the water to her cracked lips. To her delight the water was as she'd hoped; fresh. Clean, drinkable water for all the residents of the FAYZ.

And then Astrid raised her head, wiping the water from her chin, to find to very familiar hands pointed at her chest. "Don't move, or I'll throw you into the nearest wall," a cold voice threatened.

Astrid raised her eyes the rest of the way up to come face-to-face with Caine Soren.

"Ya see that, Bug? That's them Perdido Beach brats. They got Caine surrounded." Bug turned to face his female companion.

Penny was a small, stocky thirteen-year-old girl with pale blond hair and fierce-looking brown eyes. As of now they were trained on the bent-up jeep that was parked before them. Bug could make out the masculine shape of Quinn Gaither as he waltzed out of the cave entrance, Albert Hillsborough by his side. They were in a heated discussion, and didn't bother looking up. If they had they might have seen the two Coates kids perched on the rocks above them.

"Bug, will ya stop flashin' in an' out of existence," Penny chided, slapping him on the shoulder. "They ain't gonna see us." Bug watched as Penny fingered the small yet deadly pistol by her side, her fingers tracing the outline of the trigger almost lovingly. Bug shuddered.

Out of everyone at Coates, Penny scared him the most. She may have had the appearance of a sweet southern belle, but, then again, he'd been told that Drake also had the appearance of a Californian surfer boy. She was cruel and deadly, not to mention insanely powerful. Diana had read her at three and a half bars. Penny's power was horrifying; she made people see their worst nightmares, their own personal demons. The 'monster sight' as she called it. Bug knew from personal experience; he had been one of the first unlucky kids to have Penny's power used on him.

He remembered standing in front of her, seeing her evil glare, on that fateful day. And then everything had just disappeared. The room, the walls, the ceiling; everything. Everything but Penny. She remained in his new and dark existence, still smiling. And then she'd raised her arms, and all hell had, literally, broken loose.

Horrible winged creatures with claws for hands and spiked tails had emerged from the darkness. They surrounded Bug, incasing him in the awful nightmare Penny had created. Bug had screamed, and screamed, and screamed to no avail. He'd begged Penny to let him go, to make it stop, but she had just continued laughing. Bug had withered on the ground, the monsters' clawed fingers ripping at his bare skin; his hands, his legs, his cheeks. Anything they could get at.

And then Caine had walked into the room. He later told Bug that all he'd seen was Penny standing there, laughing crazily, and Bug curled up on the floor in a ball, screaming and sobbing. The truth about Penny's power had come out then, and Caine had had Diana read her. He was impressed and had immediately enlisted her to be part of his team. He'd even signed her up for target practice with Drake and the rest of his soldiers, something Bug had protested loudly against.

"She's scary enough as it is," he'd pleaded, looking up beseechingly at Caine. "Now you want her to learn how to shoot, too? Caine, man, this can't be good."

But Caine had just rolled his eyes, dismissing Bugs warnings as the babbling of the paranoid. But Caine didn't know Penny the way he did; Caine couldn't possibly know how twisted the girl was, how evil. Give her another year and she'll be a replica of Drake, Bug had thought. He'd been to shooting practice a few times, and every time he went, the image of Penny holding the gun and shooting the target with perfect accuracy would haunt his nightmares for days on end. He would never be rid of seeing that sickening smile that had appeared on her face before she'd taken the shot; they way her brown eyes had darted over to him a moment before shooting, as if to say: This could be you tomorrow.

And now here they were; alone and in the middle of the dessert, Caine trapped in the cave and the Perdido Beach kids below. They were alone and Penny was armed. Bug's eyes flicked over to the gun again. He gulped. Deep inside, he knew he was a coward. He didn't want to die. He'd do almost anything to escape such a fate. Bug glanced down at Quinn again. Wasn't it said that he had a soft side? That he wouldn't kill? Maybe if Bug was quiet, if he blended in the right way, he could sneak down the hill and make it to Quinn. Maybe they'd take pity on him. Maybe they'd even save him from Penny…

"Hullo? Bug? Child, you listenin' to me?" Bug blinked and saw that Penny was facing him, her large brown eyes blazing. Her hands were on her hips and her mouth was drawn into a tight line. She looked severely pissed off.

"Uh, yeah, totally," Bug squeaked, hating the weak sound of his own voice. Penny rolled her eyes, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

"Sure ya were," she muttered. Her eyes momentarily landed on the Perdido Beach kids. Penny sneered at them before returning her attention to Bug.

"Now you best listen up, Chameleon, 'cause we've got work to do." Bug blinked.

"We do?" he asked stupidly.

"Yeah, we do, ya dumb ass," she hissed, putting her face closer to his. Bug began to sweat. "Caine's down there, trapped like a duck in huntin' season. If we don't get him outta there, no one else is gonna. And, much as I'd like to say else wise, we need him. Without Caine we're as dead as fish on dry land, and about as helpless, too. You know it, an' I know it. So, what we've to be figurin' out is how to get him outta there. Else we can kiss any hope of livin' goodbye. Now, you in or what?"

Considering that this was Penny asking, Bug really had no choice but to reply with a slightly muted, "Yes." Penny grinned something that looked scarily close to what Drake's shark grin had been.

"Thought you might be."

Albert, with Quinn by his side, stepped out into the sunlight. It was blinding. After spending an hour in a tunnel with only a dim flashlight for guidance, the sun and the heat were nearly unbearable. The two boys stumbled blindly to stand by their jeep, hurriedly putting on sunglasses and taking sips of their rationed water.

"Listen, Quinn, I've been thinking, we might need to expand our resources a bit." Quinn raised his eyebrows over the tops of his shades, taking another sip of water.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking that, as time goes on, kids are going to get tired of that same fish day in and day out. As the famine dies down again, kids are going to get picky. They're going to want choices. So, I was thinking that we could expand our fishing endure over near the islands and camping grounds." Quinn shook his head.

"Dude, no way that'll work. We'd have to take our boats miles away from town. We would probably even have to overnight at the campground." Albert leaned against the jeep's door.

"So?"

"So?! What do you mean, 'so'? Have you seen the animals out there lately? I have, and let me tell you, they're a heck of a lot worse than a disappearing cat." Albert winced.

"Look, Quinn, all I'm saying is…"

Albert and Quinn continued arguing for a good twenty minutes, completely ignoring the fact that the Breeze and Howard hadn't left the caves to check in with them. The boys went back and forth in their argument, until a small but distinct snap sounded. Both teenagers froze. Both slowly turned around.

Sanding before them was a small girl with light blond hair, no more than a year or two younger than them. She was holding a pistol and pointing it at them with deadly accuracy, her eyes glinting madly. A slow smile crept up her face as she stepped forward.

"Mornin' boys," she drawled, her eyes never leaving their torsos. "I think it'd be wise for the both of ya to put your hands up and step away from your vehicle. Nice an' easy, now."

Quinn shot Albert a questioning look. Neither boy recognized the southern girl standing before them, but neither doubted her shot. They'd seen what angry kids with guns could do.

Albert and Quinn slowly stepped away from the jeep, much to the blonde's delight. "That's it," she murmured, watching them. She waved her gun over by a rock, indicating the boys should sit there. They did as they were told, and hands suddenly closed themselves around Albert's wrists. He turned and was shocked to see Bug had appeared behind them and was now tying their wrists and feet together with some stray pieces of rope.

"That'll do, Bug," the girl said, inspecting the knots. Bug was sweating profusely, his eyes darting back and forth, as if looking for an escape route. It was obvious he was terrified of this girl.

"Should I…" Bug trailed off. The girl nodded.

"Yes, and be quick about it. I don't want to have to wait out in the hot sun for hours on end for you." Bug's head bobbed as he nodded. Soon he shimmered and finally flickered out of existence. When he was nothing more than a faint outline against the desert back drop, Bug ran into the cave. The girl watched him go with narrowed eyes.

"Shoulda gone in myself," she muttered, sitting down in the sand to wait. Albert struggled with his ropes, trying to find a loose point in the bindings. Seeing this, the girl raised her gun, aiming it point blank at Albert's forehead. He froze.

"Don't test me, child. I ain't go no time or no patience for foolishness. Stop fiddilin' with them ropes." Reluctantly, Albert forced himself to relax.

"Why are you doing this?" Quinn asked, speaking up for the first time. Albert feared his questions would anger the girl, but she just smiled pleasantly at them, her white teeth glinting in the sunlight. Though she was a nice enough-looking girl, something about her caused a shiver to go up his spine. Something about her made him wonder if she was smiling at them, or showing her teeth.

"We got somethin' we want inside that cave there. Bug's gone to get it, and when he's done, we'll leave. Pinky swear." She winked and twirled the gun around her finger tip, clicking the safety on and off.

"What's inside that cave that you want?" Quinn asked, curious.

"Ain't none of your business," she replied tartly. The girl shot Albert a glare before letting another malicious smile take over her features. She leaned back against a rock, gun in her lap, watching the entrance of the cave. Occasionally her gaze would flick over to the boys, checking to see that they were still securely bound, but she mostly paid them no mind. Whatever was inside that cave was taking up her full attention; her eyebrows were creased with worry lines, and her foot tapped a steady beat on the sandy floor.

Albert had a very bad feeling about what was inside of that cave.

Caine's mind was spinning out of control. His hands had a slight shake to them and were wavering from their position over Astrid's chest. He was sweating, despite the cool atmosphere of the cave. His breathing came fast and labored.

Astrid, on the other hand, had never looked calmer. Her calculating blue eyes stared fearlessly into his own. She took deep, even breaths, and her hands lay unclenched by her sides.

"Caine," she said in a monotone voice, "what're you doing here?" Her words echoed creepily around them.

"The same thing you are," he said in a whispered voice. Not that it helped with the echoes; he could hear his words repeating themselves for all to hear. How deep was this cave, anyway? "Getting water." He jerked his chin at the pool beside them.

"Then there's no reason for a confrontation," Astrid said calmly. "If you just want water, we won't bother you. We're not looking for another war, Caine. You can take some; bring it back to Diana and the rest of the Coates kids. We just want peace."

Caine listened to Astrid's tempting words. Take the water and go. Take it and go. There would be no battle, no grand fight. He would just take enough for himself and the others. For Diana. Yes, there was really no need for a fight…not when he was so weak, so tired…

Caine was just lowering his hands when a small crash sounded from the entrance of the tunnel. Caine and Astrid whirled around to find a shocked Brianna and Computer Jack standing not ten feet from them. Brianna's mouth dropped open and the color drained from Jack's face.

"You!" the Breeze spat. "Get away from her!" The Breeze's eyes glinted dangerously, fingers twitching. Before Caine could bat an eyelash she was running, her absurdly fast footsteps sounding back at each other.

"No, Brianna, don't!" Astrid called. But it was too late; the Breeze was running at full speed toward Caine, her arms outstretched, her face contorted in fury. Old anger and memories of pain had clearly resurfaced in the girl's mind, and there was no stopping the eleven-year-old now.

Instinctively, Caine raised his hands, using the power to protect himself. A large section of rock detached itself from the cave wall and was hurdling at Brianna. At the last second Brianna changed course, the rock missing her by inches. It slammed into the opposing wall with tremendous force, causing the ceiling to shake.

Brianna halted, staring at the growing crack in the walls and ceiling of the cave. She screamed as a piece of stalactite dropped toward her at an alarming speed. She jumped out of the way and into Computer Jack. The pair fell into a different wall as more rocks rained upon Caine and Astrid. Caine put up his hands, trying to deflect the steady fall of rocks with the power. But there were too many coming down too fast.

Before Caine had the chance to cry out, a sharp, dagger-like stalactite fell down on top of him. It pierced his right shoulder with mind-numbing pain. The force of the penetration knocked Caine down, pinning him to the ground. Smaller, sharp rocks nicked his cheeks and neck.

Astrid's screams and the tumble of rock was the last thing that registered in Caine Soren's mind before he succumbed to a dark wave of sleep.

"No, Brianna, don't!" Astrid cried out in vain. She was running too fast, and she was too furious. Astrid watched in horror as Caine used the power to pick up a tremendous piece of rock and hurl it at the Breeze. Astrid's blood froze as the rock got closer and closer to the small girl, seemingly in slow motion for Astrid's eyes only.

And then Brianna moved, the boulder missing her by a hair, and Astrid could breathe again.

Then the chunk of rock slammed into the cave wall with the force of an elephant herd. The aftershock of the impact rattled Astrid's bones. Cracks spread across the ceiling, and rocks rained down from above. Astrid screamed and ducked her head between her knees, trying desperately to protect her face and neck. Small rocks were thrown my unseen hands at her back, piercing her shirt and cutting her skin. She felt warm blood trickle down her back, and stifled a cry of pain.

A large boulder hit Astrid's lower back with a surprising amount of force. It hit her harder than any of the others previous had, scraping off skin as it tore past her. Astrid held back another cry, waiting for the shaking to stop.

When the last of the tremors ceased, Astrid lifted her head to inspect the damage.

Rocks were strewn about everywhere. There were long, narrow cracks in the ceiling, some of them touching the walls and floor. The entrance, Astrid realized with a panic, was closed off, rocks crumbling around it. Her eyes swept over the rest of the cave, looking for an alternate escape route. There was none.

"Jack?" Astrid called out. "Brianna?" There was no answer.

Astrid felt her hysteria level shoot up. She started hyperventilating; images of rocks crushing her friends filled her mind. A large slab of stone, with Jack trapped beneath it. A sharp rock piercing the Breeze's chest. Astrid whimpered.

After calling out uselessly for several minutes she rose to inspect the situation herself.

She spent a few minutes searching for Jack and Brianna before determining they were on the other side of the wreckage. She would not allow herself to think that they were…that they could be…

No. They're fine, Astrid told herself, straightening her shoulders. And that was when her gazed fell on Caine.

He was bent backwards at an odd angle, a small spear-like rock sticking out of his right shoulder. Blood oozed from the wound, creating an eerie red pool around him. Astrid sucked in a deep breath. He was hurt badly, that much she knew. The extent of his wounds were a mystery to her, but if she had to guess, she'd say a visit to Lana would probably the only thing in the FAYZ that would get it to properly heal.

Astrid knelt by Caine's side, ripping apart his shirt to better examine the wound. The rock had, thankfully, missed all of Caine's internal organs. It wasn't large, but it was sharp and menacing, sticking out of his shoulder and bobbing up and down with each breath he took. First things first; the rock needed to come out.

Trying not to think about what she was doing, Astrid curled Caine's shirt up into a wad, wrapping in carefully around the point of the rock that jutted out of his shoulder. She braced herself for the onslaught of blood that was sure to come, and concentrated on getting a firm grip. One pull should do it. One pull, and then she would leave it alone.

Caine's eyes fluttered open just as Astrid was about to start pulling. He looked at her, disoriented, and then at the rock. "Wha…what're you…" he gasped, struggling for breath.

"A rock hit you in the shoulder when the cave collapsed. I'm going to try and get it out."

Caine met her steady gaze. He was panting now, sweating, his pupils dilated. His warm breath hit Astrid's cheek again and again. Finally, the boy closed his eyes, giving her a single nod.

"Do it."

Without further ado Astrid pulled. Caine screamed in agony as Astrid pulled and pulled. There was the sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart as the rock came free of Caine's shoulder. Astrid held it with a trembling hand within the folds of Caine's shirt. It was covered in blood and flesh. Astrid shuddered violently before throwing the rock across the floor.

"It's out," she whispered unnecessarily. Caine moaned, a stray tear leaking out of his eye. "I'm sorry." Caine cracked his eyes open.

"For what?" he asked.

"That it hurts." Caine snorted before closing his eyes again.

"Nothing you can do about it," he muttered, his breathing calming some. "So, are we trapped in here?" Astrid nodded, glancing at what was previously the cave entrance. Now all that was in its place where numerous large rocks.

"There's no way out. The entrance is blocked off," she whispered in a subdued manor. Caine jerked his head at Astrid's flashlight, which lay a few feet away, casting the only light for which to see by.

"How much charge has that thing got?"

"I don't know," Astrid responded.

"Turn it off, then. You don't know when we'll need it."

Astrid obeyed, crawling over to the flashlight. She took it in her hands and flicked it off, the sudden darkness almost as blinding as the purest light would have been. The only sounds around her were the steady drip of the water in the pool and Caine's labored breathing. Astrid settled down, trying to ignore the pain in her back, as an awful thought struck her:

She was alone and trapped in the dark with Caine Soren.

Bug had seen it all. The encounter, the fight, the mini earthquake; he'd been standing only a few feet away all the time. There was nothing he could have done to stop it. Or, that's what he told himself. When Caine or that other girl, that Breeze, was mad, nothing got in their way.

Bug quietly slipped past Brianna and Computer Jack, who were shouting at the rocks that blocked the tunnel entrance, and made his way out into the sunlight and fresh air.

Penny was waiting for him, gun cocked and ready to fire, when he returned. She lowered it when she saw who it was, but frowned when she saw that he was alone. Bug barely spared Quinn and Albert a glance as he rushed to meet her.

"Where is he?" Penny hissed at him.

"You'll never believe what happened," Bug gasped, his eyes wide. Penny scowled.

"Lay it on me."

So Bug did. He retold the events from the cave to her, describing in great detail Caine's brief fight with Brianna and the wreckage. Quinn and Albert's eyes grew wider and wider as Bug's story was told, though Penny remained cold and detached.

"So," she finally said at the end of Bug's tale, "what you're telling me is that Caine is trapped under pile 'a rubble underground with Astrid, and you didn't do a dang thing about it?!" Bug winced, taking a step back and holding up his hands.

"What was I supposed to do?" he whined. "Hold up the cave ceiling with my bare hands?" Penny ground her teeth in frustration.

"I don't know! Anything! God, you're about as useful as bathing suit during winter." The southern girl kneaded her temples, thinking. Bug waited for her to calm down, hoping she wouldn't just show him the monsters again for the heck of it. His knees shook at the thought; if Penny thought he was useless, she could dispose of him. Caine might be a little upset about the matter, but neither he nor Diana would punish Penny for it. He wasn't as big of an asset as she; with Drake gone, she was the scariest thing around, and Caine needed scary people more than he needed sneaks.

Thankfully, Penny seemed to be in a forgiving mood that day. She opened her eyes, and Bug saw knew resolve shining in them. She had a plan.

"Listen, I wantcha to get the car and come 'round back here. We're gonna drive back to Coates and round up some kids. Then we'll come back here and get Caine outta the rubble." If he's even alive, Bug wanted to add. But he held his tongue.

"Right," he said, hurrying off to get the car.

"Oh, and, Bug?" Bug stopped in his tracks, turning to stare back at the blond-haired beauty behind him. She was holding out her pistol again, flicking the safety on and off with great relish. "Do hurry with the car. You know how I get when I'm impatient."

For just a moment Bug saw a flash of a horrible winged beast, flames sprouting from its claws, flying toward him, its great jaws open, revealing its many rows of sharp, white teeth. But then it was gone.

Bug shuddered and ran for the car.

Sam Temple sat in the grass next to Edilio and Dekka, gazing at the sky. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the birds were singing…it was pure bliss.

"Hey, Edilio, pass me the water canteen, will you?" Sam heard Dekka call out. Edilio threw her the container, which she caught in her fist and drank deeply from.

The three friends had left early that morning to go on a three day hunting trip. No problems, no responsibilities, just relaxing in the outdoors and catching what they could. Their tents and sleeping bags lay rolled up at their sides, and Sam wondered when they would stop to make camp. Probably in a few hours. Sam closed his eyes, loving the feeling of the sun on his cheek.

"Hey, Sam, wake up!" Edilio called. Sam cracked open an eye to see his friend leaning over him, grinning. "It's time to go, man." Sam returned Edilio's grin with a smile of his own, and accepted his hand as well. Edilio pulled Sam to his feet. The boys picked up their belongings and hurried to keep pace with Dekka, who was already several feet in front of them.

The forest grew denser as they continued. The trees were thicker and their branches covered the sky. Sam glanced up to see sunlight trickle down through the parted leaves in a way that made him wish he'd brought a camera. Sam felt a jolt of nostalgia; his camera. Just one of the many things about normal life that he missed.

Sam shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Now was not the time to be feeling sorry for himself. He was here for a long camping weekend. He was here to relax for once; to chill out and take things easy. He needed to forget about his problems, and what better way to do it than spend some time with two of his best friends?

Well…Sam wasn't actually sure if Dekka counted as a best friend. Edilio he knew was, but he hadn't known Dekka for as long. She was always kind of separated from the group; off on her own, a loner. Still, she'd confided in Sam about being a lesbian, one of the reasons he hadn't felt uncomfortable when she'd asked to come along. He was pretty sure that she took about as much interest in the two of them as she did a dog.

Hey, maybe this will be a chance to get to know her better, Sam thought to himself.

"Sam! Stop lollygagging," Dekka called out. She and Edilio were a ways ahead, and both were waving for him to hurry up. Sam hadn't realized how far behind he was until then.

He picked up the pace, running through the trees to keep up. His backpack slapped against his shoulders as he ran, the trees blurring beside him.

Out of no where a tree root jumped out at Sam. He cursed, trying to avoid running into it, and only succeeding in tripping over it. He twisted painfully and fell to the ground, moaning.

"Sam!" Edilio yelled. In a few moments both he and Dekka were crouched by his side, their worried expressions mirroring each other. Sam gave them a weak smile, sitting up.

"I'm fine," he lied. His ankle throbbed with a sickening pain that made his stomach turn; he could have sword he'd heard a crack as he went down. It stung and Sam winced when he stood up, having to lean against Edilio. The Hispanic frowned when he saw that Sam was unable to stand on his own.

"I think you've sprained your ankle," Dekka said. Sam glanced down at his injured foot.

"Well, I did hear it crack as I went down…" Edilio's eyes widened.

"Okay, that's it; we're taking you to Lana. Hunting trip's over." But Sam shook his head.

"There's no need."

"No need? You can't even walk!"

"No," Sam protested, "I meant there's no need for you and Dekka to go back. Continue with the hunting trip, and I'll see you when you get back." Dekka's eyebrows knit together.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Sam nodded.

"'Course I'm sure. I'll go to Lana and spend the weekend with Astrid and Quinn. No big deal. You guys have fun. I mean it." Sam smiled at them, and Edilio knew he was sincere. He grinned back, thumping Sam on the shoulder.

"We'll catch a grizzly bear in your honor," he joked.

"Okay, but make sure it's dead before you bring it into town." The three laughed and helped Sam hobble back to the road, a half mile walk which seemed to take only minutes.

"You can get to Clifftop okay?" Dekka asked when they were back on the road.

"Yeah, I'll get Taylor to drive me. She owes me one." Dekka nodded.

"See you in a few days," Edilio called as he and Dekka headed back into the forest.

"See you." Sam gave a finale wave before limping across the empty street.

He had barely walked a block before he was gasping and both his good leg and bad one were throbbing. He hadn't realized how difficult walking would be. Luckily, Taylor only lived a few streets down, so he wouldn't have to walk far.

Sam knocked on Taylor's door, leaning against the wooden frame. After a moment the small girl teleported, or "bounced" as she preferred calling it, out of her house. She took one look at Sam's sorry state, crossed her arms over her chest, and demanded an explanation. Sam glanced sheepishly downward.

"I tripped and sprained my ankle." Taylor rolled her dark eyes.

"And now you expect me to drive you over to Lana's don't you?" Sam paused.

"Would it help if I said please?" Taylor snorted.

Wrapping his arm around her small waist, Sam hopped over to Taylor's Toyota and slid into the passenger's seat. Taylor jumped into the driver's seat, turned on some music, and pulled out into the road.

They were at Clifftop within fifteen minutes; the sound of Patrick's barking greeting them. Lana was standing on the balcony of her room, but when she saw Sam limping and Taylor helping him across the entrance way, she hurried down.

"What happened?" she exclaimed upon arrival. Sam rolled his eyes at her worried expression and sat down in the nearest chair.

"I'm fine, Lana, I just sprained my ankle. I was stupid and tripped." Lana nodded, kneeling before him. She placed her hands on his hurt ankle, and relief came within seconds. Sam sighed. He did love Lana's power.

"Hey, Taylor?" She jerked her head up from petting session with Patrick to look at Sam.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know if Astrid and the other council members have gotten back from their cave expedition yet?" Taylor shook her head.

"Want me to bounce over to Town Hall and check?"

"That'd be nice of you, yeah," Sam said. Taylor winked at him before blinking out.

Lana stood, brushing her hands on her jeans. "Weren't you supposed to go on a camping trip with Edilio and Dekka?" she asked, rubbing Patrick behind the ears. Sam leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, but I'll live. Maybe I'll spend the weekend with Astrid and Quinn. I think we could all use a beach day, if you ask me." Lana nodded vigorously, and Patrick's tongue lolled out of his mouth.

"Count me in."

Sam was just about to reply when Taylor bounced back. She looked frightened, her bird-like eyes darting back and forth as she gnawed on her lip. Sam sat up straight in his chair and Lana stood, already her playful smile replaced with a grim frown.

"Sam, I've got bad news," Taylor began. Sam could actually feel his blood slow down and freeze.

"It's about Astrid."

Two hours. Astrid had been trapped, hurt and defenseless, for two hours. She'd been sitting in the darkness, her head between her knees, a steady throb in the base of her back. She could feel warm, sticky blood smearing her shirt and skin. The pain was almost unbearable. The fire hotness of the cuts was felt everywhere along her body; it was all she could do not to cry out.

"Astrid." Astrid glanced up at the sound of her name. Caine had spoken it.

He was propped up on one elbow, staring at her. That much she could tell. Her eyes had only adjusted to her surroundings well enough to enable her to see his outline, nothing more. That thought scared her. What if she went to sleep, woke up, and he was gone? He could be anywhere, hiding behind anything. He could sneak up behind her…kill her…

"Astrid?" he asked again, a question in her name. Astrid snapped out of her dismal fantasy, chiding herself lightly. He's hurt, she reminded herself. Caine wouldn't be doing any serious moving for quite some time now.

"Yes, Caine?" Astrid responded carefully. She heard him grunt and thought she saw his outline move into a different position. Oh, what she wouldn't have given to know for sure. If only there was light…any light…

But Caine had been right when he'd said they needed to preserve it. Who knew how long they'd be trapped down here?

"Is there any water? Or is it buried?" Astrid glanced over at the pool, though she needn't have. The sound the dripping made was imprinted into her brain, and even now she could make it out, steady and pure.

"No, there's plenty of water," she said. "Do you want some?"

"Y-yes. I do." Astrid just barely caught the stutter in Caine's voice, and it scared her. She'd never seen him so weak before.

Without thinking about the implications of her actions, Astrid grabbed her water canteen and walked over to the small pool. She dipped the canteen inside, letting it fill with the life-giving liquid. When she was sure she had enough she walked over to Caine, handing him the bottle.

He took it and began to drink greedily, small rivers of water running down his cheeks. Astrid briefly wondered when he'd last drunken anything.

"Thank you," he gasped after a moment, setting the canteen down. Astrid scooped it up, holding it to her chest. In that moment she realized two things:

One. She had just helped Caine Soren.

Two. She was going to continue to do so. They were in this mess together; no backing out now.

With difficulty Astrid accepted these changes of circumstances and whispered, "You're welcome."

Penny and Bug drove in a tense silence back to Coates. She was driving, her knuckles clenched and white against the steering wheel, her mouth pressed into a tight line. He was in the passenger's seat, flickering in an out of existence, much to her annoyance. The little coward had always annoyed Penny, but as of now her annoyance had risen to all-out hatred. She wanted very badly to show his the monsters again, to show him the sight. It took all of her self control to refrain from using her power. He can still be useful to us, she chanted in her head, again and again. He still has a part to play.

The pair pulled up at Coates, skidding to a halt in the parking lot. Penny wasted no time in getting out of the car and sprinting for Moose's shed, Bug barely keeping up at a weak trot behind her. Penny ignored the stares of the few kids roaming around the campus, probably searching, yet again, for a source of food. She ignored the whispers, the gossip. Her sole focus was on getting to the shed, to Diana.

Penny burst through the door, an explosion of mass destruction.

Diana was sitting in a chair, reading of all things. Upon seeing Penny, as panting Bug behind her, she placed a marker in her book, standing. Diana had lost weight and beauty during the FAYZ, but if there was one thing she still had, it was confidence. Her eyes still glowed with a cat-like fierceness, demanding answers and an explanation. As much as Penny disliked and disagreed with Diana, she couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for the girl; she was strong. And toughness was something Penny understood all too well.

"What's going on?" Diana asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between Penny and Bug. Not the darting insect movements that were Bug's trademark, but the cold, calculating looks of a cat who's spied two birds in his litter box.

"Diana," Penny replied breathlessly, "It's Caine."

Pain.

Fierce, blinding, white-hot pain.

That was what Caine felt. That was all Caine felt. The Pain originated in his shoulder, but had quickly spread to the other parts of his body as well. His legs ached, his back was sore, and even his throat burned, something no amounts of water could cure.

Water. That was the only good part of his little adventure. He'd found water, and, for the first time in weeks, could fill his stomach with the nourishing liquid. If he'd had food, things would have been perfect.

However, there was no food, he was hurt, and he was trapped underground with his enemy's girlfriend. Things were very far from perfect.

"Caine?"

Caine snapped himself out of his self pity. Astrid was sitting a small ways away, her head on her knees. She was speaking to him.

"Yeah?" he croaked, wincing at the sound of his voice.

"I know that you've probably thought of this, but do you think you could move some of those boulders out of the way so we can get out of here?" Caine scowled. Of course he'd thought of it. That was the first thing he'd considered! What, did she think him an idiot?

Wait, of course she had. This was Astrid the Genius he was talking to. Everyone was an idiot compared to her.

"No," Caine said icily. "For one thing, I'm too weak, and for another, those rocks are too many. Half the cave fell in on us! There's no way I can move all that. I could barely lift up Drake when he was attached to that pole, and he weighed next to nothing." Was it his imagination, or did Astrid shudder?

"Well, we need to think of something," Astrid said. "We can't just sit here." Caine snorted.

"No freaking duh." There was a small silence which seemed to stretch and fill the cave, becoming more unbearable by the moment.

Finally, unable to take it any longer, Caine stood. His shoulder screamed out in protest, but he ignored it. Who was it that had once said, Pain is just a message, so put it on hold?

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked, watching him.

"Pacing," Caine replied shortly. "It helps me think."

"You shouldn't. You're hurt…"

"And you're not?" Caine shot back. Astrid was quiet for a moment.

"No, I'm not," she whispered. Something in her voice caused Caine to stop in his tracks. She sounded so sad…so hopeless…so weak.

"They're coming, you know," he said suddenly. Astrid picked her head up. "Your boyfriend, my brother, Sam. He and his little helpers will probably be tearing apart the walls any moment now in a desperate attempt to get to you." Although he couldn't see it, Astrid's lips twitched.

"Like you would to get to Diana?" Caine didn't answer her. Instead he went back to pacing, his footsteps echoing off the floor of the cave, the drip, drip, of water accompanying him.

Sam was twitched the whole ride from town to the caves. What was supposed to have been a simple recon mission to find water had turned into a disaster. A disaster involving fights, an avalanche, the girl he loved, and the brother he hated.

Sam almost threw himself out of the car as they approached the caves, his heart jack hammering in his chest. Crowded before the cave entrance were several kids; Computer Jack, Quinn, Brianna, and Howard just to name a few. They parted like the red seas had for Moses, however, when they saw him. Worry and anxiety were sketched on every face there. Most kids liked Astrid and thought of her as a role model, a mother figure, almost. Even the freak haters respected her. Loosing Astrid would not only be like loosing a limb for Sam, but would also mean loosing a prominent citizen in the twisted community of the FAYZ. And loosing more people was not something anyone could deal with at the time. There had already been too many deaths, too many horrors. Sam couldn't bare the thought of adding Astrid to the catastrophe list.

"What happened?" Sam growled. Computer Jack shrank away from the slightly furious, slightly freaked out Sam, allowing Quinn to take the lead.

With Brianna's help, Quinn was able to retell the events of that morning, piecing together the bits about Bug and his mysterious southern partner, the battle in the cave, and the possibility of water. When he was done, Sam closed his eyes, trying to process the incredible news.

"Jack," he said suddenly, taking his hands away from his face. This was no time to be shell-shocked. This was the time for action.

"Y-yeah, Sam?" Jack stuttered, stepping forward with a nudge from the Breeze.

"How long do you think they have?" Jack blinked, pushing his crooked glasses up his nose.

"Well, without knowing the exact volume of the cave, whether or not there are air passages, or water—"

"Let's be optimistic," Brianna piped up before Sam could strangle the computer nerd. "Let's say they have both water and air. I mean, why else would have Caine have stuck around if it wasn't to get water?" Sam allowed himself to nod. There was a very likely possibility that there was water in there.

"Well, my estimations won't be accurate you understand; there are far too many calculations and alternate possibilities for me to make an accurate—"

"Just give me your best guess, Jack," Sam said with forced patience. Jack got the point and moved on.

"Four days. Maybe less." Sam groaned again.

"Wait a second," Howard said, speaking up for the first time, "can't people live for, like, two weeks without food?"

"Well," Jack said, "normally, yes. But you have to take into account that they are already mal nourished, Caine more so of the two. Plus, there's a good chance that they were injured during the collapse."

That thought struck Sam and stayed with him. Injured. Could the collapsed have killed them? Could Astrid already be dead?

No, Sam thought, pulling himself together. They're fine. You'll get to her. You'll save Astrid.

Sam straightened his shoulders. He would do this. He would save her.

Sam was just about to start barking orders, get everyone to start working on the problem at hand, when he heard the distant sound of a car engine. More than one.

All the kids froze and turned to stare at the highway. Barreling down the road were several SUVs and Convertibles. Sam's eyes narrowed as they pulled with practiced perfection over to the side of the road. The Coates kids had arrived.

And out of the driver's side of the lead SUV stepped Diana Landris.

She was thin and weak. She swayed slightly as she stood, her high cheekbones pronounced on her face. Her fingers were long and boney, and her hair was greasy and had numerous split ends. And yet, she still walked with confidence, with swagger, showing everyone around her who was the boss.

She strode up to Sam, and he saw that all was not lost for Diana. Despite what his first impression told him, she was not weak or dead-looking. Her green eyes were still vibrant, glittering in the fading sunlight. She had not, at least, lost that.

"Well, well, well," she said, her voice still ringing with its trademark sarcasm, "if it isn't Sam Temple. What a pleasant surprise."

Present time…

Hours. They'd been trapped in there for hours. The pain had increased ten fold for Astrid. She blinked back tears and struggled to breathe. Oh, god, it hurt so much.

We're never getting out of here, Astrid realized with horror. She would never see the sunlight again. She would never hold Little Pete's hand or kiss Sam's sweet lips. That thought brought more tears to her eyes. They spilled over, making pathways through the dirt on her cheeks.

"We're going to die in here."

Her words echoed throughout the cavern, ominous and profound. Caine halted his pacing, turning to stare at his blond companion.

"We're not going to die, Astrid," Caine said confidently, staring at the boulders before them with a grim determination. "They'll come for us." But Astrid shook her head. How could she believe that? They would never be found. Caine was too weak to move the boulders himself. No, this would be her final resting place. As sad as that was, it was true.

Caine vehemently shook his head. "Don't talk like that. They're coming. We're going to be fine." But Astrid wasn't listening. She stared out into the space above Caine's head. She was too tired to listen to him anymore. Her eyelids felt like led. In fact, wouldn't it be better just to go to sleep? Wouldn't it be more peaceful that way? Just to lie down and rest.

"Tell Sam…tell him goodbye for me." Astrid closed her eyes.

"You tell him yourself!" Caine protested.

"Goodbye, Caine…I'm sorry we never got to know each other better. It would have been interesting, swapping stories and all that," Astrid said, surprising herself. She would have never thought she'd want the opportunity to get to know Caine Soren better, but now, when faced with death, she found she did want to know Sam's brother better. Who knew? In another life, they could have probably all been friends.

Astrid gave a weak chuckle, which soon evolved into a coughing fit. Caine watched, horrified, as Astrid curled up into a ball, her head pillowed on a flat rock. She closed her eyes.

"Astrid! No, Astrid, don't go to sleep!" He rushed to her side, but he was too late; gentle snores escaped from her parted lips. She was falling; falling into a deep, black sleep, the kind she wouldn't ever wake from.

Astrid could dimly make out the feeling of Caine feeling her back. So now he knew. Now he would know that she had lied.

The last thing Astrid heard before drifting off was Caine's desperate cries. "Help! Somebody, help! She's dying! Oh, god, Sam, she's dying! Help! Lana, Quinn, Brianna, Sam, help! Astrid is dying!"

And then there was nothing.

A/N: Wow. I sure do know how to leave you hanging, hmmm?

Okay, so my next update probably won't be until Easter weekend, two weeks from now. And, I would like to officially apologize to all the Drabbles! readers—with writing this story, there was no way for me to fit in an update of that story as well. Please, don't kill me! –hides-

Until next time! Bye lovers of Gone, and please leave a review on your way out.