A/N(1):This is for Samantha :D who was a saint for waiting for me to finish this. (lol a week)
A/N(2): Sorry for any typos, I was under pressure and yeah. D;
Caine had gotten back from his bath. Clean, his hair a bit salty but it would do. This would be his first meeting as Perdido Beach's new King. He thought he might die of the giddiness and mere excitement in that second. Years and years of dreaming of becoming something greater, of planning and manipulating those around him had finally paid off.
He ran his hands through his shoulder length hair, combing it, he stared back at his reflection in the mirror and was glad with the result. Caine slids his arms in his blazer, patted the fabric on the front and buttoned it, the half smirk never wavered from his handsome face.
"They shall greet and bow to King Caine," he said, half-joking, "Nothing will ruin my day."
His stomach grumbled for a few seconds and Caine frowned, annoyed at that noise. The food in Perdido Beach was… okay, better than nothing, but it was nothing compared to the delicacy that he ate back in the island. He had traded the best food he had ever tasted in months for cabbage, fish that tasted like guts and deer.Thou shalt give the best of food to thy one and only King, would be the first law he would enforce .
The island had everything he wanted and more. The comfort of the satin sheets, that king size bed that was so comfortable and big, big enough for him and… her.
No, no, no. Don't think of the traitor.
Just thinking about Diana sent a wave of self-loathing and rage within himself. He had given her everything. Everything! They had had their bad share of moments but the sum of all of them had led them to the island. One of the best things, probably the only one really, that had happened to them. If Caine had been any other guy in Coates Academy, the first thing he would have done would've been run away and survive on his own. But no. Diana had been his priority from day one. Even before the disappearance of the adults.
Caine remembered very clearly every single time Diana had taunted him for his feelings, mocked him for showing any kind of emotion towards her. His fingernails were biting the inside of his palm, the door trembling and losing, the walls cracking and the door broke free from the wall.
Caine didn't think he was capable of love. He didn't even know what that was, had never felt it from his parents nor anyone in particular. But he had been sure that those feelings he had for Diana were close to that. Not anymore, though. He had bottled them up and were long gone in his memories and list of regrets.
"I need a new house," he said after glancing at the mess his bathroom was now and walked out to the main room. He couldn't believe that he was going to be in a sour mood because of her. Diana had left him, to be with Sam! Sam, of all people! She had done it on purpose, he believed. She can stay in her lake with poor Sammy and stay away from him. Diana was the only person who had been loyal and whom Caine trusted and she betrayed him. Screw it, he thought, she can't and won't ruin my first meeting as the official PB King.
Just as he was coming down the stairs to the living room, rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of the tention on his shoulder, he stopped dead on his feet.
The sound that came from Caine's mouth was similar to one of a dog getting run by a truck.
No.
"Y-you-"
"Yes, fearless leader, I'm back," said Diana, who was leaning agains the doorframe of the entrance, her arms crossed over her chest and that smirk he hated to love so much still in place.
"What are you doing here?"
"I see your charms haven't improved one bit, Your Highness" Diana bit back a laugh.
Oh no, not that! He had forgotten the sound of her laugh, that angel like sound he had come to love and hate after her treachery.
"Let me rephrase the question for you," the corner of his lips turned up and asked, "Is there a specific reason as to why you're here?" Caine's eyebrow arched up and he was glad he had not eaten yet or he would have stuttered and barf right there. He wouldn't show her how he still felt. He had learned from his mistakes.
Diana paced to where Caine stood, 6 feet away, and simply shrugged. To Caine, those 6 feet felt like a 6 miles. He hated himself for being stupid enough to yearn for her touch, to crash his lips against hers and treat her like his Queen. He was sure she had some sort of spell on him. It was unlikely and not possible how after her betrayal, he would still want to kiss her and forgive everything and start from zero.
Diana's hand waving in front of her face broke him form his trance.Hallelujah! "What?" He asked after looking at her smile up at him. He had stopped listening to her… damn her!
"I said," Diana spoke really slowly as if she were speaking to a child, "I missed you."
And just like that, the brick wall Caine had re-built around his heart for weeks shuddered and wobbled and came down.
…
It seemed like Caine's brain had stopped functioning somehow, that or he was braindead now.
Diana's face sobered with his silence and the smile was no longer on her face. "Guess I'll leave you to your royal duties," and with that she turned to leave.
Caine's jaw dropped and his brows furrowed and something inside him jerked awake. He made a run for her hand and turned her around. "You can't leave!" he knew he sounded needy but he didn't care. He hadn't cared when he had told her he liked her and she didn't say anything in return, never cared when she mocked him and taunted him, because he knew that despite all of that and the fights they were meant to be together.
Caine grabbed Diana's hand, which felt skinnier but it didn't matter because she was here, after what felt like years, she was really back. He spun her around and looked her in the eyes, "I'm sorry," he said before he grabbed Diana's head with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Everything Caine had wanted to say to her was put into that kiss. All the those feelings, joy, love, were in it.
Diana returned Caine's kiss for a moment and pulled away to catch her breath and took his hands in hers before stepping back. "Now, this wasn't exactly why I came here for," she said with a smile. "I need to tell you something."
She could tell him she had a sixth toe on each foot-which would be impossible because Caine knew those feet very well-and he wouldn't give a damn. He was just glad, happy, ecstatic to have her back.
Diana let go of him to grab something from her pocket jeans and bit her lip nervously, "Look, remember w-"
What Diana was going to say was lost as a loud bang drowned every sound in the house. Caine's expression of joy turned to confusion then horror as everything settled in his head. He screamed Diana's name as her body went limp and toppled to the side but Caine was faster and caught her body in his arms before she touched the ground.
He fell to his knees, Diana in his arms, dead weight in his arms, and Caine's world fell apart. "Please, no, no, don't-" he choked as he saw the red stain on his hand, he carefully touched Diana's head and saw more blood flowing on the carpet. Caine's vision blurred as he gently stroked Diana's face and showered her with kisses, quick and desperate kisses, trying to wake her up just like in that sleeping beauty story he had heard.
But this was no fairytale.
He didn't care, though, his whole body shook and the silent cries and tears turned to sobbing and Caine whispering, "I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry." And now, Caine knew he was truly alone in the world.
So many could haves and should havesCaine regreted and imagined, if he hadn't been such an immature kid, he could've stayed with Diana back in the island and none of this would have happened.
"None of this." he whispered and wiped his face with the back of his hand. In the back of his brain, a tiny voice reminded him that someone had done this. Someone had walked straight into his home and done this terrible act. He put Diana's body on the ground and stood up, flexing his fingers as he did so and there was rattling in the entire house.
"Don't bother doing that," said Penny, who stood next to the kitchen doorframe, her hand gripping a gun. The gun.
Penny. Fucking. Penny.
Caine gritted his teeth and curled his fingers into his palms, making the cabinets in the kitchen shake and come out of their place along with every sharp knife and send them flying to where Penny stood.
Or where she had been standing before she poofed somewhere.
"Want to know something funny, Penny?," Caine began talking, knowing Penny was still there. She had the power of casting illusions after all. "Diana never liked you. I never liked you. Yet I saw this pathetic 12 year old going all moon eyed whenever she saw me, don't think I never saw you," he laughed like it was the funniest joke he had ever said, "and I thought, 'Hey, I could really use a new lap dog, someone to do the dirty work for me now that the psychopath is gone.'"
Penny clicked her tongue in disapproval from the other side of the living room. "Do you want to know something funny? I really enjoyed killing Diana. How the bullet got in from one side of her head and went out of ther. And seeing her brain spattered on the walls and floors, that was the highlight of my day. But nothing will ever compare to your face, that's what I enjoyed the most, really."
Caine turned his cold eyes on Penny, he had never been fan of cold blooded murder, but he would do the exception for Penny. He would make sure she would suffer and feel every tiny bit of pain he felt, but worse, much worse. He had never felt any desire for killing people for fun until now. "You will regret what you did to Diana. I'll kill you. I'll take my time."
Penny had the guts to laugh in his face.
"Huh," she paused to take a good look at him, "so, that is Caine Soren's biggest fear."
Confused, Caine quickly glanced down at the floor and saw nothing. No body. No Diana. He looked down at his hands and the stains of blood were gone, the blood on the floor was also gone. And that's when he noticed Penny-the real Penny-sitting on his couch, with this awful grin on her face and her projection where she had been before. And everything fell into place.
He really was going to kill her.
"Ah, don't worry, Caine," Penny said with delight, "I'll make it happen, soon."
Caine, rooted in his place, could only stare. There were mixed emotions going at once: hate for Penny, he had never liked her nor felt anything for her, but now all he could feel was hatred and disgust; relief because Diana was safe and fear.
Fear because he had just given Penny the power it took to really destroy him.
Penny stood up, walked to the entrance door and glanced in his direction before opening the door, "Your 'Master' said hello," she paused and added, "have fun at your meeting, Your Highness."
And that was the last time anyone saw her in Perdido Beach before the days and nights of horror began in the FAYZ.
A/N(3): Somehow, Penny had contact with the Gaiaphage and that is the only reason why she could "create" a tangible version of Diana. :)