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“I need you, Jack”

“You? You need me?”

She tilted her head to the side and sized hiht I was the girl of your dreams”

Flesh tones were all blue in the harsh streetlight, but Diana was sure he was blushing

“Come on,” she said “Let’s walk on the beach We’ll have some privacy there”

He followed her obediently, as she kneould He ht have a crush on cute little Brianna, but Diana had missed none of the covert looks Jack had sent her way over the months she’d known him She still had some power over him They climbed the low sea wall and labored across the sand under the night sky Diana wished she could live down here, close to the beach As shabby and daed as P

erdido Beach was, it was still so much more alive than the Fear Factory, as some kids called Coates Academy

“What is it you want?” Jack asked His voice sounded desperate

“So You got the cell phones working I ondering as taking you so long,” Diana said “You always used to tell me it would be fairly easy”

“I can’t talk about it,” he said miserably

“Sam won’t let you do it, will he? Why?” When he didn’t answer, she provided her own explanation “Because we’d be able to use it, too Interesting Poor Caine: always underesti his brother”

Jack plodded along beside her The strength in his limbs drove his feet too deep into the sand

“Caine knows about you now, of course, about you being a mutant With a serious power, no less”

“He knows?” Jack’s voice rose an octave

Diana smiled to herself Still scared Good “Yep He knows everything He knows it’s not your fault you ended up over here He knows that was me”