Chapter 2

“Now listen up,” Jolt instructed Fever as they turned the corner to face the havoc in the playground.  Car sirens wailed, crowds huddled and broken glass lined the road where a few vehicles had collided.

“Bounce is a prankster. He’s a kid that just likes to have fun.  He can be hard to catch, but if you do, turn on the heat.  If he’s in his rubber state, he’ll start melting, so while you’ve got hold of him, a little warmth will be all you need to keep him under control.”

“Got it,” Fever grinned, and looked down at his palms as they began to glow red. Even at low heat, he could feel the warmth reaching his face.

“Not too hot!” Jolt warned. “You don’t want to hurt him; just subdue him.”

Fever nodded and switched off his internal thermometer. 

“I’ll slip in from behind, if you distract him from the front,” Fever said. He liked being given the reigns.  Jolt nodded and ran forward, leaving Fever to slip behind the crowd to come up from the rear. 

A shadow passed by overhead and Fever looked up in time to see Bounce summersault high in the air, laughing gleefully.  In the distance, he heard Jolt’s voice booming out an order for Bounce to cease and desist.  The response was more laughter and the honk of another car alarm being set off.

Fever reached the far side of the crowd and slipped into the open in time to see Jolt lunge at their quarry. 

“Missed me!” Bounce laughed and sprung into the air, twisting around to land just a few feet in front of Fever. “And as if I didn’t see you sneaking around the back,” he admonished jokingly with a wag of his finger.

The youthfulness of Bounce took Fever by surprised. He barely looked out of his teens, with beautiful locks of blond hair riding on a body of silky smooth skin.  His model looks took Fever’s breath away but that moment’s hesitation was all Bounce needed.

“Ta ta!” Bounce waved and shot high over Fever, hitting the ground at a run. 

Fever took chase, losing ground against the agility of Bounce has he sprung over the high fence separating the playground from the empty school yard.  By the time Fever had climbed over it the hard way, Bounce was already disappearing around the nearest building.  Behind him, Jolt was also running, but too far back to matter.

Fever practically skidded around the corner of the school block, just in time to see a distant door close.  Great! he thought, he’s gone inside. Too many places to hide!

He charged across the courtyard and into the building, we’re he glimpsed Bounce vanishing around the corner at the far end of the corridor.  He followed through the maze, each time just glimpsing the vanishing youth before he disappeared from sight. Up stairs, down stairs, around another bend… the chase continued, until the final corner sealed the result.

Fever braced his hand against the wall for balance as he took the corner but as he came around, the dark figure of a man caught his other wrist, using Fever’s momentum to spin him 360 and slam him back into the wall.

Fever grunted, the wind knocked from him as the man pinned his hands against the wall by his ears and pressed his dark, muscular torso against Fever’s to sandwich him against the wall.  Fever’s chest heaved for breath and over the stranger’s shoulder, he saw Bounce crouched low, panting hard, but grinning at Fever’s predicament.

The stranger’s eyes seemed to twirl like a vortex as he whispered “Look into my eyes” in a smooth, deep voice. Fever couldn't help but stare into them and found himself unable to look away. His mind clouded over and his body locked up.  He couldn't move!

The man smiled and slowly pulled back. For amusement, he bent forward and licked Fever's exposed torso, from stomach to neck.  He chuckled and stepped back beside Bounce, leaving Fever frozen in position against the wall.