Sergio

'Just to remind you all, you don't have to be here', I had to explain to everyone, 'this is completely voluntary'.

In the style of our office interior, I set up a temporary home-office that could accommodate as much as twenty detectives in my home. It was unconventional, but necessary. While the police department was under attack, we needed a way to meet hidden besides the compromised office.

In a studio flat space with two bathrooms, a kitchen and my bedroom, the only challenge was keeping a house of 20 detectives cool in 104° Fahrenheit, with my broken AC. As summer climaxed to its latter months, the days became hotter and hotter.

In terms of diverting attention, our new angle was to pursue the Vixen, making her our new scapegoat, but our focal point was still retrieving the jewel 'Amelia'.

On some occasions, I forgot I was the one in charge. Before being chief, I preferred leading smaller groups or riding solo. I forgot I had to actually manage all these people.

'Morello, you're in charge of interrogating ex-vixen members, their families, friends; the more background information, the better. Kai, I need your team to review our existing evidence from Acosta's mansion: footage, domestic items, calls, transactions records – anything that can lead us to the Vixen'.

'Sergio, man, you gotta do a bit better', Morello murmured, 'these cheap fans ain't cuttin' it'. At this point, I agreed to let most of the men work shirtless, because it was too hot.

'I told you. This is voluntary', I reiterated, 'I won't hold any of you hostage'. At that, he flipped off his shirt and patted me on the shoulder.

'It's cool, man. We're here because we want to be. Besides, after that shitstorm you could really do with all of our heads'. I was shocked at my whole teams resilience, that even in the face of threats, bad publicity, and ongoing riots, they would endure working in these conditions'.

'Selena, I need you to keep an eye on Amy. Check the surveillance on a regular basis, and if she calls, answer. If there's issues, let me know. Also, try and find good maintenance to fix my AC'.

'Sure'. She wore a shirt cropped just over her navel, buttons opened, and shorts.

'And is there anything I can do, chief?' in his youthful eagerness, Julian popped up from nowhere ready to undergo any task I set him, shirtless just to show off his body build.

'Yeah', I handed him thirty bucks, 'I need you to go to the store and buy loads of iced drinks'. His smile slowly turned into a frown, as if I had insulted him or something.

'You got it'.

In the meantime, we had minimised our movement to avoid sweating. Soon, only a handful of men still had their shirts on, including me.

'I've come to save the day!' Julian bursts in, with two iceboxes filled with canned beers. Like magnets, everyone drew towards him for a drink. 'Hey, you said get loads', he said, while handing me a drink, 'I've got two more stashes in the trunk'.

'Nice', Morello scoffed. It didn't take long for me to realise Morello, Kai, and Julian were all gazing in the same direction.

'Hey, guys', I snapped, 'come on, seriously?' their eyes were glued to Selena drinking her beer, as if she were a slow-mo montage from the beer commercial. But with them, I was stuck fantasizing her accident, the fizz dripping down her neck, onto her chest, on her phone which dropped to the ground, a sweet bubbling lava.

'Damn drink', she mumbled quietly, trying to dry all the spills. She stooped over to reach her phone under the coffee table.

'Juicy', Kai crooned, 'sheer perfection'.

'You think that kind of ass takes maintenance?' Morello sneered, nudging me, 'or is it natural?'

'Of course, it's natural', Julian butted in, 'but one must always do his investigation'. Julian made the guys laugh. 'Hey, you think I stand a chance asking her out?'

'Oh-hooo', Morello snickered, 'I bet you fifty bucks she'll say no'.

'Okay', Julian was confident, 'but if she's says yes, you owe me a hundred –'

'Don't –' I snapped, then flipped my can, and sipped. 'They didn't tell you, Julian. She's engaged'. Unprepared for the facts, I watched Julian's hope drown in his eyes.

'Way to be a killjoy, Sergio', Morello scoffed, 'you know, it would've been more fun to watch him fail. And I would be fifty bucks richer'.

In a house stuffed of men, ensuring an ideal environment for the only woman was difficult enough in the heat; how could I stop the inevitable?

'Okay. Guys, go down and help Julian bring up the rest of the drinks, please?' to divert their undivided attention, I pushed Kai and Morello towards the door. Then Selena tapped my shoulder.

'It's for you', she handed me the work phone.

'Amy, how are you holding up? Haven't attracted any mayhem yet, have you?'

'What makes you think I'm safe in a home for mental people?' she retorted, with her dark airy voice.

'Come on, stay calm', I instructed her. Theresa's Home for Special Juveniles was a rich and well-resourced private centre for young offenders with disorders. 'You know why I'm keeping you there, Amy'.

'I'm sorry man. I don't think this is working out'.

'Amy, don't attract any unwanted attention. No powers. Act normal'.

'You mean, be a psycho and blend in', she mocked, mimicking my tone of voice.

'I did not say that', I corrected, 'look, I'm not saying be a psycho. Just – don't do anything stupid or attract attention. It's unlikely anyone will find you in a psychiatric detention center. I'm protecting you from a lot worser places right now'.

'I told you, I can protect myself. I don't need your protection'.

'No, you can't protect yourself, not from the Vixen, Royal Intelligence, Acosta, you don't have a family looking for you – hello? Amy?'

'Is everything okay?' Selena asked, after Amy hung up.

'Yeah', I replied. Selena laughed, 'what's funny?'

'Ehem – nothing', she pretended to clear her throat, 'it's just, you two have a great relationship'.

'Ah', I saw right through her sarcasm.

'Like father and daughter, you know', Selena elaborated the joke, 'you should adopt her'.

Before finding out she had powers, and before Cleo, I wanted to throw and lock Amy in a pit. Ruining all my plans. For months, my mornings would begin with me conspiring a new trap for her to run into, because escaping was her talent. And that was one thing I feared she would do next...

Escape.

'Selena?'

'Yes?' Like little girl, her torso was slouched over the coffee table, fingers clicking away on her laptop. Kai, Morello and Julian stared incessantly in our direction, as if I had begun to address their secret conversation.

'Erm, can I – speak with you in the bedroom, for a sec?' I requested. Filled with anxiety, her posture grew uneasy. 'Come on'. To make sure we went unnoticed, I closely observed the dispersed crowd of detectives. Then, I shut the door and bolted the lock. 'Erm, your sister...' I began.

'I know', she uttered, 'you think she knows where the Vixen is'.

'I don't want to have to interrogate her...'

'She doesn't keep up to date with the Vixen anymore. I told you this!' she grunted. Briefly, our eyes met, with our unspoken intentions louder than usual, 'but if you want me to ask her questions, I will'.

'Thank you'. She nodded, flashed a false grin, then reached for the door, but I stopped her. While I held the door shut, her wide bug eyes darted to mine, 'Sergio...?'

'Another thing...' I was reluctant to bring it up, 'this may sound erm – non-remedial, but I... I'm gonna need you to wear a bit more – clothes', I exhaled. Like a stiff Serbian tiger eyeing prey, her expression grew cold quickly.

'You tell your men they can take their shirts off... but you tell me to wear more clothes?!' she hissed, 'what? Women don't get hot? It's a hundred-and-four degrees!'

'I'm not saying that'.

'Then what are you saying?'

'Look. Just do it. If you can't, it's best if you go home'.

'You can't send me out', she retaliated, folding her arms, one eyebrow raised, 'just because your guys can't control their – urges'.

'Yes, I can', I leant over her face, 'my house, my rules'. I unbolted the lock, but she was unmoved. 'I'm sorry. I'm doing this for your good'.

'No, you're not...' she stepped up to my face, 'this isn't about your guys talking about me, is it?' then pressed her finger hardly into my chest, 'cause if it is, you're doing this for your good'.

'You lost me', I pushed her finger away.

'Right there! Your face is going red...'

'Because it's hot in here –'

'Feel', abruptly she snatched my hand, 'my skin...' she placed it on the side of her stomach, below her rib area. It was really warm, soft and sweaty. I gulped, 'just because my skin is a little darker... and you can't see me blush... doesn't mean I'm immune to heat'.

'Erm... no – yeah...' I stammered, 'but... still...'

'You're jealous, Sergio...' she whispered, harshly, 'that's it, isn't it?' I wanted to say no, deny all her points, but she had a certain sway over me mentally, emotionally, that I couldn't hide.

'How do you expect me to react, Selena? Pretend I don't notice other men loosing focus, staring at you, while I stand around doing nothing?'

'Then do something... chief', she uttered, eyebrow raised.

I pushed her back against my wall. Except the pockets of sunlight slicing through my blinds, the room was dark. In the lines of the sun, her skin shimmered gold.

I kissed her neck. While she panted, trying to articulate a sentence, my palms journeyed onto her waist, her hot skin. Mutual radiation, sweat, then vibrations...

'Sergio...' she groaned, reaching for her ringing phone in her back pocket. 'Michael, hi'. I sighed. 'I'm at work. Yeah, I'm safe. Yeah, we've moved because of the protests. Only for a week. Erm... we're based at –'

'Sshh!' I hushed her, my finger on her lip, then shook my head. Out of all people, Michael was the last person I wanted knowing about my home office.

'Where?' I heard Michael's voice through the receiver.

'Err...' Selena was tense, 'somewhere else...' Calm and steadily, I moved the phone away from her ear, and hung it up.