ASBO-Boy - The Elementals: Part 1

Swelter stood in the corner of the apartment, behind the glass wall; he was watching the girl the Secretary called Siren as she was shown around the apartment. Her eyes darted over the artwork and designer furniture, the HD Wall and the view that peaked over Swansea Bay.

“This is the living space,” The Secretary began, leading Siren from the elevator door and into the body of the pent-house suite. “You all share this area. It gets cleaned once a week, but we expect you to keep on top of your own mess. ‘Living Responsibly’ – that’s what we promote here.”

Swelter followed them from afar, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Behind him he felt his sister appear before she ran her hands over his shoulders.

“Ouch – you’re boiling.” She muttered, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He replied, shaking her off; he knew that wouldn’t wash with her, but he hoped his tone told her to drop it. He was lucky, she just arched her eyebrows with what he could only assume was disbelief. With great effort he cooled down and loosened his arms.

“Well, if you’re going to be like that Kyle…” She muttered coyly.

“Don’t go. I was just, somewhere else. That’s all.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Good.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed. Steam rose from their embrace in a cloud.

“I know you were watching the new girl.” She whispered naughtily in his ear. Momentarily he lost control of himself and he glowed with heat. She laughed as the cloud burst into hissing steam.

“She’s quite pretty. If in a mousy way.”

“Liza.” He hated being teased and she was the only one he’d let get away with it, but even then he hated having his feelings read like a book.

She kissed him coyly on the cheek and walked off, humming to herself. He watched her go. Her skin suit costume hugged her girlish figure. It had been made to match his own. The Elemental’s financiers had a keen sense of style. They loved the idea of twins in matching uniforms, particularly as he controlled temperature and she controlled water; it meant that they could highlight the uniforms in red and blue trim.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten. He might have to go back in the Silence Room for an hour to cool off. It was the only thing that seemed to work.

“If there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to ring down.” The Secretary said as she led Siren back into the room. He heard the elevator ring and close as he ducked into a nearby corridor. He heard Beacon’s soft voice introducing himself.

“Howdoyoudo?”

Beacon was ingratiatingly perfect. Blond, blue-eyed and about six foot square. He was the council’s rosy-cheeked Adonis, the one who looked the best on the posters that were dotted around town. After the Helix incident they’d obviously wanted someone a bit more malleable.

Swelter closed the patio door behind him and walked over to the Japanese water feature that everyone told him was so “soothing”. He didn’t see it himself, he just saw water that would probably look nicer turned into steam or frozen, if he was feeling up to it. Boiling things never seemed to be his problem, but cooling things down took real effort. The only time he’d been able to manage it was when apprehending a suspect in Singleton Park. That had been six months ago. Since then, things had got worse, half the team had left and now they were down to three – well, four if you counted Siren.

He sat down on the bench and looked out over the bay. The autumn was shrinking the evenings fast and a chill wind was dusting leaves and late summer pollen across the decking. Below him, the towers of SA1 rose up into the sky. The Elemental building was the highest in the city and the responsibility the Council seemed to be heaping on them reflected that. These days it seemed like it took only one good deed for people to be willing to sponsor you, elevate you on a pedestal and tell the world what a good boy you are.

One good deed. Swelter laughed. He couldn’t remember having done one in his entire life.

“Out here is the view,” Beacon was giving her the tour now, Swelter thought, he felt his temperature rising again.

“It’s beautiful.” She replied.

“Yeah, it’s pretty sweet. They treat us like gold and we keep the streets clean.” Beacon nodded smugly - the prancing tosser.

“This is Swelter by the way.” Beacon finally had the grace to introduce him. Swelter turned around and smiled as genuinely as he could. “He likes to play the grump – but he’s a softy really.”

Swelter probably would have exploded into a rage had he not been shaking Siren’s hand. His heart was skipping into overdrive. They both looked down quizzically at the mist rising from their hands.

A thin film of ice was spreading over their fingers.