Sorry to keep everyone waiting, but here's Chapter Two.
The game between Hunter and Colleen took place at a tennis club in a quiet town at the end of tourist season, which suited Hunter just fine. He liked being a superhero, and the attention that came with it was nice, but having started his life on a farm, he enjoyed a break now and then. Colleen, too, enjoyed a little time to spend away from crowds and noisy fights. But while both dogs had mellow tastes, their gameplay was anything but. With his super-speed, Hunter could intercept almost any shot. But Colleen's agility enabled her to maneuver almost as quickly around the court, and she could send the ball into directions Hunter wouldn't expect.
Blitz watched enviously from a bush on Hunter's side of the court, waiting. All he needed was for that ball to come his way, and... he smiled as he pulled a bomb out of his pocket. A bomb which, naturally, looked just like a tennis ball.
He didn't have to wait long. A hard swipe from Colleen sent the ball almost straight into his mouth.
"I got it," said Hunter even though no one else was playing. He approached the bush and reached under, retrieving a ball. Blitz, meanwhile, had snuck backwards behind the shrub to stay out of sight. He crouched on the ground, fingers in his ears and eyes on the match through a tiny gap in the hedge. He could scarcely contain himself as he watched Hunter toss the ball up in the air, swing the racket, and...
… serve the ball to Colleen? Where was the boom? It should have sent him clear to Milwaukee! But the ball didn't explode, it just flew across the court.
Blitz stared in confusion at the ball in his hand. Had he left the real ball for Hunter to pick up by mistake?
The other ball flew over the hedge, landing at Blitz's feet. Perfect, he thought. I'll just switch dem now, and...
BOOM!
Hunter and Colleen stared as a cloud of fire erupted on the far side of the bushes. "Blimey!" exclaimed Colleen.
"Huh," said Hunter, scratching his head. "I was sure we were using a real tennis ball."
He looked back at Colleen, and the two of them stared at each other for a moment. With a shrug, Colleen walked over to the hopper (basket of tennis balls, to you laymen), plucked out a normal one, and tossed it to Hunter. "Still your serve, luv," she called.
"I don't have love, I have thirty," he protested.
Blitz watched the exchange from a nearby tree where the blast had thrown him. He was not amused. Or comfortable, for that matter. The fact that his waistband was snagged on the stump of a broken-off branch probably had some part in that.
More to follow. As always, please review. And thanks for reading and for the feedback thus far.
