Wind Runner (Vanderbrook Champions Book 1)

by Edmund Hughes

  “The explosions!” laughed Danny. “I knew you’d get it eventually! It was such a big thing for me, I knew it was for you, too. I don’t remember everything, but I remember that.”

  “You mean…” Malcolm steadied himself. “The explosion that killed mom?”

  Danny looked confused. He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, making a noise as though he was trying to remember.

  If he’s anything like Rose, he might not be able to.

  “Malcolm,” said Danny. “You’re my fucking brother, and I fucking love you. I’d almost forgotten… But then I saw you, on the TV. Wind Runner, hah! Shit’s hilarious!”

  “Danny…” said Malcolm, shaking his head. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t… just stand here and let you do this?”

  “You banged that chick on Instagram, the hot one, right?” said Danny, oblivious to Malcolm’s conflict. “That’s fucking awesome! You got the Caldwell gift with girls, that’s for sure.”

  Something moved off to their left. Danny spun and launched a fireball at a man trying to push his way out of a destroyed car. Malcolm shouted and tried to do push it away with a gust of wind, but it was already too late.

  The fireball hit, and the man was instantly incinerated down to the bone, with only a charred skeleton remaining. A cold chill ran down Malcolm’s neck. He tried to say something to his brother, the monster standing next to him. He couldn’t find the words.

  “Reunited and it feeeels so good!” Danny slapped Malcolm on the back, grinning at him. “We’re going to have so much fun. The Caldwell brothers, all grown up and ready to cause mayhem.”

  The heat of the fires surrounding was enough to make Malcolm sweat, but his face felt cold. A sickening sense of dread stirred within him. He took a step back, putting space between himself and his brother.

  “You killed her,” said Malcolm. “Danny… It was you. Mom died because of you and your powers.”

  He’s the one I’ve dreamed of taking revenge on, all this time…

  Danny was frowning, as though he was trying to think of a word on the tip of his tongue. He shook his head after a couple of seconds and then shrugged.

  “I don’t fucking know,” he said. “Hey, let’s go get some drinks after this? Drink some beer, get wasted… We can do whatever we want! The champions can’t stop me, and soon enough, they won’t be able to stop you either.”

  He grinned at Malcolm and held out his hand. There was so much there, in that gesture. Malcolm stared at his brother, completely overwhelmed. People screamed nearby and ambulance sirens echoed in the distance.

  “Malcolm!” shouted Tapestry. “Get down!”

  Malcolm reacted without thinking, ducking out of the way. Tapestry leapt out from behind a burning car and opened fire with her pistol. The bullets melted before getting within a couple of inches of Danny, and he immediately turned in Tapestry’s direction.

  “Stupid bitch,” he muttered.

  Danny casually waved a hand at her, launching a soccer sized fireball at high speed. It struck Tapestry in the chest with a small explosion, knocking her back. She screamed, hitting the ground hard and immediately rolling to pat out the flames.

  “Danny!” Malcolm gritted his teeth. He launched himself at his brother, pulling back his fist and throwing a fast, wind assisted punch.

  His attack landed, hitting Danny square in the jaw. Malcolm watched his brother recoil while also feeling his knuckles burn from the heat at the point of contact.

  “Hey!” shouted Danny. “Chill the fuck out, Malcolm!”

  “You don’t get to kill her,” he said. “You don’t get to kill anyone else! I won’t let you!”

  Danny stood up, glaring at him. One of the intersections was still visible down the street from them, and Danny lazily launched a fireball the size of a car toward it. Malcolm watched in horror as it hit one of the firetrucks set up on the perimeter of the destruction, exploding with enough force to take out the building behind it in a deafening eruption.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” said Danny. “Fuck, Malcolm. Look at me! I don’t have to play around like a little bitch anymore. Nobody can stop me, not even you, bro.”

  Malcolm gritted his teeth. He launched himself at Danny again, this time twisting into a drop kick with all the wind pushing him forward that he could summon. His feet came within a foot of striking Danny’s chest before Danny countered. Fire exploded against Malcolm’s feet and legs, not enough to burn him severely, but enough to knock him back.

  He hit the concrete hard, his head making painful contact as he rolled. Malcolm groaned, slowly pulling himself up and feeling the familiar daze of a minor concussion. Danny was standing over Tapestry, holding one hand out and blasting out fire flamethrower style over her body.

  “She’s a fucking regenerator!” laughed Danny. “Oh man, these ones are the best. They hang on for so long… It’s like cooking a pig on a spit.”

  “You bastard!” shouted Malcolm. “I’m not going to let you do this!”

  He tried a different tactic. Instead of trying to attack Danny head on, Malcolm jumped into the air, using his wind manipulation at full strength to lift himself mostly into flight. He rose ten or so feet above Danny before letting himself drop, falling on top of his brother.

  Danny was ready for him, but Malcolm was expecting the counter. As Danny tossed a fireball in his direction, Malcolm used the wind to roll himself to the side. He landed on his feet, his knees groaning from the impact.

  Immediately, he swept a kick at Danny’s feet, sweeping his legs out from under him. Malcolm leapt on top of his brother, trying to wrestle him into submission. He realized his mistake instantly. It was like trying to wrestle a hot stove.

  “Do you feel that, Malcolm?” shouted Danny. “Do you fucking feel that? I don’t even have to fucking try against you!”

  A tingle ran through Malcolm, separate from the heat and pain of Danny’s aura. He could feel his mimicry stealing Danny’s power, adding a new, intangible tool to his arsenal. He pushed off his brother and rolled to dodge the fireball Danny threw as a follow up.

  “Don’t do this, Danny!” yelled Malcolm. “You… you weren’t always like this!”

  Danny laughed.

  “They call me Hothead now,” he said. “It’s a nice nickname, don’t you think?”

  Malcolm thought back to the brother that he remembered from his childhood. Danny had been in the eyes of many people, an asshole. He’d been an alcoholic and a womanizer. He’d barely been able to hold down a job most of the time, and still lived at home in his 20s. But he’d been Malcolm’s brother, and Malcolm had never doubted in his goodness.

  Should I have? Is just what Danny would have done with superpowers? Maybe he was always like this…

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” said Danny. “Fuck you Malcolm. Quit being so high and mighty.”

  He threw another fireball, not at Malcolm, but at Tapestry.

  “She’s a girlfriend of yours, isn’t she?” asked Danny. “Come on, you gonna pick her over me? Grow the fuck up, Malcolm. We’re family.”

  Malcolm blinked, unable to believe Danny’s self-centered point of view. The chaos around them was still unfolding.

  Brave EMTs were sneaking around behind burning and destroyed cars, pulling people to safety. Firefighters were working to put out the flames on the edge of the destruction. Police officers were waiting, ready to intervene even though it was impossible for them to make any kind of contribution to the battle.

  “Danny!” shouted Malcolm. “I won’t let you do this!”

  He reached out, feeling the heat of the fires around him. Danny was walking back over to Tapestry, smiling as he prepared to continue torturing her. Malcolm moved in closer to one of the car fires, using Danny’s heat absorption power to suck up the flames.

  I have to kill him. Otherwise, it’s on me if he kills anyone else.

  Danny wasn’t paying attention to him, and it gave Malcolm the time he needed to
focus the heat energy into a usable form. His brother had made it look effortless, and Malcolm bit his lip in frustration as a fireball formed in his hand with agonizing slowness.

  “She just keeps healing!” shouted Danny, all of his focus on Tapestry. “Oh fuck, this is too funny. Does that hurt? Am I… hurting you right now?”

  Tapestry’s screams were the only response she could give. Malcolm felt a cold, calculated rage take hold of him. He pushed more heat into the fireball, building it into something the size a large beach ball, and then hurled it at Danny. He gave it a push with the wind, the extra burst of oxygen boosting its size even further.

  It hit Danny hard, knocking him far enough away from Tapestry to put an end to his sadistic torture. He landed at a weird angle, his body crumpling down on his head and neck. He didn’t move once he was down.

  The hand Malcolm had thrown the fireball with was shaking. He swallowed, and then hurried over to his fellow champion.

  CHAPTER 38

  “Tapestry!” said Malcolm. “Hey, hey… stay with me.”

  Her chest was charred, and only small scraps of cloth remained of her shirt. Malcolm cradled her, lifting her upright. Her face was a mask of pain and fear. Malcolm slicked back her blonde hair, which had come loose from its pony tail at some point.

  “I can’t take… anymore,” she whispered. “I can barely regenerate. This isn’t like the fire at the apartment complex. Malcolm, I can’t keep using my powers…”

  “It’s okay,” said Malcolm. “It’s over. He’s…”

  Danny moved. Malcolm watched as his brother slowly pulled himself to his feet, staggering slightly, but not injured enough to be out of commission. He slowly turned around, and met Malcolm’s gaze. His eyes were glowing red, like rubies set into a statue.

  “You…” said Danny, his voice deep, menacing, and alien.

  Malcolm pushed Tapestry behind the nearby wreck of a car and stood to face his brother. He had no idea what else he could do. Fear took hold as Danny lifted his hands, preparing to unleash another fire blast.

  “This isn’t you, Danny,” said Malcolm. “Please…just stop. You can still stop this, you don’t have to…”

  Danny’s eyes flared red. Fire coalesced in his hands. Malcolm tried to pull in as much heat as he could to throw a fireball of his own, but he wasn’t as used to manipulating the energy as Danny was.

  “You aren’t a monster, Danny,” he said. “You’re my brother!”

  The face of the demon staring back at him seemed to rail against Malcolm’s hope. He could still see Danny there. It wasn’t as though he was gone, but the hate, the lust, the addiction to power had Danny in its grasp.

  He might not be a monster, but it doesn’t change what I have to do.

  The moon was out overhead, full and intense. The screaming had died down, though the crackle of burning buildings and cars still gave off an evil, ambient hum. Malcolm stared at the heat demon, at his brother, and waited for him to make his move.

  Danny let out an inhuman roar and pulled his arms back, preparing to throw his accumulated heat forward to end Malcolm’s life. He made it halfway into the movement and then froze, his movement arrested. Tendrils of shadow held him in place, wrapped around him like long, dark pythons.

  Rose appeared from behind a burning bus, only stepping out far enough in the open to see Malcolm, and for him to see her. She met his gaze and gave a slow nod.

  Danny roared and struggled against the shadow bonds, his eyes glowing even deeper red. He was falling further into the trap of his powers, becoming a true demon and losing the last of his humanity. Malcolm couldn’t watch it, and knew that he had to be the one to bring it to an end.

  “Danny!” he shouted. “This ends here!”

  Malcolm stuck his hand into a nearby car fire, sucking up heat as fast as he could. He redirected it, focusing it outward, making the fireball faster than he had before. This time, it was at least as wide across as he was. Malcolm held it over his head as it formed, sweating with concentration.

  “Fuck you!” screamed Danny. He was struggling against Rose’s shadows, and already had one arm loose. He threw a blast of flame in her direction, and Rose let out a cry as it scorched the side of her leg.

  Malcolm’s fireball wasn’t ready yet, and Danny was almost completely free from the tendrils. He cursed as his brother turned his gaze onto him, preparing to attack and take advantage of Malcolm’s dropped guard.

  Gunshots rang out, one of them making it through Danny’s defensive fire shield and punching into his shoulder. Tapestry had dragged herself back into the street and up onto one knee. Her pistol was still sighted on Danny, and she fired another round for good measure, which didn’t land.

  “It’s over!” shouted Malcolm. “I’m sorry!”

  Malcolm launched his fireball. Danny was still looking toward Rose, and only glanced back in time to see the blast heading his way. It struck him full in the face and chest.

  Malcolm wasn’t sure whether the fire would damage him, given the nature of his abilities, but it seemed to. The blast was bright white and painful to look at. All he could hear was Danny’s high pitched, wordless scream.

  When Malcolm finally looked back, only a charred crater remained in the spot where his brother had been. He collapsed down onto his knees and exhaled, his hands still shaking from the gravity of what he’d just done.

  One of Rose’s legs was visible from where she was hiding behind the burned-out bus. Malcolm hurried over to her, his concern outweighing the risk of Tapestry discovering them.

  She was leaning against the bus, holding her leg where the fireball had struck her before. Malcolm crouched down next to her and put his hand on her cheek.

  “That was stupid,” he said.

  “Right back at you.” Rose flashed a wicked smile. “Are you okay?”

  It was a question that Malcolm didn’t really want to think about. He shrugged instead of considering it seriously and focused his attention back on her.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “What about you? There are other champions on the way. You can’t be here when they show up.”

  “It’s night time,” said Rose. “I’ll manage just fine. Listen… about what I said before.”

  Malcolm shook his head. He was surprised by how glad he was to see her, and how worried he’d been for her during the fight.

  “No, seriously,” continued Rose. “What I said came out wrong. I was just… trying to push you away, I guess. I’m not good as these types of things.”

  Malcolm smiled at her.

  “So…” he said. “The hot sex was why you stuck around.”

  Rose rolled her eyes at him.

  “Maybe I did mean some of it,” she said. “Loser.”

  “You missed me and you know it,” said Malcolm. “Showing up right when I need you. It’s both romantic and a little stalkerish.”

  “Malcolm?” Tapestry called from back in the street, and he jumped at the sound of your voice. When he looked back, Rose was already gone, vanished into the shadows.

  “See you around,” came a whisper. “Wind Runner.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Tapestry was on her feet, one hand clutching at her chest. It made her look as though she was holding onto her heart after a massive scare, which Malcolm decided wasn’t too far from the truth.

  “Malcolm,” said Tapestry.

  “Tapestry.”

  She just looked at him, and the weight of her gaze reminded Malcom of getting in trouble in school. He fidgeted, scratching the back of his head.

  “Honestly, I didn’t know,” he said. “Yes, that was my brother. I thought he died in the explosion that killed my mom. I was wrong.”

  Tapestry nodded slowly. Her expression softened visibly, and she walked over to him.

  “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

  Malcolm chewed his lip. He put an arm under Tapestry’s shoulder, taking some of her weight and helpin
g her walk.

  “It had to be done,” said Malcolm. “He wasn’t the brother I knew. There are monsters in the world, Tapestry. And we have a responsibility to keep them from hurting people.

  He left off the second part of his conclusion, which was that Danny being a monster had more to do with his personality than it did his powers. Danny had been impulsive, prone to addiction and carelessness.

  He’d also been my brother. This isn’t something I’ll ever forget.

  “Are you okay?” asked Tapestry.

  “Fine,” said Malcolm. “I’m… fine. Here, we should get you to a doctor.”

  “I can regenerate,” said Tapestry. “Get me to an oven and I’ll be fine in the time it takes to make a batch of sugar cookies.”

  Malcolm chuckled and gave her a gentle squeeze. The emergency personnel had been waiting for the end of the battle, and now EMTs and firefighters were hurrying through the mess of mangled metal and smoldering buildings. One of the EMTs approached Malcolm and Tapestry, but Malcolm waved him off.

  “Can you keep this between me and you?” Malcolm asked her, leaning in close to ask the question quietly.

  “The heat demon being your brother?” asked Tapestry.

  Malcolm nodded.

  “I don’t necessarily see it as something relevant, now that it’s all said and done,” said Tapestry. “We made it through the battle alive. That’s all I care about. I’ll keep your secrets, Malcolm. For now.”

  My secrets? As in, plural?

  Tapestry smiled knowingly at Malcolm, as though in answer. He sighed, feeling a great sense of relief that the two of them were still alive and in one piece.

  The Multis arrived shortly after. One of them immediately began speaking to the leaders of the police and emergency crews. The other two came over to Malcolm and Tapestry, pulling each of them aside to debrief them separately.

  “Can you explain to me again, how you defeated the heat demon?” Multi asked Malcolm. “Because I don’t really understand the version of events you’re giving me…”

  “It’s like I said, we just lucked out.” Malcolm shrugged. “One of Tapestry’s bullets managed to get through, and when it hit him it was like all of his heat exploded from the inside out.”