“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 helping 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.”
Multi’s face was neutral and emotionless. Malcolm doubted that he believed him. The story he and Tapestry had agreed on was simple and hopefully impossible to poke holes in. Thankfully, none of the security cameras on the block were in working condition, anymore.
Tapestry came back over, and one of the Multis addressed both of them together.
“I’m giving the two of you the next few days off,” said Multi. “Rest up. Tapestry, he’s still an apprentice champion, so see if you can give him a good workout once you’re healed up.”
Tapestry blushed a little at the phrasing, but Multi didn’t seem to notice. He nodded to the two of them and then headed to join the police and firefighters with the cleanup.
“I should probably walk you home,” said Malcolm. “Melanie is going to flip when she sees that you’ve been risking your life again.”
Tapestry smiled.
“She has a good heart,” said Tapestry. “And so do you. Thank you, Malcolm.”
“For what?”
She looked at him closely. It felt as though she was seeing something that Malcolm wasn’t aware of.
“Your brother asked you to join up with him,” she said. “A lot of people in that situation would have done it, even if it was the wrong choice to make. Family… is a strong motivator, like that.”
Malcolm considered for a moment.
“It’s like you said. It would have been the wrong choice for me to make.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand.
“I wasn’t making a choice as Malcolm,” he said. “I was making it… as the Wind Runner.”
CHAPTER 40
Multi sat in the center of the Vanderbrook Champion Authority’s command center. The lights were dim, and he had his fingers steepled, watching the metal
balls in the Newton’s Cradle on his desk slowly clacking back and forth.
Unbeknownst to his fellow champions, to anyone other than the other Multis who he’d created over the years using his body duplication power, he was the original, and the only Multi with the power to duplicate.
Each of the Multis had a nickname, kept secret from the rest of the world to preserve the mystery of their power. The original Multi’s nickname was Alpha, and as such, he was the one giving the orders.
Footsteps sounded from the upper level, slowly coming down the stairs. All the other Multis in Vanderbrook were still working to clean up the heat demon’s destruction. All of them except for Wax, who’d arrived earlier that morning.
Wax was the first copy Multi had ever created, and to this day, the only one that had ever challenged his authority in any meaningful sense. Alpha kept Wax around as a reminder to himself that each and every one of his copies was, in actuality, an individual, separate person.
It was easy for Alpha to justify sending his copies off on suicide missions. They were parts of a greater whole, and only by treating them as dispensable could he reach the full potential of his powers.
In all the time since gaining his gift, not a single copy had ever refused their duty. Each one was created to serve a purpose, and each of them was as practical as he was. Alpha never needed to explain why their deaths might be necessary. They already knew, and had seen the hundreds who had come before them. It made death into something routine and mundane, an abstract distinction.
Wax smiled as he approached his fellow Multi. Wax was bald, the only Multi that Alpha knew of who’d shaved the sparse tufts of hair from his head. He usually dressed more casually than the other Multis too, preferring jeans and a t-shirt to a suit and tie.
“You’ve made a mess of things here, Alpha,” said Wax. “Savior is less than thrilled with the optics of this mess.”
Being the first duplicate had left Wax with the duty of being Alpha’s emissary to Savior, the head of the Champion Authority. Alpha sometimes wondered if that was what had caused Wax to differentiate so much from the other Multis. His personality mirrored Savior’s a bit, the same faux casual, good natured veneer over the instincts of a sociopath.
“The situation has been handled,” said Alpha. “The heat demon was defeated.”
“That wasn’t just a heat demon,” said Wax. “That was Hothead. One of the Champion Authority’s very first recruits. We brought him in on the verge of turning into a demon, after he’d blown up his family’s home with his mother inside.”
Alpha exhaled through his nose.
“You know something I don’t,” he said. “Why don’t you just come out and tell me?”
The bald Multi smiled.
“Your champions aren’t giving you the full story,” said Wax.
“I could tell that Tapestry was lying,” said Alpha. “She has an obvious tell. Grew up in a more honest era.”
He waited, knowing that Wax would come clean eventually. If Alpha really wanted to know what he had to say, he could always merge with him by force and take the information against Wax’s will. They both knew that.
“Hothead is Wind Runner’s brother,” said Wax.
Alpha Multi cursed under his breath.
“That… complicates things,” he said. “And Tapestry knew… but didn’t tell me.”
“Having them both in the field is a little dangerous,” said Wax. “I would have figured you to be the type to take more, well, severe measures.”
Alpha Multi smiled. He crossed his legs, amused and a little intrigued by the conclusion Wax had jumped to.
“You’re so critical, Wax,” he said. “Do you really think I operate on trust alone? Tapestry won’t step out of line.”
“You have something over her?” asked Wax.
“She has family,” said Alpha. “A great granddaughter who she is rather fond of, in fact. She would never put her at risk, not when all she needs to do to keep her safe is to follow orders.”
Wax shrugged.
“Is she really the one you need to worry about?” he asked. “This Wind Runner… He’s a new champion. He’s related to a demon. Hothead might still be alive, you know. His powers let him travel in and out of intense heat sources.”
“Again, you lack the full picture of my intentions,” said Alpha. “We share many of the same instincts and memories, Wax. Which is why I find it so surprising that you so often fail to understand the plan.”
Wax’s eye narrowed into a glare. Alpha almost laughed. It was amusing how easy it was to generate enmity from someone who was essentially him.
“Wind Runner has the universal champion blood type,” said Alpha. “We’ve already begun running tests on the sample we took when we first brought him in.”
“The universal blood type,” said Wax. “Are you serious? You’re saying… he could serve as the vessel?”
“Exactly,” said Alpha. “And don’t worry. You can go ahead and tell Savior. I already know that you report all of our conversations back to him, Wax.”
Wax’s expression grew serious.
“He thinks that you’re one of the few champions as powerful as he is,” said Wax. “And you must know how he’d react to knowing that you’ve finally found a champion that could serve as a vessel.”
“Savior isn’t stupid,” said Alpha. “He won’t risk making a power play. And I’m very open to turning this into a shared project. All of the upper levels of the Champion Authority should know, not just him.”
Wax nodded.
“Are you going to try this immediately?” he asked.
Alpha Multi shook his head.
“It would be too soon, I think,” said Alpha. “And I am a team player, despite what others may say. I’d like to meet with Savior directly about this. Tell him that.”
Wax nodded again. He opened his mouth to say something, and then hesitated, taking a second to find the right words.
“Do you think the world is ready?” he finally asked.
Alpha shrugged.
“To see the birth of a god?” he asked. “Does it matter?”
Rain Dancer
Edmund Hughes
This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Edmund Hughes
Kindle Edition
CONTENTS
Rain Dancer
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 1
A gentle breeze ruffled the sleeves of Malcolm’s shirt. He was standing on the roof of Vanderbrook’s hospital, but his attention was focused on the bui
lding across the street.
“Do you see anything?” asked Tapestry. She was on the ground below, circling the block in her car, but her voice came to him through a small Bluetooth earpiece.
“No,” said Malcolm. “If they’re inside, they aren’t advertising their presence yet.”
He frowned, crouching low against the building’s concrete lip and squinting at one of the windows of the Citizen’s Bank of Vanderbrook.
“Keep watching,” said Tapestry. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“When do I ever?” asked Malcolm. She sighed, the sound of it muffled over the earpiece.
Gunshots came from within the building, loud and distinct pops, followed by screams. Malcolm swore under his breath and took a step back from the building’s edge, feeling for the wind.
“Were those gunshots?” asked Tapestry.
“Is that a rhetorical question, or…?”
“Wind Runner!”
He rolled his eyes, though of course, she couldn’t see it.
“Yes, Tapestry,” he said, sprinting toward the building’s edge. “Those were gunshots.”
Malcolm launched forward into the open air, using his gift, wind manipulation, to keep himself airborne. His clothes fluttered, vibrating rhythmically from the intensity of the gust. People on the street below did a double take. Malcolm’s heart, as always, sailed with delight.
It wasn’t exactly flying, more like extended jumping. Flying was dangerous, both in the obvious physical sense, but also mentally. Malcolm was a champion, and every time he used his powers for an extended period of time, he ran the risk of stepping over his limit, and turning into a monster.
Wind Runner: The Complete Collection Page 18
