“It’s not about Leah!” snapped Rose. “I don’t even remember her, Malcolm. And she claims that the star touched have no family, so as much as blood may connect us… she’s still essentially a stranger to me.”
“But… she’s your sister,” said Malcolm.
“I’m not like you Malcolm,” said Rose. “Quit projecting.”
She folded her arms, her expression sad, but with an edge of coldness to it.
I don’t understand this at all.
“So, what?” he said. “You believe them? All the crazy, religious, conspiracy mumbo jumbo?”
“I don’t believe a single word of it,” said Rose. She glanced over at Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden and shrugged unremittingly.
“Then why?” asked Malcolm. He felt his confusion turning to anger. “I deserve an explanation, Rose.”
“Because they’re strong,” she said. “Because… Regardless of what they might believe, or the tactics they might use… ultimately, I believe in what they’re fighting for.”
“They’re killers, Rose,” said Malcolm. “Killers and liars.”
“And the Champion Authority is any better?” she replied. “You work for an organization that would kill me if they ever caught me. The champions want to sterilize the world of people like me, Malcolm. And I’ll fight with anyone who stands against that kind of injustice.”
Malcolm could only stare at her. He was shaking his head, his heart suddenly burning in his chest.
“What if the two of us… went our own way?” He was pleading with her, and hated himself for it. “We could both leave together, Rose.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “This is an opportunity for me, Malcolm. Shield Maiden can use her powers to help me if I have an episode, and Rain Dancer… hell, he beat both of us in a fight, Malcolm! He’s strong.”
He’s strong, and I’m weak.
Malcolm felt his shame like a physical thing, a heavy, aching lump in his throat that made it hard to speak. He turned away from Rose, shaking his head. When he looked back at her, she had tears in her eyes. For some reason, that made him furious.
“Please, Malcolm,” whispered Rose. “You still have your choice to make. If you wanted to… you could come back with us.”
Malcolm looked over at Rain Dancer and saw the smug smile on his face. He could still hear Teddy’s screams as the water filled his cell, and the way his body had contorted as the lightning hit him.
“No,” said Malcolm. “I can’t. I won’t.”
He shook his head, tying all his painful and confusing emotions into a nice, neat bundle with his resolve.
“Then…” Rose’s lip quivered, and one of the tears finally broke loose down her cheek. “We might be enemies, the next time we meet.”
Malcolm took a deep breath, and then slowly nodded. He turned away from Rose, summoned both the wind and his willpower, and crashed out of one of the hospital’s windows.
CHAPTER 25
It was the middle of the night, and it was raining outside. Malcolm ran with the wind, putting distance between himself and the hospital as though trying to wake up from a bad dream.
It’s over. I don’t have to worry about getting caught anymore, protecting her from Tapestry and Multi.
The thought was of little consolation. Malcolm ran faster, taking long, bounding leaps. He was using Shield Maiden’s advice, activating his powers in quick, focused bursts, barely touching with his feet at all.
It took him a few minutes to find his bearings. He was just off the highway, in between Vanderbrook and Halter City. Malcolm oriented himself so that he was heading straight back to the local Champion Authority headquarters. He didn’t care about reporting in. He was just worried about the type of thoughts he’d start thinking if he went back to his apartment alone.
Lightning flashed, and thunder cracked in the distance. It felt like it was Rain Dancer’s final, parting taunt even though the demon clearly had nothing to do with the current weather. Malcolm gritted his teeth, feeling a cold anger toward the monster and desperately wanting revenge for the murder Rain Dancer had committed in his presence.
He took off, lifting into the air and flying for a good thirty seconds straight. The euphoria of power abuse tickled at his senses, and Malcolm was surprised by how it affected his other emotions. It gave him confidence, which was a dangerous thing to tie with anger, hurt, and a sense of betrayal.
Malcolm forced himself to land and took a few deep, calming breaths. He waited until his heart assumed a steady rhythm, and then continued on his way.
The Vanderbrook Champion Authority’s headquarters was nicknamed “The Dome” for its appearance. Malcolm jogged the last few feet toward the entrance, feeling a bit odd walking up to the door alone. Tapestry had always taken him inside on his previous visits. He didn’t have any credentials or secret passcode of his own.
I’m still the new guy. I haven’t even made it to that level of trust yet.
He pressed the buzzer next to the metal sliding door and waited. A speaker crackled on from overhead, barely audible over the sound of the storm.
“Wind Runner,” said Multi’s voice. “About time you report in. Come straight to the command center. We’ve been searching for you.”
Malcolm didn’t get a chance to put a word in edgewise, which wasn’t unusual, given his boss’s personality. The metal door slid open, and he walked into the base.
He couldn’t help but compare it to Underworld, after the time he’d spent enclosed in the monster’s base. The Awakened Children had turned floors and walls of cement and steel into something livable, a home with carpets, wall paintings, and creature comforts.
The dome had the general ambience of a center of military operations. Malcolm walked across the metal floor under bright fluorescent lights, listening as the main entrance door sealed behind him.
He didn’t pass by any of the other champions on his way to the command room. Multi was sitting in his chair behind the command console in the center of the room, staring at several different screens at one. He waved for Malcolm to come over.
“Not here,” he said. “In my office.”
Multi led him down a hallway and into a tiny room at the end barely larger than a closet. He slid around to the other side of the desk that took up most of the space and gestured for Malcolm to sit in the second chair.
“Your stabilizer has been deactivated for more than a day straight,” said Multi. “Explain what the fuck has been going on.”
Malcolm took a slow breath. He’d thought a lot about what he was going to say during the trip back.
I have no reason to lie, anymore. But still…
“I was… captured,” said Malcolm. “By a cult called the Awakened Children. They’re led by a demon and a spryte, Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden.”
Multi’s expression gave nothing away. He didn’t fit the typical image of a stern commanding officer. He was short, balding with only a few tufts of red hair left, and pudgy. He considered Malcolm with eyes that made up for all of his physical short comings in their intensity.
“You were captured,” said Multi. “Where? And how?”
“I was… following up on a lead,” said Malcolm. “I heard about a church that worships monsters in Halter City. I stopped by to check it out, and ended up getting ambushed.”
Multi swore under his breath. Malcolm didn’t know why he was still leaving details out. It might have been for Rose’s sake, or it might have been for his own. He’d harbored her for so long that it was hard to separate whatever he felt for her from the practical concerns over the consequences.
“I need the full details,” said Multi. “Everything that happened during the time they had you.”
Malcolm explained as much as he could. He described the bizarre teachings of the church. He gave a description of Underworld and the society of the Awakened Children. He forced himself to recount Teddy’s death and Rain Dancer’s goal of turning him over to their side.
“Dammit
,” muttered Multi. “Melt and Greenthumb are here at the base. They’ll want to talk to you about that after.”
“I’ll explain what I can,” said Malcolm.
Multi nodded. He narrowed his eyes.
“And how did you escape, exactly?”
Malcolm hesitated. This was the question that he’d struggled with most.
“They trapped me in an elevator shaft and tried to poison me,” he said. “I managed to get one of the doors open and used my powers to get away before they could stop me.”
He was expecting skepticism, but Multi just nodded.
“Alright,” said Multi. “I’m going to have Morph take a look at you to make sure you’re alright physically and to replace your stabilizer. After that, get some rest.”
Malcolm blinked. Multi was not the kind of person to leave any stone unturned. It was hard for him to believe that he was being let off so easily.
Does he believe me? Or does he just not care that I’m lying?
Anna came into Multi’s small office, spotting Malcolm and immediately breaking into a smile. She was a small, mousey looking woman with thick glasses and brunette hair, tied back into a complicated braid.
“You’re dismissed, Wind Runner,” said Multi.
Malcolm nodded to him, turning and smiling at Anna. Another Multi walked into the office as they left, one who’d chosen to completely shave his head. Malcolm lifted an eyebrow, realizing that it was the first time he’d seen any of Multi’s copies differentiate much from the original.
Strange…
He was about to bring it up, but the look Anna shot him warned him away from it. She walked out into the hallway, and Malcolm followed her, pushing the thought out of his mind.
CHAPTER 26
“We’d pretty much written you off for dead, you know,” said Anna. “You gave us quite the scare.”
Malcolm was sitting on the examination table in the infirmary of HQ. Anna was taking his blood pressure, staring at the reading on the small digital screen as the sleeve compressed.
“That wasn’t really my intention,” said Malcolm. “I didn’t exactly have ‘getting kidnapped’ on my to-do list for the day.”
Anna smiled at him.
“At least your captors didn’t torture your sense of humor out of you,” she said. “Speaking of which… did they torture you? And if so, how?”
“Electricity,” said Malcolm. “And a bit of poison gas. I don’t think it was enough to do lasting damage, though.”
Anna nodded. She pulled a stethoscope out of a cupboard and proceeded to listen to his breathing and heart beat from several different spots.
“Yeah, you’re fine,” she said. “But seriously… you had people worried, Wind Runner.”
“Sorry,” he said.
“Don’t apologize to me,” said Anna. “Apologize to Tapestry. She spent most of last night out looking for you. Said that you completely stopped answering your phone and weren’t at your apartment.”
Malcolm frowned. He checked his phone, and sure enough, found a half dozen missed calls and messages from his fellow companion.
“Personally,” said Anna. “I just figured you were having a fun night. Maybe enjoying yourself with that Instagram girl from when you first got your powers.”
She grinned at him, and Malcolm rolled his eyes.
“Will people ever let that drop?” he asked.
“It’s on the internet, Wind Runner,” she said. “It will follow you to your deathbed.”
Seems like a high price to pay for a single sexy afternoon.
The door to the infirmary opened. Malcolm was expecting Tapestry, but instead, two other champions he recognized filed in.
“Is he healthy enough to answer some fucking questions?” asked Melt.
“Melt…” Greenthumb sighed and shook his head. “Would you at least put in the effort not to swear in front of the young lady?”
Melt and Greenthumb were field champions, tasked with hunting down demons and sprytes across normal Champion Authority jurisdiction. Malcolm had encountered them shortly after first gaining his powers, when he had first begun harboring Rose in his apartment.
They had treated him with varying degrees of suspicion. Greenthumb had been polite and trusting from the start. Melt, on the other hand, had acted as though Malcolm was a hostile agent, and had come very close to discovering evidence that would have supported such a theory.
“Thanks, Ben,” said Anna. “Though you of all people should know that I’m not exactly clean mouthed, myself.”
Greenthumb grinned back at her. Malcolm suppressed a smile, along with a joke about her phrasing.
“We don’t have time fuck around here,” said Melt. “Multi says you know something about Clearhand.”
Melt ran a hand through his scraggly beard, rolling one of his shoulders against the confines of his leather jacket. He looked tired, but that was no surprise to Malcolm. Melt had struck him as the kind of champion that only really relaxed when he was deep in the grip of his vices, alcohol and tobacco.
“Clearhand?” asked Malcolm.
“It’s the nickname he gave to Theodore,” said Greenthumb. “The new recruit we were bringing into HQ when we were attacked.”
Greenthumb was tall and skinny, somewhere in his mid-thirties, with a sense of fashion of a man a decade younger. He had on sweatpants, sandals, and green t-shirt with a cannabis leaf logo on the front.
“Teddy…” said Malcolm. He shook his head slightly, wishing that he wasn’t the one who had to break it to the two of them.
“He’s dead… isn’t he?” asked Melt.
Malcolm nodded.
Melt whirled, immediately slamming his fist into the infirmary’s wall with all the strength he could muster. Malcolm flinched back, only relaxing when he saw that the champion had pulled the punch using his power. Melt’s hand had, well, melted on contact with the wall, preventing any serious damage from being done. He gritted his teeth and slowly exhaled as the red goop reformed into a palm and fingers.
“It’s what we expected, Melt,” said Greenthumb. “This, or worse. This is how these kinds of monstrous organizations operate.”
Melt turned his attention back toward Malcolm. The intensity of his eyes was hard to meet, even for just a couple of seconds.
“It was the electric one, wasn’t it?” asked Melt, his voice vibrating with anger. “Or was it the stupid shield bitch?”
“Rain Dancer,” said Malcolm. “The guy with the dreads, lightning powers.”
“Did he make him suffer?” asked Melt.
Malcolm nodded.
He did. And I can’t imagine how these two would have reacted if they’d seen it.
“Melt,” said Greenthumb. “Remember your tricks from anger management. There’s nothing you can do right now. Save that emotion for when we’re actually-”
“Shut the fuck up, Ben,” snapped Melt. “Just… shut the fuck up.”
Greenthumb put an arm around Melt’s shoulder, which was immediately shrugged off. Melt focused on Malcolm again, his eyes smoldering with a dangerous, wild anger.
“How do you feel about this?” asked Melt. “This… monster, who captured you. How do you fucking feel about it, right now?”
Malcolm felt his chest heat up as he thought about Rain Dancer, and about Rose.
“I’m sure you can guess how I feel,” he said, his voice coming out with more anger than he’d expected.
Melt nodded.
“We’re gonna find him,” said Melt. “And we’re gonna kill him. That’s what we do. That’s what we’re fucking good at.”
“Jesus Christ, Melt, would you chill out?” Greenthumb let out an exasperated sigh. “You take this job way too seriously…”
“This job,” said Melt. “Right. It’s all just a job to you, ain’t it, Ben?”
Melt didn’t wait for a response, turning and leaving the infirmary. Greenthumb gestured apologetically.
“He’s been extra high strung since we lost
Clearhand,” said Greenthumb. “I think he saw something in that kid.”
“I really wish he’d let me prescribe him something,” muttered Anna.
Malcolm raised an eyebrow at her.
“You can actually, uh, prescribe drugs?” he asked. “Like… legally?”
She stared at him as though he was a complete idiot.
“Did you think I was just playing around with this stuff?” she asked. “I went to med school, Wind Runner.”
Greenthumb smiled at the two of them and gave a quick nod.
“I should check after Melt,” he said. “It was good seeing you again, Anna.”
“Ben.” She smiled sweetly at him as he left, and then continued with Malcolm’s examination.
CHAPTER 27
Anna spent a couple of minutes examining Malcolm’s stabilizer after giving him a clean bill of health. It wasn’t actually broken, and she was able to reverse whatever Rain Dancer had done to it to short circuit it.
He left the infirmary feeling a little aimless. It was late at night, and he still wasn’t interested in heading back to his apartment. The fact that Rose wouldn’t be there waiting for him was weird and painful to consider.
She’ll never be there, waiting for me. In fact, if I ever see her again, the two of us will probably be trying to kill each other.
He headed to the dome’s showers, suddenly feeling the weight of days of accumulated sweat and grime. Malcolm changed out of his clothes and tossed them into a clothes hamper, wondering which of the champions was on laundry duty.
There was a set of plain athletic sweat clothes in his assigned locker, which he set out for when he was finished. The showers were set up almost like a hallway, with rows of spouts on both sides of the narrow room, and no stalls. There was no way to turn them on individually, so he flicked the switch and waited by the nearest one while the water heated up.
It was impossible for him to keep his mind off his emotions, and off Rose. He felt betrayed, but at the same time, it was only because of her intervention that he’d been able to escape. If she’d heeded his call to action and fought against Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden at his side, how would things have ended? Likely with both of them captured, in the same situation they’d been in at the start.
Wind Runner: The Complete Collection Page 30
