Wind Runner: The Complete Collection

by Edmund Hughes

  “Malcolm.” Tapestry’s voce caught him off guard, and he jumped slightly. She was standing by the lockers, watching him with a displeased expression on her face.

  “Tapestry?” Malcolm scowled, feeling a little embarrassed being exposed in front of her. “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”

  “Multi called to tell me that you’d returned to HQ.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” said Malcolm. “You could have waited until morning instead of driving all the way out.”

  The water had reached a comfortable temperature, and Malcolm stepped into the stream. It felt amazing on his face and shoulders, and only once it had begun to soak into his hair did he get a sense of how dirty he really was.

  “He also ran me through the details of the story you fed him,” said Tapestry.

  Malcolm didn’t like her tone.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You know exactly what I mean,” said Tapestry. “It was the same after we fought Hothead.”

  She was choosing her words carefully, which Malcolm appreciated. Multi and the other champions, as far as Malcolm knew, were still unaware of the fact that the heat demon had been Danny, Malcolm’s brother.

  “Any other champion would be in confinement right now, held until they came clean with the full story behind what was going on.” Tapestry’s voice burned with anger, but also with hurt. “Why is Multi treating you special, Malcolm?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. The last thing he was interested in doing, at that moment, was justifying himself to Tapestry.

  “You know more than you’re letting on!” snapped Tapestry. “Enough with the mysterious act. I want the truth!”

  “And I want a relaxing shower,” said Malcolm. “Let’s talk about this later.”

  “Malcolm!”

  He rolled his eyes at her and walked down the row of shower spigots, heading all the way to the very back, where the sound of the water made it impossible to hear anything short of a shout from the locker room. Malcolm sighed as he ran his hands over his body, feeling so very tired.

  He turned around and saw that Tapestry had followed him, stripping off her clothes to enter the shower as naked as he was. She had her hands folded over her chest, but it did a poor job of covering her nudity. It would have been an enticing sight, if not for the heavy, angry emotion set into her expression.

  “You don’t get to walk away from me that easily, Malcolm,” she said, crossing her arms.

  Malcolm took a couple of seconds to openly leer at her, wondering if he could end the conversation just by making her uncomfortable with his lecherous gaze. Tapestry had a nice, if not incredible body. She was athletic, with a petite figure, smallish breasts, and a butt that took advantage of her womanly hips.

  “You’re naked,” he said, staring at her exposed, pink nipples. Tapestry blushed, but narrowed her eyes, resolve entering the forefront of her expression.

  “I’ll be embarrassed, if that’s what it takes to get the truth out of you,” said Tapestry. She stepped in closer to him, dangerously close. “Now… Why don’t you tell me about the shadow spryte, Malcolm?”

  He tensed up immediately, trying and failing to keep his expression level.

  “What are you talking-”

  “Don’t!” Tapestry jabbed a finger into his chest. “Do not feed me any baloney on this, Malcolm!”

  “Tapestry, come on!” He tried to step away from her, but there was nowhere for him to escape to. The showers ended in a tiled wall, and she had him pressed practically into the corner, her naked body barely a foot away from his.

  “She was in your apartment,” said Tapestry. “And then she was there, fighting your brother! And now, suddenly, you develop a spontaneous interest in a cult that worships monsters?”

  “Keep your voice down!” Malcolm grabbed her by the wrist to avoid being poked in the eye by the finger she used to punctuate her words.

  “Who is she?” asked Tapestry.

  Who is she? Can I even answer that question properly, for myself or for her? She’s just… Rose.

  “Get out of my face, Tapestry,” said Malcolm. “I’m taking a shower.”

  He tried to slide by her. Tapestry pushed her chest against his, a gesture occasionally intimidating coming from a man, and something different, but equally hard to ignore, coming from a naked woman.

  “No,” said Tapestry. “I refuse.”

  Malcolm felt his anger boil over. He summoned the wind, pulling it down between them in a hard column and pushing Tapestry back a few feet.

  “I’m not going to say it again, Tapestry,” he said, through gritted teeth. “I’m taking a shower. Leave me in-”

  Tapestry leapt through the space between them, grabbing Malcolm by the arm and pulling him toward her. He fell off balance, almost slipping on the wet shower floor with his next step.

  She stepped in close, pushing her body into direct, naked contact with his for an instant before twisting him into a trip over her leg. Malcolm pulled her with him as she fell, but that seemed to be what she’d been expecting.

  He was still soapy, and tough for her to get a hold on. Unfortunately, Malcolm lacked any real martial training, and still had plenty of hang-ups about fighting women. Tapestry touched his upper thigh trying to get a hold on his leg, and he almost forgot what they were originally doing.

  “No!” growled Malcolm. “You can’t wrestle the answers out of me, Tapestry. Get a grip.”

  “And you can’t keep pushing people away like you do.” Tapestry twisted one of his arms painfully before slipping onto him, straddling his stomach.

  “Why not?” asked Malcolm. “Maybe… it’s for the best.”

  Tapestry stared down at him, naked and beautiful. Her blonde hair had come free from its pony tail at some point during the fight and fell across her shoulders in loose, wet locks.

  “I’ve seen the end of that story before, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “So many times. You aren’t going to like how going through life alone ends.”

  He started to lean up. Tapestry pinned his arms with a surprising amount of strength for such a small woman. Her face was right in front of Malcolm’s. He darted forward with his lips, feeling rather than thinking, and gave her a quick, hungry kiss.

  Tapestry took a couple of seconds to respond to the sudden change in the tone of their wrestling. She kept Malcolm’s arms pinned, kissing him back while still acting like they were in a serious fight.

  Her body slid down his stomach, and Malcolm felt her tense up as her butt made contact with his rapidly hardening rod. He’d been struggling to keep from getting turned on for their entire encounter, and with the kiss, all that pent-up arousal had boiled over in a single, intense moment.

  Malcolm tore one of his hands away from Tapestry’s grip. She tried to lean back, as though expecting him to twist her into a submission hold. He grabbed her breast instead, delighting in the soft, girlish sound Tapestry made as his thumb ran over her nipple.

  She slid a little bit lower, and released Malcolm’s other hand. He took her by the hips, moving with the same angry urgency that had been underlying the fight. Sliding his hardness into her, he pulled Tapestry down onto him.

  The sensation of sliding into her was tight and wonderful. Tapestry set her hands on his chest, biting her lower lip and slowly waving her body back and forth. She was slow and cautious with her movements, like a novice belly dancer dancing for her first big show.

  “Is this what you meant, Tapestry?” Malcolm asked, his voice angrier than he’d intended.

  “You… know what I meant,” she said, blushing. Malcolm thrust up hard, and Tapestry let out a silent gasp of pleasure.

  He held her hips tight, slowly bouncing her up and down. It almost felt like an extension of their argument, though Malcolm found it impossible to tell whether he’d won or lost in the end.

  The fact that they were in the showers of HQ, which were open to anyon
e who walked in, was not lost on either of them. Tapestry was clearly trying to keep quiet, and only stopped glancing over at the door to the locker room when the pleasure became too much of a distraction.

  Malcolm didn’t care if they got caught. Compared to the rest of the secrets in his life, fun with another champion in the showers barely rated on his list of worries. He thrust up into Tapestry, building into a steady, aggressive rhythm.

  “Malcolm!” Tapestry gasped and collapsed on top of him. Malcolm cradled her head as he pushed into her, feeling a bit selfish as he continued to enjoy her while she melted into a pile on his chest.

  Maybe this is the path forward for me. Being with the champions, and Tapestry… and fighting against… Rose.

  Malcolm lost it, and pulled the woman on top of him tight as the pleasure hit him.

  CHAPTER 28

  “I’m sorry,” said Malcolm.

  The two of them had continued to shower after the sex, neither of them saying anything. They’d cleaned up, and Tapestry had brought a towel for each of them to dry off with. Malcolm looked over at her as he pulled on his clothes, watching as she pulled her panties on over smooth legs.

  “I don’t want an apology, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “How… am I supposed to be able to trust you, if you don’t tell me anything?”

  Her green eyes were full of emotion, the kind that Malcolm knew would burn long after the two had finished talking. He sighed and stared down at the locker room’s tile floor.

  “I’m trying, Tapestry,” he said. “I’m just trying my best. To help people.”

  Am I helping other people? Or am I just helping myself?

  She shook her head slowly and turned away from him.

  “That’s not enough,” she said. “I don’t think you have a bad heart, Malcolm. But you’re involved in something. And until you tell me what…I’m not taking my eye off you.”

  Malcolm smiled

  “I wouldn’t expect you to,” he said. “But no more random acts of shower violence. Promise?”

  Tapestry looked over her shoulder at him, frowning slightly.

  “Fair enough.”

  “Not that I’m opposed to you hopping into the shower with me naked,” said Malcolm.

  “You’re a child,” she said. Malcolm watched as her expression brightened slightly. He noticed that there was still a suspicious gleam in her eye.

  “Seriously, though,” said Malcolm. “It’s like you said, I don’t have a bad heart. Can you at least trust that I’ll do my job and have your back?”

  Tapestry hesitated for only a moment before giving an almost imperceptible nod. Her shoulders relaxed a little, as though his question had brought pragmatism back into her perspective.

  “You’re capable,” she said. “And we do have bigger things to worry about, right now. Speaking of which, it’s late. I should get moving.”

  Tapestry finished getting dressed, and the two of them headed out of the locker room. She offered him a ride back to his apartment, but Malcolm turned it down, feeling a bit uneasy about sleeping there on his own, after what had happened with Rose.

  “That’s probably for the best,” she said. “I’ll be back early tomorrow morning. Multi claims to have a plan that’s going to take all of the local champions to put into action.”

  Malcolm frowned, unsure of whether he liked the sound of that.

  “Did he tell you anything more about it?” he asked.

  “Just to be back here first thing tomorrow,” said Tapestry. “I’ll see you later.”

  She waited for a second, staring at him in the hallway, and then turned and headed off toward the entrance. Malcolm made his way through the base slowly, finding the dormitories and securing an empty bunk.

  He slept soundly through the night, his body needing sleep far more than he’d realized. He woke up the next morning to the sound of someone clearing their voice next to him, loudly and deliberately.

  “Wind Runner,” said Multi. “Get up.”

  Malcolm blinked his eyes open, fighting the urge to swear his way into trouble. He was surprised to see that the Multi standing next to his bed wasn’t the one he was used to taking orders from.

  It was the bald Multi, the one he’d seen in the office the day before, and the one who stood out so much from the rest. Malcolm had slept with his clothes on, so all he needed to do was pull on sneakers before standing up to face him.

  “Multi?” asked Malcolm.

  “Call me… Wax,” said the Multi. “But yes, I am a Multi. Just one of the earlier ones, with more freedom.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked. “Am I needed somewhere?”

  “Not yet,” said Wax.

  Malcolm shook his head, annoyed.

  “So you woke me up for fun?” he asked. “That seems a little cruel.”

  “Let’s walk and talk.”

  Wax led Malcolm down the hallway, away from the command center. Malcolm was surprised when they continued through HQ’s front door and stepped outside. It was a nice day, with a slight chill in the air, unusual for the time of year.

  “You’re confused,” said Wax. “Aren’t you?”

  That’s kind of a weird question.

  “Do you mean just in general, or about why I’m standing in the middle of the woods right now?” asked Malcolm. Wax was leading him down a narrow trail that cut through the forest surrounding the base. A blackberry bramble scrapped at Malcolm’s pant leg, and he pulled it loose.

  “We’ve heard about groups like the Awakened Children before,” said Wax. “I know that they probably tried to sell you on their beliefs during your time among them.”

  Malcolm gave a small nod.

  “They did,” he said. “But… in the end, I made a choice.”

  It was the truth. Even before watching Rain Dancer torture and kill Teddy, Malcolm had made a choice about their beliefs and their cult. It wasn’t something he could support, not in the way it was organized. Like many religious groups and churches, the foundation was fundamentally hollow to him, even if he agreed with them on the need for peace.

  “I’m glad.” Wax pulled out a cigarette. He offered one to Malcolm, who refused. “The Champion Authority isn’t perfect, Malcolm, but it’s better than the alternatives.”

  Malcolm nodded slowly, finding it a little odd that he was having the conversation now, instead of when he’d first gotten back to base.

  “I consider it to be the lesser of two evils,” said Malcolm. “We kill sprytes and demons. It’s… not as though I see what we’re doing here as something clean.”

  “Some of them we capture,” said the bald Multi. “Some of them we kill. Some of them we ignore entirely, either because they aren’t threats, or because their free existence serves a purpose for us.”

  Wax stared into Malcolm’s eyes. Malcolm stared back, wearing his poker mask more seriously than he ever had before in his life. Multi cleared his throat.

  “Anyway…” He took a drag on his cigarette. “Did they happen to run any tests on you while you were their prisoner?”

  Malcolm frowned, considering the question. He shook his head.

  “No,” he said. “At least, not any that I was aware of.”

  “They didn’t play doctor with you at all?” asked Wax. “No blood samples, or mouth swabs, or anything?”

  “No,” said Malcolm. “Why?”

  Wax shrugged. He took another long drag off his cigarette and gestured for Malcolm to follow him back toward HQ.

  There’s something more here. I can feel it.

  Wax stomped out his cigarette by the door, and the two of them headed back inside. The bald Multi took his leave, and Malcolm headed into the cafeteria, considering what he’d said to that first question.

  He did consider the Champion Authority to be the lesser evil, compared to the Awakened Children. What he’d seen Rain Dancer do to Teddy was part of it, but there was more than just that. It was the general vibe, the ethos of their organization that made him deeply uncomforta
ble.

  Malcolm walked into the cafeteria, smelling the food and watching the other champions eating. Anna and Greenthumb were setting at a table together, engaged in lively, flirtatious conversation.

  Tapestry was at a table on her own, talking on the phone with someone, probably Melanie, if Malcolm had to guess. And Melt stood leaning against a wall in the corner, rubbing a red stained rag over a knife that had brass knuckles built into the grip.

  Eh. Not everybody can be well adjusted.

  Malcolm grabbed some eggs, toast, and ham from the serving table and sat down next to Tapestry. She was still on the phone, but nodded and wiggled her fingers at him in greeting.

  He ate his food, feeling like something, or rather, someone, was missing. Rose had told him once that she’d been a champion before turning into a spryte. Malcolm let himself dare to wonder what it would be like if she was allowed to be there, in the cafeteria, with him.

  Would it even be the same Rose that I know? Or someone else, with her own memories and a different purpose?

  The question was weighty enough to distract him for the entire meal. The intercom buzzed just as he set his fork down, and Multi’s voice boomed out from it.

  “We’re having a meeting about how today’s operation is going to work,” said Multi. “Finish your food and get your asses to the command room.”

  Malcolm smiled at Tapestry.

  “Well, he’s in a cheery mood,” he said.

  CHAPTER 29

  Multi stood in front of the monitors in the command room, flanked on either side by Wax and one other copy. Malcolm felt odd looking up at them, suddenly realizing that he knew far less about how Multi’s powers worked than he thought he did.

  He’s not all of them at once, but they all are him, or were him…? I’m going to confuse myself if I get caught up on this.

  “We have a mission to accomplish today,” said the original Multi. “For a while now we’ve been keeping tabs on the Awakened Children, but with the recent captures of Clearhand and Wind Runner, it’s clear that we need to take action.”