Wind Runner: The Complete Collection (1-5)

“Will you take some cookies with you?” asked Tapestry. “They’ll go to waste otherwise. Melanie doesn’t do sugar.”

“Sure,” he said.

“It’s dark out,” said Tapestry. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

He nodded, heading back into the living room as Tapestry cleared the table. Melanie walked up next to him, hugging her arms across her chest and frowning.

“She’s really lonely, you know,” she said.

“What?”

Melanie shrugged.

“She doesn’t have friends, Malcolm,” she said. “I mean sure, there’s the girl Morph, and what’s his face, the doubling dude. But they’re more like coworkers.”

“I’m technically also her coworker,” said Malcolm.

“It’s different with you,” said Melanie. “She likes you.”

Malcolm stared at her, and again, got the sense that Melanie had just revealed something that she shouldn’t have.

“That came out wrong,” she said, quickly. “I mean, she thinks that you’re a good person. And easy to talk to. I think it’s why she was so reluctant to tell you the whole truth behind her age and her powers. She wanted you to see her as who she showed up as.”

“I get it,” said Malcolm. “And I think she’s a good person too. And I’m not going to get weird around her just because-”

“Malcolm?” Tapestry walked into the living room, and Malcolm almost jumped with surprise. “Are you ready?”

“Sure,” he said. “Totally.”

The first minute of the drive was totally silent and more than a little uncomfortable. Malcolm kept trying to think of an easy way to start a conversation, but second guessed every idea.

“It’s hard…” said Tapestry. “Being young again.”

“I can imagine,” said Malcolm. “I mean, so much has changed since your heyday. You must walk around with a constant case of future shock.”

“Hey!” said Tapestry.

“I’m kidding,” he said. “Well, kind of. What was it like using the internet for the first time?”

“It was… interesting,” said Tapestry. “I never realized just how perverted men were, deep down inside.”

Malcolm laughed.

“Truer words have never been spoken,” he said.

They were silent for another few seconds.

“I’m serious, though,” said Tapestry. “My body is young again, but so is my mind. I have all of these memories, and it almost seems like they belong to someone else.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Malcolm.

“The emotions don’t match,” said Tapestry. “I feel the emotions, the impulses, of a twenty-year-old.”

They’d reached his apartment, and she pulled to a stop on the street alongside it. Malcolm looked over at her.

“I don’t see you any differently,” said Malcolm. “And I don’t feel like I have any right to. You didn’t treat me like a stupid kid when we first met. Well, not really…”

“So this really doesn’t change anything for you?” asked Tapestry.

“Of course not, Tapestry.” He smiled at her.

“You can call me Aubrey,” she said. “Sometimes. If you want.”

“Aubrey.”

Malcolm leaned in closer to her, not even fully sure what he was doing, or why. She was looking at him, her green eyes reflecting the illumination of the street light outside.

Tapestry’s phone rang, ruining the moment. She looked down at it and rolled her eyes.

“Melanie wants me to pick up more seltzer on my way back,” she said. “Sorry, I should probably… get going.”

“You don’t want to come up? We could watch some TV or something?”

Aubrey started laughing.

“Does that work on the women of your generation?” she asked. “Like, ever?”

Malcolm shrugged. He grinned at her, feeling a strange mixture of emotions.

Nothing’s changed between us. And everything’s changed. And I like it.

“Anyway,” said Tapestry. “My powers are going to take some time to recharge. I’ll need to take tomorrow off, and possibly the next day for them to recover to the point where I can use them again.”

“Alright,” said Malcolm. “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow then. Aubrey.”

“Malcolm.”

He almost leaned in close again. She was looking at him, and the air felt hot and alive with tension. There was a tiny smile on her lips, and it took Malcolm a minute to draw his eyes away. He got out of her car, nodded to her, and closed the door.

Tapestry drove off slowly, and Malcolm watched her round the corner before heading inside. He unlocked the door to his apartment and flicked the light on.

“Hey,” said Rose.

CHAPTER 24

Malcolm stared at her, not sure what to say. He hadn’t honestly been expecting her to come back, but there she was, sitting on his couch, an amused smile on her face. Part of him wanted to run over and hug her, but he forced it down, taking off his shoes and staying where he was.

“Hey,” he said.

“I would have called or texted, but the whole being a spryte thing gets in the way of paying a monthly phone bill.” She crossed her legs. “So… was that the blonde champion who dropped you off?”

“Yup,” said Malcolm.

“The two of you were out there in the car for a while,” said Rose. “I take it you got at least to first base.”

Malcolm felt his face heat up a little bit.

“What? No!”

“It’s okay,” said Rose. “In case I didn’t make it clear, I’m not the jealous type. In fact, I encourage you to get involved with all the normal girls you want. Just don’t bring around any other sprytes.”

“Wow,” said Malcolm. “I’m not even sure what to say to that.”

Rose shrugged, looking nonplussed.

“What’s in the bag?” she asked.

“Chocolate chip cookies.” He frowned a little, noticing her in detail. She was wearing the same clothes she’d had on when he’d first found her, a sweatshirt and yoga pants, but they were dirty, and rough around the edges. “What happened to you last night?”

Rose shrugged.

“I found a place to hide out,” she said. “It was kind of hard to get down into. The basement of an abandoned house. Thanks again for what you did, by the way.”

Malcolm walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” he said. “We would have both been fucked if they’d found you.”

“It still means a lot to me,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time someone went out on a limb like that for me.”

“Didn’t you say you have amnesia?”

Rose rolled her eyes.

“Is it… alright?” she asked. “Me being back here? I wasn’t sure if you’d be waiting with open arms, so to speak.”

Malcolm nodded.

“It’s fine,” he said. “Here, do you want to take a shower? You look like you could use a chance to unwind.”

“That sounds divine,” said Rose.

Malcolm brought her a towel and some of his clothes, which would be big on her, but were still better than what she currently had on. She headed into the bathroom, and Malcolm listened to the sound of the shower while considering his situation.

She doesn’t seem like a bad person. I don’t know what to do here, but I know that I can’t just pretend like she’s evil.

He sat on the couch, mulling over his choices. Involving the Champion Authority was outside of the question, but maybe they had some knowledge that he didn’t about the nature of sprytes and demons. Maybe there was a way to help Rose get closer to who she was originally, or a cure, even.

“Malcolm.” Rose had finished her shower. She walked out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, her dark hair slick against her pale purple skin.

“Rose,” he said. He stared at her, his eyes running the cleavage he could see pushing against the towel, and the curve of her butt underneath it. He stood up as she came around to his side of the couch.

She let the towel fall. Her eyes blazed with confidence and sexual power, though Malcolm’s attention was pulled to her big breasts, her dark nipples, and her perfect thighs.

“I guess you have missed me,” she said, letting her palm push against the bulge in his pants. “Here, let’s go into your bedroom. Into the dark.”

Malcolm shook his head.

“I want to see at you like this,” said Malcolm. “I want to look at you, Rose.”

She stepped in closer to him, pushing her breasts against his chest while her fingers unzipped and unbuttoned his jeans.

“You can do more than just look,” she whispered. “And so can I.”

She gave his erection a squeeze and then led him toward his bedroom, glancing over her shoulder at him with a sultry expression on her face. Malcolm stared at her butt, naked and with just the right amount of curve.

Shadow tendrils extended from the darkness as he entered his room, roughly pulling his shirt up and over his head, and his pants and boxers to the ground. Malcolm would have found it terrifying if not for how aroused he was.

He pulled Rose in close, her body naked against his. His erection poked her in the stomach as they kissed. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and let out a soft, sensual moan.

Malcolm felt his cock being caressed, and it took him a second to realize that it wasn’t Rose’s hand doing it. She was still using her shadows, touching him with them, showing how good they could feel. Strangely, it made him feel like being aggressive with her. He wanted to see what they would do if he turned the intensity up even further.

He pushed her onto the bed and heard her squeal with delight. There was just enough light in the room for him to see the shadow tendrils form into visible shapes. The upper torsos, along with heads, of two very attractive women slid up out of the darkness, both caressing and then licking Malcolm’s hardness.

He groaned, a little unnerved and a lot turned on. One of them immediately started sucking on the tip of his erection. The other was licking and kissing the shaft. Rose was watching, lying on his bed pushed up on her elbows, enjoying the effect she was having on him.

Malcolm stepped forward, moving past the shadow phantoms. He climbed onto the bed and pulled Rose’s thighs open. She put her hands around his neck as he pushed forward, his shaft sliding into her tight, hot hole.

“Mmm…” moaned Rose.

Malcolm groped at one of her breasts and started moving, feeling her wetness slicking over his tool. Rose urged him on, her fingers squeezing his shoulder and pulling across his back.

They fell into a fast, easy rhythm. Rose bucked her hips up to meet each of his thrusts. Her breasts bounced in the dim light of his bedroom, and their bodies made lewd noises as they slapped together.

He kissed her deeply, and she rolled him over, briefly assuming control on top and grinding into him to take his full length. Malcolm rolled back, twining his hands through her hair as he pumped into her roughly.

He let his hands grope at her butt, giving it a small, punishing slap. Rose squealed and seized the offending hand with a shadow tendril. Malcolm kissed her neck and nibbled on her earlobe, feeling the tendril weaken as she lost focus. He slapped her ass again, and Rose let out an even louder squeal.

The bed shook as though it was being subjected to an earthquake. Malcolm hoped his neighbors weren’t trying too hard to get to sleep. He held onto Rose’s body, pulling her as tightly as he could as he thrust into her madly.

“Malcolm!” she cried out, her body seizing with pleasure.

He hammered away, pushing his hardness into her until he couldn’t hold out for a second longer. Malcolm held her as he unloaded, filling her up. The pleasure was unbelievable, and he cradled Rose’s head against his shoulder, fingers in her hair.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them moving, as though it might spoil the moment.

“Is your champion friend coming by early again tomorrow?” asked Rose.

“No,” said Malcolm. “I… have the day off.”

Rose made a pleased noise.

“That means we have all night,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 25

Malcolm smelled breakfast when he made his way out of his room the next morning. Rose was in his kitchen, wearing one of his shirts, cooking eggs and toast on a pan. She smiled at him when he walked over.

“Your kitchen isn’t exactly well stocked,” she said. “But I’m making do with what I could find.”

“I’ve been living the sad bachelor life since before I was old enough to drive.” Malcolm grinned back at her. “We can grab some stuff from the store today and have a real dinner tonight.”

Rose looked at him as though he was stupid. It took Malcolm far longer than it should have to realize why.

Oh right. She’s a spryte. Being out in public during the day isn’t such a good idea.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” said Rose. “Maybe I’ll send you out with a list.”

Malcolm nodded, but didn’t quite feel ready to move on from the issue.

“I feel like… there has to be some way you could move around during the day,” he said. “Can’t you teleport through shadows?”

“I don’t teleport through them as much as hide in them,” said Rose. “I call it shadow walking. But no, there isn’t any easy way for me to do it when the sun’s out. I have to become visible again each time I reach the edge of a shadow.”

Malcolm thought about it for a second.

“What about hiding in the shadow of a person?” he asked.

“It’s too difficult,” said Rose. “If they make any sudden movements, I fall out of the shadow. Which is dangerous, for a spryte.”

“Okay, but if they knew you were in their shadow?” asked Malcolm. “I have an old cane. I could walk slowly, pretending I have a limp. Would that work?”

Rose blinked, as though she’d never thought of it before.

“It… just might,” she said. “As long as nobody shines a flashlight over the shadow. Yeah, we could try it.”

After breakfast, they gave it a shot. Rose stood just inside Malcolm’s apartment, wearing one of his t-shirts and her yoga pants. She looked nervous as Malcolm stepped out into the hallway, using the cane and carefully positioning his shadow so she could easily step into it.

“Alright,” said Rose. “Here goes.”

It was interesting, watching her hide inside of shadows with the bright sun overhead. Rose seemed to melt away like her tendrils did when they disappeared into the darkness. Malcolm carefully closed the door behind him, feeling a bit apprehensive about their endeavor.

“This is by far the weirdest date I’ve ever been on,” he whispered.

“It was your idea,” came Rose’s reply, from floor level. “And there had better be a movie involved if you’re going to call this a date.”

Malcolm grinned down at her.

It wasn’t as hard as he’d expected it to be. The sun was bright and there were few clouds in the sky, which left Malcolm with a well-defined shadow. He walked slowly, turning with the speed of a tank in order to give Rose time to change directions with him.

He stopped by the grocery store first. Malcolm wasn’t sure what Rose had in mind for dinner, so he made a show of pulling out his phone and talking into it to disguise their conversation.

“I forgot the list, honey,” he said. “What did you say you wanted again? Pork chops?”

“Let’s do chicken,” said Rose, keeping her voice low. “Chicken stir fry. I’ll help you pick out vegetables.”

He smiled, and together they gathered vegetables and a few other items Rose insisted he needed. They paid for the food, brought it back to the apartment, and then, at Malcolm’s insistence, set out again.

“I’m not going to be able to do this forever, you know,” said Rose. “At least not without getting a recharge from my focus activity.”

Which is sex.

“I love it when you talk dirty,” said Malcolm. “And don’t worry, we won’t be too much longer.”

He headed downtown, and then into a woman’s clothing store. It was surprisingly busy, and nobody paid much attention to him as he started down one of the aisles.

“So,” he said, with his phone out again. “What’s your style?”

“You… want to buy me clothes?” asked Rose.

“Feel free to reject my generosity if you can’t handle it,” said Malcolm. “Just thought you might be more comfortable in something other than ratty yoga pants and a boy’s t-shirt.”

“I mean… that’s really sweet,” said Rose. “I’m just surprised. It’s been a while since anyone has been nice to me like that. From what little I can remember.”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Malcolm winked at his shadow.

He slowly walked through the aisles, stopping now and then and thumbing through the clothing racks. Rose took longer than he ever would have imagined to decide, and he was almost beginning to regret his offer when she finally told him to bring the clothes to the dressing room.

Malcolm glanced around the shop, waiting until nobody was looking before stepping into the dressing room. Rose materialized out of his shadow with a cute, appreciative smile on her face.

“Let me try these on and see what fits,” she said.

“Right.”

Malcolm waited just outside, feeling a little awkward. It didn’t seem like anybody cared all that much about him being there, but it was still a little hard to feel comfortable in the feminine space.

“Alright,” she whispered. “You can come back in.”

He stepped through the curtain, and his jaw dropped as he looked at her. She’d had him grab a set of expensive, black lingerie that was a little out of his price range. She was wearing them, the see-through garments tight and suggestive against her pale purple skin.

She was also wearing fishnet stockings, complete with a garter belt. Her nipples were visible through the material of the bra, and her hair fell loose across shoulders. She grinned at him and spun in a circle.

“Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”

“It’s… I mean… wow.” Malcolm blinked, trying to focus enough to form a thought.

“I just thought I’d try them on,” she said. “You know, to see what you thought.”

What I think is that the temperature in this tiny dressing room just went up ten degrees.

“The fabric looks soft,” said Malcolm.

“Here,” said Rose. “Feel it.”

She took his hand and pulled it to her breast. Malcolm stepped in a little closer. Rose licked her lips and kissed him, one of her legs lifting slightly as she pushed her crotch into his.

“Excuse me?” A shrill voice came from just outside the dressing room. “Sir?”

Malcolm swore under his breath, turning around just as the curtain opened. Rose was gone in time to not be seen, but one of the store employees was gesturing for him to leave the dressing room, clearly displeased.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Our policy doesn’t allow for anyone to bring more than one article of clothing into the… dressing room?” The employee glanced at him, and then behind him. Malcolm realized what had happened after a couple of seconds.

Rose brought the clothes into the shadow with her. Clever girl.

“I didn’t,” he said. “I don’t have any clothes that don’t belong to me. You can strip search me if you want.”

The saleswoman flicked her eyes down, and Malcolm realized that he was still excited from seeing Rose in the lingerie.

“I think you should leave,” said the saleswoman.

Malcolm grinned at his shadow as soon as he was outside of the store. He waited until he’d passed by a crowd on the sidewalk before whispering down to her.

“That was amazing,” he said.

“You just turned me into a shoplifter,” said Rose. “Just because I’m a spryte doesn’t mean I don’t have morals!”

Malcolm laughed, but her words gave him a moment of pause.

Rose does have morals. And empathy. And a sense of right and wrong.

“Bring me back to your apartment,” she said. “It’s hard for me to use my powers like this. The extra clothes were tricky to bring into the shadow.”

“Right away,” said Malcolm. “Though I think it makes me an accessory to a robbery, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, you just wait,” said Rose. “I’m going to get you back for this.”

CHAPTER 26

“Hold on a second,” said Rose.

They’d been walking for a couple of minutes, maintaining the slow pace the ruse required. Malcolm glanced down at his shadow on the sidewalk, and then around the area.

“What is it?” he asked.

“That bar over there,” said Rose. “I remember something about it.”

The sign out front was made of painted wood and read “Terri’s Tavern”. Two lantern lights were placed on either side of a staircase that led down to the entrance below. Malcolm frowned, trying to think of whether he’d heard of the place before.

It’s not one of the popular spots in town. Though, I still can’t legally drink yet, so I’m not exactly the most up to date on something like this.

“What can you remember?” asked Malcolm.

“It’s related to sprytes and demons,” said Rose. “I know it is. I’m not sure how, though. It’s just… fuzzy when I try to think about it.”

She sighed, and for an instant, Malcolm’s shadow flickered as though she was losing her form. He glanced around nervously.

“Let’s get you home,” he said. “I think we’ve overdone it a little for today.”

They made it back to his apartment about a half hour later. Rose hopped out of Malcolm’s shadow once they were inside, still wearing the lingerie, arms full of clothing. She changed into a much more practical outfit consisting of jeans and a loose black blouse, and the two of them sat together on the couch.

“Do you think it might lead me to the monster I’m looking for?” asked Malcolm.

Rose frowned at him.

“Maybe,” she said. “Though, I feel like you shouldn’t use that word around other sprytes and demons. I don’t mind it, but… it’s not the word they would choose for themselves.”

Malcolm nodded slowly.

“Just how much do you remember?” he asked. “Has more been coming back to you over the past few days?”

“Bits and pieces,” said Rose. “I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s like trying to remember a dream. I just get these flashes. Some of them… aren’t fun to think about.”

Malcolm reached over and set his hand on top of hers.

“Would it help to talk about it?” he asked. “I don’t want to force you if you don’t feel comfortable.”

Rose closed her eyes. It was becoming harder and harder for Malcolm to see her as something dangerous. She was expressive and sensitive, and it was impossible to reconcile that view with the Champion Authority’s mandate on monsters.

“I was someone, before all of this,” said Rose. “I was a confident woman. Some type of professional, a doctor, or a scientist, maybe. I think… I was happy. Really happy.”

She shook her head and sighed as though the toll of trying to remember was too much for her.

“Never mind,” she said. “How about I get started on our dinner?”

“I’ll help you,” said Malcolm. “We’ll cook together. As a team.”

A slow smile spread across Rose’s face, and she gave a small nod.

The dinner they made was incredible, either through their teamwork or Rose’s precise ingredient selection. Malcolm found himself staring at her afterward, the two of them eating side by side on the couch, the only place available to sit in his spartan, bachelor apartment.

“What?” asked Rose. “Why do you have that look on your face?”

Malcolm chuckled and shook his head.

“No reason,” he said.

That seemed to satisfy her, even though it shouldn’t have. She smiled back at him and seemed to think for a moment.

“I want to take you out,” she said. “To the bar we saw before. I want to help you find your… monster.”

Malcolm felt a small spark of excitement.

“Tonight?” he asked.

“Right now. If the lead doesn’t end up panning out, we can at least have some drinks, and maybe some fun.”

Malcolm hesitated.

“…Alright,” he said. “But I am kind of, well, technically under the drinking age.”

Rose frowned a little at him.

“I figured you were younger than me, but I didn’t realize that you were that young,” she said.

“I’m 19,” said Malcolm. “Why? How old are you…?”

He trailed off, realizing not only that it was rude to ask for a woman’s age, but that he’d already been through this once before with Tapestry.

“28,” said Rose, grinning. “And I used to have a thing for younger guys in college.”

She winked at him. Malcolm was both insanely turned on and curious. She’d remembered both the fact of her age and that she’d once gone to college, apparently without even noticing on her part.

How much more will she remember? And will it change her when she does?

They left the apartment and headed back toward the bar they’d seen earlier. It was a cloudy night, and some of the fog had descended to ground level. Rose wore a baggy hooded sweatshirt and kept the hood up and her hands in her pockets, concealing her skin everywhere but her face.

At Rose’s advice, Malcolm wore a long sleeve t-shirt with sleeves baggy enough to keep his stabilizer concealed. He hadn’t considered how a monster bar would react to a champion showing up uninvited. There was also the risk that one of them might recognize his face from the media coverage, but there wasn’t much either of them could do about that.

Malcolm slowed to a stop as they neared the bar, trying to get a sense of the place from what they could see outside. Terri’s Tavern had a single bored looking bouncer, a big black man with rippling muscles. He was wearing sunglasses at night, and Malcolm knew that it wasn’t in solidarity with the 80s hit song.

“Come on,” he said to Rose. “Let’s give this a try.”

He walked across the street confidently. Rose had her arm looped through his, but she kept her face angled diagonally toward the ground. Malcolm nodded to the bouncer as he drew near and acted as though he had every right to head straight down the stairs.

“Hold up,” said the bouncer, in an impossibly deep voice. “Members only.”

“Uh…” Malcolm fumbled for an excuse. Rose lifted her head up and pulled back the hood, and the man’s expression changed instantly.

“Oh,” said the bouncer. He brought his sunglasses down slightly, and Malcolm saw glowing red irises behind them. “Never mind. He’s with you?”

“Yeah,” said Rose.

The bouncer eyed Rose up and down, trying and failing to be subtle about checking out her body.

“Yeah, er, you both can go right on ahead, then,” he said.

The bouncer grinned, and Rose pulled Malcolm forward. They headed down the stairs and through the door at the bottom.

CHAPTER 27

Terri’s Tavern was a cozy place, and a little larger than it looked from the outside. The floor was polished wood, and lightbulbs hung from the roof in imitation lanterns. There was a bar, several sitting tables, a pool table, and a jukebox. And about a dozen monsters milling about.

Rose pulled off her sweatshirt and hung it on the coat rack. No sooner than it had left her shoulders did someone whistle from off in the corner.

“Oh, who is this?” called a man’s voice from the corner. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

Malcolm tried to keep his anger in check as he saw Rose scanning the room for the offender. It was a demon sitting at one of the tables. His hair was an odd shade of orange, almost the color of cheese whiz, and he had a more impressive physique than any human Malcolm had ever seen.

It wasn’t just that the demon had bigger muscles than an ordinary man, but it was that he had more of them. They were stretched over one another, as though instead of growing, another layer had been added. The demon wore an A-shirt for good measure, and waved to Rose with one of his powerful arms.

I could totally take him.

Rose shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Malcolm.

“It’s as good of a place to start as any,” she said. “At least we know he’s willing to talk.”

“I somehow doubt he knows anything that’s going to help us,” said Malcolm.

“We don’t know that for sure,” she said. “Come on.”

She took him by the arm and led him over to the muscle demon’s table. The demon was far less subtle about checking Rose out than the bouncer had been, making appreciative noises as she drew closer.

“Where have you been all my life?” asked the muscle head.

“Right.” Rose rolled her eyes. “I’m Black Rose, this is my friend Malcolm. Can we ask you a couple of questions?”

“Bicep,” said the demon, his attention completely on Rose. “You can. But you’ll have to let me buy you a drink first.”

Urge to kill… rising.

“Hey, buddy, that’s the oldest line in the book,” said Malcolm. “We’re just here looking for somebody. Do you mind being cooperative?”

Bicep stood up, smiling as though he’d been hoping for a fight that night. Rose cleared her throat, set a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, and leaned in close enough to be heard at a whisper.

“Let me handle this. Go hang out at the bar for a little bit. This guy is clearly drunk. I’ll be able to get him talking easier if I’m by myself.”

Malcolm gritted his teeth. He knew that she was right, and forced himself to keep in mind why they were there.

“Alright,” he said. “Just… be careful.”

Bicep saluted him as he walked away. Malcolm sat down at the bar, fighting the urge to stare at Rose and the muscle demon openly.

She knows what she’s doing. I’m being ridiculous.

Someone sat down in the stool next to Malcolm. He glanced over and saw a woman who looked like she’d stepped out of another century. She wore a huge, frilly pink dress, low cut enough to expose a generous amount of cleavage. Her blonde hair was long enough to be unwieldy, and hung in a long braid over one shoulder.

“Hi,” she said. “Buy me a drink?”

“Uh…” Malcolm shrugged. “Sure.”

He waved to the bartender, a short, chubby brunette with glasses. She hurried over, smiling as she pulled mugs down to set in front of them. Malcolm wasn’t sure if he was surprised by the fact that she didn’t card him.

“What’s your name?” asked the woman.

“Malcolm,” he said. “What’s yours?”

She reached over and poked him in the shoulder. Malcolm felt a sudden surge of power. He looked down at himself and saw that he was now dressed in a full suit of armor, though he couldn’t feel the weight of it.

“Fantasy,” said the woman. “Do you want to save the princess tonight, Malcolm?”

His shock must have been fully evident on his face. Fantasy grinned back at him, and the bartender let out a few chuckles from where she stood nearby.

“She’s an illusion spryte,” said the bartender. “And she’s used that line before, many times.”

“Scribe!” snapped Fantasy. “He’s pretty cute. Let me work my magic.”

Fantasy set her arm on Malcolm’s shoulder again, and suddenly there was a dragon behind her, snarling and snorting tufts of smoke out of its noise. Conveniently, it was small enough to fit within the bar, and coordinated enough to not bump against the roof or into any of the patrons.

“Oh, no!” cried Fantasy. “It’s the dragon that hungers for my blood! Please, Malcolm! You’re the only one who can save me!”

Malcolm felt a little uncomfortable, despite knowing that it wasn’t real. It was hard to completely ignore an apparent threat through logic and reason when every other instinct in him recognized it as a danger.

“That’s… quite a show,” he said. “Can we just talk normally, though?”

“Oh… that’s no fun.” Fantasy rolled her eyes and waved her hand. The dragon and the suit of armor disappeared.

“The dress is real?” Malcolm reached out and poked it with his finger.

“The dress…” Fantasy took his hand and shifted it to her breast. “And these…”

“Okay, hold up,” said Malcolm, pulling his hand back. “Look, I’m here with somebody. We just came to ask around for some information.”

“I think the ‘somebody’ that you were here with is now with somebody else,” said Fantasy. “So why not be with me?”

Malcolm scowled and looked over at Rose. Not much had changed since he’d left the table, but Bicep had slid his chair around next to hers. He was telling her something, animating whatever it was with arm gestures that showed off his muscles.

“Bicep is a rogue,” said Fantasy. “He calls himself a strength demon, but he’s really more of a testosterone demon. Fun for a night or two, but… everyone needs variety.”

She slid to the edge of her stool, pushing her leg against Malcolm’s. He took a sip of his beer, hoping that the alcohol would help him focus, but knowing it would probably do the opposite.

“I’m looking for somebody,” said Malcolm.

“So am I.”

“Not… like that,” he said. “Have any new monsters come through here lately?”

Fantasy glared at him.

“Monsters?” she said. “What are you, a fucking champion?”

Malcolm almost nodded before catching himself.

“Sorry, slip of the tongue,” he said.

“You can slip your tongue anywhere you want.” Fantasy slid her hand up his thigh, and it took a force of will on Malcolm’s part to push her hand away.

“I’m looking for a demon,” he said. “One with fire, or explosion powers. Seen anyone like that?”

Fantasy shrugged.

“Maybe,” she said. “Why don’t we talk about it in the morning?”

Malcolm ran a hand through his hair. He looked over at Rose to see if she was having any better luck. His heart caught in his throat when he saw that Bicep had a meaty arm around her. She was listening to what he was saying intently.

“He’s going to have his way with her,” said Fantasy. “So why don’t you have your way… with me?”

“No,” said Malcolm. “I trust her.”

No sooner had he spoken the words did Bicep make his move. He groped at one of Rose’s breasts and leaned in whisper something in her ear. The bar was dim, and tendrils of darkness shot out from the nearest corner to their table, firmly disentangling the muscular demon from Rose. She stood up, pointed a finger at him, and then walked over to Malcolm.

The look on Rose’s face when she saw how close Fantasy was sitting to him was an echo of Malcolm’s own recent feelings. She folded her arms and looked at the other woman squarely.

“Malcolm,” she said. “Have you made friends with a new spryte?”

“Uh… Rose, this is Fantasy. Fantasy… Rose.”

“A pleasure,” said Fantasy, seeming undisturbed. “You know, I have a big bed back at my place. Perhaps the three of us…?”

“Enough, Fantasy,” said the bartender. “You’re as bad as Bicep. These two aren’t here to play games. Why don’t you give them some space and let me talk to them for a bit?”

“Scribe!” said Fantasy.

“If they’re at all interested, they still will be after. Don’t be clingy.”

Fantasy sighed, lifted her skirt, and then headed off to another corner of the tavern. Rose took the stool she’d been sitting in, smiling first at Malcolm, and then the bartender.

“Thank you,” said Rose. “And we’d be very interested in having a chat with you, miss…?”

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” said the bartender.

Rose looked surprised. The bartender grinned and set a mug of beer down in front of her.

“I’m Scribe,” said the bartender. “We’ve met before.”

CHAPTER 28

Malcolm watched as Rose slowly shook her head, her expression shifting into confusion.

“Do you mean… before I became a spryte?” she asked. “You knew who I was?”

“No,” said Scribe. “You come in between each of your episodes.”

“Each of my… episodes?” asked Rose.

Scribe laughed, and Malcolm felt a little angry at the chubby woman for being so flippant.

“The last one must have done a number on you, huh?” said Scribe. “Yeah, between each of your episodes. Most demons and sprytes have a couple per year. You know, when you lose yourself completely. Start destroying things, killing people. Getting wild.”

“And that’s… happened to me before?” asked Rose. “I mean, I knew something happened to my memory, but…”

“Each time it happens, you start over from square one, maybe with a few scraps of memory, maybe not.” Scribe shrugged. “It’s happened to everyone in here. It’s happened to me, even. Sucks to lose business at the tavern when it does.”

“Wait, how do you know all of this, then?” asked Rose.

Scribe nodded, smiling as though she’d been dying for Rose to ask the question.

“I’m a language spryte,” she said. “I keep a journal, and always remember about it after each episode.”

“Keeping a journal…” said Rose. “That’s genius.”

“Yeah, you’ve told me that before,” said Scribe. “You’ve even tried it yourself, before. A bunch of the others in here have, too. It’s all in my notes. Unless you’re particularly persistent about keeping it and making it a part of your life, you just forget about it during the episode.”

“Can I read these notes?” asked Rose. “At least… the ones about me.”

Scribe’s frowned, furrowing her brow and giving a small shake of her head.

“I don’t think you’d want to,” she said. “And I have a policy against it. For my own safety.”

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Malcolm reached over and set a hand on her shoulder.

“You okay?” he asked.

“There has to be more to it than that,” said Rose. “These… episodes of chaos. They must be linked to something. To sprytes and demons overusing their powers, or…?”

“That’s what made you a spryte in the first place,” said Scribe. “Now that you are one, it’s kind of like being unhinged. Like a kid that takes too much LSD and ends up seeing delusions for the rest of his life. There’s no going back.”

Rose drained her mug of beer. She held up a defiant finger, as though using it to counter what Scribe was saying.

“I don’t believe that,” she said. “And I don’t think you do, either. Why would you have an exclusive bar for sprytes and demons if you had to worry about them snapping at any time?”

“Because there’s good money in it, and I’m business minded,” said Scribe. “The Champion Authority isn’t very active in small towns like Vanderbrook. When our people flee the big cities where the champions have control, they come looking for places like this.”

“This is all just conjecture,” said Rose. “You don’t know for sure that there isn’t a way for us to live without having these… episodes, or whatever you call them.”

Scribe started laughing. She shook her head slowly, and waved a finger at Rose.

“We’ve had this conversation before, almost verbatim,” said Scribe. “It’s all in my notes. I write everything down. The reason we have episodes, the reason we became like this in the first place, is because of who we are. Our habits, our personalities… those don’t change, Rose. That’s the trap.”

“How can you believe that?” snapped Rose.

Scribe shrugged.

“They call us monsters,” she said. “Me? I think we’re just unlucky. When normal people without powers become ‘monsters’, there’s only so much damage they can do. We’re just better at it than they are.”

Rose glared at Scribe. She was about to say something else when a heavy hand settled on Malcolm’s shoulder and lifted him roughly off his stool.

“You aren’t a fucking spryte or demon,” said Bicep, holding him aloft. “I figured as much when I first saw you, but Bender says he recognizes you from the news. You’re a fucking champion.”

The bar went silent. A few other demons stood up. Malcolm thought that they were going to help break the fight up, but only until he saw their faces.

Uh-oh. I don’t think they take kindly to champions sneaking into their space.

“Let him go!” Rose pulled a couple of tendrils of shadow and tried to loosen Bicep’s grip.

He was stronger than he looked, which surprised Malcolm, and kept his hold. Another demon, a green skinned man with a long tongue, snuck up behind Rose and seized her by the arms.

“Hey!” shouted Malcolm. “Enough!”

“You don’t get to say when it’s enough!” snapped Bicep. “And besides, she’s one of us. When I’m done with you, I’m going to show her what she’s been missing out on, whether she likes it or not.”

Malcolm grabbed onto Bicep’s wrist with his free hand and felt the sudden, familiar tingle as he absorbed his power. The sensation spread through his entire body, and over the course of about five seconds, several hundred new muscles burst into existence under his skin.

It was enough for him to rip out of all his clothing but his boxers, like Bruce Banner turning into The Incredible Hulk. The stabilizer was still on his wrist, stretching slightly to accommodate his added bulk and probably sparing his life. Bicep stared at him in disbelief. Malcolm was taller now, too. His feet reached the floor, and his eyes were level with Bicep’s.

“Fuck you!” shouted Bicep. He tried to twist Malcolm to the ground. Malcolm slammed a shoulder into him, reaching out for the wind at the same time and throwing in a gust for extra power.

He flipped Bicep around, slamming him through a bar table. The green demon holding Rose tried to get an arm around her neck. Malcolm roared, feeling a sudden surge of bloodlust, and slammed his fist past Rose and into his head.

The green demon sailed across the bar, slamming into a brick wall and sliding down to the ground. Malcolm whirled, preparing to attack anyone else stupid enough to try him. Scribe jumped out from behind the bar, holding her hands up in the universal sign of surrender.

“Please!” she said. “The fight’s over! Please, don’t break anything else!”

“Where is the heat demon?” asked Malcolm. “Tell me!”

Why am I so angry right now? Is that part of this dude’s power?

“Hothead?” asked Scribe. “He just got into town a day or two ago. He was only in here for a minute. I swear, if I see him, I’ll get in touch with you! Just call the bar later and give me your number.”

“Malcolm…” Rose set her hand on one of his extremely muscled shoulders. Malcolm set his on top of it, and felt a surge as he absorbed her power in place of Bicep’s. He shrank back down to his normal size, feeling ridiculous in only his stretched-out boxers.

“Alright,” he said. “That… works. We’ll go now.”

He nodded to Rose, and the two of them hurried up the stairs.

The only thing that made the walk home bearable was the fog. Malcolm stayed close to Rose, and they both walked quickly. Besides the incident on their way out, he also knew that she’d be thinking about the things that Scribe had said.

“I don’t know if you should take her at her word,” he said, after a few minutes. “It sounds like she’s basing her assumptions off anecdotal evidence.”

“Maybe,” said Rose, in a quiet voice. “But maybe not.”

Malcolm wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“If I ever… have an episode,” said Rose. “And if it looks like I’m going to hurt, or kill people. I want you to be the one who does it.”

“Rose…”

“You’re a champion,” she said. “It’s your job. And I think… I’d rather have it be you than anyone else.”

“I’m not agreeing to that,” said Malcolm. “I think there is hope. We can find a solution, find a way to keep you from having another episode.”

“I don’t even remember,” whispered Rose. “How many people have I already killed, Malcolm?”

Again, he had no idea what to say. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

“I’m not giving up,” he said. “And if it does happen, I’ll chain you up in my bedroom, or something.”

Rose leaned her head from side to side and gave a tiny smile.

“I might like that, you know.”

CHAPTER 29

Malcolm put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt as soon as they were back in his apartment. Rose was folding her new wardrobe into neat piles when he came back out into the living room. She looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eye.

“So…” she said. “Do you want me to finish modelling my lingerie for you?”

Malcolm grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

She slipped into his room to change. Malcolm sat on the couch, and by the time she walked out in the skimpy underwear and fishnet stocking, he was already excited.

“I saw you eyeing that illusion spryte in the tavern, you know,” said Rose. “Do you think she can do for you what I can?”

Malcolm shook his head no, feeling a bit like a trained dog waiting on a treat. He decided to turn the tables a little bit as she walked toward him on the couch, pulling a gust of wind from behind her and knocking her into his lap.

“I think you’re falling for me,” he said, with a wink.

“You naughty boy.” She leaned in close, letting her hot breath tickle his neck. “Let’s see if you can make it through one of my lap dances without losing control early.”

Malcolm let out a low groan and ran his hands across her butt. His phone vibrated where it lay on the couch next to him, and he glanced over to see a text from Tapestry.

TAPESTRY: Are you up? I’m on my way over.

“Huh,” he muttered, picking up the phone.

“Let me guess,” said Rose. “Your champion mentor?”

“Yeah,” he said. “She said she’s on her way over but… I could always just pretend that I’m asleep.”

He ran his hands across Rose’s hips, feeling her grind her crotch against his hardness.

“No,” she said. “It’s okay. Be a good host for her. I’ll wait for you in your bedroom for when the two of you are… finished.”

Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“I don’t think that’s what she meant,” he said. “It’s not like that between us. Besides, weren’t you just complaining about the illusion spryte a minute ago?”

Rose pulled herself up and off Malcolm’s lap, to his disappointment.

“I told you, I only get jealous when it comes to other sprytes,” said Rose. “I don’t consider normal women, even champions, to be much of a threat.”

Malcolm gave a shrug, and Rose licked her lips. She waved her hand, summoning several strands of darkness that formed into a set of feminine hands and a pair of luscious lips. They started rubbing his crotch, the lips poised right in front of his bulge as though preparing smother his erection to climax.

“Point taken,” said Malcolm. “This shouldn’t take long. Are you going to be okay in the meantime, given that, uh, you haven’t had your focus activity today?”

Lamest euphemism for sex ever.

“I’ll manage,” said Rose. “And don’t worry… I’ll leave the lingerie on.”

There was a knock at Malcolm’s door. Rose immediately vanished into the shadows of his room. Malcolm stood up, adjusted his sweatpants to minimize the obviousness of his package, and let Tapestry inside.

She almost ran into his apartment. She had on a leather jacket, jeans, and what looked like cowboy boots. She looked him over and frowned at his state of readiness.

“Are you serious?” asked Tapestry. “Why aren’t you ready?”

“Ready…?” Malcolm frowned at her. “For what?”

“We don’t have time!” she snapped. “Just put shoes on and come as you are.”

“Hold on, just let me-”

“Malcolm!” Tapestry looked at him seriously. “It’s the heat demon! I got a report from one of the Champion Authority’s informants saying that he was heading out of town, toward the old coal mine.”

This could be my chance.

“Let’s go.” Malcolm grabbed the sweatshirt he’d lent to Rose earlier and threw it on. He followed Tapestry downstairs and out to her BMW, barely getting into the passenger seat before she peeled out of her parking spot.

“Here.” She passed the BMW’s aux cord over to him.

“What?”

“Put your music on!” she said. “You’re going to need to be at full strength for this.”

Malcolm shrugged and plugged in his phone.

Nine Inch Nails should work well enough as a chorus to battle, right?

“We’re going to have to play this carefully,” said Tapestry. “Malcolm, my powers haven’t fully recovered yet. I won’t be able to regenerate if I get hit.”

“You’re serious?” He blinked, realizing what that meant. “Tapestry, no offense, but what can you do without your regeneration?”

“Shoot a gun,” she said. “Here, I have an extra for you, too.”

She pulled open the center dash and brought out a pistol, which she passed over to Malcolm. His hand rested on hers as he accepted it, and felt a tingle as he absorbed her power. Malcolm pretended to be examining the weapon as he made a mental note to work on controlling his secondary ability more effectively.

The roads were mostly clear of other cars, and Tapestry only followed the speed limit until they reached the outskirts of town. As soon as they were on the open road, she floored it. It didn’t take long for the handiwork of their quarry to come into view.

Vanderbrook’s coal mine had basically been a massive, dirty hole in the ground not far from town. It’d never achieved all that much output, and the owner had abandoned it long before the coal was completely tapped out.

Malcolm could see it, or what it had once been, in the distance. A massive fire burned in the pit’s center, making the hole look like the site of an asteroid impact. The intensity of it reminded him of staring into the sun, and the car began to heat up as they drew closer.

Of course. Heat demon sets a fire there, absorbs more heat than he could find practically anywhere else.

“We’ll ditch the car here,” said Tapestry. “Our goal is to scout this out, Malcolm. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” he said, reluctantly. “But if I see a chance to get a shot off, I’m taking it. Tapestry, I have to.”

“Don’t be stupid!” she snapped. “I don’t have my powers right now, and your wind manipulation is practically useless against something like this. And as much as having a gun gives me peace of mind, I would be shocked if our bullets made it through that inferno without melting.”

Malcolm nodded. The two of them got out of the car, and he was a little surprised to see Tapestry immediately take off at full sprint. He set the wind on his back and caught up with her easily enough.

“Here!” he shouted. “Lengthen your strides!”

She did, and he extended the range of his ability, carrying her with him as they ran at high speed across the grass field, toward the coal mine inferno. Malcolm squinted and could just barely make out a shape at the center of the fire, arms pulled to the side, chest angled upward.

“Get down!” Tapestry threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him flat to the ground. The heat demon had just moved slightly. He let his arms fall and slowly turned in a circle, scanning the lip of the hole. If he saw them, he made no sign of it.

Malcolm’s forehead was slick with sweat from the heat of the flames. He wiped it away, frowning as he thought about what they were supposed to do to counter their opponent.

“His weakness has to be water, right?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” said Tapestry. “Maybe water, maybe cold. Those might only be functional weaknesses to him. We have no way of knowing.”

The heat demon turned suddenly, looking right at them. Tapestry froze.

“He can see us,” said Malcolm.

“No, I don’t think he can,” she replied.

The heat demon pulled his hand back. Both Malcolm and Tapestry stood up and tried to back out of the way, but it was too late. The demon releases a massive blast of flame in their direction, a fireball the size of a small car.

“Tapestry!” Malcolm saw the path of the blast and knew where it was headed. She was looking away from it, and it was too late for her to react.

Malcolm did the only thing he could do. Hitting himself hard from the side with a blast of wind, he threw himself into her, pushing her clear of fireball. It hit him instead, and felt every inch of his skin erupt with nerve searing pain before it became too much, and he blacked out.

CHAPTER 30

“Mom!” shouted Malcolm. “Danny!”

The house had been burning for a while. The only shards of smoldering wood that weren’t black and white with char and ash were the ones blown loose into the street. Even as a young teenager, he’d known that no mere fire had caused the destruction before him.

“Danny!” he shouted. “Mom!”

His throat was already hoarse from calling to them. The remnants of the family home were still giving off heat, even if the core fire had long since burned out. The ash hid hot coals underneath. Malcolm dug through it anyway, burning his hands.

He thought that if he could yell a little louder, or dig through in just the right spot, he could find them. He’d find them, and they’d be fine. Or alternatively, he’d find them, and then wake up. They couldn’t be dead, regardless of what lay in front of him.

Police cars and emergency vehicles flew down the street, making a mockery of his situation by passing right by him. He wanted to believe that it was a good sign, that maybe they knew something that he didn’t. He was crying, but there was too much ash caked on his hands for him to trust wiping the tears away.

His hands were burning from heat.

“Mom! Danny!”

***

Malcolm sat up, awaking from the dream. He was in an unfamiliar bed, and it took him a couple of seconds to think of the last thing he could remember.

I took a blast from that demon head on…

The door opened, and Tapestry stepped through it, dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants. She smiled at him when she saw that he was awake, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Good afternoon,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“To be honest…” he said. “Like I got my ass kicked.”

“You got it burned off, actually,” said Tapestry. “I thought you were dead, at first. When I realized that you weren’t… well, I barely managed to pull you back to the car.”

“How long was I out for?”

“Just the night and the morning,” said Tapestry. “It’s a little past noon.”

Malcolm groaned and leaned his head back on the pillow. He lifted the sheets up and realized that he was naked underneath. Tapestry seemed to sense his next question.

“Your clothes were burned off,” she said. “Good thing you left your phone in the car.”

“Jeez,” muttered Malcolm. He noticed that, somewhat surprisingly, he still had his stabilizer on his wrist, though it looked like it had been in the oven on broil for a couple of hours.

“Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “I need an explanation. I know you’re not a regenerator. The test we gave you at HQ when we first picked you up would have shown it.”

There’s no point in lying to her. And… I think I can trust Tapestry.

Malcolm chewed his lower lip. He slowly sat up in the bed again, letting the sheets slide down to his lap, making eye contact with Tapestry.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I should have told you when I first discovered it. I was just paranoid about how you, or more specifically, the Champion Authority, might react.”

“Tell me.” Tapestry sat down on the bed next to him and set a warm hand on his leg through sheets.

“I can absorb, or copy, the powers of other champions,” said Malcolm. “I’m not sure how I do it. I never really mean to. It happened at the school, too. That’s how my cheek healed so quickly.”

“Power mimicry,” muttered Tapestry. She looked worried, and closed her eyes for a couple of seconds.

“What’s wrong?” asked Malcolm.

“It’s considered to be an uncontrolled power, Malcolm,” she said.

He nodded, remembering how Rose had explained it to him.

“That’s bad?” he asked.

“It means that if I told Multi and the others about it, well, I’m not sure you’d be able to stay in Vanderbrook,” said Tapestry. “They’d probably take you somewhere, for study or… confinement.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” said Malcolm.

Tapestry rolled her eyes at him.

“No, Malcolm, it wouldn’t be much fun,” she said. “You need to be more careful with it. Be very aware of what you’re doing with your hands all the time. And if you do steal someone’s power, for the love of god, don’t use it openly.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to,” said Malcolm. “It just kind of happened. And regeneration is pretty nifty to have when you’re taking a fireball to the face.”

Tapestry smiled at him. She was still sitting on the bed, and the moment seemed to drag on, both of them just looking at each other. She was sitting on the bed, and he was naked under the sheets…

And then the door burst open, and Melanie charged into the room. Her eyes were red, as though she’d spent some time crying late into the night. Her gaze locked onto Malcolm, and she ran toward him, jumping onto the bed and giving him a tight hug.

“Oh Malcolm, I was so worried!” she said, rapid fire. “You saved Aubrey! And the condition you were in… I thought you were going to die! I couldn’t live with myself knowing that you died saving someone I love. I know how selfless you are, it was the same at the school! You don’t ever think of yourself, only others, and that’s what makes you so amazing!”

“Hi… Melanie,” said Malcolm.

She let up on the hug, pulling back a few inches, and put her hands on Malcolm’s shoulders. With the same speed that she usually unleashed torrents of words, she kissed him once on each cheek, and then full on the lips.

“Melanie!” snapped Tapestry.

The kiss went on for a long time. Melanie flashed a coy smile as she pulled back, caressing his cheek with one hand.

“I owe you more than just that,” she said. “Malcolm.”

“Young lady!” Tapestry stood up and literally shooed her out of the room. “That’s quite enough!”

Malcolm was laughing as she shut the door, as amused by their antics as he was pleased by the kiss. Tapestry shook her head and walked back over, sitting down in a spot even closer to him on the bed.

“My great granddaughter can be so irritating, sometimes,” said Tapestry. “She… has a crush on you, Malcolm.”

Tapestry looked as though just saying the words was enough to make her seethe. Malcolm shrugged.

“Is that a problem?” He met her eye as he asked the question, and the words brought tension into the room.

He expected Tapestry to shut him down immediately, the same way she always did every time he invited her up into his apartment. Her face was so earnest, so young, but there was a weight to the look in her eyes that was almost too much to handle. Curiously, she was also blushing a little.

“I guess that’s up to you,” she said.

Why does Tapestry have to be so confusing?

“Anyway, we need to get moving soon,” she continued. “I have some clothes you can wear. They’re my late husband’s, so they’re a little out of date, but I’ve kept them in good condition over the years.”

Malcolm nodded, her words reminding him of the real age gap between them.

“Right,” he said.

Tapestry didn’t move from where she was on the bed. She was staring at him. Malcolm shifted a little, letting the sheets fall until they’d almost slid down past his crotch. He leaned in closer to her, close enough to smell a hint of soap and perfume on her skin.

“I… should go get them,” said Tapestry.

“You should.”

Another second or two went by, and Tapestry finally rose from the bed. She disappeared out the door and returned a minute later. She placed the clothes on the ground just within the room, as though she was wary of what could happen if she came in any further.

CHAPTER 31

The clothes Tapestry had given him consisted of socks, tight fitting white briefs, a flannel shirt, and an ancient pair of Levi’s jeans. It wasn’t as bad as what he was expecting, though he did look vaguely outside of time as he examined his reflection in the mirror.

There was already food waiting for him in the kitchen. Tapestry made him take it to go, in sandwich form. Melanie said a quick goodbye to him with a hug, one that turned into a full-on embrace, and lasted long enough for Tapestry to start tapping her foot.

They left Tapestry’s house in the BMW and went straight to HQ. Malcolm’s thoughts turned back to the heat demon and how close they’d been to taking a shot at it.

We’d been close, but what could we have done? It’s a true monster, more than we could have handled.

“Let me do the talking,” said Tapestry. “Multi might be a little suspicious about the fact that I didn’t report in last night.”

“You haven’t told him anything about our encounter?” asked Malcolm.

“No.” Tapestry glanced over at him, frowning a little. “If I’d called him, he would have insisted that both of us come in immediately. And your secret would have been blown.”

Malcolm hesitated for a second before nodding, and Tapestry noticed.

“You aren’t hiding anything else from me, are you?” she asked.

“…No,” he said.

I don’t like lying to her, but I’m not about to turn the champions loose on Rose.

Tapestry pulled the BMW onto the dirt road that led to the dome. Multi was already outside when they parked, in full force. There at least seven copies of the balding man that Malcolm could see, most of them dressed in body armor and carrying firearms. It was like looking at a small battalion of identical twins.

Three of them were in the process of unfurling something that looked like a parachute. Malcolm got out of the car and started walking alongside Tapestry, wondering which Multi was the one they were supposed to report to.

“Finally,” said the middlemost Multi. “Why didn’t you report in last night?”

“I took a fire blast from the demon,” said Tapestry. “Malcolm managed to get me out of there, but he wasn’t sure of the route back to HQ.”

Multi frowned, but gave a slow nod. Malcolm fidgeted slightly, pulling his sleeve a little further over his charred stabilizer. If Multi saw that, they would both be caught in a lie.

An owl hooted overhead. Malcolm glanced up in time to see it swoop to ground level and shift its form. Morph, her hair done up in a bun and wearing a pair of recreation specs, hit the ground in a roll. She stood up and dusted herself off, nodding to Malcolm and Tapestry before reporting to Multi.

“No sign of smoke or any active fires in the area,” said Morph. “I wasn’t able to check the other side of Vanderbrook, though. It’s exhausting to stay airborne for so long.”

Multi nodded. He tapped a finger on his chin and then pulled out a cigarette, an action instantly mirrored by most of his nearby copies.

“Good work, Anna,” he said. “We have to find this fucker as soon as we possibly can.”

“From what I saw last night, I don’t think we’re going to stand a chance at taking him down, Multi,” said Tapestry. “This demon is really nasty. And he’s going to be carrying around enough heat to do some serious damage.”

“I agree,” said Multi. “That’s why we aren’t going to fight. Once we’ve found him, me and the other Multis will engage and do what we can to pull him away from Vanderbrook.”

Malcolm only barely managed to hold back his objection. He was planning on fighting the heat demon, regardless of whether the rest of the champions thought it was a good idea or not. He’d never been closer to vengeance, and he wasn’t ready to give up on it.

“Wind Runner,” said Multi. “I… apologize for having to put you in the field so early, with so little training, but we’re out of options.”

“What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“The heat demon is going to show himself again soon, either to burn something else down to build his strength, or to attack,” said Multi. “Either way, we can watch for the smoke. We need eyes in the sky constantly, and Morph can’t do it on her own.”

“Eyes in the sky?” asked Malcolm. “I can’t fly, Multi.”

“Not on your own, you can’t,” he said. “But… with something like a paraglider, I don’t think it should be much trouble.”

He gestured to the canvas canopy some of the other Multis were setting up.

“A paraglider…?” Malcolm frowned and shook his head. “Is it like a parachute, or something?”

“You can think of it like that, yes,” said Multi. “Except with enough wind, one of these will let you lift off from the ground, instead of just slowing your fall.”

Malcolm took a closer look at the canopy. The other Multis had spread it out on the ground and were in the process of untangling a harness. There was an image on the back of the paraglider itself of a woman in a bikini, holding up a peace sign and posing provocatively.

“We got it from a private seller,” said Multi. “It was the only one we could find. Usually they don’t sell to people who don’t have a special license, or certification.”

“And you think I’m just going to be able to strap this thing on and instantly start flying?” asked Malcolm.

Multi stared at him. He took a long drag from his cigarette and casually blew it into Malcolm’s face.

I guess that’s my answer.

“You’ll be fine,” said Multi. “Just be careful when landing. Tapestry, I want you to be Malcolm’s eyes on the ground. Get his phone set up so that he can stay in touch with you and report what he’s seeing.”

“Got it.” Tapestry disappeared into HQ. Malcolm walked over to the harness. He stood there and fumbled with it until one of the Multis begrudgingly helped him put it on.

Tapestry reappeared a few minutes later with a Bluetooth headset. She paired it with Malcolm’s phone and then had him put it on.

“See these buttons up here?” she said. “The top one will open the communication channel to me.”

“And the bottom one?” asked Malcolm.

“That controls your phone’s music app.” She smiled at him. “In case you need some of that wild rock and roll to get a recharge while you’re airborne.”

“Nobody calls it rock and roll anymore, Tapestry,” he said.

She sighed and shook her head. The Multis had finished strapping him into the harness and preparing the paraglider’s canopy. Everybody moved back a safe distance to watch.

“Alright,” said Malcolm. “So, what now?”

“You need to run into the wind to take off,” called Multi. “Can you arrange that?”

Malcolm shrugged. He could set up the conditions, but he was still skeptical about whether it would actually work. The paraglider was big, but the idea of generating enough lift continuously to keep himself up for very long was a little daunting.

“Just give it your best shot.” Tapestry’s voice came from the Bluetooth headset. “And keep your eyes out for smoke and fire.”

“Sure.” Malcolm took a breath to focus, and switched his headset over to one of Danny’s 90s playlists.

He held the paraglider’s main lines in his hands as he slowly started jogging forward, calling the wind toward him head on. It didn’t take long for the breeze to spread the canopy into position. Malcolm ran a little faster, and increased the strength of the wind. He lifted off the ground, missing a step. It almost felt like what he did when he was wind running, but with more upward pull.

His foot hit again. He took another few solid strides, noticing how close he was getting to the trees. Summoning all the wind that he could, Malcolm hit the paraglider’s canopy with a powerful upward burst.

He lifted off the ground. The speed at which he gained height was shocking, and soon, he was up over the trees. Malcolm felt his heart racing as he looked down at the other champions. They looked tiny and far off. Anna was waving to him, cheery as always. The Multis were smoking, a few of them already on their way back inside.

“Stay calm,” came Tapestry’s voice, over his headset. “Multi says that you’re high enough up to use regular air currents as well as your wind manipulation.”

“What does that mean?” asked Malcolm.

“It means that you should be careful about trying to do anything fancy,” said Tapestry. “Just keep yourself in the air and wait until you feel like you have control to start adjusting your flight path.”

The air currents were already taking him away from the dome, which soon disappeared amidst the forest. Malcolm could see Vanderbrook in the distance, the entire town seeming very self-contained from the height he was at. He looked directly down at the trees beneath him and tried not to think about what it would feel like to crash into them.

He still had Tapestry’s power, of course, which put him a little more at ease. Though, he suspected that regardless of whether he could heal from getting impaled by a tree branch, it would still be incredibly painful to endure.

“Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s what happens if I give myself a push.”

Malcolm pulled the wind toward him from behind, exactly as he would to give himself a speed boost on the ground. Immediately, the paraglider’s canopy lost form and buckled. He screamed, falling a dozen feet or so before switching the wind to come from below him instead of behind.

The canopy spread out again, and Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief, his heart pounding away in his chest. He made a mental note to never try to push himself directly forward, and tried to wipe the sweat off his palms.

CHAPTER 32

It took Malcolm a couple more minutes to get used to the feeling of paragliding, but once he had, he was in heaven. It was different from anything he’d done with his powers before, and it made him feel like he understood the wind.

Wind manipulation was less about pushing, and more about guiding. Air currents were like invisible rails, and the paraglider would follow them by default, all he had to do was make sure he was aimed in the right direction.

He was high enough up for the air to have a chill to it, and his teeth chattered from the cold, though he barely noticed.

“See anything?” asked Tapestry.

“There’s a small trail of smoke coming from the campgrounds to the north,” said Malcolm. “Probably nothing, but I’ll check it out anyway.”

“Be careful,” said Tapestry. “And pace yourself. Don’t use your powers more than you have to.”

“Right…” he said.

This is the best use for my powers that I’ve ever found. I deserve to play around a little, don’t I?

Malcolm pulled the wind in front of him and felt the paraglider pick up speed. He dipped lower, passing over Vanderbrook’s buildings, wondering if anybody on the street could see him. If they could, they wouldn’t think much of it. He was just a paraglider, up a little higher than normal.

He used his powers to swerve from side to side as he approached the campgrounds. As soon as he made it over the trees, Malcolm saw that it was just a man building a small campfire. He pulled the wind up from beneath him, rising higher and higher into the air.

“It’s nothing Tapestry,” he said. “I’m going to stay airborne for now, just in case something else turns up.”

“You should take a break soon,” said Tapestry. “Malcolm, it’s really not good for you to get in the habit of using your powers when you don’t need to.”

“I’m fine,” he said, grinning. “Quit worrying.”

He switched over to his music, and for a couple of minutes, thought of nothing other than the wind. Birds flew in flocks, occasionally coming close to him. He chased after them, and teased them with bursts of concentrated wind.

Malcolm knew that eventually he would find a way to fly without the paraglider. He would merge with the wind, move through it as a native. He had the power to do it, he just need more skill.

His heart pounded in his chest. He could feel something there, deep inside. It was almost like a second store of energy, a force waiting for him to reach out and take it. Malcolm knew that he wasn’t supposed to, and that it was off limits, but it was still there. He would be okay if he opened himself up to it, wouldn’t he?

I don’t have to follow the rules. I can live however I want, make whatever choices I want.

“Malcolm!” Tapestry’s voice was sharp over the headset. “Wind Runner! What is your status?”

“I’m… still keeping watch.” Malcolm pulled the wind upward, lifting even higher into the air. The town below looked like a satellite image, and the wind was roaring in his ears.

“You need to report back in,” said Tapestry. “It’s Morph’s turn. We aren’t risking you up there any longer.”

“…No,” said Malcolm.

He spun himself in a slow circle, angling the wind so that he leaned to the side.

“Wind Runner,” said Tapestry. “That’s an order from Multi. Get your head on straight.”

“Oh, I think I see another fire.” Malcolm switched back to his music. He used the wind to guide himself forward and down, feeling a rush of euphoria at the control he now had. It was addictive. He understood so much more about being gifted now, about the temptation and urge to merge with his powers.

He could hear something, a whisper in the air. The wind was calling to him. Malcolm felt hazy, like he was trying to make out important words in a dream he was on the verge of waking up from. The wind was calling to him, and he suddenly knew why.

Malcolm reached across his harness, touching where the straps secured him in. He didn’t feel any fear or trepidation as he released the buckle. He still hung from his shoulders, the harness holding him under his armpits.

“Malcolm!” cried Tapestry. “Report! What’s your current status?”

He took off the Bluetooth headset, unhooked it from his phone, and threw it into the open air. Malcolm was grinning from ear to ear, feeling a sudden rush of euphoria and confidence. He’d only been toying with what he could really do for the past few days. It was time for him to become who he was meant to be.

Malcolm lifted his hands over his head. The wind did the work for him, ripping the paraglider back like a balloon wrenched loose from a child’s grip by a strong gust. He fell, but only for a couple of seconds. He could sense the air currents, and using his wind manipulation, he coaxed them into action.

His shirt flapped against his chest wildly. He couldn’t hear anything. For a couple of seconds, the ground surged up toward him, and even in his manic state, Malcolm felt terrified. Then, the wind cooperated, submitting to his demands. Malcolm flew, slicing through the air, pulling up and away from the trees before he reached them.

He shifted, leaning back and turning in a slow flip, the pleasure of each movement more intoxicating than any drug. Malcolm’s skin was cold, but he was sweating from the exertion. He was using his powers more than he ever had before. And there was nothing wrong with that. He would use his powers, and live on his own terms.

We both can. Rose and me. She’ll be my queen, and they’ll never be able to stop us.

He was on his way back into Vanderbrook, the town’s buildings illuminated by the setting sun. Malcolm could feel the wind shifting and dancing. It was playful, and it called to him even as he tried to recollect his senses and get back to reality.

Malcolm saw his apartment. It took all the willpower he had to circle over it, slowly dropping lower and lower, listening to the reactions of pedestrians as they witnessed him descending. He landed on the sidewalk nearby, and had to suppress a sudden urge to throw up.

No, I’m fine. I can go my own way now.

He headed up into his apartment, wanting nothing more than to find Rose and be free.

CHAPTER 33

Rose was still in bed with the curtains pulled tight over the window. She sat up immediately when he came in through the door. She was still wearing the lingerie she’d promised to leave on for him, and she had a wicked smile on her face.

“Rose,” said Malcolm. “I’m back.”

She stood up from the bed and slowly walked into the living room, bearing the sunlight without complaint.

“I take it you had an interesting night,” she said, nodding to his clothes. “Care to share the details?”

“I’ll share more than just that,” he said. “I want to share it all with you, Rose. I’m free now. I… I get it.”

He extended his hand, wiggling his fingers at the couch. All three of its cushions lifted into the air. Malcolm twisted his hand, juggling them around each other, controlling them with powerful, accurate bursts of wind. He dropped them and picked Rose up instead, tumbling her through the air and placing her back on her feet next to him.

“What are you doing, Malcolm?”

“I understand!” he said. “Rose, we can do whatever we want! The champions can’t control me anymore! We can be together now! We can leave Vanderbrook… Right after we kill the demon.”

“Malcolm,” Rose said, in a calm voice. “Did you take off your stabilizer, somehow?”

He lifted his arm up and pulled the sleeve down, showing her the charred remains of it. Rose massaged her temples and sighed.

“You need to get a grip,” she said. “Right now. What you’re talking about isn’t what you really want.”

“How would you know?” asked Malcolm. “What I want is you, Rose. And I know I can have you.”

He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. Rose didn’t stop him, but the fierce look in her eyes made it clear that she was prepared to, if need be.

“I remember more about them, now,” she said. “The stabilizers have a control device that helps keep champions from being able to binge on their powers and accidentally turn themselves into sprytes and demons. If you keep doing what you’re doing… you’re going to end up like me.”

“Is that really such a bad thing?” Malcolm kissed her neck. Rose pushed him back roughly.

“Yes,” she said. “And not just for you. Think of all the people who you could hurt if that happened.”

“I wouldn’t hurt anybody,” he said, feeling suddenly defensive. “And it’s not like I couldn’t fight it, and try to stay in control. We’d be strong, and we could help each other survive. We could be together, Rose. Don’t you see?”

“I see more than just that,” said Rose. “And I’m also thinking more clearly right now than you are. Malcolm, you’re about to make a really fucking stupid mistake.”

“I disagree completely,” he said. “Now come here. We still have time to have some fun.”

Malcolm reached out, pulling Rose against him. She felt soft and perfect, and lust surged through his loins. He kissed her, but she kept her lips flat against his.

And then suddenly, he was on the floor, knocked back a half dozen feet by one of Rose’s shadow assisted pushes. It was just dark enough outside to leave apartment partially in shadow, strengthening her powers.

“You have no idea what it’s like to be a monster,” said Rose, in a cold voice. “What it means to feel corrupted all the time, addicted to using your powers.”

She reached out with tendrils of shadow and lifted Malcolm up, holding him with all four limbs outstretched.

“Then tell me,” he said. “Or show me, if you can.”

“Show you?” She let out a mocking laugh. “I’ve been trying to keep you from seeing it, Malcolm. Making a fool of myself to maintain, just so I could keep using you for another day.”

…What?

Her words were like cold water on the flames of his manic state. He suddenly didn’t care about flying, or playing with the wind, or anything other than what Rose had just said.

“Malcolm…” said Rose, her voice turning poisonous. “Why do you think you’re still alive right now? You’ve been sharing your apartment with an evil, dangerous spryte for the past couple of days…”

“Rose…” Malcolm shook his head. The intensity of the conversation had done something to her. Her eyes were darkened, the whites pushed out by deep black, and shadows clung to her body like veils.

“Do you think I spared you because I cared about you?” asked Rose. “Or because I just enjoyed the sex that much? Does that seem likely to you?”

Malcolm summoned the wind, trying to knock her off balance. She anchored herself in place, unmovable against even his fiercest attack. She slowly drew him in closer, pulling the tendrils toward her until Malcolm was hanging from his bonds directly in front of her.

“You’re my little champion,” whispered Rose. “My inside man. My shield against field champions, willing to lie and obfuscate to throw them off my trail. And you won’t be able to do that if you lose their trust.”

“I… don’t believe you,” said Malcolm.

“Good,” said Rose. “That means you’re learning. I’d have thought the champions would have a clear policy against trusting sprytes.”

She held him just inches away from her. Malcolm stared into her eyes and saw only blackness staring back at him. The room was charged with emotion, but not in the way he would have expected. Rose’s body language was open and easy, almost as though…

Wait… Her focus activity. It’s been almost a full day… She’s losing control!

“Rose!” said Malcolm. “Hold on! You have to fight against it! You’re losing touch!”

“I’m more in touch with myself than I have been in a long time,” said Rose. She kept him in the same position. Malcolm saw the chance he had, and took it.

“Really…?” He whispered the word, leaning in and letting his breath tickle her neck. “Rose…”

She shivered slightly, and Malcolm slowly brought his lips up to hers. He didn’t kiss her immediately, instead letting the tension build until it was about to explode. His lips brushed against hers…

And the door slammed open. Tapestry was suddenly in the room, launching a vicious front kick into Rose’s chest and pulling Malcolm back.

“No!” he shouted.

“You…!” Rose pulled herself back to her feet, darkness swirling around her as though she’d opened a gateway to a dimension without light.

“Malcolm, get behind me!” shouted Tapestry. She had her gun out, and was taking aim.

Rose launched one of her tendrils directly at Tapestry. Tapestry fired, the sound of it deafening to Malcolm’s ears. He summoned the wind, trying to defuse the situation by keeping the two of them distracted.

He looked over at Rose, and she made eye contact with him for a moment. Her eyes were, for an instant, back to normal. There were tears in them. Rose blinked, and the darkness took hold again. She threw the full force of her shadow power at Malcolm and Tapestry, not attacking or killing, but demonstrating.

Tendrils of shadow surged by him, coming within inches of his face and neck. Tapestry was still trying to take aim at Rose, but she couldn’t see, let alone manage to hold her arm steady to get a shot off.

Malcolm heard the sound of a window shattering, and then she was gone. Her aura of darkness followed behind her, and so did he. He sprinted toward the opening, summoning the wind and preparing to leap outside to follow her.

“Malcolm!” Tapestry pulled him back from the window and wrestled him down to the ground. “Are you insane? You’re going to get yourself killed!”

I can’t lose her. Not like this…

“No!” Malcolm struggled, trying to push Tapestry off. She was straddling him, and pinned his arms to the floor with surprising strength. He bucked his hips, trying to throw her loose.

“Malcolm!” Tapestry slapped him hard across the face, stunning him. Malcolm stopped fighting against her, leaning his head back against the floor. He closed his eyes and let out a slow, shaky breath.

CHAPTER 34

Tapestry moved through his apartment like a professional, taking stock of the situation. She locked and bolted the front door and found a piece of cardboard in Malcolm’s closet to put in place of the broken window. She took out Malcolm’s phone while he was still on the ground, and after muttering to herself for a minute about how to get it working, managed to play some of his music for him.

“This is partially my fault,” said Tapestry. “I knew that your stabilizer had taken damage in the explosion. I just thought that it would be better to wait until we could replace it without Multi having to know.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Malcolm. “I let myself go off the deep end. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He ran his hands through his hair, feeling more annoyed with himself than he ever had before in his life. Not only had he come close to losing control, he’d also triggered Rose and scared her off in the process. And this time, he didn’t think she was coming back.

I am so fucking stupid. She was trying to do better, to not give in to her spryte side. And I went and messed it all up.

“Hey,” said Tapestry. She sat down next to him on the couch. “It’s okay. You’re still you, Malcolm. Nothing’s changed.”

She reached over and squeezed his hand. Malcolm looked over and saw the concern on her face. He was glad she was there.

“Thanks,” he said. “Have Multi or Morph gotten in touch with you?”

“I told them that we were calling off the search for tonight,” said Tapestry. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

She’d found a broom in his closet, and was sweeping the floor in front of the window. Malcolm watched her work, contemplating what to do next.

I can’t find Rose if she doesn’t want to be found. And if she meant what she said… about using me… maybe I shouldn’t bother worrying about her.

“Malcolm.” Tapestry emptied the dustpan in the garbage can and walked back over to him. “I know you’re still recovering from all you’ve been through today, but I have to ask. Why was there a spryte in your apartment?”

Malcolm gave a slow shrug. He didn’t have to lie to her this time.

“I don’t know,” he said.

He didn’t know, honestly, how things had ended up the way they had with Rose. Had he just been naïve and foolishly hopeful to think that she could coexist with him? Or had it been hormones, the fact that she was beautiful and open to his advances?

He looked up and saw that Tapestry was still watching him, waiting for something more. Malcolm gave her an apologetic smile and leaned back on the couch, wanting nothing more than to sleep, while knowing that he probably wouldn’t be able to.

“I already texted Melanie to let her know that I’m here,” said Tapestry. “I’ll stay with you tonight, Malcolm. In case anything else happens.”

“Thanks.” He smiled at her. “I appreciate it, Aubrey.”

Malcolm choosing to use her real name had an interesting effect on her. Tapestry blinked a couple times and then smiled, a very slight blush rising to the surface in her cheeks.

“I can cook dinner, if you want,” she said. “And if you don’t mind, dessert, too. I need to do some baking.”

“Be my guest,” said Malcolm. “Though I can’t promise I have all that much for you to work with.”

He sat with her in the kitchen while she worked. It felt strange watching someone new pulling out pans and rifling through his fridge.

“I feel like a child,” said Malcolm. “Sorry for making you baby me like this.”

Tapestry smiled at him.

“Don’t be,” she said. “You’ve been a champion for what? Three days? It took me a year to really come into myself after I got my powers.”

Malcom let his eyes linger on hers for a moment.

“Tell me about it,” he said. “Really. I want to hear.”

Tapestry seemed to consider it for a moment before giving a slow nod. She looked so young, and yet her expression held so much depth and maturity.

“It was like waking up from a dream,” she said. “I’m not sure how else to explain it. I wasn’t fully lucid for the last, well, decade or so, before I discovered my gift.”

“Wow…” said Malcolm. “That must have been really hard.”

Tapestry shrugged.

“Not for me,” she said. “For the people around me, I’m sure it was. For Melanie, and her brother Miles, and her mother, who was my granddaughter…”

Her expression grew forlorn, and she turned back to cooking dinner.

“Melanie told me that… they were killed,” said Malcolm. “That you lost most of your family in a demon attack.”

Tapestry nodded.

“Some kind of earthquake demon,” she said. “Destroyed a bridge. Killed hundreds of people stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.”

I’m just drudging up her bad memories. Maybe I shouldn’t ask anymore…

“I wanted revenge too, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “Eventually… I realized that it’s not something that will change anything. It won’t bring anyone back.”

He didn’t say anything to that. While he didn’t disagree with her, Malcolm wasn’t prepared to give up on his vengeance, especially not with how close he was to it.

“There’s more to life than fighting,” continued Tapestry. “That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned since getting my powers.”

Malcolm walked over to the counter, standing next to Tapestry as she split her attention between the chicken sizzling in the pan and a bowl of cookie dough.

“Is there, though?” he asked. “I feel like I was given my powers to change the world. To make it better for people. Assuming I was given them for a reason.”

She smiled knowingly at him.

“I think there is,” she said. “I don’t embrace my religion as much as I used to, but I still believe. Everything happens for a reason, Malcolm.”

She turned a spoon over in the cookie dough. Her eyes had a faraway look to them, and it captivated Malcolm’s attention.

“Those first few months after I got my powers were deeply spiritual for me,” said Tapestry. “Did… Melanie tell you much about them?”

“She said something about you aging backward,” he said.

Tapestry nodded.

“I probably lost about a year each day. Nobody had any idea what was going on. I didn’t think it was going to stop until I… well, passed the 98^th day and went back to the time before I was born.”

“Jesus…”

“Melanie was there with me,” said Tapestry. “Encouraging me. Supporting me. Caring about me, even when she couldn’t understand what I was going through, or how it was going to end.”

The food was almost done. Tapestry turned the burners off, shifting her full attention back to Malcolm. He stared at her, sensing how much she cared about him and feeling a little exposed.

“You were alone before this started,” said Tapestry. “Weren’t you?”

The question caught him a little off guard. Malcolm chewed his lower lip, glancing down at the floor.

“I guess,” he said. “I don’t know. I never really felt like I needed anyone else.”

“You can trust me, Malcolm. To be here, with you.”

She stepped in closer to him, pulling him into a hug. Her body felt so soft against his. Her figure was petite, and there was something ironically girlish about it.

“I do trust you,” he said.

Malcolm kept her against him, even as they pulled back slightly. He let his hand slide up her cheek. The air between them pulsed with the tension of the moment. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

CHAPTER 35

Tapestry looked completely and utterly caught off guard.

“You just kissed me,” she said, almost making it sound like a question.

“I did.” Malcolm smiled, and went in for another.

She held up a hand, pressing it to his lips. She kept it there for a second, and then slowly let it drop, allowing his lips through. He kissed her again, and felt her kiss back. It went on for longer this time, but again, she pulled back.

“I’m old enough to be your-”

Malcolm kissed her again before she could finish. Tapestry let out a soft, slow moan as he ran his hand down her back, pulling her more tightly against him.

“You’re young again, Aubrey,” he said. “And when you’re young, certain things just… happen.”

Malcolm groped at her butt and pushed his crotch forward. He was incredibly turned on, and suddenly felt as though he needed to have her. He tried not to think about whether it was out of a true attraction to Tapestry, or a need to fill the hole of losing Rose. He could think about that later.

“You’re…” Tapestry slid her hand between his legs, her expression shifting to shock as she felt his hard bulge. “Already? We just started kissing?”

“Have you forgotten what young men are like?” asked Malcolm. “You should take it as a compliment.”

“Malcolm!” she said, sounding offended by his tone, if not his words.

“Tapestry,” he replied. “Aubrey.”

He gave her a deep, passionate kiss, lifting one of her legs so he could grind his hardness into her crotch. Tapestry was wearing jeans, and he lets his fingers play over the button and zipper.

“We’re coworkers,” whispered Tapestry. Malcolm kissed her neck, and she let out a tiny, pleased moan.

“We’re all alone,” he whispered. “In my apartment.”

He groped at her breasts. They were on the small side, but each a solid handful, and very perky. Tapestry bucked her hips forward against him. It was all the encouragement he needed.

Malcolm spun Tapestry around and bent her over the counter. He unzipped her jeans and pulled them down roughly, and then almost burst out laughing.

“Interesting choice,” he said, eyeing the very modest, old fashioned pair of panties she had on.

She glared at him over her shoulder, blushing furiously.

“I suppose if you don’t like them, you should just… take them off me.”

“With pleasure.” Malcolm slid his fingers into the waistband, teasing her for a couple of seconds before sliding them down. Tapestry’s butt was amazing, and he had to take a couple of seconds to pull his jaw up off the floor before doing anything else.

“Malcolm,” she said. “This feels…”

“How does it feel?” Malcolm had his jeans and boxers down. He pulled her legs open a little wider from behind, pushing the tip of his erection into position.

Tapestry shivered.

“Well?” asked Malcolm, sliding into her slowly. “How does it feel?”

Tapestry either couldn’t answer, or didn’t want to. She leaned her head forward against the counter. Malcolm slid in deeper, running one hand through her hair while the other groped at her breasts.

She was tight, almost painfully so, but she was also wet and ready for him. Malcolm slowly started pumping into her, feeling her butt jiggle slightly with each thrust. Tapestry’s body was lean and athletic, and it made it all that much more pleasurable and active.

“Oh god, Malcolm!” she moaned. “Oh…”

He built up a rhythm, keeping her pinned as he unleashed the onslaught of his tool. Tapestry braced herself against the counter, pushing back. She only had on a t-shirt, and it made her look like a slutty college student, bending over to let a frat bro have his way with her.

Malcolm pulled back a little too far and missed her hole on a forward thrust. Tapestry rubbed his leg and spun around, kissing him and making an adorable attempt to go on the offensive. Malcolm let her control the pace for a second, cupping her cheek and kissing her gently, and then grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her into the air.

“Oh!” cried Tapestry.

She was small enough for Malcolm get inside while holding her, but that wasn’t what he had in mind. He carried her into the living room, and the two of them collapsed onto the couch, Tapestry underneath him.

It only took a second for him to get going again, and then they were moving together. The pace of it was faster this time, Tapestry bucking her hips to meet his thrusts. She draped her arms over his neck and buried her head against his shoulder, squealing as Malcolm ruthlessly pounded her.

“Oh god!” Tapestry let out a couple of shaky, quick breaths, and had one of the cutest orgasms Malcolm had ever seen.

He slowed down, slowly sliding his rod in and out of her tight hole. It almost felt like she was stroking him off, but wetter and hotter. He went slow, giving her a break, and after a minute of edging himself up, he reached his limit.

“Aubrey,” he moaned. “Mmm…”

He wanted to pull out and do the sensible thing, but it didn’t happen in time. Tapestry had recovered enough from her orgasm to make an annoyed face, but it was halfhearted. Malcolm luxuriated in the pleasure, embracing her with his tool still inside, the two lying together on the tiny couch.

“Maybe I have forgotten what young men are like,” whispered Tapestry.

“Well,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chances in the near future to remember.”

She smiled at him, and then frowned.

“I probably shouldn’t tell Melanie about this,” she said.

“She’s not stupid. She’ll probably figure it out even if you try to keep it secret.”

“Maybe,” said Tapestry. “Maybe not.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. Malcolm sighed and tried to empty his mind.

What was the point of this? Do I feel something for her that’s real, or am I just mad at Rose?

He couldn’t answer his own questions, and decided not to try to, at least not yet. He closed his eyes and accepted the peace he and Tapestry had found… for a couple of seconds.

“Is that… smoke?” he asked, sniffing the air. Tapestry blinked her eyes open and furrowed her brow.

“That’s definitely smoke,” she said. “Do you think…?”

“The heat demon!” finished Malcolm.

He jumped up from the couch and gathered his clothes.

CHAPTER 36

“Malcolm, we won’t stand a chance against it. Think about what we’ve seen this demon do!”

Tapestry stood in front of the door, her clothes back on and arms outstretched.

“I am thinking about what I’ve seen it do,” said Malcolm.

The aftermath of what it did to my family. I saw that.

“You’re going to get yourself killed!” she hissed. “Multi’s strategy is solid. We should focus on luring it out of town, away from people. Once we have it isolated, we can call in help from the Champion Authority to put it down.”

Malcolm forced himself to take a deep breath. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he wasn’t sure whether it was from fear, or excitement. It was the emotion of vengeance, and there was something unique and determined about it.

“Tapestry, I’m going out there,” he said. “You can either come with me, or get out of my way.”

She glared at him, but relented.

“Promise me,” she said. “That you won’t attack. At least not right away. Give me time to call in Multi and Morph. We can still make the strategy work.”

“I promise,” said Malcolm.

Fingers crossed. Sorry, Tapestry.

The two of them headed out onto the street and followed the smoke. It wasn’t hard, especially as they drew closer and heard the sounds that went with it. Malcolm could hear the scraping of metal, like a car crash. He could also hear the roar of fire and, of course, the screams.

He started to round the final corner when Tapestry grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. She brought his face in close to his. Malcolm briefly thought she was going to kiss him, but instead, she just whispered something.

“We split up,” she said. “Head the demon off from both directions. We watch it, and wait for the others to get here.”

Malcolm nodded, though he had his own ideas. Tapestry doubled back down the street. He knew it would take her at least a minute to get into position. He licked his lips.

The heat demon stood in the center of one of Vanderbrook’s largest streets, basking in mayhem. The monster wore a jacket with a hood, which it kept over its head. A half dozen bodies, along with at least twenty charred and mangled cars, were displayed around it in a circle. Fires blazed inside all the nearby buildings, and everywhere, people were screaming.

Malcolm took a deep breath and swallowed. Many of those people, or at least their loved ones, would go on to live with the same emptiness that he’d lived with for the past five years. He wasn’t alright with that.

He broke into a sprint, pushing himself forward with the wind, knowing that he’d only get a single chance at what he intended. He was approaching the demon from its blind side, which meant that he got a free hit. All he needed to do was make it count.

Malcolm manipulated the wind, calling several sharp, steel shards from one of the mangled cars. For a moment, he swirled them around him, as though he was standing at the center of a tiny tornado. Then, drawing within a dozen paces of the demon, he threw his hand forward, and the metal shrapnel along with it.

The heat demon reacted faster than Malcolm would have thought possible. It spun, turning to face Malcolm and sweeping up a hand. The air wavered with heat, melting the metal into molten puddles. The demon’s hood blew back from the wind, and Malcolm saw its face. He stared, in disbelief, at the face of his own brother.

“Finally!” shouted Danny. “Fucking shit, Malcolm. I’ve been trying to draw you out for days now! Thought you’d never take the hint!”

CHAPTER 37

Malcolm shook his head slowly, too stunned by the revelation to think, let alone act. Danny’s face had been easy for him to remember, given how many photos his brother had left on the internet in his wake. The dark eyes, the strong jaw, the undeniable features of his brother Danny.

It was hearing his brother’s voice that shook him to the core, along with Danny’s manner of speaking. He swore a lot. He was a fan of crude puns and playful insults. He was an asshole, which most people who’d known him would have openly admitted. And he was standing right in front of Malcolm.

“Come on, little bro,” said Danny, chuckling. “Don’t look so fucking surprised! You remember how tough I was! Shouldn’t have given up on me.”

“Danny…” Malcolm forced himself to breathe, focusing back on the situation at hand. “What are you doing here? You… can’t be doing this.”

Danny laughed and walked in closer. It was only then that Malcolm saw the features that weren’t a part of his memory of his brother. Danny’s skin was a light shade of red, as though he’d gotten a sunburn over his entire body. His skull underneath his black hair was misshapen. Tiny, spike like bumps pushed up against the skin, giving him the appearance of having a demonic crown.

“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 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 building 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.

My track record’s pretty good so far. More than a week in and I’ve still got my faculties intact.

The gap between the hospital and the bank was perhaps a hundred feet, and Malcolm was on a trajectory to land on the other building’s roof. He considered whether it was the best course of action for a moment, and then shifted routes, burning off height and angling for a third story window instead.

As he came within the last few feet of the window, Malcolm multitasked, still guiding his path with the wind while also using a directed burst of it to knock out the window frame. It came loose with a satisfying pop, and fell to the floor without shattering.

Malcolm followed right behind it, tucking and rolling, and then banging clumsily into a desk. He pulled himself to his feet once he was disentangled. Tapestry was saying something over the earpiece.

“I’m approaching the front entrance,” she said. “I’m going to see if I can negotiate with them.”

“Perfect,” whispered Malcolm. “I’m already inside. I’ll get as many people out as I can while you keep them distracted.”

“Give me a headcount, if you can,” said Tapestry. “Of both the robbers and the hostages.”

“Got it.”

Malcolm glanced around the room. There were a couple of people hiding under desks. He waved them over to him and spoke in a hushed voice.

“I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” He smiled reassuringly. “None of you are scared of heights, are you?”

“I am,” whispered a woman, tall and a little chubby.

“It’s okay,” said Malcolm. “The police already have a net set up and everything. Here, take a look.”

He gestured for her to look out the window. The woman did, glancing down at the street below, where there clearly was not a net or any sort of police presence. Malcolm set his hand on her shoulder and pushed before she could back away.

Using the wind, he created a cushion for her, making her drop an entirely gentle affair, outside of the woman’s terrified scream. Malcolm chuckled and gestured for the next employee, a redheaded man, to step up to the window.

“Oldest trick in the book,” he said. “Are you good to jump, or…?”

The man didn’t even hesitate. Malcolm lowered him down as well, and turned around to see that the last employee, a younger woman with brown hair and freckles, had been taken hostage. A gunman had a pistol pressed against her temple. Silent tears rolled down the woman’s cheeks, and her eyes were blank.

“Whoa…” said Malcolm. “Hey, come on man. You don’t want to do that. Just talk to me.”

“Fuck you,” said the robber. “Enough with this bullshit. You can’t help me. And maybe I do want to do this. How would you know?”

Malcolm shrugged.

“I was saying you don’t want to do that because champions work in teams of two,” he said. “And my partner is standing right behind you.”

The gunman glanced over his shoulder at the very empty hallway behind him. Malcolm slammed into him with the wind, knocking loose both the gun and the girl. He grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her into the room, wondering if he had time to get her out the window before engaging the robber.

“I honestly can’t believe you fell for that,” said Malcolm. “It’s not the oldest trick in the book, but it’s got to be pretty… close.”

The robber pulled a second firearm out from the back of his waistband, larger and more intimidating than the first. He took aim. Malcolm moved without thinking, falling to the ground and pulling the girl with him.

He flattened himself down on top of her, his back awkwardly pressing into her chest. Using his wind manipulation at full strength, Malcolm focused on the barrel of the gun and created a tiny but extremely powerful current of wind. The robber opened fire, and the first bullet missed by a couple of inches.

It wasn’t because his aim had been bad. Malcolm could, with intense focus, redirect the paths of bullets. It only worked if he could predict their trajectory ahead of time, however, and it took all the wind power he could muster.

It felt a bit like lifting something heavy. Malcolm’s gift, when it had first manifested, reminded him of having an invisible muscle, hovering in the air around him. He could use it as he pleased, but it took energy, will, and practice to do anything useful.

The robber continued firing, unloading bullet after bullet. Frustratingly, the man also began to adjust his aim to compensate for Malcolm’s trick, something that he had hoped would go unnoticed. Malcolm shifted the direction of the wind current, pressing himself back against the girl hard as though she were auditioning to be a pancake.

The gunman paused. Malcolm lifted one of his hands up, ready to make another appeal to the man’s sense of self preservation. Before he could say anything, the robber fired again.

The bullet ripped through Malcolm’s palm, tearing a gory hole into the center of it. Malcolm stared at the wound in disbelief. The woman underneath him started screaming, and the robber took off down the hallway.

“God dammit, that smarts!” Malcolm grimaced, only relaxing as he noticed his second, hidden power going to work on fixing the damage.

It was rare for a champion to have more than one superhuman power, and even rarer to have a power with as much flexibility as power mimicry. Malcolm could absorb the abilities of other champions and monsters just through touching them.

Tapestry, one of the few who knew his secret, was more than willing to let him borrow her regeneration whenever the two of them were required to head into dangerous situations. Malcolm watched as threads of muscle and tendons stitched themselves back together. The wound was painful, but not to the extent of crippling him or keeping him from engaging in pursuit.

“Stay here!” he shouted to the woman. “I’ll be right back!”

Malcolm charged out into the hallway, and almost instantly, more gunshots began ringing out. He cursed, dropping to a crouch. The robber was blind firing from a room down the hallway, but the danger was still real enough. His borrowed regeneration ability could only sustain so much damage before short circuiting. It didn’t make him invincible.

“Come on, man!” shouted Malcolm. “This is pointless! You can’t hold out all day.”

“Fuck you!” shouted the man. “I have plenty of ammo, no reason why I can’t.”

He fired another shot around the corner, which Malcolm deflected with the wind. He could feel the euphoria and head rush from overusing his powers slowly settling in, and knew he needed to bring the situation to an end as soon as he could.

Instead of doing the obvious thing and charging forward into the man’s line of fire, Malcolm doubled back to the first room he’d come into. He moved over to the window, climbed out the edge of it, and planted his foot on the building’s outer wall.

Malcolm started running along the wall, pushing his body with the wind to keep his feet in contact. It was one of the very first tricks he’d learned, and on top of looking like something out of a video game, it gave him a huge advantage in mobility over normal humans.

Soon enough, he was peering in through the window of the room the robber was holed up in. Malcolm resisted the urge to smash through the glass, instead testing to see if the window was unlocked. It was, and he slowly slid it open.

The robber was facing the other way, and didn’t notice the noise. Malcolm grinned, feeling a bit like a child playing a practical joke. He lashed out with the wind and stripped the pistol from the man’s hand. The robber turned around, face horrified. Malcolm winked at him.

“Oh, too bad,” he said. “And now, it’s my turn to be one who-”

He cut off in midsentence as Tapestry charged into the room behind the gunman, tackling him to the ground.

I do all the heavy lifting, and she gets the reward. Not fair.

Malcolm quickly helped the remaining employee out the window and then hurried to Tapestry’s aid. She was about half the size of the man, but already had him in some kind of wrestling submission hold, with enough energy left over to flash a smile at Malcolm.

“I disarmed the other one, but he took off down the street,” she said. “He was headed north. Think you can catch up with him?”

Malcolm smiled back at her.

“Oh, I think so,” he said. “You’ve got this guy handled?”

Tapestry twisted, pulling at one of the robber’s arms. The man was easily six feet tall, two hundred pounds, and let out a squeal that would have seemed dramatic coming from a little girl.

“I’m good,” she said.

CHAPTER 2

Malcolm burst out the same window he’d come in through, twisting into a slow front flip for the benefit of the gathering crowd below before landing in the street. He oriented himself so that he was headed north and took off with easy, wind assisted steps, each one covering at least twenty feet.

It was a minute or two before he found his quarry. The bank robber was wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up, but still stood out from the regular pedestrians. He glanced over his shoulder at Malcolm and split off into an alleyway.

As though that’s going to help him escape…

Malcolm didn’t run, instead standing in the alley and waiting for the man to pass by a couple of metal trash cans. He pushed at them with the wind, knocking one of them in front of the robber who tripped with a loud, metal crash.

“Ow!” screamed the man. “You fucking asshole!”

Malcolm stopped in his tracks. The voice was familiar, and the sound of it was enough to make him completely forget what he was supposed to be doing.

“…Danny?” Malcolm drew in closer. The man was pulling himself to his feet. The gust of wind had blown his hood loose, and Malcolm made eye contact with him as he turned to look in his direction.

It wasn’t Danny. The face was all wrong, and the man’s hair was blond. Malcolm just stared at him, still taken aback by how similar his voice was to his older brother’s. But that’s all it was, a similarity, nothing more. Two people could have similar voices without it being anything more than coincidence.

The man took off down the alleyway, sprinting at top speed and letting out rough, undignified gasps. Malcolm took a step after him, and then hesitated. He stood there, not moving for ten seconds, and then twenty.

What the hell am I doing? Am I just going to let that guy go?

He didn’t have an answer, and that was an answer of its own. Malcolm ran a hand through his hair and leaned his back against the side of the brick building closest to him. He thought about the last time he’d seen his older brother, and about their fight. About how he, in the end, had been forced to destroy Danny, after he’d turned into a demon from abusing his powers.

He let his fingers toy with the metal stabilizer on his arm. It was a “gift” from his boss at the Champion Authority, supposedly to help him balance his powers in a way that would let him use them more effectively.

Rose, an occasional lover of his and a spryte with good information on the subject, had told him the truth. The stabilizers were devices of control, armed with homing beacons and powerful explosives. They were the last resort in the case of a champion losing control, going rogue from abusing their powers.

Malcolm walked back to the bank after a couple of minutes, still lost in his thoughts. The police had finally arrived, and a small crowd had formed just beyond the yellow tape they’d set up around the entrance. Malcolm launched himself into a wind assisted jump, coming down right next to Tapestry and the police officer in charge.

The officer started slightly at Malcolm’s sudden appearance. Tapestry just raised an eyebrow at him. Her blonde hair was tied back into the usual pony tail, and she wore jeans and a very unassuming maroon sweater.

“Where is he?” she asked.

“He… managed to get away,” said Malcolm. “I’m not really sure how.”

It was the truth, in a manner of speaking. It wasn’t as though Malcolm had intended to let the man go. He’d just suddenly lost interest in chasing him.

Yeah, that’s it. Just a fluke.

“Seriously?” Tapestry’s expression scrunched up a little.

She was a petite woman, but full of energy and emotion, while still having a maturity level befitting her age. Malcolm was one of the few people who knew how old Tapestry really was, though he’d had the good sense to find out second hand, rather than asking her directly.

“Yeah, seriously,” said Malcolm. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Well… alright then.” Tapestry shrugged. She looked disappointed in him, and that stung. Malcolm chewed his lip, turning his attention toward the awaiting crowd and giving them a small wave.

In Vanderbrook, champions were something of a novelty. Most major cities in the world had at least a few dozen champions, enough so that people became used to them after a while. Vanderbrook only had two, Malcolm, or Wind Runner as he was known in the media, and Tapestry.

Tapestry liked her privacy, and for the most part, the media gave it to her. Her power, bodily regeneration, didn’t lend itself to flashy displays that inspired the imagination. Malcolm, on the other hand, had practically become the town’s golden boy overnight.

They spent about an hour at the scene of the bank robbery, both of them playing to their strengths. Tapestry spoke with the police and gave a detailed account of what had happened. Malcolm joked around with the crowd, taking selfies, signing autographs, and even getting a few kisses on the cheek from a couple of bachelorettes.

What would Danny think if he could see me now?

He tried to keep his thoughts off his deceased brother, but it was hard, especially after letting his memories trip him up during the chase. Malcolm was more than ready to head home when Tapestry finally finished her police debriefing. He fell in step alongside her as they walked toward where she’d left her BMW in an emergency parking spot outside the bank.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened?” she asked, as they climbed into the car.

“Nothing happened,” said Malcolm. “The guy just… got away.”

“Nobody gets away from you, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “Not on foot. Heck, not usually even in a car.”

Malcolm smiled, flattered by her words and amused by her reluctance to swear.

“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I messed up this time.”

Tapestry started the car, but waited instead of pulling out into the street. She looked over at him, her emerald eyes full of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

Tapestry set her hand on his shoulder.

“How about you come over let me cook for you tonight?” she asked. “Melanie’s been dying to see you again, and I’d love to have an extra set of taste buds to show off for.”

Malcolm considered it. Melanie was Tapestry’s great granddaughter and best friend. She was very peppy, and could dominate conversations like nobody else.

“Maybe another time,” said Malcolm.

“You’ve been saying that for the past couple of days, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “Come on. Quit pushing me away.”

“I’m not pushing you away.”

Malcolm looked over at her in the driver’s seat. Her eyes were full of concern, and it made him think back to the evening they’d shared the week before. He cared for Tapestry, probably as much as she cared for him. The moment lingered, both of them staring at each other. He glanced away, and let it pass.

My life is too complicated for this right now.

“I just need to get some rest,” he said. “Sorry. How about tomorrow night?”

Tapestry smiled sadly at him and nodded. She started her car and pulled onto the street.

CHAPTER 3

Tapestry didn’t bring up Malcolm’s murky mood again on the drive to his apartment. He thanked her and waved as her car disappeared down the street, wondering if he’d made the right choice by brushing off her dinner invitation.

Malcolm’s apartment was in a sketchy but livable Vanderbrook neighborhood. Though the park across the street was a common hangout for the local junkies, it wasn’t too bad in terms of other, more violent crimes.

He headed up the stairs and down the hallway, unlocking the door to his small apartment and breathing a sigh as he walked inside. It wasn’t much to look at, with the kitchen bleeding into the living room without a dining area or table in between, but it was enough for him and his modest needs.

The apartment was paid for by a small insurance settlement he’d received after his family home had been destroyed five years earlier. Malcolm had lost everything, including his mother, all his possessions, and any sense of stability, but the insurance company had reimbursed him with enough money to at least keep him from ending up on the street.

Malcolm sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. The local news was on, and unsurprisingly, they were covering the robbery. What did surprise him, however, was what they’d chosen to focus on.

“As you can see from this cell phone recording sent in by a VCAX viewer,” said a female reporter, in an overly enthusiastic voice, “Wind Runner appears to have been chasing after one of the robbers.”

“Oh, fuck,” muttered Malcolm.

He felt his face heat up as he watched the shaky video, filmed from across the street inside the mouth of the alleyway. The robber stood up and took off, and Malcolm watched himself not following after the man, feeling the same now as he had then.

“He just let him go,” said the male news anchor.

“The question this raises is a pretty fundamental one, in my opinion,” said the female anchor. “We know so little about Wind Runner, real name Malcolm Caldwell, and his reasons for doing anything. Remember the story on the day he first appeared as a champion, Todd?”

“I think everybody remembers that story, Diane,” said the other anchor. “Wind Runner is officially a member of the Champion Authority, but if all he’s going to do is spend his time signing autographs, chasing skirts, and letting criminals go, can we trust him to defend our city?”

“We’ll have more on this story as it develops,” said the female anchor. “You can watch it as it develops on our website, under the heading WindGate.”

Malcolm groaned and turned the TV off. He wanted to crawl into bed and hide under his covers. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he realized he’d missed a call. He turned it on and found that he had a new voice mail from Multi, his boss at the Champion Authority.

“Malcolm,” said Multi’s voice. “You’re a fucking idiot. With that said, what’s done is done. All we can do know is try to handle the fallout. If any reporters get in touch with you, the only words coming out of your mouth should be ‘no comment’. Keep absolutely quiet for the next few days. We’ll talk about how this happened the next time you’re at HQ. Multi, out.”

Malcolm sighed and deleted the message. He tossed his phone onto the couch next to him, feeling suitably chastened. Multi had a manner about him that leant itself to hands on administrative duties, and not just because he could have multiple copies of himself on the job at once. He was sharp and used barbed words to great effect when it came to instructing the champions under his command.

I deserve this. What the hell was I thinking, anyway?

A noise came from just beyond the door to Malcolm’s bedroom. He sat up straight, realizing that he hadn’t bothered to make sure he was actually alone in the apartment when he first came in.

It was just after sundown, and that fact made Malcolm’s heart beat faster with anticipation. He slowly stood to his feet and walked toward the other room. An unnatural darkness seemed to emanate from inside of it, and he felt a smile spread across his face as he realized what that meant.

“Rose,” he whispered. “You’re back?”

Rose emerged from the darkness slowly. Malcolm could tell that she was in the middle of an episode just from a single glance at her eyes, dark and empty in their sockets.

She wore only black sweatpants and a bra, but tendrils of shadow swirled around her upper body like a gown made of darkness itself. Her skin was pale purple, and it leant an exotic quality to her incredible figure. Even now, sensing the danger of her wild state, Malcolm couldn’t help but admire her full breasts, trim waist, and curvaceous hips.

“Easy…” he said, holding up a hand. “It’s just me. There’s nobody else here.”

Tendrils shot out from Rose’s body and the darkness behind her, grabbing at Malcolm’s arms and legs. He resisted the urge to counterattack with his wind manipulation, knowing that escalating an encounter with her would be a terrible idea. She was a spryte, but she was also his friend.

He hadn’t seen her for a couple days, ever since she’d helped him in the fight against Danny, or Hothead, as he had been more commonly known. Malcolm’s guilt over his brother’s death had mixed with his concern for Rose’s safety and wellbeing, and seeing her in front of him now, in his apartment, took part of the weight off his shoulders.

Except for the fact that she is in the middle of an episode and might try to kill me, that is.

“Rose,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “Try to remember, alright? It’s me. Malcolm.”

He hadn’t seen her like this since the day they’d first met. The darkness surrounded her like a living cloak, extending up against the ceiling and out toward the walls. Malcolm was scared, even knowing her as well as he did.

She stepped in closer, holding him in place. The shadow tendrils felt soft through his clothing, and he was a little surprised when they began to move along his arms and legs, caressing, rather than attacking.

Malcolm stared at her. Her black hair fell loose across her shoulders, framing the cleavage of her breasts on either side. She took another step forward, drawing within just a few feet. One of the shadow tendrils slid up Malcolm’s inner thigh, before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans with surprisingly dexterous motions.

“Shouldn’t we talk for a bit, first?” asked Malcolm. “Maybe settle in a little?”

Rose brought her lips in close to his for a hungry kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth and letting out a low moan. Her breasts pressed into Malcolm’s chest. Altogether, it was a very satisfying kiss, except for the fact that she still bound his arms with her shadow tendrils, holding him in position.

Why do I get the feeling that she was into bondage, once upon a time?

The shadow tendrils stripped off Malcolm’s jeans and boxers. He was already somewhat turned on, but watching Rose slowly nuzzling her face against his chest, and then his stomach, pushed him even deeper into a state of arousal.

She sank to her knees in front of him, her hot breath tickling his hardness in an incredibly erotic manner. Malcolm stared down at her, excited, but also a little frustrated by how completely she had him dominated. Rose closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the head of his erection, sending a burst of pleasure through Malcolm’s crotch.

It was more than just sex for Rose. Every champion, spryte, and demon had a certain activity intrinsically linked to their powers. It was unique to each of them, and not only served to focus and recharge their gift, but also helped a spryte or demon in the midst of an episode come back to reality.

Rose’s focus activity just so happened to be sex. Malcolm watched her press her lips against the side of his shaft, slowly sliding them around to the front so she could give it a quick, teasing suck. He groaned and wished that his hands were free, feeling a bit tortured by having no control.

As though to emphasize that fact, Rose slowly stood to her feet. She pulled her sweatpants down, wiggling out of them and looking slightly more aware of Malcolm’s wandering gaze than she had before. She wasn’t wearing any panties underneath, and Malcolm’s entire body hummed with anticipation of what was about to come.

The shadow tendrils seemed to lift Rose up and into position. She slid herself down onto his rod, a cute, very girlish expression coming across her face. Malcolm felt her gyrate once, grinding her crotch into him. She was tight, and the feeling was amazing.

The bonds holding his arms had softened slightly. Malcolm pulled against them, unwilling to be restrained for a moment longer than necessary. His hands came loose, and Rose’s eyebrows went up with alarm as he took hold of her in his arms.

Malcolm thrust up into her, walking forward as he did. Rose let out a small squeal as they tumbled down onto his bed, Malcolm landing on top of her. He reached out and grabbed her wrists, pinning her down and grinning at the sudden role reversal.

“My turn,” he whispered.

Rose’s legs wrapped around him as he began to pump into her, moving at a fast rhythm from the very start. The blackness was already starting to fade from her eyes, but Malcolm found that it wasn’t his main concern. All he cared about was her soft body, her big, perfect breasts, and the tight reward he was thrusting into between her legs.

She seemed to submit to him, as though by breaking out of her bonds, Malcolm had also broken her will to take charge. He knew that if she really wanted to, she could easily restrain him, even as flustered and erotically distracted as she currently was. Her powers were more formidable than his, but in the realm of the bedroom, it didn’t seem to matter.

Malcolm had one hand on Rose’s waist and the other on her breast. He pushed her back against his bed as he moved, enjoying the feeling of her nipple rubbing against the center of his palm. Rose was letting out low, regular moans. He pushed into her with all the strength he had, intent on making their reunion something to remember.

She came first, seizing up in a sudden fit of sensual shivers that seemed to take all the tension out of her body. Malcolm lifted one of her legs up and shifted her slightly to the side, giving himself a better angle to enjoy her from as he chased after his own release.

It didn’t take long. Malcolm pushed in as deep as he could go as he went beyond his limit, only thinking clearly enough to pull out a second or two into the orgasm. He made a mental note to change his sheets later that night and tried not to think too hard about whether sprytes could get pregnant.

Rose slid up to cuddle next to him, resting her head on his chest. The shadow tendrils were gone, and her eyes were completely back to normal. Other than the faint purple hue of her skin, Rose was no different from any other woman in her post-coital state, relaxed and sleepy.

CHAPTER 4

“How are you feeling?” asked Malcolm.

Rose lifted her head up, resting her chin on his pectoral muscle.

“Lucid,” she said. “And hungry. I haven’t eaten yet today.”

She smiled at him. Malcolm ran his hand through her hair.

“I was worried about you, you know,” he said.

Rose frowned, and looked a little surprised.

“You were worried about me?” she asked. “I’m a spryte, Malcolm. A scary monster that you, as a champion, are supposed to be hunting.”

He smiled.

“Maybe I’m just playing the long game,” he said. “Luring you into a false sense of security with sex and tenderness before finally springing my trap.”

Rose laughed, the sound of it soft and sensual. Malcolm leaned his head back on his pillow, still smiling to himself.

“Seriously, though,” said Rose. “Do you have anything to eat?”

Malcolm shrugged.

“Not much,” he said. “Maybe some leftovers from last night, but you’re welcome to them.”

Rose stood up, only then seeming to become aware of how little she was wearing. She found her sweatpants and pulled them on, along with one of Malcolm’s t-shirts.

“You know you left some of your clothes here before the start of your last episode,” said Malcolm.

“Do you not like me wearing your t-shirts, Malcolm?”

Rose turned in a slow circle, showing off the stylized circle graphic on the front, along with the curves of her body underneath the fabric.

“I’m fine with it,” he said. “Just letting you know in case you want something that fits.”

“You’re such a gentleman,” she said.

Malcolm followed her out into his kitchen. She reminded him slightly of a wild cat, full of poise and elegance, but impossible to tame or restrain.

“Hmm…” said Rose, examining the contents of his fridge. “More leftover pizza? You need to learn how to cook.”

“I go somewhere else when I want a home cooked meal,” he said.

“Tapestry’s house, you mean.”

Malcolm winced. Rose smiled at his discomfort.

“We’ve been over this before,” she said. “I am fine with you and her being close, and even intimate.”

“I doubt she’d feel the same way if she knew about you,” said Malcolm.

Rose shrugged.

“I’m a spryte.” She took a small bite out of the piece of pizza she’d liberated. “I doubt she’d be alright with you even talking to me, let alone… other things.”

Maybe this is the real reason why I’m pushing Tapestry away…

Rose walked over to Malcolm’s couch and took a seat. He hovered behind her, still feeling curious about her sudden appearance.

“Do you remember much?” he asked. “From your episode, I mean.”

“Bits and pieces,” said Rose.

He waited for her to continue, finally getting too annoyed by her silence.

“And?”

“I didn’t hurt anyone, if that’s what you’re wondering,” said Rose. “I just… hung out in the shadows. It felt like being a wild animal, lost in the city. It was confusing, and frightening, and… not something I want to dwell on.”

“Sorry.” Malcolm came around to the front of the couch and sat down next to her. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Rose took a tiny bite out of the pizza crust. She shrugged.

“I remembered something else,” she said. “Not from my episode, but… from my life before.”

“You did?” asked Malcolm. “What was it?”

Rose furrowed her brow, tapping a finger against her lips.

“It was a house,” she said. “Not here in Vanderbrook. In Halter City. I think it was… my old house. From when I was younger.”

“Your childhood home,” said Malcolm. “Do you remember where it was?”

Rose frowned.

“Why does it matter?” she asked.

Malcolm thought about his childhood home. It had been destroyed by his brother, violently, with his mother still inside. He thought about what it would mean to him to get another chance to see it, with all of the memories and nostalgia held within.

I think I’d give just about anything for that.

“We should follow up on this, Rose,” he said. “It might be the key to helping you get control over your powers and your episodes.”

“Or… It might be nothing.” She shook her head. “I don’t really share your optimism here, Malcolm. Especially when we’d have to do so much traveling in the open just to get there.”

Malcolm frowned at her.

“Come on,” he said. “Your family home, Rose. Think about everything you could find there. Pictures, family heirlooms… Maybe even some of your old clothes?”

Rose’s mouth twitched into a small smile.

“Well…” she said. “You certainly know how to make your case.”

“Perfect,” said Malcolm. “I’ll get dressed. We can head out immediately. There’s a bus that goes by my block every hour that we can take to Halter City.”

Rose sighed. She reached her hand across to him on the couch, letting it rub his knee, up his thigh.

“This wasn’t exactly what I was looking forward to tonight, you know,” she whispered.

“It’s still pretty early,” said Malcolm. “They’ll be time for more of that when we get back.”

I just turned down sex, potentially to visit a girl’s family. What has the world come to?

CHAPTER 5

They changed into more respectable clothing and headed outside to catch the bus. Though Rose could usually get away with moving around at night without drawing too much attention, both of them agreed that it was better if she stayed hidden for the bus ride.

And thus, Malcolm appeared to be standing alone at the bus stop. Rose was there, hidden inside his shadow, one of the nifty features of her powers. It became harder for her to stay hidden that way when they were in motion, but it wouldn’t matter once they reached Halter City.

The bus rolled to a slow stop in front of them after about fifteen minutes. The driver was a chubby man with five o clock shadow who paid Malcolm little attention. There were only two other people on the bus, both sitting upfront. Malcolm chose a seat in back.

Rose appeared almost immediately after the bus began rolling again, sitting so that her head was hidden behind the seat in front of them. Malcolm grinned, feeling like he was back in high school, up to something mischievous as he slid down next to her.

“I remembered something else, Malcolm,” she said.

“What?”

“Most guys are a little embarrassed about taking their dates on trips using the bus.” Rose flashed a smile at him.

“So, you’re my date, now?” he asked. “And here I thought we were just having fun…”

Rose flicked him in the shoulder, still smiling.

“You should consider buying a car,” she said. “Just for practical reasons.”

“With what money?”

“Get the Champion Authority to finance it,” said Rose. “They’re loaded.”

Malcolm chuckled.

“As fun as that would be, I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said. “I can use my powers to get wherever I need to, at least when I’m alone.”

“And when you have company?”

“Well, I guess I get to enjoy watching them suffer,” he said. “I don’t mind the bus, personally.”

Rose rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. A few more people got on, and then a few more got off. The ride took about an hour and was uneventful. Rose slid back into Malcolm’s shadow as they got off, Malcolm nodded to the dazed driver on the way.

They were in the suburbs of Halter City. Malcolm walked away from the brightly lit bus station somewhat aimlessly, waiting until there were no other late-night pedestrians on the street to stop and let Rose materialize.

“So,” he said. “Where to?”

She chewed her lip, which made her look like a little girl.

“It was… I think, a little to the east of here,” she said. “I don’t know where exactly. I feel like I could find it, but might not be able to describe where it is.”

“Alright,” said Malcolm. “It’s pretty dark out. I doubt anyone is going to notice if you’re out and about. Lead on.”

Rose nodded, and the two set off down the sidewalk. Malcolm had the sudden urge to reach out and hold her hand. He pushed it down.

She’d probably just make a joke at my expense if I did. She can be prickly, sometimes…

“I can almost remember living in this city,” whispered Rose. “It’s like… having a word on the tip of your tongue. I can remember walking this way before, but I can’t remember why, or where.”

“See? This was a good idea.” Malcolm gave in to the temptation and took her hand into his. “More will come back to you once you get to your old house. You’ll see.”

Rose looked down at their clasped hands, and then back up at him. She looked like she was holding back laughter, but Malcolm didn’t let go.

They stayed like that as Rose found her way. Malcolm enjoyed walking with her, so much so that it made the trip out to Halter City feel worth it, even if they didn’t find anything. He was considering suggesting that they find a park bench to sit on for a while when Rose came to a stop in front of a side street.

“Down this way,” she said. “It’s… the big house. On the cul-de-sac at the end.”

“You remember?”

“I think so…” Rose frowned at him, and Malcolm felt her hand tense against his. He gave it an encouraging squeeze as the two started walking with purpose.

They’d stumbled into a rundown section of the suburbs, and though Rose’s house was big, it was in a similarly destitute state. The house’s paint was chipped, and the lawn was horribly overgrown, but there were lights on inside, which gave Malcolm a little bit of hope.

“Alright,” said Rose. “I’ll be in your shadow. I guess just… knock on the door? Maybe ask whoever answers if they know about me?”

“This is your childhood home, Rose,” said Malcolm. “I mean, doesn’t it make sense for you to be a part of this, too?”

“It was your idea to come out here, Malcolm,” said Rose. “And I’m a spryte, remember? It’s not a good idea for me to reveal myself in the light without knowing how someone is going to react.”

She has a point…

“Alright,” said Malcolm. He felt Rose’s hand slip from his as she disappeared into the shadow. “Here we go…”

He walked up the porch stairs and came to a stop in front of the door, considering what he was going to say. Malcolm cleared his throat, gave the door a few solid knocks, and then waited.

The door opened a crack, and someone peered out. Malcolm frowned, wondering if whoever was inside the house was right to be paranoid, given the state of the neighborhood.

“Hi there,” he said. “I’m here on behalf of a friend. I’m wondering if you either are the original owner of this house, or if you’d mind if I-”

The door swung completely open. Someone grabbed Malcolm roughly by the shoulder and pulled him inside, immediately pushing him down to the floor. The cold metal barrel of a gun pushed into the back of his head.

CHAPTER 6

“He a cop?”

“He’s got to be. And a fucking stupid one, too.”

Malcolm sighed. He shifted his head to the side slightly, far enough to get a better view of the room he was in. An old, moldy looking couch was pulled up to a coffee table, which held multiple bags of a wide spectrum of drugs.

Two men sat on the couch, while a few others lay sprawled out on the floor, or leaning against walls. The inside of the house was more disgusting than the neighborhood outside, something Malcolm hadn’t thought possible. Beer bottles and empty pizza boxes littered the floor, and the dirty carpet smelled of ammonia and rot.

“We gotta do something about the fucking pigs this time,” said the man holding Malcolm down. “I’m sick of them thinking they can fuck with us whenever they want.”

“Hold on just a second,” said Malcolm. “This is just an honest misunderstanding. See, I came here because-”

The man on top of Malcolm pushed the gun harder against his skull, the metal painful against the back of his sensitive scalp. He winced and tried to keep his anger in check.

“Motherfucker,” said the man. “Do you know who the fuck we are?”

Malcolm laughed.

“Hey, I hate to turn your question around on you, but do you have any idea who the fuck I am?”

The room was silent with surprise for a solid second. It was all Malcolm needed.

He pulled the wind to him and exploded it outward in a dome of force, not to hurt anyone, but to knock loose pistols and scatter the weapons across the room. The man on top of Malcolm gave a shout of surprise, which was cut off halfway through by Malcolm’s elbow connecting with his nose.

Malcolm stood up, smiling. He held his hands out in front of him, trying to calm people down so he could start his appeal over. He wasn’t there to fight. He was just there to take a look around.

Who’s to say a heavily armed gang of criminals can’t be sensible and reasonable, if given the chance?

Another gang member jumped out from the hallway, shouting and leveling an assault rifle at Malcolm’s head. He reacted out of pure instinct, slamming up a shield of wind deflection over the barrel.

The bullets began spilling out of it, loud enough to make everyone in the room momentarily deaf. Malcolm deflected each one of the bullets, careful to make sure that they angled up and away from any houses or cars on the street outside.

Rose appeared beside him, and Malcolm was suddenly thankful for the disgusting living room’s poor illumination. The man who’d originally been on top of him had pulled a knife, and another man stood up from the couch, both of them attacking Malcolm at once.

Wind manipulation was infinitely useful in most contexts, but when it came to a knife fight in a confined space, there was only so much it could do. Malcolm tried to knock loose the blade of the nearest one, but the man had learned his lesson from earlier, and held it tight.

The unarmed man threw a fast punch at Malcolm’s face. Drawing from his vast hand to hand combat experience, Malcolm blocked it solidly with the side of his skull. Stars exploded into his vision, but he was still alert enough to see the knife wielding man pulling his weapon back to stab it into his stomach.

Malcolm slammed forward with the wind, knocking the armed man back through door leading outside. The man tumbled down the porch stairs and let out a scream that suggested he’d accidentally taken the point of his own weapon into his own body.

Another gang member tried to pull Malcolm into a bear hug. He shot up toward the ceiling with a wind assisted jump, spinning and kicking at the same time. The result was like something out of a Tarantino movie, and Malcolm’s foot caught the man directly in the jaw. He crumpled to the ground without complaint.

Malcolm looked across the room to see Rose taking on four men at once. It wasn’t anything like a fair fight, and Malcolm felt a sudden sympathy for the men. One of them was sobbing uncontrollably, not even engaging Rose, but huddled on the ground in fear, and for good reason.

Rose had called shadow tendrils from every dark corner of the room. She had them wrapped around one of the man’s necks, and had broken the arms of one of the others, contorting them at horrible angles. It was an intense scene, and the casual, confident way Rose held herself in the middle of the violence only made it that much more terrifying.

Rose held the fourth man aloft with her tendrils, and was slowly pulling at his limbs like a sadistic child might torture an unlucky spider. Malcolm watched, feeling more than a little uncomfortable.

She isn’t actually going to do it… right?

“Rose,” said Malcolm. “Hey… Remember why we’re here?”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten.” Rose was smiling. She slowly drew the man she held in the air closer, until his face was only a few inches from hers. “Tell me. Have you seen me before? Do you know why I’m here?”

“I… I…” The man’s eyes were wide, and he was trembling visibly. “I don’t know! I don’t know!”

“Let’s take a more general approach,” said Malcolm. “Whose house is this? Can anyone answer that, to start?”

The man who Malcolm had kicked in the head made a grunting noise and slowly sat up. He looked as though he was summoning all the courage he had just to keep his eyes open and face the room.

“It’s mine,” said the man. “Well… I mean, technically it’s not mine. But I’m house sitting for the owner.”

Rose let her shadow tendrils dissolve, dropping the men in her grasp to the floor. She walked over to Malcolm and stood next to him, staring down at the man speaking with a curious expression on her face.

“Who is the owner?” asked Rose. “Can you give a name?”

“…Leah,” said the man. “Leah Westward. My ex-girlfriend.”

Malcolm raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Rose.

“Does that ring any bells?” he asked.

“It’s… my sister,” said Rose. “At least… I think it is?”

She bought a hand up to her forehead. Malcolm put a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah,” muttered Rose. “It’s just… a very weird sensation. I can’t remember much, and it’s all jumbled up.”

Malcolm was about to ask more when a new figure emerged from the hallway, wielding a pistol in each hand. Acting purely on reflex, he threw himself down to the floor, pulling Rose with him and tossing up a wind deflection shield.

Bullets tore through the air. The men in the room started screaming, the fight already having gone out of most of them. Malcolm was trying to keep himself in front of Rose. He reached a hand back to make sure she stayed near, only to discover that she’d disappeared into the shadows.

“You fuckhead!” screamed the new attacker. “You think you can fuck with us and get away with it.”

“That’s exactly what I think.” Malcolm whipped the wind across the man’s hands as hard as he could. One of his pistols came loose. The man raised the other to fire another shot, but it was easy to keep him from holding steady aim with the wind.

The man fired a couple more times before the gun went empty. He threw it at Malcolm, who deflected it upward with the wind and then caught it in his hand.

“There are so many other, smarter ways you could have gone about that,” said Malcolm. “Sneak attacks are pretty formidable when you’re, you know… sneaky about them.”

“Fuck you!” The man screamed and charged forward. Malcolm slammed the wind into his chest, pushing him into the wall behind him hard enough to knock him out and leave an impression of his body.

Rose reappeared next to him, arms pulled tightly across her chest. She frowned at him and gave a quick shake of her head.

“I looked through most of the rooms,” she said. “There isn’t anything else here that I care about.”

“Did it stir up any new memories?” asked Malcolm.

Rose shook her head again.

“No,” she said. “At least… not any that make much sense to me.”

Malcolm looked over at the man he’d been talking to before.

“Your ex-girlfriend,” he said. “Where is she now?”

“Leah…?” The man winced. “She left me for some chick.”

Malcolm furrowed his brow.

“Really?”

“I’m not fucking with you,” said the man. “She was some religious bitch. One of the crazies from that stupid Awakened Children Church just outside of the city.”

Malcolm nodded slowly.

“That’s helpful,” he said. “See, if you’d been willing to talk with us to begin with, you would have saved us all the time and trouble. And probably a bunch of money on getting those bullet holes patched up…”

The man spat blood on the floor next to him. He raised a hand and pointed a finger at Rose.

“I can see the resemblance, you know,” he said. “Well… Not in the skin. And you got bigger tits than she does, that’s for sure. But you’re both fucking crazy…”

“Don’t push your luck,” said Malcolm. He gave the man a quick cuff with the wind, flattening him to the ground, and then nodded to Rose. They headed out of the house, walking faster as they stepped out onto the exposed street.

CHAPTER 7

“So, come on,” said Malcolm. “Give me the details. What else did you remember?”

The two of them were walking side by side, back toward the bus station. Malcolm had Rose’s hand in his, and decided he quite liked holding it. It reminded him a little of being in middle school again.

“Why does it matter so much to you?” asked Rose. “I didn’t remember anything important. And I don’t feel like I’ve reached enlightenment, or mastered my emotions, or whatever it is you were expecting out of this trip.”

“I just want to know,” said Malcolm. “I mean, I did get shot at in order for you to find out. Kind of a lot.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling.

“Only really one memory that makes sense,” she said. “I was maybe… nine or ten. I was playing at the park with Leah, who was probably five or six at the time. She fell off the swing and broke her arm.”

“…And?”

“And I ran home and got my parents,” said Rose. “I can’t remember their faces, or names, or even what they sounded like. Just that… I know that they were there, and when I found them, they made everything better.”

Rose let out a slow sigh. Malcolm shifted his arm up, putting it around her shoulders.

“Sorry,” he said. “I can’t imagine how tough this must be for you.”

“It isn’t, Malcolm,” said Rose. “That’s what you’re not getting. This feels like remembering details of a dream. Sure, I’d love to know more about who I was… But it just seems a little inconsequential, now. Almost like the memories belong to someone else.”

I wonder if she really means that, or if it’s just what she’s telling herself to feel better about it?

Malcolm decided that it was better to keep the question to himself. He gave Rose’s shoulders a squeeze. She leaned her head against him.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We can head back to my place and relax for tonight. They’ll be plenty of time for us to follow up on finding your sister tomorrow, or the next night.”

“Were you listening to anything I just said?”

Malcolm frowned.

“Yeah,” he said. “Why?”

“I don’t even know if there’s any reason for me to go looking for her, Malcolm,” said Rose. “What the fuck would I say to her once I found her? Hi, sister. I don’t remember you, and I’m a monster now, but let’s have a lovey, dovey reunion!”

“I bet you could phrase it a bit more eloquently than that if you gave it some time.”

Rose growled and jokingly bit his shoulder.

“Seriously,” she said. “I don’t see any point.”

“Do you trust me?” asked Malcolm.

Rose made a show of thinking about it for a couple of seconds.

“I guess.”

“Then trust that finding your sister is the right thing for you to do,” he said. “Not just for you, but for her, too.”

Rose didn’t say anything, but Malcolm could tell that his words had reached her.

The bus arrived a few minutes after they reached the bus stop. Rose snuck on in Malcolm’s shadow, and they both sat in the back. It was a quiet ride back to Vanderbrook, and Malcolm was content to leave Rose alone with her thoughts.

As the bus rounded the corner onto Malcolm’s street, he saw something that made him wince. Rose had been napping with her head against his shoulder, and glanced up at him.

“What is it?” she asked.

Malcolm nodded out the window to the black BMW parked on the street in front of his apartment.

“Tapestry,” he said. “I have no idea what she’s doing here, but that’s definitely her car.”

Rose let out a small laugh and flashed a wicked smile.

“Yeah, just whatever could she be doing?” she asked, in a mocking voice. “Coming to visit her close friend and coworker, in the middle of the night…”

Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“It’s probably something related to work.”

He checked his phone, but there were no messages backing up his theory.

“Well regardless, I understand,” said Rose. “You can’t exactly bring me inside if she’s waiting up for you.”

“I’m sorry,” said Malcolm. “I’ll talk to her and see if I can get her out quickly.”

“It’s alright,” said Rose. “You’ll just insult her if you refuse her, you know. Take your time. Have a nice, sensual, romantic night.”

Malcolm groaned.

“You’re making me feel skeezy, Rose,” he said. “That’s not what I want. My life is already complicated enough, as it is.”

“Malcolm.” Rose put her hand on his cheeks and turned his head to face her. “There’s no need for you to feel guilty, or weird, about having partners other than me.”

Easier said than done…

“Rose, I-”

“Malcolm,” she said, cutting him off. “You need all of the allies you can get. Whether you like it or not, you need to open yourself up to this woman, even if it’s hard. Her loyalty and feelings for you might save your life someday.”

“So, what? I’m just supposed to use her for all that she can offer?” Malcolm scowled and shook his head.

“She’s the one showing up at your place randomly in the middle of the night,” said Rose. “If anything, she’s the one using you. Take my advice and let her.”

“And you’re just… totally fine with it?” asked Malcolm. “I find that a little hard to believe.”

Rose shrugged.

“Maybe I’ll head down to Terri’s Tavern and find myself a nice, handsome demon to hang out with tonight.”

Malcolm couldn’t keep his shock and revulsion from showing on his face. Rose giggled and brought a hand up to her mouth.

“It was a joke, Malcolm,” she said. “I’m more of a one partner at a time, kind of girl.”

“That makes you pushing me into this with Tapestry that much weirder, you know.”

“I guess.” Rose gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “But it doesn’t make me wrong.”

She disappeared into his shadow just as the bus came to a stop and opened its doors. Malcolm stood up and walked off, taking a route across the street that brought him through a patch of complete darkness. He could just barely see Rose splitting off from him, the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up to hide her eyes and pale purple skin.

Malcolm walked over Tapestry’s BMW and up to the lightly tinted driver’s side window. He gave it a gentle rap with his knuckles and stepped back. The door opened, and Melanie, Tapestry’s great granddaughter, stepped out into the street.

CHAPTER 8

“Malcolm! Finally! I’ve been waiting for at least an hour. Where were you, anyway? Are you out doing suspicious things late at night? Fun things? You can call me if you’re going out to have fun, you know. I like to have fun too!”

Melanie wore a short black skirt with a frilly pink blouse, along with a generous amount of makeup on her face. Malcolm was a little disappointed to see that she’d covered up most of her freckles, which he’d always thought went nicely with her reddish-brown hair.

“Melanie,” he said, scratching his head. “What exactly are you doing here?”

“I just came to see what you were up to, Malcolm,” said Melanie. “That’s not a crime, is it? It’s not like I broke in or anything. I was getting ready to leave when you got back. Did I mention that I was waiting for a while? It’s kind of rude to keep a girl waiting, you know…”

“Not when they show up unannounced, it isn’t,” said Malcolm. He sniffed, smelling vodka on her breath. “Have you been drinking?”

Melanie’s cheeks flushed a little bit. Malcolm felt the beginning of a headache pressing into his temples.

“Are you going to invite me inside, Malcolm?” asked Melanie, slurring the pronunciation of his name. “Or do you want to talk in my car?”

“It’s Tapestry’s car,” said Malcolm. “And I’m honestly shocked that she let you borrow it.”

He scowled, feeling annoyed at having a drunk girl dumped in his lap when he’d been expecting Tapestry.

“Well, Malcolm?” asked Melanie. “Or, we could just talk out here, in the street…?”

She took a step closer to him. Melanie was 18, but still in high school. Malcolm wasn’t sure whether she was lacking when it came to maturity or if he’d just grown up fast, but he found Melanie’s naïve enthusiasm more than a little off putting.

“Whatever,” said Malcolm. “You can come inside, Melanie. But I’m calling Tapestry to let her know that you’re here. For your sake and mine, please don’t try anything.”