“That’s… fair,” said Malcolm. “That’s what I would want in your situation, too. Obviously. But... I need you here. At least for now. Vanderbrook needs you. Hell, even Tapestry…”
Malcolm let his words trail off. Second Wind hadn’t spoken to him much about Tapestry, and he wasn’t sure that either of them were ready to broach the topic. He knew that Second Wind loved her just as he did. And the same was true of Rose.
I thought creating a copy would simplify my life.
“She’s doing well,” said Second Wind. “Melanie too. I’ve been… looking after both of them.”
“Of course you have,” said Malcolm. He waited, knowing what Second Wind would ask next.
“And Rose?”
Malcolm shrugged.
“She’s still working with Shield Maiden and Fantasy, but Multi appears to be mostly out of the picture,” said Malcolm. “She’s been looking out for me, more than the other way around.”
Second Wind smiled. There was a pause in the conversation, and both of them shared responsibility for it. Malcolm decided to change the subject.
“So,” said Malcolm. “How are the other champions in Vanderbrook doing? Wax, Anna… is Greenthumb still around, too?”
The question seemed to push Second Wind away from his melancholic state. He crossed one leg over the other and turned to look at Malcolm. It felt weird, seeing the expression on his face, a perfect copy of Malcolm’s, but not knowing what he was about to say.
“Greenthumb ended up taking Anna as his new partner,” said Second Wind. “Tapestry said there was some drama over it with his girlfriend, but there was no real alternative, given the weakened state of the Champion Authority.”
“Oh, man, that’s not going to end well.” Malcolm gave his copy a knowing smile. “Those two always seemed to be flirting with disaster.”
“And each other,” said Second Wind. “Anyway, Wax was recalled to the Champion Authority’s primary headquarters in Virginia. It’s fared better than most of the local bases, but they’re still scrambling to contain the chaos… and mostly failing at it.”
“Yeah, the news hasn’t been so optimistic,” said Malcolm.
“It’s worse than what’s being reported,” Second Wind said, quietly. “There’s a hundred million people in the country essentially fending for themselves, without police, military, or champion presence to protect them from the monsters. Or from other people, for that matter.”
Malcolm nodded slowly.
“All the more reason for us to hold down the fort here in Vanderbrook,” he replied.
Second Wind made a small noise of agreement. Malcolm figured it was probably all the commitment he was going to get out of him, for now. He set a hand on Second Wind’s shoulder, said his goodbye, and stood to leave.
“One more thing,” said Second Wind.
Malcolm looked over his shoulder at him.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Tapestry is hunting the Gifted Vigilante.” Second Wind gave a smile that was equal parts amused and predatory. “You should be very careful about moving around the city in your costume.”
Tapestry is hunting me? I’m not so sure how I feel about that.
“I’ll be careful,” he said.
CHAPTER 7
Malcolm felt restless as he left the park, his mind still reeling as he considered all of what Second Wind had said. There was something unnerving about the perspective his copy had shared, and the depth of Second Wind’s existential anxiety. Malcolm felt as though just by meeting up with him, he’d accepted a share of that burden.
It had been a little more than two weeks since Second Wind had first been “born”, so to speak. Two weeks, and they’d already diverged far enough to think and feel like different people. Malcolm wondered how he hadn’t seen this coming.
I expected to die facing Rain Dancer. And I was ready for it.
He wondered if that acceptance, more than anything, had shifted him away from who he’d been, and the life that Second Wind was now occupying. Heading into battle against Rain Dancer alone had been stupid, but also probably the bravest and most selfless thing he’d ever done.
He winced, not wanting to give himself more credit than he deserved. Second Wind had, in essence, been a backup plan. It was a fact that Malcolm knew must haunt his copy, and he’d never stopped to consider what the consequences of what that weight would do to a person’s mind.
But then again, Second Wind was still a version of him. There was no doubt in Malcolm’s mind that he could be trusted to faithfully continue on as Wind Runner. He rubbed his chin as he walked, suddenly wondering if that was really the case. No doubt whatsoever? Was that the truth of it?
He was walking aimlessly, and had to shift gears in order to remember what he needed to spend the afternoon doing. The previous night’s incident had left a hole not just in his shoulder, but also in his costume. He needed to replace his jacket, the black shirt he usually wore underneath it, and just in case, he could also use another pair of black pants to go along with them.
Malcolm found a clothing store, one that he didn’t usually frequent. He made his way inside, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how empty the store was. A single customer perused the aisles, while a bored clerk sat behind the checkout counter, chewing gum and staring at her phone.
He tried to act inconspicuous as he made his way to the men’s section. There, he began slowly flipping through a row of jackets, looking for one that would suit his purposes. It was the summer, and that narrowed the selection considerably.
Eventually, he settled on a black zip down sweatshirt with mock turtle neck collar. He picked out a black pair of jeans to go with them, holding the two up to his body and frowning as he considered how ominous the clothes looked.
No wonder the media is portraying me as a potential villain. I dress the part.
He slipped into one of the changing stalls and set about trying everything on. Malcolm had only been inside for long enough to zip up the sweatshirt and slip his mask on, to make sure there were no gaps, when the curtain swung open. The clerk had a suspicious look on her face, but it immediately shifted to amazement as she recognized him.
“You…” She shook her head slowly. “You’re the… Gifted Vigilante?”
“No, no,” said Malcolm, not even sounding convincing to himself. “I’m not! I’m just a guy trying on clothes!”
The girl raised a finger and pointed it at him accusingly. She was cute, though on the curvier side of it. She wore hipster horn rimmed glasses, and had shoulder length blonde hair.
“I’ve seen the news,” she said. “I recognize you!”
Malcolm folded his arms and exhaled through his nose.
“Don’t make a big deal out of this,” he said. “I have to buy clothes, just like everyone else. Probably more often, given how often people, you know… shoot at me.”
“I can’t believe this…” The girl still had her phone out, and she lifted it to get Malcolm into frame for either a picture or a video.
“Seriously, though,” said Malcolm. “It would be… tricky for me, if you made a big deal about this.”
Did that sound like a threat? Actually… was that a threat?
The girl didn’t seem to be listening. Malcolm slipped by her and started toward the store’s entrance.
“Hey!” she shouted, suddenly vocal again. “You didn’t pay for those clothes! Take them off!”
“I’ll pay for them,” said Malcolm. “Just let me-“
“No!” shouted the girl. “Take them off, now.”
Malcolm stared at her.
“I’m not taking off my mask,” he said slowly. “Just so you know.”