“Are you okay?” asked Malcolm. Second Wind looked up at him and gave a quick nod.
“Regeneration,” Second Wind said, gesturing to the bullet holes.
I didn’t just mean physically…
“Was it… necessary, for you to kill all of them?” asked Malcolm.
It was not the right question to ask. He could tell as soon as he saw Second Wind’s expression shift. He struggled with the regret and the shame exactly how Malcolm would have, and it would add another level to whatever emotional baggage he was already wrestling with.
“Sorry,” said Malcolm. “I didn’t mean it as an accusation. We still have one left alive to question.”
Malcolm moved to grab the Multi on the ground. He met the man’s eyes for an instant, and then watched in horror as he casually reached underneath his shirt and pulled out a pistol.
Malcolm was ready to deflect the bullet, but the Multi didn’t aim the gun at him. Instead, he set the barrel of it to his chin, tilted the gun slightly, and pulled the trigger. It happened so fast that there was nothing Malcolm or Second Wind could have done about it.
“Jesus Christ,” muttered Malcolm. “That… was a little extreme.”
He looked over at Second Wind, expecting him to concur. Hot rage shone in Second Wind’s eyes.
“Extreme,” said Second Wind, voice dripping with contempt. “Did you forget that he’s a copy? They’re all… just copies. It would be extreme if this Multi, or the ones who were next to the grenade, if they actually had anything waiting for them. Anyone who’d miss them.”
“Just copies?” asked Malcolm. He shook his head, feeling as though he was understanding Second Wind less and less. “How can you, of all people, say that?”
Again, it wasn’t until the words had left Malcolm’s mouth that he realized just how wrong they were for the situation.
“I am just a copy!” shouted Second Wind. “Are you seriously going to try and say you have a better perspective on this than I do?”
“Hey,” said Malcolm. “Relax. Come on. You know I didn’t mean it like that. And you aren’t just a copy. Look, for now, we have roles to play. But once things settle down in Vanderbrook…”
Second Wind’s expression hadn’t softened. If anything, he looked even angrier.
“No please, go ahead,” he said. “Finish that thought. Once things settle down in Vanderbrook… then what? You’ll send me off to do whatever I want? Take back your life for yourself? It’s pretty obvious that we both can’t settle down and grow old as next-door neighbors.”
“That’s not what I was going to say,” said Malcolm. “And that’s not fair of you to say. You’re the one living in ‘our’ apartment. You kept most of what made up my life. You know you did.”
“You gave me the boring parts of your life,” said Second Wind, sourly. “And you ran off with Rose to do exactly what we used to dream of doing.”
Rose. Is that what this is about? I should be able to figure out what he’s thinking, shouldn’t I?
“Hey,” said Malcolm. “I never intended this. I didn’t think I’d survive the encounter with Rain Dancer. You know that as well as I do.”
“So that makes it all better, then?”
“You know what, fuck you,” said Malcolm. “Go ahead and throw your temper tantrum. Be mad at me for something that we both did. You have the same memories I do, up until I used Multi’s power. You remember what went into that decision.”
Second Wind was silent, but clearly not chastened. He stared at Malcolm with an intense look on his face. It was the same face Malcolm saw in the mirror, but at the same time, it wasn’t. How much had they changed in the past few weeks?
Malcolm had more to say, and he was sure that his copy did as well. Unfortunately, he could already hear the approaching sirens.
“We can talk about this more later,” said Malcolm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Second Wind gave a bitter smile.
“We really aren’t the same person anymore,” he said. “See, in case you forgot, Wind Runner is a champion. Wind Runner doesn’t run away from the police in a situation like this. He waits for them to arrive, tells them what happened. Takes responsibility for his own actions.”
“And also takes selfies with people,” said Malcolm. “Flirts with his female fans. Smiles, cracks bad jokes. Keeps things light. Remember all of that?”
Second Wind didn’t say anything. The smile never left his face, and his eyes burned with the worst kinds of emotions, jealousy, hatred, and misery.
Malcolm let out a long sigh, and then leapt into flight.
CHAPTER 16
Malcolm had intended to check out the other tip Shield Maiden had given him, the one about the electronics store. It made sense for him to watch both in the same day, in case foiling one of Multi’s plans clued him into the risk of him foiling the other.
But the situation with Second Wind was something that concerned Malcolm even more. The last thing he’d expected when he’d decided to create a new identity for himself was for Second Wind to grow volatile and unstable in his old one.
He knew he had to get some answers and knew where to go. Malcolm flew across Vanderbrook, staying high in the air and out of sight until he reached the park across from his old apartment. He touched down, pulled his mask off, and then casually walked across the street.
He went up the stairs and down the hallway, pausing outside his doorway. The lock had never been a very good one, and Malcolm had forgotten his keys enough times to have developed a strategy for getting the door open.
Pulling a bankcard from his wallet, he pushed the door as far as it would go while sliding the card through the crack. Once the tension subsided, he slowly pushed the door open, wondering what he would find.
Second Wind had taken up a new hobby. Dozens of books were scattered across Malcolm’s couch and floor, most of them with titles related to philosophy or self-help. It fit with what Malcolm had sensed in his copy during their conversations that day, but it still made him uneasy.
At a glance, Malcolm’s bedroom was about the same as it had been when he’d lived in it. As he approached the bed, however, he found another surprise waiting for him. The gun that Tapestry had given Malcolm when he’d first become a champion was sitting on the bed stand. It was loaded, and the safety was off.
Is he paranoid? Suicidal? What the hell is going on inside his head?
Malcolm was still pondering the question and searching for clues when the door to the apartment swung wide open. He froze, silently cursing himself and knowing that being caught would only drive a deep wedge between him and Second Wind.
“There you are,” said Tapestry. “Why have you been ignoring me all morning?”
Malcolm slowly turned to look at her. She wore a black sweater and tight jeans, and instead of her usual ponytail, she had on an elastic hairband that let her blonde locks fall loose behind her ears. She smiled at him as she walked toward him. Malcolm was at a loss for words.
“Uh…” He smiled back at her. The last time he’d seen her, she’d shot him in the shoulder. And the time before that…
The time before that was right before I used Multi’s power to create Second Wind. I’ve missed her… I’ve missed her so much…
“You look like you just saw a ghost,” said Tapestry. She stepped in closer to him, cupped Malcolm’s cheek in her hand, and then kissed him.
Malcolm was so stunned that he almost forgot to kiss her back. He’d been getting close to Tapestry before Second Wind had entered the picture. Perhaps he’d even been on the verge of something more with her, something closer to a real relationship instead of volatility with sex occasionally thrown in.