So instead, Malcolm watched from the down the street. Tapestry returned to the apartment to retrieve her keys and then climbed into her car. She pulled onto the street, and drove in the opposite direction of her home.
He frowned, following her on foot until her car turned around a corner in the distance. He flew up onto a building where he could watch its path more easily. She was headed toward the old industrial park. Toward Multi.
Malcolm’s phone rang. It was the number of the spryte phone. He answered, expecting Rose, but throwing his voice just in case it was one of the others.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” said Rose. “You aren’t at your hideout.”
“You’re feeling better, then?” he asked.
“Much.”
“Good,” said Malcolm. “Can you meet me? I need your help.”
Ten minutes later, Malcolm and Rose stood on top of one of the abandoned buildings overlooking Vanderbrook’s old industrial park. Tapestry had left her car on a nearby street and was slowly approaching an old electronics factory, gun in hand.
“Hold on,” said Rose. “Explain this to me again. Your copy is missing in action?”
“He’s gone,” said Malcolm. “And this time… I don’t think he’s coming back.”
“Okay,” said Rose. “And that makes it your responsibility to protect the blonde champion, because…?”
“You know her name,” said Malcolm. “And it’s my responsibility because this is my fault. I put her in a situation where she feels like she needs to charge in on her own.”
“It’s not your fault that she’s stupid,” said Rose.
Malcolm gave her a look, though he was glad to see that her spirits had improved. He tried to keep Brenden off his mind, the way his body had gone slack after the gun had gone off during their struggle.
“Are you okay?” asked Rose.
“Fine,” he said. “So how do we follow Tapestry inside without giving away our presence?”
Rose licked her lips.
“The windows are dark, meaning there’s plenty of shadow inside,” she said. “If you can land us near the entrance, we’ll only be exposed for a couple of seconds before I can use my power to cover us.”
Malcolm nodded slowly. Tapestry was slowly creeping toward a side door, scanning for danger as she went.
Something feels off here, and not just the fact that she’s alone…
“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Rose.
Malcolm sighed.
“Yeah,” he said. “Just way too much to think about, right now.”
They waited until Tapestry had been inside for a minute before descending and following her through the same door.
Rose was right about being able to conceal them with her shadows, but the factory was dark enough to make it almost unnecessary. Old automated machines looked like strange, silhouetted monsters, frozen in place. Dust lingered in the air, and the place smelled of oil and rust.
Malcolm’s unease prickled down the back of his neck. It was obviously a trap. Multi was too organized to use such a place as his base, or even for storage. It was a trap, and now that they were inside, it was too late for them to do anything about it.
From the center of the room, a computer screen flickered on. It stood on top of a table, out of place amongst the old industrial equipment and conveyer belts. Malcolm watched Tapestry cautiously approaching it, gun out. He signaled for Rose to follow.
Multi’s face appeared on the screen. Malcolm was again reminded of just how much his old boss had changed. The hallmarks of a demon were all there, off color skin, skull bumps, but the real change had taken place in his eyes. They were gleaming black, little onyx gems reflecting cold determination and ruthlessness.
“Tapestry,” said Multi, enunciating each syllable slowly. “So good of you to finally arrive.”
Malcom heard the sounds of shuffling feet coming from the perimeter of the room. He didn’t need the light to know that the noise was dozens of armed Multi copies moving into place. He tried to keep his fear in check, closing the distance toward the computer screen with Rose at his side.
“And let’s not labor under any illusions,” said Multi. “Mr. Vigilante, why don’t you and your spryte also come out? Join us. Let’s all talk together.”
Tapestry stiffened, gripping the gun tighter in her fingers. She was standing in front of the computer screen, the blue white light giving her a ghostly glow. Malcolm could barely make out the details of her expression as he and Rose came to stand within range of the screen.
“Friends of yours?” asked Tapestry, flicking her head toward Malcolm and Rose. “I always assumed that becoming a demon made you too vain to trust anything other than a copy.”
Multi chuckled.
“It would be closer to the truth to call them friends of yours,” said Multi. “Better friends than you might think. Ah, but we should start from the beginning. I’ve summoned you here for a reason.”
“I’m not interested in talking,” said Tapestry.
Malcolm winced. He reached out into the dark and listened. He sensed that there were at least fifty, maybe sixty Multis waiting in the shadows. He knew that there were rifles trained on them waiting for a command, or for one of them to make the wrong move. There were far more Multis than the three of them could confront, even if they were working together.
“You don’t have to talk,” said Multi. “Just listen. I’ve regained many of my memories from my former life, Tapestry. Enough that I see a… small amount of value in having you serve under me.”
“Serve… under you?” Tapestry was smiling, but Malcolm could sense the tension in her body language.
“Of course,” said Multi. “It would be quite similar to how things once were. Back in… what was it we called it? The Dome? Yes… I would give you orders, and you would carry them out.”
“You’re a demon,” Tapestry pointed out, as though he might have forgotten. “You’re not in control. And we aren’t interested in being your instruments. You already have your copies. Why would you need anyone else?”
“I’m not just offering this to you,” said Multi. “In fact, Wind Runner was the one I truly wished to make this offer to.”
Multi’s eyes watched Malcolm through the screen for long enough to make him start sweating under his mask.
“Wind Runner has… a very special kind of potential,” said Multi. “I’m genuinely surprised that he isn’t here, actually. I’ve already spoken to him about this. We were almost at the point of reaching an understanding.”
“Enough,” said Tapestry. “You can lie all you want, but don’t drag Malcolm into this.”
I really wish I could have a say here.
“I’m not lying,” said Multi. “You must have noticed his absence over the past few days. Did you wonder about where he was?”
Confusion flickered across Tapestry’s face. Multi picked up on it, and understanding dawned in his eyes.
“Oh…” Multi said. “Oh, that is rich. No, of course you didn’t notice that he wasn’t around. Wind Runner, truly, you are just too much. I’m sure, Tapestry, that I must be mistaken, then.”
Tapestry didn’t say anything. Malcolm couldn’t take being on the outside edge of the conversation any longer.
“Enough of this,” he said, gruffly. “I didn’t come here to listen to the two of you talk. I came to fight.”
CHAPTER 29
He’d barely gotten the last word out of his mouth when five gunshots rang out, each one sparking the ground inches from Malcolm, Tapestry, and Rose’s feet. Multi slowly shook his head on the screen, thumbing a cigarette into his mouth and furrowing his brow.
“You came here because I lured you here,” said Multi. “To fight? It would be pointless. You might be able to escape, but what of the others here? Could you get them all out before one of my copies gets a lucky shot?”