Alright. This is going to be some intricate shit.
He stood behind it, blocking his own view of the burning building. Malcolm reached deep into his powers, summoning the full strength of the wind he could command, and hit the open water tank with enough force to make it wobble.
He hit it again, slowly building a shaking rhythm, back and forth, until finally the tank tipped. Malcolm moved as fast as he could, getting a good view of the water as it fell and using the wind to sweep under it. He pulled it back up into the air and pushed it into the burning building.
Enough of the windows had already broken from the heat to make his water attack effective. He saw the fire dim noticeably, but it wasn’t enough to put it out. Malcolm’s frustration boiled over. He looked around, desperate for something else he could do.
A single figure was approaching the building. Malcolm recognized the outfit and blonde hair, and immediately jumped down to the ground, cushioning his fall with the wind. Tapestry was taking off her clothes, throwing them behind her like an off-duty life guard rushing into the water.
“What are you doing?” shouted Malcolm.
“I can help from within,” said Tapestry. “This is what I meant. Fire isn’t enough to stop me, Malcolm.”
“And what happens if the building collapses on top of you?” he asked. “Tapestry! Not even the firefighters are risking their men.”
She turned and met his eye for an instant.
“We have a responsibility, Malcolm.”
She ran forward at full speed, barefoot and clad only in her bra and panties. Malcolm watched in disbelief as she burst through the wall of flames without bothering to slow down. He looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling as though his own power was a very meager thing.
The firefighters were finally set up. A couple had hose streams concentrated on the building. Malcolm used the wind to help direct the water as much as he could, his body tense with concern for Tapestry.
Minutes went by, long enough that he began to doubt whether he’d ever see her again. Finally, Tapestry burst out from the entrance, carrying a small form wrapped in a bundle of blankets.
Her skin was charred in places, and her bra and panties had been completely burned off. She collapsed into a pile, steam and smoke still rising from her body. The building let out a deep groan, and one of the lower floors gave out, starting a domino effect as the rest of it toppled down.
Malcolm helped pull Tapestry and the child she’d saved away from the wreckage. Dust blasted out in a shockwave as the building collapsed, flames continuing to burn what was left.
“Hey!” shouted Malcolm. “Tapestry!”
She blinked ash out of her eyes to look at him and smiled. Malcolm couldn’t help but smile back at her. The child was coughing, and EMTs were already carrying it toward one of the ambulances. Malcolm patted out a small, smoldering flame that still burned in Tapestry’s hair, and then glanced down at the rest of her slightly crispy and very naked body.
He cleared his throat, trying not to notice how pink her nipples were against the rest of her soot covered skin. Malcolm pulled off his windbreaker and set it over her shoulders, and she nodded in thanks.
“Do you want me to get one of the EMTs to look at you?” he asked, quietly.
She shook her head.
“They know me,” she said. “They know I’ll be fine. I just need my clothes and… my phone.”
Malcolm nodded, heading over to where she’d left them piled. He brought them back to her, and turned around to allow her some privacy while she dressed.
“That was amazing,” he said. “Tapestry… I’ve never seen anyone risk their life like that.”
He instantly wished that he’d used a different phrasing.
“There’s no risk in it for me,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t try to help.”
Malcolm understood what she meant. Her example had given him something, a new perspective on his role as a champion. He wasn’t ever going to be able to lean back from a dangerous situation, ignore danger and assume someone else had it covered.
“This was the work of a demon,” said Tapestry. “I saw it, through the flames.”
“A… demon?” Malcolm frowned at her, turning back to face her just as she was pulling on her sweater.
“It might be the one, Malcolm,” she said, quietly. “The one you’ve been looking for, or at least one like it. I can’t be sure, but it looked as though it was feeding off the heat.”
“Feeding off the heat?”
“We’ve heard rumors about this demon before,” said Tapestry. “It has explosion powers. Feeds off heat sources, releases the heat in a massive blast. Capable of destroying buildings, people, pretty much anything, but usually it needs to set a bunch of regular fires, first.”
Malcolm was still reeling from what she’d said.
It’s the same one. I don’t know how I know, but I do. It must be.
They spent another few hours at the scene. Tapestry spoke with the police chief, several fire wardens, and Multi, over her cell phone. Malcolm was beginning to understand how much of the job of a champion was public relations, reassuring people in the aftermath of a dangerous event.
He didn’t want to know what the death toll in the building was. The firefighters were still in the process of putting the last of the flames out, but rescue workers were already pulling bodies loose from the rubble, and lining them up side by side on the concrete.
It was late in the afternoon when Tapestry finally finished her diplomacy. Malcolm had spent most of the time on his phone, feeling useless and bored out of his mind. When she finally walked over to him and nodded, he tried not to let his relief show on his face.
“Come on,” said Tapestry. “I have to get home. Melanie is worried about me.”
“Right,” said Malcolm.
Tapestry hesitated for a moment.
“You can have dinner with us, if you want,” she said. “It might be a better way of decompressing than heading back to an empty apartment.”
Malcolm smiled.
“Sure.”
CHAPTER 22
Tapestry drove them to one of the nicer neighborhoods in Vanderbrook, pulling into the driveway of a surprisingly large house. Melanie was already waiting for them at the door, wearing a flower-patterned spring dress and looking extremely worried.
“Aubrey!” shouted Melanie. “You promised! You promised me that you would stop taking stupid risks and relying so much on your powers. This is breaking that promise! Do you understand? You’ve broken your promise!”
Tapestry scratched her head, shooting an awkward glance in Malcolm’s direction.
“It couldn’t be helped.” She set her hand on Melanie’s shoulders. “Look, I’m okay.”
“Okay?” Melanie reached out and snapped off a section of still burned hair. “This only happens when your powers run low. You were close to dying, Aubrey, for real.”
“A lot of people did die today, Mel,” said Tapestry.
Melanie took a deep breath, continuing to glare at Tapestry for a moment. Then, she pulled her into a tight hug.
“I was so worried,” she said. “They showed it on the news, and I just knew you’d stick your nose in. Next time, please… just let the fire fighters do their job. You have your job, and they have theirs. Separation of specialization. Stick to the normal champion stuff.”
Tapestry returned the embrace, softly stroking Melanie’s hair.
“I’ll try,” she said. “Sorry, Mel.”
The three of them stepped into the house, and Melanie only then seemed to notice Malcolm. She nodded, her smile broadening significantly.
“Hi,” said Malcolm. “Nice to see you again, Melanie.”