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.