It was easy for Alpha to justify sending his copies off on suicide missions. They were parts of a greater whole, and only by treating them as dispensable could he reach the full potential of his powers.
In all the time since gaining his gift, not a single copy had ever refused their duty. Each one was created to serve a purpose, and each of them was as practical as he was. Alpha never needed to explain why their deaths might be necessary. They already knew, and had seen the hundreds who had come before them. It made death into something routine and mundane, an abstract distinction.
Wax smiled as he approached his fellow Multi. Wax was bald, the only Multi that Alpha knew of who’d shaved the sparse tufts of hair from his head. He usually dressed more casually than the other Multis too, preferring jeans and a t-shirt to a suit and tie.
“You’ve made a mess of things here, Alpha,” said Wax. “Savior is less than thrilled with the optics of this mess.”
Being the first duplicate had left Wax with the duty of being Alpha’s emissary to Savior, the head of the Champion Authority. Alpha sometimes wondered if that was what had caused Wax to differentiate so much from the other Multis. His personality mirrored Savior’s a bit, the same faux casual, good natured veneer over the instincts of a sociopath.
“The situation has been handled,” said Alpha. “The heat demon was defeated.”
“That wasn’t just a heat demon,” said Wax. “That was Hothead. One of the Champion Authority’s very first recruits. We brought him in on the verge of turning into a demon, after he’d blown up his family’s home with his mother inside.”
Alpha exhaled through his nose.
“You know something I don’t,” he said. “Why don’t you just come out and tell me?”
The bald Multi smiled.
“Your champions aren’t giving you the full story,” said Wax.
“I could tell that Tapestry was lying,” said Alpha. “She has an obvious tell. Grew up in a more honest era.”
He waited, knowing that Wax would come clean eventually. If Alpha really wanted to know what he had to say, he could always merge with him by force and take the information against Wax’s will. They both knew that.
“Hothead is Wind Runner’s brother,” said Wax.
Alpha Multi cursed under his breath.
“That… complicates things,” he said. “And Tapestry knew… but didn’t tell me.”
“Having them both in the field is a little dangerous,” said Wax. “I would have figured you to be the type to take more, well, severe measures.”
Alpha Multi smiled. He crossed his legs, amused and a little intrigued by the conclusion Wax had jumped to.
“You’re so critical, Wax,” he said. “Do you really think I operate on trust alone? Tapestry won’t step out of line.”
“You have something over her?” asked Wax.
“She has family,” said Alpha. “A great granddaughter who she is rather fond of, in fact. She would never put her at risk, not when all she needs to do to keep her safe is to follow orders.”
Wax shrugged.
“Is she really the one you need to worry about?” he asked. “This Wind Runner… He’s a new champion. He’s related to a demon. Hothead might still be alive, you know. His powers let him travel in and out of intense heat sources.”
“Again, you lack the full picture of my intentions,” said Alpha. “We share many of the same instincts and memories, Wax. Which is why I find it so surprising that you so often fail to understand the plan.”
Wax’s eye narrowed into a glare. Alpha almost laughed. It was amusing how easy it was to generate enmity from someone who was essentially him.
“Wind Runner has the universal champion blood type,” said Alpha. “We’ve already begun running tests on the sample we took when we first brought him in.”
“The universal blood type,” said Wax. “Are you serious? You’re saying… he could serve as the vessel?”
“Exactly,” said Alpha. “And don’t worry. You can go ahead and tell Savior. I already know that you report all of our conversations back to him, Wax.”
Wax’s expression grew serious.
“He thinks that you’re one of the few champions as powerful as he is,” said Wax. “And you must know how he’d react to knowing that you’ve finally found a champion that could serve as a vessel.”
“Savior isn’t stupid,” said Alpha. “He won’t risk making a power play. And I’m very open to turning this into a shared project. All of the upper levels of the Champion Authority should know, not just him.”
Wax nodded.
“Are you going to try this immediately?” he asked.
Alpha Multi shook his head.
“It would be too soon, I think,” said Alpha. “And I am a team player, despite what others may say. I’d like to meet with Savior directly about this. Tell him that.”
Wax nodded again. He opened his mouth to say something, and then hesitated, taking a second to find the right words.
“Do you think the world is ready?” he finally asked.
Alpha shrugged.
“To see the birth of a god?” he asked. “Does it matter?”
Rain Dancer
Edmund Hughes
This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Edmund Hughes
Kindle Edition
CONTENTS
Rain Dancer
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 1
A gentle breeze ruffled the sleeves of Malcolm’s shirt. He was standing on the roof of Vanderbrook’s hospital, but his attention was focused on the building across the street.
“Do you see anything?” asked Tapestry. She was on the ground below, circling the block in her car, but her voice came to him through a small Bluetooth earpiece.
“No,” said Malcolm. “If they’re inside, they aren’t advertising their presence yet.”
He frowned, crouching low against the building’s concrete lip and squinting at one of the windows of the Citizen’s Bank of Vanderbrook.
“Keep watching,” said Tapestry. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“When do I ever?” asked Malcolm. She sighed, the sound of it muffled over the earpiece.
Gunshots came from within the building, loud and distinct pops, followed by screams. Malcolm swore under his breath and took a step back from the building’s edge, feeling for the wind.
“Were those gunshots?” asked Tapestry.
“Is that a rhetorical question, or…?”