An hour went by, and then two. Malcolm started humming 90s rock songs, which Rose immediately started teasing him about. It did serve a purpose, both to pass the time and to recharge his powers slightly. It wasn’t the same as listening to the actual music, but it still served to meet the criteria of his focus activity.
What does it even matter, though? My powers are next to useless against Rain Dancer. And Rose isn’t much better off…
He was about to say as much to her and start brainstorming a better plan when the door to the room opened. Malcolm couldn’t make out any details other than the light streaming in and Shield Maiden’s vague shape.
“Hey,” he said. “Are you going to let us go now? Because I’m like ten minutes away from peeing inside this bubble.”
“Go right ahead,” said Shield Maiden. “The smell would stay contained to the bubble. You’d be the one suffering in the end.”
“Point taken,” said Malcolm. “Now answer my question.”
“She isn’t going to let us go, Malcolm,” said Rose, her voice annoyed. “They’ve beaten us, and they’ve taken us prisoner. They won’t let us go until they get what they want.”
“Prisoner isn’t the term I would use,” said Shield Maiden. “How about… a deliberate guest? And no, we don’t plan on holding you indefinitely.”
Malcolm was about to ask what she meant by that when Shield Maiden began moving them again. It was hard to get a sense of the world outside the bubble, but he was at least aware of when they passed out of the church and into the open. It was midafternoon, and the light of the sun was obvious.
A vehicle pulled to a stop in the road in front of them. The bubbles lifted, and Malcolm and Rose were loaded into the back of a van, judging from the roomy interior. It was dark again, and their captors didn’t say anything as they began traveling.
“Rose,” he said. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer immediately. Malcolm started to get a little concerned.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just worried, Malcolm.”
“Trust me,” said Malcolm. “I won’t let them put a finger on you without going through me first.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m worried,” said Rose, quietly. “Malcolm… You’re the one who is in danger here. Not me.”
Malcolm frowned.
Hmm…Hadn’t really considered it. They only attacked after Shield Maiden pointed out that I was a champion.
The ride went on for what felt like an eternity. The back of the vehicle was pitch black, but even if their bubbles had been in front of windows, Malcolm doubted he’d have any real sense of direction. He didn’t know Halter City all that well to begin with, anyway.
Finally, they came to a stop. The doors in the back of the vehicle opened. Malcolm made out the shapes of Shield Maiden and Rain Dancer, along with the walls and ceiling extending forward several hundred feet. It was a tunnel, and Shield Maiden directed their bubbles down toward the end of it.
“Hey, I think we started off on the wrong foot,” said Malcolm. “Maybe we could have a do over? Talk this through?”
He wasn’t scared for himself, exactly, but Rose’s words had put a nagging sense of impending doom into him. Malcolm tried to keep his awareness on his surroundings as Shield Maiden carried him forward down the tunnel.
“We will speak soon enough,” said Shield Maiden. “For now, both you, your spryte companion, and Rain Dancer could all use some time to cool off.
“Shield…” said Rain Dancer. “You’re making me sound like a steaming child, you know?”
“Well, perhaps you should stop behaving like one so often,” said Shield Maiden. “If you hadn’t riled Wind Runner up, we wouldn’t have an empty space in place of one of our church’s stained-glass windows.”
Rose laughed.
“Yeah, seriously, Rain Dancer,” said Malcolm. “Good going.”
“You are a punk,” said Rain Dancer. “I’m making you pay for the damages, you hear?”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” said Rose. “Because Malcolm’s just rolling in money, as it is.”
Shield Maiden let out a tired sigh and brought both bubbles through an entrance into a new area. They were in a huge, moderately lit space. That much Malcolm could make out. She brought them both across the floor, through another door, down another hallway, and into a new room.
Finally, the bubbles disappeared. Malcolm immediately tensed up, looking around and feeling a bit like a caged animal. They were in a concrete cell, with bright overhead lights, a metal door, and no furniture.
“We’ll be back in a little bit,” said Shield Maiden.
“Hold on!” Malcolm jumped up. “I’m a champion. And, in case you didn’t know, my fellow champions can track me using this!”
He brandished his stabilizer in the air. Rain Dancer looked amused.
“Just like you can use your phone to call for help?” he asked. “Electrical interference, you know? It’s one of my powers.”
Malcolm gritted his teeth. He tried a different tactic, hurling himself toward the door, pushing himself forward with the wind. Shield Maiden closed it before he could do anything.
Jeez, I wasn’t going to attack her, or anything. I mean… maybe. But maybe not!
Malcolm banged on the door a couple of times. He turned around, and saw Rose sitting in the corner of the room, trying to shield her face from the light.
“Damn it,” he said. “Is it that bad for you?”
“I used my powers too much trying to fight that stupid brute,” said Rose. “The light… it’s draining when I’m like this.”
“Here.” Malcolm took his shirt off, sat down next to her, and draped it over both of them. It didn’t block that much light, but combined with the hood of Rose’s sweatshirt, it was at least enough to give her a little bit of relief.
“Thanks,” she said.
Malcolm put his arm around her and squeezed.
“Any ideas?” he asked.
“We wait,” said Rose.
“For what?”
“A chance to kill them.”
Malcolm frowned.
“No,” he said. “I think we might be able to settle this without any more violence.”
“Are you insane, Malcolm?” snapped Rose.
“No,” he said. “Just aware of our current situation. I don’t think we’ll be able to beat Rain Dancer in a straight fight, but if we play our cards right, we might not have to. And what about your sister?”
Rose was silent for a couple of seconds.
“I haven’t even spoken to her yet, Malcolm,” she said, softly. “I’m not sure she even recognized me. As soon as I let my hood down in the church… she, along with all the other cultists started… worshipping me.”
“Hey, worship is a step up from having to wrestle her for the remote,” joked Malcolm.
“I’m being serious,” said Rose. “I can’t remember her, beyond a few scraps of memories. And I don’t know if she’ll ever see me as who I am, now. I think… maybe it was a bad decision to go looking for her.”
Hearing her say those words out loud made Malcolm’s heart ache. He didn’t know what to say. He just put his arms around her and hugged her.
CHAPTER 16
Time passed slowly in the cell. The accommodations were only slightly better than the rainbow bubbles, and Malcolm still felt claustrophobic from being confined. He wondered what Shield Maiden and Rain Dancer hoped to accomplish by leaving them alone for so long.
They might be doing his to keep Rose weak. But it’s not as though they knew about her weakness ahead of time. The cell was already here, meaning they’ve imprisoned people before.