“Savior, not a saint!” roared the crowd. “Murderer, full of hate!”
Savior grinned and appeared to let out a genuine laugh. He gestured to Malcolm and Tapestry, apparently recognizing them on sight.
“Local champions?” asked Savior, as they drew in close. His voice was resonant, with a hint of smoky scratchiness to it.
“That’s right,” said Tapestry. “I’m-”
“Tapestry, right?” said Savior. “My assistant said you were pretty when he set up the meeting, but wow! And this, here, must be the infamous Wind Cutter I’ve been hearing so much about.”
“Uh…” Malcolm frowned. “It’s Wind Runner.”
“Right, right,” said Savior. “Cutter, you’re in charge of security. I should say something to the crowd. It seems a shame for so many of them to come out to see me and not get a speech.”
Savior plastered a phony grin on his face and turned toward the angry, chanting crowd. He waved at the protesters and then held his hands out wide, as though he was the one welcoming them.
“Greetings!” called Savior. The crowd went silent.
Protesters stopping to hear what their target has to say? I am thoroughly amazed.
“If you’re interested in getting a selfie or an autograph with me, please return at the time of my departure,” said Savior. “I’ll inform the local news ahead of time, so it can be announced. I usually try to get to the airport about an hour early, and will be open to your requests then.”
The protesters glanced at each other. One of them started chanting again. Savior laughed and gestured for him to stop.
“Holy smokes,” he said. “You folks are impatient. I just thought I’d leave you with a few parting words of inspiration.”
He cleared his throat.
“It doesn’t matter the color of your skin,” said Savior. “Or whether you have superpowers, or where you live, how much money you make, who your parents were, what school you went to, whether you’re alive, uh, or dead. None of it… really matters. Hmm. Think about that one, that’s pretty deep.”
Savior lowered his arms and nodded to Malcolm and Tapestry. The two of them hurried over, falling into step next to him.
A gunshot cut through the moment, loud and tasteless. Malcolm lowered his head out of reflex. He glanced over at Tapestry, and then at Savior.
The head of the Champion Authority had a bullet stuck to the center of his forehead. He almost seemed not to notice, squinting around just like Malcolm was to discern where the damage had been done. Finally, he reached up, plucking the mostly flattened chunk of metal loose from his head. There was no mark underneath it.
“Hmm… a bullet,” said Savior. “One of the many things of which I’m invulnerable to. How ironic.”
Uh… That’s barely a coincidence.
The shooter was already retreating, crouching low as he ran past a luggage carousel. Savior lifted up one of his hands, as if considering whether to blast the man with energy. He sighed, and then stepped into the air, effortlessly taking flight.
Savior sped across the floor, only a few feet above the ground, and seized the man by the back of the shirt. He knocked loose the gun, an expensive looking rifle, and carried the offender back into range of the crowd.
“It gives me pause to think that a man’s heart can be so full of hate,” said Savior. “You should take up a hobby. Perhaps clay sculpting.”
“Fuck you!” shouted the man. “Fascist.”
Savior chuckled. He took the man by the face and locked eyes with him. The man blinked a couple of times in quick succession, and then let out a horrible, panicked scream. Savior stepped back from him. Malcolm watched as the man rolled and patted at his clothes.
“It’s whatever his worst fear is,” whispered Savior.
“That seems a little… intense,” said Malcolm.
The man was clawing at his clothing, ripping both the fabric and the skin underneath.
“It’ll wear off in a couple of hours,” said Savior. “Now. Shall we make our grand departure?”
The police were already hurrying over to take the assassin into custody. Malcolm wasn’t sure whether what Savior had done to the man was merciful, or cruel and unusual. He had to force himself to take his attention off the screaming and fall back into step with his fellow champions.
“Weren’t you on security detail, Cutter?” asked Savior.
“Should I bother correcting you, or is that my new nickname?” asked Malcolm.
Tapestry glared at him.
“He’s right, you know,” she said. “You completely missed the shooter. If it wasn’t for Savior’s invulnerability, how would that situation have played out?”
Malcolm grimaced, feeling his cheeks flush slightly. She had a point. Tapestry had shown him what to do in a situation like this in training. He’d been distracted, both by the crowd and by his own thoughts.
“I guess you could say that… he had his head stuck in the clouds?” said Savior. Tapestry laughed. Malcolm didn’t.
“Get it, Cutter?” Savior elbowed him in the ribs. “Like, you have wind powers? Wind powers… that you could fly with? Head stuck up in the–”
“I get it,” said Malcolm. “Funny.”
CHAPTER 5
Malcolm trailed behind Tapestry and Savior as they walked. They seemed to be getting along quite well, with Savior regaling Tapestry with stories of battles he’d been in, and famous people he’d met.
“He didn’t correct me,” said Savior. “I spent almost an hour treating him like he was Prime Minister of Australia! New Zealand, though, totally different place.”
“Oh, that’s an easy mistake,” said Tapestry. “Anyone could have made it.”
“Yeah,” said Malcolm. “I’m sure you’re not the only US Senator to completely confuse two sovereign nations, thousands of miles apart.”
“Right?” said Savior. Tapestry glared at Malcolm.
The protesters followed them, at least to the entrance of the airport. Two police officers were on duty there, apparently assigned to be Savior’s official escort on behalf of Halter City. He sent them off with a smile and a wave, and then set a hand on Malcolm and Tapestry’s shoulders.
“Now listen,” said Savior. “It’s probably better if I don’t travel with you directly to our destination. I’m a little bit too famous for that.”
“Of course,” said Tapestry. “Here, I already wrote down my address.”
She pulled out a slip of paper and passed it to Savior.
“My number’s also on the back,” she quickly added. Malcolm struggled to keep his reaction controlled.
“I’ll meet you there in a lickety split,” said Savior. “Fear not, fellow champions. Your Savior has arrived, and soon the situation will be handled!”
He lowered himself into a squat, and then took off into the air. Malcolm watched him disappear into the distance, and then glanced over at Tapestry.
“You gave him your number?” he asked.
Tapestry blushed.
“He might need to call for something,” she said.
“Something… like a date?”
Her cheeks reddened further.
“Why does it matter to you, anyway?” asked Tapestry.
“What do you mean, why does it matter to me?” asked Malcolm. “We…”
“Are not a couple,” she said, finishing his sentence.
I can’t argue with that. We’re just friends… who occasionally hook up.
“Beyond that,” he said, still unwilling to give up the argument. “He’s like, crazy old.”
Tapestry made an offended noise and glared at Malcolm.