They left Tapestry’s house in the BMW and went straight to HQ. Malcolm’s thoughts turned back to the heat demon and how close they’d been to taking a shot at it.
We’d been close, but what could we have done? It’s a true monster, more than we could have handled.
“Let me do the talking,” said Tapestry. “Multi might be a little suspicious about the fact that I didn’t report in last night.”
“You haven’t told him anything about our encounter?” asked Malcolm.
“No.” Tapestry glanced over at him, frowning a little. “If I’d called him, he would have insisted that both of us come in immediately. And your secret would have been blown.”
Malcolm hesitated for a second before nodding, and Tapestry noticed.
“You aren’t hiding anything else from me, are you?” she asked.
“…No,” he said.
I don’t like lying to her, but I’m not about to turn the champions loose on Rose.
Tapestry pulled the BMW onto the dirt road that led to the dome. Multi was already outside when they parked, in full force. There at least seven copies of the balding man that Malcolm could see, most of them dressed in body armor and carrying firearms. It was like looking at a small battalion of identical twins.
Three of them were in the process of unfurling something that looked like a parachute. Malcolm got out of the car and started walking alongside Tapestry, wondering which Multi was the one they were supposed to report to.
“Finally,” said the middlemost Multi. “Why didn’t you report in last night?”
“I took a fire blast from the demon,” said Tapestry. “Malcolm managed to get me out of there, but he wasn’t sure of the route back to HQ.”
Multi frowned, but gave a slow nod. Malcolm fidgeted slightly, pulling his sleeve a little further over his charred stabilizer. If Multi saw that, they would both be caught in a lie.
An owl hooted overhead. Malcolm glanced up in time to see it swoop to ground level and shift its form. Morph, her hair done up in a bun and wearing a pair of recreation specs, hit the ground in a roll. She stood up and dusted herself off, nodding to Malcolm and Tapestry before reporting to Multi.
“No sign of smoke or any active fires in the area,” said Morph. “I wasn’t able to check the other side of Vanderbrook, though. It’s exhausting to stay airborne for so long.”
Multi nodded. He tapped a finger on his chin and then pulled out a cigarette, an action instantly mirrored by most of his nearby copies.
“Good work, Anna,” he said. “We have to find this fucker as soon as we possibly can.”
“From what I saw last night, I don’t think we’re going to stand a chance at taking him down, Multi,” said Tapestry. “This demon is really nasty. And he’s going to be carrying around enough heat to do some serious damage.”
“I agree,” said Multi. “That’s why we aren’t going to fight. Once we’ve found him, me and the other Multis will engage and do what we can to pull him away from Vanderbrook.”
Malcolm only barely managed to hold back his objection. He was planning on fighting the heat demon, regardless of whether the rest of the champions thought it was a good idea or not. He’d never been closer to vengeance, and he wasn’t ready to give up on it.
“Wind Runner,” said Multi. “I… apologize for having to put you in the field so early, with so little training, but we’re out of options.”
“What do you need me to do?” he asked.
“The heat demon is going to show himself again soon, either to burn something else down to build his strength, or to attack,” said Multi. “Either way, we can watch for the smoke. We need eyes in the sky constantly, and Morph can’t do it on her own.”
“Eyes in the sky?” asked Malcolm. “I can’t fly, Multi.”
“Not on your own, you can’t,” he said. “But… with something like a paraglider, I don’t think it should be much trouble.”
He gestured to the canvas canopy some of the other Multis were setting up.
“A paraglider…?” Malcolm frowned and shook his head. “Is it like a parachute, or something?”
“You can think of it like that, yes,” said Multi. “Except with enough wind, one of these will let you lift off from the ground, instead of just slowing your fall.”
Malcolm took a closer look at the canopy. The other Multis had spread it out on the ground and were in the process of untangling a harness. There was an image on the back of the paraglider itself of a woman in a bikini, holding up a peace sign and posing provocatively.
“We got it from a private seller,” said Multi. “It was the only one we could find. Usually they don’t sell to people who don’t have a special license, or certification.”
“And you think I’m just going to be able to strap this thing on and instantly start flying?” asked Malcolm.
Multi stared at him. He took a long drag from his cigarette and casually blew it into Malcolm’s face.
I guess that’s my answer.
“You’ll be fine,” said Multi. “Just be careful when landing. Tapestry, I want you to be Malcolm’s eyes on the ground. Get his phone set up so that he can stay in touch with you and report what he’s seeing.”
“Got it.” Tapestry disappeared into HQ. Malcolm walked over to the harness. He stood there and fumbled with it until one of the Multis begrudgingly helped him put it on.
Tapestry reappeared a few minutes later with a Bluetooth headset. She paired it with Malcolm’s phone and then had him put it on.
“See these buttons up here?” she said. “The top one will open the communication channel to me.”
“And the bottom one?” asked Malcolm.
“That controls your phone’s music app.” She smiled at him. “In case you need some of that wild rock and roll to get a recharge while you’re airborne.”
“Nobody calls it rock and roll anymore, Tapestry,” he said.
She sighed and shook her head. The Multis had finished strapping him into the harness and preparing the paraglider’s canopy. Everybody moved back a safe distance to watch.
“Alright,” said Malcolm. “So, what now?”
“You need to run into the wind to take off,” called Multi. “Can you arrange that?”
Malcolm shrugged. He could set up the conditions, but he was still skeptical about whether it would actually work. The paraglider was big, but the idea of generating enough lift continuously to keep himself up for very long was a little daunting.
“Just give it your best shot.” Tapestry’s voice came from the Bluetooth headset. “And keep your eyes out for smoke and fire.”
“Sure.” Malcolm took a breath to focus, and switched his headset over to one of Danny’s 90s playlists.
He held the paraglider’s main lines in his hands as he slowly started jogging forward, calling the wind toward him head on. It didn’t take long for the breeze to spread the canopy into position. Malcolm ran a little faster, and increased the strength of the wind. He lifted off the ground, missing a step. It almost felt like what he did when he was wind running, but with more upward pull.
His foot hit again. He took another few solid strides, noticing how close he was getting to the trees. Summoning all the wind that he could, Malcolm hit the paraglider’s canopy with a powerful upward burst.
He lifted off the ground. The speed at which he gained height was shocking, and soon, he was up over the trees. Malcolm felt his heart racing as he looked down at the other champions. They looked tiny and far off. Anna was waving to him, cheery as always. The Multis were smoking, a few of them already on their way back inside.
“Stay calm,” came Tapestry’s voice, over his headset. “Multi says that you’re high enough up to use regular air currents as well as your wind manipulation.”
“What does that mean?” asked Malcolm.
“It means that you should be careful about trying to do anything fancy,” said Tapestry. “Just keep yourself in the air and wait until you feel like you have control t
o start adjusting your flight path.”
The air currents were already taking him away from the dome, which soon disappeared amidst the forest. Malcolm could see Vanderbrook in the distance, the entire town seeming very self-contained from the height he was at. He looked directly down at the trees beneath him and tried not to think about what it would feel like to crash into them.
He still had Tapestry’s power, of course, which put him a little more at ease. Though, he suspected that regardless of whether he could heal from getting impaled by a tree branch, it would still be incredibly painful to endure.
“Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s what happens if I give myself a push.”
Malcolm pulled the wind toward him from behind, exactly as he would to give himself a speed boost on the ground. Immediately, the paraglider’s canopy lost form and buckled. He screamed, falling a dozen feet or so before switching the wind to come from below him instead of behind.
The canopy spread out again, and Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief, his heart pounding away in his chest. He made a mental note to never try to push himself directly forward, and tried to wipe the sweat off his palms.
CHAPTER 32
It took Malcolm a couple more minutes to get used to the feeling of paragliding, but once he had, he was in heaven. It was different from anything he’d done with his powers before, and it made him feel like he understood the wind.
Wind manipulation was less about pushing, and more about guiding. Air currents were like invisible rails, and the paraglider would follow them by default, all he had to do was make sure he was aimed in the right direction.
He was high enough up for the air to have a chill to it, and his teeth chattered from the cold, though he barely noticed.
“See anything?” asked Tapestry.
“There’s a small trail of smoke coming from the campgrounds to the north,” said Malcolm. “Probably nothing, but I’ll check it out anyway.”
“Be careful,” said Tapestry. “And pace yourself. Don’t use your powers more than you have to.”
“Right…” he said.
This is the best use for my powers that I’ve ever found. I deserve to play around a little, don’t I?
Malcolm pulled the wind in front of him and felt the paraglider pick up speed. He dipped lower, passing over Vanderbrook’s buildings, wondering if anybody on the street could see him. If they could, they wouldn’t think much of it. He was just a paraglider, up a little higher than normal.
He used his powers to swerve from side to side as he approached the campgrounds. As soon as he made it over the trees, Malcolm saw that it was just a man building a small campfire. He pulled the wind up from beneath him, rising higher and higher into the air.
“It’s nothing Tapestry,” he said. “I’m going to stay airborne for now, just in case something else turns up.”
“You should take a break soon,” said Tapestry. “Malcolm, it’s really not good for you to get in the habit of using your powers when you don’t need to.”
“I’m fine,” he said, grinning. “Quit worrying.”
He switched over to his music, and for a couple of minutes, thought of nothing other than the wind. Birds flew in flocks, occasionally coming close to him. He chased after them, and teased them with bursts of concentrated wind.
Malcolm knew that eventually he would find a way to fly without the paraglider. He would merge with the wind, move through it as a native. He had the power to do it, he just need more skill.
His heart pounded in his chest. He could feel something there, deep inside. It was almost like a second store of energy, a force waiting for him to reach out and take it. Malcolm knew that he wasn’t supposed to, and that it was off limits, but it was still there. He would be okay if he opened himself up to it, wouldn’t he?
I don’t have to follow the rules. I can live however I want, make whatever choices I want.
“Malcolm!” Tapestry’s voice was sharp over the headset. “Wind Runner! What is your status?”
“I’m… still keeping watch.” Malcolm pulled the wind upward, lifting even higher into the air. The town below looked like a satellite image, and the wind was roaring in his ears.
“You need to report back in,” said Tapestry. “It’s Morph’s turn. We aren’t risking you up there any longer.”
“…No,” said Malcolm.
He spun himself in a slow circle, angling the wind so that he leaned to the side.
“Wind Runner,” said Tapestry. “That’s an order from Multi. Get your head on straight.”
“Oh, I think I see another fire.” Malcolm switched back to his music. He used the wind to guide himself forward and down, feeling a rush of euphoria at the control he now had. It was addictive. He understood so much more about being gifted now, about the temptation and urge to merge with his powers.
He could hear something, a whisper in the air. The wind was calling to him. Malcolm felt hazy, like he was trying to make out important words in a dream he was on the verge of waking up from. The wind was calling to him, and he suddenly knew why.
Malcolm reached across his harness, touching where the straps secured him in. He didn’t feel any fear or trepidation as he released the buckle. He still hung from his shoulders, the harness holding him under his armpits.
“Malcolm!” cried Tapestry. “Report! What’s your current status?”
He took off the Bluetooth headset, unhooked it from his phone, and threw it into the open air. Malcolm was grinning from ear to ear, feeling a sudden rush of euphoria and confidence. He’d only been toying with what he could really do for the past few days. It was time for him to become who he was meant to be.
Malcolm lifted his hands over his head. The wind did the work for him, ripping the paraglider back like a balloon wrenched loose from a child’s grip by a strong gust. He fell, but only for a couple of seconds. He could sense the air currents, and using his wind manipulation, he coaxed them into action.
His shirt flapped against his chest wildly. He couldn’t hear anything. For a couple of seconds, the ground surged up toward him, and even in his manic state, Malcolm felt terrified. Then, the wind cooperated, submitting to his demands. Malcolm flew, slicing through the air, pulling up and away from the trees before he reached them.
He shifted, leaning back and turning in a slow flip, the pleasure of each movement more intoxicating than any drug. Malcolm’s skin was cold, but he was sweating from the exertion. He was using his powers more than he ever had before. And there was nothing wrong with that. He would use his powers, and live on his own terms.
We both can. Rose and me. She’ll be my queen, and they’ll never be able to stop us.
He was on his way back into Vanderbrook, the town’s buildings illuminated by the setting sun. Malcolm could feel the wind shifting and dancing. It was playful, and it called to him even as he tried to recollect his senses and get back to reality.
Malcolm saw his apartment. It took all the willpower he had to circle over it, slowly dropping lower and lower, listening to the reactions of pedestrians as they witnessed him descending. He landed on the sidewalk nearby, and had to suppress a sudden urge to throw up.
No, I’m fine. I can go my own way now.
He headed up into his apartment, wanting nothing more than to find Rose and be free.
CHAPTER 33
Rose was still in bed with the curtains pulled tight over the window. She sat up immediately when he came in through the door. She was still wearing the lingerie she’d promised to leave on for him, and she had a wicked smile on her face.
“Rose,” said Malcolm. “I’m back.”
She stood up from the bed and slowly walked into the living room, bearing the sunlight without complaint.
“I take it you had an interesting night,” she said, nodding to his clothes. “Care to share the details?”
“I’ll share more than just that,” he said. “I want to share it all with you, Rose. I’m free now. I… I get it.”
He exten
ded his hand, wiggling his fingers at the couch. All three of its cushions lifted into the air. Malcolm twisted his hand, juggling them around each other, controlling them with powerful, accurate bursts of wind. He dropped them and picked Rose up instead, tumbling her through the air and placing her back on her feet next to him.
“What are you doing, Malcolm?”
“I understand!” he said. “Rose, we can do whatever we want! The champions can’t control me anymore! We can be together now! We can leave Vanderbrook… Right after we kill the demon.”
“Malcolm,” Rose said, in a calm voice. “Did you take off your stabilizer, somehow?”
He lifted his arm up and pulled the sleeve down, showing her the charred remains of it. Rose massaged her temples and sighed.
“You need to get a grip,” she said. “Right now. What you’re talking about isn’t what you really want.”
“How would you know?” asked Malcolm. “What I want is you, Rose. And I know I can have you.”
He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. Rose didn’t stop him, but the fierce look in her eyes made it clear that she was prepared to, if need be.
“I remember more about them, now,” she said. “The stabilizers have a control device that helps keep champions from being able to binge on their powers and accidentally turn themselves into sprytes and demons. If you keep doing what you’re doing… you’re going to end up like me.”
“Is that really such a bad thing?” Malcolm kissed her neck. Rose pushed him back roughly.
“Yes,” she said. “And not just for you. Think of all the people who you could hurt if that happened.”
“I wouldn’t hurt anybody,” he said, feeling suddenly defensive. “And it’s not like I couldn’t fight it, and try to stay in control. We’d be strong, and we could help each other survive. We could be together, Rose. Don’t you see?”
“I see more than just that,” said Rose. “And I’m also thinking more clearly right now than you are. Malcolm, you’re about to make a really fucking stupid mistake.”
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