Tapestry had just turned the corner onto the block where Savior’s hotel was located. A crowd of people cut the street off completely, some waving signs, others chanting, a few trashing cars. Tapestry quickly turned around, parking the car in the street for a quick getaway, if needed.
A couple of police officers were in attendance, and had set up a small strip of yellow tape along the border of the hotel and the public sidewalk. Savior was standing just outside the hotel’s entrance, apparently attempting to calm the protesters down. Wax was at his side, with a deeply concerned expression on his face.
“Everybody, relax!” shouted Savior. “Please, just listen!”
His voice was drowned out by the crowd’s booing as he went on to make his next point. Malcolm could already tell that he and Tapestry would have no hope of pushing through the dense crowd.
“Here,” he said, putting an arm around her waist. “Hang onto me. I’m going to get us in next to him.”
Tapestry furrowed her brow at him for a moment, and then took hold of him, entwining one of her legs with his and pushing her chest against his shoulder.
It took a strong burst of wind to get them into the air. Malcolm felt Tapestry tense up against him as they flew over the crowd. He cushioned them as they came down, blowing a bit of dust and dirt into the faces of the nearest protesters. He offered a shrug of his shoulders as an apology, but it was returned by a number of glares from the crowd.
“Cutter,” said Savior. “Good timing. I’m just trying to have a civil conversation, here. It’s much more difficult than–”
An egg hit Savior in the side of his head. He frowned, keeping his reaction in check as he wiped bits of shell and a yolk out of his hair.
“Oh, come now!” shouted Savior. “That is just uncalled for. I’m a very important person. You don’t throw eggs at very important people!”
“Savior,” said Tapestry. “They aren’t going to leave. We should head into the hotel and wait this out.”
Somebody threw a rock, not at Savior, but at one of the hotel’s windows, smashing through it. Savior set his hands on his hips and glowered at the crowd. A woman stepped in a little closer, beyond the boundary the police had set up, holding her phone and either recording or livestreaming.
“Do you understand what the world would look like, if it wasn’t for me?” screamed Savior. He jabbed a finger at the woman, stepping in closer to her. “Go ahead and film! You all can film! Why don’t I give you something worth filming?”
“Savior!” Malcolm ran up behind, grabbing his shoulder and trying to pull him back toward the hotel. Savior knocked him aside as easily as someone might brush a fallen leaf off their shoulder.
Savior lifted his hand into the air. Neon blue energy condensed in his palm, and the air around him vibrated like the string of an instrument.
“I made a choice to protect you people!” he shouted. “Do you know what would happen if I decided to go off the rails?”
He released the energy into the air, and it streaked into the sky like a cruise missile made of searing blue light. The blast rose up, disappearing after a couple of seconds, and then the night sky exploded with intense light.
It was like witnessing a nuclear explosion, and perhaps more terrifying for the senselessness of it. There was no mushroom cloud, but the blast was bright enough to leave Malcolm unsure of what the actual shape of the burst was. Splotches of colored afterimage coated his vision, but he only had a second or two to consider it before the sound of the blast reached them.
Most of the protesters dropped down to the ground, clutching at their ears. Malcolm covered his own ears, more annoyed by the ringing than the pain. Savior stood in front of the crowd, emanating the confidence and anger of a god whose authority had been challenged.
“You are no savior,” boomed a deep, loud voice.
Malcolm scanned the crowd to see where it had come from, and watched in horror as several people he recognized emerged from the alleyways across the street. Rain Dancer stood at the head of the group, his dark skin and dreadlocks now combined with a black eyepatch over his left eye.
Shield Maiden stood next to him, her skin swirled with pink, purple, and blue colors. And on the other side, now with the familiar, misshapen head bumps of a champion turned demon, stood Multi.
CHAPTER 34
Malcolm was at a loss for words. He looked over at Tapestry to find her clutching at her chest, her mouth turned down in an expression of fear and worry. Multi had been one of the most powerful champions, outside of Savior. If he was now using his power on the side of the monsters, there was no telling how much damage he could do.
“Finally,” said Savior. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever show yourself. And you bought one of my old friends with you. Multi, how are you, buddy?”
Despite the situation, there was something in Savior’s tone that sounded stupidly sincere. He grinned at Multi, acting for a moment like the crowd and the other monsters weren’t even there.
“He doesn’t care about you, you know,” said Rain Dancer. “And there’s no reason why he should. You treated him like you treat all your underlings. Disposable, a tool to use to murder innocents.”
“That’s a blatant… exaggeration,” said Savior. “And I wasn’t speaking to you.”
“Multi…” Tapestry called. Malcolm didn’t think it had been loud enough for their former boss to have heard, he stepped forward after a moment and locked eyes with her.
“I remember… scraps,” said Multi. “But not enough to keep me from fighting for my life. If you intend to kill me, just because I’m now a demon, I’ll kill you first. I’m sorry… Aubrey.”
Malcolm grabbed Tapestry’s shoulder, knowing the effect his words would have her. It was worse than if he’d ranted and raved, threatened to destroy all of them in a typical villainous fashion.
Multi at least remembers her real name. How is she going to fight him without seeing her old friend underneath?
“This is what you’ve made of the world, Savior!” shouted Rain Dancer. “Are you proud of the fact that you’ve created a genocide of an entire class of people? You know, that was done once before in history, and the way we remember it is with shame and remorse!”
“All we’re asking for is a chance,” said Shield Maiden, straining her voice to reach the same volume as Rain Dancer. “We want to sit down at the table with the people in the world who make decisions and prove that we aren’t the threat that we’ve been made out to be.”
Malcolm almost nodded in agreement. It sounded good. He looked over at Savior, who seemed to be considering the situation very carefully. Malcolm turned to look back at the crowd, and spotted the trap.
A dozen copies of Multi had moved into position on the street, some of them wielding rifles, and others carrying pistols. Malcolm nudged Tapestry with his elbow, but she’d already noticed.
“Savior,” he hissed. “They’re planning something.”
“Of course they are,” Savior whispered back.
He stepped forward, grinning and waving to the still hostile crowd.
“People of the world!” shouted Savior. “People watching this on the news, or on the internet… I want you to know and understand one undeniable fact about the world we live in… You can’t always get what you want!”
He stopped to clear his throat. Rain Dancer gave a subtle nod, and the Multis in hiding moved to spring their trap. The crowd erupted into screams as the demons emerged from hiding, weapons at the ready.
“You didn’t let me finish!” bellowed Savior.
“There is nothing more for us to hear,” shouted Rain Dancer. “You use these innocent people as your shield, and look what happens?”
“You murder innocents!” shouted Savior. “And I have no need for a shield!”
He turned his attention onto the crowd, which was already in the process of fleeing, and widened his eyes. Malcolm heard a new chorus of screams erupt, it didn’t seem to be because of fear the Multis,
but of Savior.
He’s using his offensive illusions to scare them away. Clever.
The street was mostly clear of innocents in only a couple of seconds. Strangely, it only increased the tension, as Malcolm, Tapestry, Wax, and Savior came face to face with Rain Dancer, Shield Maiden, and a dozen armed Multi copies.
Malcolm knew that Savior, on his own, could easily take on all of them. The fact that the others were there only created a liability for him. Malcolm chewed his lip, wondering if it might be a better strategy to just focus on getting himself, Tapestry, and Wax to safety.
“We knew it would come to this eventually,” boomed Rain Dancer. “Let us fight each other here, and resolve our issues personally, ya?”
Savior laughed.
“You stand no chance against me,” he said.
Savior was suddenly a blur, rushing forward toward the monsters faster than Malcolm’s eyes could follow. He slammed into Rain Dancer, knocking him back and into the brick of the building behind him hard enough to leave a person shaped outline.
Malcolm reacted instinctively, grabbing Tapestry and Wax’s hands and pulling them behind a nearby car. Gunshots rang out, bullets bouncing off the ground in their wake. Wax was last, and as he slid into a safety, he let out a small cry.
“Wax!” shouted Tapestry.
“One of them just… nicked my leg,” said Wax, clutching at his calf.
One of the Multis had apparently escaped Malcolm’s notice, and rounded the car they were using for cover with a rifle leveled at their heads.
Morph, dive-bombing in hawk form, slammed into the Multi’s face, tearing at his eyes and cheeks. Malcolm rushed forward, pulling the rifle loose. He fired a quick shot into the demon’s stomach. Tapestry watched with a horrified look on her face.
She knew Multi better than I did. He was her boss and her friend.
“We don’t have a choice,” said Malcolm. “We’re fighting for our lives, Tapestry.”
“I know,” she said. She took out her pistol, holding it in one hand and helping Wax keep pressure on his leg with the other.
Malcolm peered up and over the car just in time to see two more Multis approaching, fast. He let loose with the wind, knocking them back off their feet and managing to scatter one of their guns.
Savior was fighting both Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden in the street, though the latter could do little against him. Malcolm watched as Shield Maiden created a bubble shield around Savior, only to have the champion tear through it in less than a second.
“If you surrender,” said Savior, “perhaps I could find a way to have you all imprisoned indefinitely, instead of putting you to death. I don’t have a taste for pointless bloodshed.”
Rain Dancer let out a roar and a burst of lightning. It struck Savior full in the chest, but was so ineffective that it might as well have been water from a squirt gun. Rain Dancer flew up into the air and came rushing down again. Savior made no attempt to dodge him.
The Multis were regrouping, several of them laying down constant gunfire against the car Malcolm and the others were using for cover. It was all Malcolm could do to pop up every couple of seconds and try to buffet his opponents with strong gusts of wind.
The rifle was useless to him at anything other than short range. Even if he’d been trained with it, the Multis weren’t giving him time to aim, their shots ricocheting off the car’s metal frame in a ceaseless hail of bullets.
Tapestry tried firing around the side of the car, but it was clearly hard for her, practically and emotionally. It wasn’t like it had been against Danny, or the last time they’d fought Rain Dancer. She was trying to shoot somebody she’d known.
Morph was the only one, outside of Savior, who still seemed effective on offense. She would swoop in every couple of minutes, tearing into the face of a Multi with savage strikes of her beak and talons. Malcolm was afraid that one of them would get a lucky shot off at her, but she wasn’t a large target, and unlike a normal bird, she understood how dangerous guns were.
“We have to pull back,” muttered Malcolm. “This isn’t going to end well.”
“We’re okay,” said Tapestry. “Savior’s winning against Rain Dancer! We just have to hold on until his fight is over.”
Malcolm nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rain Dancer and Savior brawling with each other. It seemed like Savior was toying with the demon, or at least giving him a chance by not using his energy blasts to defeat him in an instant.
Savior dodged one of Rain Dancer’s kicks and retaliated with a hard punch directly to the demon’s nose. Rain Dancer staggered back, clutching his face in his hands, and then began to laugh.
It almost seemed as though his laughter was some kind of signal. The Multis stopped shooting and fell back into formation behind Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden. Rain Dancer pulled his hands away from his face, revealing a bloody, broken nose.
“You’re going to want to get that set,” called Malcolm. “That, plus the eye… I know some girls go for the battle-scarred warrior look, but it’s not all that flattering on you.”
“Always with the jokes, ya?” said Rain Dancer. “Why don’t I offer you a riddle in return?”
The street was silent. Savior watched the group of monsters with a puzzled expression on his face. He held his hand out to the side, palm up, as though considering using an energy blast to end the encounter instantly.
“Riddle me this,” said Rain Dancer. “What is Savior’s weakness?”
Malcolm felt a sick feeling take root in his stomach. He looked from Rain Dancer to the Multi at the head of the pack, who had a smile on his face.
“That’s not a riddle that has an answer,” said Savior. “Multi knew many of my secrets, but I never told him that. I would have been a fool to take such a risk.”
Next to Malcolm, Wax stood up a little straighter. He looked like he was about to throw up.
“He at least has a few guesses,” said Wax. “This is bad. This is really, really bad.”
“No weakness?” asked Rain Dancer. “Okay. Why don’t you fly at me, and throw one of your energy blasts from the air? Or… You could use those illusions of yours, while also being shot at? Shouldn’t be too hard, you know?”
Savior frowned slightly, but kept his expression neutral. From behind Rain Dancer, Multi stepped forward.
“I always wondered why you pushed for that law,” said Multi. “The one about flight capable champions needing to use standard air traffic lanes and follow the same protocols as planes. It seemed clunky and bureaucratic.”
“He told us before he’d even turned,” said Rain Dancer. “Made a deal, a bargain with us, in exchange for his life. Savior… we know that you can only use one of your powers at a time.”
Malcolm chewed his lip, considering the accusation.
Did that have something to do with why his powers didn’t work for me? Is there some kind of mental trigger for each one?
Savior started laughing. There was a confidence in it that bordered on arrogance. Coming from a normal person, it would have seemed maniacal. From Savior, the most powerful champion in the world, it sounded a little terrifying, even to Malcolm, someone on the same side of the battle.
“You only discovered my functional weakness, and yet you think you can kill me?” shouted Savior. “Multi, I’m disappointed in you. Truly, I am.”
A green portal opened directly behind Savior. A half dozen copies of Multi charged out from hiding spots within an alley to Savior’s side. They leapt onto Savior, heedless of his strength and the danger it put them in, and rolled through the portal.
CHAPTER 35
The portal disappeared immediately after Savior and the Multis went through it. A hushed silence fell over the street. A breeze blew a discarded newspaper down the sidewalk like a dry tumbleweed in an old western movie. Malcolm felt Tapestry squeezing his arm.
“What just happened?” she whispered.
“The rest of you can come out now, ya?” shouted Rain
Dancer. “You won’t be seeing much of Savior anytime soon. He’ll be nice and comfortable, and several hundred million miles away from being able to do any more damage here on Earth.”
Malcolm gritted his teeth, feeling his anger surge and overwhelm his logic. He stood up, half expecting to immediately take a bullet from one of the remaining Multis. None of them fired.
Jade Portal stood next to Rain Dancer, staring down at the concrete at her feet. Rain Dancer was grinning, with a wild look in his eyes. The Multis and Shield Maiden slowly walked over to join him.
“Where is he?” shouted Malcolm.
He stared at the monsters, trying to hold onto his anger as fear threatened to displace it. They were outnumbered, but even if they’d only been up against Rain Dancer, they would have still been at a disadvantage.
“He’s still alive, you know,” said Rain Dancer. “He’ll be quite comfortable on Europa, one of the moons of Saturn.”
“Jupiter,” corrected Shield Maiden.
Rain Dancer shrugged.
“Whatever,” he said. “The conditions there are… not fun for humans. He’ll probably be okay as long as he relies on his invulnerability, but of course, being limited to one power at a time will keep him from ever being able to come home.”
They found a way to beat Savior. And they can spin it as exile, instead of murder, with their supporters. This can’t be happening…
“Please…” said Jade Portal, in a soft, and slightly Russian accented voice. “I did what you asked. It worked, just like I told you it would. Now please… Give me Joab back.”
Rain Dancer only then seemed to remember that she was there. He turned to face Jade Portal and slowly shook his head.
“The magician has been dead since shortly after we first captured him,” said Rain Dancer. “He was too annoying to keep alive as a prisoner.”
“No!” Jade Portal rushed forward, swinging her hands at Rain Dancer like a cat clawing with its paws. Rain Dancer hit her with a burst of electricity, knocking her to the ground.
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