“Your powers are amazing, but too dangerous for me to be able to trust you, you know?” said Rain Dancer. “Sooner or later, you would try the same trick on us. It’s too bad, ya?”
He gave Jade Portal another electric shock, eliciting a terrible scream from her.
“Time for us to go,” whispered Malcolm. He frowned, trying to work out how to get Tapestry and a wounded Wax to safety. Morph, still in bird form, was on top of a nearby building, effectively safe and sound.
“I can get him to my car, I think,” said Tapestry. “But… I’ll need a distraction.”
“Distractions are what I do best,” said Malcolm. “Get ready.”
Tapestry nodded. Her expression was hard, but Malcolm could see the surprise and confusion in her eyes. Savior had lost against Rain Dancer. For the first time in history, the incredible leader of the Champion Authority had been beaten, and was now a prisoner of his own limitations.
Malcolm signaled Tapestry to make a run for it and threw himself into the air. He knew that the primary danger would be the gun wielding Multis. He didn’t just expect them to open fire on him, he was counting on it.
A salvo of gunshots roared after him as soon as he flew into direct view. Malcolm felt his ankle explode with pain, and had to grit his teeth to keep from losing his focus.
Getting shot hurts, even when it’s for a good cause.
He landed on the roof of a nearby building, immediately falling into a roll to keep from having to put weight on his wound. He could already feel Tapestry’s regeneration ability working its magic, sealing off the injury before he lost too much blood.
“Wind Runner!” shouted Rain Dancer. “You are next, you know! I haven’t forgotten about my eye. Maybe I’ll let your friends live… but you will die.”
“Aw,” said Malcolm. “You have an eye only for me. That’s so sweet.”
He pushed out into the open air again, circling a few times and drawing more gunfire. Malcolm threw in every defensive movement he could think of, somersaulting and barrel rolling to make himself a harder target.
He caught sight of Tapestry and Wax slipping into the black BMW, Morph already behind the wheel for a quick escape. Malcolm felt a surge of hope, but only for an instant. A lightning blast struck him from ground level, and he fell at an awkward angle, slamming into the edge of a building and only barely managing to pull himself up onto the roof.
Gunshots ricocheted against the spot where he’d been an instant before. Malcolm’s entire body tingled with pain from the electric strike. He licked his lips, trying to listen with the wind to the sound of a muffled conversation in the street below.
“Rain, the police are moving in on our position,” said Shield Maiden.
“So?” snapped Rain Dancer.
“So… We don’t want a bloodbath,” said Shield Maiden. “A lot of people support the movement for monster rights. If we play this right, we can completely overthrow what’s left of the Champion Authority. People will see them as tyrants, and us as heroes.”
“Damn,” muttered Rain Dancer. “Fine.”
He cleared his throat.
“Wind Runner!” he shouted. “I’ll be waiting for you at the Church of the Awakened Children. If you don’t want me to go after your friends and family, you will come and face me there at dawn.”
Malcolm leaned his head against the roof of the building. He looked, making sure that Tapestry and the others had made it away, and then burst into flight. The Multis didn’t fire on him, and Rain Dancer didn’t give chase.
They don’t have to chase me. They’ve already won, and they know it.
CHAPTER 36
Malcolm flew to the top of the tallest building in Vanderbrook, heedless of the toll using his wind manipulation so liberally was taking on him. The euphoria felt good, a counterpoint to the dark mood that had taken hold in his chest.
He stared down at the town below. The night sky was cloudy overhead, and any extra awareness of the situation on the ground his position might have given him was diminished by the conditions. Malcolm sat on the edge of the building, feeling defeated.
He checked his phone. Tapestry had sent him a text, just the address of a motel on the edge of town. Malcolm ran his hand through his hair, wondering if he should even bother heading to meet up with the other champions.
Rain Dancer will make good on his threat. If I don’t face him, he’ll kill all of them. Maybe even Rose, too.
The fact that she hadn’t been there at the protest, fighting alongside the other monsters, made Malcolm wonder. She’d wanted him to stay with her in his apartment. Did she know ahead of time about the trap? Was she trying to keep him out of danger? That seemed to go directly against what Rain Dancer wanted, another chance to kill Malcolm and take revenge on him for the eye.
It didn’t seem to matter if she’d defied orders or not, in the end. Rain Dancer’s plan had probably gone off better than he could have hoped. Malcolm thought about Savior, and whether he had a plan to get back to Earth. It seemed unlikely, if not impossible.
Malcolm headed for the motel, using his flight powers in moderation to keep from pushing the limit. He found it easily enough, and headed into the front office. A bored looking clerk pointed him in the direction of two rooms on the second level, at the end of the walkway.
His friends were in the first one, all of them huddled together around a TV. There was a somber tension in the room, the kind that only comes in the wake of unexpected death. Tapestry ran over to him and pulled him into a tight hug as soon as she saw him.
“What took you so long?” she demanded.
“I just… had some thinking to do, on the way here,” he said.
“She was worried sick about you.” Melanie had apparently been picked up along the way, and was sitting in one of the beds. “She went on and on about how it was a mistake to let you try to distract them. I figured you’d be okay, though. You tend to be pretty good at surviving, even if you make stupid decisions, every now and then.”
“Thanks… I think?” said Malcolm. Tapestry was still hugging him, and only stepped back after another couple of seconds. Morph and Wax gave him a nod, most of their attention still on the TV.
“I haven’t seen anything like this since Day One, Diane,” said one of the news anchors. “The reports of Savior’s death, which are as of now, still unsubstantiated, have set off a wave of protests all around the world.”
“The Champion Authority has pulled out of Chicago and New York,” said the female anchor. “A state of emergency has been declared in seven states. The death toll is currently just short of ten thousand, but we expect that to climb in the near future.”
“Just how much of this is the work of monsters?” asked the male anchor.
“From the reports we’ve received, its monsters and protesters acting in tandem, with looters taking advantage of the chaos,” said the female anchor. “The president has advised everyone to stay indoors and wait until a peaceful solution can be found.”
A peaceful solution. The Champion Authority is in ruins, and sprytes and demons finally have an event to rally around.
“This is insane,” muttered Malcolm. “How can this be happening so fast?”
“Somebody live streamed Savior being pushed though the portal,” said Wax. “I never suspected that the reaction would be this extreme, but Savior was the head of the Champion Authority.”
“But the Champion Authority isn’t just him!” said Anna. “It doesn’t make any sense. Where are the rest of the champions? Why aren’t more of them fighting back?”
Tapestry glanced around at everyone in the room.
“We’re in hiding,” she said, slowly. “If I had to guess, I’d say the champions in most major cities are in similar straits. The threat of Savior showing up to handle powerful demons personally is what kept most of them from being brazen.”
Malcolm frowned, slowly shaking his head.
“As strong as Rain Dancer and Multi are together, not even bringi
ng Shield Maiden and the others into it, they’ll have control of the city in a couple of hours,” he said. “Remember what happened when you tried to shoot Rain Dancer with your gun, Tapestry? And Multi, well, he’s not exactly impervious to bullets, but he won’t be put off by fighting armed policemen.”
“I can’t believe it’s come to this,” said Anna.
The room went silent. Malcolm ran a hand through his hair, knowing that he had to tell them.
“Rain Dancer made a threat,” he said. “Not against me, but against all of you, if I didn’t show up to face him personally.”
Tapestry was already shaking her head, before he’d even finished speaking.
“It’s a just a ploy,” she said. “A way of drawing you out. Malcolm, he wants you dead as much as Savior. You can’t trust his words.”
“Wax,” said Malcolm. “What do you think?”
Wax shrugged.
“I don’t know Rain Dancer well enough to guess at what he’d do,” he said. “But I know… Multi. Well, I know myself.”
“And?”
Wax glanced toward the shaded window.
“He’ll spread himself out through the city,” said Wax. “They’ll be enough Multis to watch all of the roads out. Probably your apartment and Tapestry’s house, too. Zero doubt in my mind that he’ll use the same tactics to hunt us that he did to hunt sprytes and demons as a champion.”
“Well, that’s just fantastic,” said Malcolm, with a sigh.
“He’ll do it either way, Malcolm,” said Tapestry. “You have to realize that.”
“Maybe,” said Malcolm. “But maybe not. I have to face him, I don’t have a choice here.”
“The choice is simple!” snapped Tapestry. “Don’t throw your life away!”
“There is a chance…” Malcolm said. “I could beat him. I’m not sure how yet, but if I managed that… it would make things better for everyone. It would give us a chance.”
Nobody in the hotel room disagreed with that, or at least, nobody said anything. A few silent seconds went by, and then Wax cleared his throat.
“Regardless,” he said. “There’s nothing more that we can do tonight. Let’s get a few hours of sleep, and reconvene in the morning.”
“Are we safe here?” asked Anna.
Wax chuckled.
“We aren’t safe anywhere in Vanderbrook,” he said. “But, unless they quite literally start going door to door, chances are that we’ll escape notice. At least for tonight.”
CHAPTER 37
Malcolm retired to his own motel room. Wax had rented enough rooms for only Tapestry and Melanie to have to double up. He washed his face in the bathroom sink, and spent a minute staring at himself in the mirror.
Could I really take on Rain Dancer? Or am I just adopting kamikaze tactics?
He’d left the door unlocked, and it opened without a knock. Malcolm walked out into the main room to find Tapestry standing with her arms crossed, glowering at him.
“I’m not letting this drop until you promise me that you won’t do this,” she said. Her voice carried a bit of authority with it, and it made Malcolm aware of just how much more mature she was than him.
“Why do you have such a strong reaction to the idea of me going to face him?” asked Malcolm. “Is this an issue of trust? Are you worried that I might turn traitor, and give the rest of you up?”
Tapestry licked her lips, an odd gleam entering her eyes.
“I’ll admit,” she said. “I did consider that. But no, I don’t think Rain Dancer would let you join his side. Not now, with what you did to his eye, and what he did to Savior.”
“Then what do you have a problem with?” snapped Malcolm. “Tapestry, this makes sense. And it isn’t just a suicide run. If I go in with your power, and then try to get close enough to steal Rain Dancer’s like I did last time, I’ll have a chance at beating him.”
“Do you honestly think he won’t see that coming?”
“He might,” said Malcolm. “But he might not. And… if I do die, there’s a chance that it will be a sacrifice that keeps the rest of you alive. You guys will go on and on for years about how heroic I was.”
“You wish,” said Tapestry.
“I’m serious, though.” He met her gaze. “If I have to die, I don’t see a better way to go out than risking my life for my friends.”
Tapestry closed the distance between them. She’d taken off her jacket, and only had on her blouse, jeans, and socks.
“You’re more than just a friend,” she said, a touch bitterly. “Whether I want you to be or not.”
She reached her hand up, letting it caress Malcolm’s cheek. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, more it than it usually would have, under the circumstances. He felt scared, both of what was to come, and of what would happen to the people in his life.
Maybe I’m just looking for a way out, where I don’t have to worry about so many people.
“Aubrey…” whispered Malcolm.
She leaned forward and kissed him, surprising him a little. Malcolm felt her body pushing against his, her arms wrapping around his neck. She cared about him, though it was hard for her to admit it. And he cared about her too, enough to make a final stand on her behalf.
Tapestry kissed him again, comfortably taking the lead in the encounter and pushing him down onto the bed. Malcolm was a little taken aback. Tapestry was confident, but normally hesitant when it came to sex.
She straddled him, pulling his shirt up and over his head. Malcolm started to lean up, but she pushed him flat and planted a kiss on his chest. Her fingers traced lines over his abdominal muscles, and she slowly undid the zipper and button of his jeans.
“Promise me,” she whispered.
Malcolm shook his head.
“I can’t make that promise,” he said.
Tapestry pulled his jeans down, tossing them to the floor. Her fingers teased at the waistband of Malcolm’s boxers, and she kissed the spot on his stomach just below his belly button.
“Promise…” she said, again. She pulled his boxers down and Malcolm’s erection popped into view.
“Tapestry…” he said. “You know that I have to…”
He trailed off, the pleasure hitting him like a train as Tapestry wrapped one of her soft hands around his shaft. She breathed on it, sending erotic tingles through his crotch and into the rest of his body.
“Malcolm,” whispered Tapestry. “I’m afraid I’ll have to go back to my room if you don’t make that promise.”
Malcolm rolled his eyes.
Blowjob blackmail. As though that would work on me…
Tapestry cleared her throat, and then pressed her lips against the tip of his erection. She started to suck softly, and then pulled back.
“I promise,” said Malcolm, equal parts horny and defeated. “Fine.”
Tapestry flashed a smug smile at him. She licked her lips, and shyly returned to what she’d been doing. She only used her lips, barely taking the tip into her mouth as though his erection were a massive straw.
Her hand ran up and down his length, creating a contrast of sensation. Malcolm leaned his head back against the pillow, savoring the intensity of the sensation. He’d spent so much time fighting a battle he couldn’t win. To be there with Tapestry, to give her the promise that he’d stay, and then to receive this in return, felt incredible.
Tapestry took a break from the sucking and started licking instead. She worked slowly, with a little bit of hesitance that made Malcolm think that she wasn’t very experienced at giving head. Somehow, it only made it hotter to watch her. She would blush each time they made eye contact, as though even she couldn’t believe what she as doing.
Tapestry slowly began to let her lips slide slower, bobbing her head along his length. Malcolm set a hand on her head to encourage her. He let his fingers take hold of her pony tail, and Tapestry let out a slightly annoyed noise.
“Oh…” he moaned. He pulled the pony tail down, firmly guiding her to take more
of him into her mouth. Tapestry let out a tiny squeal through her nose when she reached her limit, and Malcolm relaxed his hold to let her come up for air.
“This is a onetime thing,” she whispered. “Just so you know…”
“Of course.” Malcolm grinned at her and gave her pony tail another tug. She brought her lips down to his shaft, and only then seemed to start giving it her full effort.
He felt her soft lips, her wet tongue, and her hot mouth all working in tandem as she lifted and lowered her head. Malcolm closed his eyes and gave himself over to the sensation. His hips bucked up into the air slightly as he reached his limit. Tapestry squealed again.
Malcolm unloaded, first into her mouth, and then onto her shirt as she tried to pull back. She scowled at him, but it softened into an annoyed smile after a couple of seconds.
“I’m holding you to that promise.” She wiped her shirt clean as best as she could. “After this, you would be a jerk to break it.”
“I know,” Malcolm said.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and then a harsh knock came at the motel room door.
“Tapestry!” shouted Melanie. “You said you’d only be a minute! What are you doing in there, anyway?”
Tapestry held a hand up to her mouth and blushed fiercely.
“I… should go,” she said.
“Right,” said Malcolm. “Good night, Aubrey.”
She smiled at him and hurried to the door. Malcolm pulled on his boxers and pants, feeling a sudden certainty about what he had to do next.
Wax’s motel room was directly next to his. Malcolm knocked, and was about to knock again when the door opened. Wax looked like he’d been sleeping. It had been a couple days since he’d shaved his head and his hairline had grown out far enough to be visible.
“Wind Runner,” he said. “What is it?”
“I had a couple of questions,” said Malcolm. “I didn’t really want ask you earlier, around the others.”
Wax sighed and gestured for him to enter.
“I was already in bed,” said Wax. “But don’t worry about it. I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight, regardless.”
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