Wind Runner: The Complete Collection

by Edmund Hughes

  Malcolm stood, considering what to say.

  “Multi didn’t seem to recognize you during the protest,” said Malcolm.

  Wax nodded.

  “I was surprised by that, too,” he said. “I can only assume that Rain Dancer told him that all of the other Multi copies at the old Champion Authority headquarters were killed.”

  “But you didn’t point out your, uh, relation to him,” said Malcolm. “If you’d wanted to, you might have been able to make a case for your life. Given that you’re a copy of him.”

  “A copy of the former him,” corrected Wax. “But I guess you do have a point. My loyalty doesn’t lie with the monsters, Malcolm. I was loyal to Savior, and the Champion Authority. I’m not going to betray you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “No,” said Malcolm, smiling. “I trust you. I’m just thankful that we still have you on our side.”

  He nodded to Wax, and then reached out to shake his hand. He felt the tingle of having absorbed a new power as soon as their hands clasped.

  “Was that it?” asked Wax.

  “Yeah,” said Malcolm. “Sorry. I guess it could have waited until the morning.”

  He nodded to Wax and then headed back to his own room.

  CHAPTER 38

  Malcolm could feel Wax, or rather, Multi’s power, on the edge of his awareness. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the sensation was incredibly odd, almost heavy. It felt as though he’d eaten a full meal, and was at the point where he needed to get rid of some of the weight afterward.

  Whether this is a good idea, or a bad idea… It’s happening.

  He took a deep breath. He stood with his arms outstretched, trying to focus on gathering energy and executing Multi’s power. An excited tension ran through his hands. Malcolm closed his eyes, slowly flexing the new power like an invisible muscle.

  Light began to emanate from his chest, growing in intensity until it was blindingly bright. Malcolm’s stomach fluttered, and his heart pounded in his chest. His vision blurred for a moment, and then quite suddenly, he felt a tug as though he’d crossed his eyes.

  A sharp popping noise cut through the room. For an instant, that feeling of double vision remained, except it was of two different scenes at once. He could see himself, standing naked on one side of the room. He could also see himself standing clothed, wearing the outfit he remembered putting on that morning.

  Malcolm blinked, and the sensation abruptly cut off. He slowly let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He stared at the copy he’d made, who stood naked in front of the hotel room’s door. Malcolm glanced down at his own body at the exact same time as his copy did.

  “Wow,” they both in unison.

  Malcolm clamped both hands over his mouth. He couldn’t believe it had worked. Part of him had been expecting it to not work. He had been afraid that the power would be too complicated and unusable in the same way that Savior’s had been.

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” said his naked copy.

  Malcolm grinned.

  “Yes, you can,” he said. “It was your idea, as much as it was mine. You are me.”

  “Hey, don’t be a smartass,” said the copy. “You know what I mean.”

  Malcolm sighed.

  “I know exactly what you mean,” he said.

  The two Malcolms stared at each other for a moment.

  “Tapestry will never forgive us if she finds out,” said the copy.

  “That’s why you can never tell her,” said Malcolm. “It won’t be that hard. I’ve kept secrets from her before.”

  I guess I won’t be the one keeping them anymore, will I?

  “I should be the one going to face Rain Dancer,” said the copy.

  “We both feel like that,” said Malcolm. “But given that you didn’t ask to be here, it’s not really fair for me to give you the dirty job.”

  “From my point of view, I did ask to be here,” said the copy.

  “I guess so,” said Malcolm. “Can you use your powers? Wax told me once that all of Multi’s copies were just normal people, not gifted.”

  “Yeah,” said the copy. “I still can. At least, wind manipulation and mimicry. I can feel them both.”

  Maybe it’s just limited to the multiplication ability? If that could pass on to each copy, the exponential growth would get out of hand.

  “Perfect,” said Malcolm. “And other than that, you still feel like me?”

  “I mean… sort of. Damn it, this is kind of confusing for me. I definitely don’t like being a copy.”

  “That’s good,” said Malcolm. “That means that it won’t be hard for you to take my place.”

  The copy shook his head. “That’s just it,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m taking your place, I feel like I’m taking… my place. Does that make sense?”

  Malcolm shrugged.

  “Does it matter? I know how you must be feeling. Think of it like… you’re my second wind.”

  “Second wind,” said the copy. “I like that. I’m the Second Wind.”

  “For now,” said Malcolm. “You’ll be Wind Runner, soon enough. The one and only.”

  The two of them laughed, and the sound of it was disturbingly in sync. Malcolm ran a hand through his hair and started taking off his clothes.

  “Here,” he said. “You can have my shirt, pants, and shoes. I’m keeping my boxers. And the stabilizer, obviously.”

  Second Wind frowned.

  “What am I supposed to do about that?” he asked. “Tapestry and the others will notice that I don’t have it.”

  “Say that it short circuited when you went through one of the portals,” said Malcolm. “Or maybe it took some electricity during the fight at the protest and crumbled to dust. Just come up with a lie, doesn’t matter as long as it’s convincing.”

  “What about the tracking device in it?” asked Second Wind.

  “Won’t be much of an issue soon,” said Malcolm. “Besides, the computer that did the tracking was in our old base.”

  Second Wind nodded slowly. He looked down at the clothes Malcolm had tossed over to him.

  “You aren’t going to fight Rain Dancer naked, are you?” he asked.

  Malcolm grinned. “Wouldn’t that be something?” he said. “But no. I’ll grab some more on my way.”

  “You think it’s safe for you to stop by the apartment?” asked Second Wind.

  “If they have somebody waiting for me there, I’ll just let them escort me to the church,” said Malcolm. “It doesn’t really matter at this point.”

  “I guess not.” Second Wind pulled on the shirt and jeans. It made Malcolm’s head hurt a little to look at his copy wearing his clothes.

  “I’m going to need you to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid,” said Malcolm.

  “I’ve think you, er, we, have already hit our quota for the day,” said Second Wind.

  “I’m serious. Stay with Tapestry and the others. Protect them. Promise me that you won’t break our promise to her.”

  “That’s a convoluted promise to make,” said Second Wind. “But sure.”

  Malcolm nodded.

  “I should get going,” he said.

  Second Wind nodded.

  “So… Do we like, hug now, or something?”

  Malcolm chuckled.

  “I think I finally understand how hard it must be to put up with me, sometimes,” he said. “We have some… really good friends, you know?”

  Second Wind furrowed his brow.

  “Yeah,” said Second Wind. “I know. We really do.”

  “Take care of them for me.”

  Malcolm headed for the window instead of the door, suspecting that Tapestry might be watching and waiting for him to leave. He almost took his phone and wallet with him, before realizing that they weren’t things he’d need anymore.

  This is the plan I came up with. Time to execute it. Pun intended.

  He used his wind manipulati
on in bursts to build up height as soon as he was outside. The air felt freezing cold against his mostly naked skin, and within a couple of minutes, Malcolm’s teeth were chattering wildly.

  He was a little annoyed at himself for not finding a way to reabsorb Tapestry’s power in place of Multi’s, but attempting it would have given too much away. Tapestry knew about his power absorption, and was smart enough to connect the dots and stop him from trying anything stupid.

  Malcolm circled over his apartment a couple of times, eyes peeled for anyone watching and waiting for him. He figured that if there was anyone in hiding, they’d probably already seen him hovering overhead.

  He almost landed at the front entrance before remembering that he also didn’t have his keys. Instead, Malcolm circled around to the back window, praying that he’d left it unlocked. Luckily, he had, and it was easy enough to slip inside.

  He took his time picking out his clothes. They were, after all, the clothes he would be dying in. Malcolm put on his best pair of jeans, along with a plain black t-shirt and a thin grey sweatshirt. He wore a pair of boots along with them, which he pulled jeans down and over.

  “Alright,” he muttered. “Time to make an entrance.”

  Part of him had hoped that there was more to Multi’s power than just making copies. He’d never asked Wax or Multi about it. Malcolm had hoped, in vain, that maybe he’d be able to sense both bodies at once. Of course, if that had been the case, Multi would have been privy to everything Wax had seen, and they’d probably already be dead by now.

  CHAPTER 39

  Malcolm used his wind manipulation more intensely than he would have normally on the way to the church. It was late enough in the night for it to be considered early morning, and the euphoria mixed with his own exhaustion made his body feel simultaneously light and heavy.

  It took him half an hour to get there. He landed in the church’s front yard, remembering the first time he’d been there with Rose. They’d been so naïve about what they were getting themselves into.

  Organ music came from inside, the dark and forbidding kind. Malcolm walked up the steps slowly, passing through the open wooden entrance door. Immediately, he spotted Rain Dancer standing at the altar. Shield Maiden was playing the organ. Rose stood in the pews, her eyes red around the edges, and her cheeks puffy.

  “No!” cried Rose. “Why?”

  She rushed at him, summoning tendrils of shadow to grab at his arms and legs. Malcolm grimaced, dodging them, using bursts of wind to increase his speed.

  “Rose…” He grabbed her as she came within range. “Hey!”

  “Why?” she said, softer this time. “You… idiot.”

  “Hey,” he said. “It’s okay. I know what I’m doing.”

  He said, with only the faintest grasp of what he was doing.

  “He’ll kill you,” she said. “Malcolm… You need to run. I’ll hold him off, you need to–”

  One of Shield Maiden’s rainbow bubbles popped into place around Rose, cutting her off in midsentence. Malcolm sighed, hearing her muffled shouts from within. He knew it was for the best. She might very well die alongside him, if left with the option.

  “I’m glad you could make it, Wind Runner,” called Rain Dancer. He hopped down from the altar and stood on the opposite end of the main aisle. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, along with gloves, and his dreadlocks were tied back into a pony tail.

  “Yeah, well, I can never pass up a good party,” replied Malcolm.

  “Malcolm!” screamed Rose. “Run!”

  Shield Maiden left her spot at the organ. She used her powers to pull the bubble and Rose away from Malcolm, moving her over to the side of the room.

  “I was hoping it would just be the two of us, you know?” said Rain Dancer.

  “How romantic,” said Malcolm.

  Rain Dancer didn’t stop smiling.

  “Ms. Shadow Spryte insisted on being present,” he said. “She claimed it was because she knew all your weaknesses. I knew it was a lie, ya? But… how could I really stop her?”

  “She’s just confused,” said Malcolm.

  “That’s what I said,” said Rain Dancer. “After this is done, she’ll either accept it and move on, or…”

  “Or you kill her in cold blood,” said Malcolm. “Like you’ve done with so many others.”

  “Exactly,” said Rain Dancer. “I give everyone a chance. I gave you a chance, even. I was surprised that you didn’t take it, you know? Considering how close you and Ms. Shadow Spryte are.”

  “I’m surprised that it would surprise you,” said Malcolm.

  “Why wouldn’t it?” asked Rain Dancer. “We’re on the right side of history. You know that the champions kill and oppress the ‘monsters’ without reason.”

  Malcolm scowled, feeling his accumulated anger finally start to boil over.

  “Honestly,” he said. “You’re right.”

  Rain Dancer frowned, clearly surprised.

  “You’re right,” repeated Malcolm. “Demons and sprytes don’t deserve to die, just because of what they are. They don’t deserve to be watched, and exploited, and imprisoned, just because they’re different, and maybe scary, in the eyes of the public.”

  Rain Dancer started chuckling.

  “If you think that I’ll let you off the hook just because you’ve had a change of heart, you’re sorely mistaken,” he said. “You were given the choice to join us already.”

  “And I would make the same choice now if you gave it to me again!” shouted Malcolm. “Demons and sprytes deserve rights. That’s true. But you… Rain Dancer… you’re a monster in the old sense of the word. You don’t believe in things like loyalty, or trust… giving your word. You’re a killer, and a liar, and I think deep down inside, you’re scared.”

  “I’m scared?” asked Rain Dancer. “Scared of who? You?”

  Malcolm grinned at him.

  “You wore gloves and long sleeves,” he said. “I bet you’re wearing knee high socks, too. Anything to keep me from touching your skin and stealing your power.”

  “And what of it?” asked Rain Dancer. “I’d be a fool to face you without preparing.”

  “What do you think it would be like to lose your other eye?” asked Malcolm. “Do you think about that, sometimes? Maybe feel a bit grateful that I left you with at least the one, each time you look in a mirror?”

  Rain Dancer’s expression grew cold and serious.

  “I hope you’re ready to die, Wind Runner,” he said.

  “More ready than you could ever know,” said Malcolm.

  A complete silence fell over the church. Malcolm faced off against Rain Dancer, standing across from him like a cowboy in an old western, getting ready to duel. There was a terrible gleam in Rain Dancer’s one remaining eye, a look of death.

  Malcolm moved first. He threw himself behind the closest row of wooden benches, knowing that Rain Dancer would waste no time attacking him with lightning. Electricity was his weakness. Malcolm had put himself in a position where he was fighting an opponent more powerful than he was, whose abilities were his Achilles Heel.

  Well, I’m going to at least make him work for it.

  Lightning slammed into the wooden bench in front of Malcolm, causing it to explode into wood shards that scraped painfully across his skin. Malcolm rolled to put himself behind another bench, pulling up the loose scraps of bench with his wind manipulation.

  He didn’t throw them at Rain Dancer immediately, but rather, kept them swirling around him. Most of them were small enough to make it easy to do. Malcolm multitasked with his wind manipulation, keeping the shards aloft while lifting a bench and hurling it at Rain Dancer.

  The demon blasted it with lightning before it collided with him, but pieces of it continued forward, hitting his shoulders and chest. He let out an annoyed laugh.

  “We’ve done this before, Wind Runner,” he shouted.

  “And think back to how it ended last time,” said Malcolm. “You’re no match f
or me, Rain Dancer. You should give up now.”

  There was humor in his voice as he spoke the last sentence. Malcolm hoped that it was enough to make Rain Dancer chuckle, because what he needed was a distraction.

  He hurled himself forward to the next nearest wooden bench, this time shooting a wooden shard toward one of the church’s beautiful stained-glass windows. Malcolm figured that if they actually cared about the holy venue, they’d have picked somewhere else to host the fight.

  Rain Dancer let out a small roar and charged toward him, flying over the wooden benches to attack from above. Malcolm hit him with a portion of the glass and wood he’d collected, sending them into the demon’s face like a swarm of angry hornets.

  Rain Dancer struck out with lighting while simultaneously dodging out of the way. The electricity made it past the cloud, and hit Malcolm square in the chest. Pain flooded his senses, and he let out a wordless scream as he fell to one knee. His skin felt dry and papery, as though the electricity had burned off some of the moisture.

  Tapestry’s power would be a godsend, right now.

  For the first time in a long while, Malcolm had nothing but his wits to work with. He tried to take cover, but Rain Dancer had closed the distance between them while he’d been distracted by the pain. The demon surged forward, slamming his foot into Malcolm’s chest.

  Malcolm had come to the church to sacrifice himself, but with every passing second, the idea appealed to him less and less. The pain was a part of it, along with a nagging sense that Rain Dancer would never keep his word when it came to not taking retribution on his friends.

  “You’re pathetic,” shouted Rain Dancer. “The shortest fight we’ve had yet.”

  He kicked Malcolm again, this time in the leg. Malcolm grunted, annoyed at himself for being so weak. He gritted his teeth and tensed his muscles. If he was going to die, he wasn’t going to make it this easy for his killer.

  Malcolm sprang to the side, pushing himself with wind manipulation. He focused, relying more on his powers than he ever had before in his life, disregarding the effect it had on his body and his stabilizer. He moved with speed no normal human could match, jumping around the inside of the church, trying to maneuver behind the demon.