Wind Runner: The Complete Collection

by Edmund Hughes

  Malcolm blinked.

  “Uh… sure?” he said, carefully. “I mean, are you sure?”

  “I’m just asking for a spot on the floor to sleep, Malcolm,” she said.

  “You can have my bed.”

  “I don’t want your bed.”

  Malcolm licked his lips and shrugged.

  “Right,” he said. “Well, come on down, then.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Malcolm felt oddly self-conscious as Tapestry glanced around his hideout. The illumination from his LED flashlight made the colors look washed out, but even if the basement had been open to the sun, it still wouldn’t have impressed anyone.

  “I have some extra blankets and pillows,” said Malcolm. He rummaged through the pile he kept in the corner and handed a few of each to her. “Uh, not much for food, but there’s water.”

  “This is fine,” said Tapestry.

  She found a spot near the ladder, all the way across the cellar from where Malcolm’s bed was, and spread out one of the blankets. It left no doubt in his mind that she had no interest in talking to him any further that night, but he still had things left to say.

  “I’m sorry.” Malcolm licked his lips and considered what else he could add. “I understand if you can’t forgive me for all of the secrets I kept, and how badly I hurt you. But I hope eventually, we can be friends again.”

  Tapestry didn’t react for a couple of seconds. Malcolm thought he was being ignored until she stood up and walked over to him. She came into his personal space, within a foot of where he stood, close enough to make the air between them prickle with potential.

  “You’ve apologized to me so many times before,” she said. “It’s meaningless.”

  She stood where she was for another moment, as though daring Malcolm to try something that might potentially ruin what little thread of friendship they had left. He was smart enough not to, and as soon as she’d stretched out on her blanket, he climbed into bed. Sleep did not come easy that night.

  ***

  Tapestry wasn’t in the hideout when Malcolm woke up the next morning. He was surprised that she’d managed to climb the ladder and open the hatch without waking him up.

  She’s probably gone off to investigate this mysterious rumor of hers.

  Malcolm wasn’t about to make assumptions about whether she’d be coming back. He was hungry, and figured that if she did return, the least he could do was offer her a meal.

  He sacrificed one of his old, tattered shirts for the sake of creating a few long pieces of makeshift string, and then converted an old pair of pants into a very simple fishing net. He walked through the outskirts of Vanderbrook and into the forest, back out to where he’d originally set up his now ruined traps.

  It only took him a couple of minutes to build a new log trap, as he stumbled upon a spot perfect for it on the way to the brook. The fish were out in numbers, and Malcolm didn’t have to wait long before managing to scoop one out onto the grass with his pants-net. It almost managed to flop back into the water, but he gave it a quick stomp and finished it off.

  He spent a few hours trapping, fishing, and gathering as much food as he could. Malcolm was surprised to notice how proficient he’d become at it over the months. He’d failed often enough to learn all of the pitfalls to avoid, and by early afternoon, he had a small feast of fish, squirrel meat, wild dandelions and onions.

  He used his net to carry it all back, humming to himself quietly. In truth, Malcolm enjoyed having Tapestry back, as frosty to him as she might be, and as temporary as the situation might be. He had missed her far more deeply than he’d ever let himself admit.

  His thoughts turned back to his last real intimate encounter with her. At the time, she’d thought that he was Second Wind, who at the time, had been posing as “Wind Runner”. It had felt confusing, illicit, and more than a little dirty to take his copy’s place in the bedroom, and at the end of it, Tapestry had said that she loved “him”.

  She loved Second Wind. Not me. We are different people, even if we shared the same base memories.

  Malcolm repeated the thought to himself several times, but it felt more like a hollow excuse, rather than the truth. It was an out, a way for him to easily discard any pesky, leftover feelings he might have for her. And his chest was burning with those sorts of feelings, his heart pounding with eagerness and desire at the prospect of sitting down with her and eating. He could at least give her a hug when she finally left to go back to her old life. Couldn’t he?

  He winced and forced it all out of his mind. It wasn’t like that between him and Tapestry anymore. Hell, it wasn’t like that between him and Rose, either. He was alone, and it was better to accept that fact rather than get his hopes up for relationships that belonged to another world.

  Malcolm started his fire as soon as he got back to his hideout. He let the fish cook on a hot rock, while slowly roasting both squirrels he’d snared over the fire. The smell of cooking meat jumpstarted his appetite, though it was a little less appealing after the fare in Underworld, and even the travel rations.

  His mind continued to wander, and he continued to force his thoughts back into safe territory. He was just beginning to contemplate his own future when Tapestry arrived back, nearly sprinting across the warehouse’s concrete parking lot to reach him.

  “We have to move!” she shouted. “Now!”

  “Uh… It’s nice to see you, too,” said Malcolm, quirking an eyebrow.

  “Look, I don’t have time to explain,” said Tapestry. “Do you trust me?”

  Malcolm considered the question for longer than he’d realized he needed to.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Then come with me,” said Tapestry. “And bring any weapons you have.”

  Malcolm smiled.

  That should be easy enough, given that I don’t have any.

  He did take the food, or at least the food that had already finished cooking, with him. He offered some to Tapestry as they jogged down the street. She politely declined, her nose scrunching up in a way that told Malcolm that she had not reached the point where squirrel had entered her normal diet.

  Tapestry led him down an alleyway, and then over a fence into a small, abandoned parking lot. There were several wrecked cars on the far side of it, and nestled in between two of them was a dirty, heavily dinged BMW with military grade tires, metal lattice reinforced windows, and a club lock on the steering wheel.

  “Wow,” said Malcolm. “I see you’ve gotten some upgrades.”

  Tapestry smiled at him, her pride showing through her cold exterior.

  “A few,” she said. “Get in. Quickly.”

  Malcolm was tempted to make a quip about her bossiness, but bit it back. He climbed into the passenger seat next to her. Tapestry pulled out of the lot and onto the street, driving more slowly than Malcolm had expected.

  It’s smart, given how many streets have been blocked by abandoned cars.

  “Alright,” he said. “I think I deserve an explanation, now?”

  Tapestry gave a slow nod.

  “I’ve been keeping in touch with a few traders who regularly travel through Vanderbrook and other nearby towns,” she said. “One of them told me that they’ve made several deliveries to a hospital in Halter City.”

  Malcolm frowned and shook his head.

  “Halter City is Multi’s territory,” said Malcolm. “Though what use he’d have for a hospital is an open question.”

  “That’s not all,” said Tapestry. “The guy told me about the hospital also said that on one of his trips inside, he had what he thought at the time was a hallucination. A vision of a strange, green portal in one of the rooms he was walking by.”

  Malcolm blinked.

  “Jade Portal?” he said, putting the pieces together. “She’s still alive. Rain Dancer didn’t kill her after all, and… Multi took her in?”

  “Apparently,” said Tapestry. “Though she must be badly injured. Maybe paralyzed. Hence the hospital, and her
not immediately taking off. Not exactly the easiest spryte to hold hostage.”

  “Definitely not,” said Malcolm. “But I don’t understand. Why does this matter to us?”

  Tapestry sighed.

  “I keep forgetting how hard it is for young people to see the big picture,” she said.

  “You are a young person. At least in body if not in mind. Now make with the explanation.”

  Tapestry smiled again, though she caught herself more quickly this time.

  “Jade Portal was the one who trapped Savior on Europa,” said Tapestry. “With her power, we can bring him back, if he’s still alive.”

  Malcolm sat up a little straighter, running the idea over in his head. It could work.

  “Of course,” he said. “She can make a portal to bring us onto the spaceship on the way to save him.”

  “Exactly,” said Tapestry. “We find where the spacesuits are kept onboard, grab them, come back to Earth through the portal, and then have her transport us straight to Europa so we can bring Savior back immediately.”

  She’s thought this through. This is a good plan.

  “Alright,” said Malcolm. “I’m onboard. But we still have to find a way to Jade Portal. If she’s in a hospital that Multi is in control of, it’s not going to be easy for us to get in.”

  “I never said it was going to be easy,” said Tapestry. “But I doubt Multi will be expecting us. It’s been months since he’s had a serious confrontation with any champion. We might be able to catch him off guard.”

  “This is Multi we’re talking about,” said Malcolm. “When has he ever not planned for a contingency?”

  “People change,” said Tapestry. “Especially demons. I think he’s more arrogant now, than ever. And his main concern is… well, it’s not you or me.”

  Malcolm went silent, sensing from the tone of Tapestry’s voice that she didn’t want to have that conversation now. Bringing up Second Wind would be tearing open old wounds for them both. How must it have felt for her to discover that the man she fell in love with was not only a copy of the original, but had also become a demon and decided to betray her?

  “I’m going to park on the edge of Halter City,” she said, breaking the silence. “We’ll have to be on guard until we get to the hospital. If anyone sees us, our plan falls apart.”

  “Got it,” said Malcolm. “Let’s do this.”

  CHAPTER 14

  They waited in an alleyway until nightfall, crouched in the shadows. Halter City was patrolled by Multis and the only way they would remain undetected was by moving under the cover of darkness. They settled in behind a dumpster, ignoring the smell as best they could.

  In many ways, Halter City had faired the chaos of the collapse better than Vanderbrook. The destruction overall was considerably less and more concentrated. A couple of blocks still had electricity, though the only people who lived in the apartments there were those who had somehow earned Multi’s favor.

  There was even a modern, mostly functional economy in this section of town. Malcolm noticed a well-stocked bodega across the street from the alley and grasped at his growling stomach, afraid it would give their position away.

  When dusk settled, they moved. It was easy to spot their enemy. Each Multi shared identical physical characteristics, and most of them carried rifles, or pistols. Malcolm and Tapestry would wait at the edge of one alleyway, watching until a Multi turned around a corner, and then they’d sprint across the street to their next hiding spot.

  They waited behind an abandoned car across the street from the hospital, scoping the place out. If Tapestry hadn’t pointed it out to Malcolm as their destination, he wouldn’t have given it a second glance. The building looked unassuming, and perhaps that was a testament to how little thought Multi gave it in his grand scheme.

  “So… what now?” asked Malcolm.

  Tapestry shrugged. “Why are you asking me?”

  “You’re the one with the plan,” he said.

  “Alright,” said Tapestry. “Is there a way we can get in that’s not the front entrance?”

  He frowned slightly.

  “The roof seems like… an option,” said Malcolm.

  Malcolm felt a flash of annoyance at the fact that he no longer had his wind manipulation, but there was another building close by. They’d have to jump between the two of them, but it just might work.

  But assuming we can get in, we still have to find Jade Portal. And then…

  The thought led him to another issue that he hadn’t considered, and wasn’t sure if Tapestry had, either.

  “How do we get Jade Portal to work with us, anyway?” he asked.

  “We remind her who killed Golden Joab,” said Tapestry. “I doubt she’s here by choice. And if that’s the case, I’m sure she’ll be willing to cooperate.”

  “That’s a pretty big assumption to hinge your plan on,” said Malcolm.

  Tapestry set her hands on her hips and glared at him.

  “It’s my plan,” she said. “Either help me or don’t.”

  “Fine,” said Malcolm. “I forgot how bossy you can be sometimes.”

  Tapestry glowered at him.

  The two of them waited for a few more minutes, confirming that there were no Multis waiting to pounce on them. Then, they headed for the adjacent building nearest to the hospital. It was an old parking garage, with a number of abandoned cars scattered haphazardly inside.

  They moved swiftly, jogging up the sloping cement ramps until they’d reached the top. The jump between buildings that Malcolm had theorized looked a hell of a lot further than it had from the ground. The wind pushed at Malcolm’s back as he stood on top of the parking garage’s safety railing, staring across a rather intimidating gap.

  “Are you… sure about this?” asked Tapestry.

  Malcolm frowned. He glanced down at the five-story drop. Tapestry would have to make the jump, too, but if he went first, he could be there to grab her if she came up a few inches short.

  “It’s the only way,” said Malcolm. He took a deep breath. It was a windy night, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the feel of the rushing air on his face, as though an old friend had just called him up for an adventure.

  Malcolm leaned back on his heels, spotted the area on the hospital’s roof where he needed to land, and jumped. The wind batted at his clothing, and he felt it pushing at his back. Not because of anything he’d done, just of its own volition.

  It was equal parts nostalgic and heart breaking. The moment seemed to stretch out for an eternity as he hung in the space between buildings. It was as close to flying as he would ever again approach.

  He cleared the gap with inches to spare, only barely stumbling in the follow up steps. His heart was pounding in his chest, and a strange laugh escaped his throat. Malcolm turned to look back at Tapestry with a silly grin on his face.

  “Wow,” he said. “Alright. Your turn.”

  Tapestry nodded slowly, and pulled herself up onto the concrete safety partition like a condemned criminal approaching the gallows. She brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of her face, or at least tried to, as the wind seemed intent on pushing them back.

  “Is there… anything I should know?” she asked, nervously. “Any tips on how to jump better?”

  “You’ll be okay,” said Malcolm.

  I hope…

  He was beginning to question the sense in having Tapestry sneak in alongside him when she threw herself forward into a sudden, jerky leap. From the moment her body moved out into open air, Malcolm could tell that she was going to come up short.

  There was a split second delay to his reaction, and he owed it to his subconscious mind’s assumption that of course, Tapestry would be okay. He was so used to seeing her recover from any wound, her body withstanding fire, bullets, and electricity, that her dying from a fall didn’t mesh with his concept of who she was.

  But Tapestry was just like him. She had lost her powers. She was now a normal human, with a norm
al breaking point. And with wide eyes and flailing arms, she’d thrown herself into a jump that her legs weren’t strong enough to make.

  Malcolm surged forward, leaning dangerously far out over a short concrete lip running around the edge of the hospital’s roof. Tapestry’s feet missed, but her upper body hit the concrete, and she managed to get an arm over, her nails digging for purchase on whatever they could find.

  Which was Malcolm’s shoulder, protected only by the thin fabric of his clothing. He gritted his teeth, reaching his other hand around to her abdomen and pulling her up with all the strength he could summon. He fell backward onto the hospital’s roof, Tapestry crumpled atop him.

  “…Oh my god,” she whispered. “When did… stuff like that… get so scary?”

  “It’s always been scary,” said Malcolm. “We just had a higher tolerance for taking risks.”

  She was straddling him, and turned her face so her eyes met his. Malcolm felt a surge of emotion as he felt her soft butt on his crotch. His heart was still pounding, and he wanted nothing more than to flip Tapestry underneath him, kiss her passionately, and–

  “We’re wasting time,” said Tapestry, climbing to her feet. “Come on.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The door leading down to the next floor from the roof had been locked, but it was a simple mechanism. Malcolm was able to force it open by leaning his weight onto it and sneaking one of Tapestry’s old credit cards into the gap. They headed down a flight of stairs and into a building that seemed half abandoned.

  There was only one nurse on the top floor, and she was asleep at her post. Most of the rooms Malcolm passed were empty, and the few patients he did see were either sleeping, comatose, or paralyzed.

  At least I hope it’s one of those three…

  It became clear that the hospital was either understaffed or running on a very thin margin. They passed by each room in sneaky silence, only glancing in for long enough to see if the patient inside was Jade Portal.

  They found her on the third floor they checked. There was a nurse on that floor, and she was essentially doing her job, patrolling up and down the hallway. Malcolm and Tapestry waited in the stairway until she took a bathroom break, and then quickly hurried down the hall, checking room after room.