Deathstalker 06 - Deathstalker Legacy

dithering on an empty rooftop, trying to find answers to questions that made no sense.
    But still the questions wouldn't leave her alone, nagging at her mind. In some way she didn't understand yet, these questions were important. They mattered.
    Her gravity sled hovered beside her like a faithful hound, its engine barely ticking over. She glanced at it
    fondly. It was good to have one old friend with her, one thing she could still depend on. She'd brought the sled with her all the way from Rhiannon, paying the passage herself when the authorities on Logres refused to cover the cost. Bureaucrats. Penny pinchers. Emma had spent years customizing the sled, all but rebuilding it to meet her exactingly high standards, adding extra weapons and shielding and a whole bunch of (mostly legal) extra options. It was fast and powerful and full of surprises, and she'd back it against anything the bad guys had to offer. When she finally retired (many years from now, of course), Emma planned to license the sled to the military. She wouldn't be greedy. She wouldn't ask for a fortune.
    Just a percentage.
    She stood on the very edge of the roof, the tips of her boots actually poking out over the long drop, and looked out over the city. Under the lowering sky, heavy with dark clouds still stained with blood from the newly risen sun, the Parade of the Endless stretched away for miles in every direction, thousands of buildings packed tightly together, full of millions of people. Those people were why she was here. They were her responsibility, her duty. Her flock. Hers, to protect against the wolves and other less obvious predators. She looked out over the great towers and spires and domes, the mile-long bridges, the slender elevated walkways and spiraling roads, and tried to see the great and marvelous city she'd dreamed of serving for so long. But all she saw was the stupid anger, the dumb stubborn viciousness, in the faces of the rioting crowd. The perfect people of the perfect city had slaughtered Paragons, and gloried in it. The wind that blew around her was suddenly bitterly cold, and full of omens, and Emma Steel wanted nothing more than to go home, back to familiar sights and familiar villains, and evils she understood.
    And then, finally, there he was; gliding smoothly through the air towards her on top of the range gravity sled, standing tall and proud, the cold wind barely ruffling his famous golden curls. The one and only Finn Durandal. He settled his sled down beside hers, and stepped elegantly down to favor her with a formal bow. Up close, he was every bit as big and handsome and impressive as she could have hoped, but Emma couldn't help noticing that his frank and open smile didn't even touch his eyes. She pushed the thought aside, telling herself she was only seeing what her suspicions wanted her to see, and stepped forward to sweep him into her customary hug. He froze inside her arms, his body becoming stiff and tense and unyielding, and she let him go immediately. She stepped back again, a faint flush of embarrassment darkening her coffee cheeks. Lewis hadn't minded . . .
    "Welcome to Logres, Emma Steel," said Finn. His voice was warm, pleasant, but essentially neutral.
    "Sorry I haven't been around before, but I've been very busy. Really. You have no idea. Logres is a big planet, with a huge population; and with Douglas and Lewis gone, I've been run off my feet. Even I can't be everywhere at once. Still; here we are, together at last. Partners. I've been looking forward to working with you. I'm sure we can learn all sorts of useful things from each other. And it'll be good to have someone to watch my back again. Logres can be a dangerous place, for the unprepared. So; climb aboard your sled, Emma, and I'll give you the grand tour. Show you the ropes. Get you started. I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time at all. Crime is crime, after all, and villains are villains wherever you go. And do call me Finn; we don't stand on ceremony around here."
    And that was it. The whole welcome speech and introduction, all over in under a minute. Lots of smiles and eye contact, but no real warmth. And no real information, either. Just a quick presentation that he'd probably rehearsed in front of a mirror before he came out. Lewis had made her feel welcome. Made her feel like a valued partner, even if he did have a tendency to flap a bit about things that didn't really matter.
    Emma nodded tightly to Finn, and turned to her gravity sled.