Hellboy was fuming. As he raced from roof-top to roof-top jumping, climbing and thundering along, he let his emotions run free. Why the hell did she have to be here? What the fuck was she doing? Hugging his father, chatting with Clay like they were the best of friends, strolling along and taking over the scene like she fucking owned the place.
He kept forgetting how small she was. So big of presence and so large in his mind that it shocked him a little to see her; short, with masses of curly red hair that she had tied up in a haphazard knot. Her pale skin was flush from the cold and even though the coat and scarf had hidden her frame he remember it well. Strong limbs, soft curves and a hell of a right hook. He even got to see a hint of that grin that had kept him up at night. The sly tilting of her lips, which meant trouble was coming. Trouble, he scoffed. That should be her first, middle and last name.
The small changes he had noticed fueled his adrenaline spike. When he had known Emma she was never quick with her smiles. She was sarcasm, a hot temper and a smarter than you arrogance that was often fueled because she usually was the smartest person in the room. But when she saw Clay she had smiled. In fact she had smiled more in the last hour than he had seen her smile in a week back in Newark.
He had passed their temporary headquarters ages ago but still he kept on going needing to work off the adrenaline in his system. He had fought so many monsters, won so many battles and lost so many friends that he was enraged he still felt like this over some girl he had worked with.
Two years, they had been partners for two years. It had taken six months to get him to go on a job with her and another eight months before he trusted her to have his back completely. He liked to work alone, like to take the hits alone. But for two years he hadn't been alone. There was someone else taking the hits too. He stopped as he reached the outskirts of the city. The lights of the city were a soft glow in the distance. Dammit, he thought as he kicked a stray can, scaring some nearby pigeons. Dammit all to hell.
In some way he knew he was not being fair. Liz left all the time, so Emma left too, what's the difference? Who was he kidding? Liz leaving was her M.O. She always left for some reason or another. Emma though, Emma never left. No matter what monster, how grouchy he was or what he did, or what she did, he had gotten used to Emma standing by his side. Until she wasn't.
He finally returned to the old mansion that served as headquarters for the time being some four hours after he had left the museum. He was more in control but his temper was still on a hair string. Already as he stalked through the halls, he knew that people were getting out of his way as quickly as possible. He grinned. Being a seven foot demon had its perks sometimes. Throwing the door to the ancient library open he threw himself onto a couch beside his best blue friend and lit a cigar.
"Find anything?" He grumbled, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Emma looked well," Abe answered without lifting his head from the book he was studying.
Growling Hellboy glared at his friend. "Whatever."
"She is going to be working with us Red. You best try to be civil to her or else she'll set you on fire again." Abe said, ever to the point.
"I'm fire proof." Hellboy grunted, taking another long drag.
Abe flipped the page before giving his dearest friend a long hard stare. "Be nice Red, remember she's your friend."
"What kind of friend leaves in the middle of the night?"
Sighing Abe glanced at his best friend. A child in a grown mans body. "You must ask her that, Red."
Hellboy deepened his frown. "She just fucking left," he murmured. "She just walked away."
Abe decided to stay quiet at that, and continued with his research.