Espial

i

espial
ɪˈspʌɪ(ə)l,ɛ-/
noun
archaic
1. the action of watching or catching sight of something or someone.

There she was.

Steel-grey and black lycra clung to her sweat-soaked skin as she sprinted across the roof. Years of experience taught him that it must've taken some serious training for her to be so light on her feet. He watched with fascination. She was sprinting on the balls of her feet, slightly bent forward as though she were to take flight. Not once did she make a splash in a puddle, and yet her speed should suggest otherwise. 

He decided it was enough when she stretched her arms out in front of her in preparation to dive off of the skyscraper.

"Didn't think I'd get to meet you in person. I'm glad I was wrong." He broke the silence in the only way he knew how: with a witty comment. 

She paused. Didn't turn around.

"Well it certainly took you long enough," she finally spoke. Her voice was smokey and for a moment he found himself trying to gauge her age. From far away she looked to be about twelve with how nimble she was. But now she appeared to be much older as he witnessed her mesmerising voice for the first time.

"So you've been expecting me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Was it actually that much of a surprise to him? No. It was more the fact that she seemed so teasing with him, as if she actually wanted  to meet him, that surprised him.

"To an extent. From what I've gathered you're very persistent." At this she turned around, a smile playing on her lips. Her lilac hair was feathered closely to her face and cast intriguing shadows across it. Dark eyes peered at him from under her mask, unknown lights twinkling in them.

From across the roof he found himself stepping closer as he felt like she was drawing him in like some sort of superpower. Suddenly he felt like he needed to know every single thing about her all at once.

"And how did you figure that one out?" he quipped.

"I can't reveal all my secrets at our first meeting, Dick." she smirked. For a second he couldn't breathe; his identity was the one thing she should never know. What surprised him more was the fact that she didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal, instead joking with him like they were old buddies.

"How do you know my name?" There was no use in pretending. If she could find it out that easily then she was infinitely smarter than he initially thought, and lying to her could end horribly. She simply twisted an invisible lock at her lips and threw away the key. Turning back around to face the edge of the roof, the woman coiled her muscles and dove off, leaving him to furrow his eyebrows at her sudden departure. He raced over to the edge to see where she had gone, but was disappointed to see no trace of where she had disappeared to. 

Amazing. Simply amazing. 

No sooner had she gone and he was wishing to see her again. And as she had said before, he certainly was persistent.