Roleplay solos

Natalia, 1. Death.

The January nights were not forgiving lately. Natalia perched on top of the clock tower, her blue eyes scanning the cityscape below. It had been a day or two since she'd had any real action, and it was setting her teeth on edge. This was Gateway City, for crying out loud. Sure, it made her shifts at the hospital easier; she got more rest due to getting less criminal activity. She should've been happy, but she knew better than to get her hopes up. This was just the calm before the storm. Nat sighed, bracing against the wind and tugging her hood back over her head, her black cape billowing out, the Kevlar material hitting the brick of the tower. It made an ominous sound, a mix between clanking and scratching. She stood then, her body lingering on the ledge of the frame surrounding the clock just before gripping the edges of her cape and parachuting down. She plummeted, but she was an expert. She knew just how much tilt she needed to give her cape for it to catch wind and stiffen, forming wings. Not that she needed it. She could fly, she just liked the drama of having a cape that turned into wings. Residents below payed less attention now than they used to, but still stopped and watched her go by as they milled about. They all knew her, appreciated her. The Amethyst Raven, a moniker given to her by the local papers. Much like Supergirl, she had no say in the matter, but the name grew on her and had been Gateway City's go-to cry for help for years now. The GCPD didn't mind as much anymore; not like they used to. She smiled to herself as she landed just outside of the station, startling the chief of police.

"Headed home, Chief?" She asked, her cape falling at her back, the purple lining flashing in the shine of the streetlight. He grunted, ignoring the flush painting his cheeks now. Natalia had made a habit over the years of appearing and disappearing in the most startling and sneaky ways, especially with Chief Bradley Warner. They had been friends since middle school, but he didn't know Nat was the woman behind Gateway City's superhero. She couldn't bring herself to tell him. It'd be too much of a shock, and that kind of information couldn't be passed around, not even to long time friends. That was something that could put him in danger, and she couldn't have that. Since he and the rest of the police department had grown fonder of Amethyst Raven, they'd come to calling her just Raven, and she called him Chief. It was blunt, formal even, but there were subtle traces of familiarity. She was one of them, an honorary officer almost. They protected the city side by side.

"I'm absolutely pooped, I had a massive load of paperwork to hand out today. Seems eerily peaceful lately. Suspicious, but grateful," Bradley said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "It doesn't sit right with me, though. There's been nothing at all to keep an eye on, it's making me antsy," he grumbled, looking across the street towards the bank, florist, and thrift shop. It seemed so picturesque, almost like a bit of film cut from a movie about a sleepy town. Too perfect, too calm.

"Trust me, Chief. I've been getting that feeling for weeks now. There's something wrong with how peaceful it is now. I don't want to worry the people of this city but the more we let them see us strolling around with no criminals in tow, the more comfortable they'll get with sleeping with their front doors unlocked. It's making my skin crawl." She almost huffed, her annoyance very apparent as she and Chief Warner began walking down the sidewalk towards his car. She pursed her lips together, her eyes scanning the street as she and Bradley trekked together. The small silver car gleamed as they stood there, both trying to find the right words to say about their predicament. "You don't think...Kilkenny can't be plotting. Right? He never puts this much thought into his shenanigans," Natalia mumbled, squinting into a dark alleyway nearby. "It's been too long since he's done anything. He can't very well be reitred. Marcus Kilkenny doesn't just drop off the radar."

Bradley sighed and stuck his hand into his slacks, one hand jangling against his car keys. "If you're up for it you could always question him. He's probably holed up in Jenko's. The usual spot." He suggested, peering at her face under her hood, attempting to see beyond the shadow and her mask framing her eyes. The jewel colored metal hugged her face, making it seem as through she had fresh purple paint glossing her face. "Keep wondering, Warner," she laughed, ignoring the cling of her cape on her legs, the Kevlar slapping at her thigh and calf, repeatedly clicking against her armored bodysuit. For a while he stood and blushed again before joining her, a laugh erupting from his mouth as well. "Hey, a man can dream, can't he? You've been my backup and, if you don't mind me saying, friend for around five years now. It gets under my skin not knowing what you look like under all this business," he said, nodding to her outfit. Natalia laughed internally, mentally correcting him. They'd been friends for much longer than five years. But if she told him that he'd figure her out in a nanosecond and never let her help him again.