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Post by Natalie Eden on Sept 16, 2015 22:57:51 GMT -5
A hostage situation at the docks. Not the kind of thing that is celebrated by normal people. However, it was the kind of opportunity that someone like Natalie jumped at. Not just because it was her job to stick her nose in where most wouldn’t dare to, but because she was genuinely excited by situations that got her adrenaline pumping. Those always ended up being the best stories. Not that she was looking for fame or anything so shallow as that. She just wanted to get in close. To find the truth about what was going on in the city’s underbelly. To find the truth about those aliens and what they’d done to some of the people in the city. That was what had brought her to this city in the first place, and her unorthodox style of investigative journalism seemed to be suited to Sapphire City’s pace.
Her name was rising quickly in the world of journalism, and she’d even landed a spot on network TV. For most people that was a good thing, something to be desired. Natalie already wanted to quit. It was keeping her in the studio too much. All she wanted to do was be out in the field getting her hands dirty. That was the curse of having a pretty face, she supposed. Everyone she knew wanted to keep her safe and clean. How boring was that? She’d be stuck in a studio until her tits started to sag, and then her career would be more or less over. Well, that wasn’t going to happen to her. Not Natalie Eden. There was more to her than just delivering the news from behind a desk. More than just a pretty face. She was determined to continue proving that to people her entire career if she had to.
That desire was what brought her here, though unfortunately she’d been prevented from getting too close by the policemen outside the warehouse and that damn yellow tape of theirs. Armed with her little voice recorder in hand and camera in her pocket, she pretended to wander off only to see if she could find another entrance to the building. Some might call her crazy for trying to get into a building where six men were holding another twenty at gunpoint. They might be right even, but when the leader of the rabble was none other than “Concrete” Mikey Barbuto, it was worth the risk. This was going to make one hell of a story in the morning, and she was determined to get the inside scoop. The story that no one else would get, but would all wish they’d had the balls to pursue. That was the goal.
How to get inside… that would be the trick. The police had the place pretty thoroughly surrounded. Maybe something along the edge of the water? There might be a way to get in there. This would be so much easier if there was a distraction, but she’d just have to find a way to make it work. The only other option was giving up, and that was pretty much a phrase that was not in the blonde bombshell’s vocabulary.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Oct 2, 2015 8:00:41 GMT -5
Sapphire City wasn't nearly as dirty and grimy as the city Marc was from. He had come here on a business trip, visiting a subsidiary of Solomon Incorporated, to ensure productivity. But there was no way that he would show up without bringing along his alter ego, the Nightwalker. So this wasn't just a business trip, this was personal as well. One of the men he'd been chasing while looking for the murderer of his daughter had come here too. Marc didn't like this city much. It was clean, organized. Here, you wouldn't see a hooker giving a cop a blow job on the corner in broad daylight. You also wouldn't see said cop refuse to pay her and threaten to arrest her for prostitution if she didn't just walk away. Regular muggings, gangs running rampant, it wasn't part of the everyday status quo. It wasn't what he was used to, but he'd have to stay here for a while at least. Until he got the guy.
A slight headache had come on after the board meeting. But now, he could go out in the armor and clear his head in the night air. He had a lead on the guy, but he picked up on a police scanner in the area. Apparently there was a hostage situation at the docks close by. The cops had responded already, but they were slow in how to get inside. Apparently, SWAT had uncovered bombs on each entrance. Why did they never think of entering through the windows? The Nightwalker grappled to the next building and swung towards the situation. He was no hero, at least in his own eyes, but part of what he did was protect people. He had promised himself that no one, as long as he could help it, would suffer the same pain that he had of losing a loved one. There really was no choice in the matter. The hostages likely had children, and those children would have to grow up without their mother or father if he didn't intervene. That happening could drive a wedge of vengeance in the child's heart, just as one was driven into his own. He didn't want anyone to be like him.
He got to the area, stopping on a building across the way. He could see the SWAT officers on the roof and a few at the entrances. But what caught his eye was a familiar face sneaking about around the building. Natalie. No doubt trying to get the scoop before anyone else, to find out what was going on and tell it true. That's how she was, and he respected her for it. It could get her in a lot of danger, but it was honest and true. Respectable. Marc moved closer. He noticed Natalie looking around the corner to see SWAT at the door. They hadn't drawn a bead on her yet. Good. Now, he could help her get inside. He reached back into his belt, pulling out two devices, then another belt pouch to produce his cell phone. A quick text to Natalie, who he knew would have her phone on vibrate, saying "Cover your eyes and get down", and he threw the other device. It stuck to the window of the building on the SWAT side. Two of the five officers came towards the device. Natalie needed a distraction, and the Nightwalker would give it to her. The other device had a red button on the top of it, and he pushed it. The device on the window exploded in a flash of light, a sticky flash bang, and the SWAT fell back, dazzled by the sudden bright light, but otherwise unhurt. There was Natalie's opening. A broken out window and distracted cops. A slight smile formed under Marc's helmet.
Of course, that noise would attract others, namely the SWAT on the roof. So Marc leapt to the warehouse's roof and tossed out four shuriken. The shuriken imbedded into the SWAT's guns and sent an electrical pulse into them, rendering them useless. Two quick punches, one to the throat, rendered the first SWAT useless. The Nightwalker rolled forward, grabbing another SWAT by the leg and flipping him backwards, rolling up and breaking the leg at the knee. The next SWAT came at him, fists flying, but Marc caught a right cross by the wrist, pulling him forward and snapping his arm at the elbow. He turned quickly and tossed the SWAT off the roof. He'd thrown him hard enough that he'd land on the fire escape. No need for lethal force here, the cops weren't as dirty in Sapphire City. The fourth SWAT's eyes widened behind his headgear and he raised his hands in surrender. The Nightwalker didn't buy it though, because he saw the sidearm on his hip. A quick left hook knocked the SWAT officer out cold, sending him crashing through the skylight into the warehouse. Well, now he had an opening too. It was only a matter of a few minutes before he'd get his hands on 'Concrete'. It would only help to widen the reputation of the Nightwalker when he put that mobster in the ground for good.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Oct 21, 2015 0:37:26 GMT -5
When Natalie’s phone first started buzzing, she figured it was her boss wondering where she was, or that corny cameraman who was always trying to get her to go on a date with him. Despite the fact that she had no particular interest in speaking with either of those men at this exact moment, she checked her phone any just in case. Out of habit, if anything. And boy was she glad she had. Only one man ever sent her messages from a blocked number, though to be fair she also had his civilian number on speed dial. The walking enigma himself. When had he gotten here? Rather than taking too long to ponder over that question, she concentrated first on following his instructions. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she crouched down and hugged her knees. It was only another moment or two before the flash went off. The perfect distraction. Not only that, but he’d given her a way to get into the building. That man… he was giving her the chance at an amazing scoop. The story had been good before, but anything the Nightwalker got involved in automatically garnered more attention. Not only here, but in his hometown as well.
Using the temporary blindness of the guards to her advantage, Natalie crawled into the window and immediately crouched behind the nearest obstacle as soon as she was inside the warehouse. There was always the chance that the cops would take a brief look into the window just in case once they stopped seeing spots, and she didn’t want to be seen. Besides, there was also the worry of one of “Concrete” Mikey’s cronies coming over to investigate the noise. Ideally, none of them would catch her. But at least if the bad guys caught her, she had her guardian angel nearby so things would work out in her favor in the long run. Speaking of her friend… Natalie pulled out her phone to reply to the text he’d sent her. “Thanks! xoxo” She would find a way of saying a proper thank you later. At this point she really owed him dinner or something. It was getting him to agree to something like that that would be the problem. Sigh. She would just have to be persuasive. She was good at that.
“What the hell was that?”
“Must be a warning blast. We got too close. Clear back to position!”
Natalie smirked to herself as she heard the footsteps fade away. Perfect. Now to make her way to a place where she could hide out and see all the action going on with the hostages. This had the potential to be the story of the year. She didn’t want to miss one moment of it. Especially once the Nightwalker dropped down from the roof and got to business. It was times like that she really wished she had a video camera. That man fighting was martial art at its finest. At least, in her own humble opinion. It was probably weird, but she’d enjoyed watching him fight ever since that first night in the alley.
The boxes and tall shelves throughout the warehouse created all kinds of convenient shadows for Natalie to creep into. And that was exactly what she did, creeping her way toward where she could hear the booming voice of a man giving orders in combination with a few sobbing women. The sobs were undoubtedly coming from the hostages, but the voice was hopefully Mikey himself. She got in as close as she could, but unfortunately could only see part of the group. She counted three men with guns that she could see, but there may very well be more elsewhere in the building keeping watch and patrolling. That meant she had to watch her own back in case someone tried to sneak up on her.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Oct 22, 2015 19:55:30 GMT -5
As he saw the SWAT officer fall into the skylight, Marc quickly made his way inside as well. He swung around and landed silently on a catwalk overseeing the hostages and 'Concrete'. The mobster was holding a rifle, but he tossed it to one of his lackeys. Hand to hand was more the mobster's style anyway. Marc looked behind him and saw Natalie had made her way inside. A quick scan of the place showed that there were multiple crates holding electronics. He dropped down to the ground below and pulled out a video camera from one of the open crates. A smirk passed under his helmet as he moved up behind Natalie. "Have fun, but stay safe," he said to her, a gentle touch on her arm, and setting down the video camera in front of her. "Hell of a story here." After a brief moment, he was on the move again. Rolling behind another stack of crates, he came up on both feet and yanked one of the lackeys behind the crates, snapping his neck and dropping him quietly to the ground. He pulled out another of the shuriken and tossed it towards the rifle, slamming into the barrel and just as the SWAT's guns had been, rendered it useless. The lackey tried to pull the trigger, but nothing. His panicked look brought a smirk to Concrete's face. "Come out come out," the mobster called in a mocking tone.
"Let the hostages go, and I'll kill you quickly. Don't let them go, and I'll make it hurt," Marc said as he stepped out into the open. That brought all the lackeys to the center of the warehouse. Good, that meant that, with any luck, no attention would be brought to Natalie. She could get her story without worrying about being discovered. "Well aren't we the badass of all badasses?" Concrete mocked again. "Find out," Marc answered. The lackeys came first. Six men came towards him. Marc cracked his knuckles. How bad was it that sometimes he enjoyed this?
The first lackey came in strong, but Marc dipped down and threw out his foot to crash into the lackey's kneecap, bending it backwards. He fell, screaming, but was silenced by a boot to the face as Marc moved forward. Three quick jabs to the sternum brought down the next lackey, toppling in a heap on the floor. Marc parried and dodged multiple incoming attacks from the remaining five lackeys, redirecting a couple of the attacks and moving the lackeys to more favorable positions. A quick dodge caused one of the lackeys to punch another in the face with his brass knuckles. A sidestep and quick downward kick broke the leg of another. He slammed the heads of two together, leaving just one lackey standing. "Move away," Concrete ordered him, and the lackey quickly did as ordered. "Seems I may have underestimated you a bit," the mobster said as he pulled off his overshirt and dropped it to the side. "Maybe I should have brought more henchmen."
"You gonna talk the rest of the fucking night?" Marc growled. Well, Natalie would have to edit that. Can't say fuck on network television. Concrete snorted and moved forward. He was a really big guy, but that didn't intimidate Marc at all. He moved forward, ducking a haymaker and throwing a jab up into the mobster's armpit. Pressure points were a martial artist's best friend. Marc turned quickly, a kick to the back of the knee, a kidney punch, and a kick to the groin brought the large man to his knees. "Cheat," Concrete howled. Marc chopped the mobster in the back of the neck, deadening those nerves. "Win," he retorted. But he was far from done. In his mind, you could truly only lose one fight. Concrete had lost this one, but he hadn't let the hostages go. He made the decision though, that he'd hurt Concrete enough. It wouldn't do well for the hostages to see the violent things going through the mind of the vigilante. He pulled a blade from the back of his belt and moved to the hostages, cutting their binds and telling them to leave. They did, and quickly. Concrete was getting to his feet, but Marc threw the blade directly into the back of the mobster's head. Concrete jerked forward, his eyes widened, and fell face first to the floor.
Marc looked over towards where he'd left Natalie. "We should leave. Most of the cops out there are decent men," he said quickly. He didn't want to hurt decent men. The remaining lackey had run when the hostages were untied, and the hostages were out of the building. No doubt the cops would be in there soon.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Nov 1, 2015 0:14:03 GMT -5
He’d brought a camera? Natalie grinned at him in passing. “Careful, Mr. Nightwalker, or I might start to like you…” It was almost like he’d known she would be there. Well, considering the fact that she often found ways to get herself into trouble, as well as his tendency to be over-prepared for any situation, and it was likely that he just carried one of these things around now just in case. That was making some pretty big assumptions about how much she was on his mind, but it wasn’t impossible. Friends helped friends, after all. The blonde took a moment to acquaint herself with all the buttons on the device in the dim shadow before turning the recorder on and pointing it toward where the action was taking place. Some of that dialogue was too good, too action-movie perfect. The viewers would eat that shit up. Marc Solomon really was going to make her career almost by herself. Well, she would have eventually opened all these doors herself, but the scoops she was able to get thanks to him were certainly speeding things along.
The fighting was badass, and almost over too quickly. It always amazed her how quickly he could take down multiple opponents. Always going for the vital points, rarely ever making more moves than were necessary. It was strategic and brilliant, almost like watching a chess master at work. Natalie wished it could have gone on for a bit longer, or at least that she’d been able to get multiple camera angles on it all. Oh well, she most likely wasn’t going to be able to get more than that on the air anyway. News watchers had a strangely low attention span. She swore that was why those little banners always scrolled across the bottom of the broadcasts with the additional headlines. At least Marc hadn’t killed the guy, which would keep him more like a hero in the eyes of the general populous. Many were jaded by all the death in multi-media fiction nowadays, but the ones who showed restraint were always the more heroic. Let the cops at least get something to give them some good publicity. As long as “Concrete” Mikey didn’t escape from whichever prison they decided to stick him in, anyway. That was the real trick. If they were going to have mercy on these psychos, the least they could do was make sure none of them saw the light of day again. Was that too much to ask?
Marc returned to her side. She had already turned off and put away the video camera. “Ooh, does that mean you’re giving me a ride home?” she teased. They weren’t always able to leave together after a collaboration such as this. It always depended on the circumstances. With the cops right outside, it would be difficult for her to get back with the video camera still in her possession unless she left with him. The police would most likely confiscate it for evidence. That meant no time for joking. Time to get the hell out of there. “Let’s go.” She stood to her full height, ready to follow him whichever way he went. She figured through the roof might be the best way, but she’d go along with whatever. The cops would most likely have their hands full with the frightened hostages that were now coming out of the building anyway.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Nov 5, 2015 12:22:12 GMT -5
Marc wouldn't lie. He would have also liked the fight to go a little longer as well, but it was more important to get the hostages to safety. And the bigger picture, Concrete wasn't the guy who'd killed his daughter. So his death wasn't necessary....yet. Eventually it would have to happen, but the hostages were free and now it was time to get Natalie out of there. He gave a quick look back at Concrete, laying there almost lifeless, and a low growl erupted from him, but he tempered the rage and made his way back to the beautiful reporter. She couldn't see it under the helmet, but he was sure she'd know she got a smile from him after her comment about a ride home. Natalie was one of only two people who knew about his double life. That meant that she was one of only two people that he truly trusted. If it meant that the last breath would leave his body, no harm would ever come to the woman. And truth be told, she was growing on him in a way that only one woman in his entire life ever had before. She was truly something special. "Ride's on the way, Ms. Eden," he shot back in a bit of a teasing tone. He reached out and pulled her close to him, his arm around her waist. His other arm reached upwards, his grapnel aimed up towards the sky. He pulled the trigger when a small, black aircraft hovered overhead. "Hold on," he told her, just before the two were pulled upwards and into the small jet.
"Stealth mode activate, destination Natalie Eden's apartment," he commanded, and the robotic voice that Natalie would clearly remember from the first time she'd been in his car acknowledged. The jet faded from sight and flew off as smoothly and quietly as any ride was possible to be. Marc took off the helmet and a deep breath escaped him. "The jet is undetectable by any radar, and it can stay in cloak indefinitely. So no one will see it land at the top of your apartment building. Good thing you live near the top floor," he said with a bit of a chuckle. By the time they reached Natalie's apartment building, the jet's robotic voice reported that the cops had mostly cleaned up the warehouse area, taking Concrete and his lackeys into custody. Concrete yelled out about having his vengeance the entire time. Marc gave a light scoff and turned back to Natalie. "You get enough footage for your story, or should I drag it out a bit more next time?"
The jet landed gently atop her building. There were no people anywhere around, so even if it weren't cloaked, no one would know any the better. "Ramp down," Marc commanded, and the back ramp of the jet lowered. He found he didn't want to let the night with her end, but she was probably ready to get that video edited and ready for the news deadline. He picked up his helmet and looked at it. The look on his face was obvious, he didn't want to put it back on. So he set it back down. "So where do we go from here?" he asked. They were friends, close friends. And he enjoyed every bit of time he got to spend with her. But part of him hated himself for involving her in his quest. She'd never be truly safe, and his quest would never end. At least, not until he drew his last breath.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Nov 8, 2015 23:27:34 GMT -5
Well, if he insisted that she hold on, then what’s a girl to do? Follow orders, of course. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck just in time for them to be pulled upward. Interesting. He’d taken her around in his car before, but this was her first time on his jet. “Very impressive,” she said as she made herself comfortable. It would be a short flight to her place, but she was already plotting out the story she was going to write. More specifically, the first step: how she was going to explain getting this footage. If she admitted that she’d taken it, she could possibly get in trouble with the police for sneaking onto the crime scene in the first place. She’d most likely say that someone had dropped off the footage for her. She did have the right to keep her sources a secret, after all. But that meant once she’d aired the story, the camera would most likely be taken for evidence. At least it would be out there. Once a story was out, there was no taking it back.
Speaking of the footage, she nodded and laughed at his question. “Oh don’t worry. You gave me more than enough to work with. I am a professional, after all.” The footage by itself would have been enough even without her outstanding narrative skills. It was all mostly planned out in her mind now, she just had to actually sit down and do the writing and editing themselves. It wouldn’t take her more than a couple of hours, probably. Especially if some of that footage was anywhere near as cool as it had looked seeing the fight live. She was a journalist, but not a pro videographer. It wasn’t going to look like fiction, and that was a good thing. Special effects were no substitute in her mind for the real thing. The real world was so much more brutal than anything choreographers could dream up.
Where did they go from there… that was a very good question. “You mean, in a philosophical or a literal sense? Speaking literally, I think you should come down to my apartment and let me make you dinner as a thank you. That way, if you insist on delving into the deep question of why are we here, we can do so in a much more comfortable setting.” She winked at him, unbuckling her safety harness and digging into her purse for a few things. First of all, her keys. Those were somewhat necessary. Then, a small device he’d given her on the night they met. A push of a button, and all the cameras in the area were knocked out for a given period of time. She clicked the button and stuck the device back in her purse. After all, it wouldn’t be good for anyone to know that she was friends with the Nightwalker, especially not with video evidence that he’d been to her place. That is, assuming he would take her invitation to dinner in the first place. He might not. Sometimes he did have to leave. Well, he always had to leave eventually. That was always her least favorite part of spending time with him, no matter how inevitable. Even if she wasn’t lucky enough to be one of the few he counted as a friend, she would find him absolutely fascinating and would want to know him better.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Nov 17, 2015 22:07:59 GMT -5
She was impressed with the jet. Marc gave a light chuckle. "The car doesn't have cloaking tech in it. Not yet anyway." It was much more difficult to put cloaking on a vehicle that moved along the surface. People would run into it more often. It wouldn't damage that tank of a vehicle, but it would cause a lot of property damage and potentially hurt those that didn't deserve it. That was something that he just didn't want on his head. Seeing someone else hurt because of him....yes, he still blamed himself sometimes for his daughter's death, if he hadn't been running late that day......was something that just wouldn't stand. He often blamed himself, even though he knew where the true blame lied, and never considered himself a hero, but he wasn't a villain either. Sometimes the look on Natalie's face changed part of that train of thought though. Maybe he was a hero. But you could never truly convince him of that. Heroes weren't supposed to kill. But killing was the only way he'd get justice for his daughter. Justice, or vengeance. It didn't really matter which it was called anymore. People were free to form their own opinions, as they would always do, and a lot of people had a bad opinion of him. It didn't matter whether or not it was the wrong opinion.
"Good then," he answered when she said he'd given her enough footage. Honestly, he was looking forward to seeing what she put on the air. And not only so that he could critique his own fighting style. All of her reports were damn good, very professional. He knew that she was just that, professional. It really didn't matter that she wasn't a videographer, she'd do a great job once she added her narrative. She was a hell of a reporter. Damn near, if not, the best in the game.
Marc raised an eyebrow at her answer to his question of where they go from there. Dinner did sound really good. He was hungry, considering that he didn't get to grab anything to eat before he headed out towards the warehouse. Not that he'd told her that. But it wasn't hard to imagine such a thing. There were days that Marc skipped meals all together. He knew it wasn't good for him, and generally he made the effort to find time to eat and kept good care of himself. There were just some times where he didn't have that time. "A more relaxed environment sounds like a great idea. And dinner sounds even better." He could feel his stomach growling a bit. Luckily, being the "always prepared" guy, he had a spare change of clothes in the jet. He gave a chuckle when she used the device he had given her on their first meeting. It didn't take him long to change, the longest part being taking all that armor off. A simple t-shirt and pair of jeans later, and he was ready to go downstairs with her. Stepping down off the ramp, he heard the whirring of the gears and the ramp go back up. "Ready when you are," he said with a smile.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Nov 21, 2015 19:46:36 GMT -5
He’d actually agreed to come down to dinner. Natalie had to admit that she was a little surprised. Sometimes he was so wrapped up in his own anger and guilt that he barely wanted to be around anyone at all. A time or two she’d been able to break him out of it, but she knew more often than not he was on his own when he reached those low points. She was glad that this was not one of those times. The blonde waited patiently for her friend to change, even resisting the urge to peek while he was getting changed despite any urges she might have to do the contrary. All that good chivalrous stuff. Once he was done, she led him to the door that led back into the apartment building. It was locked, but that was barely even an obstacle for Marc. From there, down two flights of stairs and a hallway, and they’d reached Natalie’s place. For now, anyway. She didn’t much like living in an apartment complex and was hoping to be able to get an actual house sometime soon. Single-family buildings were very rare these days, and quite expensive, but the price would be worth the extra peace and quiet. Funny, the fact that it was her job to expose the secrets of others yet she valued her own privacy. But given the company she’d been keeping lately, it was necessary even if she hadn’t been a fan of it initially.
“Make yourself at home,” she told him as she hung up her jacket and purse, leaving her shoes by the door as well. Ahh. She loved being barefoot. He could sit down on the couch in the living room, grab himself a glass of wine, whatever it was that he felt like. He hadn’t been to her place super often, but she liked to think that he knew he could take just about anything he wanted. Just like it was his own place. She really wasn’t picky about things like that, though she knew that some people definitely could be. In the meantime, she went to the kitchen. Unfortunately she was not one of those people who could just throw things together in a pot and make a gourmet meal. That meant that a lot of the food she had in the place was the kind of thing you could just throw in the oven for a while and then it would be done. “Let’s see… we’ve got pizza, casserole, lasagna, pot roast…” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. She could always make pasta or something too. There were a few different options here, and luckily none of them would take very long. “Anything in particular you’re in the mood for? Keep in mind that I’m nobody’s chef, so I don’t guarantee the taste of anything.”
She went to the cupboard and pulled out a wine glass. Natalie believed that cooking was best done with wine. Sometimes she even put it in the food. Hehe. “Want something to drink?” she asked him. She’d only really seen him drink alcohol politely when he was at a public function, so she wasn’t sure whether or not he even did that in the privacy of his own home. It wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t, but luckily alcoholic beverages weren’t the only ones she had to offer. There was always milk, juice, or water. Hell, she thought that she might even have a few sodas in the back of the refrigerator even though she never really drank them. Left over from her last boyfriend, probably. Maybe she should get rid of them.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Nov 24, 2015 22:50:30 GMT -5
The locked door was nothing to Marc. A quick pick and they were on their way downstairs. It had been a while since he'd been to her place. Of course, the last time had been in a different city. Marc hadn't been in Sapphire City for very long. He had to admit that he saw her as the type who would live in her own house. But every time he'd been to her place, that place had been an apartment. There wasn't anything wrong with it of course. Marc had an apartment back home. Well, you couldn't really call the entire top floor of a building an apartment, but still, it was close enough. He'd owned a mansion while his family was still alive. But after his daughter's life was taken, it was just too hard for him to continue living there. He'd had it turned into an orphanage, and he footed the bill for everything from the electricity to the land taxes. He'd been thinking about getting a place here in Sapphire City, just for the instance that he were to have to come here again sometime.
Once she said to make himself at home, he made his way to the couch and sat down. He had to admit that he was tired. He wasn't one of those superhumans who had powers like enhanced endurance and durability. He was only human, though the truth was that he was one badass human. He listened as she called out what she had. It all sounded good, especially considering how hungry he was. "Oh, whatever is easiest for you," he answered. "I don't want you to have to go out of your way." He chuckled at her admission of not being a chef. That was a-okay with him. She had everything else that a man could ever want. When she asked if he wanted a drink, he stood and headed into the kitchen with her. "Sure," he answered. "What have you got?"
After getting a glass of wine with her, he took a sip and then leaned against the counter. Marc drank occasionally, usually hard liquor though. He wasn't a fan of beer and he only really drank wine at functions. But it was better for times like this. "So, I've been thinking about getting a place in the city," he told her. "Nothing crazy, just somewhere to stay on the occasion that I'm here. I know you like it here, but you could stay there if you want to." It wasn't that he didn't like her place, it was more that he knew just how hard she worked, and she deserved to have so much more space. "I'll make sure there's a giant closet," he joked. He remembered that she had a lot of shoes. He shrugged and gave another small chuckle. It wasn't often that he was like this. But every time, it was when he was around her. She seemed to have that effect on him somehow. He didn't know, however, how to tell her that, or even if he should. She lived here, in this city, and he was from another, basically just a visitor here. It wouldn't be fair to her. And not only the whole distance thing, but what if someone finally put him down one day. He knew that she'd miss him, as they had grown close after all this time. He shook off the thought for a bit. "So what do you think?" he asked.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Nov 28, 2015 22:31:55 GMT -5
“Right then. Lasagna it is…” Natalie turned on the oven and stuck in the food. It would only be about twenty minutes or so until the food was ready. Plenty of time to relax with their wine before they ate. Besides, there would be more than enough food for the two of them which meant that she was likely to have some leftovers for the future. Cold lasagna could make a delicious breakfast. Maybe not the breakfast of champions, but hell. She worked hard. She could indulge herself every once in a while. After making sure his glass was filled, she hopped on top of the counter across from him, picked up her own glass, and took a small sip. “There are stronger drinks in the cupboard, by the way, if you decide you’d prefer something else.” She didn’t want him to think that he was stuck drinking the same thing as she was. He was free to have anything he wanted in her place.
His proposal of her moving into a place that he was thinking about buying made Natalie laugh a little. “As much as I would love to be your roommate, Mr. Solomon, there are several issues with us moving in together. First of all, think of the field day the paparazzi would have when a media darling moves in with the most eligible bachelor in the city after only being seen out in public together once or twice. They’d be convinced we were a couple, and you’d have a harder time evading them than you do already by at least three times.” Not that she thought it would be a horrible thing if people did think they were a couple. Even if it was a farce, it would give him a more credible reason for him to be staying in town so long rather than going home. The Sapphire City branch of Solomon Inc could only provide a cover for so long. But more importantly, her words about the paparazzi were very true. She knew how the press worked. More specifically, she knew how she would act if she came across what she thought was going to be a huge story. Wild speculations about their relationship would follow, requests for exclusive interviews… so much chaos.
“Secondly, what would happen when your business in the city is done? You’ll go back home, and what then? I’ll be all alone in a place that’s undoubtedly too big for one person.” She pouted a little at the idea of him going back at all, even though she knew that it was inevitable. “Or worse… what if you died?” It was a question that often lingered in the back of her mind, and his too she knew. He wouldn’t stop being the Nightwalker until someone managed to take his life. “I’d be homeless at least until I found a new place. Even if you left it to me in your will, no way would I be able to afford the property tax on anywhere you could buy.” It was actually a fun idea, but not very practical in the end. “So no… I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Though I’m sorry that my answer was so long-winded.” She smirked and took another sip of her wine, then sighing softly when the glass was pulled away from her lips again. “But you should know, that huge closet offer is ohhhh so tempting.”
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Post by The Nightwalker on Dec 12, 2015 20:17:10 GMT -5
"Lasagna sounds great," Marc said with a smile, swirling his wine a bit before taking a sip. He didn't mind the drink at all. Honestly it didn't matter what the food actually was. But he did like Italian food. And he knew it was pretty quick, so they'd eat soon. Seeing her hop up onto the counter across from him brought a few dirty thoughts to his mind, but he managed to push those aside and focus on their conversation. She brought up a lot of good points about the cons of her taking on the place he was thinking of buying. He already saw the place, and had put down a bid on it. It wasn't likely that anyone would beat the bid. He gave a small shrug when she was finished. "You're probably right," he said, showing no signs of deflation, even though the feeling was there.
Part of him didn't want to go back. Especially now, since he'd met Natalie. She had changed a lot in him, even though he didn't really show that outwardly. Somehow she'd broken through the walls he put up. He could smile around her, and not just the fake, practiced smile that he put on with others in his day to day life. During the night, he was something else, a monster some called him, a killer, a criminal truthfully. Vigilantes were just as much a criminal as a true criminal was. But that wasn't who he was, and Natalie seemed to know that. And she kept good humor about the whole thing. The comment about the closet being tempting brought a chuckle out of him. "I'll try a little harder with the sales pitch next time," he joked.
The points that she brought up, as valid as they were, still didn't sit well with the man. He could easily die any time he went out. Luckily for him, he already had his estate in order. And he trusted his personal assistant with handling everything. He was sometimes amazed at how much she could deal with at any given time. Natalie didn't know it, but her friendship had meant so much to him that she had a hefty sum coming to her should anything happen to him. There was no point in telling her that now either. She'd find out when, not if, but when something did happen. Because Marc knew, deep down, that the only way this could end would be in his own end. But there was one thing that, despite everything being said, that was still going through his mind. It was something that he had to deal with right now. There was no other way.
He sat the glass down on the counter he was leaning against and stood up to his full height. "I've been...wanting to do this for a little while now," he said as he crossed the kitchen and moved up to her. Taking the glass from her hand, he set it aside and placed his hands on the counter outside of each of her legs. His left hand moved up to her right cheek, and he kissed her.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Dec 22, 2015 0:48:25 GMT -5
He seemed to accept what she was saying. Well maybe not accept it entirely, but he wasn’t going to argue the fact that he was making valid points. That didn’t mean that he was going to give up on the issue, though, even stating that there would be a next time that he was going to make her this offer. Natalie had to admire that in him. He wouldn’t deny that her words made sense, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to find some creative way around it to get what he wanted. Which, actually, she wasn’t entirely sure what that was. She had to admit that she’d been completely caught off guard by this invitation. Maybe he was just lonely or something. It would be nice to see him more often, but… no. She had to remember all her objections. Even if it would be amazing to have more room… ugh… she was so conflicted. So many pros in addition to all the cons.
Her eyes focused on him as he pushed himself off the counter and approached her. Her head tilted to one side curiously even though she had a strong suspicion of what was coming. Logically, there could be few other reasons for him to be standing right in front of her, setting aside her alcohol. Over the time they’d known each other, she’d definitely gotten the feeling that he was attracted to her. The chemistry was definitely there. Even knowing all that, it was still difficult for her to believe. He’d told her once that he hadn’t dated at all over the last few years. Did that mean… she was going to be the first woman he’d kissed since his wife died? No pressure or anything.
She closed her eyes as their lips met, leaning into him just a bit to keep the kiss going for several seconds before she pulled away slowly. “Is this your idea of improving the sales pitch?” she teased before leaning in to capture his lips again. This whole new development would change some things for both of them, but Natalie didn’t think it would be in a bad way. Anything that would give him a little extra motivation to, you know, not die was a good thing in her book. Because she cared about him, far beyond the physical attraction. Her least favorite parts of spending time with him were those when she was reminded that his desire for revenge was pretty much the only thing keeping him going. Once he’d found the murderer of his daughter, he would need something else to latch onto. Some other reason for existing. If she could help him find one, that would make her happy too.
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Post by The Nightwalker on Jan 3, 2016 22:14:23 GMT -5
Marc wouldn't relent on the idea, even though Natalie made some great points. He saw no reason why they couldn't be closer than just friends. Certainly there was no reason why he wouldn't want to be with her. There was the issue of what he did in the evenings though. At any given moment, on any given night, he could not return home. How would that affect her if it came to the point that she felt more for him? Was he destined to live this life, however much was left for him, alone? Marc was over the death of his wife, but only because it had not gone unresolved. The man who'd killed her also died that night. His anger only lasted for the normal amount of time, and he'd donated money to a lot of alcoholics anonymous programs and other programs to help those who got intoxicated more than they should. It amazed him really that he didn't crawl into the bottle after his daughter's death, but maybe the death of his wife was the reason why he didn't. He actually managed to find an even more dangerous path. One that would keep him from ever really settling down. But part of him still wanted that.
So he kissed her. Luckily, she didn't pull away, except to make that joke, which brought a chuckle from him. "I don't know....maybe," he teased. "You think it might work?" He gave a small grin. She initiated the second kiss though, and he happily accepted. His hands started to roam her hips and legs, and he pulled her closer to him. Lasagna be damned, there was a more pressing issue right now. For the time being, she was the only thing on his mind. He lifted her up, pulling her legs around him, pressing his lips to hers, only stopping to come up for air once in a while. But even something like this didn't stop him from being that guy that thought of everything. He reached over and turned off the oven. Wouldn't do to burn good food.
He carried her through the living area and stopped, pulling away from the kiss for a moment and looking around. He didn't know the entire layout of the place. He gave her that look of 'which way'? He'd have had to admit that he was a little impatient for the answer. He'd been wanting to do this for, well ever since that first meeting with her. He almost instantly felt that he could trust her that night. That was why he'd used that device to wipe the DNA from her shoe, and given her the device to stifle security cameras. He waited for which direction to head to her bedroom.
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Post by Natalie Eden on Jan 9, 2016 17:16:16 GMT -5
Would this added coercion work on her? Would she agree to move in with him? Only time would tell. Natalie still didn’t think it was a particularly good idea, but he was persistent. “Hmm… it’s possible. I might need a little more convincing.” He seemed more than willing to give her as much of this kind of convincing as she wanted. He was even the one who initiated taking it to the next step, as she felt the hands that had been exploring the lower half of her body reach down to lift her up. It was a bit of a surprise, but then again it wasn’t only the high tech gadgets that made him the Nightwalker. He had to be in peak physical condition as well.
The fact that he turned off the oven made her chuckle. The appliance had a timer, so the food was not likely to have burnt. Still, she appreciated the consideration that he showed in that simple action. She especially appreciated the fact that he’d prevented the possibility of clouds of smoke setting off the fire alarms in the middle of an intimate moment. It was for the best that the device was turned off for now. “You really do think of everything, don’t you?” Especially in a situation like this where they were in the middle of doing something that he’d already admitted he’d wanted to do for a long time. Of course she’d thought about it too, but part of her hadn’t thought it would actually ever happen. He was so unpredictable sometimes.
Their lips locked again as he began to carry her out of the kitchen, but he pulled away from her after a few moments to give her a curious look. Right. She’d never really given him the grand tour of her place. Normally she might have teased him for not having memorized the layout of the entire apartment building, but actually she was glad he’d respected her privacy that much. It meant a lot, especially knowing that he had just about all the information he could ever want right at his fingertips. Smiling at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the right. “That way. Last room straight down the hall.”
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