Hours had already passed in the fading light of what was once a great building, bustling and busy, now reduced to nothing more than another abandoned shell of dust and decay in this city. Hours passed with a silent gargoyle keeping watch within the overarching shadows and deepening darkness of the warehouse, never moving to give its position away as night settled in. Hours passed with a grey-blue gaze never strayed from the equally decrepit building across from her, the sentinel’s blackened gaze never wavering.

To be honest Zoey’s muscles were getting rather stiff. The young woman resisted the urge to roll her shoulders beneath the warm hoodie in order to relieve the ache building up in them, silently – and rather bitterly – remembering the lessons her father had given her on one of their very first hunting trips. Prey moves; predators wait. Zoey had learned the lesson of patience that first trip, particularly when she got too excited on seeing her first deer and having it scatter when she shifted positions to get a better shot rather than wait for it to move into her line of fire. Her father had laughed, clapped her on the back and told her next time – she’d grow into it soon enough.

And Zoey had certainly grown into a predator.

However she would never admit how close she came to bolting like that same said deer the instant the ping of her phone alerted Zoey to a new email, and a quick glance had her almost dropping the phone. Someone had found out. More than found out – another vigilante, [i]Ditch[/i], seemed to know things they shouldn’t! It was enough to make her want to just pack up her things and disappear like the shadows she controlled in the rising sun, but something stopped Zoey. Something she was familiar with. A need. Maybe Zoey wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and the thought of Umbra sent a shiver of dread right to her stomach – and not just at what he had already done. It would be so easy to just disappear, she had the money, but…

Needless to say just before the sun set Reaper had already found Racket Avenue and scoped out the warehouse designated 4315. A quick, cautious preliminary scouting revealed only one beacon inside, seemingly stationary, but there was still time. It was tempting to just step in and confront them right away, but the words from earlier echoed in her head once more, causing Reaper to shadow step away to the roof of a warehouse just nearby, with a clear view of the parted entrance. It was here she settled, trained and alert as the night began to settle and their meeting point awaited. As time passed her own shadow seemed to wisp, tendrils of black smoke curling around her crouched legs and figures, but the beacon inside didn’t seem to move much at all. The bit of light spraying out into the street from the sliver of open space in the doors however seemed to flicker and dance at times, as midnight approached going to steady, rhythmic flicks. On, off, on off.

If this [i]was[/i] a trap the only danger Reaper was in was falling asleep.

The first activity came just shortly before midnight, making Reaper’s muscles tense as her eyes followed the approaching figure. Of course Zoey knew of other vigilantes in the city, at least a little, and her brows furrowed seeing exactly who it was. A little lightning bug it seemed, and holding up position near the top of the roof if she was sensing it correctly – the close proximity of the two beacons began to meld together. What a strange time to be laying an ambush, a mere twenty minutes before the meeting time. Maybe they were going for [i]shock[/i] and awe?

Zoey resisted the urge to snort at her own joke.

Twenty minutes of indecision passed quickly, and it was then that others began to appear. The second moving slowly, gracefully with fingers tracing along the wall. The third cautious, but brave. And another beacon, the owner unseen, crawling against the roof before joining the mass of dark blobs on the warehouse floor. When the lightning bug finally deemed to join the others Reaper had decided enough time had passed, and it was time to join them. It seemed Ditch sought out more than just another vigilante with a skeleton theme, and was following up with their words to stop Umbra. At least, to try and stop them.

Rising up from her crouched position Reaper took a brief moment to roll her back, muscles rippling beneath the hoodie as she stood tall. Then her shoulders slouched forward and a relaxed calm took over before she stepped back, the solid wall of the industrial vent behind her acting as a liquid surface as she moved into the shadow. Across from her she quickly stepped out of the shadow beside the door of her target, slipping in as inconspicuously as possible.

Well, Ditch certainly knew a bit about tension. A hanging platform above a stage that looked as though it would fall apart with enough weight, the source of the flickering lights apparent in the air. And the others, simply standing around waiting to be addressed? Perhaps she was more impatient than she thought, but Reaper was more than just some servant waiting for be acknowledged once she had finally made her move. Considering she hadn’t gone far into the auditorium in the first place it was simple to simple sink into her shadow and disappear once more without more than a low near-growl of frustration to the others, and reappear at her target.

The platform was rusted and unstable, Reaper could tell that from a glance, so she was careful with her steps as she moved from the darkness of the warehouse wall, cast from the large curtains, and almost casually moved beside Ditch. Shadows seemed to cling to her briefly like tar, soon wisping away like smoke on a breeze as they disappeared. Reaper tilted her head down a bit to glance at the skeleton mask, her own face covered by the balaclava – except for her eyes, no color nor whites distinguishable from the black orbs. Beneath the fabric one of her red brows raised unseen, a silent question and challenge all in one.