Name: Hope Sandoval
Age: 31
Alias: Detective Sandoval Mrs. MobAppearance: With an above average height of six-foot-one, Hope cuts an impressive figure, or at least an impressive silhouette, if not an immediately intimidating one. And to be sure there is something to be intimidated about and it isn't the badge on her suspender straps nor the gun at her hip, but her physique which, thanks to frequent trips to the GCPD gym and a strictly governed dietary routine, is impressive. While she doesn't have the rippling, chiseled rock solid build, there is clear musculature to be found especially in her arms, and only a trace amount of body fat down with her thighs and calves. She needs the physique in order to keep up with those who have the advantage of masks, tights, and toys. Nothing against those types, of course, but just because the city has had its share of guardians doesn't mean she's going to sit around and sip on coffee and grow idle.
Hope keeps her hair short as it is a hassle to keep it in a ponytail or just out of the way of her eyes in general; it's for function and not fashion. More often than not she's attired in navy slacks, a button down top, and a navy suit jacket, though in her down time she's known to let her hair down, so to speak, and take on more casual outfits such as turtlenecks and jeans. Her face has a scar on her right cheek, a reminder of a moment gone horribly wrong; though it's healed now, no one in this line of work comes out unscarred. Hope is just fortunate that hers is more physical.
For reference's sakeSkills/Abilities: As with any member of the GCPD, Hope is skilled with her sidearm, though she definitely prefers not to have to use it for anything other than intimidation; in a pinch she serves as a fine marksman with pistols. She's taken self defense classes and while not an exceptional offensive fighter, if someone makes the first move in a fist fight - which she often allows them to do - she can more than hold her own within reason. As a detective her greatest strengths are her deductive reasoning and her keen eye, both of which come into play when she's investigating various crime scenes; ideally she'd sweep them clean before certain sorts decide to drop in and share their supposed expertise on the matter. She's a smart woman, but she can't always compete with people that literally have computers on speed dial.
Weaknesses: Hope has a tendency to let cases consume her which comes with the side effect of her no longer being able to think rationally or logically, and those in the know have exploited that in the past, subtly manipulating her into jumping the gun and jumping to conclusions in order to cause mistakes to be made. Fatal or otherwise. She has a fear of rats, which comes into play mostly when snooping around in less clean parts of the city.
History: Hope is a Gotham City lifer, someone who was born there and someone who was well aware she will most likely die there. She can only hope it's in doing her part to at least make her home a better place. Her mother didn't have a glamorous job, working for pennies at a diner in the heart of the city; but Hope respected that, she loved that her mother put up with terrible customers and even more terrible schedules just to make sure Hope didn't have to go hungry. Of course, her father did his part as well. Hope's father was a book keeper, an accountant, and that's all Hope ever knew him for. That, and his always nervous manner of speaking, as if he had to say things fast for some reason.
It wasn't until Hope joined the GCPD fresh from the Academy that she learned just what it was her father did for a living. In her first year on the Gotham beat, Hope was involved with a raid on a mob business; they were using an upscale restaurant as a front for their illicit activities, and the person in charge of the books for the restaurant was none other than her father. He was taken into police custody where he squealed quickly, giving up the names of his employers. This only led to the mob putting out a hit onto him and his family.
The hit came as expected, and her father was the first to go. Her mother was under police protection and put into witness protection and told to leave Gotham. When the hit came for Hope she survived and retaliated, but at the cost of the hitman missing his main target, Hope, and instead taking the life of an innocent, something which Hope blames herself for; her job is to protect and serve and she failed to do both that night.
Needless to say, Hope harbors no love for the mafia or any of their activities and was all too willing to cooperate with the vigilanties. Her view was that if Gordon said they were okay then they were fine by Hope. Though now with Gordon retired and the Bat seemingly missing, Hope is willing to take it upon herself to keep things safe on the street level.
Given her family's past ties to organized crime there are still those on the force that don't trust her, believing her to be on the take.
It's a popular rumor around her precinct that the only reason she made detective was because of connections rather than skill alone.
Every cop, especially those working the Gotham beat, has their scars and Hope is no exception to that - only her scars ran the risk of killing her career before it ever got started. Hope is more smart than she is sensible, which makes her useful in scouting a crime scene and putting together enough evidence to make a case, but too often she feels like she will always have to prove herself to people that have written her off. Hope might never forgive her father for that one.
Hope is probably the closest thing Gotham can get to an honest cop, but even she isn't immune to her own humanity and self interest.
Fortunately, nothing that has slid across her plate has had her compromise her own morals and ethics...but how long can anyone in this city stay clean?
Hope still hasn't made up her mind about the vigilantes the city has been known for despite supporting the former commissioner for his seemingly genuine desire to make Gotham a safer city. Given the current boiling point that is the GCPD, Hope has no time to worry about the Bat or any other people carrying on some sort of honored mantle given the current sentiment. Cop killings have everyone worried,
especially one who still has a score to settle with the mafia.
Everything aside, though, Hope is just trying to do what she can to honor her badge. There's a big stain on the Sandoval name. Hope's doing what she can to mop it up.
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