[David Carson]

Times Square, 1 p.m

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel each thump in his ears. Every step he took burst with adrenaline, giving him the will to keep moving. To keep running. He laughed in excitement, but quickly wiped the smile away. It would ruin the shot if he was smiling. It was supposed to be a serious thing. He was, after all, being chased.

The crewman were careful to keep out of the moving cameras. The cameras themselves could almost be missed themselves if you weren't paying attention. Hidden between alleys and perched on rooftops, every lens was fixed on him. He would catch sight of them in his peripherals, but knew better than to look at them. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see two men chasing him. Wait, weren't there supposed to be three?

Tires squealed in front of him. Whipping his head around to the front, David grimaced. Forgot about that one. The black Jeep swerved to stop him in his tracks. But he had other plans. Hands landing on the hood of the car, he threaded his legs between his arms and over the hood. Launching himself forward, he cleared the car without it hitting him. This time, he couldn't help but laugh. He was fairly certain he was allowed at this point.

Then the shots rang out. Two, one went wide, the second was closer to his foot. Ducking and dodging, he knew he had to keep moving. As he ran, he could hear car doors slamming. Clearly, the other two men had caught up to the vehicle and decided to hitch a ride.

David cut through traffic quickly to get to the sidewalks. Better dodging people than dodging cars, he had enough for now. Running as fast as he could, he soon found himself entering Times Square. He could hear the car squealing its tires and the sound of the car door opening. Thinking he could blend into the crowd, he ducked his head and matched the pace of the people around him.

The brief reprieve was just that. Brief. The thugs pointed their guns to the sky and let out a quick succession of shots. The crowd panicked, dispersing quickly. His cover blown, David stood in the near empty Square, gunmen on all sides. Eyes flicking between the men, David smirked as he pondered his next move.

[Rogue]

Chocolate. Oh god, it was glorious.

She hadn’t been home for long, home being the city of New York, her back from the multitude of missions that her mother had sent her on. A week, maybe two, she hadn’t been counting. No, instead she’d been enjoying being back.

Missions were things that required thought and strategy, effort, and she’d been filled with effort and reason and passion for months. Finding herself home again, within the arms of the brotherhood, the good graces of her momma and turned loose upon the city … it was a beautiful thing.

Really, like a vacation of sorts. She had a job, to be ready, to be aware, to wait for the moment when Mystique told her that it was time. But that moment hadn’t come yet, and since the change, since she’d ‘assimilated’ (for lack of a better term) Carol into her, taking her knowledge and her power, her brashness and her attitude, quarantining all of that which was left, well, since then, Rogue never had issues being not ready, or not aware. She was a soldier for their cause, a well oiled machine, a sharpened tool, never to be caught unprepared.

At first that had been odd, getting used to suddenly taking into account things that you never originally bothered with. She’d been a fighter before, sure, but to the level of this Danvers woman? With all the training and experience and that little extra that just made her as amazing as she was. No. Rogue had never been that good. She was now, though, and she and her Momma and all of the Brotherhood benefited from it.

But not today.

Today Rogue was all about finding her own benefits rather than being one. Dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut cotton top of green she made her way through the city, the rhythm of the heels of her boots barely audible over the din of those around her. She didn’t care though, no, instead she was fully focused on something else, the delicious and sinful truffle that she held in her grasp.

Biting into it … if Rogue had to guess what sex was like, which she didn’t have to guess, as she had memories of such from others, if she had to guess, though, to experience it on her own, she would reason that this truffle was better than it. Filling oozed onto her gloved fingers, staining dark the tips of green elbow length satin that she wore. It didn’t matter, the taste was orgasmic, so much so that she moaned almost wantonly as she finished it off, thoroughly reveling in the taste and texture and pure sin that it exuded.

The crowd shifted, and for a moment color flashed to her cheeks as she thought that perhaps her over expression had caused such a stir, a self-centered thought, but a self-conscious one as well. That was something which she rarely suffered for anymore, self-consciousness, ever since she and the Danvers “entity” had settled together, and somehow that made it more upsetting, the possibility of embarrassment even greater because it was so rare.

But it was not she that had started the shiver. No, instead it was someone else, and the shiver turned into a wave as gunfire broke out, the concussive sound breaking across the square and sending the masses running in all direction, people fearful for their lives. People, but not her.

It wasn’t as satisfying as the chocolate, maybe, but the sound sparked something within her, making the blood within her veins thrum and her heart beat against her ribs in excitement. This was what she was made for, this was the reason she existed and only through this was she whole. She didn’t mind, so much, what she’d become. Purpose was all that anyone needed, and that was something that she now had in spades.

Lazily she licked the last bit of ganache from her glove, green eyed vision surveying the scene as she decided the next best option to take. For a second she worried about the passersby, but the attackers seemed focused on one individual and one individual alone. She could take them all, she knew, hubris laden smugness having leaked into her personality, but it would take time, and in that time guns could be fired and innocents hurt. Innocent. Like there were such people anymore. Even if she did save them they’d spurn her for being a mutant. Haters. Gotta hate.

Take the guy of the equation though, the one they were after, and then they’d have no one to shoot at, and she would have saved the day. Sort of. It wasn’t like the hero thing was really her shtick. The Danvers’ woman, sure. Rogue? Not so much.

Sighing and rolling her eyes at being so inconvenienced but smirking all the same at the rush that such a thing produced, Rogue took to the air, kind of, hovering just inches above the pavement as she invoked whatever it was that Carol had given to her, albeit forcibly. She’d never thought much about the how or why, she wasn’t that sort of person, but she did enjoy it, and really, that was enough.

Flight allowed her speed that she wouldn’t have on feet alone and in half a breath she had gotten to him, deceptively slender but superhumanly strong arms wrapping around his waist. “Afternoon, sugah.” was purred as she got a good grip, smiling a smile that flashed teeth and dimples and made her eyes even brighter somehow. “You sure do know how ta pick your friends.” And then they were off, rocketing upward, the ground shrinking away below them as she saved him. Or at least, she thought she did.

[David Carson]

The ground had faded away before David even realized what was happening. In the distance, he could hear the director yell 'Cut!', but it was quickly overwhelmed by the sound of the rushing wind. When he finally realized he wasn't standing on solid ground, he realized that there was a young woman with her arms around his waist, carrying him like he was a rag doll.

Then there was the little details that she was flying.

Well, technically they both were, but given that the woman was carrying him, he was pretty sure she was the one responsible for this new altitude. When he turned to figure out where the crane carrying her was hiding, he was surprised to find there wasn't any near here. Looking back to the woman, he realized she wasn't wearing a harness. That was when he started getting concerned. No harness meant she was flying on her own accord.

It also meant that this wasn't part of the movie.

Mentally cursing to himself, he realized that this woman single-handedly ruined a perfectly good stunt. As much as she wanted to yell at her for this, in a way, he was oddly grateful. It wasn't his best run, and had he still been on the ground, he would've told the director as such and done it over anyway. Now he won't have to be on the figurative firing range.

Looking back to his captor, he realized how cute this young woman was. Gorgeous brown hair, streaked for some reason with white. A bright smile with cute little dimples greeted him. He couldn't help but smile back. He was still concerned, and visibly slow. More because he had it in his head he was being kidnapped. Then he remembered her saying something just before the ground disappeared. The way she had said those words, did she think he was saving him? David almost laughed. At least he could assure the director that the scene was authentic enough.

With his expression becoming an almost apologetic one, he coughed loudly. "Um, hate to break it to you sweetheart…But those guys…they actually are my friends…" Pausing, he looked briefly to the ground. While he was looking only to ascertain the location of the cameras, he realized they were just a tad too high for either of them to see them. He grimaced. Being this high without a harness always made him nervous. Looking back to the woman, he told her, "Yeah, we were kinda sorta making a movie back there…I wasn't in any real danger…But, uh, thanks for the help anyways…" He laughed slightly, still wishing he was back on solid ground.

[Rogue]

Rogue was a generally observant woman. It wasn't something she'd been born with, but it had been something that she'd learned. That, and well, absorbed. Carol Danvers had a knack for reading a situation like it was no one's business, and that was among the multitude of skills that Rogue had been able to take from the other woman. Was it worth it? Not really. But still she wasn't about to shirk what she'd been handed.

Even with her observation, though, she had no idea that she'd walked into the middle of a movie shoot. In her mind it wouldn't have added up. What some might consider to be too fantastical or too out of place, that was the norm for her, and so it being fake, she just hadn't thought of it.

So as they rose she had the solid notion that she'd been helping, sort of, wondering why she'd even cared. Being alone, that was something she could relate too, and as he stood there, surrounded by these men, him seemingly unarmed, with no one to help him? Rogue couldn't leave it at that.

"Sweetheart?" She replied, banking towards a nearby building, "S'a little early for that yet, ain't it?" Dark hair blew backwards as they flew, and Rogue's enjoyment at the feeling, the rush, was obvious in the way she smiled and in the crinkle at the corner of her eyes. "Like ah said before, you know how to pick 'em."

The building was getting closer, and soon Rogue was going in for a landing, adjusting their speed and angle without thought, having not only practiced on her own for the last six months, but having kept all of Carol's memories at how it was done. "A movie?" She laughed in response, the color in her cheeks only the result of the wind against them. She had been wrong, but no embarrassment lingered. "Well ah'll be." Her accent dragged across her words just as their feet once more touched ground. Well, not quite ground. Pour concrete, instead, some hundred stories up. "Guess that means ah'm a star, huh, sugah lump." Now that he was safe, as he always had been, Rogue let him go, taking a step back and tilting her head to look at him from different angles. "What'cha filmin' anyways? Somethin' new? Ah don't think ah've ever seen your face before."

[David Carson]

He didn't pay the woman's laugh much mind, given that he thought it more of a reactionary thing than actual amusement. Stumbling a little bit as they landed on the roof of a building, he quickly tried to shake off the heebie-jeebies. Damn, they were really high. He was starting to get twitchy about it. Much as he would try and hide that fact in front of an attractive woman, his face and body language rapidly betrayed him.

It was really at this point that he realized how thick her accent was. Straightening his appearance, he ran a hand through his hair. The wind had really done a number to it, coming across several knots. The hairstylist was going to have a fit, if the director didn't decide to have one for her. When she made the comment on being a star, it was his turn to laugh. This one was out of genuine amusement. Then a thought struck him. "Yeah, I guess you are…You might have a real career as a stuntwoman. I mean, you wouldn't need rigging to fly…You can just…" He paused, extending his arms up and forward accompanied with, "Whoosh!"

When she asked what he was filming, he grinned broadly. "Nah, you wouldn't have seen me…Well, my face anyways…" He chuckled, adding, "See, I'm a stuntman. This is gonna be the first film where folks get to my face." He winked at her, shifting his weight on his feet. The height of the building was making him uncomfortable, but he knew he'd just have to deal with it for now.

"We're filming one of those action adventure films…" Blinking, he paused. "Shit…what was it called? Damn…Um…" He scratched his head, brow furrowing. Then the lightbulb went off. "Right, it's called 'Million Dollar Escapades'. I'm playing a bit part, but I get to do a bunch of really cool stunts…What was the dude's name…" He trailed off, snapping his fingers as he tried to remember the star's name. "The dude from the Fast and Furious movies…Oh right, Vin Diesel!" He laughed as he remembered the star's name. "Yeah, Vin's the main character. He's pretty cool…"

Looking around, he scratched his head again. "You know, I kinda need to get back…The director's got to be having a conniption by now…" He smiled nervously. "He can't be happy someone ruined his shot…Especially a flying someone…" Looking her up and down, he added, "You know, you use that charm on him and I might not get fired."

[Rogue]

It might have been an accident, this supposed rescue of hers, but it wasn't one that Rogue minded. In the moment it had been exhilarating, the day was beautiful and the view from the top of the sky-rise, somewhere she wouldn't have had a reason to go to, it was breathtaking. Not at all what she'd planned, not at all what had needed to be done, but almost blissful all the same.

Her joy was as obvious as was his tension, though what he had to be tense about, Rogue sure didn't know.

There was an easy way to find out, though.

Casually she began to take off a glove, one finger at a time, listening to him as he spoke. Laughter fell from her lips at his description of her ability, the sound stolen by the wind that whipped past them both. "My cameo will have to be enough for the masses, darlin', 'fraid ah got more than enough real job to go around." One finger free and then another, three more to go. "A stuntman, huh? Just how does one go about gettin' in to somethin' like that. Ah mean, 'less you can fly or something." The wink rolled off of her like water, so many men had winked at her on so many a day. It wasn't that she was full of herself, she wasn't, she just followed so readily in the footsteps that he mother had laid out before her, and knew as to what that entailed.

"Don't know the name of your own movie, sugah? Ah imagine you might have a hard time with your lines, then. The main of her hand no longer so tightly wrapped, the rest of the glove was tugged down and off, Rogue flexing her now bare fingers against the breeze, feeling the sunlight fall on her skin, wiggling all five digits at once. "Ain't he that fella that used to play, what was it, dragons and dungeons or somethin'?" Her head shook in the negative, "Not really my type. Too much muscle. Ah like my men a little more realistic, if you know what ah mean."

It was her turn to wink, slow and saucy and implicating, her really only trying to distract him as she figured out just how to graze him and for how long. She didn't so much as care what was bothering him anymore, as much as she wanted to see if she could snag it from his subconscious. "You tryin' to get away from me already? And to think, ah thought we were havin' a nice time." She looked to the edge of the building, to him once more and then to the stairs which would take them down from the roof. "You wanna go down the same way we came up, or?"

[David Carson]

David was surprised to hear she already had some sort of gig. While curious about what it entailed, he thought it might be best to mind his own business. He glanced to her hand as she began taking off her glove. Why was she doing that? He could only assume it was because she wanted to shake his hand or something. Maybe her hands were getting sweaty. He had no idea of knowing either way, but wasn't terribly concerned either way.

Her question about becoming a stuntman brought another smile to his face. "Nah, can't fly. I come pretty close though somedays…" Pausing, he looked across to a neighbouring building. It was lower than this one and less than than ten feet away. If he wanted to show off, he could probably jump to the next roof. If he wasn't so antsy about the height, the adrenaline would let him do it. But he had more important things to do. Like flirting. "Started out with parkour…Couple commercials, some modelling, it sort of just happened I guess…" He let out a laugh.

He snorted when she pointed out that not remembering the name of the movie would equate to not remembering his lines. He shook his head, still smiling. "Nah, I'm good. The director keeps changing his mind on the title. Last week I think it was 'Run and Hide' or something…" He shrugged. "But I don't make the big decisions, so I really don't care one way or another." He smirked when she mentioned she liked her men a little more realistic. Maybe he had a shot with her after all.

David almost looked wounded when she suggested he was trying to get away from her. He held his hand over his heart, mocking injury. "Not a chance, sweetheart. If I could, I'd stick around but I am needed on set. You're more then welcome to join me…" Looking in the direction of where she was looking, he caught sight of the stairs. Much as he would prefer taking the stairs, quite frankly, it would be quicker just to get her to fly him back down. Sighing inwardly, he grabbed her ungloved hand. "But yeah, going back the way we came sounds like a good idea."

[Rogue]

"Par-kour?" She asked in repartition, trying to sound out whatever the word was that he'd just said. She couldn't place it, the what or the who, but overall she wasn't too concerned. He continued on to mention commercials and modeling, and Rogue found the smile that was often so plastered across her face begin to fade. Here she'd tried to rescue someone, and now it just seemed like he was some sort of pretty boy. Sure, the stunt thing sounded cool, but her mind was torn, a single dark eyebrow raising as bright green eyes looked him over, trying to find something more.

The whole movie thing was neat, but it didn't overly interest her. Before, maybe. But now? No. She was cynical and cold and literally a trained killer. She found her joy in stolen moment and on rooftops in the sun. Watching some action movie, that was like watching herself work, and it didn't spark her fancy in the slightest.

Full lips pursed as the cynic inside of her surfaced once more, arched eyebrow moving in its curve from curious to blatant disbelief. He was a player this one, Rogue assumed, be it in front of the screen, or in front of women. She'd had her own experiences, but also the experiences of others, and in all of them, she'd seen his type before, more than she needed to. "Thanks for the offer, darlin', but ah think ah'll pass." Seeing a movie set might be cool, but going there with him, it felt wrong, somehow, like she'd be his to show off, or something in that manner. No, she'd get him back down, close to where she'd found him and she'd be off, receding once more back into the shadows and into the world in which she lived, a world that she loved.

It could have been because of his own innate skill, or her distraction at the entire situation, but without her seeing it coming, without her being the one to control it, suddenly his skin was on hers, fingers against the bareness of her palm, the contact so unique, unexpected ... Shocking and pleasurable Rogue couldn't help but to revel in it, concentrating on each and every nerve ending, a shiver trailing up her spine as goosebumps littered her skin.

Only for half a half a heart beat though. Then, then her power kicked in, and parts of him began to be pulled through her, the fact he found her attractive, the fear he had of heights, his name ... with more strength than any human could have she attempted to pull away from him, not wanting to know more, not wanting to see him as real.

[David Carson]

He nodded as she repeated parkour. "Yeah, it's sort of a French thing…Running, jumping, vaulting…Sort of like urban gymnastics or some such…" He shrugged. It was sort of hard trying to explain PK to someone who seemed to have never heard of it before. Then again, he wasn't really surprised. It wasn't something new, but it was something better known by people who really know what's popular out there. This woman seemed more like someone who got out more than hang around inside watching obscure videos.

David almost pouted when she declined to join him on set. He was under the impression that most chicks would kill for a chance to rub elbows with A-list celebrities. But clearly, this one was different from those other chicks. For one, she could fly. That already made her stand head and shoulder above all the other women he met. But still, he was a little disappointed. He would've liked to have her hanging on his arm.

Her hand now firmly entwined in his, he couldn't help but smile. Seemed she didn't anticipate his movements and he found this terribly amusing. She definitely gave off the vibe of someone who knew exactly what was happening at all times around her. He smirked as he felt her pull away from his grip. "What, you trying to get away from me now?"

He pulled her closer, one hand still holding hers, the other gently placed around her neck. He tucked a stray strand of rich brown hair away and looked into her eyes. They were an amazingly intense green. It was rare for him to feel so entranced by a woman's eyes. There was just something about her that David found so intriguing. As he leaned in, he could feel his hands tingle. He could only assume it was in anticipation. "Il semble que vous me faites nerveux, ma chérie." He whispered into her ear, moving ever closer to her lips.


translation: It seems that you make me nervous, darling

[Rogue]

Whatever was happening, Rogue didn't know. She tried to pull away from him, using all the power that had been granted to her by Carol, by the woman she'd so fully absorbed, but still she wasn't free. His fingers twined with hers, and Rogue couldn't help but to look down at them in horror, panic obvious on her face as he clung on, panic and something else.

While she was still obviously absorbing him, pulling in his thoughts, his memories, each second adding more and more depth, this man, David, David Carson, Canadian, Bisexual, Stuntman and Actor, he didn't seem to be effected. In her anxiety Rogue could feel Carol rear in the background, a feeling that she fought, and something that she pushed down, as well as the curiosity as to what was happening, why was he so free of the result that most felt with her?

It didn't matter though. Things were happening, things she hadn't planned on or wanted to happen, and even as she felt herself being pulled closer to him, she was fighting, first on the inside and then out, fingers ripping free from his grasp, head jerking away from his touch and his whispers, the palm of her hand crashing violently into the bridge of his nose as she spun away from him, anger flashing in green that had flirtatious and inviting only moments before.

The parts of him that she'd absorbed ricocheted for a moment, Rogue doing what she could to quell them, sneer ripping across a mouth that had previously been all smiles. "Tryin' to get fresh with me ain't gonna get you anywhere." She snapped, feet two inches over the ground as she hovered in place. Green eyed vision flicked towards the edge and then back to him once more, "'Cept maybe a hundred stories down."

[David Carson]

A hand flew to his face before David could even process what had happened. He could hear a snap and pain seared from his nose. Holding his hand to his face, he was surprised at how much it hurt. Damn, she was stronger than she looked. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. Shit, she just broke his nose. Staring in disbelief, he looked on in horror at her. "What the hell?!" He yelled out at her. "Jesus Christ woman, can't you just say you're not interested? You didn't need to break my nose!"

Feeling his nose, he could tell that while it was bleeding profusely, it was a clean break. Something easily reset. Gritting his teeth, he pushed on it until he could feel it back in place. He howled in pain as he did so. It seemed like it had worked, he thought. But he would definitely need checking out by a professional. He could only hope he didn't make things worse.

Blood covering his hands, he struggled to stand up straight. That smack really rattled his brain, making him dizzy. God, he hoped it wasn't a concussion too. "…Director's gonna flip…" He muttered under his breath, not that it mattered. He could easily be out of a job just by disappearing the way he did, excuse or not. Glowering at the woman, he told her, "Fine, I see how it is…I'll just take the stairs then…" Hand returning to his face, he turned around and headed to where the door to the stairs stood. He was not a happy camper right now.

[Rogue]

Wind ripped through her hair, the sudden crossing gusts stronger than they had been before, the ferocity of it matching well with the anger that tore through Rogue’s mind at the moment. ”My momma warned me ‘bout fellas like you. Looks like ah shoulda listened better.” All the possible friendship and flirtation was gone, destroyed by one person moving too quickly, taking things to fast, wresting them from her control. Rogue was comfortable in many a situation, as long as she was the one with the upper hand. Having the rug pulled out from under her? She didn’t handle that too well at all.

The space between them, emotional, was soon reflected in physical distance, Rouge taking her hovering act to new heights, literally, as she moved away from the roof, and hung suspended over all the emptiness below her. It had been hard to get accustomed to at first, but now it was as simple as breathing. Flight, it was just something she did, and she’d accepted and excelled at it, at least, after her stomach got accustomed to the situation.

”You’re lucky it was just your nose, sugah. I don’t take kindly to bein’ handled in such a fashion.” Flirting was one thing, getting in her personal space, that was another. This man might think he was God’s gift to women, entitled to such affection and things like random rooftop kisses, but a kiss, for Rogue, it was the most intimate thing of all, and for someone to take it so blithely, no, she refused to accept that.

A small part of her felt bad about his nose. It wasn’t that she hadn’t meant to break it, she had, she’d hit him with the full intention of causing pain, and she was a trained fighter. She popped him, and he’d deserved it, getting all handsy with her like he had. ”Hope the door’s unlocked, darlin’, or you’re directors gonna be waitin’ for you for a while.” One last cutting remark, and she was gone, certain that a man who held himself in such regard would be more than capable of handling the situation that he found himself in.

[David Carson]

The increase of wind whipped through his hair, blowing drops of blood so they landed further away from him. It didn't help much, save for momentarily distracting him from his pain as he straightened his posture to better balance against the wind. At the comment of her mother warning her about guys like him, he laughed. "Yeah, I think I can safely assume my mother never warned me about chicks like you…" David rolled his eyes.

He ignored his next words. Sounded like he should be so lucky only his nose was broken. Lord knows she could have just flung him off the roof. He grimaced at the prospect. Death by falling, not a pleasant way to go. Primarily because it was so high, but also because it would leave a nasty mess on the sidewalk. Not something he wanted to be remembered for.

She gave him one last cutting remark and as he was about to retort, she had taken off. Rolling his eyes again, he finally decided to use his shirt to wipe off the blood, despite his desire to avoid ruining a perfectly good shirt. Still, it had to be done. Finally reaching the door, he could have screamed. It was locked. Glaring at it, he started kicking at the door, trying to break it in. After a few kicks, he did so and began the descent to the top floor. Hopefully, there was an elevator so he wouldn't have to walk all the way down.

Man, what a day he was having.