Quick Pick

[Remy LeBeau]

Remy's back was scrunched up against the brick wall of the movie theater, the shadow of the nearby liquor store keeping him obfuscated from sight. He had been watching his target for a long time now, and what better place than here to grab him. The mark must have been on a date, judging by the amount of laughing and flirting he was doing with his female companion. Remy smiled to himself... he wondered if he should charm the girl away after he took the man's wallet.

No, he thought to himself, can't take a man's dignity and his wallet. That's just not right. If you could say Gambit lived by any code of ethics, that was about as close to any moral convictions you'd find inside that head of his. The world was too mean a place to be looking out for anyone other than himself, but if you took more than you deserved then karma might bite you on the ass.

The mark was near the alley now, about to walk passed. Remy suddenly pivoted to face him, bumping into him, his brown trench coat whipping into the man's side.

"Oh, I'm sorry dere monsieur, I did not mean to st'rtle you," Remy apologized ever so eloquently.

The man dusted himself, "Yeah, yeah," he replied gruffly, walking around gambit and grabbing his date's hand.

Remy felt the leather wallet in between his fore and middle finger. Nice grab, it was fat. Maybe he wasn't good enough though, as the man turned around quickly a moment after.

"Hey, you took my wallet!" the man turned and pumped his fist.
Remy did not turn around quite yet. He slipped his fingers into the pocket of the wallet and removed all the cash. It was a few bills, maybe 7 or so. He hoped they were at least 20's.

"Fine, den hav' it back den, Monsieur," Remy's eyes glowed red as he tossed the empty wallet, now charged with a small burst of energy at the man's feet. When it landed on the side walk and exploded in a mild flash, the man and woman both covered their eyes. When they looked again, Remy was gone.

He had already snuck around to the other side of the movie theater. Luckily, no one was around that he saw. He fingered the bills once more and whipped them out of his pocket. He took a whiff of the resh wad and let the ink press between his warm fingers.

A ten, a five, 4 twenties, and a fifty. Heh, almost a buck fifty for a fairly easy grab. He was pleased with himself. A smile crept onto the cajun's freatures.

[Marie D'Ancanto]

Marie was out alone on yet another Saturday night. Not that it really mattered all that much to her one way or another. It was a sad fact, but it really was no big deal what night of the week it was for the girl. Not like she could actually go out like anyone else. An hour ago she had been pouring herself into her law homework. Now..well, now, she was standing in a long line trying to see the latest movie to come down the pike.

She'd been nice and toasty in her rooms so she hadn't bothered to layer up all that much. Oh, she was wearing the gloves and a scarf draped around her neck. Her sweater was draped over her forearms in an attempt cool off. Standing in line along with a bunch of frat boys and the few girls they could drum up for the night had had an effect on not only her mood but also made her overly warm. To say she was pissed would be to put it lightly.

She'd been bumped into several times. Not wanting to chance contact, she was in the process of slipping her bare arms into the ivory sweater as a boy behind her offered to help. He almost grabbed her arm. The Southern belle's eyes flashed on his in warning, "Ah go it...thanks." The crowd began to pour out of the theatre now, space on the side walk was suddenly cramped. It was a literal sea of bodies. A large man in his forties bumped into her and sent her reeling mentally. It took several seconds for her to regain her composure.

"Bastard!" She snapped in reaction drawing the attentions of those around her. Her gloved fingers went to her temples. The guy really had been a bastard and worse. He'd just seen the same damn movie she'd been in line for forty minutes to see. She pulled the sweater up over her shoulders and muttered something in the vocal tones of the fat man. She looked down the block as he crossed an alley with his girlfriend. The way he was flirting with her and laughing it made Rogue feel sick.

The dick was married. To her surprise something exploded at the man's feet. Rogue looked up at the movie sign. There was no point in seeing the movie now. She already knew all about it. Whatever had caused the explosion was infinitely more exciting that what she had been in line for. The choice was easy. She turned down the block toward the direction of the explosion. A tall figure caught her eye as he stood into the shadows, "Ah don't suppose ya are the one Ah should thank for sticking it to tha fat man? "

"The bastard ruined ma night," She didn't know that she was facing a thief, she'd only seen the explosion after all. If she had, she might have asked for half, after all she was temporarily stuck with the cheater's memories inside her head.

[Remy LeBeau]

Remy cleared his throat, looking down at the young woman now standing before him. He took a sideways glance back around the alley, just doing a mental check to make sure he had been right when he assumed no one had seen him. Was this girl trouble, or what?

"I don't tink you mean me, Mon Ami," the cajun said defensively. "I don' know too many fat men."

What was this girl doing? Looking for trouble? He could be anyone. He let loose the belt of his brown trench coat and started walking deeper in the alley, taking a second look to the girl. "You don' know me, mon ami. Gambit is trouble." He whipped his head back around and shoved one hand into his pocket.

Taking a drag of air once more before he started walking again, he let it back out in a visible puff of white.

[Marie D'Ancanto]

"I don't tink you mean me, Mon Ami," the cajun said defensively. "I don' know too many fat men."

"Guess Ah was wrong," she said. Her voice was quieter now, not because she was intimidated or afraid. Nothing could really hurt her anymore. Just thinking about that made her look forward to seeing Magneto and his Brotherhood again. He wouldn't be hooking her up to any machines any time soon. Her eyes lifted to the tall boy, he was nearly taking her breath away.

That was why she was quiet.

"You don' know me, mon ami. Gambit is trouble."

"Gambit is a weird name," she snapped back at him as she put her hands on her hips. She pushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, the stupid white streak falling now to nearly cover her eyes. She pursed her lips and blew , trying to get it out of her face. The boy looked like he was leaving, fine. She frown, her temper beginning to flare, "Guess Ah ain't ever gonna know ya either...Gammmmbit."

She turned around in a huff, walking toward the street end of the ally. Rogue stopped herself, feeling the need to speak her mind, "Look, fella! Ah seen what you did back there. Ah don't care. Ah got ma reasons and ya don't have ta scuffle off ta Dixie when all Ah wanted ta do was thank ya for puttin' that jerk in his place. So...thank you."

[Remy LeBeau]

"Look, fella! Ah seen what you did back there. Ah don't care. Ah got ma reasons and ya don't have ta scuffle off ta Dixie when all Ah wanted ta do was thank ya for puttin' that jerk in his place. So...thank you."

"Anytime, cher," He stops in place and turns around, his red eyes coming alight in the darkness of the alley. The top of his face was illuminated by the glow. "I don't know what he did to you, cher, but I'm glad I made a few pieces of change off of it.

Gambit took a step closer, the lower half of his body visible as well as it came into the light. He looked to be scribbling something down for a moment. A card then flew out from the alley and stuck into a crack in the concrete wall beside Marie.

"Maybe when Gambit not so busy we have a talk den," he said, finally turning and heading deep into the darkness of the alley. "You remember dat den you wipe it off, cher."

The card was an Ace of Spades, and on it an address was written crudely in easily smeared marker.

[Marie D'Ancanto]

"Anytime, cher," He stops in place and turns around, his red eyes coming alight in the darkness of the alley. The top of his face was illuminated by the glow. "I don't know what he did to you, cher, but I'm glad I made a few pieces of change off of it.

"Maybe when Gambit not so busy we have a talk den," he said, finally turning and heading deep into the darkness of the alley. "You remember dat den you wipe it off, cher."

She found herself nodding in agreement. Marie plucked the card from the wall only to see that it wasn't one of those calling cards that fancy business men used at all. Her eyes widened as she lifted them to peer down the dark alley. She couldn't see him anymore, nor could she hear him. All that the fast moving man had left in his wake was an ace of spades. There was more too, but she didn't like admitting to weakness and well, crushing on some strange man with beautiful red eyes just wasn't something a girl like her should be doing.

Rogue held the card into the light as she repeated the scribbled address silently. Her lips moved and her mind was telling her that this was silly. She should just throw away the stupid card, but of course she wouldn't. She redoubled her efforts on memorizing the address as she turned back toward the street, but not before turning back to gaze down the dark alley once again. She sighed audibly and tucked her hair behind her ear. The card went into the back pocket of her jeans.

"Gambit..huh? Oh, lord," she shook her head as if hoping the act would clear his memory from her mind like shaking away the cobwebs. She tested herself with the address and unfortunately she remembered it. An image of his face accompanied the memory. She wouldn't be forgettin him anytime soon. His voice alone was enough to make her melt. Get ahold of yaself girl...ya ain't neva gonna see that tall drink o water again.

{exit. Rogue.}