AN: Here you go as promised. Thanks for the powerstones.
===
[Next Morning – 7:30 AM] [Shooting continues...]
The crew was already buzzing. [Rachel rented an ongoing construction site for this scene.]
Floodlights glared down on two massive steel elevator rigs. One was intact, the other was rigged with practical cables, breakaway panels, and crash pads stacked beneath.
"Rolling in five!" Lexy called out, headset on, clipboard in hand. She moved like clockwork between camera operators and FX coordinators. "Team ready. Camera three, lock focus on the floor impact."
The crew gave a collective nod.
Inside the first rig... The cable cut. The elevator buckled downward in a violent drop. Sparks showered the set as the paneling cracked open. The rig slammed onto the crash bed, shaking the ground floor. [Later, the explosion effect will be added.]
"Cut!" Lexy shouted. "Beautiful. Reset. Next rig."
The second elevator, the one used for the conversation scene. Alex steadied himself as the camera rolled.
They had a quick conversation with the usual flirty tone with a hint of danger.
Then...
"Ok... Five... Four..." Jane looked at the screen. She paused for a bit before asking, "Any last words?"
The focus shifted to John. He said, "The new curtains are hideous."
"Goodbye, John," Jane said without changing her expression.
John smiled as Jane activated the explosive.
The timing hit perfectly. The call cut out. Lexy raised her hand. "Cut. Lock that. Print."
...
[Office Scenes & Other mini Scenes]
They moved on quickly as usual. Today, they will be travelling multiple places for the quick cuts.
The office scene was locked in within 2 takes. Well, this was Alex's first second take but it wasn't his fault. There was this big spider that crawled out of nowhere and simply dropped on the camera lens, ruining the perfect shot. After that, a quick pest termination was done. Then the shoot resumed. Every scene was precise, choreographed, and efficient. Lexy kept the pace like a general.
By noon, they wrapped the smaller setups and shifted to the big one.
[Present Timeline – House Set]
Inside, the walls are rigged with squibs. The furniture was prepped for destruction, and multiple cameras were hidden in corners to catch every angle.
"Scene 42," Lexy announced. "John versus Jane. This is the firefight."
The clapperboard snapped. Action.
Alex, as John, appeared into the frame. He was holding his handgun and firing from the cover, down the stairs. Angelina, as Jane, returned fire from upstairs with her shotgun. Then they kept changing cover and shooting. Jane moved behind the living room couch as John continued to shoot while moving toward the kitchen. She then fired back as John stopped to reload.
The scene continued perfectly with the FX team doing their job perfectly to time the mini explosives. The sound of shotguns and automatic rifles echoed in the set, every blank round timed with pyrotechnics.
After a few minutes of hiding and shooting...
John ducked behind the refrigerator, bullets tearing into the metal shell. Breathing heavy, he yanked open a kitchen drawer, grabbed a meat chopper, and whipped it across the room. It thunked into the drywall inches from Jane's head.
"You aim's as bad as your cooking, sweetheart," he shouted, tugging a gas pipe loose with his free hand. "And that's saying something."
Jane slammed a new magazine into her rifle with an expression that clearly said, 'I'm gonna kill you and then chop you up.' She extended her arm and started firing wildly as she moved out of the cover and toward the kitchen. The blanks roared, wood chips flying off the set. Then, in one swift move, she mimed an explosion, flinging herself backward with a scream and collapsing onto the padded mat just out of frame.
"Cut!" Lexy's voice rang out. The crew dropped their shoulders, tension fading. She quickly rushed over to Angelina as Alex walked out of the kitchen, spinning the handgun on his finger. "You two are perfect and insane. Just how much did you two rehearse? It usually takes 7 to 8... maximum 10 cuts to shoot such a long scene."
"Well, we had a great trainer," Angelina said.
"And we kinda went through all the duo scenes till we get into sync. And it paid off," Alex said as he looked around the house and the destruction.
"Well, you guys keep giving 1-shot scenes and we'll wrap up the shoot before the set time," Lexy said with a grin. She then turned back. "We'll begin the hand-to-hand combat in twenty. Fix and adjust the cameras and lights."
...
[Angelina's Dressing Room – 5 minutes later]
The vanity lights glowed warm against the mirror, makeup brushes scattered across the counter.
Angelina stood near the mirror, stretching her arms loose, rolling her shoulders like a fighter preparing for a bout. "You ready to get tossed around?" she asked, her lips curving into that sly grin she knew he hated and loved in equal measure.
Alex dropped his jacket onto the chair and stepped closer. "You're assuming you're the one doing the tossing. I thought we agreed I win this round."
She raised an eyebrow, mock offense painting her face. "Oh really? John might get the upper hand in the script, but off script, Alex is going down."
"You want to be on top, huh?" he said, circling her slowly, like a predator teasing the distance. "Or by down, you mean..." He spanked her softly.
Angelina tilted her head, not breaking eye contact. "You'd love that, won't you?"
He laughed, "Very much so... But let's save that for another day."
She smiled, shaking her head and then stepped forward, closing the gap until they were almost chest to chest. "Let's walk it slow," she said, her tone shifting to something half-serious. She lifted her hand, placing it lightly against his chest as if starting a move. "You come at me, I block. Then what?"
His hand caught her wrist. "Then I twist, like this." He gently guided her arm around, moving behind her. His chest brushed her back for a beat too long before he let go. "See? Easy."
Angelina pivoted, her hair brushing across his jaw as she turned. In one motion she hooked her leg behind his. "Correction. Then I sweep." She pressed just enough to show she could take him down if she wanted. "And down you go."
He steadied himself, grinning. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Of course I am." She leaned in, close enough that her breath tickled his ear. "You make an excellent sparring partner."
Alex's pulse quickened, though he masked it with a crooked smile. He lifted his hand slowly, placing it against the small of her back as though setting up for another throw. "And you make an excellent distraction."
She tilted her head back, catching his eyes in the mirror. "Flirting doesn't win fights."
"Maybe not fights," he murmured. "But it does win other things."
For a second, the choreography paused. Neither moved. Her lips curved into the faintest smile, soft rather than sharp this time. "Careful," she said. "Rachel's already suspicious. If she knew we were in here practicing with extra… enthusiasm…"
He leaned just a little closer. "Practicing's practicing. Maybe I'll ask her to join in the fun."
Angelina laughed quietly, shaking her head. She pushed his chest lightly, creating just enough space to breathe again. "Fine. Back to it. No distractions this time."
"Promise?" he asked.
"No promises," she said, her eyes glinting. Then she came at him quick, hooking her arm around his neck. He caught her mid-step, twisting them both so they ended up tangled, half-embrace, half-standoff. Neither seemed in a hurry to break the hold.
Their reflections in the mirror showed two people meant to be enemies on screen, yet very much something else off it.
"Think we're ready?" Alex asked finally, voice low.
Angelina smirked, still close. "We're ready. The question is… are you ready for me to make you look bad in front of the entire crew?"
He chuckled softly. "Bring it on."
...
[20 minutes later]
The set had been reset for carnage. Props reinforced, breakaway glass swapped in, the safety team on standby. The crew went quiet, waiting.
"Scene 43," Lexy called. "Hand-to-hand combat. Cameras A, B, C. Roll sound."
The clapperboard snapped. Action.
John stormed forward, swinging his fist across Jane's jaw. She staggered back, spat, then countered with a high kick that cracked against his ribs. He grunted, lunged, and shoved her over the prop dining table. The wooden frame splintered under her weight.
She scrambled up, grabbed a glass jar from the counter, and smashed it over his head. Sugar glass exploded, shards catching the lights. John shook it off, blood packet dripping into his eye. He snarled and launched a side kick that sent her sprawling across the floor.
"Come to daddy," John growled.
Jane rolled, grabbed a metal flower vase, and slammed it on his temple. The sound of the metal connecting rang sharply. She stood up and headbutted him, then kicked his stomach, sending him crashing into the glass closet. The panels shattered as he went through.
Jane stood tall, brushing dust off her robe. She smiled wickedly. "Who's your daddy now?"
She bolted toward the shotgun lying by the stairs. John groaned, pushed up from the wreckage, and swooped low. His leg swept out, kicking the weapon away before her hand touched it.
She spun and lunged, tackling him to the floor. They grappled hard, her straddling him and driving fists into his face. His hand shot up, catching her punch, twisting. Then he flipped her over, landing on top. He returned a punch, but she coiled her arms and legs around him like a koala, clinging as he stood.
The crew gasped as John staggered, carrying her weight, and slammed her back against the prop wall. Dust and debris burst out. He spun, smashing her into the side of the glass closet again, the panels collapsing around them.
Jane gritted her teeth, reached for the counter blindly, and snagged two glasses. She shattered both against his skull. He roared, stumbling, before she shoved him down and pummeled his chest.
John twisted at the last second, hooking her leg. He used the momentum to hurl her across the floor. She crashed against the couch, rolled, then cursed. John stepped in with a savage kick to her side, but she lashed out with her heel, connecting squarely with his crotch.
"Oohh!" John fell to the floor.
The crew winced in unison.
Both fighters froze for a second, groaning. Then, slowly, they pushed themselves up. Chests heaving. Their eyes locked, rage and love mixing in equal measure.
"Cut!" Lexy yelled. "Reset makeup."
The makeup team swarmed in, smearing more blood on their temples, staining their robes deeper. A few quick touch-ups, a sip of water each.
"Back to one," Lexy said. "Scene 44. Gun standoff."
The set reset. The sofa was flipped onto its side.
"Action."
John and Jane scrambled simultaneously. Each flipped over the fallen sofa with perfect symmetry, hands diving for their weapons lying across the floor. They came up, crouched, guns leveled at each other's heads.
Both stood frozen, fingers hovering on the trigger. Their heavy breathing filled the silence.
John looked down for a second before looking up at Jane, "Can't do it."
Jane screamed, "Don't. C'mon. C'mon." She looked sad as her facial expression changed.
"You want it? It's yours," John said as he threw his gun.
Then the camera was focused on Angelina's face, showing her expression. She was hurt and sad and was barely holding back her tears.
Then John then walked in and squatted the gun away from her hand before kissing her. Jane kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. They kissed four times before the cut.
"And cut," Lexy announced.
Alex and Angelina pulled away with smiling faces.
After that, they took an hour break before continuing the scene. There was only Lexi in the room, shooting... It was the rough sex scene where John and Jane kiss, slam each other, and tear each other's clothes while kissing and moving everywhere. Both of them were laughing and enjoying the situation. They were comfortable with each other, so it made the scene more awesome.
By 7 PM, it was a wrap-up.
...
[That Night – Alex's Penthouse]
Max, Rachel, and Angelina would be knee-deep in the concert crowd by now. Rachel had protested with her usual "work first" mantra, but Alex had seen the exhaustion in her face. She deserved a break. So, he simply whispered something in her ear and she quickly agreed to take a break.
They wanted Alex to join them, but he said no because he had some work to wrap up. So, he stayed behind.
The bath had been perfect. Steam rising, warm water loosening every ache left from the day's brutal stunts. Now, wrapped in a fluffy black robe, he sat in the armchair near the fireplace. The fire crackled softly, filling the room with a golden glow. On the table beside him, a half-empty glass of red wine waited. He swirled it slowly, enjoying the silence.
He then looked at the table. There was a file that Rachel gave him before leaving. She said it's a little gift from her. So, he opened the file and read through the legal documents.
"Huh!" He smiled.
It was the legal documents of the Blackstar Studios and all the assets the studio and that bitch CEO owned.
Alex was so busy with his work and girls that he had forgotten about that studio. All he remembered was the sudden death of Vanessa from the morning news. Even then, he didn't care. And right now, all the assets were under his name.
"Well, maybe I'll turn it into a game development studio," He mumbled to himself and thought for a moment. "Humm... Probably after the comic con."
His phone buzzed twice against the table.
Alex closed the file and took his phone from the table and unlocked it.
"Chloe."
He blinked at the screen, pulse shifting a notch faster. She had not contacted him since their first official date. He opened the message. The body of the email was blank. Only a single attachment sat at the bottom.
He tapped. The image loaded.
And there it was. Chloe's bare chest, framed perfectly. Big boobs and hard nipples and water drops all over those two babies. It looked like she was in the shower. Heck, she even kept the lower part of her face.
Alex leaned back into the chair, a slow smile forming on his face. He tilted the wineglass in a silent toast to no one in particular, eyes locked on the screen.
"Hello, Detective," he whispered under his breath.
---[Sorry for the cliff. The next chapter won't have any cliffhanger and it'll be big like this one.]---
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