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»»————-　nysm one. magic tricks
CHAPTER ONE━━  a gathering of cards

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♯ ❝OH HELL NO❞
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ON THE 29TH OF MARCH, WREN MADE HER WAT GO to 45 East St. With a coffee cup in one hand and her tarot card in the other. An excited rush had filled her from the moment she had woken up that morning. She had not been able to take her eyes of the tarot card that was propped up against photo frame on her nightstand. But now her excitement was also accompanied by a small flicker of nerves as she approached the large brick building that would offer her an opportunity of a lifetime. She pushed the door opened with one hand and swiftly stepped inside a building. The building itself looked run-down and in need for repairing and Wren only hoped the place she was supposed to go looked better.

Rushing up the stairs she was met with another man leaning casually against the wall. He looked like he was in his late forties and wore a black fedora perched on his bald head. He had laughter lines by his eyes and mouth, indicating that he was a generally humorous person—if her deduction skills were the slightest bit reliable. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her, clearly takin in her appearance as she did with him.

"You got one too I see?" Wren grinned nodding towards his tarot card while she showed her own.

"You bet." He nodded holding it up for her to see with a sigh, clearly indicating he thought he was the only one who got a card.

"Why are we waiting?" She asked. "Are there others we're waiting for?"

"I hope not." The man crossed his arms before answering her other question. "Door is locked." He shrugged.

"Great." Wren muttered under her breath. "I'm Wren by the way. Wren Walsh."

"Merrit McKinney." He introduced himself.

"So what do we do now? Do we just wait or what?" She asked, eyes running around the grimly looking hallway and the rotten wood on the ceiling.

Before he could answer they both could hear people coming up the stairs—but it wasn't the sound of creaking stairs that caught their attention. It was the rather loud conversation being held between the two strangers.

"You have a website, that's good."

Wren's eyes widened when she recognised the voice as if she could already see the man. Merrit glanced at her curiously as he watched her rub her temple.

"Oh hell no." She muttered "Please don't be him." She begged softly.

"That's good get the word out."

Now two other people joined Wren and Merrit at the sixth floor of the building and the young magician wished she never had gotten the tarot card

Daniel freakin' Atlas

"Okay so, apparently none of us were the only one chosen." The man uttered disappointedly. " Let me be the first one to kick my ego to the curb." Merrit groaned, gaining the attention if the two people who joined them.

Wren grinned hearing Merrit and she crossed her arms, looking at the raven haired man. "Look who we have here."

It only took a second before Daniel's head snapped up from looking at Merrit to see her standing there.

"Atlas." Wren smiled innocently at the man

Daniel narrowed his eyes at her. "Wren."

Henley and Merrit watched confused as the two adults stared each other down.

"Do you guys know each other?" Henley wondered glancing between the two

"Unfortunately yes." Was Wren's answer as she  turned to look at the red-head. Holding her hand out for her and introduced herself. "Wren Walsh nice meeting you."

The red head shook her hand with a friendly smile. "Henley Reeves."

"Alright where do you guys know each other from?" Henley questioned curiously, tucking a piece of red hair behind her ear.

Before they even could answer, Merrit held one of his hands up indicating for them to keep quiet.

"Alright, You've know each other for long that's for sure. Childhood I guess." Merrit started " I would say High School. Am I right?"

Wren grinned "A mentalist and yes, we have known each other since high school."

Daniel nodded before turning back to what we came for here in the first place

"Excuse me." He said pointing to the door and brushed passed the others.

"The door is locked." Merrit told him with an eyeroll.

"You sure? I check." Daniel stubbornly replied.

Merrit turned to Henley. "You. Don't say anything.... Helen? No Henley." He grinned.

Henley smiled but Daniel interrupted them. "It's on you coffee cup and you already introduced yourself to Wren."

"Thanks for keeping me honest." Merrit muttered glancing back at Daniel. " That wasn't mentalism by the way it was just an observation. Second observation you are beautiful." He turned to look back at Henley before letting his eyes settle on the brunette, " And so are you Wren."

Wren smiled, clapping her hands together. "Thanks."

"Okay that's good that is very, very nice very well polished nice bit." Daniel walked in front of Wren and held his hand out for Merrit. " J. Daniel Atlas, nice to meet you" Merrit only flipped him the bird and smirked.

"I know who you are and I just wanted to say that I'm not interested in your mentalism thing." Daniel stated moving his hands around." Especially now we don't know who brought us here and if it's real."

Merrit stopped him from talking more "Hold on I sense--I'm sensing you're a control freak."

Wren laughed glancing at Daniel from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry have we met before?" He asked confused.

"It doesn't take a mentalist to know you're a control freak." Henley stated plainly looking at the raven haired man.

"Well I take that as a compliment." Daniel replied instantly.

"Only he would take it as a compliment."

"Good another compliment."

Wren smiled patting his shoulder. "Don't worry Daniel. It doesn't matter we all know that you got a horrible personality to match it with."

"So that's why you're no longer a couple?" Merrit asked looking between Henley and Daniel.

Wren's eyes widened "No way."

"A couple... No no-- no." Daniel denied quickly.

"We were never a couple." They both said in sync eyes wide as they looked at each other and back at Merrit.

"You even talk together how cute." Wren tilted her head sweetly.

"He used to saw me in two." Henley informed the two glaring at Wren who tried to hide her smile behind her hand.

"She was a very good assistant." Daniel added quickly.

"Now he is complimenting you." Wren grinned nudging Daniel who annoyingly glared at the brunette.

"But I was too fat for Danny." Henley informed them with a bitter undertone.

"No I said that one time, because of the trap door." Daniel tried to justify his words.

"No one fit through that door. No one." She glared at daniel.

"Rebecca fitted through, she fitted for years." Daniel gave her a smug look.

"I can see where this went wrong." She muttered to Merrit.

"Do you know how hard it is to stay in those tiny little costumes."

" Uh.. No I am the main attraction."

"Always so modest aren't you, Atlas." Wren said raising an eyebrow.

"Okay so he never made you feel special and trust me you deserve to be made to feel special." Merrit concluded.

"That was a very nice story, hope you guys enjoy each other's company." Daniel turned around but stopped when someone else walked up the stairs.

"No way." The stranger breathed out in awe staring at Daniel with wide eyes "J Daniel Atlas."

Wren groaned. "Just the ego boost he needed." She mumbled to Henley's.

"I have seen everything that you have ever done. I mean like I idolize you." The boy continued in excitement.

Daniel grinned. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Jack by the way." The youngest of the five introduced himself.

"Question?" Merrit said pointing to his Tarot card. "Did you get one of these."

"Yeah... Oh yeah." He mumbled grabbing it from his backpack. "Death." He said holding his card up with a proud smile.

"The high priestess." Henley informed them, holding hers up too.

"I'm the lover." Daniel bragged which made Wren supress her laughter.

"Three minutes." Henley muttered.

"So what did you get?" Daniel turned to look at her with raised eyebrows

Wren smiled holding her card between two fingers "The hanged man."

"Hermit." Merrit added holding his card up for the rest to see.

"So... What are we... Are we waiting for someone. Why are we still-"

All of them interrupted him at the same time. "The door is locked."

Jack shook his head, a smug grin etched itself on his face  "Oh no. No nothing is ever locked." He walked over towards the door.

They all watched him crouch down and after a couple seconds the door was unlocked.

"What is this place?" Henley asked opening another door.

"The worst meeting place ever." Wren mumbled as she glanced inside the bathroom.

"And I though my apartmant was nasty." Merrit grinned lookinh around.

"Man it's freezing here."

The group of five all entered what Wren thought was supposed to be the living room of the rundown appartment, only to see a card on the floor with a white rose beside it.

"What is it?" Wren asked.

"I don't know." Daniel answered before picking the note up.

"What does it say?" Merrit asked as we crowded around Daniel.

"Now you don't" he answered.

Henley picked up the rose while Wren smiled at her.

"A rose by any other name" she said before dropping it in a vase.

Wren watched amazed when water appeared and started to leak on the floor and went into some sort of carving in the wooden floor.

"Whoa."

"What is happening?"

"Whoa look at that." Merrit mused when the water filled the whole logo on the floor and it sank down in the floor.

"It is gas." Jack gasped with wide eyes taking a quick step back.

"Relax, it's dry ice." Merrit rolled his eyes.

"Wait what do you think this is all about?" Daniel asked looking around.

"Hang on, hang a second." Merrit stopped them from moving, placing a hand besides his head and closing his eyes. We all watch him with curious gazes.

Merrit frowned" I've got nothing. " he finally promclaimed.

"Okay thank you. Thank you for the delay." Daniel muttered.

"I was just trying to create some space for wisdom." Merrit justified himself.

"Danny be honest, did you do this." Henley asked him with her arms crossed

"No, wait did you?" Daniel asked looking at Wren curiously.

"No it wasn't me. Did you?" Wren asked looking at Jack.

"No , I wish." He grinned.

"Why didn't anyone ask me if I did it?" Merrit asked.

"Oh, great."

Wren watched Daniel walk towards a light switch and walked up to him.

Daniel flicked the switch a couple times but nothing happened and he looked at Wren who shrugged. Daniel turned back around only to see something at the door. He clicked his flashlight on and Wren followed the light.

"Electricity is out." Jack called out from a few feet away.

"Well let's check." Merrit said grabbing a light bulb and screwing it on.

The lights sparked to life, illuminating the room and suddenly one of the cameras started to project something.  All five of them stood around some kind of holographic screen glancing at it curiously.

"Blueprints. "

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