The beginning of it all

Katherine had arrived from Tokyo to New York. In her opinion New York was quite amazing. The tall buildings surrounding her that reached to the sky. The hustle and bustle of traffic reminded her of home.

Katherine was on her way to 45 East Evan Street on March 29th at 4:20PM in a taxi that was taking its sweet time. Seriously Katherine thought. Could he go any slower?

The taxi pulled up in front of an apartment complex that looked to be kinda old. The fire escapes on the side, rusted ladders and dirt noticeable from a distance. Charming Katherine thought sarcastically.

Katherine threw a twenty at the taxi driver mumbling a quick 'keep the change' before she opened the door and stepped out. She stood on the pavement in front of the building as the taxi pulled out back onto the street behind her before zooming off. Katherine sighed as she thought to herself 'this better be good' as she hiked her small carry bag that she had brought along with her from her hotel onto her shoulder. Before she began to walk inside.

Katherine was greeted by a set of stairs. She climbed the first few steps before leaning over the railing, looking up. The stairs appeared to go on forever as she could only just see the ceiling. Gotta love taking the stairs that seemed to go on forever. Although she kinda preferred the stairs to the elevator. Katherine hated the idea of momentarily being trapped metal box going either up or down. To her it was hell.

Katherine continued her way up the stairs, completing the first flight of stairs before coming to a stop. At the end of the short walk way was a man in a black button-down shirt with a black jacket and a black ferro hat sat neatly on top of his head. He lent against a door that lead to an apartment.

"Okay... So apparently i wasn't the only one chosen." He stated as his voice rang down the small corridor.

She walked towards him about to reply. But was stopped short.

"Question? Did you get one of these?" He asked holding up a tarot card with the eye on it as he waited for her reply, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Uh yeah" Katherine replied as patted down her pockets trying to find it before pulling it out of the back pocket of her skinny jeans. She held up the card as he nodded. She placed the card back in her pocket again.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Merritt McKinney."

He stated and held his hand out for Katherine to shake.

"My nam-" Katherine said as she shook his hand but was cut off by Merritt.

"No no no don't tell me. Is it Ka- Katy?" He asked unsure before he said "No! Katherine?"He asked again slightly more confident that his last answer. "Yeah." Katherine breathed out as she laughed.

"Mentalism?" She asked "Yeah." He replied with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Nice." She stated nodding her head smiling.

She'd met a few mentalist in the past. Definitely interesting people that's for sure she thought.

"You look familiar. What's your last name?" He asked trying to piece together why Katherine look so familiar.

"Cho my name is Katherine Cho aka the trickster." She stated proudly grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh yeah your that chic from Tokyo with all the fire magic thingy." He nodded pointing a finger towards her.

She nodded back.

"Why are we standing out here?" She asked Furrowing her eyebrows. Wondering why they had been standing in the hall way the whole time instead of the apartment.

"Doors locked" Merritt simply stated leaning back against the door again.

"That's great." Katherine sighed clearly annoyed. They obviously weren't getting inside that apartment anytime soon. In only I had brought my picks Katherine thought as she would have been able to unlock to door by picking it.

The pair stood across from each other before turning towards the stairwell when the heard voices traveling up.

"I think you know what I've been up to Danny, I saw all your anonymous posting on my website."

Katherine and Merritt looked towards each other raising their eyebrows. Before Turing their attention back to the stairs as a woman and a man appeared.

"You have a website that's good, good for you." The man stated. He had the most intriguing blue eyes she'd ever seen. His brow hair brushed to the side with a small stubble on this chin. Katherine wouldn't quite call it a beard definitely more of a stubble she thought to herself. He was attractive in a cute way. The woman next to him stood out with her bright ginger hair. Her bangs swept across her forehead as she held her coffee in her right hand as her fingers gripped in tarot card in the same hand. Looks like they got one too she thought.

The pair came to a halt as did their conversation when they saw Merritt perched against the door with Katherine next to him as they stared at the newcomers. Shock and Surprise was evident on their faces. 'Oh' they both stated while the girl held her card up to them assuming they also had one.

"Oh." Merritt stated awkwardly as he glanced between the two. Still relaxed against the door.

"Ok sooo.. apparently none of us was the only one chosen. Let me be the first one to kick my ego to the curb." Merritt stated glancing briefly at Katherine as the pair glance at each other before making their way towards us. Both confused.

"Yeah excuse me." The man said gesturing to the door Merritt was leaning on asking him to move.

"Doors locked." Merritt stated boredom evident in his tone. Merritt moved away from the door towards the girl.

"Is it? I'll check." The man said clearly not taking Merritt for his word.

Katherine didn't even know the mans name yet she could already tell he seemed like the controlling type. Katherine rolled her eyes before moving next to Merritt.

"You..now hold it don't tell me..uh Hellen? No no Henley." Merritt asked nodding once before smiling. Wait for the girl to answer.

The girl however looked bored. Probably isn't interested in mentalism Katherine thought.

"It's on your coffee cup." The man behind Katherine stated pointing out the failed attempt. Henley nodded at the man and held up her coffee cup to show them then looking at her name on the cup still not impressed.

"I'm Katherine." Katherine told the girl smiling warmly towards her and shaking her hand. While Merritt murmured behind her to the man "Thanks for keeping me honest." Before he turn back to Henley.

"By the way that wasn't mentalism that was just an observation."

He glance back at the man half way through and turned back to Henley.

"Second observation is you are beautiful."

He said and from what Katherine could see he was checking Henley out. Just a tad weird for Katherine considering Merritt is kinda old.

"Hmm smooth." Katherine laughed as Merritt raised an eyebrow at her. Henley smiled at Merritt's compliment as well as Katherine's joke.

"Okay that's good very nice, very well polished nice bit." The man rambled on as he came towards us and held his hand out.

"J. Daniel Atlas."

He said to Merritt and myself, I shook his hand. He then went to shake Merritt's but last minute Merritt flipped him off instead. Katherine smirked at this. These guys are gonna get along well he thought.

"Very nice, I know who you are and I just want to say that I'm not interested in you're uh you're mentalism thing."

He told Merritt as he waved his hands in front of him. Merritt began waving his hands imitating Daniel and adding a weird zhoo noise which amused Katherine. Daniel continued on. As Merritt held his finger to his lips shushing him.

"Especially since we don't know who brought us here or even if it's real." Daniel rambled on.

"Hold on I'm sensing that you are..a control freak." Merritt told Daniel pointing both his hands towards him. Yup he was definitely a control freak and Katherine didn't need a mentalist to figure that out. Daniel basically radiated arrogance. Cocky bastard Katherine thought and smirked to herself.

"Wait I'm sorry have we met before?" Daniel asked offended.

"Yeah it doesn't take a mentalist to figure out that you are a control freak."

Katherine voiced her thoughts. As Daniel turned his attention towards her. Katherine merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled cockily.

"Well I take that as a compliment." Daniel smiled cockily.

"Only you would take that as a compliment." Henley jumped in.

"Good another compliment." Daniel fired back.

"So that's why you guys are no longer a couple."

Merritt concluded. This had Katherine snort. Best accusation ever! she thought.

"A couple."

"No no."

They both launched into their denials. Daniel sending Henley a quick glance. Tension rising in the hallway.

"We were never a couple." They chorused together.

"He used to saw me in half." Henley said.

Merritt and Katherine looked at each other both sharing the same thoughts. As Henley and Daniel rambled on. They were so a couple Katherine and Merritt shared between each other before engaging back in the conversation.

"But I was too fat for Danny." Henley continued on sending Daniel a glare.

"No I said that one time because the..the trapdoor." Daniel defended himself.

Henley looked at Daniel giving him an incredulous look and easing her eyebrows.

"No one could fit thought there." She stated clearly annoyed.

"Rebecca fit through." Daniel stated as Henley scoffed still offended.

"Rebecca fit for years." Daniel dragged out. Smiling.

"Why do I get the feeling this is about something else?"

Katherine asked wondering if this conversation was turning into talking about their sex life cause she really didn't want to know. Merritt grinned when he heard Katherine say that.

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

Henley said. Her confidence diminishing half way through the sentence and looked down at her feet avoiding the stares.

"No I'm the main attraction." Daniel cockily replied. Dick... Katherine thought. She knew how tight those costumes could be. Not fun she shook her head.

"Okay so he never made you feel special and trust me you deserve to be made to feel special." Merritt once again concluded and hit on Henley. But Katherine's attention was trained on the person walking up the stairs.

"Really nice story hope you guys enjoy each other company."

Daniel stated fed up with the conversation and began to leave. While Katherine still had her eyes trained on the newcomer now walking towards them.

Daniel looked up surprised to see someone blocking his way.

The stunningly attractive guy in Katherine's opinion looked at Daniel in awe.

"No way....J. Daniel Atlas." He told them. Daniel surprised that he knew his name and assumed he was a fan.

"I've seen everything you've every done...I mean you're like...I I idolise you seriously." The man gushed out.

Merritt and Katherine looked at each other and Katherine leaned over whispering 'are you kidding me' as they looked at the kid who they assumed was nuts.

"From a true fan it's so nice to meet you." Daniel replied shaking his hand. His ego getting bigger by the second as he sent a smirk to the others, Katherine rolling her eyes.

"Oh my god."

He stated looking directly at Katherine. While Katherine looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"You're Katherine Cho." He gushed out even more excited than before. "You're the trickster of Tokyo and China, I ..-I've seen every trick you've ever done ..... You- you're like the worlds greatest magician an- and that fire trick you d- did was just amazing!" He said excitedly before shaking Katherine's hand.

Katherine was surprised at the sudden turn of events. Yeah she had fans ask for autographs and stuff but she's never had someone who said they were as dedicated as this new guy was.

"I'm Jack by the way."

Katherine nodded her head and smiled at the boy.

"Question? did you get one of these?" Merritt interrupted. Tapping his finger against his card.

"Yeah oh yeah." Jack began as he started fishing through his bag and pulled out a tarot card.

"Death."

He smiled holding the card up gesturing to it. If Katherine had gotten the death card she probably wouldn't be smiling like Jack is right now. She was worried about the boy.

"The high priestess." Henley held hers up.

"The lover." Daniel smirked.

Henley coughed 'three minutes.' Katherine laughed at this as Daniel glanced at her shaking his head.

"The moon." Katherine held hers up.

"Hermit." Merritt said lastly and held his card up too.

"What are w-we waiting f-for someone? Wh-wh- why are we just..." Jack stuttered out. Confused on why we were standing around.

"The doors locked." We all chorused.

"Oh no." Jack laughed "nothin nothing's ever locked." He told the group and moved towards the door.

Katherine watched him as he began to pick the lock. Katherine couldn't help herself.

"Just ah just angle it upwards a little more and it should unlock."

She told Jack point at the lock and making an upwards motion.

The group stopped and looked at her. Jack and Merritt speaking up.

"You know how to pick locks?" He chorused together glancing at each other quickly before looking back at Katherine. "Yeah." She hesitantly replied.

"So you couldn't of picked the lock earlier?" Merritt asked looking at the girl in question.

"What? I didn't have my picking tools okay." She stated feeling the disapproving looks from Merritt and Daniel. "Well aren't you helpful." Daniel sarcastically replied. "Shut up Atlas." Katherine murmured as Jack finally got the door open. Thank god Katherine thought.

The group turned their flashlights on while Henley and Katherine turned on their iPhone torches and shuffled into the apartment.

Henley and Katherine pushed open a door that lead to a bathroom and Katherine was not pleased. Mold and dirt covered every inch of the bathroom. Katherine scrunched her nose in disgust as well as Henley. In the front Katherine heard Merritt say from the back

"Oh wow I thought my apartment was nasty."

"Man it's freezing in here." Jack said wrapping his arms around himself trying to get warm.

Katherine didn't find it that cold but she guessed Jack was a little sensitive to the cold.

The five moved into a large space, most likely the living room.

In the room there was a paper on the floor with a rose next to it."What's that?" Henley asks moving towards the centre.

"I don't know." Daniel replied quickly.

Daniel reached down and pick it up.

"What does it say?" Katherine asked leaning to look over Daniels shoulder.

"Now you don't."

He read out loud. He looked towards Katherine, both of them furrowing their eyebrows in confusion.

Katherine moved around looking at the missing floorboards that formed some kind of symbol. She crouched down running her fingers over it. How strange she thought.

Henley pick up the rose from the floor.

"A rose by any other name." He quoted moving across the room before placing it in the case nearby.

"Would smell as sweet." Katherine murmured. Finishing for Henley.

The water began to drain out of the vase and onto the floorboards moving towards the symbol.

"Woah." Daniel laughed. Watching the water intently while smiling.

"Guys what's happening." Jack breathed out.

"Woah." Merritt murmured furrowing his eyebrows as he watch the water

"Look at that."

"Woah."

The water began to fill the symbol that was etched into the floorboards and then sunk down. Gas started flowing out of the symbol and hovered around the room spreading fast.

"It's gas." Jack panicked grabbing onto Katherine and pulling her away.

"Relax its just dry ice." Merritt replied looking towards the two. Jack sheepishly let got of Katherine and watched one. Katherine was touched he was think of her safety but it was just dry ice. Nonetheless she gave Jack a reassuring smile.

"Cool."

"Wait what do you think this is all about?"

"Hang on hang on." Merritt spoke closing his eyes, his hand pressed to his temple concentration.

The group waited.

Merritt scrunched his face before saying "I got nothing."

Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Okay thank you, thank you for the delay." Daniel said unimpressed.

"Yeah I'm just trying to crest the space for wisdom." Merritt bit back as the group continued watching.

"Oh so you're like Buddha if he wasn't so enlightened?" Daniel fired back.

"And you're like Jesus if he was arrogant and all his miracles were fake."

Merritt replied easing his eyebrows at Daniel.

"Alright get a room lovebirds." Katherine interrupted smirking.

"Danny be honest did you do this?" Henley accused walking around the room slowly.

"No wait did you?" Daniel asked Katherine and Jack confused.

"Wha- I wish." Jack replied looking at Daniel before looking to Katherine.

"It wasn't me, fires more my thing not water." Katherine held her hands up shanking her head in denial.

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

Katherine looked away from Merritt as did the rest of the group and quickly and lowered her gaze to her shoes. Awkward she thought.

"Huh oh great." Merritt said when no one replied. But Daniel however and playing with the light switch. He flick it up. Katherine look around to see no electricity turning on. Great she thought. Can this place get any worse?

"Electricity's out." Jack stated before Merritt jumped in.

"Well let's see." He replied as her reached up to the light bulb and twisted it slightly. The light bulb began to glow. And all of a sudden Katherine was blinded by projections. She shook her head trying to get rid of the stars that were cover her vision. She focused on the centre of the room. Blueprints she immediately thought and moved closer as did the rest of the group.

"Blueprints." Henley confirmed amazed at what she was seeing.

"They're incredible."

Who do you think did this?"

"I do t know but I really wanna meet them." Katherine breathed out answering Jack.

"It's a show." Katherine concluded

It's was truly amazing. The blueprints everything. Katherine had a feeling she was going to be seeing Daniel, Jack, Merritt and Henley and lot more often now

♠️♥️♣️♦️♠️♥️♣️♦️♠️♥️♣️♦️♠️♥️♣️

Okay that was a really really big chapter!!!! Oops kinda got carried away ahahaha 😂 anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and soz if there are any typos but definitely let me know what you think in the comments and give the chapter a quick vote. Will probably update either tmr or Sunday but I won't be uploading during weekdays because of school. But look forward to seeing more Katherine!!!!!

Love -Tay