THE MAGICIAN ━ NYSM | ✓

CHAPTER THREE |✓

THE MAGICIAN.
chapter three

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Take deep breaths, Catalina. The medium sized blonde sniffs in a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds, and the releases it through her mouth. She repeats the process three more times hoping to ease the current anxiety she is feeling. Catalina has never been one to get nerves before a show but in a way this isn't just any regular old show she's performing on the street. This is a whole new ballgame.

A knock on the door breaks the girl out of her current freak out. "You ready?" Jack asks her a nervous smile on his face.

Over the year of planning and getting the proper supplies to pull off what the blue prints showed that fateful day last year, the two young magicians have gotten quite close. Even labeling each other best friends. Of course, on Catalina's part, Reid will always hold the title of her ultimate beat friend but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy the young man's company. Especially when he gets flustered, the blonde magician thinks. His blushing cheeks and lazy half-smiles always seem to give Catalina a warm fuzzy feeling that she definitely welcomes. After all, I haven't truly liked a guy in awhile, she acknowledges. Sure a few hookups with some magic groupies every once in awhile but all of those were for just release. The young girl wants to settle down, feel true fulfilling passion and late night cuddles. Things she can definitely picture happening with Jack.

"Yeah, I'm ready," she tells him, her nerves slightly soothed with his presence.

"Then come on," he says while reaching his hand out for her to grab. She quickly grabs it and follows him out, hearing the announcer starting to announce their names. The two quickly run hand and hand towards the stage.

"Merritt McKinney, Daniel Atlas, Henley Reeves, Jack Wilder, and Catalina L. Atlas! Arthur Tressler and the MGM Grand proudly presents The Five Horsemen," A man announces the audience cheering at the sight of three out of five horseman. Jack and Catalina quickly bursting through the curtains seconds after.

"Thank you," Merritt tells the crowd. "Tonight we would like to try something that will, well, set us a bit apart."

"For our final trick, we're gonna do something never before seen on a Las Vegas stage," Henley tells the crowd.

"Or any stage for that matter," Jack adds.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Catalina says, her arms raised. "Tonight," she pauses for dramatic effect. "We are going to rob a bank," she announces, the crowd following her announcement in cheers and screams.

"That's a lot of excitement for a crime," Jack refers to the rowdy audience.

"I'm getting excited. What about you, people?" Henley says, pumping the crowd up even more.

"One, two, three!" Jack and Merritt chant before doing a jump high five randomly.

"Okay, okay," Daniel says trying to calm the wild crowd. "Now, please, please, settle down. Now who here has a bank they would like us to rob?" Daniel asks, everyone in the crowd standing up and waving there hands.

"That's a lot of people with a vendetta," Catalina comments her eyebrows raises. These guys have balls. "So I guess we'll have to choose one at random then."

"My associates will make sure it's random. Right?" Daniel asks rhetorically as Jack, Henley, and Catalina hand bowls full of pingpong balls to three fans.

"Elvis, help me out, bud," Jack tells a man in the crowd, handing him a bowl.

"In Jacks's bowl, are ping pong balls with sections of numbers," Daniel informs the crowd.