Chapter 1: The Empress

London, Friday…

A young woman stood in the center of the park as everyone was gathered around her, she had long black curly hair, blue ocean eyes and tan skin. She wore a red tank-top, blue dark skinny jean, heeled boots that reach the center of her calf and wore a short black jacket. "Alright, alright Everyone! settle down, settle down!" she calls them in a British accent as she lowers her hands a few times. "Alright for my last and final trick, I am going to climb the tallest tree here, fall from and land right in this here fountain! But, I will not die!" she tells them and there were whispered concerns.

She then climbs to the top of the tallest tree that was close to the fountain, "Alright, here we go! Three! Two! One!" she shouts and jumps from the top, everyone scream as the girl then plummeted down and hits the water and blood started to form in the water, the audience scream and gathered at the fountain, looking for her. "What the hell?!" a woman calls out, "This is Bullshit! Complete bunkers! This woman is a completed and utter psychopath!" the woman shouts out, everyone turns and were shock to see the woman performing the act was standing on her own two feet and wasn't soak at all, they all cheered for her and she took her bow. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen! I hope you have a wonderful evening!" she calls out to them and they cheered for her. She then pulls out a long silk sheet out from her jacket and throws it over herself. It falls to the ground and it touches the ground, completely touch the ground. Everyone was amazed as she was gone and they clapped for her, chatting her name, "Lady Luck! Lady Luck!" but a hooded man had watch her entire performance

~8~8~8~

The woman called Lady Luck walk into a building and up the stairs to her apartment with her keys in hand, but then saw a notice on her door, she brushes her long black hair out of her face, she it was a final invocation, she lets out a frustrated sigh, tore the paper off her, then entered her apartment.

Then throw her purse on the ground, the context inside scattered along the ground, and she collapse on her couch and lets out a scream in her pillow. Then after she was done screaming she then sighs and turns over on her side, looking at the door. Her luck wasn't with her at all, but then looks down at the context on the floor and notices something that wasn't there before, she slowly got up from her couch, walks over and kneels down, she brushes and holds her hair our of her face and picks up a big card. She looks at the face as it said "The Empress." she arch her eyebrow and turns it over and was surprise suspense about the address on the other side:

"March the 29.

4:44 PM

45 East Evans Street

"

She looks around her apartment then back at the card, turning it back to the face of the Empress. Looks like she's going to New York.

~8~8~8~

The plane arrives in New York the next day and the woman took a taxi to the address. The woman steps out of the car and paid the driver. She wore a black tank-top, her long curly hair in a ponytail with her bangs handing out, a red plaid scarf around her neck and some hang in the front, she had a jean jacket on, with faded jeans, brown shoes that reach her calves, and one biker glove on her right hand.

She looks at the rundown apartment and back at her card, it was the right place. She sigh, pulling her suitcase along with her, she walks up the steps and inside the apartment. She minds her step as she thinks the floor was going to give out as she walks up the steps, she walks up to the door and turns the knob and found it was lock. She pulls her hand back and pouts, "Well bollocks." she mutters to herself. Then heard a creak behind her and turns, seeing a man in black with a hat on his head, "Why hello, how are you?" he asks her in a seductive voice, she looks at him, not fazed at all. "Wait don't tell me, Evie? Molly? Casey?" he asks her, she arch her eyebrow at him, placing her hand on her hip. "You're from London." he said and she nods her head, "You've had a horrible childhood, both parents are dead." he tells her again and she nods with a smirk on her face. "Are you going to tell me your name or even speak?" he asks her, she looks into space for a moment and shook her head.

He smirks at her as he walks to her, "The silent type, I likeie. "Merritt McKinney, at your service." he said to her, offering to shake her hand, she went to shake his, but she then pulls her hand back and showed him her middle finger. He chuckles as he was suddenly turn down. "Right." he said and walks to the door and went to turn it, but found it was lock, the woman giggles to herself. He looks at her then leans against the door and sigh as the woman leans against the wall. "I think you know exactly what I've been up to, Danny. I saw all your anonymous postings on my website." a woman calls out, making the other two look out back to the stairs.

"You have a website, that's good. Good for you. Get the word out." said a man as they walk up and notice the two waiting at the door. "Okay- So apparently none of us was the only one chosen. Let me the first one to kick mt ego to the curb." Merritt said, showing his card. The two walk to them, "Yeah, excuse me." said the man, the woman held up her hands and steps away from the door, "It's locked." Merritt informs him, stepping away from the door, "It is? I'll check." the boy said and checks the door. The woman next to the woman with her arms cross and foot against the wall as Merritt looks at the other woman. "You. Now, hold it, don't tell me. Helen? No, no. Henley?" he asks her and she smiles at him. "It's on your coffee cup." the other man said as he was done checking.

The woman up top leans against the wall as Henley showed him her coffee cup. "Thanks for keeping me honest. That wasn't mentalism, by the way. It was just an observation. Second observation, you are beautiful." Merrit informs him, the woman on the stairs rolls her eyes. "Thank you." Henley said to him, "Okay that's good. That's very, very nice. Very polished. Nice bit." the man said as he walks next to Henley, "J. Daniel Atlas. Nice to meet you." Daniel said as he held out his hand to Merritt, who pockets his card and flips him off.

"Very nice. I know who you are and I just want to say that I'm not interested in what you're doing your mentalism thing on us. Especially when we don't know who brought us here or even if it's real." Daniel said as he spoke really fast, Henley and woman giggled and Henley looks up at her, "Henley Reeves." he held her hand out to her, she smiles down at her, "Alissa Green." she spoke in her British accent. "Got a card as well?" Henley asks her, Alissa shows her, her Empress card. "That's nice." she states and the two look back at him, "Hold on, I'm sensing, I'm sensing… that you are a control freak." Merritt starts. Henley nods at that, Alissa just giggles at her. "I'm sorry have we meet before?" Daniel questions him, "It doesn't take a mentalist to figure that out. You are a control freak." Henley informs him.

He looks at her, "Well, I take that as a compliment." he tells her, Henley shook her head, "Only he would take it as a compliment." Henley tells Merritt and Alissa. "Okay, great. Good. Another compliment." he said again, "Wow." Henley said as he wasn't impress with his maturness. "Okay. So that's why you're no longer a couple." Merritt said to them and they look at him, "A couple. No, no." they both said to him, Alissa just watch with amusement. "He just to saw me in half." Henley informs him, "Ooh, sounds fun." Alissa said as she was entertained. Henley looks at her and shook her at at Alissa. "She was a very good assistant." Danial said to Alissa, who nods as she saw it was a total control freak. "But I was too fat for Danny." Henley threw in and Alissa made the 'Ooooh.' face.

"No. I sat that one time because of the trap door. There were specs." Danial protested and Alissa raise an eyebrow at him, "You build it this size. No one could fit through there. No one." Henley reminds him and Alissa pats her shoulder in comfort. "Rebecca fit through. Rebecca fit for years." Danial reminds her and Henley was offended and Alissa hugs her. "Do you know how hard it is to stay in those tiny little costumes?" she questions him and Alissa pats her head. "No. I'm the main attraction." Danial informs her, and Alissa glares at him, "Okay. So he never made you feel special. And trust me, you deserve to be made to feel special." Merritt informs her as Henley took comfort from Alissa hug.

"That's a really nice story, I hope you enjoy each others company." Danial informs them as he went to leave and saw someone else walk up the stairs as well. The three look at him, Alissa moves her arms away from Henley, "No way." the boy said as he then started to walk forward, "J. Danial Atlas and Lady Luck?" he asks them and the two exchange looks. "Dude, I have seen everything you've ever done. I like… I iodize you both, seriously." he tells them and shook Danial's hand. "From a true fan. It's so nice to meet you." Danial tells him, "I'm Jack, by the way." he tells them as Alissa shook his hand. "Question. Did you get on of these?" Merritt asks him, showing his "The Hermit." Card. "Yeah. Yeah. Death." Jack answers, showing his card.

Henley showed hers, "The High Priestess." Henley informs him, then Danial pulls out his card, "I'm the lover." he tells Jack. "Three minutes." Henley said as she coughs into her hand and Alissa pulls out her card, "The Empress." she tells them and Henley looks at her, "You got the nice one." she whines and Alissa shoves her shoulder a little. "Hermit." Merritt mutters. "So, what are we… are we waiting for someone? Why are we…" Jack asks them, "The door's lock." the four answer them. "Oh, no, nothing's ever lock." Jack tells them, walking up to the door, kneels down and picks the lock. The door opens with a creak. Henley and Alissa walks in first the boys followed after them, with their phones out and their lights turn on, "What is this place?" Henley asks aloud. Alissa looks around, then she looks in the bathroom, "Oh, gross." she groans and walks on, "Wow, and I thought my apartment was nasty." Merritt informs them, as they then walk into the living room. "Man, it's freezing in here." Jack said as he shivers.

Alissa scoffs, "Try surviving in London through winter with no heater, that's freezing. This is nothing. I could sunbath in this weather." she informs him. Jack, Danial, Henley and Merritt giggled at her as they then saw a card with a yellow rose next to it, "What's that?" Henley asks. "I don't know." Danial answers as he kneels down first, picking up the card as Alissa kneels down as well and picks up the rose. "What's it say?" Merritt asks them as Jack, Alissa and Danial read the card. "Now you don't." Danial read aloud. Alissa looks at the rose, then at Henley and handed it to her.

Henley smirks and took the rose from her. "A rose, by any other name." she quotes and places the rose in the glass vase and water started to leak out of the bottom. They all watch with amazement, "Guys, what's happening?" Jack asks them as the water inches closer to the carving in the ground. "Wow, look at that." Merritt said. "You guys seeing this too, right?" Alissa asks them, they nod at her. "Okay good, I'm not any more crazy than I'm already am." she states and they look at her, she looks at them, "What? I'm a psychopath. Get over it." she tells them and they look back down at the ground. They watch the water fill in the craving in the ground and suddenly pure white smoke started to rise out of the craving. "It's gas!" Jack states as they started to circle it. Alissa shook her head, "No we're fine, it's smoke." she assures him.

"Relax. It's dry ice." Merritt informs him as Danial pulls off his bag. "Cool." Henley said as he was impress. "Wait. What do you think this is all about?" Danial asks Merritt. "Hang on. Hang on." Merritt tells him as he concentrated. Alissa and Jack looks at him as well, waiting for his result. He thinks for a moment and pulls his hand away and opens his eyes. "I got nothin'." he answers him. "Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the delay." Danial said as he wasn't impress at all. "I was just trying to create a space for wisdom." Merritt defected. "Okay, so you're like Buddha, if he wasn't so enlighten." Danial said and Alissa giggles a little and they look at her, "What, this was funny." she tells them and Danial smirks to himself. "Oh and you're like Jesus, if he was arrogant and all of his miracles were fake." Merritt agures with him. "Hey!" Alissa protested and Merritt looks at her, "But you're not fake, sweetheart. Your miracles are real." he insures her, "Thank you." she said, looking away as she was still offended.

"Okay, lovebirds, get a room." Henley said to Danial and Merritt. "Danny, be honest, did you do this?" she questions as she walks over to him, he looks at her, confused. "No. wait, did you?" he asks, looking at Alissa, she held up her hands. "I've never been to New York before. You?" she asks Jack. "I wish." Jack answers honestly. "Why didn't anybody asks me if I did it?" Merritt complains and the four look at him then away. "Oh great." he whines and Danial flips on a switch, but the lights didn't turn on.

Then looks over as he saw a camera projector on a door, "Electricity is out." Jack informs him as Alissa tries the other light switch. "Well, lets check." Merritt said then reaches up, turns a light bulb and the light came on. And right on cue, the projectors came on, shooting out bright lights, projecting images. Then the five walk to the center of the room, looking at the images being cast out. "Blue prints." Henley states as they walk the images flash by, "They're incredible." Danial said, "Exits. Secret tunnels, weak spots. This is fantastic." Alissa said as she was smiling. "Who do you think did this?" Jack asks them, "I don't know, but I really want to meet them." Henley said aloud and Alissa nods in agreement. "It's a show." Henley states, "A very big show." Alissa said as she was laughing a little.

Then Danial reaches out at the image in front of him, but it moves out of his reach as their were five boxes, "Let see what the big act is, shall we?" Alissa asks them as there was a big mischievous smirk on her face.