Dan kept his mind through it as he searched inside of Bart Bass's office for information. He had heard that Bart Bass kept all his documents including his guard's details in his safe which is a two floor penthouse in the Bass Building. Dan quickly searched for any clues of keys inside the office. He only had a couple of minutes and he already used half of it. Dan looked around and he sees it, a small box that wasn't supposed to be there on the shelves. He tried to take it but seems like it was glued, he opened it and there it was, the button that should led him into the upper penthouse. He pressed it and the shelves were split into two, showing a simple door leading to what he believed to be the upper penthouse. But there was a lock code. That would be simple because he had a device to hack into the system.

But the door suddenly cracked open and Dan found himself blacking out into unconsciousness.

The Morning, 8 am

Blair looked out of her window as she sees her own room, her books, her dolls and her bed. Blair smiled as she remembered that Bart had decided to spend a little bit more on the house. Means she can buy everything she would think that would be perfect to her house. Her mother had decorated it classy and even if she kind of wants every aspect of Eleanor Waldorf to get the hell away from her, she still thinks that women have good taste. Thus Blair kept the old fashion classy and tried to compliment it with her own taste. She looked around her bathroom, and she decided, she needs a new tub.

Blair took a shower and went down to get some breakfast where she sees Bart had sent a cook to her house. She was showered with gifts and for today, I was making her giddy. She ate her breakfast (a nice tea with French Toast) and started her day by welcoming the new furniture that was coming in. She had to monitor everything which was why she was on her business mode.

"That goes around that couch over there," Blair looked around. "And that, let's just put here for a bit and we'll see where it fits."

She heard the elevator and sees two men she really didn't need to ruin her day. "Hello Blair."

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked, annoyed and her eyes flew onto Dan who was behind him. "You brought your assistant too. Does this have to do with you courting me again?"

"Baby, you know I am always courting you," Chuck smirked. Blair could only roll her eyes and then it lands on Dan who didn't look at her. It was weird, it was as if Dan didn't want to look at her. "Anyway, we're not here to play, we're here with a proposition."

"Okay?" Blair said.

"We need you to dance on Victrola's stage," Chuck smiled and Blair could only laugh. "Why, you love burlesque."

"I do, so very much but I don't exactly do it," Blair thinks Chuck is nuts. It was actually Dan's idea so that Chuck could spend more time falling for Blair. In the mean time he knew Bart would be around if Blair is around Victrola. Since he is the manager there, it wouldn't be anywhere suspicious if he were around Bart Bass. He just needed one bullet into the heart and he wouldn't care if Bart's guards see him in action. He had learned Victrola's routes pretty well and he would out in no time. It's not his style to be upfront in his work, but he felt like waiting for Chuck to kill Bart might be a little too long and he didn't feel like he wanted to associate much with Blair that he felt he need to do his job as fast as he could.

"Come on. It would be fun. Plus it would mock all those people who call you a whore," Chuck smiled while Blair glared at him, still wondering why Dan was avoiding her. He was super friendly before.

"I think I mock them enough by being here," Blair said. "Besides, I think I'm pretty much done taking my clothes off."

"Don't you think that stop when you stop seeing Bart Bass?" Dan suddenly mocked her and both Chuck and Blair look at him. Dan was cold but barely hesitant. It was weird to see him this way for Chuck, as of yesterday, he seems pretty cheerful. As for Blair, she felt as if his true colors had shown.

"Well, I guess I only do it for my fiancée now," Blair looked at Dan and there was something different about his eyes. Yesterday they were filled with confidence, and today it was as if he was… determined. "If you'll excuse me, I have a house to organize."

"What the hell was that?" Chuck said. "You just upset her."

"It was the truth," Dan said.

"Doesn't mean you should say it out loud."

"Take this advantage to console her. You know what to say," Dan said and Chuck smiled, while nodding.

"You're good, Humphrey," Chuck pointed at him and left looking for Blair who went to the kitchen area While Dan was left alone in the foyer.

Dan sighed and looked around. He had told Chuck what to tell Blair so she would agree to frequent Victrola. It was some shit about wanting the father's approval and everything that makes Chuck a weak man in front of her. What Dan knew of women is like they like it if the man feel emancipated. Dan sees some photographs and he sees that it was all Blair with Bart and a few of Blair when she was in high school. It was different than the glamorous Blair today, the girl in the picture was smiling happily, with a yellow headband that do not suit her at all. But anyone who sees this picture won't be able to deduct that it was the same girl that was deemed a whore.

Dan searched for more pictures and there was one where Blair was with a blond girl he didn't recognize. They were laughing and holding hands, and that was the only time he felt that Blair was free. And there were more. Much more than the frames of Blair and Bart.

"I told you I am not going to dance in Victrola!" he heard Blair yelling and coming out from the kitchen area with Chuck following. She sees Dan. "Was it your idea?"

"What makes you think that?" Dan lied.

"Well, before you were his assistant, all he knows is just bombarding me with insults thinking that might make me endure him or even like him, but then you came along he started doing all this gestures," Blair was angry. Nowadays Chuck was more of an annoyance than just a noise behind her back.

"Gestures?" Dan was surprised. He never thought those things as gestures.

"Um, I don't think…" suddenly the phone rang and both Dan and Blair's eyes falls on Chuck.

"Excuse me for a bit," Chuck took his call in the other room, leaving Blair and Dan.

"You were saying?" Blair interrupted Dan. Dan looked at her and sees she was in her serious mode.

"I don't think I have anything to do with it. Chuck really likes you and he asked me for points. As you said he sucked before, so I told him how to woo a girl," Dan didn't think about it at first, but now that Blair had pointed out, maybe the lady's man Chuck Bass really sucked in wooing a girl.

"So you told him that I should strip into my undergarments in front of people?" Blair asked, disbelieved.

"Well I asked him what do you like, and it was burlesque, so why not try it?" Dan said. "They aren't doing bad stuff, with Burlesque it is a form of art."

"It is, but that doesn't mean I should do it just because I like it," Blair retorted.

"Why not?" Dan asked.

"It's… not… It's not what people do!"

"What do you actually do Blair?" Dan suddenly asked her. "To be happy."

Blair was surprised by the sudden question. Nobody ever asked her that, not since Serena. She looked down, somewhat speechless. Dan looked at her and then the frame of her with the blond girl came to his mind, her facial expression that says how happy she was came to his mind. The exact frame was behind her, and unlike the happy one in the picture, the one in front of him seemed more hopeless in happiness.

"It is none of your business," Blair finally said before she turned to leave, but Dan took her arm.

"One dance, if you don't like it, you can stop. One dance, and to be honest, this is actually for his business. You should know how men sees you Blair, they weren't satisfied that Bart Bass owed you and seriously, if you peak a little interest off them, I can guarantee you, you can scare those woman who judges you away," Dan said, and unlike his cold stand before, he was actually very warm. Blair was confused, who is this guy?

"I'll think about it," Blair said as she frees her arm and left for the second floor. Dan sighed, and he was about to leave too. Then he saw the painting that was left on the floor.

"Well, she got a good taste," he sighed and left

The afternoon, 12:00 pm

Dan got a call from Chuck and he throws his cigarette away. He's somewhat stressed and the nicotine helps soothing his nerves. "Yeah?"

"How did you do it?" Chuck asked.

"Do what?" Dan watched as Bart Bass was making a deal with his client at The Empire hotel. He had only 7 guards today, but The Empire is his territory. It could mean he had even more accomplices inside of his building. Dan would like a simple bullet on him, he was even thinking of a standard 100 meters rifle but the involvement of the CIA means he would be caught immediately. If he didn't have the things Hercules wanted, killing Bart would make him in prison in no time.

"Convincing her," Chuck said and Dan was confused. "She'll do it, she'll dance in the club tonight."

"She would?" Dan was surprised. He wasn't even trying to convince her. "Would Bart be there?"

"I would think so," Chuck smiled. "Thank you Humphrey."

"Yeah," Dan hung up. He wasn't sure that he actually said anything. Then a call came in, and it was an unknown number.

Meanwhile, in the Waldorf penthouse or as Blair liked to call it, a Hepburn home, Blair was painting her toenails when Bart came in.

"Are you out of your mind?" he simply asked, waiting for her to answer.

"About what?" Blair acts nonchalant.

"Stripping in Victrola? I took you out of that world and you're returning to it?!" Bart was mad, but that wasn't new. Blair looked up, looking bored. If it was before, she would be scared, but she has an upperhand. Bart needed her as his wife, as a face. She knew something that Bart thought would be a secret.

"I was a whore who sleeps with everyone, not a stripper. Besides, burlesque is about the art of teasing. I'm not even showing one breast," Blair looked at herself in the mirror. "Besides, it could scare away those women, those disgusting women who kept looking at me like I'm some kind of trash. I give something to their men, tie them up around my ankle and show them, they shouldn't mess with me."

Bart looked at her and he was surprised. He laughed a bit. "Just like a Waldorf."

Bart left, still thinking it was a bad idea but he liked this side of Blair. He liked the black side that he was so sure should be there, should be in her blood. Just like Eleanor Waldorf was before she found love. Bart knew he needed to keep Blair from any kind of love, as that was the thing that killed Eleanor Waldorf's charisma.

Bart went down with the elevator and he reached the ground floor, where the elevator opened. He saw a young man looking straight at him, and the young man seemed a bit surprised to see him. Then Bart recognized him as Chuck's new employee. The young man bowed down and Bart went out, where he went in.

"Did Chuck send you?" he asked, holding the elevator open. He sees his eyes, and it wasn't warm.

"Yes," Dan answered.

"Well, tell Chuck this," Bart looked straight at him. "Don't even try to give the girl love, or I'll kill him myself. She doesn't need it. Don't ruin her." Bart left and Dan was speechless. He didn't even prepare himself to be confronted by Bart Bass himself. Bart's words left a deep impression, the evil impression only Petra Biro himself had given Dan.

Dan shook his head and looked ahead. He shouldn't be shaken by this.

The elevator opens and he sees Blair sill shuffling through boxes. He watched her and if he didn't knew her before, he could only see a girl working hard to make the house look presentable. Blair looked up and sees him.

"Good, you're here," Blair said.

"Why did you need me here?" Dan was confused when Blair called earlier, asking him to come to the penthouse. Blair looked at him and she opened her purse, pulling out a cheque. She held it to him and he sees it says $30,000. "This is?"

"I suppose that anyone who worked with Chuck Bass would be good in manipulation," Blair said, closing her purse. "That is only a deposit."

"I don't get it," Dan really didn't.

"I need you to make my father come forward," Blair said.

"What?"

"I don't know where he is, I even forget what he looked like. So I need you to make him come forward. Show himself that he's around, make himself say it. Say that he's my dad," Blair was determined that Dan somehow sees her walls melting away. In a way, maybe just maybe, Blair did miss her dad. "I am not going to see him unless he wants to see me. I'm going to let him choose."

"Do you want to see him?" Dan asked. He felt she does.

"It doesn't matter," Blair said as she went back to her boxes. "Tonight I'll be at Victrola. Make sure he knows what I'm doing."

"Why are you doing this?" Dan was genuinely curious. He had the feeling her decision to dance at Victrola had nothing to do with his words. Blair looked at him and he sees how her eyes was filled with sadness.

"He needs to know what he has done to his daughter," Blair looked away as she felt her tears nearly fell.

"You can cry you know," she heard Dan saying. "It would feel better."

"How would you know? You don't seem to have any feelings," Blair wiped her tears away.

"I just do," Dan said and Blair looked at him and she swore she saw a genuine smile from him. "Anyway, thanks for the money. I'll do my best." Dan was about to walk away when he suddenly felt he needed to ask her something. "Why not ask for Chuck? He was the one who knew about your dad." That wasn't true but that was the fact he told her.

"Chuck didn't care, obviously," Blair laughed.

"And you think I do?"

"No, um," Blair looked at him. "I just think you wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't?" Dan was not catching.

"Just do it okay. I've paid you to," Blair rushed to the kitchen, leaving him behind.

In the kitchen, Blair wanted to hit herself. What was she going to say? 'I just think you wouldn't hurt me.' Why would she say such thing? Blair held her breathing and calmed down. Blair has a new mission. She will dance in Victrola, and she will let her father see her this way, they way he had made her to be.

Dan left her foyer and he was confused. More than ever. He sees the cheque and he felt that it was so heavy in his hand. The piece of paper that had her asking him to provoke her father was too heavy. Dan was confused, even more now. He always worked well with facts and data, to manipulate and to hold people in his hands. But Blair kept changing the way he plays that it was hard to keep up with her. Though it was as if he was tied to her in a way, tied to her ways to play the game.

Dan closed his eyes, and when he opened it, he needed to grasp that he's the one controlling the pawns, not Blair.

Around 2:00 pm

Dan met up with Hercules at a diner near Brooklyn. He decided maybe it would be safer to have the CIA off his back. Dan sees the guy and he had him searched, Nate Archibald, a very perfect boy next door type of personality, good family, great education (Columbia University) and of course, a trust fund kid. Dan didn't like him one bit, or more to say Dan didn't like CIA. They have the same job, the CIA and the Biro, exterminating people who may or may not be corrupted people. The important thing is these people are killed and be gone. For the balance of the American system not being tarnished, some people should be gone.

They have the same job, but why does the CIA deemed to be the hero and the Biro was deemed as killers. Not that Dan minds, but these hierarchy doesn't seem to be much on fairness.

"I know you don't like me," Nate said, sipping his coffee.

"I don't think of you," Dan said, looking straight at him.

"Well, here it is," Nate gave him a piece of paper with a printed picture of a box. "We tracked down the security that traced every part of Bass Building, and turns out this also came in with the details. Do you know what it is?"

"A box?" Dan said lazily.

"You're funny," Nate only smiled. "I need you to find out what the hell is this thing. From there on, maybe we could clue in those 2 floors of secrets Bart has."

"You mean the 2 secret floors above his office?" Dan asked.

"You know about it?" Nate was now interested. "I spent 2 months finding out about it, how did you know?"

"I've been around his office, if you entered from the main lobby the elevator wouldn't show that there were two extra floors after Bart's office but I went in as a cleaner. Cleaners use the emergency elevators and there were extra two floors there, but as I pressed on it, it won't budge. They blocked it," Dan remembered.

"Impressive," Nate's eyes were wide. "I believe this box right here is the key to enter the two floors. I also heard that even his guard's information is in there. Every one of them." Dan's eyes went big.

"If I had those…" Dan whispered.

"You can definitely put each of them on place while you kill Bart," Nate smiled. Dan smirked, maybe Nate Archibald isn't that bad.

"I need your help," Dan said.

Nate looked at him. "What for?"

"This is for an alibi," Dan looked at Nate. He has a plan and cover. "I'm going in for the information one way or another."

Right at dusk, 6:00 pm

Dan broke into Bart's office easily as he had learned the floor plans well. He gave himself at least 15 minutes inside and he looked at his phone. 'All is set' was a simple message from Nate. Dan was careful as he faced Bart's desk. He'll start here.

Dan kept his mind through it as he searched inside of Bart Bass's office for information. He had heard that Bart Bass kept all his documents including his guard's details in his safe which is a two floor penthouse in the Bass Building. Dan quickly searched for any clues of keys inside the office. He only had a 15 minutes and he already used half of it. Dan looked around and he sees it, a small box that wasn't supposed to be there on the shelves. He tried to take it but seems like it was glued, he opened it and there it was, the button that should led him into the upper penthouse. He pressed it and the shelves were split into two, showing a simple door leading to what he believed to be the upper penthouse. But there was a lock code. That would be simple because he had a device to hack into the system.

But the door suddenly cracked open and Dan found himself blacking out into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Nate had waited long enough that he knew something was definitely wrong.

Night time, 8:00 pm

Dan woke up and sees himself tied to the chair. He also feels that he wasn't alone. As his vision went clear, he sees everyone right there. Bartholomew Bass looking straight at him, along with his guards. He counted. 27.

"I knew you were trouble," Bart said looking at him. "You work for Chuck but you aren't that careful, boy." Bart took his chair and positioned it so he sat right in front of Dan. "You were meant to kill me right? But you're not that smarter nor more skillful than the others. You'll die right in my hands."

"I'm not…" Dan spoke and a hard fist was right on his left cheek, causing him to spit blood. The pain was no joke and Dan looked up, two guards were behind Bart, ready to kill him. "I'm not scared to die."

"Who says anything about dying?" Bart said when Dan felt another pain jostled through his body as another punch fell on his guts. "Usually I pull a simple bullet but you're different. Your eyes, it reminds me of someone I very much loathed." Dan looked up at him, breathing unevenly.

Bart looked at him again and his eyes were evil, as if killing was easy for him. It was similar to Petra Biro's. "Who do you work for?"

Dan was silent and he felt another pain on his cheeks. "Ahh…" Dan squirmed in his seat.

"I ask you again, who do you work for?" Bart looked at him, holding his jaw.

Dan smiled. "CIA."

"What?" Bart looked at him surprised. Then he laughed. "You son of a bitch, I own the cops." Suddenly he heard a yelp behind him and one guard was down, shot in his head. "What the?"

Then another guard was down, followed by two more.

"What did you do?!" Bart pulled his collar.

"I called for SOS," Dan smiled and Bart pushed him back. And then he sees a simple badge in Dan's pocket.

"Leave right now!" Bart said. Bart looked at Dan. "If I see you again, I will kill you."

"Couldn't wait," Dan closed his eyes and waited. Everyone was gone, leaving Dan alone tied to the chair. He heard footsteps and he looked up, smiling. "You know you could have come in before he started punching me."

Nate rolled his eyes as he released Dan from the ropes. "Whatever man, you have just lost everything. Bart recognized you."

"Who said I have failed," Dan held his jaw, feeling the pain.

"What do you mean?" Nate looked at him.

"I had the alibi I needed. He believed I was cop. Bart Bass would kill a cop but he would need a long listed plan to do it. It would give me a month to kill him. Plus, he's a show off kind of guy," Dan stood up holding his stomach. "Man that hurt."

"I don't get it," Nate looked at him.

"I told you, I'm going to get the information one way or another. Bart told all of his guards to face me today, because he wanted me to feel fear and I have recognized each of them," Dan smirked. "Without even touching his two floor secret rooms."

"Then the badge?" Nate asked.

"Oh yeah, here," Dan took the CIA badge from his pocket and gave it to Nate. "Thanks for borrowing it. It's the alibi I needed. Without this he wouldn't trust only on my words and the situation surrounding it."

"Perseus, if you kill him before you give me what I want, remember, the CIA will haunt you and I won't do anything to stop them," Nate realized he was played by Dan. Nate realized Dan had planned it so he would either went in Bart's secret safe to get the guard's information he needed and leave or face the guards themselves while Nate stupidly saved him from death, even giving him the perfect alibi to stay alive longer. "You're good. You just used me." Dan had planned that he only gets what he needed.

"I did, but that didn't mean I forget about our deal," Dan gave him a flash disc. "This is everything you needed to know about William Van der Bilt. I took a copy of it for the Biro when I killed him. It's not everything but it is there. Count this as a deposit to your help."

Nate looked at the disc and laughed. "You really knew how to chase, Perseus. You could have given me this before and I would have already leave you alone, but you decided to plan this."

"Maybe you could learn a thing or two, Hercules," Dan smiled.

Both of them went out from what seems to be an old building.

"I wonder, would there be anyone that is skillful enough to stop you?" Nate asked. "Maybe an Andromeda?"

Dan said, "No." He ignored that Blair flew in his mind.

To Be Continued

A/N: Will be off another week for college work. But I give you a longer one for this so enjoy!