Hello, once again! I really hope you like the new chapter! I couldn't get it to work as the way I wanted to and this is what was made. Eh.

Also, I didn't quite know how they did the whole "levitating bubble trick' so I made up my own scenario. If anyone does know, please enlighten me.

Thank you to all my beautiful, followers and reviewers. I may not answer back to all of you, but I do read every single one and feel ultimate joy :)

Disclaimer as before.

Unexpected Sidekick

Chapter 7: Falling

It was approximately four hours before the Four Horsemen's New Orleans Magic Show and the FBI were steadily preparing to finally capture the nicknamed masterminds. So far, they had no proof that the magicians had done anything illegal, but hopefully they would be able to find and arrest these bastards before they did anything other harm.

Luckily Agent Rhodes was on the case; and after a brief debriefing he had done featuring a GPS system and Atlas's mental quirks, everyone was nervous and excited for the showdown that will probably take place.

Except for Agent Rhodes, himself.

Dylan Rhodes was instead sitting in his cool FBI standard car, balancing a coffee cup in one hand and a laptop on his knee. Despite his earlier outburst, he seemed cool and collected, even to the point of being uncharacteristic. In fact, many people in the office began nicknaming the guy The Big Guy just for kicks, much to Dylan's annoyance. But what many people didn't realize was that it wasn't uncharacteristic at all.

The son of Lionel Striker was, as the Elders often called him, a manipulative man, a genius in disguise. The Elders often berated him on his snarky attitude, calling him a child, but hey, Dylan Rhodes didn't really give a damn.

He got the job done. That's all that mattered.

This job in particular, however, was not a job that the Elders thrust upon him. No, this one was personal, and Dylan spent months perfecting it while performing the little missions he had to do.

The Eye disapproved, but who was going to punish him? He was high above the authority chain, anyway.

The only Elders who could possibly control Dylan plus had his respect was the Zancigs, and they were still back at headquarters.

Which brought him back to the predicament.

Dana Zancig. Dylan thought, scrolling the internet for clues. In all his plans and preparations, not once did he even think that Dana Zancig, daughter of The Zancigs, would even be a part of his show, much less an assistant to a teenage street magician in the shady side of New York.

Dylan scowled. He had all the variables. ALL! Except for the Dana girl. He was not in control when Dana was involved and it frustrated him. He now had to quickly add the girl into the equation and hope for the best.

How the hell did you even get here? Dylan thought, glancing at her records once more. It was vague, just as all members of the Eye were. But here was the problem.

Dana wasn't part of the Eye. At least not officially.

It was a grand day when the Zancigs passed the Eye initiation and joined the magician cult. The Elders were glad to have the family who was famous for THE CODE in their ranks. Like many young couples, the Zancigs eventually had an addition to their family of two. It was the only ever recorded birth in the Eye. Most members were recruited or initiated, which still wasn't much.

One wasn't simply born into the Eye.

And so, from what Dylan heard, for he was barely a teenager himself when this happened, Dana and the Zancigs simply disappeared. Gone from the world of the Eye before it could cause serious damage to the family.

Dylan, and many others, assumed she was dead when the Zancigs miraculously returned a couple years after, without a little girl in tow.

But apparently, they were wrong.

And now the Eye, thanks to Dana's participation in the show, was informed of Dana Zancig. And Dylan bet that there will be an uproar in the ranks, considering that the Zancigs were part of the Elders. This placed Dana in the top ranks, despite not even passing a mission or a test or even an initiation, considering that Dylan's "test" wasn't counted.

Dana will bring a civil war to the Eye.

The man leaned back in his chair, hands over his head. He shook his head, chuckling in amusement.

Dylan couldn't wait.

Dana shuddered in the cold, not knowing that a few blocks away, a man was contemplating her very presence in the world. She was too busy thinking about another subject, basically her future and what will come of it.

The show.

Dana sighed, leaning against the railing of the balcony. It was night and yet the air was bright with lanterns and other lights dancing like stars. She would have preferred real stars, but she had to admit that the colors were pretty and they gave a nice illusion.

And she was all for illusion.

Her whole life was an illusion anyway, and with that thought, Dana's train of thought turned to more horrid thoughts that she didn't want to think about.

Her parents for one.

It wasn't a complete lie when Dana agreed to the whole story in her records about her parents. Her parents did die that fatal day, but it wasn't from an accident.

It was magic. The magic. Not some stupid little card tricks but real magic.

It was so brilliant, so nicely done that no one noticed anything. Not even she, their daughter, knew exactly what happened that night. All she knew when she heard the news that it was impossible. Her parents couldn't die that easily, not with the knowledge they had. It was years later, however, when she found out that the cause of her parents' death was their own.

They committed suicide.

Cowards, Dana thought, aimlessly rubbing her slightly wet eyes. Even when she was a child, she didn't particularly like her parents( and for good reason) but that didn't mean she wanted them gone. But they left her. Obviously, they thought she was a burden on their quest to become the most well known magician out there.

Her thoughts turned darker as she stared at out into the night. She wondered once again why she was doing this. At first it was to protect Jack, but after hearing about the Eye...

She wondered if somehow, she could find the truth. Demand an answer. Blackmail them into answering her. Something. Anything.

Dana tried so hard to avoid them, never wanting to get involved in that. But Dana finally had a chance to find out what happened, not that she spent her whole life trying to find the truth.

She was in this magic show. She might as well use it for her benefit.

Plus, it's not like the Eye would have much interest in her. She didn't even get a tarot card anyway.

Suddenly, Dana felt a warm hand gently pet her left shoulder in a familiar gesture. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey, Jack."

Jack stared at Dana, wondering what she was thinking about. Her eyes were glossed over, gazing out into the street but not truly seeing anything. The wind picked up and blew her hair gently behind her, and Jack could smell the shampoo that she always used. It wasn't a fruit or a flower scent but the just the scent of familiarity.

Surprisingly, it was the same brand he used.

Back when he and Dana were sharing a small flat in New York, they decided to share things to save money. That meant the same soap, the same clothes and the same shampoo. Jack, at first, was slightly startled at the idea (the fact that he was showering in the same place as a girl, was too much for his hormonal teenage body to take), but eventually, Jack was comforted that he and Dana shared something together, even if it was something small as shampoo. But his runaway days were gone and Dana could afford as much girly, fruity shampoo she could cart off. And yet, she used his.

It made him feel giddy inside.

The lights from the lanterns reflected off her skin, causing Dana to literally glow. Not that she didn't glow before. In Jack's eyes, Dana shined brighter than anyone he had ever seen.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping closer to his friend.

Dana sighed and turned to meet his gaze, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The show," Dana replied, smiling a bit, "You know me; I get nervous all the time. It will go away."

Jack nodded, not sure of what to say. Before, he had been always relaxed when he talked to Dana. She was his family, and his home. But after the little fight, Jack was cautious. He didn't want to say anything to...

"Hey Jack?"

"Hmm?" he hummed.

Dana unconsciously licked her lips, nervous about what she was going to say. Jack's eyes zeroed on them instantly and he swallowed.

When had Dana become so beautiful?

No. He was just high on adrenaline. Dana's appearance couldn't have changed in a small period of time. You've just had a very emotionally stressed day, Jack. You don't know what you're thinking right now.

"Um...after the show," Dana said, biting her lips.

"Er... yeah?" Jack asked, still distracted by her plump, red lips.

Dana paused for a second, glancing at Jack. Suddenly she rolled her eyes and pulled on his leather jacket, causing Jack to stumble into her arms. She quickly wrapped her arms around his body,( well as much as she could), and squeezed.

She muttered, "Just...be careful tonight, alright? The plan...it always seems to get you in danger the most. Just...be safe."

Jack stared wide eyed at her. He had hugged Dana all the time but this felt different. This time, Dana had hugged him first and that in itself made his heart beat a little fast.

Then he noticed that she was trembling.

Worried, Jack quickly wrapped his own arms around her small body and hugged, trying to offer her some comfort in the only way he could, "It's going to be fine. I promise. I'll be safe, don't you worry."

"You better be." Dana said, before pulling back. Jack quickly missed the warmth, but stopped himself from doing something stupid.

Dana frowned, pulling out a watch from nowhere, and looked at the time, "We have to go, Jack. The show starts soon."

Jack's demeanor hardened, placing his poker face firmly on, and smiled, "Well, we better get the others right?"

Dana lifted her phone, "Done," and walked ahead. Jack stood for a moment, his mind racing with the thoughts of the show, Dana, shampoo, and the chase that he knew would occur later on that night. Steeling himself, he followed his friend inside. After a brief screaming match, involving Daniel and glittery pants, the four horsemen plus an assistant managed to get themselves into the building for call time. As soon as they step foot into the building, the five separated, the four horsemen taking the stage and Dana getting to work backstage. She let out a sigh in trepidation as she placed the mike set firmly near her cheek and jammed the Bluetooth in her ear.

"Ok, people, listen up..."

Agent Rhodes and his French date were clearly not enjoying the show. So far, nothing strange has occurred and it was driving the whole agency insane with worry. Something had to occur tonight.

The Four Horsemen scattered to the four corners of the stadium, each performing a magic trick of their choice. Dylan Rhodes was having a hard time focusing on all four magicians, and settled for watching the classic bunny disappearing act trick.

At least, that's what Dana assumed from her post.

High above the stage, Dana hugged her body around a small rafter, keeping balance as her eyes swept through the stage. It was a near impossible feat, unless one was part of the circus, but Dana felt quite comfortable up there.

Dana jerked her head back as she heard a crackling sound in her ear, signaling that one of the backstage technicians were about to call. Wincing in pain, she touched the ear piece and said, "What's up?"

"Nothing, boss," said the voice. Little Jimmy, her mind answered her unspoken question. "You wanted me to call you when it was after the first act..."

Shimming her way backwards, feeling the nuts and bolts stabbing into her skin, she answered, "Thanks, Jimmy. I'm on my way. Also, can you get that bag near the steps for me? Thanks."

Dana slowly began to climb down the rafters. It proved to be difficult, probably because no one was technically allowed up there. But Dana needed a bird's eye view, and when had she ever followed the "rules"?

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Dana thought as her shirt got caught on the jagged edges of the rafters for the fifth time. Climbing up hadn't been so difficult, so she assumed it would be a cinch to get down.

She might have forgotten that backstage was dark.

Suddenly, Dana's foot slipped, causing her to fall backwards. Dana's arms flailed as she struggled to grab hold, but she was falling too vertically.

The next thing she knew, she was wrapped in sturdy arms. Dana opened her eyes, groaning at the sharp pain in her butt.

"What the-"

"A thank you, will suffice," a dark voice chuckled.

Groaning again, this time for an entirely different reason, Dana pulled herself away from her savior's arms, "Atlas."

"Wow. Cold," Daniel replied, rubbing his arms, "Considering that I just saved your life and all."

Blushing, Dana turned around and huffed, "I could have stopped myself."

"Sure..." Daniel said. He frowned and looked up at the rafters, "What were you doing there anyway?"

"Observing," Dana said, looking backwards at him, "By the way. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be up there...on the stage?"

"Yeah..." Daniel said, sheepishly, "Just forgot a few things."

Dana turned around fully, her eyes squinting, "Did you...forget the bubble juice?"

"Ehehe...Yeah."

Dana sighed, "I did tell you during our ride here. It's by the stairs."

"Thanks, "Daniel said. He didn't move.

"You could have just called me," Dana said, tapping her ear.

"Yeah."

Dana stared at her taciturn friend, confused. She slowly said, "But you came here...for another reason."

"Yup."

"So? What is it?" Dana said, exasperated. "I don't know if you know this, but there's a show going on."

"Yeah..." Daniel said, stepping forward. "But it can wait."

"What are you-"

"You alright?"

"What?" Dana asked, confused.

Daniel came closer, invading her personal space, "You were pretty quiet in the car. Is Jack..."

"Oh no," Dana said, waving her hands out in front of her, "Me and Jack. We're fine now. Thanks for asking."

Daniel frowned, "If he..."

"Are you seriously pulling the big brother card on me right now?" Dana said, incredulous."Because we are in the middle of a show. A show that we planned for MONTHS. I don't think my personal life is as important as the Eye."

"Family is more important than anything, Dana," Daniel said, placing one hand on her shoulder. "If Jack does anything...anything at all to hurt you...Just let me know, alright? I'll teleport him somewhere he'll regret."

Dana's lips twitched, "Alright. Alright. Now can you please get on stage?"

Daniel smiled, messed up Dana's hair, picked up the bubble juice and sauntered on stage. Dana shook her head at his antics, chuckling to herself. Daniel was a good guy, a good brother, despite his shady relationships.

Someone tapped Dana on the shoulder, breaking train of thought, "Ma'am? Here it is."

"Thanks Jimmy," Dana said to the little intern before grabbing the small paper bag. "Take over for me, alright?"

The boy stammered, "M-Me? Take over your spot? But I-"

"You'll do fine," she said, smiling a bit. She gave him her ear piece and mike set and ruffled his blond hair a bit. "I'm counting on you."

The boy beamed before rushing out of her way, probably to go tell his friends. Dana chuckled a bit.

She had a thing for blondes. And Jack Sparrow. And Joker. And Benedict Cumberbatch. That voice...

Dana quickly walked into a secluded area in the back and changed into the costume that was in the bag. Unlike Vegas, Dana was going to play a more important role in the performance, one that required her to play a part. She couldn't just wear her backstage clothing, so instead, changed into the black skinny jeans and nice blouse that showed the amount of cleavage that would be normal for a playboy magazine.

The boys protested against it, but Henley agreed. She had to make the focus her boobs rather than her face.

It was a sound plan, even if Dana was slightly uncomfortable in it. Pining a smaller microphone into her chest line and pushing a Bluetooth into her ear, Dana straightened up and walked toward the many dark corridors. She had memorized the buildings entire layout hours ago, and she hoped her impeccable memory wouldn't backfire on her now.

Luckily, it didn't, and she found herself sitting in one of the empty seats towards the left of the audience.

"I'm here," Dana muttered into her mike as she settled into the plush velvet seat.

"Good," Daniel said, "Now we can finally get started."

Dana rolled her eyes as she heard Henley's voice, "We were all waiting for you, because SOMEONE..."

"Meaning you, Atlas," Jack interrupted, chuckling, "Just in case you didn't know."

Dana grinned as Daniel brought out a gigantic bubble blower. It took her many hours on Ebay to find that thing and she had to admit she was quite proud of her find.

Well, that and the gigantic flashlight.

"Cue the lift," Dana muttered softly, watching a flash of a shadow on the sides of the stage. It was strange to see the shadows from the audience's point of view. Just a few moments ago, these shadows were flesh-and-blood people with names and personalities, but now were just black things in the darkness.

Dana watched Henley suddenly fly into the air, encased by human sized bubble. The audience cooed and clapped their hands as the woman magician soured across the stage like Peter Pan on pixie drugs. Dana turned around and eyed the stage hand working behind the audience, using the projector to make it look as if Henley was incased by a bubble, when in truth there was nothing there. A little illusion, cooked up by Jack, actually.

Jack and Merritt were performing other tricks on their side of the stage as Daniel made bubbles, keeping the illusion up. As soon as Merritt let go of his 'volunteers' (handpicked by himself and Dana according to susceptibility) and Jack finished his card trick, Daniel put down his bubble blower and walked down the stage and to the audience. His stride was confident and he didn't even glance up at his partner, knowing where she would be at any given moment.

Dana crossed her arms and leaned back on her seat, satisfied at the interlocking tricks. She began to relax, knowing that her part was almost over, but four words caused her to tense in utter panic.

"The cable is breaking!"

Dana's eyes flicked upward in horror as she saw Henley's tether fall much more lower than it should have. She glanced at the shadows on the side of the stage, in charge of controlling the height, and saw a flashlight blink five times rapidly before swirling in random figure eights.

A warning.

Punching her ear in desperation, Dana whispered frantically, "Dan, Henley! The Chord! IT'S-"

The audience screamed in horror as the invisible chord connected to Henley's belt snapped, causing the magician to tumble head first into the air and to her ultimate demise.

The Zancigs are real magicians who specialized in mentalism. You can find more information about them on wiki. It's pretty interesting.