#nowyouseemesmut

“So,” Walter said, backing away from Merritt, “how’d I do it? Easy. You see, magicians like to control other people’s perceptions. In your heightened state of agitation, you saw the simplest cues- black tube, roof, and your mind filled in the rest. The tube you meant to go down was twenty feet to your right.” The Horsemen tensed. “Come on, sit down, sit down. There’s no point in standing there.”

The guards forced the Horsemen to the couch where Walter stood. Sutton sat down next to Lula, followed by Danny. “Anyway,” Walter continued, “once in the tube, yes, you’re right- blah, blah, blah. The strobe contained UV letters pulsing the word ‘sleep.’ That combined with the sound led you into an instant alpha pattern. You two,” he smiled, pointing to Sutton and Danny, “were actually quite cute. All cuddled into one another.” Sutton and Danny glanced at one another, blushing.

“And from then on, it really was just fun.” Walter ran over to the couch, squeezing himself between Jack and Lula. Sutton scooted herself closer to Danny, her legs practically on top of his. “And I can assure you, you don’t know what happened.”

Walter started a video which he cleverly titled “Our Trip to Macau.” Light music filled the air as embarrassingly uncomfortable photos of the Horsemen scrolled across the screen.

“That’s really creepy,” Lula said. Walter chuckled. “Really, really creepy.”

“That’s not cool,” Merritt stated as a picture of him and Walter showed on the screen.

“Yep, easy stuff, magic,” Walter announced. “I mean, if you put your mind to it.” 

A picture of Walter kissing Sutton’s cheek as he pushed Danny away appeared. Sutton gasped, appalled, as the others sucked in a breath. Sutton felt Danny’s body tense at the sight. She took a cautious glance to see his jaw clenching tightly. “Alright, that’s enough,” Danny told Walter. He sucked in a breath to calm himself down, Sutton running a hand down his arm. “So-so why are we here then, besides you getting to show off how adorably clever you are?”

“Not to mention how pissed you’ve just made Atlas,” Merritt murmured. Sutton glared at him.

“Well, to start with,” Walter explained, “the man you stole from last year, turns out I invested quite a lot of money in some of his companies so a lot of what you stole was in fact mine. Good news is, it’s very easy for you to pay me back. I just need your skills.” A picture of Owen Case flashed on the screen. “Owen and I were like the Beatles, if the Beatles had been-”

“Elfin?” Sutton suggested. “Creeps?”

“Geniuses,” Walter clarified.

“Pretty sure the Beatles were geniuses,” Lula reminded Walter.

“And like them,” Walter continued, ignoring Lula’s comment, “we had a dream. Could we create actual, genuine magic?”

“And I’m guessing one of you achieved that dream, and it wasn’t you?” Merritt concluded.

“That is what he would like you to think,” Walter said, standing. Sutton moved herself to a bit more comfortable position on the couch with the gift of space. “My vision was a perfect blend of intelligence and technology, but Owen wanted it for himself so he humiliated me by exposing my private files to the board of directors. Convinced them that I am unstable.”

“Did you take a picture of him while he was sleeping?” Danny cockily questioned. Sutton snorted.

“He had me kicked out of my own company and now he goes around taking credit for a chip that’s not just a key to one computer, but every computer system on the planet,” Walter explained. “It can unencrypt anything, crack the defense firewall, manipulate markets, and spy on anyone.” The Horsemen sighed. “And now it’s being sold to the highest bidder.”

“If you’re so rich, why don’t you just buy it?” Jack questioned him.

“So he gets the money and the pleasure? No. No, no, no. Besides, why would I buy it when I can have you steal it for me?”

“Oh,” Lula gasped. The Horsemen chuckled.

“It’s being previewed tomorrow by various suitors,” Walter stated, “which include your targets. A crew led by a South African gangster.” Lula mocked him. “Yes, so how your team gets past security, that’s up to you. But once you do, you just need to inspect it and steal it.”

“That’s it?” Danny questioned.

“Yeah, come on. This is perfect for you, isn’t it? You’re magicians and thieves.”

“What makes you think we’d even consider doing this?” Jack asked Walter.

“Um, wait, I had a reason. What was it? Ah, yes! You see, back home you’re wanted criminals, but here, I control the police, the casinos, the media. I can give you a new life, out of hiding,” Walter explained. Sutton’s ears perked up. She looked at Danny who looked back at her. The other Horsemen were contemplating it as well. “And, if you don’t, I’ll have you killed.”

The Horsemen stared at Walter, challenging him. He smiled, trying his best to be charming. “You know what?” Jack spoke up as he stood. “I’m not stealing a thing for you, not unless Dylan tells me it’s okay.”

“Really? And Dylan’s where exactly?” Walter questioned.

“It doesn’t matter. Yeah, I’m with him,” Lula stated, standing beside Jack. “So you can go ahead and kill us because I’m not going to steal anything for you either.”

“Huh, strikes me that a consensus seems to be forming, Walter,” Merritt concluded, taking his place beside the other two rebels, “and we’re calling your bluff.” 

The three looked back at Danny and Sutton as they sat together. Sutton glanced down at her fingers, thinking about Henley and why she left. Just as Sutton was about to say her piece, Danny spoke. “Actually, we’ll do it,” Danny stated as the others questioned him. “We’re in Macau. The oldest magic store in the world is here. We’ll get the supplies we need and, uh, we’ll do it.”

Danny stood and shook Walter’s hand, receiving a “thank you.” Walter walked off, leaving the Horsemen standing there in the empty room.

“Steal something? For this narcissistic little man-boy?” Merritt complained as the Horsemen walked down a busy road in Macau. “I don’t like it, but what I like less is you deciding for us,” he told Danny.

“Yeah? Do you like that we’re the laughing stocks of the magic world and the fugitives of the actual world?” Danny questioned him. Sutton hit his shoulder. “Walter is right. We-we have nowhere to go.”

“Yeah, but we can fix that!” Lula told him.

“We can fix it?” Sutton questioned her. “So you’re officially part of this wacky tribe that I call a family?” Jack and Merritt laughed as Danny gave her a side smirk.

“Look, even if we get this stick, he’ll never let us go,” Danny explained. “We can’t trust Walter, okay? The Eye has a history in Macau. They’re the only ones we can trust. Now, if we can get it to them, they can clear our names and get us the hell out of here. Come on.” He stepped into an old magic shop, followed by the others.

“It’s a bad plan, man,” Lula told him.

As the Horsemen entered the store, Danny, Sutton, Jack, and Lula headed for the counter. Merritt, on the other hand, took a trip around the store.

“Hey,” Danny said, ringing the desk’s bell multiple times. “Hi, how are ya? Um, we-we need some things custom made, actually by tomorrow. We’re kind of in a rush, and, uh, you-you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” he questioned as he realized the two people behind the desk were ignoring him.

The woman in the rocking chair threw something at the younger man, getting his attention. They started speaking to one another in Mandarin. The man stood, turning his attention to the four. “Welcome to Iong’s. My name’s Li, not Bruce Lee,” he sang as he let a springy snake fly at Sutton’s and Lula’s heads. Sutton squealed, moving out of the way and bumping into Danny, him grabbing her shoulders to steady her.

“Got you!” Li said. Next thing they knew, he pulled out a small light, having it fly and disappear in all kinds of ways. He seemed to have stuck it in his mouth and blow it back out, putting the light in Danny’s face.

“Oh, and now it’s by my head,” Danny complained. “How fun.”

“Twenty dollars,” Li told them. Lula complained about the price.

“No, thank you. We’re kind of in a rush,” Danny explained, only to be shushed by Li.

“Ten dollars,” Li winked.

“Uh, no way,” Sutton sneered. “You’re nuts.”

“Two for one,” Li said, pulling another one out and sticking them in Danny’s face. “One for you, the other for your girlfriend, eh?” Sutton’s face began to flush at the comment.

“Okay, just give us the thumbs, yeah?” Jack told him, noticing his best friend’s discomfort. He handed Li a ten dollar bill.

“Thanks a lot,” Danny said as he took the thumb lights. “Jack, please take these.” He handed them to Jack, who smiled and gave one to Sutton. She took it, mouthing Thank you.

“So we need a, um, Keplinger holdout, and we also need roughing fluid, a Sanada gimmick, sleeves, tracks. All in plastic, though, if you can,” Danny requested of Li.

Li turned to the older woman and began to explain what Danny said in Mandarin.

“You came up with that list in, what, half an hour?” Sutton asked.

Danny shrugged. “I have done harder things.”

Jack snickered. Danny rolled his eyes. “Same,” Sutton winked, making Lula snort.

The older woman looked at Danny and said something in Mandarin. “What?” Danny asked her as she turned back to Li. “Is there a problem?”

“My grandmother wants to know why plastic. Plastic is cheap,” Li interpreted.

“Sorry, yeah, we need plastic because we’re, um, uh, we’re going through a very sensitive metal detector. Okay?” Danny explained. “So plastic, nothing,” he motioned with his arms. “Metal, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo,” he gestured, “it detects.”

Again, the older woman replied in Mandarin, mimicking Danny’s movements. Li snickered.

“What did she say?” Sutton asked Li.

“She says, just because you are talking slowly and moving your hands, doesn’t mean she can suddenly understand English.”

Lula clicked her tongue. “Oh, yeah. So sorry, he’s racist.” 

Sutton rolled her eyes. “Not helping, Lula.”

“Uh, guys,” Merritt said, “we’ll be right back.”

“Okay, kiddies. The chaperones are watching you,” Chase stated as they left. “Don’t do anything I would enjoy.”

“Okay, have fun you two!” Danny sarcastically responded. He went over to Li, requesting to use his phone. 

Sutton glared at Danny, knowing just who he was calling. She walked over to Lula, who watched on as Jack approached Danny. The two stared as Jack let out a heavy sigh and Danny turned away from the group. Sutton hung her head, tears pricking at her eyes as she remembered what Danny did that day in the tunnel.

Lula noticed the uncomfortable tension floating in the room. “What is wrong with this thing?” she said as she stuck her fingers in a Chinese finger trap. She drew Jack’s attention to her.

“Relax, it’s just a kids toy,” Jack told her as he tried to help.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ow!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Jack apologized. As the two struggled to remove Lula’s tense fingers, Jack asked Sutton, “Is that why you broke up with him?”

Sutton hummed a response as she looked up at Jack. Jack gestured to Danny with his head. “Danny. Did you break up with him because you knew he was contacting The Eye?” Sutton looked away. Jack nodded. “I wish I could say I’m surprised, Sut, but…”

Sutton sighed. “I know, Jack. You warned me. You all did.”

It had been about a week since Lula had joined the team. They were putting the finishing touches on their plan to destroy OCTA. Sutton was still skeptical of the new addition to the team, not sure whether it was safe to get too close to Lula just yet. 

On quite a few occasions, Sutton saw Lula hitting on Jack. He would give her his signature heart-melting smile and brush her off. If only Jack knew what that was doing to Lula. Merritt, on the other hand, was doing the opposite. Much like he always did to Henley, Merritt threw little compliments and weird comments her way. Sutton would roll her eyes, laughing to herself, remembering Merritt had been out of practice for some time now. Dylan seemed to be enjoying his newest addition. He constantly had side conversations with her. It seemed Lula’s role in the heist grew each day.

Then, there was Danny. Her Danny. Sutton watched Danny closely every day, seeing as his eyes lit up every time he spoke about the heist. His lips seemed to have a permanent curl to them now. However, every night, Danny went back to their apartment, and Sutton went to Merritt and Jack’s. The feeling of not knowing what he was doing there haunted Sutton every night. Was he hurting too? Was he with someone else? Was he thinking about how to get Sutton back?

“Sut!” Jack’s voice knocked her out of her trance. “What do you think?” Sutton stared at him blankly, praying no one else would notice. Jack did and quickly saved her. “You think you can take Henley’s place in the flirting department?”

Sutton let out a heavy sigh. “Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. I’m not sure if my flirting skills will fool anyone.”

“They always fooled me,” Danny murmured, looking up at her and giving her a side smirk. Sutton blushed, wanting so badly to kiss the smirk off his face as they held their gaze.

Lula cleared her throat, dragging Danny and Sutton’s attention from each other. “So, we’re all set, right?”

“I think we’re ready,” Dylan nodded. “Meet here bright and early tomorrow morning.” The five groaned as they left Dylan and walked out of the Horsemen Hideout.

“Hey, Sutton,” Lula peeped up, grabbing hold of her arm. Sutton spun around to face her. “It’s still early. Want to get something to eat?”

Sutton looked back at the others. “Go have a guys night. Talk about what you did before…” She trailed off, realizing what she was about to say.

Danny cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay. Have fun, Sut.” They gave her a smile, then the three of them walked off as Sutton watched.

“So, what’s your poison?” Lula asked, rubbing her hands together. “Sushi? Chinese? Italian?”

Sutton smiled. “Nah, I’m a burger and fries type of girl.”

Lula looked at her in shock. “Really? You don’t seem like it.”

Sutton sighed. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Lula.”

Lula smiled. “That’s why I want to hang out with you. I know you aren’t comfortable with me quite yet, and I get it. Danny told me it takes a bit for you to let your guard down.”

Sutton chuckled. “Danny told you that?” She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling her face heat up.

“He did,” Lula stated, taking note of how Sutton acted at the mention of Danny.

The pair went to a nearby restaurant and called their order in. Lula went and retrieved it, the two walking a short distance to Lula’s apartment. By the time they sat down, Sutton’s walls had started to crumble. Lula wasn’t that bad, just a little crazier than Sutton was used to.

“So, what happened with you and Danny?” Lula asked as she ate a fry.

“W-What do you mean? Sutton stuttered as she squirted ketchup in her to-go container.

“Oh, come on!” Lula laughed. “It’s pretty obvious something happened between the two of you. I mean, every time Danny talks to you, you get this look in your eyes and a goofy smile. Hell, I catch Danny full on staring at you whenever you’re doing something, especially if you’re helping Jack. He looks like he wants to tackle you and tie you down.”

Sutton bit her lip as she dipped a fry in the ketchup. “It’s… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Lula asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she bit her burger.

Sutton contemplated her options- to tell Lula or keep her in the dark. She took a bite of her burger and decided it wasn’t fair not to tell her. “After our first show in Vegas, we slept together,” Sutton blushed, Lula’s eyes growing. “I had been falling for him for almost a year before that. Apparently, he had been too. We hid it from the others, until after our last show, when Jack and I met the others in Central Park at the-”

“Lionel Shrike Tree,” Lula stated. “Jack mentioned how it led you all into hiding.”

Sutton chuckled. “Right. Well, after we went into hiding, Danny and I were officially dating. I was living with Henley and he was living with Merritt and Jack. He would visit just about every other day, and I would visit him. When Henley left, he moved in with me.” Sutton let out a sigh. “It was amazing, to be living with him, to wake up beside him every morning.”

Lula giggled. “You were living a fairytale. You know, if thieves had such luxuries.”

Sutton smiled. “Yeah, I guess we were.”

They ate in silence for a moment, Sutton reliving the beautiful moments she had with Danny. Suddenly, Lula asked the question Sutton had been dreading.

“So, what changed between you two?”

Sutton sighed. “Let’s just say Danny did something that made me not trust him.”

“Damn,” Lula groaned. “That’s awful. You have no choice but to see him every day now. Break-ups suck.”

“It’s not really a break-up, just a break,” Sutton clarified.

“Look, Ross,” Lula joked, “it sounds to me like Danny fucked up. How can you forgive him?”

Sutton sighed. “It’s hard to understand, I know. Jack and Merritt are still confused. But, I just have this feeling that Danny is going to fix everything. He’s going to fix us.”

Lula scoffed. “Danny’s one lucky guy for you to just wait for him to somehow fix things.”

Sutton chuckled. “You just don’t know Danny like I do. No one does.” She smiled, feeling as though her heart was in the right place with her decision.

Lula shrugged. “So, tell me- Is he a control freak in the bedroom?” Sutton snorted. “Did he tie you up? I can totally see him having a kink for that!”

“Are you guys ready yet?” Dylan groaned as he waited for the Horsemen to emerge.

Merritt, Jack, and Lula all emerged within five minutes of Dylan’s complaint. That left Sutton and Danny alone. Everyone held their breath, hoping this was the time they made up. It would be the perfect time- right before a big heist.

“Oh!” Sutton called out as she bumped into Danny. “I-I’m sorry, Danny.” She went to move away, but Danny grabbed her hand. Sutton felt her neck heat up.

Danny pulled Sutton close to him, their faces just inches apart. He brushed a brunette hair out of her face. “Even with this wig covering your red hair, you’re still as beautiful as ever.” He gave her his signature smirk, the one Sutton fell for over and over again.

Sutton bit her lip as she looked up at Danny through her lashes. “You’re pretty handsome yourself.” She handed him the glasses he would need for later. Danny slipped them on to see how they looked. Again, Sutton bit her lip.

“What?” Danny asked with a smile.

Sutton smiled, not meeting the Illusionist’s eyes. “I never thought you could look more attractive. I was completely wrong.”

Danny let out a laugh. Then, he pulled Sutton even closer. He bent his neck, bringing his lips closer to Sutton’s. 

Sutton sighed, pushing herself off Danny’s chest. “We can’t, Danny.”

Danny grimaced. “But I thought we-”

“We were, yeah,” Sutton confirmed for him. “But I’m not ready. I don’t think you are either.”

Danny sighed, nodding. “Yeah, okay.” Sutton went to move away, but Danny kept holding her. “I’m not going to give up, Sutton. I’ll never give up on us.”

Sutton smiled. “I don’t expect you to.” Danny smiled as he pulled Sutton’s hand to his lips, them grazing her knuckles.

“I’m dying out here!” Merritt yelled. “Let’s go!”

~~

Dylan took to the crowd, making sure everything was set in place. Jack took his place outside of the main stage area dressed in his security guard uniform. Lula took her place with the food service staff. Merritt and Sutton took their place together, as usual, the two blending into the crowd of guests. Danny took his place backstage.

“We’re all good,” Jack’s voice came over the earpieces. “I’m heading to the control room.”

“Alright, thanks, Jack,” Dylan returned. “Atlas, go.”

“No, Dylan, I can’t,” Danny responded. 

“Why? What’s the problem?”

“No, there’s too many people, I can’t.”

“Atlas, I got Owen landing now,” Dylan reminded him. “Sutton?”

Sutton sighed, Merritt giving her a look as she adjusted her short wig, the length bothering her. She put her clothed wrist to her lips. “Danny, don’t worry about all the people there. You will be fine. You’re an amazing illusionist.” Merritt raised an eyebrow at her. She spun away from Merritt. “No one is as confident enough as you to do this. I would know.”

There was a pause. Everyone held their breath. Some also held a snicker in. “Thanks, Sutton,” Danny responded. Sutton smiled. She could hear Danny’s smile in this voice. “Okay, I’m going now.”

“Nicely done,” Merritt said, patting her on the shoulder as she returned to his side.

Sutton shrugged. “I did it for the team.”

Merritt gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, the team,” he winked.

Merritt and Sutton stood at one of the tables, staking out the area and waiting for Owen Case to arrive. A few minutes later, Lula was arguing with a chef nearby. Suddenly, blood was squirting from her arm. Sutton resisted the urge to roll her eyes as people screamed.

“Showtime, Sut,” Merritt told her, grabbing her hand and heading toward Owen Case. “Get your flirt on.”

Sutton cleared her throat, stepping in front of Owen Case. “Hi, Mr. Case,” Sutton smiled, trying her best to reach her inner Henley. Owen looked her up and down and smiled. Sutton placed a hand on his chest. “I heard tonight is going to be a huge unveiling for you.” Her hand slid downwards with her words.

“It most certainly will,” Owen smiled, stepping closer to Sutton. He placed his hands on Sutton’s waist, giving Merritt the perfect opportunity to start his hypnosis.

Sutton removed Case’s hands from her waist as Merritt walked him to the storage closet Sutton had set up earlier. Merritt placed an earbud in Case’s ear and stood him in front of the camera.

“Look at the light,” Merritt finished. “Listen to your own voice.”

“Not bad, old man,” Sutton chuckled as the two headed for the backstage.

“Oh, cocky now, aren’t we?” Merritt laughed. “Watch out. You’re starting to sound like At-” He stopped himself.

Sutton rolled her eyes. “You can say his name, Merritt.”

“Right,” Merritt nodded.

Danny looked up to see Sutton standing there, caught between wanting to stay and wanting to go. Her eyes wandered the room as her fingers twiddled.

“Sutton, please,” Danny started as he ran towards her. “Please don’t go.” He took her hands in his.

Sutton looked at their hands, then up at Danny. She looked into his eyes- filled with pain and uncertainty. She cleared her throat. “Um, Danny, I should really-.”

Danny squeezed her hands, forcing Sutton to go quiet. He sighed, shaking his head. “What do you know, Sutton?” Sutton didn’t look at him. “Please. Tell me what you know and I’ll explain.”

Sutton chewed on her lip, contemplating how much to tell him. She decided on the truth. “I followed you, through those tunnels.” She looked up at Danny. He gulped. “I couldn’t get in, obviously, but I know it was The Eye, Danny.”

“Sutton, I can explain everything,” Danny told her, his voice straining through the pain. “There’s a reason why I did it- why I needed to do it.”

Sutton scoffed, tears in her eyes. “Really? You just “needed” to go behind our backs? There is no good reason for betrayal, Danny.”

“Dylan said you aren’t as focused as you once were!” Danny blurted. He breathed in heavily, relieved to have the truth finally out.

Speechless, Sutton sat down on the couch. Her face was frozen in confusion. “Why would he say that? When did he say that?” she asked Danny as he squatted in front of her, holding her hands once more.

“About a week ago,” Danny confessed, moving to his knees. “I went to see him, to explain that Jack, Merritt, and I decided to give Dylan one more month. If he couldn’t find a way for us to perform, we were going to find a way ourselves.”

“So, no one thought it would be okay to talk to me about this first?” Sutton questioned.

“Sutton, I was afraid that if we waited any longer, you would leave too,” Danny admitted. “I couldn’t risk that. I told Dylan exactly that. That’s when he said that you loved the Horsemen too much, that you caring too much would cause you to mess up in your performance.”

Sutton breathed out. “If that’s how Dylan feels, I might as well leave.”

“No, Sut. That’s why I did what I did,” Danny explained, now sitting beside her on the couch. “After I left Dylan’s that day, I received a message. It clearly was from The Eye.”

“But why, Danny?” Sutton interrupted him. “Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” Her eyes began to water.

Danny shook his head, ashamed of his actions. “I don’t know, Sutton. I guess I was afraid that you would just be upset that I was trying to go over Dylan’s head.”

Sutton sat, again biting her lip. She bit hard, knowing exactly what she needed to tell Danny. “I’m upset that you went over Dylan’s head, yeah, but, I feel betrayed that you went behind my back, Jack’s and Merritt’s too, to meet who you thought was The Eye. For all you know, the person behind the voice could have killed you.”

Danny scoffed. “That’s pushing it, Sutton.”

“No, it’s not!” Sutton yelled, standing up and pacing the room. “You could have exposed us, you idiot!” She took a deep breath. “Danny, I think we need a break.”

“W-what?” Danny stuttered, standing up and moving toward Sutton. “Sutton, you don’t mean that. You’re just angry.”

“Yeah, I do mean it, Danny,” Sutton admitted. “I saw that text message the other morning. I thought you were cheating on me. Can you believe it?” Sutton scoffed. “Honestly, I wish you had been, because this feels so much worse.” Sutton walked to their bedroom, pulling out her backpack and throwing clothing into it.

“Sutton, please,” Danny pleaded with her. “I messed up. I admitted to it. What else can I do?”

Sutton rolled her eyes. “You know how I feel about liars, Danny. Start telling the truth. Every chance you get. With me. With Merritt. With Jack. Hell, even with Dylan. Until you can do that, I can’t be with you. I can’t be with someone I can’t trust.” Sutton zipped up her backpack. “I’ll see you at the Hideout tonight.”

“Where are you going?” Danny asked, his voice cracking. “Merritt and Jack’s?”

Sutton sighed, her hand on the apartment door. “I don’t know, Danny.”

With that, she left. Danny’s knees hit the hardwood floor. His breath caught in his chest, a sharp pain erupting within his heart. “She’s gone,” Danny croaked. He felt his breathing go ragid. Suddenly, he felt hot tears rolling down his face. Danny’s greatest fear was coming to life, and he helped it grow into a reality by betraying the woman he loved in the worst way possible.

~~

Sutton breathed heavily as she stood in front of the door. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Despite her fears, she lifted her fist to the door and pounded.

“What the hell is with people-” The door swung open and there stood Dylan. “Sutton? What are you doing here?” He stood to the side, allowing her space to walk inside.

“Not much,” she said, her voice obviously still off from her encounter with Danny. She sat down on the couch as Dylan took a seat opposite of her.

Dylan studied her for a moment. He sighed. “What happened with you and Danny?”

“A lot, actually,” Sutton admitted. “However, it all seems to have stemmed from something you told him.”

“Me?” Dylan gasped. “What did I do?”

Sutton huffed. “Dylan, you know I hate confrontation. It’s the last thing I ever want,” she admitted. “But what Danny told me you said, well, it hurt. And if I don’t get to the bottom of this, I might just leave.”

“Sutton, this is crazy!” Dylan shouted.

“Danny told me you think I will lose focus,” Sutton told him. Dylan looked at her, his face contorting. “He said you think I care too much which will end up affecting my performance.”

“Sutton, I didn’t mean it how it sounds,” Dylan said. “I just meant that sometimes a big heart gets you into some big trouble, especially in this line of work.”

Sutton bit her lip. “Maybe you’re right,” she told him. Sutton cleared her throat. “Danny and I are taking a break.” Dylan’s eyes grew. “Don’t worry- I’m not leaving the Horsemen over something like this. I’m just taking a break to see if I can trust Danny again. I’ve challenged him to become the best version of himself. I know he will fix us.” Sutton side-smiled at her own words. She was starting to believe it, because she believed in Danny’s love for her.

After the voice told him to leave, Danny wandered through the tunnels aimlessly, trying to come up with a way to excuse his absence to Sutton. He sat down in a dry area of the tunnel. Sighing, Danny ran a hand over his face, upset with the betrayal he just committed. If Sutton were to ever find out, she would never forgive him. Was he really that desperate to perform magic that he was willing to risk losing her? Finally, he took out his phone, calling Sutton. It rang seven times before going to voicemail. Danny wasn’t even sure what he would have told Sutton if she answered.

Shaking his head, Danny stood slowly, making his exit from the tunnel. He threw his hood up as sunlight started to emerge. Again, he absentmindedly tried calling Sutton, hoping to hear her voice ask him where he was. Again, nothing. 

Danny let out a breath. His stomach responded, forcing him to go in the direction of some fast food. Danny smirked, knowing just what would make Sutton smile after how he had treated her yesterday, and hopefully soften the blow when he told her of his latest adventure. He called Sutton again, letting out a breath. Sutton’s voice didn’t come through.

Danny found a fast food restaurant, grabbing him and Sutton some food. He immediately started toward the apartment. One more time, he told himself as he called Sutton. As the phone call went to voicemail, he started up the steps to their apartment. Sighing, he ended the call as he reached the top of the stairs. He noticed their door was opened. Danny wiped his eyes to give him more clarity. As he walked into the apartment, he noticed the culprit lying on his couch.

“Oh, hi!” a woman welcomed him.

“Who are you?” Danny questioned. “What are you doing in my-”

“It’s actually a funny story,” the woman said, cutting him off. 

Danny ignored her as she began to ramble. “How did you get into my apartment?” His foot hit a trip wire. Danny watched as her set up began, ending with a blade cutting her head off. Danny nodded. “Okay. Seriously, how did you get in here? Are you some kind of crazed fan or something?” He set the food down, the smell of food now making his stomach clench. He shook his head, shaking it off. “Oh, my God. No, no, no. I recognize you. You did that-you did that B-grade, geek magic thing. You pulled a-”

“Pulled the hat out of the rabbit,” the woman’s voice cleared up for him.

“A hat out of a rabbit, that’s right.” Danny walked over toward the body. “No, it was actually kind of disgusting.”

“Well, it was way worse for the rabbit.”

“Yeah, well, your drop was obvious,” Danny told her, “and your body shell is,” he picked up a hand and watched it fall, “is flimsy.” He dropped the empty shell, picking up the couch’s compartment. “So if you wouldn’t mind crawling out from under my couch and leav-” The sound of a straw being sipped within an empty cup rang throughout the apartment.

“Ta-da!” the woman responded to his surprised look. “Now I’m sitting over here. Crazy! By the way, that rabbit thing, that was like eight years ago, okay?”

Danny shook his head, walking toward the girl and grabbing some rope as she claimed to have gotten better at her magic since then. Danny took the now empty cup from her. “Have you? Okay, come here.” He started tying her hands. “What is it you want?”

“Well, I wanted to meet you,” she admitted as she watched Danny. “Everybody, really. I wanna be part of The Eye.” Danny tied the knot tightly, looking up at her. “Okay? I said it. I do. And I wanna use my magic for good. Like you and Merritt and Jack, especially.”

Danny looked at her again. “Oh, that’s right. I know that Jack is alive. I know that he, and Sutton, faked their own deaths. I am a huge fan of faking deaths! That was crazy!” Danny finished the knot. “What is this?” the girl asked. “Trucker’s hitch? Terrible.” She took the rope off with ease, handing it back to Danny.

“Embarrassing,” she told Danny as he pulled her arms behind her back, trying again to tie them. “By the way, I’m so sorry that Henley left you. Ow! God!” she yelled as Danny pulled the rope a little too tight out of anger. He apologized. “That’s actually a little better. You know what I heard? About Henley?”

Danny rolled his eyes. He knew why Henley left. Who cares about what this freak had heard? “I heard she got tired of waiting around. She lost faith so she asked for an out, and The Eye gave it to her. But who knows, right? In matters of the heart, so difficult to tell. I mean, maybe she got sick of you. You ever think about that? Control issues. Maybe you just didn’t tie her up tight enough. Ow!”

Danny cleared his throat, tired of her talking about things she obviously didn’t know. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. Uh, you’re going to stay here and stop talking.” He made for the landline that Dylan insisted they have. “I’m going to make a phone call and in about five minutes, some people are going to-” He looked back at the girl but she was gone. 

Just then, he got a text message. He was hopeful, praying it was Sutton. Instead, it was Dylan calling a meeting for tonight. He shook his head, leaning against the counter.

“Shit,” Danny heard the one voice he wanted to hear, curse.