Angier and Borden launch their own magic careers, with Angier working with Cutter and Borden with the mysterious Fallon. Angier sabotages one of Borden's performances when he slips a real bullet into Borden's pistol during a bullet-catch trick, resulting in Borden losing two of his fingers. Borden reciprocates by sabotaging Angier's disappearing bird act, killing the bird on stage and injuring a volunteer from the audience. Borden develops a trick he calls the Transported Man, in which he appears to travel instantly between two wardrobes on opposite ends of the stage. Unable to discern Borden's method, Angier hires a double, Gerald Root, to perform his own version of the trick. The imitation is a greater success, but Angier is dissatisfied, as he ends the trick hidden under the stage while Root basks in the applause.