DC: The Enchanter Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Circus

Frankly speaking, my mood is fucked up.


I wanted to relax for the day, have a calm day, and enjoy Zatanna's show.


However, things are never so peaceful, are they?


And after the interaction with Nightwing and Batwoman, I knew that I was in need of some sort of relaxation.


Thankfully, Zatanna was there to rescue me.


Looking at my watch, I knew I had to rush as it was almost 9 o'clock and the show was about to start.


By enchanting my body to jump high and land safely, I leaped through the roofs, making my way towards the location.


I was honestly surprised when I heard that the show was going to be held in Gotham.


I knew she had been hosting her shows in NYC, but I didn't expect her to pick Gotham for this show.


And I can bet she didn't think I was around Gotham either.


If not for that, I would have definitely been late.


Landing right next to the circus alley, I fixed my hair and adjusted my clothes.


I wasn't wearing anything fancy, but I couldn't just walk inside looking like a homeless guy. So, I brushed off the dirt that stuck to me near the bridge and tidied my hair.


I was grateful that I had this power; otherwise, I would have been in quite a lot of trouble having to fix my clothing.


Everything from removing the dirt to smoothing out the creases and even making my clothes smell good was done instantly using my ability.


Enchantment was truly special.


And with that, I made my way to the circus.


"Do you have a ticket?" the scrawny-looking guard asked.


He definitely wouldn't stop anyone if they tried to force themselves inside the show.


But I had my ticket, which I proudly flashed.


"Ah, a premium seat. I didn't think anyone was buying this."


This honestly left me speechless.


How bad must they be doing for even the security to be surprised seeing a front-row ticket buyer?


Not that I bought it, but the fact remains.


"You're clear," he said, barely checking my clothes.


"Aren't you going to check my pockets?"


At my question, he nearly laughed in my face, "Do you expect anyone to bring weapons to a show like this?"


Zatanna... Are you sure you're okay?


I was left speechless once again hearing this.


"Is the show not doing well?" I asked, to which the man sighed.


"'Well' is a strong word. We're barely making enough to survive. We don't even have enough for the prop repairs. They're dangerous to use without repairs, but we have no choice," he sounded defeated, "To be honest, I haven't been paid in two months, and if not for my day job, I wouldn't have survived."


Now, this made me curious, "Then why are you working here?"


He smiled, "To keep Mr. Zatara's legacy alive."


Mr. Zatara? Zatanna's father?


"Although he vanished years ago, and the show is being run by his daughter, most of us are still a part of this circus because of him."


This made me ask, "Was he a good host?"


This made him show an actual smile that surprised me. Until now, I had only seen his exhausted look.


"Oh, let me tell you. Mr. Zatara was a grand host. People would come just to listen to him. And when it came to his magic and tricks, people were crazy about them," he explained, "And while Zatanna's tricks are great, they don't have the same appeal to hook the audience's interest, something that Mr. Zatara was an expert at."


This made me smile, "Mr. Zatara must have been a good person for all of you to follow him."


He was ecstatic hearing this, "Definitely! He brought most of us from the streets, taught us magic, gave us a place to sleep, provided us with food and education," he smiled, "I cannot leave this place. It holds too many memories of him."


I...


I am honestly impressed. I only know Zatanna as a magician; other than that, I knew nothing about her past.


"Is he..."


"We don't know," he sounded sad, "He went missing years ago, and since then, Zatanna has been handling this circus. And while she's going above and beyond with her efforts, it just isn't the same without Mr. Zatara."


Seems like Zatanna hasn't been able to escape her father's shadow.


"But Zatanna is a hardworking lass. She hasn't given up, even after all this time," he smiled, "All I can do is wish her success."


Might not be the most cheerful, but she has people supporting her.


That's good.


"It's good to know that Zatanna has people rooting for her."


As I said this, he was taken by surprise.


"Do you know her?" he asked, making me nod.


"We share an apartment,"


This left him with his mouth wide open, "Did I... say too much?"


I laughed hearing this, "No, you just said enough for me to know her a little better. And honestly, I think she's an even more hardworking girl than before."


He nodded vigorously, "That she is!"


"I guess I should meet her once before the show," I said, "There's still a little time before it starts."


"Of course! I apologize for wasting your time."


I shook my head, "No, all you did was help me understand Zatanna a little better. I'm grateful for that."


"Just don't tell her that I told you these things," he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.


He's a nice man. It's nice to see that she has kind people around her.


Might not be the best for business, but definitely a great person to be with.


Walking inside, I could immediately see what he meant by business not being good.


There were only fifteen minutes left until the start of the show, and there were only four people besides me inside the tent.


Not to mention the poor quality of the seats, the stained curtains, and the flickering lights.


It wasn't the best, but I haven't been to many circuses to begin with.


I decided not to disturb Zatanna before the show; she must already have her hands full with everything.


So, I took a seat at the front and waited for the show to start.


Surprisingly, there was mellow music playing from around the corner.


It was quite pleasant and relaxing.


Enough for me to get engrossed in it.


The music must have been well-thought-out, as I wasn't even sure how quickly time passed. The fifteen minutes turned to ten, then to five, and before I knew it, the curtains opened, revealing a dwarf walking towards the center of the stage.


With his squirming steps, he made his way to the center, "Thank you, everyone, for coming to the show! While we're not new in Gotham, it's been a while since we were here. And it's great to see that people still came to watch us."


I wouldn't be that happy...


There were only five people, including me, and I got my ticket from Zatanna, which means only four people paid for the show.


"We have quite a few performances for the day!" he announced, "The Jokester Leroy-" he corrected himself mid-sentence, "who prefers to go by Jenkins now, and his performance."


He changed his name from... Leroy to Jenkins?


Interesting.


"Tall girl Bella's short stories!"


I see a pattern...


"Aerialist Jessica's sky show!"


Might be a bit interesting.


"Clown Pennywise's horror comedy!"


I have a bad feeling about this.


"And finally, the mistress of Magic Zatanna Zatara's show of wonders!"


Hearing the names of the others, this is possibly the only show I'm here for.


But let's give it a shot, shall we?


I mean, how bad could it be?


…

...


Murphy was a wise man.


The quote he spoke has never failed me.


Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.


And it did.


Leroy Jenkins? All he had in the name of jokes were dad jokes.


I fell asleep while Tall girl Bella was telling her stories, so I can't rate them.


The aerialist show was good, but it would have been better if they had better equipment. The lack of equipment and the poor condition of the existing ones made it difficult for the acrobat to perform as she would have liked.


Pennywise...


Let's not go there.


But now, it's time for the best part.


"Ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the long-awaited show!" the dwarf announced, "Please welcome the mistress of magic, Zatanna Zatara!"


And I was happy to see that Zatanna's entrance was exactly how I imagined it to be.


Spectacular.


The moment she entered, the lights turned off, but she was surrounded by a purple glow.


It was too expensive to be made by the use of gadgets, so it was definitely her magic.


As she walked forward, she extended her palm before blowing over it, and as she did that, a bunch of vibrantly colored butterflies flew above everyone.


Truly a beautiful sight.


By then, she hadn't noticed me, but as she walked forward, she did see me, at which I smiled.


This made her a little embarrassed, but she kept her smile and continued.


Taking off her hat, she showed us what was inside.


There was nothing, but as she put her hand inside it, she pulled out a rabbit.


It was interesting, however...


It was textbook circus magic.


She wasn't done as she continued to do many card tricks, swallow a bunch of handkerchiefs, and vanish water from a glass.


But it was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing original.


She kept sneaking peeks at me from time to time, trying to make out my expression.


Not wanting to discourage her, I kept my smile.


And after possibly a few dozen of the same tricks, she ended her performance by vanishing from the stage, finally getting a gasp from the only little kid watching the show.


However, I didn't want to discourage her and ended up clapping. Thankfully, the kid followed, which made the other three adults clap, even if they didn't want to.


I hope this at least made her a little happy.


But I won't know until I meet her.


Which I probably should do, shouldn't I?


And maybe, just maybe...


I have something that might help her and the circus.