Greating and Salutations my Dear firends. I do hope you are in enjoying the show...Sorry I mean stories, I've seen alot of people like the last one i put up so i hope i don't dissapoint you this time. So without further adue ON WITH TEH SHOW!
P.S. I own nothing but my OC's.
EPISODE 7 – WE'RE ON THE GYPSY CARAVAN
"Grammy Flash always said 'The trouble with an eye for an eye is that everybody ends up blind'."
- The Flash. Justice League Unlimited
Greetings and Bonjour, faithful readers. The latest adventure of the Toon Master and the Super Stars finds Tony and his team in the beautifully romantic world of Paris. This popular tourist planet is situated in a galaxy that many people consider to be the artistic center of Toon World. It may also be Dr. Claw's next target for invasion.
Earlier today, the Super Stars received a tip that Claw's forces were mobilizing in this area. As of yet, however, they have not been able to find any evidence of this.
Tony stood on the observation platform overlooking the Seine River and gazed out at the city around him. Cyclists and mopeds weaved through the narrow streets that separated the older stone buildings from the newer ones made of steel and glass. Sweet fragrances from the flowers in The Luxembourg Gardens wafted across the water. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower proudly rose above the horizon. Tony looked behind him to see the stained glass windows of Notre Dame staring back. The cathedral's bells sang with joy at the new visitors in their city.
I wonder if the Paris back on Earth is as great as this, thought Tony. His mind had been more on sightseeing than reconnaissance on this trip, but he had paid attention long enough to reach the same conclusion his teammates had.
"M.A.D. is nowhere on this world," said Jim. It was true; a whole day of searching and not a robotic agent or flying death machine in sight.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" asked Tony. He was disappointed that there were no agents to fight, but at least that meant Paris still had its freedom.
"Yes," said Mary, hesitantly. "It's just weird. Mr. Weasel is usually such a good source of information."
Tony shrugged. "So he got a bad tip," he said dismissively. "No one's perfect; not even him."
"Well, I'm not surprised he was wrong," said Tom haughtily. "Frankly, I've always thought he was a little bizarre. I mean, what kind of a name is 'Weasel'?"
"Tom, I Am Weasel is an actual weasel," explained Penny. "You know: short, furry body, has a tail."
"And is remarkably well educated for a rodent," added Mary.
"True," said Penny. "Well, since this mission was a bust, I suppose we should be heading back to Toon Town."
"Or…," said Jim, dragging out the word. "We could stick around a while."
"What for?" asked Tom, confused.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we're in Paris!" Jim stressed the last word as he spread his arms, indicating the city around them. "I mean, come on – Paris: The City of Lights. As long as we're here, we might as well try to salvage some fun from this trip."
Tony, Tom, and Mary were all enthusiastic about the idea. They'd been working all day and deserved a little recreation time. Penny seemed like she wanted to, but was still thinking about their duty as heroes. "Well, we probably should get back…"
Tony interrupted her by placing his arms on her shoulders and leaning in close. "You know, Penny," he said in his sweetest and smoothest voice, "I may never get to visit Paris back on Earth. This could be my only chance to take it in. You wouldn't want to deprive me of that cultural experience, would you?"
Penny looked at Tony with her eyebrows raised. She obviously hadn't believed a word. Nonetheless, a slow smile crossed her face. "Well, if we were to stay, what would we do?"
"We could go to the Louvre Museum," suggested Mary.
"We should take one of those bus tours," said Tony.
"Le Cirque de Magique Magnifique," said Tom.
The Super Stars discussed it for a minute and decided that the circus sounded like the best plan. "Good idea, Tom," said Tony. "How'd you come up with that?"
"Huh?" Tom shook his head and looked around. "Were we talking about something? I was just reading that flyer." He pointed to a light pole with flyers and posters of all colors plastered all over it. One of the most recent looking flyers advertised a travelling circus that was performing that night in the Parc de la Villette. The acts listed on the bottom of the paper included clowns, acrobats, animal tamers and a special magical finale.
"Well Tom, it was still a good idea," said Tony, slapping Tom on the back even though he still didn't know what they were talking about.
The Parc de la Villette is the largest park in the city of Paris. Circuses and other performing companies put on shows there all through the tourist season. When Tony and his friends arrived that night, several colorful tents and booths were set up on the grass. Sellers called out their wares to the many people passing by. The smell of popcorn and peanuts was almost overpowering. The trumpeting of elephants and the roar of lions could be heard in the distance. Clowns bopped, bashed, and squirted each other with water, giving their guests a preview before the show.
The five teenagers walked up and down the grounds, gazing at the many sights, when they saw a familiar face in the crowd belonging to a tall muscular man in shining plate-mail armor. It was Phoebus, captain of the city guardsmen, sitting atop his horse, Achilles. With his stern gaze, he was keeping a close eye on all the circus workers and performers. In the past, he had some trouble with another travelling circus stealing from its audience and Phoebus was slow to forget old suspicions.
The Super Stars had met with Captain Phoebus when they first arrived in Paris. The captain had been doubtful about the Super Stars claim that Dr. Claw was plotting within his city, however, for the safety of the citizens, he had allowed the teen heroes full access to all city areas. He seemed very pleased to hear that the Super Stars had found no trace of M.A.D.
"I told you," said Phoebus. "No M.A.D. agent would be able to enter the city without my knowledge. When it comes to the safety of Paris, I am never wrong."
Achilles snorted and rolled his large brown eyes. Phoebus noticed, but declined in giving the horse the satisfaction of responding. "So, if M.A.D. isn't in Paris, what brings you all here?"
"We figured, as long as we're in town, we'd come to see the show," answered Mary.
"Is Esmeralda around?" asked Tony, looking closely at each passing circus performer.
"My wife has agreed to be in the show tonight," said Phoebus, a little gruffly. It seemed as if he didn't like the idea, but said nothing against it. "The ringmaster convinced her to replace a dancer who was taken ill. Apparently, someone in the circus knows Esmeralda and recommended her."
Tony and friends said goodbye to Phoebus and hurried to the Big Top as the band inside the tent signaled the beginning of the show. The inside of the Big Top was already packed and more people were streaming in from other entrances. The Super Stars spotted an empty wooden bench and had just settled down when a small, but strong voice spoke behind them.
"Pardon me, but my friends and I cannot see."
The teenagers turned around and saw twelve young girls in yellow hats and coats. Tony's attention was drawn to the red-headed girl at the end of the row. She was easily the smallest of the group, but was also the only one not looking shyly at the older kids in front of her. The girl's little arms were folded up tight and her sweet face was drawn up in a scowl.
"I said, we cannot see the show," the little girl repeated. The other girls next to her nodded their agreement.
Mary stated to apologize. "Oh, I'm awfully sorry. What's your name, little one?"
Tony answered for her. "You're Madeline, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am and I may be little, but inside, I'm big," said the girl smartly.
Sitting at the other end of the line of girls was a tall thin woman wearing the black robes and habit of a nun. "Madeline, be polite," she gently admonished and then addressed the Super Stars. "I am Miss Clavel, the girls' teacher and caretaker. I am sorry for Madeline's rudeness. She has always been protective of her friends."
"Not a problem at all, Miss Clavel," said Mary. "We could switch seats, if it's easier for the girls."
Once everyone had switched seats, Madeline became instantly friendlier toward the Stars. She introduced them to all her friends and even pointed out her friend Pepito, the son of the Spanish ambassador. Pepito and his family were sitting across the tent in one of the top boxes set aside for royalty and politicians. He waved when he saw Madeline pointing at him.
Everyone quieted down as the lights dimmed and the show began. The first act was a display of flexibility and dexterity by the acrobats. They could bend their bodies into fantastic and painful-looking shapes. The trapeze artists were good too. They swung high in the air with no safety net. Some people might think that acts such as these might have lost their appeal to Tony since he had acquired powers that basically allowed him to do the same thing. However, Tony still enjoyed watching other people do it, especially since he knew that these performers could do it without powers.
The clowns put on a hilarious second act. All three rings in the Big Top contained white-faced, red-nosed, big-shoed clowns doing all kinds of slapstick. The animal tamers were next and Tony had to admit that this particular act did seem a bit stale. He had faced scarier enemies than a few large cats; still the part where the lion played piano while a tiger sang the score to South Pacific was impressive.
The second to last act was the dancing recital starring the gypsy, Esmeralda. Her vibrant outfit set off her dark skin. Her long black hair swung with her body in tune with the music. Every eye was on her as she twirled around the center ring and when she was done, she received the loudest applause yet.
"She is a wonderful dancer," observed Penny.
"I wish I could dance like that," said one of Madeline's little friends.
"Time for the big magic finale," said Tom excitedly.
Jim leaned over and whispered just loudly enough for Tom and Tony to hear him. "How good could this magic show be?" he asked dismissively. "I mean, we've seen real magic. Any tricks this hack does will be just smoke and mirrors."
Tom looked down at the ground, disappointed. Tony punched Jim on the arm and said, "Jim, don't ruin this for Tom. Besides, seeing this kind of magic is cool. It takes a lot of skill to pull of that kind of illusion."
Jim just rolled his eyes, but he kept quiet. The ringmaster entered the tent to announce the finale.
"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages; we hope you have enjoyed our show tonight. For our closing act, we have a real treat. We present to you: the mistress of the mystical, the shaman of the supernatural, an angel of the arcane. Please put your hands together for SCARLET!"
A cloud of red smoke erupted right under the ringmaster's feet. It obscured him and the center ring from view. The smoke began to clear a few seconds later and a dark silhouette could be seen standing in the ring. The figure raised her arms and the smoke blew out the tent openings. The figure was a teenage girl with dark skin and jet black hair, just like Esmeralda's. She must have been a gypsy too. She was wearing a flowing robe of deep crimson that showed off her slim figure.
Scarlet smiled and waved to the audience. "Thank you. Thank you, everyone." She spoke in a very thick accent that was somewhere between Gypsian and Russian. She clasped her hands and when she released them, she was holding a large red cloth. "I would like to introduce you to my lovely assistant." A stagehand placed a small wooden stool next to Scarlet. The young magician threw the cloth over the stool and pulled it off to reveal a very confused Tom sitting on the stool and looking around wildly. Tony, Penny, and Mary all turned to the spot on the bench where Tom had been sitting. Sure enough, he wasn't there.
Scarlet gave a small laugh. "Well, perhaps 'lovely' isn't the right word to use." She walked slowly around Tom, looking him up and down. "Well, darling, if you're going to be my assistant, you are going to have to dress the part." She threw the cloth over Tom's head and quickly pulled it off. Tom was still there, but now he was wearing a short black dress and high heels. The audience roared with laughter.
"How does that feel, my dear?" asked Scarlet.
"Um…breezy," said Tom. He held his down below his waist to try to cover himself up.
"Yes, I know what you mean," said Scarlet. "It doesn't really suit you does it. How about this?" The cloth went on and off Tom again. This time he wore a grey pin-striped suit and was carrying a briefcase.
"A bit formal for the circus, wouldn't you say?" said Scarlet. The cloth swooshed again and Tom was in a bathing suit, tank top, and sandals.
"Surfs up, darling. Still not right though." One more time and Tom was in full army camouflage gear with black paint on his face.
"I just love a man in uniform," said Scarlet. She shrugged, threw the cloth over Tom's head and returned him to his original jeans and T-shirt. "There you are. I even had them dry cleaned for you.
The audience screamed and applauded. Scarlet took a bow as Tom felt his clothes to make sure they were really there.
"You've been a tremendous help, my dear. Enjoy the rest of the show." Scarlet threw the cloth over Tom one more time. He disappeared from the stool and reappeared back in his seat in the stands.
"Whoa, Tom that was great," said Tony.
"What was that like, Tom?" asked Penny. "How do you feel?"
Tom hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure. Although I do wish she had let me keep the suit."
Tony turned to Jim, still applauding. "If that was just a trick, it was pretty darn good, ay Jim? Jim?" Jim wasn't answering. Tony looked closer at his friend. Jim was staring intently at Scarlet. His eyes weren't even blinking. His tongue was hanging out of his open mouth.
"Jim!" shouted Tony.
Jim shook himself and finally answered. "That is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Tony had to admit that Scarlet was very pretty.
Scarlet was getting ready to do her last trick. "For this last bit of magic, I will need someone from the audience. This time I look for volunteer."
Several people raised their hands, but faster by far was Madeline who, despite Miss Clavel's protests, bounded down the steps and ran up to Scarlet. "I would like to be in you're trick."
Scarlet bent down to the little French girl. "Thank you, little one. Do you have any performing experience?"
"I traveled on a gypsy caravan once," said Madeline.
For a split second, a look a grave sorrow passed across Scarlet's face, but she recovered immediately. "Well, that's perfect. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the magnificent Madeline." Madeline waved to the audience as they cheered. "Now, my dear, I need you to remain perfectly still." Madeline clenched her muscles and did her best not to move or even breathe. Scarlet waved her arms dramatically a recited:
Powers of wind
And powers of sky
Send this brave child
Way up high
There was a loud crack and a flash of light and Madeline was gone. Scarlet pointed above her head and looked up. The audience followed her gaze and gasped as one entity. Madeline was sitting on a unicycle on the tightrope at the top of the tent. Most children might be scared, but Madeline was laughing as she worked on maintaining her balance.
Miss Clavel was beside herself. "Mon dieu. Be careful, my petite Madeline."
"Not to worry friends," reassured Scarlet. "The child is in no danger." Scarlet snapped her fingers and fires burst to life under the ladders on the two poles the tightrope was tied to. The fire quickly shot up the ladders until they were completely consumed. "Now that could be troublesome," admitted Scarlet.
Some people in the audience started screaming. Madeline had noticed the fire now and was starting to get a little nervous.
Scarlet was the only calm one in the tent. "Please, please, my friends, settle down. If it upsets you so much, I will bring the girl down." Scarlet pointed at one end of the tightrope. A small flash of light and the rope broke apart. The audience screamed even louder. Scarlet spun her hands and the rope followed her movements like a charmed snake. The rope twisted itself into a spiral and Madeline gently rode the unicycle down that spiral. As soon as she touched the ground, the twin fires snuffed out and the rope re-attached itself to the pole.
Scarlet held Madeline's hand and they both bowed to a standing ovation. The Super Stars, the little girls, and Pepito all clapped hard until their palms hurt. The only ones not clapping and cheering were Miss Clavel, who looked like she may have fainted, and Jim, who was drooling over Scarlet so much he was sitting in a puddle of water.
As Scarlet and Madeline were taking a second bow, the top of the Big Top burst into flames. A rain of sparks floated down and fizzled out just inches above the heads of the cheering audience.
"What a finally," cried Tom, waving his hands in the air.
"Yeah, but don't you think that's over doing it a bit," commented Penny, indicating the now burning tent.
Mary had stopped clapping and was looking around at the edge of the tent. "Guys, I don't think this is part of the show."
I already know what your thinking and no. I did not get teh idea of Scralet from MARVEL COMICS the scralet whitch. I just happened that way. So Review and tell me what you think.