Chapter 19: Illusions of Grandeur
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. I'd like to give a shoutout to my buddy masters123lfm whose birthday is coming up. I hope you all like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.
We find ourselves at Metropolis High as the group was talking with Jess.
"Wow, you guys actually made new friends?" Jess said surprised.
"Yeah we did." They smirked.
"I gave Lois a chance and so far we're pretty close. I even started talking to that Lila girl." Marinette said.
"I met a guy named Luka he saved me from Doris trying to put me in the locker again." Karen smiles.
"I met this wimp Garth. He's a nerd but he knows a lot of cool video games." Kara admits.
"I too have found companionship. Zoe is a true lover of the arts and history." Diana said.
"I met a guy named Nathaniel. He is a brilliant illustrator and his drawings are amazing. He's even letting help with his comic book." Barbara said surprising Sam and Marinette.
"Nathaniel? Wait did he have red hair and a grey jacket?" Marinette asks.
"How'd you know?" Babs asks.
"Because he's a friend from our world." Sam said surprising them.
"Wow small universe." Babs said.
"Looks like this version wasn't much of a change." Marinette said.
"Well I met this amazing girl named Aurore. She is very stylish and has good taste in clothes and fashion." Zee said.
"Aurore…where have we heard that name before?" Marinette said as she and Sam paused a few seconds before gasping.
"Stormy Weather!" They both realized.
"Who?" Jess asks.
"Stormy Weather, she was a super villain that could control the weather. She was one of the toughest villains we fought." Marinette said.
"Are you saying my new BF Is a super villain?" Zee gasps.
"Not exactly. She wasn't evil, it actually her akumatized form when Hawkmoth corrupted her into doing his dirty work to steal our Miraculous." Sam corrects.
"That's a relief." Zee sighs.
"Well I made a friend with a girl named Kagami. Boy she has great skills with a sword. I'm just glad she is not an Amazon or I would be dead." Sam said.
"Oh uh excuse me guys. I just remembered I had to do something. So I'll be right back." Zee said getting up to leave.
"What was that about? Zee seemed to be in a hurry." Sam asks.
"Who knows?" Marinette shrugs.
"It's probably just her dad's show." Jess assumes.
"Her dad has a show too?" Marinette asks.
"Oh yeah and she plays his assistant." Karen nods.
"Funny. When she's the magician I have to be her assistant." Sam said getting up.
At her locker, Zee opens it to find a ticket inside.
"Alright Zee this is your big chance. Don't blow it." Zee said taking a deep breath.
"Hey Zee. Is everything alright?" Sam asks walking over. "You rushed out in quite a hurry."
"Oh uh Sam great timing. Do you have any plans tonight?" Zee asks running a hand through her hair.
"Not really." Sam shrugs.
"Well as you probably heard tonight is my daddy's show and it's totally sold out but since you are my assistant I was able to get you one. That is if you want to go?" Zee asks.
"Seriously? I'd love too." Sam smiles.
"Oh thanks darling you're the best." Zee said pecking him on the cheek. "Be here at 7:30. Ta ta." Zee waves heading out.
"Wow. I've never seen Zee so happy like that before." Sam blushes cupping his cheek.
"I'll say. I wonder why?" Faang said interested.
Later that night, at a fancy hotel we see a magician was on stage performing. He had tan skin, black hair and a magician's tux. This was Giovanni Zatara, Zee's dad.
"Thank you. Thank you. Please, a round of applause for my charming daughter." Zatara gestures to Zee who was in a pink dress and waving at the audience before winking at Sam who was in the audience.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, we've come to my final trick of the evening. A trick so risky, so daring, that the squeamish among you may want to look away." Zatara warns drawing his wand and summoning a dresser. "Tonight, I will make my lovely assistant... disappear."
Walking into it, Zee closes the door and Giovanni waves his wand.
"Spirits beyond. I summon thee here. Heed my command. Make this girl disappear." Giovanni chants making it spin rapidly. "Behold." When he opens the cabinet Zee was gone.
"Whoa that was impressive." Sam said as he and audience applauded.
As Giovanni took a bow, a portal appeared backstage and Zee popped out with a sad expression on her face.
Later that night after the show, Sam and Faang met up with her.
"Well now we know where your dramatic flare comes from." Faang said
"Zee that was amazing. You and your dad make an amazing team." Sam compliments.
"Hmm yeah I guess." Zee said brushing her hair.
"It's like I'm hanging out with a big celebrity." Sam smiles.
"Maybe. But I'm about to be even bigger." Zee smiles determined.
"Wait you're quitting the show?" Sam gasps.
"Oh no that would break poor daddy's heart." Zee said stepping behind a changing board changing into her magician's outfit. "But I am working on my own act. One day people will know the name, Zee Zatara." She said stepping out. "And that darling is another reason I asked you over."
"Wait what?" Sam said confused.
The next day he was at the pier in his assistant's tux.
"Whenever you're ready." Zee said handing him the megaphone.
Clearing his throat, Sam took a deep breath before turning it on. "Prepare yourselves ladies and gentlemen, for an experience unlike any other. This is the great and powerful Zee Zatara, Princess of Presdi…Uh what's this word?" Sam whispers.
"Prestidigitation." Zee whispers.
"Prestidigitation." Sam repeats.
But for some reason the crowd was focused on something else instead.
Narrowing her eyes, Zee grabs Sam by the arm and pulls him to an opening where they see a man with tons of dark makeup doing magic tricks. This was Ace of Spades.
"Well that's an interesting look." Sam said.
"Right here. Eyes on me. Ready? Heads or tails?" He asks holding out a coin.
"Heads." A woman said as he switched hands and tossed another coin up in the air.
"Did you see that? He totally switched hands." Zee gasps.
Looking at the coin we see it was heads.
"Ugh. A double-headed coin? Really? How uninspired. What's he going to do next, the detachable thumb trick?" Zee asks.
"You mean like that?" Sam points revealing him doing the same trick and the crowd went nuts.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Zee facepalms.
Next was a card trick. "All right. Pick a card, any card. Go ahead. Go ahead." Ace said as the woman pulled out the Ace of Spades and put it back in the deck. "Okay, ready? Watch this. Watch. Ready? Wait for it..." Reaching to his shirt he rips it open revealing the Ace of Spades. "Is this your card?"
Instantly the crowd went nuts applauding him.
"Well that's a little disturbing." Sam cringed.
Having had enough, Zee storms over to Ace.
"That isn't magic. You're nothing but an overly-leathered, flimflam man." Zee said smacking the cards out of his hand revealing them all to be the Ace of Spades. "See?"
"Is this guy for real?" Sam cringed.
"He's turned them all into aces of spades." A kid cheers.
"He's incredible." Someone else said.
"Oh please you call that magic? I'll show you magic." Zee said taking out her wand.
"She wouldn't." Sam cringed.
Waving her wand Zee made the flowers on one guy's shirt disappear and reappear as real flowers, he gave a bald guy a full head of hair and turned confetti into butterflies.
"Well it was fun having a secret identity while it lasted." Sam sighs thinking it was over.
"Fake!" Someone called out shocking Zee, Sam and even Faang who was in his pocket.
As Ace walks away the crowd followed him.
"You could learn a thing or two from Ace of Spades."
"His magic is raw and real."
"Raw and Real?" Zee growls in disbelief.
"Unbelievable. You did some of the most amazing tricks I ever saw in front of a crowd and they called it fake?" Sam said.
"Well I'll be damned. Plagg was right. People really are blind." Faang said.
"Come on Zee let's go find a better audience. These people are idiots." Sam said walking over to her.
"Raw and Real?! I'll show them Raw and Real!" Zee snaps as she began to float and a dark blue aura surrounded her.
"Zee?" Sam gulps nervously.
"This does not look good." Faang gulps.
Raising her wand, Zee chants something before firing a blast of magic at Ace.
"All right. Look. Watch. Eyes on me. Is this your card?" Ace asks opening his shirt to reveal his tattoo had changed to a scary looking demon.
"Ta da." Zee smirks.
"Uh, that's not even a card. What kind of magician are you?" A woman said as the crowd ditched him.
"So who wants ice cream?" Zee asks calming down.
"Uh…" Sam and Faang pause as Zee walks away.
"Faang did you see that?" Sam asks.
"I did. Note to self. Never get on Zee's bad side." Faang said.
"Noted." Sam said following after her.
When everyone was gone Ace suddenly felt a movement under his shirt.
Confused he looks to see a dark creepy smile peeking out from it.
Panicking her tried to get rid of it tons of gremlins emerged scaring the daylights out of him.
Sitting down, Zee and Sam were sharing a sundae.
"Zee what was that back there?" Sam asks concerned.
"I know, it was a complete disaster." Zee said thinking he meant the show.
"Uh actually I…" Sam cringed.
Behind them nobody noticed the people screaming.
"I just want to show the world what I can do. The kind of magician I really am. I just want to touch an audience." Zee said.
"And you will. I know someday the world is gonna think you're an amazing magician Zee." Sam assures.
"You think so?" Zee smiles softly.
"I know so." Sam smiles.
However, this sweet moment was ruined when a gremlin jumped down right on their ice cream grossing them both out.
"What the heck was that?!" Sam said.
Looking around both saw the gremlins running around the pier spreading chaos wherever they went.
"Sam, what's happening?" Zee asks freaking out.
"Wait those faces…just like the tattoo you put on Ace." Sam gasps.
"My spell? But my magic can't do something like this. But I was angry. This is all my fault. What do I do? What do I do?" Zee panics when Faang flew out of Sam's pocket and slaps her.
"Get it together woman! This is no time for crying! Time to hero up!" Faang said.
"Faang's right Zee. Let's take these things down." Sam said.
"You're right. Time to teach these monsters a lesson." Zee grins.
"Faang, Teeth Out!" Sam said as his bracelet glowed and he turned into Silver Claw while Zee changed into her hero form.
However just as they were about to spring into action a gremlin landed in Zatanna's hair.
"Ew! Ew! Ew! Get it off!" Zatanna screams throwing it off. "Okay now's the time for heroing!"
In one area of the pier a mother and her baby were running for their lives as two groups of gremlins chased after them in bumper cars.
Struggling to catch up with them Zatanna noticed a carousel nearby.
Using her magic on one of the horses Zatanna was easily able to catch up with the gremlins.
Firing her magic she split the gremlins up into 2 groups sending one group crashing into the kids area.
Rushing over there, Silver Claw saw the bumper car crash near the playground.
"Where are you?" Silver Claw drew his sword when he saw two trying to get into the bounce house.
Taking a few steps back, Silver Claw charged in and leaped at them but ended upgoing inside with them.
Looking up Silver Claw started bouncing around as the bounce house was full of gremlins.
Seeing him the gremlins dog-piled on top of him laughing.
"Get off of me!" Silver Claw yells kicking them off him.
Getting up, the gremlins see Silver Claw across from them.
"Alright you little demons come get some!" Silver Claw said taking stance.
Grinning all of them bounced around the bounce house to attack Silver Claw who tries to fight them off.
Bouncing up Silver Claw kicks one Gremlin when two more come at him from different angles knocking him down and his sword loose.
"Ooh." Bending down one gremlin picked it up making Silver Claw gasp.
"No! No! No! Put that down! If you use that this thing will—" Before Silver Claw could finish the gremlin stabbed the bounce house causing the whole thing to deflate and drop down on top of them. "Yeah...that."
Just outside, Zatanna was chasing the gremlins when the mother neared the edge of the pier.
Acting quickly Zatanna fired a blast of magic sending one bumper car flying over the mother and child and going splash into the water.
"One down." Zatanna said when she heard more gremlins cackling.
Turning around she saw the second group in the bumper car trying to get away and flies after.
Seeing Zatanna race alongside them, the gremlins rammed into her sending Zatanna crashing next to the deflated bounce house as the gremlins ran out of it.
"Zatanna help!" Silver Claw yells getting her attention.
Looking to the deflated mess, she tried to find the entrance but was having no luck.
"Just use your sword to cut yourself free. I can't find the exit." Zatanna said.
"Why don't you just teleport me out?" Silver Claw suggests.
"Oh yeah." Zatanna snaps her fingers and Silver Claw appeared next to her.
Running back outside they look in horror to see the gremlins all over the pier making a mess of everything.
"What do we do? They're just so dreadfully evil." Zatanna asks.
Looking around Silver Claw noticed two fighting over a stuffed animal before it ripped in half. At first they were sad but then they started laughing.
"Wait a minute, these things are acting like little kids. They're not evil they just want to have fun." Silver Claw gestures to show they really were just playing around. They just want to be entertained."
"Well, if it's entertainment these gremlins want, it's entertainment they shall have." Zatanna said changing back into her magician's outfit. "And that my darling assistant is where you come in."
A few minutes later, Sam walked out in his assistant's tux and had a megaphone in his hand.
"Ladies and gentle-monsters, prepare yourselves for a magical experience like nothing you've ever seen before! This is the great and powerful Zee Zatara, princess of prestidigitation!" Sam declares as Zee appears on stage getting all the gremlin's attention.
"All right, you little beasts, who'd like to be entertained?" Zee asks making them cheer.
Using her wand, Zee shot fireworks into the sky.
As Sam held out a deck of cards, he held them out and Zee pulled one out revealing it to be the Ace of hearts.
Tapping it with her wand the color changed to purple along with Sam's tux and then to green making everyone cheer.
Next Zee made 3 large rings float around the stage before lifting Sam up.
"Uh Zee this is a little weird." Sam cringed.
"Don't worry I got you." Zee giggles.
Floating like a plank Sam floated through the 3 rings as if to show there were no wires.
"And now we've come to my final trick of the evening. A trick so risky, so daring, that the squeamish among you may wish to look away. I will make my lovely assistant... disappear." Zee said making the same dresser her father made in the show last night.
"Wait this trick." Sam realized.
"Oh lovely assistant." Zee hints.
Slowly stepping in, Sam took a deep breath as the door closed.
"Now watch closely, my fiendish friends. Spirits beyond, I summon thee here, heed my command, make this boy disappear." Zee chants as the dresser began to glow and spin around.
When the spinning stopped Zee opened it revealing Sam was gone.
"Behold!" Zee said making all the gremlins cheer wildly. "Now, do I have any volunteers from the audience?"
As all the gremlins scrambled to get into the dresser nobody noticed a portal open up behind it and Sam stepped out.
Once all the gremlins were inside, Sam slammed the door shut.
"Now Zee!" Sam said.
"Snilmerg eb enog!" Zee casts making the dresser and all the gremlins inside it disappear. "Tada!"
"You did it! That was incredible!" Sam smiles in awe.
"Fake!" A man in the crowd said.
As Zee hangs her head in shame, Sam glares at the man.
"Give me a second." Sam said walking off stage.
Grabbing a soda from a table Sam throws it in the jerk's face.
"Aaah! What the hell?!" He snaps.
"You what the hell jerk." Sam said pulling him close. "She just saved your life and you call her magic fake? I'd like to see your loser Ace of Spades do something half as decent."
Shoving him away, Sam turns to see Zee take off her hat and sit on a bench.
"Why do I even try? How can I be the world's greatest magician if no one even likes my acts?" Zee groans.
"I like your shows." Sam said sitting next to her.
"You do?" Zee said looking up.
"Yeah, they may think your magic is fake but I know you're a great magician Zee and as your assistant, I'm pretty sure it's my job to help you become great. Besides those people were idiots. They wouldn't know an amazing magician if she was standing right in front of them." Sam smiles gesturing to her making her giggle.
"Sam, you're the best assistant a magician could ask for." Zee smiles.
Leaning in she was about to reward him with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey it's what I-" Turning around to answer her and before Sam could finish Zee leans in and accidentally kissed him in the lips making both blush bright red.
"Uh…" Both said unsure what to say.
"Whoa." Faang said not expecting this.
"So uh…how about we hit up Sweet Justice and get ourselves a replacement sundae?" Sam suggests.
"Uh y-yeah good idea." Zee said.
As they walked away both were thinking about one thing.
'Oh man I can't believe that just happened.' Sam thought.
'I can't believe I actually kissed him. Maybe today wasn't a total disaster after all.' Zee thought.
'Oh man I was right to be suspicious. Zee likes Sam? Guess Marinette is gonna have some competition.' Faang thought as this magical day just ended on a really magical note.