Summary: A traveling circus comes to New York City, "Marvel's Celestial Menagerie" has a reputation. However, Marvel himself seems to be hiding a secret.
Chapter 1: Marvel's Celestial Menagerie
The smell of sawdust and sweet roasted peanuts filled the air as the familiar hum of activity in the circus tents continued like any other day. But today, the buzz among Barnum's performers had an edge to it. Whispers floated through the tent city of a new act in town, something none of them had seen or heard of before.
"Marvel's Celestial Menagerie", huh?" Barnum muttered, pacing behind the bleachers as Phillip Carlyle caught up with him, raising an eyebrow at the news.
"You've heard of them?" Carlyle asked, smoothing out his waistcoat as he walked. There was an air of caution in his voice, something Barnum hadn't heard since the darker days of their venture together.
"No. Not once," Barnum admitted. "But apparently, they're good."
Phillip nodded. The rumors had spread quickly throughout New York—another circus, one that had swept into town like a whisper on the wind. No one knew much about them, except their name: Marvel's Celestial Menagerie. They hadn't bothered with grand fanfare or advertisements like Barnum's American Museum. No posters, no parades. Just word of mouth, carried by the few who had managed to see a performance outside the city.
"They sound elusive. And—dangerous. Should we be worried about our numbers dipping?" Phillip said with a sideways glance at Barnum.
"I don't like competition I can't see," Barnum replied, eyes narrowing as he considered the possibilities. "We need to find out who they are, and fast."
Meanwhile, in the Performers' Tent
Lettie Lutz was already tuning her voice, preparing for the evening's show, but the excitement buzzing through the tent was distracting. Across the room, Anne Wheeler practiced on her trapeze, though she couldn't help but listen to the chatter from the crew.
"You think they're really that good?" Anne asked, wiping her hands after another graceful landing. She made her way to where Lettie stood.
"Apparently so," Lettie replied. "Nobody knows what kind of acts they have, but everyone's talking about their ringmaster. Young guy. They say his name is Marvel."
"Marvel?" Anne's eyebrow shot up. "Sounds pretentious."
"Maybe. But they say he's got something about him—a charm, a spark. People are calling him The Star Child or something like that."
Anne frowned. "Barnum isn't going to like this."
"Barnum never likes a challenge he can't outshine," Lettie grinned, thinking of their Ringmaster. "But I think he's more worried this time. Something about these Celestial Menagerie people is different."
At that moment, the flap of the tent opened, and Barnum and Philip entered, both looking a healthy mix of determination and dismay. Barnum cleared his throat, and the room fell silent, all eyes on him.
"I'm sure by now you've all heard the rumors," Barnum began, his voice carrying throughout the tent, loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "There's another circus in town. Marvel's Celestial Menagerie. I don't know what they're about, but we can't let them steal our spotlight. We've worked too hard to be eclipsed by anyone. Tonight's show—we bring our best. No mistakes. No half-hearted performances."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group, but there was also an undercurrent of curiosity, an unspoken question hanging in the air: Who exactly were they up against?
As if reading their thoughts, Phillip stepped forward. "I took the liberty of arranging for us to see their show tomorrow night. We need to know who they are. What they're capable of."
"Good idea," Barnum said, crossing his arms and nodding. "Tomorrow, we see what we're up against. And then we show this city why we're still the greatest show."
The Next Night: Outside Marvel's Celestial Menagerie
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over Marvel's Celestial Menagerie as Barnum, Philip, and a few of their performers approached the large tent. It wasn't grand like their own—it was mysterious, almost otherworldly, the canvas shimmering faintly in the moonlight as if enchanted. The canvas itself was a deep midnight blue and grey, contrasting the stereotypical circus red and yellow.
"This is it?" Lettie asked, looking up at the tent with skepticism. "Doesn't look like much."
Phillip smiled thinly. "That's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"
A low hum of music drifted from inside the tent— ethereal, haunting. It was nothing like the bright, bold sounds of Barnum's circus band. Instead, it felt as though the music itself was alive, pulling them closer. They exchanged uncertain glances before stepping inside. The tent opened into a dimly lit arena, filled with people, all of them captivated by the sight in the center ring. There, in the middle of it all, stood a young man. Marvel, there was little doubt.
He couldn't have been more than twenty-five, with striking silver-blond hair that seemed to catch the light at every angle. His coat was deep midnight blue, lined with silver stars sewn in that seemed to spread out as they reached further down the tailcoat, and his eyes gleamed with an intensity that was hard to look away from.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Marvel's voice was smooth, almost lyrical in cadence, as he addressed the crowd. "Welcome to Marvel's Celestial Menagerie, where dreams and stardust intertwine." The way he spoke, the way he moved was captivating. The audience hung on every word as if he were casting some kind of spell.
Marvel raised his arms, and the lights in the tent dimmed even further. From the shadows emerged performers unlike any they had ever seen—acrobats with glowing skin, contortionists who moved like liquid, and an aerialist who soared through the air with wings made of light. Barnum's troupe watched in stunned silence. The performances weren't just skilled. They were surreal, magical, as though they had stepped out of a dream.
"What... what is this?" Anne whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from the winged aerialist. She was well-versed with the systems used in aerial acts, and could usually pick out the hidden supports, but here there were none.
Barnum's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched at the sight. "This is going to be a problem."
Outside the Tent
After the show, as the crowds dispersed, Marvel caught sight of Barnum and his crew lingering by the entrance. He smiled—a slow, knowing smile—and sauntered over, hands tucked casually into his coat pockets. It was the walk of someone who knew they had nothing to be worried about.
"P.T. Barnum, I presume?" Marvel's voice was smooth, almost mocking, yet not quite antagonistic. He seemed genuinely intrigued by the older man. "I've heard quite a bit about you."
Barnum straightened, meeting Marvel's gaze with a calm intensity. "Likewise, Marvel. You've certainly made an impression." The older Ringmaster made a show of inspecting the other.
"Only the beginning," Marvel replied, his eyes twinkling with something close to mischief. "But don't worry, there's plenty of spotlight to go around. For the time being."
Barnum's lips pressed into a thin line, and Phillip stepped forward, shooting him a look as if to remind him to keep his cool. "We'll see about that," Barnum said, his voice low.
Marvel grinned. "Oh, I think we will."
As Marvel walked away, disappearing into the shadows of his circus, Barnum turned to his troupe, his eyes gleaming with renewed determination. "We're going to have to step it up," he said. "Because this... this is a war for the greatest show on Earth."
End Chapter:
So full disclosure, I haven't seen The Greatest Showman for... a good while so my memory on how all the characters acts may be fuzzy. This takes place a couple years after the movie. Also, this is an X-Men crossover, but it doesn't really come into play until the end. And no, Barnum is not Logan. Let me know what y'all think. Please? Anyways, on to the quote of the chapter.
Quote of the Chapter:
"How do you tell if it's a 6 or 9?" - HH, rolling dice
"If there's a 6 it has a line, if it's a 9 there's a line." *pause* "That's a 6 sided die." - J"B"W