"CCPD! Open the door!"
When John jumped out of the bed, Zatanna was still trying to remember what was going on. Within a few seconds of looking around and rumbling, John gathered her belongings and crossed through the windowpane to escape.
"We are too high. Can't get out alive." Zatanna looked around and pointed the vent pipe.
"What about that?"
"Not tall enough. Can't reach it."
A few seconds later, he saw something and smiled.
"Fancy a laundry trip?"
John opened the laundry tube's door, Zatanna pushed her backpack and sat there. As she slid into the tube, John jumped after her.
Right after he closed tube's door, he heard the sound of the police. "Shit, they are in there!" He shouted.
Their dark and downward journey felt as they were sliding on the water slide. As he slid to the side of the pipe with his foot to cut his speed, he heard the girl's voice and called out. "Zee, get away. I don't want to kill you!"
Then he fell from two meters into the dirty laundry.
"My God... It stinks here."
Zatanna was already up and looking for her backpack. "We need to get out of here before the hotel staff comes here."
"We need to change our clothes first. Police will be out there, searching for us crazy."
After that, they started to find something to wear in thousands of clothes in there. They didn't want to waste time so they just grabbed something can fit them.
"Turn around John. I'm changing." She was ready with the tights and t-shirt she held but he couldn't find anything.
"Zee, I'm standing in the middle of free clothes heaven. The last thing I want to do now is seeing you naked. You can change your clothes anywhere you want."
He held a shirt and a tie but he still couldn't find a trouser that can fit him. He thought these people must be rich. They have so much money that they don't leave their houses and eat food every day. If this was not the situation he was dealing with, he couldn't explain how hundreds of fat people came together.
"Okay. I'm done." She said. As he turned into her, he saw she was smiling. "Aren't you a bit young to wear leather tights and jackets? Also, what are these on your hand? Fishnets? You are 13 dude..."
She threw a trouser to him and ground. "Stop your stupid jokes. I am about to die from joke poisoning."
After he wore what he held, they were ready to go.
"Hey, stop a second." He said. "I always wanted a trenchcoat."
He pulled it from the hanger and turned to her.
"How do I look?"
She smiled. "Aren't you a little bit 16 year old to wear that?"
He smirked as she get out of the room.
Hall seemed silent, there were some police on the floor and a few staff could be seen. As Zatanna and John walked to the exit, someone called from the back.
"Sir, Madam?" They continued walking.
"You two. Stay where you are!" The policeman yelled. And then he opened his radio.
"They are in the hotel. I'm repeating. Zatara's daughter is here."
John grabbed Zatanna's hand. "Now we are fucked up."
They saw the police car outside. Three cops were running behind them, their only chance was to make a distraction and escape.
When John began muttering, cats began to appear in front of them.
Zatanna smiled. "So you are a cat person."
"Apparently."
The cops in the back were stunned by cats, and at the same time people on the edge thought it was an open-air magic show and they started clapping.
John saluted the people as he continued running.
After a few minutes, they get rid of the crowd and polices.
They were panting, leaning against the wall.
"John, I'm so hungry." The boy seemed to be somewhere else, Zee poked him. "John!"
John fixed his tie and turned to her. "How much many do you have?" She took her money out from her pockets. "I think that makes 32 dollars. But we can't use this John otherwise we can't reach my home in Gotham."
John smiled as he thought about something. "Well, how good are you in magic tricks?"
The duo started to make their magic show in front of the fresh new Star Labs. Despite the fact that it opened a few months ago, seemed like a crowded place.
They magically created cats from nothing and made some small card tricks because they were the only things they could do.
"You wanna eat something love?" He said. At the moment, Zatanna was thinking about how long will it take to make her starve to death.
"I want pancakes. And milk."
"Do I look like a waitress?" He smirked and took their money to his pocket. A few seconds later they both stopped where they were standing. Either John had been rumbled, or a huge monster would have been after them.
"I guess I am as hungry as you are..." They both laughed. They didn't make lots of cash but it'll be enough for a lunch. When they arrived in the main street, Zatanna pointed to a cafe.
"This place had really nice food at reasonable prices. I had been there with my father." John thought about going in there for a second, people inside there may remember her and call the cops. Then he realized he didn't care less.
"Alright, let's get in before I starve to death."
When they entered the cafe called Viva La Vida, the waiter showed them the way. He had a really big smile on his face which disturb both John and Zatanna.
After they sat down, John grumbled. "I really want to know why this stupid boy is smiling."
She looked away, remembering her father. "He certainly doesn't have a dead father."
The boy must have heard them, as he gave them the menu he talked. "Actually I have a dead mother. And my father is in prison because of her murder. Now, can I get your order?"
John grumbled again. "Wow, have lots in common... But I killed my mother and my twin. I want bacon and eggs please."
She looked at John and tried to understand if he was joking, but he had a serious face.
She didn't want to talk about that so she turned to the waiter. "I guess you think something else is involved in your mother's death, right? Maybe magic? I would like to have pancakes with milk please."
After her own mother died, Giovanni and Zatanna spent years for searching her and her cause of death. But surprisingly, they couldn't find anything.
Cafe's owner yelled. "Barry!
I forgot how many times I told you not to chat with customers while working. Son, you are going to get yourself fired!" Barry turned to the owner with his big smile. "Sorry madam, it won't happen again."
After he left, they sat there with a creepy silence between them. Finally, Zatanna asked. "Did you really- I mean, it was an accident, right? I don't think you did it."
John still wasn't looking at her. "Does it matters after I've been treated like I've killed them all my life?
Zatanna was afraid of the pessimism ofhim and wanted to know the truth. "You can tell me about it, John. You were right next to me when my father died in front of my eyes. Now it's my turn to be there for you."
"Not now Zee, our breakfast has arrived." He said with a cold voice.
She rolled her eyes and then looked to the smiling waiter. "Why are you smiling like that with a happy face?" She asked. She couldn't imagine standing and laughing without thinking about her father.
"I have lots of reasons to be happy madam. You must have too. You should put a smile on that face."