“Cirque des Merveilles” is episode twenty-one of season three of Mutant X.
The episode opens in a circus, the titular Cirque des Merveilles. A man on a microphone is saying someone is going to die tonight, as a woman with a bow and another man watch. The woman fires her bow at one of the performers, but the second man appears in the way and the arrow falls. Afterwards, the second man tells the woman, Diane, that he’s leaving. Diane tells the man, Tony, that he’s safe. He still has to go. She wants to come with and he agrees; Diane tells him to meet her in the Chamber of Souls.
At Sanctuary, Jesse asks Lexa what she’s doing, as it’s 3AM. Something is happening in the Dominion. One of their top agents, Tony LaPorta, the man from the circus, is on the run. Every agent is looking for them. Jesse asks why they haven’t been asked for help. Lexa guesses Tony knows something the Dominion doesn’t want them to find out.
At the circus, Tony has entered the Chamber of Souls – a hall of mirrors. The announcer from earlier is there. He tells Tony he should have said he was going. Tony never intended this to be a long-term gig; he must have neglected to mention it. The other says he must have neglected to tell Tony no-one leaves. He nods, and Tony is dragged into a mirror.
Brennan is asking Lexa is she actually wants them to run away to join the circus. Yes; if Adam is right about the Dominion, they have to find LaPorta and find out what he knows. The circus is a travelling underground for mutants, run by a Deklin Charvet, the announcer. Shalimar says it’s a place where mutants can blend in and make a living. Ferals are natural acrobats and elementals never cease to amaze. Jesse thinks its lucky Tony found the place. He’s wrong.
Shalimar and Brennan head to the circus. She demonstrates her skills, followed by Brennan. Deklin tells Diane to help them get settled in. Then Shalimar needs to rehearse for the show tonight; she’s a natural. At Sanctuary, Jesse tells Lexa the others are in. He also wants to know what Lexa knows about the circus. Not much. Jesse wants to find more.
Brennan and Shalimar are looking around the circus. Brennan thinks it’s exploiting mutants; Shalimar doesn’t. Diane approaches, looking for Shalimar. Brennan mentions Tony. Diane hasn’t seen him today, but she’s sure he’s around here somewhere. Diane has been with the circus from the beginning; she and Deklin go way back. Shalimar thinks Brennan is jealous of Deklin. She’s one to talk.
Jesse enters the bathroom as Lexa is showering; they need to talk. Mutants have disappeared almost every place the circus has been, people already in the mutant underground, with families and no need to run. Once they join, their families never hear from them again. Only one person, Mike Robson, has been seen since. One mutant decided to leave the happiest place on Earth. They need to check him out.
Brennan is wandering the circus and follows Deklin into the Chamber of Souls. Diane is there as well. Brennan looks at a mirror, then puts his hand near it. And sees someone trapped behind the mirror. Deklin speaks to Brennan, then Brennan is dragged inside the mirror.
Lexa and Jesse have headed to an old stomping ground of Mike Robson. He’s a canine feral, and likely to return to such. Plus, there’s an urban myth about a werewolf. There’s a dog there, which attacks Jesse, but he phases out. A man appears and asks them not to hurt the dog; it’s protecting him. Robson claims he left the circus because it wasn’t for him. He joined because it seemed a good idea at the time.
Shalimar is having fun and Diane looks jealous of the attention Deklin is paying to her. Jesse contacts Shalimar and Lexa suggests she help Brennan find Tony. Afterwards, Jesse tells Lexa he isn’t getting anything from Brennan’s commlink, and he should be getting something.
The circus isn’t a haven for mutants; it’s a place where mutants disappear. Because an old acquaintance of Mutant X set it up as a backup plan before he died.