The Clowns Here Kill Pt. 1
Dear [Character Name],
I have been invited to a carnival out of time and my universe. I was also told to invite others, but my friends have important things to do.
If you have this letter, you are one of twelve folks across the multiverse I’ve chosen from a list—hooray!
The people who invited me can bring this letter to you and you to the carnival. It should come with your costume and role. Please do not wear or have anything that could show you aren't from the time, this includes dyed hair.
I hope you can accept this night of fun, everything should be amazing. See you there!
- Charlie Morningstar
An orange and blue portal opens and out pops... nothing. The invisible person twists their watch and reveals someone in a light red three-piece suit and a dark red balaclava. He also had a bright red overcoat and a Bristol fedora that matched the suit's red.
The Spy as... The Super Spy (This one was so obvious.)
The next portal revealed a young woman with brown hair and teal lipstick. She wore a white t-shirt, black combat boots, purple bell bottoms, and a blue leather jacket.
Gwen as... The Rockstar [Hint Explanation: Gwen has claustrophobia]
Another portal opened, revealing a lanky man with a black mustache and a pink nose. He wore a silver, bedazzled tank top, bell bottoms, and a fluffy faux fur coat with small purple highlights.
Waluigi as... The Disco Dancer (Because of that weird Mario DDR game... and also f*ck it.) [Hint Explanation: Wa- means 'Bad,' making his name simply 'Bad Luigi.'
Following him, the next portal showed a man with a white shirt, jeans, sandals, and a pot on his head. He let a small sunflower drop off his shoulder in its pot and left as the portal closed. The sunflower wore a small emerald green velvet jacket with a matching green shirt underneath.
Solar Flare as... The Record Producer [Hint Explanation: She's a sunflower]
The following portal opened, where a tired man with brown, frazzled hair and brown eyes walked out. He wore a white shirt with a sewn-on button area of a different fabric, a flower jacket, and jeans with a patch of the button area fabric sewn on a hole.
Mike Schmidt as... The Hippie (He's always tired, and that's like being high. This is the stupidest reasoning.) [Hint Explanation: Garrett, his dead brother, had a toy plane]
Out of the next portal came a blonde woman wearing clown makeup. She wore a white skirt, a blue shirt with white, triangular stripes, a blue and red coat with white stars and multicolored tassels, and white go-go boots.
Harley Quinn as... The Daredevil [Hint Explanation: Tara Strong is the voice actor for the Multiversus version of Harley that I'm using]
The next portal revealed a pale white man with long black hair. He wore black bell bottoms, a grey Rolling Stones shirt tucked in the pants, and a black jacket with its collar popped.
Loki as... The Actor [Hint Explanation: Loki is a Frost Giant. Frost is close to ice.]
Out from the next portal came a purple rabbit. They wore a hot pink tank top, bell bottoms, and combat boots, along with a black leather jacket and dark yellow fingerless gloves.
Jax as... The Troublemaker [Hint Explanation: Jax is a jackass]
The next portal showed a kid with green hair, that was natural in his world. He wore green plaid pants, a white shirt, a green tie, an orange jacket, and sunglasses with orange-tinted lenses.
Izuku Midoriya as... The Detective [Hint Explanation: Izuku has a bunch of notebooks, and magically summons one when a quirk is mentioned.]
The next portal showed a small, brown-haired woman. She wore yellow leggings, brown Platform Oxfords, a blue and white plaid dress, a green fluffy jacket with white cuffs and pom poms, and a yellow beret.
Rosanna Pansino as... The Jetsetter (Can you tell who is one of my favorites?) [Hint Explanation: Ro is the cinnamon roll of ETN Season 3]
Following her, the next portal showed a young, brown-haired girl wearing her dark green and white tam o' shanter. She also wore jeans, a red sweater with a big, white stripe, and a maroon aviator jacket.
Gloria as... The Investigative Reporter (Because it's funny to imagine the angry Scot in the role played by one of the calmest in ETN history.) [Hint Explanation: Gloria is imagined by fans to be a Scot because of where the player's house is in Sw/Sh]
The last portal revealed a woman with dark brown hair. She wore a blue shirt with yellow patterns, a black leather jacket, jeans, and black boots. She looked at some of the nonhumans and simply said, "Okie dokie."
Lucy MacLean as... The Mechanic [Hint Explanation: Lucy was a member of Vault 33]
The group stood in the clearing for 5 hours waiting for this 'Charlie.' The Spy and Mike stood off in the corner, either because they were antisocial or too tired to give a flying f*ck.
Solar Flare, Izuku, Ro, Gloria, and Lucy quickly became friends. Ro actually gained the coveted title of 'One o' the few wha can chill the Ragin' Scots Lassie.'
Jax, Waluigi, and sometimes Loki, stood back and talked about their pranks. Harley and Gwen also stood and became kinda friends.
"Where's Charlie?" Izuku asked, slowly getting tired of waiting. "I don't know. Do any of you know them?" Ro asked, getting shook heads and 'no's from the group.
Loki: We are standing here, in the middle of nowhere, waiting for them. This seems like bad planning.
"Why did they have us meet them here? Is this the town?" Waluigi asked. They pointed their arms at the campfire the group stood around as Izuku laughed. "This is clearly not the town."
Gloria: The letter fae Charlie said we were gaun tae a 'toon stuck in time.' That sounds braw, and that’s why I came.
"This is stupid, we've waited long enough," Jax said, fully prepared to live in a universe with no humanoid rabbits when a voice cried out.
"You guys came!" a pale white woman with red cheeks and blonde hair ran out. She wore a brown coat, red pants, a white shirt with small red stripes, and a red ascot.
Charlie Morningstar as... The Savant [Hint Explanation: Charlie is the princess of Hell and a hellborn demon]
She carried a brown knapsack with a golden symbol on it as she ran down to the group. "I didn't think anyone would believe me," she admitted as some members cheered.
"Tell us about this town," Mike said, bringing her to the topic. "Right, I don't know much about it, but the people who invited me gave me this." She held up the knapsack, "They said it would help us get in the town."
She opened it, pulling out a scroll, which The Spy took, a brown box with stuff inside, and a jar of salt. The Spy opened the scroll and began to read as Charlie dropped the knapsack on the ground.
Those who desire to go back in time and enter the town of Everlock must be inhabited by a spirit who once lived there.
Solar Flare blurbed as some in the group scattered their speech in shock. Mike didn't seem to be surprised at the mention of spirits. The Spy continued to read.
The séance will make any non-humans human, remove any powers, and change any non-natural traits. Before the séance, any technology and big weapons must be abandoned by anybody.
The Spy begrudgingly removed his Invis Watch and dropped it, along with his disguise kit, after placing the cigarettes in a pocket, and revolver in a pile.
Harley put her bat in the pile, along with Waluigi leaving his Bob-omb sack and Jax leaving his weapon sack.
The Spy: It says we have to make a circle of salt and place five crystals at its head before reading a chant.
From across the veil of death, I request your presence, so I might make wrong things right. Enter into that I might see the doorway to Everlock.
The campfire started to glow green and a bundle of 13 spirits shot out and into the group. It passed through Gwen, then Waluigi, Solar Flare, The Spy, Izuku, Harley, Loki, Gloria, Charlie, Ro, Mike, Jax, and, finally, Lucy.
After the spirits dove back into the glowing fire, Waluigi, Solar Flare, Izuku, Harley, Charlie, and Jax glowed. Waluigi's nose grew smaller and was no longer pink and he lost the blue lining his eyes.
Solar Flare became a human with tanned skin, along with her outfit gaining rings, necklaces, and black cowboy boots. The emerald green jacket she wore now became a jumpsuit of the same color.
Izuku's green hair became black and he lost One For All. Harley's clown makeup disappeared and Jax became a man with long, brown hair and stubble that wore clear contacts.
Charlie gained the most changes, losing her demon powers and form, along with her feet no longer being hooves, her skin becoming less pale, and losing her red cheeks.
Izuku: It wasn't bad. It was warm... and tingly.
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The group had to quickly get accustomed as a bridge began to form immediately afterward. Fairy lights began to circle the guardrails as an arch grew out of the ground.
Lucy: In the distance, we see this bridge and an arch that says "Town of Everlock." So, that seems like where we should go.
The velvet curtains dropped from the sign and the group nervously walked over when a clown popped out.
"It's your lucky day!" the clown exclaimed as the group screamed in shock. The clown continued, "Because the carnival's in town!"
Lucy: I can deal with feral ghouls, I can deal with Deathclaws, and all sorts of other things. But clowns? Why's it gotta be clowns?
Solar Flare: Are clowns anyone's thing? Like, no one likes clowns.
Jax: i find clowns delightful.
"We have a strong man, a snake woman, dolls with KNIVES!" the clown exclaimed. "It's like bloody Christmas every day!" the clown laughed out.
The group nervously laughed along, except for Harley and Jax, who chuckled quietly. "We will be friends soon! I've got a good feeling about that," the clown announced.
She stared silently at the group before pulling open the curtain. "Enjoy the ride!" she shouted out. The group walked in as Izuku asked the most reasonable question. "Did she say dolls with knives?"
Rosanna: Curtains open, and I'm seeing a cute, retro carnival.
The group saw a bunch of people playing the games, a giant Ferris wheel, and couples eating cotton candy. "You were right, this is fun!" Lucy said as she walked near Charlie.
The group turned and saw a spider crawl out of a woman's mouth. The group walked back, except for Jax. They walked further into town, Harley catching the attention of a man.
"Hey there, skirt. How are you?" the man asked. "Hi, how are you, puddin'?" Harley responded. "Where are you going tonight, huh?" he asked back.
Harley: So, this cutie approached us, and by us I mean me.
"Whit's yer name?" Gloria asked the man, "I'm Mortimer." He smiled at them and continued, "Why don't you just play some games and have a good time before my mom shows up, y'know?"
"Are you a mama's boy?" Harley asked, "My mom's the mayor." Harley's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "Oh." The group turned to each other and started talking.
Gwen: He's kinda cute, but he starts talking to us, and we're like, "We don't know you though. What are you doing here?"
"Guys, free popcorn over here," Izuku pointed at the machine. Solar Flare popped her head over, "Where?" she asked, childishly.
Mike: There's free food. There's free games. I can finally settle down.
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The group splits and plays many games. Jax slammed a hammer down on a 'test your strength' game, hitting halfway. Charlie took the hammer and managed to hit the bell.
Izuku, Gloria, Solar Flare, and Lucy stood at a ball-throwing game. The Mechanic threw a ball and won the game for Izuku, who was handed a pink horse plush from the carnie, named Poncho.
“Her name is Blanche.”
“Blanche?”
“She belongs to you now.”
“Hey, Blanche!”
“Yeah!”
“Oh, Eri would love you! Thanks.”
"How much spying have you done," Mike asked The Spy. The Frenchman lit a cigarette and took a smoke before answering. "Plenty," he simply said before walking away.
A woman crept toward a nacho stand, unbeknownst to Izuku, Harley, Waluigi, and Ro. "Oh! Sorry, she scared me," Waluigi said, alerting the group to the woman.
Rosanna: I thought, "Let's use my social skills as a jetsetter and see what's going on here."
"Hello. Bonjour," Ro said as the woman ignored her and mentioned, "The stars." Izuku tilted his head, like a dog, "The stars?" he asked. Waluigi looked around, "No stars. Not any lights in the sky at all."
"The stars have been talking to me," the woman continued. "So, what are they saying?" Ro asked her, "All kinds of secrets." The woman leaned in and Ro continued interrogating her.
"Are they friendship secrets, they light-hearted sec-- Dark secrets?" The woman closed her eyes and focused on what the stars were saying. "He's coming," she warned.
Waluigi: She's just talking about the stars or someone's coming. He's coming.
"Who's coming?" Harley asked, the woman ignoring her and grabbing the snout of Ro's dog plush. Waluigi pushed it forward, "Oh, no- Don't," Izuku tried to stop him as Ro said, "That's Blueberry."
"This is Blueberry," Waluigi echoed, still wanting the woman to go away. "Blueberries are coming?" Harley said, trying to figure out what the woman meant.
Harley: I don't know what she's talking about, and I want nothing to do with her.
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Ro spotted a Ferris wheel and Izuku decided to go with her. Mortimer caught up with them and began talking about it.
Rosanna: I cannot remember the last time I've been on a Ferris wheel. They are adorable.
"This was actually finished yesterday," he said, shocking the two. "So, if anything goes wrong, tell me. I'll turn it on and leave you two, if everything goes right, you should be off in 5 minutes."
Rosanna: We get on the Ferris wheel. There's an adorable little blanket. So we get comfy, and then we discover there's something underneath the blanket. A newspaper.
Ro shuffled before pulling the newspaper out from under the blanket. She handed it to Izuku, who flipped to the front page and read, "The Clowns Here Kill." Ro gasped and Izuku continued.
The Killer Clown Clan strikes again, much to no one's surprise. Four major players of the clan shown here. Be warned.
Rosanna: The clown who welcomed us into Everlock-- front page news for being a murderous clown.
"Aye, Izuku!" Gloria shouted and waved, along with Waluigi. "Don't trust the clowns!" Izuku yelled down, unfortunately, unheard by the two on the ground.
Rosanna: We realized we are not having fun. We are in trouble, and the ride stops.
"Are you stuck?!" Waluigi yelled out, as if it wasn't obvious. Gloria hugged herself and the woman from the nacho stand held out her arms.
Rosanna: We're stuck on the ride. We're trying to warn our friends. They can't hear us. And if you move at all...
Izuku and Ro tried to lean forward to get closer to their friends on the ground, causing them to almost fall off. Izuku immediately sent one arm in front of Ro, "Okay. Don't lean forward."
Gloria: Ah think that wumman wis up tae somethin. She's haudin oot her haunds, she's definitely got some kind o' magic.
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Charlie: So the creepy clown woman who welcomed us into the town is like, "Hey, I have a fun game for you."
Charlie and Gwen walked over to the clown's little booth. Unknown to either of them, Izuku yelled from the Ferris wheel. "No, Charlie! Don't trust her! CHARLIE!"
Charlie: She handed me a ball and said, "Throw it at these cans, and you'll win a prize."
"Ooo, I want the duckie! I want the big duckie! If I get it, can I get the big duckie, please?" Charlie asked. "Maybe? You'll just have to get it," the clown teased her.
She threw the ball, hitting most of the cans. She threw the next ball, hitting the one remaining can. She jumped up and down while hugging Gwen, "I get the duckie!"
"How about instead of the duck..." the clown said. She ducked and grabbed something from under the counter. She rose, revealing a red jack-in-the-box with a big yellow star on each face.
Charlie: I thought I was gonna get more duckies. I didn't. I got a box.
"I've been saving this for a very special occasion," the clown said. She handed Charlie the box, "Only someone with a unique gift can open the box and let the real carnival come out to play."
Gwen started to be creeped out, "Okay, Charlie-" She was cut off by the clown, "But be careful! Don't open it just yet." She crawled away from them before quickly laughing.
"Don't open it just yet?" Charlie and Gwen echoed. "Got it. Thank you," Charlie said before walking back to the group with Gwen. The clown watched as they walked away, smiling even bigger.
Charlie: This box could be a jack-in-the-box, or it could just be a box with stars on it.
"Guys, we got a gift!" Charlie called out as they approached. "She gave us a box," Gwen elaborated as they got closer.
Mike: We all start gathering around because Charlie got this box. Some people are saying not to open it, some people are saying to open it. She's trying to decide what to do, when all of a sudden...
An air horn blew, shocking the 11 on the ground. They looked at the balcony in front of them, and found a woman walking out with a megaphone in hand.
Up in the Ferris wheel, Ro looked at her and asked, "How is that his mom? She looks fabulous. She doesn't look old enough to be his mom." Izuku shook his hands and said, "Well, we don't know her makeup routine."
Harley: Mortimer's mom comes out on the balcony, and I'm like, "Puddin', you already showing me your mom?"
The mayor turned on the megaphone and began to speak. "Thank you all for coming out to the carnival. It's our lifeblood." The woman from the nacho stand spoke up.
"I think you mean it's sucking our blood!" she yelled out. The group looked at her in confusion as she continued, "The spell won't last forever, and then you-know-who is coming back."
Solar Flare: I'm like, "We don't know who." But, it doesn't sound good.
The mayor sighed and turned to the crowd, "I wouldn't listen to her words." The group looked at each other in confusion as she continued. "Avoid this woman and her nonsense."
She leaned toward the woman, "She's gypsy trash who lives on the outskirts of town." The group did a metaphorical spit-take as she continued, "Never willing to join us. She's not to be trusted."
The woman turned to Charlie, and focused on the box. "Where did you get that?" she asked, "I won it." The mayor sighed, "Calliope-" "Not today, Janet!" Calliope yelled back.
"Ooo, you go, girl!" Jax jokingly cheered her on. "Do you know what that is?" she asked Charlie. "What? Is it special?" Charlie asked as Janet said, "It's a toy." Calliope pointed at the mayor, "No!"
She turned back to Charlie, "That is one of The Carnival Master's wicked artifacts!" The box was grabbed by Jax as he scoffed.
Jax: This box, apparently, is some weird artifact that shouldn't be opened. Who would believe that?
"It's a harmless carnival prize," Janet said as Charlie tried to ward Jax away from opening it. "Somebody please just open it and put this woman's hysteria to rest."
Jax smiled and quickly wound the box, much to the group's dismay. The jack quickly popped out, scaring Jax at its speed. Creepy laughter and screams filled the air before going away.
Gloria: Wance that box pops open an' I see the jack wi' the knife in its heid, I'm like, "Aye, we’ve set loose somethin' wicked."
"Nothing happened. Everything is fine," Janet said. "Oi, lassie, we heard auld bloody screams! How's that braw!" Gloria yelled out. Janet ignored the Scot, "Just enjoy the carnival. Honestly I-"
A humongous clown grabbed the woman and threw her down to the ground, killing her. The crowd screamed as Mortimer ran to his mom's side, "Mom! Mom!" he yelled out.
"What just happened!" Gwen yelled out before gunshots rang in their ears. The clown who welcomed them, the leader of the clowns, laughed and sent her minions to the crowd.
"I told you, the clowns!" Izuku yelled out in frustration before laying his head on Ro's head. The clowns begin killing everyone in sight, "Get your friends!" Mortimer commanded Charlie.
Mortimer guided Charlie and her newfound friends to an arcade. In the pandemonium, Gwen was grabbed and pulled to an RV. Waluigi ran after her and got grabbed himself.
The Spy tried hiding, but without his Invis Watch, he was easily seen. The two of them were taken and put in the van as well. The group somehow lost Gloria in the pandemonium and hoped she got away.
Charlie: Mortimer is ushering everyone into the arcade, and I'm making sure everyone gets in before me, and that was my downfall.
The lead clown grabbed Charlie and pulled her away from the doors. Lucy apologized to her as she helped Mortimer close and board the door, keeping the clowns out.
"Charlie!" Ro called out as Izuku placed his head in his hands. He wasn't able to get down and save her. "They got Charlie! They got Charlie! CHARLIE!" Ro continued to panic as Izuku calmed himself down.
Charlie was led to the RV by gunpoint, "Get in the RV!" the clown threatened. "Charlie! Help me," Waluigi asked The Savant, "I can't!" she simply answered. "Get to the stairwell!" the lead clown said.
Charlie walked there before being chained with handcuffs. The clown grabbed both sides of her face and spat words into it.
"The Carnival Master will be released at sunrise, and this whole damn town is gonna burn!" She laughed and licked Charlie's cheek, which the demon princess heavily disliked.
The clown left the RV, leaving Charlie, Waluigi, and The Spy trapped. Until the small closet closed and locked with rope started to pound.
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Ro looked on at the bodies lying on the ground. She thought of something and turned to Izuku, "Why don't we try to distract the clowns so they can get out of the van?"
He smiled and turned to her, "That's not a bad idea." He turned back to the RV, seeing the lead clown screaming at her minions. "Throw something to distract them," she instructed.
"Throw your horse," she added. Izuku vigorously shook his head, he wanted his dau- Eri to have Blanche. "Fine, you won't do it? I will. Bye, Blueberry." She threw her dog into the air, shocking Izuku.
A muscular clown with a sledgehammer caught it, "Oh! I got a gift! It's a puppy!" she laughed before walking to the Ferris wheel controls. "Zuku- Zuku, that's us now," Ro said as the ride turned back on.
Rosanna: Our cart is slowly coming to the ground, and she is dead center, waiting for us.
Izuku got a good look at the pigtailed clown. "I wanna taste you!" it growled out as they got closer. "Oh, dammit," Izuku mumbled out.
Izuku: I've gotten experience from my hero training. I'm not afraid of conflict.
"Feel that sledgehammer!" the clown yelled out, spinning their hammer in the air as the cart descended.
Izuku (cont.): Maybe a little bit.
"Oh, oh, I'm having a really hard time getting out of here," Izuku said, prolonging what he thought was his death. Out of nowhere, Calliope and Gloria ran out.
Calliope hit the clown in the back of the knee before her crowbar was taken by Gloria. The Scot took out her anger on the clown, giving them extreme pain. "Och, they’ll hae tae stitch ye, in HELL!" she yelled at the clown.
Izuku grabbed the blanket and Blanche and Ro grabbed the newspaper. The four of them ran to a nearby tent, and took a breather. Afterward, Izuku hugged Calliope and Ro hugged Gloria.
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"Help!" Gwen's voice rang from the closet as she pounded on the door. Charlie panicked and looked at The Spy, "Spy, do you have-" He cut her off by pulling out his butterfly knife.
He, unfortunately, was too far from the closet, so he tossed the knife to Waluigi. The Disco Dancer caught it and opened it, using his lanky limbs to reach the rope and cut it off.
"Okay, do we all have numbers on our handcuffs?" Spy asked. Waluigi nodded, but Charlie couldn't find anything. She looked above her and saw a white slip. "Hold on, I see something," she called out.
She tried to grab it with her legs right as the rope was cut. Gwen fell out of the closet as Charlie grabbed the slip.
Gwen: When I'm finally let free, I look around. There's a calendar and a magazine, both have numbers circled, so I know they mean something, but none of it makes sense.
"Okay, Gwen, I need a key, Waluigi and Spy need codes. I just found this slip, help us," Charlie explained before giving Gwen the slip.
Lock 1: October, Soda, Smoke
Lock 2: Milk, Life, Delicates
"Okay, October-- That's the calendar, 13!" she called out. Both Waluigi and Spy put the number in their cuffs as Gwen looked back at the note. "Soda.' Okay, soda's around here somewhere."
Waluigi turned behind himself, seeing 3 sodas in a 6 pack. Gwen found 2 in the sink and 1 on the counter, soda=6. Gwen saw candles for smoke while Charlie saw cigarettes behind her.
They decided to try both, starting with candles. There were 5 candles, so Waluigi and Spy inputted 13-6-5. Didn't work for either of them, so they tried the 7 cigarettes.
"It's not working," Waluigi muttered to himself as Spy was unleashed. "Lock 2: Milk.' Check the fridge," Gwen instructed The Spy. He opened the door and spotted 3 bottles.
'Life' was next, and Gwen picked up the magazine, seeing 17 circled. All that was left were whatever 'Delicates' were. Gwen and Spy looked at each other, knowing what that meant.
Gwen: I know what that means. There's panties somewhere in this RV.
Spy checked the counter, finding 2 panties, while Gwen opened a different closet, finding 3 panties. Waluigi inputted 3-17-5 in his cuff as Charlie coughed. "It's so musty here. We're really in the 70s now," she complained.
Waluigi: Once I'm unlocked, Gwen, Spy, and I start running around trying to find the key to unlock Charlie. We finally find this box and there's a sticky note on it that says...
"Remember to renew your subscription?" Waluigi read, wondering what it meant. "The calendar and the magazine," Spy said simply before grabbing the box and putting in 13-17.
It didn't unlock the box, so he flipped the numbers. Once 17-13 was inputted, the box opened revealing the key and a journal.
Gwen: The day is saved. Except for the fact that we're stuck in an RV that's surrounded by killer clowns.
"I wanna taste you!" a clown groaned out, creeping the group inside. Gwen simply closed the blinds on that clown so they could focus.
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Lucy: Half of the group is split up, and I don't know what to do.
"What the hell is going on?" Solar Flare asked, hugging Loki is fear. The mischief god took a second but hugged her as well. "His mom just got thrown off a building," Harley said, referring to Mortimer.
The man was sitting on a coach, Jax nearby. The Troublemaker was lounging about, not caring now that he was safe. "Your mom just got thrown-- Are you okay?" Lucy asked him.
"They got your friends, huh?" Mortimer asked, avoiding the question. "Well, what about your mom?" Mike asked, stopping him from avoiding it. Mortimer stayed silent for a bit before standing up.
"I mean, my mom was a fighter. She wouldn't want me to give up now." Jax grabbed a toothpick and placed it in his mouth and shut his eyes, ignoring everyone.
"Give up on what?" Loki asked, still comforting Solar Flare. "I don't know, whatever this is?" Mortimer answered. He walked to Jax and grabbed the box from the ex-rabbitoid.
"This thing is one of The Carnival Master's artifacts. I didn't realize until you opened it, but..." Mortimer stopped as Jax realized his box was taken. "He's been using them to corrupt this town for years," Mortimer continued.
"My mom always pretended it wasn't happening," he ended by placing the box on the table. "Do you know how we can save our friends?" Lucy asked him. "I mean..." Mortimer breathed in.
Loki: Mortimer says that this arcade is the clown's hideout. So, hopefully, there's something here to stop them.
Harley: We all find a box with the letters R, G, B, and Y on it.
The group immediately knew it meant red, blue, green, and yellow. Harley turned to Jax, still lounging on the corner couch with a toothpick in his mouth. "Jax!" she yelled out.
He opened his eyes and frowned, before getting up and begrudgingly joining the group. "So we have to get in it," Solar Flare said. The group looked around the arcade for anything with R, G, B, and Y.
Jax walked to a pinball machine, seeing four flaps with the letters on them. "As much as I don't wanna help you," he called out, "This has the letters... but it isn't on."
Lucy held the machine, "How do we turn this on?" she asked. Loki looked behind the machine and saw it was plugged in.
Lucy: We're looking around the room, trying to find how to turn this machine on. Me and Jax find a corkboard with a pamphlet which reads...
"Scores get erased at the end of the day," both of them read together. Jax walked to a machine and wiped away the scores, leaving 'tim.' "Erase all the scores!" Lucy called out.
Solar Flare: We are living the clue-solving fantasy. We run around, erasing all the scores, and there is a bit left on each board.
Loki looked at each board, realizing they fit together to make a sentence. He ran around, fitting them all together. "Tap 6 times on glass," he muttered quietly. He called the group to the machine and tried it.
He tapped the glass 6 times, "This isn't gonna-" Jax began when the machine turned on. Mike, being the closest to the controls, tried a hand at the game.
Jax: What these people might not know about me is that I love games.
When Mike lost, Jax attempted. It was a quick attempt because one wrong bounce made the ball fall in between the paddles. He placed his head on the machine and left.
Harley went next, being the first person to hit the letters, getting B and Y. Solar Flare heard a noise and ran to the box, finding the blue and yellow locks had fallen off.
Solar Flare: Once you hit a letter, one of the locks would fall off. So we need to hit all the letters.
After multiple rotations, they were down to only R. Solar Flare was up and leaned to the machine as she played. Finally, she hit the last letter and Jax ran to the box.
Mike: So when the box unlocked, there was a gear and a note that said there were four missing parts to the jack-in-the-box. So, I'm hoping getting those parts will make the clowns go away.
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Gloria: We skelp intae this tent, Izuku and Ro haud a blanket an' a newspaper. An' on it are some bizar jester symbols.
"There's a bunch of joker hats. There's 4 joker hats," Ro pointed out. Gloria and Izuku walked away from her and looked around the room, "So, what would that mean?" Izuku and Ro said together.
Rosanna: I'm looking around this tent, and there's tons of boxes. There's a toilet. It's very odd.
Izuku grabbed a pillow off the bed and turned it around, seeing a joker hat on it. "I got one symbol. It's not actually a hat, it's a symbol," Izuku realized.
Izuku: Ro finds a piñata that's larger than herself.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Ro said as she picked up a bat and walked to the giraffe. "Ro's got some repressed rage from being stuck on the Ferris wheel. I'd watch out," Izuku said to Calliope.
She walked away as Ro slammed the bat into the piñata. Both her friends cheered her on, Gloria saying, "Batter it wi' the fury o' a thousand Scots, Ro!" She grabbed the piñata and shook out the contents.
Izuku (cont.): And she finds a small wooden piece. That tells me that we need to look inside the objects.
Izuku and Ro pulled the pillow apart and Gloria threw the feathers on the ground everywhere. "This is really satisfying, actually," Izuku chuckled out as Gloria found the piece and handed it to Izuku.
Izuku: We found our second piece of... whatever this thing is.
Gloria: Ther's a strange mirror aff to one side o' the tent. An' we see some sections are missin' fae the design. So we begin tae place oor pieces an' lights start tae glimmer o'er the top o' the mirror.
Calliope pointed at the top of the mirror, "You see? The light." Ro looked up, "Are you sure?" she asked as Izuku placed his piece. The second light lit up and Gloria cheered.
Later, said Scottish lass was looking around when she found a box with the symbol on it. "Och, Ah've bloody found wan!" Gloria called out as she opened the box and pulled out the piece.
"Wait, really?" Izuku turned his head to see Gloria holding the piece up. "Great!" he clapped for her and continued checking everything as she placed the piece.
Rosanna: We're looking for the last piece and there's one place that we haven't checked.
Ro lifted Blanche off the toilet and saw the last joker hat. She gasped and both Izuku and Gloria walked over. "Have we seen anything in the toilet?" he asked as she lifted the lid and saw what was inside.
Rosanna (cont.): Poo poo, pew pew. This thing is rank.
The trio groaned at the insides, "Aww, but there's a clue!" Izuku whined. Calliope looked inside and immediately turned to the tent's opening.
"I'll keep watch," she said, getting Gloria to clap slowly. "Aw, aye, uh-huh, aye. NOO ye're gonnae keep yer wye, SUUUUUURE!" she whined.
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The group inside the van opened the journal found in the box as Waluigi handed Spy the knife back. Charlie began to read the note found inside the journal.
When the sun rises, my summoning ritual will be complete. And the sacrifices I have made will have been worth it. The corrupted artifacts have given the power I needed to conform the people of this town to vessels worthy of being consumed by The Cursed God.
"Artifacts... Wait, that's what Calliope was talking about!" Charlie said. Gwen was on the same wavelength, saying "The jack-in-the-box!" right after Charlie finished.
"So if we can collect all these artifacts..." Waluigi began before his sentence was finished by The Spy. "We could stop this from happening," he looked outside to see many of the clowns had dispersed.
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"Little scared babies, let us in!" a fat lady clown said outside the arcade before laughing. Inside, Lucy had opened the jack-in-the-box and pulled out the corrupted pieces.
"So what we need to find and replace," Loki began, "Are the spring, this cylinder, and the jack." Lucy replaced the gear inside with the one they got earlier.
Loki: We have to replace the evil parts with new ones and that will somehow vanquish the clowns.
Jax grabbed the spring and gestured with it, "Should we look for these? 'Cause we've been all over this place and they weren't there which means-" He was cut off by insane laughter, proving his point.
Solar Flare: We have to leave the arcade.
Mike: So that's good. Yeah, everything's fantastic.
"Look, just hold on to this," Mortimer handed Harley the note and grabbed the box, "And I'll hold onto this for you guys." None of the group objected before continuing to contemplate going outside.
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"It's gotta be in there," Ro groaned out, "Yeah," Izuku replied. "Why don't we all do it?" Ro offered, both looking at her, surprised, but happy as well.
Rosanna: I really wanna share this crappy task and be a team player.
All three of them unrolled their sleeves, "I can get dirty," Ro said. She got close and finally took a whiff of the insides. She recoiled away from the smell.
Rosanna: I am gagging.
"Here we go. One, two, three," Izuku called out before he, Ro, and Gloria stuck their hands in the crap. "Oh, God, it's so-" Izuku cut himself off with sobbing.
"It's so gross!" Izuku whined about the feeling. Gloria and Ro showed similar signs of disgust, along with Calliope off in the corner.
Izuku: Well, the clues have been inside of things. Maybe we have to start squeezing the turds.
"Oh, God," Izuku continued as Gloria gagged. "Bloody hell. Oh, Arceus, gie me strength, ken," she said. "Ugh, I got it. I got it," Izuku said.
He pulled the piece out to the happiness of the other two. Ro began coughing at the smell, "Bless you, children," Calliope said to them. "No problem," Izuku said.
Gloria: We hae oor 4 pieces.
"That's the last light," Calliope calmly said. "I don't think the light wants to be installed this way," Izuku cheekily said. He tried to quickly and safely get away from the two to place the piece when-
SPLAT!
The trio gasped, "Did you just get that on my outfit?!" Ro yelled. Gloria covered her mouth and chuckled in surprise as Izuku repeatedly apologized. "Izuku," she pouted in a mix between a child and a disappointed mother.
"Aw, dinnae fash yersel, Ro, it wisnae on purpose at aw," Gloria joked. Ro gasped again and turned to Izuku, "Izuku, did you just get that on my outfit!" she yelled out.
Izuku: After she calmed down enough, I installed the piece and completed the mirror.
Despite the poop on her jacket, Ro cheered along with Mat, Gloria, and Calliope when the last light turned on. A drawer under the mirror opened and Gloria ran to it.
She used her unpooed hand to pull out the contents, being a note and a key. "A note an' a key. We’ve got a note an' a key," Gloria said.
Izuku: I mean, I guess we could've found a stick or something... Yeah, in retrospect, we could've found a stick.
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"We need to make an escape," Charlie said. She looked in a little hidden alcove above a counter and saw a bat. She grabbed the bat and held it up for show.
"We can fight," she smiled, knowing at least one of them had a weapon. "Fight? We can't fight clowns!" Gwen said in shock. "We can fight them," Charlie restated.
Charlie: I'm freaking out. I've never hit someone with a bat, but I have fought before.
The door opened as a clown in a sparkly gold jacket walked in. "Screaming like a bunch of goddamn children-!" he yelled when Charlie hit him with the bat.
Spy, Gwen, and Waluigi ran out but to no avail, as the clowns were everywhere outside. The Spy was able to stab one in the arm as he got caught. Charlie was grabbed in the RV and led out with the others.
They were led to the merry-go-round, passing the window of the arcade. "Oh, wow," Jax deadpanned while looking out the window. "Is that Charlie?" Solar Flare asked when hearing the screams.
"That's Charlie and Waluigi," Jax said before relooking, "And Gwen and Spy." Lucy put a hand through her hair, "We have to save them," she said.
Lucy: We decide it's time to get out of the arcade, so we have to make a run for it.
"Just run! Just run!" Harley yelled as the seven of them left the arcade. Mortimer ran far away toward a small parking area unbeknownst to everyone else. Clowns appeared from both sides and grabbed them.
Loki: As soon as we get out the doors, the clowns overtake us, except for Mortimer, who inconspicuously, yet conspicuously, disappears.
"Come join the party!" a clown yelled out as they took the 6 of them to the merry-go-round. Charlie, Gwen, and Waluigi looked over at them. The clowns failed to notice that The Spy had gotten out of his constraints and left.
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"You're good! Your butt is clean!" Izuku cheered to Ro. Gloria and Izuku had wiped their hands on other things in the tent. The four of them walked out to clowns.
"No, go, go!" Izuku yelled out to Ro and Gloria as the clown from the Ferris wheel hit Calliope with their sledgehammer. Clowns approached them in all directions, so they went to hide in a nearby bar.
No matter where they hid, the three of them were still captured by clowns. They got tied to the three remaining poles on the merry-go-round. The clowns surrounded the merry-go-round and taunted the group.
Gloria: Ah'm bangin' ma heid tryin' tae figure oot hoo we cannae be bumped off by thae dafties juist noo? An' there’s nae a thing here.
Lucy: It's terrifying.
Solar Flare: We're gonna get killed.
"We want our box back, you filthy cretin," the lead clown yelled at the group. "Well, we don't have it," Charlie said. "You stole it from us!" the lead clown yelled and Gwen yelled back.
"You gave it to her, you dipshit!" The receiver of the box turned to the rest of them, "Who has the box?" The arcade group all said it was Mortimer as the clown continued.
"Luke's gonna roll our dice of death and whoever's number comes up, I gut them! I gut them right in front of your friends!" she maniacally laughed. "Do you feel lucky?" the leader said before pointing to Luke.
She slammed the button that controlled the merry-go-round and the group started to spin. They spun faster and faster and everyone screamed. The clowns began to laugh and Luke rolled the dice.
Charlie: This is it. One of us is gonna die.
Points for guesses
Great1: 3.5 points. (2 points for Jax and The Spy, 1.5 points for Cooper Howard, Daredevil, and Piers)