By 11:00 AM, the sky over the town had turned an unnatural, bruised purple. A cold wind whipped through the streets, carrying tattered posters featuring the chalk-white, grinning face of a terrifying clown.
"Please," Ben groaned, slumped against the window of the RV. "Do we really have to see a circus? That's for babies."
"Don't be a brat, Ben," Gwen retorted. "The circus is fun."
"Easy for you to say," Ben muttered under his breath. "You don't need makeup to look like a freak show."
"Ben," Max laughed, steering the Rustbucket into a parking spot. "You aren't still afraid of clowns, are you?"
Ben went quiet. He stared at the red-pulsing watch on Tyler's wrist and felt a strange calm. "Not anymore, Grandpa."
Tyler looked at Ben, surprised. In the original timeline, Zombozo was Ben's greatest nightmare. But here, the "Error" aliens had set the bar for terror so high that a clown was just a guy in a suit.
"Is everything okay, Tyler?" Max asked.
"Yeah," Tyler frowned. I can't remember this part of the plot clearly. Everything is changing too fast. "Let's just improvise. I'll stay on high alert."
The circus tent was sweltering and packed with people.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" a small, shifty ringmaster announced. "Behold the sheer power of... Thumbskull!"
A massive, bald man in a black shirt stepped out, snapping a thick steel girder over his neck as if it were a toothpick.
"And the mesmerizing... Frightwig!"
A beautiful girl with a dark, gothic aesthetic walked out. Her fiery red hair moved like living tentacles, wrapping around steel bars and crushing them with effortless grace. Finally, a masked man named Acid Breath stepped out, his corrosive spit melting through metal in seconds.
Tyler leaned over to Ben. "Those three are 'Gifted.' Note their powers. They're on the hit list if they step out of line."
"They're nothing compared to us," Ben whispered confidently.
They moved toward the main attraction: Zombozo's House of Miracles. "You sure you're okay, Ben?" Tyler asked. "You've been terrified of clowns since you were five."
"That was before I saw you turn into a Velocity Wraith," Ben said resentfully. "Compared to the stuff coming out of your watch, a clown is a teddy bear."
"He has a point," Gwen added. "Tyler has basically desensitized us to ghosts."
Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, I think my aliens are kind of cute..."
Inside the "House of Miracles," a plump, pale clown named Zombozo took the stage. His smile was wide, but his eyes were empty.
"He looks like one of those skin-walkers from the Sludgepuppy base," Ben whispered.
"Haha!" Tyler laughed. "The clown isn't funny, but your roasting is."
As Zombozo performed, the crowd began to laugh. It started small, then grew into a roar. But something was wrong. People weren't just laughing; they were doubling over, their faces turning red, their eyes filled with tears of agony.
"Hahaha! What's... ha... going on?" Tyler felt a sudden, violent urge to laugh. It wasn't joy—it was a mental parasite clawing at his brain.
Beside him, Gwen and Max were laughing uncontrollably, unable to catch their breath. Ben, however, stood there with a sour, annoyed face. His childhood trauma had finally paid off—he was immune to the clown's "charm."
Recover! Tyler screamed internally. He used his "Entry-Level Plumber" mental discipline to fight the infection. If he lost control, the Carnitrix would sense his weakness and trigger the Killer Consciousness.
Tyler's face smoothed into a cold mask. "I'm back. My spirit is too strong for this trash."
"Ben," Tyler whispered, leaning low. "Distract him. I need to get into position."
Tyler slipped away into the shadows. Zombozo, sensing the "energy" of the laughter, noticed the empty seat. "Which little mouse is trying to spoil the fun?"
"Hey, Bozo!" Ben stood up, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"What is it, little brat?" Zombozo hissed, his killing intent flaring.
"Is McDonald's missing its mascot? Or did you just eat the whole menu? You're looking a little round, buddy."
The crowd (forced by the magic) roared even louder. Zombozo's face twisted in rage. "You little pest... I'll peel that smile off your face!"
Zombozo strode toward Ben, but he stopped dead. A terrifying, lupine shadow fell over the stage.
Standing in the spotlight was a monstrous, bipedal wolf. Its jaw was elongated, filled with rows of serrated fangs. Its throat was torn open, revealing a pulsing, glowing vocal chamber designed for destruction.
The Howl-Ghoul.
"Now," Tyler's distorted voice boomed through the beast's throat. "Let's see who has the last laugh."
The Howl-Ghoul (Loboan Variant)
Appearance: Dark grey fur, elongated skeletal muzzle, and a massive, gaping hole in its neck that acts as a sonic cannon.Ability: Ultrasonic shriek that doesn't just vibrate—it shatters organic matter and mental illusions.