(And welcome back, guys. Here I'm bringing back another classic villain and group you'll all know too well.)
One night in Royal Woods, two crooks were sneaking out back of a jewelry store carrying a duffel bag, "See, what'd I tell ya? An easy heist." the first one told the other.
"These babies will really bring us some cold hard cash." the second said.
"Come on. Let's get out of here before somebody sees us." the first said, as the two started sneaking away, while unaware of a familiar white haired boy was watching them from the roof above.
"Too late for that." Lincoln said, as he activated the Omnitrix and transformed.
As the crooks were almost to their getaway car, Diamondhead dropped in, "You're lucky those diamonds aren't made from me. But I still take offense to you stealing them."
The crooks were shocked, until the first one spoke to his partner, "Shoot it!" the two pulled their guns out and started shooting Diamondhead only for their bullets to bounce off him.
"Weak shots. Let me show you real shots," Diamondhead held his hands out and fired diamond shards at the two pinning them to the wall. Diamondhead looked at the trapped crooks on the wall, and spoke, "Not my choice in wallpaper."
Soon enough, the two crooks were pried off the wall and placed into a squad car before being taken away. One of the cops returned the stolen diamonds, and spoke to Diamondhead, "A lot of people think you and those other aliens are freaks, but we're glad to have guys like you fighting the good fight."
"Just doing what I can to help the good people." Diamondhead said, before taking his leave.
The next morning, the Loud family was in Vanzilla driving through town, with everyone looking excited. Lincoln turned to the fourth wall and spoke, "You're probably wondering what all the excitement's about? Well, we're all going to see this circus that just pulled into town called 'Zombozo's Traveling Circus of Laughs'. When Luan found out about this she insisted we all go. And after all the crime fighting I've been doing I could use a break. But if I'm being honest, this Zombozo guy looks real freaky even by clown standards." he showed the fourth wall a flyer for the circus with the ringmaster clown's face on front.
True to Lincoln's words, Zombozo the clown was by far a freaky looking clown. He had pale skin, a blue round nose, red wild hair, and a sinister grin with twisted yellow teeth. On his head was a top hat with a blue orb in the middle. Lynn Sr. called, "We're here, kids!" they pulled into the circus grounds.
"Yay!" the kids cheered, before piling out.
They walked around taking a look at all the attractions and food stands, "Oh, everything looks so good." Lana salivated at all the circus foods.
"Hey, what's going on over there?" Lynn asked, as they saw people gathering around something.
They got closer, as a circus assistant began announcing, "Step right up and see the finger-less freak of nature, whose strength knows no bounds, Thumbskull!"
Walking onto the scene was a strong man with pale white skin and a bald head. His head was shaped like a thumb and it looked like he had a thumb nail on his forehead. He held a metal bar and bent it like it was nothing.
The audience gasped in amaze, as Lynn spoke, "Whoa! And I thought Fourarms was strong."
"Why is his head literally shaped like a thumb?" Lori asked.
"Probably a birth defect." Lisa answered plainly.
Thumbskull threw the bent metal pole up, as it was suddenly caught by red wavy tentacles. However, the tentacles turned out to be red hair pieces attached to the head of another freak who was a girl, "And presenting Frightwig! When this beauty lets down her hair no telling what could happen!"
Frightwig's hair bent the pole some more turning it into a pretzel shape, before placing it atop an anvil. Leni gasped, "Like, I wish I had hair that could do that."
"That is scientifically impossible to do." Lisa said in disbelief.
The announced continued, "And last but not least, the freak whose unique skill is as vile as his attitude. Acid Breath!" Walking onto the scene was another pale man with one normal eye and one red eye. He opened his mouth very wide to reveal his disgusting teeth. Out form his mouth came a green gas that melted the bent iron pole and the anvil.
"Gross!" Lola gagged.
"More like awesome!" Lana cheered.
"These are my kinda people." Lucy marveled at the trio.
"Come on, let's check out the big top." Rita said, as they headed into the tent.
Inside the big top, people were gathering in looking excited for the big show. As the Loud family took their seats, Lincoln spoke up, "Uh-oh. Be right back guys. Gotta pee."
"Bring back some popcorn would ya, bro?" Luna asked.
"Sure." Lincoln said, as he left.
Luan spoke to her family, "It's starting!"
The ringmaster stepped out and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of all ages! The Circus of Laughter is proud to present the Sultan of Smiles, the Crown Prince of Chuckles, the Grim Tickler himself. The Star of our circus, Zombozo the clown!"
Suddenly a small pink car drove onto the center ring, and the door opened up. Stepping out of it was Zombozo himself, "Hiya, folks!" he called, as the audience laughed. Suddenly the car he came out of drove on its own acting like a bull. Zombozo pulled out a red cape and held it out, "Tauro! Tauro!" the car drove forward at the cape. Instead o pulling the cape away, the car turned into confetti upon getting closer to it, "Ole!" Zombozo cheered, as everyone started laughing, save for Lucy.
Zombozo spoke to the audience, "If you love clowns then this is the place to be. You're gonna die laughing!" he stood before a giant machine with glowing orbs like the one on his hat, "That's a Zombozo guarantee." he promised.
"Dying of laughter is impossible to me." Lucy told her family who were too busy laughing to listen.
The clown continued to speak, "I was never really good at math in school. But I believe I have your undivided attention. Any volunteers?" he asked, as he looked around the audience and saw Luan was laughing up a storm, "Ooh, so spirited and full of life... For now." he grinned evilly.
Outside the tent, after using the bathroom, Lincoln was carrying a few tubs of popcorn, "They owe me for this," he said, before hearing a crashing sound, "What's that?" he put the popcorn down and went to find the source of the sound.
He saw across the street from the circus were the circus freaks. Thumbkull had broken a store window and began collecting handfuls of expensive watches, necklaces, rings, and bracelets. He gasped and spoke to himself, "Oh, man!" he watched as Acid Breath used his noxious breath to melt the top of a car where he pulled out the stereo.
Frightwig used her hair tentacles to pull an ATM machine out of the wall causing all the money inside to pour out, "It's payday, boys!" she laughed.
Lincoln spoke to himself, "Either these freaks don't get paid enough for their job or they're actually felons. Either way, I can't let them do this." he activated the Omnitrix, turned the dial and transformed.
As Thumbskull was carrying some flatscreens, he saw saw Heatblast land before him, "You haven't paid for those." the fire alien warned the freak.
"Guys, we're in trouble here!" Thumbskull cried nervously.
The other two looked and saw Heatblast who formed a fireball in his palm, "Let's play some ball!" he threw the fireball at Thumbskull resulting in an impact that knocked him onto his back.
Acid Breath frowned, "No one's messing up this heist!" he unleashed his noxious breath. Heatblast launched a fire blast, and upon mixing with the toxic breath resulting in a flaming explosion.
Acid Breath landed on the ground covered in soot. Frightwig frowned and sent her hair tentacles at Heatblast. They wrapped around him, only for them to burn, "Ow!" Frightwig recalled her hair tentacles and patted them, before frowning at Heatblast.
"Never touch anything made out of magma and heated rock." Heatblast warned her. Acid Breath and Frightwig continued to fight Heatblast, as Thumbskull snuck away.
Back in the big top, the audience continued laughing at Zombozo's performance, while the clown was literally soaking it all up, "Laughter really is the best medicine. Especially for me."
Suddenly Thumbskull approached, "Uh, excuse me, boss? Boss?"
Zombozo frowned, "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't bother me when I'm eating!" he explained in agitation.
"We ran into a bit of trouble." Thumbskull explained nervously. Zombozo frowned at what he was told.
Back at the fight, Heatblast was overpowering the two freaks with his fire attacks, until Zombozo appeared in a poof of confetti with Thumbskull.
Heatblast saw the clown and gasped, "Zombozo? So you're in on this?"
"What do you know? He's smart." Zombozo told his freaks.
"So this circus act is some kinda front? Why?" the fire alien demanded.
"Sorry, pal, but secrets must never be shared." he reached into his hat and pulled out a giant fire extinguisher much to Heatblast's horror.
"Oh, that isn't good." he said to himself.
"Time to cool off, hot head." Zombozo sprayed Heatblast with the extinguisher putting his flames out.
The out of gas Heatblast dropped to his knees before falling flat, "His fires gone out." Thumbkull chuckled stupidly.
"What should we do with him?" Acid Breath asked Zombozo.
"Leave him. We have bigger laughs to take." Zombozo answered, as he and the freaks left.
The Omnitrix started beeping, and Heatblast became Lincoln again. Unfortunately he was still unconscious. When he came to, he saw he was alone, "Oh, man how long have I been out? My family!" he gasped, as he headed back to the circus grounds.
When he arrived he saw the entire circus was gone, and everyone who attended there was walking around or sitting while laughing weakly. Lincoln looked at everyone in confusion, "Ok, are they really laughing or playing zombie?" he saw his family by a bench laughing weakly like everyone, "Mom! Dad! Girls!" he ran over to them.
"Lincoln, honey." Rita began, while laughing slowly.
"Where'd ya go, son?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"Where'd I go? Where'd the whole circus go?" Lincoln asked flabbergasted.
"We don't really know." Luna answered.
"We do remember enjoying the show and having lots of laughs, and poof we're sitting here." Lori explained.
Lincoln looked everyone over seeing they looked almost lifeless, "You guys don't look so good."
"Actually, I feel fine," Lucy answered, "And I saw what happened."
"You did, what happened?" Lincoln asked.
"Zombozo was making everyone laugh, and he had this machine which started doing something to everyone. Suddenly they all started acting like me."
"This circus was nothing but a sham." Lincoln explained.
"What do you mean?" Leni asked as she laughed weakly.
"Those circus freaks were out robbing places. Then Zombozo showed up and knocked me out," Lincoln gasped, "I think I get how it all works now. Zombozo uses his circus to distract people and somehow drains them of happiness, while his freaks go on a crime spree."
"Makes perfect sense." Lisa admitted glumly.
Lincoln looked and did a head count of his sisters, "Wait a minute where's Luan?"
Elsewhere, Zombozo was driving a truck with Thumbskull, and the clown asked his strong freak, "Did ya make sure you packed me a snack for the road?" Thumbskull showed him the back of the truck had a few members of the audience who were still laughing, and one of them was Luan. Excellent. And that girl with the braces is like a walking spa treatment." he laughed.
Back at the old circus spot, Lincoln spoke to his family, "I have to go and rescue Luan."
"Lincoln, you'll never track them with how far they've gone." Lori warned him.
"That's why I got Wildmutt. Lucy, keep an eye on our family, will you?"
"Can do, big brother." Lucy saluted.
Lincoln turned the dial of the Omnitrix until stopping on Wildmutt's image. He slammed down on the watch and became the dog alien. He barked at his family as if telling them he'd be back before sniffing the ground and followed the trail.
Wildmutt followed the trail leading out of Royal Woods, but soon enough the Omnitrix started beeping and he changed back to Lincoln, "Oh, man. I'll never find the circus now!" he groaned, until he looked down the road and saw a clearing where the circus was getting set up, "What luck." he ran down the road.
He reached the grounds, and saw the freaks were unloading one of the trucks which contained some of their stolen goods. Lincoln snuck around trying to remain inconspicuous, "Luan must be around here somewhere."
"Hey Thumb-Head!" Frightwig called to Thumbskull, "Grab those crates over there!" she motioned to where Lincoln was hiding.
Lincoln seeing Thumbskull was coming right for him, had to act fast. He skimmed through the Omnitrix before activating it, Coming up from behind the crates was Water Hazard, "Surprise!" he blasted Thumbskull with water.
Frightwig and Acid Breath saw this, "Another one of those creatures?" the acid breathing freak asked in irritation.
"Let's hand this guy over to the boss." Frightwig said, as Acid Breath tried to use his toxic breath on the alien.
Water Hazard dodged, as the breath melted the crates close to him, "You need a whole water tower worth of mouthwash to get rid of that breath. But I'll save ya the trouble and wash it out for you!" he aimed the water canon at Acid Breath blasting his mouth with water.
Frightwig watched Acid Breath fall to the ground coughing up water. She growled at the alien, before using her hair to ensnare him, "Not so tough now are you?" she asked.
"Don't be so sure!" he aimed one of his water cannon's at Frightwig soaking her and her hair. With her hair soaked she couldn't control it.
Water Hazard fell to the ground and slugged Frightwig to the ground, "You should just stick to your circus jobs." he walked over to the tent, only for the Omnitrix to time out.
Lincoln groaned, "You have bad timing with this." He sighed before entering the tent only to see he was walking down a hall of mirrors.
He looked around seeing multiple reflections of himself, and said to himself, "Just like in thriller movies taking place at a carnival. The dreaded hall of mirrors." he continued on while keeping his eyes peeled, 'I know I'm being watched.' he thought to himself.
"Well, hey there kid!" Zombozo's voice came from all around, "You look like you could be a barrel full of laughs!"
Lincoln ignored the clown, and ended up walking straight into a mirror, "Ouch!" he groaned, before looking to the side seeing some of his reflections. Suddenly Zombozo's face appeared over his own, "Come on, kid. How about a smile?!" his whole face took up the many mirrors, as Lincoln looked all around seeing the clown's face.
"I know what your game is, Zombozo!"
"Do you, really?" he asked.
"The circus thing is a front. You do whatever it is ya did to my family and everyone else, while your circus freaks go on a crime spree!" Lincoln explained.
"Clever, boy," Zombozo admitted, "And it's true me and my freaks each get what we want through our plan. A win-win, wouldn't ya say?"
"Not from my POV. You and your freaks get what you want, but what does everyone else get? Nothing but their happiness sucked out of them!"
Suddenly multiple arms reached out of the mirrors and tried to grab Lincoln, "True, but at least they get a good laugh before it all." Zombozo's voice answered.
Lincoln started running away from the hands and all around him looked like a nightmare, "What's it even to ya anyway? Was that your pyromaniac back there who gave my freak such frowns?" Lincoln ran until suddenly a hatch opened up in the floor and out popped Zombozo's giant head on a jack in the box spring, "And what about that water shooter outside? He work for you to?" Lincoln tried to get away but more Zombozo heads popped up on springs, "Or are you some kinda freak?!"
"I'm not a freak!" Lincoln shouted before he started falling, through a flaming Zombozo face laughing at him. Next thing Lincoln knew he was swinging from trapeze to trapeze, "Ok, I'm not trained for this!" he cried before jumping through an astral Zombozo head. Suddenly the trapeze handle broke and he started plummeting. He landed on a giant spider web, "Oh, great. I had to land on a spider web."
Suddenly crawling up to him was a giant Spider with Zombozo's face, "You really need to lighten up, kid. Laugh a little. It always keeps me going." he tempted Lincoln.
"I know how to laugh... At stuff that's actually funny!"
Zombozo scowled, "What's the matter, my routine not good enough for you?"
"Your routine is lacking. I mean I've seen amateur stand up comedian's give better laughs than you." Lincoln mocked.
"Why you little!" Zombozo started getting angry, as he broke the web.
Lincoln once against started falling, until he hit the ground, "Oh, I hate landing hard." suddenly a spotlight shined down on him, and Lincoln saw he was in the center ring of the show.
Zombozo walked up to him, and Lincoln looked at the multiple blue orbs on his costume, and saw apparitions floating around through them letting out moaning wails, "You just can't appreciate gold humor." he boasted.
"Why do this at all? How are you even doing this?" Lincoln asked, still recalling what Lucy told him about Zombozo's method.
Zombozo smirked, as he unveiled the machine he used during his performance. A cable connected to it attached to an outlet on Zombozo's back and he was lifted up, "Behold, the Psyclown. With this baby I can suck all the happiness out of my audience."
"You are one sick twisted clown." Lincoln said while feeling disturbed.
"Hey a guy's gotta eat, you know? With this baby I'm gonna be hitting it up in the big cities. I'll have enough energy to last me for months, even years."
"Where's my sister?" Lincoln demanded.
"Sister?" Zombozo pondered, "About this tall, ponytail, braces, laughs a lot?"
"Where is she?!" Lincoln shouted.
"Didn't ya hear? She ran away with the circus." Zombozo joked, as another spotlight shined on another ring to reveal Luan all curled up and looking dreadful while laughing weakly.
Lincoln frowned, and got on his feet, "All right, clown. You may think you're so funny, but I'm the one who's gonna have the last laugh!" he activated the Omnitrix and transformed into Ghostfreak.
Zombozo looked at the ghost alien surprised, before brushing it off, "Nice try, kid. But I sell the tricks, not buy them."
"This is no trick," Ghostfreak hissed, before slugging Zombozo in the face. The clown spun around tying himself up in the cable stuck to his back. Ghostfreak went invisible and spoke, "You know I am scared of a lot of things, but I'm scared of something much worse than you could ever throw at me. Losing my family to a Goofball Emotional Vampire," Ghostfreak reappeared, "In other words, you're going down, clown!" he slugged Zombozo in the nose again.
Zombozo growled as he looked around seeing Ghostfreak disappeared again. The ghost alien reappeared and delivered another punch making Zombozo crash into his machine shorting it out. This released all the captured happy feelings he assimilated that were all going back to their respective owners. One of them flew back into Luan, and more of them went back to the Loud family.
Zombozo crawled out of his machine, and saw Ghostfreak before him, "I warning you to back off, ghost!" he threatened him.
"You wanna see something really scary?" Ghostfreak asked, as he gripped his torso and opened up his ghostly skin like a flasher. All that could be seen was multiple black and white striped tentacles flailing around. The sight frightened Zombozo as he tried to escape but crashed back into his machine.
He fell to the ground scared out of his skin, until Ghostfreak reappeared before him, "Awe, don't tell me you're afraid of old Ghostfreak, are you?" he taunted him.
"Please! No more!" Zombozo pleaded in fright.
"Boo!" Ghostfreak answered. Zombozo's eyes widened in fright, as he inflated like a balloon and popped leaving confetti behind. Ghostfreak spoke to the fourth wall, "Just between you and me, that kinda freaked me out too." he suddenly changed back into Lincoln.
The boy looked over at his fourth oldest sister, and ran to her side, "Luan! Luan, can you hear me?" he nudged her.
"Lincoln?" Luan groaned, as she looked up at him, "Did you get that popcorn?" Lincoln smiled knowing she'd be just fine, and the rest of his family too.
Later on the Circus Freaks were contained and taken into custody, while the Louds watched fro afar, "You all feeling ok?" Lincoln asked his family.
"We're totes ok, Linky." Leni assured.
"All thanks to you, bro." Luna added.
"Clowny go bye-bye." Lily laughed.
"You think that's the last of Zombozo?" Lori asked.
"That I know of." Lincoln answered.
"Well, it had to take guts to face down that clown." Lynn Sr. commended his son.
"I just needed to use a little fright of my own." Lincoln replied.
"He may have been a vampire clown, but I still thought he was funny." Luan laughed, as her family could only roll their eyes and sigh.
(And there you have it. Zombozo is gone for now, but guarantee the freaks will make a come back. Don't miss next time where West comes back to Royal Woods to help Lincoln and Clyde protect someone on the run.)