Continuing on the story's highlights for me!

Chapter 11…

Against their better judgement, the monsters went with Joker into his haunted house. Somewhere, Legoshi heard the sound of hyenas cackling while a lady fawned over them like they were her precious puppies, but that didn't matter. All he cared about was getting Ben and Alice out of the bad situation they found themselves in.

Joker led them to the back room, where he revealed a small table with a crystal ball much like Jack's in the center. However, Joker's crystal was pitch black.

"You see, while I worked with Jack, he taught me how to make something like this." Joker explained, "The ability to tap into a world's collective unconscious through a little séance stuff! Well, I can find what people are wishing for, but also what they're scared of! And people LIKE to be scared, especially this time of year! It's a public service! But you wanna know what people are screaming the loudest?"

Legoshi shook his head. He hoped that the clown would take this as an indication that he shouldn't continue. But instead, he waved his hand over the crystal. In a burst of green fog, childlike figures appeared. Like with Jack, they were talking…but it was in terrified yells and scared voices. As they flew towards them, the four monsters retreated.

"There's something in the closet!"

"Just behind the door!"

"They're gonna eat me!" shouted a voice that darted past Legoshi.

"One's in the lake!" said one that danced around Ariel.

"It wants to get me!" another figure said, looking at Alf.

"Big eyes staring at me!" a voice whimpered next to Fran.

The chorus of screams of terror was brought to a swift end as Joker brought it all back into his crystal ball with a broad grin and a showy pose.

"You see what they're all afraid of?" he asked. The four monsters kept their mouths shut as Ben and Alice retreated into them. Joker held out his arms in an intimidating pose that made his shadow flow out in a massive shade that looked ready to swallow them all, "They're afraid of you! THEY'RE AFRAID OF MONSTERS!"

"Us?" Legoshi asked.

"Us?" Ariel asked, shocked.

"With a little help, YES." Joker said, taking out a large beaker of a violet liquid.

"Wh-what's that?" Alice asked, thoroughly spooked now.

"It's the antidote to Jack's goodie, two-shoes sodie pop." Joker said, "Some of this? And you'll go back to your roots as proper monsters!"

"No!" Fran growled.

"Yeah, we tried that, and we're REALLY not interested." Alf said.

"We won't take it. YOU can forget it." Legoshi said, baring his teeth for the first time in days.

"Well, okay. Have it your way. Can't really make YOU do anything. Go if you want." Joker shrugged, "But the kids, though? THEY stay!"

He tapped the contract and immediately, Ben and Alice began walking forward, away from the four monsters.

"Ben, what're you doing?!" Legoshi shouted.

"I'm not doing anything!" Ben yelled as he clearly strained, "My body's moving by itself!"

"I can't help it, either!" Alice yelled, truly scared now.

"You see, the contract has MANY stipulations. One of them is legal protection in case of mauling by hyenas…trust me, THAT one's going to come in handy." Joker said, uncorking the bottle of whatever foul concoction he had that could apparently reverse Jack's elixir, "But I've also got an exclusive option on their willpower! Now, open wide, kiddies! The boss has a demonstration to make!"

Ben and Alice found their mouths opening wide as Joker poured some of the formula into their mouths. They felt something tingle in the back of their heads, their minds becoming more…fuzzy.

The four monsters watched as the two children began to shrink and distort. Their humanity lessened. Legoshi looked down in horror, Alf covered his eyes, Ariel ducked behind Legoshi, and Fran's hands went to her mouth as she gasped.

Ben and Alice had become small, scaly creatures with large, batlike ears and sharp little teeth and claws. They grunted and spoke in small, raspy voices as Alice began nibbling on Ben's ear while he gnawed as his toenails.

"Change them BACK!" Legoshi snarled as he stepped toward Joker, "Or I'll…"

"Oh please, go on, Fido." Joker sneered. Legoshi crossed the distance and held out his hand…but he just couldn't find it in himself to grab onto this demented clown. Joker laughed, "So disappointing. But I figured as much! You lost your savagery! You all have! Because of that bone-head Jack's Humanity Cola, you lost your supernatural power to be a legitimate threat! You're civilized now and the kids and I have a contract! So, you'll respect that like the CHUMPS you are!"

As he spoke, Joker tossed a fish to the two. Alice caught it in her teeth, but Ben snapped onto it as the two began pulling, trying to get the larger half. While they fought over the raw fish, Joker held up the contract.

"But I'm a reasonable criminal lunatic, so you have options. Option one, you all sign onto my show and take the antidote and I rip up this contract and set the kids free!" Joker said, unfurling a fresh contract and pen with one hand. With the other, he pulled the tarp off a large cage whose bars crackled with electricity, "Or you go to your OTHER sideshow attraction and I bill the two as the Children of Hellsaframptonboppinshire and use them to spook people in my show…or cannon fodder if I run into a bat problem, whichever comes first. Which'll it be?"

The monsters looked at the cage in shock. Legoshi looked at the little imp that Ben became. He hated what he was before, just a true monster. But Ben…Ben was his friend. His ears drooped as he hunched over in defeat. Ben saved him before. This was the least he could do…

He took the pen and signed his name, "I'll take it…"

The other three looked surprised at Legoshi's actions. But if he was willing to do it for the children…

"And I'll take it, you…you…monster." Ariel said, screwing her eyes shut as she signed.

"I'll do it…" Alf choked out as he signed.

"Me, too…" Fran said, delivering the final signature as "F. Monster".

"GOOD!" Joker laughed as he promptly shredded the previous contract as he rolled up the new contract, "Now, c'mon! We've gotta get you all in cages and chains, 'cuz you're gonna be really moody when you're real monsters again!"

Joker walked off. Fran and Alf trudged after him, Fran carrying Ariel with a sad grunt.

"Yeah, Fran. We had a good run, though…" Alf said, sadly, as he walked along with his ears drooping.

Legoshi hunched over as he made to follow, but felt something pull on his tail. He looked around to see Ben and Alice. Ben made a few indiscernible babbles before yawning. He curled up on the floor with Alice, the two imps going into what looked like an uneasy sleep. A deep affection filled the werewolf's heart as he knelt next to them.

"Hey…it's alright. You'll be okay…it's just a bad dream." Legoshi said, stroking their hair. As he did so, he saw them slowly change back to normal. He looked at his hands in amazement. How did he…?

"Hey, Sparky! You're coming, too! C'mere, Sparky!" Joker called before whistling for him to come.

Legoshi got up to his full height and looked down at Ben. He remembered the one wish that stood out to him back with Jack…and he realized it was Ben's.

"You've got friends now, Ben." Legoshi said, "Alice, Miguel, Tulio…"

"Lego…" Ben mumbled in his sleep as he shifted, trying to get comfortable.

"Remember me, too…" Legoshi said as he left the two behind.

Joker wasn't kidding. Each of the monsters were chained up and put into cages. Legoshi was in the center with silver-lined chains that made his fur singe. Ariel was kept just above a watery cage. Alf was in a plexiglass container. Fran was bound by wires that crackled with electricity. Next to them, two hyenas fought over some bones. All of it filled Legoshi with a deep sense of dread. Part of him was wishing for it to be finished sooner…

"Well, took a while, but I think I got enough antidote for all of you!" Joker called as he walked down…wearing a bright blue T-shirt with palm tree patterns on it, a camera, and a broad-brimmed purple hat on his head. In his hands was a bucket of glowing, purple liquid that all four knew was his antidote for Jack's Humanity Cola.

"Hey, clowny, 80's San Diego called. They want their outfit back." Alf said with a laugh. This got a smack to the plexiglass, knocking the alien off his feet from the vibration. Fran shot Alf a look, "Sorry, Fran. I'M PANICKING."

"Only ONE person makes the burns here, Big Nose." Joker snapped. He took a deep breath as he looked around and began unscrewing the top of a prop fire hydrant with a large hose attached to it, "Now, I bet you're all wondering why. Why this? Well…that question's got an easy answer. There IS no 'why'! All there is…is one. Bad. Day. Happens to everyone. And that's all that it takes to make someone go a little nuts."

"Well, THIS is calming me down!" Alf shouted. Fran just growled as she glared at Joker, her heterochromatic eyes showing from under her bangs.

"I don't think so." Legoshi said, "Not everyone just goes insane…"

"Wanna bet, Spot?" Joker asked as he began pouring the contents of his bucket into the fire hydrant, "Betcha that Jackie Boy didn't tell you WHY I wound up like this. But I'll tell you. I was a young man, an aspiring comedian. All I wanted to do was provide for my wife and soon-to-be family. But I never could land the jokes right. I was always in financial trouble. And then…I heard she was caught in a sudden explosion. And right after, a bat caught me and sent me into a vat of chemicals. That's how I wound up like THIS." Joker gestured to his face, "Senseless? YES! I did NOTHING to deserve that! And, on that day, I learned that the world made NO sense! That it was all just one big joke with a bad punchline and I've acted accordingly!"

After a tense moment, Joker snickered.

"Or…at least, I THINK that's what it was like. If I have a backstory, I like it to be MULTIPLE CHOICE!" he laughed. He extended his arms and bats began circling over him, landing on his arm and clinging to them, upside-down, "But people seem to like that one the best! And, ever since, I've had a peculiar fear of bats. It's why I keep them around! They scare me, but I keep an eye on them! Often two! I am their master! THAT'S THE BEST JOKE OF ALL!"

"You're insane." Legoshi growled. Fran nodded in response.

"Am I? Well, maybe we're all a little crazy…I know I am." Joker said as he tossed the bucket away, "Jack thought I was just…enthusiastic. Until he figured out my part in the plot and gave me the boot. Well, he wants to bring humans and monsters together? I say, give him what he wants! Open wide, my pretties! Time to take your medicine!"

Legoshi wanted to keep his mouth shut. But, against every part of his mind demanding that he keep his mouth closed, he found it slowly opening. He knew that Alf, Ariel, and Fran were doing the same thing. The moment all of their mouths were opened, Joker threw a switch. A burst of liquid came out of his fire hose and began shooting the liquid straight into the four's mouths. Unable to do anything else, they swallowed.

"You'll be the star attraction—drawing people in during the time of year they WANT to be scared! But then…oh, that's when they get more than they bargained for!" Joker laughed, "You'll entertain them! Entertain a grateful audience! And they'd better be! It'll be the last thing they ever see!"

Legoshi barely understood what Joker was saying. The more the antidote went down his throat, the more his mind began to feel…fuzzy. Like he was being shocked. His body began twisting and distorting as well. As the liquid slowly stopped flowing, he heard deep, heavy groans and growls coming from his left. From his right, inhuman screeching. Right next to him was splashing. He felt a growl coming out of his throat. Along with a familiar feeling…

Legoshi was HUNGRY…