Circus Craziness!

To Red Witch: COME BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

To Sparky Genocide: Yep, the West Coast Misfits are going to be circus performers, baby! Whooooooooo-yeah! No offense, but I think I'd like to let the kids pull off some good acts.

To Raliena: Yeah, Rahne would be great in the trained dog act. And I do like your idea of Toshiro and Kyle arguing while dressed up as clowns. I can imagine them throwing fiery and electrically-charged pies at one another.

To Aaron: Well, I did like your characters. I made some slight alterations to a couple of them, but nothing too major. I also like your ideas of performers. Toshiro would make a decent fire-eater, and Kyle's powers do allow him to be a good lightning rod. You'll see the gang take on the Circus of Crime soon. Don't worry about it.

To c-wolf: Thanks for reading! Footloose in a clown outfit, huh? I like that idea. It amuses me. Anyway, I like it. I'll see what I can do. Keep on reading!

To Metal Dragon1: Nice to hear from you again! Yeah, Those are some great suggestions! I can see Thunderbird doing the strongman act, Thunderbolt and Sunfire as clowns, Wildstar and Beast King doing an animal act, Longshot and X23 doing a dagger act, Siryn barking, and Chilljaw skateboarding. Speaking of you, I'm glad you are working with animeluvr1, she's good. You should read "Bittersweet". It rocks. I can hardly wait for the new chapter of 'Take the Long Way Home'! Put it up, quick!

Disclaimer: "What is a chart? Just a piece of paper. I'll take it to a concert and set it on fire!" - Jezz Torrent, Grand Theft Auto: ViceCity.

It's Profile Time Again! (Crowd hoots, hollers, cheers, screams, chants, and claps. Some people hold up signs.) This time, we take a look at a Joe who is willing to lay it on the line without a fight, Lifeline!

Lifeline

Real Name: Edwin C. Steen

Affiliation: Army

Rank: E-5 (Captain)

Primary Military Specialty: Medic

Secondary Military Specialty: None

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington

Bio: Lifeline grew up in a rather affluent Seattle neighborhood. His mother died when he was young, leaving him to be raised alone by his father, an abusive, workaholic preacher (These experiences made him shun violence). Before joining the military, the quiet, shy, and sensitive Lifeline worked for a couple of years with the Seattle Fire Department before finding out that EMS personnel that ended up disabled while aiding others off-duty were ineligible for pension. Believing that medical personnel were never off-duty, he decided to enlist in the Army, making him the black sheep of his family for a long time. He was asked to join the Joes as a non-combatant, and he gladly accepted.

It was love when he met Brittany Van Mark, who would eventually join the Joes as Bree. A novice helicopter pilot and daughter of a millionaire, Bree found Lifeline's shyness attractive and after an adventure in which she helped the Joes stop Cobra from destroying her father's company, the two started dating and eventually marrying.

Special Skills: Lifeline possesses an odd healing power, and he is a master of the non-violent martial art Aikido.

Chapter 1: Preparations!

Inside the Wrangling Brothers Circus tent

"Okay, that should do it." John Proudstar wiped some sweat off his brow.

"No!" Ali exclaimed. "No way!" The Farrah-haired teenage singer shook her head and waved her ams as she walked by a blinking John. Longshot followed her, holding a couple of his trademark daggers in his three-fingered hand. "I'm not doing it, Longshot! No way, nuh uh, no how!"

"But Ali…" Longshot protested. "Nothing will happen! Babe, I am good at timing and I never miss! The only reason I never hit something is because I don't want to hit it!"

"Longshot, it's not you. It's not your skill, nor your powers. In case you haven't noticed, what you intend is for me to be mounted on a spinning wheel while you throw daggers at me!"

"Ali, the goal is to hit the wheel itself." Longshot explained. "I did it all the time in Mojoworld. I'm a professional."

"Uhm, maybe I should leave." John said to the twosome.

"John, tell him it's crazy!" Ali exclaimed.

"Uh…well…" John blinked, being suddenly caught off guard.

"Ali, it's a safe trick. I was created for using daggers in entertainment. The only thing you'll have to worry about is the wheel falling off."

"Longshot, even the best screw up. And your daggers aren't exactly rubber." Ali sighed. "This is insane."

"I'm staying out of this." John sighed and walked off, letting the two heroes argue. "Where's Kyle and Terrell, Tommy?" Tommy was fixing up one of the support beams.

"Kyle's outside barking his head off. Terrell's zipping around town, asking people to come back." Tommy grinned.

Outside the tent

"Step right up, folks!" Kyle crowed, dressed in a blue-and-black pinstriped suit with black shirt and yellow tie and a matching straw hat. He was standing on a platform, and he had a crowd. "Step right up! Step right up and see the greatest show on earth! See the Wrangling Brothers Circus! See the wonder and amazements contained within!"

"Starting with: The Barker with the Indestructible Mouth!" Toshiro barked sarcastically, pointing at Kyle. "Men and gods alike have tried to shut it, but the mouth cannot be stopped. It is an endlessly-talking juggernaut!" Kyle stared at a smirking Toshi.

"You're dead meat, jabroni." Kyle said in a deadpan manner. He then leapt off his platform, tackled Sunfire, and the two started brawling.

"Whoa, this sounds like one good circus." One guy in the audience grinned. Siryn, who was standing on another platform doing some barking, sighed. She was clad in a green-and-yellow pinstripe suit with a white shirt and green bowtie.

"Can't ye idiots do anything for five seconds without tryin' ta kill each other?"

"No." Both Sunfire and Thunderbolt replied. Then they went back to their brawl. Theresa smirked evilly.

Ye know what they say: Find a way to turn something negative into something positive. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Siryn crowed, pointing at Kyle and Toshi. "See the Brawling Buttheads! Watch these two guys try to beat the snot out of each other constantly for practically no reason! Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Step right up!"

"Eat lighting, jabroni!"

"Taste my flames, gaijin!"

Inside the tent

"What're ye doin' with yer skateboard there, Tommy?" Rahne asked Tommy. Rahne was helping with the trained dog act.

"I'm polishing it, Sheila." Tommy said with a smile. "I'm going to do some trick boarding."

"But ye have no loop-de-loops or half-pipes or whatever!" Rahne exclaimed. "How will ye pull it off?"

"Me ice water. I can use me ice water spit to create loop-de-loops, half-pipes, full pipes, anything I need. And they're easy to get rid of, too. One hit in the right spot, and they shatter."

"Aren't ye worried that the heat of the lights'll cause the structures to melt?" Rahne worried. "There are a lot of lights in the tent, and they can get pretty hot."

"No worries." Tommy grinned. "I know about ice, mate. Me ice sculptures can last quite a while."

"Speakin' of ice sculptures, what kind of stuff can ye make?" Rahne cocked her head to the side. Tommy scrunched up his nose in thought.

"I don't really know to be honest with you, Sheila." Tommy concluded. "The only things I ever really used to create with me ice water was half-pipes. I tried to create the Venus De Milo or anything like that."

"So ye don't really know."

"Nope." Tommy replied. "One of the trained dogs is trying to run away again."

"Oh no!" Rahne exclaimed as she chased after the dog. "Come back here little guy…" Tommy chuckled.

Well, looks like our heroes are going to have some fun! What insanity will happen next? What acts will the West Coast Misfits do? What is the Circus of Crime up to? Can our heroes stop it? Find out in the next chapter! Suggestions needed badly!