Galactic Shift Extend

by Seanzilla1988

A familiar Beastkin goes through a familiar abandoned Cauldron. However, she doesn't end up in another timeline, but Bellwood, home to a teen with a watch he wears on his arm that can change his shape to save the world from harm.

101. Something Freaky This Way Comes!

SZ: *rises out of the ground groaning*After months of waiting…we have returned~~~!

GT: *holding phone up in recording mode* Just in time for spooky season. We're here for the circus!

Z0: *Red circle forms in ground before demonic clawed hands burst out before revealing it to be me as a Hellspawn* GAH! Who summoned me!? I was in the middle of stuff down there! *looks around* Ah…so it's time to return to the big one is it?

SZ: Yup..time for some good ol' spooky shenanigans for the gang.

Z0: Alright then, let's get to it, *crawls out of the portal to hell…which doesn't close*

SZ:...uh….we don't own anything aside from original content, so….*runs into a holy circle to shield from the incoming hellfire*

GT: I still didn't get my cotton candy.

SZ:*throws a bag full of cotton candy into the portal*

Z0: We don't own anything and we're broke! Enjoy folks! *Demons flood from the portal and attack the screen*

---

It was late at night with a fairly large city, the people asleep with all but a very few stores closed for the night, a few dark clouds looming overhead as they shadowed over the moon, its light shining down on the sleeping city. However…that silence was about to stop as a door to a jewelry store opened up, a few pieces of jewelry beginning to float out as they were covered in an eerie ghostly green glow. Soon the jewelry found its way to a fairly large gothic circus tent, slipping into an opening as it revealed a trio of Ghosts and a red-cloaked figure, all with glowing red eyes as they held onto the various pieces of jewelry.

"Was wondering when you'd return," a figure spoke up from the shadows, stepping out to reveal a pale-skinned human in a black coat on top of of a black and red button-up shirt, a black bowler hato n top of his bald head, red pants, and black boots and gloves as he held onto a red bat-themed staff with a glowing red orb on the top, "Tell me, how did it go? No trouble I hope…" the quartet soon presented the stolen jewelry to him, letting him examine them as a frown grew on his face a bit, "Mmm…blast it. None of these have the jewels I seek…still, not a bad haul today all things considered. We both legally and illegally earned some extra revenue…and we left the audience dying with laughter…thanks to our little…investment," he smirked as he looked back at the large object hidden in the shadows.

The Ghosts said nothing as they just looked at one another.

"Hah…right. Not much for stimulating conversation…" he sighed.

"Well, what do you expect from a bunch of dead freaks? They ain't the life of the party!" a voice laughed from the object, "But much more helpful than my old freaks!"

"Yes. I do seem to recall your old circus troupe, Zombozo," the man muttered as the freaky zombie clown stepped out from the shadows, "And frankly it's so hard to find good help these days…Thankfully we had a few 'willing' subj-I mean guests to help. Plus with your guidance, we were able to recreate an old invention of yours."

"Hey, it helps you have tons of funds to splurge," Zombozo laughed, "Sides, you turned me on to the new source of energy, one almost as succulent as the laughter I crave," he smirked.

"What can I say? Happy clowns are so passe~ Sad clowns are just cliche and tacky…oh…but Scary Clowns…that's the real money!" the man smirked.

"Well…we've perfected the bit, now it's time…for the big times~" Zombozo smirked, "Let's go for a big town…like a certain hometown of an annoying hero kid?"

"Oohh~ Excellent idea~" the man smirked.

---

"Ahh…god there's nothing on tv…" Makoto yawned as she laid on the couch, wearing a snug orange tee with the words 'Nuts to You' on it and a pair of black shorts that reached midway to her kness.

"You always say this during time off." Tsubaki sighed, walking past the couch in a modest cream shirt and blue skirt that went down to just above her feet, "Hah…We all got assigned time off together so that means we're all stuck together today."

"I get the feeling you like it better when our days off don't match…" Makoto mumbled, "Wait…He wasn't in his room…he's not in the garage fixing the bike…So where's my Ben?"

"Ben got up early and got a call from Danny," Tsubaki explained, "He and Max went to go pick him and his friends up."

"Danny and the gang are visiting?" Makoto blinked.

"I didn't get the full story," Tsubaki shrugged.

"No one tell Ragna or he'll freak out." Makoto smirked, "What about Noellie?"

"I sent Sister with them before she could 'help' with breakfast…" Lambda spoke from the kitchen.

"You did nothing wrong, La-chan," Makoto bluntly stated before changing the channel again, "...ugh. Where's the Halloween specials?! They usually have them in October! Not even a spooky movie…"

"Nightmare Before Christmas?" Lambda offered, peeking her head in the living room, showing her to wear a black tee with a jack-o-lantern on it and blue jeans all under an apron with bats on it, "Best of both holidays."

"You love the music, don'tcha?" Makoto smirked.

"I like singing skeleton man, yes," she replied with an innocent whistle, "His video game as well."

"...He sang in Kingdom Hearts?" Makoto asked.

"No. PS2 game called Oogie's Revenge. Nanami-san sent me a copy. Good songs, especially against the final boss," Lambda replied as she went back to finishing making breakfast.

"Well I guess it will be nice to see Danny and the gang from Amity Park without some hero related business. And…I probably jinxed that…" Makoto sighed.

"Probably, but…you were bound to mess something up today." Tsubaki replied.

"Shots fired." Lambda called from the kitchen.

"Mmm…" Makoto pouted at that before changing the channel, a red swirl popping up, "?"

=I….am Freakshow= a voice spoke up as the swirl faded, revealing a pale-skinned man as he began to float within a void of purple fog =The Ringmaster of The Circus Gothica, where your nightmares come alive. Circus Gothica, where the clowns never smile=

"AHH!" Makoto jumped as the screen showed a clown with razor sharp teeth giving out a haunting laughter, "Freaking hell…"

=Circus Gothica; come and get your freak on…with real freaks…Freakshow's voice grinned as the scene changed back to him, holding the staff with a glowing red orb as the swirl from before could be seen within it =Circus Gothica, coming to Bellwood. Cross over…to the dark side~=

"A scary circus?" Tsubaki blinked.

"Hmm…" Lambda blinked, peeking her head in, "Scary Circus?"

"Apparently so," Makoto shrugged, "Probably just another quick cash grab circus deal or something…probably like a haunted house."

"I don't know…that looked like it had effort put into it," Tsubaki noted.

"That's how they pull ya in," Makoto countered, "Trust me…back where I grew up, most circuses that were there were just overhyped money-traps."

"Well despite the gothic nature, maybe it can be a good distraction. I mean if the point is spooky, doesn't that make it perfect for a date?" Tsubaki mused, "Why…you could just use it as an excuse to hold Ben…all day…?"

"...know the thing is, Tsubaki? I know you're playing me…..but you're right," Makoto replied before shrugging, "Ahh well…guess it won't be too bad then….bet they probably got some creepy gothic themed food..like 'spooky' funnel cakes covered in blueberry gl-oh that actually sounds good…"

"And now you talked yourself into it." Tsubaki smirked, "All is right with the world."

"Hai," Lambda agreed.

---

"...come on come on…" Sam whispered as she, Danny and Sam waited near their usual hangout spot in Amity Park, "Tuck, you see any sign of them?"

"Nope…don't see any sight of your parents," Tucker replied, using a pair of binoculars to look around the park, "Not unless they invested in invisible spray or something."

"Sam don't you think it's kind of…wrong to lie to them and leave town to see a circus?" Danny asked, "I mean I've wanted to go since we saw the commercial, but I feel like not telling specifically your parents is going to come back…to bite me."

"Yeah my Mom and Dad don't care what I do…as long as I stop acting as your body double in class and wear a skirt to do so." Tucker replied.

"That was so wrong…" Danny shivered.

"And Danny's parents more or less have given him total freedom thanks to the hero thing." Tucker continued.

"And yet my parents still hate him…" Sam muttered.

"How?" Danny asked.

"Hah…'he may not be a bad influence, but he's also always surrounded by danger, and you, a young lady shouldn't be getting involved in this super hero nonsense'…" Sam spoke in a rather forced peppy tone, obviously mimicking her mother in a mocking manner.

"Why can't my parents complain? They actually encourage me to help Danny! I get chased by ghosts…and now aliens! But never girls!" Tucker complained.

"That sounds like a you problem," Sam deadpanned.

"Well I'm the guy in the chair, I don't want to be chased around by freaky supervillains." Tucker huffed.

"That…might actually be a good job for you Tuck." Danny admitted, "But…we don't exactly have a fancy command center with the internet connection for you,"

"Like the command center at your place?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah…no…Dad had to decommission most of the stuff in there after his deal to become the Earth Branch Plumbers Ghost specialist." Danny explained, "They…deemed it too dangerous to leave a cross continental airship in his hands…"

"Dang it!"

"Come on what's taking them so long?" Sam groaned, choosing to ignore them.

"Sam, Ben is a crazy busy Profesional Superhero, he probably has to do something early in the morning." Danny sighed, "Don't freak."

"I know but my parents could find us at any minute and…"

"Hi!" Ben shouted as a Groundbridge portal opened behind them.

"AH!" the trio screamed in surprise before trying to play it off.

"H-Hey…" Danny chuckled as he leaned on Tucker.

"T-Thought you scared the ghost experts huh?" Tucker laughed as his knees trembled.

"Are you okay?" Noel asked, poking her head out next, "You all look terribly spooked. Ben, did you scare them?"

"Not intentionally." Ben replied, "I could have done way worse if that was the plan." he chuckled.

"You are a bad influence on the dog." Noel replied as Drei poked his head out, "No Drei, get back on the other side," she pulled him back only for his butt to poke out next, "No…no…no zoomies!" she pulled her head back to grab the corgi.

"We got a dog." Ben explained with a smile, "Come on, Max got his truck with Stealth mode finished and he's ready to take us for a drive!"

"He gets a truck with stealth mode?" Danny asked, "I want a truck with stealth mode…"

"Danny you can fly…" Sam sighed.

"So what's your point?" Danny complained.

"Shotgun!" Tucker cheered.

"Shotgun is spoken for," Ben chuckled, "By the Corgi."

"Woof~" Drei barked as he poked his head out again.

"When'd you get a dog?" Danny asked.

"Quite a while back."

"Technically he imprinted on both Ben and Noel," Skurd explained.

"You coming or what?" Ben asked, "Cause we want to give you a tour of Plumber HQ, it will be your first time here…without alien frogs."

"True. Least th-" Danny began.

"Yeah yeah let's go lets go lets go!" Sam hissed as she began to push him and Tucker into the portal.

"...overprotective and overcontrolling parents?" Ben guessed.

"Eeyup," Sam sighed as the trio went into the portal.

"Knew that for about…two, probably three, days after my parents learned I was a superhero," Ben recalled, "Not fun."

"Yeah, but yours sound like good understanding folks. Mine are…not at all that simple…" Sam sighed as they all entered the Groundbridge before it closed.

---

Simply enough, passing through the Ground Bridge brought them to Plumber HQ, which was abuzz with the intergalactic peace keepers at work in the most infamous station known across Space. Planet Earth sure was a busy place to say the least.

"This is so much better when we're not imprisoned," Tucker awed at the technology around.

"Trust me when I say this: this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to intergalactic tech," Ben noted.

"Don't get him riled up, you won't be able to get rid of him," Danny chuckled out a warning.

"Oh, we have means of that," Ben smirked, "Trust me. And one is a bit stabby."

"He means Jin," Noel explained as Drei barked.

"Danny…this…this is the place someone like me belongs," Tucker spoke up, "I should work from a place like this…and not get slimed in ghost goo…"

"I have the paperwork if you need it."

"OH GEEZ!" Tucker yelped as he jumped, quickly turning to see Hibiki standing behind him with a stack of papers.

"Hey, Hibiki." Ben smiled, "You always have the right paperwork when we actually need it," he chuckled.

"W-Wait…we could actually work…here?!" Sam motioned to it all.

"Technically…yes…" Ben muttered slowly, "You can go into the same apprentice system Makoto and the others used. It bypasses the age and species conditions to join the academy, but you can still do that to gain the needed training and tests to handle weapons and equipment." he went on, "But…minors with…you know…parents that are around still kinda need their permission."

"..." Sam groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Rats."

"I think there's something about getting around that if you prove yourself a valuable candidate for Plumber work," Ben added, understanding her frustration to an extent, "Uh…don't ask me how, I kinda…" he motioned to the Omnitrix, "I kinda was deputized at the age of 10…so I'm not the best to ask how that works. But hey, my Grandpa might know a thing or two. Ask him; but, as a responsible adult…he might just insist on the parent permission thing."

"He still threatens to send Ben away to Boarding School when he stresses him out," Noel giggled.

"Records show that we offered this to Fenton-san," Hibiki added, "But he turned it down in favor of remaining in Amity Park as a local Hero."

"I'm kinda good at sticking to where I work best," Danny admitted at the looks he got from the two, "After the whole public identity reveal thing, I kinda like a small sense of regular life."

"Oh what…Come on, Danny! How are you happy sticking around Amity Park? You're an actual Superhero with powers," Tucker complained, "You could be getting paid to do what you do everyday for free!"

"That's true." Ben nodded, "I actually get paid for this."

"With a 401K, health benefits, but no insurance due to what he does," Noel added as she walked over, wearing an orange sweater with a black cat pattern on the right arm and black stars and a crescent moon on the left arm and a black skirt ending past her knees with orange stockings and Funkfreed in a black and orange spooky-themed scabbard.

"Yeah…I do get dental, though," Ben muttered.

"Dude's got a full on job here," Tucker pointed out.

"I mean…I just kinda like sticking around with you guys," Danny admitted, "If I joined, I'd probably be sent all over the world to deal with stuff."

"Galaxy at times, too. Last Tuesday had to go all the way to Omegas XVIII to help with a drug bust," Ben confirmed, "And before you ask, the drug in question vaporizes Earthlings in ten seconds after being given it while it gives Galvanic Mechamorphs the equivalent of non prescribed medical marijuana."

"Yeah see? That. I'm kinda happy being here. Though going to space has always been what I wanted," Danny muttered, "But to explore space, not be a space cop."

"Dude, you can come on our next space roadtrip!" Ben smiled at that, "And, yeah, I mean all of you. Grandpa Max has been telling me to look into buying my own spaceship. We can do it during the summer!"

"Ooh~ That sounds nice," Noel smiled, "Where to go though? …We kind of have to avoid Vilgax's sector…and the Incursean sector…"

"Eh, figure it out later," Ben shrugged.

"ARF!"

"Gah!" Tucker jumped and landed in Sam's arms before looking down to see Drei, panting happily in a black and orange collar with pumpkin patterns on it, "A…A corgi?"

"Yep. That's Drei," Ben introduced as Noel scooped up the happy puppy, "He's really smart, so don't underestimate what he can do."

"Where did you find him anyway?" Danny questioned.

"You know Psyphon, right?"

"You mean that guy that tries way too hard to be a mob boss?" Sam questioned, earning a look from Danny and Tucker, "...what? Me and Makoto text each other sometimes."

"Well let's say he attempted to use him for something nefarious, but got stolen from right under one of his thugs, and Noel ended up buying the dog, so…" Skurd began as Drei barked a bit.

"Ohh…wait. Then who's the slime?" Tucker questioned

"That's Skurd. He…kinda lives off my Omnitrix," Ben replied.

"How do you do?" Skurd replied, "Call me anything snot or loogie related…and I make a third arm grow from your forehead. Only this one can get away with such insults." he motioned to Ben.

"He's kind of a DNA manipulator." Ben explained, "He feeds off the DNA of the Omnitrix. He works as a symbiote to give me powers of other aliens while I'm already transformed. Also, in an emergency, he's a perfect defense mechanism."

"Hmm…so this is Halfa DNA…" Skurd mused as a pseudopod stretched over to latch to Danny's arm, "Oh, he's is deeply altered…probably can't call him 'human' with how much his DNA is altered, but…mmm…frosty~" he burped a cloud of cold air and snow, "Pardon me…but no…the Omnitrix still sees him as human. Never gonna scan him."

"Good. Because I am still creeped out that I can scan a dolphin of all things," Ben admitted, "Honestly didn't think that'd be a form."

"You can turn into a dolphin?" Tucker asked before Sam dropped him.

"Could turn into a dolphin. Have yet to scan one and don't plan on it anytime soon," Ben explained, "Anyway, back to the original reason for all this."

"Getting a job here?" Sam smiled.

"...Okay, that's a thing we're gonna figure out. But…probably should get some brain food and plan for the original-Original reason." Ben offered..

"...What was that again?" Noel asked, tilting her head.

"Err…" Ben glanced away, remembering he hadn't told her why they were coming due to how Noel handles…scary things, "Hmmm…okay, so you tagged along for fun…so I didn't explain that Danny, Sam and Tucker are here to attend a circus show…that's…uhm…spooky themed…"

"Oh well…that sounds festive for the time of year. Why…oh…oh no…it's…?" she realized from Ben's pauses and hesitation.

"Yeah…" Ben nodded slowly, "It's why they asked us to pick them up so early. Sam wanted to see them get set up."

Drei wriggled in Noel's arms, managing to get her attention, "Hm? What is it, Drei?" the puppy was held up to her and he put a paw on her nose, "..." she snuggled him, "Ohhh~ You are just so precious~! Best Corgi in the whole wide world just like Mari is best mink and Funkfreed is the best sword!"

"Oh, you read One Piece?" Tucker asked…before Funkfreed transformed to pet Noel's head, the scabbard having changed into a pumpkin-themed armor, "...Uh…"

"Did that sword on her hip turn into an elephant?" Sam asked with wide eyes.

"So…Multiverse theory…" Ben muttered, "Everything exists out there."

"WHAT!?" Tucker snapped, "Dude, lead with that…That means so many…"

"You're not going into the Multiverse," Danny and Sam blurted.

"Blast," Tucker scowled.

"Paon?" Funkfreed tilted his head at Noel.

"Teenager boys being teenager boys," Noel replied.

"Paon," Funkfreed nodded before curling the end of his trunk up, "Paon~?"

"No, no. No Anti-Science," Noel replied.

"Anyway, let's get going, and we can figure out some way to either get a loophole…or trick Sam's parents into signing those papers," Ben chuckled.

"Wait, you'd help me do that?" Sam blinked.

"Well, I mean, I'm not gonna mind control them with a telepath…but maybe being clever…" Ben muttered.

"No, I mean really help me work here." Sam spoke.

"Well from what I understand, you keep Team Fenton together. you're the brave one." Ben explained, "You'd fit in here. You don't see Aliens as weird, just as people. Plus, what can I say? We need more human folks that can keep us grounded." he chuckled, "You too, Tuck, but I think you have it easier."

"Out of the house, full on job with benefits? My folks will do it in a heartbeat," Tucker smirked.

"Wait, you guys really want to join?" Danny blinked.

"Uh, duh…Dude I can join the tech team, work with alien technology, tech that makes all my coolest gadgets look like wind up toys!" Tucker smiled, "And…well as a guy in the chair I can help my way. You know, get slimed less…"

"And I've spent quite a bit of time in UnderAmity learning about the cultures of the people down there," Sam added, "Honestly meeting alien life out there has been pretty exciting to think about. Plus, I do like the boots the uniform has."

"Oh, I know, right? So comfy," Noel agreed, "Much better than my old job's uniform with the high heels. I swear, they were cute, but the blisters I'd get…" Funkfreed patted her head, "Thank you, Funkfreed."

"Paon~!"

"I mean…I guess you're right. We kind of…don't live normal lives…" Danny muttered.

"Plus, come on. What were we gonna do after learning ghosts and aliens exist…?" Sam chuckled, punching Danny's shoulder, "No way is some boring normal job ever gonna cut it for me now."

"Besides, dude, it's not like we'll sign up right away. We'll think it out," Tucker added, "What? Nervous we'd leave you? Come on. We're a team."

"Well, maybe a little…this place just…is way cooler than Amity Park." Danny admitted.

"You're not sure if you wanna always be a hero, huh?" Ben asked, earning Danny's attention, "Well the future is unknown. Who knows what it will be. But we're always gonna need a Ghost Hero to deal with those weirdos from the Ghost Zone. If you're gonna spend your days dealing with those weirdos…might as well make a job of it while you're at it. Then…well you can figure out where you go from there."

"Not everyone is dedicated to be a Hero for their entire life like Ben," Noel added, "But everyone can help in their own way."

"Also the only thing I'd ever want to be besides a hero is a professional soccer player," Ben smirked.

"Mmm…That's not the only thing I heard," Noel noted with a small amused smile.

"...What did Makoto tell you?" Ben asked, quickly looking at her.

"Oh, nothing," Noel replied, "It was your mother when I visited for tea."

"Gah!" Ben paled before he then snatched Drei, "I claim the corgi!" he ran away.

"Ah! Ben, no fair~!" Noel called, running after him.

"Wow. Even trying to leave a room is chaotic here, huh?" Tucker asked.

"Pao," Funkfreed nodded in exasperation and content.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad around here…" Danny muttered to Sam, "I mean…here I'm just Danny. I'm not the center of attention."

"I think that's all you really need, you goof," Sam sighed, "A place to just be Danny Fenton and not always Danny Phantom. Which, let's face it, not even your house is safe anymore. Your Dad has it in his head he's like your Handler."

"And I'm often the one who tests the FentonWorks devices meant for capture and not anything synonymous with destroy," Danny added before pointing at the small green earrings on Sam, "How do you think we got the Fenton Thermos tech to be reworked into earrings last week?"

"And here I thought you just finally learned what I like in a gift," Sam joked, "But that's what I mean. Yeah, this is a place to work, but hey, you have more friends here who get the Hero life nonsense. Plus you fit in here, you're weird, and prone to nonsense."

"Hey…" Danny muttered.

"Though I think you'll need to hit the gym. Something tells me being a Plumber has physical demands." Sam chuckled, "Ah…cause you are a burger away from developing a gut." she poked Danny's stomach.

"Hey, come on, that's not…" Danny poked his own stomach, "Aw man…" he groaned in defeat.

"Paon," Funkfreed offered a paper with writing on it.

"Uh, thanks?" Danny accepted the paper, "..." he adopted a flat look.

"What is it?" Tucker asked.

"The CP9's exercise regimen," Danny replied.

"Oh come on. They don't…"

"We adopted it as mandatory for all field agents to train up their physicality if they lack any race specific powers," Hibiki explained, "Minus the parts involving mental conditioning that were deemed too extreme and likely lead to a destructive mentality." Funkfreed looked away, sheepishly scratching his cheek with his trunk, "You just gave us what you knew, Funkfreed-san. You are not to blame for such practices in your old world's government structure."

"Well good thing I'm looking to be stuck in a chair all day," Tucker smirked, "But this is kinda cool…"

"Then if you're interested then, follow me to sign your papers," Hibiki informed.

"Word of advice, newbie? Take breaks between a few stacks! It'll help with the wrist pains!" Kagura shouted offscreen.

"Oh that's…wait, stacks?"

"Yes. There are often multiple papers that need signing," Hibiki nodded, "Granted since you don't want to work on the field, it won't be as long…but will still require some form of training."

"Audible gulp," Tucker gulped.

"Aaaand we've completely derailed," Danny muttered.

"You two can handle it later then if its important."

"Aaand we're gone!" Sam shouted, grabbing Danny's arm as she quickly ran off with him into the elevator.

"Wait! Don't...!" Tucker began before the elevator closed, "...ahh man…"

---

"Hmm…go with the black…or the red…" Makoto muttered as she looked at a pair of shirts in her room, "Mmmm…Something dark and goth-ish…"

"I'd consider the blacks," Tsubaki replied, "They better fit your tail's coloration."

"Ah. Good point," Makoto nodded as she put the red shirt down, "You gonna change clothes as well, Tsubaki, or you scared of Jin's image of his white angel being tainted black?" she teased.

"I'm already in a bit of a Halloween attire," Tsubaki replied, "But…I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to better blend in with the crowd, I suppose."

"That's the spirit!" Makoto smiled, "Besides, we rarely go to these sorts of things, mostly 'cause we deal with creepy weird stuff on the daily. But scares for fun beat real scares."

"Oh so true," Tsubaki agreed, "Now let's see…maybe the purple…"

"Hey, babe~! I'm back!" Ben called out from downstairs.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Makoto called back, "We're kinda busy, Tsubaki's with me so no peeking~"

"Tell her I wasn't. I can feel the death glare!" Ben shouted.

"Hehehehe~" Makoto giggled while Tsubaki had an annoyed look on her face.

"Dude, what is this game room?!" Danny shouted from downstairs, "Tuck would be nerding out right now…"

"A lot are from me practicing with Lambda as Clockwork. Others, Noel and Lambda went out shopping in another universe…that was in the year 2021. A lot of these consoles are years ahead of our time."

"How do they even work?" Sam asked.

"Alien tech can make up for a lot," Ben explained, "A lot of features won't work 'till the actual network for them is created, though."

"Local play is working well," Lambda noted, "Lousy Secret Chips are annoying to try to obtain…"

"I'm sure you and Nanami-san can get them one day," Noel assured.

"Yosh…"

"Just try to not stay up too late when you do!" Tsubaki reminded as she finished putting on a purple shirt with a skull on the right breast.

"All this to get just a harder mode of one game…" Makoto muttered, pulling up some black stockings with red bat patterns on the top of them.

"You and Ben getting all A Ranks on Sonic Adventure 2 Battle," Tusbaki countered, sliding on a purple sleeve on her left arm.

"Mad Space is evil, you know that," Makoto argued, putting on a pair of clip-on bat earrings, "We had to use Upgrade!"

"Hah…it's a waste of breath…" Tsubaki sighed, pulling her hair back to tie a black ribbon into it to make a ponytail.

"You know how we are," Makoto muttered as she slipped on a fingerless glove.

"...Let's just go meet the others downstairs," Tsubaki sighed.

-linebreak-

"Seriously, Tuck would freak out from all these games," Danny noted as he and Sam looked at some of the Omniteam's game collection, "...wait. Insomniac made…er…they're gonna make a Spiderman game?!"

"Three," Lambda replied, "Miles Morales is in the PS4."

"Keep it secret, otherwise it may not happen," Ben added.

"Can do," Sam gave a thumbs up as she looked at a box, "...daang Dante looks good for his age…"

"Careful. Max and Steel are still trying to go through the more difficult modes on there," Ben advised.

"How many games have…" Danny began.

"You will never know," Lambda replied.

"Right…" Danny muttered before looking around, "Huh…Didn't you have a robot kid here or something?"

"Oh? Robotboy? He's visiting his creator, Professor Moshimo, this week," Noel explained, "He's helping his sister Robotgirl understand some subjects he's learned through experience living here."

"Mostly basics of right and wrong." Ben explained, "The Professor makes his robot kids so much like actual kids you forget they are robots sometimes. In fact…so do they, which is why they learned why not to eat ice cream."

"Cleaning ice cream from super advanced nanocircuitry is…not fun…" Noel muttered.

"No it is not," Lambda added, Bluey, Mari, and Drei sticking their tongues out as a phantom sting from their last time trying to 'help' was recalled.

"So you guys just have stuff from alternate dimensions and the future here…in this house?" Danny asked.

"Well, we also have the secret vault in Ben's closet where he keeps dangerous weapons and mementos from his many evil villains and whatever the plural of Nemesis is…" Noel shrugged.

"Nemeses," Tsubaki's voice clarified, earning the group's attention as she and Makoto walked down the stairs.

"To be fair, English tends to be a stupid language…" Lambda muttered in defense of her sister.

"A vault…in your closet?" Danny blinked.

"I did a lot of diving to find all of my mortal enemies' armor and weapons from when I crashed his ship into the ocean," Ben explained, "He used that stuff to kick my butt several times. Maybe one day I can use them to return the favor."

"Wow…boy, would I like to do that to Plasmius one of these days….wherever that crazy nut is."

"I'm sorry, but wherever?" Tsubaki asked.

"He's gone quiet for months now," Danny explained.

"I haven't heard from Vilgax since he got out either…I half expected him to appear and challenge me to a battle for the fate of the Earth…" Ben added.

"Weird, right?" Makoto asked before shaking her head, "But enough talking about scary villains..let's chat scary gothic circuses."

"Oh? You heard about Circus Gothica?" Sam questioned, noticing both Makoto and Tsubaki's attire.

"We saw the commercial," Tsubaki replied, "Thought it'd be a good place to check out on our day off."

"Enjoy the local snacks, see whatever performances they have…" Makoto paused before, within an instant, was next to Ben as she leaned close to him, "...Staying close to my brave boyfriend for protection if I get scared."

"...We're going to the circus," Ben declared with a serious face.

"Uhm…no…" Noel spoke up, "I…don't do super realistic scary…I…panic…"

"Sister shoots first, runs away later," Lambda stated, "She's all fight…than flight."

"La-chan~!"

"One PG13 scary movie and we needed a lot of roof repairs…" Lambda argued.

"Mmmm…"

"Oddly, she's good with the cartoon scary movies, but live action and we need Ben to go Clockwork while us girls go get Noel to calm down," Makoto sighed.

"Cartoons help remind me it's not real…live action effects are so realistic…" Noel muttered sheepishly.

"Helps that a few aliens like Sludgepuppies have been hired to play roles for victims or the main 'monster' of the horror film lately," Ben noted, "I mean, have you seen that latest Friday the 13th?"

*THUD*

"And you had to mention that movie franchise," Tsubaki deadpanned as Mari waved a notebook over a downed Noel's head.

"Yeah, that's my bad," Ben sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Still…a haunted circus doesn't sound too bad."

"If we hurry, we can see them arrive at the train station," Sam suggested.

"Ooh spooky." Makoto smirked.

"Well, I guess we can go around town to wait 'till opening night," Ben offered, "Day off means not much for us to do work wise…we could go to Undertown, mess with the bad guys knowing they can't do anything with the Techadon security."

"Tech-what?" Danny blinked before his phone rang, making him pull it out and answered, "Hello?"

=Techadon, dude…really advanced robots that do whatever you say…for a very high price= Tucker explainedd.

"...How did you…?"

=I'm not allowed to say= Tucker replied before hanging up.

"Forgot how low tech phones are," Lambda noted before holding up one, "Got mine from Zenkaiger world. Dr. Sakurai helped to give unlimited multiversal phone plan."

"...Do I even want to…?" Danny began.

"It was weird, hilarious, and honestly a good send-off for our trip to get back home," Ben replied, "And where I got my Mobian alien sample Cestus."

"It is a long story." Makoto added, "We'll tell you during the day!"

"...Fair enough," Danny and Sam shrugged.

---

Later on in the air, the group stood outside of a trainyard near the train station…practically surrounded by a large group of teens and young adults dressed up in gothic attire.

"...Wow. Never seen so many goths out in broad daylight," Danny muttered as a few of the gothic people pulled out umbrellas to shield themselves from the sunlight.

"Wow…They sure do go above and beyond for the pale skin tone," Makoto noted before looking at Sam, "Why don't you do that?"

"I tried when I was thirteen. My parents overreacted and had me going to doctors until I finally stopped," Sam rolled her eyes.

"No offense, but maybe a regular complexion isn't the worst thing to have." Tsubaki muttered.

"Oh don't mind her. She's never had a sense of rebellion," Makoto joked, earning a blank stare from Tsubaki.

"These two would know since they're both chaotic in their own ways," Skurd countered, pointing a tendril at both Ben and Makoto.

"Hey, I'm not a rebel." Ben muttered, "At least…I don't think I am…"

"Vehicle destroyer," Skurd and Tsubaki deadpanned.

"Hey that's…" Ben began before a train whistle went off.

The group along with the crowd looked to the side to see a train heading down the tracks, covered in black metal with ghostly green decals decorating the train and coaches attached to it with various bats and skills decorating the sides. It soon came to a halt as some of the crowd began to part, letting the 'lower jaw' of a skeleton on that traincar to open up as a red-light shone from within the darkness.

"Greetings, fellow outcasts," Freakshow greeted as he began to step out, "I am Freakshow, your master of ceremonies. Tell me…are you ready to smile, relax, and forget all your troubles amid the pleasant diversions of the circus?"

"No!" the crowd of goths declared.

"Then you've come to the right place!" Freakshow grinned, moving down the ramp as he began to motion to the doorway with his staff, "Prepare to be disturbed and appalled by a small sample of the bizarre and abnormal world of Circus Gothica!"

Soon, a rope shot out of the darkness, the arrow attached to it striking into the side of a water tower as a pair of eyes opened up from within the dark confines of the traincar. Soon, a woman in a pitch-black jumpsuit began to crawl along the rope, moving as if she was a spider as a large muscular man, a woman locked into a large metal wheel with spikes in it, and a tall 'skeleton' began to follow her out, much to 'joy' of the crowd cheering on. Danny seemed to follow their line of sight before he stopped on the glowing red orb on Freakshow's staff, feeling an almost…controlling force within as his eyes began to change red.

"This…is the greatest moment ever," Sam quietly beamed, unaware of what was happening with Danny at the moment.

"You know I kinda expected more…" Ben muttered, "This feels like a normal circus with a goth paint job…" he whispered to Makoto.

"No kidding…not even a clown with them," Makoto whispered back, "...They better have my gothic funnel cake with blueberry glaze…"

"Oh that sounds awesome…" Ben muttered, "All I had on the way out was a coffee…you know I'm actually kinda hungry. Brunch after this?"

"I'm game."

"After the morning I had before we got here, I'm good for that," Sam admitted, "But I'm in such a good mood, nothing wi-"

"Parents of Bellwood!"

"...no…." Sam began in dread as the group turned to see a group of older people walking over, each holding a picket sign as they were led by a man in a woman in fancy attire, 'HOW?!'

"We urge you to boycott this morbid assault on the morals of our children!" the woman of the two shouted into the megaphone in her hand, earning boos from the crowd of goths.

"What are they doing here…?" Sam whispered as she hid behind Makoto, using her tail to hide herself from view, "Why can't they just have regular day jobs, like…I don't know, regular parents...?!"

"Is that your…?" Makoto blinked, "Why are they dressed like rich people from the 50s?"

"They like to do things the old fashioned way…" Sam whispered in response, "Even trying to make me be more like them…"

"Yeah I don't think pink is your color…" Makoto looking Sam up and down.

"What I wanna know is why they're here," Sam quietly groaned.

"Best guess…annoying parents unite against spooky fun?" Makoto joked.

"Either that or they've been doing research on events related to your passions and are attempting to protest them to get you to go down the path they want you to follow," Tsubaki guessed, "Common tactic used by some of the more…" she scrunched her nose, "...interesting…families of the Hierarchical founding families."

"Huh?"

"When we're from, there was an apocalyptic event that left the planet's surface uninhabitable aside from the mountains of the world. Thirteen families united to form the thirteen Hierarchical cities that were founded upon those mountains with a fourteen made to take on the role of the Imperator of a world-spanning organization known as the NOL that would keep peace between the cities," Tsubaki explained.

"Tsubaki should know; she was born into one and Noellie and Jinny were adopted into others," Makoto grinned.

"She gets the bad of the life of a well off family," Ben explained, "But Tsubaki is an all around good person. By the books, but she's always here to do the right thing. She even pulled out Excalibur."

"They have an annoying sibling dynamic going on," Makoto explained.

"Well someone has to make sure he doesn't get us in trouble, you know," Tsubaki sighed.

"Oh you're one to talk, Ms. Chocolate Addict," Ben quipped.

"I've gotten better about that," Tsubaki replied…earning looks from Ben and Makoto, "...what? I have! Just ask Alf!"

"Mmm hmm…and those three Hershey's chocolate pies we found in the fridge last week?" Makoto retorted.

"Oh I don't want to hear it from you two," Tsubaki grumbled.

"Well I would…" Ben paused, "Guys…where's Danny?" he noticed their friend was gone.

"He's…huh," Makoto blinked, seeing a vacant spot, "Where did he go?"

"When this happens…It's normally a ghost," Sam noted, "Or something related to them. …Or the Spooky Sibs grabbed him again to ask for a hand in a case like Patra needing to be brought back to Cleo in UnderAmity again."

"Or he's standing in front of the crowd…" Ben pointed.

"Wait, what?" Sam, Makoto, and Tsubaki blinked before looking at where Ben was pointing.

"Hey everyone! Over here!" Danny shouted to both crowds, his eyes back to normal, but his pupils were a red color now, "It's me, Danny Fenton…and I'm here with Sam Manson!"

"?!" Sam tensed as her parents turned towards Danny, "What's he doing…?!"

"We cut school and we're proud of it!" Danny shouted, "Hell, we especially like getting into dangerous situations!" the gothic crowd cheered him on as one sprayed black paint all over his shirt.

'Don't notice me don't notice me don't notice me don't notice me…' Sam mentally begged.

"Sam?" her parents spoke up.

"..." Sam could only groan as she facepalmed.

"...hmm…." Skurd narrowed his eyes a bit, his entire focus on the red orb on Freakshow's staff.

---

"...great…way to open your mouth, Danny…" Sam frowned as she glared at Danny a bit, the two sitting near the former's parents in a small meeting room.

"I'm sorry! I'm telling you I don't remember doing that," Danny whispered, his eyes back to their normal color, "I don't even know what came over me back there…"

The door opened and Alf entered, "Good afternoon, folks." he noticed the stunned looks from the parents, "...Hey. Ain't you that kid who whizzed his pants when I swiped that tiger from the zoo a few decades back while your mom was rooting for me to piledrive the big furball?"

"Wait, what?" Sam did a doubletake as her father adopted a mortified look of remembrance.

"Tell her that the cookies she sent while I was held captive by the US government were one of the best cookies I ever done had. Honestly…took me back to my childhood when my mom would bake 'em for me and my sibs," Alf noted, a tone of fondness and sadness in his tone near the end before a few moments passed and he shook his head quickly, "Okay, moving on!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Gordon Shumway, but call me 'Alf,' head of mental health affairs for all supernatural and astrological affairs," the Melmacian replied, "Just don't be calling me late for dinner, alright? Hah! Hah! I kill me!"

"I like this guy," Sam replied with a smile.

"You strike me as a good kid to girly, uh…Sam is it?" Alf looked at the papers he was given, "...What brings a good kid like you here?" he looked them over, "Helpful, supportive, and proactive for a non-powered teenager who fights evil, the left half of the brain of Team Phantom, clever, wise, knows her way around a gun in a pinch. Heck if you were my kid, I'd be proud as heck."

"No! No no!" Sam's mother shook her head, "It's exactly those types of activities we don't want our daughter participating in!"

"...Wait, these are your parents…?" Alf blinked, "Kid, full disclosure? I was expecting your folks to be Gomez and Morticia Addams…"

"Oh no. We banned that series entirely from our house," Sam's father stated, "Too gruesome and too much of a bad influence on children."

"Uh-huh," Alf muttered before stage-whispering to Sam, "Kid, full disclosure? I get it, believe me I so get it, just hang in there. You're a true good one, and don't let them tell you anything else. And if ya slip Hibiki a twenty, you'll find a complete DVD collection of it hidden somewhere your folks will never find. Good shows they had."

"Thanks…and agreed," Sam whispered before noticing the looks her parents were giving her…and especially Danny, "...what? I'm allowed to make my own choices…"

"Not if they're incredibly dangerous given you hang out with him practically everyday," her father argued as he glared at Danny.

"Wh-?! But I save the day!" Danny argued.

"Yes, but you also get our daughter into life harrowing situations that could get her hurt or worse," Sam's mother stated.

"...Oh…Oh they don't even know you're the one in charge, huh?" Alf looked at Sam, earning a headshake of 'no' from her, "They seriously think this goofus is the one in charge?"

"Hey…I could be," Danny argued.

"I don't doubt that…but who's the one that says 'I told you so' and already figured out the way to save the day first?" Alf asked, "Don't answer. You, like Ben and Max, have chronic Foot in Mouth Syndrome." he held up a hand to stop Danny, "Sam, you got spunk, I like that. You would so fit in here. Danny, you are the muscle, and you strike a heroic profile. You're gonna have to get used to people blaming you. Learn to roll with the punches. Or phase through them, given you're a Halfa."

"Trust me…not the first time I've been blamed for things I didn't do," Danny muttered.

"Hmm…note to self, lessons in responsibility…" Alf wrote in a notebook, "I'm sorry, why am I here? You kids work well together, you break stuff, she tells you 'I told you so' 'cause you goofed. This is a good thing, you cover each other's shortcomings. What's the problem again?" he held up a finger and pointed at the parents, "And cue the answer."

"We told her she wasn't allowed to go to that…ugh. Horrid Circus Gotchia," Sam's mother replied with a shudder, "The fact it's just...going around poisoning young minds."

"And the fact she was here with the Fenton boy…" Sam's Father added, "Who we specifically tell her to not associate with!"

"...you do know he's a superhero, right?" Alf questioned.

"Yes we know, but he's always around dangerous conflict," Sam's mother replied, "Then again…given who his parents are, the bad apple didn't fall far from the overbearing orange jumpsuits tree…"

"...Is now a bad time to say I invited the Fentons over?" Alf asked.

"Wait, what?" Danny blinked at that before the door was slammed open, "Gah!"

"Danny! We're here! What happened?! Why did the Plumbers call us!?" Jack snapped as he aimed a Ghost Hunting Ecto Rifle around, "Who got you!?" he blinked, "Uh…did I misread that text?"

"No. I just worded it to make you get here ASAP." Alf explained as he flipped through some files.

"Alf!" Jack beamed as Maddie walked in after him.

"A pleasure," Maddie greeted.

"Good to see you guys, too. Sorry for the badly worded text, but I felt better having you here since Danny is a minor," Alf explained, "I mean he is a Hero, and don't worry…he did nothing wrong…but be a stupid teenage boy. I think he had a weird human puberty moment and randomly spoke his mind in public, eh or maybe a Ghost Puberty moment? But don't worry, he's not the problem," he pointed at Sam's parents, "...they are…" he whispered.

"Ahh…"

"Honestly, we wouldn't be in this situation if you had just listened to us, Samantha," Sam's mother stated to her daughter, "In fact…I think it's best that you're forbidden from seeing the ghostboy...and your other troublesome friends."

"Wh-!? But my friends are perfectly normal!" Sam argued before an explosion went off in the background, "?!"

"Sorry! Accidentally fired a laser gun into the R and D lab…oh that is a lot of foam and it's coming h-AHH!" Tucker's voice panicked.

"I'm on it!" Upchuck shouted as he ran by the open door.

"GAH!" Tucker screamed.

"Ben! You ate Tucker!" Makoto shouted.

"BLEAGH!"

"Dude~!" Tucker complained.

"..." Alf shook his head, "Honestly, this isn't the first time the foam happened. Normally, it's Blukic or Driba that cause it. And cue the Faycott!"

Kajun stomped past the open door…before coming back and closing it with a calm expression, "Pardon me. It's going to be loud."

"Don't forget you have an appointment at 5:20," Alf reminded.

"Yes, Alf," Kajun sighed before fully closing it…before a muffled roaring went off.

"I had this whole office reinforced with noise suppression stuff," Alf explained, "Keeps folks from listening in and keeps me from sending paperwork about from being startled by explosions and arguments. Don't try phasing through the walls here, Kid. It's Fenton Noise-Canceling and Pest-Repelling Foam mixed layered between small slabs of an alloy ghost-like aliens can't phase through in them walls."

"You made an anti-ghost office?" Danny blinked.

"Well how do ya think I met your parents?"

"Wait, what?"

"We met him while we were out of town for that Ghost Hunting convention," Maddie explained to her son.

"Kid you not…we thought he was a mini-ghost yeti," Jack added, "Even down to the glowing green on him."

"I was out of town, and some pranksters thought it'd be a good idea to paint me as Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street," Alf sighed, "One thing led to another, and we became fast friends…and provided some sweet anti-ghost tech for the base….but I believe we've gotten off track. Mrs. Manson, weren't you just talking about Danny and how 'bad apples don't fall far from the overbearing orange jumpsuits tree?'"

"What?!" Jack gawked before glaring at Sam's parents, "You got a problem with jumpsuits!?"

"Jack, sweetie, let me handle this," Maddie said to her husband…before glaring at Sam's parents, "You got a problem with jumpsuits and our son?!"

"And look how they cower," Alf noted as the two older Mansons trembled a bit, "But anyway, I think it's worth noting that Danny is a recognized hero, and his job…which he doesn't get paid for…seriously, kid, consider joining us. Get paid for all the back and forth buttkickings."

"...I'm…honestly still unsure," Danny admitted as he rubbed the back of his head, "I mean…don't get me wrong. It sounds cool, but…well…"

"I getcha…you'd think it be too overwhelming for ya…especially with all the ghosts you deal with in Amity Park," Alf nodded, "But counterpoint…if you joined, you can get someone to help ya deal with whatever ghostly bad guy/gal is trying to attack that day."

"Trust me…as goofy as some of my bad guys are…they're not to be underestimated," Danny explained, "Ask the Plumbers that were stationed there last week…they're still trying to get Lunch Lady's mystery meat out of their suits."

"Ohh…So that's who caused Ra'aoulson to develop a fear of meat and meat by-products," Alf noted, "But my main point isn't about just you, but the fact, she…" he pointed to Sam, "Would be perfect fit for this group."

"Wait…you want Sam?" most everyone asked in a mix of different types of shock.

"Hey." Sam muttered at those reactions.

"She's got a good head on her shoulders, tough when she needs to be, nice and understanding when it calls for it, good leader qualities. I could see her moving up to command rank in no time. Heck she could outrank you in no time Danny-boy." Alf explained, "Also her grades, her scores in physical education, all outstanding." he put some files down showing them to be Sam's transcripts, "Plus she loves the weird and paranormal, she'd fit in just fine. Last week we helped some Secret Scientist in dealing with a giant cryptid Dinosaur in Africa."

"Wait…cryptids are real?" Sam blinked, her interest starting to grow.

"The database of whats from earth, what isn't, and that weird technicolor mangerie in between is long. We teach a whole class on it, passing it can help your salary boost as it makes you a specialist~" Alf chuckled.

"...Never thought I'd say this, but where do I sign up?"

"NO!" her parents snapped.

"This is a job I actually want to do!" Sam argued with them.

"It's too dangerous!"

"Well…you can only say no for…mmm…what three more years?" Alf asked Sam.

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"Far as I see it, you can make peace with what your daughter wants to be, or…you can keep being controlling for three years…then she's old enough to enlist as an adult, join us and rise through the ranks here." Alf pointed out, "I know for any parent admitting you have no say or control in your child's life is hard…but kids are people, too. And let's face it, I'm sure Danny Boy has probably…and as a total jerk told Sam she shouldn't get involved in the hero stuff."

"I…" Danny muttered, "May…have…been kind of a jerk about it." he admitted.

"Text book hero ego. He's got powers and thinks he can go solo," Alf added, "Ben went through that phase a lot when he was 10. But you, oh…you had the stupidity of teenage hormones added to the mix." he filed through some papers, "Speaking of, kid, we're gonna have to have a serious talk about the potential things you could have done with Invisibility, Intangibility, and Overshadowing folks…"

"Oh come on!" Danny groaned.

"But that awkward talk is for later! You are hardly the issue, you just had a stupid teenage boy moment. Which is not abnormal, though for one with esoteric powers of a ghost…probably something to keep an eye on." Alf muttered.

"I knew it, Ghost Puberty…he needs The Talk again!" Jack declared.

"NO!" Danny panicked.

"We'll discuss this later," Maddie added.

"You two go talk about that in the corner on that comfy couch, I'll keep the main topic a-going here." Alf waved Jack and Danny off, with the father grabbing and dragging his son away, "I'm mostly here to help Sam, and mostly help her with…you two." he lingered on the Mansons, "You realize you have a girl with amazing grades, borderline zero troublesome issues, by which I mean she's not doing anything super wrong, not breaking any rules. And don't say skipping school is a big deal, at the rate she's going…what does school have to teach her?"

"I've never had anyone totally on my side like this. Is this…actual support from an adult figure?" Sam blinked.

"Meh…Adult-adjacent." Alf shrugged, "But my point is, what's the harm in letting the kid have some stupid fun? She's not hurting herself or anyone. And let's face it, if not for her, the Teenage Spook over here might have totally wasted his potential. You or any parent should be proud their kid has the potential to do something so great. And with Earth so open and receptive to Aliens these days, won't be long 'till its technology level spikes and becomes part of intergalactic business and trade."

"I…well that's…" Sam's father began.

"But it's dangerous…and so unlady like for her," Sam's mother added.

"..." Alf looked at Maddie, "You sure this lady ain't possessed by someone from the early 1920s?"

"Been checking and no," Maddie shook her head.

"Rats…" Alf snapped his finger, "Listen, Mrs. Manson, this day and age? The ideals of gender normalities are changing every day. Heck women can be stronger than men, no one cares, in fact most guys like it," he chuckled, "But Ladylike, Gentleman, those ideals aren't shaped by others. You give those titles meaning based on your own merit. I think a lady who can be kind when it counts, and kick butt and take names when the time calls, that's a fine young lady to me. Sam's got a good head on her shoulders, she's just a teenager, they rebel, they make a dumb choice here and there, they wear a lot of black. Which isn't the worst thing, Black is very slimming."

"Well…I….just…" Sam's mother tried to argue, "...but she's going to that horrid Circus Gothica…!"

"And that's a problem how?" Maddie argued, "It's just a circus for the kids to have fun at."

"It's a bad influence and it's poisoning the youth of today with its doom and gloom messaging!"

"It's October. It's supposed to be spooky!"

"Just think of the d…"

*HONK!*

Everyone jumped and slowly looked at Alf, who closed his mouth.

"...Did you just set that off?" Maddie asked.

"I have a very finicky patient that goes into a blind panic and gets set back a few weeks whenever someone says the word Mr. Mason was about to say," Alf calmly informed, "I use that airhorn sound to stop it from being said in this office. Somehow, she always knows when the word's used in the office and ends up being unnerved for the whole session." he snorted, "And seriously? 'Doom and gloom?' Have you seen what kids watch both now and way back in the early years of cartoon channels and before then? I swear, Tom and Jerry ain't as adorable if you look at certain episodes with a critical eye."

"..."

"Now…back on topic." Alf spoke, "Mrs. Manson, Sam is a clever girl, she'll never do anything that will put her or others in harm, intentionally…she is still a teenager and prone to maybe a mistake or two. But that's the point of growing up, making a lot of mistakes, being stupid. But also learning from said stupidity? Maddie, after learning Danny was the Ghost Boy, did his seeming slightly more mature and wiser…suddenly click with you? Something tells me he used to be concerningly dumb before the Hero life made him wise up."

"Hey!" Danny shouted as he poked his head back in.

"Hey now, pay attention here, son! This is the important part!" Jack complained while dragging Danny back.

"Aww come on…!"

"...Admittedly yes," Maddie answered, "But…even with his friends he goes through so much…plus there was the time practically the entire town was after him, thinking he was a bad ghost by the name of 'InvisoBill'...and me and Jack were amongst those that were after him, so…that explains why he practically refused to fight us those times. But despite that…despite all those messes he's been through, he still comes out on top...looking out for the people of Amity Park"

"Of course he does. You raised a good kid, bit of a goof, but not unlike a lot of good kids I know around here." Alf mused, "By the way," he gave Maddie a few papers, "We tricked Tucker into helping fill out some paperwork for Danny, parental signature so he can join up at any time he pleases."

"Wait, what?!" Danny shouted.

"Abup bup! Not done yet, mister!" Jack declared.

"...How is he overhearing this?" Sam asked.

"Hey, I said the door to the outside is soundproof. The supply closet for my office they're in ain't," Alf replied, "It's one way so we can't hear them. I keep forgetting to have it flipped around since the only vent to my office is there."

"...So…does that mean…" Sam began as Maddie was already signing the papers.

"I…" Sam's parents began before Alf shot them a look, "...ugh…"

"Fine…waste your life away then…but just know, we tried to protect you from getting yourself hurt…especially if that Fenton boy harms you," Sam's mother stated.

"Mom…we're best friends. Danny's not gonna hurt me," Sam assured.

"Not on purpose at least," Alf noted, earning a flat look from Sam, "What? Superhero kid. I live across the street from a house filled with 'em! And one adorable robot kid that attends the local elementary school." he gots looks from them all, "...Okay, okay. He's homeschooled because his first day got messed with because of an old man using cyborg animals to try to catch him. But still attended elementary school! Noel keeps showing the dang photos!"

"But anyway, it's my turn to do some protecting." Sam replied.

"Oh, see, you're a perfect fit for this," Alf replied, "Now let's move on from this, to the paper work part. That…that is the true form of evil."

"...oh right…that part…" Sam muttered before Hibiki was in the room and placed a stack of papers before her, '...hopefully I can get this done before Circus Gothica tonight…'

---

Sam groaned, her wrist being covered in an ice pack, as she sat down at the Omni Team's kitchen table to rest. The paperwork was handled in time and they cleared up a lot of things with some talking. But that didn't stop Sam from sometimes giving Danny an annoyed look for what he did earlier.

"I keep saying I don't know what came over me." Danny groaned.

"...That was weird even for you, Danny, and I didn't want to say anything about it in front of my parents. But that was weird…something is going on with you." Sam groaned.

"I'm telling you I don't know," Danny muttered.

"Yeah, that was definitely weird…" Ben admitted as he walked over, carrying a pair of smoothies as he put them down, "Maybe you drew in all that negativity and rebellion those goths were giving earlier…"

"Maybe…all I recall is blanking out once Freakshow came out of that train car," Danny stated as he took one of the cups.

"Ugh…don't tell me this is another new power of yours…" Sam sighed, "The Fire one left you in such an angry mood…I had to literally spray you with a fire extinguisher three times a day…"

"Hey, give me a break…I'm still trying to get the hang of it," Danny argued as he took a sip, "Like my ice powers."

"Yeah…but those don't leave you standing in the middle of a burnt impact zone and a visibly shaking Box Ghost nearby," Sam countered.

"Okay so maybe…my powers have had an effect on my mood sometimes…but what power could be tied to rebellious bad ideas?" Danny argued.

"Negative Energy Manipulation? Energy Inversion? Some form of ability meant to negate or counter others?" Ben offered, causing Danny to blink, "Oh…Darkness projection?" he smirked, "No…that's probably too dark and spooky…oh! No…I lost it…"

"Those are…" Danny muttered.

"You realize he's got like a hundred more powers than you…" Sam pointed out.

"Emotional Energy Spectrum influence? Nah that's kinda dumb…" Ben rambled.

"Ooh~! What about electric powers?!" Makoto offered as she came over, "Electricity can be pretty rebellious sometimes."

"Oh…" Ben nodded.

"I don't know, I don't feel jittery or like my hair is standing on end," Danny offered.

"...that would imply you comb your hair…" Sam replied, "Well…if you're gonna keep having weird emotional outbreaks because of your powers, can you borrow that specter deflector belt to…shut them off?"

"What?! But what if I need my powers?" Danny asked.

"In a town…with two superhero icons who are full time pros?" Sam motioned to Ben as one of those two, "And an entire small army of space cops and fellow keepers of peace and justice, who fight against the threats of the multiverse?" she waited for a response, "Yeah, you can afford to be benched for a day in this town, Danny."

"Ben did recently defeat an antagonistic alternate version of himself with the powers of a cosmic god…" Noel muttered.

"Had to get help from other alt hims, but still counts," Makoto added.

"...What?" both asked with flat looks.

"Long, complicated story," Ben quickly informed, "Just know there is a multiverse of everyone out there and chances are one will have your life as a cartoon."

"You liked giving Haseo that autograph and you know it," Makoto snickered.

"Couldn't help it. The little guy was adorable," Ben admitted with a chuckle.

"And you have Sonic-san's framed on the wall," Noel added.

"Can you blame me? It was the Archie version of him."

"...This happens often, doesn't it?" Sam asked Bluey, who was nibbling on a carrot on the couch while watching a cgi cartoon of a 'scary godmother' with Drei and Mari, before the Blupee nodded and resumed watching his cartoon, "Right. Still, point is that you're taking it easy here, Danny."

"Yeah…you're right," Danny sighed as he took a sip of his smoothie, "...What time does Circus Gothica start again?"

"Not 'till it's already night," Sam offered, "We still have some time to rest before the show. This will be great, I get to enjoy Circus Gothica and now I'm on my way to joining the Plumbers! With my parents' begrudging approval, this can't possibly get any better."

"A-Are you really gonna go to the show?" Noel asked, "It seems so scary…"

"Don't worry, Noel, you don't have to come if you're not comfortable. I know how hard it is to be around things that scare you. When I was little I was super freaked out by clowns…but well after you rage out and scare an evil energy vampire clown to the point he returns a zombie…" Ben chuckled, "You realize conquering your fears can be scarier!"

"W-Wait…Is that why Zombozo is a zombie…you scared him too…" Noel muttered.

"Well to be fair, he exploded into confetti and I never saw him again 'till recently," Ben explained, "...I guess Ghostfreak kinda…fed off my anger in the moment after what he did to Gwen."

"As scary as your anger might be, something tells me Ben might be scarier if angered," Sam muttered to Danny..

"Right," Danny agreed.

"...you know speaking of Zombozo, he's been awfully quiet for the past few weeks," Makoto recalled.

"Knowing him, he's probably lurking in the shadows trying to find a new 'trick' to use," Ben stated.

"Yeah. The only clown I want to see are the legit non…scary…" Danny began to trail off as a commercial for Circus Gothica began to play on the TV screen.

=Creatures of the night, unleash your Dark side at Circus Gothica=

"...unleash your dark side…at Circus Gothica…" Danny repeated as his eyes began to glow once more.

"Danny?" Noel blinked as Danny got up and began to walk towards the door.

"Dude, you al…" Ben began as he got up and put a hand on his shoulders…only for Danny to grab him and suddenly toss him into the nearby closet, "?!"

"Wh-?! Danny?!" Sam gawked.

"Dude, the heck!?" Ben exclaimed as he got up.

"What? Just wanted to make a little trouble," Danny replied in a mischievous yet cruel tone, his pupils the red color once more, "And there's no such thing as too much trouble…"

"Seriously? So you decided to just...throw me into the closet?"

"Maybe I did….after all," Danny grinned as he looked at Ben straight in the eyes, "I'm the better hero between us…"

"Okay, something is definitely up with Danny," Makoto whispered.

"Hah…He's being mind controlled and his inner dark thoughts that no normal person acts on are in control." Ben sighed, "Tsubaki, we had a code for that right?"

"We do," Tsubaki spoke as she walked in, Excalibur already in her hands, "We call it Code Jin."

"...Seriously?" Ben, Makoto, and Noel asked.

"After what I've been told about Yukianesa? Yes, yes it is," Tsubaki replied.

"Hah…I didn't think this would happen…but it's not like Danny can overshadow me or anything…" Ben sighed.

"Ben, what are you…" Makoto realized and stopped before holding her hand out to the others.

"What? I totally can," Danny argued.

"Nope…no way." Ben shook his head, "Not possible, not in a million years."

"...Oh you really wanna test that? Fine…your loss," Danny grinned before becoming intangible and flew straight into Ben's body.

The Omnitrix began beeping before flashing with green sparks of electricity, and, after maybe two tenths of a second, Danny was ejected from Ben's body while being painfully electrified. His body twitched around as he swapped between his human and ghost forms, even off mix-matched forms before stopping in his human form. Ben smirked as he put his hands on his hips.

"Yeah…The Omnitrix comes with an Anti-Possession software," Ben explained, "Anyone tries to take over me in any form? Zap. Didn't know if I had it for human while I was ten since I couldn't be possessed while I was alien, but thank goodness Ectonurites turn to ash in sunlight if they don't have that second skin of theirs."

"And this is the difference between a Pro and you…" Sam sighed, poking the twitching Danny, "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Eh, I'm sure he's taken worse," Ben shrugged, "But I didn't want to actually fight him, so I needed something to take him down fast. Tricking him to set off the Omnitrix automatic defenses seemed quicker. Now…how do we fix mind control? And better question, when was he mind controlled?"

"The Commercial," Lambda pointed, "He acted funny after seeing it."

"She's correct," Skurd spoke up, "It was the same thing back when that Freakshow fellow came out of the train car."

"And like that? My suspicions are starting to grow," Ben stated with a frown.

"Oh come on, I was looking forward to this show…" Sam groaned, "Hah…I don't know how, but I blame you, Danny." Danny just stuttered and grunted as he convulsed from the remaining shocks.

---

"...Mmm. He should've been here by now," Freakshow frowned from behind the already set up tent, his ghost minions floating nearby as he looked at a small pocket watch, "He's the main act for tonight's show…I can't have the tightropes without my Grim Reaper."

"Oh relax. I'm sure he'll come eventually," Zombozo assured as he leaned against the side of the tent, "If not…well least you can get Tennyson if he transforms into his…gh…Ghostfreak form."

"Yes, that would be an even better prize. He's already a walking one man sideshow. If it works that would be fantastic. Besides, even then, your plan will give us the abundant resources we need and then some." Freakshow laughed, "Now let's prep for a killer opening night."

"Oh, it will be quite the thriller," Zombozo chuckled before glancing at one of the ghosts littered in tattoos, "You made sure they got it?"

"Who got what?" Freakshow questioned.

"To put it in medical terms…" Zombozo began.

"Hello? We are here to perform your requested inspection to make sure everything is up to code for aliens being able to safely enjoy this event?" Freakshow looked outside a flap in the tent to see Rook and Mai.

"...Our Patient Zero and the first infected," Zombozo chuckled.

"Ooh~ How devious~" Freakshow grinned as he quickly exited, "Yes! I am the ringmaster of this gothic circus! I've heard of this being one of the biggest spots for those beyond the stars to inhabit and I'd rather not get anymore bad press that isn't just 'this circus corrupts the youth' or cause any interstellar incidents with a bad allergy reaction."

"Well…looking around, I can already check off a lot of stuff that would make those who come from the Anur System feel right at home," Mai noted, "You'll need to be careful if any of your performers have tattoos, however."

"Really? Whatever for?"

"Several typical tattoos on Earth are actually cursive language in a minority of other planets," Rook explained, "The worst being a gingerbread man on the pinkie finger. You do not wish to know what that means in Methanosian language."

"Well…my best performer does have several on their body," Freakshow admitted, "Would you care to meet them? They tend to wear a bodysuit due to being the human contortionist of the show, but one cannot be too careful to cause an accident due to ignorance."

"But of course," Rook replied.

"I'll just look around the stuff outside the main tent if that's alright with you," Mai replied.

"But of course, madam," Freakshow replied as he gestured for Rook to follow him inside.

"...Okay…so far nothing seems out of the ordinary," Mai whispered as she began to look around, "Still odd though…no circus animals, no venders….not even a single clown acting lazy….then again, it is a gothic-themed circus, so they probably do things dif-" her badge began to go off, making her blink as she pulled it out and tapped it, "Hello?"

=Mai, are you and Rook at Circus Gothica?= Tsubaki asked.

"We are. Rook's inside checking things out right now," Mai replied as her back was turned to the tent, "I'm out here checking things out and so far…nothing out of the ordinary. Not a single thing so far that would have any aliens worry so far of getting sick…well…aside from the chocolate, but that just needs a sign to point out the one ingredient that's toxic to several alien races."

=Why are you doing that?=

"Part of the job, remember? We sometimes get calls from businesses to make sure it's alien friendly," Mai reminded, "You're the one who made sure all Bellwood Plumbers know the procedure, remember?"

=...ahh yes…I suppose I did….= Tsubaki muttered, Mai completely unaware of something moving within the tent's entrance =...a-anyway, I need you and Rook to further question the ringmaster=

"Eh? Why?"

=Because after he arrived and one of his commercials played, Danny started acting strange…and we think he has a play in this mind control=

"Mind control?" Mai blinked, something stepping out of the tent as it began to approach her from behind, "Wait…if this is mind control, how do I know you're not under it?"

=Because it only affected Danny and none of the others= Tsubaki stated =Otherwise, we wouldn't be talking right now=

"Oh…right. …Wait, just Danny?"

=Yes=

"...You think this hypnosis stuff is focused on ghosts, then?"

=...I'll need to run a background check on this 'Freakshow.' In the meantime, please try not to attract attention=

"Hey, do I look like I'm Ben or Max?"

=...Fair point. Just be careful, okay?=

"Got it," Mai nodded as she tapped her badge, "Hoo boy…knew something was up with this place…" she muttered as she turned..and saw the figure beginning to approach her, "Oh Rook, good time. We need to….what's with the clown face? ...wh-what's with that smile?"

"..."

"...R-Rook, you're actually starting to scare me…"

---

"Freakshow…Freakshow…" Tsubaki whispered as she looked something up on her laptop, "There has to be something on him…here we go!" she exclaimed as she pulled up a file, "Freakshow…real name being Frederich Isak Showenhower…comes from a long line of ghost-obsessed circus people, said to have the largest collection of ghostly artifacts."

"Okay. Already a big red flag," Makoto muttered as she donned her Hero costume.

"No other info on Freakshow himself…outside of being the current ringmaster, being an anemic, and never seen without his iconic staff," Tsubaki stated as she looked on.

"It's obviously the staff," Skurd stated, pointing at the photo on the screen, "I saw it glowing the same color as Danny's eyes."

"Noted…question is what kind of artifact is it…?" Tsubaki muttered before sighing, "If Merlin were here, I'd ask her what that staff does…"

"Merlin?" Sam repeated, "You mean like the old wizard from the Legend of King Arthur?"

"I prefer the term 'sorceress' thank you."

"GH?!" Sam jumped as she quickly turned, seeing the female wizard sitting down on the team's couch.

"The timing…" Lambda whispered.

"Sorry. My ears were burning while I was talking to Benjamin's grandmother," Merlin admitted as she got up, "Really fun gal, too."

"Sorry for pulling you away from it," Tsubaki apologized before showing her the staff, "But we needed an expert on mystic artifacts and believed you to be the best."

"Hmm…Well, well, well…Haven't seen this little number in a few centuries," Merlin noted.

"So you know what it is?" Ben asked.

"Of course I do…it's a particularly nasty relic called The Wraith's Eye," Merlin informed, "Any ghost who so much as looks at it loses all free will and must obey whoever wields it. The reason for its name is because it is the actual eye of a wraith that was crystalized under a harvest moon during a lunar eclipse. The creator was the demon prince of death and cannibalism Euronymus as a way to better harvest humans to devour and cast their souls to the afterlife. After all, not many defenses were known to protect against spirits from entering your home."

"That sounds so awesome if it wasn't being used on Danny," Sam admitted.

"So…it's that big of a deal…Even a half ghost falls for it," Ben muttered.

"You'll find that many artifacts that affect Halfas tend to have been made by powerful spellcasters, people who made them had a powerful faith in their religion, or were demons," Merlin explained, "Quite the surprise to see it used for something so mundane as a modern day circus." she giggled, "I do so miss the ones when Arthur was atop his throne. The best ones would use wyverns instead of lions and manticores for the bears. No one used elephants, however. Far too controversial at the time."

"So all we need to do is snatch it from him, break it, and free Danny and any other ghosts he has out of his control…then let them go to town on him," Makoto suggested.

"If it were only that simple," Merlin sighed, "See, in order to break The Wraith's Eye, you need to have a Ghost break it…which makes it impossible as the moment a ghost gazes at the crystal ball, they fall under its control."

"So? I can use Ghostfreak or Big Ch-what's the catch?" Ben sighed.

"The catch being the ghost in question…has to have been under the Wraith's Eye before…like your young half-ghost friend here."

"Of course that'd be the catch," Ben groaned.

"Ugh…what happened?" Danny groaned as he regained consciousness, his eyes already back to normal before he noticed the others looking at him, "...ahh I blanked out again didn't I?"

"Yeah, turns out you're being mind controlled." Sam explained, "Thankfully Ben's smart, he tricked mind controlled you into knocking yourself out cold. Wasn't hard…."

"Hey…I'd like to see you fight off mind control…" Danny grumbled.

"Well, you kinda have to…" Ben added as he helped him up, "You need to break the item controlling you to break its powerful enchantment. Otherwise this thing will always have control over you and all ghosts."

"Ah…that simple, huh?" Danny asked.

"Problem is the moment you even look at the crystal ball on it, you'll end up losing your free will again and will be back under Freakshow's control."

"Of course…" Danny sighed, "...unless you guys have a new invention to prevent me from looking at it."

"If we did, we would have slipped those on you moments ago," Skurd stated.

"Darn it…" Danny frowned before an idea popped into his head, "...wait. What if one of you snatches it from him, then quickly throws it to me before the effects kick in?"

…hmm…chances are the other circus performers are ghosts he has under his control…" Tsubaki whispered as she held her chin in thought, "...Ben, while the rest of us hold them back, you'll snatch Freakshow's staff and throw it to Danny…but just in case, try and avoid turning into Ghostfreak or Big Chill. We don't know what kinds of effects the Wraith's Eye will have on those forms."

"Got it," Ben nodded.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, children of the darkness and night…welcome one and all to Circus Gothica!" Freakshow declared to the cheering audience…which mostly consisted of the goths from earlier today, "For our starting performance…allow me to welcome a performer who puts the 'death'...in death-defying acts…" he paused as he rose his staff up, causing the lights to shine in on a hooded female figure holding a scythe, "The Grim Reaper himself…or rather herself!"

As the crowd looked on in awe of the figure starting to walk the tightropes, the Omniteam began to sneak in from an opening in the tent as they used the shadows to hide themselves.

"Seriously, is the blindfold necessary?" Danny asked as he had a cloth blindfold over his eyes.

"We can't risk you falling under Freakshow's control again," Tsubaki whispered as they quickly got behind the bleachers.

"Also we don't trust you not to look." Sam sighed, "Now trust the plan."

"I know I know…" Danny sighed.

"...so far nothing out of the ordinary," Makoto whispered as they looked on from their hiding spot, watching the figure walking to the middle of the tightrope..before they began to climb up their scythe and began to balance on top of it, "Wow…pretty good."

"Well at least it would have been entertaining." Ben spoke as he then looked around, "I get a sense of deja vu from all this…"

"Deja vu?" Skurd repeated.

"Yeah. This atmosphere feels too…familiar…" Ben whispered before a clown horn went off, "?"

"Oh dear…seems the clowns have arrived to try and interfere with Lady Death's performance," Freakshow gasped as a small gothic Clowncar drove right in, "Let's just hope the leader of the pack..our special guest doesn't have anything sinister in mind~"

"Special guests?" The Omniteam, Danny and Sam repeated before one of the doors opened up...and Zombozo crawled straight out of it as the crowd gasped, "?!"

"That's right, folks! Back from the afterlife to give you a haunting experience…the legendary sultan of spectators and entertainment…Zombozo!" Freakshow declared as the crowd began to cheer loudly.

"Thank you thank you, but enough with the cheers folks. I don't want to…" Zombozo began before grabbing his head..and pulling it right off his body much to the crowd's screams, "Get a swelled head! Hahahahahaha!..." a frown soon grew on his face as he kicked the clown car, "Hey, chuckles. You're supposed to be up!"

Within a matter of moments, another figure began to climb out of the clown car…only much to the shock of Ben and his team…the figure was Rook, a creepy yet perpetual smile on his face as his face was painted to look like a clown...all while having an empty look in his eyes. He then pulled out a few daggers from his clownified Proto-Armor…before he began to rapidly throw them at the hooded figure on the tightrope, who began to expertly flip around each one while using their scythe to deflect a few back..right into Zombozo's chest as the crowd gasped in horror.

"Oops...looks like I've been…stabbed through the heart, and the Lady Reaper is to blame…guess she gives love…a bad name!" Zombozo laughed, completely unphased by it.

"What the heck is Rook doing?!" Makoto silently gawked.

"They're mind controlled too…but a different method." Ben realized, "He's been…Clownified…"

"Hmm….he's been a treat truly he has, but…all friendships must end. Much like Old Yeller." Skurd muttered, forming a crystal dagger.

"Will you cut it out?" Ben sighed before smacking himself for the unintentional pun.

"You never let me have any fun…" Skurd crossed his little pseudopods with a pout, "You stifle me…stifle~"

"...wait….then does that mean…." Makoto began as she looked up at the hooded figure, a stray dagger ripping its hood off…and revealing Mai's clownified face as she had pale-white stripes in her hair, "..."

"She's been clownified as well," Tsubaki whispered with wide eyes.

"So not only do we have to deal with Freakshow…but zombie clown versions of our friends," Ben sighed.

"...okay at first I was bummed about Freakshow's true intentions…but now I want to beat his face in," Sam frowned a bit, "...and feed that stupid clown to piranhas."

"Morbid…but fair," Danny muttered.

"Eh…he's a zombie…" Ben muttered.

"Boy it's a good thing Noel and La-chan stayed at home then just in case," Makoto whispered.

"Even still…this complicates things," Tsubaki whispered with a frown, "Getting close to Freakshow will be harder than we thought…"

"Oh…true…but…" Ben paused, "Not unless I go in there and cause total mass chaos and hysteria while making everyone look at me and annoy the right and wrong people all at once."

"...better than nothing," Tsubaki sighed, "Makoto, you and I will take one direction. Sam, you and Danny will take the other so we can sneak up on Freakshow from both sides."

"Got it, Danny when I say shoot, shoot right in front of you, no questions." Sam ordered.

"I don't like it but fine…" Danny replied, "Alright…let's do this then so I…" he began as he started to move...right into a support column as he winced in pain, "Gh!"

"Come on you…" Sam sighed, grabbing his arm as she dragged him into the shadows.

"Good luck Ben," Makoto whispered as she and Tsubaki were the next to leave.

"So…what type of performance shall we give the audience?" Skurd questioned as Ben was already looking through the Omnitrix.

"They want spooky and scary, lets give them something scary."

"Oooh hoo~ Excellent…then let's scare them and our hosts beyond belief!" Skurd laughed as Ben found hsi Alien of choice.

The green flash caught some attention by people and made Zombozo pause only to yelp as he was blasted by a blast of green electricity. Frankenstrike stomped out as he bashed his fists together loudly.

"Show's over folks, you can complain for a refund later, unless watching a hero beat up an evil circus is your kind of show, in which case, stay and enjoy."

"Well now…this is quite the surprise indeed," Freakshow noted with a grin, earning Frankenstrike's attention, "The famous Ben 10 has come to Circus Gothica…and has come prepared as well! Tell me…what circumstance brings you here?"

"You know what," Frankenstrike frowned.

"Oh whatever do you mean?"

"Listen Nosferatu, you brainwashed my friends, you work with a known criminal, you have an evil magic item that enslaves ghosts to your will, and…your guy-liner…is totally tacky." Frankenstrike listed as Freakshow looked at his reflection in the orb of his staff.

"Oh come now, Ben…where's your sense of fun?" Zombozo grinned as he walked over, "It's a circus afterall."

"Well then answer me this…where is the funnel cake with blueberry glaze?" Frankenstrike demanded.

"Uh…what?" Zombozo was confused by that, "There ain't none…"

"You fiend!" Frankenstrike declared rushing and punching the zombie clown, sending him flying up to the tightrope and spinning around it before being flung down into Frankenstrikes fist for a second punch, "Why not!?" He fired a bolt of green lightning at Zombozo as he flew through the air.

"Blue's not scary!" Freakshow declared, only to yelp when he was zapped.

"But it's delicious!" Frankenstrike laughed, "Now I know Makoto's gonna be upset." he grumbled to himself as he raised his arm to block Rook's punch, "Oh come on guys don't make me fight you, you're gonna cry and whine about the bruising and electric twitches so much later…"

"Come one….come all…" Rook whispered in a monotone voice.

"Come one…come all…" Mai added from above, making Frankenstrike tense as he quickly blocked her incoming scythe slash.

"Embrace the Dark Side…at Circus Gothica…" the two stated in unison..all while keeping those unsettling smiles.

"Okay nope, cry like babies all you want this is deserved." Frankenstrike spoke as he slammed the ground, sending an electric current along it and into them, making them both twitch and spasm as they were shocked, "Now I know you guys are strong…so I am only holding back just a little~" he smirked as the electric current grew larger and literally knocked them off their feet, "Again, cry all you want, I'm not listening to it, you attacked me with creepy smiles. I was right to do this."

"Wow…you…just electrocuted your friends with zero restraint…" Freakshow muttered in awe.

"My friends can take a punch, but what about you Forever 21? You look a bit twiggy. Hope you have a strong skeleton, cause this is gonna hurt." Frankenstrike warned as he bashed his fists together.

"...hah. You want something done right…" Freakshow sighed before holding up his staff, "Minions, take care of him!"

"Oh please. Like I-Hey!" Fraknenstrike exclaimed as a short male ghost jumped on his head and covered his eyes, "Get…off me you little…!" he began before a large muscular ghost flew in and punched him, sending Frankenstrike flying as the short ghost flipped off his head.

"Well…Ghost Freaks…" Skurd noted.

"Ugh…pleasant change of pace from Zombozo's old freaks…" Frankenstrike groaned, "And ghosts…wonderful."

"That's right~" Zombozo grinned, "They can hit you…but…" Frankenstrike tried to strike the muscular ghost, only for him to become intangible as his fist went straight through him, "You can't hit them…heh. How's that for a twist of irony?!"

"Well…physically, no, I can't touch them," Frankenstrike spoke, "But Intangible doesn't mean invulnerable." he slapped the Omnitrix as he turned into Blitzwolfer and jumped up, "It just means you gotta get creative!"

"Careful…" Freakshow began as Blitzwolfer began to inhale, about to howl out before a ghostly snake flew around his snout and forced him to aim down, causing him to send himself flying into the tent's roof, "Your own words may come back to haunt you."

"Wh-?! Where'd the snake come from?!" Makoto quietly gawked from her and Tsubaki's hiding spot.

Tsubaki was about to reply before she quickly brought out Excalibur, using it to ward off a few incoming ghostly creatures before they began to float back to a female ghost in a red hooded cape with multiple tattoos on her, the creatures flying into the exposed parts of her body as she glared at them.

"Tattoo powers? That's different," Makoto admitted.

"Oh looks like we found your friends." Freakshow muttered in amusement once he noticed them, "Let's see what our new freaks can…" he yelped when a sonic howl hit him and sent him flying.

"Reword that…now…" Blitzwolfer snarled as Skurd formed a Big Chill arm to grab the snake that muzzled him before, "Or I shove that stupid staff orb first down your throat…"

"I think I hit a nerve. I was…OH GOD!" Freakshow panicked as Bltizwolfer snarled and lunged at him, "Minions, save me!" the ghosts got in the path only to be blasted by a sonic howl that made them cry in pain, "AH!"

"Get back here, meat!" Blitzwolfer snarled, chasing Freakshow around the area as the crowd looked on and watched.

"Sam, what's going on?" Danny asked once he and Sam stopped, "All I hear is Ben snarling and Freakshow freaking out."

"Oh, he's just being an actual good boyfriend and standing up for his girlfriend from being called something deeply offensive," Sam explained, "So things are going a little crazy. So let's try not to screw things up. Thankfully Tucker isn't here."

"Yeah…he'd be freaking out right about now," Danny chuckled a bit before Sam pulled him down just as a piece of debris flew overhead, "Right. Focus on getting The Wraith's Eye away from Freaksh-"

"Well, what do we have here?"

"!?" the two tensed as Sam quickly turned, seeing Zombozo grinning straight at them.

"Hello again, ghost boy."

"Oh that's not good," Danny whispered before Sam dragged him away just as Zombozo tried to crush them with a wooden mallet.

"What's with the blindfold? Are you scared of clowns that much?" Zombozo grinned as he began to chase after them, "How's about letting me take it so you can enjoy the show!?"

"I'd rather not, thanks!" Danny shouted, transforming as he fired an ectoplasmic beam at him…only for it to go past Zombozo and hit Blitzwolfer by accident.

"ARF!?"

"...I just hit Ben, didn't I?"

"Yup," Sam deadpanned, "Not even mind controlled and you're already hitting friendly fire…"

"Ahh come on…!"

"Ahh!" Makoto yelped as she narrowly avoided an incoming punch from a female ghost, her arm stretched out like rubber before she reeled it back in, "Oh…oh great. I get a gomu gomu ghost lady while you get a tattoo lady, Tsubaki!"

"Just try…and focus!" Tsubaki shouted as she slashed her sword at the incoming ghostly beast the tattooed ghost woman summoned, each one making sure to avoid the blade.

"This is how I focus!" Makoto replied, "It ruins the other person's focus most times, know what, this isn't working!" she groaned, jumping and grabbing Tsubaki by the shoulders, "Switch!" she spun around and tossed Tsubaki to the elastic ghost woman.

"Makoto you…!" Tsubaki began in annoyance before the elastic ghost woman wrapped her arms around two support columns, letting Tsubaki hit her as she began to pull back..before flinging the red head away and right into Makoto, making the two grunt as they tumbled along the ground, "..."

"Eh heh….sorry?"

"...training with Master Jubei for a-GH?!" Tsubaki grunted when she felt something bite her, making her look down to see a pair of mechanical teeth biting down on her leg, "Wh-what the…?!"

"Oh...look at that," Zombozo spoke as he stopped chasing Sam and Danny for a moment, "You get to witness it first hand…"

"...Witness what?" Blitzwolfer asked, Freakshow using the distraction long enough to get away from him.

"The transformation~"

"...t…transf-" Makoto began before she heard Tsubaki groaning, "...Ts….Tsubaki?"

"...come one…." Tsubaki whispered, her eyes beginning to become devoid of life as clown paint began to appear on her face, "Come all…"

"?!" Makoto's eyes widened in horror as she crawled back a bit, Tsubaki fully standing as she gained the same smile Rook and Mai had.

"Come to the Dark Side….at Circus Gothica…"

"Oh, that's not good…" Skurd whispered.

"Hahahahah! You thought it was mind control, didn't you?" Zombozo laughed at the shocked expressions, "No no…this is better~ A special virus concocted with Freakshow's help. Anyone bitten by my teeth and…well, you've seen zombie movies before, haven't you?"

"...Meep…" Makoto squeaked, going ghost white.

"Come one…come call…" Tsubaki repeated as she hefted her sword up, the Tattooed and elastic ghost women moving to her sides as they approached the Beastkin, "Come to the Dark side…"

"Uh…no thank you!" Makoto shouted as she jumped away from the two, bouncing off the short ghost's head before landing near Blitzwolfer, "Okay…ghost acts and clown zombies…All we need is the purple guy in the animatronic spring lock suit and it'd be just perfect."

"This is going to be a difficult win…" Blitzwolfer grumbled, "And I really think fighting fear with fear would be the only win…"

"Please no shedding Ghostfreak's skin…" Makoto pleaded.

"Hopefully it won't come to that," he stated, about to tap the Omnitrix once more before the short Ghost jumped on his head again, "Ahh! Oh you little…!" he began as his hands flailed about, inadvertently slapping the Omnitrix as a green flash went off…and Snare-Oh took his place, "Snare-Oh? I was going for…Toepick!" he grunted, his wraps grabbing the short ghost as he flung him off his head.

"That short one's gonna be a big problem," Skurd groaned.

"Tell…wait…why am I able to grab him? Why hasn't he phased through me?" Snare-Oh blinked.

"The Thep Khufan are much more mystical, they are also very adapt at controlling the item that mutates Ghosts…" Skurd spoke before blinking, "Oh…"

"Oh…I can touch supernatural stuff." Snare-Oh realized as he entangled the Dwarf Ghost entirely, essentially mummifying him in his bandages, "Ha! Thanks for the advantage, little guy!"

"Hmm…perhapes…but…" Freakshow began as he rose his staff up, the remaining ghost and the Clownified Tsubaki surrounding the two now, "I still have the numbers…and your friends."

"Dude you are so getting on my nerves…" Snare-Oh groaned, "I really could use a hand right about now…" he spoke up, "Guys!" he complained, "He's a skinny pale skinned man with a giant nose, he's not a big threat."

"Well no need to be hurtful." Freakshow muttered, only to yelp when Danny was tossed into him and knocked him over, "Ow…"

"Got it!" Sam grabbed the staff.

"Why?" Danny grunted getting up.

"Okay. Now t-AHH!" Sam yelped as she quickly lifted her leg just before another pair of dentures tried to bite her.

"Sorry…can't have you ruining the show now!" Zombozo laughed.

"Zombozo I am literally going to punt your head into space once this is over!" Makoto snapped before avoiding a slash from Tsubaki, "Sam, Danny, get to somewhere safe and destroy that thing!"

"We'll hold these guys off!" Snare-Oh shouted, using his wrapping to quickly intangle the Strongman ghost's fist before flinging him into the Tattoo Ghost.

"Got it!" Sam nodded, grabbing Danny once more as she quickly rushed off.

"Hey now. Did I say you c-" Zombozo began as he prepared to give chase, only for one of Snare-oh's wrappings to grab him and toss him away, "...well that was just rude, Ben."

"Well I never said I cared enough to be respectful." Snare-Oh spoke as he used his bandages to tie up the many enemies surrounding him and Makoto.

---

"Okay…we should be safe here," Sam spoke as she and Danny ran into a dark room

"Can I take this off now?" Danny groaned as he dismissed his transformation.

"Yes, don't think it matters if I become the one controlling you." Sam joked.

"Oh hahaha…" Danny sarcastically laughed as he took the blindfold off, "Alright, now let me smash…that…" he trailed off as he noticed something within the darkness, "...what the…?"

Sam raised a brow before looking in Danny's direction, seeing what looked like a large machine within the middle of the room, the orbs on the top of the machine glowing with energy as faint cries and screams could be heard within.

"Rather charming isn't it?"

"?!" the two tensed as they turned to see Freakshow approach, holding a hand over one of his eyes as he tried to keep a calm expression.

"Something Zombozo helped me create, based on an old creation of his…the Psyclown 2.0," Freakshow informed with a grin, clapping his hands as the lights turned on…and showed the unmoving bodies of various people as they all had the same, zombified clown face on them, "However instead of laughter…it feeds off the audience's fear."

"Fear?" Danny repeated before his eyes widened in realization.

"You don't mean…?" Sam began.

"Precisely. In exchange for my partnership with him, I agreed to let him harvest what the machine produces," Freakshow grinned, raising a hand up into the air before grasping it, "Souls…souls filled with the absolute worst nightmares they have imagined. In fact some were so frightened, they began to laugh themselves to death…rather morbid, but we still made a good profit."

"Dude you are sick and twisted!" Danny declared.

"That's the point!" Freakshow laughed.

'I can't believe I liked this guy's circus…' Sam thought as she glared at Freakshow.

"Now then…why don't you be good children and hand me the Wraith's Eye back?" Freakshow ordered as he held his hand out to them

"How about no." Danny replied as he took the staff from Sam, "Without this, your goons won't listen to you. That means we only gotta deal with the clown zombies."

"You wouldn't dare!" Freakshow growled.

"Dude, I have terrible listening skills, ask my teachers." Danny replied, "Ben he's in here!" he shouted making freakshow turn around in panic, Danny smirked as he kicked his leg into Freakshow's back and knocked him forward and face first into the ground. "Hup!" he grunted lifting the staff up and swinging it like a hammer down, the orb glowing as it did…only to shatter on impact with the ground. Danny flinched as his eyes began glowing before reverting, the lingering effects of the hypnosis still in his system fading away.

"NO!" Freakshow exclaimed, crawling over as he picked up a few shards, "...you…you insolent petulant child! You have any idea what you've done?!"

"Yeah," Danny smirked, his eyes glowing green, "Even the playing field." he smirked as he transformed into his Phantom self, "Now things are a lot more even!" he turned to Sam, "I'm gonna help Ben, you got any ideas what to do with that thing?"

"Not a one…" Sam sighed, "But I got this." she held up a cylinder before twisting it as it began unfolding and reforming into a small energy blaster, "Noel hooked me up."

"Awesome," Danny nodded as he quickly flew off to go help Ben.

"Alright…" Sam began as she looked towards the Psyclown 2.0, "Let's see how much damage I can do…"

---

"Ugh…." most of the ghost that were wrapped up-minus the Tattooed ghost oddly enough- groaned as their eyes began to lose the red glow.

"Aww...they broke Freakshow's staff," Zombozo pouted as he kept duckign under punches from Makoto, "Shame…would've loved to see what he would've done with Danny boy and Ben as Ghostfreak."

"Free you say?" Snare-Oh realized, "Hey you guys!" He called to the three ghosts, "Now that you're free, how about making the jerk who enslaved you suffer for all he put you through? I didn't want to fight you personally, but why let a chance at revenge on an upstart carny go to waste?"

The three ghosts looked at one another for a moment, an angered look appearing on their faces before looking back at him with a nod.

"Then have at it guys, just please head home after," Snare-Oh smirked with his eyes as he released them, "Oh look at that…I have more mass to put into…this!" he swung his enlarged arm and punched Zombozo, sending him skidding along the ground, "They might have been dumb, but at least your old crew was legit on your side."

"Hmm….true. But…answer me this, Ben," Zombozo began as he got back up, his neck askew before he popped it back into place, "What does the audience think of this?"

"The heck that's supposed…to…" Makoto began before she noticed...most of the audience that was still there watching on…all while being Clownified themselves, "?!"

"Teeth…mice…you can never predict when they're gonna bite ya," Zombozo grinned as Rook and Mai started to get back up.

"Come one…come all…" Tsubaki, Mai, Rook, and the audience droned out in unison, "Embrace the Dark Side…at Circus Gothica…"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me…" Snare-Oh groaned before he then slapped the Omnitrix, the clownified crowd flinching as Snare-Oh was replaced by Ghostfreak, "Well…still not the intent, but let's roll with it." he vanished into thin air.

"Oh, not this-GAH!" Zombozo grunted as he was punched in the face, his large nose showing the indent of Ghostfreak's fist when it struck, "Not this old trick again, Ben. I'm not scared of you, I know you, you don't have the guts to ever put down an enemy."

"Oh…you think I'm not scary now?" Ghostfreak whispered, "You think you got it all figured out?" another punch knocked him down, "What you don't know is that, sometimes…it's hard to be the Hero. Sometimes…I'm tired of being the Superman of this world," another punch knocked Zombozo back, "And, yes, I mean that. I have been the strongest kid on the planet since I was 10…and nothing has ever made me want to use that power…then people like you…" his voice rasped out, Zombozo hearing claws raking against metal, "People…who hurt the people I care for…who try and bite off more than they can chew…you think if you hurt the people I love, I'll lose…no…" a raspy chuckle escaped, "No…because then? …Then…I have nothing left to lose…"

"Gh…" Zombozo flinched looking around.

"You think I never considered how much easier it would be…to hunt down all my villains…and put them down like wild beasts they act like…" Ghostfreak spoke into the zombie's ear, making him jump, "Oh it has…and I almost did…once…and it was my own friend who lost himself…but you know what I learned?"

"Gh!?" Zombozo flinched, "Wh-what?"

"You're right," Ghostfreak spoke, reforming as he punched Zombozo, once, and then a second time before slamming an uppercut that knocked Zombozo to the ground, "I'm not ever gonna break that rule. Because…that whole dark edgy thing…it's just not the Ben Tennyson Way. But it sure freaks you out, wanna know why Zombozo?" he asked, "Because all your wanna be cleverness and spooky zombie gimmick aside…you're just a thug. You will never be worth that, and deep down, you're scared of one day actually pissing me off that much. Because I'll always be that kid who scared you 'till. you. popped."

"Gh…oh you're just so clever, huh? Suddenly you understand me better than I do?!" Zombozo growled.

"Yeah, I also have something you don't," Ghostfreak crossed his arms as he floated down and flashed back into Ben.

"What's that?"

"I have a really good backup," Ben smirked as the clownified people were all frozen from the waist down. Zombozo blinked in surprise as they shivered from the flash freezing, but thankfully there was a layer of air between them and the ice, so they were left completely stuck in place.

"Dude, that was totally the spookiest thing I've seen tonight." Danny Phantom spoke as he became visible, "I really thought you went all Punisher there for a second."

"Meh…That'd be the easy road. Heroes don't take easy," Ben replied, "But if it was easy, everyone would be able to do it."

"Yeah, then we'd be out of work." Danny chuckled, "Speaking of, three ghosts just dragged Freakshow off. Where'd the Tattoo lady go?"

"Not sure. She freaked once I went Ghostfreak," Ben explained as he then began looking around, "Wait…Makoto!?" he panicked.

"Up here!" she waved from the tightrope platform, "Yeah, I may have been a little spooked."

"I honestly can't blame her," Skurd admitted, "Even I felt fear from that…well done, Ben. Now only one thing remains…"

"Yeah…" Ben responded as he looked over at the frozen forms of his Clownified friends, "How to change them back."

"Change them b-OH GEEZ!" Danny exclaimed once he noticed the clownified trio.

"Blame Zombozo," Makoto sighed once she jumped down…before raising her foot up and stomping a pair of dentures before it could try and bite her, "...and I bet he knows what the cure is…"

"...I do…but…" Zombozo began as he held his hands up…before he began to run, "I'm not telling~!"

"Wh-?! HEY!" Ben, Makoto and Danny snapped.

"Later suckers! I got a plan B to fall back on!"

"Plan B?" Danny repeated…before it dawned on him, "Ahh! That machine!"

---

"Okay…this is harder than I thought," Sam whispered, the barrel of her laser gun smoking as the Psyclown 2.0 only had a few burnt marks on it, "Okay…I aimed at the spots where the pieces are connected to one another, the parts that look really important, all the glowing pieces, all the not-glowing pieces, shot everything in different patterns to check for a destruct sequence…I even shot at the ground around it to see if there was anything hidden…" she groaned, "I swear, it better not be the trope of 'it can only be harmed by itself.' That is becoming cliche in horror flicks and games."

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Zombozo shouted as he entered the area.

"Aaaand of course the main 'monster' comes when things could still get worse," Sam muttered under her breath as she spun around and quickly fired a shot at him, forcing the clown to cartwheel out of the way.

"Whoa now! Ugh…Another teenager with Plumber tech…" Zombozo sighed in exasperation, "Seriously…What's it gonna take for a bad kid with the weapons, huh? And don't point out that kid with a robot copy of himself that just says 'Ja' that's after Robotboy. He's a child, not a preteen or teenager, so does not count."

"..." Sam said nothing before she just began shooting at the ground to force Zombozo to dance around to avoid the shots, "I wonder if I mess with these settings if I can go full-auto?" she pondered while shooting, "Might be harder to aim, but better chances of shooting off his legs. Best way to immobilize a zombie to leave them open for a double tap to the head."

"That's dark! What is your issue?!" Zombozo snapped.

"I'm not scared of clowns, or zombies…or most normal things." Sam explained, "But I still don't like people getting hurt for no reason. It's okay in movies 'cause it's all fake, but I hate it in real life." she tapped a button as the gun began unleashing full automatic fire of smaller energy bolts.

"Ah! Ooh! Eee!" Zombozo yelped, cartwheeling, backflipping, front flipping, somersaulting, and basically doing everything he could to try to avoid the faster shots, "The one thing about being an undead being with a body rotting from the inside out: loss of body mass means faster body!"

"But also a drawback since it also causes muscle decay and overexertion could lead to limbs ripping right off."

"Where do you get these things, kid?!"

"Zombie films, books, comics, and everything else related to them," Sam grinned, "Gotta thank my grandma for a lot of them with secret purchases of them for me when I was starting in getting into who I am." she explained, "Unlike most folks, I know so much about this gorey horror stuff that fighting things like zombies, ghouls, vampires, all that…it's borderline easy mode for me. Ghosts that lack physical form or Aliens and their fantastic biology? That's the stuff I'm interested in learning these days." she smiled as she aimed up and shot, making Zombozo pause and look up, only to yelp as he was pelted by shots to the chest knocking him over.

"Wha…what was that?!"

"A distraction. Zombies are attracted to loud noises, so I made you look somewhere else." Sam explained, "Plus after the show you put on, I know a few dangerous wounds won't really kill you. You're undead. If you can put on a show of getting shot, that means I can pepper you with a few blasts and, at best, we'll just need to stitch you back together in the holding cells."

"What is with kids these days?! Why are they so scary? First Tennyson and his ability to turn into the most frightening thing, and now some weird girl in all black who talks about creepy stuff… Why can't kids just go back to being creeped out by clowns?!" Zombozo groaned, sitting up as best he could, "Gah…you actually messed me up with that…how?"

"Duh…Do you know how much the muscles in your core actually do?" Sam asked, "I'm sure I severed a good few of them, so now you will have trouble bending and moving in general."

"Why do you know so much about the human body?!"

"While my mom wants me to be a stay-at-home wife to some rich boy, my dad for a time wanted me to be a doctor and got me medical books…then my mom found out and that was stopped, but I kept the books since they really pair well together with zombie media. You would not believe the forum debates I've managed to settle with that stuff."

"Why are teenagers like this…" Zombozo couldn't help but ask as he grunted and pushed himself away with his arms as best he could.

"Hey! You're not getting away," Sam aimed at Zombozo, "If I knew where the laser sight was on this, I'd turn it on for added flare." she explained with a sigh.

"Whoa, there, girly. You got me. I'm not much of a threat, but can't blame an old clown for trying~! We excel in sleight of hand like any magician!" he laughed.

Sam blinked before tensing as she turned to the machine as a cable shot out and began wildly swinging around. She grunted and ducked down to avoid it before it flew to Zombozo and flipped him over to plug into his back. With a cackle, it lifted him up as a glow of pale blue light went up the cable and into Zombozo, his smirk growing larger as his body began glowing. The wounds to his body began to quickly seal up with a hissing sound.

"Hahahahaha! Rebuilding it was a real pain! It took me forever to make the first one. Frankly, five years alone would never have been enough!" Zombozo declared as the glow continued on as his body began to heal more and more, the decay of his zombie form fading away as well, "Ben ruined a once in a lifetime accomplishment all those years ago as a little snot nosed brat! I tried to get back at him, but not too long ago…my body just finally gave out, and I turned into what I am now. But thanks to that good sport Freakshow, we made Model Dos Point O! Now…filled with even more energy than ever before!" he cheered as his body was now fully restored to living visage, "I just never told him the real intent behind it needing so much energy. He thought it'd be to empower him so he could attain some power. Feh…little punk ate that up hook, line, and sinker. Easy, too. His whole family is gaga about ghosts, so he had some serious issues that Papa Zombozo filled in."

"You…You're alive again?" Sam asked.

"Well if you could consider being an emotional energy vampire living, but hey I do!" Zombozo laughed, "I used to have it pretty good, too; but turns out, there were things even I feared. But a little girly with a gun sure ain't one of them!" he snapped his fingers as another cable whipped the gun out of Sam's hands.

"Gah!" Sam yelped before the cable wrapped around her, binding her arms to her sides and picked her up, "Whoa!"

"I imagine making you scared won't be easy. Frankly, you're a creepy kid," Zombozo sighed, "Given how bravely you did all that, and how you talked about all that creepy stuff…you're probably going to become some top agent of Ben's Space police force someday." he chuckled, "Well I guess I'll just have to deal with you the old fashion way, if you blame anyone, blame the weird upbringing you had!" he moved the cable up and aimed to swing down only to pause as he tensed, "Wha…" he grunted as his eyes turned green, "Y-You're in there?! In my head?!"

"Huh? Who?" Sam pondered.

"Don't worry," Danny spoke, appearing next to Sam, "Ben wanted dibs; And, honestly, I don't think I could stand going in his head." he covered his hands in blue energy before grabbing the cable and flash freezing a section to shatter it and free Sam.

"B-Ben…?" Zombozo asked as Ghostfreak phased out of him before punching the evil clown to the ground, "You took over my body!?"

"It wasn't a picnic for me either. But…doing so gave me a good idea of all the energy flowing through you," Ghostfreak spoke as he floated down, his eye going along the 'cracks' in his skin to keep it solely on him, "Now…let me show you a new trick of mine." he moved the dial of the Omnitrix ninety degrees clockwise, making it beep, "This one is a real…showstopper!"

He laughed as dark gray armor began forming outwards and surrounding his entire body. At his shoulders, the armor formed spikes before descending down into two large armored gauntlets, the fingers forming into glowing green claws as green accents formed along the gauntlets. Segmented armor formed along his body all the way to the tip of his wispy tail. With a hiss, the segments opened to reveal glowing green lights. The armor formed around the collar shackle before forming a helmet. It was dark gray along the sides with what seemed to be a solid black visor forming a majority of the mask section. The armor flashed as a green glow formed in the visor, revealing Ghostfreak's eye, before flashing to show an entire upside down skull glaring down at Zombozo.

"Wha….what…?" Zombzo gasped out upon seeing the skull.

"What's the matter, Zombozo? Don't you have any jokes for your old pal, Ghostfreak?" he asked before waving his hand as it began glowing green and Zombozo was wrapped up in the cable linked to his back and dragged up to Ghostfreak, "Boo~" he reared his arm back as his claws began glowing before he swung and scratched Zombozo, sending him, flying back, only for the cable to go taut and drag him back, "Boo!" he swung and punched Zombozo, this time slamming him into the ground, "You just didn't learn all those years ago, didn't ya?" he asked, floating closer to Zombozo, "If you're gonna go around scaring poor folks for a cheap thrill…you better be prepared for when someone scares back." he grabbed the cable and began pulling before yanking it free of Zombozo's back with a loud hissing sound, "As for your toy…" he raised his arm as his entire gauntlet began to glow an ominous green, the energy began to project off the gauntlet before growing into a giant spectral claw of green energy; with a hiss, the Omni-Kix armored Ectonurite thrust his hand and sent the giant claw into the machine…tearing through it, and clean out the back of it.

"Whoa…That is one strong armor," Sam gawked.

"Hmm…" Ghostfreak muttered as he swung his hand out and suddenly vast amounts of blue energy poured from the machine and flew off to its proper place of origin, he swung his hand down as he sent more of it out of the tent and to unknown places, "If I'm right…I matched those up with the right bodies…eh…future Ben's problem if I screwed one or two up…Who knew these things could be so complicated…" he grumbled to himself as the glow of his visor died down so only his eye was visible.

"Can you manipulate souls?!" Sam asked in amazement.

"I wouldn't call it manipulation…Ectonurites are beings with no life energy. They can manipulate ectoplasmic energy naturally, so I can only assume it's somewhat similar," he explained, "I would call it more like guiding…Honestly, this was a lot more work then anime and manga makes you think it is…I think I might have put the energy of a cat into a person…" he sheepishly twiddled his claws, "Please let that not be a problem…"

"Especially if it's a crazy cat lady or man who got it," Danny noted.

"...A man?" Skurd asked.

"Look, it was weird and I am not expanding on it aside from it being a four person bad guy team up with me working with a kitchen sponge, a boy genius, and a kid with fairies to stop the team up," Danny stated.

"I met them and I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the sponge," Sam admitted, "Did make a good burger. I'm still trying to figure out what the patty for it was made of…"

"...Riiiiight…" Ghostfreak muttered as he levitated Zombozo over, "Reading his mind…" he phased his hand into Zombozo's head, making him cry out in pain before passing out.

"Got the cure?" Danny asked.

"Yep," he nodded as he floated down and timed out, "I'll text Kajun. She should be able to whip something up in no time. Hopefully she has enough ingredients for a bulk batch…also…gonna have to change Zombozo's paperwork to A: Change him from 'technically dead' to now 'technically living'…"

"And B?" Sam asked.

"Put out an APB on a Nosferatu looking ringmaster and a tattoo lady ghost, who are now his accomplices," Ben sighed, "Seriously, that is going to be a hassle."

"Wait, that one wasn't under control?" Danny asked.

"I found it out while reading his mind. That one was honestly following Freakshow around," Ben explained, "Why…I will never know. Nor do I care to ask why. Also, apparently, her name's Lydia."

"...Lydia?" Sam repeated with a deadpan tone of disbelief, "Lydia, the tattoo lady…"

"Weird, right?" Ben asked, "You think it would be something…I don't know…creepy? At least Gothic…"

"Feels rather musical myself," Skurd noted, "And the other specters, Benjamin, my boy?"

"Pfft…Benjamin?" Danny snorted.

"At least I never got labeled InvisoBill, Daniel," Ben retorted with a smirk.

"Maturity does wonders for boys, who'd a thunk?" Sam smirked.

"Mmm…" Danny frowned at that before everyone began laughing.

"Guys! The clowns are freaking me out!" Makoto called out, "And Tsubaki won't stop trying to get me! I said sorry! Leave me alone, you cursed shell of my best friend!" clattering noises went off, "EEK!" the trio bounced a foot into the air as the place shook, "They're spitting out those funky clown-making chattering teeth! I swear, I am not gonna be able to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space or It this year at this rate~! And the latter has freakin' Tim Curry in it!"

"Alright, I'm on my way!" Ben called out as he ran back.

"Hang on!" Sam spoke, picking up her blaster, "Target practice!"

"Hey! Wait, don't leave me with the creepy clown!" Danny rushed after them.

---

"Oh no! You're not biting me tonight!" Makoto snapped, hanging off the tightrope once more as a large herd of clattering dentures hopped up and down to try and bite her…all while the Clown Zombies looked up at her while still chanting 'Come one Come All', "I ain't being forced to join a zombie clown cult!"

"Embrace the Dark Side…at Circus Gothica…" Rook, Mai and Tsubaki groaned out as Tsubaki began to raise Excalibur.

"?!...oh sh-!" .Makoto began as she started to run along the ropes, Tsubaki about to swing down her sword before she suddenly stopped, "!?"

"Makoto, you okay?" Lodestar asked as he held his arm up and dragged everyone's weapons out of their hands.

"..y…yeah…I am," Makoto slowly nodded.

"You forgot you could transform, didn't you?"

"..."

"She did," Skurd deadpanned.

"Give me a break, you sentient booger! I was panicking okay?!" Makoto snapped.

"Don't worry, I texted Kajun the cure, just gotta wait for the cavalry." Lodestar spoke as he effortlessly ignored the teeth due to his metallic composition, "Wanna turn into a squirrel and stand on my shoulder like a Pokemon till then?"

"Wait. She can do that now?" Danny asked, holding onto Sam as she blasted a few of the clattering dentures on the ground.

"Yup," Lodestar replied before Makoto in her squirrel form landed on his shoulder.

"That…is oddly adorable." Sam blinked as she went back to shooting, "Stop fidgeting Danny you're messing up my aim."

"I'm trying," Danny complained.

"No need to stress, I'm sure the fact you held your own against a returning super villain, will be worth some credit." Lodestar spoke, "Honestly this probably could have gotten worse if we didn't know about this place being evil. Especially if we didn't stop Danny from coming here."

"Yeah an unneeded super hero brawl would have made this more complicated." Sam nodded.

"Well I just hope we can still get a refund." Danny groaned.

"It wasn't that much money…" Sam and Lodestar tilted their heads.

"What! But it…oh…right…job and rich…" Danny sighed, "Maybe taking up that Plumber job will help…"

"I mean…I have enough to own a house as is…" Lodestar admitted, Makoto nodding in agreement.

"And hey…if you need a day off, we can always handle your bad guys for ya," Makoto offered.

"I mean just give them some ghost tech to touch them…" Sam muttered, "Heck you can equip the Plumbers with better ghost fighting tech and you should get more time off."

"That is true…" Danny whispered, "...and I know dad REALLY wants to provide more ghost-tech to the Plumbers….and Tuck really wants to work at a command center."

"He's just tired of always getting beaten up and slimed." Sam sighed.

"Darn right I do!" Tucker's voice shouted from outside the tent.

"?!" the four tensed before a large Proto-Truk drove straight in, a large canister connected to the back of it as it showed a blue liquid within.

"Yo g-eee~" Tucker began as he poked his head out of the driver's seat….before pulling back in and rolling up the window once he saw the Clown Zombies, "Yo guys!"

"Tuck?!" Sam and Danny gawked.

"Let me guess…you're the new assistant to the Research and Development Team?" Lodestar asked.

"Hey I earned it! After all that paperwork, my wrist sounds like a cement mixer!" Tucker declared, "Speaking of R and D…yo boss! We're in position!"

"Good. Noel….your turn," Kajun spoke from the back.

"...do I really…" Noel began.

"Yes…unless you want them to bite Makoto or Drei."

"?!" Noel tensed before she came out the top of the Proto-Truk, holding onto a large minigun with a tub connected to the canister while decked out in protective armor…yet it did not hide the serious look on her face, "Grr…"

"Uh oh…Noellie's got that look again," Makoto paled a bit.

"...Duck and cover?" Danny asked Lodestar.

"YES!" Lodestar exclaimed as he tapped the Omnitrix, quickly changing into Jetray as the two quickly flew up to the top of the tent.

"Fire," Noel spoke as she opened fire and began pelting all the Clownified people with a liquid that quickly doused all of them.

The zombified people groaned as smoke began to come off them, their clown zombie-like features beginning to fade as they began to slowly change back to normal.

"Oh…ah…my head…" Mai groaned as she was the first to change back, "What…happened?"

"Ngh…we were…bitten," Tsubaki grunted as she held her head.

"Bitten?" Mai repeated before it dawned on her, "...wait…Rook, you bit me!"

"I…apologize…" Rook groaned as he was the last to change back, "Zombozo and Freakshow…took me by surprise."

"Bad Circus." Noel said simply, the barrels of her minigun smoking.

"Well I wanted to say I hope you all learned something, but really I'm just concerned that Makoto posted pictures of your clown faces to social media." Kajun spoke, getting out of the Proto Truk.

"She what?!" Mai, Tsubaki and Rook gawked before wincing, "Ahh bad idea/ite/that was a mistake…"

"Yeah, the cure will leave you with a slight headache due to its rapid repair to your brain chemistry. But at least you're no longer zombie clowns. Honestly I think we made good time, Makoto might have panicked and punched holes through you if you kept scaring her."

"Highly likely!" Makoto's voice shouted, "I was running low on Flight, and getting real close to Fight!"

"Well your lucky we whipped up that cure in no time," Tucker stated as he hopped out of the Proto-Truk next, "Surprisingly it was easy figuring out a cure for it, especially with one ingredient we used."

"What's that?"

"A sample of Zombozo's Blood diluted and purified," Kajun replied.

"..."

"...Well you'll never know if there's ever a Zombie outbreak," Kajun argued, "Besides, from that one report Ben gave during your pursuit of X-tinction, He technically used the Omnitrix to cure a zombie version of himself."

"WHAT?!" those who didn't know of that adventure snapped, mostly team Phantom.

"Oh yeah I have that data in here." Jetray spoke as he and Danny floated back down, "Though to be fair I think Zombozo is like a voodoo zombie."

"And now he's technically alive again," Danny added, "...mind if I suggest putting him in a padded cell or something…with lots of locks?"

"Given what he did and tried to do, he won't be getting out for a long time," Sam stated.

"Agreed," Tsubaki sighed as her headache began to die down, "...and where's Freakshow?"

"Ran with his tail between his legs," Jetray replied as Makoto hopped off his shoulder, the two changing back to their normal appearances, "Where he is, we don't know…"

"Probably used that train to make a getaway," Makoto guessed.

"After what happened with those three ghosts he had under his control, he's probably gonna go into hiding," Danny added.

"Well guess we'll keep a lookout on creepy pale skinned weirdos and their ghost accomplice with a lot of tattoos."

"Agreed," Tsubaki nodded.

---

"Phew….just glad tonight's over," Danny whispered, having transformed back to normal as he looked up at the night sky, gazing at the full moon as it shone, "...heh. Even a full moon out to…night…wait…full moon…where have I…" he trailed off as he tried to recall something.

"Something up?"

"?" Danny blinked as he looked over, seeing Ben and Makoto approach as the others were busy escorting some of the audience, "...Well kinda. Just…there was something I should've remembered…something about a full moon…"

"Full moon?" Makoto blinked as she and Ben looked up, "...huh…a full moon out tonight…given how close Halloween is approaching, things can probably get scary…"

"Yeah…probably spooky over at Transylvania right now," Ben joked.

"...Tran…Transy…AHH!" Danny exclaimed, startling the two, "That's right! I need to get to…to…An…Anur…" he paused before smacking himself to try and rattle his memory, "Anur Transyl!"

"Wait, what?" Ben blinked, "Why do you want to go there?"

"I don't know. This Alien lady from there gave me a prediction about me going there...something about stopping a snake and some despair bear releasing a reaper of death and inner darkness or something to revive a dark lord."

"...D…Despair b-b-bear?" Makoto repeated, her mind flashing back to a certain incident as she started to shake a bit, "...Ben…you don't think…"

"No…that can't be her," Ben shook his head, "I personally mentally scarred her as Toepick."

"Who?" Danny asked.

"Uh well…"

"It…it's a very…hard story for us to tell," Makoto replied, her hand gripping Ben's as she still shook.

"Oh wow. You're actually traumatized…" Danny whispered with wide eyes.

"What you do?" Sam asked as she walked over, slapping Danny upside the head.

"Ow! I was trying to recall what Cleo told us back in UnderAmity," Danny winced as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"...yes," Danny slumped.

"Your lucky me and Jazz write this stuff down and memorize it," Sam sighed, "'On the week of Anur Transyl's full moon, the snake and bear of despair will release the reaper of shadows...and the darkness that once stewed within your own heart in their quest to revive the lord of Anur Transyl…'"

"I got a C in English Lit…" Danny muttered.

"...You're not allowed to remember vital information ever again," Sam replied.

"D'oh…"

---

"Ugh…great. All that hard work…just gone," Freakshow groaned, hiding in a cave deep within the woods outside the city...all while sporting a few bruises and his black eye bigger, "The Wraith's Eye was broken, I lost my key performers, I get humiliated by Tennyson and Danny Phantom…who was going to be my main attraction!"

"..." the Tattoo ghost/Lydia said nothing as she floated nearby.

"Oh…right…have no one else to bounce these complaints off of," Freakshow sighed, "And what's worse…I lost all those profits and my business partner."

"..."

"...then again…" Freakshow paused, reaching up for the earring hanging off his ear as he took it off...and focused on the red triangular ruby as it glowed, "That last haul had just what I was looking for…now to find the rest…and the gauntlet itself."

---

SZ: Double foreshadowing~

GT: Indeed! Hope you guys enjoyed this.

Z0: *eating a sandwich while demons destroy the city* I am so gonna have to kill all of them….

SZ: Oh right…they got out…well…*presses a button as the wall opened up…revealing an entire arsenal of weapons*Go Dante on them, Z0…because it is late as of writing this part.

Z0: My time has come *runs out with a giant sword*

SZ: As for our readers…hope you're ready for some spookiness as we h-*falls asleep while standing up*zzzzzzz…

GT: Please read and review. *picks up SZ and flees the area*