Carnival

Stronghold used some towels and bandages he found to at least wipe off the wounds he had. Next, Sally used some knives to dig out the bullets, wiped his wounds and cauterize them. It hurt like hell but they stopped bleeding at least.
He slid the pan underneath his costume, using as a small bit of armor in case he got shot again. "So, Jim, can I ask how you got here?"
"I-I work at a computer software company. I don't even know these lunatics. These guys...just broke into my home, hit me over the head, and I woke up here with a killer headache. This psycho put a bag over my head and dragged me here.....and then you two showed up."
"Well Jim, I'm glad to meet you. And I promise you, I'm getting you out of here."
"Thanks...but...can you keep fighting like this?"
"Ah please. These are just light scratches. You get them all the time out in the field." Stronghold forced a smile and stood tall. "Alright then, the gun is yours. Remember what I said."
"Yes sir." Jim nodded and pocketed the ammo.
"Sally? You ready to go?"
"Ready when you are."
Stronghold smiled and lead them onward, back out into the hallway and along the path.

"He's amazing isn't he?" Sally asked Jim.
"Totally....didn't you say his powers were gone?"
"Yeah and he's steamrolling right over everything...brass knuckles sure...but.."
"But he's just a kid."
"So was Captain Justice once and look at him now."
"You're right. I can only imagine just how tough the rest of the Justice Patrol is."
Despite his pain, despite his exhaustion, hearing that felt good. A smile crossed his face.

Game Master tapped his fingers against the console. "I swear.....can't these idiots do anything right? This is not in the script." He looked at a red button. "Should I or shouldn't I?" He reached over and almost pressed it but relented. "Naaah, the clowns are up next. I'll see how he fairs. If he wins, then I'll send in the heavy hitters. Place your bets now folks."

"Ummm....Stronghold?"
"Yeah?"
"Are any of the other heroes down here?"
"Doesn't look like it. There's no way these losers are good enough to grab them. And if they did? They'd have escaped by now. Knowing them, they're looking for us right now. We'll just have to hold out and save the rest of the civilians."
"You've got it big guy."

And then a screaming lunatic came barreling at them from out of nowhere. He leaped ontop of Stronghold, knocking him over and tried to strangle him but Stronghold threw him off and then Jim pistol whipped him, dropping the lunatic. "That felt good."
Stronghold smiled and then decked the lunatic just to make sure.

The trio continued into a much larger room that was.....surreal. That was the only explanation they could come up with for it. It was brightly lit and the whole room was painted in bright colors. One wall was painted to have a sky with clouds and water and yellow ducks floating on it. Another wall had unicorns painted on it, a house and field, dogs, cats, people...it was just....freaky. All of the paintings looked like they were done by a child. Even the floor and ceiling were painted. The floor having just a big yellow smiley face and the ceiling covered in unicorn pictures. The three kept an eye out but there was nothing. They passed right through with no danger at all.

"We are never speaking of that again."
"Agreed."


The next hallway was long and winding and the lights were off so Stronghold brought out the flashlight again and shined it in front of them. For awhile, there was nothing.

He came out of nowhere, a clown dressed in colorful attire wielding a crossbow. He shot the arrows right at Stronghold's chest. However, the armored outfit and the metal pan underneath stopped them cold. Stronghold smacked them away and charged forward with the others, holding the sword up in front of himself to block any more arrows coming his way. The clown ran off laughing and they followed. They came upon a cross path however and two more clowns jumped them from both sides. One dressed like a hobo clown with a stubble and black paint all around his mouth and red paint on his mouth. He was wielding a sledgehammer and swung it at Sally with both hands. She was knocked down and rolled to the side to avoid having her skull smashed. The second clown was a woman wearing a pink polka dot dress, a jester hat and with white make up on her face with pink circles on her cheeks. She attacked Jim from behind by wrapping a plastic bag around his face. Jim stuggled against her for a few moments before he shot her in the foot and headbutted her in the nose. The clown girl screamed and backed off while Stronghold ran over to help Sally, slashing with the sword. The clown blocked it with the hammer's handle but Stronghold kicked him hard in the balls, twice and then kicked him in the stomach, making him drop the hammer. Sally got up. "Help Jim, I've got this!" Stronghold told her. Sally pulled out a knife and ran over to Jim and swiftly cut the bag off of him. They turned and grabbed the clown girl and beat the hell out of her.

Once they were sure she was down, they turned to see Stronghold walking over, dragging the sword in one hand and the sledgehammer in the other.

 "I am keeping this." He declared, handing Sally the spare sword. Sally in turn gave Jim her spare knives, keeping one for herself.

The three proceeded cautiously into an area with more bright lights. On the ground and on the walls were written HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA over and over and over in bright red paint....at least that was what Stronghold hoped it was.

They came to a turn which lead them down a twisting hallway and into another room. They stood to the side and opened it cautiously. Nothing so far. Stronghold was about to walk in when he noticed a string on the floor. A trip wire of some kind. He pointed it out to the others and they proceeded cautiously, stepping over it.

Once inside, music started blaring out of nowhere and constantly looping.

They jumped. "Okay....what the hell?"
"M-Music? Who would...I don't...what the hell man?"
"Let's just get going. If there's music, they might know we're already here."
"Good point Jim. Come on. And keep an eye out."

They proceeded into a hallway that was painted like and had several miniature carnival ride models set up everywhere.
They spotted several mannequins set up along the pathway. Each of them gave the mannequin's a good whack and a stab just to make sure. They did look lifelike after all. One thing they weren't prepared for was a clown dropping out of the air vents and onto Sally, flooring her and knocking the wind out of her. He tried to punch Stronghold but he blocked it with the sledgehammer and then kicked him in the face and then Jim decked the clown. Stronghold smashed his leg with the sledgehammer just to be sure. They helped up Sally. "You alright?"
She coughed. "Yeah, yeah, nothing too bad, just hurt a bit....wow...he's not getting up is he?"
"Nope." Stronghold smiled.

The three turned a corner to find another shelf of dolls...these though were all broken apart, their limbs and heads all piled up and scattered around, the eyes taken out and littering the floor. "Not more of these damn things."

"You saw dolls before down here?"
"Yeah and they were creepy then too."

The group entered a room that was once more painted with pictures all over the place. It was exactly like the earlier one only this one had statues on pedestals in weird poses everywhere. Upon closer inspection they were not statues but mannequins. Dressed like clowns. Stronghold shuddered on seeing them.

"Stronghold? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, f-fine....just....just give me a minute."

That's when they heard Jim yell out. They turned around to see him get knocked to the ground. His gun falling from his hands and it was then kicked out into the hallway. In front of them, was a woman. A harlequin clown with pitch black eyes...not even the slightest trace of humanity in them.  She laughed at Jim and at Sally and at Stronghold and then kicked Jim again in the face. She took a bow and walked into the room. "HIIII!" She squealed out to them and waved to the two. "Helllloooo victims! I'm here to kill ya! Especially you." She pointed at Sally.
"Try it, I'll cut your damn arms off."
"You are dirty."
Sally charged the clown and slashed with the swords. "Hey are those Claire's?" She asked as she ran and leaped over her and kicked her in the back of the head, sending Sally crashing to the ground. "Because I didn't like her. Your turn!"  She threw a dagger at Stronghold and then ran behind a mannequin to use for cover.

Stronghold was hit in the chest and fell to the ground, yelling out in pain for effect. The clown walked over, twirling and spinning her daggers. She was about to stab him but Stronghold reached up and punched her leg. She fell back. Stronghold leaped up and swung the sledgehammer at her but the clown backflipped to dodge it and threw the other daggers at him. Stronghold side stepped one and blocked the other before swinging the hammer at her again, knocking over a mannequin when she dodged.

She backflipped several feet away from him and then threw a dagger at his leg, slashing the side of it. Stronghold winced as his leg got cut. The clown giggled and made a bring it motion.

Stronghold ducked behind a mannequin as she did. The two began moving around the room, both hunting the other. Due to his injuries though and exhaustion though, Stronghold was breathing hard while the clown was silent, giving her a stealth advantage. Hearing a sound behind him, Stronghold whirled around....but there was nothing there.

He yelled out as he was slashed across his back by the clown. Stronghold stumbled forward and then turned and swung wildly with the sledgehammer, spinning around with it as she backpedaled around to get away before jumping behind a mannequin again.
 Sally charged in and slashed at the clown girl with one sword. She danced around her, flipping over Sally once more but this time Jim threw the knives at her. The clown girl spun around and twirled as she snatched the knives out of the air. She threw the knives at Sally, the knives flying past her and then the clown girl leaped up, flipping off of Sally and kicking her down. As she was coming down though, Stronghold slammed the sledgehammer against her stomach, breaking the clown girls ribs and sending her flying. She hit the ground and coughed up blood, holding her stomach in pain. "Nighty night." Stronghold said to her and punched her in the face, knocking her flat out.

Stronghold fell down to one knee, using the hammer to support himself. "Ev....everybody...okay?"

"Owwww....ow, yeah...ahhh, that hurt." Sally said and rubbed her jaw. It wasn't broken at least but her head and jaw still hurt like heck.

Jim walked over, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Hey guys....I'm alright...you?"

"Give me a minute." Stronghold said and pushed himself up. "Yeah....I can keep going...come on."

They opened the next door and immediately backed away as they were nearly roasted by flames. In the middle of the room was a man tied up with a large blade hanging over his head and a timer on it. In front of him was a laughing lunatic, spraying a flamethrower at the heroes. The Ringmaster walked forward, the flames getting closer. "Come on kiddies! Step right up don't be shy who wants to be the first to try?!" He fired again and they ran for cover.
"Dammit, we don't have time for this." Stronghold gritted his teeth and raised the hammer up above his head as the ringmaster walked into the room, spraying the flamethrower at the three of them. Sally and Jim ran for cover while Stronghold stayed just outside of his range, took aim, and then ran forward in the brief time between his firings and threw the sledgehammer at him like a javelin. The hammer hit the man right in the face, flooring and causing him to scream in pain and drop the flamethrower. Stronghold immedately leaped on him.
"Save the hostage!" He told the others.They did so, running in to get him out of the chair and untied and away from it just before the blade fell down and sliced the chair in two.
Stronghold finished beating the hell out of the ringmaster and walked forward, heavily sweating, breathing hard and bleeding. "...F-er." Was all Stronghold could say as he picked up the hammer and walked over to the others.

The GameMaster stood up and slammed his hands on the table.
"Enough." He gritted his teeth beneath the helmet. "Enough. No more playing around. I want these kids DEAD!" He slammed a fist down on the red button. "Send in the killing machines and the security. When you find them, kill them."

A voice spoke up.
"Yes sir. We're opening up the doors now."

In the darkest places of the prison, large metal doors opened and a gate opened up. In two different locations, two psychotic monsters were let loose in the prison. Two psychotic monsters with only one goal: To kill absolutely everything they found.

These were the all stars, the heavy hitters, the devils. GameMaster had played a great deal of money to buy these genetically modified psycho's on the black market and they had served him well. These kids were going to die and he was going to love every second of it.

And if they didn't get them? The security guards would.

"Better get ready kids, it's time for the boss battles."