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Note: I changed some details about the X-Garions' alter ego such as Han-Gyeol being a cadet and Maru as a mechanic

“Valkyrie warrior of fate, rise!” announced the robotic voice. The advanced revolver materialized in midair before descending onto its owner’s hands. The kindhearted and attractive Korean youngster, Han Gaon, summoned his inner strength to transform into a warrior.

“White tiger, summon!” Han Gaon shouted as he smacked the pure crystal ball with the tiger symbol onto his morph wristwatch. He dabbed and danced and shoot his arm skyward to energize. White mist of incorporeal tiger spirit spiraled around him before solidifying into a red-black-white tight-fitting costume with additional hard armor and a shielding helmet with a similar beast theme. Gaon struck a fighting pose before launching himself into the scene of the crime.

A crime was definitely committed in the city park. Screams of innocent people could be heard as they ran away for safety. Only Gaon ran the other way toward danger. “Guys, where are you?” asked him through the wrist communicator.

“Here!” Three of his teammates jumped and darted in to accompany the Red Valkyrie Warrior. Their helmet visors were jet black but Han Gaon’s suit system recognized and visualized the faces beneath. “You think you can be X-Garion on your own?”

“Soaring in to beat evil is in our job desc, Gaon,” smirked Han-gyeol as the Blue Jikiry Warrior. His alter ego as an Air Force officer was reflected in his cool attitude.

“Yeah, after I finish eating breakfast. Who dares to interrupt my meal?” complained the somewhat-messy Maru, as the Green Saurie Warrior. The young mechanic was still chewing.

“All you think about is food. No sweat, Green. I’ll treat you a full meal if we can finish this on time!” responded Tori as the Yellow Egierie Warrior as she slapped the back of her friend’s helmet.

“For real? Now we’re talking!” replied Maru with excitement as he cracked the knuckles. “Now, where are those clowns?”

His words couldn’t have been more accurate. In the park, teenagers who failed to escape cowered in fear. School students still wearing their uniforms backed against a wall by intimidating monster minions. These foot soldiers looked like jesters with branching hats that somehow merged with their inhuman heads. Their sharp teeth were wet with saliva as were their snaking tongues. They were armed with balloon swords that seemed sharper despite being of funny colors.

Three of the minions swung their balloon swords toward the screaming students and three of them were bashed by slashing attacks. Green Saurie and Yellow Egierie came into the scene and blockading further attacks. Maru displayed his powerful shield that denied any entry while Tori cleaned up the rest of their enemies with her wrist crossbow. Explosions erupted from destroyed foot soldiers, leaving only blackened park concrete.

“Haha, yosh!” Egierie high-fived Saurie after their victory. “That was easier than I thought!”

“I gotta think this is just a morning exercise,” the Green X-Garion replied with a cocky tone.

“Watch out, Guys. I don’t think this is just it,” warned Blue Jikiry.

“Ah, come on! Don’t be so serious, Han-gyeol,” objected Maru. “They most likely just gave up after looking how awesome our powers are!”

“As much as I wanna have a quiet morning like you guys, I have to agree with Blue,” said Gaon as he put his hand on Blue Jikiry’s shoulder. “This can’t be just it. Our enemy might be hiding somewhere. We have to find and beat them before they can make more trouble!”

“So what now? We split up to cover more ground?” asked Tori.

“Bad decision. We’d been easily ambushed if on our own. We’ll go as teams of two. Gaon and Tori, you go north. I and Maru go south. We’d meet in the park rotunda fountain,” suggested Han-gyeol.

Gaon shrugged. “Sounds like a good plan. Let’s go!”

“Hwaiting!” exclaimed Tori with excitement as the two X-Garion warriors went away.

All the trip, Maru grunted. “Do you really that there are more enemies here? It seems empty.”

“Double-checking can’t hurt,” replied Han-Gyeol as he observed the rows of trees and statues around her. The inner-city park was as beautiful as it could be, and also as empty. The two warriors continue exploring.

“Hey, what’s that?” gestured Blue as she noticed a strange cluster of large balloons in the distance.

Jikiry and Saurie approached them and were shocked. The big balloons hovered few inches off the ground and weren’t empty. Inside of each was trapped school student and young athlete. They tried to claw their way out, but the elastic layer was too strong. Some of them were taekwondo champions complete with medallions of recent tournament victory, but none of their fighting skills were useful against their prison.

“Hang on!” told Han-gyeol to the panicking prisoners. He swung his sword at one of the balloons.

A burst of monstrous laughter stopped him. The warriors couldn’t find the source of that disembodied voice. It was as if the guffaw was coming from the sky.

Maru looked up just in time when a massive overhanging shadow blocked the sun. A gigantic living twisted balloon in the shape of a dragon loomed over the Green Saurie Warrior. The hero could see the reflection of his helmet on the glossy rubber surface. His sense of wonderstruck left Maru vulnerable when the balloon monster opened its jaw filled with fang-shaped gasbags to eat him alive. “Han-gyeol, help!”

“Maru!” yelled Han-gyeol, but it was too late. His teammate struggled in vain as he was pulled from the ground. His legs kicking hard to prevent the inevitable vore. The squeaking sounds when the green X-Garion’s armor brushed against the rubber was too much for his ears. “Not so fast!”

The Blue Jikiry Warrior swung his formidable sword at the massive creature. Han-gyeol was too fixated on freeing his friend that he didn’t notice the sprawling fine string around his own neck. He shrieked when the cursed yarn tightened and suffocated him. Unsurprisingly, his attack missed the target and Green Saurie Warrior was engulfed as a whole.

Maru’s screams were muffled inside the long throat of the balloon dragon. His shape bulged out with hands desperately trying to break the rubbery layer. The Green Saurie Warrior was instead swallowed ever deeper into the monster’s stomach. His form slowly disappeared.

“No, Maru!” exclaimed Han-gyeol in panic. The panic that he no longer could see any trace of his teammate and also the strangle that started to weaken him. Worse, the string seemed to spread further around his armor, coiling around his chest and even binding the arms on the sides. He couldn’t even call out for backup.

A monstrous goop appeared from behind the balloons filled with school students. Two shapes transformed themselves into demonic-looking clowns. “Hahaha, these are fine laughing stock, Dear!” said one of them―obviously a female with oversized boobs―to the other.

“They are complete idiots, but they can be better than that!” replied the other clown.

“Who are you calling idiots?!” dissented Han-gyeol, not knowing the danger he was in.

“Ooh, he got some fighting spirit, doesn’t he? That would be so delicious!” The male clown put out his clown-peaked cane and touched Blue Jikry Warrior’s chest with it. Just a little tap, but Han-gyeol could feel a sensation never before felt by him. It was...

“Despair,” said the female clown as she licked her own black lips. Fangs filled her watery mouth like a predator.

“Time to join the fun, X-Garion,” said the male clown after he released Han-gyeol from the quickie torture.

“Who... who are you?”

“Well, I am your master, Dear. You are now part of the Hell Circus!” The male clown flicked his fingers and the string that was connected to a big translucent balloon began to pick the Blue Jikiry Warrior up. Han-gyeol kicked the air in dread.

The superhero tried to break free, pulling himself down hard with the help of gravity. But it was no use. None of his efforts made any difference other than creeping more of helplessness into his heart.

The Blue Jikiry Warrior squawked as his helmet began to be consumed by the balloon’s bottom. He couldn’t breathe. He was being utterly suffocated. The rubber’s squeaking sounds echoed in the tight space inside, even inside Han-gyeol’s mind. The young hero found it hard to maintain his mental focus.

The desperation made his struggle more erratic and violent. The balloon wobbled, but it was clear that Han-gyeol’s fate was literally sealed shut. With a popping sound, the Blue Jikiry Warrior was completely consumed.

Before long, the big balloon glided down toward the waiting clown lady. Its rubbery surface was now colored blue like its prisoner while the massive twisted balloon monster began to show green polka dots. Squeaking noises were continuously heard from inside as the corruption began to take hold of the two X-Garion heroes.

“Fufufu, this is gonna be fun!” giggled the female clown as she gave a remote kiss to her partner.

“Hold your horses, My Powderface. The fun is only just begun!” The two villainous clowns danced their way out of the park. Behind them, the rest of the prison balloons followed. Each with their equally-helpless young prisoners. All of them then disappeared in a flash of evil energy.

“I bet that’s the place where they got our friends,” suggested Han Gaon as the Red Valkyrie Warrior as he pointed at the looming circus tent.

“You think so?” asked Tori back. She looked at the digital display of her helmet visor. “Han-Gyeol’s and Maru’s energy trace ends up here anyway.”

“I hate circus,” commented Gaon as the two X-Garions rushed to the tent.

They opened the cover and entered. The interior looked deserted with an empty audience tribune, animal show area, and acrobatic swings. Red Valkyrie and Yellow Egierie looked around for signs of their teammates. They were also keeping an eye for any threats from monsters.

Unknown to them, the entrance cover slowly zipped in and trapped them inside the tent. There was a bright flash and everything around Gaon and Tori changed. The air became busy with clapping sounds of clowns that suddenly filled the whole tribune. Spotlights lit the two alarmed X-Garions. “Welcome to the Hell Circus! Once you once our show, you will never want to go home!” announced an ominous voice.

“Who are you? Show yourself!” demanded Red Valkyrie.

His answer came in the form of two clowns that glided down from the acrobatic spots with their cartoonish umbrellas. “No need to fret. This is a place of fun. Let’s turn that frown upside down!”

“What have you done to our teammates?!” asked Tori while aiming her hand crossbow at the male clown.

“You mean Han-gyeol and Maru? They said they’re done being heroes. They have chosen to stay here as part of our Hell Circus!” answered the male clown with mocking guffaw. “But they’re the least of your problems.”

Gaon and Tori were so fixed on the two evil clowns in front of them that they failed to notice a bunch of brawly ones sneaking from the sides. Worse, these circus monsters brought heavy maces that were swung against the two heroes.

A loud crack was heard when Tori’s helmet got hit by one of the weapons, while Gaon let out a croak when a devastating blow beat his abs. In an instant, the two X-Garions were laid weak on the rubbery circus ground.

“Let’s teach these wannabe heroes how things are done around here!”

The muscular clowns grabbed the dumbfounded heroes. Han Gaon and Tori struggled but the massive arms that held their necks were too powerful. A simple smack was enough to send Red Valkyrie’s helmet away to the circus ground wall.

There was laughter coming from the audience tribune. The watching clowns laughed at the predicament X-Garions had. “No... No... This is can’t be it... We can’t lose...,” mumbled Tori as doubt began to cast its shadow on the poor Yellow Egierie Warrior’s heart.

“You are weird. While other people got their ups and downs in life, X-Garions only got downs and downs,” giggled the female clown with poisonous words. Her eyes glowed with dominating spell. “Perhaps it’s because all of you are stupid.”

The audience laughed at the monster’s condescending comment. Their eyes glowed in the dark too. On the other hand, the eyes of the muscular clowns that held down the remaining X-Garions shot out a laser that connected with Gaon and Tori’s eyes.

The two poor heroes screamed in pain. They wouldn’t die, but they would wish they had. The pain was overwhelming and complete. It was as if their entire body was set on fire. Gaon shouted out his heroic name as the Red Valkyrie Warrior but it was useless to hold out the agony.

The two X-Garions put out their tongues and dark magical symbols were branded on them. “With this, you would never speak out any of your useless heroic chants. You will instead praise the eternal Hell Circus!” announced the male clown.

“I’m so pathetic!” screamed Tori as tears ran down her smooth cheeks. “N... No! I’m... I’m... A slave!”

“X-Garions are nothing more than another meal for the Hell Circus,” shouted Gaon even though he showed defiance. “Like fresh meat, we had tenderized ourselves through previous battles.”

“Our souls will be cooked in this circus tent!” exclaimed both of the corrupted heroes in unison.

“No more of your children’s play. This is the adult’s world,” added the female with a giggle. She gave a finger gesture to the other muscular clowns. The two massive monsters dragged out figures from the dark. “And in the adult’s world, X-Garions are nothing more than a laughing stock.”

Jikiry and Saurie Warriors appeared as pets on leashes. They walked with legs and arms like dogs. With their helmets gone, Maru’s and Han-Gyeol’s faces were exposed. “Can... Can you taste it, Gaon?” stuttered the former air force cadet.

“The air... It’s so dirty with sweat....”

“I’m so horny....” added the broken Jikiry. Han-gyeol’s face was blushing red and his breath was shallow. Maru on the other hand was moaning. His hands began exploring his own armored body. Scars of previous defeat still visible on his Green Saurie suit.

The female clown gave a thumbs down at the two defeated heroes. “Look at these two washouts. Their brains are spoiled too much that they could no longer think about anything else but being wild.”

“Don’t be too harsh, Dear. That’s what makes them suitable to stay here!” The male clown nodded and the two additional muscular clowns dragged Jikiry and Saurie closer to their fellow X-Garions.

All of the sudden, two rings appeared on the opposite sides of the circus ground. The clown flicked a heavy whip and the opening lit up with strange purple flames. Ghostly shapes of anguished faces appeared from time to time with their screams melted into the high-temperature roar. “Oh, wow! It’s our show!” called out Jikiry while clapping with excitement. His face however showed unmistakable torment. His tongue extended out with the same evil brand on it.

“We shouldn’t disappoint the audience. Let’s go!” replied Maru with blank watery eyes. His face was the bright pink color.

“Safety first!” said Han-Gyeol in a whimsical way as the muscular clown held out the Jikiry helmet above his head. It blew the visor until a long balloon began extending down the helmet opening. The awestruck Han-Gyeol got his head immediately consumed by the strange material. His hands began thrashing about with clear suffocation.

The clown released the helmet and it clutched on Han-gyeol’s head with a pop! Whatever the broken hero was saying was no longer audible since it was muffled by the rubbery layer. The same thing happened to Maru with his Saurie helmet. The two X-Garions were now completely armored.

They jumped at the rings and stumbled. The flames seemed to be alive as they ravenously grabbed Jikiry and Saurie and placed them in a spread eagle position inside the ring. They screamed in unimaginable pain as the magical fire engulfed them.

The audience just laughed and pointed at the heroes. The colorful energy literally went up in smoke to be inhaled by the numerous clown monsters watching. “What a waste of life!” guffawed the clown pairs.

The torture ended but the agony never did. The flames released the depleted heroes onto the ground. The clowns whipped the air again and Jikiry and Saurie automatically stood up again. They didn’t have any chance to escape when tentacles spurt out from the suspicious-looking clown car that stopped nearby.

“Help! N... No!” screamed Saurie as he tried to claw the ground in a futile attempt of escaping the ensnaring slimy tentacles. Han-Gyeol’s and Maru’s screams fought the volume of their audience’s mocking laughter. The two X-Garions were pulled inside and the petite door was shut. The car wobbled as if something brutal happened inside.

“It’s amazing...! This is our new job,” mumbled Han Gaon as he was helpless in fighting the magical seal on his tongue.

The same thing went for Tori. The Egierie Warrior was down in a doggy-style position before the muscular clown. “I’m... I’m so excited that we have a real job for the rest of our lives!”

“Now that you understand our generosity in recruiting your useless lives here in the Hell Circus, the training can begin!”

The muscular clown blew their own thumbs and something bulged out between their massive legs. Rubbery balloons squeaked as they grew into a stretchy shape. The monsters didn’t waste time to thrust Red Valkyrie and Yellow Egierie onto each of them. Gaon’s and Tori’s throat was jam-packed until they got choked and tried to vomit. A simple touch from the rubbery material let alone with the creaking noise was enough to dismantle the little hope these two X-Garions had left. The mocking laughter of monsters around them finished the job.

Something was drained from their body. The symbols of Valkyrie and Egierie were sucked from Gaon and Tori into the twisted balloon chandelier above before distributed to every Hell Circus monster. New tattoos appeared on the muscular clowns’ belly just like the prior ones from Jikiry and Saurie. On the tent poles, fabric, and other items, new colors of red and yellow began to spread out to enrich the already-available blue and green.

That included the massive balloon hydra dragon whose multiple heads ravenously lunged forward to devour the tainted heroes. Gaon and Tori screamed in hopelessness as they were consumed head-first into the rubbery throats. There were loud gagging sounds as the two X-Garions being slurped into the tight rubbery tunnel. Their legs, their bodies, their heads left visible bulge on the hydra’s neck.

Inside, Gaon and Tori laughed maniacally with tearful eyes at the dreadful fate waiting in the monster’s stomach.