"O-of [i]course[/i] I--!"

But Shock didn't get to finish as Carver piped in. From the alcove's roof, Lock glared down at the pumpkin creature. His tail flicked in annoyance as he slid down the edge to land on the bridge behind Shock.

"I did [i]not[/i] get distracted!" he exclaimed as he stomped his way towards Carver. "She was fast!"

"Hey!" Barrel cried as he reached behind him to shake Carver's cage. "That had [i]nothing[/i] to do with the forget-me-lots!"

Shock untangled her leg from the rope ladder so she resumed her original position, then quickly started to climb off of it.

"Would you all [i]knock it off[/i]?"

But even [i]she[/i] couldn't get her brothers under control again. Jack simply watched them all with amusement. Zero flew back to Jack and hid behind his legs as the tricksters turned on each other.

"You're the one who--" Lock started, as he grabbed for a handful of Carver's vines before she could turn them against him.

"--Wanted to put the countdown clock back!" Barrel finished.

He took Lock's lead and also grabbed for Carver's vines.

"BARREL!" Shock screamed.

"[I]WHAT?[/I]" Barrel screamed right back, before he realized what he'd just said. "...Oh..."

Jack simply gave them all a playful smirk. He gave a casual glance to Shock.

"Of course you did," he said, simply.

Most of Halloween Town would have cowered at the glare she shot him. Jack, however, was used to it. He calmly placed his hands behind him as he spoke again.

"I expect the four of you to report to the square immediately."

"Or what?" Shock demanded.

"Or none of you will be going out on Halloween."

That got Lock and Barrel to freeze for a minute.

"Come oooooon, Jack!" Barrel whined.

"It wasn't [i]that[/i] bad!" Lock said.

Shock crossed her arms.

"How are you gonna make us?"

Jack remained calm.

"Shock..."

Lock and Barrel both timidly tried to talk their sister down.

"Sh-Shock..."

"No, [i]really[/i]," Shock said. One corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. "We're not little anymore. How's he gonna--"

"Shock," Jack said sternly. That time, he narrowed his eye sockets. Any residual humor at the situation he might have had left quickly dissipated. "Last chance."

"Or [i]what[/i], Jack? What are you gonna do?"

As children, Jack merely had to make a scary face to get them to behave for five minutes. Now that they were older, he did his best to reason with them and stand firm when they tested their limits. This time, he knew to burn the hydra's neck before it could regrow. Jack rattled his bones in a threatening manner. His face distorted into a monstrosity the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. The air around them grew deathly silent and still as the skies darkened for a moment. Even the very Halloween wind came at his command to knock Shock back onto the bridge. Zero yelped and flew behind Lock and Barrel, who had curled up in a terrified pile with Carver. 

"[B]I confined your master down there[/b]," Jack said in a voice that legitimately gave the trickster siblings chills. "[B]You don't think I can't handle you too?[/b]"

The darkness broke away. The wind died down. Jack returned to normal. Shock pushed herself up and tried to compose herself, but she couldn't pull up her normal cockiness in time to hide her terror.

"The square," Jack said calmly. "[I]Now[/i]."

Lock and Barrel quickly scrambled to their feet. It took Shock another moment to stand, but she hesitantly made her way across the bridge without another word.