Shock grumbled, but agreed to wait outside. Loki gently pinched her ear while they waited. She reached up and stroked his shell with one finger. Barrel patiently stood beside her, while Lock remained with Lillith for the moment. Normally, he'd love to climb on her hips and hold her, but they were on a trouble mission. The second Agatha brought down that battering ram, he needed to be ready.

And she was back, quick as a black cat finding shelter from a rainstorm. Lock, Shock, and Barrel all looked at the battering ram with devious gleams in their eyes. Shock snatched it from Agatha's hands and looked it over. It was about a foot shorter than Lock, but pretty thick.

"Solid graveyard oak, too," she said. "This will do nicely."

She swung it over her shoulder, then turned to Lock.

"All right, you little devil," she said, choosing her words with care to keep Chad from figuring out which one was Barrel. "You're gonna be up front with me."

Lock's tail twitched up a storm behind him as he looked at the battering ram. He was already eager to use it.

"Finklestein won't know what hit him!"

"That's the point," Shock said. She turned to Barrel. "You're gonna be behind me when we use it."

Barrel grinned, then happily followed his sister. The trio ran towards Finklestein's house at a pace that would allow Carver to follow, but also wouldn't mask their excitement.

Unbeknownst to them, Jack was already heading that way. He [i]had[/i] promised Carver to check in, and finally had a moment to do just that. As the witch's shop was in the little courtyard, he hadn't initially seen the group as he crossed the square and reached Finklestein's front gate. He barely got it open when in the corner of his eye socket, he saw a blur of color running his way. Jack turned just in time to see Lock, Shock, and Barrel run up with a lot of Halloween Town's teens behind them. Shock held a battering ram, and before he could even begin to think of what she planned to do with it, the trio realized who was in their path.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Whatever they were doing, Jack caught their determination, but in that second, the tricksters, at least, seemed to be having second thoughts of whatever it was they were up to this time.