Lock snerked.

"Sure. [i]Lies[/i]. As if he's [i]ever[/i]--"

"--Referred to Carver properly," Barrel finished. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

Jack stared befuddled at Dr. Finklestein for a moment.

"[i]You[/i] needed to [i]change him[/i] to refer to him properly? Did I hear that right?"

"Yeah, Jack," Shock said, with a glare to Finklestein. "You did."

Jack reached up with two fingers between his eye sockets to rub the smooth bone there.

"Of all the asinine--"

He didn't get to finish as Jewel started her own outburst. Shock smirked at Finklestein's clear surprise that yet [i]another[/i] one of his creations began to outright defy him. Lock clapped a hand over his mouth to keep his laughter down, though his tail gave him away. Barrel watched with keen interest. He wished he had popcorn. But as Finklestein tried to smooth things over, all three of them tensed: Shock out of growing fury at his mention of the "fairer sex," Lock and Barrel because they sensed her fury and oncoming wrath.

"LOGICAL?!"

Jack joined the outburst in further exasperation. Shock cried out in fury, while Lock and Barrel cried out in amusement. Loki held tightly to Shock's ear as her brothers quickly held their sister back. Jack was handling it; better not let her get too carried away.

"I'll show [i]you[/i] logical!" Shock screamed.

Each of her brothers held one of her arms and dug their feet into the floor to keep her back. Jack ignored the trio as his own patience drained. He stepped towards Finklestein with an air of menace.

"[i]I've heard enough[/i]!" he cried, with a chill in his words that got even the trio to settle down.

Shock froze, having heard that tone not too long ago. Loki ducked his head behind her ear and softly trembled, before he dared to peek out again. Lock and Barrel gently pulled her back with them and out of Jack's way. All three of them warily watched the Pumpkin King and feared a similar show of power when he got them to fess up to their Halloween prank. Jack lowered his eye sockets to match the doctor's dark goggles.

"I told you before that Carver's unlife is [i]your[/i] responsibility," Jack said, "and that he is to be treated as his own monster. I also told you that if this happens again, another arrangement will be made. You've failed Carver for the last time, doctor. Effectively immediately, he is no longer under your care."