[IC] Banding Together in Halloween Town

[LePouvantail]

The next day, Shock was finally ready to play her trick on Jack. She'd been watching carefully, and knew he was to meet the Mayor at Town Hall today for Halloween plans and testing a new idea. With Sally at her shop, the tower should be empty.

She took some time to double check she had everything she needed in her backpack, including two doses of invisibility potion: one to take just after she passed the main gate and ensured Jack's tower was empty, and one to make her escape when all was said and done. Let Jack try to puzzle out how she got in and out unseen. Shock also double-checked to ensure she had a few treats for Zero in case he wasn't at his tomb. The little ghost dog was loyal to Jack, but good rapport with the little pup and a little bribe could buy her time.

A quick breakfast with hardly a goodbye to her brothers, a quick trek into town, and a careful climb up the cat building and into the hidden nook where she could stake Jack's house unseen, and she was ready.

Lock intended to meet with Lillith one more time before band practice this week. He and Barrel headed into town sometime after Shock. They knew well enough to not be seen with her. The entire town was going to suspect they were up to something, as was the norm, but at least they'd have plausible deniability when her trick went off. Lock, at least, would have a credible alibi in Lillith. Barrel simply planned to bang around the sewers for a while, then go to the witches' shop to get a few things to make dinner on the way back home.

They both intended to pass by the square throughout the day to hopefully catch the trick in action. The only thing Shock couldn't plan for was when Jack returned home, but they knew the Pumpkin King would probably at least be back mid-afternoon to have a late lunch, as he often did after going over plans with the Mayor.

[SystemofEleven]

'Corvin' was out chasing birds and rats again when the boys came through the pumpkin patch. He waved them over when he saw them, and walked to meet them halfway. His legs rattled loudly as he stepped, the left one a little bit louder from multiple objects moving about inside while the right one seemed to have only one particularly thing knocking around. He gave a quick look around the patch to make sure Behemoth wasn't within hearing range before speaking.

"Hey, could one of you guys help me catch a rat or two? I tried to sneak up on them in the mulch pile, but they heard me coming and scattered. They're too fast for this body, and I can't even use my head as bait anymore," he grumped.

[LePouvantail]

"Sure thing," Barrel said.

"Why?" Lock asked.

His curious tone indicated more for what kind of trouble Carver needed than the act of actually catching them. Still, he could assist Carver for a little bit before he met with Lillith.

[SystemofEleven]

Carver lifted up his left leg and gave it a good shake. The racket scared off a couple of birds that had just started to feel safe enough to get close to the ground.

"Finkelstink refused to put an access hatch in to get the pepper out and soak my vines more than two at a time. So I ate a bunch of his tools. Now I'm looking for other stuff to eat for him to find when he finally realizes how much trouble an inconvenience can cause. Obviously he's used to spiders and stuff being in the lab; they don't take up much space and don't interfere with his precious projects. But three or four rats all desperate for freedom, running out the hatch and hiding in his machines? That should get some kind of reaction."

[LePouvantail]

Lock and Barrel both laughed.

"It sounds like--" Lock said.

"--A lesson--" Barrel continued.

"--To be learned.

Both boys grinned.

"Be right back!" they said together.

Barrel ran back to the tree house for some better bait than pumpkins. Lock started scouring the pumpkin patch to track a few rats, and set up a trap until Barrel returned with the bait. It wouldn't take them too long to catch a few for Carver to eat. By that time, though, Lock had to get going. He knew better than to keep Lillith waiting.

"That should do it," he said. "Oh, by the way. You're gonna want to be in the square this afternoon."

[SystemofEleven]

"The square?" Carver quickly shoved a struggling little mammal into his mouth and snapped shut before it could turn around and escape. He waited for it to risk exploring the throat tunnel into the rest of his body before continuing. "Why? Something going down?"

[LePouvantail]

"Let's just say something interesting will be going down at Jack's house," Lock said, with a flick of his tail. "Of course--"

"--We wouldn't know anything about it," Barrel said with a shrug.

"But really, though," Lock said. "We don't know anything beyond that."

"But it sound like it's gonna be fun," Barrel grinned.

Lock started to head down to path to where he was supposed to meet Lillith.

"See you then!"

[SystemofEleven]

Carver grinned. "Sounds delicious, thanks! I can definitely find an excuse to wander that direction."

He shot Lock a thumbs up, then turned to Barrel. "Want to help me find more stuff to eat, until then?"

---

Meanwhile, Agatha was sweeping the shop with her broom, trying to keep herself occupied. The store had been empty her whole shift thus far, and she was beginning to get itchy for something to happen. Anything. She'd even put up with one of the tricksters coming into the store to cause trouble, at this point. The silence was driving her across the ceiling.

The youngest witch glanced at the bell on the door every now and again. How long had it been since she got Jack's permission to set up that activation charm outside his fence gate? How much longer did Shock need to prepare for... whatever she was planning to do? Her fingers twitched on the broom handle a bit.

[LePouvantail]

"Sure thing," Barrel said.

He paused to think for a moment.

"Actually, roasted rat would make a great dinner tonight."

~~~

Shock saw Jack leave first to head for Town Hall, and a while later, Sally. Good. She pulled out the first dose of invisibility potion.

Bottoms up.

It didn't take long for it to take effect. Shock had calculated the amount carefully. It would affect her and anything she carried, and wear off a few minutes after she picked the lock and got inside.

Then she could get to work.

As soon as the potion took effect, Shock scurried down from her hiding place and ran out of the little courtyard and across the square to Jack's house. She made sure no one was nearby to see the gate creak open, then slipped inside and quietly shut the gate.

She grinned as she made her way up the steps. Her foot caught on one. Shock stumbled forward, but didn't think much of it beyond cursing herself for a moment. Right. Don't get too excited; you're not there yet. She made it the rest of the way without issue, quickly picked the lock, and slithered inside to wait for the effects to wear off so she could begin her work.

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha nearly dropped her broom when the door bell rang three times in quick succession. Then she jumped into a flurry of activity. She started to run toward the door, then stopped, spun around in indecision for a moment, and ran toward the back room.

"AUNT AGNES! AUNT AGGIE!" she hollered. "The alarm went off!"

"We heard, dearie!" came Agnes' voice from a few feet past the back room door.

"Go on and watch," Aggie added, walking into the main shop area. "We'll watch the shop."

Agatha grinned and jumped on her broom. She zipped up through the hole into the living area and into her room. She skidded to a stop by her bed and grabbed her phone. She dialed as fast as her knobby fingers could manage. She didn't wait for pleasantries; as soon as the line connected, she blurted out, "CARMILLA! Something really funny is about to happen around Jack's house! I don't know if I have time to explain. Just get down there, fast!"

With that, she hung up and was gone with a woosh.

---

Lillith stared at the phone blankly for a moment, then looked over at Carmilla, who was practicing some vocal exercises. "So... I guess Agatha's excited about something. She just said to get down to Jack's house, and hung up. She didn't even check which of us answered, first."

Carmilla finished the exercise completely before replying. "Well, then. Sounds like I should practice while I walk. You coming?"

"I have to meet up with Lock first, then I will probably swing by to check it out. And I recommend you fly. She sounded like she was in a rush."

[LePouvantail]

As soon as the invisibility potion wore off, Shock got to work quickly scoping out the house, particularly the staircase leading up to the tower, and a few key places up in the main room. As she suspected, Zero was home sleeping in his bed. A few treats, a few pets, and a promise that Jack was going to love the "surprise" she was leaving him, and the ghost dog left her alone.

Well. Mostly. At least once he nudged her leg for another treat. Shock stumbled a bit. Zero was stronger than he looked; the ghost dog probably didn't mean to push her hard enough to almost trip.

Shock worked quickly and carefully to set up trip wires, slime, paint on the banister, and all sorts of other little goodies for Jack to happen upon when he got back. Once in a while, she found her footing slipped, but there was always something nearby: a loose step, one of Zero's toys, her own backpack that she didn't put far enough away. Still, she continued undeterred.

It was almost ready.

~~~

Barrel took the rats he caught home and caged them in the kitchen, where they would stay until he was ready to cook them. Then he headed back to town with Carver. His mind was on getting a few small things that would fit in his hoodie pocket, then going back home to prepare dinner, when he saw Jack's gate, and remembered: right. Shock's trick.

Barrel glanced at the shadows from the fountain. It was a bit late for lunchtime, which meant Jack would probably be coming this way soon. He didn't even notice Agatha in the square due to the daytime monsters coming and going, only that there was a good spot at the fountain to sit for a moment and wait.

Actually...after all that running around catching rats and the trek home and back, he could use a drink. Barrel cupped his hands in the fountain to get some of the rejuvenating swamp water within.

~~~

Lock was sitting in the shadow of a large, distinct pile of pumpkins to wait for Lillith. He'd been thinking on the way here for a way to get back to the square and try to see Shock's trick. His tail flicked when he saw her.

"There's my she-beast," he said cheerfully.

He offered his arm.

"Hey - mind if we stop by the witches's shop real quick? I promised Shock I'd pick up some wormwood, and she'll kill me if I forget."

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha took a couple casual loops over the town near Jack's house, appearing to have merely gone out for a jaunt while she checked to see if Shock was outside the house. Seeing nothing, and certain the trickster wouldn't have had time set something up and leave yet, she landed and headed over to the fountain. Her intention was to get Carmilla's attention whenever the vampiress arrived.

Carver noticed the witch's arrival and mechanically waved, quickly switching into his 'Corvin' mannerisms. "Hello. It is good, to see you, again."

Agtha smiled and waved back. "Hi, Corvin! How are you?"

"I am, good I, think. Barrel, asked me, to help him, catch rats. I scare, them out of, their holes," he told her proudly.

[LePouvantail]

Barrel slurped up his next go of fountain water and nearly choked on it. Why was Carver talking like--

He turned and saw Agatha. Barrel cleared his throat after hacking up a bit of slime. He wiped his mouth, then grinned.

"Yeah, we make a pretty good team!" he said cheerfully. "Car - Corvin scares them out, I catch them."

Barrel patted his stomach.

"They're gonna make a great dinner tonight."

He went back to the fountain and got one more drink to help the residual pain, then sat down on the edge.

"We were just taking a break," he said. "And, uh, since you're out of the shop, looks like you're taking one too."

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha smiled at her boyfriend. Of course, Barrel was fully capable of catching rats on his own, and even if he wasn't, some of the shops in town sold the meat and other parts of rodents cheap enough to make up for it. It was so touching that he'd pretend to need help, just to make Corvin feel welcome and included. If it had been one of his siblings, she would have assumed they were setting Corvin up for something. But Barrel was far too sweet for that.

The witch was about to reply when she noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye -- movement that she was specifically waiting for. She waved to the bat.

Carmilla saw the wave and banked down to land next to her friend. She hovered about chest height for amoment before changing into humanoid form with the usually poof and smoke. "Hi, Agatha. What's so important you interrupted my vocal routine with a demand to come down here?"

Agatha opened her mouth to answerbluntly, then quickly closed it. She glanced at Barrel. On the one hand, he had requested her to interferewith Shock's prank. But on the other, flat out admitting what she had done wouldn't play into his preferred subtleties. She cleared her throat as an excuse for her slow response.

"Well, I was doing some divinations the other day, and drew up a rather interesting prediction for... a significant source of amusement, involving someone with a particular color scheme," she explained. "It couldn't tell me when the event would occur, but it gave me a location, and a particular sign to look out for."

"And I suppose that sign occurred recently." Carmilla raisedan eyebrow. "Is that really all you have? The way you called me, all rushed like that, I would have thought you'd have more details than that."

---

Lillith picked Lock up to kiss him, then set him down again and took his arm. "That sounds like a lovely idea." She smiled. "Before that, however, how about we take a stroll in the town square? Stretch our legs and enjoy the evening smog, you know."

[LePouvantail]

Lock happily kissed her back, then nuzzled against her waist. Actually, Lillith's idea was even better, not that she'd know why.

"Sure," he said. "It is unusually gloomy today. Enough that you don't need your umbrella."

He patted her hand and headed out of the pumpkin patch. His tail twitched excitedly behind him.

~~~

Barrel watched as Carmilla came into the square. Well, it wasn't like the two ghouls weren't known to hang out when Agatha wasn't working. He grinned.

"Vocal routine for what? Band practice isn't until Saturday."

He listened as Agatha explained why she summoned Carmilla. As she explained the details of the divination, he tried to remain calm.

An interesting source of amusement...

A particular color scheme...

Shock was playing her trick today. And Jack...well, that black and white pinstripe suit was recognizable even from a distance. Barrel tried not to look too worried. He did slip up about the trick, but...Agatha didn't know when Shock was going to do it. Hell, he didn't know until that morning.

Best to keep his mouth shut until he knew for certain, lest he ruin his sister's trick. Maybe it was nothing, but he didn't want Carmilla to pry any further.

"Oh! Carmilla! Have you met Corvin yet?"

He quickly gestured towards Carver to get her off the subject.

"He's our new resident. He helped me catch some rats in the pumpkin patch."

[SystemofEleven]

Lillith stifled a yawn. "You're lucky Carmilla woke up extra early for her voice exercises, today. I may not have bothered to get out of bed, otherwise. Why did you want to meet during daylight hours, anyway?"

--

Carmilla looked at Barrel, her attention drawn away from the topic at hand, though not in the direction he'd intended. "Now I know why you and your sister can barely manage the notes you're given to work with. I practice my singing every day -- twice, even, if it doesn't interfere with Halloween preparation. I'm not surprised neither of you have the dedication to put any more than the bare minimum of work into it."

Agatha was too polite to roll her eyes at the disdainful sniff that followed the vampiress' comment. Carver, on the other hand, was not.

Luckily, he was already into his 'Corvin' act, so it took minimal effort to refrain from doing so. Instead, he waved in response to the introduction and focused on continuing the conversation as it had turned. "Band, practice?" he asked.

[LePouvantail]

"Hey!" Barrel exclaimed. "Shock practices a lot more than me!"

It took a half second after he said it to realize he wasn't doing himself any favors. Barrel gratefully took "Corvin's" question to spare himself further embarrassment.

"Yeah," he said. "Lock started a band. We meet every Saturday to--"

A loud, tumultuous explosion erupted into the town square, followed by a series of bangs and crashes. Several passing monsters looked around in confusion, though it only took a few seconds to realize the noise and ruckus came from Jack's house. Barrel quickly forgot about band practice as monsters around him expressed concern and started to crowd together.

"What happened?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"It came from Jack's house!"

"Jack?"

"Is he all right?"

Barrel started to head for the gate to Jack's house out of curiosity, but stopped. It was probably better to not be anywhere near it when Jack inevitably came running out the front door.

Shock must have really outdone herself to set that up!

~~~

"Because once in a while, I don't want to be up all night," Lock said. "I'm not a true nocturnal monst--"

They barely passed the main gate when the explosion went off. Lock unhooked his arm to grab Lillith's hand instead as he ran into the square.

Whatever Shock did, he definitely wanted to see the aftermath!

[SystemofEleven]

Lillith jerked her head in the direction of the gate when she heard the explosion. Plenty of monsters in Halloween Town -- her boyfriend's family included and doubled -- had a certain enjoyment for pyrotechnics, but Agatha was not particularly one of them. Whatever "funny" thing she had cooking, this was probably not it.

As Lock let go to grab her hand and run toward the sound, she leaned down to scoop him up and place him onto her hip. She loved her little devil dearly, but those short little legs were definitely not going to be able to keep up with her. Especially once she kicked her vampiric speed into gear.

When they reached the square, it took the young countess only a moment to decide that joining the crowd of concerned monsters heading toward Jack's property would only put the two of them in the way. Instead, she swerved to join the other teens clustered at the fountain.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet," Agatha replied. Technically, that wasn't a lie; Barrel hadn't told her what Shock was going to do, so the witch had no idea what specifically had happened.

She also didn't need to expand her observations of the event from any outside perspective, as the clattering racket hadn't stopped. The twins stared at the house as all manner of crashes, thumps, bangs, honks, and splats echoes down toward the onlookers.

Carver reached to grab his popcorn. There still wasn't a hatch in his chest. He had no popcorn. The orange creature began to vibrate as he could do nothing to properly acknowledge the entertainment and drama that was about to go down.

[LePouvantail]

"Hey!"

Lock started to fight, until he realized what Lillith was doing, then he contentedly sat on her hip. He wrapped his arms around her neck and enjoyed the ride.

"Sounds like Jack was up to something exciting," he said, when they joined their friends.

He flicked his tail and rested his head in the crook of Lillith's neck.

Just then, the doors to Town Hall burst open. Jack ran out and cleared the steps to the building in two strides, with the Mayor skittering as fast as he could behind them. Lock and Barrel both stared in surprise.

"Jack?!"

Fortunately, several other monsters called out in equal surprise, though many of them with relief.

"Jack!"

"You're okay!"

Jack held up his hands to keep the other citizens from crowding him.

"What's going on? What was that noise?"

"We don't know!" cried Clown.

Sally pushed forward to get to her boyfriend.

"It came from the tower! Oh, Jack!"

She pointed to the tower, where an odd, gray-ish green smoke leaked through the windowsill. The inside was clouded. A few more loud bangs echoed from inside.

Jack quickly went to Sally, relieved she was all right. He took her hands and gave them a quick squeeze.

"Stay here."

He then ran for his home. Several monsters parted to let him pass.

Lock and Barrel both stared at Jack as he made his way into the courtyard. If Jack was here, and Sally didn't unwittingly trip the trap, then...

Barrel watched as he tried to decide if he was more concerned for his sister, or amused. An intrigued smile started to form on Lock's face. His tail twitched in a frenzied bought of excitement.

This wasn't the aftermath he expected, but it certainly wouldn't be any less entertaining.

~~~

Five minutes earlier...

~~~

Shock just about had everything set up. She patted Zero's head and gave him another treat.

"Thanks for your help," she said.

The ghost dog actually had been unwittingly useful, as he could place things she would have had difficulty reaching otherwise. Shock held one last little bottle for the crown jewel to her scheme and went to retrieve her backpack.

Which she unwittingly stumbled over as she turned around.

The bottle flew from her hands and onto Jack's workbench. It shattered over something Jack had been working on.

Shock didn't get a chance to see where the bottle landed or what it mixed with. The ensuing explosion filled her ears with noise and the room with smoke a split second later. Shock felt behind her for her backpack and slung it over one shoulder. She held an arm up to her mouth and coughed in it.

It was definitely time to scram. With how her ears rang, she was pretty sure all of Halloween Town heard that. Shock pushed herself up. The smoke was so thick, she couldn't see even two inches in front of her. Her eyes burned as she tried to feel around for the railing leading to the stairs. She couldn't see. She needed--

"Z--" Shock coughed out. "Zero--! Come--c'mere, boy--!"

She barely heard his frightened yelping over the ringing in her ears. A second later, she saw an orange glow. Zero barked at her. Shock followed the glow to get the stairs. Her foot found one of the tripwires she set earlier.

Something went off. Shock couldn't tell what, nor did she care. She stumbled forward towards the glow as the chain reaction started.

Several things fell and swung and created hazards in her path that she couldn't see. Shock ended up falling into Zero. She held the ghost dog in her arms as they tumbled down the stairs. She tried to grab the railing, only for her hand to slip thanks to the paint she placed there earlier.

More of her traps went off as she hit certain steps. Without the smoke, they would have been annoying, but harmless had Jack walked into them. As she couldn't see, and was setting them off in reverse order, they became a lot more problematic. Shock curled her body in to protect Zero as the two of them tumbled down the stairs. Between the bangs, crashes, and the ghost dog's frightened barking and attempts to fly from her grasp, she could barely focus.

Shock managed to grab one of the bars holding the railing up. That stopped a further descent down the stairs as she regained her footing. Zero calmed down a little once they stopped tumbling. The ghost dog's nose lit the steps in front of them.

"Almost-- there--" Shock managed.

She quickly, but carefully cleared the steps. Shock reached into her pocket for the other vial of invisibility potion. That explosion probably drew a crowd. She could at least get out unseen - literally. Shock popped the top off with her thumb. Another bang went off. Zero's startled yelp and sudden squirming pushed her forward. Shock tried to catch her footing and managed...only to engage the last tripwire at the bottom of the stairs.

She fell forward and crashed onto Jack's tile floor. The bottle flew from her hands.

"N-no--!"

She barely heard the small shattering sound before another bang went off. Zero flew over and grabbed her sleeve to try to help her up. Shock grabbed him and fought off another coughing fit. She needed to get out.

It only took another second to find the front door.

Fine.

Get out, then run like hell. They can't do anything if they can't catch you.

~~~

The front door opened just as Jack got to the base of the front steps. Shock ran out with Zero, coughing and exasperated. The top of the young witch's hat dripped with an oozing green slime. Spiderwebs tangled around her legs and stuck to her skirt. Something thick and sticky covered her midsection. Dark paint dripped from her right glove, and bright, pumpkin orange splotches scattered all over her in random patterns.

Over most of it was the same grayish-green color as the smoke from the initial explosion.

Shock didn't even see Jack as she ran down the stairs, her mind set on one thing, and one thing only: getting the hell away from here and to the main gate before anyone could stop her or question what the hell happened.

She never got the chance. Halfway down the steps, she tripped over her own feet and tumbled the rest of the way down. Shock turned to her side as she hit the ground to mitigate the damage. She stayed down for a second to let the world right itself up again.

[SystemofEleven]

Lillith covered her mouth daintily to hide a hint of a chuckle when she saw the eldest trickster stumble out of the front door. As much as she wanted to be worried about Shock's health after that explosion, she knew just enough about the situation to find the whole thing politely amusing. Jack and Sally were not in the house, and no one trusted any of the trio into their homes without an escort at the minimum. Which meant that Shock had snuck in, and obviously for some sort of prank. Which meant that all the various substances covering her were almost undoubtedly from her own trick.

Carmilla was not nearly as dainty or polite. The sight of her nemesis covering in multicolored mess and running down the steps sent her into peels of laughter. The wall around Jack's property and the small crowd of gathered monsters only blocked about a third of the stairway from view, so when Shock suddenly went from halfway down the steps to completely out of line of sight in an instant, the vampiress easily guessed what had happened. She had to sit down on the fountain to contain herself as she guffawed even louder.

Agatha merely grinned and watched the whole spectacle in satisfied silence with a mischievous gleam in her eye.