The trio of pranksters hurried down from the roof, with a shorter, slightly thicker boy with light slate blue skin and greenish blonde hair hurrying behind a taller mint skinned girl with dark bluish violet tangled hair and a boy just shorter than her with skin as white as milk and dark red hair styled as horns. They laughed as they made their way down the stairs and ramps of the Mayor's house. "Hurry up you slowpokes! The bathtub was destroyed in the fight so now we have to run to the finale!" The girl complained. The boy behind her grinned, blue lips parting to bare his teeth. "I can't wait to watch King Oogie destroy Jack! No more scolding for our pranks!"
"The new King Oogie, let's give thanks!" The shortest added. All three children grinned. "Hail to Mr. Oogie!" They cheered in unision before cackling in delight. They finally made it outside and ran through the yard, stopping to open the gate. "Lock, Shock, when Oogie defeats Jack, can we get something to eat? I haven't eaten all day!" The female looked at the youngest member of their trio, hands on her waist. "You just ate some pumpkin not that long ago, Barrel you idiot!" Barrel frowned. "But it feels like it's been hours!" The other boy's devil tail twitched in impatience. "All you ever think about is eating!"
"I do not, Lock!" Barrel protested. "Do too!" Lock argued.
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
The arguing went back and forth for a moment before Lock lost his patience, swinging his plunger into Barrel's head. This provoked Barrel to tackle the devil, starting a fight on the ground. The female, Shock, had enough. She grabbed her broomstick and smacked both boys with it. "Shut up and quit fighting you idiots! We're supposed to be going to see the finale, remember?!" She scolded them with a glare. Both boys stopped immediately and grinned. Without another word they both ran off, following the eerie brown storm overhead.
Oogie yelled in anger and frustration as his giant body fell apart once more, dissolving into the ground. The trio arrived just in time to see their master fall and stared in disbelief. Barrel hid behind Lock and Shock, fear evident on his face. "Oogie lost...? Again? But how?!" Lock crossed his arms, narrowing his yellow eyes at Jack down below from where they stood. "No...! We worked too hard to fail!" He yelled in anger.
Shock scoffed. "So what do we do now, dummy?" She mocked Lock. The devil thought. Normally when Shock insulted him he would get angry, but he was too caught up in his plans to think to react. Jack warned them numerous times to stop helping Oogie, but they didn't listen. They weren't about to start now. Lock grinned mischievously. Some of Oogie's bugs had been blown everywhere from Jack's attacks. Lock stooped to pick one up. "We'll just have to try again and make sure he's even stronger!"
"Ooo! I like that plan!" Barrel laughed. Shock cackled her agreement and Lock joined in as well, laughing in unision. Shock was the first to stop laughing. "Alright that's enough laughing! We have to grab every bug we can and take them back to the hideout! Start picking!" She ordered. Lock grumbled at being ordered around. Him and Barrel helped Shock, searching amongst the holiday trash for insects. Shock searched the Valentines Day and Independence Day sections while Barrel searched the Thanksgiving Day and Easter sections, leaving Lock with Halloween, Christmas and St. Patrick's Day. Whenever a bug was found they stuffed it in their pockets.
Shock looked over at her cohorts to make sure they weren't slacking. Of course Barrel had gotten sidetracked... Shock put her hands on her waist as the shortest boy stuffed his face with leftovers from various Thanksgivings and chocolate from many Easters. "Barrel you fat idiot! Stop eating! You don't even know where all that's been!" Barrel looked up with chocolate all over his mouth. "Sure I do! It was sitting right here!" He said in an oblivious tone, grinning happily as he kicked his feet, sitting atop a large Pilgrim hat. Lock stopped his own hunt when he heard Shock. He turned around and ran over to where they were. "We're digging through trash for bugs and you're eating?! You really are the dumb one!"
"I'm not the dumb one!" Barrel argued. Shock glared at them both. "Shut up!" Lock bared his teeth, glaring back. "Make me!" He challenged. Shock gripped her broomstick and swung into the side of Lock's head. Lock growled and picked up his plunger, aiming for Shock. Instead he hit Barrel. Lock tackled Shock, while Barrel tackled Lock, biting his tail. The devils pulled on the witch's hair, making her punch him in the face. He kicked Barrel, who was still biting his tail. The trio rolled around in their fight, not even paying attention until they rolled down to the ground.
They didn't break any bones, but Shock's arm was dislocated and Barrel had had a twisted ankle. Lock dislocated his knee. The children bared the pain. It wasn't the first time they hurt themselves. Shock grabbed her arm and forced it back its socket. Barrel twisted his ankle back into place as Lock forced his knee into position. "Come on we have to go! We have a job to do!" Shock reminded them. They stood up and ran as best as they could away from Holiday Trash Hill.
"Hurry and put the bugs in the chamber!" Lock instructed. All three reached into their pockets and pulled out a handful of bugs, tossing them into the glass chamber before them. It was a tall, wide tube atop a mechanical panel. One of Doctor Finkelstein's stolen inventions. Shock used her broom to push the door shut once the bugs were inside. Barrel watched as the machine whirred to life. Lock pushed some buttons and smoke filled the machine, making the chamber darken as though filed with a shadow. The bugs came together to form a familiar looking head, leaving three pits in it. The largest turned into a grin and two smaller pits narrowed. "Once again you three have decided to bring me back... AH HA HA HA HA!" The familiar voice of Oogie Boogie boomed.
The trio jumped up and down in excitement. "Mr. Oogie is back, again! WHEE!" "However, there is a problem...I don't have enough bugs to fully return...Go out at once and fetch me more bugs until I have my body back! Then you can resew my skin again. I rushed my revenge this time...Next time, my plan will be more thought out...When finally I put it into action, Jack won't know what hit him! And his ragdoll, too!" The trio laughed in unision, clapping happily. "YAY! You can count on us, Mr. Oogie!"
"Good...Very good...When I return, you three shall be rewarded generously..."
"Ooo! I wonder what it's going to be!" Barrel exclaimed. "Is it gonna be Snake and spider stew?" Shock asked. The head of Oogie Boogie grinned at them all evilly. It was a malicious grin he had never given them. "Not exactly...It'll be...a new brew...A VERY special one..." He laughed to himself as he imagined his plans. The trio were oblivious to the meaning of his laugh. "We cannot wait to see!" The three said together.