Internet, be happy Firesword7734 reviewed, because I've been a terrible writer. Especially since the cousin and aunt coming. Thanks for not killing me yet!

….

"We're here!" Jack said. We were standing by a footbridge that led to a twisted and foreboding lair, even creepier than the houses back at town. I started to cross the footbridge, but Jack grabbed the rope and swung under the bridge. "Umm… What are you doing?" I asked.

"He's down here, the trio lives up here."

"No wonder he's insane, he lives in a dungeon." Reluctantly, I followed my friend to the pair of iron bars that served as a window. We peeked through, and saw the den was empty except for Bugman, who was dancing around like a maniac. Sally and the robot outlaws were nowhere. What have they done to her?

Jack started to slip through the bars, but I stopped him. "We've got to think about this logically. I'll be live bait, and distract them while you go find Sally." I whispered.

"No. I'll distract him. You're alive, so you're much more susceptible to injury. I can't have you're family wondering why you lost a limb or two. Besides, I can take whatever he throws at me."

"Still, I can be much more annoying!"

He gave me a look, and climbed through the bars. I sighed, and followed him. Or at least, I tried to. Instead, I climbed back up to the footbridge and silently broke into the trio's manor.

Inside, I found a variety of torture weapons, animal traps, and even an iron maiden (which appeared to have been used. EW!) It made me wonder why anyone would let the kids use deadly weapons. I know it was Halloween Town, but even so, shouldn't they have standards? In the room at the very top, there was a weird looking funnel that seemed to be my way down to Bagman's lair. I would have gone over immediately, but the trio was in the room. I swiftly his behind a suit of armor and eavesdropped onto the conversation. Surprisingly, they weren't plotting, they were arguing!

"We never should have sewn him back together!" Barrel moaned. "We didn't have a choice, bonehead!" Shock snapped "If we didn't, he was going to haunt us for the rest of our eternity!"

"Still, I wish we had never met Oogie in the first place!"

As soon as he said that, I decided to make a break for it. I came out from behind the suit of armor, ran like a madman, and miraculously was able to launch myself into the funnel before Lock, Shock, and Barrel said anything. I was amazed that I didn't jump into a wall instead!

Luckily for me, the pipes were bigger than they looked on the outside, so I didn't end up getting stuck. The scary thing though, was that the trip down was just like my dream, sans leaves. The maniac laughter was distant, but still matched the one from the dream, and the darkness heightened my imagination, creating terrifying images on the walls. The only light came from the faint red glow from my necklace.

Suddenly, I shot out into daylight, and flew smack dab into a giant green sack. It went backwards, and I fell onto the metal floor below. Can you say OW?

"Holy Hamlet that hurt!" A hulking shadow suddenly loomed over me. "Look out!" I rolled away just in time, before a metal fist came down on the space I previously occupied. I leapt to my feet and ran into another robot cowboy, sending him running after me, plenty mad.

I kept one step ahead of him, dodging bats, snakes and other sadistic traps Sack man created. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him sneer, and start to creep up on Jack, who was freeing Sally. "Oh no you don't, stupid head!" I growled, and took a running leap into him, snatching him into a chokehold.

"Get off me, worm!"

"MILLIE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" I screamed, tightening the chokehold. The robots, being dumb enough to charge after me, shortly dog piled on the both of us. Not the best idea, since ten tons of metal piling on you is a major OUCH!

But at least I bought Jack time, right? Only one problem… I'm not mathematician, but shouldn't there be one more robot? "Are you okay in there?" I heard Jack say. I unpinned myself halfway out from under the metal heap.

"Yep, I-"

"What?"

"Behind you."

Immediately, the minion robot grabbed him from behind and pinned the barrel in the back of his skull. Two seized me by the arms as I struggled furiously in their grip. Sally, being only half freed, desperately tried to free herself, only for the remaining droid to get her as well.

"In the back, Oogie?" Jack deadpanned.

"Oh isn't this WONDERFUL? My plan is working out just perfectly!" Oogie cackled.

"Just peachy." I replied sarcastically.

"Don't you toy with me, foolish mortal! You would do best to remember who's in the position of power here."

"Yeah, but I'm the one who doesn't have a beetle for a brain. Besides, you overlooked one tiny oh so important detail."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"Jack's dead! A gunshot wound can't hurt him!"

"That's no ordinary gun. It's deadly, alright, DOUBLE deadly. And just for your smart mouth, you get to be the first to try out my little invention."

"Like what?"

"Something that's going to make you wish you'd never come to Halloween town in the first place."

CLIFFIE! I'm so evil to you guys. So that you don't call in the Spirit Warrior hunters, the wait for the next update is going to be terribly terribly short. I'm going to go into hiding now. Bye! *disappears into shadow*