Underdog Chapter 1: Needs and Whims, a scooby doo fanfic

Author´s note: And third bullet in the chamber and taking it from the top, this one will be a bit shorter that the previous ones so that the next one is my version of "All Fear the Freak". This one is surely going to give you a boost! Go, baby, go! Song belongs to Lifehouse.

This one is set after "Menace of the Manticore" so yes, we do a BIG jump. But fear not, let´s go!

1. Needs and Whims

Mayor Jones is thoughtful, very thoughtful. After all these mysteries solved by the gang led by his son, he has come to the conclusion that they got help from someone more experienced than them. Four kids like that and a dog can´t possibly break so much riddles by themselves. They have help and taking into account what happened during the Night of the Fireflies, that someone helping them had to be of the old Mystery Incorporated. After all, Pericles is loose and since the festival, he is almost sure that Angel is Cassidy Williams, but she avoids him. And that man in the wheelchair, could that be Ricky Owens? The fact is nobody has met Destroido´s owner and yet, those bangs can´t be from someone else. Are they back for revenge? Hm. And he´s stuck with the tourism problem. He needs to attract people to Crystal Cove and get rid of those two but how?

Hmm.

Destroido has some illegal business, that is certain. Perhaps that is his chance to get to Ricky Owens, since he´s the one hiding. But how can he uncover that? Hu? There´s a cargo coming to town. Maybe he can use the gang for his own purposes. And he knows exactly the way to do that.

E´s lair is quiet. Ricky watches the monitors as the kids are solving the Headless mystery and he has some time for himself. Now that one of the pieces is located, he wonders about the one they found twenty years ago in the caves, and a bit more to himself, his relation with Cassidy. She´s getting too close to the kids. And Jones is now behind their trail. They are in a very hard situation.

"Sir" Ed walks in. "The cargo will arrive tomorrow night"

"Very well. We shall be ready for it. Any news about Pericles?"

"Not a single one"

"Then we proceed as planned" he walks through the room when a shiver runs down his spine. Bad omen. Perhaps it is just that. "Has Angel phoned?"

"No, sir"

"Then, call her. We have important matters to discuss" he watches his henchman leave before leaning on his chair. He feels awfully tired. This days he has hardly sleep. His stomach growls, this is hell for his health. Hm? The phone is ringing. He picks it up. It must be Angel. "Yes?"

"Gutten morgen, Ricky" is Pericles. Speaking of the devil.

"How did you...?" he tries to hang up.

"I vouldn´t do dat if I vere you"

"Why not?"

"Because I haf important news" the parrot stops him just in time.

"Like what?"

"Jones haz figured out your presence"

"What?" this can´t be good. Not now, now like this.

"He haz taken hiz time vut he haz realized it vas you all along. And he might ve plannink to savotage your cargo"

"And you just cared? Go to hell!"

"(Snigger) I vill, don´t you vorry vout dat" the parrot and his games. "He vill use de kinder against you"

"How do you know all this?"

"Cuz I´m standink right at his vindow and seeink vhat is he doing. You are in vig trouvle, Ricky dear" like it or not, he´s right. His stomach turns a little. "Vut I can help you solve dis"

"I don´t need your help"

"Uh, dat´s cold. Vell, no matter. Mayve my ears are deceivink me vut I can tell dat de sounds I´m hearink are from your stomach. You must ve gettink ill, mein kinder"

"Shut up"

"Sleepless days, hardly eatink, no exercise, stress... All in all, is puttink a noose around your neck"

"This is my problem, not yours"

"Hung me up and I vill tell Jones all I know"

"You wouldn´t..."

"Oh, yes I vould. De dirty secrets of your company exposed"

"I´m not scared of you"

"Yes, you are. Vut I can tell dat you are more concerned vout dear Cassidy" is true. That is something he cannot deny.

"Let her out of this, that is all I ask"

"And vhy should I do dat? In de festival, I offered you a way to save de kinder vut you turned me down. Vhy should I ve merciful this time?"

"I´m the one you want, not her"

"And so? I vant you to suffer as much as I did. And if to do so, I must torture her, I vill, vy all means"

"You pathetic bird!"

"Vho´s pathetic? You, a smart and intelligent fellow, choose a girl over me and got himself reduced to a shadow of a man, alvays hidink vehind cryptic notes and messages"

"You betrayed us for a treasure and because you were jealous"

"You picked up a stupid skhool girl vhen I could haf given you so much. Then again, you vill come to me in di end" laughter and Pericles hungs up. E sighs. If things could get any worse, they already have. He feels tired. That stupid bird isn´t kidding about anything. And Jones, is he really going to use the gang against him? His legs start shaking and Ricky sits down.

"Sir" Ed is back. "You´re all right?"

"Just tired. How dangerous is the cargo for the living creatures?"

"Dangerous if it comes to direct contact. All the ship´s crew wear security suits"

"I see" he goes thoughtful. What if the kids board the ship? "Ed"

"Sir?"

"We will go tomorrow night to check on the unloading"

"Sir, you might risk..."

"I know what I´m risking here"

"And your health?"

"I´ll be just fine. Just make sure that Angel is aware"

"Right away"

Ricky leans back. If Pericles tries anything, the blow can be a hard one to hold and if it means telling Jones all, it can only mean that they can all fall down with it. But how can he prevent that from happening? And how is he going to keep Pericles far from the formula inside the ship?

"Are you sure it will work? Cuz I have no reasons to trust again, you should know that, bird" Mayor Jones glances at Pericles.

"Ovens is aware dat zings are gettink dangerous for him. Vut now is the vest moment to strike"

"Why is that?"

"He´s gettink ill. He hardly eats, sleeps or leaves his lair"

"But if he does not leave his lair..." Jones goes thoughtful.

"I haf left him a little somethink so dat he vill go tomorrow to the docks"

"Then, we have him!"

"Yes and no"

"Hu?"

"Ricky alvays goes vith his henchman Ed Machine. If ve try to get to dem just like dat, he vill leave"

"Then, what?"

"Ve must force him out again. Or make sure dat tomorrow, he´s too veak to get avay"

"How? That´s impossible"

"No. Today he vill rest and tomorrow night, I shall vring somethink along to make sure dat we catch him"

"Very well, and once we have him?"

"Ricky knows a vig deal vout de treasure and is concerned avout de kinder and his lover"

"His lover?" a smirk appears in Jones face.

"Cassidy Villiams, also known as Angel Dynamitte. Dey say dat deir love is gone vut I can tell vhen I see two Unzertrennlichen. Dey madly love each oder"

"Now, that´s interesting"

"Dhat vill ve our deck card against him"

"Then is settled. And don´t try anything, bird. Cuz I know how to put you in place"

"I vill" Pericles flies away leaving Jones to his meditations.

"Gang, we have a mystery to solve!"

"Like already? But we just got through one!" complained Shaggy.

"For once, I agree with him" Velma gives Fred a look.

"Re roo" Scooby rubs against his friend´s hand who smiles.

"I´m sorry but this one´s serious. It is related to the Planispheric Disk"

"No kidding. And what does it say?" they all read the e-mail.

"It is about a cargo arriving tomorrow. It is owned by Destroido, the company of the Cicada monster and according to this, the cargo transports certain information and equipment related to the disk as the owner of the company is also looking for it"

"Weird. How did they know we were after the disk?"

"I dunno but it seems like there is more people in this"

"From what I can read, is not only that the owner is searching for the piece but it is also related to Mr. E"

"This person writing knows too much"

"Maybe but the only way to find it out is going tomorrow to the docks"

"Freddie..."

"If it is Destroido, they can be carrying toxic substances" good deduction.

"Roxic?" Scooby moves his ears.

"Yep" the dog remembers then his unpleasant experience at the nest.

The dog sighs while passing a door that is half open. WOUH, THERE! Half open?! The great Dane opens it with his nose and walks in followed by Cait and Jade who decides to stay at the doorway.

"Rooh! Rhat´s riss?" Scooby looks around until he spots something on top of the steel tables. Could it be? YES! FOOD! He´s starving!

"Uh, I wouldn´t do that if I were you" whispers the feline seeing that he´s going to eat that.

"ROOD" he slurps the strange jelly and smiles.

"Oh, dear" Cait drops his ears.

"You know what, is exactly how I remember him" Jade mutters in the cat´s ear.

"You can say it out loud, sister. Five hundred years and he´s still that big mouthed mutt"

Scooby pays no attention, he has eaten so little in this fic (we have to give him that) but when the dog has swallowed the jelly, something strange begins to happen. His body starts to shake, his fur is changing its colour over and over, from green to red with all kinds of spots. Oh, dear. Then he feels something bubbling inside his stomach and he opens his mouth in pain letting out a big flare that almost turns his companions into ashes. Scooby feels like choking. What is happening to him? He lets out some smoke and just stands there feeling that the potion was far from done with him. His tail begins to grow as well as all his body. Cait glares at him in panic. Scooby is becoming a huge dragon and if he doesn´t prevent it, he will destroy the whole place!

"For the love of a kitten!" the cat grabs one of the vials of the room and pours its content inside the dog´s mouth. Cait knows that this is where the "miners", the builders of the Submarine along with Soulfog used to do their experiments so this cannot be good at all. Scooby feels all his body bubbling inside, as if all his inner parts are made out of goo or something. The great Dane lets out a big belch. Cait doesn´t hid his disgust but starts fearing another terrible transformation which takes place in just seconds as the canine feels a great explosion inside his body and passes away.

"Cait, you should have closed this place before going to town" Jade remains unmoved.

"I know but, I´ve just got four paws, darling"

Scooby whimpers. The explosions inside of him and getting more and more bigger. What is happening? Is he going to die in a horrible way? What is going on? What about Shaggy, Mr E and the others?

Then his whole body stretches itself as if it no longer followed his commands. His chest rises and his head becomes a huge fireworks display while his body is exploding, changing, shifting, enlarging. He opens his eyes. YIKES! Now there´s another head where his tail was, but when both heads scream, another explosion transforms the dog into a cat, then into a large Scooby snack and that over and over until he is finally back to his self. Poor dog whimpers. What a horrible experience!

"That should teach you about eating stuff you don´t know" grumbles Jade and she leads them to the corridor. Scooby nods and the three leave the lab.

He sighs while the gang talks about how are they going to get suits to get into the ship without any danger. The whole day is to get ready and when the next evening arrives, they are at the docks. For some reason, Mayor Jones has given them access to the cargo and give them the isolation suits they need but now they have to wait until the vessel gets into the port. The Great Dane sighs when a sudden smell catches his attention. Is wonderful, is tasty and is very close to where they are. Taking advance from Fred´s last orders, the dog follows his sense of smell to some crates where he finds some Nature Slivers. Without a second thought, the dog starts eating with a smile.

Ed Machine watches from an alley where he has hidden the car with E inside. They have seen the gang getting ready to board and they wait a chance to prevent any kind of move from Pericles or Jones. It is then when he sees Scooby eating the chips. The man gets in the car and explains the situation to his boss.

"This can only mean that we don´t have much time. We have to hide our experiment and fast. The question is where" Ricky thinks it hard.

"What about the kids?"

"They won´t find much about us. I have made sure of that"

"And Jones?"

"He´s here, waiting for us. Hmm... Did you said that Scooby was separated from the others?"

"He´s eating one of the crates of chips"

"... I´ve got an idea. But to do so, it has to be now, so listen carefully" he exposes his plan and Ed puts his five senses to it. "Now, we better get moving"

"Sir, what if...?"

"If something happens to me, you know what to do. You must do it no matter what"

"Yes, sir" Ed says. He isn´t sure about all this but perhaps is the best thing to do. A sudden sound catches their attention. Ricky´s stomach is making strange sounds and they do not look good. "Perhaps you should wait here, sir"

"No. I´ll be just fine" he stands up, trying to ignore the whining of his body. Lately he has fallen ill too often. Partly because he sleeps too little and eats in a very unhealthy way but also because he´s worried. These days all he can think about was Angel. Ricky softly bits his lip. Why is he so madly in love and yet, cannot tell her anything about it? Just sound menacing and controlling? Cassidy "Angel" is all he can think about right now. He will never forgive himself if Pericles tries to hurt her.

"Find me here,

And speak to me.

I want to feel you,

I need to hear you.

You are the light,

That's leading me,

To the place,

Where I find peace again.

You are the strength,

That keeps me walking.

You are the hope,

That keeps me trusting.

You are the light,

To my soul.

You are my purpose,

You're everything.

How can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

You calm the storms,

And you give me rest.

You hold me in your hands,

You won't let me fall.

You steal my heart,

And you take my breath away.

Would you take me in,

Take me deeper now.

And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

Cause you're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything.

And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better, any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this..."

The man glances at the ship´s bridge and steps into the light.

First round.

First shivers.

What is the formula?

Will Pericles and Jones plan succeed? Will Mr. E escape?

What´s inside the ship?

Next Clue: Ship of Babel