Spiderman had his 'Spidey-sense' while Velma had her clue-radar, an innate sense that information didn't fit. And there was information that certainly didn't fit here. Rufus was way more than a by-the-number Daphne obsessive, he was a dangerous one. He'd already tried to kidnap Daphne, what twice already? She hadn't been keeping count, well she wasn't about to let it happen again so she had slipped away to shadow him. It was a win-win plan, if he did try to grab Daphne she could tackle him out of the blue, if he didn't she would learn his plans and be able to warn Daphne. She followed him into a small warehouse, he was carrying a shopping bag and whilst it was possible he had just brought his lunch she doubted that was the case. Her suspicious were confirmed when Rufus stopped by a table and took coils of rope and a couple of scarves out of the bag. He tidied the rope, making it easy to use. Velma hid behind some crates and held her chin while she thought. So that's his plan, he'll lure Daphne in here somehow and...

"Boo!" Rufus appeared in front of her.

"Ahhh! Jinkies!"

Velma was on her feet in an instant, she'd been found, time to go on the offensive.

"Rufus, you've been rumbled, I know you're planning to take Daphne again." She pointed at the ropes on the table "all that talk about another woman was just a ruse to make us drop our guard."

"It was?" He said innocently.

"Of course it was." Velma waved her arms about in frustration.

"Velma?"

"Yes Rufus."

"These ropes go very well with orange." He held up his hands, there were coils of rope in each.

"Oh jinkies." This wasn't part of the plan, she ducked for the nearest gap but he was onto her, tackling her to the ground.

"Uhhh, get off me!" Velma tried to wriggle free but he was too strong and determined, her small frame placing her at a disadvantage. It was clear to Velma she would have to submit to being bound but before that happened she had one thing to do. She struggled for a few minutes more before...

"Ok, ok Rufus, you win, I won't fight any more." She stopped struggling, her voice was full of resignation.

"Thank you Velma, you won't regret this, I promise. Trust me, soon you'll see this was the best thing you have ever done, it's the beginning of something beautiful."

He rolled Velma onto her front, she placed her hands behind her back, content in the knowledge that in the struggle she had slipped a homing beacon into his pocket. After her wrists then elbows had been bound together and cinched he helped Velma sit up and proceeded to bind her arms to her torso, more rope went round her waist to secure her bound hands in the small of her back. He finished this off by tying her thumbs together.

"Not more rope?" He walked Velma over to the table, his arm tightly round her waist.

"Three for two, plus I had some coupons."

"Oh, well that makes sense, I suppose."

Then he moved onto her legs, Velma squirmed as he removed her shoes and socks then placed them in the bag the ropes had come from. He had her sit down before he bound her mid-thigh, then above and below her knees and then ankles. Each cinched as tightly as the ropes binding her wrists and arms.

"Are you done yet?" Velma asked sarcastically.

"Almost."

"NNN-Ahhhhghhhhh!" Velma shuddered as he tied rope around her feet, the rope tickling the soles of her feet as it was tightened and cinched. This was joined to the rope around her ankles so she couldn't rub it off, and finally her big toes were tied together. Even after all that there was still rope left over, this confirmed in her mind he was going for Daphne next. Now that he had run out of Velma to bind he picked up one of the scarves and wadded it into a ball.

"You're going to gag me now aren't you? Gag me then leave me stashed somewhere so the gang has to go looking for me. Then you'll grab Daphne while they're distracted, perhaps you'll use me as bait to lure Daphne into a trap. Divide and rule, all very clever but it won't work and you mustn't do it." The thing Velma had learnt over the years is that once a villain knew they were in control then they often became quite relaxed and talkative as the pressure was off everyone. The longer he talked the greater the chance that one of the gang would notice she was missing and come looking.

"But why not?"

Seriously, you have to ask? Velma raised an eyebrow "Firstly Daphne isn't into you, seriously isn't into you and nothing you can say or do will ever change that. Secondly when she finds out that you did this to me," Velma strained at her bonds with all her might making the ropes creak "done this, jinkies these ropes are really tight, did you really need to use so much rope? And those are new shoes so don't you dare loose them… emm where was I?" Velma found how he smiled and looked at her really disconcerting.

"Second point, Daphne finding out what I had done to you."

"Right, thanks. Yes she'll clobber you into the middle of next week and then some. Thirdly leaving a gagged person alone is dangerous, I could choke..."

"Ahhh but my dear I won't be leaving you alone, you are coming with me." Rufus pressed the wadded up scarf to her lips, reluctantly Velma opened her mouth letting him push the material past her teeth and filling her mouth. Oh jinkies he's going to hold me hostage in exchange for Daphne! Don't panic Velma, the tracker. Then she remembered, the tracking receiver was in her pocket Panic Velma!

"Muuugh!" Velma began to struggle, trying to get the receiver to slip unnoticed onto the floor.

"It's not Daphne I'm after." He tied a pink scarf tightly over her mouth then bent down and held her cheeks, kissing her softly on the nose "It's you Velma, you're my ideal woman. Come my dear, your new life awaits." That caught Velma by surprise, stopping her in her tracks. Rufus scooped her up in his arms and headed towards his sports car. Even at that point Velma didn't fully believe him, but whatever he was planning it wasn't going to happen, not on her watch.

"Huuuuuph!"

Velma began to struggle, she had to make him put her down, slow him down at the least. Her panicked struggles and desperate cries increased when they got outside and she realised he was heading towards a bright red sports car. Velma saw her chance when he put her on her feet so he could open the passenger door. Even better the gang had seen what was going on and were heading in her direction. Velma bent her legs to hop in their direction. She gave a muffled scream of frustration as she felt Rufus' arms wrap around her waist. Caught off-balance Velma was powerless to stop him putting her in the passenger seat and strapping her in.

The seat was a bucket seat which was designed to limit the occupant side-to-side movement, the seatbelt held her down, but wasn't inescapable if she had a few moments. Then more seatbelts appeared. These were simple straps which went from left to right, over her chest, waist, lap, thighs and shins, their self-tensioning mechanisms locking solid if she tried any sudden or violent moment.

"Oooooo-eeee!"

Scooby's ears pricked up at Velma's desperate cry, this was not good.

As Rufus turned to face the gang he closed the passenger door further muffling Velma's cries.

"I told you I found someone nicer and prettier than Daphne," he called out as the gang approached. "I realized Velma was my real dream girl the day she ran in to rescue Daphne. We're going off to be together forever, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Velma squirmed in the seat, trying not to panic as he spoke. Oh jinkies, he really means it, he wants to keep me! Velma slammed herself against the straps in a last ditch attempt to get free.

"Nuuuh! Nuuuh! Nuuuuh!" she shot the gang one last frantic look as Rufus jumped in the driver's seat and sped away.

"Velma!" Daphne screamed.

"Relma!"

"Come on, the van!" Shaggy grabbed up Daphne and Fred, threw them over his shoulders and ran for the Mystery Machine as fast as he could with Scooby running next to him. The gang were dropped in their seats.

"Follow that car!" Daphne and Shaggy shouted, pointing at the vanishing cloud of dust that was their retreating hope of saving Velma. Fred floored the accelerator and gave chase as fast as the van could go.

Rufus had planned this in minute detail. He knew the van's performance so had picked a route that would slow them down as much as possible. Rufus slowed down and turned into an alleyway then into a yard hidden from view. There was a flatbed truck there with ramps down. He hopped out, opened the boot then went to get Velma.

"Nuuuh! Nuuh! Plllz eye eee ghuud!" Velma struggled and pleaded as he carried her towards the back. She looked inside to see that in the boot was another open door, a secret compartment, it looked like it went under the back seat. There was little she could do to stop him placing her in the boot, he used the remaining rope to strap her down running the rope through recessed rings on the floor.

"Don't worry, I know, the compartment is soundproof." Just as he was about to close the lid he undid the scarf over Velma's mouth. The lit was locked closed before she was able to spit out the scarf in her mouth "Rufus! No!" Velma screamed, straining against the ropes with all her might. Even her screams sounded dead in her own ears.

Above Rufus put in a spare tyre and some other typical boot junk then locked the boot closed. Then came the clever part of the plan. He pulled off the fake number plates and dumped them in the nearest bin. Next he began to peel red vinyl coatings off the car panels to reveal a dark green colour underneath. These vinyl coatings had been stuck over the car to make it appear red in colour, after a quick change of clothes and a disguise he drove the car up onto the flatbed, secured it, squared everything away then drove out and into the city traffic. He drove carefully and calmly as someone transporting a sport car would. He was chuffed when he pulled up alongside the Mystery Machine while waiting at a set of light. They never even noticed, it was so satisfying watching them flounder when the brains of the group was missing, they truly didn't deserve her. Finally he hit the highway and settled down for the drive. Inside the boot Velma had tired of screaming, struggling and crying and had drifted off to sleep.