A Changed World

Disclaimer: I have no ownership of the show Scooby-Doo or any of its characters.

A Crime

Velma ate quietly at the French Restaurant she was at. Usually she wouldn't go to a place so overly rich and blue-blooded. But she loved the food and tried to go even once a year.

It was now summer and Velma wore a yellow summer dress with matching low-heeled shoes. She also had her waist length brown hair in a French braid.

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In the RSVP section sat Daphne and her father Mr. Blake.

While the restaurant was almost always filled with only the crème of the rich. The Blake's sat where only riches and ancestry (blue-bloods) could sit, not fame and fortune. Translation, if you were born poor, you couldn't sit here. No matter how rich or famous you are now.

Both hated that the most recent owner opened the restaurant to the rich and famous five years ago. Before it was only blue bloods. Now even a few that weren't even that rich but famous could enter if they got on the list in time. This infuriated families like the Blake's and they almost never came anymore.

But today Mr. Blake was celebrating a take over. His reservation at Mai, a top Chinese Restaurant got cancelled because of a fire two hours later. Mai was nearby so he opted to come here instead.

-----

Norville Rogers sat across from Mrs. Yolanda Green. The rich blue blood had heard about his methods of dealing with animals as a vet and called him. She had a wild rottweiler. Norville suggest some medicine, neutering, and a high voltage shock collar. Now he was here with her because she wanted to treat him to high class since the treatment worked.

"You're an avid meat eater," Mrs. Green observed.

"Some say I'm hard to fill," Norville said honestly.

"Well undo a notch in your belt," Mrs. Green declared, "you can eat as much as you like!"

"Why thank you," Norville said gratefully, "but I'll have an extra glass of water please?" he asked the waiter.

The waiter nodded and soon returned with a pitcher filled with water.

"Thank you," Norville said.

The waiter bowed and walked away.

Norville had never been to a place so rich and classy. He only got in as a special guest of Mrs. Green's.

"You're a real quiet fellow," Mrs. Green said suddenly.

"I'm only vocal when needed to be," Norville responded.

Mr. Green giggled.

"You're such a deer," Mrs. Green said happily, "and those horrible animal activist people say you're a criminal against animals and a sadist."

"I must be some sadist," Norville said sarcastically.

"Exactly, its nonsense," Mrs. Green said firmly, "you take great care of animals," she said, "tough even if it's unfair," she said recalling Norville's motto.

"Always got me through life," Norville said in reference to his motto.

"We all have our beliefs, morals," Mrs. Green said as she sipped some wine, "mottos are just an extension of those."

"That's a mighty fine opinion Mrs. Green," Norville said to her.

"Thank you," Mrs. Green said bashfully.

"Hey you're not invi…" a man started to shout.

"Get out of the way!" another male responded and soon the man in uniform from the restaurant was seen flying across the restaurant.

He slammed into a wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Velma Dinkley!" the other male (who had flung the man) a blonde shouted, "Velma!" he shouted.

Velma looked at the man incredulously.

No way I'm identifying myself to some nut job, Velma thought.

"Don't worry Fred I can sniff her out," Scooby said as he entered.

They were suddenly screams of terror from both customers and employees. The brown Great Dane was known as a violent animal and a co-conspirator in many crimes in Coolsville. Of course under current law he couldn't be locked up like a human being since he was a dog. But unlike humans, he could be put down lawfully with or without provocation. Especially by human beings known as vets.

"Over here," Scooby revealed and Velma leaned back into her chair fearfully, "forgotten me so soon Velms?" he asked.

Many people in the restaurant turned to look at Velma.

"Who the hell are you?" Velma asked slowly.

"He used to be mine," Fred revealed, "before he ran away," he continued, "at least that's what I was told," he added.

"Your Dad took me and left me under a bridge," Scooby snarled, "I didn't even know you wanted me."

"I'd never abandon you Scooby," Fred said firmly, "I was just disappointed when I recognized you four years ago on the news," he said sadly.

"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river," Scooby said, "Velma Dinkley you're in danger of…"

Suddenly gunfire rang in the restaurant as several armed men in stocking caps, masks and body paint stormed into the restaurant.

Scooby immediately dived for Velma and pulled her down. Fred ran for a side door and barely made it.

Norvile and Mrs. Green dived under the table.

Daphne and her father tried to run with some of the other blue bloods but her father was stopped. Mr. Blake was stopped by one bullet wound through the head.

"Dad!" Daphne screamed and grabbed her father, "no, let me go!" she suddenly screamed when one of the Blake family bodyguards found her through the crowd and he pulled her away despite her protests.

Suddenly the gunfire stopped and rushing footsteps told many that the gunmen were now fleeing the scene.

Five minutes later SWAT came. But by then the criminals had escaped.

Over forty people were injured and seven were dead. Five employees, two customers. One of them being Mr. Blake.

Velma was behind a wall where Scooby had dragged her. She still hadn't fully absorbed what had happened. Did this have something to do with her? Velma didn't know or understand any of this. And this truly upset her.

Daphne meanwhile was outside by the limousine. She was bawling and muttering for her now dead father.

------

Thirty-three minutes at the hospital, Norville closed the eyes of Mrs. Green. The shock of the attack had caused Mrs. Green to have a massive heart attack. Her body was still recovering from a stroke. At first Norville thought she'd die, surrounded by murderous madmen, no experienced medical personnel or tools. But then the ambulance came. They came in shortly after SWAT. Norville thought Mrs. Green was safe.

But it wasn't meant to be. Mrs. Green was middle-aged and delicate. Having money allowed her to start quickly recovering from the stroke. But money couldn't buy her a different body to have a massive heart attack in. Her body just couldn't take it. The doctors tried to bring her back for over twenty minutes. Norville then knew it was hopeless. Mrs. Green was gone.

This is why I trust in nothing, Norville thought.

-------

Fred Jones was already off the floor and walking around. He had to find Velma and explain to her what really happened.

"Hey!" a detective shouted, "this area is sealed off, police and forensics only."

"I'm looking for Velma Dinkley, a girl I knew in kindergarten," Fred told the detective, "she's a well known scientist now," he said.

"Velma Dinkley," the detective said, "I'm Detective Joanstown," he introduced himself.

"Fred," Fred introduced himself.

"Fred Jones?" Detective Joanstown asked and Fred nodded, "please come this way," he said immediately, "come on," he urged when Fred wouldn't move.

"Where are you taking me?" Fred asked.

"To Velma, she mentioned you," Detective Joanstown revealed, "I'm not no murderer or anything kid," he told Fred.

"Can't be too careful," Fred said frankly.

"Come on," Detective Joanstown said, "please don't let me beg."

"Okay," Fred conceded, "but if anything funny happens…"

"You're free to leave anytime," Detective Joanstown told him.

Fred followed Detective Joanstown to a dimly lit room in the back part of the restaurant. Fred heard the door click behind him.

Fred turned around to see the detective with a set of keys and a grin on his face.

Damn it! Scooby warned me not to follow anybody alone, Fred recalled.

"I just have a few questions," Detective Joanstown told Fred, "answer them correctly and everything will be fine."

"Where's Velma?" Fred demanded loudly.

"Now don't go down that road Fred Jones," Detective Joanstown said seriously, "it only leads to a dead end," he added.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"You really think questioning me is a good idea?" Detective Joanstown said dangerously.

"Fine," Fred said, "ask you're questions and let me go."

"Where's the current location of Scooby Doo?" Detective Joanstown asked darkly.

"I don't know," Fred responded.

"Wrong answer," Detective Joanstown told him.

"Well I don't know!" Fred shouted.

"Alright," Detective Joanstown said slowly, "why were you in his company?" he asked Fred.

"Scooby came to me and told me that he overheard a plan to kill Velma," Fred revealed, "he had met Velma as a pup and she was kind to him," he explained.

"So you couldn't call the police?" Detective Joanstown asked.

"And say what?" Fred demanded.

"Good point," Detective Joanstown responded after thinking it over, "sorry for the deception," he apologized, "I had to ensure you weren't one of Scooby's cronies," he told Fred.

"I knew Scooby back when he was a good dog," Fred told Detective Joanstown.

"Well I guess a little good's still left in him," Detective Joanstown noted, "you'll be okay going home kid?" he asked.

"What about Velma?" Fred asked.

"That's not a good idea," Detective Joanstown said frankly, "they're kind of wondering if you're involved."

"But I helped save her life!" Fred exploded angrily.

"Well you came in before a group of death traps," Detective Joanstown pointed out, "and you were with the infamous Scooby Doo," he added.

"Right," Fred said and turned to leave, "oh and I think this might've something to do with one of Velma's newer inventions or ideas," he added.

"Why'd you say that?" Detective Joanstown asked.

"Scooby told me he had overheard something about an invention of Velma's getting too deep," Fred revealed, "that she and the father of some redhead bitch was getting too invested in this project," he said, "and bitch was said by the person Scooby overheard, not me," he added.

"Okay kid, thanks," Detective Joanstown said.

"Yeah, bye," Fred said and left.

Detective Joanstown took out a cell phone and dialled a number.

"He knows too much," Detective Joanstown said seriously, "that rotten dog and that blonde idiot," he told the person on the other end.

"We'll deal with them soon enough," a voice responded, "Coolsville's gripped in crime," he said, "I'm not having a bunch of brats change that," the voice spat.