(A?N Sorry for the delay, had managed to get distracted and loose momentum with this story. Thanks to sawyer105 and 0xRosethornx0 for the kick to get things moving again)

Shaggy came round to find Daphne calling his name and Fred pulling the Velbots off him.

"Don't worry Shag, they all have an off switch." he said as Shaggy opened his eyes

"An off switch?" he asked easing himself up on an elbow and checking around to see where Scooby was, he was away by the door keeping an eye out for any more unwelcome visitors.

"Yep, same place as those that Velma has designed" said Daphne "Don't think she'll be flatted that Gibby copied her designs, especially without paying her any royalties. Let's get these things to the lab."

The sound of gunfire gave an added sense of urgency to their activities. They collected as many of the Velbots as they could in shopping carts and prepared to head back to the police line. Fred signalled to the defenders opposite the store that they were ready to cross.

The hunting woman noticed Fred signalling from the store entrance and call out to her colleagues "Chuck, they are coming out, give them covering fire" the gang exited the store pushing the carts in front of them, instinctively keeping low as the bullets flew past them.

"We can't hold them for much longer" shouted the police officer as yet another group of Velbots came down the street. The gang safely crossed the street and went behind the corner to confer with one of the officers "We're pulling back behind the bridge. We've got an escort you get you folks to the college" he said as a few vehicles began to arrive and the defenders quickly began to get on board "We've pretty much lost this side of town"

A police motorcycle pulled up next to the Mystery Machine as the gang were loading their booty on board

"You kids off to the college?" asked the officer on board, Fred nodded. "Right, when you are ready, form up behind me and stay close"

A few seconds later the gang were ready, a small convoy of vehicles made their way through the empty streets and over the bridge. Ahead they could see a barricade made up of vehicles and any other items that could be pressed into service. The Children's Free Hospital was directly in front of the bridge, those inside that could be evacuated had been, but there simply wasn't the time or resources to move everyone. A couple of blocks directly behind the hospital was the Police HQ, the predicted target of the Velbots. Would they miss the hospital or try to go through it, no-one was willing to wait and find out.

They were waved through and the barricade sealed behind them, the Mystery Machine plus the pick-up truck, accompanied by their police escort headed directly for the college. On the way they passed a number of fire trucks heading for the bridge and saw the first advanced unit of National Guard parked near the Police HQ which was swarming with activity. After a few minutes they pulled into the loading bay of the city college; people were ready and waiting for them. The Velbots were being unloaded as soon as they had stopped. While this was going on a TV new reporter was running through the corridors of the college to the loading bay, trying to speak to camera and make her way through the crowd at the same time.

This is Mandy Rowles of Coolsville live news, we have just heard that a number of fully working robots have been captured and are being brought here by none other than the remaining members of Mystery Inc themselves. The rumour around here is that they used themselves as live bait to lure the robots into a trap… We have arrived at the loading bay... look there they are. The camera panned to show Fred and others unloading some Velbots from the back of the Mystery Machine. Some of the people there applauded the gang while the police guards looked around nervously. Some people had reported that they had fled the city early this morning but nothing could be further from the truth. Here they are in the flesh. We hear that they will be going into a conference with Professor Ostwald, an expert in computers and robotics, just like his most famous student, the now missing Velma Dinkley. I'll try to get a few words with their leader the reported barged thought some of the crowd MR JONES! MR JONES! Mr Jones, can you spare a few words for Coolsville live news? Fred looked up and walked towards the reporter

"Mr Jones, some people had said you have fled?" asked the reporter

"No, we have spent most of our time on the other side of the bridge getting these robots, we came across with the last group of police before they closed the bridge."

"That's impressive Mr Jones..."

"It's what we do. This is our home too we won't abandon it nor will we abandon Velma."

"So how are you going to do both Mr Jones?"

"We have a plan, that's all I can say. If you can hear this Velma don't worry, we'll get to you."

"Do you know where Miss Dinkley is? Has there been any ransom demand?"

"I can't say on the first but we have not received any demand, and we don't expect there will be one."

"How is her fiancé doing? Can we speak with him?" asked the reporter

"How do you think he's doing?" Fred snapped back "he's pulling his weight like everyone else, given what's happened today I'd say he's doing marvellously. Excuse me, we need to get moving."

Fred went with the rest of the gang through the loading bay doors, these were quickly closed and the police moved to keep people away. A service lift took them up to the top floor where the electronics lab was situated and the wheeled their treasure into the lab where the Professor was waiting.

"This is fantastic!" Professor Ostwald clapped his hands together as he saw what the gang had brought in. He immediately set to work examining the first complete specimen, Shaggy had to look away as the professor unscrewed the head of one on the Velbots and looked inside and prodded around with a screwdriver for a while.

"Hmmm just as I predicted, this is a derivative of Velma's Mk 2 decoy robot. It's not quite waterproof hence I had fire trucks sent to the bridge " he paused for a few seconds "the water proofing problem is why the CIA... I mean NASA, only use the Mk 4 decoys." the professor stopped and looked lost in thought while he stroked the head he had just unscrewed "poor Velma, I was hoping to review her design for the Mk 7 once the Army research labs had finished building the prototype..."

"Professor?" interrupted Daphne

"What? Oh yes, we're here to save Velma, yes? That's a good idea kids, well just get a few Mk 7's they are battlefield ready, weapons qualified..."

"Professor!" they all yelled

"What, sorry kids the Mk 7 is secret and doesn't exist so we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. So you kids do the looking for clues and I'll go to work on the electronics and locating the radio signals."

The gang sighed, they were used to Velma getting distracted by some obscure detail or another during a crisis but Ostwald it seemed was in a league of his own. They all set to work dismantling and examining the various captured Velbots. Daphne stared at the row of partially dismantled Velbots and the pile of glasses at the end of the table, then an idea struck her.

"What type of glasses frame do they have on?" asked Daphne

"Why?" Fred asked as he picked up a pair of glasses removed from a Velbot.

"Well all the Velbots are wearing the same kind of frame so we can check with the company that made them and see if there has been a large order for that style of frames to the same location" replied Daphne

"Now I get it!" said Shaggy, "the delivery address will be our first place to search."

"Exactly and in the mean time Professor Ostwald will try to locate where the signals are coming from" Daphne looked up the supplier on the web and called their customer service number after a while she was supplied with the address factory on the outskirts of town. They checked the location via an on-line mapping program and printed off maps and the best images they could get.

"Right gang, its time to put our plan into action" said Fred "Shaggy, Scooby you go in your pick-up truck, it's not as obvious as the Mystery Machine and..."

"Found it!" said the professor from behind a pile of electronic equipment "single radio source, no attempt at any clever tricks in hiding the signals"

"Man that's quick" said Shaggy, his face brightening with hope.

"The professor is a genius is he not" he replied, more of a statement that an question.

"Where from?" asked Fred

"Hmmm well this map shows that it is coincident to this small factory out of town. The same one that took the delivery of the frames I believe."

"Gibby" they all said

"Shaggy, Scooby, go get Velma, we'll create the impression that you two are still here"

Fred embraced Shaggy "Good luck Shag, we'll try to create as much confusion here as possible"

"I'm not coming back without her man" whispered Shaggy

Daphne came up to him "Shag, when you find Gibby..." and she explained exactly where and how hard she wanted him to kick Gibby. "Scooby, you get to deal with Gibby when Shaggy has finished with him."

With as much show and fanfare as possible the Mystery Machine set off for the Children's hospital, a short while later, via a side door and shielded by a few police officers a man and his dog got into a pick-up truck and began the longest drive of their lives.

This is Arif Hussain of Coolsville live news, coming to you from the front-line in front of the Children's Free hospital. I can report that we have just been joined by the members of Mystery Inc. The camera panned away from the reporter to the barricade there is the Mystery Machine, right at the front of the barricade. They are taking tier place alongside the other defenders, I have seen Daphne Blake and Norville Shaggy Rogers in the van, here comes the leader of Mystery Inc...

"Mr Jones?"

"The real Velma would never allow a place like this to be attacked; we are here because she can't be" said Fred "we are doing this for her. Remember when the real Velma is back safely with us that these machines were not programmed by her, this is the all the work of Gibby Norton and his warped obsession with her."

The interview was cut short by a commotion on the barricade, the reported and Fred turned to look at the opposite bank. Arrayed on the other side where hundreds of Velbots, they began to form up into ordered ranks on the far side of the bridge, they seemed to be waiting for a signal of some kind.

Fred ran to the Mystery Machine, he and Daphne embraced briefly before starting the engine.

"Here they come" shouted one of the police officers as the Velbots began to advance over the bridge.

Fred gunned the engine and drove the Mystery Machine as fast as he could for the centre of the advancing column of Velbots.