Fourteen takes and several buckets of cold water later, and Fred and Daphne were shivering and wrapped in beach towels, waiting for the verdict on the latest take.
"Aaaaand… That's a wrap!"
Most members of the team started cheering loudly, and Daphne was one of them. Fred just pulled the beach towel a little closer and smiled.
The rest of the gang walked over to where Fred and Daphne were watching the take on a large screen, Chuck next to them. The large man was looking at the film, his eyes crinkled in a smile.
"You two are pretty darn good at acting!"
Fred groaned and carried on watching the screen. Velma stifled a laugh. Fred was his own greatest critic!
"Like, the fight was pretty good, guys," Shaggy teased, grinning as Fred threw him a dirty look. The lanky teenager focused on the screen, which was now on the old man with the gang in the background. The rest of the scene was yet to be completed, and would need CGI to get the desired effects. Jasmine glanced over at the gang and walked over to join them, her red hair flying around her face in a sudden wind.
"How do the newly-commissioned extras feel?"
"Cold!" Fred complained, and Jasmine laughed.
"We're going back to the set now… You guys look worse for wear!" she added, clocking the pair's soaked appearance.
The filming crew started packing up and leaving. The gang piled into the Mystery Machine and headed back to the set with the huge vans with "Monstrous Movies Co." on the sides and bonnets.
A police van containing Nicholas Richman was at the head of the procession back to the set, and once they were back at the building the police were treated to a little evidence from the gang. Velma showed them the secret tunnel, the man-traps (which were de-activated by a trained expert) and the room Fred was trapped in, complete with blood-stained floor. Nicholas had the grace to look a little guilty. Then his shrine to Drew Rossmann, the lever activating it (also blood-stained) and the trap door on the ceiling were viewed.
"This is a pretty elaborate set-up," one of the police officers commented.
Velma nodded. "Nicholas had it planned, right down to the last detail. He must have worked on this in secret for months to get it all done."
Nicholas looked over at her. "Actually, um, this was already here. The tunnels and that. I don't know much about it, I just found them when I was putting the candy machine prop away."
Shaggy and Scooby grimaced at the memory. The others looked confused.
"These were already here?"
There was a small cough from behind the gang, and everyone in the room turned at the sound. Mr Ridley was standing next to the wall, looking sheepish.
"I had this tunnel and the rooms in here built. There's another little room, over here…"
He turned around and pressed a flap. A section of the wall slid open, in classic film style, to reveal a room with an elaborate hippy theme- lava lamps, Flower Power wallpaper, swirl carpets and groovy style chairs, with an old-fashioned record player in one corner and a pile of vinyl records next to it, all with swirl covers. In one corner was a mannequin wearing a tie-dye t-shirt and baggy trousers, with a hippy headband, long hair and Roman-style sandals. Shaggy's eyes widened and he walked in, looking completely at ease., the complete opposite to Mr Ridley, who was fidgeting with his tie, more nervous than the gang had ever seen him.
"I… I always liked the hippy scene… I had this room built for myself, to keep all my hippy things in. I need to keep it a secret, though… Do you think you could do that?"
The gang looked at each other and laughed as Shaggy plumped himself down on one of the groovy-style sofas.
"I wouldn't worry about us, Mr Ridley," Velma giggled. "I would think about how you're going to get Shaggy out!"
Although, Shaggy reflected as he lay back a little further, I am more of a beatnik, like, this is just, like, groovy for me, man!
The gang laughed as Scooby walked over and joined Shaggy on the sofa, looking at ease as well. The police were laughing along with the gang; in fact, the only one who wasn't laughing was Mr Ridley.
"Don't worry, Mr Ridley," Daphne gasped, wiping her eyes and smudging her eye make-up a little in the process, "we won't tell anyone."
Mr Ridley looked happy and the gang let Shaggy stay a little longer before leaving.