Author's note: Moving on with our story. Let's see where this is going!
5. The Client
"Miau!" Sebastian wasn't happy with the little bulldog's welcome, but decided to sit along his peer. Apparently, they knew who their guest was and bothered not with the introductions. Dynomutt noticed then several objects in the room that gave away the identity of the dog's owners. The bulldog kept on yapping happily.
"You live with the Quest family, don't you?" the rogue hero had saw the large Q. "I thought they were into cryptozoology these days. Especially after leaving me like this" he grumbled that last part.
"Oh, they are, but technology is still part of their game. And yes, they haven't forgot about you DM. And speaking of which, is AWESOME to have you two here! When Seb and CS said they would take care of everything, I was tad worried about who they would choose but you are the best! My hero and the best canine detective in both coasts" barked the bulldog. "Oh, uh, and I'm Bandit, by the way! And yes, Johnny Q is my master"
"That's very sweet, but I'm not in the mood for any of this. I have a giant dog to catch" DM grumbled.
"Wait, wait! Let me explain. Please. You have to know before going after the Barghest or else it'll kill you and not in a pretty way" begged Bandit and Scooby, seeing the expression in the small dog's face, decided to sit near him. The cyborg had no other choice but to join them. "I know this is going to sound real weird, because I thought the same too at first, but it's real. You see, I called Seb and CS to help me with some thieves who have been stealing parts from my masters. They also interfered with their pigeon couriers so I had no choice but to call these two. Problem is that the Barghest appeared then and things turned ugly, so we decided to look for someone who could investigate this. Apparently, what the thieves are building is what drove the large beast mad. So we really, really need your help. Pretty pleaseee, with sugar on top. I can't leave the flat and those scoundrels can't get away with this. So pleeeeeeaseeeee!"
"Ok, fine. But I still don't get what the weird part is, except for the Barghest" DM frowned. Bandit and the cats exchanged a glance. CS, the large black cat, revealed a golden watch under his bandana with the kanji of number 4 engraved in it.
"Ok, ok, here it goes! You guys almost got run by the Mystery Machine ten minutes ago, am I right? Asked the bulldog and both large dogs were taken by surprise. "HA! Knew it! I got ran by it in that very corner before you did"
"How did you…?" Dynomutt was clueless.
"See this watch? It belongs to the God of Death and it allows you to return four minutes before each passing to save him. Each dead body becomes a portal to the past for you to go through as long as it hasn't been more than twenty four hours since its demise. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. This baby is a box filled with surprises! Only CS can use it, of course, but thanks to it we have rewound this whole night to make things right. Not all things can be erased, but we can turn around the most important ones" explained Bandit.
"Uh-hu. Let me guess, you are not going to tell us who died so you could go back in time?" DM worked out perfectly, unsure of the rest.
"You'll find out later on" nodded the bulldog. "Now you must find the thieves so the Barghest can rest at ease and leave town"
"Rut re saw it rhasing re gang and risappear" pointed out Scooby.
"Are you sure? Because that is impossible" Bandit objected.
"WE all saw it, pint sized mutt" DM barked.
"No, that can't be the Barghest. And I'll tell you why. That large hound can only come out through graveyards and churches, never going too far from them. Think about it for a moment" Bandit had researched the topic. "Scooby, you know many guys in rubber masks pretending to be monsters. It could be someone impersonating the Barghest while the real one tries to track down the thieves. It might even be those crooks! We must find them before dawn!"
"Riiiight. Listen, this story just got too weird, thank u, so we'll find your criminals but that doesn't mean I like this one bit. The Quest and my master ruined my life. I was happy before they turned me into this 'thinking' thing. I'll do it but only because it's the right thing. Nothing else. Expect no happy celebration afterwards" the hero headed for the exit.
"Ruined ror life?" the Great Dane didn't get it.
"I was a silly dog before, true, but a dog. I had mechanical parts but I could live with that. One that at the end of his life had a choice. Then Bradley decided that I had to go on without him and… Bah! Never mind! Let's get going. Unless our client here has a clue for us" grumbled DM.
"I actually have one and a big one. The parts they have stolen are from a very special machine that makes something called punch holes or something like that. To make it work, you need a clue of where you want to go and, during our last attempt, we found this" Bandit used a laptop to show them a picture of a silver coin from Ancient Greek.
"Ru, rhat's that?" Scooby didn't get it.
"It looks like some sort of antic money but I don't see what it has to do with our problem. Anyway, I'll keep it in mind just in case. If you say it's important, we'll remember it" DM's system rang. The large dog was in Manhattan and not far from their location. "Now, let's get this show on the road! Before our black host leaves again" DM headed for the fire stair case. Scooby and both cats followed gim.
"Good luck!" Bandit yipped wagging his tail. "Come back if you need anything else"
I used to watch Johnny Quest years ago and really liked Bandit.
CS's watch is more than just a ticket to the past, you'll see real soon.
More to come!
