Disclaimer: I do not own Scoobert or any part of Mystery Inc.

The four people went down the stairs leading to the basement. It was dark, so Patrick hit the switch on the sidewall. The basement immediately illuminated and revealed a small figure trying to get the manhole cover to open.

"Why won't this stupid thing…" The mystery person cursed. "…Open!!!???" He heaved at the manhole cover trying to get it open. He noticed that the room was already lighted. Seeing that he has nowhere to escape, he jerked and hid behind a painting

"…Wait a sec." Dylan said going down the flight of stairs in the basement. "I think I recognize that voice…" Dylan approached the shivering figure behind the painting and saw that he had the small platter-like robot. "Nerd-boy?"

"Don't hurt me with your dark powers, Dylan!" Yep, it was the nerdy boy. He was cowering in fear like a big wussy baby.

"But how- Wha? I don't understand-" Dylan was pointing fingers everywhere. She was very confused on how things turned out. Velma approached the nerd boy and told him to stand up. The nerdy kid stood up and handed Velma the 'saucer-bot' and the stolen sweater.

"I'm sorry Ms. Dinkley." The boy apologized. Dylan was speechless. All this time she suspected Thomson to be the culprit, but things turned out to be pretty farfetched.

"But why is nerd-boy here the culprit?" Dylan asked Velma. Velma pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Well, I'm so glad you finally asked, Dyl." Velma said. Dylan folded her arms.

"Just spill." She shortly directed.

"OK. First of all, the oil on the floor on which Dylan slipped on when we first visited the museum today." Velma started to explain. "Look at that. It's still here. It is spilled near the manhole cover." Velma pointed at the manhole cover. There was still oil on it.

"So what's your point?" Dylan asked.

"It had to be another mechanized object, since the boilers are separated from the basement." Velma continued. Dylan was still unconvinced.

"But what about Thomson and the G-13 screws?" Dylan asked.

"Yes, that scenario threw me off as well." Velma admitted. "But when the events in the mall happened, all things began to clear up. Don't you remember? We picked up a G-13 here in the museum when the sweater got stolen?"

"Yeah." Dylan answered.

"Mr. Thomson here must've come across similar screws scattered in the museum." Velma said.

"That's right! I keep on seeing these darn screws in the museum and I decided to check them out." Thomson explained his side of the story.

"Correct. Mr. Thomson went to the hardware store to find out if there are other screws like it." Velma added. "He also asked who were the people who bought the screws."

"Yes, and then the clerk told me that they only had one customer who bought G-13's." Thomson explained as well. "And that was him. The nerdy kid." He pointed at the shamed boy.

"Right. And then when we saw him in the mall?" Dylan asked.

"Since Mr. Thomson asked for the customer information, he also found out that this kid is an avid robot constructor." Velma looked over to the nerdy kid. "And that he spent most of his time hanging out at a certain robotics store in the mall's electronics wing."

"Ah…the same store where we saw Thomson talking to the employee?" Dylan asked again.

"Yup. There, he found out that the kid is a regular customer, and that he already built several simple robots with the G-13's…" Clarified Velma. "Including this saucer-bot."

"Yeah, but why was Thomson in the comic store?" Dylan wasn't out of questions yet.

"Oh that. I also found out from the robotics store clerk that he is a regular customer of the comic store as well." Thomson made the details clear.

"So?"

"So I decided to go and check things out." Thomson said. "The clerk in the comic store said that the kid was a helper in the comic store. He was in charge of keeping the comics in the storage nice and tidy."

"So that's how he gained access to the manhole!" Dylan exclaimed. "But…why were you down in the sewer?"

"Yes. That is rather confusing." Velma added. "Do explain."

"Oh yeah. I was down in that sewer because the clerk also reported that the nerd boy kept on disappearing during work hours, without leaving the store." Thomson explained. "So I checked the storage and saw the manhole. I decided to search it and it lead me back here into the museum basement."

"Oh…that makes sense…" Dylan said, her curiosity finally satisfied.

"Everything clear now, Dyl?" Velma asked her student. But there was a different answer.

"Wait just a color-picking minute." Dylan muttered. "One last query. Why are you so into hunting down nerdy here?"

"You wanna know why?" Thomson's voice became sort of vehement. "Because ever since this kid showed up, there had been loads of screw and oil messes in the museum and I was being framed for stealing the sweater, just because I'm the one who cleans up the exhibit. The kid had to pay the price."

"Don't worry." Velma reassured Thomson, taking out her hand phone. "He will." As Velma was talking to someone on the phone, Dylan approached her classmate and asked him.

"But, why would you steal the exhibit?" Dylan asked him. "Particularly, the ones Velma donated?"

"That's Ms. Dinkley to you." The nerdy kid was vexed. "And it's so unfair. Just because your paper was checked before mine, doesn't mean you're the more worthy to be Ms. Dinkley's student for career day."

"I still don't get your motives." Dylan said firmly.

"I've looked up to Ms. Dinkley for a very long time!" The boy explained. "And I just can't stop the obsession! She's just my role model!" Then he cried.

"You're a sad excuse for a human…" Dylan said, walking away from him. "Just because you have a fetish, you'd result to stealing? That's pathetic." Dylan said seriously. Velma then finished talking on the phone and approached the nerdy boy.

"Well, kid. Consider yourself guilty." Velma said, patting the kid on the shoulder. "Now for your consequence."

"You're not sending me to jail, are you?" The nerdy boy asked squeamishly.

"Nope." Velma said shortly. The kid sighed in relief. "Something…interesting" Just then, out of complete nowhere; Daphne showed up and reprimanded the boy.

"The nerve of you!" Daphne exclaimed angrily. "I turned my back for one second, and then here you are, dawdling around, stealing stuff from the museum!"

"Wa…I…erm…uh…" The kid was speechless.

"Humph. For this, you can expect a grade of F." Daphne said sternly. "And it so does not stand for fantastic." She fumed, taking the boy's hand and prancing off.

"Thanks Velma. This kid will be doing dome hard makeover time with the salon today." Daphne bade goodbye and then went off with the nerdy kid.

"No, no, not the buzz razor! NOOOO!" The nerdy kid cried out. Velma and Dylan could only laugh. Patrick went over to Velma to thank her.

"Thank you so much, Velms." Patrick said, hugging his…um…friend. He then let go. "Now, the museum's safe again…right?"

"Sure, Pat." Velma smiled and stuck her hair behind her ear. She was turning sort of pink.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of being the criminal, Mr. Thomson." Dylan expressed her regret. "I…guess I'm really out of my league."

"That's OK, little lady. These things happen." Thomson empathically said, patting Dylan's head. Dylan went to a nearby crate and sat on it. Velma then saw Dylan sitting on the wooden crate, just staring on the floor. She approached the girl and sat down beside her.

"I…I'm sorry." Dylan apologized to Velma.

"Why? You didn't so anything wrong." Velma said, putting an arm on Dylan shoulder.

"Yes, I did!" Dylan exclaimed in frustration. "I always get in the way. The darn mystery would've been solved earlier if I hadn't argued so much!!!" Dylan then buried her face in her hands. Velma comforted the sad Dylan.

"No you didn't. You helped a lot in this investigation." Velma said, trying to cheer her up. "You did save our hides back there in the mall."

"But none of that would've started if I didn't go into the fountain." At this point, there was a glimmering teardrop trailing down Dylan's face. "I'm really sorry." Velma felt deep pity for the girl. She finally cracked down.

"It's OK." Velma said, hugging the girl. Dylan was now crying on Velma's sweater, drenching it with her tears. "It's behind you already." Dylan then looked at her.

"…Wish I could be like you." Dylan whispered. "You're not only smart, but you're really nice, too."

"Dyl, you are smart and you are nice." Velma said, drying the girl's tears. "I know you're just afraid to show your kind side. Don't be." Dylan then stood up and faced Velma.

"…I think I'm gonna be okay now." She said. "Thanks, Velma. I…really learned a lot."

"Your welcome Dylan. I am sure, whatever your profession is in the future, you will make it big." Velma said, standing up as well.

"I guess I'm getting an F, huh?" Dylan asked.

"Hmm…let's just say that your performance was astonishing, amazing and astounding." Velma winked at Dylan. Dylan's sad face then lightened up. She knew what grade she was getting. Velma then looked at her watch.
"Look, school's almost over." Velma said, taking Dylan's hand. "I think we'd better get back to your school, Dylan."

"I'll go get a cab!" Volunteered Thomson, disappearing into the door out of the basement. Patrick followed him out, too.

"Well, guess I'll go wait for the cab in the lobby. See you there, Velma." Said Dylan, walking ahead. Velma watched as Dylan went out of the basement. She was alone now.

"Jinkies, this day…" Velma said to herself, walking towards the door. "Has been most exciting."