Sponge: Welcome back! The title of the previous chapter is a song by The Who, so well done to itsyagirlwithwritersblock for guessing correctly. A special thanks to everyone who PMed me with the coded message in the Vigenère cipher, and CONGRATULATIONS to the users "complikated" and "itsyagirlwithwriters block" who got the answer right! Now let's get on with chapter 12! It's a very long one this week, so grab a snack…you might be here a while. Warnings: language, peril, underage drinking. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Scooby Doo characters. They belong to Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and Hanna Barbera. Information on court proceedings and criminal trials come from my lawyer friend. Also I'd like to thank fellow fanfic author AnonymousAva for the idea to explore the villain's perspective through flashbacks.

Chapter 12: Bad Guy

Friday, May 21st – Coolsville, Ohio

Leon stared directly ahead at the dull, gray wall of the cell. The sheriff had transported him to county lockup immediately after his apprehension in the fine arts library, and he'd been here for more than an hour. He had a feeling he'd be waiting a long time.

"You won't be arraigned till Monday," the sheriff had said. "So you'll have to stay in jail over the weekend."

Leon glared at him. "I thought I had a right to a speedy trial," he sneered.

"That's why we have the forty-eight-hour rule," Sheriff Stone had explained through gritted teeth. "So scumbags like you who get arrested at five o'clock on a Friday still get due process."

Leon scoffed. "Scumbag, huh? Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

The sheriff narrowed his eyes. "Those kids may meddle in police business," he began. "But they're good kids. Besides, their friends told me all about you…the way you've stalked, kidnapped, and terrorized the gang. What do you have to say about that?"

Leon crossed his arms. "I don't have anything to say without a lawyer," he'd growled.

"That's the smartest thing you've said all night," Sheriff Stone had retorted, before clanking shut the cell door.

So now Leon sat on the wooden bench in the cell, seething with fury. How humiliating it was, to have been bested by a group of high school students. He supposed he oughtn't be surprised though, by how it had all played out. Coolsville was a small town, and everyone in it loved Mystery Incorporated – including the sheriff, as much as he tried to deny it. And why not? They were all so smart, so charismatic. There was the leader, golden boy Fred Jones, the son of their esteemed mayor. Daphne Blake, who was empathetic and ostentatiously attractive. Scooby Doo, the goofy, loveable, talking dog; and who the hell didn't love dogs? Shaggy Rogers, who brought more to the table than even Leon himself had realized. And of course, Velma Dinkley – small and nerdy, her intelligence only matched by that of her older, more beautiful sister. Dottie. The object of Leon's affections.

He punched his fist into the palm of his hand, still fuming. If Velma's friends hadn't come tonight, he may have found a way to be with Dottie at last. He had been so. Goddamn. Close.

"Unfair, isn't it?"

The voice surprised Leon, and he whirled around to see where it had come from. But as far as he could tell, he was alone in the cell.

"Up here, dummkopf."

The voice was coming from the ceiling in the hallway. Leon rose from the bench and peered through the bars of his cell up into the rafters, where he could make out the faint outline of a small, gray bird. Leon felt heat rise in his chest. Who the fuck was this tiny bird, and why was it calling him names? He supposed he should be more fazed that the bird was speaking at all, but after spending so much time around Scooby Doo, Leon doubted he'd ever find a talking animal strange again.

"Who are you?" he snarled.

"An ally," the bird replied simply.

Leon squinted at him, trying to figure out where his accent was from. Bavaria, maybe? He knew that dummkopf was a German word. "How'd you get in here?" he asked after a few moments.

"My size has its advantages," said the bird. "The main one being the ability to slip in and out of small spaces unseen." He demonstrated this by gliding down from the rafters, through the bars into the cell with Leon, and alighted on the thin wooden bench inside.

Leon stared in confusion at the bird, which he realized now that he could see it up close, was a parrot. "What do you want?" he finally asked.

"To help you," said the bird.

Leon scoffed. "What could you possibly do to help me?"

"You and I have a common enemy," said the parrot.

Leon furrowed his brow. "And what enemy would that be?"

"The ones that put you in this cell, Leon" the parrot replied. "Mystery Incorporated."

Leon gaped at him. "How do you know my name?"

The parrot eyed him. "I know all about you, Leon Berger," he told him. "I've been following you for weeks. I know that you've always had trouble controlling your anger, that you're prone to lashing out. I also know that you had an unrequited crush on one Dorothy Dinkley, and you thought you could use her sister as a means to an end. Isn't that correct?"

Leon blinked bewilderedly at the parrot. "How did you – ?"

"Know?" the parrot finished his sentence for him. "I told you, I've been following you for weeks. Ever since you put that first note in Velma Dinkley's locker. This is how I've always operated when searching for a collaborator. I've had the same process for years – following the villains that Mystery Incorporated tries to take down. None of the rest were the sorts of partners I needed. But you…I think you and I could help each other."

Leon finally regained the ability of speech. "How?" he asked.

The bird shrugged. "There's only so much that I, a small avian, can do. I need an accomplice, a human partner. We can both get what we want – I can help you be with the woman you love, and you can help me receive what I am owed."

Leon nodded slowly. "All right," he conceded. "But if we're gonna be partners, you have to tell me your name."

The parrot grinned evilly. "You can call me Professor Pericles."

x.X.x

Monday, May 24th – Coolsville, Ohio

Pericles spent the entire weekend in the detention center. Whenever Leon was alone (which wasn't often – there was almost always an officer nearby), they shared information. Pericles explained his side of the story – the way he'd been betrayed by Brad, Judy, Ricky, and Cassidy all those years ago, and his desire to obtain the serum in order to achieve ultimate power and revenge. He also revealed Fred's true identity – as the son of Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves – to Leon.

"Why'd you never do anything about this before now?" asked Leon. He was sitting in a small room with a one-way glass, waiting for his state-assigned public defense attorney to show up.

Pericles was perched on a fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling, unseen by anyone who may have been looking in through the other side of the mirror. If anyone was watching, it would simply appear that Leon was talking to himself.

"I couldn't do anything until now," Pericles admitted. "I spent so much time away from Coolsville, trying to find Brad and Judy, and eliminating the dogs who had taken my serum. Besides, it was impossible for me to touch the boy while he was under the mayor's care. The mayor knows who I am…and that I was responsible for the death of Cassidy Williams. He, Brad, and Judy are the only living people who know the truth." He cocked his head slightly in Leon's direction. "And now you as well, I suppose."

At that moment, Leon's lawyer entered, and Pericles abruptly stopped talking.

"Leon Berger?" asked the lawyer – a short, rotund little man. "I'm Adam Carpenter. I'll be your defense attorney."

Pericles listened to the conversation that followed, his feathers bristling all the while. This lawyer was an idiot. Pericles himself could advise Leon better than this. It didn't help that Leon insisted on pleading "not guilty," which was sure to garner a high bail – if bail was even on the table.

"You dummkopf," Pericles sighed once Carpenter had left.

Leon glared up at the bird. "What'd you say to me?"

"You're clearly guilty," Pericles said. "And they have the evidence to convict you. If you admit what you did, the judge and the prosecution are more likely to be lenient with your sentencing."

"Why didn't you say that before?!" Leon snarled.

"Because I thought you had some semblance of brains," Pericles replied. But the conversation was cut short, because an officer entered at that moment to escort Leon to his arraignment.

x.X.x

It turned out that Pericles was right. The judge, a short-haired, severe looking woman, set a bail way too high for Leon and his parents to even dream about affording – much to the smug delight of Barrett Levine, the tall, stern opposing counsel. Leon fumed all the way back to the detention complex – less so about the ruling, and more so about Pericles' comment about Leon's lack of brains.

That bird didn't know Leon at all. Leon knew he was smart, methodical. All right, he could have better planned out his initial kidnapping of Velma Dinkley, but that hadn't been his fault! He'd never predicted that she would try to come find him. The band had been right there in the garage, and he'd needed to get her out of the house. He'd abducted her impulsively.

He knew he couldn't afford to act so spontaneously again – it would make him look an even bigger fool than Pericles already thought him.

Leon's pride still smarted at the way he'd been captured two days ago. Trussed up like a Christmas turkey in Fred Jones' net, with his roommates and those teenagers looking on all the while. It had been mortifying.

At that moment, an idea struck him. A way to humiliate Mystery Incorporated, the way they'd humiliated him. A way to prove to the bird that he did have brains, and was capable of careful, meticulous planning. And a way to get Pericles what he wanted, too – access to Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves.

He found the parrot waiting in his cell for him when he returned.

"What's the verdict?" he snarked.

Leon ignored him. "I have an idea," he told him.

"This should be interesting," Pericles murmured.

"Fred Jones has no idea about Brad and Judy, right?" asked Leon.

"Correct," Pericles answered.

"That sounds like a pretty big mystery to me," Leon continued. "If I were one of those brats in that group, I wouldn't be able to let it go."

Pericles caught on. "I see," he said softly. "If the Kinder learn about Brad and Judy…they'll never stop looking for them."

"You won't have to find them at all," Leon added. "Those meddling kids will lead you right to them."

Pericles nodded. "But how do we accomplish this?"

Leon flashed a wicked grin. "I had an idea about that, too…"

x.X.x

Saturday, June 5th – Coolsville, Ohio

Pericles had to admit, Leon's idea about sending the Vigenère cipher was inspired. They'd spent the past two weeks planning the code together, deciding what to say and when to say it. The High Kings album had been Pericles' idea – a way to tie in Brad and Judy.

"When the mayor sees this," he had said a few days ago when he'd procured the album. "He'll believe it's from them. I know they'd told him several years ago to be watching for a clue from them…that's what he'll think this is."

Pericles knew that the last place Brad and Judy had lived had been New York, so he knew that the first clue needed to lead them there. He'd had Leon postmark the package with the address of the dog breeder who Brad and Judy had stayed with once.

"How do you know they'd stayed there?" Leon had asked as he carefully wrote the Farmingdale address on the top left corner of the package. How Pericles had managed to smuggle it into the detention complex was beyond him, but he'd decided not to ask any questions.

"The day that Ricky Owens died," Pericles responded. "I discovered this address among the rubble when I went back to see if any of the serum had survived. I had to lay low for a while afterwards, but I waited too long…by the time I found the address, Brad and Judy had gone."

This whole conversation had occurred several days ago. Now it was Saturday, the day of Mystery Incorporated's high school graduation, and the day Pericles' and Leon's plan would be set into motion. Leon had decided that once the brats were out of high school, they were fair game, and Pericles had to agree. Tonight was as good a night as any to send the first text message.

Pericles had procured several burner phones for Leon to hide in his cell, to make the text messages untraceable. He would send the first message tonight while Pericles spied on the gang to watch their reaction, and report back to Leon. But first, Pericles had an errand to run.

Last month, before all this had happened, Mystery Incorporated had been meeting with Leon's former band about the set list for their prom. After the gang had broken up, only Fred Jones had gone to meet with them. He hadn't done much of the planning…mostly he'd just mutter about Daphne Blake and some kid she'd dated in the past whom he feared she was getting back together with. This, of course, turned out not to be true. Regardless, it was how Leon had learned that the gang had a classmate called Red Herring. He thought it would be funny if the kid lived up to his name and played a part in this mystery, and since Leon was currently incarcerated, Pericles had to be the one to deliver his message.

Using the phone book (Pericles was surprised that Coolsville still had one), he discovered that the Herring family lived in the Oak Pond neighborhood, ironically not far from Leon's family home. When Pericles arrived, he found the house teeming with people – nearly all of them drunk teenagers. Pericles couldn't help rolling his eyes. It was one thing to celebrate a graduation, but he felt that this was excessive.

He found Red engaged in a game of beer pong, boisterously yelling in victory as he sunk his final shot. Pericles didn't have to wait long for the next players to take up their positions and followed Red as he stumbled out into the backyard. On unsteady feet, he ambled to the edge of the property, where he promptly retched into the bushes.

Pericles rolled his eyes again as he alighted on a nearby tree. Was this really worth it?

"Hey," Red slurred, straightening up. "Hoot, hoot Mr. Owl. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"

It took Pericles a second to realize the drunk teenager was talking to him.

"I'm a parrot, dummkopf," he replied.

Red blinked slowly. "It talks," he murmured, approaching Pericles.

The bird was running out of patience. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, away from this foul-breathed nincompoop. Besides, it was almost time for Leon to send the first text, and Pericles needed to spy on Fred Jones. "I have a message for you," he said, unfurling one of his talons to reveal a slip of paper.

Dumbfounded, Red reached out for it and studied the ciphertext that Leon had carefully printed earlier that day. "What is it?" he asked, squinting through the haze of his drunkenness.

"In approximately four days," Pericles continued as if Red hadn't spoken. "You'll be approached by a teenager, or a group of teenagers. They will ask you if you've ever heard of a person named Leon Berger."

"Like the dog?" Red asked stupidly. "A leonberger?"

Pericles let out an exasperated huff of air. "When they ask you," he told him. "You are to give them this paper. It will have the answer they're looking for."

Red, in his inebriated daze, didn't appear to be comprehending any of this. He stared at the bird, blinking slowly and asynchronously.

"Do you understand?" asked Pericles loudly.

"Is this about those mystery geeks that Daphne Blake's always hanging out with?" asked Red.

Oh great, a love triangle. Pericles glared at Red. "Do you understand?" he asked again.

"Yeah, I got it," Red replied. "If anyone asks about Leon Berger, I give them this paper full of gibberish." He waved the sheet nonchalantly and stuffed it in a pocket. "Who should I say gave me this?"

Pericles had already taken off from the tree branch and was soaring down the street, but he called back over his shoulder. "Tell them a little birdie told you."

x.X.x

Sunday, June 6th – Farmingdale, New York

Their plan was in motion. Fred Jones had received the first text, and the mayor had told the gang about Brad and Judy. The only problem was that the gang hadn't taken the album with them to New York.

Pericles was furious about this. They would need the music and the tabula recta hidden inside the CD case to solve the mystery. What was the point of taunting the gang if they didn't realize they were being taunted?

Right now, he was hiding in the smoky lobby of the Jekyll and Hyde Club, where he had waited for the gang after learning they had dinner reservations. Their friend Holden had just gone to the hostess stand to check in, while the rest of Mystery Incorporated stayed behind. From his hiding place in the wall, Pericles had an excellent view of Scooby Doo's rear left leg.

Pericles knew that Scooby must have been exposed to the serum somehow. It was the only explanation for why he could talk. He'd have to take him out eventually, of course, but he knew it would be unwise to do so now. However, Pericles had never been this close to the dog before. He'd always tried to keep his distance, just to avoid temptation. But now…Scooby was so close.

Perhaps spending so much time with the impulsive Leon was starting to rub off on him, because Pericles edged himself out of the wall, making his movements robotic and jerky like the creepy animatronics nearby.

"Good evening," he murmured, his voice low.

The effect was both instantaneous and satisfying. Scooby shrieked, leaping several feet in the air and landing heavily in Shaggy's arms.

"Oof," he muttered, taken aback. "Like, what's with you, Scooby Doo?"

Each member of the gang turned to glance at Pericles. For all they knew, he was just a creepy bird animatronic. Only Pericles knew the truth – and the knowledge made him feel powerful.

"Welcome to the Jekyll and Hyde Club," he continued. "Where something unusual happens every ten minutes. You have been warned!"

Before any of the gang had more time to react, Pericles slipped back inside the wall.

There was a brief silence before he heard Shaggy say, "Like does that count as unusual?"

Pericles kept a close eye on the gang throughout dinner, though he didn't interact with them again. It appeared they were going to Long Island after they finished eating, and he was eager to follow them. He flew to Farmingdale and settled on a fencepost across the street from Roy Jacobson's house, waiting for Mystery Incorporated to arrive.

It was just about ten-fifteen when the four teenagers and their dog came ambling along the sidewalk. They were on Pericles' side of the street, but they crossed the road to stand in front of the house before they spotted him. Not that it would have mattered. It was dark, and he doubted any of them would recognize him as the same "animatronic" from Jekyll and Hyde.

He thought briefly about gliding over to Roy's side of the street, but he didn't think it was necessary – he could hear just fine from his spot on the fencepost. He listened to Shaggy ask about the time, and then watched the interaction the group had with Roy and his dogs when they came careening around from the opposite side of the house.

"We're looking for a couple," Daphne was saying now. "This address was their last known residence." She glanced pointedly at Fred, who took the photo of Brad and Judy from his pocket and handed it over.

Roy studied it and gave a low whistle. "Wow," he murmured. "Yeah, I remember them. Haven't heard from them in almost a decade, though."

"Wait, you know them?" asked Fred, bewildered.

Roy nodded. "Yeah. They were a nice couple. Chad Biles and Ruby Jeeves, their names were."

Pericles scoffed. He was still so unimpressed by their unoriginality. They'd only reversed the syllables of their first and last names. In fact, it was how he'd found them in the first place.

He listened as Roy described "Chad and Ruby's" Midtown apartment and their desire to adopt one of his dogs. Pericles hadn't known this for sure, though he'd figured as much – he'd known that Roy bred spaniels, but not that Brad and Judy had adopted one of the puppies. He wondered if the dog had taken the serum. If it had, either Roy didn't know, or he didn't want to tell the gang. 'Smart man,' Pericles thought.

"Where are they now?" Velma wanted to know. "Did they go back to Manhattan?"

Roy shook his head. "Nah. I think they went back to the Midwest, actually."

"Back to Ohio?" asked Fred.

Roy shook his head again. "Nah, nah. Last I heard, they were movin' to Chicago."

Pericles straightened up on the fencepost. Chicago! They'd been living less than five hundred miles from Coolsville all this time?

Evidently the gang was also taken aback by this news. Pericles saw them all exchange stricken glances.

Roy noticed, too. "What'd I say?" he asked.

Velma ignored his question. "Where in Chicago? Do you have a forwarding address for them?"

Pericles leaned forward eagerly, but Roy simply shook his head.

"Sorry, girlie," he apologized. "All I know is I woke up one morning and they were gone. Left me a note sayin' they'd taken the pup to Chicago with them. That was about eight years ago. Haven't heard from 'em since."

Pericles relaxed, a new determination filling him. It would take the gang at least a day, perhaps longer, to drive to Illinois. If Pericles left New York now, he would still have time to stop in Coolsville and relay this news to Leon before heading for Chicago himself.

But first, he had some business to take care of.

It was nearly time for Leon to send the second text message. The pair of them had decided that each member of the gang would get one text, and tonight it was Daphne's turn. Pericles had to stick around until she got the message. But she was crossing the street now, heading right for him. He couldn't take off from the fence post without one of members of the gang noticing him. Stealthily, he fluttered down to the ground and flew up the street, a safe distance away, staying close to the ground where no one could see him.

But he stopped short in midair at the sight of a small, gray sedan.

It turned its headlights on, blinding the bird for a moment. But the instant he regained his vision, he discovered that he recognized the two people in the car.

"How…?" the bird murmured inaudibly. At the exact same second, the driver gunned the accelerator and zoomed forward.

If Pericles hadn't shot upward at that moment, he would just be a splattered mess of feathers. But he'd dodged the car, which was still speeding down the road. Right towards Daphne Blake, who had stopped in the middle of the street to read Pericles' text.

Luckily for her, the sedan swerved before hitting her, and drove off into the night.

Pericles watched as Daphne's friends surrounded her and guided her back to the other side of the street, where Roy was waiting again. But Pericles didn't hang around to hear what happened next – someone had just tried to kill him.

And he knew exactly who it was.

x.X.x

Monday, June 7th – Coolsville, Ohio

It was mere hours before Leon's second arraignment hearing by the time Pericles had finished explaining everything that had happened in New York, including the car that had almost hit him – and who had been driving it.

"Are you sure?" Leon whispered, eyes tight with frustration.

Pericles sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you?" he muttered, exasperated. "I know what I saw, dummkopf."

Leon ignored the insult, and leaned against the wall of his cell. "Then we have a problem," he said.

Pericles felt like shrieking. All his hard work was going to be for nothing. If he'd known that those two were still in the picture, he would have changed his plan accordingly. But now that he knew they were out there…

How had they even found him in the first place?

Leon, for his part, was only half focused on Pericles' rage. His own pent-up anger was threatening to bubble to the surface. The second arraignment had been Pericles' idea – a way to get Leon out of prison on bail so he'd be able to help more. But with this setback, was that even a possibility now?

"We'll need to rethink our strategy," said Pericles quietly, as though he could hear Leon's thoughts.

Leon flashed his eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

"Calm down," Pericles replied. "Go through the arraignment as planned. Plead 'no contest.' You'll be let out on house arrest. I'll follow the Kinder to Chicago without you. Once I learn where Brad and Judy are, I'll come back. And then we can figure out what to do next." Without so much more than a word of farewell, Pericles took off and glided through the building towards an exit – just as a cop and Mr. Carpenter showed up to escort Leon to his hearing.

It was a quick journey to the courthouse. Leon tried to keep his head down as his lawyer and the bailiff led him through the side door into the courtroom, but he was still reeling with rage from his conversation with Pericles. Where the hell did that bird get off?

He shot brief glances towards the judge and the prosecutor before surreptitiously glancing around the room. There weren't many people in the gallery, but Leon noticed Sheriff Stone and a few deputies. He also, to his horror, realized that his former friends were here – Priya Dandekar, Felix Barnwell, Joey Moretti, and Julie St. James. And sitting with them were Joey's younger brother Tony, and his friend Marcie Fleach. They kept their faces impassive as they looked at him across the room.

Leon seethed. What the hell were they doing here?

The court official glanced at a piece of paper. "Docket ending 1069. The State of Ohio versus Leon Berger. One count each stalking in the second degree, and kidnapping in the first degree."

"I understand the defendant wants to change his plea?" said the judge.

"No contest on both counts," replied Mr. Carpenter.

The judge glanced at the prosecutor. "Mr. Levine, what does the State think of this?"

"No objection," Levine replied. "But we still request that the defendant remain in the Coolsville Adult Correctional Facility for the duration of his trial."

"Your Honor, that seems ludicrously stringent, given my client's change of plea," said Mr. Carpenter.

"I agree," the judge said, narrowing her eyes at the prosecutor. "Mr. Berger deserves a fair trial, Mr. Levine, and I don't see any reason to be so harsh by keeping him in prison if he's changing his plea. I feel comfortable remanding him to the custody of his parents during the trial."

"In that case Your Honor," said the prosecutor. "The State requests that Mr. Berger surrenders his passport. Furthermore, we stipulate that he is not to make contact with any member of the Dinkley family, and that he wears an ankle monitor for the duration of his house arrest."

Leon's eyebrows shot up in alarm. No contact with the Dinkleys? That meant he couldn't even try to talk to Dottie. Surely the judge wouldn't see a reason to grant this condition.

His attorney apparently also thought it wildly unfair. "An ankle monitor?" scoffed Mr. Carpenter. "That's ridiculous. Your Honor, we'll adhere to the restraining order – " (NO, Leon wanted to shout, but he held his tongue) " – and the passport, but the ankle monitor seems like overkill to me. My client is not a flight risk – his family lives in the area, and he has no history of violence."

"Tell that to the girl he stalked and kidnapped at knifepoint last month," the prosecutor responded. "Or perhaps to the young woman he assaulted three years ago, who needed to have surgery to fix a broken collar bone."

Levine was talking about Julie. How had he known about that? Leon whipped his head around to glare at her, but she was looking straight ahead, jaw set.

"That's all hearsay until we have evidence," Mr. Carpenter pointed out.

"Believe me, there's plenty of it," Levine replied icily.

"You'll have to wait until trial to put it forth, Mr. Levine," the judge reminded him. "However, I am inclined to agree with the State on this case. The defendant is remanded to the custody of his parents, where he is to wear an ankle monitor, for the duration of the trial. He will also surrender his passport. Furthermore, he is not to contact any member of the Dinkley family in any way. And young man…" Here she turned her severe gaze on Leon. "If I hear that you've violated any of these conditions, you'll be back in my courtroom faster than you can say 'due process.' We're adjourned."

She banged her gavel, and Leon's whole body tensed. He'd been expecting to go back to his parents' house…but the ankle monitor, and the restraining order against Dottie? The ruling made him see red.

The bailiff took one of his arms and began to lead him out of the room. But before they reached the side door, Leon whirled around and stampeded towards the railing separating him from the people watching. His friends jumped nervously, and Joey and Felix put protective hands in front of Tony and Marcie. For some reason, this incensed Leon even more than he already was.

"You can't protect them!" he snarled, though he knew it wouldn't help his case. "Just like you can't protect those goddamn meddling kids!"

"Mr. Carpenter, control your client," the judge admonished Leon's lawyer, her tone harsh.

Leon ignored her. "You tell those bastards that they're not rid of me yet," he shouted, pointing directly at Tony. "I'm not alone – I've got help on the outside! Mystery Incorporated better be careful, because they're being watched – they have been since the beginning, longer than any of you idiots realize! And if they don't watch their backs, they're gonna find themselves face down in the asphalt one day. And it'll be their own fault! I'm gonna get those meddling kids – you tell Mystery Incorporated that I'm still in control!"

"Bailiff!" cried the judge. "Remove the defendant!"

An iron grasp on Leon's arm yanked him backwards, and the bailiff pushed him out into the hall.

x.X.x

Tuesday, June 8th – Coolsville, Ohio

It had been a hellishly long twenty-four hours. The monitor was uncomfortable around Leon's ankle, and he'd barely left his childhood bedroom since he'd been released. The judge had admonished him after his outburst, and once Leon had acted contrite, she'd decided not to hold him in contempt. Right now, he was laying prone on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling as a new sort of rage bubbled in his chest.

He couldn't see Dottie.

He couldn't even talk to her.

His plan – the one he and Pericles had so carefully curated over the past several weeks – would never work now.

The sun had set hours ago.

Where the fuck was that goddamn parrot?

No sooner had he thought this, then there was a soft pecking at his window.

Leon flew off the bed and raced across the room to let Pericles in.

"Where have you been?" he snarled as the bird alighted on the desk. "I was expecting you hours ago."

"There was a complication on my end," Pericles replied nonchalantly.

Leon glared at him. "Well, there have been dozens of 'complications' here. I have to wear an ankle monitor, and they slapped me with a restraining order so I can't contact anyone in Dottie's family."

Pericles raised an eyebrow. "Including Velma Dinkley?"

"Yes," was Leon's curt response.

Pericles ruffled his feathers. "Well, that makes our plan for the final text message difficult."

Leon scoffed incredulously. "Are you kidding? That's what you're worried about? This setback makes the entire plan impossible."

"Don't be so dramatic," Pericles told him. "We will be fine. We'll simply send the message to everyone in the gang besides Velma Dinkley. It will have the same effect. Perhaps an even stronger one."

"Okay great," said Leon sarcastically. "What about all the other stuff?"

"Don't you want to hear about my trip to Chicago?" asked Pericles.

"Whatever," Leon muttered, stalking back over to the bed.

Pericles ignored him. "I've found Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves."

"Terrific," Leon mumbled sarcastically.

"I followed them back to Brad and Judy's home, where I eavesdropped through a window," Pericles continued. "It turns out that the extra store of the serum is in Stanford, which happens to be where the Kinder are already traveling. Brad and Judy are coming here and staying with the mayor, which means I cannot touch them. But I rethought our strategy, and I believe I've come up with a solution."

"How?" Leon murmured bitterly.

"Originally, I thought I'd have to pull strings all over the country to get those who betrayed me together again," Pericles told him. "But by tomorrow, they'll all be here, in Coolsville. And that will make it easier than ever to make them go to Stanford, which is where I really need them. All it will take is a bit of…persuasion on our parts."

Leon sighed impatiently. "What are we going to do?"

Pericles smirked, an evil glint in his eye.

"I've already begun," he revealed.

Leon frowned. "…What did you do in Chicago?" he asked, properly curious about Pericles' journey for the first time.

Pericles simply eyed Leon. "You are familiar with their vehicle? The Mystery Machine, I believe they call it?"

Leon could only nod.

"I've befitted it with a…device," Pericles told him. "While they were inside Brad and Judy's home. I've hidden it well – they will not find it. But I will not be able to activate it yet. Not until they have received our final clue. But once that has happened, we can put the rest of the plan into motion."

Leon glared at the parrot. "And what exactly is the plan now?"

In response, Pericles fluttered down to the floor, where he fiddled with the band of Leon's ankle monitor until it detached.

Leon stared at the bird open-mouthed.

"I will tell you," Pericles said. "If you just listen…"

And so, Leon listened. He listened as Professor Pericles laid out the new plan. It would require a bit of patience on Leon's part. But it was a good plan. A brilliant plan, in fact.

Absolutely diabolical.

Just like the parrot who had come up with it.

x.X.x

Wednesday, June 9th – somewhere in Wyoming

Everybody – except Fred, who was driving – gazed in horror at Daphne's paper.

"Professor Pericles?" Daphne squeaked.

Nova looked extremely uneasy. "How did he and Leon Berger even meet?"

But no one had time to answer, because at that moment, Velma's cellphone rang.

"Like who is it?" asked Shaggy, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Velma stared dazedly at the screen. "It's a Facetime from Marcie," she replied. She shifted so she, Shaggy, Scooby, and Nova were all in the frame. Daphne turned around so she could see as well, but Fred kept his eyes stoically on the road.

"Hi Marce," said Velma once she'd answered the call. "The gang's all here."

"Us too," Marcie replied.

Velma blinked. "Jinkies," she murmured. When Marcie said "us," she really did mean "us." Beyond Marcie, Velma could see Tony, Brad, Judy, Mayor Jones, Julie, Joey, Priya, and Felix. They must have called in reinforcements to crack the code.

Velma was also vaguely aware of two other adults in the room, a man and a woman standing near Tony. She didn't quite recognize them, but she didn't have enough mental faculties to dwell on who they were. Her head was still spinning from what the gang had learned in the Vigenère cipher.

"You're not going to believe what we found out," Velma began, but Marcie stopped her.

"Wait," she said, holding up a hand. "Tony got here a while ago. You should hear what he has to say first."

Tony, who was still dressed in his waiter's uniform from work, took Marcie's phone. "As soon as I finished at the restaurant, I clocked out to go home. But these people were waiting for me in the alley." He gestured to the unrecognizable adults, who stepped forward.

Nova frowned at them. She thought they looked vaguely familiar but couldn't place where she knew them.

"They told me they knew Brad and Judy," Tony continued. "And asked me to bring them here. We all had a long talk, and after they told us what they knew, we called the band." He gestured behind him to Heavy Meddle.

But Daphne wasn't paying attention to Leon Berger's former friends. She was studying the unfamiliar adults. She thought she recognized them too, but she wasn't sure why.

"Anyway," Tony went on. "I think they can help."

"What do you mean?" asked Daphne, still preoccupied with trying to figure out the identities of the two new adults.

The man, who had a gaunt face and long dark hair, took the phone from Tony and spoke up. "Did you know that Leon Berger's accomplice is Professor Pericles?"

Everybody gaped at him.

"…Yes," Velma admitted. "We just figured it out using a Vigenère cipher."

The woman nodded. She wore her hair in an afro, and she had dark skin. "We're sorry you had to waste your time with that code," she said. "We should have told y'all sooner, but it wasn't safe for us to come out of hiding until now."

Shaggy furrowed his brow. "Hiding? Like what are you talking about?"

But Scooby Doo gasped. He had just figured out why these two adults looked so strangely familiar. The gang had only seen their photo for the first time yesterday, and unlike Brad and Judy, who had been immediately recognizable after eighteen years, these two had changed dramatically. They both looked world-worn and anxious. The man was much larger, and the woman no longer wore glasses. But now that Scooby realized who they were, it was so obvious.

"Ricky and Rassidy?" he breathed.

Fred took his eyes off the road for a millisecond to glance into the rearview mirror. "Did you say 'Ricky and Cassidy?'" he asked.

And as the others gazed into the phone, it dawned on them.

Scooby Doo was right.

It was Ricky Owens and Cassidy Williams, apparently back from the dead.

Sponge: Thanks for reading! Review if you please and don't forget to guess where the chapter title comes from!