A/N: I worried if switching my attention to another fic would make it harder to return to this and ultimately prove to be too much of a distraction. Thankfully writing 'Behind The Mask' has had nothing but a positive effect. It renewed my enthusiasm in writing Scooby fic, after previously hitting a bit of a brick wall at the end of the previous chapter and I found that this just flowed out. I have always had the beginning and the end mapped out from the off but the middle bit trying to get naturally into the resolution was proving so difficult. Turns out 'Behind the Mask' was just the shot in the arm I needed for this and I think I'm well and truly over the 'hump' :) I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 18: When Heroes Fall
Hastily, Fred pulled his hand from Shaggy's shoulder as he tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Shaggy had gone from a raging ball of anger to instantly freezing in shock. Presently, Fred noticed that Ethan hadn't actually arrived alone, and an equally grief-stricken looking Daphne and Velma were stood just behind him in the corridor.
"W-what happened?" Shaggy stammered.
Fred silently ushered them all into the room without even thinking about it. Ethan shuffled in first like a zombie not really aware of his surroundings at all, and Daphne and Velma followed shortly after, linking arms.
Once the door closed behind them, Ethan seemed to snap out of his mini trance to answer Shaggy's question. "She uh, she uh, suffered a massive cardiac arrest, th-they, they couldn't save her. She passed away about ten minutes ago."
Fred felt immediately numb. This couldn't be real. First Will, now Stella, both...gone.
Tears trailed down his cheeks so readily that he couldn't stop them. Hadn't they suffered enough already? Losing Will and Stella was utterly heart-breaking for all of them.
Shaggy had sat back down on his bed and buried his face in his hands, Scooby sorrowfully placed his head on the boy's lap. The girls huddled together on the other bed, comforting each other's pain, and Ethan looked utterly destroyed, standing sombrely alone by the door.
Fred quietly walked over to him and gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, while his own face remained streaked by his tears.
"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, choking back a sob. "I know, I know that you two had became close."
Ethan looked gratefully towards Fred, unable to summon much more than a quiet 'thank you' in return.
It was true that Ethan and Stella had become particularly good friends and had been bonded together in a way the gang hadn't. From the moment that Stella had first met Ethan in hospital, immediately after he had escaped from Devon's captivity, she had treated him with nothing but absolute compassion and kindness. It was also her absolute belief in, what were on the surface, outrageous claims about the then peerless Devon Blake, that had led to the police assault on the farmhouse. It was an action that ultimately had ensured the gang's safety.
After that, although Ethan had declined to officially join Mystery Inc, he certainly helped them on their cases through his sources and leads, and had developed both a productive and friendly relationship with Stella White. His slightly gung-ho attitude ensured it became a complicated relationship that occasionally landed him in hot water with her if he pushed things too far. They did actually clash often but there was one singular cause that united them completely: A desire to finally put an end to Devon Blake's reign of terror.
This was why after Ethan's initial anger at Stella for covering up Devon's 'Oakland' involvement, they had begun to work together even more closely (but from afar) as Ethan sourced information from his exploits undercover in Hong Kong with the sole aim of finally nailing Devon. He was feeling completely guilt-laden now that his false information had led to the ill-fated raid on the warehouse that had now claimed both hers and Will's life and countless other members of their already heavily-hit police force.
He shook Fred's hand off his shoulder, suddenly feeling violently ill.
"I need to get some air guys," he said slightly apologetically before darting from the room.
"Poor guy," Velma sniffed, wiping away the last of her tears. "They had become particularly good friends I believe."
"They had," Daphne nodded, her tears dry now but the grief still weighed heavy in her heart. It hung in the air desolately for all of them. Losing both of the detectives had left such a monumental hole.
Will Barnum and Stella White hadn't just become allies to the gang, they were their friends, their protectors, and as they all had learned now; the driving force in the continued fight against Devon Blake and his poison. Their deaths were felt hard by each and every one of the gang.
And boy did it hurt.
They were also painfully aware that their deaths symbolised something even worse. It was the biggest signal yet that they were losing the battle. Killing Will and Stella wasn't just enough evidence to prove that Devon was winning, it was the most significant blow. They were the authority figures in this fight, the unequivocal good guys, their protectors who had come to their aid on several occasions. They had secretly fought a battle against Devon Blake and his forces for two years while still harbouring one aim – protect the kids. That obstacle had now been removed. Their staunchest defenders now both removed, it was a dagger through each of their hearts and was an absolutely devastating victory for Devon that sent shock-waves through not just them, but all who remained in that tiny little compound who were fighting the good fight.
The grieving eventually transitioned into a period of reminiscence for the gang as they toasted their memories of their late friends with a few drinks in Shaggy's room. It was already long after midnight when Ethan had broken the sad news and the first hints of daylight were beginning to creep into the compound, Ethan had yet to return and they hadn't seen Justin for hours now, not since he left when they started that explosive team meeting. They sat on the floor together, numbing the pain with some bottles of wine and some glasses they had sneaked out of the kitchen, and some cans that Shaggy had kept hidden in the van. Daphne was now snuggled up with Fred again, the pair of them wrapped in a blanket together. Velma and Shaggy were sitting close but not quite together. Scooby was curled up on Shaggy's bed dozing softly.
"Man, I still can't believe they're both gone," said Shaggy sadly as he sank his third beer. "I will never forget that feeling of relief as Freddy, Scoob and I emerged from the dark tunnel that night to find police cars as far as the eye could see. I had never seen a more welcoming sight!"
They all sadly nodded their agreement, there was no doubt that the strong police presence had saved them all that night. It was the first, but far from the last time, that Will and Stella had come to the gang's timely aid as they had set about tackling Coolsville's newly risen masked menaces with their new crime solving venture.
"Hey, do you remember that first interrogation, Shaggy?" Velma said with a smile, as she reached for the bottle to pour herself another glass of wine.
"Oh hell yes! He was definitely the bad cop to Stella's good cop that night!" Shaggy chuckled ruefully. "Like, I was terrified of him."
"He did seem pretty imposing at first," Daphne mused in agreement. "But we soon found out he was an absolute pussycat when he wasn't on duty. Luckily, he remained a tiger to everybody else."
"He was brave and fierce. They both were. God, they saved us so many times," said Fred with a sigh, finishing his beer and crushing the can with unnecessary force.
The room fell silent again as they all reflected on that statement; on their very best cases, Stella and Will merely arrived on time to wrap up the proceedings, with their plan having gone smoothly and the bad guys apprehended with barely a hitch. Of course, this hadn't always been the case and some 'incidences' had been far too close for comfort.
Like the time when Fred's trap had literally fallen apart at the seams at the very last second, allowing their suspect to break free and almost drown Velma. Will and Stella were there to save the day.
Or that time when they had truly bit off more than they could chew and were confronted by quite a psychotic assailant, who had managed to trap Fred at knifepoint. Will and Stella were there to save the day.
Then there was the time that the fun of 'the chase' was anything but and not only did their suspect manage to catch Shaggy, he gave him a hefty beating for his troubles. Will and Stella were there to save the day.
However, all of those undoubtedly hair-raising incidents still paled in comparison to Will and Stella's greatest ever 'save'. Individually, they had all had their 'bad days on the job' but there could be no doubt collectively what their most dangerous case had been.
"Like, are you guys all thinking of the same case?" Shaggy asked with a shudder.
"The Moore farm?" offered Daphne. "I think we all are."
"Oh god, the mistake we made that day, it still haunts me to this day," Velma exclaimed.
"Will and Stella really did save our bacon that day," Fred agreed, his stomach churning as he was once again reminded of the near fatal case they had all tried to forget.
Three Years Ago
Since Mystery Inc had 'opened for business' after the adventure at Vasquez Castle around three months ago, they had had a steady stream of cases, and though there had been some precarious moments, generally the gang hadn't been in any real danger up to that point. That all changed when they innocently investigated reports of a haunting at Moore Farm, about twenty miles from Coolsville.
By this point, they had unmasked enough creeps to know that it was invariably 'just' a man in a mask with some lame scheme, so their initial approach to the case was 'standard'. The owners of Moore Farm had already fled in fear so the Farm was empty when they got there on a brilliantly sunny and hot June day.
"Okay, time to put your money where your mouth is, guys!" Velma grinned, turning to her friends before they got out of the van. "What are we saying this time? Real estate? Long lost treasure? Disgruntled relative?"
Daphne smiled, putting on her sunglasses as they climbed from the van and she studied the ageing farmhouse with disdain. "Hmm, well looking at the farmhouse, I can't imagine this is the kind of place people are dying to inherit, so maybe a play for the land?"
"I'd love it if it really was treasure!" exclaimed Fred, taking Daphne's hand. "We've never actually come across any genuine 'treasure' yet. There's got to be some out there! What do you guys think?" he asked, turning to Shaggy and Scooby who had belatedly emerged from the back of the van.
"I think Scooby and I are hungry." Shaggy stated with a yawn, and stretched his long limbs. "Let's hope the owners didn't have time to grab any of that wholesome farm food!"
"Typical," Velma shook her head with a little scowl before getting right down to business. "So, according to the family, Ma Moore said she saw a hooded creep in the barn, when she was tending to the chickens late one night. He was dressed in black and had a green face."
"Standard spook for us," Daphne grinned, interrupting Velma's summary of the case so far.
"Quite," Velma said a little testily, clearly unhappy to be interrupted. "Anyway, she was obviously shook up but as it was late at night, she put it down to being tired and hallucinating. One minute he was there and the next, he wasn't. She didn't think too much of it. That was of course, until the same hooded mystery showed up the next night inside the house. A threatening message was left on the wall in the baby's nursery, warning them to 'get out', and then Pa Moore also saw the hooded fiend downstairs in the basement, where it attacked him, throwing a chair and any other item it had to hand, straight towards him."
"Which means he's clearly corporeal," Fred interrupted smugly and Velma turned to the blond annoyed.
"Well, obviously Freddy. But, this was more than enough to force the Moore's out. Pa gathered up his family right in that instant, loaded up the car and high-tailed it out of there, but not before being attacked by the hooded menace one last..."
"Oh come on Velma! Just give him the proper name already!" Fred burst out giddily in anticipation, and Velma sighed totally giving up now.
"Fine. They were attacked on the drive way off the farm by 'The Creeper', who appeared suddenly in front of their car. They swerved around him and they were gone. Last I heard they had gone to Ma's sister in the next state. Of course, the police were called out to investigate but they found no sign of this so-called Creeper."
"Creeper, I just love that name," sighed Fred happily. "Ma told the press that it was because of the eerie way he moved around, just creeping around the place. Appearing and disappearing in an instant."
"That sure is creepy," Daphne agreed. "So the question is, what is he after? If we're correct and scaring off the Moore's wasn't his sole aim, despite the police finding nothing, we expect him to be back for a reason. Stella and Will have given us permission to investigate while the premises remain empty."
"Exactly, we just have to find out what that reason is! I'm pretty excited by this one!" Fred said goofily, desperately holding on to his dream of long lost treasure. Despite the fact he had been the most reluctant to 'investigate' Vasquez Castle, he had quickly embraced their new venture and approached every case with the same childish enthusiasm that Daphne found completely endearing and the others found completely annoying.
They spent the morning investigating the case in their usual investigative fashion, splitting up and hunting for clues. When they reconvened a couple of hours later, it seemed they had found very little of significance between them, and no sign of the Creeper.
"Maybe he really did get what he came for that night and has already left?" suggested Daphne in disappointment. "Maybe it was all about scaring away the Moore's and mission accomplished."
"Maybe, I did find something though," said Velma. "These documents show that Ma and Pa Moore have only lived at the farm for a couple of years, there was nothing pertaining to who the previous owners were."
"Hmm," said Fred. "Well, there's only one place we haven't checked. It's time to check out that basement!"
"Do we have to?" said Shaggy with a defeated sigh. "You should know by now no good comes from checking out creepy basements Freddy."
But Fred was already opening the door and the girls were following him down the staircase. Not wanting to be left alone, Shaggy and Scooby reluctantly followed the adventurous trio.
It was a stereotypical creepy basement, where the stairs creaked ominously with every footstep and where every surface was covered in a thick layer of cobwebs. The only thing that looked like it was from this century was a modern chest freezer in the corner, which was clearly the only purpose why the Moore's' had ever ventured down the rickety stairs.
Fred flicked the light on which was a single naked bulb that hung from the middle of the ceiling.
Daphne tentatively poked her hand in a box only to withdraw it seconds later in fright when a spider ran across her fingertips.
There was a ton of junk which they began to poke around cautiously, still there didn't seem to be anythingworth scaring off a whole family for.
Fred was just beginning to think this whole thing really was a disappointing bust when his eyes curiously took in a hideously creepy painting of a child on the far wall of the basement. He didn't know what made him do it, but gingerly he took the painting from the wall before his eyes lit up in delight. BINGO.
"Hey, I got something!" he called eagerly to the others, "there's a door behind this painting."
"Fuck right off," Velma snorted in derision but was amazed when Fred revealed the truth. A small wooden door hidden behind the huge painting.
He grinned, clutching the handle and then shone his torch into the secret room and promptly dropped it in alarm.
A huge shadow rose up from the corner, green face turning menacingly towards the partially revealed gang stood gaping in the door way.
"GET OUT!" the Creeper yelled before charging right towards them.
Panicked, Fred shut the door and quickly replaced the painting before catching up with the rest of the fleeing gang as they thundered up the staircase. Shaggy and Scooby darted outside, seeking cover in the barn while Fred and the girls hurried upstairs. As they reached the top of the staircase, the Creeper suddenly appeared blocking their way and while Daphne and Fred screamed in fear, Velma frowned in confusion, how the hell had the Creeper got from the basement so quickly?
They fled outside to the barn where they found a hiding Shaggy and Scooby who insisted the Creeper had also searched for them inside the barn.
Spooked, the gang returned to the van, and for a fleeting moment of joy, Shaggy thought this was one mystery they were finally going to run away from. He should have known better.
Fred's plan was that the Creeper would only think they had successfully been frightened away, he planned for them to return on foot at nightfall.
"We have to find out what's in that room!" Fred argued. It has to be something huge!"
Shaggy sighed in resignation, he knew there would be no way of dissuading Freddy once he had his teeth firmly caught in a new mystery. Shaggy could happily live out the rest of his life never knowing what was in that room, thank you very much, but unfortunately the girls shared Fred's sense of reckless adventure and he was heavily outvoted.
As night fell, it was still hot and stuffy and after parking the Mystery Machine some two miles away covered by bales of hay, the walk back to the Moore farm was unbearable for all of them.
Scooby was panting heavily in the heat and Daphne dabbed at her forehead with her scarf, relieved when the old brick red building came into sight. They huddled quietly behind the barn.
"Okay, Freddy so what's the plan? Split up?"
"No, we need to catch the Creeper first," Fred argued to everyone's surprise.
"But we haven't even solved the mystery yet?" Velma pointed out the obvious. "We never catch the guy FIRST."
"I just have a gut feeling, we won't be able to get anywhere near that room until the Creeper is out of the picture," Fred shared his thoughts with the gang. "We can catch him and then go check out the room completely safe."
"It's unconventional Fred, but I'm game!" Daphne agreed. "What do we need to do?"
"We'll need to lure the Creeper out again by making as much noise as possible in the house. I have an idea that we should make it seem like the Moores have returned home. That should get his attention. Velma and Shaggy you guys dress up as Ma and Pa, there's plenty of clothes left behind upstairs."
Shaggy opened his mouth indignantly then realised this was better than the usual ' Shaggy and Scooby get chased to draw out the monster' shtick that they had favoured on too many occasions recently.
I figure the barn is the perfect place for a trap," Fred continued, his eyes shining. "There's all manner of hoists and pulleys. We just need to draw him out to the barn where Daph and I will be ready. You think you guys can handle that?" he asked, eyeing Shaggy, Velma and Scooby.
"Sure thing," Shaggy said with a sigh.
"Excellent, let's catch ourselves a Creeper!"
The gang all helped Fred set up an elaborate trap to catch the Creeper. As had become custom with Fred's 'traps', it looked like a Science experiment with some award winning use of physics. The final part of the trap involved Fred lassoing the Creeper, and Daphne hoisting him from the barn's high rafters. The gang were torn at that point whether that was when they should call in Will and Stella, or go investigate the room first. Fred was desperate to go to the hidden room in the basement and argued his case that the suspect would be perfectly immobile. Velma, who was always much more cautious, pointed out the trap wasn't entirely fool proof. What if the Creeper got loose again? Surely they needed to call the police the second they caught him? They were still undecided when the trap was eventually set in motion.
Shaggy, Scooby and Velma sneaked into the house a little before midnight and with his human friends dressing up, Scooby wandered into the kitchen while he waited for them. He was delighted to find a juicy bone just sitting and waiting for him. He trotted over happily and as soon as he picked it up, a cage slammed down around him, startling him. He whined loudly when the Creeper appeared, materialising appropriately from the shadows with a grin on his face. The Creeper switched the light off and locked the kitchen door.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Shaggy and Velma now dressed as Ma and Pa Moore, were making a heck of a racket, playing music and thumping around to draw out the Creeper. It didn't take long for them to succeed. With a furious roar, he lumbered up the stairs and went after Shaggy and Velma. Velma narrowly escaped from having a vase thrown at her head and the two of them then bombed down the stairs. Shaggy was concerned that Scooby has not re-appeared but nevertheless stuck with the plan. They were both fast and managed to get themselves a good distance ahead of the Creeper as they ran out of the house, across the yard and towards the barn.
"Get Ready!" shouted Velma in warning to Fred and Daphne but was astonished to find the Creeper suddenly breathing right down their necks again.
How could he move so fast? He didn't look particularly spry. He was lanky and cumbersome.
She didn't have time to think about this further, he was so close now, close enough to reach out. He did. He swiped at her shoulder and she ducked away in time. Shaggy flung open the barn door, and as planned dived into the darkness to the left. Velma to the right.
The lights come back on and Fred is suddenly standing there, waving obnoxiously at the Creeper "Hey, here I am!"
As the Creeper lunges forward to grab Fred, he instantly trips over a tripwire, lands in an old wheelbarrow, and it shoots backwards at speed, landing precariously on a beam of wood. In the darkness, Fred drops a heavy rock on the plank, which has the catapulting effect of sending the Creeper high up into the air where he lands dishevelled in a pile of hay. Before he can get to his feet, he feels a thick rope cinch tight around his torso, pinning his arms to him and before he has chance to react to that, he is hoisted high into the air, dangling from the rafters like meat on a hook.
"YESS!" Fred cheers, tying the rope around a support beam to hold him place, and the rest of the gang appear once again. Fred and Velma move towards the suspect. Shaggy and Daphne are stood by the open door, Shaggy is distracted because Scooby still hasn't shown.
"Time to find out who this Creeper really is," Fred announced triumphantly, getting ready to bring him back down again.
"But we have no idea Freddy!" Daphne reminded him, "because we haven't solved the mystery yet, we have no real suspects!"
"Ha, you're right," Fred chuckled. "I guess it doesn't really matter but tradition is tradition after all."
He started to undo the rope and slowly lower the man to the floor but Velma looked perturbed and sounded worried.
"Wait, Freddy, I don't think you should yet, we really ought to call the police now. There's something about this case that doesn't sit right with me at all. Something is not making sense."
Fred paused, tying the rope back over and leaving him suspended in mid-air. "Well sure, things don't make sense yet Velma, we haven't solved the case yet, we're not doing this in the traditional way."
"No, it's not just that!" Velma insisted. "There's something I'm missing I'm sure of it. I just have this gut feeling you should call Will and Stella right now, I have a real bad feeling about this..."
Velma's uneasiness spread rapidly around the rest of the gang.
The suspect who had remained quiet until now chuckled loudly now inside his mask. "Boy, what an absolute honour it is to meet the Mystery brats I've heard so much about lately. You know, you really should have listened to the smart chick," he drawled mockingly. "It might have saved your lives."
"That's it!" Daphne shivered, fishing in her bag for her cell phone. "I'm calling Will and Stella right...nowwwwwww AHHHHH!"
Fred's head snapped around instantly in alarm towards Daphne as she screamed.
"Drop the phone sweetheart," a menacing voice said, but it didn't come from the suspect swinging from the rafters with a smug grin on his face now, but rather behind Daphne and Shaggy from the open door.
What had caused her to scream was a rifle poking into her back, and holding the rifle was a second identically dressed grinning looming Creeper, only this one was armed with a shotgun that he was pointing at Daphne and Shaggy's backs.
The colour instantly drained from Freddy's face, he was still clutching onto the rope that held the original Creeper aloft. For Velma she was still reeling from the sloppy mistake that she feared was about to cost them dear. She realised now why she had felt so uneasy, it was how the Creeper had materialised and vanished at will, both with them, and how the sightings had been described by the Moores. Upstairs to downstairs or inside to outside in a flash, there were only two possible explanations; The Creeper was a real spectre, or, there were two of them.
"And everyone told us you guys were smart! You couldn't even figure out the classic accomplice twist," laughed the one still trapped in Fred's trap.
Daphne had dropped her cell phone as requested and the 2nd Creeper behind her reached forward and stamped on it. He pushed the shotgun further into Daphne's back and ushered her and Shaggy further into the barn. He then waved the shotgun towards Fred and Velma menacingly.
"Smart chick, get over here."
Velma looked reproachfully at Fred, before slowly walking towards Shaggy and Daphne. She stood next to them whilst the Creeper aimed his shotgun behind them all.
Fred never took his eyes off his friends but still held the rope firmly in his hands. He took a step forward but the Creeper with the gun ushered him straight back.
"No, not you blondie. You're going to get my brother down and untie him."
Brother, of course they were brothers. Twin menacers thought Fred. Despite the peril they were in, he couldn't help still thinking about what it was the brothers were hiding. He made no move to free the captured brother.
"Hurry up blondie, you're making my finger itch," The armed Creeper said threateningly but still Fred refused.
The Creeper sighed exaggeratedly, before loading his shotgun loudly and aiming it straight at Daphne's head now.,,
"You'll get him down in the next ten seconds unless you want me to kill your pretty little girlfriend right here in front of you."
Fred gulped, realising both of the Creepers had obviously spied on them and probably caught him kissing Daphne earlier when they were supposed to be looking for clues. Like Velma, he was furiously berating himself for not spotting the obvious signs that there were two of them.
He quickly unfurled the rope that released the first brother and when he hit the floor, he nervously knelt down next to him to undo the complex knot that had held him snug.
"Thank you," the first Creeper leered at Fred, before punching him square in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. "That's for your smug little trap." As Fred tried to get back up with the cries of his friends ringing in his ears, the Creeper launched a vicious kick to his stomach, a sound that reverberated around the barn and had Daphne screaming in anguish.
"And that's because, well just because, it's fun."
The previously captured Creeper grabbed Fred to his feet, while he was still recovering from the brutal kick and threw him towards his friends.
"Tie them all up," he instructed his brother, retrieving some more rope.
The brothers tied the gang up, kneeling them in a line on the floor of the barn.
The second Creeper who had arrived with the shotgun, called his brother to the corner where they couldn't be heard, while still sneaking glances at the gang to make sure they didn't move.
"What are we going to do, Harry?" he asked him anxiously. "We can just leave them locked in here. They haven't seen our faces. They have no idea who we are."
"An excellent point but I'm afraid we can leave absolutely nothing to chance Neil. We've worked so hard. I'm not going back!"
"I don't want to kill them Harry!" he said in a loud, panicked whisper.
"Oh come on Neil, let's not get all pernicious here, they're not the first witnesses we've killed and they probably won't be the last."
"But they're so young!"
"And nosy! You've seen the stories about them Neil, we'd be doing our brethren in the town a favour by getting rid of them. Let's get a grip here."
"Okay," The Creeper called Neil reluctantly agreed with a sigh. "But this is your sick call. YOU do it."
"With pleasure," Harry grinned, and Neil handed him a second shotgun.
They both walked towards the gang and Neil taunted them now.
"You know, you really shouldn't put your noses in other people's business. Let this be a lesson to you!"
"Yes," Harry agreed, smiling sinisterly. "It will be your very LAST lesson in fact."
With that chilling sentence, the gang knew this was it now. One simple mistake! That's all it was! One simple thing overlooked was going to cost them their lives.
The Creeper named Harry walked in front of them all now.
"Hmm now, which one shall go first? I know, let's make this fair."
"EENIE" – he pointed the gun at Daphne.
"MEENIE" – the shotgun swivelled in Shaggy's direction.
"MINEY" – The gun lurched towards Velma.
"MO" – his gaze and the shotgun locked on Freddy, who didn't look afraid, just resigned to his fate now.
With the others crying, Fred felt Harry circle him again to stand right behind him, the shotgun almost touching his head. It wasn't the first time he had a gun to his head but unlike when Devon Blake's crony had grabbed him at gunpoint by the roadside that night, and he knew he had no real intention of pulling the trigger, this time was different. He knew it, the gang knew it. Their luck had run out. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and waited for peace.
The shot never came. Instead, the barn door flew open and there stood a most welcome sight of Stella White, standing fiercely and holding her gun. A similarly armed Will was with an unharmed leashed Scooby, and a smattering of cops stood further behind them.
"Drop your weapons," Stella commanded calmly of both Creepers.
The second creeper instead grabbed his own shotgun and aimed it at Will who laughed heartily.
"Easy there Lurch, you don't want to see who can shoot the quickest. I can guarantee you will lose."
Neil hesitated before dropping his gun and surrendering, Will smiled in satisfaction before turning his attention to the second creep who still had his weapon pointed at the head of the leader of the gang, Fred Jones. Stella, as she usually did, had a calm handle on the situation.
As the Creeper defiantly cocked his shotgun. Stella gave him one last chance. "If you even so much as think about shooting that kid, or any of them in fact, I can 100 per cent guarantee that it will be the very last thing you do."
Harry smirked, his hand ready to squeeze the trigger and with that tiny movement, Stella let fly, a bullet hitting him square in the head before he even had chance to pull the trigger, the gun fell harmlessly to the floor as did the now dead Creeper.
"I mean, she didn't even hesitate did she?" Shaggy marvelled in reflection now. "Just BLAM. And that's it, he's dead."
"Absolutely," said Velma, immediately chilled to be reminded of their worst day as Mystery Inc in Coolsville. "Every day we should thank our lucky stars that they worked out the mystery this time and arrived just in time to save our skins."
"And it taught us a very important lesson, never try and capture the bad guy without figuring out the full mystery first!" Daphne said wryly. They could look back on it with some amusement now but at the time it was terrifying. Unbeknown to the gang, Will and Stella were hot on the heels of a pair of violent escaped criminals.
They had been a part of a wider armed robbery gang who hadn't been concerned with things like collateral damage and had killed witnesses along the way. The Moore family had bought the farm having no idea a huge amount of stolen cash had been stored by the gang at the farm a few years previously. When Neil and Harry Spencer escaped after a botched prison transfer, they had made their way back to the farm where the loot had supposedly being hidden by the members of the gang that had never been apprehended. They scared away the Moores latching onto the Halloween costume trend and then searched for the money. Stella and Will meanwhile, had given the gang their blessing to investigate the Moore farm after the police had found nothing initially. Will and Stella had then made the connections with the Moore farm haunting, and the unsolved aspects of the armed robberies, together with the nearby escape of the Spencer brothers and had put two and two together and raced to the farm just in time to save the kids.
They would never be able to do so again.
After recalling the detectives' greatest save, there was a dark and gloomy atmosphere present between the gang now. They were now undoubtedly more vulnerable than ever. While they felt safe in the compound for now, they knew it wouldn't last forever and word would eventually get out to Devon that not only were Will and Stella definitely dead, but that they had all returned to Coolsville too. All they really had left now was each other, Rory and the rest of the cops who remained and...Ethan.
Ethan had fled some five hours ago now, but only Daphne was belatedly showing some concern for her sibling.
"Gosh it's almost 6 am," she said looking at her watch in alarm. "I really hope Ethan comes back soon. "I'm worried about him."
"Ha," snorted Shaggy softly, draining another beer. "I hope he doesn't."
Daphne snapped her head around instantly to look at Shaggy in shock. He had said little and he had it said so quietly but even so there was no denying the animosity in his tone. Completely vicious and uncaring. There was only one explanation and she looked to Fred questioningly who confirmed without saying a word. She could read it in his eyes.
He knows.
Fuck. She wondered why Fred had decided to reveal all, if indeed that was the case, but although they had both feared this moment, it was happening with them in a far more precarious position right now. Shaggy, like all of them, had been drinking for the last few hours while they mourned their fallen friends. Angry Shaggy was already an incredibly grim prospect. Angry, drunk Shaggy was a recipe for absolute disaster.
She prayed that Velma hadn't caught Shaggy's soft dig but Velma, tipsy or not was always ear-shatteringly perceptive.
"Huh, Shag," she said. "Why would you wish Ethan doesn't come back?"
And there we go! thought Daphne despairingly. The fuse has been well and truly lit.
Shaggy didn't need any further invitation, Daphne could hear his words slurring straight away.
"Well, maybe you should ask that question of Freddy and Daphne?" he suggested. "Or maybe just ask Fred to show you his wrists. Turns out he's got a very good story to tell us!"
Fred shifted uncomfortably next to Daphne, he knew Shaggy had Velma's full attention right now.
"What?" she said in confusion, staring questioningly at Freddy and Daphne. "What's he talking about guys?"
"Shaggy," Daphne warned. "Do you really think this is an appropriate time to bring this up?"
"Why not Daphne?" Shaggy challenged. "Besides I think Velma deserves to know the kind of person we've been working with for the past twenty four hours!"
"This is about Ethan?" Velma asked, looking between all three of them. Nobody was speaking.
"Daphne," she demanded slowly of her friend. "Daph, speak to me! What is Shaggy talking about?! Did Ethan do something to you two? Is that why Fred has been shooting daggers at him this whole time?" Fred looked at Velma in surprise and she continued. "Oh don't think I haven't noticed! And I'm not an idiot, I know that story he told us about the bike and the robot rider was a complete load of bunkum but I didn't know why he was telling me such an outrageous lie. I won't take any more shit Daphne, tell me what really happened in Hong Kong. Don't leave anything out."
And so Daphne, with painful contributions from Fred, finally told both Shaggy and Velma the complete unabridged saga of their nightmare in Hong Kong, from being pursued and shot by Devon's goons to eventually being kidnapped and held captive by...Ethan.
"So, let me get this straight?" Velma said, her head buzzing from the alcohol she had consumed and the unbelievable story that had spilled from her friends' lips. "Ethan kidnapped you both in Hong Kong to protect you from Devon. You then conspired with him to bring him back here to work alongside us whilst all the time covering up what he really did to you. Why the fuck would you do that?" She demanded furiously. "I mean, I know he's your brother Daphne, but really, there's lines that are crossed and there are lines crossed. He hasn't just crossed it, he's made a ruddy great crater in doing so!"
Daphne had mentally braced herself from the eventual anger Velma would unleash from the moment Shaggy had drunkenly scorned Ethan's absence. She hadn't disappointed. As Velma and Shaggy heard even more gory details, their eyes had blazed with anger the whole time and Daphne wasn't sure what they were more angry about. That Ethan had done that to herself and Freddy, or that Fred and Daphne had seemingly forgiven him already and then hid the truth from Shaggy and Velma.
"I haven't forgiven him," Daphne explained, defending her position. "Neither myself or Fred have. How could I? He betrayed us in the most horrific way imaginable. He hit Fred on the head with a rock. I'm still absolutely furious with him. And I will be for a long, long time. But...we need him. More than ever now with recent developments we need him. Devon thinks he's had nothing but victories. Will, Stella, Ethan. All gone. But it's not true! And we need to hold that to our advantage. It's slim but it's all we have right now. You've heard the saying 'love thy enemy?' We need to work with Ethan now. Be angry with him by all means but we cannot shut him out."
" But Daphne," Shaggy was still full of drunken rage. "He hurt you and Fred!" He was struggling to get past this simple fact. "How can you even bear to look at him?!"
"It's not easy Shaggy." Fred admitted. "It's one of the hardest things I've had to do in fact. He turns my stomach."
Daphne looked shocked by the brutal turn of phrase and he turned to her regretfully. "I'm sorry babe but its true. I don't think I can ever be friends with him again," he admitted. He sighed but then looked earnestly to Shaggy and Velma, pleading with them. "But Daphne's right, until this is all over, we need him. We need him in the fight against Devon. We're fast running out of allies, we cannot afford to turn against him."
Velma was incredibly reluctantly persuaded but Shaggy did not seem at all convinced.
"Please try Shaggy, please try and act normally when he eventually returns," Daphne begged.
"Fine," he grumbled.
Two hours later, just before 9 am, Ethan and Justin returned together. The gang were still wide awake, even more alcohol had been consumed. From his breath as they entered, it seemed like Ethan had been drinking too.
"Hey gang, there's something you need to see," he said with urgency.
He took just two steps towards them. They knew despite his assurances that Shaggy was unlikely to just let it lie the next time he saw them, but even so they were all far too slow to react.
Shaggy was on his feet and in Ethan's face in an instant. "You goddamn son of a bitch!" he yelled in his face, before drunkenly swinging his fist. And missed wildly. Instead, he caught Justin square on the chin, who yelped in surprise.
Fred had recovered quickly enough now and grabbed Shaggy before he could inflict any further damage, dragging his snarling friend from a stunned Ethan's face.
His attack neutralised, Shaggy continued to yell at Ethan. "You fucking piece of shit, how could you?!"
"What the hell is going on?" Ethan demanded, looking to the others. Velma was similarly shooting him daggers.
"They know, Ethan," Fred said evenly.
"Shit," replied Ethan before looking frustrated. "Look, this is possibly the worst time, you gotta calm Shaggy down. He needs to hear this. You all do!"
"I don't want to hear anything you've got to say," Shaggy spat hatefully. "You hurt my friends and then manipulated them into letting you come here. I don't know how you have the gall to show up here!"
Ethan sighed loudly. "Of course this blows up in my face now. Of course it does. Look, I mean it, we are wasting time already! We don't have time right now for this petty falling out."
"Petty?!" Velma screeched. "You think this is 'petty' Ethan? You have some cheek." Daphne caught the fire dancing in Velma's intoxicated eyes and caught her just before she raked her nails down Ethan's face.
"Jesus!" Ethan jumped back in shock before becoming angry. "God I knew this would happen Daphne, it's why I said 'don't tell them'. They wouldn't understand! Did you tell them Fred, just to spite me?"
Fred who had remained largely quiet while all hell was breaking loose, found his own alcohol rush coming to his head now as Ethan accused him of stirring the pot.
"I didn't tell them!" He furiously defended himself. "I went along with your ridiculous charade just like you wanted us to but you under estimated one thing with your genius flawless plan Ethan."
"Whats that?"
"Daphne and I work with detectives. They figured it out all by themselves. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to see we weren't exactly acting like best buds any more. And Scooby, well he could smell the stench of betrayal all over you," he sneered.
"OKAY ENOUGH!" shouted a previously silent voice and they all immediately stopped to turn to look at Justin in surprise.
"I've heard enough of your dramas to last a lifetime," he suddenly exploded in a quiet rage. "Yes you're all hurting and your feelings are hurt. Boo hoo. There's bigger things at stake right now if you could all just pull your heads out of your arses for one second."
"And what's that, Justin?" Daphne said sardonically, furious to be castrated by the man who had helped Ethan with his plan in Hong Kong. "Nobody even knows what the fuck you are doing here?"
"Like I said Daphne, this is not the time for any of this. We're here because of the reason for all of this: One Devon Blake."
"Okay, sure, we know that already, what's that got to do with right now?" Fred asked.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Because, you didn't give me a chance to finish before you all converged on me like a pack of wild dogs. No offense Scooby. You're still cool."
Five pairs of eyes were angrily fixed on him and he held up the item he had clutched in his hand all along.
"Fine," Fred said, folding his arms. "Come on, do tell us why you are here."
"Because a few minutes ago, a broadcast went live all over breakfast TV here in Coolsville and the local area. Devon has finally made contact," Ethan said gravely, waving the videotape in their faces impatiently.