Chapter Twelve:

Poolside Hang-Out

"Damn, we almost suck."

Sonic sat on the edge, kicking his feet in the water, often kicking up water in a frustrated manner. He still remembered the events surrounding the second battle with the Ghost Biker the previous night, the fact that he, Amy and Mystery Inc came close to catching that nut, only to get it half-handed to them again.

Now, after the previous evening, the group was enjoying what would feel like another relaxing vacation day in Resort Town. They were at the swimming pool, enjoying the summer air.

Scooby was laying down on a beach chair wearing black shades and resting in a curled-up position on Shaggy's lap as his owner sipped some soda and lay back, relaxing upon the beach chair in yellow-colored swim trunks.

Amy lay next to Sonic near the edge of the swimming pool, wearing a red bikini with yellow polka dots and a skirt, her chin resting on her hands as she enjoyed her tan.

"Relax, Sonic." The pink hedgehog said to the speedster, "We'll get him next time, he's not going to keep getting away like he did during our first encounter with him. For now, just enjoy the air and the pool."

"Yeah, chill, Sonic." Fred agreed, he was relaxing on a pool bed in a tank top and blue swim-trunks, "After all, we're supposed to be on vacation anyway."

"I agree with Fred on this one." Velma called over Sonic's shoulder, she was sitting next to Shaggy on another beach chair across from him, the brainy mystery solver was wearing a white one-piece bathing suit that highlighted her figure. Velma sat back; her right leg crossed over her left while she rubbed sunblock on her smooth arms.

Sonic turned to Velma with slight annoyance. "I know." He replied, "But that flame-headed biker ghost is still bad news and the police aren't doin' anything to get that guy, leaving us as the only people who can take him down.

"We already made ourselves look bad during the first attack and the disaster of last night makes us suck even more, I'm a world hero and you're famous mystery solvers..."

"And...?" Velma raised her glasses.

"I saved South Island from Eggman and rescued Amy from a robo-duplicate of me, took down the Death Egg, quelled the rage of a water monster that flooded a city, fought the dark alter ego of a dream fairy sorceress, took down a metallic dragon and neutralized an evil genie. I've also fought aliens for crying out loud and, every time, I kicked serious crap.

"On top of that, this is NOT the first time I've dealt with the likes of someone who's past my level of speed. Already told ya about my robo-duplicate, but there's also this black hedgehog with whom I have this rivalry with. Then there's the Babylon Rogues. Every speed-class opponent I've dealt with, I've beaten them plenty..."

"Like, what about us and our experiences?" Shaggy piped up, "This isn't just about yourself and your credibility as a hero, right?"

"Oh, I'm thinkin' about you and your experiences too, you guys." He said, "And I was just getting to that..." The blue hedgehog kicked his leg in the water in a frustrated manner again and splashed some water near Fred's direction.

"Whoa, careful there!" Fred exclaimed.

Sonic ignored the blonde man and went on, "You guys busted the Black Knight Ghost and caught the Creeper, took down a digital computer virus, helped Wonder Woman catch a minotaur, faced ghost pirates on a cruise.

"Then you all dealt with the Phantosaur, totally took down a big vampire in Australia, went up against a rogue house A.I and saved the world from Spooky Island's former demonic rulers.

"Yeah, I know that, during a good many of those adventures like on that island with rogue cat people and zombies or the Mr. Hyde case at that convention, you've faced complications along the way but we've succeeded in the end despite the odds.

"Sure, the bad guys got away at first, but you got 'em good despite some complications along the way. And yet, despite all that past success, we can't catch the Ghost Biker?

"Sure, a situation like that has occurred during those mysteries before you get the bad guy, but this guy has caused us more grief than your old mystery monster buddies and my enemies combined since he's escaped us twice and made us look bad even though we almost got him last night..."

Sonic stopped before he could go on, noticing that Amy had sat up and was putting a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It'll be okay..." She said, "And like you just said, we almost got him last night."

"And we can still catch him the next time." Fred chimed in, "We've faced hardships during the many mysteries and battles we've dealt with over the years, but, as we discussed, we've succeeded every time.

"There's no need for frustration or worry about failing; what every group needs is a team member or leader with a clear mind. A clear mind is the key to success too."

"Plus, don't you remember how people around us handled the matter when the Biker escaped?" Amy asked, "Sticks offered some encouragement; especially since we came close to catching him."

Sonic held Amy's hand. "Yeah, even though she suggested that she would say we did poorly..."

Water splashed in his direction, startling the blue hedgehog and his girlfriend as they shielded their eyes. At first, Sonic thought Velma, Shaggy or Scooby had hit the pool.

But upon looking, he saw that Daphne had swam over to him and Amy. The giggling orange-haired sleuth was sporting a purple bikini which accentuated her womanly figure, her long hair dripping wet from swimming in the pool.

Daphne propped herself up on the edge, leaning over with her hands pressed on the ledge as she raised her head with her eyes closed, water running down her head, then she looked back at the half-surprised Sonic and Amy.

"So, how are we feeling right now?" Daphne asked.

"Not too shabby after those encouraging words from your boyfriend." Sonic replied.

"We're fine as the petals of a sweet flower." Amy added, "Nice of you to join us, Daphne."

"Great. You wanna see my acrobatic skills on the diving board?"

Amy looked interested, "I don't see why not."

"Suppose so." Sonic nodded.

Daphne winked and climbed out of the pool, doing a handstand on the edge near Sonic and Amy's position as they and the rest of Mystery Inc watched with interest. However, Daphne's handstand almost took both hedgehogs by surprise.

"Uh, technically, you're showing off your acrobatics right now." Sonic said.

"Actually, I think she's just warming up." Velma called.

"Give Daph a minute, Sonic!" Fred suggested.

Daphne rotated her legs and and then propped herself back on her feet. "Yeah, that was me warming up..." The bikini-clad mystery solver said, rotating her shoulders, "I said I'd do it on the diving board, so that technically doesn't count since it wasn't up there."

Once she was ready and had done some stretching, Daphne picked up a towel and dried herself off as she was still dripping wet, then she walked towards the diving board as Amy kissed Sonic on the cheek and Shaggy sipped on some soda while a lavender-colored female bandicoot made out with a humanoid rabbit under a tree.

"Hot damn..." A tall and muscular man in a speedo muttered as he eyed her.

Daphne put down her towel and climbed the diving board, spreading her arms out as she walked towards the edge. Daphne stood on the platform and jumped up and down. On her second jump, she leaped off the diving board and did a flip in mid-air, tucking her legs together in her arms as she came down towards the pool.

Sonic and Amy watched as Daphne hit the water, Fred shielded himself as water splashed up and Velma stood up, walking towards the edge of the pool as Daphne surfaced.

"What did you think?" Daphne asked.

"Daphne, that was great!" Amy exclaimed, Sonic grinned and held up a board with a ten on it.

"Great form, Daphne." Velma commented.

"Yeah, I'll say..." Fred grunted, wiping some water from his hair. Daphne giggled at her boyfriend and splashed him, much to Fred's annoyance.

"Like, no complaints from us." Shaggy remarked, standing up with Scooby, "That's a ten."

The scraggly-bearded mystery solver held up a board with the number ten and the dog followed suit, holding up a similar board with the same number on it.

A humanoid pelican who was watching snapped a picture and a brown-haired woman laying on her stomach in a bikini on a blanket started texting on her phone, showing her friends a picture of Daphne's dive.

"You want to join us, Sonic?" Daphne asked.

"After I get a drink." Sonic replied.

"I'd be happy to join you!" Amy replied.

Without another word, the bikini-clad pink hedgehog dove into the pool and splashed Daphne, the girls giggled and started splashing one another while swimming around Fred, who just rolled his eyes and kicked back, trying to enjoy the sun tan. Velma joined the girls in the water and Scooby took a dip as well.

Sonic stood up and managed to catch a green-eyed racoon carrying a tray, requesting a soda. The badger granted Sonic his drink and the hedgehog sat down on one of the nearest beach chairs to enjoy his newly-acquired drink.

But no sooner than he'd sat down, he felt something move and yelped, jumping up in alarm as he watched the beach chair begin to take form as someone grunted.

A second later, the beach chair turned red and morphed into a black-haired man wearing sunglasses and a red bodysuit. The man stretched his limbs and shook his head, spluttering.

"I need a real vacation..." The shape-shifter said, "Bein' sat on by a hedgehog is real uncomfortable."

The man walked off and grabbed an ice drink off the tray from the surprised badger waiter, then he sipped from the glass and walked away from the pool, disappearing to who knew where. Sonic looked on, completely bewildered.

Obviously, the guy was a superhero. The hedgehog knew Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Flash and Aquaman, but this guy was someone he never heard of.

"Who was that?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, it was just an old friend from back when me and the gang were helping Batman and the Justice League solve a mystery." Fred said.

"His name's Plastic Man." Daphne explained as she floated on her back, "Nobody super important."

Mayor Sticks came by, wearing black sunglasses and a leaf-colored bikini with a straw skirt as she drank a glass of wine; "And I sat on him a few days ago!" She cried, gesturing to the spot where Plastic Man had taken the form of a beach chair, "We have such a special relationship and you drove him off!"

"I am so sorry, Miss Mayor." Sonic said, "But we can assure you that once we get the Ghost Biker, you can get a vacation and sit on the Plastic Man again."

"Oh, I hope you get 'em. If you don't, I don't know what to do. And chances are, he's not just here to cause trouble, a source tells me he may be after the town bank. Thank goodness he hasn't gotten to that yet, you gotta catch 'im and put an end to his tattacks. RESORT TOWN CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE FROM THE GHOST BIKER!"

"Lower your voice, the sunflowers are sleeping." A red-haired woman in a green bikini called from a beach chair said, she was holding a pot of yellow sunflowers in a loving manner and watering them gently.

"Sorry, Poison Ivy!" Daphne called.

"Oh, darn it!" Sticks groaned, she looked at Sonic, "We'll talk later. You enjoy the pool and sunshine; I'll attend to the woman and her flowers."

Sticks walked towards the red-haired woman in the chair and hugged her, then she started looking at the pot of sunflowers and fetched a watering pot, the badger started watering the flowers and Poison Ivy started doing the same.

Sticks then stroked the top of the flowers' petals and whistled softly while talking gently to the flowers.

"Never thought they'd be friends." Sonic quipped.

"Hey, Sonic! When are you gonna join us in the water?" Amy called, "The water's great!"

Velma and Daphne splashed Sonic, the two female sleuths were leaning on the edge of the pool in the water and watching him with inviting smiles. Even Scooby was smiling, his tongue sticking out.

Sonic mentally slapped himself, remembering that he'd agreed to join the group in the pool. He finished his soda and threw it in the trash can.

"Coming!" He called.

The hedgehog ran towards the pool and jumped into the water, splashing his girlfriend in the process. Sonic had taken swimming lessons with Amy a month back during a beach date, it was thanks to those lessons that swimming was a breeze.

After years of having to tread carefully in aquatic areas due to a swimming issue, Sonic could swim just fine. Sticks called to the group, yelling at them to figure out a plan to defeat the Ghost Biker.

Sonic, Amy and the others acknowledged her and continued to enjoy themselves in the pool, splashing and swimming up a storm as if there was nothing in the world to worry about...