Chapter 2

Velma and Daphne were sitting in the Mystery Machine outside the Blaskov Hotel. It was a huge, white building with twelve floors and a majestic driveway. It was the sort of building which made even the richest men in town feel small. It had about ten chimneys on it's roof, and a beautifully kept lawn surrounding it. This was a place for the richest of Coolsville. This was the rich side of Coolsville. Daphne seemed quite relaxed, but Velma not so much. She didn't like rich snobs. She was friends with Daphne because she knew Daphne wasn't snobbish about being rich. Her father was an incredibly unpleasant person all around, but the gene hadn't rubbed off on her.
"Your dad even been here?" Velma asked Daphne.

"Nah." Daphne said "He holidays abroad. I think he's been here for lunch once but that's it. Nice place, huh?"

"Would be if it weren't "haunted". We'll see to that." Velma chuckled. Daphne sighed and checked her phone. Fred had said he'd meet them, but they'd been waiting twenty minutes and there was no sign. "So are we getting another person along for this?" Velma asked. "Is that where Fred is?"

"I don't know. Probably. This is all down to that damn Pit bull Scooby made friends with...what does he contribute to the gang? Most of the time he sits in his basket glaring at everyone. We rescued him from a life of mistreatment. You'd think he'd be grateful. I mean, I know he probably didn't mean to break Shaggy's leg, but come on!"

"Hmm..." Velma replied distractedly, glancing out of her window to check for Fred. "I wonder who Fred called..."

/

"So, you think you know what to do tonight then?" Fred asked Rufus as they drove toward the hotel in Fred's mom's SUV.
"Oh yeah. I'm feeling it bro. Searching the hotel and catching the bad guys." replied Rufus. He was dressed in a flowery black jacket that was zipped up right to the neck. His curly black hair fell to his shoulders and he had a beard of nearly the same length. He wore a pair of jeans, cowboy boots and red tinted sunglasses. On top of his head sat a yellow bowler hat.

Fred leant back and shouted out to the dog in the back of the SUV. "All right boy?"

"Ryeah!" replied Scooby enthusiastically. Fred smiled, but then turned to address Rufus.

"Now listen..." he began. "We'll be there in a second, and the girls don't know I've brought you yet. Chances are they won't be happy, not after what happened the last time they saw you." Rufus bit his lip as he fought down a laugh.

Fred turned a corner, and in front of him stood the Blaskov Hotel. Spotting the Mystery Machine near the building, Fred drove towards it. "Remember." he said "Just be cool, and do your best to look out for the girls. We'll have this done in no time. Just prove them wrong in their assumptions of you."

"Hey, relax dude! I'm off the alcohol now. I feel fresher than a newborn's backside! Nothing can go wrong tonight. Nobody in a monster suit can deal with the formidable fivesome! You won't regret bringing me."

Fred already did.

A short while later, the SUV pulled up next to the Mystery Machine, outside the Blaskov Hotel. "Finally" yawned Daphne, powdering her nose. Velma looked past Daphne to see who was coming out of the SUV. "Oh-" Velma swore violently as she laid eyes on Rufus. Rufus got out of the car with a huge inane grin on his face. Fred emerged from the other side, looking guilty.

Daphne was staring purposively away from the SUV. "Please don't tell me that's who I think it is..." she pleaded. Fred and Rufus walked over to Daphne's side of the Mystery Machine. Sighing, Daphne turned around to face the new arrivals. "Seriously?" she asked Fred. "He is your solution?"
"I think he deserves a chance. We need the cash, anyway." Fred said, not fully convinced by what he was saying.

"Hey ladies, I'm straight sober now. Haven't touched the drink for over a year now!" Rufus proudly exclaimed.

"I admire that." Velma said. "But you were sober when you decided to light that bonfire ten yards from the gas station. You were sober when you shot my mother with a tranquilliser gun-"

"I thought she was an intruder!"

"- and let's not even mention the time before that! Do you really expect us to be pleased to see you?"

Fred decided to calm down proceedings. "Ladies, Rufus, this might not be ideal, but Rufus should at least have a shot at this. Now, we're going to go into the hotel, split up and search for clues. Daphne, you and me will cover floor five and above, and Velma and Rufus, you can do floors one to five."

Daphne giggled and scrunched Velma's cheek in mock affection. "Have fun, buddy." she laughed.

"Rhat about me?" Scooby asked.

"Oh yeah...Scoobster, you can cover the hotel gardens please. The Awthorn Monkey was last seen outside. If you see it, be careful."

"Ryeah!"

Daphne and Velma got out of the Mystery Machine, and the team walked towards the entrance of the grand hotel. "This is going to work out!" Fred told himself in his head. But if that was the case, why, as he watched Rufus swagger towards the front doors of the majestic building, was he feeling so nervous?

Note: Yep, that's chapter two as well. Chapter three up soon.