Velma ran towards the two goons
"You two stay right there" she shouted, both stopped in their tracks. She grabbed both of them by the lapels and lifted them off their feet and shouted into their faces "Is that a Rest-o-matic 3000 in there?" Rocky nodded unsure of what was going on
"Do you have any hot chocolate in there? Marshmallows?" she shouted, Rocky nodded again
"Has your last damsel-in-distress just escaped?" Both nodded
"Err yeah, she just slipped down the drainpipe and bounced down the hill like a little purple rubber ball" said Mugsy trying to be helpful
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Velma dropping them onto the ground. They picked themselves off the floor and began to back away from her "Today is your lucky day gentlemen, I'm your new damsel-in-distress, tie me to that Rest-o-matic 3000 and feed me hot chocolate NOW!" she screamed at the top of her voice, waving her arms about, and hoping that this was an offer they would refuse.
Rocky and Mugsy stared at each her, in any other circumstances Velma would, by now, be tightly trussed up in the basement, but today it just wasn't happening for them. They looked at each other then at the mad woman in orange... turned tail and ran for their lives. Velma followed after them, her demands for comfy captivity and chocolate ringing in their ears. In desperation to escape they ran down the path near when Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby had fallen.
Further down the slope Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne had just managed to untangle themselves when the sound of Velma screaming something reached them
"They've got Velma, let's go Scoob" shouted Shaggy. The trio dashed up the hill
"Wait" said Daphne, "They are coming this way. Lets try to grab Velma out of their way when she passes" They got ready but much to their surprise it was Rocky and Mugsy who appeared first, fighting each other in an attempt to get further away. A few seconds later a tiring Velma came into view, she stopped when she them and bent over, hands resting on her knees trying to catch her breath.
She smiled at Daphne "They... don't make…. villains…… like they used to….. I mean… what a damsel got to do... to get kidnapped these days?" She said between breaths
"Damsels traditionally don't run after their potential captors demanding that they be tied to a comfy chair and force fed hot chocolate" laughed Daphne "It looks like you scared them away." Once Velma had caught her breath they all headed up to the house to get Fred.
"Scooby says Fred is being kept in the attic" said Daphne when they had reached the house.
"But how do we get inside" asked Shaggy "I don't fancy climbing up the same way you came down Daph."
"Well, we could use this open door" suggested Velma pointing at the open front door.
"Well yeah, if you want to do things the easy way" he replied. The gang went inside and looked around. Daphne and Shaggy had to drag Velma away from the library and its chair so they could head up stairs.
"Who was behind all this Daph?" whispered Velma as they climbed the stairs
"Not exactly sure" replied Daphne "I think whoever it is was also behind stealing the first load of Blake's products that were intended for the convention, I found all the stolen products relabelled and on sale there. Whoever it was also made a convincing Fred as I saw him at the stand and started to talk to him like a I would my Fred... Wait there used to be one of the product developers who looked at lot like Fred. He left a quite few months ago."
"It will have to wait, we're at the attic, do you want us to go in first?" asked Velma.
"No, Fred has done this for me often enough I'll go first" whispered Daphne. She picked the lock and the gang crept in. They entered a large room with two doors at the opposite end. Scooby started to sniff around but the dust was getting up his nose, soon he was continuously sneezing.
"Rorry Raphne, rose rot rorking" he whined
"That's OK Scooby, there' so much dust here" replied Daphne "We'll open the doors" Daphne and Velma each stood in front of one of the doors, Shaggy and Scooby stood a few feet back between them, ready to provide support should it be needed. "On 3 Velma, 1... 2... 3!" The girls simultaneously opened the doors. Each stared into a small room with a figure sitting in the far corner "Fred!" they both shouted.