Chapter 5: The Lonely Road Ahead

It did not take long for the Mystery Inc. to pack everything they needed for their journey. While the others were busy, Shaggy and Scooby took the opportunity to clean out the fridge, eating everything they saw. Shaggy used his crazy cooking skills to come up with a way to eat everything and, of course, they made sure to lay in a big supply of Scooby Snacks to take along.

Velma was standing in the middle of her room trying to think which orange sweater should take with her. The 'brain' of Mystery Inc. was excited about having a new mystery to solve, but she was also a little nervous and Sebastian was the cause. The butterflies in her stomach when she was around him, deserted while they were at the Coolsonian but had returned with a vengeance.
She was used to analyzing every move she made but when it came to the subject of Sebastian, her mind went on strike. Anything concerning him was now being done purely on instinct and that made her even more nervous.

Returning her attention to her packing, she grabbed a framed photo that she had in her bedside table. It was a photo of the gang when they were in middle school, all of them were smiling at the camera. Scooby was standing on his back feet, licking Shaggy's face, while Daphne was smiling, showing her white-pearly teeth, Freddy was kneeling on the ground, while making funny faces, and Velma was standing up, also smiling, holding a book in her hands.

One could clearly see the title of the book…'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carol, one of Velma's favorite books, because it combined fantasy with science and mystery. She still had that copy of the book on one of her bookshelves.

Two additional figures were in that photo. Zack was eating a baloney and cheese sandwich, while Sebastian had his right arm around Velma's shoulders, and on his left hand, he was holding a slingshot, the same one he used to shoot rocks, acorns and marbles at every bad guy the gang caught during their first years as junior detectives.

Velma sighed, as her finger caressed the photo.

'Things were so different back then…' She thought distractedly. A knock on her door startled her our of her reverie. It was Fred.

"Hey, Velmster! Are you packed and ready to go yet?" He asked through the door.

"Oh, yeah Freddie! Just a few last minute things. Just give me a minute to grab my suitcase and my laptop." She called out, hurriedly placing the picture into her suitcase and closing it.

"Sure! See you in a few." Freddie said and walked off.

She looked around her room a moment, then grabbed her laptop case and suitcase and headed out the door.

When she got out to their van, Shaggy and Scooby were still absent. She chucked her stuff in the back and watched Fred do final checkups on the van's innards to insure the Mystery Machine was at 100% for the trip.

Daphne was using her pocket mirror as she applied still more makeup to her face. Huffing his way from the house was Shaggy, laden down with multiple suitcases. Behind him, Scooby was carrying a bulging suitcase, the handle in his mouth.

The Great Dane's huge feet tripped on the steps forcing his mouth open which sent the suitcase flying. It hit the sidewalk and sprang open revealing its contents. Sprawled on his chest, Scooby looked up sheepishly at the gang staring down at him. The ground was covered with Scooby Snack boxes and multiple bags of other snacks.

"Do you really need to take all those snacks with you, Scooby?" Daphne asked in annoyance while she snatched a bag of jelly beans.

"We've got to be prepared for any kind of emergency, Daphne." Shaggy said, very seriously. "Like....you never know when one of us has a snack attack or we miss a meal. Can't have empty stomach's you know. The growling would give our position away to the bad guys. Besides its not that much, just some important sugar stuff and salty appetizers."

"Reah, ralty rappetizers!" Scooby agreed, heartily as he got back up on his four feet and quickly helped Shaggy repack the suitcase.

The others just sighed and said no more about it. Scooby carried the suitcase to the car while Shaggy loaded the other suitcases in the rear and shut the door.

While Shaggy was busy, Fred gave their home another quick security check then set their alarm system before locking the door to their headquarter's door.

Everyone was now loaded when Fred joined them and climbed into the driver's seat. He started the engine and pulled out into the street. In minutes they were heading for the meeting point which was the parking lot of the abandoned "Domino's Malt Shop", near the city limits.

The malt shop had been known for years as having the best and coolest malts in Coolsville, until the owner died and the establishment closed. Now, the only thing that was left of the old place was the marine-blue building with it's old broken neon sign and walls covered with numerous concert and movie posters of past eras.

When the gang arrived, the parking lot was empty. They would have to wait for the others to appear. Time passed and worry set in. Fred had climbed out and was pacing back and forth, watching the direction the others would be coming from. The others listened to music while they waited.

"Wonder what's taking them so long?" Daphne said aloud, a tinge of concern in her voice.

"Raybe they got rost." Scooby suggested.

"Like, no way, Scoob… Zack and Sebastian are from here remember? They know this place like the back of their hand." Shaggy said, shaking his head. "They're probably being held up by Thorn and the others. They are a bit slow at packing."

"Hey, here they come!" Fred shouted suddenly.

Everyone peered out a window and watched as a van similar to the Mystery Machine, but with different colors, came roaring up to them. When it pulled up beside them they could see it was an exact model of their van except for the colors being purple and black with a different logo on it. The side said, 'The Riddle Rider,' written in stylized letters. The art work on the sides of the van were a spooky black and silver ghoul which was very lifelike.

Fred frowned a little. He always felt the Mystery Machine was unique but now it seemed they had a rival. He could see Zack was the one driving. The Hex Girls waved from their windows at them.

"Hey guys, we're here!" Zack exclaimed as he opened his car door.

"Sorry we took so long but it was not exactly easy to repeat the same scheme we used to get out of the hotel, so we could go to the Coolsonian without being spotted." Luna apologized.

"So what do you think about my ride?" Zack asked.

"It's a sweet ride, yes, indeed… I like the color schematics you used." Fred said admiringly.

"Thanks… I hope you don't mind, but I told the guy who painted it to use the same drawing patterns of the Mean Machine's, because I was never good at coming up with ideas for styling cars." Zack said with a shrug, noting the similarities between the two vehicles.

"Still, the ghoul looks awesome… I wish Freddie would give the Mystery Machine a similar paint job instead of just tuning up the engine." Daphne commented.

Velma had already noted that Sebastian wasn't with the group. Her guys were so amazed with the Riddle Rider they hadn't yet noticed his absence.

"Hey, where's Sebastian?" She called out, interrupting them.

"Oh, he's stopped to pick up 'his baby,' as he likes to call it." Dusk answered.

"What do you mean by, 'his baby'?" Daphne asked.

"You'll see what we're talking about… annnd it looks like you won't have to wait long to see it cause here he comes!" Zack announced as the roar of a powerful engine was heard.

Coming up the road was a motorcycle. They could hear loud music as it got closer and they saw it was an amazing Custom Cruiser, a classic, done in red and black with orange flames and a grinder that looked like it had come from a horror movie, because it looked like the arms of a skeleton, while the front wheel looked like a spider web.

Mounted on it was Sebastian wearing a racers helmet. The others climbed out of the vans to watch him approach. As he got closer, they noticed something was written on the fuel tank, in the same stylized letters used on the Mystery Machine and the Riddle Rider.

Music blasted them as Sebastian pulled up, parked and cut the engine. He smirked and blew Velma a kiss, making her blush.

"Missed me?" Sebastian asked them as he took off the helmet.

"Not really." Velma muttered more to herself than anyone else. She didn't want him to know her true feelings that would be too embarrassing.

"Wow! What an awesome bike!" Fred exclaimed, a little envious. "You and your brother really have great taste when it comes to choosing vehicles."

"Thanks for the compliment, Fredster… I'm glad you like my Creepy Crawler." Sebastian said, grinning.

"C-Creepy C-Crawler?" Shaggy stuttered.

"Yeah, that's the name I baptized her… the Creepy Crawler." Sebastian said, pointing to the stylized name on the fuel tank. "Suits her don't ya think?" He asked proudly.

Luna giggled and said, "When he showed up on this thing, we were blown away by it. It's an amazing looking machine alright."

"It's not just a bike; it's a work of art." Sebastian added, caressing it possessively.

"Yeah, but like, where did you get a motorcycle like that in the first place, dude?" Shaggy asked.

"Reah, where?!" Scooby exclaimed.

"Where else? Orange County Choppers, of course… Who better to make this beautiful 2-wheeled machine than the Teutel family?" Sebastian cooed. "It took me almost every cent I had back then to pay for it. Those guys did a terrific job of building this based on my own design idea. It's even more beautiful than I'd dreamed it would be, plus it has a few extra gadgets that aren't normally found on a bike."

"I'm assuming the radio is something more than the ordinary?" Daphne asked, as she admired the exhaust pipes, which were carved with ghostly pictures. "It certainly was pretty loud to be heard over the sound of the bike's engines."

"You're right, that's just one of the specialty items… and yes, I like to hear my music when I'm riding so loud it has to be." He smirked with a shrug.

For the next few minutes, Sebastian regaled them with the uniqueness of his ride before Fred finally broke up the gabfest.

"Hey guys, think its time to hit the road, don't you?"

"Oh, you're right there, Fred. It's a couple of hours to Pinewood Hills so yeah, we'd better be going." Daphne agreed.

"Ahhh...it's only 400 miles.....we'll should get there before sunset. We sent a message to Mark, telling him we were on our way. He'll be waiting for us in front of city hall." Zach said easily.

"Sounds good, Zack." Fred said then turned to his own group. "Get in guys, it's time for us to heat up the engine and skedaddle."

"He still talks like that?" Thorn whispered to Velma.

"Well, its Freddy we're talking about. I think it's something that will never change in him." Velma said, shrugging.

They were heading for their vehicles when Sebastian called out, "Hey! I'll lead the way. Does anyone want to ride with me?"

The Hex Girls looked at each other then back at him.

"Thanks for the offer, Sebastian, but these dresses are suitable for mounting a motorcycle." Thorn said, shaking her head.

"Okay, I understand. Hey, how about you Velma?" Sebastian asked coaxingly.

Velma froze and began to stutter a refusal, "Uh, no I can't either. I'm wearing a mini skirt and…" She was horrified that her brain suddenly behaved as if it had blown a fuse and was only working at fifty percent power.

Seeing her stumble in embarrassed fright and shyness, Daphne stepped in. "Don't worry, Velma… I can fix that. Come with me." She grabbed Velma's arm and pulled her toward the van.

"D-Daphne, what're you doing?" Velma protested in a whisper.

They climbed into the Mystery Machine and locked the back doors. Everyone looked puzzled but were wise enough to know not to go near the van even though they had no idea what Daphne was up to.

"Uh, I don't think Velma's going to like whatever Daphne's got in mind, Scoob." Shaggy muttered.

"Raths for sure!" Scooby agreed.

It took them over ten minutes before the back door opened and Daphne stepped out. She had a smile of satisfaction on her face.

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I present to you, the new and improved Velma Dinkley!" She said in triumph, her arms extended toward the van. Minutes passed, her arms still extended, Daphne turned her head back to the van and frowned. Velma wasn't coming out.

Sighing in frustration, the redhead went back to the door and peered in. Velma sat huddled out of view.

"Velma, for goodness sake, everyone is waiting for you." She hissed softly.

"No! I'm not coming out dressed like this!" Velma said vehemently. "I still don't know how you managed to convince me to dress in this suit again. I'm also wondering how you knew to bring it?" She asked suspiciously.

"You forget! I always come prepared for this anything, remember? There's something for every member of the gang, no matter what the emergency. Besides you look really pretty in it." Daphne answered plainly. "Now, come out of there. Where's the fearless Velma I know, who's always ready to solve a mystery?!" She cajoled her shy friend.

"Hidden in a van, dressed up like a clown…" Velma said caustically.

"Oh, come on, you're absolutely gorgeous and I'm sure everyone will love your new temporary look. You do want to ride on that totally cool motorcycle, don't you?" Daphne wheedled.

"Hmm… I hate it when you're right." Velma sighed, capitulating. "Okay, I'm coming out, but if anyone laughs, I swear I'll take my rage out your wardrobe when we get back, Daphne."

"So noted." Daphne said, hiding a smile.

Daphne stepped back out of the van again and this time, Velma followed her. Everyone gaped at her in stunned amazement.

Velma was dressed in an orange leather bodysuit with high heel boots. It was the same bodysuit she'd worn to seduce Patrick, when the Evil Masked Figure attacked Coolsville. Scooby gave a wolf howl of appreciation making her blush furiously.

"Wow! If I hadn't seen Velma enter that van, I would have said this was a totally different person." Zack said, shaking his head. "You look incredible."

"Double wow! When people say clothes can change a person's looks they are not kidding." Luna said, floored by Velma's new look. "In fact, I think that suit really makes her look more attractive, don't you think?"

Sebastian certainly agreed with that statement as he continued to gape at Velma. She was breathe taking and just as beautiful as Daphne even though she would never believe it. The clothes though, were far more risque than he knew Velma would wear and that just made her look even hotter to his mind.

"Man! Velma, you are stunningly beautiful." He said, meaning every word.

"Uhh… gee… thanks, I guess." Velma said shyly, blushing hotly from Sebastian's intense look of appreciation.

Seeing Velma was getting a bit uneasy, Fred decided it was time to be off.

"Well, now that's solved, shall we get going?"

"Oh… uh… yeah… let's!" Sebastian stuttered a bit as he hurriedly climbed aboard his motorcycle, and waited for her to climb on behind him. "I'll lead the way." He reminded them.

Before he turned the engine on, Zack came closer and gave Velma a helmet. "The helmets have a headset incorporated in them. Just push the button on the left side to talk to us. I have one that matches yours. They work like a CB!" Zack told her then turned to Fred. "You guys should tune your CB to frequency 49 then we can all stay in contact." He told them.

"Right, frequency 49, got it." Daphne responded. "Let's go then!" She said climbing back into the van. The Hex girls and Zack did the same in their van.

"Okay, like, come on, Scoob, let's get going." Shaggy said, opening the door and waving the dog in.

"Rokay, Raggy!" The Great Dane exclaimed, jumping aboard the Mystery Machine.

Before Sebastian put on his helmet, he paused to turn to Velma. "For us to speak to each other privately just turn one notch down." He told her. She grinned and nodded, putting her helmet on as he turned back around and put his on.

"Can you hear me Velma?"

"Loud and clear, Sebastian." She answered promptly.

"Great, then hold on tight to me. Wouldn't want you to fall off the Creepy Crawler." His voice sounded hollow over the radio, but despite that she could hear the warmth in his voice.

"Just try not to go too fast, alright?" She responded primly. "I'm not really used to riding on one of these things."

He nodded and turned back to the front as she put her arms around Sebastian's waist. She felt kind of awkward holding onto him. She waited nervously for them to take off.

Sebastian started the engine and the music blared out at them, muffled by their helmets.

Using the headset radio, he called out to everyone, "Let's rock and roll, guys! Next stop Pinewood Hills!" He said then added, "Hold on tight, Velma!"

The motorcycle smoothly took off and they were soon shooting down the road. Velma gripped Sebastian tighter. 'Jinkies, this isn't so bad. It's kind of enjoyable… strange… but definitely enjoyable.' She thought, feeling exhilarated.

In convoy mode, they drove out of town then sped up as they got on the throughway. An hour went by and the ones in the vans pursued their own interests to pass the time.

In the Mystery Machine, Daphne wondered if she had done the right thing pushing Velma to ride with Sebastian; Shaggy and Scooby began eating some of their packed snacks; and Fred, of course, was totally focused on the road before him and keeping up with Sebastian and Velma.

As for the passengers of the Riddle Rider, Thorn and the girls were yakking and enjoying their time with Zack while he drove. He was enjoying their time together although Dusk had upset him a bit because she forbid him from eating Cheese Crisps inside the van… she hated the smell.

Meanwhile on the motorcycle, Velma was truly enjoying the ride. Sebastian, however, was having a hard time keeping himself from being distracted by Velma's warm body pressed against him.

Speaking over the radio, he asked, "Am I going too fast for you, Velma?"

"Oh no, in fact you could go a little faster if you want to." Velma said, rather giddily.

He smiled at that. "Looks like you're enjoying the ride on the Creepy Crawler. Is the music okay or should I find a different station?" He asked her.

"Oh, well I've really not paid any attention." She said then paused to listen. "It's okay, you don't have to change it."

Sebastian grinned at that then frowned when they hit an area where the signal was weaker. He fiddled around trying to find a stronger signal but didn't have any luck.

"Shoot. Looks like we've hit an area where the signal is too weak. Sorry, Velma." He said, shutting the radio off.

"That's okay." She answered blithely. "Why don't we talk with the others? That way, we won't feel that lonely." She suggested.

"Good idea!" Sebastian said, as they both pushed the button to tune in the same receiving frequency as the others. "Hey guys, how you doing back there?"

"We're fine here, bro!" Zack answered.

"Us roo!" Scooby responded for Fred.

"What's up guys? Having problems?" Fred asked in concern.

"Oh no, we're find really. Just can't pick up any music and thought we'd chat with you instead." Velma reassured them.

"Yeah, us too. Must be a dead zone here." Daphne said.

"Us too." Zack piped in. "But who needs a radio when we have three singers with us?"

"Actually, we have four, because Velma is an awesome singer too." Daphne replied.

"Really?! Well, come on girls, let's hear you?" Sebastian asked.

"What do you think we are? A jukebox, perhaps?" Dusk snorted, sarcastically.

"Aw, come on, Dusk, why don't we sing a little song? It will help pass the time and we won't fall asleep either." Thorn soothed her.

"Yeah and the rest of the guys can sing with us." Luna chimed in.

"Okay, alright, I was just kidding. Can't you all see when I'm being sarcastic?" Dusk sighed.

"So, what are you girls are going to, like, sing?" Shaggy asked them.

"Just a little song of ours and you all know the lyrics." Thorn said, in a mysterious voice, as she cleared her throat.

I'm gonna cast a spell on you
You're gonna do what I want you to
Mix you up in my little bowl
Say a few words and you lose control

"Oh yeah… And that's because you are." Zack added his part.

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
Put a spell on you

You'll feel the fog as I cloud your mind
You'll get dizzy when I make the sign
You'll wake up in the dead of night
Missing me when I'm out of sight

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
put a spell on you
Oh yeah

With this little cobweb potion
You'll fall into dark devotion
If you ever lose affection
I can change your whole direction

"And that's because you are…" Everyone said in chorus.

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you
We're gonna put a spell on all of you

Singing cheered everyone up and made the time pass pleasantly. As day moved toward evening they continued to sing with Thorn and the rest of the girls. When they paused to wet their throats, Fred spoke up.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful, girls."

"Thanks!" Luna said happily.

"You know what, Scoob? We must be, like, the luckiest guys in the world, because we have the opportunity of enjoying a private concert from Thorn and the girls, without even having to leave the comfort of the Mystery Machine. Nothing could be more perfect, heh, Scoob?" Shaggy sighed happily.

"Reah, really rucky!" Scooby answered.

"Not bad, not bad at all… no wonder you're so famous. You're terrific!" Sebastian chimed in.

"You think that was good, then you haven't heard anything yet!" Luna promised cheekily.

"Yeah, we've barely gotten started! And to prove that, we're going to sing another song and we're going to rock you all with it!" Dusk said, now really excited to be singing.

"Well, you're not going to sing all by yourself, girls. Me and Velma are going to sing along too, and I choose the song this time." Sebastian said.

"Very well, which song do you want to sing?" Thorn asked.

"Let's see… Oh, I know, how about… "Bump in the Night"?" Sebastian asked.

"That's a great one…" Daphne said.

"Alright, let's do it Hex Girls, let's show them what we're made of!" Thorn exclaimed.

There's a chill in the air
You hear a creak on the stairs
You've got a knock on your door
Is there anybody out?

[Bridge]
They're out to get you
To capture you
And make you
Spellbound
Howling and frowling
You're shivering, quivering
Spellbound

[Chorus]
You can not run,
And you can not hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump in the night
Where ever you run,
And where ever you hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night

Tell me who's spooking who
It's very Scooby Doo
You hear a shriek in the house
You know its freaking me out

[Bridge]
They're out to get you
To capture you
And make you
Spellbound
Howling and frowling
You're shivering, quivering
Spellbound

[Chorus]
You can not run,
And you can not hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump in the night
Where ever you run,
And where ever you hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night

You can not run,
And you can not hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night

You know where ever you run,
And where ever you hide
Yeah you gotta face it baby
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night.

The singing continued over the next two hours and would have kept going if they hadn't got so tired. They'd made two pit stops, getting gas, grabbing a meal, and changing drivers for the vans. Despite Zack's optimistic estimate they would arrive before dusk, it was moving into the night as they continued to drive. Some of them started taking naps so they would be fresh when they arrived. When they finally approached Pinewood Hills, they knew whatever waited for them would not be pretty.