Author´s Note: Avoid the episode we all have seen is quite difficult, specially if there are certain elements that you have to keep, so if you notice anything, please tell me. Oh, dear! We move on to the Mayor´s office, puff! After reading many comments about if he´s gay or whatever (rumours about his drawers are worse than... yuck!) so I´m not going to focus on that. No, sir.
Avanti!
3. Truth or Dare
21 hours before
Presenting Langdale to the gang takes just a few minutes, getting into the office of Mayor Jones takes a century. Fred has worked with closed doors before but this one is becoming pretty hard to handle.
"We are wasting too much time with this door" Velma sighs.
"Freddy is the best so don´t push him" replies Daphne.
"But like, we can get caught if we don´t get in there now"
"Shaggy´s right but I guess that my father wanted to make sure that I didn´t get in easily"
"Those who put locks from their loved ones, hide terrible secrets, my friends" speaks Pike who´s on Scooby´s head.
"My dad? Hiding secrets? No way"
"You sure, my lad? The Mayor is often who hides the most. But I guess, we will have to do it my way. Come along, Scoobert" the bird flies to the nearest door and opens it. Through the window, they can see that a storm is falling but Pike cares not and opens the pane. "Now, let´s see if you remember that little show in the circus" they both look and locate the mayor´s window. "I will be with you but you must not lose concentration"
"Rokey" the Dane swallows hard and they begin to walk against the wall to reach the room. Scooby keeps his concentration but a thunder scares him and he slips. Pike grabs him from the collar and pulls.
"Focus!" they resume their walk and when they reach the pane, Langdale easily opens letting them inside the room. "Sometimes around is faster that a straight" the parrot deals with the locked door and lets the kids in.
"Wow, you really know the moves"
"I got my time to do learn. Now, let´s see" he closes again and they search the room. They all see a picture of Fred´s mom that the blonde boy holds in his hand. The search through the room seems useless until Velma presses a hidden panel that opens a drawer, pushing Scooby and Shaggy against Fred. The sound of broken glass tells that the photo must have crashed against the floor. Daphne gets startled while Pike does not miss a detail, he also notices someone passing under the window.
"What the?" the blond young man notices then that the photo is just an advertisement. Why? How could that be?
"Guys, I think I found something" Velma walks towards the drawer while Fred puts the photo in his pocket. Inside the hidden spot, there´s a scroll with a paper made disk piece.
"Like, that one kinda looks like our disk piece"
"This must be the scroll that Angel mentioned" says Daphne. "The one found in the Spanish church"
"And look at this. Is a copy of the piece the Mayor had, the one Pericles stole"
"I´m sure there´s a reason why my dad has this" a sudden sound is heard. They all look through the door but there´s nothing. Pike looks through the corridor and notices a strange looking shadow. "Maybe is a good time to leave"
"It is, but not through here" the parrot flies back to the window after locking the door.
"Why not?"
"Trust me. When things are too calmed, is best to leave avoiding the main entrance" he flies to a nearby tree and the gang after some hesitation follows. A big shadow runs through the town hall but Pikes maintains his cool and they all have a peek through the corner of the building. Sheriff Stone was waiting for them at the door. They could have gotten caught.
"Like, thanks, man. We owe you one"
"My pleasure, now c´mon" they walk through the streets until they reach the hospital where all is quiet. "Here we will find some friends"
"Uh, before going in. You are no common journalist, are you, Pike?" Velma as always hitting the nail.
"Right as always. I work for Monsieur Noir and he told me that you were in need of a good friend. And before we continue, I guess that Mr. Jones and Miss Blake have also something to share with the class, am I right?"
"Like, what do you mean?"
"Uh, well, we... Uh" Fred chokes.
"We... we are engaged" Daphne steps forward.
"No kidding" Scooby and Shaggy are speechless. "Like, aren´t you two too young?"
"No, we have decided. When we graduate, we will marry"
"And how did you know that?" they all turn to Pike.
"I can tell when two young lovers are engaged, is my master´s job after all. But now enough of Show and Tell" they walk inside the building. Scooby immediately notices where they are going. The kea leads them to Mr. E´s room where they also find Cassidy and Ed. "Evening, my fellow detectives"
"PIKE! What? What the? What happened?" the woman lets them in and closes the door.
"Re went ro the Rayor´s office"
"Like yeah, and if it wasn´t for Pike, the sheriff would have caught us"
"The Freak was waiting for us there but we escaped" Langdale recognized the strange shadow in the town hall.
"This is getting bad. Pericles is probably in cahoots with him again"
"And, what will they do next?"
"I´m not sure, babe. I ain´t sure" Cassidy is holding E´s hand.
"The best thing we can do now is follow the same track you guys did and that leads us to the caves" Fred has it clear.
"He´ll be waiting for you, don´t ye get it?"
"Then, what do we do?"
"(Sigh) I know ye´ll do whether I like or not" the woman glances at Ed who nods. "So, maybe at least we can give you somewhere to hide until it becomes dark again"
"We should go now"
"Miss Williams has a point. We should wait until tomorrow" speaks Pike again.
"Like, I agree about that"
"Me too. Fred, if we go now, we may run into the sheriff or Pericles, or the Freak. We should wait"
"Very well, but where?"
"Leave that to me" smiles the dj.
"Thanks, Cass-Angel" Velma bits her tongue.
"Is that E?" asks Fred.
"Yes, he´s still in deep coma. He has moved a few times but I´m worried. He´s losing too much weight and the doctors ain´t sure if he´ll wake up"
The gang takes a good look at the man. His face does seem familiar but they can´t put a finger on the reason why. Scooby rubs gently against the man´s face and he moves a little, as if he was trying to wake up but again he falls into his deep slumber.
"Scoob, do that again" says Velma and the Dane does it a few times more. At first, with poor results but little by little, the man´s expression becomes more aware of his surroundings. "Perhaps it needs more time, but Scooby´s nuzzle surely has helped him"
"Thanks, guys" the lights tremble, something´s happening. "Oh oh"
"I think our horny fellow has followed us here" Pike grumbles. A large shadow appears on the window and they all hold their breathing. The kea frowns but his tone cool. "Or maybe is just my spoiled German parent. Guten Abend, cousin!"
"Ah, guten abend, Langdale" is Pericles who looks happy to have all his enemies in one single room. "How nice to see you"
"Can´t say the same, cousin. I was hoping to see you and play chess with sunflower seeds and tea but I guess you felt from the branch as I feared"
"And I vas hoping to see you with your stinkvornehm owner"
"Talking about bird keeping" Velma grunts.
"OK, Pericles, Where´s my dad?"
"De Mayor? He´s just fine, Frederick. You vill ask him yourself, soon enouf"
"What do you want?"
"I think is obvious. I vant your piece and I haf come here for my old friends"
"Old friends?" Shaggy rises his eyebrows.
"Ja, meine alten Freunde"
"English please, old chap" grumbles Langdale. "Even if I do understand, they don´t"
"Dat is not my concern. I vill deal with all of you since de sheriff has failed"
"You and what army, cousin?"
"Dis army" the Freak´s shadow towers them.
Hehehehe.
Maybe this explains why Pike sounds a little like Pericles from time to time.
Will our friends survive?
What is going to happen next?
Next Clue: Hide Away