And I'm back with another episode rewrite story because these are fun and when I don't have a self-imposed deadline they're easy. Also, yes, most of these are going to be What's New it's the one I grew up with. It was Pup in the morning, this at lunch, and OG at night.
And now...
Riva Ras Regas.
…...
"Here we are gang, Las Vegas Nevada," Fred announced from the driver's seat of the mystery machine.
"FINALLY!" Melissa cheered from the backseat, "Hex Girls concert here I come!"
"Breathe, Melissa," Shaggy laughed from his place beside her.
"Did I tell you, you're the best yet?" she threw her arms around her best friend.
"Just under twenty-six times on this trip alone," Velma had been running calculations.
"Only twenty-six?"
For Christmas Shaggy had surprised Melissa with tickets and backstage passes to the next big Hex Girls concert having won them in a radio contest while Melissa was stuck in her holiday haze. Now, it was the height of summer, and Mystery Inc hadn't wasted a second having embarked on their annual road trip.
"Look at all the shops," Daphne excitedly squealed, leaning out the passenger window for a better look.
"I hear Vegas has some of the best Elvis impersonators in the world," Fred commented, slipping on a pair of Daphne's sunglasses before doing a rather mediocre impersonation himself.
"Hey!" Daphne snatched her sunglasses away, "Those are my sunglasses!"
"But, I can't do my Elvis without them," Fred replied.
"Really," Daphne replied snapping the pair in half, "Oops, darn these fragile imported sunglasses"
"Hey, there's our destination!"
The building when compared with its neon-lit, rainbow-hued neighbors was somewhat dull. Large, dome-shaped, blackened bricks with one large sign that flashed a somewhat muted yellow over the entryway.
"Newark, Newark, Las Vegas's first New Jersey themed resort," Fred read the sign as they pulled into the parking lot.
"I'm guessing it's Las Vegas's only New Jersey themed resort," Velma pointed out.
Fred had scantly parked before Melissa kicked open the back doors dragging the boys with her, "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
"We're coming, we're coming," Shaggy laughed, unable to wrench his arm from Melissa's vice grip.
The manager, a short, stocky man with gray hair wearing a brownish-red suit and purple glasses greeted them.
"You must be our radio contest winners, "I'm Del Stone I run the joint"
"Thank you for having us, Mr. Stone," Velma beamed.
"I'm curious Mr, Stone what made you decide on a New Jersey theme for your resort," Fred asked.
"Somebody already had a pirate ship hotel so we went with our second choice," Del replied.
"Now, that makes perfect sense"
"It was a joke kid," Del turned on his heel, "Come with me"
What followed, at least from Melissa's perspective, was a boring unneeded tour but she followed behind Shaggy, hopping from foot to foot every few steps to shake out her nerves.
"Everything here is state of the art," Del said, beaming with pride.
"Except for the name," Melissa chuckled to herself, she wasn't heard since Velma was coincidentally asking about the name.
"The Spectacular Spackle Dome?" Velma fought to keep from laughing herself.
"Cooperate sponsorship," Del suppressed a cringe, "Believe it or not, Spackle is one of Newark's biggest exports"
Fred burst into laughter, clutching his sides while the others looked on with confusion, "That's a good one, Mr, Stone"
"That wasn't a joke"
"Oh"
Open mouth insert foot, Melissa thought with a sympathetic smile at the normally confident leader of Mystery Incorporated.
"We've done our best to respect the whole Newark theme"
"Like, are creepy black cats a part of the theme?" Shaggy asked pointing to the feline that slunk from the shadows.
Melissa made a grab for Scooby's collar but wasn't fast enough, the Dane took off in a mad sprint after the cat. The group ran after him watching Scooby chase the cat in circles around a statue only to realize the cat had disappeared.
"It seemed to vanish under that statue," Daphne declared, eyes searching for the cat to reappear
"Make that a floating statue," Shaggy gulped.
Melissa patted his shoulder, "Guys this is a statue of Rufus Raucous the late magician
"That's right," Velma nodded, "Levitating was his signature trick...no wires"
"That kid was the greatest showman I've known since Elvis," Del remarked.
"You knew Elvis?" Fred asked eagerly.
Del didn't answer Fred distractedly he said, "The theater was built specifically to house his show sadly it was not to be, anyway, you kids go enjoy rehearsal I've got to see a maintenance man about a vanishing cat"
That was all Melissa needed to hear, grabbing onto the boys she hauled them in the direction of thumping rock music, "C'MON C'MON"
"Do we have a choice?"
...
It took everything in Melissa not to die on the spot. Because it was a private rehearsal they were the only ones present meaning she got a front-row seat next to the stage.
"This is amazing!"
"Talk about an elborate production," Fred agreed.
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you"
"You're welcome," Shaggy gasped, Melissa tended to forget her strength when excited.
"Sorry," she sheepishly released her best friend.
The teens clapped their hands over their ears at the sudden deafening screech that brought rehearsal to a halt.
"GEEEET OOOOUUUUT"
Above the band, the screens switched from graveyards to a singular masked figure dressed like Rufus Raucous.
"Oh, I get it," Shaggy chuckled weakly, "Like, just a big scary face on the moniiter"
Enraged the figure launched fire, the Hex Girls barely jumping out of the way in time.
"That can shoot fireballs?" Shaggy looked fit to panic, Melissa seized his arm to keep him in place.
"It looks like Rufus Raucous," Daphne declared, hitting the floor alongside Fred.
"Or his ghost," Velma agreed pulling Scooby down with her.
"On that note, like, good night everybody," Shaggy scooped up Scooby and made a break for it.
Seeing the band was unaffected the ghost aimed his apparent heat vision at a hanging prop directly over Thorn. With the ropes quickly fraying, Melissa jumped the stage tackling Thorn out of the way just in time for the prop coffin to come crashing onto the stage.
"Thanks," Thorn took a shaky breath.
"Quick thinking, Melissa," Fred pulled her to her feet.
"No, problem," she said sheepishly, realizing just how close the band was now.
"What was that?" Velma wanted to know.
"Not a part of our show," Luna shrugged.
"A crazed manic?" Dusk suggested just in time for Daphne to shriek.
"THE GHOST AGAIN," Shaggy and Scooby dove behind Melissa, each peeking over her shoulder.
"It's Fates Fools!" Daphne was fangirling hard, "Flapjack, B-Ball and Timmy, they're only like my favorite boy band in the whole world!"
"They're our opening act," Thorn explained.
"Unfourtantly," Dusk whispered to Melissa who tried not to laugh.
When Flapjack opened his mouth what followed was a bunch of jibberish.
"And I like, thought Christina's spells were hard to understand," Shaggy bumped Melissa.
"What did they just say?" Melissa asked none too quietly.
"UGH, it's too noisy out here, we're trying to rest our vocal cords for the show, Duh!"
"Sorry, we'll try to keep it down the next time someone tries to kill us," Thorn snapped.
"Ooh, scary, reading to many ghost stories?"
Now, Shaggy had to grab ahold of Melissa so she couldn't plant her fist on Flapjack's smirking face.
"Are you kids alright?" Del came running in, "I heard there was a disturbance"
"Fine, let's get back to rehersal!"
"There's not going to be a show until we can figure out who or what is resposeable for this damage"
"You can't cancel!" the band collectively shrieked indignantly, "We're sold out!"
"We can solve this mystery, right guys?" Melissa shot a glance at Fred.
"Right, of course we can"
"Then say the words"
"Please don't," Shaggy trembled.
"Gang, we've got a mystery on our hands"