SDMI S03E02 - The Coyote Caper (scoob16/Maybeth)

[scoob16]

TEASER

The gang had spent three days driving on the desert since they left Crystal Cove. And not one town in the last day - or diner for poor old Shag and Scoob...
They all knew that they were back to the continuous and relentless mystery-solving shenanigans; they had faced a gigantic scorpion in underground mines, and were quite ready to expect anything. But what they'd witness that night would be unlike any other...
Finally, after thousands of Shaggy and Scooby's stomach complaints, they could hardly make out some small wooden buildings.
«There's a town up ahead» Fred informed his friends.
Scooby and Shaggy popped up from the back seat with napkins tied around their necks.
«Woohoo!» Shaggy cheered. «Fooood!».
«Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!» Scooby repeated in anticipation.
The Mystery Machine stopped in front of a well in the wild west town. The two hungry sleuths jumped out of te van and ran towards the middle of the square. They looked around, but what they saw was reflected in a look full of sadness and disappointment. The buildings were old, and none of them seemed to be a burger joint or a pizza place. Just saloons, small cottages that looked like houses and a shefiff's office. And none of them seemed to include anything edible. Especially that jail at the end of the main street.
Scooby sniffed, his eyes filled with tears, and looked at his friend. «Raggy...».
«Like, don't worry, Scoob» he replied and took a desperate glance at his surroundings. His eyes met the well. «Maybe there's some water left in that well» he said trying to cheer up, not only his pal, but himself also.
Scooby sniffed again. «Maybe...» he whimpered. Poor Scooby... The rest of the agng was right about him eating too frequently, but this time, there was a gap that could not be filled easily.
«Hello? Anybody here?» shouted Fred.
But the van's screeching tires a while ago were enough to awaken a suspicious figure inside the sheriff's station. A tall man with a long hairy moustache stood by the window. He had an ear of corn in his mouth, which he spit when he realised - or thought - that those youngsters were up to no good. Even if they weren't, it was part of his job to get them to safety. It would be dark in a few hours, and no one was safe out there... Not with those beasts...
He got out of the station, his heavy cowboy boots raising small clouds of dust at every step. Silent like a serpent, undaunted like a coyote, he approached the well where Shaggy was turning the lever to raise a bucket, hopefully of water. The rest of the gang had their backs turned, but they all turned immediately when the man took out his gun and shot the bucket, opening two holes. Everybody gasped as the man blew his smoking weapon. He aimed at Shaggy and Scooby, who, suddened by the gunshot, had fallen on the ground.
«No troublemakers are allowed in my town» he threatened them.

[Maybeth]

PART 1 ~by scoob16~

It was seven o'clock in the evening, and the sun was still up, blinding the gang and making the strange man seem more powerful than he was. He growled and made one step closer to Shaggy and Scooby, who were paralyzed with fear. They gulped. Either they wanted to accept it or not, they were all at the mercy of the stranger. The man aimed his weapon at the sky and shot once again to warn them.
«You have two options» he offered, though he wasn't very willing to make any deals. «One: you stay out of here and wait for the beasts to eat you a-live Two: you get down - and not the east way». The gang gasped and made one step back. «One way or another, you'll get outta my town».
Beasts? What did he mean by that? The only beast they could see was him - and he carried a gun!
Velma took a breath and defended her friends. «Excuse me, sir, but you've made a terrible mistake» she said.
«We're headed for Miskatonic University» said Fred, quite ashamed that he hadn't thought of doing that earlier... After all, as leader, he had that responsibility.
«We came from Crystal Cove and --» Velma said.
«Crystal Cove?» repeated the man surprised. He hid his gun in his pocket, which, when the gang noticed, made them realise he was the sheriff. The shining badge was hardly visible, but when he approached, its shine was almost blinding. «You familiar with Sheriff Bronson Stone?» he inquired.
«Well... Yeah» Daphne replied in surprise. «Do you know him?».
The sheriff didn't look so dangerous now. «That moron's my brother».
Scooby looked puzzled.
«Like, Sheriff Stone is your brother?» asked Shaggy.
The sheriff stared at a hill in the horizon, almost intimidated. «I'm not proud of it». Everyone looked in amazement. The two were nothing alike. «Sorry for threatening ya, but I have to make sure no one else gets hurt» he apologised. «Sheriff Japeth Stone» he introduced himself fixing his hat.
All of a sudden, they heard a scream, getting louder and louder. The gang and the sheriff looked at the direction of the voice and saw a short man running down a small sandhill.
«Oh, no» mumbled Sheriff Japeth. «Not him».
The new character came closer to them. He was dressed in rags and had a long messy beard that reached his knees. A hat, much like the sheriff's, was placed on his head. His outfit was so dirty you couldn't really make out the colors.
«Sheriff! Sheriff!» he shouted waving his walking stick. «They're back! The end of humanity is upon us!».
«Like, who's that crazy dude?» asked Shaggy scratching his head.
Sheriff Japeth turned round and whispered: «Whatever he says, pay no attention».
The man finally reached the gang and the sheriff. He grabbed the latter from his shoulders.
«Sheriff, we have to evacuate the town NOW!» he shouted. «The Creepy Coyotes have returned!».
«C-C-Creepy Coyotes?» asked Scooby frightened. That was when the strange man noticed the newcomers.
«Aha!» he exclaimed. «Dog!» he shouted pointing at Scooby.
«Rog? Where?» asked Scooby looking around, clearly confused. Shaggy pulled him from the collar.
«Ah, you puppy, you shall be their new member! But... What are they doing here?» he asked looking at Fred, Shaggy, Daphne and Velma. «Ah, I see! You've come to see the coyotes, but you won't live to tell your friends about them...».
«Live?!» gasped Shaggy.
«Who's that?» asked Daphne.
«That's Old Man Jack, the town's hermit» explained the sheriff. «Jack, you're scaring the kids...».
«Oh, they should be scared!» Jack interrupted. «For the spirits of Coyote Canyon have possessed the coyotes, and their dog will be next!».
«Where's the dog?» asked Scooby again.
«Like, I think he means you, Scooby-Doo...» whispered Shaggy.
«Me?» Scooby gasped. «I'm a dog?!».
Old Man Jack looked at the sky. «It shall be dark soon... The coyotes will return!».
«Don't worry, ol' Jack. I've sent my deputies to keep them away» Sheriff Japeth reassured him, although he wasn't sure of his deputies' abilities himself.
«Like, crazy hermits, creepy coyotes, Coyote Canyon, spirits, possessed?» asked Shaggy totally puzzled. «What's next?».
Suddenly, a loud motorcycle sound was heard. A small car, much like a beach buggy, jumped over their heads and landed near the well. Gathering speed, it hit the well, making it fall apart. It was old, anyway...
«Apparently uncontrollable and clumsy riders» Fred replied.
«I think we goofed, Yabba» came a familiar voice from the crushed car.
«Yabba?!» exclaimed Scooby.
The riders hopped off the destroyed vehicle. A white dog with a few black spots on its fur, a red bandana around its neck and a brown cowboy hat... Next to it, a tall skinny man with glasses, blue pants and a blue open jacket, with a white shirt underneath.
«Yabba-Doo and Deputy Dusty?!» exclaimed Shaggy and Scooby surprised in unison. Scooby's cowboy brother and is owner had been working at Tumbleweed, a wild west town at the other side of the country. But the two detectives didn't remember getting any news from them about moving town. But in the new timeline, nothing was really clear...
Shaggy and Scooby ran towards them and exchanged some high fives.
«Like, gang, this is Scooby's brother, Yabba-Doo, and his friend, Dusty» Shaggy introduced. «I think you'll --».
The sheriff gasped at the sight of the crushed car. He had paid so much to buy it a few months ago, and it was ruined by his new deputies. He growled. «You morons!» he shouted.
«Don't worry, Mr. Sheriff Sir» Yabba reassured his boss. «We'll have it fixed in no time!».
«I'll have you fixed much earlier!» the sheriff hissed.
Dusty hid behind his dog. Cowardliness was one thing he and Shaggy had in common, even though they weren't related at all. «Uh... Sir... I...».
«Unless you have news on our coyote trouble, get outta here!» Sheriff Japeth threatened his deputy.
«You bet, Sheriff» interrupted Yabba, always there to mess his pal's word. «We found their hideout in Coyote Canyon».
«You did?!» shouted the hermit. «Now they know us humans are aware of their secret... The end is near! Ruuuuuun!» he screamed and ran to his shack, at the end of the main street.
«Excuse me for interfering, but what's up with those coyotes?» asked Velma.
«Whataver it is, we can help you out» offered Fred.
«How can you be of help?» asked the sheriff.
«We solve msyeries» explained Daphne.
The sheriff had got his mind off the trouble Deputy Dusty and Yabba had caused. But Dusty's high-pitched voice got him angrier.
«Sheriff, they can definitely help us. They've got more experience than we do».
For once, his boss agreed. «We'll have you settled in the town hotel, down that side of the street».
Yabba stood on his back feet and pushed the sheriff a little with his elbow. «And maybe we can arrange a barbecue tonight to welcome my brother and his friends». They were all hungry, that's true. Sheriff Japeth growled, but he agreed eventually. «Very well. WE can tell you more about this coyote business then».

That night, after arranging their rooms, they gathered next to the destroyed well. A long table was placed there, but, apart from the gang. the sheriff and the deputies, no one else was there for the barbecue. Old Man Jack had locked his doors and windows and stayed inside to protect himself from the coyote raid.
«So, what can you tell us about those Creepy Coyotes?» asked Velma.
The sheriff stood by the fire and started the story. «Two centuries ago, before our town was founded, this place was teaming with coyotes. Travelers would reach Coyote Canyon and they never made it alive. But it wasn't because of the coyote attacks... Supernatural forces wander around these parts... They couldn't just stay in the air, floating homeless. So they inhabited the coyotes. The whole canyon was glowing...
» After a few years, our town was built. Even though they had been warned about the spirits, the townsfolk was attracted to the beauty of the place... But it was only before the moon came out... The coyotes, possessed by the spirits, claimed their first victims... None of the first citizens survived...
» We came here three years ago. It's a miracle we're still in one piece...».
Shaggy and Scooby gulped.
«Any clues about them?» asked Fred.
«It's strange but... We've been hearing bells...» replied Deputy Dusty scratching his chin.
«Bells?» repeated Daphne. «I remember one of our past cases where a bad guy used bells to manipulate his monkey to steal».
«Like, you mean that crazy cheese lover and his Roberto monkey?» asked Shaggy,
«The Hodag of Horror?» completed Scooby.
Daphne nodded. «Maybe that's the case here too».
«The question is: who'd control coyotes, and why?» stated Fred.
Shaggy, trying to forger about the sheriff's terrifying story, moved to a new subject. «So, like, when did you move from Tumbleweed here?» he asked turning to Yabba and Dusty.
«Two months ago» replied Dusty. «Sheriff Japeth had heard about our villain-catching achievements and called us».
«What I hadn't heard about were your goofball achievements...» Sheriff Japeth mumbled.
Yabba gulped down a Chili Snack and Scooby his beloved Scooby Snacks. After the two canine brothers exchanged some snacks, a loud howling was heard from afar.
«Uh-oh» Scooby gulped.
Shaggy and Dusty shivered, as the howlings were followed by growlings. A large blue-and-green glow covered the main street.
And the coyotes made their appearance, with their blue eyes, filled with hatred and evil, staring at them.