SDMI S03E01 - Road Trip Rampage (scoob16/Maybeth)

[scoob16]

TEASER

The sun was scorching, and the road seemed endless. All you could see were cacti and sand, covering the whole place.
But the gang didn't let the heat influence their mood.
Fred seemed to enjoy sitting and driving again in the driver's seat of The Mystery Machine. After being exploded in the underground caverns of the previous timeline's Crystal Cove, all that van was in the new timeline was a white, colorless car catering to the needs of his football teammates Gary and Ethan. But repainting and freshing it up reminded Fred of the good old days, when the gang set off on their first mystery destination. Nothing could compare to that feeling of touching again the wheel of Mystery Inc.'s faithful four-wheeled mystery-solving tool. Well, except for building a new monster trap.
Daphne had mixed feelings about her current life. She and Fred had to overcome a lot of difficulties to make their love last. Her arrogant parents didn't seem very fond of her boyfriend, probably because he wasn't rich enough or because he booby-trapped the Blake's mansion! And in vain, since the Red Wizard was never captured there! Daphne had met a lot of handsome guys, like Hollywood actor Baylor Hotner, when Fred cancelled their engagement to find his real parents and left the town. There was a time when she felt guilty for rejecting Fred, after it was revealed that Hotner had been behind the Crybaby Clown scheme. Yet, she still saw Fred as a friend. She surely needed some time to think. But everything was different now: their dream became true, when her parents seemed to approve of their daughter's boyfriend - even planning their wedding!
Velma was too busy to notice the dusty background. She was sitting on the front seat of the van, absorbed in the big pile of books next to her. But a lot of thoughts had passed her mind about the new timeline - she wasn't wrong. Witnessing the defeat of an entity that had been manipulating people for centuries, after comsuming a parrot looking for infinity, and the creation of a new world, is not something you see every day. Accepting her new life, she dedicated herself to her books, as if she were taking an entry exam for Miskatonic University. Overwhelmed by all the new knowledge, she kept on reading, finishing one book every hour.
But those who enjoyed the trip more than anyone, were Shaggy and Scooby. Maybe because of the pizza boxes pile lying around the back seat. Devouring one piece after the other, these two were willing to finish up all of that food before reaching the next food joint.
Scooby, though, couldn't stop thinking of the massive destruction caused by the Evil Entity. He was actually grabbed and almost consumed by it, and he would have been if it were not for Professor Pericles, who very willingly sacrificed himself to the entity, thinking he would become invincible. Professor Pericles had always been a very dangerous enemy, especially with his army of German robot drones by his side. All Pericles was now was a kind little bird promoting the eco-friendly Creationex industries, former Destroido, massive polluter of Crystal Cove.
Shaggy raised a pizza slice above his mouth when Velma tossed one of her books in the back seat, hitting him on the forehead and leaving the slice to float in the air. Scooby grabbed the chance and gulped down the delicious pepperoni pizza piece.
«Like, ouch!» said Shaggy. «Velma, watch where you're swinging those things!».
Scooby giggled and licked his mouth.
«Sorry, Shaggy, but you guys can't imagine how excited I am we've been accepted in Miskatonic University!» said Velma, almost screaming with excitement.
«We can tell» replied Shaggy rubbing his forehead.
«Plus, you've told us about six times since we started driving» Fred completed.
«Speaking of driving» said Shaggy, «all that journey...»
«You mean the last twenty minutes when we stopped at that pizza place?» asked Daphne ironically.
«Right» admitted Shaggy looking at Scooby nodding. «This joureny has made me hungry!» he laughed. «Where's the nearest burger joint?».
Daphne unfolded the map on her lap. «About... four miles!».
«Four miles?» screamed Shaggy and Scooby in unison. «Like, we're gonna starve, Scoob!» grieved Shaggy grabbing his dog from the cheeks and sticking his snout to his own face.
Scooby released himself and started whimpering.
«Relax guys» said Fred. «We'll be there in an hour».
«I have to admit, though, I kinda miss the element of mystery and adventure» sighed Daphne. «I mean...».
Suddenly, the earth before them collapsed. Fred hit the brakes and spinned the wheel to avoid the big gaping hole in front of them. Everyone stared in amazement and fear.
«OK, I don't miss it anymore» said Daphne.
A bumping noise was heard from below the hole.
«Like, what was that?» asked Shaggy terrified as the noise grew louder and louder until it stopped.
Out of the blue, a giant black claw smashed in front of the van and everybody screamed.

[Maybeth]

PART 1

Fred turned the key several times, but it wasn’t until the giant claw’s image was completed by a black scorpion of the same size, with huge glowing red eyes that the van’s engine started to make a rumbling noise.
Fred reversed the vehicle and stepped on it while the scorpion emerged from the hole.
«Like, zoinks!» screamed Shaggy
«What in the world is that?» asked Daphne.
«G-G-Giant scorpion monster!» yelled Scooby and covered his eyes.
The van kept on driving across the desert all the way back, with the scorpion on their tail.
«Daphne!» said Fred trying to sound calm-although he was equally scared. «Hit the boosters!» Boosters had been the gang was attacked by the Horrible Herd.
Daphne reached for a button, but apart from and the radio and the CD player, there was nothing else.
«What boosters?» asked Daphne desperately?
«Ah, nuts!» murmured Fred still driving and looking in the view mirror as the gigantic creature approached. «I knew I forgot to install something!».
«And did it have to be the boosters?!» screamed Scooby.
«Don’t worry, gang» said Fred. “I did remember to install something else» he completed narrowing his eyes. «Hold on tight!».
Suddenly, he turned the van round and kept driving in reverse. Everyone was amazed and at the same time scared by Fred’s expert driving.
«It’s trapping time!» he said while turning up the volume of the radio, which in fact released a big net from the spare tire in the front.
Unfortunately, the net was too small to hold a creature of colossal size, and the scorpion cut it in half with its claw.
«Jeepers!» yelled Daphne.
«Turn back Fred!» suggested Velma.
Fred almost immediately turned the van again, but the creature was still following.
«Like, it’s gaining on us!» said Shaggy looking outside the back window with Scooby.
The Mystery Machine gathered speed across the hot sand.
«Fred, look out!» yelled Daphne pointing ahead.
«Zoinks! Thick fog up ahead!» screamed Shaggy.
«Maybe that’s our chance to lose that thing» said Velma. «Quickly, Fred! Behind that sand hill!».
The van entered the cloud of the dark fog and took its hiding place. The scorpion smashed its claw on the sand hill, without noticing the car. It then turned round and left back to the direction of the hole. Shaggy’s head popped up behind the front seat.
«Like, I really consider going back to Crystal Cove and living my life as president of the Chefs’ Club!» whispered Shaggy before making sure that the creature was gone. The rest of the gang popped up from underneath the seats and looked around. The fog was so thick they couldn’t see one foot ahead.
«I think we lost it» said Daphne.
«Well, gang…» said Fred.
«Please don’t say it» whispered Shaggy covering his eyes.
«… it looks like we have a mystery on our hands!» completed Fred.
«I was afraid he’d say that» whimpered Scooby.
«And this time, it’s a big one» noticed Velma.
Fred started the engine and tried hardly to find his way out of the fog.
Meanwhile, a few feet behind the sand hill, stood a motorcycle with its rider next to it. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a black helmet with red flames, as dark sunglasses covered his eyes and a scarf was over his nose and mouth. He took off his helmet and left it on his vehicle, revealing his long dark hair. Then, he picked his mobile out of his pocket and dialed a number, as the Mystery Machine found its way out of the dark cloud of fog and dust.
«It’s me» he said on the phone in a deep voice. «Mystery Incorporated just met our friend». He waited. «No, they’re still alive. But not for long» he finished and hung up.
sunglasses covered his eyes and a scarf was over his nose and mouth. He took off his helmet and left it on his vehicle, revealing his long dark hair. Then, he picked his mobile out of his pocket and dialed a number, as the Mystery Machine found its way out of the dark cloud of fog and dust.
«It’s me» he said on the phone in a deep voice. «Mystery Incorporated just met our friend». He waited. «No, they’re still alive. But not for long» he finished and hung up.

[scoob16]

PART 2

After the van finally got out of the fog, the gang decided to return back to the hole. After all, the scorpion had chased them halfway back. But they weren’t going to just pass it and continue their trip as this had never occurred, as Shaggy had first thought.
The hole where the scorpion had come from was now before them. Fred turned the key and got out of the van with the girls.
«Like, you can’t be serious, guys!» exclaimed Shaggy still seating at the back seat with Scooby.
Fred, Daphne and Velma approached the edge of the hole.
«Hmm» examined Velma. «It looks like there’s a tunnel down there. We need to get a closer look».
With that, the three of them opened the back doors only to find Shaggy and Scooby shivering under a blanket.
«Come on, guys» said Fred. «We’re going to investigate the bottom of that hole».
«Like, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo are absent right now» Shaggy imitated the operator under the blanket.
«Please leave your message» continued Scooby and Shaggy imitated the buzzer.
Velma pulled the blanket and exposed Shaggy and Scooby to the light of the burning sun. «Come on, you scaredy cats».
Daphne and Fred grabbed the climbing ropes and helmets. «Hurry up, guys!» rushed Fred. «We need to be done before the sun comes down».
«Like, forget it» refused Shaggy and crossed his arms. And so did Scooby. «There's a giant scorpion creature down there, and you want us to investigate?».
«No way» said Scooby and closed his eyes to show his indifference.
«I think I know how to get these two on board» whispered Velma to Daphne and Fred. She pulled something from an inside drawer. «Scooby... Would you do it for a Scooby Snack?».
Scooby's eyes blinked at the sight of the green paper box. There was no snack that could compare to those delicious dog treats. Scooby Snacks had always been the way to get Scooby on the brave side of himself, either it was to investigate a spooky old bayou, or to go after a moaning zombie.
Velma's hand raised in the box and grabbed a snack. She took it out and threw it to Scooby, who gulped it down while Shaggy was looking at the box.
«Scooby-Dooby-Doo!» howled Scooby and jumped out of the van.
Velma shaked the Scooby Snack box. «Shaggy?».
One thing was for sure: even though he was human, Shaggy couldn't resist those snacks either.
«What will I do for those Scooby Snacks?» he sighed and grabbed a biscuit from the box. he ate it immediately. «And Shaggy, too!» he completed his buddy's catchphrase and hopped out of the van.
«Great!» cheered Fred.
The gang put their hands together. This time, stronger than ever.
«Let's crack this case!» said Velma.

The gang, tied tightly to their ropes, fell gently down the hole. So deep was it that it took them at least five minutes to reach the bottom. The deeper they went, the darker it was. Shaggy might have regretted joining this crazy ride, but it was too late to turn back.
Fred and Velma turned on their flashlights and placed their beams on a mine tunnel just a few feet away from where they had landed.
«This way» pointed Fred and his voice echoed through the passage. The rest of the gang followed their leader deep into the underground caverns.
The walk was tough, on hard rock, and sometimes pretty dangerous on the slippery parts of it. After a while, Shaggy realised he couldn't stand it.
«Like, I can't take it anymore!» he cried. «We've been walking forever! This whole thing is crazy! We're never gonna...».
A rumbling noise echoed through the long passage and interrupted him. Scooby jumped on Shaggy's arms.
«What was that?» he asked terrified looking at the path they had taken. The rumbling noise continued without any change in pace or volume. Shaggy and Scooby shivered.
«Let's keep moving» suggested Fred as Scooby jumped back on the ground. Shaggy shed light on the direction of the noise and kept on walking with a mind paralysed in fear. A few moments later, the noise stopped.
But the noise wasn't the only thing that was heard. After it had stopped, the gang could hear something more frightening, although it was clearly human: a voice, accompanied by a strong light.
The gang followed the incomprehensible voice to the direction of the light through the narrow passageways. The voice was now clearer. You could make out a few bits and pieces. Finally, the gang reached the light, which turned out to be a big spotlight. Next to it, stood two tall men with miner helmets, and clothes covered in dust from the mines.
«What are you doing here?» asked one of the man almost angry and rather annoyed by their appearance.
«We're investigating the giant scorpion mystery» replied Fred as he, Velma and Shaggy turned off their flashlights. «What are you doing here?».
«We work here, little fella, and you better beat it now if you don't want trouble» replied the other man.
«What is going on here?» came a third voice from further down the tunnel. A tall chubby man with equally dirty clothes appeared from the dark. «What are they doing here?» he asked the two men pointing at the gang. «I thought I told you to keep intruders away!» he yelled.
«I'm sorry, sir, but...» one of the workers tried to justify.
«Silence!» the boss screamed. «You kids better get the heck outta here, or I'll sue you!»
«Sir, you have misunderstood» said Velma.
«Don't try to fool me, young lady!» the boss yelled. «Get away from my business!».
«Terribly sorry, sir» Fred tried to calm him down. «We're trying to solve the case of that giant scorpion»
«And what do you want from me?».
«We'd like to ask you a few questions, Mr. ...» Daphne told him.
«Curber. Ask your darn questions to get this over with!». Velma noticed his impatience, as if he were protecting something...
«Have you seen the scorpion?» began Velma.
«Nope» he replied. «Are you done now?»
«We've seen it!» interrupted one of the workers.
«Hush, Bob!» yelled Mr. Curber.
«We'd be interested in your report, Bob» said Velma. She walked towards him, but Mr. Curber got in the way.
«You're talking with me! Bob can't tell the difference between a mine cart and his partner, he won't be useful in your investigation!».
«But...» tried Fred.
«Get out! Interrogation finished!» he yelled and pushed them back in the tunnel. He then approached Bob and his partner. «Make sure they stay outta here, or I'll have you both fired!» he whispered and returned to the passage he had come from.
The minute he disappeared in the tunnel, Bob ran towards the gang, with his partner right behind him.
«Hold on, kids!» he whispered so that his boss couldn't hear him. «We've got to tell someone about it!».
Velma grabbed her notebook and pen. «Where did you see the creature?» she whispered. It seemed everyone was afraid of Mr. Curber.
«It was in an underground tunnel, just a few miles from here, near the mine carts» replied the other worker.
«Jerry and I» said Bob introducing his partner, «saw it smashing some of the carts».
«Anything else?» asked Daphne.
«It looked as if...» Jerry struggled to remember. «As if it was searching for something...».
«It then followed the mine cart rails» said Bob. «Fortunately, it didn't see us».
«Then our next stop will be the mine cart ride» said Fred decisively.

The gang walked further into the tunnel Mr. Curber had gone, looking around for any secret passages someone - or something - could pop out of.
After a ten minutes' walk that seemed like a year for Shaggy, they heard the rumbling noise again. This time, louder.
«Like, don't tell me that's what I think it is» whispered Shaggy shivering.
They all looked behind. They could still heard the noise, but they couldn't get sight of the creature making it. Fred shed light to the path they had followed.
«Come on» said Velma turning around. «We have to keep moving». Daphne and Fred followed her, but Scooby and Shaggy were paralysed with fear.
«Wait, like, hold on!» shouted Shaggy  and his friends looked at him. «Let me get this straight: there's probably a beast with giant killer claws behind us, and you guys wanna keep going?!».
Fred and the girls nodded and turned back to the path they were taking.
Shaggy sighed. «Back to the drawing board, Scooby-Doo...» he said and followed the rest of the gang.
«Oh boy» sighed Scooby and took one more glance behind him, only to hear the rumbling noise, louder than ever, and this time accompagnied by giant red glowing eyes... «SHAGGY!» he screamed wide-eyed and ran towards his friend. He finally caught sight of him and jumped on his back.
«Like, Scooby-Doo, what's the matter with you?» he asked angrily. He jerked the dog off him, Scooby fell down on the hard rock, raising a small cloud of dust. He got up and started pointing behind him.
«Sc- Sc- Sc--» Scooby tried to speak, but fear had paralysed his whole body.
«What is he trying to say?» wondered Daphne. Scooby, seeing he couldn't communicate with words, fell back on his imitation ability. He used his front legs to represent a giant claw. But it wasn't worth it.
«Guys, I think we found it!» exclaimed Velma pointing ahead with her flashlight. Before them was a deep underground mine cart ride. Wagons were covering parts of the rails, and mining equipment was all over the place. The gang was amazed.
«Wow» exclaimed Fred. He and the girls followed a small path down to the wagons.
«Don't worry, Scoob» said Shaggy patting his dog on the head. «We'll play later». He went after the rest of the gang.
«But... But..» whimpered Scooby running behind his friends.
Fred and Velma reached one of the wagons and shed light on their content. They could see something black, but one thing was for sure: it wasn't oil. The gang had met thoudands of crooks dressed up as monsters to scare people off land with oil. But this was not oil. This was solid. Velma raised one piece of it and examined it. She smelled it.
«It's coal» she said.
The rumbling noise was heard once again, but this time it was not that loud, and it seemed to be coming from very near them.
«Yikes!» yelped Scooby.
«The scorpion!» yelled Daphne.
«Nope» said Shaggy rubbing his belly. «That was my stomach. Can we please get outta here?».
«Not so fast, Shag» said Fred. «I think Velma's onto something».
«Guys, that's coal» repeated Velma. «I think this mystery is coming together...».
The rumbling sound came back and echoed through the tunnel. Everyone looked at Shaggy.
«What?» he asked shrugging his shoulders. «That wasn't me...». He was interrupted by the sound. «But now I only hope it was me...» he said frightended looking back.
Finally, the scorpion revealed itself and a loud shriek came from its mouth. The gang screamed as the creature approached.
«Everybody» ordered Fred. «Jump in the carts!». He was the first one to do so, as Daphne and Velma took their own wagons. Shaggy grabbed Scooby from his tail, just before the giant creature's claw could smash him. The two friends took their cart, pulling a lever that sent all the wagons down the rails, each one from a different tunnel. The scorpion ran after them.

[scoob16]

PART 3

Being fifty feet under the ground was not the worst part of this misadventure. But riding in an uncotrollable mine cart with very little light and a giant scorpion after you fifty feet under the ground was...
The whole ride had the gang going up and down with all its twists and turns. Their flashlight had fallen into a deep abyss long ago. Each cart from a different, going through slopes and ascents, all hope of finding each other was lost...
«Like, can things get any worse?» Shaggy screamed desparately.
Scooby heard the monster's high-pitched shriek just a few feet behind their cart. He turned round and saw the colossal-sized creature.
«Sha- Sha- SHAGGY!» Scooby yelped patting him on the back. Shaggy turned his head unwillingly and facedthe scorpion's claw, ready to smash their cart like a pancake. But without a doubt, the last thing Shaggy had in mind was food. That would eb a first...
«Like, zoinks!» Shaggy screamed. «Why do monsters always come after us when we split up?!».
«Coincedence?» gulped Scooby, although he knew it was fate...
Meanwhile, at the other side of the tunnels, Daphne's cart was having by far the wildest ride. Dangerous and steep slopes and ascents... What Daphne needed right now was Fred. Only he could make her feel safe, only he could assure her that, no matter how bad things seemed, all could be fixed in a snap. And Fred meant a lot more than a boyfriend to Daphne. Fred meant the world to her. In her mind, Fred was only associated with happy memories: shaping their hopes and dreams during dancing at school proms, a relaxing afternoon by the beach, being together to support each other...
But that trip down memory lane was cut short at the sight of a sudden stop of the rails, with endless darkness lying beneath it. Daphne screamed and covered her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a a hand grabbing her arm. They mysterious hand pulled Daphne to the other rails into a cart, while she watched hers falling into the deep darkness. She gasped and looked at her mysterious saver. His face was not visible till the cart passed in front of a torch on the wall. The blonde hair, the strong chin, the orange ascot...
«Fred!» Daphne yelled in amazement and hugged her boyfriend. Tears ran down her cheeks. She was feeling safe enough to sigh in relief, but she still couldn't let go of him.
«Did you think I'd let you go through this alone?» Fred asked rhetorically as he sqeezed her in his arms.
«Don't let me go, Fred» she cried. «Never again».
«Don't worry, Daph. I've got you now» he assured her.
A familiar scream interrupted them. It came from next to them.
«Jinkies!» Velma screamed as her cart gathered speed. Fred and Daphne extended their arms to her wagon, grabbed her and pulled her to safety. «Guys!» she screamed in amazement and relief. «I thought I'd never get out of there!». She looked at Fred, and the empty cart. «Where are Shaggy and Scooby?».
«Like, ZOOOINKS!». This scream was the loudest. «What happened to the seat belts in this thing?!» asked Shaggy from the rails near them.
«And the breaks!» completed Scooby.
The two carts were now rolling side by side, with only a few meters of dead air between them.
«Guys!» Fred screamed placing his hands around his mouth. «Jump!».
«Easy for you to say!» said Scooby staring at the slope coming up. He and Shaggy gulped and looked back at their friends.
«Come on! You can do it!» Daphne encouraged them.
Shaggy grabbed Scooby from his neck. «Like, here goes nothing, Scoob» he said.
Scooby gathered all his courage and prepared to jump. «Scooby-Dooby-DOO!» he shouted and jumped while his voice echoed through the tunnels. Before they even realised, the two friends had landed inside their pals' wagon.
«Like... We did it!» cheered Shaggy and touched his body. «And we're still whole!».
«And alive!» shouted Scooby as they gave each other a high five. They then looked at the rails they had taken before.
«Where's that scorpion monster?» wondered Velma.
«I don't know and I don't wanna find out» giggled Shaggy.
The trip down the rails had now become more slow and gentle. The gang's cart continued to ride through the tunnels for a few minutes till it reached a wooden platform. It stopped. They had finally made it through the mines safe and sound. They hopped off and walked carefully on the old platform, standing on rotten metal ready to collapse.
«This certainly proves that the mine is old» examined Velma.
«Add the coal we found and the mystery gets more complicated» said Daphne.
«Quite on the contrary, I'd say» said Velma. «Remember who protective of his business Mr. Curber was?» she reminded them.

«Like, you think he was hiding his coal?» asked Shaggy, suddenly more willing to solve the case, now that danger - or at least most of it - was gone.
«Bingo» Velma nodded.
«But how can a single man operate a scorpion of that size?» asked Daphne.
«I think the best way to find out is to trap him!» Fred said excited.

It took them almost an hour to cross the wooden platform. Unstable though it was, they managed to make it to a long tunnel. Fred grabbed one of the torches hanging from the walls and cast light ahead of them. Suddenly, they heard a gentle squeak.
«Uh-oh...» whimpered Scooby.
«Shh» whispered Fred and pointed at the ceiling. They all looked up and stayed astonished at the sight of thousands of bats hanging upside down, sleeping. Scooby and Shaggy shivered. «Don't. Make. A sound» whispered Fred slowly.
They kept on walking, watching out not to make any sound that would awake the creatures of the dark. The gang had passed through a lot of underground caves and mines with bats hanging above their heads.
And then came the casual problem: Scooby's sneeze.
The bats started to fly around the passage.
«Run!» yelled Fred and the gang followed him.
«Raaats!» screamed Scooby.
«No! Bats!» Shaggy corrected him.
«That's what I said!» complained Scooby and kept on running.
The tunnel was endless. Till it came to a dead end. But Velma noticed that it actually didn't. A new path was on their left.
«Quick!» shouted Velma over the bats' squeaking. «This way!» she pointed to the path she had seen.
The gang squeezed through the narrow opening of the rocks, away from the bats. Shaggy peeked through the opening and saw the bats flying away. He and Scooby sighed in relief.
«Come on» said Fred and continued to walk. The rest of them followed.
«Oh boy» Scooby said.
After walking some more, they reached a metal door. Before opening it, Velma examined it.
«Definitely new» she announced. «Which means someone must be using it a lot lately».
«Someone or...» Shaggy whimpered.
«...something» completed Scooby and gulped.
Fred stepped forward and turned the doorknob. Before them was a small computer lab. A few desks were placed against the walls with computers on them, fully equiped. What didn't match with the whole background was an odd funky smell.
«Ew» said Daphne disgusted and she, Velma and Fred covered their noses. «What is that?».
Shaggy and Scooby smelled the air and looked at each other.
«Rotten pizza!» they exclaimed in unison and started looking around, seeking the gone-off food.
«How do you know what rotten pizza smells like?» asked Velma still covering her nose.
«Well...» Shaggy tried to justify. «We once forgot a back-up mushroom pizza with extra pine-apple sauce under my bed for one week».
Scooby sniffed some more. «Pepperoni...» he announced and sniffed again. «...with extra hot peppers». He looked behind a desk and saw a pizza box.  Shaggy approached and opened it to reveal two slices of what Scooby had estimated.
«Like, jackpot, Scooby-Doo!» he said and grabbed a slice. Scooby took the other and they both devoured them.
«Yuck!» exclaimed the others.
«You ate rotten pizza?!» asked Daphne.
«One-week-old pizza is OK» replied Shaggy. «But, like, two-week-old burgers are not, Trust me, dudes».
Fred, Daphne and Velma looked at each other.
«So... You say that pizza went off a week ago?» asked Fred reluctantly.
Scooby gulped down his last bite and licked his upper lip. «Eight days».
Velma tried to ignore them and browsed around the lab. Empty cola cans and food bags were also lying around. «Looks like someone has been spending quite a long time in here».
Daphne approached the desk behind which Scooby and Shaggy had found the pizza. A large blueprint was placed between the screen and the speaker of the computer. She picked it up and unfolded it. «Jeepers!» she said. «It's a blueprint of the scorpion!».
«So that thing is a robot» said Fred. «The question is: who's controlling it?».
«And why?» Velma added. «We should keep that blueprint for evidence» she suggested. Daphne folded it again and gave it to Fred who put it in his pocket.
Suddenly, they heard a moaning. It seemed to be coming from behind the back door, just a few feet away.
«Like, enough with the noises already» complained Shaggy. «I guess you want us to follow it?».
«Correct» said Fred and opened the back door, which led to another dark tunnel.
The gang took once again the path and closed the door behind them.
The mysterious motorcyclist popped up behind a desk and took a look around, just to make sure that he was alone. He then picked up his phone and dialed a number. Only three words reached the other line that were enough. «They are here».

The gang kept on walking, but the moaning had stopped a few seconds ago.
«Good, the macabre moaning is gone. Can we now go back and search for more leftovers?» asked Shaggy.
The rest of the gang ifnored him. Shaggy sighed and Scooby patted him on the head. «Don't worry, Raggy. We'll find a cotton candy monster to eat» he giggled, and followed his friends.
They finally reached a new set of mine carts and rails. Before them stood the scorpion, motionless. Scooby gasped, but Shaggy covered his mouth with his hand and pointed behind the monster. Two shadowy figures were loading the carts with something that looked like the coal they had found. Velma took out her binoculars and tried to make out the figures, but it was too dark.
«OK» whispered Fred. «We now know that the scorpion is a bigtime fake» he recaped. «But we can still use it in our favour» he said and looked around at all the mining equipment. «We need...».
«Like, no, dude» Shaggy whipsered angrily. «We won't be bait in this white-knuckle trap. And you have no Scooby Snacks to convince us this time».
«I didn't say anything about a biat, guys» he told him. «I had something else...».

The two figures kept on loading all the coal to the carts.
«It ain't so good to be working with that freak above our heads» said one of them and pointed at the giant scorpion robot behind them.
«I don't think we'll be needing it anymore. What's done is done. We do need to get outta here to cover our tracks, though» replied the other.
Suddenly, the scorpion's eyes turned back to glowing red. The creature turned round towards the figures and emitted a loud shriek.
«What the...?» the workers exclaimed.
The monster smashed its claw on the carts very near the workers.
«Run! That things's gone insane!» one of them shouted. The robot chased them in an empty cart, which took its way down a tunnel. But this one turned out to be quite short, as the wagon stopped unexpectedly and tossed the workers in a net Fred had hung a while ago.
«Got 'em!» he cheered.
Shaggy and Scooby climbed off the giant robot and approached the trapped figure , along with the girls. «Like, chasing the villains is a lot more fun than having them behind you» Shaggy admitted, who, with his pal, had quite enjoyed operating the monster that had been after them all along.
Fred released the figures to the ground. «Now let's see who those miners are» he said and uncovered their faces.
«Bob and Jerry» said Velma seeing the two staring at the gang angrily.  «Just as we thought».
«Ah, you know nothing, kids!» shouted Jerry.
«I think we do» corrected him Fred. «You two made up that giant scorpion robot with the money you took from the business bank».
«We found the receipt taped on the back of the blueprint you made» Daphne explained.
«And all that - obviously - to get away with the coal you found» Velma finished.
«Coal?You think we got into so much trouble just to get coal?» asked Bob.
«Shut up» whispered Jerry to his partner. Fred approached one of the carts and raised a piece of the coal. He used a dirty rag to clean it. All of a sudden, the piece started to shine.
«Gold!» he exclaimed. «That explains the black drops we found on some of the desks».
A flashlight beam was placed on the gang. «What the heck are you kids doing back here?» Mr. Curber's voice came from a nearby tunnel.
«Saving your company» said Velma proudly and crossed her arms.
Mr. Curber noticed his workers on the ground and the almost destroyed robot. «Bob? Jerry? What are doing here?».
«Your employees found found gold underneath the mine and intended to smuggle in out of town» explained Daphne.
«And we would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids» shouted Bob.
The boss grabbed them from the shoulders. «Come here, you two!» he shouted. «I'll take good care of you».

Finally after so many hours under the ground, it was nice to see again the unrelenting sun of the sand-covered desert.
«Well, gang, looks like another case is successfully solved» said Fred.
«So, what are we waiting for?» rushed Velma. «We don't wanna be late for class!».
They hopped back in the van and went off for Miskatonic University.
«Scooby-Dooby-Doo!» shouted Scooby and hang his head off the car window.

Behind a nearby sandhill stood the motorcycle with its rider next to it. Once again, he picked up the phone and dialed the same number.
«They escaped» he said. A loud incomprehensible voice came from the other line. It didn't seem so happy... «Don't worry. They won't make it through the next town. They're in for a nasty surprise there» he finished and hang up. He hopped on his vehicle, put his helmet on and followed the van from a very long distance.
Mystery Incorporated shouldn't be aware of that new character - or should they? For he looked dangerous and willing enough to get the kids out of his way.