Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated fanfiction by dewapain
in which Fred Jones Sr desperately tries to rescue bond with his son and learns, that greed and crimes committed in its name make one lose everything, even humanity.
Although it was only half an hour until sunrise, the glow of a new day still had not appeared on the horizon. Only the light of the roadside lamps and headlights of the van were broking the darkness.
Fred had stayed up many nights, due to investigating with the gang or projecting a new trap, but none of them seemed to be as long as this. To him, it seemed like they had broken into mayor’s office a week ago, not just two minutes after midnight.
Fifty meters from his house, Fred slowed to 20 kilometers per hour and turned the headlights off. He didn’t think that dad was asleep, unaware of Fred’s absence, meanwhile the fact, that he still hasn’t seen any information about missed call, was giving him some hope.
Young man parked van in the same place, where he did few hours ago, after arrival from police office, as quiet as possible. Autumn’s wind hit his body, as he got off.
He should think about drinking some hot milk and having hot bath, so he could wash away smell of ocean’s water, dust, mud, fear and horrible shame, but all his thoughts headed towards one destination…
He hid his face in his hands.
Shame was absolutely the worst of all.
It wasn’t about masked villain’s escape. Maybe he would catch him, if he didn’t fall, weakened due to dramatic chase and shocked by the fact, that monster had saved him from certain death under rocks from apse tumbling down. It wasn’t about confrontations with gang’s parents. After unsuccessful mission in the caves, Fred drove all friends home. Their parents, informed by phone about kids’ safety after countless missed calls, seemed to await just behind the door.
The Rogers’ just pulled Shaggy and Scooby in the hall and slammed the door.
‘I know, that some of your friends can’t predict consequences of their decisions’, Mrs Dinkley growled at Velma. ‘But you should be able to refuse!’
Nan Blake took her daughter quickly, and Barty without hesitation sent Fred to the devil. Teenager didn’t oppose him, feeling that he deserves all the scolding.
‘I nearly killed us all’, he moaned. ‘I could kill us all! What kind of leader am I?’
Dad kept telling him, that he should quit solving mysteries, but Fred has never considered it (maybe once, during the case of fake ghost in their house). Now he knew dad was right. From the very beginning…
He entered the house through side entrance and went to his room without turning light on. The fire on fireplace went off hours ago, darkness was filling every corner. He didn’t see any light coming from dad’s bedroom. Fred looked into his room, curious, if he’s really asleep.
He stopped immediately. His mind was telling him, that he’s afraid of dad waiting in the darkness, angered enough after breaking into his office, but the rest of his body, paralyzed, knew better.
Mayor’s bed was empty. The curtains around it hang as leftovers, and the rest of it lied on the floor as a rag.
His body changed into giant block, but the senses became sharper. He observed the spacious room and listened carefully, still standing in the hall.
Nearby the bed stood a grand mirror. Despite darkness, Fred noticed that instead of smooth surface, he looks at rough plane full of cracks – like someone hit it with a fist. Some splinters were shining on the floor. He smelled dad’s eau de Cologne and a light scent of salt, and another, well-known, but hard to recognize at the same time. Fred overcame the weakness in his body. He took waterproof pocket flashlight, then directed a beam of light straight at the floor in front of the mirror and hissed, as he saw scarlet dots covering the parquetry.
Silence was the only answer.
He walked into the bedroom silently, filled with irrational fear of revealing his presence. Right – dad was angry after the action in the city hall, but never got so furious to start devastating someone’s property (his own property, in particular). Even the time we crushed his election meeting, as we were chasing a robber dressed up as vengeful Osage, Fred thought. He felt pain, as he curved his mouth in a nervous smile.
He was moving forward slowly. As the ray from flashlight trembled with each nervous move of his hand, Fred was noticing new elements of – now he had no doubt – crime scene. He saw red stains on the curtains’ leftovers on the floor and white sheet on the bed, and scratches on a wall nearby, so huge that only a monstrous predator could make it. Fear pressed him like a battering ram. He choked with the air he breathed. He felt like a person sinking in the ocean’s deep, where the death itself was lurking.
A rustle in the darkness. Fred started illuminating all the corners of the bedroom to discover source on the sound, at the same time being afraid of it. Finally, white light fell on the dark shape near the wall next to the door.
Fred felt that his legs transform into substance without bones and muscles he could control. How stupid he was, as he thought, that he had freed himself from the nightmare for the rest of the night! Now this nightmare stood in front of him. Fred tried to make a step, but fell. Pressing his back to the bed, he watched tall shadow approaching slowly.
‘It’s you. It’s you again…’
The monster stopped and, to Fred’s surprise, switched on a lamp on the bedside cabinet. Yellow light illuminated whole room. A grotesque figure showed up in its full splendor, from golden braces on the shoes to tips of goat’s horns.
‘What do you want, monster?!’, Fred screamed, filled with panic. All the courage and determination that helped him start chasing the creature, suddenly disappeared. He understood, why Cassidy warned the gang against him. ‘We don’t have the piece anymore, just leave us alone!’
The monster stopped, then kneeled next to him. Fred moaned, as he caught his shoulders with unbelievable strength. He looked into monster’s face and noticed, that something changed – Freak’s face has softened. Instead of wickedness, Fred saw pain and sorrow in his eyes.
‘Freddie, do not go. Do not fear. It is me.’
Some years ago, Fred was preparing a school project and exploring old family album, he discovered old photos of his dad. He couldn’t believe, that smiling lad with giant backpack wearing T-shirt with old rock band’s logo posing on the mountain trail and always irritated mayor sitting in the office are the same person. The surprise of discovering dad’s youth was nothing comparing to well-known voice coming from behind hideous mask.
Fred tightened his eyes. After confrontation with the parrot he suspected, that dad is lying to him, but he didn’t know, if just a little or completly, but he didn’t expect him to be able to such meanness…
‘I don’t believe. It’s a nightmare’, he said aloud, aware that now he’s lying to himself. His body knew, just like few moments ago, when he noticed torn curtains.
‘Freddie, it is me’, Freak repeated. No – his dad. ‘But I will not harm you anyway. Freddie, I am sorry.’
Fred opened eyes. Dad’s attitude encouraged him enough.
‘It’s all your fault. That kids, old mystery incorporated… And now me and my friends. You have robbed us and escaped. You… how dare you?’
‘Indeed, it is me. From the very beginning’, dad agreed. He was talking quickly, like he had a hard exposé to tell and wanted to end it as soon as possible. ‘I escaped with the piece.’
‘Where is it?’, Fred asked, still shocked.
‘There’, dad pointed into the nearest corner. Fred saw golden shape on a cabinet. ‘But now it does not matter. I do not want it anymore. After this night’s events… Freddie, I am sorry. I am so sorry’, he tightened his fingers on son’s shoulders. Fred felt, how rough claws cut into his skin through sweater’s material. ‘I used to be wild, I desired adventures. I used to be unbelievably greedy. I came here thirty years ago to explore this cursed town and find the treasure. I prepared myself a costume… At daytime, I was searching in archives and libraries, at nights, I was visiting suspicious places, exploring cemeteries…’
‘…but I did not find anything. Then, they came to the library to ask for the scroll they had found in Spanish church. I decided to use them and then eliminate. I attacked them in the caves just after they had escaped with the piece found in that chest. I told them I will convince everyone about their parents committing various crimes if they will not abandon Crystal Cove. I led to imprisonment of the parrot…’
‘Please stop’, Fred whispered. He wanted to cover his ears, so he couldn’t hear the confession of dad’s sins, but the curiousness won over fear.
‘Some years later, I won local election and gained nearly unlimited power over the town. Despite having much lesser time, I could go anywhere I wanted, without need to dress up. The parrot was in the shelter, mystery incorporated stayed away from the town, at least, for long time… Williams has worked here for some years, Owens as well. He is hiding currently, but he stays here.’
‘There are also Brad and Judy’, Fred said.
Dad’s eyes, opened widely and directed at Fred, turned down.
‘They are not going to take any step closer to Crystal Cove, if they still believe the threat they heard from me…’
‘What did you tell them? That you will prepare proofs of their parents committing … a murder… or something…’, Fred began slowly, unable to avoid listening to dad’s untold story.
‘Two years after group’s departure Chiles wanted to return’, dad was speaking silently, with his eyes casted down. Fred realized, that mayor’s gesture expresses something he had never observed in his behavior: shame. ‘Married to Reeves. They had new-born son… I took him and threatened that I will hurt him if they will not go away for good.’
‘You’re sick’, Fred whispered. ‘What have you done with this boy? Is he still in town? He must be eighteen right now…’
Monster raised on Fred eyes filled with pain. His blood-red lips curved. Fred didn’t know, that one can express remorse so well, wearing a mask. One sight into his eyes was enough to realize the most terrifying truth of all that he has encountered this night.
Fred wished he could scream and curse, but his body betrayed him. He just demanded:
Sharp claws on his shoulders disappeared, but mayor didn’t move back. He embraced Fred’s face instead.
‘You will call me monster and you will be right. Indeed, I am a horrible person, but I do love you’, mayor was throwing words from his mouth quickly, as if he got a tiny piece of time to confront his hostage. ‘You are the most precious treasure I could have ever dream about. Treasure that I do not deserve and should not ever obtain… Tonight, after I had attempted to kill you unwittingly thanks to my madness, I realized, how far it has gone… So far…’
‘Let me go’, Fred repeated louder.
‘You are angry with me and you are right’, he whispered. ‘I do not know if I can ask you for forgiveness. Thus, I would like to ask you only for one favor. Please, help me put this mask off.’
In the first moment, Fred didn’t notice anything unusual in mayor’s words, soon he realized, how ridiculous the situation is. Why does he hear dad’s (or rather man’s, who played the role of his dad) voice, but still doesn’t see his face?
‘Put it off yourself. You can do that, if you shared all your lies.’
Blood-red lips trembled, fear came to hideous eyes.
‘I can not. I do not understand, why’, to prove his words, mayor grabbed the material on his jaw and pulled, without any result. Places pierced with sharp claws kept bleeding. ‘Maybe the material shrinked in contact with salty water and stuck to my skin…’
‘What a pity’, Fred growled. ‘You can wait few hours till this eyesore comes off.’
Fear replaced sorrow in mayor’s eyes completely.
Fred turned his eyes away, on the one side, disgusted with his kidnapper’s image, on the other, embarrassed by the situation: he had the Freak of Crystal Cove, feared by adult, serious people, even psychopaths like Pericles, begging on knees in front of him. It felt so wrong and scandalous, that Fred decided to cut it off.
‘But you promise not to chase after disc and treasure anymore’, he began.
‘And you’ll help me find my parents.’
‘And finally, you’ll plead guilty.’
He stood up, grasped one of the horns and jerked with all his strength. Loud moan resounded in the bedroom, as mayor moved up.
‘Okay, just like glued to the skin’, Fred said, then sat before mayor. ‘Let’s try something else. Where’s the rim of this mask?’
‘Just beyond the collar’, mayor was rubbing his neck.
The man put off purple coat, meanwhile Fred unbuttoned his shirt.
‘What does it mean: beyond the collar?’, he asked, spreading shirt apart.
‘Just under its rim. I wanted the material of the mask to cover neck fully, but in the same time…’
Fred stopped listening. He was looking with disbelief at mayor’s chest, pale like a wax, smooth, without any hair, without visible muscles. It looked like someone shrinked skin just over ribs. He touched small wounds on mayor’s jaw, cheek and temple, then put a hand on his pale chest, where he was able to feel a heartbeat.
Structure under his fingers was warm. Fred felt every movement of tiny muscles on mayor’s face. Finally, he came to terms with facts, that his eyes have known long ago, but his mind defended itself before believing in it.
Mask shouldn’t show expressions so perfectly. Hair shouldn’t connect with artificial material the same way, as with living skin.
Shocked, Fred was discovering new details about mayor’s image, which his rational mind has been rejecting for so long. Blood-red lips trembled. No human teeth were visible behind sharp, shark-like ones. Eyebrows without lashes were frowning too easily. Fred could even notice light veins on mayor’s forehead. When he touched his neck, he felt pulse without any problem.
‘No’, he whispered. ‘Real demon…’
He jumped to the door, ran to the hall, to stairs, to huge sitting room, finally, to main door, chased by Freak’s scream:
‘Do not go! I am no demon!”
He was touching a door handle, while thin, but unbelievably strong arms caught him. Fred jerked, but didn’t succeed.
Mayor was pressing Fred to his chest and talking without break. Talking, how much he loves Fred, how as a father he feels responsible for Fred’s safety despite all horrible deeds and lies, how he’s going to protect Fred from any harm.
Young man was trembling in his arms, unable to stop the tears. Now he was at monster’s mercy, tied to him with mutual bond, mutual past lasting eighteen years that appeared thanks to no one but this monster’s crimes. Deprived of real family, maybe of friends, who he has disappointed. And somewhere, the terrible traps were waiting, prepared for meddling kids, who dared to reach for the disc into the darkness.
He turned to confront the monster, who used to hide so long behind human’s mask. Looking into this hideous, unpleasant face, Fred felt some relief. It seemed easier to confront the villain, who he has called “dad” since the moment he learnt to speak, standing before horned demon rather than a human.
‘You are my father, whether I want it or not’, Fred said slowly. ‘I accept my past and its results. But it’s you who made decision, that led you to transforming into monster. The more, you must accept yours, with all its consequences, dad.’
The Freak of Crystal Cove was looking into his eyes with regret and sorrow. Finally, he nodded, as he realized, that greed and crimes committed in its name made one lose everything. Even humanity.
‘I do accept’, he whispered.
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