Fifteen - A Mystery Unraveled -

Dipper's eyes moved to Dana and Fox, the moment the sheriff and his deputy left the area.
"I never thought I'd be this glad to have the government around!"
I smirked at his rather inappropriate but hilarious comment. 12 year olds and their honesty.

Mulder and Scully turned their heads in our direction and I nodded mine in their's.
"That was quick and smart thinking from all of y'all.." I gestured at Daphne as well, who puffed up with pride. "This gives us the freedom we need without persistence from those cops."
"It gave us the chance we needed to question you ourselves." Scully revealed and her eyes scanned all of us. "Who are you people? Really?"
I shrugged right off, knowing full well there was no point in keeping secrets with what was no doubt going to come to light soon enough. At least from them, anyway.
"Well I think it's safe to say now that you all are DEFINITELY not from around here..present party included..I'm from an alternate version of planet Earth, which I expect to be probably the central core version of Earth, for reasons I'll have to explain about later, where I can tell you that you lot are famous and a big deal to people--and I am Sarah Demens, the Character Queen. These four lumps-"
I guided their attention to the boys.
"--Master, the smart aleck blondy, Joker, the stab-happy clown, Jim, the hot unstable one, and Bane, the guy with the mask and muscles- took me from my home and revealed that they needed my help. So, we made a deal that if I helped them, I'd be able to come and see you all, using a ship that's able to glide across space and time, taking us anywhere and anywhen we want...except Gotham, unfortunately. It's being stingy about that. We're to have words."

The party that did not include the boys and MB, who yes was still present, all exchanged astonished glances, in complete bewilderment over this shocking revelation. Dipper's eyes fell to the ground and oh, how he was gawking. "That..is..the single most amazing thing I've ever heard in my life!"
He looked up at me with twinkles in both eyes. "PLEASE TELL ME, AM I LOVED BY LOTS OF PEOPLE??!!" I chuckled. "Tons."
Mabel suddenly shrieked and flailed her arms around, "DIPPER!!" She shook him by the arm.
"YOU'RE ACTUALLY COOL TO PEOPLE." She shrieked again. "AND THIS MEANS I HAVE GROUPIES! GROUPIES, DIPPER!!"
"Like wow, real life super stars, Scoob!" Shaggy exclaimed. He nudged his canine companion.
"Hope we look good to all those people, and not totally ridiculous!"
I looked away, curling my lips back. Can not say a word, nope.

"Now, y'all, I know this is big and ultra mind-blowing--"
"But wait, how do people know about us? How is that even-"
"-BUT, I think we should tend to the unconscious child on the ground."
Our gaze returned to the girl laying before us, dried blood now reaching above her lips.
 and her slightly olive skin started to pale at an unhealthy rate.
She gently stirred, but with a pained expression.
Scully knelt down and examined her, lifting her head with one hand.
Little white puffs of air could be seen exhaling out of us due to the cold atmosphere.
A few of them shivered. I was naturally loving and embracing the frigid temps, but my comrades were all chicken wusses and I sighed in secret disappointment. Obviously, though, it wasn't helping the nameless kid's case by being out in the cold and not feeling 100%, so it was probably best we move her someplace safe and warm asap.

Thankfully, when it comes to medical attention, Scully isn't just an FBI agent..she's also a doctor. Yeah, the lady rocks.
She felt around the girl's face, then checked her pulse on the side of her neck, with Mulder kneeling down and wiping off the blood from below her nose with a white cloth.
"Her heart is slowing down." Scully uttered, before whipping her head at all of us.
"We need to get her to a hospital! Right now!"
She turned her attention to the gang. "Where's the closest hospital?"
"It's far out on the edge of town, but we can make it. C'mon, gang! Let's hurry!"

The party started scrambling off, Mulder leaning down the rest of the way and scooping the girl's still stirring body into his arms. Their car was totaled, so the two agents were forced to ride in the back of the Mystery Van, alongside Shaggy and Scooby.
As far as the rest of us, who would not be able to ride in the same vehicle as them, we could only watch as they piled into the van and Fred climbed into the driver seat.
"Hey!" He called out to us. "How will the rest of you tag along? Should we come back for you?"
"Oh, don't worry, Freddy boy. We'll catch up. You lot head on over!"
He nodded in compliance. The rest of the gang waved their temporary goodbye to us and I did the same.

Scully suddenly poked her head out from the back, staring straight at Dipper and Mabel.
"What about the kids?" "We'll bring them along, relax."
Mulder laid a hand on her shoulder from within and she hesitantly nodded her head as she ducked back in. Fred started the engine and before we could react, he was blasting off in a tight u-ie, speeding down the road until the van was completely out of sight.
I finally turned to the rest of the party, all of us battle-worn and exhausted, when here it was, we only JUST arrived, like, an hour earlier. I was perturbed.

"Welp, my peeps, we better get going before they show up again."
"You tell it, sister!" Mabel exclaimed, before snatching Dipper's hand.
"C'mon, Dipper, we gotta skedaddle after that weird girl! She needs us!"
They were starting off on the trail that the van left behind, Mabel leading the charge with her brother holding onto his hat, but I would have none of it. I quickly jumped forward and grabbed the two by the back of the necks. Hey, it got their attention.
"Hold your horses, you two! We stick together!"
The twins turned, while rubbing their necks.
"Together?" Mabel questioned.
"But we don't even know you guys.." Dipper pointed out. "The only people we know here are those agents and that girl. How are we safe with you??"
He provided a good argument. One I wasn't in the mood to counterattack.
So I just did the adult thing and pulled them back, with a simple "Because", something I never thought I'd be doing, as I usually side with the child.
But in this case, I'm an independent mother of six and I ain't got no time for excuses.

"You don't HAVE to know us, you little brats." Master sneered, stopping us in our tracks as he approached with his hood propped and hands in his pockets.
"You just do what you're told and stick by our side no matter what."
I rolled my eyes at his rudeness. "Gee, Saxon, could you GET anymore anti-kid?"
He glared at me with a mix of irritation and shock that I was once again challenging his mighty self. Basically, how he always looks at me. I stepped towards him and took him by the shoulders with a firm grip. "I need you to look inside and find your inner egotistical, smirky little politician that you once masqueraded as and be a real people pleaser! I know, it's gonna take a lot given your unpleasant personality, but I believe in you, my guy!"
  He only raised an eyebrow with an otherwise emotionless face.
I narrowed my eyes and pat him on the shoulders. "Just practice in front of a mirror."

Just as I turned, my eyes landed upon the sight of Mystery Boy, which made me jump as I had actually forgotten he was there and was almost expecting him to vanish again.
But there he remained and his gaze met mine, which made me swallow in nervous surprise.
My heart, the traitorous scum, began to beat a million beats per second, out of absolutely nowhere.

I am confused as to what is happening, commented my brain.
Shush, accept it, snapped my organs.
bWAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!, screeched my heart.

All I was able to do was stare into space with a gaping mouth and transfixed bright widened eyes, as if in disbelief of MB's presence. He wasn't running away..why hadn't he run away??
He wasn't disappearing..wasn't a dream or a figment of my own ridiculous imagination.
He was still there. Despite the boys being present.
Which speaking of the boys..of course they had to screw this up..which you'll see in a minute.

"We've gotta go" I uttered, snapping out of my own trance, and I gestured at the others.
"C'mon, guys..you, too, Ninja Boy."
He nodded his head, soon joining my side and he leaned in to talk quietly.
"When we get a chance, I need to talk to you. It's important."
My eyes snapped at him. "About what?"
He shook his head with a grave look in his eyes that his shaggy black hair half covered.
"Not here..not now..when it's safe."
Safe? Confusion.
I so far had battled a dragon, orcs, pirates, an unkillable experiment assassin, an electric lady and freaky monsters. Safe was no longer a real thing for me anymore.

"Now..with all of THEM out of the way.." I heard behind us. It was at that moment that Joker came from behind and grabbed MB by the shoulder, the poor lad clearly already feeling uncomfortable and exposed, and spun him around aggressively. The clown's demeanor turned to one of rage.
Every nerve in my body went on high alert. He is not..

Twas only a split second that anyone had time to prepare themselves with before the clown suddenly sprung forward, grabbed MB by the throat, whipping his switchblade out, now pressing it violently against his skin. The entire action made everyone jolt, the kids gasping in horror.
Moriarty was especially shocked, but for all the wrong reasons.
His hand threw itself at J. "How many knives do you HAVE?!"

My breath left me as Joker was once again threatening the life of someone I happened to care for, and my mind was racing. He was about to kill MB for absolutely no good reason other than just not liking him. Or so it seemed. "I thought I told you never to come back." Joker growled.
That's when I remembered the five of them had indeed met before..they had a history with him that I was kept in the dark about. That's where the other three approached J, but instead of stopping him, they peered at MB, almost like this was becoming an interrogation.

As if it was even possible, my heart beat faster and my eyes grew wider.
"STOP IT."
Master folded his arms. "Why'd you come back? You have no business skulking around us."
"How in the *beep* did you even get here?" Questioned Jim.
J sniffed. "That does it. He's a spy. Just like that kid I killed in Middle Earth."
"LET HIM GO!"
"It is curious why he is following us, more particularly Miss Demens.."
Oh Bane, not you too.
I clenched my gloved hands so tight, I nearly felt my nails dig into my skin.
"DO IT NOW!" I hoarsely screamed.
"Whoa, dude, WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!" Dipper exclaimed, Mabel hiding behind him.
"Oh, he's definitely a spy." Master smirked.
"I think we should do him away already." Encouraged Jim.
MB held both of J's arms, as if it would do any good in trying to keep him back.
Joker's blade was already pressed too firmly against his throat.
He choked a breath and tightened his jaw, squeezing his eyes shut due to the pain.
He tried to keep his cool, but that can only go so far when the situation you're in is looking very deadly. Especially at the hands of a serial killer.
"Which question...would you like me to answer first?"
BOY, NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR A SNARK ATTACK.

J naturally didn't like this. He didn't like anyone trying to take the witty spotlight.
Chiefly why he hates me so much.
As if he could get it any closer, he managed to dig the blade even deeper, barring his teeth.
"Don't get cute, ya little-" His sentence screeched to a halt.
His body tensed up at the sound of a very familiar click.
He slowly turned his head halfway. Just enough to see me.
Just enough to see that I was pointing my gun at his head.
The other three, even MB, looked stunned.
"Did I stutter?"
My voice was deep and dark, almost like a growl. I wasn't playing around anymore.
Joker had crossed a line that you should never cross with me.
But instead of backing down, J held the knife, standing perfectly still.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, sweetcheeks...but you're not the boss of me. You never have been and you never will be."
"In case you haven't gotten it through your thick little skull, clown, I am your freaking QUEEN!"
I jammed the gun into his head, which made him flinch. "So yeah..I am."
The others glared over at J, rather shocked that my hand was forced to this point.
I tightened my grip around the metal in my hand. "Now you have precisely two seconds to let him go or I decorate the ground green and purple with your freaking brains, you freaking psycho."
Joker chuckled. CHUCKLED. As I pointed a gun at his head. "You're getting bold.."

He did the unexpected. He let MB go, who instinctively staggered back, holding his throat and throwing out a mixture of coughs and exasperated breaths.
Joker turned right around to me, and he stood over me, as if that would intimidate me.
But I merely stared up at him with a dark, intense fire that was most likely a reflection of the murderous lust he was feeling towards me. He scrunched up his face and gestured with his hand in accordance to his words, "You know, I'm getting just a TINY BIT tired of you telling me what to do."
I rose a brow. "Well someone's apparently got to, considering you make some freaking poor life choices." The others widened their gaze. Even I was surprised with what was coming from my mouth. Dang, he's right..I was getting bold. Joker merely tightened his jaw, clearly furious at me, but holding it back, knowing that I had a gun in my hand and I was ready for a fight.
Don't mess with an armed short person. We will mess you up.

"I hate you.." Joker sneered. "Believe me.." I leaned in. "The feeling is mutual."
With that, I looked back at the others and squinted my eyes.
"And you three..I should have known you'd side with this idiot."
Jim pointed to MB, "But he's been following you around!"
"Because he's been PROTECTING me, you clod! Because he CARES about and RESPECTS me--which is more than the rest of you can say!"
Their eyes moved away. I pointed at all of them. "I told you, you're not pulling this crap when I'm around. Try something like this again and I will not hesitate to slaughter all four of you."
Master scoffed at this, clearly not taking me seriously. "Good luck with flying the T.A.R.D.I.S.. You don't know how to work the controls." I scoffed right back at him, "We've been traveling together long enough for me to watch how it's done." He slowly sunk.

I started to turn, when Jim spoke.. "So what you're saying is...you don't need us."
I paused, then turned and faced them once more, the four of them staring at me in angry confusion.
"Yes..that's the crazy part, isn't it? The part you imbeciles can't seem to get. I haven't NEEDED you for some time. No..I've WANTED you around. Ain't that something? I keep you because believe it or not, I LOVE our adventures together. I love saving worlds and fighting alongside you. I love that we have victory icecream and snowball fights and eat breakfast together and playing videogames. Like..I don't know..we're FRIENDS? Which is to be expected when you go through SO MUCH together and BOND and CARE about eachother---and crazily, I actually HATE that it comes to this! Me pointing a gun at people I thought were actually starting to care about someone other than themself! But...wouldn't you know it.....they were just faking it the whole time. Or at least..tolerating the situation until they only got what they wanted.....and here I thought you were four actually had souls." I holstered my weapon. "Turns out you really are lost causes."
My words stung even me. Despite their behavior, it felt horrible for me to say these things to them.
 I didn't mean to be that cruel...but...it just happened.
I couldn't say sorry. I couldn't show weakness after I just made a very firm point.
Maybe it didn't effect them at all, as most would believe.
Or maybe I just made them feel even more like garbage.....I dunno.
Even so, I turned around and I didn't look back at them.

MB had moved away from the four during my speech and he glanced up, holding his knees, still catching his breath. He, like the twins, was waiting to see what would happened.
How the boys would react. But nothing came from it.
I approached the three, where MB stood up straight, now looking at me with a genuinely saddened and concerned expression. "Are you okay?"
I shrugged my shoulders, being the cold and abrasive tomboy that I am.
"I'm fine..just done believing in lies that'll never be true.." My eyes shifted to him.
"Are YOU okay?" He faked a smile and tightened his throat, pointing his head to the ground.
"I'm alright..don't worry about me......I'm sorry."
If question marks were to appear above my head, they would have.
"Why on earth are YOU sorry?! It was my idiot companions who attacked you!"
"I feel as if I caused this friction between the five of you..you've been growing so close and then my arrival made you aggressive towards eachother...I'm deeply sorry."
He was so proper, my goodness. But nevermind that.
"Stop apologizing, you dork. It's cool."
I, on the other hand, am not. But nevermind that, as well.

MB put his hands on his hips, which I took note had a few tools of a ninja hanging from them.
"In any case..he's not the first villain I've encountered and he won't be the last."
Oooh, looks like someone has had his own adventures. Count me as intrigued.
"How many worlds have you even been at? Based on your pattern and timing, you could only have visited the ones I was at." "Oh, well..I've actually been to around..um..a few."
I lowered my brows. "How many?"
He scrunched his face, bracing for impact. "..About a dozen?"
My jaw dropped. "A DOZEN?!" My voice went so high, I made him flinch.
"YOU'VE BEEN TO A DOZEN WORLDS, HOW DARE YOU!!"
I shook my head and crossed my arms. "That does it, no ninja's gonna outscore me, I'm upping my game." He chuckled like a little boy, "Is this a race now?" "Consider it so."
He smirked and shook his head at my silliness. "Alright then, I'll be sure to let you catch up to make it better odds.." I gawked. How dare..you be...a gentleman..when I'm being...cold-heartedly competitive...I hate him.
I hate everyone.

I thrashed my head in denial. "How have you even been to that many worlds, anyway?!"
"Remember, you had a late start! And while you were busy SAVING the worlds, especially in Middle-Earth, your longest adventure to date, I was merely there to spread the word!"
I was baffled. "But the T.A.R.D.I.S...!!"
He rose his brows and nudged his head forward in anticipation of my next words, looking completely adorable in the process, I hate him, but I only let out a "D'OH!" and threw my hands up in not-defeat, I will never admit defeat. "I don't know what that stupid ship is doing anymore!"
He only laughed, the jerk. I puffed my cheeks in defiance. "You're mocking me!!"
"I'm sorry, it's just...you get so cute when you're throwing a tantrum."
He was blushing and trying to hide it. In the process, he had made ME blush at the unexpected comment and I felt my entire face slowly flush as I jerked my head back..the betrayal.
CUTE?! I AM NOT CUTE, YOU IMBECILE, I AM FIRE, I AM DEATH, I AM THE NIGHT!!!
but seriously, I'm weird, awkward, ugly, rude and annoying, what is possibly cute about me.

Before I could further argue, I felt a hand lay on my shoulder and I instinctively snapped my attention to who it belonged to. But it was only Master. I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, hi, sorry to interrupt, young lovers--" I should've punched him for that.
"But I believe we're supposed to be getting a move on before the beasties come back? And to find the beastie boss responsible so we can leave?"
J joined his side and nodded at both me and MB. "Yeah, so cut the kissy faces and let's get outta here before those clowns come back."
Clowns. Interesting word use, J.
"First of all...we weren't making kissy faces. Second of all..we aren't young lovers..and thirdly.."
I smacked Master's hand away and turned my body towards them.
"I agree...we are leaving..but you three.." I nodded at them and Jim. "..Are going back to the T.A.R.D.I.S. where you won't cause any trouble." Master jerked his head back.
"Until when?!" "Until I figure out what I wanna do with you."
J narrowed his eyes, Jim looked at the sky in bewilderment. "Are we getting a time out?"
I snapped and pointed at him. "Exactly. Give ya some time to think about what you've done. Whereas Mystery Boy here and myself will head on over to the hospital."
"Wait, you said us three.." Master folded his arms. "Bane isn't under house arrest?!"
"Bane is the least irritating one of you lot and I really can't be too hard on him considering he's stuck up for me on many occasions. Him, I'm entrusting the safety of the kiddos. You three will stay inside the diner and look after the folks there. We'll come back for you once we check on that girl."
"Just a moment.."

We all turned to Bane.
"What are you yapping on about through that gas mask?!" Joker exclaimed.
You could just smack 'im.
But Bane didn't indulge. He approached me, with narrowed eyes, deep in thought. Enough for me to automatically agree with him regardless of not knowing what he was gonna say.
"Miss Demens...I'm sure you feel it, too.."
I swallowed, for I think, perhaps, he DID know what was bothering me.
Something I didn't feel comfortable revealing to the others.
"...We are being watched..."
"WATCHED?!" Dipper screamed, suddenly and frantically looking all around.
"You mean by those three freaks?!"
Bane shook his head. "No...this is another presence entirely...one of an even darker nature..."
"Say it ain't so.." Jim dryly mused.
"He's right." MB spoke from behind me. "The entity that's terrorizing this town has eyes everywhere now. It's riddled with monsters that are only hiding because you five arrived. I've encountered a few of them. And they're just as dangerous as the ones we just faced."
He waved. "Why do you think there's no people on the streets? Not only are their children being taken, but THEY'RE being taken, as well."
Master narrowed his eyes suspiciously and nudged his head.
"What do YOU know?"
MB tightened his muscles, obviously getting irritated, but still keeping his cool.
"I can't tell you for sure...but I suspect that someone is turning the Scooby Doo crooks into actual monsters. The monsters they masqueraded as..they're targeting them and transforming them. And it's being done by someone powerful."
"That much is evident." Master sneered, looking away, not wanting to admit MB was smart.

"So ALL the monsters are taking the kids?" Mabel questioned.
"No.." I piped up. "That's not their MO..it's too dark for them, taking kids. The Scooby monsters have only ever been to look out for themselves. They commit various crimes and primarily scare people away to avoid being caught. The disguises are a smokescreen..and so is this. They're not taking the kids. They're the cover for whoever is really taking them. To throw us off."
"To scare us off." MB added. He hurried to me, making me tense.
"Think about it..it's like you said, they scare people to chase them away, right? That's exactly what they're doing here!" "I know that.." I remarked, snootily. "I was about to say that before you cut in."
He sunk.
"Then we need to find the Big Boss." Jim expressed. "Find him, we find the kids....good, cuz this town gives me the willies." He eyed the town of which he spoke with paranoia.
I sniffed a laugh. "You...the willies...I refuse to believe it."
"Even I have my limits, Demens."
"Sure you do..."
Joker rolled his eyes, "Well in any case, you keep HIM as far away from us as possible."
His finger pointed at MB and I was shook.
"Believe me, I wanna keep MB as safe from you four as possible, and for god's sake, WHAT IS YOUR FREAKING NAME?!" I spun towards MB, who winced at my shouting at him.
I tensed. "....Sorry..."
He smiled, laughing softly at my aggressive nature. "It's Gavin."
I perked.
"...Gavin Takeo."