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alphashley14 · 1 year

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One Of Us

A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover

Chapter Twelve

Losing My Mind

As it turned out, being miserable with a purpose was a lot better than being miserable without one. At least that was what Ricky realized within minutes of deciding to live for the kids. It was like he’d been wandering, aimless and lost through a dark wood. And at last he’d found a lit path.

After much fussing over Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma were eventually shooed out by the Dead Beats. Fred and Daphne departed first. Velma and Lewis left sometime later after Lewis finally got through to Arthur’s doctor. It was a good thing too that somebody picked up the phone when they did, because he’d looked about ready to blow. Not that Ricky could exactly blame Lewis for being pissed - being on hold fucking sucked.

After Scooby brought Shaggy something to eat, Mystery apparently noticed Ricky salivating over animal crackers, (he was starving) because he then led Ricky out for something to eat.

“What about Shaggy?” Ricky asked, reluctant to leave.

“He’ll be okay. Scooby’s a good dog, he’s got the Dead Beats, and Vivi will be back to check on him in a bit.”

“Speaking of, where did Vivi go?” Ricky asked, looking around for any sign of blue.

“To her room for a bit, I think. She had to make a call. Anyway, let’s get you something to eat. Then she’ll meet us in the library.”

The manor’s kitchen was big, which made sense because it was a big house and Lewis loved to cook. The floor was checker-tiled gray and white and that same striped wallpaper was present. The wood that composed the cabinets and furniture was a much deeper red mahogany compared to the pinkish redwood of the rest of the house, and they were decorated with little engravings shaped like chili peppers in each of the corners. It took a minute for Ricky to realize why: Lewis Pepper. Ha-ha. It is to laugh. Also, there were skull designs on each of the appliances.

Again: they were really trying to sell ‘haunted house’ when they decorated this place.

Ricky and Mystery each had a ridiculously tall sandwich. (Seriously - how did that much food fit into the fridge? Or into their bodies for that matter?) Then they cleaned up the mess they’d made and proceeded to the library.

The library!

Considering it was in somebody’s house, the library was enormous - two floors high, and gloriously spooky. Truth be told, Ricky kind of loved it. The whole space was lit by lamps, more rose gold candelabra, and light that streamed in from the tall pink windows. There were two levels of balconies, and every wall was covered in books save a few - where fantastic Japanese paintings of spirits and magnificent beasts were hung, and where there was an enormous flatscreen TV above a stone fireplace. The floorspace was furnished comfortably with several different seating areas and tables that could be for getting work done or for leisure reading.

As Ricky looked around, excited to get started, Vivi’s voice came from the second story balcony. “I was wondering where you two had gone, I was just about to send the Dead Beats to find you.”

“Kitchen. E was hungry,” Mystery replied.

“Oh, shoot! I knew I was forgetting something!” Vivi cried, smacking herself on the forehead. “I’m sorry, Mystery- MISTER. E. I’m never going to get this right!”

Ricky laughed. The names were similar. “It’s alright, Vivi. Mystery took care of it.”

“How about we get started?” Mystery asked.

“Absolutely. Now Ricky, could you step into the room please?... Little further. Alright stop, that should be far enough. Now turn around and look up.”

Ricky did as she asked, and saw that the second story bookshelf on that wall was different from the rest. The books weren’t on shelves. Rather, they were behind rune-covered glass, bound in leather straps, locked in black cage boxes, hung on a mesh wall with black iron hooks, and chained in place.

Just looking at them, Ricky could tell why. One looked to be bound with human skin, another was glowing an unpleasant green, and one appeared to be breathing, to name a few examples. “That,” Vivi said, “is the cursed section. Every book there is not something just anyone should be handling. Even Arthur doesn’t touch those books. And unless you want to end up trapped in one, turned inside-out, or something equally horrifying, I suggest you do the same.”

“Ggggotcha,” Ricky said with a gulp.

“The rest of the books in the library are safe though.” Vivi said, crossing the room above and closing a set of shoji blinds to hide the cursed books from sight. “Anyway, let me show you where I think you should get started. Cuz you need at least an overview of this stuff, first. Over here we have-”

Twenty minutes later, Ricky was descending a spiral staircase with a small stack of books. Vivi had bookmarked specific sections and left it an open invitation to ask any questions he wanted. One thing was for sure: Velma was going to flip at all of this.

He was just deciding where he wanted to sit when a yell broke the quiet and about 160 pounds of terrified dog leapt into Ricky’s arms, sending books tumbling to the floor.

“What the- Scooby?”

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At 3:45, Marcie Fleach took her position, invisible, above the hallway where Arthur had told her to.

Getting her stealth suit back had gone off without a hitch with the help of the Dead Beats, and the passcode had been exactly what Arthur had said it would be. Within the hour, she was ready.

These instructions were unlike anything Mr. E had ever asked her to do. Because he didn’t really want her to do anything.

Her instructions were simple:

Sit.

Wait.

Watch.

Listen.

Don’t be seen.

Don’t be heard.

And whatever you do, don’t interfere.

It was somewhat concerning, and Marcie couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Arthur wanted her to see.

Whatever it was, Marcie was pretty sure she was going to find out soon. Because that’s when Arthur stepped around the corner.

Already, he was in character. He wasn’t acting like the Arthur she’d met this morning. And yet he wasn’t exactly acting like Mr. E either.

She knew he was supposed to be there, but he didn’t look to be walking anywhere so much as wandering. He wasn’t wearing his jacket, which was rare for Mr. E, and he was carrying a half-empty bottle of alcohol. (But not the same wine she’d seen him leave with earlier.)

What are you up to, Arthur?

Was he drunk?

Oh God, maybe Mr. E really had lost his mind.

If Marcie had picked the wrong horse in this race, then she was screwed.

Hold on, Marcie. You haven’t exactly entirely picked a side yet. He wanted you to be here for a reason, which means he’s probably acting. But why?

Arthur stopped just a few paces shy of being directly under her, where he was in perfect view of Marcie and the hidden camera.

He glanced up at her, and bobbed his head. Just once. Just like the Mystery Skulls had in the video. An acknowledgement. He couldn't see her, but he knew exactly where she was supposed to be.

He’s doing this on purpose.

Arthur’s eyes dropped again, then he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He pulled up a knee and quietly began to hum. Then, he softly began to sing.

“I believe it,

Someone’s heeere.

They can see me,

And where I’m goin’.

"I’ve been sleepless

In my head,

Feels like they’re watching me.

People watching me, ah!

"Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of the time, baby!

Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of my life, baby!

"Every-day I'm losing my mind!"

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Earlier

Arthur’s meds did kick in eventually. But not before Shaggy drifted off to sleep.

And Scooby stayed with him.

Because Scooby was a good dog.

But after a while, the great dane grew restless. Even if he was staying with Shaggy, he couldn’t help but feel that he should be doing more to help. That, and he was getting hungry. They wouldn’t mind if he stopped by the kitchen on the way to the library, right? So Scooby hopped down from Shaggy’s bed and tiptoed out of the room.

Scooby still wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole ‘haunted house’ thing. On one paw, there were the Dead Beats, who were fun and cute. But on the other paw, even though Scooby knew nothing here would hurt him, he couldn’t help but feel as if the walls had a thousand eyes. He didn’t like it.

At the next turn, there were a set of paintings ahead. Avoid the paintings, Lewis had said. Scooby whimpered, lowering his head and quickening his pace.

“What hound is this? Another animal born of sin?!” A priest demanded in his frame, glaring at Scooby and gnashing his sharp teeth.

Scooby knew he shouldn’t stop, but his whole body froze. “N-n-no,” He whimpered, trembling.

“Unnatural beast!” The painting roared, brandishing his Bible! “Speaking tongues our Lord meant only for man! Begone of this Earth and return to the fiery pits!” And the preacher came partially out of his painting to swipe his claws at Scooby!

The Great Dane yelped with fright and took off down the hall full speed, the shouts of the priest following him all the way to the end of the hall. Scooby didn’t stop until he was running down the stairs and bounding into the library. An armful of books was sent clattering to the floor as the terrified dog leapt instinctively into a familiar pair of arms.

But at the sound of a confused voice, Scooby’s wits returned to him in an instant. “Huh?” And he remembered: This isn’t Shaggy.

The dog stopped shaking and looked apologetically at Mr. E, who was staring at him equal parts bewildered and concerned.

“Aw, I’m sorry Mr. E. I forgot. I always jump into Raggy’s arms when I’m scared,” Scooby apologized, embarrassed. He half-expected Mr. E to be angry, but he just gently set Scooby down on all four paws.

“That’s okay, Scooby. Let’s just be glad you didn’t jump into my real arms like that, because it’s likely I would have seriously hurt my back,” he laughed, stretching.

Scooby laughed too, “Reah, good thing.”

“And hey, just between you and me,” Mr. E leaned in close, “I used to do the same thing into Cassidy’s arms when I was a kid,” he admitted quietly.

Scooby giggled at the mental image.

As Scooby helped Mr. E pick up the books he dropped, E glanced up at the dog and said, “So… if you don’t mind me asking, what scared you?”

“Paintings,” Scooby whimpered.

“What about the paintings?” Mystery growled from where he was standing by a nearby recliner.

Scooby gulped. It really didn’t make a lot of sense for him to feel the way he did towards the other dog but… something was off about Mystery.

Seeing the look on their faces, Mystery took a deep breath. “Sorry. I just don't like to hear that our tenants aren’t being gracious hosts,” The other dog apologized, walking over to them.

Scooby told them what happened, making faces and swiping out with his claws as he recanted how the Priest had come at him.

“Figures it would be the Priest to cross the line. Don’t mind a thing he says, Scooby. He’s a Bible-thumper - as much a heretic in death as he was in life. And yet he wonders why he wasn’t welcomed into his afterlife. The hypocrite.”

“I still don’t get it,” Scooby said, “what’d I do?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Scooby,” Mystery reassured him. “The Heretic associates anything quote ‘abnormal’ as being somehow of the devil. You’re a talking dog, so obviously he thinks you’re evil. But don’t take it to heart. He thinks the same thing about me. He also thinks anyone with a birthmark is a werewolf, that anyone left-handed is marked by Lucifer, and that anyone with acne has been suckling demons. And I’m not even going to repeat what he thinks about women, minorities, and the LGBT - not that he’s allowed to voice those opinions. Of all the humans in the world I don’t like, people like him are near the top of the list. Don’t worry, I’ll handle him.”

“But didn’t you just say he feels the same way about you?” Ricky asked.

“The paintings are all comparatively weak spirits - that’s why they have to lurk in paintings. A few of them are decent, but the rest? Cowards. And if there are two people in this house they know not to cross, it’s Lewis and I.”

“Really? Why?” Scooby asked with a tilt of his head.

Mystery smirked at him, and there was a glint of something devious behind those gold spectacles. “Let’s just say I know a bit of magic.”

And with that, Mystery trotted off into the depths of the house.

After that, Scooby didn’t want to be alone so he decided to stay in the library and help out with the research. Mr. E, somewhat surprisingly, had no qualms with sharing his books. But as Scooby started on the first passage Vivi had marked, he found that he couldn’t focus.

Part of it was that he was worried about Shaggy. But the other part…

Something’s just not right about that dog, Scooby thought.

Granted: apart from his own family, Scooby had never met another talking dog before. And Nova didn’t count because she was possessed.

But this dog spoke much more clearly than Scooby or any of his family had been able to. And it sometimes seemed to Scooby that he was talking to a much older animal. Almost like talking to Pericles. Or even like talking to “Nova”.

It wasn’t just that, either. Mystery didn’t exactly smell like a dog. He sort of did, but it smelled… fake. And the scent overlapping it reminded Scooby of something he’d been taught to smell for during his brief period as a farm dog: a fox.

Scooby Doo had no way of knowing how right he was. For in another part of the manor, the Heretic was praying to the very God that had forsaken him, as he stared through his frame at the snarling maw of a seven-tailed beast.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Daphne Blake sighed pensively, looking out the window of the Mystery Machine.

Absolutely nothing about today had gone the way any of them had thought it would. To think, she’d been plotting to treat the gang today to celebrate taking down the Highway Dandyman. Come to think of it, Daphne had been so proud of herself for outsmarting him. But it didn’t seem to matter so much anymore.

And of all the things they hadn’t expected today, Mr. E seemed to be one of the things that they hadn’t expected the most. And from everything Daphne had seen so far, it was looking more and more like Cassidy had been right about him.

Then again, Cassidy had been right about a lot of things. So maybe they shouldn’t be so surprised.

Jeepers. Cassidy…

It was just so- cruel. The gang had talked with Shaggy in bits and pieces about what had gone down in the Sitting Room, and one thing stuck out in the forefront of Daphne’s mind:

Mr. E didn’t know Cassidy was dead until yesterday.

Yesterday!

Angel had been gone for over a month now, and Pericles had only told him yesterday!

That was just- a really shitty thing to do. Even if Mr. E and Cassidy hadn’t been in a relationship and weren’t getting along near the end, they had still been friends for years and E had cared about her. And according to Shaggy, he had been looking for her. And now that he knew she was gone, his grief was tearing him apart.

Did Daphne trust Mr. E? Yes- no? Maybe? A little?

Did Daphne like Mr. E? She didn’t not like him. At least he didn’t seem to be giving her the creeps anymore. So that was something. And he seemed to be making some effort to amend his past behavior. So… she supposed she at least liked him more than she did yesterday.

One thing Daphne was sure of was that she felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if anything happened to Fred. They’d had a number of scares throughout their mysteries, but if Freddy actually- no. No, Daphne didn’t want to entertain a thought so awful. Then there was Pericles, Brad, and Judy. Even if their relationship wasn’t exactly the same as the gang’s, he’d still loved them once. Pericles, especially. And now he was grieving for that relationship too.

Another thing she was sure of was… Daphne was willing to try.

In spite of everything, Mr. E seemed to be trying to build a bridge between them. Their old bridge was long gone, and it hadn’t been a very good one from the start. But maybe the one he was building in its place would be better. Shaggy definitely seemed to be helping it along from the other side. Was this metaphor getting away from her? Maybe it was. In any case, Daphne had decided that she wanted to join Shaggy in extending a hand.

But how?

She needed an olive branch, but she really wasn’t sure what to say and she was worried about messing it up. After all, she and the rest of the gang kept having to stop themselves from calling him Shaggy. And why wouldn’t they? He looked like Shaggy, sounded like Shaggy, dressed like Shaggy, ate (somewhat) like Shaggy. He was a completely different person than Shaggy, but he still had just enough in common with him that he acted a bit like Shaggy sometimes too.

Whatever Daphne was going to say or do, she didn’t have much longer to figure it out. They’d stopped by each of their houses for essentials, the groceries were bought, and they were on their way back to the Mystery Skulls’ mansion.

An olive branch… an olive branch…

Just then, the Mystery Machine passed a parlor. A familiar pattern in the window caught Daphne’s eye.

Inspiration struck.

“Freddy, stop the car!”

The Mystery Machine came to a screeching halt.

“What is it, Daph?”

But Daphne was already clambering out of the van. She ran around the back and flung the back doors open, shoving grocery bags out of the way until she found Shaggy’s bag.

“What’re you doing Daphne?” Fred asked.

“Double-checking what size Shaggy wears to make sure I have it right. I just had an idea! I’ll be right back!”

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Marcie’s muscles were starting to burn from holding her position for so long.

And all the while, Arthur sang.

“If I do thiiis, it’s for real.

There’s no turning back,

There’s no turning back.

“I’ve been sleepless,

In my head.

Feels like they’re watching me,

People watching me!

“Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of the time, baby.”

Then, at precisely 4:15, there came the sound of footsteps.

Arthur just kept singing, his head against the wall, eyes closed.

“Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of my life, baby.

(Feels like I’m losing my mind)”

“There he is!” Judy’s voice exclaimed shrilly.

But still, Arthur ignored her.

“Every day I’m losing my mind! (Feels like they’re watching me)”

“Hello, Ricky. Guess what,” Brad demanded. There was a certain smugness to the way he said it. “Professor Pericles wants to talk to you.”

And still, Arthur ignored him.

“Feels like I’m losin’-

Feels like I’m losin’-

Every day I’m losin’ my mind!”

Their faces fell when their words garnered no reaction.

“Didn’t you hear him? He said Professor Pericles wants to talk to you!” Judy hissed indignantly.

“Haven’t you two never been told it’s rude to interrupt?” Arthur finally asked, still not looking at them.

“Professor Pericles-”

“Yes, I heard you just fine, and if he wants to talk so damn bad he’s going to have to fly his feathery ass down here himself. Because I don’t particularly feel like moving for him as he lives under my roof, stuffs his face with seeds I paid for, spends my money, and runs everything I’ve built into the ground.”

“Get up, Ricky!” Brad snapped.

“Fuck off.”

“Don’t make us drag you, Ricky! You’re in deep shit for that stunt you pulled earlier.” Judy sneered.

“I did not pull any ‘stunt’ earlier.” Arthur said, finally looking at them. “Ah, Judy. You cleaned yourself up. Was the ‘Carrie’ look not working for you?”

Judy looked absolutely livid.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s like you said: you have no one to blame but yourself.”

“Why you-”

“That is quite enough, Dear Judy.”

The parrot was so damn sneaky, even Marcie didn’t see him until Professor Pericles was flying out from between Brad and Judy to perch on the sole of Arthur’s shoe where his leg was sprawled out.

He didn’t look happy.

“Ah, and so he arrives!” Arthur declared, fanning both arms out dramatically.

“Put the bottle down, Ricky.” Professor Pericles ordered.

“Why? Afraid I’m going to dump it on you? Throw it at you? Smash it and come at you with the sharp end?” And with the way his whole body tensed, for a moment Marcie thought he just might do one of those things. And she wasn’t the only one. The silence said it all. The tension could have been cut with a knife.

The bird’s glare narrowed.

“Nah. I won’t,” Arthur said, slumping back against the wall. He put the bottle down. “That was the cheap shit earlier. And it was red. This stuff’s expensive. And it’s a white wine - wouldn’t create quite the same impact. Besides: if I pulled the same trick twice, it wouldn’t surprise anyone. And you’d take my booze away. What’s the fun in that?”

“Be quiet!”

“Why? I have so much to say. I found this new band I like recently, and I was just about to sing another song! It’s been so many years since I last sang, Professor Pericles. I used to be rather good. And I sang for Cassidy all the time. We’d spend hours singing and playing together. Why did I ever stop? Oh, wait. I remember! Do you want to know why?”

“If it will cease this ridiculous tantrum you’re throwing,” Pericles spat.

“Tantrum? Oh, Professor Pericles. This right here isn’t a tantrum. In fact I’m behaving rather well at the moment. This is just the way things are now,” Arthur said. Unblinking. Smiling. Leaning closer.

“But I’m getting off topic!” He laughed, leaning back again. And he sounded too merry when he said it. His abrupt changes in tone were even more unsettling than when he was at his most serious. “Why did I stop singing? It was because of you, Professor Pericles! You should remember well! ‘Stop that squawking, Vögelchen!’ No matter how much Cassidy loved it, you were the one whose approval I wanted most, and you were the one who put it in my head that my voice was annoying and awful. You did that to me, Professor Pericles! But why should I be fucking surprised? Everything I am, every ugly thing in my head, the ruin I’ve put out into the world as a result - the root cause of it all comes back to you!”

Nothing could have prepared Marcie for what she saw next.

Shaking with anger, Professor Pericles pulled out a remote from a pocket in his scarf and pressed the large red button in the center of it.

The rest happened exactly as Arthur had said it would.

Mr. E’s entire body collapsed to the floor and seized with agony, spasming uncontrollably like he was having a seizure. He gasped and convulsed, obviously in a lot of pain and Marcie could tell: that can’t be faked. He’s not making this up! Oh my God! Marcie slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her gasp from being overheard.

Then Arthur must have finally mustered a breath that was deep enough. Because that was when he SCREAMED.

Marcie had never heard a human scream like that.

That was what it meant to scream bloody murder. Marcie had heard screams of terror plenty of times. But this sound was suffering incarnate.

Do something! Make it stop! Save him! But I can’t- just stop! Leave him alone!

But even if Marcie decided to do something, she couldn’t. For her whole body had frozen up save the tears running down her cheeks beneath her mask.

To Marcie, it seemed like an eternity before Professor Pericles finally stopped. And Arthur laid there, gasping, trembling, and jerking from the aftershocks, drool dripping from a corner of his mouth.

Let that be it. Leave him alone!

“Let this be a reminder, Vögelchen. Of what happens when you forget your place.”

But right when the three of them began to turn away, the laughter began.

Arthur, what are you doing?!

He was laughing. It started low at first, but by the time he rolled over onto his knees, he was cackling.

“Stop it. What are you doing- how are you standing?” The bird demanded as Arthur got shakily to his feet.

“It’s just funny,” Arthur panted. “How much that little power trip of yours seems to delight you. It’s rather pathetic, really.”

“What is happening? What trick is this?”

“Trick? There’s no trick. It’s just that your little trick doesn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. Oh don’t get me wrong: it’s agony. I can’t imagine physical pain hurting more. But it doesn’t hurt as much as this does,” he said, clutching the yellow and white striped fabric above his heart. “As much as that button of yours hurts, with the way it dulls this for a while, it’s almost worth it. Almost.”

He let go of his shirt and smoothed out his clothing. “But by all means, I’ll be a good boy. I’ll be there when you need me. I’ll sign whatever transactions you need. Give orders on your behalf as if my company is still mine. I’ll be your nice, still little shoulder to perch upon. Like a marionette on strings!” He exclaimed, tilting his head like a puppet. “After all, that’s what you wanted, isn’t it? Is this what you wanted, Professor Pericles? Is it?!” He shouted the last two words.

And for a moment, something flickered across the vile parrot’s face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“That’s what I thought. But then again, there is the alternative… I’ve done some reading recently. And if I’m right, then there’s only so much you can use that little button of yours at one time. Otherwise, it’ll kill me. There are any number of ways it could. It could cause damage to the tissues around affected areas - and my spine is kind of important. It could cause paralysis in my heart or my lungs. Give me a stroke, perhaps? I won’t bother to list off the other possibilities. Because you’re so smart, Professor Pericles. I’m sure you know them already. So why don’t you just get it over with?”

“Oh my God, you really have lost it.” Brad laughed nervously.

“Kill me.” And there was no mirth in Arthur’s voice. “I dare you. I’m dead anyway.”

The silence hung in the air like thick fog. And Arthur may have been the most vulnerable of the four of them, but he was the only one who didn’t look scared.

“That’s what I thought,” he scoffed. “Because we both know I’m more valuable alive. You can’t control my company with me dead. I die, control disperses to Destroido’s shareholders and you lose everything. Pretend I’m useless all you want, Pericles: I’m not a perch, I’m a crutch. I die, you’re fucked. And don’t you forget it.”

“Sounds awful self-preserving for a suicidal man.” Judy scoffed.

“Self-preserving? Don’t make me laugh. I’m not saying any of this for my sake. I’m saying it because this is the only way of tormenting you that I have. The only reason I haven’t already killed myself is because I want to live long enough to watch you all burn. None of us are surviving this mystery. And I’m glad! The world will be better off without us in it. But until then, you’re stuck with me. And I want to rub it in your fucking faces. Because it doesn’t matter how much you torture me. I’m done letting you shitstains walk all over me.” He said, swooping down to pick up his wine.

“I am out of fucks to give,” Arthur continued. “It’s like I said, Professor Pericles: I’ll be your good boy. But I’d prefer to spend as little of my remaining time on Earth with you shits as possible. So don’t ask for my input - because I know you won’t listen to me anyway. And unless you explicitly need me for something, leave me the fuck alone.”

And with that, he began to walk in the direction of his rooms, flipping off Brad and Judy as he passed. “You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. And no more of this hunting me down or ‘popping in’ bullshit. It’s harassment. Don’t insult my intelligence by calling it something else.”

“Don’t walk away from me, Ricky Owens!” Professor Pericles shouted.

“Too late. I kind of already am.”

“This isn’t what I wanted!” Pericles roared.

That made Arthur stop. And from where she was, Marcie was the only one who could see it, but he was smirking.

“I wanted you on my side- at my side!”

Arthur sighed, “Oh Professor Pericles…”

He turned around. And Marcie wasn’t so sure if he was acting anymore. The pain and the anger on his face was so raw and so real that it even affected Marcie.

“You should have thought of that before you cursed me to live in a world without her in it.”

And that’s how he left them.

Stunned into frozen silence.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Mystery reappeared fairly quickly, looking pleased with himself. His ‘talk’ with the Priest apparently went well.

A while later, Shaggy came downstairs from his nap and joined them in their work in the library, feeling much better now that the meds had kicked in.

Velma and Lewis arrived back at the manor not long after. And Velma’s reaction to the library was exactly what Ricky expected it to be: delight.

They studied, asked and answered questions, bounced ideas off of each other, connected dots, and made notes until Fred and Daphne got back, by which time they had some theories coming together and Ricky was somehow getting hungry again.

When Daphne and Fred arrived, everyone paused what they were doing and took a break to help unload the Mystery Machine, which was packed with bags and groceries. They took care of the food first, then the gang (plus Ricky) took their overnight bags upstairs. Shaggy tried to change into one of his signature green shirts, but the second the Mystery Skulls saw him walk out of his room in green, there was a loud collective “NO!”

“Like, okay okay. What gives?” Shaggy asked, taking the green garment off.

“Sorry, Shaggy. We didn’t mean to come on so strong. It’s just… you probably forgot, but we mentioned to you earlier that Arthur is extremely adverse to the color green,” Vivi winced.

“If he saw his own body wearing that color, he’d probably go into a full-on anxiety attack on the spot,” Mystery elaborated.

“Alright, alright. Like, I won’t wear green. I just like, figured it would be easier for you guys to remember that I’m me if I wore this.”

“How about this, Shaggy?” Daphne asked, fishing a red t-shirt out of Shaggy’s bag. “I saw it in the back of your closet.”

“Oh yeah. Like, my Aunt gave me that shirt for Christmas last year. She’s like, colorblind. So she bought the wrong color.” Shaggy said, putting it on.

“By the way Mr. E,” Daphne said as everyone was dispersing, “remember what Shaggy said about helping people remember who’s who? I actually had a similar thought.”

And from behind her back, Daphne revealed a large paper shopping bag.

Oh no, she spent money on me.

“Daphne… you didn’t have to-”

“Just open it.” Daphne said quickly, thrusting the bag into his hands.

She sounds even more nervous than I am. Ricky, whatever’s in this bag, you’re going to act damn grateful for it.

Ricky reached into the bag and pulled out fabric of a very familiar pattern and color.

Oh my God. She didn’t.

But she had.

By some force of fate or sheer Daphne-ness, Daphne had found his shirt. The same yellow and white stripes he’d worn for most of his life.

It was a simple, practical gesture. Wearing this shirt instead of Shaggy’s would remind everyone to call him Mr. E. And yet Ricky couldn’t help but be struck by how thoughtful it was.

“Daphne, I- I don’t even have the words. Thank you.”

Daphne visibly brightened when she saw how much he liked the gift. “It was nothing, really. I figured it might help you feel a little bit more in your own skin, even if you’re not- technically- in your own skin. Sorry.”

Ricky snorted. “I really appreciate it, Daphne. Thank you.”

Maybe it was silly. But as Ricky ducked into his room to change, he could scarcely keep the smile off his face.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Arthur managed to keep up the act until he was safely back in Mr. E’s rooms with the door shut and locked behind him. Then he slumped against the door and hugged himself, all his nerves spilling out at once.

Bile rose in the back of his throat and Arthur dropped the wine on a table, bolted into the bathroom, and promptly threw up in the toilet. He retched until his stomach was empty, then retched a little more. Then once the nausea subsided enough that he was no longer puking his guts out, Arthur closed the lid, flushed, and slumped back against the wall, a hiss of pain escaping from between his teeth as he slowly lowered his weight to the floor.

Fuck, everything was sore. And Pericles was even more merciless than he’d been this morning. Arthur sighed, panting, and leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. It had taken everything he had to ignore the aftershocks during his performance. If he didn’t have so much practice from hiding his ghost pains, he never would have been able to do it.

There came three worried trills from the doorway.

Arthur tiredly looked over at the Dead Beats, cooing softly with sad, cute little faces. He reached out, still catching his breath, and the little ghosts slithered through the air to wrap themselves around him in a warm hug.

“Thanks you guys,” Arthur sighed quietly. “I know you didn’t like staying here, not being able to protect me. But I really needed you to.”

One of the Dead Beats warbled and beeped at him. He didn’t understand, but he was pretty sure he knew what it was asking.

Arthur sniffed, blinking the tears out of his eyes. “Yeah… it was really hard for me too.” And damn it, his voice cracked.

The Dead Beats broke out into a new round of sympathetic noises and cuddled him a little tighter, making soothing, rhythmic tones and vibrations.

They stayed there on the floor for a little bit, then eventually Arthur got up, rinsed his mouth and brushed his teeth to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth, washed his face, and moved into Ricky’s bedroom to lie down for a bit while his blood pressure eased. Arthur was getting hungry, and he really needed to take care of this body while he was in it. But he supposed he ought to wait until the panic attack fully subsided, lest he throw up again.

Alright, Arthur thought after a few minutes. Now what?

He needed to wait a bit before making his next move. Pericles, Brad, and Judy were in shock, but their wits would return. And they would be watching him closely.

Which… could be a good thing. Because with their eyes so firmly fixed on ‘Ricky’, they were less likely to notice some unrelated odd happenings around the place. Or that Marcie was on the move.

If Marcie was on the move.

Arthur had once again gambled. A lot rode on how Marcie reacted to what she’d seen.

If she’d been up there.

Seriously. Considering she was supposed to be invisible, how was Arthur to know if she’d even been there?

And if she wasn’t up there… That would be a problem. Because Arthur sure as hell would not be doing that again!

Right then, there came an urgent knock on the front door.

Now what?

“Guys, who is it?” Arthur asked.

The Dead Beats sped off to the entrance and Arthur followed, waiting cautiously by the kitchen doorway.

The spirits disappeared through the wall, and a moment later they returned trilling happily and waving Arthur over, indicating he should open the door.

It’s probably Marcie.

When Arthur opened the door, he didn’t see Marcie. But rather, a human-shaped discrepancy moved briskly past him and into the room. Once Arthur shut and locked the door behind her, Marcie turned off her suit’s invisibility and took her mask off.

When Marcie became visible again, so did her bag. The first thing she did was reach into it and thrust a laptop into his arms.

A laptop! Excitement welled in him!

Surprised, Arthur looked between the laptop and Marcie, who was digging into her bag for her own tablet.

Marcie looked a little disheveled - her eyes red and puffy, like she’d just gotten done with a good cry. Aw, I knew seeing that would be awful, but I didn’t expect it to make her cry.

“Mr. E- Arthur, whoever you are, I don’t care,” She sniffed. “We,” she said hoarsely, her face set in determination, “are going to kick some serious ass!”

His gamble had paid off.

Fun fact: a group of writers is called a procrastination. Although, we do that just fine by ourselves. 🥲 I wanted to shine some more spotlight on Scooby this chapter because... he is Scooby. And Scooby is wonderful, and we love him. I also thought it would be nice for Scooby to have some sweet interactions with Mr. E, who is still dealing with how Scooby's parrot counterpart treated him. And Scooby may naturally feel some level of connection with Mr. E, because he is Shaggy's counterpart and has effectively lost his "Scooby". The same goes for part of why I've given Mr. E and Mystery so many scenes together. Mystery especially, because his relationship with his Mystery Skulls is much more similar to Pericles' relationship with the original Mystery Inc. than Scooby's is to the gang's. The scene where the Priest attacks Scooby was inspired by the Judge going after Shaggy in 'The Mirror's Gaze', which this fic was heavily inspired by. So another big shout out to Eternal_Phantom on Ao3! You're awesome! I've had the scene where Marcie watches Arthur (in Ricky's body) tell off Professor Pericles for so long, and it felt so good to finally get it written down. It was so satisfying to write, and I hope you were all cheering as loud as I was. Lol And I imagined the gang using t-shirts to keep track of who's-in-who's body, but had to ask myself where they'd get a Shaggy-sized Ricky shirt. Then it hit me: Daphne. And I really love the scene where she gives it to him. 🥹 That, and the mental image of the gang dressing like their predecessors is fun to imagine. Somebody should draw that. Maybe I will. IDK. And of course... team Marcie and Arthur are on the case and I can't wait to show you all in future chapters how they pull off the great escape! (IF they can do it - muahahaha 😈)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!

Chapters One through Eleven of 'One of Us' are currently posted on Archive Of Our Own.

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