sonderling || mystery incorporated

014 THE WILD BROOD

Lydia followed Shaggy and Scooby into the Tiki Tub, kinda happy they rebuilt it from when it last got destroyed. She had told both Scooby and Shaggy that they shouldn't go even if Fred invited them, but they insisted it would be fun and the food was great. So, she went with, mostly to keep an eye on them, Velma also joining. Fred and Daphne were supposed to be on a date, but for some reason Fred had invited them to join. Lydia wasn't sure if he was aware of what a date was supposed to be.

"Where's the waiter? I'm starving!" Shaggy smiled, patting Fred's shoulder as they passed. Velma and Lydia kept walking to a nearby table and sitting down, the blue haired girl simply pointing at Shaggy as Velma scowled, "Sit down, you two! Daphne and Fred deserve a little privacy!"

Both Scooby and Shaggy quickly joined them, the later looking confused, "Then why did Fred drag us along on this date if he wasn't gonna feed us?" He asked, Lydia sighing and rolling her eyes, "Dude, they can hear you." She whispered, Daphne looking offended as she stared at Fred, "You invited them along?"

Fred nodded, smiling, "Yeah! We're all friends, right? And friends hang together, right?" He spoke simply, Daphne scooting her chair away from him, "Oh, Freddie! This was supposed to be our evening!" Fred's smile dropped as he realized he messed up, "Daphne, I didn't mean-"

She stood up as she picked up her cup, "Oh, look at that!" She turned it upside down, showing it was empty, "I need a refill." She frowned, walking away quickly as Velma got up to follow her, wanting to make sure she was okay.

"Zoinks! Like, awkward!" Shaggy laughed airily, throwing both arms around Scooby and Lydia, "Good thing we aren't, like, awkward like that, huh, best buddies o'mine?" His smile faltered a bit as Lydia carefully removed the arm that was on the back of her chair, setting it down on the table while still holding his wrist.

"Yeah, but arms around the shoulder is still weird, Shag." She commented simply, tapping her fingers in no real rhythm on his wrist just as the roar of multiple engines rang out. A whole biker gang appeared, parking just outside.

"Sheriff!" Mayor Jones called out, said man taking a final sip of his drink before nodding, "Don't worry, Mayor..." Sheriff Stone paused to put his hat on dramatically, "Sheriff Bronson Stone has got this covered!" He stood up, walking over to the entrance to the Tiki Tub just as the biker gang tried to get in, and that's when Lydia realized the biker gang was actually a biker gang of orcs. Way cooler than she expected.

"Hold it right there, leather-wearing creepy. Per section 741 dot B of the Crystal Cove bylaws, 'there are no monsters or monster-like creatures allowed in public areas'." Sheriff Stone spoke confidently, a hand up to stop the orcs from entering. "Unless tickets are being sold!" The mayor piped up, Stone nodding, "Right you are, Mayor! So, why don't you and your friends go back to your caves, dungeons, or other dark places where your kind lurks?"

One of the orcs, clearly the leader of the biker gang, jumped past Sheriff Stone and onto a nearby table, "Monsters? Is that what you squares think we are?" He spoke to the whole restaurant, getting murmured 'yes'es in response, making him frown, "Typical humans... Hold up a mirror, Mr. and Mrs. Average Citizen, and you'll see a reflection of your own dark souls."

Lydia felt like she was at a poetry club, "The Wild Brood rejects your labels and puts all of Crystal Clydes-" "It's Crystal Cove." Sheriff Stone corrected, glaring, getting a more menacing glare in response, "-On notice. The real monsters are living inside of you."

That god Shaggy and Scooby to start panicking, "Inside us?" The dog questioned as they looked at each other, "Zoinks!!" They looked down at themselves, panicked as Lydia quietly chuckled, shaking her head.

"Goodness, that was very... poetical." She glanced over to see Daphne speaking to the lead orc, he smiled in response, "Why, thank you, miss." He sat down on the table, "Nice to know that someone around here... gets me."