Scooby Doo: Monster Menagerie

Chapter 3: Ghouls, Grimwood, and Googie

The way in which the office was adorned was a lot like the person it belonged to: strange, scattered, and somewhat terrifying. The wall that stood behind the detective had two maps: one of the entire united states, and one that was a close up of Louisiana specifically. On both maps, there were numerous crosses, arrows, and other similar types of symbols, pointing to specific regions on both maps. There was also writing on them, but due to the fact that so much of it was written in an almost illegible script, it was next to impossible to make it out. Every other wall was covered in pictures, which also had writing all over them. The pictures were an even mix of various people, as well as different types of monsters and mythological beings. A few times, the faces would be scratched out in black marker, hiding the identity of the person. At least, that's what the gang hoped it was for.

Resting along the gang's left were the two whiteboards. In red marker, lots of information was written about the crime scene. The description of the victim, as well as their injuries, were listed on one side. The rest of the boards had names of different monsters on them, most of them crossed out. The rest had a question mark next to the name. Lines connected each monster to the list of injuries, as if trying to figure out a connection.

To the right wall was an even smaller desk, one that held a simple computer. Since it wasn't in use, the computer remained in rest mode, the screen not giving off any sort of light. A small rolling chair hid away a pile of books, which remained underneath the desk for safe keeping. For some reason, there was also a guitar, resting on the floor, leaning against the computer desk.

As for the table in front of everyone, the detective had placed sheets of paper all over it, trying to do a recreation of the crime scene. The book resting on the table remained open, showing an entry for someone called "The Axeman". Velma recognized the book as the one she had been reading earlier, Monsters By State. The lone light that hung above the office was quite bright, so it at least covered the entire office in it's fluorescence. Despite this, the detective's wide, creepy eyes were shadowed by his hair, barely peering out of his bangs. He looked between every member expectantly, eager for any questions that they had for him.

Instead of any actual questions, however, Fred cleared his throat somewhat nervously. This made the detective's head whip to him, his wide eyes scanning him over thoroughly. The blond then began. "I'm sorry, but uh... I don't think we introduced ourselves yet. I'm-"

"Fred Jones," The detective finished, his grin not wavering in the slightest. "I'm quite aware of all of you guys'... mysteries." He chuckled darkly and stood up, pointing around the room. He stayed hunched over as he did. "Despite the fact that you all have an uncanny attraction to people merely pretending to be creatures, I'm also under the impression that you've all had contact with the real thing." He quickly turned his head, staring at- no, into Fred. He flinched and gulped, inadvertently looking away.

"Uh..."

"How do you know that we've met real monsters before?" Asked the voice of Daphne, looking at the detective with a skeptical, if cautious, look. Immediately after she began talking, his head whipped over at her, scanning her over a little too. He merely chuckled and leaned back over the table, not looking away from her.

"You just told me," He answered simply, joking a little. From the look that Daphne gave him, she was clearly not satisfied with his attempt at humor. "Daphne Blake, correct? It seems to me that since y'all have been doing your snooping around for quite a long time, y'all are bound to find something that isn't another human in a latex mask."

In a sudden movement, he lifted his head up, somewhat dramatically. His eyes stayed wide and unhinged, but his grin immediately turned into a concerned frown. This did not make him look any more welcoming. "I've spent most of my whole life researching monsters. Even when I just began to scratch the surface of everything, it already felt as if my soul had been through more than anything." He grinned wickedly again, his eyes looking between all of them. "...and all of y'all have that same look that I once had. That feeling of curiosity, wanting to learn more and become familiar... and that feeling of terror that comes with it."