It was late a night on a farm as the farmer and his wife sat on the porch to their home.
"How's the lemonade?" The wife asks but he doesn't reply. "Honey, the lemonade?"
"Oh what do you want me to say? Tastes like lemonade. Why you always sniffing around for validation? I'm drinking it ain't I?" The farmer says grumpily and his wife just huffs with his behaviour.
"Shh." The farmer suddenly says.
"Don't you shush me. I was..."
"No. Shh! Something's out there." The farmer says now and the two stop to listen where they can hear the sound of faint mooing.
"Sounds like the cows are restless." The wife comments.
"Martha, we ain't run cattle on this farm for 25 years." The farmer says as he picks up a nearby flashlight and turns it on. He scans around the farm but soon the torch light comes to a stop on a large herd of hideous cattle like creatures that growl. "Either your sister just showed up or these are the ugliest looking cows I ever see."
"It's some kind of horror herd!" The wife cries as she and the farmer look to the the herd that stretches back further than the farm.
The herd growls again as the begin to charge towards the farm. The farmer is quick to act as he picks up his wife. "Run!" The cattle spreads out around the farm as they strangely begin to teardown and eat the buildings.
The farmer and his wife were climbing up the farms only remaining structure. A corn silo. "Climb Martha. Climb for your life." The farmer calls out as he and his wife look down to see the cattle approaching.
"Here you go, This is the last plate of our world famous Floor scraps from the grave. Enjoy." A waitress at the Bloody Steak says as she sets down a tray of left over food in front of Scooby and Nova.
Scooby nudges the try towards Nova now. "Here, Nova my love, I want you to have the first bite." Scooby says. Needing no encouragement Nova begins to eat and Scooby just giggles. "I just love the way you eat."
Sat in another booth nearby were the rest of the Mystery Gang. Daphne just sighed as she watched Scooby and Nova while the rest were looking at the pistol they had recently found.
"So, like I don't understand. The Planispheric disc led us to dig up this crazy old flintlock. Does that mean this is the treasure?" Shaggy asks.
"No. This flintlock does have some value as a antique amongst collectors but if the cursed treasure of Crystal Cove is supposed to be immense...beyond all imagining." Y/n says.
"Like Love." Daphne sighs in her daydream.
"Here's your cheese Platter of the Forever Undead. It's all they had left." The Bloody Steak's waitress says as she sets down a platter of cheese down on the the table. Daphne snaps out of her daydream now as she sniffs a little of the cheese.
"Excuse me, but this Port Salut Affine is not from Brittany. And this Cotswold Double Gloucester is well past it's prime." Daphne complains.
"Sorry, but we're out of food. In face we're down to selling food form the dumpsters of other restaurants." The Waitress says.
"What? Why?" Velma asks.
"Another of the local farms has been mysteriously destroyed. The fifth this week. It's really messing with our food deliveries." The waitress says as she leaves the table.
"Mysteriously destroyed?" Fred repeats as the gang all look at each other.
The farmer from the most recently destroyed farm was placing suitcases on top of a tractor as the Mystery gang slowly walked up to him. The farmer takes notice of the gang now but mainly of Scooby.
"You." He says hostilely.
"Farmer." Scooby says back equally as hostile.
"Dog."
"Lock up any innocent animals lately?" Scooby jests.
"Like okay you two." Shaggy says pulling Scooby back. "We know you got history but go easy on the animosity there." Shaggy says before he leans down to Scooby. "Remember, your girlfriend is watching Scoob."
"Oh, you're right. Sorry Nova." Scooby says looking back but Nova was just rolling around on the ground in front of the Mystery Machine. Scooby sighs again. "I just love the way she rolls in the dirt."
"Excuse me, Mr Farmer?" Daphne says steering the conversation back on track.
"What exactly happened to your farm?" Y/n asks.
The farmer spits on the ground in front to the gang. "Farm? I ain't got not farm. It's gone. All of it. That horrible herd ate everything except the silo."
"Like, did I just herd you say hear? I mean, hear you say herd?" Shaggy asks.
"Herd of what?" Fred asks.
"Skull cattle. Ugliest darn things." The farmer says as he and his wife climb up onto the tractor now.
"Guys, look at these weird hoofprints. They don't make any sense." Velma says pointing to the ground.
"If you really want to get all nosy about it, you should talk to the other farmers in the area. The herd paid them a visit too" The farmer says to the gang before he takes off.
The Mystery Machine was parked outside of a bar that was in the shape of a large barrel. Parked nearby were several tractors with their owners and the gang all sat inside the bar.
"So you're saying that his herd of skull cattle also destroyed your farms?" Fred asks the group of farmers.
"What's the matter with you? You got potatoes in your ears, huh?" One of the farmers says.
Fred looks confused as he sticks a fingers in his ear to clean it then sniffs his finger. "Nope. Not today." He says cheerfully. "I once had luminescent swamp moss stuff in my ears when I was trapping toads as a baby, but it came out eventually." Fred says.
"She wasn't being literal Fred." Y/n sighs as he turns to the farmers. "Please continue with your stories."
"Like a plague of locusts, they was, coming out of the night. They devoured everything in their path." One of the farmers says as the others mutter in agreement.
"Oooh. Ooh. Ooh." Scooby says.
"Yeah Dog? You got a question?" The farmer says.
"I do. What's to eat around here? My girlfriend Nova is hungry." Scooby asks.
"And like your best pal Shaggy is too." Shaggy adds.
"We got crackers, and crackers." The farmer says dryly.
"Anything else to add a little, I don't know, flavour?" Shaggy asks.
The farmers place two bowls of crackers down on the gang's table followed by a large bowl of what looked like a melted cheese.
"We found this sweet cheesy stuff on the road after them skull cattle went by." The farmer says pointing to the bowl.
"Roadkill sweet cheese?" Velma says hesitantly. "That is just beyond disgusting." She then adds but as she does Shaggy dips a cracker into the cheese and eats it.
"Mmh. Speak for yourself. It's Sweet-Cheese-errfic." Shaggy says licking his lips.
Daphne can smell the aroma coming from the bowl now. "It's some kind of aged honey cheese." She comments.
Velma turns to the farmers now. "Can you give us any other details? Any other clues?"
"Well, just before that horrible herd of skull cattle attacked, the ground started to shake." One of the farmers replies but as they do the ground begins to shake just like they had mentioned before.
"What in tarnation?" One of the farmers says.
"Like, I hope this is a coincidence." Shaggy says nervously as everyone gets up.
"Unlikely." Y/n says rising from his seat now.
"Come on." Fred says as he and everyone rush out of the bar now. As they reach the outside they look into the distance where they can see the herd of skull cattle stampeding towards them.
"It's the horror herd!" Scooby and Shaggy cry in fear.
"Time to go!" Y/n calls out and nobody argues with him as they rush to their vehicles. As everyone pulls away they look back to see the skull cattle consuming the bar everyone had just been sat in.
"They're heading this way!" Scooby cries covering his eyes.
The skull cattle were indeed chasing after the Mystery Machine and fleeing farmers. The tractors however were slower than the Mystery Machine and soon they were being eaten apart by the skull cattle.
"Fred drive faster! Faster!" Daphne says worried.
Fred steps on the accelerator as much as he can now as the herd continues to chase after them.
"Like they're catching up!" Shaggy cries.
"Y/n." Fred starts to say.
"Already on it" Y/ n says as he begins to turn a valve attached to a canister. "Ready." Y/n says and soon the Mystery Machine begins to rapidly pick up speed as it escapes the herd.
"What was that?" Velma asks as she looks at the canister
"It's Nitrous oxide." Y/n says as he turns the small valve back.
"Jinkies when did you install that?" Velma asks Fred.
"Y/n suggested it when we were working on his new car." Fred says.
"It's for situations like this one." Y/n says referring to the herd they had just escaped.
"Heh, heh. Nova just let me know if you need anything." Scooby says to her. "I want you to think of this as your home."
"Like Scooby-Doo, old pal..." Shaggy says and Scooby looks up. "We're doing the gather around Velma while she researches stuff and then Y/n explains thing. Care to join us?" Shaggy asks. Scooby kisses Nova's head as he gets up and walks over to join the gang.
"I mapped all the attacks on the farms in the area, look." Velma says as she loads up a map and turns her laptop to the gang. "They create an outline of a magnifying glass."
"Just like the old Mystery Incorporated used to use as their symbol." Y/n says quickly remembering.
"It's centred around Destroido." Velma says zooming in on her map now.
"Cute little moo cows turned into horrible monsters." Daphne says sadly.
"There is only one mind that would could up with something so...despicable." Y/n says.
"Professor Pericles." Everyone says.
"Velma, is there any way we can spy on the old Mystery Incorporated?" Daphne asks.
"May I?" Y/n asks as he hold out his hand to Velma's laptop and she hands it to him. Y/n begins to quickly type away. "Marcie and I took the time to plant a bug in their headquarters when we stole the planispheric disc pieces. Well, I say we. Marcie did the hacking, I did the stealing." Y/n clarifies as he finishes typing away and soon everyone can see a live feed of the Mr E hideout. On the screen were Professor Pericles and Ricky Owens.
"Can you get more volume?" Fred asks and Y/n turns up the laptop's volume.
"You have gone to far this, Pericles. Too Far. This macabre herd of skull cattle you've created is costing millions of Destroido's money, my money. And I currently have 28 of my best scientists listed as presumed missing." Ricky says angrily but in the middle of his speech the two can hear a scientist in another room crying out.
"No! No!" They cry as a low growling can be heard followed by a roar and a scream.
"Make that 29." Ricky says unimpressed.
"Ricky, one cannot make a genius omelette without breaking a few worthless eggs. Right, Brad and Judy?" Pericles asks.
"You said it Professor Pericles." Brad replies.
"He's a genius. Right Brad?" Judy says.
"He sure is Judy, He sure is." Brad says.
"And make no mistake Ricky, I will break any egg that gets in my way. Ed Machine, Cassidy Williams, or perhaps even you. My herd of skull cattle is perfect in every way. I have crossbred cows, piranhas and bees to create the ultimate monsters. And I'm their master. My precious creations exist for one purpose, To devour Crystal Cove. My herd of male drones shall level the town to the ground leaving nowhere for the mystery kinder to hide the planispheric disc." Pericles says to Ricky as the gang watches horrified on the laptop.
"Like, he's going to destroy Crystal Cove." Shaggy cries.
"Come on gang we have to warn the town." Fred says as he quickly gets up.
"Oh Janet Mayor Nettles, this is so amazing." Sheriff Stone says as he folds a piece of bacon. "I just learned how to make a sombrero out of bacon. And here I thought those couples cooking classes were going to be Lame-arama City." He says as he puts the bacon hat on Mayor Nettles head now. "Oh, the sparkle of this oily fat really brings out your eyes. and your lips."
"Oh, Bronson, Kiss me." Mayor Nettles says but as the two get closer the gang rush into the room.
"Mayor Nettles we have terrible news." Velma quickly says.
"A herd of carnivorous genetically mutated skull cattle is going to eat Crystal Cove." Daphne elaborates.
"We have to evacuate the town." Y/n adds.
"Now!" Scooby finishes but he starts to sniff the air and notices the bacon sombrero in Mayor Nettles hands. "Is that a bacon sombrero? Yummy."
"Keep your paws off the maple-cured headgear, talking dog." Sheriff Stone says annoyed before he turns to the gang. "Now, what is all this nonsense about ? Skull cattle? Please. There's no such thing. And no such things can't eat towns." Sheriff Stone argues. At that moment an officer rushes into the room.
"Sheriff you gotta come quick. A herd of skull cattle are eating the town." The officer says urgently as everyone turns to look at Sheriff Stone.
"You were saying?" Y/n says crossing his arms.
"Of course, I've been wrong about these things before." Sheriff Stone says.
Everyone had rushed to the roof of City Hall as they looked out to see the skull cattle. "Look." Fred calls out from his side. "The herd is destroying all the roads." He then adds and everyone watches as the Skull cattle consume a bridge that leads out of town before beginning to move onto the outskirts of Crystal Cove as people begin to flee.
"They're stopping the people escaping..." Y/n comments.
"Gang this is all our fault." Daphne says.
"Isn't it always?" Sheriff Stone says.
"Maybe we should just give Pericles the planispheric disc." Daphne suggests as she watches the townsfolk fleeing.
"Like No way. A treasure beyond all imaging in the clutches of an evil psychotic parrot? "
Shaggy is right, There is nothing more dangerous than the Planispheric disc in Pericles's claws." Y/n says agreeing with Shaggy.
"It would be devastating on a global scale." Velma says also in agreement.
"There has to be another way." Fred says.
"Well you mystery dorks better decide quick..." Sheriff Stone says getting their attention. "because those nasty cow thingies have sealed off the town completely."
Sat on top of the Enigma Machine far away from the town watching it's destruction were the four remaining old Mystery Incorporated members.
"Soon Crystal Cove will cease to exist, and the planispheric disc shall be mine." Pericles says as he looks down at the town. "Then no one will ever stand in my way again." He begins to cackle.
"All the roads leading in and out of the city have been eaten." Mayor Nettles informs the gang now.
"Perhaps as a species, our time is over. It's evolution people. We should all submit to the herd. Think I'll see if they're hiring any sheriffs." Sheriff Stone says.
"Bronson, although I find your immediate surrender oddly endearing you're not going anywhere." Mayor Nettles says to him. "Kids, there must be a way to stop these things." Mayor Nettles then says turning to the gang.
"I think I have it." Daphne suddenly says. "It's all the little pieces. All the clues. Especially the fact that Professor Pericles referred to the skull cattle as male drones. And then there's the sweet cheese." Daphne elaborates.
"I think I see where you're going with this Daph. If Scooby and I can eat all that honeyed sweet cheese those things will starve and we'll save the town." Shaggy says.
"Count me in. I'm ready to eat my way to victory." Scooby says.
"No you two." Y/n says stopping them. "What Daphne is saying is that they are like bees. Like Daphne said Pericles referred to this herd as male drones which means..."
"There must be a queen in the cow hive at Destroido." Daphne finishes and Y/n nods his head.
"Daphne, that so genius, I should have thought of it." Velma says. "They'll be totally protective of their queen. If we could capture the queen cow..."
"We could use her to lead the herd away from the town." Fred says.
"Saving Crystal Cove and it's residents." Y/n finishes.
"I don't know. I don't know. I think my plan of letting the herd enslave humanity is pretty darn good." Sheriff Stone comments.
"Please shut him up..." Y/n says to Mayor Nettles now.
"My fake father, Mayor Dad used to keep a helicopter here at City Hall." Fred hums now.
"We still have it." Mayor Nettles is quick to say. "This way, It's our only chance." She says as everyone starts to follow her.
Mayor Nettles quickly enters the pilot seat." Jump in kids, I flew Black Hawks during my time in the air force." She says to everyone as they start to get in.
"Mind if Play Co-pilot?" Sheriff Stone asks her. "And I literally mean play because I have no idea how to fly a helicopter."
"Oh Bronson, You can be my co-pilot any day." Mayor Nettles says.
"But not today." Y/n says as he moves in the way of Sheriff Stone. "While I don't get involved in your love life, now is not the time for it." Y/n says as he climbs into the Co-pilot's seat.
"Yeah can you two like cut it out. We have a town to save." Shaggy says as Sheriff Stone grumpily climbs in the back.
The helicopter begins to take off now as it leaves the City Hall roof. Watching on from the Enigma Machine was the old mystery Inc.
"They're getting away Professor Pericles." Brad says.
"What should we do?" Judy asks.
"For the moment, nothing. The kinder do not have the planispheric disc with them. They have hidden it somewhere below." Pericles says as he watches the helicopter fly away.
"Mayor Nettles. Over there." Velma says as she points from her seat to a large hole in the Destroido roof. "I think that's the entrance to the cow hive."
Mayor Nettles begins to hover over the large hole now as everyone looks down.
"All right, gang our one chance is to get in, find the queen and trap her in a trap that will make history." Fred says to everyone. "No one's ever trapped a cow that was also a queen that was also a bee and a piranha." Fred says giddy.
"When you are ready I will see you down there." Everyone car hear Y/n say and they suddenly look to see him rappelling down into the large hole.
"Uh right, let's go!" Fred says as they all join Y/n in rappelling now.
Y/n's feet were the first to touch the ground as he look around at the honeyed cheese covered walls. A few moments later he is joined by the rest of the Mystery gang. "Stay alert." Y/n says as he looks around. "We are in their hive now and they will protect the queen with their lives."
Fred takes off a large bag he had been wearing on his back now as he sets it down. "Here, use these smoke guns." Fred says as he starts to hand them out.
"Like for bees, only bigger." Daphne says as she looks at the smoke gun in her hands. Y/n looks over at her as she says it but as he sees the smoke gun in her hands his mouth slightly parts. Daphne notices it as she look back at him.
"You okay there Y/n?" Fred asks as Fred holds out a smoke gun to him.
Y/n closes his mouth and clears his throat as he takes the smoke gun. "I'm fine." Y/n says focusing again on the task at hand. Before Fred can ask him anything more Nova begins to bark alerting the gang to an incoming rush of skull cattle. Scooby who was closet to the front activates his smoke gun first with Shaggy and Velma joining in. The smoke is quick to make the skull cattle back away.
"Thanks for the warning Nova." Scooby says.
"Well, We know the smoke guns work." Y/n comments as he looks over the smoke gun in his hands.
"Come on. Let's keep moving." Velma says now.
The mystery gang were on high alert as they moved through the hive with smoke guns at the ready. They soon come to stop as they reach a large cavern that is seemingly filled with eggs. As the gang looked at the large sea of eggs one suddenly drops down from above and everyone looks up. Stood on a ledge above the gang was the Queen cow was stood laying eggs.
"That is disgusting..." Y/n says as he grimaces at the sight.
"Let's trap us as Queen-cow-bee-piranha-monster thingy." Fred whispers as he begins to take out some trapping equipment from his bag.
Back on the surface the skull cattle had devoured a large portion of the town's buildings as the citizens continued to try flee.
"Okay, Shag, Scoob, the trap is all set. Bring her this way." Fred says on a radio to Shaggy.
"How come we always get the hard part?" Scooby asks.
"Like, I think they're just jealous of our good looks. Heh heh." Shaggy says.
"Good point. Let's do this." Scooby says.
Shaggy picks up one of the eggs now as he holds it up.
"Yo-Hoo!" Scooby cries out getting the Queen cow's attention as she turns her head to look at the two. She roars as she leaps down from the ledge now and begins to rush towards the two. Shaggy drops the egg as he and Scooby run across the top of the eggs.
Nova stood barking as the rest of the gang got ready to trap the queen. Daphne quickly picked the small dog up as she moved her out of the way. "Good girl Nova." Daphne says.
Scooby and Shaggy became visible now as the Queen continued to chase the two and gang got ready.
"Hold..." Fred says on the radio as the three get closer. "Hold..." He says again. "Now!" He then cries out as Shaggy and Scooby pass them. The queen is suddenly suspended in the air from a... and the queen cow lay there unable to move now as she dangled in the air from the helicopter. "We got her! Left her up Mayor." Fred says on the radio.
Mayor Nettles begins to move the helicopters joystick now as the queen cow is lifted out of the hive. Sheriff Stone throws the ropes down now as the mystery gang climb up them and into the helicopter. The helicopter moves now as it flies towards Crystal Cove carrying the queen cow with it. The skull cattle continued to devour the town as the people of Crystal Cove sought shelter in the town's City Hall. As the helicopter flew near the herd they took notice and began to follow it.
"It's working. The herd is abandoning it's attack on Crystal Cove and is coming to protect their queen." Daphne says as she looks down from the helicopter.
Pericles was watching as the herd began to leave. "They are ruining my genius plan." He says angrily. "Brad, Judy, launch the missile." He says.
"Really? What did that cost? We have a missile?" Ricky says in disbelief as Brad and Judy prepare it.
"Yes, we have a missile, you pudding faced dummkopf. Now fire it!" Pericles says. Ricky turns around to see Brad lining up with the helicopter before he suddenly fires.
Fred could see something fast approaching the helicopter now as he looked out. "Incoming!" He cries. Mayor Nettles does her best and she turns the Helicopters body to avoid the missile however it proves to fast as it takes out the helicopters back rotary blade sending the chopper spinning. The gang are all thrown against the side of the chopper before one of it's doors flies open and Nova falls out. Luckily Scooby had noticed and leaned out to grab her. But he almost falls out himself now before Shaggy grabs him. Velma stains as he keeps a hold of Shaggy's legs and tries to pull the three back in.
"Nova hang on!" Scooby cries as he notices his grasp slipping. As the gang were helping Velma pull the three in Nova's paws slip through Scooby's own and she begins to plummet towards the herd that was running below.
"Dammit!" Y/n says angry with Nova being lost. "We have got to cut the queen loose, otherwise we're all going to go down as well." Y/n cries out.
Fred quickly gets up as he leans forward and pulls a lever that releases the ropes holding up the queen now. The queen plummets from the sky as she lands in the ocean now and the herd soon follow her as they dive into it. While the herd had now been dealt with the helicopter was still spinning out of control. Mayor Nettles fought hard against it as she managed to bring it lower to the ground and land it. Smoke poured out of the engine as everyone quickly got out and ran a safe distance from the helicopter which then soon exploded.
Scooby looked around now for any possible sign of Nova but he let's out a gasp of shock when he can see her collar lay strewn on the ground. "Oh, Nova, She can't be gone." Scooby says.
"Don't worry old pal. We'll find her." Shaggy says as he crouches down and strokes Scooby's head.
Everyone else was stood looking out at the water the herd had recently jumped into .
"You did it kids, You saved the town." Mayor Nettles says to the gang.
"I feel a little sorry for those skull cattle. It's not their fault they're horrible genetically engineered mutations." Daphne says sadly.
"Oh shit..." Y/n says.
"What's wrong Y/n?" Fred asks.
"Pericles said that part of the skull cattle's DNA was Piranha, which means..." Y/n starts to elaborate but everyone can see movement in the water now and the skull cattle rise to the surface as the gang step back. However the skull cattle begin to swim away from the shore as they head further into the ocean.
"Whoa. What have we done?" Velma asks a little worried.
"You mean, like, other than release unnatural super predators into the ecosystem?" Shaggy gulps.
Y/n just turns around now as he walks away from the shore.
"Your friend's got the right idea there kids. It's best to just walk away from this one..."Sheriff Stone says as everyone begins backing away. "Just walk away."
Everyone was now helping Scooby as they searched for Nova. "Nova? Nova?" Scooby cries out as he sniffs the ground furiously.
"Over here!" Shaggy cries out and no one wastes any time as they rush in his direction. As they reach him everyone gasps as they can see Nova lay down on the ground. Scooby rushes by her side. As he goes to pick her up however he is suddenly stopped by Y/n.
"Don't move her. We could end up hurting her worse than she already is." Y/n says to Scooby who whimpers a little nervously. Y/n pats his head now before he carefully begins to assess Nova's condition. He crouches down as his ear hovers over Nova's chest and he carefully listens for a sign. "She's alive, but barely. We need to get her to medical attention." Y/n quickly says now as he takes his coat off and carefully moves it under Nova. "Fred, Shaggy, Sheriff Stone. Each of you take a corner on my coat and we will carry Nova back to the town that way without hurting her further. Y/n says.
"I'm not carrying some do..."Sheriff Stone starts to say but when he sees everyone including Mayor Nettles glaring at him he doesn't finish his sentence and simply does as he is told.
The original Mystery Inc would stood looking over Crystal Cove looking unimpressed. "My plan." Pericles says seething. "Ruined by those meddling kinder. They will pay. All of them. They will pay." He vows.
And that's the chapter! So things seem to be unsettled with the Old Mystery Incorporated as they try to get their hands on the Planispheric disc. If you liked this chapter or just the story in general then please don't forget to leave a vote and a comment below as it really helps out and I shall see you all next week in...
Dance of the Undead
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