Author's Note: After starting off this story and dragging it on for two years, upon checking out a number of more SDMI-inspired stories, I feel the need to hit the pause button for this Streets of Coolsville series and rework it.

This revamped origin story is still gonna be based on The Mystery Begins with its own deviation from the source material, along with incorporating elements from Little Gem Magnolia's story Textbook Murder.

The main modifications I'm making to this series is the setting, mainly making it similar to what was depicted in SDMI and the 2010-2016 DTV films, starting with Abracadabra Doo and finishes at Curse of the Speed Demon, in particular the setting depicted in my ongoing series Paranormal Instincts.

As a matter a fact, this retooled Streets of Coolsville series is gonna be a "triplet" series of sorts with Paranormal Instincts and my upcoming Crystal Cove Angels series, specifically with the Coolsville setting in being the largest city and county seat of Crystal Cove County.

Other sources of inspiration includes SpongeAddict's Origin series of Scooby stories, specifically One For The Money, along with many of stories that are oriented towards the Fred/Daphne pairing and utilizes the gang's mainstream parents, though with Daphne's father being deeply at odds with the gang, specifically Fred.

That being said, just like Paranormal Instincts, only Shaggy and Daphne's mainstream parents are utilized, with Shaggy's father Sam also alive for this series unlike Paranormal Instincts, while Fred and Velma's parents from SDMI are used with Fred Jones, Sr. depicted as Fred Jones, Jr.'s biological father and having had married Peggy Jones from Pirates Ahoy!

Another story that is geared towards a revamp is my ongoing Coolsville Central story The Mystery Machine, mainly because I've felt that I could've executed the gang's unintentional involvement in a whistleblowing case a better way than what I have written.

As such, expect The Mystery Machine to under go a reboot soon.

I don't own Scooby-Doo. Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Bros. does.

Chapter 1: Prologue and moving day

February 18, 2010

It was a cloudy early-afternoon in the Police Administrative Building in downtown Los Angeles when Captain Samuel Chastain "Sam" Rogers, commander of the Forensic Science Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, received the tedious news.

As a Gulf War veteran who had at least ten years of experience as a homicide investigator, four of which were spent at Homicide Special of the elite Robbery-Homicide Division, Sam has pretty much gotten a hand on the usual tedious work that comes with the job, specifically next-of-kin notifications.

Never had the police captain imagined that he would ever be the receiving end of a next-of-kin notification. Well, technically, he wasn't notified of a homicide, though the subject of the notification was still tedious all the same.

Per his usual routine, Sam was seated in his office going through reports and discussing case files with one of his lieutenants when a patrol officer knocked on the door to his office.

Sam squinted following the intrusion. He didn't recognize the officer, though a quick glance at the badge number established that the officer is assigned to the Hollywood Division, the division in which he had completed a six-year stint at the homicide table.

In fact, Sam was promoted from the robbery table to the homicide table a few months after he got assigned to Hollywood in 1994.

The captain frowned briefly as he addressed the officer. "May I help you?"

"Apologies for the intrusion, Captain." The officer replied. "I'm afraid I've got terrible news for you, sir."

Sam arched his eyebrows. The officer's nameplate read "Silverman" and by the looks of the stripes, he can establish that Officer Silverman has been on the force for 15 years.

Also, judging from the wedding ring, Sam can also establish that Silverman was married with kids, on top of the battalion tattoo on his arm placing Silverman as an Army veteran who probably had saw action in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf War or Somalia.

"What's going on, Officer Silverman?" Sam stood up from his seat.

Silverman exhaled briefly before he looked at Sam in the eye.

"It's your son, sir." Silverman replied. "He's been in a terrible accident."

April 29, 2010

Norville "Shaggy" Rogers was bored out of his d*mn mind as he sat in the backseat alongside his sister Margaret and the family dog Scooby while their father Sam sat behind the wheel with their mother Wendy at the front passenger seat.

There was something about the descent down the Mission Pass on Interstate 680 that made the sixteen-year old high school sophomore feel that this place they're moving to, Coolsville, is too countryside-like, especially when he has practically grown up in Los Angeles and knows the city as much as he knew his name.

The City of Angels is the second-largest city in the country, and unless the family is moving across the continent to New York, there is no d*mn way he will ever get used to living in another city when it doesn't have the buzz and excitement of Los Angeles.

For a six-hour drive from Los Angeles, Shaggy was increasingly feeling cramped with all the luggage in the trunk and pouring towards the backseats.

For the time being, his left arm has largely left him alone with the lingering pain subsided, in thanks to the medical cannabis he was prescribed to mitigate the pain in the left arm following the surgery he had in the aftermath of that serious car accident he had gotten into two months ago.

Even so, it would take weeks, if not months, before his left arm fully heals from the trauma and that he could get off the medical cannabis he was prescribed to.

Indeed, having had spent the last three hours crammed in the backseat has made the lingering pain in his left arm slowly acting up, and this in particular was driving Shaggy crazy as he spent countless times fruitlessly in shifting positions.

The scenery outside was of no help in his predicament, and the thought of living in a boring small town, far away from his old friends down in LA, was making Shaggy anxious.

As the van drove down another hill, Shaggy almost groaned.

Like, I could've sworn that we drove through this exact same pass an hour ago. He thought to himself as he absentmindedly began patting Scooby's head.

His sister Maggie seemed to be sharing the same thoughts, as she remarked, "Everything around the highway looks exactly the same as we left it an hour ago."

"You can say that again, Mags." Shaggy agreed. "Like, we're not even moving out of the state, and already this road trip is boring me out."

"Norville, I thought you've always enjoyed the family trips upstate to visit your grandfather in Coolsville." Their mother Wendy sighed at the front passenger seat.

"I do, Mom." Shaggy responded. "But going to Coolsville every Easter, summer and Christmas to visit Grandpa is one thing, moving to that boring city, like, permanently, is a whole different thing, and-"

"Yes, yes, I know, dear." Wendy nodded and sighed. "And believe me, I do wish we've had the choice of staying put in LA, but with the way things went at your father's work, especially with its connections to that 'accident' that kept you in the hospital for weeks, not to mention your grandfather's dwindling health, has left us with no choice but to move up north."

Shaggy only paused his lips as his mother continued, "And besides, I can assure you that once we settle down in Coolsville, the city will grow on you."

The high school sophomore nodded but said nothing. He still didn't like it one bit, especially when he's transferring schools right in the middle of the winter semester.

He sure as h*ll missed the friends he was leaving behind from Los Angeles High School, and he sure as h*ll missed the achievements he has made while at school.

Shaggy has fond memories being an announcer and DJ on the school's radio station, providing his schoolmates a fine selection of music to play during lunch period, on top of entertaining the whole school with his announcements.

To top it all off, he was enrolled in the school's magnet program, which provides a rigorous course load to prep him for university studies, and he was making progress in improving his skills in math, which has frequently been his weak points in school, in the course of his enrollment in the program.

Throughout the conversation, Shaggy's father Sam remained silent as he focused on the road with his hands gripping the steering wheel.

Wendy's remark about his work has gotten him thinking about the circumstances leading to the moment they're in at the present.

FLASHBACK - Two Months Ago

February 10, 2010

The mood in the office of the Director of Professional Standards was very gloomy as Sam listened intently to Deputy Chief Morton Cooper's explanations of his "request", as the deputy chief puts it, nodding while thinking deeply.

As Cooper continued with his explanations, the frown on Sam's face deepened as he thought back about his history with the deputy chief.

Cooper first crossed paths with Sam Rogers when the former was a Detective III in the Organized Crime Intelligence Division (OCID) and the latter a Detective II at the homicide table in Hollywood back in '96.

At that time, the two men crossed paths when Sam was investigating the murder of a former city councilman that was apparently the subject of an investigation by OCID in suspicion of colluding with street gangs.

In the course of the investigation, it has soon emerged that OCID was involved in planting evidence in the victim's residence and that the illegal surveillance on the councilman, who was a political ally of the then-chief of police, was part of a campaign by the OCID commander to discredit the chief.

Like many in the department, Sam wasn't exactly fond of the then-chief, who was brought in from Philadelphia to heal the distrust between the department and the city's black community in the aftermath of the '92 riots.

Even so, Sam also frowned on evidence-tampering and Cooper's efforts to "persuade" him to look the other way didn't stop him from joining a fellow detective from the homicide table in the division, who had likewise ran afoul of OCID, in heading straight to the chief's office to turn in evidence of OCID's wrongdoings once he had wrapped up the case.

Somehow, Cooper managed to survive the fallout and even got made lieutenant a couple months after the case, and in the encounters between the two men that followed, Sam has resolved to remain on his guard, knowing full well that Cooper still has his bag of tricks as acquired from his time in OCID.

"And so, that's why I'm making this request personally, Rogers." Cooper finished. "Consider this...a favour for the department's reputation."

Sam almost immediately scoffed as he rubbed his forehead, then he looked towards the deputy chief.

"Alright, so let me get this straight, Chief." The captain said. "We've got a murder case in which the evidence has pointed to the son of a well-regarded lobbyist who may well has a hand in the department's next budget and that anything unfavourable that happens to the son, who we've got in custody may I add, could very well put an end to payed overtime."

With his eyes glaring squarely on Cooper, Sam then added, "To top it all off, the RHD investigators assigned to case are facing scrutiny for the way they've conducted the investigation and obtained the evidence and that you would like me to authorize my men to alter whatever it is that was submitted as evidence."

"That's pretty much it, Captain." Cooper nodded.

"Well, then." Sam abruptly stood up from his seat. "If you think I'm just gonna blindly be complicit in what amounts to evidence-tampering, then you are gonna be very disappointed."

"Now, Captain, there's no need to be haste-" Cooper raised his hands, only for Sam to cut him off.

"I don't think you've had your head installed properly, Chief." Sam cut in. "Throughout my tenure, the FSD has been successful in analyzing the evidence collected in hundreds of cases, and I am not gonna compromise the division's integrity just because we've managed to piss off some influential lobbyist-"

"This goes deeper than the murder itself, Captain." Cooper said sternly. "If you say 'no' to this request, then not only is city council gonna slash our overtime budget like it has done the past several years, but also-"

"Money can't buy reputation, Chief." Sam replied evenly. "I don't give a f**king d*mn on your assertions that whatever you're suggesting is gonna stay buried, because when I say there's gonna be an uproar over our division's integrity, I mean that the public will find out on our little secret, and when that happens, being cash-strapped for our overtime budget is gonna be the least of our worries when the lawsuits start bombarding us and every single defense attorney in the country finds the means to question the validity of evidence analysed by the division and submitted to trial."

With a huff, Sam then turned around and headed straight to the door.

"Where the h*ll do you think you're going, Rogers?" Cooper demanded. "We're not finished here."

"Oh, yes we are." Sam retorted without stopping. "This has been a complete f**king waste of my time when I've got better things to do."

As Sam marched out of the deputy chief's office, Cooper said, "You do realize that there will be consequences if you don't follow through with this request."

Sam only scoffed and waved his hand dismissively before he slammed the office door behind him.

END FLASHBACK

Sam scoffed and shook his head as he remembered the meeting, and his eyes only narrowed further as the meeting itself reminded him of a subsequent meeting with the newly-appointed chief of police weeks later.

FLASHBACK - Two Weeks Ago

April 14, 2010

"I am terribly sorry to hear about what your son has to go through, Captain Rogers." The police chief said to Sam as they sat at the office on the tenth floor. "I really am, and believe me, I've been aching to getting to the bottom of Cooper's actions as much as you do ever since-"

"You do realize that you've told me the exact same thing during the hospital visit right after the accident, right?" Sam cut in. "That was, what? Almost two months ago and yet Cooper's still in his office with no word on when he is going to be held accountable for his-"

"Like I said, Captain." The chief cut in. "My office is working on that, though you should probably know that Cooper's got plenty of friends on the police commission who wouldn't hesitate to stand with him when an inquiry does take place."

"Well, then maybe the public should know about this whole incident and pressure the police commission to do its job." Sam snapped. "What good are we if we cannot protect our own who are trying to do the right thing?"

"I get your point, Captain." The chief sighed. "I really do, and believe me, I would've taken care of this if I didn't need to worry about the blowback, not to mention the implications your definition of 'doing the right thing' will lead to a slippery slope that goes further than what you would amount to 'evidence tampering'."

"So in other words, you agree with the reasoning behind Cooper's actions." Sam scoffed and stood up. "You know something-"

"Now don't be haste, Captain." The chief quickly cut in. "My office has been making due progress in their investigations into Cooper's role in the-"

"'Due progress'?" Sam scoffed again before he shook his head and continued, "Perhaps a demonstration of 'due progress' is in order. Because of my failure to guarantee the integrity of the Forensic Science Division from any form of meddling, political or otherwise, I am declaring my intention to resign from the Los Angeles Police Department effective immediately."

The police chief's mouth almost immediately dropped open, during which Sam intensified the glare on his face.

"I don't think I heard you correct, Captain." The chief said. "You say that you intend to resign-?"

"You heard me, Chief." Sam said.

The police chief sighed as he said, "Perhaps you will like to take a minute to think-"

"That won't be necessary, Chief." Sam cut in as he reached to his belt and unclipped his badge. "I've been thinking this over ever since Cooper made the 'request' that day, and Detective Neville's uncovering of evidence in Cooper's involvement in the conspiracy and his efforts to get your office to act without results was what led to me making my mind up."

Then, placing his badge on the chief's desk, Sam continued, "I no longer fit into an institution that remains grossly devoted to shielding its reputation at the expense of the truth and justice, and your assertions of this 'slippery slope' just proves how much of a long way this department has to go in proving itself to the citizens of Los Angeles."

The police chief sighed, then he nodded slowly. "Very well, then. I'm sorry if you have to retire from the department under circumstances like this, Captain Rogers."

"So am I, Chief." Sam grunted as he placed his service pistol on the chief desk before reaching into his pocket and pulled out his badge wallet and placed it on the desk as well.

END FLASHBACK

Sam sighed as he recalled the details surrounding his decision to resign from the Los Angeles Police Department, not that he regretted doing so two weeks on.

However, at the time he made the decision to resign from the LAPD, Sam and Wendy were still debating whether or not they should stay put in the City of Angels, in light of the long road to recovery Shaggy had to go through following the crash.

While the crime rate has steadily dropped for the past several years in LA, Sam figured that the excitement provided by the city would be too much for his eldest as he recovers and that he could use the peace and quiet in a small city like his hometown Coolsville.

It didn't take long for the catalyst for Sam's decision to move the family north to Coolsville to arrive when the retired police captain received a phone call from his older brother Albert just two days after his abrupt resignation.

FLASHBACK - Twelve Days Ago

April 16, 2010

Sam was seated in his home office and was in the process of reading several of the old murder books from his days in homicide when he received the phone call from his brother Albert.

"Hey Bertie, what's up?" Sam asked in greeting as he answered the phone.

With his flip phone pressed by his ear, Sam put down the murder book he was reading before he arched his eyebrows briefly upon hearing what Albert has to say.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Sam pressed before he frowned and remarked, "Holy s**t."

Putting down the murder book he was reading, the retired police captain stood up and asked, "Is Dad alright?"

A pause went by as he listened intently, nodding. "Oh, I see. Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Listen, about that-"

As Sam was speaking, Wendy had just returned home from work and was about to check on her husband when she saw him on the phone with his do not disturb face.

Nodding, Wendy looked on as Sam nodded and said, "I understand. Talk to you later."

END FLASHBACK

Apparently, as things turned out, Sam and Albert's father Clarence, who lives alone in the old family house in Coolsville, the same house in which Sam and Albert both grew up in all those years ago, slipped and fell while climbing down the stairs.

Fortunately, Albert, who happened to be in town for a visit, was just about entering the house when he saw the old man laying on the floor, not moving.

Long story short, Clarence was checked into the local hospital and was subsequently released following an overnight stay for observation that saw no complications.

However, the news jolted Sam because it was only because of Albert's timely arrival home that their father was able to make a speedy recovery from the fall.

Who knows how would things have turned out for the WWII veteran had Albert arrived at the house hours later, especially when he's living in the house all alone.

The news of his father's fall was all it took to propel Sam into deciding in favour of moving the family to Coolsville.

And that's how the family came to be driving northbound on Interstate 680 that sunny afternoon, more than five hours away from Los Angeles, with their luggage packing the back of the family van.

The rented moving van was not far behind with the furniture, and after having been on the move since the crack of dawn, Shaggy was so ready to hit the sack and call it a day once they arrived at their new house.

Well, technically that place isn't really their new house, given that it was the same house his father and paternal uncles and aunts had grew up in all those years ago, plus the bedrooms were already set up for their visits in the past.

The thoughts occupying Shaggy's mind will soon dispense, as it was then that the family van exited the interstate and switched onto a state expressway.

Not long after that, the van drove past the familiar "Welcome to Crystal Cove County: The Hauntedest Place in the Country" sign, which was then followed by a "Welcome to Coolsville: The City of Mysteries" sign several miles down.

Coolsville, Dullsville. Shaggy thought to himself bitterly as they drove past the signs. What's the difference?

Another twenty minutes went by before the van made the turn onto Maple Street, and it didn't take long for the familiar small green manor to pull up before his eyes.

After his Uncle Albert pulled up in the moving van, the family wasted no time getting down to unloading their luggage and some of the furniture and moving them into the manor.

By the time dinner time came around, everyone was very much exhausted from all the unpacking and unloading, not to mention the six-hour drive from Los Angeles.

While their father Sam was speaking to both Uncle Albert and Grandpa Clancy, Shaggy and Maggie had decided to take Scooby out for a walk.

"Of course, just don't stay out too long." Sam said to them after they told him of their intention to take Scooby out for a walk.

Before long, the siblings were walking the Great Dane down the sidewalk and towards the neighbourhood park.

Even though it was only 19:30, it was already getting dark outside and the streetlamps were turned on. Couple that with the wind, and their surroundings looked quite eerie.

"Haven't even spent a night in the manor and already, I'm starting to hate the prospect of living here permanently, Mags." Shaggy remarked to his sister as they walked past the fountain in the park.

"No need to remind me, Norville." Maggie replied. "It doesn't help that the neighbourhood looks very sketchy with the dark skies and wind."

It was then that they heard Scooby whining as the Great Dane stopped by a storm drain at the base of the fountain, and Shaggy and Maggie glanced at each other.

"Like, even Scoob doesn't like the feeling of living here year-round." Shaggy said.

The wind began to pick up speed, and even without the rumbling of the clouds in the distance, the siblings can feel that a storm was on its way.

Shaggy tugged Scooby with the leash gently, but the Great Dane refused to budge as he continued to whine.

"Like, come on, Scoob." Shaggy said as he tugged Scooby a couple more times. "We gotta keep moving if we wanna stay dry."

Scooby only whined in response, and Maggie said, "Come on, Scooby. We don't have all evening."

Scooby whined as he turned towards the siblings, then Shaggy knelt down.

"What's the matter, buddy?" Shaggy asked. "Something in the storm drain?"

Scooby turned towards the cover, and then his eyes darted towards him.

Shaggy took a closer look at the storm drain, and then he turned towards Scooby.

"Like, there's nothing special in there, Scoob." Shaggy said. "It's not like there's gonna be a murderous clown hiding in there with a red balloon."

The thunder in the distance began to rumble again, and Shaggy tugged Scooby with the leash once more as the Great Dane whined.

"Now come on." Maggie urged as Scooby reluctantly joined them. "We need to get home before it starts pouring."

As the siblings and Scooby made their way towards the park entrance, Shaggy looked around and saw a red-haired girl in a purple dress standing near a park bench.

The red-haired girl glanced at him briefly before she nodded and turned away, and Shaggy only nodded back before he turned away and continued walking Scooby home with Maggie.

It started raining that night just as he was heading to bed. In spite of being completely exhausted by the long day, Shaggy find himself unable to fall asleep.

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