Mystery Incorporated Kids!

Disclaimer: I do not own Scooby-Doo or any of its characters. That would be the now-defunct Hanna-Barbera (and Warner Bros, Inc.).

Chapter 5

Now that the kids had figured out where the $1,000 the thief had came from, they were still unsure how he got it or if he still had it in his pocket. However, because the bank wasn't talking, the crew had another stop to make.

The next day, Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne took their kids to the Coolsville police station to see if they could find more information about what they're dealing with.

According to the police, there was a man in town who was going around incognito stealing not just money, but several other necessities in life.

"We suspect he's stolen hundreds of dollars worth of appliances, laptops, and groceries from various local stores," said the chief of the police department. "We just can't track him down. He's always fooling people into believing he's somebody else."

"We've seen him as a 'fish man'", said Velma. "He almost attacked us the other day when we saw what his costume looked like."

All the while the kids were plotting out how they would find this guy.

"Well, we know he dresses like a fish," said Norville, Jr. "But if you heard the cops, he could be dressed up as anything."

"All I know is I don't want to be there when he comes back...as a fish or anything else," said Emma.

"Guys, I have a plan on how to catch that crook," said Deanna. "We should try to trap him."

"How are we going to do that?", asked Mia.

"Leave it to me," Deanna replied. "We just need to set up our trap in a place he heads to frequently and try our luck. And I think I know just where to set it up." However, the kids would have to wait until after school tomorrow to put their plan in action.

The next day...

After school let out, Deanna, Mia, Norville, Jr., and Emma were ready to put their plan in action.

They went over to a retail store in town and waited a few minutes to set up the trap. Sure enough, the man showed up not long after they arrived. The kids hid from sight when he walked into the store and discussed who would do what.

"Okay, listen up," said Deanna. "Here's what we're going to do."

Once the plan was laid out, the kids went to their positions. Norville, Jr. and Emma went into to shop to fool the crook into believing that they're just regular shoppers, while Deanna and Mia set up the trap outside the building.

Inside the store, Norville, Jr. and Emma were acting like they were plain customers while the "fish man" was trying to find something to steal.

"Oh my," said Emma sarcastically. "This DVD player is really expensive. I don't know if I can afford it."

"Well, why don't I buy it for you," said the crook.

"Oh, no thanks," Emma replied. "I've decided to change my mind. I'd rather buy a new laptop computer instead." Just then, Norville, Jr. appeared.

"Well, why don't we let this guy in a fish outfit buy it for us," he said.

"I don't buy computers for people," the crook said. "I just steal them and give them to people for free."

"You steal things?," Emma replied. "Oh dear, I guess we're going to have to call the police."

"Oh no, you're not calling the police on me," said the 'fish' man. "I'm getting out of here while I can." Norville, Jr. then texted Deanna to get the trap ready.

Right as the man was starting to run for the door, Deanna and Mia got the trap set up and ready for the crook. Now it was just a matter of activating it at the right time.

"He's coming," Mia said.

Get ready, Mia," Deanna then replied. She then waited for Mia to give the signal. When it came, Deanna then dropped the trap and the crook was stopped dead in his tracks by the impact.

"We got him!, We got him!," Deanna said. She then texted to Norville, Jr. and Emma that their plan was a success and asked them to call the police.

The police arrived at the scene where they captured the criminal. They got the man out of the trap and took off his mask to reveal his identity.

"Yeah, it's John alright," said one of the cops. "We've been looking for him for quite a while now."

"Why is that?," asked Emma. "What has he been doing all this time?"

"He's been robbing several stores from town to town," the other cop said. "Only problem is he's always disguised as someone or something else. He was very good at going around incognito."

"It was actually pretty simple how he did it," Norville, Jr. said. "He was wearing a latex facemask that looked like real human skin, and changed his name so that he would never be noticed as a crook."

Yeah, but that doesn't explain why he dressed as a fish," said Deanna.

"I was getting to that part, Deanna," replied Norville, Jr. "You see, he decided to buy, or steal, costumes of various mammals to really make him incognito. People would think it was weird for a 'fish man' to shoplift, but he figured he would never be caught doing so."

"Like, nice try, mister," said Emma.

"And I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dog!" said the crook.

"And we hope you have a nice long stay in prison," said Mia. The police then took the man to their car and drove away with him.

After the hoopla died down, the families went out to dinner to celebrate their kids succeeding on their first mission.

"We're so proud of you guys!," Fred said to the kids. "You showed us that you can handle solving a mystery".

"Thank you, daddy," said Deanna. "We learned from the original Mystery Incorporated gang, and it's our own mom and dad."

"And because you did so well on this one," Velma said to the kids. "We've decided we're going to allow you to solve a mystery all by yourselves."

"Really?!," the kids all said simultaneously.

"Like, yeah," said Shaggy. "We think that it's time to give you a chance to prove you worth as the second generation of Mystery Incorporated. Just don't be afraid of anything."

"And don't get caught in any of the traps you set either," added Daphne.

"We'll do the best job we can!" said Deanna. "Maybe we'll even do it better than you ever did."

Well, the kids solved their first mystery, and now they're getting a chance to do it on their own, without their parents present. Stay tuned for the chapters of when the kids get their chance.