//------------------------------// // Unmasking of the Crimson Cloak/The Final Battle Ensues // Story: G5 Adventures in Scooby-Doo! and Batman: The Brave and the Bold // by ponydog127 //------------------------------// Back in the lab, the Crimson Cloak was dangerously close to activating the teleportation machine fully, and Batman was developing a plan to get them all out. “Slipstream, Aquaman, keep him distracted.” “Will do, Bat-a-boo,” Slipstream smirked. “I'll masterfully misdirect that malevolent miscreant,” Aquaman added before he turned to the Crimson Cloak. “Hey there, buddy. Let's not be too hasty with those buttons. After all, theft is one thing, but this...” “No loose ends.” “Oh, yeah-- loose ends,” Slipstream said as Batman began to cut the ropes around him loose. “That reminds me of the time Mera made her famous squid entrail casserole.” “Oh, unfortunately,” Aquaman continued, “the squid had gone bad and…” “Ah ah ah,” the Crimson Cloak caught onto Batman’s scheme. “No tricks, Dark Knight.” He quickly tied up Batman’s hands to one of the support beams before turning to the control panel. “And now, dear Batman, it’s your turn to be scattered everywhere!” He slammed on a button, fully activating the machine, much to the horror of Slipstream and Ivory. “So ends the world’s greatest detective,” the Crimson Cloak said before he started bubbling up again. “And what's left of Gotham City will be the criminal underworld's to do with as it pleases!” Suddenly, a bat-a-rang flew out of nowhere and hit the switch, causing the machine to switch off. “What?!” the Crimson Cloak snarled as a bat-shaped figure rose from the darkness. “Desist with this depraved disintegration, you diabolical despot!” Then, from out of the shadows of night, emerged the ponies and the gang in their superhero attire. “The Unity League and the Bat Gang have arrived!” Fred declared, and then, the group shouted together, striking poses, “Prepare to face… the hammers of justice!” But after a moment of striking poses, Izzy giggled optimistically. “This is fun! Can we do this every Unity Quest?” “Don’t ruin the moment, Izzy!” Zipp shushed her, and they all resumed their poses until Shaggy spoke up. “Like, um… what’s next?” “This!” Sunny said as she shifted into her alicorn form. The ponies leapt down from their position while most of the gang swung down using their grappling hooks. When Shaggy tried to follow, he stepped too far back, fell and did three 360 spins in mid air before landing on his feet. “Pega-tastic!” Slipstream said in awe. “Now that’s what I call an entrance!” “MORE DISTRACTIONS!!” the Crimson Cloak snarled before splitting into several different parts, and each part formed into a Batman villain lookalike for the gang to deal with. “Jeepers!” Daphne cried. “He’s turned into Bat villains!” “What do we do?” Misty asked worriedly, and as the villains ran their way, Scooby had only one thought in mind. “RUUUUN!!!” And that’s just what the gang did, running throughout the building several times before most of them, except Zipp and Fred, became cornered, the ponies lined up to defend their powerless friends. “Like,” Shaggy said, “isn’t someone supposed to say ‘holy something’ about now?!” “Oh, um… Holy surrounded by Bat villains!” Velma attempted. “Mmm… not quite,” Daphne said, not feeling that to be the right phrase. “Try… Holy custer’s last stand, Batman!”  “How are you so good at this?!” Hitch wondered. “NOW!!” Fred cried, and the ponies sent down smoke bombs before Sunny, Zipp and Pipp flew higher to escape the villainous imposters, and the rest used their grappling hooks. Once solid again, the Crimson Cloak looked to the rafters in confusion. “Huh?” “Have a taste of the Bat Dehydrator!” Zipp slammed her hoof down on a button, and all the water from the Crimson Cloak got sucked into the machine, leaving nothing but twitching dust in its place. “I can’t believe it!” Ivory said in amazement. “You did it!” “We just did what you guys woulda done,” Misty said. “You know, if you weren’t tied up and everything.” “You guys stay here,” Sunny told her friends. “I better get them down before the police and Mystery Analysts get here and think we did this.” XXXXXXXX Soon enough, after Sunny used her alicorn powers to cut Batman, Aquaman and their pony sidekicks free, the other Analysts arrived with Hoof Beatz and Paradise, as well as Detective Bullock and some other officers. Plastic Man looked around with a frown at the damage that was done to the property. “Looks like we missed the party.” “We all did.” Everyone turned to see Question, safe and not harmed, coming out from the debris that fell on him earlier. “Took me a while to dig myself out from under all that rubble.” “Hey… Ivory?” Hoof Beatz said, coming closer. “We’re really sorry if it seemed like we ever thought you would do this. We know you wouldn’t.” “We knew you were going through a hard time with whatever was in that case file, like Batman was,” Paradise added. “We should’ve cut all of you some slack and stuck by you. Can you ever forgive us?” “Of course I can. We’re a team, remember? Now and forever,” Ivory said before bringing her friends in for a hug. “Aww…” Scooby cooed, looking at Misty. “That’s so sweet.” “Yeah… it really is,” Misty nodded softly as they brought the dusty remains of the Crimson Cloak over. “Now for the unmasking,” Zipp said. “Unfortunately, there’s really not a mask to pull off this time.” “Allow me,” Velma added a drop of water to the dust, allowing it to take shape. “Observe-- the Crimson Cloak is actually… Clayface.” “His real name is Basil Karlo,” Daphne said as Pipp brought up information about him on her phone. “An actor who was transformed into living clay,” the pink pegasus explained, “and can mold himself into anything.” “Or anyone,” Ivory added. “That’s why my telepathy didn’t pick him up,” Martian Manhunter realized. “But for what motive?” “I picked up a corrosive bacteria strain. My body was breaking down, getting harder to maintain my shape,” Clayface explained. “It was easier to split into several parts.” “Been there done that,” Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man said at once. “But how could a teleportation machine help?” Black Canary wondered. “I was offered a cure,” Clayface continued. “Just another acting role, I guess. All I had to do was help him by stealing the isotopes and framing you kids.” “Help who?” Detective Bullock questioned. “The real culprit behind this entire plot,” Batman said. “The Riddler.” “The Riddler?!” everyone questioned, and Clayface nodded in confirmation. “Once he had the machine, he would hand over a cure. I suppose he was just acting, too.” “And with us taking the blame,” said Sunny, “the Riddler would be free to carry out whatever plan he had with this machine, and we wouldn’t be able to stop him.” To this, Detective Bullock sighed. “All right. Guess you kids ain't guilty of anything. Except maybe bad taste in fashion,” he said, leading the officers out. “Okay, let's get this ball of mud back to Blackgate.” As they walked away with Clayface, Izzy felt a twinge of sympathy in her heart for the shapeshifter. “I almost feel sorry for him. Even if he did try and kill us and let a prison riot go on.” “He’ll be fully rehydrated, Multi-Crafter,” Batman told her as they left the lab, “once he’s securely back behind prison walls.” “Now, see here, old chap,” Detective Chimp spoke up. “How could Riddler have orchestrated so complex a plan from Arkham?” “...because the Riddler was never at Arkham.” “Jinkies!” Velma cried. “Wow,” Fred shook his head. “I-I don’t understand.” “Outrageous!” Aquaman said. “Okay,” Hoof Beatz said, “I’m completely confused.” Once everyone was silent, Batman used his walkie-talkie to contact the security guard at Arkham to check on the Riddler. When the guard said the Riddler was still in his cell, Batman didn’t believe it. “Check again.” This time, the guard went to the Riddler’s cell and tapped on him, watching as he crumbled to dust. “What?! Arkham to Batman! It’s not the Riddler! It’s--” “Another Clayface decoy,” said Batman, putting the walkie talkie away. “So… he’s out there?!” Hitch cried. “Roaming the streets?!” “Where is he?” Zipp asked. “Closer than you think,” Ivory said, just as Batman put handcuffs on the Question. “I believe you kids are owed a true unmasking.” Batman ripped off the Question’s faceless face, revealing none other than the mastermind criminal underneath. “THE RIDDLER?!” everyone shrieked in shock, and Paradise blinked for a few moments. “Okay, this is getting redundant.” “Incredible!” Black Canary said. “How long was he posing as the Question?” “Ever since our fight at the bank a day or two ago,” Ivory said. “So,” said Fred, “Clayface pretended to be the Riddler.” “Giving the Riddler the chance to ambush the Question!” Misty said as Pipp crossed her hooves. “A sneaky shell game if you ask me.” “Blazes! How did you suss that out, good man?” Detective Chimp asked. “We didn’t,” Ivory said. “We were too distracted by the Crimson Cloak… and each, our own sense of failure.” Batman then went over to Aquaman with a smile. “It was Aquaman's keen observational skill that noticed Question's changed demeanor.” “What the what?” Slipstream blinked in surprise. “Oh, right. Yes, of course, old chum,” Aquaman slapped Batman on the back. “Don't mention it. We detectives have to stick together! Ha ha ha… um…” “Is being a superhero all about the twist endings?” Izzy asked. “Cause it feels like there are a lot in this quest-- more than last season, even.” “Like, it feels weird that we didn't solve the crime or do the wrap-up, even,” Shaggy said as Fred began to look downtrodden. “Yeah, maybe you were right to begin with, Batman. We aren't ready for the big leagues.” “Actually, you’ve more than earned your place on the Mystery Analysts team,” Batman told the groups. “Ivory and I wouldn't have reopened or solved this case at all… if it weren't for you meddling kids.” As Velma shook Batman’s hand, Ivory pulled Misty, Sunny and Scooby in for a hug, which the three gladly accepted before Batman approached the Riddler. “Okay, Riddler, it's time to get you back to your cell at Arkham.” “And to think,” the Riddler sighed, “I almost got away with… oh, wait. I did get away with it.” Zipp gave him a narrowed, confused gaze. “What are you talking about?” “One last riddle-- how is this moment like the end of a boxing match?” the Riddler asked. “Because the gloves are off!” He quickly detached the handcuffs and threw off his disguise, giving him enough time to run back inside the lab. “After him!” Sunny shouted, and they all ran after him, back into the main sector of the lab, where the Riddler’s henchmen were waiting. “End of the line, you warped wordsmith!” Zipp shouted. “You and your goons are outnumbered! Uh… did I say that right?” “Better than me, actually,” Ivory chuckled. “This game has just begun!” the Riddler told the superheroes. “You should know that the answer to every riddle is an even bigger one!” He activated the lever, activating the machine once more before a platform raised the teleportation machine out of the building, creating a hole in the roof so it overlooked the entire city. “With this device, I can riddle your precious city into oblivion!” the Riddler shouted. “It can vaporize entire sections of Gotham! I need only pick a target, press a button and zap-- it vanishes… FOREVER! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Everyone stood from the ground in horror as the Riddler used the screen in front of him to select a target. “First up… say goodbye to City Hall!” “Riddle me this-- what just hit you?” said a male voice before the Question punched the Riddler back down to the ground. “Answer? The Question.” As the Riddler fell to the ground in defeat, the other Mystery Analysts took care of the goons, leaving them all heaped up in a pile. “Question!” Paradise shouted from below. “Lower the shield!” The Question pushed the lever down again, but the device still wouldn’t turn off. “It’s not working!” “We need to shut it down!” Fred shouted. “I’m afraid it’s on a chain reaction,” Martian Manhunter explained. “It cannot be stopped.” “Batman!” Velma cried. “You’ll have to destroy it!” Batman prepared to swing up there and destroy it himself when the same rasping voice was heard again… but this time, Scooby could hear it too. “That voice…” Batman muttered. “How can we still be hearing it?” but Fred looked around and listened with a frown. “I don’t hear anything!” “Me neither!” Daphne shrugged. “I heard it!” Scooby said, and Ivory turned to the dog in surprise. “You did?” Scooby nodded before he spotted a figure floating within the portal, eyes widening as he pointed to it. “And see it!” “Bangers and mash!” Detective Chimp shouted as soon as the others saw it. “It looks like… a man!” “I know who it is! We need to reverse the polarity!” Batman said as he swung up to the platform. “Impossible! It’s too late, Batman!” Martian Manhunter said. “It’s not impossible-- we can all help!” Zipp said. “But we have to work together as a team!” “Shaggy, Pipp, Izzy, Fred, Daphne, Detective Chimp!” Velma gave some orders. “Flip every other relay to reverse phasing!” Everyone rushed off to do what they could, but Ivory remained frozen in fear for a few moments. Sunny seemed to know what she was thinking, and approached her with Scooby on the other side. “You wanna help, don’t you?” “How did you know?” “Lucky guess. We wanna help too. I can carry you up there,” Sunny said, picking Ivory up in her aura and flapped her wings. “Scooby, follow my lead!” Scooby darted up the rubble as a staircase, just as Batman secured his grappling hook to the side of the platform and inched closer to the portal, trying to grab whoever was within. “Can’t get leverage…” Suddenly, the railing began to fly off, and Sunny gasped upon noticing it. “I’ll try to keep hold of you two so you won’t fly in, but we have to do it NOW!!” Ivory and Scooby understood, and as Batman was nearby halfway into the portal, he felt a tug on his cape. It was Scooby, whose tail was grabbed by Ivory, and her tail was grabbed by Sunny as they worked as a team to rescue Batman and the unknown victim from within. Down below, everyone else was holding on for dear life as the power of the portal seemed to be at its peak. “Hurry!” Velma shouted. “It’s about to overload!” Batman strained and finally grabbed Scooby’s paw, giving the group the signal to pull as hard as they could, finally pulling Batman and the victim out of the portal before it finally exploded. That’s the last thing Sunny remembered before the entire world went dark.