Hey, ladies, gentlemen, and folks who think gender is for the bourgeois (that's how it's spelled, right?)! It's Spyrorocks, here with the second chapter of No Rest for the Wicked!

At first, I was only gonna write one chapter for this, but then I watched the Scoob! movie, and...things spiraled.

Long story short, this is now a four-shot.

Look, I really loved the ending of the movie. Muttley and Dastardly...hnng, I love them. This movie just made me love them even more. And the credits...yeah, that was a massive inspiration too.

Anyways, this chapter takes place after the Scoob! movie. Specifically, after the scene the credits depict with Dastardly and Muttley. Anyone who's watched the movie knows what I'm talking about.

Disclaimer: I do not have any say in anything involving the official Hanna-Barbera cartoons and merchandise. (Quietly strokes poster of my favorite Hanna-Barbera characters) One day, my friends. One day. (Notices camera in my imaginary fic-writing room. Coughs awkwardly) Anyways, yeah, I don't own any of these characters. Hanna-Barbera (and, by extension, Warner Bros.) owns these characters.

See you at the end of the fic!


"Ha! I'm telling you Muttley, that was the best escape yet!"

Dastardly smiled, looking around the airship to make sure everything was still there. So far, everything seemed to be in place, although he'd have to look closer to be completely sure.

The two of them had just broken out of jail and stolen back their airship from their jailers. The look on the guards' faces when Muttley had driven up and smashed through the wall of Dastardly's cell with the Mean Machine was absolutely priceless. He almost wished he had a camera so he could catch it on film.

"And I must say, Muttley, it's nice to see you still remember what I taught you about driving! I was a bit worried you'd forgotten," Dastardly said, turning to his canine companion with a grin. Muttley simply gave a tired smile in response.

His exhaustion was understandable. After all, breaking out of jail was tiring.

"Alright, there's no time to dilly-dally; we have work to do, after all. First off, I've been working on a new plan. You see, I've been doing research on the world's best racers-" Dastardly began, right before feeling something lean on his leg. It took him a moment of confusion to realize that it was probably just Muttley. He looked down, confirming his suspicions. The small dog was hugging his leg, eyes barely open. Smiling, Dick stroked Muttley's head, simply appreciating how warm Muttley was.

How unusually warm Muttley was.

Dastardly froze mid-pet, eyes widening in alarm. Slowly, his hand slid towards Muttley's forehead. His mind raced, now filled with memories of how clingy Muttley tended to be when he fell ill.

His fears were confirmed when he felt Muttley's forehead; the dog was burning up.

"Oh, Muttley," he whispered, internally berating himself for not realizing sooner. He bent down and scooped up the small dog into his arms. Muttley, noticing the shift in position, looked up at his owner blearily. He was shivering fiercely, clinging on to Dastardly's chest like his life depended on it. "I'm so sorry."

Muttley blinked tiredly at Dastardly, right before he slapped a paw over his mouth and puffed out his cheeks. Dastardly's eyes widened, realizing things were going to get messy quickly.

"Nononononono! Muttley, do not throw up on me, you hear me?! Do not throw up on me! Give me a second to find a garbage can, okay? Do not, I repeat, do not-"


Splashing water on his face, Dastardly looked up in his bathroom mirror and sighed. He turned off the water and examined his new outfit, a pair of oil-stained purple overalls and a black t shirt. It was comfy, it was casual, it was messy.

It was something he did not mind getting dog vomit on.

Nodding, he walked out of the bathroom and turned to Muttley, who was currently sitting on a chair he had set up outside the bathroom. The dog, now hugging a garbage can, glanced up at the tall man. He tilted his head curiously, as though asking about the change in outfit.

"Yes, I know what I'm wearing. After the...unpleasantness that just occurred, I decided it would be wise to change into something less...clean," he explained, fiddling with the straps of his overalls. Muttley nodded, looking semi-apologetic. Dastardly couldn't help but sigh. "Alright, let's get you settled in."

Gently picking up Muttley (and, by extension, the garbage can the dog was clinging to), he walked down the halls of the ship towards their shared room.

"I managed to get some of your stuff set up before we were arrested; I doubt anyone moved it, seeing as everything else seems to be in place," he said, needing to fill the silence of the halls, even if Muttley probably wasn't listening. Coming up to the door, he shifted Muttley and the garbage onto his left hip. Dastardly twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open with his shoulder. Walking over to Muttley's bed, he placed the dog on top, shifting the garbage can so that it was easily reachable for the dog. "There we go."

The minute Muttley was placed onto his bed, he curled up into a little ball. Looking at the scene in front of him, Dastardly couldn't help but think back to when Muttley was a puppy. He had been so small, delicate to the point it made Dastardly nervous to hold him...

Focus, Dastardly, he thought to himself, shaking his head. Examining Muttley, Dastardly slowly slipped off one of his gloves and placed it on the dog's forehead, hand slipping under fur.

"Still feverish..." Dastardly mumbled, frowning. Upon hearing that, Muttley looked up blearily. Seeing how pathetic Muttley looked, the man couldn't help but sigh. He stood up from his crouch, stretching a little. "I'd like to get an exact number on this fever, so I'm just going to get the thermometer, okay?"

He'd taken about two steps before he felt something latch onto his ankle.

Startled, Dastardly glanced down. Muttley had latched onto his ankle and was refusing to let go. Giving a semi-amused snort, he stroked the dog's head. Dastardly now had vivid memories of how Muttley would cling him when the dog was sick.

"I'll only be gone for a few moments," he reassured, attempting to pry his ankle from Muttley's paws. In response, the canine whimpered and attempted to regain his grip. After a few moments, Dastardly succeeded in freeing himself. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Seemingly satisfied with his owner's reply, Muttley closed his eyes and fell asleep. Smiling, Dastardly left the room and closed the door as quietly as he could manage. He then proceeded on his quest for the thermometer.

He'll be fine without me for a few minutes, Dastardly mentally reassured himself.

Nothing bad can happen in a few minutes.


It was coming.

Stumbling, Muttley ran on all fours through the Underworld. Behind him, a roar shook the withered, grey landscape. He was tempted to look behind him and locate the source of the noise, but that would've slowed him down. He couldn't risk that.

He wouldn't risk that.

Another roar jolted him back to focus. He took a sharp turn, scrambling for a few moments to keep from falling. Panting, he slowed down and hid behind a rock, looking for a way to escape. Standing up on two legs, he looked back and forth through the valley. It was mostly rocky, with a few dead trees here and there, with a rocky ledge on the cliffside, the path leading towards a deep forest-

The forest! He could hide there!

He was so focused on the ledge that he didn't notice the beast approach him from behind. He did, however, hear the growling. Freezing up, Muttley plastered himself to the rock, his shallow, panicked breaths seeming too loud in his own ears.

A low, unearthly growl came from behind him. He could practically see the beast from behind the rock, the glow from its demonic eyes just barely visible out of the corner of his eye. The monster sniffed the air, the wet snuffing ringing across the landscape. Muttley tried to make himself as small as possible against the rock. He forced himself not to whimper as one of the beast's heads appeared to Muttley's left. It hadn't noticed him yet, but all it would take was one wrong move, one noise, one turn of its neck, and Muttley would be done for. He just needed a moment, a minute for the beast to turn away, but what-

Suddenly, a branch snapped off one of the dead trees and fell to the ground. The noise was enough to make the monster turn its attention away from Muttley.

It was enough to give Muttley his way out.

Muttley was off like a shot, sprinting right towards the ledge. He wove in and out between the trees, ignoring the roar from the monster. Finally, he arrived at the ledge. Grinning, Muttley darted up the ledge, staying close to the cliff. He couldn't believe it! He was actually going to make it out-

-when suddenly a tail came down just in front of him, taking out the path. Unable to stop in time, Muttley found himself falling into the newly-created hole.

Hitting the ground with a resounding thud!, it took Muttley a moment to get his bearings. Rubbing his forehead, he looked up at the ledge. A good-sized chunk of the ledge was gone, and his chance of escaping had gone with it. Muttley frowned up at the sky, before a shadow covered him. Startled, Muttley glanced up, and was instantly greeted by his worst case scenario.

Cerberus stared him down, his three heads all baring their teeth in unison. Muttley turned around and prepared to run, only to find a rocky wall behind him. Turning, he pushed himself against the rocky cliffside, trying to become as small as possible. Bathed in Cerberus' greenish glow, Muttley couldn't help but whimper.

He was trapped in a corner with no way out.

Cerberus leaned forward, his growl resembling a sneer, as though he knew Muttley was stuck. As though they knew he wasn't going anywhere. Panicking, Muttley began frantically scrambling up the wall in a desperate attempt in escaping. He only managed to get a foot up the wall before sliding down. Heart sinking, Muttley slowly turned to face the monster behind him.

Looking almost victorious, the three heads reared back, bared their teeth, and-


"Come on now. Where is that thermometer?"

Muttering to himself, Dastardly continued to rummage through the cabinets in his search the thermometer. Pushing aside a few ibuprofen bottles, he noticed some vitamin C pills in the back. Realizing that catching whatever Muttley had wouldn't be helpful, he grabbed the pill bottle and poured himself a couple of pills. Turning on the sink, he filled a nearby glass and took the pills. He then turned off the sink and resumed his search, mentally checking off the cabinet he had-

Crash!

Dastardly practically leapt out of his skin at the sudden noise. Mind racing, it took him a few moments to realize that it came from his and Muttley's bedroom. Almost instantly, his confusion turned into panic at the thought of something happening. Had someone broken onto the airship through the bedroom?

Abandoning his search for the thermometer, Dastardly took off like a shot toward the bedroom. He began hearing frantic barking, which only worried him more. Was someone trying to hurt Muttley? Stopping at the door, he fumbled with the doorknob for a few moments before managing to open it.

Upon entering the room, Dastardly was confused at not seeing any immediate danger, such as an intruder. It took him a moment to notice Muttley in a complete panic, looking around frantically and barking at nothing.

"Muttley?" he asked, tentatively walking forward. Muttley turned, but it was almost like Muttley didn't see the man. He was still barking, and if anything he was even more panicked. His eyes reflected his feverish state, hazy and unfocused with overtones of fear. It was almost as though-

Oh.

"Muttley! Muttley, it's me! I'm right here! You're safe, you're not in the Underworld anymore!" Dastardly said, gently grabbing Muttley's arms in an attempt to calm him down. After some more struggling, Muttley seemed to finally notice Dastardly in front of him. He then proceeded to slump forward into his owner's arms, clearly exhausted. Dastardly sighed, scooping the dog up into his arms.

"Alright, Muttley. Let's go look for the thermometer together, okay?" the man said, looking at Muttley. The dog gave a weak, barely noticeable nod. Satisfied, he walked out the still-open door and down the hall.

Looking at Muttley, Dastardly couldn't help but feel guilty. He quietly stroked Muttley's fur, before finally resting his hand on the top of his head.

I'm so sorry, my dear friend...


"Alright, here it is."

Having finally found the thermometer, Dastardly turned to face his canine companion. Sitting on the counter, Muttley was tiredly looking at his owner, occasionally shivering. Dastardly walked over to his companion and held him steady so he didn't fall over.

"Here we go," he muttered, putting the thermometer in Muttley's ear. After a moment, the telltale beep rang through the room. Slipping it out of his ear, Dastardly's eyes widened at the number. "Oh my. That's...mildly alarming."

Looking around in a bit of a panic, Dastardly locked his gaze on the nearby sink. Dehydrated. His fever's probably high because he's dehydrated, he managed to reason with himself. He turned on the water and filled up a nearby glass.

"Drink as much as you can manage," Dastardly told Muttley, handing him the glass. The dog, nodding, took small sips from the glass, paws shaking. Worried he would drop the glass, Dastardly held Muttley's arms steady in his hands. It was rare that Muttley showed this much weakness when sick; usually, he just became grumpier and clingier than usual.

It's probably just the nightmare he had earlier, Dastardly thought to himself. I wonder what it was about. From the way Muttley was panicking, I could've sworn there was an emergency. He was running around so much too. It's almost like someone was chasing him...

Dastardly was suddenly yanked out of his thoughts when he heard the soft clink of glass being set down on a counter. Looking at his companion, he saw that Muttley had sent down the (more or less) half-empty glass and was currently shivering. Dastardly gave a small, reassuring smile.

"Good job, Muttley. Now let's get to bed," he said, quietly picking Muttley up. The canine simply nodded, curling up tightly into Dastardly's chest. Dastardly sighed and smiled.

"It's good to have you back."


It was the whimpering that woke him up.

Blinking groggily, Dastardly pulled his face from the pillow. Beside him, Muttley was whimpering and pawing at his bed, most likely in the throes of another nightmare. Frowning, he quietly began stroking Muttley's head. The dog's whimpering began to lessen, and he began to calm down. After a few moments, Muttley had finally fallen back into a calm sleep, chest rising and falling. Dastardly gave a smile.

Maybe I should stay up for a while, just to make sure nothing else happens. What time is it, anyway...

Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, Dastardly was shocked to find out that it was 11:30 pm. How had it gotten so late?! He could've sworn he'd just gone to sleep at 9:45 a few moments ago.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced over at Muttley. The poor mutt still looked feverish, shivering and grimacing in discomfort while clutching at his stomach. Frowning, Dastardly pushed himself off the bed and into a sitting position on the floor next to his canine companion.

Just for half an hour, he told himself. I'll stay up with him for half an hour in case he starts having nightmares again, then I'll go back to sleep. Just half an hour.

He found himself repeating this half an hour later.


And Dastardly got absolutely no sleep that night out of concern for his sick little pupper. To be fair, I wouldn't sleep that much either if I was in his position.

Honestly, this little chapter idea was born after seeing Muttley in the Underworld. Not a lot of things (besides him) in the Underworld are alive, including pathogens. I like the idea that he wouldn't have gotten sick for a while, only to almost immediately get sick when he came back home...

...Or I just wanted an excuse to write sickfic. You decide.

So yeah, this is the second chapter in a four-chaptered fic. Don't worry, this fic will stay at four chapters, I promise. However, I can't promise that I don't have other ideas involving these two...

I wanted to write something similar to the first chapter but still having a bit of individuality. I'm especially proud of the nightmare sequence. I headcanon that the thing that dragged Muttley away at first was Cerberus, which led to a chase to somewhere Muttley could hide. He found the gold valley, and, after going through everything, took a nap. Then Dastardly found him, and y'all should know the rest of the story by now.

So yeah, fever nightmares about a giant, demonic-looking hellhound chasing you through the Underworld. Fun stuff! Would probably make a good animatic (hint hint).

Don't worry, the next two chapters (whenever they come out) will be more comedic in tone. Just goofy antics with this man and his dog.

Welp, I gotta dash. Got lots of cool stuff to work on, including a new idea for a forum. Spoiler alert: it features writing genres and magical girls. Review and like and all that jazz. Toodles!