An elderly mouse sat in a locked up room, fiddling with a robot, testing it to do certain things. Right now, he had it pouring tea and putting sugar in the cup. As of now, it was nearly complete. Just a few kinks and it would be good to go.
He hadn't even noticed the bigger "mouse" had entered.
"Quite an ingenius scheme, ay Flaversham?" he said proudly, "and aren't you glad to be a part of it!" he said, coming over and pinching Flaversham's cheeks as you would a child.
"This whole thing... it's monstrous!" Flaversham said.
"We will have our little device ready by tomorrow evening, won't we? you know what should happen if you... fail." he said, dangling a little bell he had pulled from his pocket. Flaversham knew the threat the bell warned of but he knew what he was doing was wrong and his life wasn't worth what he would help accomplish.
"I... I don't care!" he said, shoving the controls for the robot forward. Soon, the robot was out of control, dumping the tea cup on top of itself before grabbing up the whole pot and dumping it on top of itself before throwing it towards Ratigan. Ratigan ducked, nearly getting hit by it. He looked enraged, glaring over at the device. As the robot came to a stop, it squirted out some oil, splatting on Ratigan's jacket.
"You can do what you want with me! I won't be a part of... of this evil any longer!" Flaversham growled. Ratigan took out a handkerchief, wiping the oil from his jacket. He looked angry at first as he took a puff of his cigarette before a sly smile found its way across his face.
"Oh very well, if that is your decision." he said, shaking it off before looking down at the table. He grabbed the tiny object and began winding it.
"Oh, by the way... I'm taking the liberty of having your daughter brought here." he said, setting the tiny ballerina doll on the table... it was the one Flaversham had made for her birthday.
"Olivia?" he asked, his eyes growing wide.
"Yes... I would spend many a sleepless night if anything unfortunate were to befall her." Ratigan said nonchalantly but threateningly as the little doll danced.
"You, you wouldn't!" Flaversham said as Ratigan picked up the tiny doll. Suddenly, the music stopped as Ratigan squeezed the toy until it broke in his hands. He pouted before looking back at Flaversham.
"Finish it Flaversham!" he shouted. Flaversham hung his head, going back to fix the machine.
Ratigan walked out of the locked room, humming a tune as he wrote up a list with a broad-pointed quill pen.
"Oh, I love it when I'm nasty." he muttered to himself.
"Fidget?" he called as he found the bat hanging upside down sleeping on the spout for the abandoned ale barrel he used for a hideout. "Fidget!" he shouted.
Fidget fell out of sleep and off the spout.
"Bright and alert as always." Ratigan commented. "Now, here's the list." he said, handing the paper to Fidget.
"You know what to do, and no mistakes!" he threatened.
"No no no mistakes." Fidget said, turning the list around as his boss walked into the ale barrel.
"Tools, Gears, Girl... uniforms..."
"NOW FIDGET!" Ratigan said, sticking his head out of the door.
"I'm goin, I'm goin!" he said, hopping out of the sewers.
Ratigan walked into the ale barrel where his followers stood around him. He got a new cigarette and at least 7 different matches struck to light it for him.
He took a puff and blew out before beginning.
"My friends, we are about to embark on the most odious, the most evil... the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career. A crime to top all crimes, a crime that will live in infamy!" he waited as his men cheered for him. He held up a newspaper.
"Tomorrow evening our beloved monarch celebrates her diamond jubilee. And... with the enthusiastic help of our... good friend Mr. Flaversham..." A few men in the crowd snickered to each other, "it promises to be a night she will never forget." he said, burning his cigarette into her picture. A few men gasped as they realized he was planning her demise.
"Her last night, and my first... as supreme ruler of all mousedom!" he announced. He then straightened out his hair as a spot light shown on him.
He pretty much sang about his success, his past crimes and how this will be his greatest crime of all. Oh yeah, he also feeds one of his men to a fat cat named Felicia because he accidentally called Ratigan a rat in the song they were singing. To top it off, we find out that the bell he threatened Flaversham with earlier... is how he calls the cat to eat people he doesn't really like. Cruel, right? Anyways... I'm not going to write out the whole song but long story short, he sings... Bartholomew gets eaten because he calls ratigan a rat by accident (lesson: don't drink and sing kids) and then they sing a little bit more about how great Ratigan is...
"mmm, this case is most intriguing with it's multiplicity of elements. It's many twists and turns." Basil said, puffing away on his pipe.
"Now, you're certain you've told me everything..." he said, turning back to Olivia. "the SLIGHTEST detail may be important."
"It's just as I said, and then father was gone!" Olivia said.
"What do you make of it?" Alison asked after meeting Dawson's eyes and realizing he had the same question.
"Mmm, Ratigan's up to something. A crime of the most sinister nature no doubt. The question is... What would he want with a toymaker?" he asked, walking up the steps to stand by the window outside. Olivia followed behind him. Alison could tell that Olivia idolized him. She smiled lightly at her little sister. She really had grown since she had last seen her.
Suddenly, thunder boomed outside as a lightening bolt lit up the window. Olivia screamed as she saw a face outside.
Alison took off out the door, wanting to catch the fiend that had scared her little sister.
"Quickly Dawson, we've not a moment to lose!" Basil called, running out after her.
"I'm right behind you Basil!" Dawson called.
All three stood on the street in confusion.
"No sign of the blackguard anywhere." Dawson stated.
"Not quite, Dawson. He left a series of unusual footprints. They obviously belong to the same fiend who abducted Mr. Flaversham. Ratigan's peg-legged lackey." he stated, examining the foot prints.
"Um, Basil..." Dawson said, picking up a hat.
"Ah ha! Excellent work old man!" Basil said excitedly as he grabbed the hat, examined it real quick with his magnifying glass and then ran back inside.
The door was ajar and Mrs. Judson stood next to Olivia.
"Now, there's nothing to be afraid of my dear." she said comfortingly.
Basil ran in and Mrs. Judson pulled Olivia out of the way, glaring at Basil for not being more caring about whether or not he would have run into the little girl.
"Scoundrel's quite gone." Dawson said assuredly.
"But not for long Ms. Flamhammer!" Basil said.
"Flaversham!" Dawson, Olivia and Alison corrected.
"Whatever." he said, tossing his housecoat aside and pulling out a brown jacket. "Now, we simply pursue our peg legged friend until he leads us to the girls' father." he said, buttoning up the jacket.
"Then you'll get my daddy back!" Olivia said excitedly, jumping and hugging around his legs. Alison laughed at her younger sister.
"Yes... and quite soon," he said, pulling his legs out of her grasp, "if I'm not mistaken. Now hurry along Dawson. We must be off to... Toby's." he said as he put on his inverness coat.
"Toby's?" Dawson questioned.
"Oh, you must meet him. he's just the champ for this!" he said excitedly as he buttoned up his coat and put on his deerstalker.
"You mean you want me to come?" Dawson asked.
"Ha! I should think a stouthearted army mouse like yourself would leap at the chance for adventure!" he said, walking away.
"Well, I am rather curious." he said, walking forward.
"Wait for me, I'm coming too!" Olivia said, rushing by and grabbing her hat from the chair where it was tucked under the violin. The violin fell and Basil had to dive to catch it.
"What? Certainly not!" he said.
"I am too." Alison said suddenly and he looked up at her in shock before setting the violin on the chair.
"Um, no... you're not." he said matter of factly.
"And just why not?" alison asked.
"Are we going to take a cab?" Olivia asked, completely oblivious to the fact that Basil had said no.
He ignored Alison's question for the time being and grabbed Olivia's hand.
"My dear, I don't think you understand. It will be quite..." he sat down as he said, "dangerous." A crunching sound was heard as his eyes went wide. He pulled the busted violin out from beneath him.
"Why you... look what you..." he took a breath before he lost his cool.
"Young lady... you are most definitely not accompanying us... and that is final!" he said, stomping his foot.
"And neither are you!" he growled toward Alison.
"And just why not!" she repeated herself.
"This is no business for a woman or child!" he said.
"Oh, so I suppose dressing up as Inspector Lee will make you feel better?" she asked accusingly.
"yes. I mean no!" he said, realizing what she had asked.
She arched her eyebrows at him, knowing she had him.
"Inspector Lee has gotten very close to finding Ratigan. He has worked many cases with Vole and he can handle himself in the field. Why should Miss Flaversham be any different?" she asked accusingly.
"You're too close to this one." he said, and she could tell he meant what he said. He feared that she would do something drastic just because she was too close.
"Look, Basil. I won't get in the way. I can look out for myself and my sister and I know my way around Ratigan territory... or at least as well as anyone who's been tracking him for years. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." she said, pleading with her eyes. In that moment, green eyes met green eyes and his eyebrows creased as he saw the pain of wanting to find her father in her jade green eyes.
"Oh, very well!" he said, marching out. Alison smiled before looking down at Olivia who smiled up at her.
"And that's how it's done." she said to Olivia before taking her younger sister's hand and following Dawson and Basil out.