Chapter 14: The Superior Mind

The aroma of salt water filled Basil's nose as he slowly opened his eyes to see darkness. Trying to regain his focus, Basil knew that where ever he was, it was near the ocean. He noticed that he was not laying on the ground, but sitting against a cold stone wall. It was very difficult for Basil to think about anything with the splitting headache he had. Raising his hand to rub his temples, the sound of chains surprised him. Looking down, Basil saw that his hands and ankles where chained to the wall behind him. Panicking, Basil tried desperately to stand up and escape, but he simply just hung from the wall. Grabbing hold of the chains around his wrists, he pulled on them with all of his might, but he only caused himself to slip and fall into a slimly puddle on the filthy ground. Suddenly, from the hallway outside of Basil's prison, the sound of the Dawson's voice echoed. "Basil?"

Raising his head from the ground, Basil's eyes lit up with hope. "Dawson?" Basil called. Seeing Dawson's shadow through the bars of the door window, Basil slowly stood and began to shake his chains for Dawson to hear. "Dawson!" Basil shouted happily. "Dawson, old chap! Here! I'm in here! Oh you have now idea how happy I am to see-

Basil noticed that the shadow became less and less like Dawson as it grew closer. The sound of laughter caught Basil's ears as the door knob turned. A laughter that caused rage to flow all through out Basil's body.

Opening the thick wooden door that led into the room that Basil was in, the tall Professor smiled at Basil brightly. "Surprise" Ratigan said in a low taunting voice. "Tell the truth Basil, did you miss me?"

Basil lowered his head in anger.

"Not saying anything, hmm old boy?" Ratigan laughed walking over to where Basil sat. He saw the furious expression on Basil's face and laughed. "Oh Basil...I truly am glad to see you." Ratigan said clasping his hands together. "Our last meeting ended ever so...abruptly." He said through his teeth.

Completely enraged at the sight of his arch nemesis, Basil clenched his fists into hands. "How in God's name did you survive the fall?"

Laughing, Ratigan shrugged and leaned against the wall. "A miracle I suppose. Perhaps it just wasn't my time to die yet."

"Death would have been too bloody good for the likes of you, Ratigan." stated Basil coldly.

"Hmm..." Ratigan chuckled. "But isn't it marvelous how fate crosses our paths yet again?"

The young Detective gritted his teeth. "So...what is your diabolical plan this time? Attempt to over throw and murder the queen again? Conquer all of the Kingdom? Or perhaps Ratigan, you would go so low as to kidnap a motherless child's father yet again!"

Nothing but he sound of laughter came from the Rat's lip, causing Basil to become extremely frustrated.

"Oh Basil...that fall did give me quite a bump on the head." Ratigan laughed walking over to Basil and folding his arms. "But it did knock some sense in me. You see Basil, it dawned on me. Brilliantly composing bone chilling schemes one after another only to be rudely halted by you has grown somewhat tiresome. Basil..." The rat said, taking Basil's head in his hands. "You are simply just too good at what you do. You sniff around until you unveil my glorious plans, and then just when I have finally succeeded....YOU show up only remind me that I have failed. I realized that I just simply could not succeed with you being an obstacle. So my mission became clear." Ratigan said bringing his head close to his so that his evil golden eyes pierced Basil's. "Remove...the obstacle..."

Basil's eyes widened as he heard those words. Thoughts immediately flooded his head as he desperately tried to figure just what had gone wrong. "Don't bother trying to put the pieces together, Basil!" Ratigan shouted, letting Basil drop to the ground. "The situation you find yourself in is quite simple you really give it much thought."

Ratigan then knelt down before the Detective. "You see Basil...after emerging unscathed from the fall, I fell dormant to the world, lurking and hiding from sight. I knew it would take years before I was able to walk among the kingdom again, before I had another opportunity....so I waited." He said tauntingly. "You wouldn't believe the people you meet when your trying to remain hidden." He laughed. "Not too shortly after, by the harbor, I came across a delightful young foreign mouse byt the name of Rosaline. Oh Basil...you would simply adore her." Ratigan said taking Basil's cheek and pinching it. "Seeing how fond you are of her little sister..."

Basil's jaw dropped. "You...You-

"Oh Basil, don't look so surprised. She presented me with an priceless opportunity that simply could not refuse. It seems Miss Rosaline was hiding from the world as well." The large Rat said fixing his sleeves. "But the sweetest part of all of this is the fact that you fell for everything! Every little twist in my plan, you fell for ha! Those little field mice of yours where heading to the Northern regions of America in pursuit of their sister and mother. Not wanting anything to do with her family, Rosaline had asked me to take care of them for her. So I thought...hmmm...how could I make this beneficial to me?" Ratigan asked, placing a finger on his lips.

"And then it came to me. With a few arrangements and loyal crew, I had them abducted and delivered to your residence...knowing that your blood would BURN at the chance to solve yet another mystery."

"You are truly horrid, Ratigan." Basil spat, glaring at him evilly from the ground.

"Ahmm..." Ratigan chuckled. "Did you find the paint Basil? That was a little gift...just to add to the suspense. Any who, one thing led to another and BOOM....here you are...covered in shackles, kneeling before my presence."

Basil just raised an eyebrow to the Professor. "Really? All of that in-depth planning just to get your hands on me?" He questioned sarcastically. Ratigan just gave him a smile, revealing long sharp teeth.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or sickened. What was stopping you from just grabbing me off the street before."

"Oh Basil...you under estimate yourself. You see, your mind wasn't the only thing I had to get inside..." He said grabbing Basil by the collar and raising him off the ground to face. "I needed to get inside your heart as well." He said letting go of the Detective.

"Really Basil...the way they said you threw yourself after her, you really had me fooled Basil. And Here I thought you would never allow yourself to succumb to such...frivolous matters such as love.

It's a shame what Rosaline is expecting to be done to her.

Completey loosing all control of his emotions, Basil shot up from the ground and desperatly tried to attack Ratigan in anyway that he could. The chains withheld him from move any further than four feet from the wall and he was merely inches away from where Ratigan stood. The Professor just stood there and laughed.

"Ratigan...So help me if you lay even one finger upon here I'LL-"

"What? Rattle your chains at me?!" Ratigan laughed, grabbing his stomach. Basil wasn't having it, he was furious beyond any belief.

"I'll see to it that you will live out the rest of your days ROTTING behind bars you vile, repugnant, SEWER RAT!"

Just as Basil had finished saying this, he was sent flying backwards, slamming into the stone wall and being pinned up by Ratigan. "You pompous, half witted FOOL! Can you not see that yet again the superior mind has triumphed?! I have beaten you at your own game, Basil!"

Allowing Basil to slide down the wall, Ratigan threw his head back in hysteric laughter. Quietly, Basil just laid curled up against the wall, horrified at his own stupidity. Stepping over him, Ratigan walked back over to the door. Before he reached for the knob, he turned back around and grinned brightly at the Detective.

"Oh and Basil...I'm really not supposed to be telling you this but...in a few minutes, guest shall be arriving for a little "surprise" party I'm throwing you. It's somewhat of a farewell present actually...hehehe."

Basil just laid there silently, staring off into nothingness.

"Don't worry as of whether or not you'll be late. I shall send for you when the guests are seated. Just try to look appropriate for the occasion. Heh...heheh HAHHAHAH!" He exclaimed, throwing open the door. The sound of him grabbing something echoed into the room and suddenly Dawson was thrown into the room with his arms and legs tied behind his back. The door then slammed shut.

Seeing that Ratigan had left, Dawson let out a long sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness he's gone."

But there was no response from Basil. Dawson looked over in the corner of the room to see Basil just laying there silently. His eyes seemed to be lost in deep thought, but non of calculations or solutions, but just sadness and regretfulness.

"Basil...?" Dawson asked in worried voice. Basil didn't answered, he just blinked slowly and then sighed. "Basil? I say...it's not so bad...we've been in worse."

A long sigh finally escaped Basil's lips. "When Dawson? When did everything go terribly, terribly? How did everything we've worked for just fall apart due to the presence of one small girl?"

"Oh Basil...you can not blame this on June..." Dawson said sadly. "She never brought us any harm."

"Dawson..." sighed Basil. "Surely you would have figured it by now. I was blinded by her presence to see Ratigan's plan before my eyes. She was merely a pawn in a sick, twisted plan to end her life the lives to two innocent little children who only wanted to go back to their home...and my life as well."

Dawson eyes shot open. "END THEIR LIVES?" he shouted.

"Now do you understand, Dawson?" Basil asked, keeping his voice low and emotionless. "Now do you understand why I refuse to partake in such meaningless things such as love."

There was then silence between the two for several moments.

Growing weary, Dawson rested his chin on the ground. "Basil...I understand why your upset...but you can't allow all of this to make you block off any feelings of affection towards anyone. You can't let it stop you from being a normal thriving person! Stop lying to yourself when you know that June, Anita and Jeremy are counting on us both! I know you can overcome this, Basil."

Basil just laid there and slowly shook his head. "Not this time...Doctor..." Basil whispered. "There's just simply no need to for heart felt explanations...it's finally happened I have been outwitted yet again...all because of her. Because I stupid enough to allow myself to-

"What? Care about her?" Dawson interrupted. "Or is it "Love", Basil?"

Basil didn't say anything.

"Than you admit it then..." Dawson said

"I admit nothing..." Basil sad dully.

Dawson just sighed in frustration. "Basil, you are the most stubborn mouse I have ever met. If you continue to push everyone away then you'll be-

"Alone?" Basil said sitting. Dawson didn't answer, he just looked at him angrily. "Well maybe that what I prefer..." Basil said, turning to his other side. Hearing the Doctor sigh behind him, Basil allowed his mind to drift into a deep fog.

It was late in the evening and Basil and the other children had been playing outside for a while. The sound of laughter filled the air as the small children ran and chased each all through out the yard. Hide and go seek was the game of the day, and it was Basil's specialty. He would be able to figure out where all the children hid with out even looking for them and when he go hide, it would take them up to twenty minuted to find him.

Finally, it was Basil's turn to count and then seek. Closing his eyes, Basil began counting to 100. He didn't bother peaking to see where they where running. He didn't need to. That would just be making it too easy for him. When Basil finally reached 100, he opened his eyes and looked around the garden. There was no one to be seen. Excited by the challenge, Basil began to look.

"Roger!" Basil shouted, looking in the garden. "Martha! Benjamin! Come out, Come out Where every you are!"

Occasionally stopping and jumping behind rocks or bushes in attempts to find his friends, the other children where no where to be seen. Basil searched and searched until he grew frustrated. Finally, behind a small fountain, Basil saw three little tails wiggling. Walking on his tip toes, Basil jumped behind them and scared all out of their hiding place.

"Found you!" Basil shouted happily.

"Oh Basil!" Martha shouted, folding her arms. "You always find us, no matter how well we hide!"

"Yeah!" Benjamin second.

Basil simply shrugged. "I truly wasn't all that difficult. Perhaps you should work on your hiding skills."

Benjamin raised his hands in the air. " Well when my dad and I play hide and go seek, he says that my hiding schools are soooo good that I should be a spy for the queen when I grow up! And discover secrets about other countries."

Martha then hopped up and down. "When I get older I want to be a beautiful ballet dancer and dance for her majesty at lovely balls."

Walking up to Basil, Roger rested his hand on his shoulder. "Well I want be a knight with metal suit and everything! And I want to lead her majesty's army off to victorious battles." Roger then looked at Basil. "What did you want to be?"

Basil smiled. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

All of the other children shook their heads. Sighing, Basil folded his arms. "A Detective of course."

The other children just looked at him confusingly.

"A Detective?" Benjamin asked. "Why would you want to be one of those?"

"Yeah?!" Martha asked. "That's not a very important job."

Basil cocked his head to the side and folded his arms. "Oh really?" He asked. "When the ballet is interrupted by a swarm of thugs crashing into the ball room to abduct the queen. Who will you need to solve who took her and where she can be found?"

Martha just looked at Basil blankly. Basil then turned to Benjamin. "When one of your spy colleagues feeds information to neighboring countries, who will you call upon to retrace tracks and to discover the culprit?"

Benjamin just remained silent. Not wanting any trouble to start, Roger interrupted by stepping in between all the children. "Alright, that's enough now. It's getting late and we have just enough time to play one more game. I'll be the seeker this time."

And with that all of the children ran off in opposite directions to go and hide. Finding the perfect hiding place behind an up lifted tree root, Basil sat and giggling to himself, knowing that no one would ever find him there. Proud, Basil waited.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And then waited some more.

Growing tired, Basil finally came out from his hiding place and looked around for his friends. Not seeing them, he simply thought that Roger didn't find anyone yet. Seeing shadows from the front yard, Basil ran towards them. Jumping out from the side of the large house, Basil stopped himself when he saw that it wasn't just the shadow of his friends.

There, holding Martha, Roger, and Benjamin's hands where there mothers. Hugging them and kissing them telling them it was time for go home. Basil just watched them walk away with out saying a word.

Waiting until they where out of sight, Basil made his way back home alone.

Opening them up, Basil's eyes glistened from his memory. Covering his face with his chained hands, Basil felt the warmth of his silent tears upon his fur. Several minutes had passed since he and Dawson spoke. Feeling more tears coming, Basil sniffed them away.

Hearing this, Dawson lowered his head in sadness, only to be startled by the sound of the prison door opening.