Chapter Thirteen

Back at the waterfront, Basil, Olivia, and Dawson had just gotten out of the lair, allowing Basil to whistle for Toby. When the big dog arrived, they saw Jet sitting on the dog's neck.

"Toby!" Basil said as Toby licked Olivia.

"The Basset Hound," Jet said from the dog's collar. "The best way to travel London with easy access to foil a villain's dastardly plot."

"This is no joke, Jet," Basil said. "The game's afoot. Our Queen is in mortal danger."

Toby put his game face on, forcing his ear to make a "whip" sound as it folded into a staircase. Basil and the others climbed onto his neck while Jet drew his sword. The detective then pointed ahead.

"To Buckingham Palace!" Basil shouted.

Barking, Toby rushed ahead.

"So," Jet began, "what's the plan?"

"Most likely, Ratigan will have the queen fed to Felicia," Basil explained. "So our first step is to save her. Then, we rescue Olivia's father and capture Ratigan."

"Good to see your ego wasn't too hurt," Jet said.

Dawson silently shook his head, not wanting to tell the boy how Basil was depressed about walking into an obvious trap.

OOOOO

Over at Buckingham Palace, Ratigan gave an exaggerated bow to the Robot Queen.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. And now, as your new Royal Consort, I have a few...slight suggestions." Ratigan pulled out a roll of paper and let it fall, where it rolled down the aisle of the Grand Hall and well past the curtain, where one of his men had opened it for him. "Ahem. Item one."

OOOOO

Fidget grunted as he carried the Queen on his back as the Queen kicked him, trying to free herself.

"Stop that!" Fidget grunted.

Toby was still racing towards the castle, running right in front of a human carriage. The horses reared back, but an undaunted Toby continued running. Dawson had, once again, fallen back and hung onto Toby's tail for dear life.

Noticing, Jet pulled a rope out of his backpack and tossed it to Dawson, allowing to the doctor to pull himself back onto Toby.

Fidget, on the other hand, had finally made it to the edge of the balcony, where Felicia anxiously sat below, waiting for her treat. Toby had made it to the palace and held his nose to a ledge, where the four mice raced in through a mouse hole. Fidget held the Queen high over his head, ready to throw her into Felicia's open jaws.

"Nuts..." Fidget strained. "Open wide. Bye-bye!"

Basil and the others raced down the hallway. Just as Fidget was about to throw the Queen over, Basil grabbed her. Fidget fell and tried to fly away from Felicia, who was unintentionally attempting to eat him instead of the Queen.

Holding onto the edge of the balcony, Fidget tried to avoid Felicia's jaws. "Down, down, kitty! Down!"

The sound of barking distracted Felicia and she turned to see Toby running straight for her. She screeched and ran as fast as she could, Toby close behind.

Jet noticed Fidget was on the edge of the balcony and tossed the bat the rope from his backpack. Fidget grabbed the rope and climbed up. But once he placed his feet on the ground, he saw Jet twirling a second rope like a cowboy. The boy then threw the rope at Fidget, tying him up.

"Good to see you again, Fidget," Jet said with a sly smile.

OOOOO

Inside the Great Hall, Ratigan was continuing his list of tyrannical laws.

"Item 96," he said. "A heavy tax shall be levied against all parasites and sponges...such as the elderly, the infirm, and especially, little children."

Ratigan leaned upside down over the railing to sneer at the boy who blew him a raspberry. The boy looked at the rat defiantly before his mother whisked him away. An old man with a cast and crutch approached him angrily.

"That's ridiculous. You're insane."

"Perhaps I haven't made myself clear." Ratigan said. He took the crutch from the man, causing him to fall to the ground. "I have the power!"

He broke the crutch in half to accent this.

"Of course you do," the Robot Queen said.

Ratigan jumped on the banister. "I am supreme!"

"Only you."

"This is MY kingdom!" Ratigan gave an evil laugh as the crowd cowered under his shadow.

Behind the curtains, however, Basil had finally found Hiram and the rest of Ratigan's men. Ratigan stopped laughing and cleared his throat. Sitting on the banister, he addressed the Robot Queen.

"That is," he modestly began, "of course, with your Highness' permission."

There was no answer right away, so Ratigan gave it a light slap, making it spring back to life.

"Most assuredly..." the robot's expression and voice suddenly changed. "...you insidious fiend!"

"What?" Ratigan said, shocked.

"You're not my Royal Consort!"

"What a sense of humor," Ratigan said, trying to cover the robot's mouth.

The Robot Queen ducked down to free itself. "You're a cheap, fraud, and impostor."

"Flaversham!" Ratigan yelled behind him.

As Ratigan smiled nervously at the crowd, he had no idea that it wasn't Hiram at the controls. It was Basil. Olivia and Flaversham embraced each other as Dawson and Jet each held one of the boy's ropes around Ratigan's thugs. The Queen had her own rope around Fidget, giving it a tight tug.

"Don't mess with the Queen of England," Jet jokingly whispered.

Basil continued speaking as he messed with the controls. "A corrupt, vicious, demented scoundrel. There's no evil scheme you wouldn't concoct."

Basil jerked the controls, causing the robot's head to fly up and spin, biting Ratigan's nose. He forced the head back down, but caused both arms to spring out, hitting him in the stomach. Ratigan moved in front of the robot, hiding it from the crowd's eyes, but they aren't buying it anymore. The Robot Queen pushed past Ratigan.

"No depravity you wouldn't commit."

Ratigan tried to force his weight on the robot, but it sprung upward, bringing him up with it, then letting the rat fall.

Back stage, Jet smiled, knowing where Basil was taking this. Go, Bas! Jet thought. Show him what it means to mess with the queen.

"You, Professor-" Basil jerked even harder on the controls, causing the robot to fall apart. "...are none other than a foul stenchus rodentus, commonly known as a..."

Ratigan's temper flared as he seized the robot by the neck, knowing what came next.

"DON'T SAY IT!"

"...SEWER RAT!" Basil said, bursting from behind the curtain, pointing at his nemesis.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Arrest that fiend!" Basil said.

Basil, Dawson, Flaversham, and the Queen tackled Ratigan as several other mice rushed forward to help. Other mice fought the rest of Ratigan's men. This included young Jet, who opted for fist fighting instead of using his sword.

Olivia watched from behind the curtain, not noticing that Fidget had managed to fee himself from his ropes.

OOOOO

Outside, Felicia was still running from Toby. She darted through bushes and flower beds, and scrambled up a wall, where Toby couldn't reach. He leapt up halfway and barked at her. Felicia snickered and lifted her chin at him. She turned, lifted her tail and made a show of leaping down to the other side.

Seconds later, she gives another terrified screech as several more dogs began attacking her. Felicia's ribbon and fur flew in the air as she and Toby realized the cat had landed in the Royal Guard Dog's Kennel.

OOOOO

Back inside, Ratigan threw his attackers away as he shed his robe. Fidget whistled at him from a high balcony, Olivia in his hands.

"The girl! The girl!"

Flaversham turned, horrified as Ratigan jumped from mouse to mouse and grabbed a robe to swing himself to the balcony. Basil, Dawson, Jet, and Flaversham rushed forward, only to freeze as Ratigan held Olivia threateningly over the edge.

"Stay where you are or the girl dies!" He then disappeared behind the curtain, taking Olivia with him.

"Hurry, Dawson! Jet, stay here."

"No way, Basil," Jet said, causing the detective to turn. "You've left me out of a ton of adventures because they're 'too dangerous'. But no more. I'm in on this one."

Basil smiled as the four ran outside. Finally outside, Basil spotted Ratigan's dirigible.

"There he goes!" Basil quickly climbed up a flag pole and shouted down. "Dawson! Flaversham! Gather up those balloons!"

Over a dozen balloons were tied to the palace gate. As Dawson and Flaversham moved to grab them, Basil began to lower the Union Jack. Jet, on the other hand, grabbed a matchbox from the garbage can.

This was it. This would be the fight that decided wether or not they all lived or died.