Chapter 13: Tied Down/Trouble at Buckingham Palace

Kaitlin's POV

I woke up from my second knockout to find myself tied to a wooden post in a sitting position with my scarf wrapped around my neck, but I wasn't choking, thankfully. My wrists were tied behind my back with my coat sleeves. Such a clever rat, I thought sarcastically. Luckily, I was right next to Olivia, who was standing helplessly in the bottle, but sad to say that my necklace was stolen from me.

I watched as Ratigan's gang tied Basil and Dawson with thick ropes to a mousetrap. I heard the sound of rising metal as the snapping mechanism was pulled below Basil's and Dawson's feet. It was Ratigan's strong thugs.

"You don't know what a delightful dilemma it was trying to decide on the most appropriate method for your demise," Ratigan said to Basil and Dawson, but mostly to Basil, who hadn't had the courage to stand up to Ratigan at this rate.

Dawson shifted his gaze at Basil's blank face. Fidget gently set the triggering mechanism in place and winced as it jiggled, fearing it'd spring out at any second and Dawson closed his eyes at this. However, the device was stabilized as Dawson opened his eyes and Fidget left with a smile, finished with his task.

"I had so many ingenious ideas, I didn't know which to choose." Ratigan was overwhelmed by the choices he used to kill the detectives. He leaned in towards Basil, with an evil smirk, "So, I decided to use them all."

"Wow, good for you," I said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes, obviously unenthusiastic. "Pathetic."

The duo was surrounded by the deadly weapons pointed at them in the room. An anvil was hanging over their heads. On the left of them, an axe was held up to them. A crossbow, pointing at them along with a pistol.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Ratigan let out a hearty chuckle, showing the duo his ingenious plot to kill them. "But here, let me show you how it works." He turned away from them to motion his hands in picture frame style. "Picture this."

I scoffed. "Gaston." Ratigan paid no attention to me, but that was fine because he was talking about his plan to kill people. He was attracted to me as Gaston was to Belle.

"First, a sprightly tune I've recorded especially for you."

Next to the human-sized record player above stood Fidget bowing politely as the rat continued his plan, "As the song plays, the cord tightens…" Fidget shifted the needle forward slightly, displaying the rope that was tied to it and the other half was tied to a apparatus that held a black metal ball, and his boss explained the transit of the ball, "And when the song ends, the metal ball is released, rolling along its merry way until…"

Dawson scowled at the professor and I did the same.

"SNAP!" Ratigan clapped his hands together demonstrating the result of the mousetrap. "BOOM!" He gestured to the pistol. "TWANG!" Motioning to the crossbow and arrow. "THUNK!" Shooting his arm down showing the axe. Concluding with the anvil levitating above them, "SPLAT!"

Dawson cringed at the thought of being soon-to-be killed by those objects. I gasped in shock.

Ratigan took off his tophat and placed it over his heart. "And so ends the short, undistinguished, career of Basil of Baker Street."

Basil sighed emotionlessly.

"You're despicable!" Dawson spat hotly.

"Yes," Ratigan snickered at his words.

"And evil!" I snapped at the rat.

"Kaitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlin," Ratigan said, mockingly as he advanced, "When will you ever learn to let go of those you love?"

"When will you ever learn to admit what kind of animal you are?" I spat in his face and my saliva hit him. "You're a rat!"

"How dare you!" He slapped me in the face. "Watch your tongue! You're lucky my men went easy on you because you're a lady, but you're a feisty one."

"I'll kick your butt!" I threatened as he left me alone at the sound of cackling.

It was Fidget and he was wearing a red uniform.

"Looking good, Fidget," I muttered.

"Everything's ready, Fidget?" Ratigan asked.

"All set, boss," Fidget informed, much to Ratigan's satisfaction.

Ratigan tip-toed estasticly over to a white package tied around with a hot pink ribbon and topped with a bow. He opened it with a grin and chuckled. "Oh, this is wicked! So delightfully wicked!" He signaled his thugs to push it.

The rat sauntered over to Hiram, who was gagged and tied, but stood next to his daughter. "Mr. Flaversham, let me congratulate you on a superb piece of craftsmanship." Ratigan tapped the side of the bottle. "See what you can do with the proper motivation?" He cackled as he pinched his cheek and Olivia stood in bewilderment.

"Hiram, please!" I begged.

"Kaitlin, in case I never see you and Olivia again," he said to me, "Take care of her for me."

"I will, as always," I promised, "If I wasn't tied up here, I would have hugged you."

"Aww, touching," Ratigan mocked and told me, as he dangled my necklace, "Don't worry, my dear, I'm using your necklace for safe keeping."

"No, you're lying!" I screamed.

Ratigan turned his attention to his men that were on Felicia.

"You all know the plan?" Ratigan reminded them.

"Right, Professor!" The thugs replied as they saluted.

With a meow, Felicia turned and left with her riders.

Ratigan returned to the duo. "It was my fond hope to stay and witness your final scene," he said as he slipped his finger from Basil's chest to his chin. "But you were fifteen minutes late." He opened his pocket watch to check the time before closing it and placing it back in his vest pocket. "And I do have an important engagement at…Buckingham Palace."

Hearing what the rat said, Dawson gave him a puzzled look. My jaw dropped since I knew exactly what Ratigan meant.

"Now, you will remember to smile for the camera, won't you?" Ratigan smirked as he gestured towards his old-fashioned camera. "Say, 'cheese'." He snickered evilly.

Basil sighed, feeling depressed.

"More like say 'cheese and DIE'," I said with disgust.

"You fiend!" Dawson shouted angrily.

"Sorry, chubby," Ratigan replied to Dawson as he climbed up to the record player. "You should've chosen your friends more carefully." He set the record off.

"You're one to talk, fatty!" I cried out and smiled as he glared at me. "Oh, did I hit a nerve? Sorry." I chuckled a bit.

Dawson's eyes widened with terror as the music started to play a mock cheerful song that Ratigan recorded. Coming out of the barrel was a dirigible flying out with Fidget pedalling on the cyclist attached to the back of the flying object. A thug was steering the wheel right to Ratigan's direction, while others were holding Hiram hostage and keeping the gift safe.

Goodbye so soon

And isn't this a crime?

We know by now that time knows how to fly.

One thug threw down a ladder for Ratigan to climb. Ratigan grabbed onto it and started to climb as he waved to us. "Adieu, alvederzane, arebadeuchi, farewell!" Then, he added with a dark sense of humor, "Bye, bye, Basil!" He took the wheel and started to drive up from the chimney.

"I hope you get a parking ticket for your soon-to-be committed crimes!" I sneered.

So here's goodbye so soon,

You'll find your separate way;

With time so short I'll say so long

And go

So soon.

Goodbye.

You followed me, I followed you;

We were like each other's shadows for a while.

Now as you see, this game is through

So although it hurts…

I was still tied up to the wooden post beside Olivia, who watched helplessly from the bottle as Basil and Dawson were surrounded by deadly weapons. "Olivia, I'm so sorry," I said to her and tears fell from my eyes as I broke down.

"No, Kaitlin, none of this is your fault," Olivia assured me.

I sniffled. "You're right. It's not our fault, it's Ratigan's."

Olivia and I turned to Basil and Dawson. Dawson, confused by what Ratigan meant, asked him, "Wh-Wh-Wh-What did he mean, an engagement at Buckingham Palace?"

Basil sighed and answered in his depressed voice, "Haven't you figured it out yet, doctor? The queen's in danger, and the empire is doomed."

"The queen?!" Dawson gasped.

"OH, GREAT!" I moaned.

"What's wrong, Kaitlin?" Dawson asked.

"Well, that and I'm tied up," I answered, "Without my necklace and the power within it, I can't get out of this tangled mess." I struggled against the post.

"You've done things without using your necklace," Dawson told me.

I stopped for a moment. "Like what? Name one."

"Well, you and Olivia followed me to Baker Street. You protected Olivia from Fidget in the toy store and defended her in any way you could."

"I used my necklace to shine the light in his eyes," I reminded him.

Dawson nodded in acknowledgement. "You made a deal with Ratigan to get the Flavershams back."

"I used my necklace for it, as well."

"You stood up to Ratigan and his men; that took guts."

I smiled sheepishly.

"See? You've done so many things without using your necklace, so why would this situation be any different?"

I considered this. "You're right. I'll give it a try." Then smiling at Olivia, "This is for you, Olivia." This wasn't because she was all I cared about, but because Basil and Dawson got this. I took a deep breath and started to slowly detangle the knots of my coat sleeves until one of my hands was free. I untied my other hand.

"That's it," Dawson encouraged, "Now your scarf."

"Oh, I forgot." I loosened my scarf and clutched onto my throat. "I did it."

"I knew you could do it." Dawson winked at me.

"Even without my necklace, but I'll get it back as soon as we get out of here." As much as I hated to admit it, I was too addicted to my necklace for my own good, but I was going to get it back sooner or later. I gloated over my escape and walked towards Olivia. Basil, who was in his depressed state, was another story.

I had yet another confession to make. "I used to be scared of Felicia when I was little because she eats people."

"I don't blame you, dear," Dawson said.

"Sometimes I wonder why Ratigan even has a cat."

"Me, too," Olivia said.

Third Person POV

At Buckingham Palace, the mouse citizens of London were on their merry way to Queen Mousetoria's Diamond Jubilee. Royal banners red, blue, and white hung about on walls and fences for the festivities, representing England along with balloons and ribbons. The trumpets played "Rule Britannia" for the celebration.

Inside the royal chambers, was a plump figure, humming to the ballad and powdering her face, getting ready for her jubilee in her bedroom. The figure was Queen Mousetoria, herself, with tan fur and light tan muzzle, pink nose, white hair underneath her regal crown, pink nose, lilac and purple robe, and a pink dress.

Outside the windows of her chambers, two silhouettes of her guards stood there until they were ambushed and replaced with Ratigan's gang in disguise. One of the thugs escorted the others to hurry, whispering, "Psst, over here. Come on, over here."

Just as the queen was finishing up, a loud knock frightened her that her crown almost fell off her head. Readjusting her crown, she announced regality, "Come in."

One of the fake guards opened the door as he greeted and bowed, "Uh, begging Your Majesty's pardon. A present has just arrived in honor of your jubilee."

The phony guards pushed the large white gift wrapped in a pink ribbon inside with Fidget's assistance.

"A present? Oh, how wonderful!" the queen exclaimed excitedly and approached the gift, sighing, "I just adore jubilees."

Fidget, grinning, took off the note that was attached to the present and handed it to the queen, who took it, saying, "Here you are, sweetheart."

Her Majesty brought out her spectacles and eyed him with a hint of uneasiness asking, "Have you been with us long?" Fidget continued to smile wickedly and ran off, but the queen ignored him. "To our beloved queen," she read the letter aloud, "This gift we send, as her sixty year reign…" Her expression changed to confusion and worry as she read the last line, "Comes to an end?"

Fidget and the other thugs unwrapped the gift to reveal a robotic replica of the queen. Her Majesty studied it with her spectacles, surprised to see a robot that looked exactly like her. "How extraordinary!" she said with wonder.

Suddenly, the robot came to life, rattling and popping. It started to chase her around the room and attempted to grab her. "Goodness gracious!" she cried and finally hid behind her guards, but was unaware that they were Ratigan's thugs.

The robot queen came to a stop and Ratigan was in the doorway along with Hiram, who operated the machine against his will. "Amazing likeness, isn't it, Your Majesty?" Ratigan said.

"Professor Ratigan!" the queen cried and ordered her guards, "Guards! Seize this despicable creature!"

The guards did nothing because they were revealed to be Ratigan's thugs and Fidget cackled manically, finding they tricked the queen. Ratigan repeated the command she gave them through the speaker. "Guards, seize this despicable creature!" He laughed sadistically through the speaker.

The thugs grabbed hold of the queen and she tried to wiggle free, knowing they turned against her, furiously saying, "Oh, how dare you!"

"Take her away!" Ratigan commanded as he rang his bell, so his cat could eat the queen.

Fidget and the others carried the queen out of the door as she screamed, "Let go of me, you ruffians!"

"Move along, honey!" Fidget teased.

"You fiends!" the queen's voice was still heard in the hallway. "Traitors!"

Ratigan grinned smugly as the queen was finally taken away and took out a handkerchief to wipe the fake queen's cheek. He also grabbed onto Kaitlin's necklace saying, "You could've joined me, Kaitlin. If you try anything, you'll receive the same fate as the queen." He opened her necklace, adding, "I'll use this to intimidate citizens of London."

"Professor, that's hers!" Hiram snapped, "You stole it!"

"Oh, shush! It's not like I'm going to hurt anybody."

Hiram sighed, knowing the rat was lying. "Oh, Kaitlin, good luck with my daughter." He had full faith in the girl-turned mouse.

AN: The next chapter will be our great escape.