Chapter 16: Escaping Death/Restoring Hope

Meanwhile, back in Ratigan's chamber, Basil, Dawson, and Clover were still tied to a trap and Ratigan's record continued to play its terrible song for their upcoming grim demise.

This game is through,

So, although it hurts...

Olivia struggled to get out of the bottle to push out the cork with the help of Andrew and Eve to help Basil and Dawson in any way the trio could, but she slid down.

Eve put her winged hand on the young girl mouse's shoulder.

"You did your best, sis," Andrew assured her.

I'll try to smile

As I say

Goodbye so soon

And isn't this…

Dawson did his best to knock sense into his partner. "Basil? Basil!" Dawson cried to get his attention.

"Oh, how could I have been so blind?" Basil said in a downcast voice.

"We all make mistakes," Dawson said, laughing faintly as an attempt to cheer Basil up. "But we can't let that stop us. We have to…"

"Ratigan's proved he's more clever than I…" Basil said, still sad. "He would have never walked into such an obvious trap."

"Oh, pull yourself together!" Dawson scolded. "You can stop that villain! Why…"

"Basil, please snap out of it," Clover pleaded, "I love you."

Then Dawson turned to the record player, which skipped and repeated the same line over and over. "Basil… the record!" Dawson warned.

"Oh, it's finally happened," the detective continued, even gloomier, "I've been outwitted!"

"Basil, please!" Dawson pleaded.

"Beaten, duped, made a fool of!"

Dawson shook his head angrily as he gritted his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows. He was becoming fed up with Basil's lamenting.

"Oh, ridiculed! Belittled!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dawson snapped, his eyes red with rage, making Clover cringe. To Clover, he said, "Sorry, Clover. I didn't mean to frighten you; that was meant for Basil."

"I know. I don't blame you for being upset because I'm just as angry at him as you are," Clover told him.

The record player went back to normal with the song resumed playing and Dawson looked at it with surprise. That wasn't good.

"Dash it all, Basil!" Dawson reprimanded the detective. "The Queen's in danger, Olivia's counting on us, Andrew and Eve are trying to help her out, Clover has feelings for you, we're about to be horribly splattered, and all you could do is lie there feeling sorry for yourself! Now I know you can save us, but if you've given up, then why don't we just set it off now and be done with it!" When finished with his rant, he turned away from Basil with a pout.

We know by now that time knows how to fly.

"Basil, I love you, but if you don't love me, then fine!" Clover reprimanded her boyfriend, "I wouldn't either if you continue moping around and believing the rat's lies. If you want us all to die, then so be it!" Finished, she also faced away from her hopeless friend.

Eve lost her patience with the detective, as well. "If giving up on your friends is what you want, then you aren't our friend!" she said hotly.

Basil caught a quick glimpse of his companion, girlfriend, and the girl bat before looking away. He chuckled weakly and said heavy-hearted, "Set it off now."

Then, his eyes broadened as he thought of the doctor's words, which gave him an idea. "Set it… off… now…"

Dawson turned to hear the hysterical chortling coming from Basil. Basil's expression was wild as he chuckled mischievously with green eyes showing. "Yes! We… we'll set the trap off now!" Basil exclaimed, echoing in the chamber.

Dawson gawked at his companion in disbelief, regarding Basil's suicidal plan for escape as Basil smirked widely. "Basil, wait! I didn't mean that we ought to…"

"Basil, are you crazy?" Clover demanded, "We could get killed!"

Dawson gasped as the record ended the song and the pressure was on. The metal ball was released and descended on its merry way.

"The angle of the trajectory multiplied by the square root of an isosceles triangle…" Basil muttered, formulating a plan. Dawson watched vulnerably as the ball proceeded to roll down the pipe. "...dividing Guttermeg's principle of opposing forces in motion…" Basil continued calculating before he finished, "...and adjusting for the difference in equilibrium…" He swerved his head towards the bottle, where Olivia, Andrew, and Eve were still imprisoned.

The ball was coming closer.

"Dawson. Clover, at the exact moment I tell you we must release the triggering mechanism!" Basil urged his friends briskly. Poor Dawson and Clover were frightened by Basil's decision. The detective put his hand close to the square trigger.

"What?" Dawson said, his eyes broadening in shock.

"Get ready, Dawson and Clover," Basil announced firmly and confidently as the ball proceeded its descent inch by inch, "Steady…"

Dawson grunted as he moved his chubby hand to where the trigger was. Olivia was prompted to get out of the bottle and pushed against the cork with all her might with Andrew and Eve supporting her.

The ball was close to descending any second.

"NOW!" Basil shouted.

Clover screamed.

"AAAGGGGHHH!" Dawson cried and pressed the trigger with Basil. The lever was transferred and caught the ball. It wobbled for a moment before the hook came from one side.

The hook hurdled up and triggered the gun, which fired a bullet into the air. The bullet shot the arrow and unleashed its arrow. The arrow whooshed through the air and banged through the axe. The blade rotated threateningly in the air.

Watching the deadly blade swing in the air, Dawson closed his eyes, praying it wouldn't chop him and Basil to pieces.

With success, the blade divided between the trap, freeing the mouse trio, unhurt. The anvil slowly dropped, disintegrating the trap, making slight cracks on the floor and missing the three mice.

The impact from the anvil made the bottle shake vigorously until Olivia, Andrew, and Eve shot through the air one by one. Dawson nearly lost his balance from the impact, but he was relieved he made it. Basil didn't feel the impact, though. Basil, who had regained his confidence, tossed his sailor disguise aside and replaced it with his signature detective suit. Thus, he put his hat on his head.

Basil threw one arm around Dawson and Clover with the other. "Thank you, Dawson," Basil said happily, "And Clover!" Olivia safely landed in his hand. Clover caught Eve and Andrew landed in Dawson's hand. The six of them hugged and gazed at the camera. "Smile, everyone!" Basil, who was the only one who grinned, shouted.

The camera flashed a picture of all six of them. Most of them were dumbfounded.

"Are you alright, Andrew?" Dawson asked, hoping the young boy wasn't injured.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Andrew replied.

"Good. I want to make sure you're not hurt."

"Just a bit shaken up, but other than that, I'm not hurt."

The doctor smiled at the thirteen-year-old boy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a confession to make," Basil announced.

"And what might that be, Basil?" Eve asked.

"I love Clover!" Basil admitted.

"Yay!" Olivia and Eve cried and hugged him.

"Group hug!" Dawson said and he, Clover, and Andrew joined the group.

Basil broke free of the hug, adding to Clover, Andrew, and Olivia, "Now, let's go save your father!" Then, the six friends climbed out of the sewers, making their great escape and Basil's epic plan proved to be a success.