To Each His Own
Basil was only halfway finished with his report when he heard the sound of knocking at his front door. He was expecting it to be Leon since the redhead promised that he would come by today to talk to the detective. With that, he got up and opened his front door. To his pleasure, he saw the redhead on his doorstep. "I've been expecting you, Mr. Schroeder."
"Sorry if I kept you waiting, Mr. Basil," he apologized.
"Not at all. Come in." He invited Leon inside and walked back into the parlor. "Come, come, come in." Leon closed the door and removed his coat as he followed Basil. "Now, tell me everything," he gently ordered. "What were you doing at the pet shop so late?"
Leon laughed awkwardly. "I guess I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
Basil wasn't amused. He wanted a straight answer and he especially wanted every detail.
The redhead cleared his throat and began his story. He and his friends were visiting the Flavershams and having dinner with them when they suddenly heard the sound of a dog barking. Looking out the window, the redhead recognized that it was Toby and he saw Basil and the others riding on the basset hound's back. This caused Leon to wonder if something had happened and he thought that maybe they needed help. So he told Mokuba and Rebecca to stay behind and then he mounted on Labramon and followed the trail and came to the pet shop.
"When we arrived at the shop, we heard the noises of objects falling and clattering and wondered what was happening in there," continued Leon. "Labramon found a door that was open and he brought me inside. We looked and saw what a mess the shop was. Then we heard more noises coming from down in the basement and when we got downstairs, that's when we found you guys."
The detective grinned. "And it turned out you really were in the right place at the right time. So I'll thank you for your help back there."
Leon gave a small laugh. "I guess you could say that's part of my job; helping heroes." It really was part of his job, as he and his friends agreed.
"Is there anything else you wish to share?" Basil asked him. "It can be about anything." Although he only said that just to be nice.
But Leon understood Basil's elaborate question. He knew that the detective was wondering if he or any of his friends had any new information about the Dark Masters or if there was any news about what new adventures they were thinking about having. "Actually," he was saying, "I was thinking, maybe when my friends and I go back to Paris, we could also find an opportunity to learn more about what the Dark Masters are planning." Then he remembered what he and his friends talked about with Basil the last time they saw him. "Don't worry, we're still going to try to avoid Frollo."
"Good," Basil replied. "Just be careful for when you do go back. And try not to sneak about in places you shouldn't." Of course, he did that all the time, but that was part of his job as a sleuth. He had to be sly and stealth when going into dangerous territory and looking for criminals. Besides, he was an expert while Leon was not. Despite the fact that the redhead and his friends wanted to help out, they didn't have the same expertise as the detective.
Leon understood as much. He didn't want the minister to be too suspicious of him and his friends. Though he wondered if Ratigan had reported to him and the other Dark Masters.
The redhead got up from the couch, but before he headed for the door, something else came into mind. "Basil?"
"Hmm," the detective replied, keeping his eyes on his notebook as he was writing.
"Not that it's any of my business, but have you ever considered joining the Rescue Aid Society?"
Basil stopped in his work and looked at the redhead, baffled that he would ask such a question. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Schroeder?"
"Well, it's just, technically, you did help a group of humans even though they were in the form of mice," Leon was explaining. It was true. The pride of the organization was to help young humans who were in danger. Most of the cases involved children who were kidnapped or victims of abuse. And just as Leon established, Basil did help a human princess who was kidnapped and just before, the detective also helped the redhead when Ratigan tried to kidnap him. "And you know, I bet they could use a rodent of your intellect," Leon commented.
This actually wasn't the first time that Basil had been asked this question. Even the mouse officials of Scotland Yard had asked him the same question. He even received letters of recommendation from the operation's chairman himself. As honored as Basil was, he had politely declined to join. He wasn't the type who liked being part of a team – even though that concept was challenged when he and the Heroes of Millennia worked together. No, he liked being a private consultant and he liked doing things his own way and was therefore more comfortable with working alone. Besides, he was more accustomed to helping fellow rodents and not humans – even though that concept was also challenged.
But in light of these events, that might be changing. And deep down, Basil knew as much. He now had friends and allies in the Heroes of Millennia – who were humans. He also had his irregulars Mokuba, Rebecca, and Leon – who were also humans. But even though Basil was part of a team for a brief moment and he now had friends and allies who were humans and even though he made exceptions on his cases and only helped humans who were apparent victims of the Dark Masters, Basil wasn't going to let that change his mind.
The detective explained all of that to Leon and said that he was content with just being a private consultant. But that didn't mean Leon and his friends couldn't see him anymore. The detective promised that they could still come to him if need be. The redhead was glad to hear that.
Leon slipped into his coat. As Basil showed him out the door, he patted Leon's head and warned him to be careful. Leon promised to do so and he climbed on Labramon and they began making their way back to the toyshop. Basil smiled to himself as he watched them leave. Then he returned to the parlor to continue working on his report.
