Poor Little Rich Boy
Rated PG for angst
I do not own Stiletto, Baron Greenback, or Leatherhead; these characters are copyrighted to Cosgrove Hall Films, as well as the whole Danger Mouse series. The rest is mine, including this story and the character Sabrina.
Author's Notes: For my loyal fans… you know who you are… this doesn't quite fit into the New DM series in anyway; consider this a side-story, if you're curious.
Anyway, on another Danger Mouse website, I read that Stiletto was born into a very well-off family, and that his daddy- "Just Juan Cornetto"- was a famous lawyer. Since I have a special liking for Stiletto, I thought I'd investigate this.
Also, unlike my other Danger Mouse stories, this one will be multi-chaptered. Why? I dunno… I just felt like it, I guess. I was planning to do something like this for all the other main characters, but alas- the vigor has been lost. But, I thought I'd do this anyway. Enjoy- I always do.
Prologue: Wanting to Forget
-------------------------------------
A late night in England- most people were asleep at this hour, dreaming of what the next day would bring, their hopes, their desires. Ah, but not for one lonely Italian crow…
Stiletto was working late into the wee hours of the night. He was used to staying up late working on projects, but this was later than usual. His employer, Baron Silas Greenback, had plans for the next few days, and he needed to work fast.
Then, a hand reached out from behind him, touching his arm. "Stiletto," a male Cockney voice addressed, "we've been working for hours on this blooming thing. Why don't we call it a night and get some sleep?"
Shaking his head, Stiletto continued with his work. "No, no," he insisted. "We must-a keep working…" He yawned loudly. "I no need Barone beating sulla mia tesa. No again…"
A short, stout crow waddled out from behind Stiletto. "You've been working yourself to death, mate," he noted, pausing for a moment. "This isn't just the Baron, is it?"
The Italian crow did not answer. Yes, something had been troubling him… but, truth be told, he wasn't comfortable discussing it. How could his friend Leatherhead understand?
At that moment, a door at the opposite end of the room creaked open. A dark grey female cat stepped inside. "Are you two still working on that thing?" she questioned. "Why don't you call it quits and hit the sack?"
"Oh, I quit two hours ago," Leatherhead explained, gesturing to his friend. "I'm just trying to get Stiletto out of here. I left him here the last three nights, and I've always found him asleep in the machine. I keep telling him to stop, but he just won't listen."
Groaning, both in weariness and aggravation, Stiletto kept focused on his work. He really didn't want Leatherhead dragging Sabrina into this.
Concerned, Sabrina walked over to the Italian crow. "Stiletto, it's three in the morning," she informed. "Get some sleep."
No reply.
Again, Sabrina attempted to pull Stiletto from his work. "Come on," she muttered. "If you're this tired, you're bound to make mistakes, and you don't want the Baron angry, do you?"
No response.
Irritated, Sabrina grabbed Stiletto by the collar and pulled him close to her. "Stop, now, and go to sleep," she hissed.
Pushed to his limits, Stiletto pushed Sabrina away and stormed off. At last he stepped away from his work, if angrily and reluctantly.
Leatherhead glanced at Sabrina. "Do you think something's bothering him?" he queried.
Enlightened, Sabrina considered that. Yeah, he's been quieter than usual, she pondered. I wonder what's on his mind…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, Stiletto woke up refreshed and ready to finish the Baron's latest doomsday device. He was surprised he hadn't been awakened earlier, though he had his suspicions.
Downstairs in the underground garage, Stiletto found Sabrina leaning against the machine. She stared up at him intently, her seemingly cold eyes piercing his gaze.
Attempting to avoid questions about the previous night, Stiletto turned away and crossed over to his workstation; he couldn't watch her. She was his weakness… and if she could coerce something out of him, she wasn't above forcing it out of him (though it was a last resort, in his case).
Nevertheless, Sabrina slinked over. "Stiletto, can we talk?" she inquired.
Stiletto shook his head quickly. "Is nothing to discuss," he lied.
Sabrina laid a strong hand on Stiletto's shoulder. "Something's up," she snapped. "What is it?"
"Not a thing," Stiletto insisted, averting his eyes.
The feline turned the crow around. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I know something's bothering you, and you're trying to hide it."
The Italian crow forced his eyes closed. "Sabrina, grazi," he pleaded.
There was silence. Stiletto was determined to hold his ground, and Sabrina was equally as determined to shake that foundation. It was a psychological "staring contest" now- who was going to hold out longer?
"What is going on here??"
The two workers turned their gaze to the door again. This time, an obese green toad stood there, gently petting a soft white caterpillar. He stood there in silence, watching the two stare at him.
Finally, the toad spoke. "Sabrina, release Stiletto," he growled. "He needs to complete my doomsday device." He turned to leave, and stopped briefly. "Besides, today is an anniversary for him- if I were you, I'd buy a cake and a gift. It seems to be the only thing that might lift his spirits."
Once the toad left, Sabrina turned back to Stiletto. "What did the Baron mean by 'anniversary'?" she queried. "What's going on?"
With a heavy sigh, Stiletto finally looked Sabrina in the eye. "Is not something I am proud of," he admitted.
To say the least, Sabrina was curious. "Come on," she pressed. "What's all this about?"
Shaking his head, Stiletto sat down at a nearby work bench. "Is too complicate," he explained. "I would-a not wish to talk about-a this."
Quietly, Sabrina approached the work bench and sat down next to Stiletto. "Talk to me," she said. "I've got all day… and if the Baron's upset, I'll take all the blame."
A small smile crossed the Italian crow's beak. "If-a you must hear," he murmured, "then I shall tell…"
(Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, please- tell me what you think!)