Chapter 7: You Can't Stop Fate
There is an old saying "fate is like clockwork", sometimes our lives are written by fate, but other times our fates have yet to be written.
But what happens when fate is tampered with, do you think you can stop it or better yet change it? Do you believe you can turn the hands of fate yourself?
I don't believe anyone can, because one thing was made clear for me…
No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, and no matter what course of action you take. You can't stop what fate has already written.
June 20, 1897 9:12 p.m.
By the time they made it outside, Basil and Anna somehow managed to crawl onto Toby's back and got Toby to stop. Caught up to them, Dawson lifted Olivia up and Anna pulled the girl up behind her. While the doctor was struggling to climb on board, Anna and Olivia helped the poor doctor climb onto Toby's back.
As the four passengers were riding on Toby's back, with Basil holding onto the leash, Toby was sniffing the wet cobblestone streets, searching intently for Fidget's scent. In the meantime, Anna took in her surroundings. After the rain, a heavy fog had filled the streets, looking ghostly in the light of the streetlamps. It certainly gave off a mysterious and haunting atmosphere. Her thoughts came to a halt when Toby came to a stop, then the hound threw his head up and howled while barking, signaling that he had found Fidget's scent. It took her a second to remember that there were no seatbelts as Anna quickly gripped Basil's waist tightly while Olivia wrapped her arms around Anna's waist as Toby took off in a sprint. She could hear Olivia laugh in exhilaration from the speed they were going. Even Anna began to grin a little. This was kinda fun!
"The thrill of the hunt, eh, Dawson?" Basil shouted.
Anna didn't have to turn around to know that Dawson was currently holding onto Toby's tail for dear life. She heard him give a nervous laugh while stuttering, "Q-Quite!"
Anna looked back over her shoulder at the doctor. "You alright back there?"
"F-Fine! I'm having a swell time!" He forced a smile for her.
"Ooo-hoo-hoo! Our peg-legged quarry can't be far now!" Basil exclaimed as they rode off into the fog.
In a darkened shop alley lit by a streetlamp, a closed toy store had a little unexpected visitor inside…
That little visitor was none other than Fidget, he was grunting as he was stuffing another uniform from a toy soldier that he stole, then he goes over to another toy soldier as he strips it naked and stuffs it in his sack. His left eye was bruised and swollen shut, a painful reminder of what that small human lady did to him. What made things even worse for him, he lost his cap and almost got caught by that detective. However, looking back, he still couldn't believe that the rumor about a small human in London was actually true. Even though he already knew about the rumor, that didn't mean he actually believed it. But that all changed the moment he saw her. He knew that he needed to tell Ratigan about this, but for now he had to focus and not let something as trivial as this bother him.
Getting out a pencil and the list that Ratigan gave him, Fidget began checking off the things that he had collected so far. "'Get the following.' 'Tools', check." He puts a check mark right next to the word. "I got tools. 'Gears', double-check." He puts two check marks on the paper. "I got gears. 'Girl', no didn't get girl." He erased the check mark the second he wrote it, remembering that he hasn't got the girl yet. "'Uniforms', I got plenty uniforms." He chuckled at the last part.
Suddenly, there was a howl from a dog coming outside. Looking over at the window, he saw a basset hound howling while three mice and one small human were riding on it's back. Realizing this, he began to panic as he cried, "Oh no! Oh no!" He quickly grabs the remaining of the toy soldiers hats and stuffs them in the sack. "I gotta hide! I gotta hide! Ooo, I gotta hide!"
He ran towards a gearless clown doll, bouncing upwards towards the shelf as he ran to find a place to hide. In the process, the list that he had fell out of his pocket as it drifted towards the ground below.
Anna shushed Toby after he howled again when they arrived at the shop's window. However, before they arrived, she noticed something when they got closer to the toy store. Below the toy store, was the Flaversham toyshop. She never thought that the human store that Fidget was ravaging was the one that was on top of Olivia's home. It was so strange though, she never noticed the little things from watching the movie.
"Oh, calm yourself, Miss Johnson. It's just Toby's way of telling us that we are on the right track," Basil explained in an offhand manner after Anna shushed Toby, mistakenly believing that she was frightened of the noise. "I trained him well."
"Did you also train him to alert the criminal that we have arrived?" Anna glared at the detective.
Basil's jaw dropped. Such a possibility never even crossed his mind. It began to make so much sense as to why Ratigan had managed to slip through his fingers each and every single time. To think that a human woman had so easily caught onto such a flaw in his plan made him uncomfortably rub the back of his neck while averting his eyes away from her. But being exceedingly prideful, he shook his head and glared back at Anna. "You really think you're that clever, aren't you?" he asked in a slight mutter.
"Not quite. I know that I'm clever," Anna smirked. "Maybe I should be a detective in this case?"
Basil scoffed. A female detective? Preposterous! He jumped off the dog and onto the window sill while announcing proudly, "Splendid job, Toby!"
Anna sighed and shook her head. She should've known that Basil wouldn't admit his error. She watched as Olivia walked up to the edge of Toby's nose and held her arms out to Basil while smiling with innocent expectation.
Basil rolled his eyes and breathed out heavily. However, he humoured the child as he spread his arms out for her. Olivia jumped, but not as far as he had hoped. Nearly having a mini heart attack, he lunged forward and snatched her out of the air and pulled her in close. But any second of care or worry that he had vanished as quickly as it came. He pulled Olivia as far away from himself as his arms would allow him before safely setting her down on the window sill. He nudged her away as if to say "run along now".
When it was Anna's turn to jump next, she looked down and much to her relief, it wasn't far of a jump. So with a deep breath, she leapt off of Toby's nose. However, the moment her feet touched the window sill's surface, the back heels of her boots didn't feel anything solid as she started to lose her balance while waving her arms around and gasped sharply.
Seeing her about to fall made Basil quickly grab her hand. He knew he couldn't lose her, due to the fact that she was his only witness and had something that she was hiding from him, losing her would only mean losing the only chance to find out what she knew. So with that, he pulled her forward to safety. However, when Anna's boot touched the hem of her dress, the material ripped as she tripped and stumbled onto Basil as they both fell onto the window sill's surface.
They both groaned as they looked at one another, only for their eyes to widen as they realized that they were in a rather embarrassing position. Anna was lying on top of Basil while Basil was on the ground and Anna on top of him. With Anna's cheeks growing red, the two of them separated from each other. While facing away from one another, Anna was straightening out her dress and noticed a small tear at the hem, but she paid it no mind. "Thanks for that, Basil." She said without looking at Basil, knowing that she could at least thank him for saving her life. But she knew this would never change since he sees her as a witness and was not going to trust her. Possibly because she knew something that he didn't and was going to do everything in his power to find out her little secret.
Basil fixed his coat and tie before straightening his back and holding his head high while saying, "Your welcome, Miss Johnson." With pink-tinted ears, he strode away after Olivia, trying to pretend that nothing happened.
When Dawson was last, he was about to get off of Toby when the dog began to growl at him again. Startled, the doctor smiled nervously and tipped his hat at Toby, moving closer to the edge of his nose. Deciding that Dawson was taking too long, Toby gave a deliberate sniff and sent the mouse tumbling while rolling like a ball on the window sill towards the others. Anna managed to jump back in time, but Dawson bumps into Basil's back, making him grunt as he turns around and sees Dawson lying on his back. He looked at Toby with a stern, but serious look and commanded the dog, "Now, Toby, sit."
Toby just wagged his tail at Basil, ignoring the command.
Growing impatient, Basil marched back to Toby and pointed his finger at him while saying with a strict tone, "Toby, sit."
"Sit, Toby," Olivia pitched in with a friendly tone while lowering her arm in a commanding manner.
Toby sits down while having that same happy expression on his face.
Feeling a twinge of jealousy, Basil glanced down at Olivia while having an unamused look and muttered, "Good boy…" Before brushing past Olivia. "If you'll excuse me."
Olivia stared at him for a moment before turning back to Toby with a smile. "You be good now." She leaned in while whispering, "We're going to find my father."
At the far end of the window sill, Basil was trying to figure out how to get inside while humming to himself. His ears perked up when he heard a squeak. He looked back to see Anna opening a round glass door in the window with her finger in the hole. His eyes widened in surprise as he thought, How did she…
Anna noticed him staring and she smiled cheekily at him.
"Goodness me!" Dawson exclaimed at her discovery. "How could you have possibly-"
"Here, let me show you." Anna interrupted as she went to the doctor.
She lifted Dawson's arm and placed his finger into the hole, then she made him move the door a few times, causing it to squeak. When she went back around the entrance, Dawson said to her through the round glass, "Why, you astound me with that cleverness of yours! Well done, Miss Johnson!"
She gave a slight bow while she said in a posh British accent, "Why thank you, Dawson." Her eyes looked back at Basil. "It was rather elementary." She giggled slightly at the last part, then walked inside while regretting nothing. She always wanted to say those words, even though it meant stealing Basil's thunder. "C'mon, the sooner we find Fidget, the better."
Olivia and Dawson did what Anna said as they both followed her inside, leaving Basil outside glaring behind them while both of his fists clenched in anger. No one realized that his suspicions of that human woman only grew. There was no way that she could have found the entrance so quickly! It simply wasn't possible unless she had known about the secret door beforehand, which made no sense as to why. And that wasn't the worst of it…
She purposely stole his line! Either she did it just to mess with him or just to insult him, it irked him to no end!
"Such cheek!" He spat in agitation while stomping towards the entrance, then closed the window door behind him.
They silently walked through the toy store until Dawson accidentally walked into a giant leg of a female porcelain doll. He tipped his hat while saying, "Oh! I...I beg your pardon, I…" He opened his eyes only to realize what it was exactly he was apologizing to. He, Anna, and Olivia all gaped up at the doll that was staring down rather ominously at them with blank glass orbs.
"Creepy…" Anna muttered.
"Oh, my…" Dawson couldn't help but take a good look around. "Upon my word, I've never seen so many toys."
Olivia was gazing at the wonderful toys while Anna couldn't deny that these toys were wonderful. However, seeing their eyes stare at them made her think, Okay, this is really...spooky.
Suddenly, Basil popped his head out from behind the doll's leg, startling Dawson and Olivia while Anna gasped. "Behind any of which could lurk a bloodthirsty assassin!" He warned threateningly. "So please, doctor, be very careful." He looked at Anna and added, "And that goes double for you as well, Miss Johnson."
Anna crossed her arms while sighing, rolling her eyes, and nodding.
Basil snuck around the doll, pressing his back against the doll's leg while staying hidden in the shadows of its dress. However, he notices Anna walk past him with her hands behind her back, perfectly calm while walking out in the open. She was whistling an unknown tune that not even he could understand the melodies.
Unfortunately, what he doesn't know was that she was whistling the music from the movie Fantasia that she used to watch. It was called: The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Just because she was strolling and had her hands behind her back, that didn't mean her eyes were peeled and her guard was up. She knew that she had to stay calm and find Fidget, she already knew he was here since watching the movie dozens of times, so she was prepared to confront him once again. When she does find him, she is going to beat him to a pulp until he tells her and her friends where Hiram was. Even though this went against the script of the movie, she didn't give a damn anymore. She had to speed up the process and fulfill her promise to Olivia.
However, inside Anna's pocket, the lid of the silver watch opened slightly. It was slowly ticking away while a dimming light was flickering slightly, almost like it sensed her thoughts and was about to change someone's fate.
Basil stepped out of the shadows while straightening out his coat. He stuck his hands in his pockets and began walking normally, all the while glaring daggers at the redhead's back. When his longer legs caught up to her, he grabbed hold of her hand, making her squeak in fright in the process as he twirled her back in a dance-like motion until he was leading the pack again. He gave Anna a superior grin when she stumbled clumsily away from him when he released her hand. Her ankle snagged her leg as she was spun away and Anna fell onto her back.
Anna grunted slightly as she sat up while blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She rubbed her offended hand against her dress, as if trying to rub his touch off. However, an idea formed in her head as she noticed the same tear that appeared at the hem of her dress. With a smug grin, she quietly tore a long piece of her dress while ripping the end off with her teeth, then she quietly went behind Basil when he wasn't looking and tied the fabric onto his tail. She then went to a wheel of a firefighter toy and tied it there.
It took Basil a couple of proud steps when his tail was tugged backwards as he cried "Oomph!" and fell face-first onto the wooden countertop. He nodded his head and rubbed his throbbing jaw, then he narrowed his green eyes as Anna walked past him once more, her head raised while having her hands behind her back and was whistling that same odd tune.
Grumbling to himself, Basil turned to untangle his tail.
While the two of them were trying to outdo the other, Dawson and Olivia followed after them cautiously. They looked around worriedly at their surroundings, not noticing the heated yet strangely playful war going on in front of them.
When they made it to a toy-sized ladder, Basil allowed Anna to go first while smiling at her, much to her confusion as to why. But right before she was about to start climbing, she managed to put two and two together as she looked at him while glaring and saying, "Oh, don't even think about it you perv!" She literally shoved him forward to the ladder, then she pulled him as she whispered sharply at his ear, "Try that again and I'll kick your big bird in the nuts, understand?!"
When she let go of him, Basil gave an odd look while cocking an eyebrow, clearly having no idea what that meant.
When Basil started climbing, Dawson went next when Anna let him go first, then right before Olivia started climbing, Anna bends down and whispers to her, "Word of advice, when you're wearing a dress, don't climb up anywhere if there's any men with you. Don't want those…" She pinches Olivia's nose, making her giggle slightly. "Peeping noses of theirs to look where they shouldn't. You got it?" Olivia nods her head in understanding.
"Alrighty then," Anna nudged Olivia's back to the ladder as she started climbing. "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you." As they continued to climb, she wanted to pay Basil back for nearly pulling a perverted stunt on her. Looking up, she smirked, "Not your best angle, Basil…"
Basil visibly cringed and his ears reddened.
"Miss Johnson!" Dawson protested in a loud whisper while looking behind her, aghast by such scandalous words. Meanwhile, Olivia had no idea what was going on.
"What? I'm not saying it's a bad one either."
Basil had never scaled a ladder so fast in his life.
After that little embarrassing moment, the group finally made it to the top of the shelf with the jack-in-the-box looming over them. The group quietly tiptoed on the shelf, causing the floor beneath them to creak, but Anna had to pause for a moment to think. Wasn't something supposed to happen at this part of the movie?
Deafening music blasted behind them, startling the three individuals as Dawson leaped into Basil's arms and Anna yelped while sharply turning around and covering her mouth with both hands, but she sighs in relief while placing her hands on her chest as she now remembered this part. It was only Olivia who triggered the musical toy fireman band by pulling on the lever. Just out of her own curiosity and amusement.
"Oh! What the...get the...Ohhh!" Basil stammered in frustration, shoving Dawson aside. He leaped towards the band and pulled down the music box's lever, shutting it off as the fireman band went lifeless and limp. "Please!" He said tensely as he was on edge, then he smiled so forced it was actually a grimace while whispering softly, "Quiet." He moved to Anna and glared at her. "She's your responsibility, do not take your eyes off her for even a moment." He then moved onto Dawson and whispered, "Don't let these girls out of your sight."
Dawson saluted on instinct, just like how he did as a soldier. He looked at the girls from the corner of his eye, seeing that they both too were saluting, albeit just for the fun of it. Olivia was smiling and Anna...well she had a comically serious look plastered on her face. The doctor smiled and turned to them while whispering kindly, "Now, my dears, stay close."
Anna nodded and smiled down at Olivia, holding her hand out to her. "Come on, Olivia."
Olivia took hold of Anna's hand and they continued to follow Basil.
Unbeknownst to the four individuals, Fidget was watching them from a high dark shelf as he saw them walk across a blue and black colored chess board.
Meanwhile, Anna was busy searching for any sign of Fidget while keeping her hand gripped to Olivia's hand. Basil came across a rook chess piece in front of him, after already taking his magnifying glass out of his coat. With a smile he hummed "Hmm…" then moved the chess piece in front of the group, nearly causing Anna's heart to leap up into her throat as he proudly whispered, "Checkmate."
Anna scowled, thanking her lucky stars that she didn't ram into the rook face-first. However, looking at the chess board brought back some memories...but they were sad. She remembered long before she played chess, she played checkers. Her father thought it was time to move up to playing a different strategic game, and that was when he taught her how to play this game. After she learned the basics from him, she and her father had always either played checkers or chess. Over the years went by, she and her father had always loved to play either of those two games. But God rest his soul, her father was taken away from her and her mother by cancer. She has never forgotten every advice he taught her, which made her into a better person as she is today. Over time after her father's death, she remembered playing this game and teaching her friends…
She sighed at those memories and put them out of her head. This wasn't the time to be thinking about those memories, she had to focus on the here and now.
When Dawson noticed her downed look, he asked, "Is there something wrong, Miss Johnson?"
"Huh? Oh no, it's nothing." She lied, she didn't want to tell anyone, especially her new friends what she was feeling.
The word "friend" echoed in her mind. It was a memory that was deep within her memories...and it was something painful that she wanted to forget and left to be buried.
"A-ha!" Basil exclaimed silently as he examined the floor with his magnifying glass. "Evidence of our peg-legged adversary," he pointed down to the footprints to Dawson before following after them. He hummed to himself until he came to a halt. He glanced up to see the complete set of toy soldiers in front of him. "Hmm, how very odd," he rubbed his chin in thought as he stared at them.
"What is it, Basil?" Dawson inquired.
"Isn't it painfully obvious, doctor?"
"The soldiers are all naked," Anna muttered offhandedly, not paying much attention to Basil. Her answer was merely a comment to the memory of what was currently happening. She was trying to spot the bat that she knew was watching them from the shadows.
Basil cocked an eyebrow at her, noticing her bizarre behavior. "Yes, quite so…" he agreed slowly, his eyes looking up at the shelves that she was currently scanning with her own eyes. The detective had no idea why she was looking at the shelves with such rapt attention. Though he had to give her credit for her keen if somewhat distracted observation. "These dolls have been stripped of their uniforms," he explained as he leans down to examine the footprints again with Olivia also leaning down to look at the footprints while Anna's hand kept a grip on her from ever leaving her side. "And not by any child, either." He looked up to see Olivia staring at him with a puzzled look.
Turning his head, his eyes lit up as he gasped, "Hello." He rushes over to investigate two wind-up toy dolls, one clown and one monkey. Both of them were hollow and were missing their gears and mechanical parts. "Someone has taken the liberty of removing the clockwork mechanisms from these toys."
"I wonder who?" Anna whispered sarcastically under her breath...that was when she saw him. Fidget's yellow eyes widened as they met hers, his ears standing up in alert. She gasped as she quickly wrapped her arm around Olivia's shoulders, backing up while pointing and shouting, "There!" She accidentally bumps into Dawson, making him grunt as he moves back while his foot stepped on the list that Fidget dropped.
Fidget grew alarmed and dashed.
"What? What is it?" Basil says as he turns to see where Anna was pointing.
"What's wrong?" Dawson asked, wondering what's happening.
"Fidget!" Anna clutched Olivia close to her. "He was there! Watching us!"
Basil looked again, but of course, no one was there.
When Dawson looked to where Anna was pointing, he too didn't see Fidget as he says, "I don't see him anywhere."
Basil sighed and looked at Anna while saying, "Are you sure that your imagination isn't getting the best of you?"
Anna stared at Basil incredulously. "Are you…" she grunted as she covered Olivia's ear while muffling the other ear with her dress. "Are you fricking kidding me! You think that I'm making this up?!"
Dawson looks down to what he stepped on when Anna bumped into him. Looking down, he notices a piece of paper that was underneath his shoe. He moves his foot away from it and picks it up while he hears Basil say to Anna, "I didn't say that. I'm just saying that you were probably imagining things."
Dawson looks at the paper and sees a very strange list.
Anna raises her arms in frustration, letting Olivia go in the process as she says, "That's still saying that I'm making this up! Are you just going to ignore me and pretend like this is nothing so you can let Fidget get away?!"
Basil glared at Anna and pointed his magnifying glass at her. "Now see here!"
Dawson knew that he had to break up this little argument before things got out of hand. Not to mention that he had to show Basil what he discovered as he said, "Uh, Basil."
"Not now, Dawson!" Basil and Anna said in unison.
Soft music was being heard as the four individuals looked around with wide-eyes. A wind-up hat with a puppy emerging from it while barking was heard. Then an Easter bunny with an egg rolled passed them, also playing a merry tune. Then a toy violinist began to play, and one by one, toys were coming to life with no hint of anyone turning them on.
Anna's heart began to beat in fear, for she knew what was going to happen in this part of the movie. Part of her wanted to find Fidget now and make him talk, but the other part of her wanted to protect Olivia. Thinking about this very hard, she started to realize this was starting to become a bad idea. So with that, she chose the latter as she thought, Screw this! She knew that she'll get the chance to punish Fidget later, but right now, she has to keep her promise from Hiram to protect Olivia no matter what.
Right before she was about to get Olivia, she was stopped by Basil when she turned around as his hand was on her shoulder and she heard him say, "And where do you think you're going?"
She looks at Basil while shoving his hand away from her shoulder. "I'm taking Olivia and I'm going outside."
She turned around, but was stopped by Basil again as he grabbed her arm while saying to her, "That is out of the question, Miss Johnson."
She looks at Basil again, this time with an angry look on her face, she didn't have time to be dealing with him. "Basil...let go," she said with a low tone of voice.
"No, you are not leaving my side for any reason, Miss John-" Basil was cut off as Anna kicked his shin hard, making him hop on one foot while clutching it and painfully saying "Ow! Oh-Ooo!"
"First of all," Anna places her hands on her hips. "Stop calling me 'Miss Johnson', it's Anna!" She looks at Dawson, "And that goes double for you as well, Dawson!"
She grunted and thought, Ugh, Miss Johnson this, Miss Johnson that, it feels like I'm a damn school teacher! It's fricking annoying!
When she turned to see Olivia...she wasn't there. She looks around, then she turns to Dawson and asks, "Where's Olivia? Wasn't she with you?"
When Anna asked that, Dawson also looked, but couldn't find Olivia. "She was, but I thought that…" He saw Anna's face turned pale as she was staring at something. He didn't know what it was she was staring at, but he did realize something was wrong so he asked, "Miss Jo-I-I mean, Anna, what's wrong?"
What Anna was staring at...was the bubbles, and she knew that revelation.
"Oh my God." Anna muttered as she ran.
"Anna! Where are you going?"
Dawson looked at Basil, who was still massaging his sore shin as he told Dawson, "Go after her, Dawson! Don't worry about me!" Dawson ran after Anna, just as Basil finished massaging his sore shin. The pain dulled, but he said with a scowled look, "Confound that infuriating woman!" With that, he went to catch up with Dawson.
Back with Anna, she took another turn, following to where the parade of bubbles were. When she found a Dumbo bubble toy...she heard that same demonic laughter and heard Olivia scream. She looks as her eyes widened and she gasps, seeing Fidget holding onto Olivia by the scruff of her coat while wearing a pink bonnet after coming out of a toy baby cradle.
Seeing Olivia in danger, Anna sprinted straight towards Fidget.
"Gotcha-oof!" Fidget felt someone collide at him, just before he was about to stuff the girl in the sack. Olivia was flung off of Fidget's hand and landed on the ground, she sat up to see Anna wrestling with Fidget.
"Go Olivia!" Anna yelled.
"Anna-"
"GO NOW!" She shouted.
Olivia quickly got up and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Fidget was struggling to get Anna off of him as he says while grunting, "Let go of me!"
"You wanna be let go, alright."
She picks up Fidget and tosses him, making him scream slightly as he collides with the toy baby cradle, knocking that down along with his pink bonnet. Anna roughly shoves the toy cradle out of her way, her eyes locked on Fidget.
Fidget groans while shaking and clutching the side of his head, trying to get rid of the dizziness. He felt a hand clutched his shoulder, then his ears heard that human woman's voice, "You and I have unfinished business, Fidget."
"Huh?" Was the last thing that Fidget said when he looked at her and saw a fist coming at him.
Olivia kept on running, but bumps into Dawson. She yelped in fright when she thought that Fidget came back for her, but Dawson says calmly to her, "Olivia, it's alright, it's me." Seeing that it was only Dawson and Basil standing next to him, Olivia hugs Dawson as he hugged her back.
Olivia looks at Dawson as he asks her, "Where's Anna?"
"She's in trouble!"
They heard a painful groan coming from Fidget.
Basil passes them with Dawson and Olivia following him. However, the moment when he made the same turn that Anna took...his eyes widened. When Dawson and Olivia caught up, Basil held out a hand to stop them.
"Basil, what's going on?" Dawson says as he and Olivia grew closer.
"Dawson, keep the child back!"
That came a little too late as both Dawson and Olivia gasped at what they were seeing…
Anna was brutally beating Fidget, they could hear her fist connecting Fidget's body everytime she hit him. Dawson quickly turns Olivia to face him while hugging her, keeping her eyes away from this horrible scene.
"WHERE IS HE YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Anna shouted at Fidget as she hit him again, this time at his gut, making the air come out of Fidget. She was completely oblivious to the three mice staring behind her. Bringing Fidget up to face her, she hits him multiple times through each word, "WHERE. IS. HIRAM!"
Fidget was stumbling after that last hit, but then...something within Anna's mind broke through. The moment when she hit Fidget, a flashing image appeared for a brief moment...but it was something that she recognized all too well. She goes over to Fidget and hits him again while she thought of that one word that she never wanted to think of, but her thoughts kept her going while a flashing image came and went.
I won't fail…
An image of someone lying dead on the floor…
I can't fail…
After hitting Fidget, blood and a single tooth came out of his mouth, splattering the floor with spittles and the tooth pinged while landing. But that image changed to a white tiled floor with the blood remaining as it is and the tooth changing to a bullet casing…
I shouldn't fail…
Fidget stumbled backwards, he was breathing heavy and was starting to lose balance. He raises a single hand, telling her that she could stop so he could tell her what he knew…
But instead, Anna's eyes widened when another flashing memory came back…
Fidget was changed to a young man, closer to her age as he was holding a pistol towards her.
Seeing this brought fury into her eyes as she shouted and uppercutted Fidget, just as the image flashed and she could hear the sound of a gunshot within the back of her mind, making her clutch her shoulder as if a phantom pain from a long ago past came back to her.
Fidget was flung into the air, blood came out of his mouth again as it stained his clothes. He landed at the wall by his back as he slid and collapsed while groaning and coughing up blood.
When Anna looked at Fidget on the ground, the fury in her eyes hadn't left her, but tears began to flow with sadness, anger...and regret. She went towards Fidget and was about to kick him hard in the gut with her boot. But Basil, seeing enough of this savagery coming from Anna, quickly ran towards her to stop this, just as her foot was raised and she shouted. He grabs her shoulders, but Anna was fighting him as he said, "Miss Johnson stop! That's enough!" He forcibly turns her around to face him. "Enough! Are you trying to kill him?!"
Seeing Basil made Anna's eyes blink, bringing her back to reality. She looks at Fidget, seeing his face bruised here and there while blood was coming out of his nose and mouth, then she looks at Dawson and Olivia, who had a horrible look on his face to see her go from a kind young human to a savage she-demon. She then looked at her hands, the knuckles were raw and red and she could feel some of the sting's from when she hit Fidget, and they were covered with blood...Fidget's blood.
Horrified for what she almost did, tears were pouring out of her eyes. She walked passed Basil while staring at her shaking bloodied hands, then sat down to where the toy cradle used to be.
Dawson, seeing that Anna's hands were hurting, slowly went towards her while taking out a handkerchief. The first thing he did before her hands was wipe away the tears that were coming out of her eyes. She was completely oblivious, her mind going blank for what she nearly did, but gasped and jumped when she felt someone touch her face.
"It's alright, Anna," Dawson says calmly. "It's alright."
He began carefully drying her eyes until the tears were all but wiped away from her face. "There, that's better," Dawson smiled. "Now then," he carefully lifts her bloody hands, then carefully starts to wipe away the blood using his handkerchief, but she takes the handkerchief and starts to quickly wipe away the blood, it was starting to scare her. "Easy Anna!" He covered his hands with hers, making her stop before she hurts herself even more. "Easy," he said calmly and helped her slowly wipe away the blood without touching the knuckles until all the blood was dried off her hands.
"Dawson," Basil called as he tilted his head.
Dawson went towards Basil, leaving Olivia alone with Anna.
Olivia slowly went towards Anna, she placed a hand onto Anna's lap, drawing her attention to her as she looks at those innocent childlike eyes. "Anna."
Seeing those eyes made Anna feel guilty, she didn't want Olivia to see what she did, she only thought about Hiram and wanting to keep her promise to find her father no matter what it takes. However...what was it truly worth? That was the one question she never thought of.
"Olivia," Anna breathed a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."
She bends down and hugs Olivia while she hugs her back. However, from the corner of her eye, Olivia saw something glow.
Back with Dawson, Basil had already said to him, "Check Fidget."
Nodding, Dawson lifts Fidget back on his back and presses two fingers on his neck while placing his ear on his chest. He looked at the detective while he asked the doctor, "Well, how is he?" Basil was hoping that his only lead to finding both the missing toymaker along with finding his arch-nemesis, wouldn't have died without answering his questions. However, if Fidget did die at the hands of that human woman, then he has some questions as to why Anna would just kill Fidget with so much savagery.
Much to his relief, Dawson says, "He's fine, but he's hurt pretty bad."
"Anna!" They heard Olivia's voice. "Anna, your pocket is glowing!"
Dawson and Basil turn to look at the two girls, but saw something glowing when Anna took it out of her pocket.
"What the devil," Basil says.
When Olivia saw the light coming from the silver watch, she was immediately marveled at such a thing. But for Anna, she had an odd look on her face.
"What's it doing?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know," Anna answered. "It has never done this before."
Ever since Anna was given the silver watch from Mr. Moriarty, she's seen it's power when she was warped through time and saw how the hands moved, but something struck odd…
While the hand continued to spin as it became a blur, the other two hands were going in opposite directions. The big hand went left while the little hand went right. It was like the silver watch went completely outta whack. Light began to build up...then flash as all four of the individuals covered their eyes with their hands. When the light died down, Anna and Olivia saw that the hands continued to go in opposite directions…
The earth began to shake, making the two girls yelp as they clung to one another. Basil and Dawson were trying to keep their balance as well from the mysterious earthquake. But then, the toys began to fall off the shelves one by one.
When a top landed close to where Anna and Olivia were, they yelped again and backed away. Seeing the toys coming down at them, Basil says to Dawson, "Carry Fidget, but we must leave, now!"
Dawson picks up Fidget, carries him by his back, and starts running with Basil, just as a toy block landed from where they ran. Anna picks up Olivia and runs with the two mice while saying to the little child, "Hold onto me, Olivia!"
The three individuals were both running and carrying their cargo while dodging toys here and here as dolls shattered upon landing.
Outside the toy store, all of London was feeling the earthquake. Toby was barking as if trying to tell Basil to get out of there, but began whimpering when the streetlamps began to pop, then grey storm clouds were hanging over the city. Lightning blazed over the sky, scaring Toby as he made a run for it while continuing to whimper.
At the clocktower, Big Ben's hands were moving on their own, as if some unknown force was compelling the hands to move the same way as the silver watch did. But then, when the hands reached the top…
Lightning struck the clocktower, making Big Ben's bell chime with a loud bong, destroying all four faces of the clocktower as the electricity traveled to the tip of the tower and a flash of lightning came out of it. It traveled all the way to the toy store and the moment the lightning touched the store, the glass shattered as all four of the individuals were hit by the force of the lightning, making all four them scream as they were pushed off the shelf, toys were flung here and there as they were falling down to the floor.
Time seemed to slow down for the five victims who were about to fall to their deaths. However, the silver watch that Anna had was flung out of her hand, and landed on the countertop. Then as if by luck, chance, or quite possibly fate itself, the silver watch's middle button was hit, then bounced as it hit the left button.
The silver watch flashed with light, then like someone hitting the pause button...everything stopped. They were suspended in midair while frozen in place, all four of the individuals had frightened looks with the exception of Fidget since he was still unconscious. Everything remained still and quiet…
But that came to an end when fast ticking came, the hand once again became a blur while the other two hands went backwards. This continued for about a second until a loud Tick-Tock-Tick came as the hands changed to 9:14, four minutes before the events started…
Then everything was engulfed in white light.
Anna was blinded by white light, her body stood still and frozen, she didn't know how long she stood there…
That was until Basil spoke to her, "Miss Johnson, did you not hear what I just said?"
Anna blinked her eyes, the light completely disappearing from her vision, as if it was never really there. She saw Basil who had his hand on her shoulder and said to her, "I said, where do you think you're going?"
She shoves his hand away and says, "I'm taking Olivia and…" She stopped herself and said the last three words slowly, "I'm...going...outside." She blinked her eyes and thought, Wait a second, didn't I say that before?
"That is-"
"Out of the question, Miss Johnson," Anna cut Basil off, somehow already knowing what he was going to say next.
"Yes, that's…" Basil stopped himself as he looked at Anna with a confused look. "Wait a moment? How did you know how I was going to say that?"
Anna was just as confused as he was. "Deja vu," she muttered.
"I beg your pardon?"
She looked away from Basil, confused while trying to figure something out.
Seeing her confusion, Dawson asked, "Miss Johnson, is there something wrong?"
Anna looks at Dawson and glares at him while saying to him with her hands on her hips, "Dawson, what did I tell you about calling me Miss Johnson, it's Anna!" She blinked her eyes again while having a confused look and said, "Wait, what did I just say?"
Dawson and Basil looked at one another, confused as to why Anna was acting so strangely. However, Dawson noticed something in her hand as he asked, "Miss Jo-I-I mean, Anna, why do you have that watch out?"
"What are you talking abou-" Anna stopped herself as she saw the silver watch in her left hand. Somehow, for some odd reason...she could've sworn that she lost the watch. "How did…" she muttered, now even more confused and trying to figure out what's going on.
Dawson and Basil looked at one another again, then Basil crossed his arms and said, "Well, whatever the reason, this is no time to be gazing at that watch."
"Time...time…" Anna muttered and looked at her reflection from the silver watch after Basil mentioned the word "time". She thought really hard...then it hit her as she partially remembered some things. "That light."
"What light?" Basil says.
Anna looks at her hands, she remembers that she hit Fidget and they were bloody and raw, but they weren't there, almost like it never actually happened. Then she looks around and notices the toys remained where they were. She even didn't feel the earth shake beneath her feet. Looking at Basil and Dawson, she hoped that one of them must know something so she asked, "Don't you two remember anything?"
"Remember what, Anna?" Dawson says.
"The earthquake, lightning, and uh-"
"What are you babbling about?" Basil says with an unamused look.
"You mean you don't remember? It happened right after Olivia was-" Anna stopped herself after mentioning the girl's name. She looks around for Olivia, but couldn't find her. "Where's Olivia?"
They heard Olivia's scream, making the three individuals whirl around.
"Oh my God! Noooo!" Anna took off in a fast run knowing where the direction of where that scream was coming from.
"Quickly, doctor!" Basil exclaimed as he and Dawson followed after Anna.
Anna was the first to pursue Fidget, seeing him carrying a sack with Olivia already inside it. "Come back here you little freak!" Her eyes were focused on Fidget, her thoughts about what happened earlier faded from her mind and was replaced with the same thought from earlier when she finds Fidget…
She was going to beat him to a pulp until he told them where Hiram is.
In an effort to lose his pursuers, Fidget pushes a giant toy wheel with bells and a rabbit at the center.
"Ahh-ya-haa! Look out!" Basil shouted as all three of them ran back the other way. Anna leapt to one side and Basil to the other, grabbing Dawson by the coat and rolling out of harm's way. The mice landed on a "Round the World" map and watched as the toy wheel rolled passed them. Before they could sigh in relief, another female giant porcelain doll swayed precariously and fell towards them. They tried to run off the map as they rolled the pictures of the globe below them like a treadmill. Luckily, it ran out of map and they were flung forward before the doll crashed. A piece of the face rolled at Dawson, who flinched when it blinked creepily at him. Basil was the first to get back onto his feet and continue the chase while Anna was already ahead of him.
Fidget snickered darkly and wound up a jousting knight on a horse before sending it racing towards them.
Anna, who had already known that it was coming, easily avoided it by running to the side and continued after Fidget. Basil and Dawson only had a second to react. Thinking fast, Basil jumped up and grabbed a hold of a trumpet, allowing the toy to zoom under him. Poor Dawson wasn't so lucky. The lance caught his coat and Dawson found himself on a backwards ride. The knight crashed as the lance shot forward like a dart, hitting a perfect bullseye with Dawson on it.
Letting go of his hold of the trumpet, Basil lands back on the ground and glares at Fidget. But without warning, the fireman band came to life and his face got smacked by the cymbals. His body shook and stumbled while having a silly expression on his face, then he collapsed into a pile of marbles, sending them flying everywhere. Some of the marbles were sent into Dawson's direction, he managed to dodge only four, but the last marble managed to hit him straight in the face as he had his own silly expression. However, one stray marble was heading for Anna's direction, she almost came close to Fidget while saying, "Hold on Olivia! I'm com-" SMACK! The marble hits her at the back of her head, causing her to topple headfirst while sliding and having her hands out, knocking her out cold.
The silver watch's lid opened by itself, it's flashing dimming light continued for a few seconds, then died while it continued to tick. It was almost like things were supposed to go the way they should be. Fate was corrected.
Fidget laughed at their misfortune while pointing at the girl and saying, "That oughta teach ya from throwing something at my face, girly!" Then he waves mockingly at them. "Bye-bye! Bye-bye!" He opens the window, only to be met with a growling Toby. The dog barked angrily and Fidget slammed the window shut behind him, his one exit blocked. He looked and saw an open window on the roof. Seeing that as his only exit, he makes a run for it, losing his pink bonnet in the process while climbing up a cash register and flinging himself up by the lever, ringing the register as "No Sale".
"Stop, you fiend!" Basil shouted after regaining his senses, then he jumped on a white horse spring toy as he bounced after Fidget. He easily scaled the shelves with each bounce, though he did crash once he made it to the top. He rolled across the surface until he found himself at the foot of a tower with various stacks of toys, which he began to climb.
Once he made it, he saw Fidget at the top standing on a toy block, then he leapt for him. But the bat jumped and used his almost useless wings to propel him up high enough so he could latch onto the ceiling. Basil fell onto the top block, causing it to become unbalanced as the tower crumbled and he was falling towards the ground with the toys also falling down with him.
Fidget smirked and cackled evilly before he swung the sack onto the roof.
Olivia grunted while shouting, "Help! Uncle Basil! Anna, help!" But sadly, her cries for help were muffled inside the sack.
Fidget climbs out through the open window and onto the roof, then he picks up the sack again. With the bat victorious, he hops across many roofs and chimneys to get back to Ratigan's lair. He starts singing to himself, "I got the gears, I got the tools, I got the uniforms! I got the girl!" He starts laughing at the melodies that he sings.
Back inside the toy store, everything was a complete mess, various toys were scattered all over the place. Dawson was searching through the mess of toys, hoping to find Anna and Basil, but luckily for him, he managed to find Anna. She was sprawled on the floor by her front. He goes to her and checks her vitals, only to find out she was just knocked out, which he breathed a sigh of relief. He gently taps her face and says, "Anna. Anna, wake up."
Anna groans and opens her eyes, her vision was blurry at first, but came too as she saw Dawson who asked her, "Are you alright?"
She sits up while rubbing her forehead and groaning, "Oh, I think so. But my head hurts."
Dawson checks her head and finds a bruise at the back of her head, it wasn't serious so he says to her, "You should be fine."
He helps her back on her feet, then she says while looking at Dawson, "Where's Olivia?"
Dawson nods his head at her. "I'm sorry," he says while frowning.
Anna buries her head at her hands, feeling the face of the silver watch. She was trying to fight the tears that would soon fall out of her eyes. However, her head shot up as she remembered something while she said with a small gasp, "Basil."
She runs past Dawson while closing the lid and putting the silver watch back in her pocket. Dawson runs after her while saying, "Anna, where are you going?"
Anna began searching through the mess, hoping to find Basil, but then came the repeating monotonous call of a doll saying, "Mama...mama...mama…" She hurries to where the noise was coming from with Dawson who managed to catch up with her. They pushed aside a toy boat and drum, then looked up to see Basil who was alive and in one piece. But he was agitated as his legs were tangled by the doll's pull string, and he was bouncing up and down like a bungee cord while struggling to untangle himself.
"Basil, Olivia!" Dawson cried as he and Anna ran towards the bouncing detective. "Olivia, she's...she's…"
"Yes! She's gone, Dawson!" Basil cut him off angrily as he continued to bounce up and down. "Confound it! I told you to watch over the girl!"
Dawson tried to catch Basil, but was unable to. Anna tried to do the same, but had to move back when he managed to untangle himself and landed flat on the floor with a thud.
Basil stood back up while getting the Inverness cape off of his face and turned his attention to Anna. "And I told you to not take your eyes off her for even a moment after I held you responsible for-"
"Well, it's not my fault!" Anna interrupted, "If you hadn't stopped me from taking Olivia outside in the first place-"
"Alright, but you," Basil points angrily at her. "If you hadn't made up some mad story about some 'light' and gazing at that blasted watch, you would've noticed that she was out of your sight! But now, because of both of you!" Basil looked at Dawson, who cringed at his harsh words, but for Anna...her right fist tightened because he had unintentionally cut a wound that laid close to her already painful heart. Even though he was right on some levels, she knew that he was wrong because she saw through his mistakes. "She's been spirited away by that maniacal little monster!" He stormed past them, clenching his fists angrily at the sides. "Soon to be in the clutches of the most depraved mind in all of London! I should have known better than to-"
He was cut off when he turned around, only to face a glaring Anna, her eyes were already pouring tears since she could no longer hold back the dam of emotions anymore. Seeing those eyes, he could see the pain through them, along with the sadness...anger...regret...and guilt. That last emotion that she was feeling now, was cutting an even deeper wound that Basil could not see.
"Known better than to what?" She asked in an eerily calm tone, though the waver in her voice suggested otherwise. "To alert the entire street of our presence by letting Toby howl away when he found something?" Her voice grew with each word. "To ignore me after I told you where Fidget was!" She stood inches away from his face. "And what did you do after I told you...NOTHING!" She slapped his shoulder. "YOU STOOD THERE AND DID NOTHING!" She continued to slap his shoulder as fresh tears were squeezed out of her eyes. "YOU STOOD THERE AND LET FIDGET TAKE HER FROM ME!" Basil stood back as she collapsed on her knees, breathing a shaky breath as she continued, "If anyone should take the blame, it should be me! I never should've brought Olivia here in the first place, but I was only thinking about her father!"
Seeing the emotional hurt that she was in, Basil felt guilty while he sighed slightly. Wanting to try to help calm her down, he reaches out a hand to her while saying, "Miss Johnson, I-"
Anna slaps his hand away with a loud smack while cutting him off by saying, "Stop calling me, Miss Johnson! It's Anna!" Dawson went to her and hugged her while she continued, "Maybe you were right, Basil. She was my responsibility, I promised Hiram to protect her, and I even promised Olivia to find her father no matter what it takes. But how can I keep a promise if I can't protect them or even keep a promise, because I...I...I failed them!" She buries her face on Dawson's coat, crying her eyes out from losing not just one friend but two. What became even worse, she didn't want to say the one word which would hurt her heart even more than it is. She slightly taps Dawson's chest with her fist, it didn't physically hurt him, due to using up all her anger at Basil. "Why?" She muttered softly, hoping that her voice would be muffled through Dawson's coat. "Why does it have to be this way? Why is it that every time I try to help someone...I end up losing them."
A flashing image came as she saw four graves and four tombstones.
Dawson looked at Basil, trying to tell him that he needed to talk to her. He knew that it wasn't just her fault it was also his, but seeing her shoulder all that guilt and blame towards herself wasn't going to change anything from the outcome.
Basil sighs again, bends down and says to Anna, "Miss John-I mean, Anna. I'm sorry, none of this is your fault."
"He's right you know," Dawson says as Anna looks at him. "Don't put the blame all on yourself. In fact, the fault is also mine." He sighs as he continued, "I should have watched her more closely."
Anna sniffed and rubbed her eyes while saying, "Will we get her back?"
"Of course we will!" Basil exclaimed while spreading his arms. "We'll get her back!"
Dawson helped Anna on her feet as she said to him, "You mean it?"
"Of course, I give you my word."
"Wait are you-"
"Yes Anna," he interrupted, knowing what she was going to say as he took her hand. "I promise that I will help you find Olivia and Hiram."
"No matter what it takes?"
"No matter what it takes," he smiles at her.
Anna hugs Basil, catching him completely off guard as she says to him, "Thank you, Basil." A stray tear escaped her eye.
Basil clears his throat and gently moves Anna away from him while saying, "Yes, it was my pleasure, Anna."
"Uh, Basil," Dawson says as Basil and Anna look at him. "Do you think there's a chance?"
With a smile, Basil takes out his pipe and a single match from out of his coat and declares, "There's always a chance, doctor." He struck a match against the toy jester's nose so he could light up his pipe. "As long as one can think." The detective took a few puffs from his pipe, then tossed the burnt match aside as he began to pace, going deep within his thoughts.
Knowing what Anna must do next in order to speed up the process, she whispers to Dawson, "Read the list."
"What?" Dawson says with a confused look.
She shushed him and whispered again, "Read the list."
Dawson was surprised as he too whispered, "How could you possibly-"
"Forget that and just read it."
"Uh...alright," he takes the list out of his pocket. Wondering how or why she would know about the list that he found? Putting it out of his head for now, he scrunches his eyes while trying to read the splattered chicken scratch. "Get the following: Tools, gears…"
"What?" Basil muttered as he went to Dawson and looked at the list.
"...Girl…Uni-"
"Get the…" Basil quickly snatches the list off of Dawson's hands. He reads it while examining it closely, then his face lit up with excitement. "Dawson, you've done it!" He exclaimed. "This list is precisely what we need!" He ran past Dawson and Anna towards the window.
"What?" Dawson says confused.
"Quickly, back to Baker Street!" Basil yelled as he bounded over some toys and picked up his deerstalker hat while opening the window as he went outside.
Anna takes Dawson's hand and runs, making him cry "oof" as he was trying to keep his balance from her uncontained excitement while saying to him, "C'mon Dawson, this adventure is far from over!"
Seeing Anna happy and determined to find her two friends made Dawson chuckle, knowing that there was hope for this human now that Basil made a promise to her.
As they got outside, they all mounted on Toby's back, who was wagging his tail excitedly while waiting patiently for his master, and this time Toby didn't even growl at Dawson when he too was mounted.
And with that, they headed back to Baker Street, determined to find and rescue the toymaker and his daughter.
At the clocktower, Big Ben's faces remained as they were, as if they were never destroyed from before. The hands went from 9:20 to 9:21, everything was running smoothly…
And fate remained unchanged for the moment, everything was moving exactly like clockwork.
Finally! After months of tireless work, I've finally finished all the chapters that was originally made by the original author! All the chapters had received a new makeover while extending and changing some parts while still keeping somewhat of the material intact, so now it's finally over...
However, that doesn't mean the story is over. So from now on, from the next chapter and onwards to the end will be made by yours truly! I hope with your continued support that you'll love the other chapters made only by me. But other than that, thank you so much for your kind support!
Oh, big shout out to Lilgrimmapple, because if it wasn't for her this story wouldn't have been reborn. So a big thank you for giving me this opportunity to write this story. All seven of these chapters are dedicated to you, and with you also supporting me, that means a lot to me. So I hope from the rest of the story you'll continue giving me that big support.
Anyway, now the stage will soon be set, and it's the moment you've all been waiting for...
The meeting of the Napoleon of Crime! How will Anna react to this, who was this "informant" that he spoke of before, what kind of twists and turns that our heroes will face? Find out next time in the next chapter!
Well, I'll see y'all later for now!