The Great Mouse Detective X OC

Did you say bat?

Mrs Judson almost immediately emerged from the kitchen after hearing the gun shot, distress overtaking her face as she cried out, "What in Heaven's name? Oh, oh, my..." 

Her eyes widened in horror at the scene before her. Seemingly thousands of feathers fell around the room, some getting in her mouth making her cough and spit them out. She then frantically grabbed at a few, spluttering out, "My good pillows."

There was a sadness in her eyes but it quickly disappeared, being replaced with rage. She clenched her tiny fists and glared over at Basil, who was too busy searching for the bullet to notice her anger.

"Mr Basil!"

His head shot up as his angry housekeeper marched towards him, her finger held up accusingly as she prepared herself to argue with him. "How many times have I told you not to- "

Her words were cut off as Basil put on his most charming of smiles and placed his arms around her shoulders, giving one a reassuring pat as he coaxed out, "There, there, Mrs Judson. It's quite alright." He took a quick sniff in the air before continuing, "Mmm. I believe I smell some of those delightful cheese crumpets of yours. Why don't you fetch our guests some?"

He pushed her towards the kitchen door, despite some struggle on her part. He put a hand on the door knob, using the other to try and push it closed while Mrs Judson protested. It all fell on deaf ears as he closed the door tightly then turned around with an annoyed yet determined look.

"Now." He got on his hands and knees, crawling around as he searched for the bullet. "I know that bullet's here somewhere."

He stopped his mumbling when a woman's boot stepped in front of him and his eyes slowly drew up. Past a long plaid skirt and tightly fitted coat, finally stopping on a pair of piercing green eyes that glared down at him. They were very familiar eyes, including the glare that came with them, and it didn't take him long to recognize the figure before him.

"Ah, Lena. What a pleasant surprise." He greeted with a smile as he stood up to face her properly.

Her glare seemed to intensify as she growled out, "That's Detective Ashwyn to you, Basil! And," She held the bullet in front of his face, shaking it slightly in anger. "Must I teach you proper gun safety again? You've clearly forgotten all about it."

Basil basically ignored her words as he grinned, grabbing the bullet and rushing over to another table. Lena sighed, wanting to pull out her hair in the process. Only three sentences in and she already felt like wringing his scrawny neck.

Olivia attempted to get another word in with Basil but he was quick to shush her. This did not sit well with Lena.

"Basil, take my advice for once and listen to Miss Flaversham. You're going to want to hear this." The young woman attempted to gain his interest over to Olivia's plight but it didn't seem to work. Basil was now in his own world, just him and his clues.

"But I'm so close to cracking this case." He replied quickly, comparing his bullet to another one he had dug out of a drawer, under a microscope.

It seemed to be going well at first, Basil mumbling 'yes' a few times here and there. But, it wasn't until he made one last turn of the bullets, that it all soon fell to pieces. The bullets didn't match. His reaction made this fact painfully obvious.

"NOOOOOOOOOO! Drat! Another dead end." Basil's body slouched as he disappointingly picked up his bullet, throwing it over his shoulder. He dejectedly walked over to his chair, dramatically clenching his fists to his chest as he expressed, "He was within my grasp!" Before slumping onto his chair.

Lena somewhat sympathized with Basil. He never really got discouraged like this unless it had something to do with Ratigan. She could understand his disappointment. Ratigan was cunning and clever. Even though everyone knew he was guilty for one horrible thing or another, it didn't seem to matter. He always managed to slip away just in time and leave no evidence that he had actually done anything wrong. And, sadly, in Lena and Basil's world, they needed evidence if they wanted to see Ratigan's smug face behind bars.

In a way, this case could only be fully understood by them. They had worked on it longer than any other. It bonded them in some strange way and Lena sort of took comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one worrying and working hard on Ratigan's case.

As Basil sadly began to play his violin, Lena encouragingly pushed Olivia towards him. With her determination returning, Olivia made her way over to him, taking a breath before she explained herself.

"Now, will you please listen to me? My daddy's gone and I'm all alone."

Basil looked over at her but his depressed expression that was unchanging. "Young lady, this is the most inopportune time."

Lena groaned at his dramatic behavior. "Basil, listen to her."

"Lena, this isn't the- "

"Detective Ashwyn, to you!"

He ignored her correction, deciding to focus his gaze on Olivia instead. "Surely your mother knows where he is."

Olivia looked down sadly as she mumbled, "I...I don't have a mother."

Basil sprung up in shock, an unattractive screeching noise coming from his violin in the process. He looked at the young girl, his demeanour somewhat remorseful as he tried to correct himself. Lena thought it was a little entertaining to see him so jittery and it brought a small smile to her face.

It didn't last as he groaned before declaring, "See here! I simply have no time for lost fathers."

Olivia glared, hands placed firmly on her hips as she angrily stated, "I didn't lose him. He was taken by a bat."

At the mention of this, similar to what had happened when Lena first heard it, Basil's ears perked up. His eyes widened as he looked at the girl before moving his gaze over to Lena, who gave him a smug 'I-told-you-so' smirk.

"Bat?" He mumbled, quickly turning back to Olivia. "Did you say bat?"

"Yes..."

"Did he have a crippled wing?"

"I don't know. But he had a peg leg!"

At this, Basil sprang up, right on top of his chair, arms victoriously raised in the air. "Ha!"

"I say, do you know him?" Dawson inquired, looking at the mouse curiously.

Lena was the one to answer, "We both do."

"Lena is right!"

"Detective Ashwyn!"

Brushing her off, Basil sat on top of his chair's back, pointing his violin bow at Dawson as he continued to explain, "That bat, one Fidget by name, is the employ of the very fiend who was the target of my experiment. Our most notorious foe. The horror of my every waking moment. The nefarious Professor Ratigan!"

He pointed his bow at a picture on his fireplace mantle. It was of a smartly dressed rat smiling smugly at whoever was taking the picture. Lena's blood boiled at the very sight of him. The dirty rat who had killed her partner in cold blood and who had plagued her thoughts constantly. His case file, that sat tauntingly on her desk, always getting larger while the chances of catching him had gotten slimmer.

"Ratigan?" Dawson questioned which set Lena off as she explained.

"He's a genius, Dawson. A genius twisted for evil. The Napoleon of Crime!"

"As bad as all that, eh?"

Basil suddenly appeared behind them as he emphasized his next words, "Worse. For years, we have both tried to capture him and we've come close, so very close, but each time he's narrowly evaded our grasps." They all stared at the picture once more, as if Ratigan himself was now staring down at them, mocking them as he was just beyond their reach as Basil continued, "Not a corner of London is safe while Ratigan's at large. There's no evil scheme he wouldn't concoct. No depravity he wouldn't commit. Who knows what dastardly scheme that villain may be plotting even as we speak..."