The Beginning of a Beautiful Romance | Basil x Reader

Ratigan's Secret Lair | Chapter 5

"Are you okay?" You ask quietly.

"I'll be fine, thank you." Dawson says to you. "Do you have any idea where we're going?" He asks Basil.

"But of course. Left turn. Right turn here, Doctor." Basil says.

《↬.•.•✿•.•.↫》

Basil lifts up the sewer grate to find Ratigan's lair. "Ah-ha! We found it! Ratigan's secret lair!" He climbs out and holds the grate open for you and Dawson. "And it's filthier than I imagined."

The three of you slowly creep over to the entrance, seeing Olivia curled up in a lantern, seemingly asleep, with her back to you.

"Look...the lantern!" Basil says. You three carefully sneak over to the lantern. Basil tries to unlock the door. "It's stuck!" He grunts.

"Olivia?" Dawson whispers as he knocks on the glass.

When she doesn't respond, you decide to speak. "Are you okay?" You ask softly. "Olivia" turns to you, which was actually Fidget in Olivia's clothes, and he gives you a sinister grin, making a kissy face mockingly.

"SURPRISE!!!" Ratigan's thugs shout, making Basil turn towards them, startled. There was a large banner that reads, "Welcome Basil," with balloons and confetti. Ratigan's thugs cheer mockingly for the three of you and Ratigan stands at the doorway, applauding.

"Bravo! Bravo! A marvelous performance." Ratigan chuckles as he moves towards Basil, who is glaring at him with hatred. The rat pulls out his pocket watch. "Though frankly, I expected you fifteen minutes earlier. Trouble with the chemistry set, old boy?" He asks mockingly.

Basil quickly recovers from the insult and puts on a fake friendly tone. "Ratigan...no one can have a higher opinion of you than I have." His tone quickly becomes hostile. "And I think you're a slimy, contemptible sewer rat!"

Ratigan calmly shuts his pocket watch and puts it away, chuckling. "By the way, Basil, I just love your disguise." He rips off Basil's mustache and his thugs laugh as Ratigan inspects his hat. "Really, one would hardly recognize you. The greatest..." He starts to laugh. "...detective...in all Mousedom!" He laughs harder as he walks away.

Basil is seething with pure rage. "Ratigan, so help me... I'll see you behind bars yet!"

"You fool!" Ratigan gets in his face. "Isn't it clear to you?" He lifts Basil by his collar and shakes him with one hand. "The superior mind has triumphed!" He then drops Basil. "I've won!" Ratigan laughs evilly as Fidget and the rest of his thugs join in.

Basil tries to ignore their mocking but after a moment he slumps in defeat with a depressed sigh.

You and Dawson stare at him in concern. You both really wanted to help but you had no idea how. You hated seeing Basil so sad, it broke your heart.

Ratigan is clutching at his sides in glee. "Oh I love it! I love it! Oh I love it, I love it, I love it!" Ratigan laughs.

⇜✾⇝

Basil and Dawson were now tied to a mousetrap and you and Olivia were trapped in the lantern. You were looking around for a way to escape but you couldn't find one.

"You don't know what a delightful dilemma it was trying to decide on the most appropriate method for your demise. Oh, I had so many ingenious ideas I didn't know which to choose. So, I decided...to use them all." Ratigan makes a grand gesture to reveal a gun, a crossbow, an axe, and an anvil, all of which are aimed directly at the mousetrap. "Marvelous, isn't it? Oh ho... But here, let me show you how it works. Picture this. First, a tune I've recorded especially for you. As the song plays the cord tightens, and when the song ends...the metal ball is released. Rolling along its merry way until..." As he speaks, he gestures to each individual weapon, starting with the mousetrap. "Snap! Boom! Twang! Thunk!" There was a dramatic pause. "SPLAT!" Dawson winces as Ratigan removes his hat in a form of salute. "And so ends the short, undistinguished career of Basil of Baker Street."