A Mystery To End All Mysteries

Chapter 1: Help Required

In London on a quiet little street was a toy shop. This was owned by Hiram Flaversham, one of the finest toy makers in all of London. His only daughter Marinette Flaversham was a simple mouse who had a dark secret to hide. Being the London Gun Slinger, one of the most notorious criminals along side Jack The Ripper and Professor Ratigan. No one seemed to know her intentions were to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. She'd only ever killed criminals but the law and detectives still saw it as murder.

The eve before Marinette's twenty first birthday. Hiram was at his work station working on a new wooden toy, while Marinette was sitting in the front window reading over the newspaper. Her bright green eyes scanned over her front page coming across a section on Jack The Ripper killing more female mice.

"That boy is gonna get himself in a lot of trouble if he's not careful" Marinette thought to herself as she started to think about her best friend doing something stupid and slipping up.

She folded the newspaper and placed it beside her, looking over towards her father working on a toy. A small smile crept on her face, going back to when she was younger when she'd sit there for hours watching him work. Gracefully Marinette hopped down from the window and went over to the work bench, taking a seat opposite her father. She grabbed a wind-up flower bud and started to draw intricate designs on the petals. Hiram looked up from his work and saw his daughter working on the design of the wind-up flower.

He smiled slightly as he watched his daughter, knowing tomorrow she wouldn't be happy when he told her something that would shatter her world completely. Hiram carried on watching the fine art work his daughter was putting on one of his hand made toys. Marinette looked up slightly and smiled at her father.

"Look at my little girl... taking after me" Said Hiram as he strolled over to his daughter, she stood up and they both embraced each other tightly.

She giggled slightly and looked up at her father.

"What can I say I've spent much time watching you work" Replied Marinette as she hugged her father tighter, am innocent smile covered her lips.

Suddenly the door handle to the front door started rattling violently. Both Hiram and Marinette looked over at the door confused.

"Father... are you expecting anyone this evening?" Asked Marinette as a slight panicked looked covered her face, staying close to her father.

"Not that I know of" Replied Hiram as he glanced down at his daughter wrapped in his arms, a concerned look covered his face.

"The one time I don't have my guns with me... now my father might get hurt... because of me" Marinette thought as she braced herself for someone to break in the toy shop.

Rapidly the rattling stopped. Hiram and Marinette relaxed slightly and looked at each other in confusion. Suddenly the front window came shattering down. Both of them turned around, horrified expression covered their faces as a bat came crashing through.

"Fidget" thought Marinette as the bat came lunging towards the pair of them.

Fidget came like lighting straight towards Hiram. Quickly Marinette pulled away from her father and lunged towards Fidget trying to hold him off. Destroying half the shop they kept on fighting. Suddenly Fidget flung Marinette half way across the store, knocking her unconscious. Before Hiram could help his daughter Fidget lunged over to him and they began to struggle. In a few minutes Fidget won the brawl and managed to drag Hiram out of the broken store window.

"Marinette" Shouted Hiram as his voiced faded into the night, echoing in the streets of London.

After a few moments Marinette rubbed her head slightly. Looking around in a blind panic at the destroyed store, no one was seen or heard... silence filled the room. Quickly Marinette picked herself up off the floor and aggressively ran her hand through her long hair, eyes shaking in their sockets.

"This can't be happening... I can't go after him... my boss he'd recognise my voice... then my identity is revealed and I've had it" Marinette mumbled to herself as she paced back and forth, a hand over her mouth and eyes fixed on the wooden floor.

Suddenly her eyes landed on the news paper she was reading before. Swiftly she bent down and grabbed the newspaper and placed it down on the window sill. That's when her eyes landed on one of the articles she was reading earlier.

"Great Detective Solves Disappearance, Basil Of Baker Street"

"Fantastic... now I have no choice but to find Basil... of all the detectives it had to be him" Muttered Marinette as she grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the section of newspaper out.

Swiftly she grabbed the cutting and bolted up the stairs and straight to her room. Collapsing to her knees she reached under the bed and pulled out a box. Ripping the lid of she grabbed a pair of guns and the holders which fixed to the side of her legs.

"I'm not making the same mistake twice" Thought Marinette as she stood up and attached the gun holders to the side of her legs under her dress, making them unnoticeable.

Quickly Marinette flung her wardrobe doors open and quickly scanned over the dresses. Trying to find one which wasn't one she uses for being the London Gun Slinger. Finally she found a long dress in a pale red, with two thick straps over the shoulders. A pair of heels in the same colour.

"Well this will have to do" Said Marinette as she changed into the dress, making sure the guns under the dress weren't sticking out through the fabric.

In a flash she bolted back down the stairs and jumped through the broken window. Marinette took of running down the streets of London.

"I can see why I don't wear heels to run in now" Marinette thought as she continued to run through the streets of London.

Going left, going right and in the end manages to get herself lost. Suddenly it's started thundering and lightning.

"Idiot... I didn't even bring a coat" Thought Marinette as she continued to run through the streets, her mind consumed with many things.

"Hold on Father... I'm coming" Muttered Marinette as she burst into a sprint through the dark, wet and cold streets of London, trying to find Basil Of Baker Street.