What you will find below is a favorite cartoon series re-imagined in a dark universe. It has not been looked at by an editor. I am not sure about the legality of writing fan-fiction so if I am treading on dangerous grounds, please let me know so I can take it down. Wondering if the concept is sound. Let me know what you think.
ONE
Raul Gadget was a brilliant child. Though his parents were not wealthy, they worked multiple jobs in order to afford their son the opportunity to make the most of his talents. Raul had a penchant for reading and by age five could do so in four languages. By age ten, he had graduated high school and was offered full scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge. He excelled at all that he touched and had a penchant for both science and law.
In the fall of 2024 he met the beautiful Antonia. Not long after the wedding, Antonia gave birth to the jewel of their lives: Pennelope. (June 6th 2025) Raul saw instantly the same penchant in his young daughter as his parents had seen in him. With his tenure at University he was able to send her to the best schools and she absorbed all that was put in front of her.
Winter of 2029 brought tragedy to the Gadget family as Raul’s parents were brutally slaughtered at the hands of thieves. The investigator in charge of the case was Reginald Quimby. Quimby was a decorated detective with a myriad of cases under his belt but had, for some time, been eluded by a series of serial murders that included Raul’s parents.
Given his keen intellect and collegiate background, Raul began looking into the evidence with Quimby until such time as the criminals were apprehended and brought to justice. This high profile case became a golden feather in Quimby’s cap and he was promoted to Chief of police shortly after. Quimby was grateful and gave Raul his due, furthermore he began working with Raul on more difficult cases finding that his keen intellect was rarely wrong.
It was not long before Gadget was awarded the honorary title of Inspector. Raul did not disappoint. Be it cold-case or new, Raul resolved his cases with a speed never before seen by Quimby. As time passed and Raul’s celebrity grew, the people of England began to think on him as a hero of the nation.
But the celebrity status did not come without a price. Raul found himself surrounded by the most vile of society. The cases began wedging themselves between Raul and his family. At last, on Penny’s 13th birthday, Raul went on sabbatical in order to reclaim what was left of his marriage and the years before Pennelope gave up being his little girl.
For just less than one year he had it all. Re-kindled the romance with his darling Antonia and spent every day with Pennelope. Noticing with her the same makings of a great inspector.
Nine months later, as if conceived the night of his farewell celebration in a womb of sin and vile intentions was birthed to the world: Dr. Claw.
It began with a series of murders involving the prostitutes that would frequent the docks and more seedy districts. Not uncommon to the neighborhood nor the profession but it was the brutality of the attacks that began to spark the interest of the yard and the media.
“The Ripper Returns” and “Jack’s Back” were the first headlines the news agencies conceived after the 6th body was found. Traces of laudanum were found in the victims systems and ligature marks on the throat but never as the cause of death. They were instead thought to be bound as a form of erotic asphyxia as there was evidence of sexual assault. But what the media really latched onto, and what worried the constables was the actual method of death. Blood loss due to multiple lacerations of the arms, hands, waist, thighs, genitals; “bloody mess” as one constable called it. Each time however, the face remained untouched but locked in an expression of unbridled horror.
