Notorious Duo Turns Triple
By Mistacor
Part VIII
After an almost eternal struggle to get into Macavity's lair safely, the Jellicles were finally in (not that they wanted to be in there exactly) and quietly following Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie.
" I ne'er though' I'd be in 'ere again," Teazer whispered to Jerrie as they treaded through the dark passageways.
Mungo nuzzled her briefly as they walked, " Ye', me ne'ther. An' th' wor' is ye' ta come."
Teazer nodded silently, solemnly.
" What do you mean, guys? " Alonzo asked.
" Th' catacombs," Teazer stated softly with dread.
Munkustrap cocked his head to one side in confusion.
" Th' catacombs," Jerrie tried to explain, " i' somewha' of a graveyar'." p> " 'Graveyard'?? " Tumblebrutus repeated in fear and horror.
The calico tom nodded. " All th' Jellicles an' Pollicles killed by Macavity en' up in the' an' righ' be'ond tha' i' Macavity's q'arte's."
" Isn't there an easier way to get to him? " Mistoffelees asked, feeling a bit sick to his stomach at the thought.
Teazer shook her head at her friend. " It's th' on'y way ta ge' ta 'im wit'ou' run'in' in ta any o' Macavity's 'enchme'."
" Tha's righ'," Mungo agreed as they finally and reluctantly entered the "catacombs."
They walked the dusty path, could smell things and see things they'd rather not smell or see. They wanted to close their eyes, shut out the horror but knew they couldn't and that their pride wouldn't let them.
And thank the Everlasting Cat that they hadn't brought any of the kittens along with them. If their blood froze at the sight of this, how would it be for them? Whatever childlike innocence they possessed would most certainly be swallowed up unmercifully by the reality of this.
And Teazer, the rest thought as they walked. A young, beautiful Jellicle who still possessed the freckles and wide-eyed, fey look of kittenhood had seen this horrendous sight possibly thousands of times before.... and kept her childlike wonder. Her soul was unchanged, her carefree and fun-loving nature still intact, but she was more mature, more understanding of what is...
She's a marval, Tugger thought, for once, seriously.
Eventually, the group made it out.
" I think, just this once, I'll let my humans give me a bath when I get home," Tumble grimaced.
" 'Ush now," Jerrie whispered urgently as they reached behind a half open and torn metal door. He crouched and Teazer followed suit. " Thi' is whe' we figh'."
Alonzo sniffed tentatively at the air. " I smell six rats - "
" - and four henchmen," Munkustrap added.
" Whe' we gi'e th' signa', we ma'e ou' run fer i'," Teazer whispered.
They all crouched defensively, ready to pounce.
Mungojerrie gave the count. " One, two.... three! "
At that, they all jumped out of hiding and the fighting frenzy began. There was hissing, chattering, the lunge of claws and teeth.
Tantomile and Coricopat stayed behind Mistoffelees as he dealt with three of the rats that attacked them.
Misto nimbly leapt out of the way of a younger and less-experienced rat's lunge and charged up a lightning bolt before shooting it at the foul creature, turning it to ashes as it shrieked and writhed.
The other two rats squeaked angrily and began to cautiously advance as Misto charged up another boost of lightning.
Suddenly from behind him, Tantomile and Coricopat began to chant simultaneously:
" Power of the familiars and flames of Bast, We invoke thee now for the magic of Dick Whittington's Cat! "
Misto tried shooting his lightning bolt but it wouldn't come and before anything could register, a flame-burst shot out at the rats in the heart, killing them instantly.
Mistoffelees turned to his friends with a smile of relief and gratitude. "Thanks."
The two bonded twins smiled slightly and nodded.
Munkustrap and Alonzo were dealing with a couple of the henchmen while Tumble took on the three remaining rats.
Tumblebrutus clawed at the three little monsters furiously and eventually it turned into a lunge match.
Misto shot a lightning bolt at one of them, imediately killing the little bugger.
The distraction gave Tumble the upper hand and he immediately took the opportunity to take the rat's neck in his jaws and break it, killing it silently.
As soon as the horrid beast fell limp, the young tom dropped it and spit out the taste, hissing in disapprovement. " That thing hadn't bathed in weeks! "
Mistoffelees grinned at his kittenhood friend. " Neither have you," he teased.
" That's different! " he defended.
Misto raised an eyebrow at him coupled with a quirky grin.
" Well...." Tumble backed down shyly, mumbling. " I'm definately going to bathe today..."
Bombalurina was fighting one of the henchmen with a vengeance only a she-lion had. Keeping her eyes open for all attack and being one step ahead of the game, she was, suffice to say, whipping his butt.
" Way to go, Bom! " Tugger cheered from the sidelines.
The red queen fought as she spoke through clenched teeth, " Stop watchin' and help."
Tugger frowned. " I can't do that," he lied. " It'll mess up your prowess."
The queen rolled her eyes. " I'll live with it for once. Now, get in here! "
" Alright, alright," the Maine Coon tom spoke cooly and went into a lazy crouch.
As soon as there was a space of disentanglement between claw and fang, he pounced on top of the foe and pinned him easily on the ground.
Bom's eyes widened in shock as she caught her breath. She saw the henchman squirm, struggle and fight but the large cat kept him down with an air of sufficient boredom. When she was finally intact, she went over and glared down at the enemy, staring him right in the eyes.
" Where's Mista? " she demanded.
" Who? " the foul cat spat hatefully.
Bombalurina hissed. " The kitten! A silver calico! Where is she? "
" I don't know! What do I look like to you? A kitten-sitter? " he hissed back, accentuating the last part specifically.
Tugger yawned. " Just tell her where the kitten is. I wouldn't make her angrier than she already is, if I were you." He blinked and looked at the other cat's mangy appearance. " - which I'm not, thank the Divinity."
" I don't know who you're talking about but I do know who's going to be real sorry when this is all through."
" Yeah. You," the queen retorted, unimpressed with the threat, and looked over her shoulder to Munkustrap and Alonzo who had just finished with their attacker. " He knows absolutely nothing." She kicked his leg, standing, and sneered. " Useless Pollicle meat. Can I get rid of him? "
Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie finished double-teaming their two opponents with the greatest of ease.
" No time," Jerrie answered urgently as he quickly caught his breath. " We 'ave ta find Mista. Macavity wi' know by now tha' we're 'ere. We 'ave ta find 'im b'fore 'e finds us."
" Jerrie," the henchman underneath Bom's foot growled softly. " You'll regret ever leaving Macavity. I swear it."
" Shu' up, Tamar," the calico tom dismissed curtly, unaffected.
" You heard him," Bom said before she knocked the consciousness out of the mangy cat.
~
" These a'e Macavity's chambe's," Rumpleteazer whispered softly to the others. " We 'ave ta be supe' quie'."
" Why do we have to go to Macavity directly? " Tumble whispered back. "Can't we just sniff out the cell Mista's in? "
" Macavity 'as spells ta preven' it - "
" - An' th' pla'e is too large ta search through," Mungo added as he silently picked the lock with a long, slender claw.
" Oh."
" Almo' 'ave i'," Jerrie whispered and smiled briefly when he heard the 'click.'
The Jellicles prepared themselves as he slowly opened the door....
All of them hissed simultaneously as they came face-to-face with Macavity who only smiled confidantly. He lounged comfortably against some boxes, quite visually not in preparation of fighting. That didn't mean he hadn't anything else up his paws, though....
" It's about time you showed up," the ginger growled softly in mock good will. " I was getting worried."
" You were expecting us? " Munkustrap stated bluntly, more rhetorical than anything else.
Bom narrowed her eyes. " He is the master criminal."
Mungojerrie cut to the chase. " Where's Mistacor? "
" Who? " Macavity blinked curiously at his former operative and then gave a cruel smile. " Oh, yes. Our lovely little guest."
" 'Guest '? " Jer hissed menacingly. " Tha's a laugh. 'O'ed wan' ta be yer guest? "
" I treated her with the best of care."
" Lia'! Ta'e us to 'er! " the calico tom yelled.
" Aw, but what's the hurry? Stay awhile. Have some fun," the ginger purred.
Alonzo lunged and gripped the other cat's throat. " I'll have some fun ripping you apart limb by limb, if you don't show us where she is," he whispered in a deadly soft tone.
The Napolean of Crime returned the black-and-white's hate-filled snarl with his own indignant gaze but then remembered himself and turned the indignation to friendlinees.
" How do you know? I might have forgotten which cell she's in."
" Well then, how do you know? Very soon, you might be forgetting where I put each of your whiskers."
There was a pause. " Very well, then. I'll escort you."
Bombalurina studied Macavity's face intently, her stare cold and calculating. He hadn't lost it, she thought. He still possessed the sleekness and cunning of only the most wicked, suavest toms. He could be cold. He could be hot. She knew exactly what he was capable of and she feared for Mista with all her heart.
And just as they dragged Macavity to the door, for her eyes only, she saw him give her a knowing, sadistic smirk.