"I have news!" Mungojerrie told Old Deuteronomy.

"We have news." Rumpelteaser corrected him.

"Ok, we have news." He said to her.

"Well?" Old Deuteronomy asked.

"Macavity said to tell you that he wishes to meet with you." Mungojerrie told him. "He wants to bargain with you."

"What for?"

"He said that he will trade Alonzo for Mistoffelees." Rumpelteaser said. "A prisoner exchange."

"No, you can’t do it!" Victoria the white cat cried. "Mistoffelees, no!"

"He gave you his word that he would return my brother?" he asked them.

"Yes." Mungojerrie said. "He says that you are much more valuable."

"Because Alonzo has no powers." Rumpelteaser added.

"Yes."

Old Deuteronomy looked at Mistoffelees. "You don’t have to." He told him.

"If it means having my brother free," he said to them with a sigh. "Then tell Macavity to meet me here."

"No!" the cats cried. "Mistoffelees!"

"It’s my own choice." He told them. "I will be his prisoner."

"Yes, oh magical one!" Rumpelteaser said as the two cats ran off.

"Oh, Mistoffelees." Victoria cried.

"It’s alright Victoria. It’s alright."

* * *

Looking around, Victoria walked up to a cat named Tumblebrutus.

"Where is he?" she asked him.

"In the car." Tumblebrutus responded. Victoria walked up to the car. Opening the trunk, she saw Mistoffelees lying inside. Laughing slightly, she looked at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Thinking."

"What about?"

"Well, it’s like," he started, rolling over to lie on his back. "It’s like I can leave Alonzo with Macavity and have my brother turn up dead, or I can fight Macavity and kill my father, or I can surrender to him and get myself killed. Whatever I decide, someone’s getting killed. I don’t think I want to make this decision. All I want to do is grow up, learn my magic, and live a normal life. How was I to know I would end up having to make life-death decisions?"

"I guess you didn’t." she said, sitting on the edge of the car. "But you don’t realize that most everyone wants the powers you have. They don’t know how much trouble you have with them."

"Victoria, you must promise me something." He said, suddenly serious. "When Macavity comes and I go with him, you must take care of my brother for me. He is the oldest of us two, but he acts like he’s still a kitten, even though I’m the only one of the litter that’s still a kitten. Do you know how hard it is to be the runt of the litter?"

"No, but I can imagine. Of me and my sister, I’m the young one, although I’m not a runt."

"I was picked on terribly by my two older brothers. Especially when they found out about my magic. They didn’t know about my powers until I got older. I didn’t want them to know. I guess I was a little embarrassed about being different."

"I’ve only met one of your brothers. Who is the other one?"

"Well there’s Alonzo, who’s the oldest. Then Barvormont, the happy medium. And then there’s me, Mistoffelees, the runt. I wasn’t even expected to survive." He suddenly laughed, like the whole thing was a big joke.

"I’ve wondered ever sense you told us that your father was… well, you know. Who do you and Alonzo get your black and white from? Macavity’s got red stripes, while you have a black body with a white face an chest, and Alonzo has the black and white in splotches."

"Our mother had white spreading down her shoulders. The rest of her was black. Alonzo and I both look like her, but Barvormont looks like Macavity. Barvormont would tease me, call me a dame, because I looked so much like her."

"Why haven’t I met your mother or Barvormont?" Victoria asked.

"When I was young, to young to walk, that’s when Macavity turned demon. One day, he got mad at me. He tried to kill me. My mother tried to stop him. He…" Mistoffelees’ voice stuttered as he tried not to cry.

"He killed my mother. Barvormont was on his side. They went after Alonzo and me, Alonzo carrying me. Macavity vowed to find me when I grew up, because I alone shared his powers. Alonzo took me to the safest place he could think of. He took me to Old Deuteronomy. He raised us. When Macavity captured Old Deuteronomy during the last ball and Rum Tum Tugger got me to use my magic to bring him back, Macavity was watching. He took Old Deuteronomy because he wanted to see me use my magic. When I used it to bring Old Deuteronomy back, I knew he was satisfied. He knows I have his powers. And he wants me now. He will do anything to get me, even kill me. He can’t stand knowing that there is a cat out there who is as powerful as him."

"I didn’t know…"

"I know." He interrupted. "No one except me, Alonzo and Macavity know. And now you. We never told anyone because we were ashamed of Macavity. Ashamed of Barvormont. Ashamed of my powers. We wanted to keep it a secret. But you see how well the runt keeps secrets."

"Do you think Barvormont will be here tonight?’

"He’s been here every night. I can sense it. He sits up there and watches me. Watches Alonzo. Just waiting for enough evidence of my magic. When I didn’t give them that, they made it so I had to use it. Now they will get me, because they have proof that I have the powers."

"He’s coming to get you."

"Yes. And I can’t do anything about it."

"Hey," Rum Tum Tugger said from a corner where he had apparently been the whole time. "You want to speed up the process of revenge?"

"What are you talking about, Tugger?" Mistoffelees groaned, crawling out of the car.

"Hey, I was just saying, if you want to get tonight over with and done, I know of someone you can call."

"Who?"

"Magilla: The Detective. She is the perfect one for solving mysteries. She could find Macavity for you. She’s a tough one to find herself, but I know how to call her."

"Would you?" He asked, not quite believing him.

"Of course! Just let me contact her." Walking out into the middle of the alley, he said in a loud voice –

"Magilla! Magilla! Where are you?"

"Who is this?" a voice said that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Hello Magilla." He said, smiling. "Don’t you remember me? I am the Rum Tum Tugger!"

"Ah, yes. I remember you. I’ll be right there." A black cat with a white skunk stripe down her front appeared from a corner. Walking up to Tugger, they rubbed faces.

"Hello, I have missed you." She said.

"And I you." He said back. Then, motioning to Mistoffelees, he said, "Magilla I’d like you to meet Mistoffelees, the conjurer. Mistoffelees, meet Magilla."

"Hello." He said to her as she walked up to him, looking him over.

"A conjurer, huh?" she remarked. "Got any powers?"

"Yeah, a few." He admitted.

"Show me."

"Ok." He took a step back from her.

"You see, it’s all in the way you look at things." He said. "I can be here." Then, he disappeared!

"But maybe I’m here." Came a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw him standing behind her.

"Continue." She said, fascinated.

"I’m black with a white chest. But…" he said, waving his hand over his head. In a flash, his colors changed. "…maybe I’m white with a black chest. You see it’s all in the way…" he disappeared and reappeared back where he was originally with his real colors. "…you look at things." He finished. Bowing slightly, he laughed.

"Well, I’m impressed." She remarked. "So, what do you need?"

"I need you to find Macavity. We have a score to settle."

"Alright, sounds easy enough." She started to concentrate, but then she looked back at him.

"I need a sample."

"Huh?" he asked.

"You know, a piece of fur, a footprint. A sample."

"We don’t have anything of his."

"Then I’m wasting my time." She said, starting to walk away. Victoria thought for a moment, then yelled after her.

"Wait! Can you do it from DNA?"

"Sure." Magilla said, turning back around. "What, do you have a DNA sample?"

"No, but we have his son."

Mistoffelees took a second to catch on. Then, stepping back, he shook his head.

"I don’t think so." He said in a shaky voice. "You want to get a sample from me? No way! I hate needles."

"It won’t hurt." Magilla reassured him. "All I have to do is touch you." She stuck out her hand. "With your permission."

"Um… sure." He said, putting his hand in hers. She held it for a moment, then let go.

"Ok, that should be enough." She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Macavity is very easy to find at the moment. In fact, I don’t think you really needed me." Opening her eyes, she looked at Mistoffelees.

"Macavity is right…

behind…

you."