Author: Hello all nice kitties who have been following this series--

All: Without running away or being sick--

Author: And being so very patient with us all--

All: *Her*--not us!

Author: Just like you to know that I'm going to be taking this to the third season cuz a friend is doing the spin-off called "Misto" . . .

Misto: Lucky me . . . Darn, they haven't invented font for *sarcasm* yet . . .

Author: And we're barely halfway through the second season so I hafta work harder . . .

All: You mean *we* have to work harder!

Author: Whatever . . . back to work guys . . .

From where we last left off, the villains were plotting to take over the world . . . but got side-tracked along the way and wound up with a really goth party because even evil needs some fun sometimes.

"Honey--I'm home!"

"Prezzie?" Bomba asked hopefully.

"Yeah, baby," Tugger said and set down a large box. It had a lot of mystical seals all over it. Roughly translated, they said: Do not open this box. Opening this box will have a high chance of bringing the end of the world as we know it.

"Ooooh, pretty . . ."

As some hare-brained scheme to destroy the world was taking place in the middle of a goth party, the good guys were busy sharpening stakes in a library.

"I think I got a splinter," Vicky whined.

"After just one stake--must be a record . . ."

And then someone made a dramatic entrance.

"It's lurker-boy," Pouncival said--obviously suffering from a bad case of jealousy while he was having a thing for Vicky and an unknown thing for Jemima.

Pounce: Great, just great--I'm indecisive in love . . . Three girls? As if!

Electra: And it's daytime so it's a plot inconsistency--

Author: Is not! Um, they just have to stay out of the sun and everything's fine . . .

All: Oh that explains it--just dandy . . .

Misto ignored him. "I got news--seems like the Pollicles got hold of some box that can cause the end of the world as we know it."

"Cool--no school!" was the predictable reply.

Pounce: Ai-yai-yai--that wins the most stupid inane award today . . .

Vicky: Look, no kids are really that ditzy--

Jemima: It takes special skills to be that flip.

Author: I have faith in you all . . .

Munkustrap found his "Monster Book of Boxes That Can End The World As We Know It" and said, "Which one?"

"About this large and this tall."

"Oh yes, that was certainly very helpful."

Munkustrap: Again, the lack of a sarcasm font is deplorable--my goodness, I *am* speaking like a Brit Librarian . . .

"How does Pollicle-Boy know so much huh?" Pounce asked as they checked up on boxes that could spell the end of the world as they knew it.

"Whoah, someone's being Suspicion Boy today . . .

"Today, everyday--I don't trust Pollicles. Just because he's the Slayer's main squeeze and all that--"

"Don't tempt me," Misto said, a few sparks flying from his hands.

"Okay, down boys," Electra said. "You can stop marking your territory now . . ."

Tugger: Nice cat references . . .

Author: Thank you.

"Hmmm, it could be any one of the one hundred and fifty six boxes that could bring about the end of the world as we know it--I think we need to see the box itself before we know which one it is," the Watcher said.

"Action at last. Misto and I'll check it out," Electra volunteered but sneaking out of school was not that easy for she was soon spotted by Principal Skimble.

Electra: Dang--my luck's getting worse and worse . . .

Author: Teen troubles honey--it's part of your character development . . .

Electra: Stop it--you're making me laugh . . .

"Cutting classes again? It's detention for you," said the principal.

"It's the end of the world as we know it and I have detention?" Electra asked after the principal left, with the disbelief that is common amongst teens of today whenever figures in authority say words like "No,", "No, you can't go," and "No, you can't have that".

"I guess you'll have to meet up with Misto later," Munkustrap said.

"What? No Slayer privileges?"

"That wasn't covered in the Slayer Handbook--"

Electra: Handbook?

Author: Sub-plot that we don't have time to go into.

"--but I don't think you need any more trouble with the school authorities right now."

"He's right, Electra . . . See ya later," Misto said before vanishing in that weird way that no one could figure out.

"So, like, what we do now?" Vicky asked the Slayerettes.

"Sit down and wait for those two to get into trouble so that we can rescue them."

"Get back to researching that box," Munkustrap said firmly.

"We could try the Net," Jemima suggested.

"I'm dreadful at computers . . ."

"Oh you can ask Miss Demi--my computer class teacher. She'll be glad to teach you."

Demeter: Oh no--now I got dragged into this insanity!

Author: Extra plot--for the angst value y'know . . .

While that plot was happening elsewhere, our hero and heroine were sneaking into the villains hideout--how Misto knew where that was is again unknown. The way things normally worked, they arrived just in time to see the box being opened.

And out came the Sludge.

Tugger: The Sludge? Our co-villain looks like a furry blanket being held up by Mac and the Rumpus Cat--

Mac: Because it *is*, you idiot . . .

Author: If the Special Effects department got it right, it should appear as a . . . Sludge . . . Well, just pretend it is--haven't you heard of blue screens?

Tugger: Uh-huh . . .

And it went "Glop"--

Misto: Eeeewwww--that' an icky monster you cooked up!

Author: Special Effects are already working overtime for this! Where's the sound effects?

Mac and the Rumpus Cat: (half-heartedly) Grrrr, arrrgh . . .

Author: C'mon, put some emotion in it!

"Grrrrr--arrrrrrrghhhhhh!!!!"

"Oooh, isn't it lovely!" Bomba exclaimed. "And it's going to destroy everything in it's path and bring about the end of the world was we know it!"

Tugger looked at it and said, "It's kind of small, isn't it? How's it going to destroy the world?"

"It'll grow--but first it needs food--"

Some henchcats had to be sacrificed for the Sludge--which was no great loss actually because there would always be more extras later on.

"Eeeewww," Electra whispered to Misto from where they were spying on the Pollicles. "What now?"

"Run for help?"

But predictably, they were found out.

Electra: Aw shucks, I actually thought we could get away this time . . .

"I can sense something! Something *good* is hanging around here!" Bomba exclaimed. "There!"

"Don't just stand there! Get them!"

Despite the inefficiency of the henchcats, our heroes got cornered and dragged out to face a fate worse than death--

Alonzo: Oh, you mean this isn't bad enough?

"I say we feed them to the Sludge!"

"Oh no! Not the Sludge!"

"Darlin', we could always save them for the after-party torture," Tugger suggested.

"It's my party and I'll kill whoever I want to . . ." Bomba whined petulantly.

"Oh well . . . you heard the lady--feed 'em to the Sludge," Tugger said.

And Misto and Electra had to fight for their lives against the Pollicles who were trying to toss them to the Sludge.

"Run Electra--I'll hold them off!"

"Run Misto--I'll hold them off!"

"Will the both of you quit being so darn *noble* about it?" Tugger asked. "It's making me ill . . ."

"If you insist . . ." And the two heroes high-tailed it out of there with the Pollicles in hot pursuit.

They ran as fast as their little kitty feet could take them. They ran through the rain and wind and wound up somehow in Misto's apartment.

Misto: I have my own pad--cool . . .

"Misto--we nearly died!" Electra said, stating the obvious.

"I know . . ."

And they . . . you know . . .

Electra: Wha?

Misto: Huh?

Author: You know . . .

Electra and Misto: We know what?

Author: You know what--

Electra and Misto: We know *what* what?

Author: *That* what--

Electra and Misto: Which *what*?

Author: (sighs) Okay, Jellicle Ball, Vicky and Plato--

Electra and Misto: Ohhhh, *that* what . . .

Author: Putting it in some way to fit a PG rating was darn hard . . .

Electra and Misto: We what?!?!?!?!?

Author: Y'know, hormones and all that . . .

Electra and Misto: We *what*?!?!?!?!?

Author: It was central to the plot . . .

To cut a long story short, being with Electra made him so happy that it fulfilled some stupid clause in that gypsy curse-- remember that curse?--and Misto soul went away to wherever Pollicle souls went.

"That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight--losin' mah-hai sooooo-ooooul . . ."

And in the space of time needed to sing one line from a song, Misto was no more and he was Mistoffelees once more.

Misto: You're just playing around with my name--I was always Mistoffelees . . .

Author: Yeah, cuz that's how it works . . .

Misto: Lose your soul and get a longer name?

Author: Something like that . . .

Misto: I wish you wouldn't--cats are sensitive about their names y'know . . .

Jumping around in the plot, we rejoin the villains and the Sludge.

"They got away again! Can't your pet Sludge go after them or anything?" Tugger was complaining to Bomba.

"Sludgey-wudgey's not ready for that nasty Slayer yet . . . Aren't you boy?"

Bombalurina: I'm talking to a Sludge? I knew I was supposed to be insane in this fic but this is just plain goofy . . .

"In terms of choosing new villains to work with, your standards have definitely dropped," said a voice form out of nowhere. It was Mistoffelees--in leather pants.

Misto: Oh Everlasting Cat, what is your deal with leather pants?

Author: It was in the show!

"Well if it ain't Soul Boy," Tugger began sarcastically. "Someone kill him for me please . . ."

"Oh *puh-leaze*," said Mistoffelees and zapped the henchcats easily.

Tumblebrutus: Misto, those zaps was just a little too close . . .

Misto: Sorry . . .

Plato: This has nothing to do with us calling you a shorty, does it?

Misto: Oh no, perish the thought . . .

"I'm back," he said.

"He's back," Bomba hissed.

"Love the echo effects Bomba, but that grows old fast . . ."

Misto: Wow--I'm a bad-*beep* kitty now . . .

Author: This might traumatize all your fans out there, so I had to tone it down a little so that they don't lynch me . . .

Munkustrap: We're surprised they haven't done it already . . .

Author: What was that?

All: Nothing . . .