"I've told you already," Macavity insisted, for the fifteenth time. "That's not my job. Ask Regio."
"I did," I argued. "He said you were the better teacher."
The flattery seemed to faze him a little, and it took him a second to regain his composure and come up with a retort. "Doesn't change the fact that he's the weapons instructor." He turned around, staring out the window, at the wreck that was the TARDIS. "Why do you want to learn how to fence anyway?"
I shrugged. "You'll need all the help you can get. You heard what the Doctor said. He'll fight to the last man. We should match that."
"Ah, but you aren't a man, are you?" he countered, and I could tell from his tone he was smirking. "I have no doubt you're a wonderful fighter, Scott. But if you were to get hurt, or worse, Rozetta would be heartbroken."
I let that sink in, and anger filled me when I realized what he had just told me: I would stay out of this battle. Never mind the fact that I had something to settle on a personal level. Mac was planning on keeping me locked in Zetta's room while they went gallivanting off doing who knows what, actually doing something. While I got to sit there and play Army of Two. Just perfect.
"Jemima was right to leave," I said quietly, anger bordering on hatred creeping into my voice. "You make a show of knowing best, when you, Macavity Ixin, the great Napoleon of Crime, don't know SQUAT about people's needs." My ears flattened and my tail lashed from side to side in fury. Giving one last hiss, I shifted to full Cat and stormed out the door.
Once I got to Zetta's bedroom, however, I had deflated like a week-old balloon. I leapt up onto her bed and nuzzled against her thigh, muttering about losing Macavity's respect for good. In response, the falcon girl gave me a comforting scratch behind the ear, releasing from me an unexpected purr.
"I will fight," I vowed. "If Macavity allows it or not, I have a score to settle with the General. Mark my words, if you win this battle, you will win because of me."
With that happy thought, I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
