Disclaimer: CATS does not belong to me. I'm just playing with it for a while.
Chapter Four
"Hi, Bomba!" Bombalurina shut her eyes, gritting her teeth and letting only a faint hiss escape before she turned, schooling her expression as she faced the queen-kitten in front of her.
"Etcetera," she said simply, not letting herself show any emotion. It wasn't this kitten's fault. It wasn't Etcetera's fault any more than it was Jemima's, or Electra's, or Victoria's. Just like it wasn't Cassandra's fault, or Tantomile's. Just like it wasn't the fault of any of the queens in the Tribe but her own.
But when faced with the cheerful white tabby, it was oh so hard to make herself realize this.
"What are you doing up here?" Etcetera asked, plopping herself down on the ground next to the scarlet queen. "Oh, wow! It's nice up here, isn't it? You can see the whole Yard, can't you? I wonder why no one else is ever up here!"
Bombalurina let out another tiny hiss, but the white tabby didn't hear it. "I came up here to be alone and think, Cettie. I just wanted some time to think. And none of the other Cats come up here because it's hard to climb up."
"Oh," Etcetera said, looking puzzled. "I didn't think it was that hard."
"Of course you didn't," the scarlet queen said, most of her anger gone and replaced by the amusement that the tabby seemed to spread wherever she went. "You're a natural acrobat."
Etcetera grinned. "So how'd you get up here if it's so hard?"
"Very, very carefully." Bombalurina had spent five minutes just climbing up the big pile of cars—much more carefully than Etcetera had, shooting up with an innate knowledge of how to best find her way up, and even more carefully than young Munkustrap had all those years ago, on that first day Grizabella came to the Yard.
"So whatcha up here for?" Etcetera asked, apparently forgetting about Bombalurina's answer from barely a minute ago.
"To think, Cettie. To be alone and to think."
Even the white tabby, admittedly slower to catch on than most Cats, caught the hint behind that thought. She immediately looked remorseful.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Bomba! I didn't realize you wanted to be alone. I'll leave now, 'kay?"
"It's fine, Etcetera," Bombalurina laughed, only forcing it a little. "Where are the other kittens?"
Etcetera didn't object to the label 'kitten' as much as the others did. "Tumblebrutus and Asparagus are sleeping—or, well, they were. But then they woke up and saw Jemima and Pouncival and Veles standing over them. Maybe they were planning on doing something to them, 'cause Tumble and 'Sparrie got real mad and started chasing them. And Electra's watching the ki—Rumpus! I was supposed to help her kitten-sit today! Bye Bomba!" The white tabby was already halfway down the pile, instinctively finding the best path. The scarlet queen shook her head and rearranged herself on her stomach, watching the kitten's path across the Junkyard for a few minutes, until she disappeared around another pile.
Then Bomba was back to the reason she was up here.
The appearance of Etcetera had only made it worse. Etcetera reminded her of just what kind of Cats Tugger had been flirting with during the entire Ball. Kittens. Kittens not quite adults yet, not quite old enough to know what they were doing. He had spent the night shaking his tail for any queen who looked his way: Rumpleteazer, Cassandra, Tantomile, Electra, Etcetera, Victoria…even Jemima, the youngest Cat at the Ball! Rumpus, he had spent a lot of time during Mistoffelees's number with his arms around Electra and Etcetera!
That, in itself, was not an issue. The Tugger flirted. She'd known it from the moment she first met him. She'd known it when she danced the Mating Dance with him, and when they became Mates officially. She knew it now. Everlasting Cat, she was just as bad a flirt as he was, it wasn't like she could really complain about that. No matter how much he wiggled his hips for the other queens, they all knew that his hips belonged to her. The Rum Tum Tugger was hers, and no one else's.
But he had never shoved her away before, flatly refusing her in the middle of his number (and in front of the whole Tribe!). And no matter what, he was always in the mood for some fun after the Ball. But not this year. And that worried her.
She knew him too well to convince herself not to be worried. His "disobliging ways" weren't just a line in his song. Had he gotten bored with her? After seven years together and a kitten, had he had enough of her?
It wasn't easy to hang onto the vested tom. Or, it hadn't been for any other queens after him, before Bomba had come and danced the Mating Dance with him. He was forever changing lovers, dropping a queen whenever the whim came on him and breaking hearts left and right. Most of the queens in the Tribe had seen him at one point or another, and had their heart broken. For many, more than once. But still they flocked around him and swooned over him. Bombalurina often pitied them; those with Mates were happy with theirs, and those without would soon have Mates of their own to be happy with, but none had been able to hold onto the Rum Tum Tugger.
Last night had seen her join that crowd, begging for his attention and being dropped like just another squealing kitten.
She didn't know how much more of that she could take from her Mate.
"Pollicles!" Macavity snarled, pacing back and forth in his "office." The office was truly nothing more than an alleyway, decorated with old shipping crates that served as rooms. An impressive stack of these crates at the end was the Hidden Paw's lair, and only those favored by him were allowed into it. At the moment, none of his agents were in his favor.
"Pollicles!" he swore again, turning suddenly to slash a claw across the nearest object. The cardboard box, already soggy and falling apart with rain, collapsed. The ginger Cat wasn't appeased at all. "That damned kitten! If she hadn't found me out so soon, our goal would have been accomplished easily! She dares defy me? I gave her mother shelter, a place to live, and she dares defy me? Damn her to the Basements!"
The tall, broad Cats around him didn't even flinch at Macavity's rage. They were far too used to it by now, and however insane with anger he may be at the moment, he wouldn't strike at them. These were Macavity's favored agents, those that had performed best under him and were now in charge of the lower agents. They knew better than to show any sign of fear.
"But perhaps striking during the Jellicle Ball wasn't the wisest course of action," he mused, calming now as his intelligent mind began to play out other scenarios. "The kidnapping, and then the sudden return, right in the middle of their festivities? Not my best planning, I suppose. Too obvious. But then, I do have a taste for the dramatic. No sense in plotting something if it isn't something to be remembered. Perhaps a…different surprise would be in store. I think it's time to teach that Tribe just how powerful Macavity can be."
The Cats almost smiled now, though the expression was far from anything a normal Cat might show. This wasn't an expression of joy; this was bloodlust.
Macavity's mind was working at its full capacity now. The Napoleon of Crime hadn't gained that title through insanity, through idiotic schemes, or through simply being cruel. It took brains and skill to rise to the level of terror he now inspired through any Cat who heard his name.
He smiled, and this smile was somehow even worse than the ones shown by his agents.
"Yes, I think it's time we taught my former Tribe just who it is they're dealing with."
Fourteen Years Ago
"Grizzie? Grizzie, is that you?" Grizabella stepped from the shadows, smiling warmly at the nervous gold kitten in front of her.
"Yes, Demeter, it's me. Don't worry; I told you I wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt you, and have I broken my promise yet?"
"No, Grizzie," Demeter replied, relaxing the tiniest bit at the sight of the brown queen. She even gave a tiny smile, a rare point of sunlight in the lives of those who served Macavity. Grizabella lived to see the gold kitten's smiles, as if it had been her own kitten and not one she merely looked after.
"I told you, I can protect you, Deme!" Bombalurina growled, scowling at Grizabella angrily. When it came to her sister, Bombalurina was adamant—she was the one to take care of her sister. She liked Grizabella well enough when she wasn't trying to take care of Demeter, but when the older queen seemed to be trying to step into her place, she was a snarling, hissing menace.
"Of course you can, Bomba," Grizabella reassured the scarlet kitten. "And you do it better than anyone else. But it's not so bad to have help sometimes, is it?"
Bombalurina growled, but nodded reluctantly. Demeter beamed at her sister, and the older kitten seemed even more placated. She, too, lived for her sister's smiles.
"But we don't have time for this now, my dears," Grizabella whispered, glancing towards the door. Macavity's lair now was a large, empty room in an abandoned building—more luxurious than anything else he'd had before. Every Cat in his service was hoping this one would last a long time before they moved. Right now, they were off on some business; Grizabella wasn't sure exactly what it was. Ever since the Jellicle Tribe had discovered her betrayal and her mission had failed, she had been left out of the loop. "Come on. We're leaving now."
"Where are we going?" Bombalurina demanded, ears flat, but looking hopeful.
"To the Jellicle Tribe I told you about. This may be the only chance we get for a while; we're not often alone here, are we?"
"Macavity doesn't trust us to stay," Demeter mumbled, whimpering a little. The ginger cat frightened her, and he enjoyed every moment of her terror. "He thinks we'll run the moment we're alone."
"And he's right, Demeter," Grizabella said, smirking. "So he was stupid to leave us on our own, wasn't he? Let's go, now."
"Won't they hate us?" Bombalurina questioned, bold now. "Because of what you did?"
Grizabella almost hissed at the little scarlet kitten, but managed to hold it in. "They'll hate me, Bomba, but they'll accept you. I'll make sure they accept you, no matter what. I promise you both. You'll finally have a real home."
A/N: It is Wednesday, right? The 21st of May? Because it feels like Tuesday so I'm getting a slightly guilty feeling for updating (because my obsessiveness has led to a plan to update only on Sundays and Wednesdays, don't ask why, I won't tell you).
I call this the necessary evil chapter. Why? Because I don't like it and it's short, but there's nothing I can do to make it better and it is necessary. I can't even remember writing it, to be quite honest (because I wrote it on the same day as chapter one), other than the fact that I had more fun than strictly necessary while annoying Bomba with Etcetera. (In case you haven't noticed, Etcetera is my favorite weapon to unleash on unsuspecting characters at the worst possible moment...or not release, in the case of Electra earlier in the story.)
So, um...yeah. That's pretty much it.