P.O. Chapter 10: Old Friends, New Problems
Disclaimer: I don't own Cats, but Elijah is mine. Sorry, I forgot to mention that in the last chapter! But you guys already know that...I hope.;)
A/N: This is gonna be a fun one! I know the last two chappies were kinda serious, so I decided to lighten the mood with some ever-amusing henchcat bantering! This update took a terribly long time, I know. Being sick and having no power for a full nine hours does that. This is just not my week, is it? Sorry guys! Enjoy!
The junkyard was dead silent. The moon was just a silver sliver as it made its journey in the sky. No one was awake at this hour, except for the few toms that were patrolling the area for any sign of danger. They were especially alert tonight, as Macavity could strike at anytime in revenge for the stunt that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer pulled.
Jelly had long since gone to sleep. Elijah himself was fast asleep; his exhaustion of the day's events made sure of it. As deep as his slumber was, though, a small part of his mind was still awake; alert for any sign of danger. Living and working in conditions where danger was literally around every corner did that to you.
That small part of his mind detected an unwelcome presence in the room. As he came out of his dark, peaceful world of sleep, he suddenly felt a sharp pressure being put on his throat, as if something or someone was pressing something against it.
He knew he should move away from said pressure, but his mind wouldn't work. It felt sluggish, like he was experiencing a fever, and it was as if it were in a dense, heavy fog that make his head feel like it was made of lead. The only thing was...Elijah wasn't sick, so a fever was out of the question.
He tried to look for the threat, but it was no use. Everything was blurry and indistinct. He suddenly felt the presence enter his mind with a force that made his head pound relentlessly. The heavy fog that covered Elijah's mind suppressed any and all thoughts. He couldn't think, and he felt his body quickly go numb. He was completely at the mercy of the presence in his head, and until it left, he couldn't do a thing.
After a few moments of torment, the presence spoke. "Elijah, I have to say, I am proud of you. You did what I've been trying to do for years: get into enemy territory without being seen as a threat. From your memories, I gathered that you are seen as a friend in the eyes of the Jellicles. You've also met up with some old friends of ours. Good; now that you are in the Jellicles' home, I have a new objective for you: find out any and all weaknesses in their defenses, and report back to me. I'll send a few toms to come pick you up exactly one day from now. Be ready."
With that, the presence dissipated from his mind, along with the fog. The pressure at his neck was gone as well, but it still felt like it was there. Elijah could now think clearly, despite the pounding headache in his head. All the feeling had returned to his body, waking every nerve; leaving a feeling of relief mixed with pain as the nerves around his wounds started working again.
He heaved a sigh of relief; the torture of someone taking over his mind was now over.
"Damn it, Macavity, I hate it when you do that! Especially when you read my mind...Don't I deserve to have some privacy?" Elijah thought angrily, feeling violated that the most private part of his mind had been exposed to none other than his boss.
It wasn't the first time Macavity had contacted Elijah through telepathy. He did it quite often, as he thought sending a henchcat to fetch him was just a waste of his valuable time. Using magic made it so much easier, but it had negative effects on the person he was contacting. Of course, Macavity couldn't care less, so Elijah had to deal with the aftermath.
The pounding headache was ebbing away, and Elijah was even more exhausted now than when he went to sleep the first time. With a quiet groan, he let his head drop to the floor, and he fell back into a deep slumber almost immediately.
Next thing he knew, something bright and warm was covering his face. He cracked an eye open and squinted as a shaft of sunlight hit it. He opened his other eye and rolled onto his side, ignoring the pain in his arm as he put pressure on it.
He glanced around for Jelly, but she was nowhere to be seen. A mischievous grin played on his lips as he thought about what he could do with no one around to stop him. "Jelly's gone...and I'm stuck in bed, by her orders. Or am I? She's not here, so who's going to stop me from testing my limits? No one, that's who! I'm sick of staying in bed, so how bad could getting up and walking around be? ...There's only one way to find out."Elijah thought as he brought his legs under him to get into a crouching position. He winced as his chest disapproved of the sudden movement. He ignored it, and continued the process of standing up.
Bringing his arms out in front of him to steady himself, he slowly rose so that he was standing. His legs wobbled a little, as they weren't used to being put to work after two days of lying down. He steadied himself by focusing on an old chair in the opposite corner of the den.
Finding his balance, Elijah decided to take a step, then two. He chuckled to himself. "This isn't so bad...What was Jelly thinking, making me stay in bed? I'm completely fine! I can stand up and walk, so what's the point of lying down for the next day?"He thought as he slowly walked around, testing his balance and stretching his legs.
Just as he thought he was completely recovered, the room started to spin. He felt himself stumbling backward, and he grabbed onto the nearby table to keep himself from falling over. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, and his breath came in rapid, short gasps.
Keeping still for a few moments, he waited for the dizzy spell to end. The room slowly stopped spinning, and he let go of the table. His heartbeat died down, and he focused on taking deep, even breaths. He glanced at the den entrance just as Jelly came in, holding a dead rat in her paw.
She gasped as she took in what her patient was up to. She dropped the rat and rushed over to Elijah.
"Elijah, you silly tom, get back to your cot! You're not in any condition to be up and walking around!"Jelly said sternly, placing her paws on his shoulders and guiding him back to the cot. She made him lay down again, much to his displeasure.
"On the contrary, Jelly, I was perfectly fine. I was walking around like nothing happened. So what's the point of staying in bed if I can already walk?"Elijah challenged, lying through his teeth. Jelly just gave him an exasperated sigh, and went to go pick up the rat she dropped.
When she came back, she handed the rat to him, which he gladly started chewing on. As he was eating, she decided to answer his question. "I don't care how tough you think your body is, or what it's previously been through. If you don't listen to it, you'll end up hurting yourself a lot more than what you can handle. I'm glad you've got the determination to test your limits, but there's a time and a place for that and it's not now. Now you need to rest and take it easy."She explained in a much gentler voice. She stretched her paw out and ruffled his headfur, like a mother would with her kitten.
Elijah gave a half-hearted hiss and playfully swatted her paw away, smiling. He would never admit it, but he liked the motherly attention Jelly was giving him. It made him feel good that someone genuinely cared about him, and not just for his rank or looks.
Jelly drew her paw away, smirking and shaking her head. Her face it up suddenly as she got an idea. "Tell you what; if you can promise me you won't try anything funny while I'm helping Jenny take care of the kittens, you can get up and walk around when I come back, alright? Under my supervision, of course. I'll fetch Misto and Vicky to keep you company while I'm gone. You're recovering very nicely, so I feel safe leaving you alone. Just holler if you need anything, okay?"Jelly asked, looking at Elijah for confirmation.
He nodded, but furrowed his brow as a question came to mind. "How long will you be gone?"He asked, gazing up at her with what almost looked like worry.
"Don't worry; I'll only be gone for a few hours. I have to get Misto and Vicky. Be good!"Jelly pointed her finger at him as she turned and walked out the den, leaving Elijah to himself.
All too soon, Elijah heard footsteps from outside the den, and Mistofelees and Victoria popped their heads inside. They stepped in with smiles on their faces.
"Good morning! How are we today? Better than yesterday, I hope?"Victoria asked cheerily as she and Misto sat down beside their friend.
Elijah chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Much better, actually. I tried to walk around, but it didn't turn out so well. Jelly caught me standing up and made me stay on my cot. It's not fun, being cooped up in here. But she did say that when she comes back, she'd help me walk around. How are you guys doing?"He asked, tilting his head up at the pair.
Misto was the first to answer. "I'm great, thanks. My injuries have healed up quite nicely. I'm back to doing magic, though only in small amounts. Vicky here is obviously her usual self, happy and energetic as always."He answered for his queenfriend, giving her a playful nudge with his elbow.
Victoria giggled and nuzzled his arm in response. She turned her attention back to Elijah. "How do you think all your friends are doing at Macavity's hideout? They must miss you over there...I mean, who wouldn't? You hold the whole place together!"Victoria said casually, giving him a kind smile.
Elijah stiffened slightly, remembering his new mission. "Oh crap! I completely forgot about the new objective! Umm...think Elijah, how can you get the info out of them...?"He thought frantically, quickly regaining his previous relaxed composure as a mask to hide his new anxiety. Luckily, his friends didn't notice him falter.
"Oh, yeah, they must be terrible without me. Say, since we won't be out of here for a while, do you mind telling me about this place? It's gotta be great, playing in trash piles and whatnot all day. I've never actually seen a junkyard up close, much less been in one."Elijah smiled inwardly as he put his remarkable skill of talking to good use once again. He was notorious for being able to talk anything out of anyone, especially when it came to missions. He knew how to make anyone blurt out anything useful, just by casual conversation. He was eternally grateful to the Everlasting Cat that Misto and Vicky didn't know that about him.
Victoria stared at him in disbelief. "Really? You've never been in a junkyard? Not even the smaller one in the northern part of London? You poor thing...You're missing out on so much!"She shook her head in mock disappointment. "I guess the most important thing is that we make our homes in the trash piles...or out of them. So, technically, you're in a pile of garbage right now!"She giggled when she saw Elijah's disgusted look. "Don't worry, it's been cleaned out and sanitized. You're perfectly fine."She added, still giggling.
Elijah nodded, but decided that there wasn't anything useful to keep in mind from that. Another idea came to him as he caught sight of the remains of his dead rat on the floor beside him. "What about hunting? Do you hunt inside or outside the junkyard? Which one is easier?"He asked, hoping his question might spark an interest in one of them.
Fortunately it did. Misto answered this time. "We do both, but I prefer to hunt outside. The field behind the junkyard is so much more spacious, and it's easier to catch the mice that live there. Although, hunting inside does present more of a challenge. It's harder to catch the rodents, and you have to watch out for hazards like metal or unstable trash heaps. Though it's still fun, regardless."He finished with a smirk.
"Watch out for metal and unstable trash heaps, rear field could be a weakness. Got it. These guys are so gullible! Still, I do feel bad that I'm using my friends. Oh no, what's gotten into me? I'm getting soft, being around these guys. Damn it, Elijah! Snap out of it! You're here to complete a mission, for Bast's sake, so get it done!"Elijah mentally kicked himself for letting his emotions play a part in his mission, which he knew could get him easily killed under the wrong circumstances.
Still keeping his composed mask on, he thought of questions that he thought any newcomer would ask. He avoided being too specific, as that would ruin his chances. Another question popped into his head as the thought of Jelly's absence.
"What do the kittens do around here? If both Jenny and Jelly have to take care of them, they must be a real handful."Elijah assumed as he heard the squeals and laughs of the kittens not far off in the distance.
"You have no idea! It's almost impossible to keep them in one place! They're always so energetic, it's almost like they bounce off the trash piles!"Victoria giggled. She stopped as a realization came to her. "Oh, wait...They do bounce off the trash piles! Watching them play never gets old!"She exclaimed as she broke down into a fit of giggles again.
Elijah locked another tidbit of good information in his head. "Kittens are definitely a weakness. Mac's gonna feel sorry he ever punished me when he hears about all this stuff! Nevertheless, I still feel bad I'm using my friends' words against them...They never did anything to intentionally harm me. Stop it! You're getting emotional again! You're on a mission, remember? Act like it!"He vigorously shook his head, trying to get his conscience to shut up. This sudden action caught the unwanted attention of his friends.
Misto cocked an eyebrow at him. "Elijah, are you alright? Do you want us to leave you alone so you can get some rest? You look tired."
The tom in question shot his head up at him looking almost guilty, as if he had heard his thoughts. He relaxed as he repeated the question to himself. "Uhh...yeah, I'm fine. Injuries take a lot out of you, ya know? I guess I just need some rest. Sorry to cut our conversation short."He answered politely. His fake calm demeanor was still holding out, much to his relief. He stifled a yawn as he laid his head down and closed his eyes.
Victoria smiled gently at him. "We understand. We'll see you later."She stood up and tip-toed out of the den as quietly as she could, and Misto followed suit.
Next thing Elijah knew, he was being shaken awake quite violently. His eyes snapped open to find that Jelly was trying to wake him up, and she looked rather distressed. She stopped shaking him when she realized he was awake.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're awake! We've got a problem, Elijah. Some of Macavity's henchcats are here, and they're looking for you! We managed to restrain them, but they said they won't leave without you! Come quick, before they start getting angry. I'll help you up."She said in a rush as she hooked her arms under his shoulders and lifted him up.
Elijah was surprised at the sudden movement, but he didn't resist. He let Jelly guide him to the den entrance and out into the sunlight.
When they got outside, he realized everything Jelly said was true. Plato, Munkustrap, and Alonzo were restraining some rather mangy-looking toms who had their paws bound behind their backs. Elijah recognized them as some of the lower-ranking toms; the grunts of Macavity's fleet. He also saw that Remmy was one of them.
The tom Alonzo was restraining looked up as he saw movement in front of him and recognized Elijah immediately. "'Ey, boss! Nice ta see ya again! We came ta take ya back home! Now could ya please tell these paranoid Jellicle friends o' yours ta let us go?"He let out a snarl as Alonzo whacked him upside the head for that last remark. He snapped back, but only received another whack as punishment.
Remmy and the other tom snickered quietly at their comrade, but shut their mouths when they got a dark glare from him.
Munk spoke up. "Are these guys telling the truth? Are they really here to take you back, or are they just spies?"He shot a disgusted look at Remmy, who he was restraining.
Elijah cringed inwardly at the word "spies", but he remained composed. Macavity told him they'd be here for him, and henchcats follow orders, or else there are consequences. "These guys are telling the truth. I knew Mac' would send for me at one point or another."He shrugged non-chalantly. He twisted his words a little, but he couldn't tell them the truth, or they'd attack him without hesitation for spying on them. He was a spy, but he wasn't about to tell them that.
Just when things were cooling down a little, Misto and Vicky emerged from Misto's den to see what all the commotion was about. The other cats noticed them, and Elijah prayed that Remmy wouldn't recognize them and ruin their chances of a clean departure because of his loud mouth.
Alas, his prayer fell on deaf ears when Remmy's head shot up and he cracked a smile at the pair. "Hey, I remembah you two! You escaped Mac's hideout! Wouldn't it beh nice ta bring back what's ah's? Mac' would beh realleh 'appy!"He piped up, now grinning menacingly at the two.
The tom Alonzo had seemed to like the idea, as he nodded slowly with a smile. "I likes the idea, Remmy. We'd get prom...promotieds in no time!"He said excitedly.
The third tom just shook his head, sighing. "Max, its prom-o-ted. Get it right, idiot."He rolled his eyes at him and turned his head towards Remmy. "Remmy, you dumb-ass, we can't kidnap two cats again when we're talking about right in front of them, not to mention their backup. Plus, we're tied up. We can't move very much, if you haven't noticed. See, this is why Mac' sent me with you guys. I'm the smart one, so if you want to stay alive, let me do the talking."He finished with an unemotional stare at Remmy.
Remmy mimicked his stare, clearly not impressed. "Oh yeah, wise guy, what do ya suggest we do? You seem ta 'ave all the answers, smart-ass."He said sarcastically, tilting his head in the tom's direction.
Before the third tom could retort to that, Max piped up again. "How 'bout both of yous jus' shu'up an' listen ta Elijah? He's ah' boss..."He trailed off, looking at his comrades for approval.
Remmy and the other tom looked at him in surprise. "That's prob'ly tha' best thin' you've said all day. But you're right."Remmy smirked at Max and turned his head towards Elijah. "What do ya think, boss?"He asked.
This was a no-brainer for Elijah, but he decided to have a little fun first before he left. "I think all of you are idiots. First, you come in here in broad daylight to come and get me. Guaranteed way of getting caught, and possibly killed. Second, you talk about kidnapping cats in front of your captors, I mean, how much more stupid can you guys get? Third, we're leaving. Now. No kidnapping, no questions asked."He shot a disapproving glare at each of his charges. They all looked away, ashamed.
His face took on a more polite expression as he looked at Munk. "Sorry for the trouble these incompetent bastards caused. We'll be taking our leave now. Thanks so much for all that you've done for me. I won't forget it."He bowed his head at Munk, who returned the gesture with a small smile.
"Not a problem, it was a pleasure taking care of you. We'll show you and your comrades out."Munk said as he roughly pushed Remmy forward, earning unintelligible complaints from him. Alonzo and Plato did the same, and guided the miserable toms toward the Junkyard entrance. Elijah bid goodbye to Jelly, Misto, and Victoria before following them.
When they got to the entrance, the ropes that bound the tom's paws were cut off, and they didn't hesitate to climb over the fence to freedom. They waited obediently for their boss on the other side.
Elijah just had one more thing to do before he left. He turned to Munk with a sad smile on his face. "Thanks for putting up with me, sir. I'm not a desirable tom to have around, and for good reason, but you accepted me all the same. Thanks a lot. Oh, and tell Rumpleteazer...I'll miss her. A lot. And that I wish I could have spent more time with her. Please, tell her, it would mean a lot to me."He finished, backing away towards the fence.
Munk smiled kindly at him in return. "You're most welcome. Don't worry; I'll be sure to tell her. Good bye, Elijah."He waved him off while he scrambled over the fence and off into an alley with his comrades not far behind.