Rum Tum Tugger

In his dream, he'd boarded onto a railway train that was making its way across a grassy field. On the cart, he found that other Jellicles were already aboard, some with faces he didn't recognize. The Bengal twins were arguing over a rat, and when Tugger asked where they'd got it from, they said it came from the first car. Tugger strided to the front to where he found the entire cart was full of pests and rodents. He could barely maneuver his way around them, but he noticed they were all crowding around something that was well-hidden on the floor. A cellar door.

Tugger pushed on the door until it opened and he climbed down the steps. At the very bottom, he was greeted by a scene of his father locked in a glass cage and Munkustrap waiting for his arrival. Instantly, he knew that they both needed to get him out before Macavity discovered them. But before they could get to work, Tugger saw the killer cat lurking up in the corner. He tried to scream to warn Munkustrap, but he couldn't make any noise. Nothing but a hoarse whisper no matter how aggressively and forcefully he made an effort to shout. He luckily wouldn't know what Macavity was prepared to do to his brother, because there was a noise that disturbed his sleep.

In a swift movement, Tugger lifted his head off the ground and sniffed the air. Someone was there. It wasn't his brother, nor anyone else he knew. He got onto his feet and turned around. Something was hiding behind the corner of the water tank. Tugger stared furiously until it made another sound. It didn't bother with stealth; it knew it had been spotted. A large shape came from behind the tank. "Apologies. Did I wake you?" The voice alone sent shivers through Tugger's fur, but kept his body stiff and gaze unwavering. Macavity stepped out into the light, and instinctively, Rum Tum Tugger released his claws.

"Come, now. Are we feral beasts? Or would you rather negotiate, as we cats prefer to do?" Macavity sounded nothing like Tugger had ever imagined. His voice was calm and even. Deeper than his and Munkustrap's, but not like their father's. His hateful eyes followed Macavity as he came closer. "Not a talker? Funny. I thought you were known for having a big mouth." He was nearly nose-to-nose with Tugger until the latter snapped his jaws at him, forcing the ginger away. He snickered. "Hot-blooded as always."

Why was he speaking as if he knew him? It was almost enough to make him wonder if this was part of his dream. Tugger wouldn't ask. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. He had nothing to say to him. He was also clever enough to realize he wouldn't tell him where Old Deuteronomy was even if he asked. The red-and-black coated cat circled him; he let his tail curl around Tugger's body as he waltzed to his right.

"I would think that someone so desperate to find his father would be more interested in what I'm offering... Especially when he might not have much time left on earth."

Hisssssss!

Macavity leapt to the other side of the roof and away from Tugger's vicious snarl. His fur was bristled. His ears were low. His pupils were slit and teeth were bared. He'd triggered emotions that Tugger himself didn't know he could feel. For the first time in his life, he felt threatened. Threatened by the idea that he really could lose someone so close to home. Not until the danger was presented to his face was Tugger aware of it. Now he meant business. Damn it. He might have to talk after all.

Suddenly, Macavity started cackling. "For a moment, I thought I was in danger!" His guffaw echoed against the city buildings and Tugger could only feel insulted. "But I know you wouldn't kill me! Then you'd never find out where your father is." Tugger's fur receded. Yes, he had a point. But what made him think he was going to get that information so easily? He decided to let Macavity do all the talking, see what his idea of 'bargaining' was. He retracted his claws... for now.

Grrrow...

"None of that. I'm only here to talk business. You seem like a reasonable tom." Was that a joke? Now it was Tugger who wanted to laugh. He didn't reason with creeps like him. He was ready to go straight to the eye-scratching. But he tried to stay calm. No impulses now. He might have something important to say... oddly enough. "As you may or may not already know, my little specimens are always on the watch. I couldn't help but feel intrigued when they reported the little slight between you and your... brother, is he?" What was he about to offer? Whatever it was, it was no deal. Nothing that possibly involved the safety of his brother. "Before you reject me," Tugger almost reacted to that. This fucker was psychic, "please just hear me out." Please? That was an interesting touch.

Macavity took a step closer, but kept a safe distance away—standing behind an invisible red line, if you will. "You see, I don't want to hurt your father. Pft. I could've had my boys take care of that right then and there if I really wanted to leave a stain on the tribe." All Tugger could think then was that Old Deuteronomy is still alive. Part of him felt like he could breathe again; the underlying anxiety of finding out his father was already dead ceased in that moment. "I just needed your brother's attention. I couldn't have gotten a word with him in private if I'd just strolled up to the gates, would I?" He arched a brow and sneered. "You'd know what that's like – not being able to get his attention?" Tugger's expression broke for a split-second, but he otherwise had no definite reaction. "If he were here, I'd be having this conversation with him instead, but seeing that he's so bent on killing me on sight, I thought I'd try my luck with you."

Tugger was close to demanding that he get to the point, but again, he couldn't give Macavity the pleasure of hearing him speak. His will was iron as his nerves were steel.

"We know Old Deuteronomy won't be alive for much longer, even without my assistance. I'm aware it's not something any son would like to hear about their father, but let's both be realistic. Your brother, on the other hand, has plenty more lives before his final journey to the heaviside layer. He's the real problem. If I thought getting my paws on him would've been easy, that would've been done cut-and-slice, and then we wouldn't even be having this conversation." Tugger nearly shuddered at the thought. It made his stomach turn. "But as that isn't the case, I went for the old cat, you both went after me, and here we are. Perhaps it's fate that it worked out this way."

Rum Tum Tugger didn't believe in 'fate.' No one could ever convince him there was such a thing. He was waiting to be convinced by this 'cunning cat's' sly tongue, because as of right now, he was just listening for his own amusement.

"My point is," he came a fraction closer to the Maine Coon with a confident grin, "if you were willing to, say... make amends with the silver tabby and tell him how you miraculously came across my hideaway, leading him right to me... I just might let you and your father go free. Not a scratch on either of you. All you'd be losing is the neurotic cat you call a sibling. He's not fit to lead anyway; he can't even sniff out his own father right underneath him." He was wrong. He knew nothing of the Munkustrap Rum Tum Tugger knew. No one else did. The one who was selfless and hard-working, who tired himself trying to make everyone happy. The one who gave his best effort everyday to meet his own expectations. "Oh, and one more thing. After I take care of business with your brother, your father formally inducts me into the tribe. I suppose that'll be his repayment for sparing his life."

This was enough.

"Do we have a deal?"

Tugger scanned him up and down, and then coolly replied, "I'm afraid that I'm beyond persuasion." And to really seal his point, "But how about this?" He unleashed his claws once again. "You tell me where my father is and I don't gouge your eyes out!" He was ready to make a pounce forward and get in his face, but Macavity anticipated the attack and swiped in retaliation. His claws met Tugger's side and he howled in pain. He was forced to kneel as he pressed a paw against the three-inch slices over his ribs. He breathed through his teeth; he still had fight in him!

"Ha! I knew you were strong-willed. You never disappoint, do you?" Macavity circled his prey and got behind him. Before Tugger could make another move, the notorious creature dug his claws into the scruff of his neck, holding him in place. "...Or am I mistaken?" He came back around and knelt in front of Tugger, he then drew a claw across his neck and held up his chin. Macavity looked right into his emerald-green eyes, they were ablaze with loathing. Macavity was taken aback. "I know those eyes."

"Fuck you." Tugger snarled through the anguish. Macavity only grabbed harder; his claws nearly broke the skin behind Tugger's neck. He fought his very best to not cry out in pain. Just breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

"I really don't understand you. They say Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat... curious you are, indeed. You love the fame and the little gaggle of fans you've got. Young queens throwing themselves at you right and left... Yet you spend so much time alone, making sure no one really gets to know you... Ah, I see now. You want them to like the idea of you." Tugger tried to bite, but the slightest movement of his jaw meant he'd end up with a cat's equivalent of a blade in his throat. All he could do was glare, so he made the most of it. "I've seen you with the very same eyes you're wearing right now... You're angry. Right? You're ANGRY! But you're not angry at me... Are you angry at the world? Your father for not noticing you? Your brother for not needing you? Are you worried that once the others actually figure you out, they won't want you either?" Tugger could only react with sharp hisses of breath; he was almost tempted to take the claw to the neck if it meant shutting him up. "So which one is it? Are you a hotshot? Or are you just desperate and afraid? The more I think about it, the more alike we are than I'd suspected." Tugger could feel his heart drop to his stomach—his entire body began to shake. "In fact, we have a lot more in common than you could possibly believe."

Tears sat bitterly in the Maine Coon's eyes. One even came close to escaping.

But without warning, a bolt of lightning that could only have come from God's mighty wrath itself struck inches away from the cats. Leaving a small scrape on his chin, Macavity jerked back and Tugger collapsed forward. Neither had any idea what just happened, but Macavity wasn't going to be the moron that got killed by a sudden storm. When Tugger looked back up, he saw the cat had vanished. His head felt light and he was finally able to check himself for any blood. Just a little... but what on earth—?

"Psst!" A small voice called from behind the AC unit. Tugger whirled around and out popped a cat whose fur resembled a human tuxedo. "I think I scared him off!"