A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers and readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Don't forget to review, they help me a lot! Enjoy.
Mungojerrie suddenly felt a frigid rush of air as someone tore the warm blanket off that was covering him and Rumpleteazer. Shivering, he muttered something unintelligible and tried to curl around the calico queen for warmth, but to his displeasure, he discovered no one was sleeping beside him and he just curled around empty air instead. 'Jerrie was rudely awoken from his now half-slumber as he felt himself being unceremoniously thrown off the bed and the hard concrete floor greeted his face.
'Jerrie finally cracked an eye open with a lengthy, exhausted groan. He ended up lying on his side and the only thing he saw were two black feet in front of him. Sitting up while rubbing his sore jaw, he yawned before gazing up accusingly at SD. "Whot tha 'ell do ya wont? Whot toime is it?"He mumbled, still sleepy.
The black tom merely stared back at him with his indifferent yellow eyes for a few seconds. He replied in his usual no-nonsense tone, "Glad to see you and your queenfriend had a nice night. Macavity wants you both in his office. Now."With that, he marched out of the barracks.
The tiger-striped tom gave 'Teazer a confused glance, which she returned. She was sitting up as well, but was rubbing her head a bit. He didn't need to ask if SD threw her out of bed, too. 'Jerrie stood up and stretched, wincing as his shoulder popped. He strode over to the door while combing his fingers through his headfur. It would be embarrassing to show up in front of his boss looking less than satisfactory. He heard 'Teazer's footsteps behind him as he strode out into the hall.
"Oi wondah whot 'e wonts? Whot if we're in trouble?"The calico queen pondered a little too casually as they strolled down the jail hall. She pricked her ears forward as the sound of faint crying reached them. 'Teazer quickened her pace, trying to find the source of the noise. She walked past 'Jerrie who acted like he didn't even hear it. She halted at the spot where the crying was loudest: Demeter's cell.
'Teazer's eyes adjusted rapidly to the darkness of the cell as she peered through the bars. The figure of the older queen could be made out huddled against the opposite wall. "Demetah? It's moi, Rumpleteazah. Whot's tha mattah?"She asked softly, so as not to startle the prisoner.
The crying turned to sniffles as Demeter tried to control her tears. She glanced out from behind her arm where she had buried her head to see if it really was the young calico and not one of Macavity's tricks on her mind. She quickly spotted another cat behind her and dared not leave her position by the wall for fear it might hurt her. "I'm...fine. This happens...a lot. No big deal."The black and gold queen murmured. Squinting against the brighter light outside of the cell, she determined that the cat standing behind her younger friend was a tom. This just strengthened her determination not to leave her spot.
The calico queen laughed lightly in disbelief. "If ya croiy a lot, then somethin' is definiteley wrong. Can Oi 'elp in aneh way?"She smiled warmly, but Demeter didn't relax like she usually did when she started talking to her.
At this Mungojerrie interrupted. He placed a paw on 'Teazer's shoulder to get her attention and kept his now piercing glare on the older queen in the cell. He spoke loud enough for both of them to hear, "Don' bothah with tha' damned wench. She's as good as dead with tha way Macavity treats 'er. C'mon, we 'ave bettah thin's ta do."'Jerrie stated flatly like he knew better than the calico queen.
'Teazer gasped and looked appallingly at the tiger-striped tom. She shoved his paw off her shoulder and drove her heel into his foot, earning a pained hiss from said tom. "'Ow could ya say somethin' loike tha'? Apologoize ta Demetah!"She demanded, but 'Jerrie just chuckled and turned her in the direction of Macavity's office. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting.
"Ya're funneh, 'Teazah. Ya think a whore deserves respect! Come, befo' Mac' stahts ta wondah whot's keepin' us."The calico tom said as he resumed the trip down the hall. He hunched over with a strained grunt as 'Teazer sharply elbowed him in the stomach.
The calico queen swiftly spun around and slightly sunk her claws into 'Jerrie's shoulders. She stared him straight in the eye while he winced in her painful grip. "Whot's wrong with ya? She deserves as much respect as moi o' Pixie! Now apologoize o' ya'll 'ave ya collahbone proied out an' shown ta ya."'Teazer hissed viciously as she tightened her grip. Her own threat surprised her. It wasn't often that she was this demanding and stubborn.
'Jerrie gritted his teeth at the increased pain, but refused to give. When did 'Teazer get this dominant? He'd never expect her to act like SD. Maybe all this violence around her was rubbing off? Despite the pain, he was as steadfast as the calico queen was with her demand. "No way...Not ta tha' piece o'-"His insult got cut short as the pain in his shoulders increased dramatically and got replaced by a defeated whimper.
"Whot was tha', 'Jerrie?"'Teazer asked sinisterly as the tiger-striped tom started to buckle. She noticed beads of red blood starting to emerge from under her claws. She hated to hurt 'Jerrie and torture him this way, but this was a moral issue that she just couldn't brush off. Her conscience wouldn't allow it, and she had to prove that no one could walk all over her and not take her seriously.
The calico tom finally caved after a few more tense seconds. "Oi'm...Oi'm sorreh, Demetah!"He managed weakly. 'Teazer smirked and let him go, taking a step back as he collapsed onto all-fours. Looking past 'Jerrie, she noticed the black and gold queen had been observing them from the front of her cell with a tiny smile. 'Teazer returned the smile and helped 'Jerrie to his feet.
"Tha' should teach ya some mannahs. Le's go see whot ah' boss wonts from us."'Teazer said with satisfaction as the tiger-striped tom simply nodded and followed, licking his shoulders so the new wounds wouldn't get infected. Once they got to the door to Macavity's office, he rapped on it. Upon hearing the command to enter, 'Jerrie pushed the door open and he and 'Teazer stepped inside. As usual, the Hidden Paw was at his desk poring over the scattered papers that were on it. The tiger-striped tom pointed to one of the wooden chairs, indicating that the calico queen should sit down. They both waited patiently for their boss to acknowledge their presence.
A couple of minutes passed and Macavity glanced up from his papers. He stared at both of them, as if evaluating them. Resting his gaze on 'Jerrie, he cleared his throat and began, "How did the training turn out? Were you successful in your efforts, Mungojerrie?"The ginger tom had a hint of humaneness to his low, smooth tone. This caught 'Teazer's attention because she had always thought Macavity talked to his henchcats without a bit of civility.
'Jerrie nodded curtly, leaning his chair back and propping his feet up on the desk. His boss didn't even seem to notice. "Yeah, it went pretteh well. She's a born stalkah. Foightin's not bad, eithah. Whot did ya cawll us fo', Sah?"He questioned casually, inspecting his claws.
This amazed the calico queen even more. Macavity was actually being...friendly towards his henchcat. He was chatting with 'Jerrie, which is something she had never expected him to do. Perhaps he wasn't as terrible as other cats made him out to be?
The ginger tom's acid yellow eyes flickered to 'Teazer for a moment and he gave the slightest of smirks, like he found something amusing about her. She had no idea what; she hadn't moved a muscle or said a word since she sat down.
"It's good to hear you trained her well because you two are going on a mission. I've caught wind of a certain book that can be of great value to me if I can get my paws on it. It's called "Black Magic Incanations and Curses" and I've received word that it was being held in the church at West Monroe. My orders for you are to obtain that book and bring it back to me by dawn tomorrow."Macavity explained and turned his gaze towards the calico queen in front of him. "Do you know how to shoot arrows? Throw shuriken? Throwing knives?"He asked a commanding tone.
'Teazer shifted uncomfortably in her seat as his eyes bored into her. "Oi don' know much 'bout arrows, but 'Jerrie's taught moi ta throw shuriken and knoives...Sah."She added after a second's hesitation. She was too intimidated by him to look him in the eye.
Macavity's expression remained unreadable as he continued to stare intently at her. "Fair enough. I don't think you're inexperienced enough to get yourself killed. The cats that guard the church aren't very hard to pick off from a distance. Mungojerrie will teach you how to shoot properly and I expect you to be able to shoot sentries from rooftops by the time you set out tonight. Dismissed."He stated and returned to studying the pages on his desk as the calico pair stood up and walked out into the hall.
"Well, le's ge' ta it, then. Oi'll ge' tha bows an' arrows whoile ya wait boiy tha garage."'Jerrie instructed and didn't wait for a response as he started striding down the jail hall. 'Teazer shrugged and watched him until he was out of sight around the corner. Casting a wayward glance over to Demeter's cell, she noticed the queen was motioning her over. Smiling, she padded over to the cell, happy to have a momentary distraction.
Demeter still had that dainty smile on her face as she whispered, "Thanks. I don't think anyone's ever stood up for me like that. You're much too kind to be working in a place like this. Do you still prefer the hideout to the street?"She cocked her head inquisitively.
'Teazer chuckled lightheartedly as she nodded. "Now tha' Oi've me' 'Jerrie, Oi don' think Oi'd evah leave this place without 'im. It's not too bad 'ere, awll thin's considahed."The calico queen fell silent for a moment while running the little argument she had with said tom earlier over in her head. She furrowed her brow as something in those memories captured her attention. "So whoiy were ya croiyin' taday, Demetah? It's not 'ealthy ta croiy as often as ya say ya do."She continued while contemplating the obvious and not so obvious reasons as to why her older acquaintance had this problem.
The black and gold queen bit her lip, clearly reluctant to reply. After a few minutes of thinking it over, she decided it was safe to tell Rumpleteazer the real reason she cried so much. After all, 'Teazer seemed like someone she could trust. She could tell she was genuinely concerned about her. "I cry so often because...I miss a good friend of mine. His name is Munkustrap and when that tom catnapped me and forced me to be his...well I don't think I should say it around you since you're so young, but the point is he took me away from my best friend and there hasn't been a day gone by when I haven't cried myself to sleep wanting to see him again, wanting so desperately to be safe in his arms and protected from this living hell. That's exactly why I haven't committed suicide yet because I keep kindling the small hope that he'll be waiting for me if I ever get out of here..."Demeter trailed off and the smile faded from her lips until it was nothing more than a mere line.
The calico queen smirked as if she knew something the older queen didn't. "It sounds ta moi loike ya love this Munkustrap. It's plain as day in ya voice an' tha way ya talk 'bout 'im. Oi'll ge' ya ta see 'im again, Oi promise. It's worse than a croime ta keep ya away from each othah. Oi jus' can't ignore this now tha' Oi 'ave it in moiy 'ead. Whot do ya think?"She glanced at the gold and black queen for her opinion on the matter.
A flash of hope came to Demeter's eyes, but it vanished as soon as it had come. She sighed sadly and her eyes became dulled with pain and sorrow once more. "I don't think it's possible to escape from here. I've tried before, and I've gotten tortured for it many times as a result. Plus, toms scare me so much now. I can't trust any of them anymore, no matter who they are. Love is dead to me ever since day one of being trapped in this godforsaken cell. Even if I did escape, I doubt I'll be able to face Munk again. Thanks for offering, though. Don't waste your time trying to fix something that's beyond repair..."With that she averted her gaze and retreated back into the black abyss of her jail cell once more.
This only strengthened 'Teazer's resolve to help Demeter. It was cruel to separate her from this Munkustrap and she would do anything she had to in order to aid in reuniting them. Looking over her shoulder, she observed 'Jerrie walking down the jail hall with a quiver and bow across his back as well as another set in his paws. Once he reached the calico queen, they went into the garage and he instructed her on how to properly wear the items.
The quiver was heavier than she expected, but 'Teazer could manage. 'Jerrie first taught her how to crouch and crawl with it on before adding the bow. The bow was immensely uncomfortable and it kept getting in the way when she attempted to move her arm and shoulder to crawl forward. It was an awkward weapon to hold too, as she soon found out. 'Jerrie was patient with her, however. It took her a while to get used to shooting arrows and they were much harder to aim than your regular knife or shuriken. The calico tom constantly corrected her position but never showed any signs of frustration with her.
She enjoyed the bonding time with 'Jerrie. He was very into the process of teaching her the art of archery and she could tell he harboured a passion for the weapon. By sundown, he had successfully taught her how to crawl with the bow and quiver silently, shoot from a crouch as well as standing up, and also how to send the arrow whizzing through the air with decent accuracy across two thirds the length of the garage.
"Oi believe tha's good enough fo' ya first mission. Ya accuracey's fair enough ta kill some sentries, no doubt 'bout tha'. Le's eat dinnah then 'ead out. Aneh questions 'bout taday's lesson?"The tiger-striped tom asked as he strung the bow across his back and held the door open for 'Teazer as she walked out into the hall.
The calico queen had an essence of uncertainty in her eyes as they flickered from 'Jerrie to the quiver on his back. A few moments of silence passed before she said in a small voice, "Ya're a killah, 'Jer, if ya don' moind moi sayin'. Oi'm...not. Oi don' know if Oi can go through with endin' someone's loife as easiley as ya can."
'Jerrie's expression turned serious as he thought about how answer to that. "Tell ya whot; if it 'elps, Oi'll do tha killin'. Ya can distract tha cat befo' Oi deal tha foinal blow, 'ow 'bout tha'?"He smiled reassuringly as they entered the cafeteria. 'Teazer nodded fervently, pleased, at the same time relieved, with the alternate option. They served themselves the usual unappetizing food and sat down at a table to eat it. This time 'Jerrie found no bird feathers, but he could detect tufts of rat fur as he chewed.
'Teazer listlessly poked at her food, and the calico tom observed her for a minute before inquiring, "Aren' ya gonna eat tha'? It's tha easiest meal ya can ge' befo' 'eadin' out. Ya'll need tha energey."
She shrugged in response, but put a forkful in her mouth nonetheless. Cringing as she swallowed, 'Jerrie chuckled as the calico queen made a disgusted face. As she ate more, 'Teazer got used to the repulsive taste and didn't cringe as much. When she was about half done, she pushed her cracked plate aside and averted her gaze from the food as if it would insult her if she so much as glanced at it.
"'Ow do ya eat this stuff? It's 'orrible!"'Teazer remarked when she cocked an eyebrow at 'Jerrie's empty plate.
The calico tom absentmindedly scratched his ear replying, "Aftah six years o' workin' fo' Macavity ya ge' used ta it. C'mon, we 'ave ta leave. West Monroe's a couple kilometahs from 'ere."With that he stood up and 'Teazer followed suit.
While they strode down the corridor in the direction of the exit the calico queen commented, "Ya've been workin' fo' Mac' fo' six years? 'Ow did ya become a 'enchcat at age fifteen?"She determined 'Jerrie had been working for the Hidden Paw for a long time judging by his skill and rank so she had guessed two or three years, but she had no idea he had been in the organization for six.
"Oi was a born criminal. Oi murdahed moiy first cat at age fifteen an' one o' Mac's 'enchcats recommended moi ta tha boss. Oi've been in tha business evah since. Speakin' o' which, Oi don' think ya've evah told moi whoiy ya stahted workin' fo' Mac'."'Jerrie said as he opened the metal door and walked out into the night.
'Teazer didn't answer for a few minutes as the same dilemma she had had with Pixie when she asked her the same thing came up in her head. She decided if her lie had worked once, it would work twice. "Oi joined ta foind a mate."She said without a hint uncertainty in her tone.
The scoff that came as a reply told her that 'Jerrie had a hard time believing that reason. He continued with, "An' 'ow's tha' workin' out fo' ya? If ya came 'ere ta foind ya soulmate, ya ah' jus' wastin' ya toime. Evrey tom in tha 'oideout onleh gives a damn 'bout a queen if 'e wonts 'er ta 'ave sex with 'im. Aftah she sleeps with 'im 'e usualleh tells 'er ta beat it."His voice had a strong essence of pride in it at that fact, but he cringed away and mentally kicked himself as he realized what he had just implied.
There was a tense silence as the calico queen gathered her shocked thoughts. Her fingers gradually curled to form fists and anger and betrayal boiled up inside of her once again. She struggled to contain her emotions as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Please tell moi ya didn' jus' say whot Oi think ya said."She muttered quietly through clenched teeth.
'Jerrie cleared his throat slightly and readjusted the bow across his back in an effort to delay his answer. Now he'd done it. He searched his mind for an explanation that would fix this mistake. "Oi...didn' mean moi, 'Teazah."He told her with a tinge of submissiveness to his tone. To avoid making the wrong impression, 'Jerrie actually didn't mean himself when he blurted out that remark without thinking. He truly, deeply cared about 'Teazer but his words certainly made her think otherwise.
The calico queen cocked her head at him and pried further. "Mungojerrie, ya jus' said evrey tom in tha 'oideout. Oi'm pretteh sure tha' includes ya. Now tha' Oi think 'bout it, t'was stupid o' moi ta think tha Calico Criminal could evah fawll in love with moi without takin' inta consideration tha' criminals an' love cannot possibley co-exist!"Her voice had started out as a low hiss, but it had crescendoed into a furious yell.
"Oi didn' mean it loike tha'! 'Teazah, jus'-"'Jerrie tried to take back what he said, but was cut off.
"Oh, Oi know perfectley well whot ya meant! So awll this toime ah' relationship was jus' a ploy ta ge' moi inta bed with ya, is tha' it? Oi can't believe Oi made awll this effo't jus' so ya could ge' some sexual gratification."'Teazer's voice lowered to a bitter, harsh whisper since she was trying hard to fight back tears.
'Jerrie opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. What could he say to redeem himself now? It was clear that the calico queen had no more fight left in her and that she was irrational and unreasonable at the moment. The tiger-striped tom fell silent as he glanced ahead of them. He caught a glimpse of the half-intact spire of a run-down church. They had reached their destination.
The calico tom knew he had to set aside his problem for now and focus on the mission ahead. "Look, le's put this asoide fo' now an' ge' this mission done. We can ahgue 'bout this latah."He explained hurriedly as he scanned the apartment complexes around them for any ways to easily get onto a roof. Spotting an abandoned-looking, three-storey one with a promising set of fire-escape stairs, he took 'Teazer's paw and led her over to it. She naturally refused his paw as she followed him over to the ladder that was a good eight feet off the ground. 'Jerrie noticed that 'Teazer would obviously have trouble reaching that ladder since she couldn't climb or jump nearly as well as he could.
He got on one knee and laced his fingers together to form a make-shift foothold. Smirking at 'Teazer he said "Ladies first" while glancing up at the ladder, then back at her.
'Teazer sighed and gave him an eye roll, but let him vault her up so she could reach the ladder anyway. Once she was safely up and standing by the steps, 'Jerrie crouched down low and jumped up, just barely hooking his claws around the last rung of the ladder. He hauled himself up and over the railing once he climbed to the top. Looking upwards, he saw that the calico queen was already climbing the stairs to the roof. Shrugging to himself, 'Jerrie followed and soon they were both crouched on the flat roof of the building.
This abandoned neighbourhood was just like Deckem, in a sense that the buildings were so close together that you could easily jump from one to the other. The two calicos hopped across the small gaps between the buildings until they were crouched on the roof of the one that was nearest to the church. The area around the church provided them with a significantly larger gap, since there was a lawn and stone path surrounding it. There were quite a few stones missing from the path and the grass was brown and patched from neglect. There was no hope of jumping across onto the church's partially caved-in roof. The particular apartment building they were on was also two-stories high while the church was one.
There they observed the score of the enemy cats making their rounds on the roof as well as the ground. 'Jerrie caught glimpses of more cats inside as he looked through one of the shattered stained-glass windows that lined the side of the church he and 'Teazer were facing. It looked like the book they were guarding was more than a simple collection of spells. If a powerful conjurer like Macavity wanted the book, and there were at least two scores of cats protecting the book, then it had to hold some serious power.
'Jerrie removed the bow from his back and silently nocked an arrow. 'Teazer copied him and they began scanning the cats below them for a suitable target.