Macavity moved closer to Misto. "What is your name?"
"Quaxo," Misto said quickly. He prayed Macavity didn't notice Rumpleteazer's surprised expression.
Macavity looked at him oddly, then his lips curled, revealing his gums. Misto felt a sinking sensation of dread.
He knows! was his frantic thought. Everlasting Cat, he knows who I am!
"What a foolish name," Macavity disparaged. "Of course the Jellicles couldn't give you a real name. Who were the fools that came up with it?"
Misto suppressed his anger. "My adoptive parents were Skimbleshanks and Jellylorum."
"Skimbleshanks, of course. The railway cat, serving needlessly serving humans. And Jellylorum…isn't she the niece of that doddery old fool Gus, the theatre cat?"
"Yes."
"So how did you get in past my guards?"
We need that escape, Misto thought.
Macavity seemed to guess what he was thinking. "Rest assured, you will not escape me. If you do, this little queen will have to answer for it."
Rumpleteazer tightened her grip on Misto's paw.
"There's a hole in the basement," Misto quickly answered. "It goes to the sewer."
Macavity nodded his head. "Well, it seems Hippolyta wasn't as much of a simpleton as I thought. Probably another one of her deceptions."
Misto's ears twitched at his hiss.
Macavity now began to move about the room, but his gaze never left Misto.
"You've suffered a great loss in not having me as a father, Quaxo. You must be angry with Hippolyta for abandoning you. Your whole life has been a lie, because of that duplicitous, disloyal rat of a queen."
Misto bit back a response as he felt himself get hot with anger.
She's shown more honesty than you ever have in your whole bitter existence.
Macavity sighed. "It's all so unfortunate…it will be very challenging to teach you all befitting as an heir to the Napoleon of Crime. Rest assured, it won't stop me, but it shall be difficult, seeing as how it appears you've grown to be as useless as the rest of the Jellicles." He stopped at this, considering.
"What do you know of the magician Mistoffelees?"
He cannot know.
Macavity bore into him with his large eyes. "Answer me, Quaxo."
"He…he's not a very good magician. Just…parlour tricks, really."
"And yet he summoned Old Deuteronomy a year ago."
"That's…about the best he could do. I mean…he's a bit of a coward. That's probably why you've never seen him before. He usually just runs and hides." He looked at Rumpleteazer, who stared back fearfully. "It's not as if he ever came to rescue Rumpleteazer."
Macavity snorted. "Yes, I suppose that's one thing you inherited from me. Bravery. Though in your case, I think it'd be more appropriate to call it foolhardiness." His gaze trailed over Rumpleteazer.
"Well, Rumpleteazer, it seems you may have been correct about your Mistoffelees. Though this will likely change, given the circumstances." Those eyes narrowed. "After all, I told him my hostage will not wait much longer." He grabbed Rumpleteazer, pulling her away from Misto.
"Leave us, Quaxo," he barked. "I have business to attend to with dear Miss Rumpleteazer."
Rumpleteazer gave a little squeak of fear, and Misto's eyes flashed before he lunged at Macavity. "Don't touch her!"
Macavity, furious, easily tossed the small Mistoffelees off him, pinning him to the ground.
"You must learn your place, my son." Unsheathing his claws, he continued, "It's time I gave you a little gift, Quaxo…"
"No, Mistoffelees!" Rumpleteazer cried, before clamping her paws over her mouth in realization.
The toms froze, both staring at Rumpleteazer. Then Macavity looked back at Misto.
"'Quaxo'?" He growled. "So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It seems you are equally as dishonest as your mother, Mistoffelees."
Suddenly very afraid, Misto began to struggle. "I should have guessed," Macavity said. "You are my son, after all. But you know that your powers will not work here."
"And I know that you plan to have me killed," Misto replied. "And Rumpleteazer will go free."
"Mistoffelees, no!" she groaned.
"Right you are," Macavity answered him. He climbed off the smaller tom, and grabbing Rumpleteazer by the shoulder, he gave her an unnecessary tattoo of a scar before sending her away in a burst of smoke. "Mist-" was the last that was heard of her.
Macavity turned to look at Misto, who slowly climbed to his feet.
"Rubono! Julius!"
Two dark henchcats appeared in the room.
"Find a hole in the basement room," Macavity ordered. "See to it that nothing will get through." He made his next announcement triumphantly. "Our Mistoffelees has arrived." He gestured to Misto. One of the henchcats looked surprised, but the other one simply asked, "How would you like us to deal with him?"
Macavity frowned. "That won't be necessary. I already gave you your orders. Now go."
They nodded, and exited the room, but shortly one of them poked his head around the corner again.
"Er…sir, there are um…a couple guards here unconscious…what should we…"
"Those are the idiots who let our intruders in," Macavity snapped. "They cannot be allowed to continue their foolishness. Kill them."
The cat nodded, and left them.
Without looking away from Misto, Macavity used his magic to slam the door shut, before it slowly turned to solid stone. Misto's eyes widened. He had never seen magic like that.
"And now, no one shall disturb us," Macavity whispered.
Misto tried to stare back, but he wavered. "Are…are you going to kill me now?"
Macavity blinked. But then he nodded. "It's a bit unfortunate. You are my son, after all. However, you are also Hippolyta's, so not much can be said for you." He seemed to almost hesitate for a moment. "Tell me, Mr. Mistoffelees, what is the extent of your powers?"
Misto swallowed. "Something tells me that it doesn't compare to yours." He couldn't quite read Macavity's expression.
"We shall see about that," the ginger cat replied.
Misto started, not quite understanding. "What?"
Then suddenly the air around them seemed to shift, a certain weightlessness surrounding them. As if Misto had lost a heavy burden he hadn't known he was carrying.
"You are free to use your magic now," Macavity explained. "I would say we are to do this as equals, but I know that you cannot win. But I think I should have one chance to see my son perform." Macavity took a step back. "Now fight me."
Misto stared, uncertain. He slowly lifted his paws, when…
"AGGH!" he cried, as a zap of electricity shot from Macavity, hitting him square in the chest. Misto fell flat on his back, and quickly struggled back up.
"Come now," Macavity whispered. "You can do better than that."
Misto shot a bolt at him, which Macavity quickly blocked, reflecting it back at Misto, who barely managed to dodge. Macavity shot another which singed Misto's tail, as he escaped by leaping over the chair, hiding behind it.
"ARE YOU MY SON OR NOT?" Macavity roared, just before Misto poked out from behind it, shooting two bolts at Macavity. They hit him, but seemed to do barely any damage, as he hissed and continued shooting, one after the other, Misto ducking to avoid them, fighting back with shots of his own.
"The Jellicles couldn't raise a conjuror," he growled, shooting another bolt, this time hitting Misto's arm. He cried, clutching it, and shot with his other, missing. "Why else do you think I left? If you had been mine, you could have been as powerful as me!" An invisible force threw Misto back, as a bolt slammed him in the chest yet again. This must've been what the twins meant, he remembered their warning to practice his lightning bolts.
"But the Jellicles are all afraid of power," said Macavity. "Munkustrap and Old Deuteronomy, they fear it, and yet they still guard it jealously."
Misto felt his anger taking over, and soon he was a burst of electricity. "SHUT UP!"
He lunged at Macavity, but to his amazement the tall cat shot above him, and remained suspended in the air, levitating.
Macavity was still talking. "Your mother should like it there, for the short while she has. You see, when I am the leader, she will be the first to die…"
"NO!" Misto yowled, and with an energy he never knew he possessed, threw a ball of electricity twice his own size at the other magician.
Macavity reacted, sending a piece of lightning almost as big back at Misto's, and when the collided, an explosion so powerful resulted, throwing Misto back.
Macavity swiftly formed an invisible shield that protected him from the flames, and kept him floating. But he didn't keep it up for long enough, as when the explosion hit the ceiling, pieces of it began to fall…
Misto saw a large piece of concrete about to fall on top of Macavity, and without thinking he lunged, shooting forward in the air with power that defied gravity, and grabbed hold of Macavity.
Mother, was his single thought as the two of them disappeared.
I considered adding more to this chapter, but then I think it would have been too long and wanted to save some excitemeng for the next chapter, which will be up relatively soon.
This was actually kind of hard to write, mainly because I felt uncomfortable with all of Macavity's nastiness. I mean, what a jerk!
So what'd you think? What do you think's going to happen next? Let me know in your reviews!