Antigone

Part One

A scream echoed through the Junkyard, stirring Munkustrap from slumber. He rose to his feet and looked around warily. He hadn't recognized the voice, and he still didn't see anyone about.

Suddenly, what Munku would've sworn was a ball of fluff came carreening into the Junkyard, chased by Macavity. Just from looking at it, Munku could tell it was a queen, and that she would need help.

"Macavity!" Munku hissed, "Leave her alone, and pick on someone who'll fight back!" Startled, Macavity glared angrily at Munkustrap and retreated. The frightened white persian stared after Macavity, fear evident in her eyes.

Munku approached her somewhat cautiously. He had no idea who she was, or where she'd come from, much less why she'd been running away from Macavity. "Who are you?" he asked.

The queen ran up to him and started sobbing. "It was aweful! He wanted me to have his kittens, and he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!" Tears rolled down her white cheeks and she looked so desperate, that Munku couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

At this point, Jellylorum came into the Junkyard. She approached Munkustrap and the white ball of fluff. "What's going on here?" she asked.

"This queen was chased into the Junkyard by Macavity. He wanted her to be his mate, and he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," Munku repeated. Jelly looked at the white queen.

"You can stay here, if you like," she offered. "We'll keep you safe from that monster," she promised. The white queen looked comforted.

"My name is Antigone," she told Munku and Jelly. "And I'll be glad to stay where I'll be safe. I just hope that that monster who calls himself a feline doesn't come back and hurt you for protecting me," she said to Munku. "I'd feel aweful if he did..."

"Jelly, Antigone, if you don't mind, I'd like to find Demeter. She's really afraid of Macavity, and I want to make sure he hasn't hurt her or kidnapped her," Munku said, suddenly remembering his mate. At this, Antigone grinned unnoticably. The plan would work after all...

Part Two

"I don't trust her, Munku. There's something fishy about her," Demi insisted. Munku had found her watching not far away. Munku shook his head.

"Look, just because you saw her with Macavity doesn't mean - " Munku began to tell her, but she interrupted:

"I saw them talking together just before they came in the Junkyard. I wouldn't trust her. She and Macavity are definately up to something."

"Nonsense, Demi. No one could fake that much fear, not even a great actor like Gus," Munku responded.

"Then don't believe me, but I'm not entering the Junkyard while she's here. If you want to find me, I'll be somewhere on the outskirts," she told him, and darted off into the shadows once more before he could say another word.

Munku sighed. Why did Demi have to be so stubborn sometimes? Couldn't she just trust his judgement? She was probably only jealous because Antigone had been hanging off of him. Not that he was attracted to her in the least. He was faithful to Demi, and didn't go sleeping around with other queens. She should know that. And she probably did. Maybe she had seen Macavity and Antigone talking. If she had, they'd probably been arguing about her having his kittens.

Well, Demi would just have to be angry. Munku trusted Antigone, and he wasn't about to turn her away when she needed protection. She could wind up dead if he turned her away from the safety of the tribe, and he would feel responsible.

Munku returned to where Jelly and Antigone were still talking, in the central part of the Junkyard. "Couldn't find her?" asked Antigone as he approached.

"No, I found her," Munku replied, "But she doesn't trust you, Antigone, and she's mad at me for keeping you safe." Once more, Antigone smiled undetectibly.

"Why wouldn't she trust me?" she asked innocently.

"She says she saw you talking to Macavity before you ran in here," he responded absentmindedly.

"We were arguing about the kitten issue," Antigone informed him. "Then he got angry when I told him I wasn't ready to take care of kits yet, and started chasing me around. I ran in here because I thought it would be more sheltered, and that I could hide easily." Munku smiled at her. So he'd been correct.

"Mama!!!!!" cried a young white kitten from under the old Ford. Jelly sighed, and ran off to attend her daughter. Antigone noticed a golden queen, obviously Demeter, watching her and Munku from the shadows.

She smiled seductively at Munkustrap, and leaned up and kissed him. She could almost picture the look on Demi's face. She heard Demi's pawsteps fading away quickly as the other queen ran. Antigone was jolted back to what she was doing when Munku slapped her and shoved her away from him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I have a mate, you slut, and you know it!" he hissed angrily. Antigone smiled innocently at him.

"Oh, am I a slut, now? As I recall, Demeter is as dull as they come. At least I'm not afraid to let a tom near me," she remarked, all the while keeping the innocent smile on her face. Munku growled at her.

"I can see why Macavity chased you in here, if this is how you acted. If I would've known you were like this, I would've let him kill you and not felt in the least bit guilty!"

Antigone looked very upset. "You'd rather I was dead? I'm shocked, and hurt..." A tear rolled down her cheek, and she began to sob. This time, Munku didn't care what she felt. He just hoped Demi hadn't seen what she did, and yet somehow he had a feeling that Demi had, which was why Antigone had done it. She seemed to be trying to force them apart.

Part Three

Demi ran as far away as she could. She could hardly believe it. She wasn't going to be around until Antigone left, and the next thing she knew, Munku was kissing Antigone, right in plain sight! It left a big hole in her heart, and she felt as if everything that kept her life together was suddenly coming undone.

Another tear welled in her eye, blurring her vision, and the next thing she knew she'd walked right into someone. She sobbed and closed her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. "I'm sorry... excuse me," she said quietly and continued on her way.

"Is there something wrong, Miss?" a soothing voice called after her. "Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with," Demi informed him, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Instantly, another one blurred her vision again.

"Someone has obviously hurt you," the tom said. "And I'll bet you'd feel better if you talked to someone about it. It often helps clear one's mind to talk of things they don't understand and that hurt them."

Realizing that this was often true, Demi decided to tell him. She turned around and approached him, barely able to see because of the tears welling in her eyes. "My mate... he was with another queen... as soon as I told him I wasn't going to be around for a while..."

"That's a great mate," the tom commented, sarcasm evident in his voice. "You obviously deserve someone better than that creep."

Demi hadn't realized that they'd been walking as they talked. Her vision was beginning to clear, and she wasn't crying as much. She looked around and noticed that she had no idea where they were. "I'd better go back... I don't know where I am..." she began, and turning to face him, realized that the tom she'd been with was Macavity! She screamed, and he covered her mouth with one of his paws.

Macavity laughed. "And now your mate is mad at you, just as you were mad at him... Thanks to Griddlebone, or as you might know her, 'Antigone'," he said. Demi's eyes widened. She had been right! That queen was working for Macavity! And she had kissed Munku to get Demi out of the Junkyard and make her vulnerable enough to be lead somewhere and kidnapped by Macavity! And chances were, Munku wouldn't notice for a while, since she'd told him she wasn't going to stay at the Junkyard...

Her eyes clouded again, and she began to sob. Eventually, she started gasping for air, but Macavity didn't slow down. He forced her along and into an old warehouse. It was empty except for a small dog cage made out of metal with a padlock on it.

Macavity fairly threw Demi into the cage, and she slammed into the back of it, falling stunned to the floor. Macavity entered the cage, blocking the only exit. "Have my kittens, Demi. Your mate doesn't truly love you. You saw him kiss my servant yourself. I do love you. Have my kittens Demi, or I'll kill you..."

Part Four

Munkustrap searched frantically for Demeter. After looking throughout the Junkyard with no luck, he approached Antigone. "You witch..." he hissed. "You kissed me to make Demi leave, didn't you?"

Antigone smiled. "My, you're a lot smarter than they say Jellicles are. You figured me out. But why don't you forget about her, and we have some fun?"

"I love her, you bitch," Munku hissed, slapping her once more. "And now I'm going to find Demi and make sure she knows how evil you are, and that I had no choice in this matter."

Antigone threw back her head and laughed. "I'd like to see you try, my dear Munku." By the time she looked back at him, he was already gone, for he knew she worked for Macavity. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew that Demi had spoken the truth, and merely wanted to warn him.

And he knew that he would find Demi in Macavity's favourite hangout; the newest abandoned warehouse, a few blocks from the Junkyard. He ran all the way there, and he heard Demi scream from inside when he approached.

He shoved open the door. Demi was trapped in a metal dog cage, and Macavity was with her. He was trying to force himself upon her when Munku came in. "Get off of her, Macavity." he hissed. The Mystery Cat obeyed him and got off of Demi, who ran out of the cage in a blur and hid behind her mate.

Munku walked up to the cage and slammed the door shut. Then he clicked the padlock shut. He picked up the key from the floor where it had been laid by Macavity, and threw it down a hole in the floor.

"C'mon Demi, let's go home," Munku suggested. Demi nodded, and they left the warehouse. "I don't think he'll bother us anymore, but now we have to deal with Antigone."

"You mean Griddlebone," Demi corrected. "That's her real name." Munku stopped.

"You do know that she kissed me and that I would never be unfaithful to you, don't you Demi?" he asked. Demi nodded, and he put his arms around her lovingly. "I hoped you would."

"Well, it helped me figure it out when Macavity told me it was part of his plan..." she explained. She laughed lightly, but was cut off when Munku leaned down and kissed her.

Then they returned to the Junkyard. Griddlebone was no where to be seen. She'd apparently slunk off soon after Munku left to find Demi. Not that either of them cared where she'd gone.