Munkustrap and the rest of the toms had succeeded in surrounding the basement. They had all found hiding places among the furniture and were anxiously waiting for a signal from their leader to let them know when to attack. Munkustrap was hidden behind an old doll house which had been stored there and forgotten.
The gray tabby ran his paw over the roof of the little house.
"A human child used to live here," he thought. "It's a shame that this house has now become a hideout for the Napoleon of Crime."
He began to think of his own family.
Of Demeter, the perfect gorgeousness in the figure of a queen. He was so lucky to have met her.
Of their six kittens at home. He remembered how he felt when he first saw them after they had been born. How he wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.
He looked around the doll house at the gangsters gathered in a small circle in the center of the basement. He suddenly had serious doubts about this plan. He wasn't sure that this was a fight that they could win. They were meeting the enemy on their own ground. The chances of being able to escape should they need to were pretty slim.
What if they should be defeated?
Who would take care of the queens and the kittens?
Munkustrap remembered the previous year when he had fought Macavity by himself and how that fight had resulted. If it were not for the other jellicles who had helped him, he probably would have been killed by his enemy. He could not bear the thought of never seeing his family again. If something should happen to him, what would become of the other jellicles?
The other jellicles.
Munkustrap suddenly realized how selfish he was being.
He was not the only tom who had left someone behind.
Mungojerrie had Rumpleteazer, Plato had Victoria, Alonzo had Cassandra, Coricopat had Tantomile.
Every tom in that room had someone they would lose if they failed in the battle that was about to take place. And yet, they had willingly accompanied him to find Andromeda and rescue Mistoffelees. He could not back out now.
Besides, he was to be the new leader of the Jellicle Tribe, fear was not an option.
Munkustrap took a deep breath, gave the signal, and the attack on Macavity and his gang began.
The ginger cat was taken completely by surprise. For a moment there was panic among his henchmen. But when Macavity recognized Munkustrap, he relaxed.
"Come on!" he shouted to his gang. "They're only jellicle cats! Get a grip on yourselves! Fight like real felines!"
The battle continued.
The unbearable sound of angry hisses and yowls filled the room.
Munkustrap worked his way through the crowd of fighting cats to the center of the clearing.
There stood Macavity, watching the fight.
The gray tabby lunged at the ginger cat and they both fell to the ground.
Macavity hissed furiously and threw his assailant off of him.
Munkustrap regained his feet. He crouched for another attack.
"Ah, we meet again," said Macavity as he stood.
Though the room was filled with the dreadful row of angry cats, Munkustrap could understand every word that left Macavity's lips.
"It's Munkustrap right?" asked the ginger cat.
The gray tabby did not answer. He ran up to the master criminal and attempted to slash him across the face.
Macavity ducked, and scratched Munkustrap on the stomach.
The gray tabby leapt on top of the ginger cat and pushed him to the ground.
Macavity struggled free.
"We didn't get time to talk the last time we met," he said.
His suave manner made Munkustrap burn with rage and hate.
"How is Demeter doing?"
The gray tabby hissed and leapt at the master criminal.
Macavity calmly stepped out of the way. Munkustrap landed on his face.
He looked up at the master criminal, his eyes blazing with fury.
"She's a beautiful queen isn't she?" asked Macavity. "I was hoping that she and I could get together sometime but we never did."
Munkustrap yowled as loud as he could. He ran toward Macavity and slashed him across the face.
The ginger cat staggered under the blow.
The gray tabby grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground.
He kicked Macavity in the jaw.
The master criminal rolled away from the tabby and struggled to his feet.
Munkustrap leapt onto him and they rolled across the floor.
When they stopped, Macavity was pinned on his stomach with Munkustrap holding him down.
The gray tabby leaned down so he could speak right into the ginger cat's ear.
"I'll tell Demeter that you said hi," he hissed. "And here is a gift from me on her behalf."
With that, Munkustrap bit Macavity on the shoulder.
The master criminal screeched in pain.
Hearing the cries of their leader, two henchmen yanked the gray tabby off of Macavity and twisted his arms behind his back. Munkustrap struggled as hard as he could but he was powerless to free himself from their iron grip.
The master criminal stood and looked down at his now helpless opponent. He rubbed his wounded shoulder. He looked at his paw to see it covered with blood.
"So, the great jellicle leader has taken to biting like a pollicle huh?" he hissed. "Well that will be your last!"
He raised his paw, ready to give a deadly blow with his claws when the ginger cat was knocked to the ground by the force of a small bolt of lightning.
Every cat in the room stopped fighting and looked to see where it had come from.
In the doorway of the basement stood Magical Mr. Mistoffelees held up on one side by Andromeda and on the other side by Skimbleshanks.
The black cat waved his paws until they sparked, and hit Macavity with a second bolt of lightning. It was not strong enough to knock him out, but it hurt the ginger cat and scared him even more.
"RUN!" he shouted to his henchmen who were only too happy to obey.
The two cats holding Munkustrap threw him to the ground and ran into a corner of the basement followed closely by their leader and comrades.
There, they disappeared.
Plato, Admetus and Rum Tum Tugger climbed through the hole they had entered by and raced out of the house in pursuit.
They soon returned with the news that they had seen the gang run down the street and vanish into the night.
A thorough investigation revealed a hidden exit in the corner of the basement.
"They were smart enough to have an escape plan," said Munkustrap.
"Too bad," replied Alonzo. "We could've destroyed Macavity and his gang once and for all!"
Meanwhile, Andromeda and Skimble had laid the magical cat down on the ground.
The two lightning bolts had drained Mistoffelees of all of his strength. He suddenly began to feel very dizzy.
"Andromeda," he whispered. "I. . . I. . . feel. . ."
Before his could finish, his eyes closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.
The worried jellicles gathered around him. Andromeda checked for his pulse.
"He's still alive thank Heavyside," she said. "We have to get him home FAST!"
The magical cat's limp body was hoisted onto the strong shoulders of Skimbleshanks, and the jellicles started on their long walk back to the junkyard.
The gray tabby ran his paw over the roof of the little house.
"A human child used to live here," he thought. "It's a shame that this house has now become a hideout for the Napoleon of Crime."
He began to think of his own family.
Of Demeter, the perfect gorgeousness in the figure of a queen. He was so lucky to have met her.
Of their six kittens at home. He remembered how he felt when he first saw them after they had been born. How he wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.
He looked around the doll house at the gangsters gathered in a small circle in the center of the basement. He suddenly had serious doubts about this plan. He wasn't sure that this was a fight that they could win. They were meeting the enemy on their own ground. The chances of being able to escape should they need to were pretty slim.
What if they should be defeated?
Who would take care of the queens and the kittens?
Munkustrap remembered the previous year when he had fought Macavity by himself and how that fight had resulted. If it were not for the other jellicles who had helped him, he probably would have been killed by his enemy. He could not bear the thought of never seeing his family again. If something should happen to him, what would become of the other jellicles?
The other jellicles.
Munkustrap suddenly realized how selfish he was being.
He was not the only tom who had left someone behind.
Mungojerrie had Rumpleteazer, Plato had Victoria, Alonzo had Cassandra, Coricopat had Tantomile.
Every tom in that room had someone they would lose if they failed in the battle that was about to take place. And yet, they had willingly accompanied him to find Andromeda and rescue Mistoffelees. He could not back out now.
Besides, he was to be the new leader of the Jellicle Tribe, fear was not an option.
Munkustrap took a deep breath, gave the signal, and the attack on Macavity and his gang began.
The ginger cat was taken completely by surprise. For a moment there was panic among his henchmen. But when Macavity recognized Munkustrap, he relaxed.
"Come on!" he shouted to his gang. "They're only jellicle cats! Get a grip on yourselves! Fight like real felines!"
The battle continued.
The unbearable sound of angry hisses and yowls filled the room.
Munkustrap worked his way through the crowd of fighting cats to the center of the clearing.
There stood Macavity, watching the fight.
The gray tabby lunged at the ginger cat and they both fell to the ground.
Macavity hissed furiously and threw his assailant off of him.
Munkustrap regained his feet. He crouched for another attack.
"Ah, we meet again," said Macavity as he stood.
Though the room was filled with the dreadful row of angry cats, Munkustrap could understand every word that left Macavity's lips.
"It's Munkustrap right?" asked the ginger cat.
The gray tabby did not answer. He ran up to the master criminal and attempted to slash him across the face.
Macavity ducked, and scratched Munkustrap on the stomach.
The gray tabby leapt on top of the ginger cat and pushed him to the ground.
Macavity struggled free.
"We didn't get time to talk the last time we met," he said.
His suave manner made Munkustrap burn with rage and hate.
"How is Demeter doing?"
The gray tabby hissed and leapt at the master criminal.
Macavity calmly stepped out of the way. Munkustrap landed on his face.
He looked up at the master criminal, his eyes blazing with fury.
"She's a beautiful queen isn't she?" asked Macavity. "I was hoping that she and I could get together sometime but we never did."
Munkustrap yowled as loud as he could. He ran toward Macavity and slashed him across the face.
The ginger cat staggered under the blow.
The gray tabby grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground.
He kicked Macavity in the jaw.
The master criminal rolled away from the tabby and struggled to his feet.
Munkustrap leapt onto him and they rolled across the floor.
When they stopped, Macavity was pinned on his stomach with Munkustrap holding him down.
The gray tabby leaned down so he could speak right into the ginger cat's ear.
"I'll tell Demeter that you said hi," he hissed. "And here is a gift from me on her behalf."
With that, Munkustrap bit Macavity on the shoulder.
The master criminal screeched in pain.
Hearing the cries of their leader, two henchmen yanked the gray tabby off of Macavity and twisted his arms behind his back. Munkustrap struggled as hard as he could but he was powerless to free himself from their iron grip.
The master criminal stood and looked down at his now helpless opponent. He rubbed his wounded shoulder. He looked at his paw to see it covered with blood.
"So, the great jellicle leader has taken to biting like a pollicle huh?" he hissed. "Well that will be your last!"
He raised his paw, ready to give a deadly blow with his claws when the ginger cat was knocked to the ground by the force of a small bolt of lightning.
Every cat in the room stopped fighting and looked to see where it had come from.
In the doorway of the basement stood Magical Mr. Mistoffelees held up on one side by Andromeda and on the other side by Skimbleshanks.
The black cat waved his paws until they sparked, and hit Macavity with a second bolt of lightning. It was not strong enough to knock him out, but it hurt the ginger cat and scared him even more.
"RUN!" he shouted to his henchmen who were only too happy to obey.
The two cats holding Munkustrap threw him to the ground and ran into a corner of the basement followed closely by their leader and comrades.
There, they disappeared.
Plato, Admetus and Rum Tum Tugger climbed through the hole they had entered by and raced out of the house in pursuit.
They soon returned with the news that they had seen the gang run down the street and vanish into the night.
A thorough investigation revealed a hidden exit in the corner of the basement.
"They were smart enough to have an escape plan," said Munkustrap.
"Too bad," replied Alonzo. "We could've destroyed Macavity and his gang once and for all!"
Meanwhile, Andromeda and Skimble had laid the magical cat down on the ground.
The two lightning bolts had drained Mistoffelees of all of his strength. He suddenly began to feel very dizzy.
"Andromeda," he whispered. "I. . . I. . . feel. . ."
Before his could finish, his eyes closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.
The worried jellicles gathered around him. Andromeda checked for his pulse.
"He's still alive thank Heavyside," she said. "We have to get him home FAST!"
The magical cat's limp body was hoisted onto the strong shoulders of Skimbleshanks, and the jellicles started on their long walk back to the junkyard.