Author's Note: Hi everyone, sorry about the lack of updates for a while. The only excuse I can give is that it was a combination of writer's block and exams that kept me from writing this story. It was mainly the writer's block to be honest, I was really worried about this chapter being a bit of a disappointment after the last one.
This chapter hopefully has a bit more of a lighthearted feeling to it. I felt that after the last one, we all need cheering up a bit. Anyway, please read and review, so I can improve this story, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up not too long in the future.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, you're all great.
Finding cats willing to stand up to Macavity was like trying to find a Nun in a strip club. Everyone I went to for help seemed to be too busy, not interested, or just plain scared. No one wanted to face up to the infamous Napoleon of Crime, not to save the Jellicles. After all it didn't affect 'them' and why should they get involved in a fight that they could avoid? Why indeed?
I kept trying, what else could I do? I couldn't let a bunch of cowards put me off. The Jellicles...and Munk were counting on me. But after a while even I had to call it quits. I would have gone back to Diego's hangout, but we didn't leave each other on the best of terms, our last words to each other words were, as Munk would say, not for kittens' ears. Actually, Diego's words shouldn't have been heard by most adults' ears. The language that came out of him would have made Growltiger flatten back his ears, and that's a mean feat.
Anyhow, normally I would have just gone and found myself a nice little place to curl up in, and possibly a nice little queen to curl up by, but since this whole thing hasn't been exactly normal from the very beginning I headed back to the junkyard. Unfortunately for me it wasn't all plain sailing; I ran into a couple of snags along the way.
It wasn't until I reached the Junkyard that I discovered more henchcats lurked around the Junkyard at night, to keep the prisoners from escaping, but from my point of view, it was keeping me out. As I stood outside the main gates, hidden in shadow I couldn't help but see the irony, I'd bet my tail fur that I was the only Jellicle outside the junkyard, wanting to get in.
If I was built for stealth, then there would have been thousands of ways to get in the Junkyard without the guards seeing a thing, but as it stood, I guess I was just cursed with this damn sexy body of mine. I was a tom who liked to make a flashy entrance, my mane and leopard spots made me stand out anywhere. My brother on the other paw, with his fur that blended into the shadows was much better at being stealthy. For the first time I wished that it were Munkustrap out here instead of me. He's always been much better at all this rescuing business; he's had more practise at it than me. But it was no good moaning about it, I was the one on this side of the Junkyard wall and I was just going to have to do the best I could. Hopefully, with a bit of luck that would be enough.
Now if a tom like me was going to get into that junkyard unnoticed I would have to create a distraction first. But the question was; what could I do to divert the attention of the guards?
The luck I had wished for earlier was with me at that moment. A human child's ball caught my eye as it rolled along the ground, obviously blown over to me by the wind. I silently thanked the Everlasting Cat as I scooped it up and narrowing my eyes, I aimed at a pile of junk just behind the henchcats. The ball left my paws, causing an almighty crash as it connected with the junk. The guards spun around, startled by this sudden intrusion, I didn't stay to watch their search for the cause of the noise. Instead I jumped over the wall and dived behind a rusting car. The first part of the mission was completed. Oh yes, the name's Tugger, Rum Tum Tugger. Look out ladies; I've got a licence to thrill.
There wasn't a single Jellicle to be seen as I darted from shadow to shadow, trying to avoid detection by Maccy's thugs. I was beginning to lose hope fast, if I couldn't find any of the Jellicles then my mission was completely wasted, and most importantly I wouldn't get to see Bomba. I had missed her while I was away, more than I'd care to admit at times. I have my reputation to think about, I was a heartthrob, not someone who was tied down to one queen. Although the more I thought about it, the less my mind objected, especially if it was Bomba who did the tying.
A rusting noise caught my ears and I dived into an old closet, my heart pounding. I peeked through a part of the wood that was rotting away as I waited for the patrol to pass. What, or should I say who, I actually saw made me grin from ear to ear. The one who had been the source of the noise was a Jellicle, and one that would be glad to see me at that. As she passed my hiding place I reached out, clasping a paw over her mouth and pulled her into the closet.
"I'm not going to hurt you. If I let you go do you promise not to scream?" I hissed quietly into her ear. I didn't want to scare her, but right at that moment I couldn't take any chances.
She nodded, stopping her struggle against me. I let her go and she spun around to face me.
"Tug..." she shrieked happily before I managed to put my paw over her mouth again. Of course, out of all the Jellicles in the yard I had to find the one who shrieks at the mere sight of me.
"Shh Etcetera, they can't know I'm here," I whispered, "I need to talk to Bomba about busting you all out of here. Can you take me to her?"
She nodded; the princess had grown up a lot in the past year and was turning into a lovely young queen. I knew she'd find Bomba and some of the others for me, when she wasn't damaging my eardrums by shrieking she was a great kit, correction, young queen. It seemed strange to think of little Etcetera, all grown up.
"Thanks babe," I released her mouth and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
Even now, I still don't know what I was thinking; my brain cells must have gone for a night on the town. This was Etcetera, my self-confessed number one fan, and I kissed her. Can you guess what happened next? Yep, she fainted. I take back what I said about her being all grown up, she was still the same as the day I left. It was comforting in some ways but right now it was a pain in the tail. I had to find Bomba before dawn, and now I had an unconscious kit on my paws.
"Etty, wake up, come on kid, back to the land of the living. Come on now... please."