Sorry for the delay! My ADSL connection has been sabotaged by an evil witch and didn't came back until yesterday.

Author's note: This chapter is the piece of the story that popped up into my mind in the first place, a few weeks ago – but it made no sense without the former ones, so I had to put my ideas in order first. Just one more thing: I am not fluent in English, so I must desist from writing down Mungojerrie's cockney accent. Use your imagination if you like it that way (I do).

WARNING: Rated R for violence and sexual innuendo. Not real sex for the moment ("patience is a virtue" – W. Shakespeare).

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats. I just own that little ball of pure cuteness called Merrick and the homicidal psycho stray queen you will meet a few lines below.
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CHAPTER 3 - TIE ME UP, TIE ME DOWN

"Don't you get bored of being surrounded by rats all the time?" The voice came from the shadow of the old car. A couple of henchrats jumped to catch the intruder and disappeared in the dark. There came the sound of fight followed by loud moans and the heavy thump of a body falling to the ground. Macavity grinned in satisfaction: "Bring her here".

"There's no need to do that, I can walk by myself". It was the soft voice of young queen, who walked into the light... holding a half dead rat by the neck, and throwing it right before Macavity's feet. "Really, how can you depend on these stupid beings? They don't even know how to defeat a single queen". It was a golden and black striped tabby, maybe a year old. She stared at Macavity with a fascinated look, not showing any sign of fear. "Let's speak plainly. I want to work for you. And having seen the kind of agents you have, I think you really need me".

"Oh, kitten" he whispered, "it's so sweet of you...".With a fast movement, he hold her near his body, so close that she could feel his breath. "So, kitten, as plain as you want it, I am the only one who decides who works for me, and besides from being a lovely golden thing and having almost killed two of my rats (what's a good beginning, I must admit), I'm afraid I will need further proof of your value". His eyes glimmered with lust as he contemplated the golden and black stripes.

"Be original, or I'll change my mind", she replied sarcastically, like defying him to cross the distance between them. Instead, he pushed her away, amused against his will by her insolence.

"All right, kitten. Let me think..." He looked around the junkyard and, suddenly, there appeared an evil look on his face. "Did you know one of the Jellicles here used to be an agent of mine? Where are you, my friend?" Two of the henchrats got Mungojerrie out of the cage and drove him to Macavity. "Kitten, I have decided the best way to try your abilities is by teaching my former agent what happens to those who betray me". He waved his paw, and the rats carried Mungojerrie over to the middle of the junkyard. "Give him a lesson he never forgets" he told the striped queen. "If it amuses me, you're in." He turned to Jerrie: "My friend, should you defeat her, I'll return little Merrick to his parents. If you lose, you die. Everything is allowed... Jellicles, enjoy the show", he said as he sat on top of the big tyre, still holding Merrick.

The queen took her place in front of Mungojerrie. All the tribe stared at them, not daring to talk or move. The calico tom adopted a defensive position, not really intending to attack her.

"Listen, lady, you don't have to..." he received a hit at the stomach without even having time to see it come.

"Shut your mouth and fight. I don't have the whole day".

"I'm just trying to protect you from him, kitten", he said, somewhat irritated.

Her reaction was a sudden rain of strikes. "Who gave you permission for calling me kitten?", she scowled as she painfully scratched his cheek.

At this point, Mungojerrie was hopelessly trying to block her attacks without seriously harming her. "All right, say your name and I'll call you by it". He pushed her and blew a strike to her knee to make her fall back.

She gave a small cry but did not fall. "I am Pandora", she said in an angry tone. "And you're beginning to become a nuisance." She gave a leap and knocked his jaw. The calico got stunned for a second but quickly recovered. The fight went on for a while; although Mungojerrie was an adult tom, his superior strength hardly matched the agility of the young queen. Her attack seemed to come from all directions, driving him backwards until he was cornered, breathless, to the remains of an old bicycle that stood on one side of the yard.

At this stage, both of them were bruised and scratched. Mungojerrie was bleeding from a cut on his lip and had (he thought) one or two broken ribs. His opponent was in better condition but had a bad scratch in her left arm. With a last effort, she hit him on the side of his head leaving him half unconscious. Then she shoved him to the old bicycle and tied him up to the back wheel with a piece of blue ribbon that hanged out the handlebars.

Still with the light of battle in her eyes, she turned to Macavity, who sat on the tyre in obvious amusement. "Good job, kitt... no... Pandora", he whispered her name softly. "Now, kill that idiot so that we can go back to my den and... discuss the terms of our agreement".

"Oh, Mac, don't be a killjoy. We are just beginning to know each other". The golden tabby approached Mungojerrie with a sensual smile on her lips. The Mystery Cat laid back on the tyre, his deep laugh echoing through the junkyard. Merrick had fallen asleep beside him.

Pandora stood near Mungojerrie, running one of her claws along his chest, following the pattern of his stripes. Macavity's henchrats started to laugh foolishly. "Can't you keep them silent for a little while?" said the golden queen. "They're distracting me; I really don't think we need your rats around to spoil the party". The annoyance in her voice vanished as she turned to the calico tom: "Black, orange and white... my favourite colours" she muttered as her eyes wandered through his beaten body.

"Back to the quarters, rats!" Macavity roared. The henchrats gave Pandora an irritated look and disappeared from sight. She didn't even pay attention to them.

"I have a thing for nasty toms, sexy thing... even for filthy traitors like you". She approached him and, purring, licked his nose. He couldn't help leaning forward to touch her lips with his, but the queen retreated. Then all of a sudden she kissed him roughly, her paws clutched at his shoulders, and Mungojerrie found himself responding to the kiss with all his soul... until he felt a painful bite on his wounded lip. Tied up to the wheel, all he could do was sigh and moan while the queen went on inciting him, giving slight bites to his mouth, neck and collarbones, her claws leaving crescent moon shaped marks on his chest. He could feel the warmth of her body, hear her whispering "very good, my pet...", humiliating him in front of the whole tribe. He struggled once to free himself from his ties, but she slapped him. "You're not escaping from me, tiger". Her hips were now pressed against his, her tiny teeth biting his ear as he purred in obvious arousal.

Everyone in the junkyard was bewildered. Inside the cage, holding hands with her sister, Belanor just couldn't believe her eyes. There was this queen, barely older than herself, torturing (so to speak) a grown-up tom just to entertain the Napoleon of Crime. Then she suddenly realized of a strange movement. Mungojerrie was nuzzling Pandora's neck; his mouth was inches from her ear, his lips and teeth seeking hers. The youngest of Jemima's twins was said to have a keen sight even in complete darkness; now she saw the golden queen's paws grasping his wrists... and cutting his ties? Nobody else seemed to be aware of this, nor did they notice the tabby queen whispering something in her victim's ear and staring into Jerrie's eyes for a second. Then Pandora pulled his head back to bare his throat and winked at Macavity: "The game is over". She lifted her paw, showing her claws ready to blow the strike of death...

"Now!" she screamed as she whirled towards the tyre. Mungojerrie, free from the ribbon, grabbed a handful of sand and threw it right to Macavity's face. The Mystery Cat howled, painfully blind, and he extended his paw to slay the magical kitten, but Merrick was not there any more. The sleeping ball of fur had been taken away by Pandora, who was now giving him back to Jemima through the bars of the cage. The relieved mother looked friendly at the queen who had rescued her baby.

Macavity fell down to the ground, still blinded, showing his fangs in fury. Mungojerrie stood in front of him and hissed. "No!" Pandora came between them. "Hold back, sexy thing... he's mine". Now her slender body was ready for combat again, her black eyes shining in growing anger.

"Were you blind when you were born, Macavity? Like the rest of us, I suppose. But did you know the first thing I saw in my life was you... killing my brother-toms?"

The Mystery Cat managed to stand up and clear the dust from his eyes. "I have killed many in my life, kitten. Don't expect me to remember them all; in any case, how could I have been so careless to kill your brothers and let you live?". "That wasn't your intention", she hissed. "I was the only one my mother could save from you".

"Because of you I was born in the street", she continued, hardly restraining herself from shouting, "without family, without a home. I have trained my body and mind for a year – almost my whole life – with the only purpose of taking revenge on the cat who turned my life into a hell on earth... my life and my mothers'. Now you are right where I want you".

"In the damned Jellicle junkyard?" he spouted scornfully. "Why should you want to confront me here? You don't belong to this tribe!"

"You're wrong". The new voice came from the darkness behind a cardboard box. The familiar shape of a well-known queen came slowly into the light, as all the adult cats stared at her surprised. "She is a Jellicle by the blood".

Locked in the cage, Bombalurina gave a loud cry, not believing her eyes... it was Demeter. Demeter, still beautiful in spite of her worn-out fur and her miserable look, the results of a long time living as a stray. Now they all noticed the resemblance between the two queens: the same fur colour, the same distinctive way of moving, the shape of the mouth, the curled lashes... Pandora was a little taller, with the tabby pattern on her stripes, and her eyes were also different, jet black instead of green.

"You've cheated me, kitten", said Macavity in an angry tone. "Just for a moment I began to trust you".

"It was enough. I only needed the chance to come near you and make you send your henchrats away. So I performed a little show to distract you - sorry, sexy thing" she apologized to Mungojerrie. "Now it's only you and me, demon".

The Jellicles around them were beginning to react. Munkustrap lowered his head to avoid the sight of his former mate. It had been so easy to suppose she was dead... But somehow she had managed to survive, meet some tom, have a daughter, go on with her life. "Will she be looking for revenge on the rest of us too?" he thought. There was weariness and grief in Demeter's eyes, but she didn't show any sign of hate. "It still hurts, so much...".

Mungojerrie stood right behind Pandora, still feeling the pain from his wounds... and the heat from her kiss. Demeter's daughter? How could he feel such attraction for one so young, one that wasn't ever born when he unwillingly caused Demeter's exile? He blushed under his fur... The tabby queen didn't know it was he who had informed against her mother.

Macavity was grinning again, but he seemed nervous. "Only Munkustrap's breed could be so daring. I won't make the same mistake twice; this time I'm getting sure you're dead". "My breed?" gasped Munkustrap, shocked. "Oh, so my dear Demeter neglected to tell you she was with kittens when you rejected her? It's a pity you don't have time for a father- daughter chat... She seems to be a lovely creature".

He was now facing her, showing his fangs: "Now it's time for me to deal with you, kitten", he said as he aimed a blow at her that she could hardly dodge. He kept on talking as the fight went on: "Why are you confronting me, Pandora? I liked your style... You could have been great on my side, instead of losing your life on a meaningless revenge. What if you finally kill me? Do you think the Jellicles will ever accept you here?" He stroke her so violently that her body banged on the bars of the cage.

"Do you think I care?", she answered as she returned the strike. "The damage is done and can't be amended... only avenged."

"So, will your revenge reach the cat who actually told Munkustrap about your mother being involved with me? If so, you'd better take a backward step and greet my old friend Mungojerrie". The tabby queen startled at the mention of the name and looked back... while Macavity hit her treacherously. Now the ginger cat's paw was stained with blood, but Pandora wouldn't give up easily: with a swift movement she slashed Macavity's face, making him howl with pain.

"I've had enough for today, kitten. I'm beginning to be bored", he hissed as he walked back slowly. "Besides, did you really think I would be so dumb to send my agents far away?" As he spoke, four black rats leaped down a pile of junk, protecting the master criminal in his retreat, as the golden queen couldn't help giving a frustrated cry. Now she stared at him with her eyes flaming:

"Remember just one thing... After I have finished with you, you won't be able to ruin anybody's life again. Look at me, Macavity... behold the cat who is going to kill you." The rats were now right between her and her foe. "Kill that queen", he told his henchrats, "... and get me Demeter". Then he disappeared from sight.

During the fight, Demeter had been watching in silence. Now she looked at her daughter with fear as two rats walked menacingly towards her. "Run, mother! We'll meet at our den. Run!" The rats crossed the clearing with Pandora after them, but Demeter had already vanished; then the four of them turned to the young queen, showing their fangs.

"Flee, I'll fight them!" It was Mungojerrie, who had walked to her side. "I'd like to have a word with you first, sexy thing... about your role in this affair. But now there are two rats for each. And I'm so tired..."

The first two rats fell to the ground without difficulty, but the cats were slowed by weariness. Mungojerrie gave a cry: the rat he was fighting had badly clawed his leg, and was now stabbing Pandora in the back while she was busy with the other one. He managed to reach the beast and slay it with a well-aimed hit. The wounded queen did her best to stand up and, with an effort, she slashed the last rat's throat.

The animal gave a brief shriek and fell down, dead. The golden queen staggered leaning on the old Ford, and, without a word, she took a couple of hesitant steps towards the calico tom.

Mungojerrie looked at her right in the eye, but her expression was enigmatic. Suddenly his wounded leg resented and he fell on his knees in front of her. Pandora turned her head to Munkustrap and they gazed at each other in silence for a moment. Then she looked down at the calico and spoke: "So you're the one. You are Mungojerrie". He nodded and lifted his head; Pandora extended her paw and touched his face, now wet with tears.

"You're entitled to kill me", he whispered.

"Do I seem so heartless?" A single tear run down her face. She didn't look like a warrior cat any more, just a vulnerable young queen. She held his paw and helped him to stand up. Then she began to move back.

"No, wait!". He was still holding her paw, trying to keep her there. "Wouldn't you stay?"

"I haven't fulfilled my purpose. I won't give up till he's dead."

"Then let me go with you."

"No, tiger"; she was smiling again, but it was a sad smile; "I wouldn't put anybody at that risk. From now on he is going to hunt me with all his might, and I'll do the same, until his death... or mine."

"He won't be the only one looking for you..." One paw inched around her waist and he softly brushed her cheek with his lips, just for a second, before she darted away. After a couple of failed attempts, Mistoffelees opened the cages with a movement of his paw.

Left behind in the middle of the clearing, Mungojerrie, finally, collapsed to the ground.

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Wow, it's been hard to put it into words. I'm afraid my muse needs a holiday (it's been three chapters in six days, and the last one longer than life). Chapter 4 is on progress, I promise.

Loved it? Hated it? I live on your reviews...