Rating: has escalated to R for some violence... just to warn you.
Disclaimer: If I owned CATS, would I be writing about it? Sorry to disappoint.
Warning/s: SLASH, lots of violence in upcoming chapters
Beta: My amazing beta is Roman de la Croix! You rock!
Author's Notes: First of all, thanks a lot to those who have read Chapters One and Two, and stuck around to read Chapter Three. Now, this is where the action really gets moving! The rating will escalate to R from this chapter until Chapter 5; after that, it will sink back down to PG-13. So, you have been warned!
Okay, enough rambling... here goes!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chapter Three: Attack

Tugger walked through the rather empty Junkyard, taking in the scenery of a December late afternoon; darkening clouds, bare branches of trees, a slight chill in the air. All of this would have been considered a normal rather enjoyable walk, to any tom. If you didn't count the throng of six or seven queens surrounding him.

Tugger had been out with his "fan club" for the past one and a half hours, and up to now they would not leave him alone. It was starting to get on Tugger's nerves, and it took a lot of his self-control not to just walk away from them, much less give them a taste of his darker not-often-revealed side. He suppressed a sigh as he watched Etcetera happily bounce around him, accompanied by Jemima and Electra. Bombalurina was a little further away, watching him with a seductive eye. Cassandra and Tantomile stood with her, almost daring him to come forward to them. Strangely, Victoria was absent tonight.

Tugger didn't really ask for this attention. It just sort of came upon him, and while he had enjoyed it at first, it was really tiresome to him now, especially since none of these queens was the cat he really longed for. He allowed his thoughts to drift from the queens' presence to another tom he would really, really rather be with right now. Mistoffelees.

Tugger just wanted to be with him right now. To just sit with Misto and talk about anything, that would be enough. The tuxedo's very presence seemed to calm his soul somehow.
Unlike these queens, now. Tugger released a soft tormented sigh andwaited for the perfect moment when he could send these cats home.

Only then could he get the peace and company he wanted.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Unknown to him, someone watched him from the shadows.

Several dark brown and black cats hid behind the larger piles of junk and trash. There were five, to be exact. They all looked different: One was a dark brown with a streak of black across his chest, another was a soft inky black with patches of orange. Yet another was a smooth light brown with black and russet stripes, some others were just plain black, with touches of tan and brown here and there. One thing was common about them, however. Near their right shoulders was a small mark, like a burn. A small, but very neat, letter M.

It was this mark that identified them to be henchcats of Macavity.

The tallest one appeared to be the leader of the team. He watched the Rum Tum Tugger carefully with his shadowy eyes. One of the smaller henchcats, a deep black with several lines of tan on his legs, then hissed softly to the leader.

"There he is, Dagor! Let's get him!" Before this cat could lunge forward, Dagor stopped him with a look.

"Not yet, Draug," Dagor whispered.

"There are too many witnesses. It is too risky. We must wait." Dagor made a move that signaled the rest of the other cats to stay low.

So, the five cats moved back into the dark, waiting for the Rum Tum Tugger to be alone, and vulnerable. When he was ready to walk into their trap.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tugger walked rather wearily now. It was a mystery to him how the queens could keep doing this for so long. Bombalurina then suddenly made a move to tag his tail, which elicited a rather spirited, possessive response from Etcetera.

Okay, that's it. I really cannot stand any more of this. The Rum Tum Tugger suddenly turned on his heel and changed direction. So fast that Etcetera turned around abruptly, hitting Jemima, who then bumped into Electra; something that was rather amusing to Tugger, as it's not often that you see kitten dominoes.

"Tugger! Where ya going?" Etcetera asked eagerly. Her question was echoed with many plaintive mews and inquiries from the other queens. Tugger gave them a knock-out smile, which worked pretty well. "Actually," he said, stretching luxuriously, much to the excitement of Etcetera, "I was going to head back to my den and get some shut-eye."

"Aaaawww! Come on, Tugger!"
"Already?"
"It's still early!"

Tugger smiled to himself as he heard their complaints. "Girls, girls, I need my beauty sleep just like everyone else. I need to keep myself looking good for you all." It was the last comment that worked. The queens smiled at him and nodded, heading back to their dens in twos and threes.

Finally, Tugger thought. Now, to get back my den, and to get down to some proper relaxation. He smiled to himself at the thought of what, or more likely, who was waiting for him.

I'm coming, Misto.

But before Tugger could take a step forward he was forcefully knocked onto the ground by five pairs of claws.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tugger gasped in surprise and fear as he felt several paws on him, keeping him from getting up. He looked up to see five dark-colored cats, all grinning at him evilly. "Who are you?" He gasped, as a paw suddenly found its way to his neck, cutting off his oxygen supply.

The tall dark brown one laughed. "Never you mind, Rum Tum Tugger. We are on orders from Macavity. It is best for you not to resist." Tugger's eyes darkened with anger, and he furiously swiped at the other cats holding him down.

In the next few minutes that followed, Tugger went through the fiercest struggle of his life. He did everything he could, hissing, snarling, clawing, and biting at the five cats. But it was a battle lost from the very beginning. There were five of them, and only one of him. Their claws cut through fur and skin. White-hot pain shot through his nerves.

He strained tojustget up and run. Just as he got on his feet, several claws found their way to his leg, the cuts deep. His blood fell on the dusty ground, along with the patterned leather strip he normally wore around his leg. It had been ripped off with the violent thrashes of the five henchcats, and it too was spattered with crimson.

Finally, with several more attacks on him, Tugger could take it no longer. He collapsed on the ground, hissing in pain. His ebony fur was streaked with scarlet. He knew it was his blood.

The five cats laughed once more, and, with several pieces of rope to keep him from lashing out again, tied him and gagged him. Tugger still attempted to get away once more. But before he could move, the tall dark brown cat hit him hard on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. He lay in his own blood on the ground.

"That's enough. Let's go." The cats dragged the tall maine coone away from the scene, and into the darkness of shadow, night and fear. Unconscious.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What was that?" Alonzo asked worriedly to Munkustrap from his position on top of the drainpipe in the Junkyard. Munkustrap nodded as he watched from his position on top of the tire. He had heard it, too.

Mews, hisses, and the sound of something falling on the ground. It sounded like there was a fight going on. Suddenly, the noises stopped, leaving only silence.

"Let's go take a look." Alonzo said, getting up.

"Plato, Mungojerrie, come with us. We'll have to see if anything's wrong." Munkustrap called out. The four cats got up and headed off into the darkness.

Munkustrap looked around carefully. Night was setting in, the Junkyard was getting darker. Of course, thanks to the advantages he had being a Jellicle cat, he could still see pretty clearly. Suddenly, Plato stopped and lowered his head to the ground.

"I can smell blood," he whispered. Munkustrap could hear the anxiety in his voice. In fact, everyone had worry in their eyes at Plato's statement. Munkustrap hurriedly walked on, listening carefully for any sounds that any one was there.

They now entered a clearing in a farther corner of the Junkyard. Munkustrap heard Alonzo gasp, Mungojerrie exclaim, and Plato hiss in shock. Swallowing in his own fear, Munkustrap looked around the clearing. He almost retched.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

It was splattered on the ground, showing obvious signs of an extremely violent struggle. There were also several strands of midnight black and gold fur. Some lay in bunches, which indicated that they were wrenched off roughly from the ill-fated cat's body. He sniffed at the blood and felt dread sink into his body as he recognized the scent. Shaking his head in disbelief, he and the rest of the toms looked around for more clues that might tell them anything else.

They finally found one which proved all of their fears correct.

"Alonzo! Munkustrap! Plato!" Mungojerrie called out to them from a corner of the clearing. Apparently he had found something. They all hurried to him, and gasped in horror as they saw what he found.

It was a piece of shredded patterned leather. It was streaked with the burgundy liquid of life, and they could still distinguish the scent of the cat who had apparently gotten the worst part of a fight. Munkustrap felt his voice shudder with horror as he finally put a name to the unfortunate cat.

"Tugger!"

Fin

To Be Continued...

A/N: Oh no! Macavity has done it now! Tugger is in for real trouble... hope you liked this chapter! Keep reading! Leave me a review, please! And NO FLAMES! Thanks!