Title: The Protector (6/14)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death
Summary: When some Jellicles are cat-napped, Munkustrap has to descend back into Monnik territory, back into his old life, and must confront his biggest fear - the truth escaping.

Roleplays:

If you're not into RPing, feel free to skip this part.

Ourjellicle (o u r j e l l i c l e s . p r o b o a r d s 5 1 . c o m ). is a normal Cats RP set after the Jellicle Ball. Currently, Macavity has taken over the junkyard, but the Jellicles escaped safely. They're enlisting the help of a crew of pirates, though, to reclaim their yard… but that decision may cause more pain than pleasure.

One of These Nights (w w w . s 8 . c r e a t e p h p b b . c o m / o n e o f t h e s e n I g h t / I n d e x . p h p ? m f o r u m (equal sign) o n e o f t h e s e n I g h t) is an AU RP where the Jellicles are human members of a band (named Jellicle). Tugger (taken) is the lead singer, with Bombalurina (taken), Alonzo, and Plato (taken) as other members, and the rest of the Jellicles helping out as friends, stage hands, special effects, etc. Munkustrap (taken by me) is the manager of the band, and his father, Deuteronomy, is a huge music mogul. Macavity (taken) leads the rival band, the Depraved. Most of the characters are still available, though. If you're interested, come on by!

Cats does not belong to me. Simbol does. He's shpiffy.

The Protector

"And… that's it," Plato said, turning his face into Alonzo's shoulder. "I got back here as fast as I could. But we have to go back… we have to get Cattivo!" He looked over at Munkustrap. "Where's Dad?"

"Where's Daddy?" Tumble asked. The kitten had curled up between Plato and Alonzo as Plato spoke, hugging Plato's front legs. "Play-do, where's Daddy?"

"Isn't… isn't he here?" Plato looked over at Alonzo, and then at Munkustrap. "Didn't he get back already?"

Alonzo bit his lip and shook his head. "Dad… hasn't gotten word to us."

"We're going after him," Munkustrap said firmly.

"We can't!" Alonzo protested. "Dad said we were not to go after him, no matter what! Direct order!"

Munkustrap turned on Alonzo with a growl. "What are you more afraid of, disobeying your father, or having him die? As in gone. Permanently."

Alonzo shut his mouth, ears going flat as he backed away from Munkustrap. "I…"

Plato shook his head. "Dad's not going to die… he's too strong…"

Munkustrap sighed. "Too strong for one Monnik, yeah. Probably too strong for two, or even three to take down. But the Monniks aren't a weak tribe. A dozen Monniks? Even Simbol could fall. But…" He shook his head. "They won't kill him immediately. The Monniks love cruelty far too much for that. Simbol is still alive, right now, unless he was an idiot – which he may have been, simply to get them to kill him. And as long as he's alive, I'm going to go after him."

"Me too!" Tumble shouted, jumping up. "Me too, me too, me too!"

"No, Tumble," Alonzo said. "You're…" He remembered what Coricopat and Tantomile had done to get the kitten to behave. "You're needed here. When we leave the junkyard, the Monniks might come here! They might attack! You need to protect the yard!"

Tumble immediately pressed his paws together and lifted his chin, the Jellicles' way of standing at attention. "Yes sir!" he shouted, before beginning to march around the junkyard.

Plato watched this with an amused expression. "That was… kinda clever."

"Cori and Tant did it earlier," Alonzo said. "He wanted to go with Dad."

"We?" Munkustrap asked quietly.

Alonzo looked down at his paws. "I think I'm more scared of Dad dying… I'll help you."

Plato looked between the two before nodding. "I'll go too."

Munkustrap shook his head. "Plato, you're hurt. You should go see Jenny and Jelly."

"Mom's here?" Plato perked up at the mention of his mother.

Alonzo nodded. "Admetus got her, after Grandpa and Father were hurt."

"Hurt?" Plato asked. "Not… not dead?"

"They're still alive," Munkustrap said. "Admetus was sitting with them… we should get him too. Come on." He took hold of Plato's arm, helping him to his feet, and between Alonzo and Munkustrap, they managed to help the tired tom to the dresser the queens were using as an infirmary/nursery.

"And what have you gotten up to now… Plato! Plato, oh, my baby!" Jenny had been the one who noticed the toms arriving, but when she recognized Plato, she rushed the trio (quartet if you counted Tumble, marching along with a look of grim determination on his kittenish face), pulling him into her arms and beginning to wash his face and ears.

"Plato?" Admetus rose from a corner where he had been lying, watching over the two tabbies. "Where are Cattivo and Dad?" This question was directed to Alonzo and Munkustrap, as Plato was too busy being smothered by his mother to answer anything.

"With the Monniks still," Munkustrap said quietly. "We're going to get them back. Do you want to come?"

Admetus shook his head slowly. "Dad said we're not to…"

"We're not rescuing him," Munkustrap said.

"We're not?" Alonzo asked.

Munkustrap grinned. "We're rescuing Cattivo. And if we happen to find him along the way… might as well spring him too, right?"

Admetus grinned back. "Dad never said anything about not going after Cattivo."

"Oh…" Alonzo was slowly getting it. Munkustrap was actually going after Simbol, he knew that, but by claiming Cattivo as their target (who they were also going to rescue (he hoped)), they weren't disobeying Simbol, and didn't have to worry about his disapproval afterwards. He nodded. "That… makes sense."

"Let's go, then!" Munkustrap waved the brothers off. "Plato… we'll be back soon. Help Tumble keep an eye on things here, all right?"

Plato managed to get a nod out before Jenny was smothering him again, each praying their companions were all right.

This chapter's even shorter, which is why it got thrown in with chapter 5 in a double update again.