Title: The Protector (8/14)
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!

The Protector

"How many more rooms to go?" Admetus asked, dropping the unconscious body of yet another Monnik. Two hours into their hunt, and the three toms had gotten incredibly used to sneaking up on oblivious Monnik guards and knocking them out.

Munkustrap backed out of the room and shook his head in frustration. "That… that was the last one! Neither of them are here!" Simbol might have been special enough to go before Leviticus for the Monniks' amusement, but Cattivo was just a guardian, and a low-level one at that. He was Simbol's son, but if they had Simbol, they didn't need Cattivo anymore.

Unless…

Munkustrap felt his stomach twist. Unless they really didn't need Cattivo anymore. "Wait… there's one more place…"

"Where?" Alonzo asked, looking around.

Munkustrap quietly led the brothers out of the building. They hadn't bothered sneaking past any of the guards – the less guards awake, the easier it was to move around, and the less chance they had of getting caught. A couple Monniks moaned as they hurried past, but Admetus gave them a few heavy taps with a paw, silencing them again.

"Where are we going?" Alonzo asked again, but Munkustrap continued to be quiet as he led them around the back of the building.

There was a dumpster behind the building, from which a smell like no other emerged, at once both sweet and foul, musky and rotten. This was Munkustrap's target. He jumped up onto the edge and peered inside – and before he could warn the brothers, they were up beside him.

Alonzo went so pale Munkustrap almost swore his patches went grey. On Alonzo's other side, Admetus whispered, "Great Everlasting Cat… no…"

Munkustrap gave Alonzo a push, knocking him into Admetus. "Hold him," he said curtly. "Don't let him follow me." After Admetus wrapped his arms around his younger brother, Munkustrap dropped into the dumpster. Immediately, the stench wrapped around him, pulling him in like a shroud. He gagged once but forced himself not to throw up. It took a huge amount of willpower, but this wasn't the first time Munkustrap had endured this particular torture.

The box was full of filth and garbage and rotting corpses. On the top, though, still relatively fresh, was the broken body of a gold-patched tom. Too small to be Simbol, Cattivo was identifiable, even though his face was badly mutilated. Munkustrap could hear Alonzo gasping and wheezing and just trying to breathe, still too shocked to move. For that, Munkustrap was grateful – the last thing they needed now was Alonzo going into hysterics over his brother. Admetus, Munkustrap trusted to keep it together – Admetus was older and had more experience with death, though, admittedly, not a brother's.

Munkustrap gingerly picked his way over the mass of filth to Cattivo's body and crouched beside him, gently laying a paw on his side. Cattivo was cool to the touch. He was dead, and had been dead for some time. Munkustrap reached up and cupped Cattivo's cheek in a paw, studying his face. There was nothing left of the playful kitten he had watched grow up, the little soldier who had tried so hard to follow in his pawsteps, the mischievous guardian who had pulled pranks on his older brothers with Plato and Alonzo at his side… the dutiful son who had taken after his father in so many ways besides just appearance. "Rest in peace, Cattivo," he whispered.

"Munkus!"

Turning quickly at Admetus' urgent whisper, Munkustrap saw the older tom fighting to keep Alonzo balanced – the black and white cat had fainted, it looked like. He hurried back to the edge of the dumpster, supporting Alonzo's weight as Admetus eased him down on the other side. "I'll be right out," he said, turning back to Cattivo's body. He couldn't just leave the Jellicle here. Cattivo deserved better than that.

When Munkustrap climbed out of the dumpster, carrying the younger cat, he saw Admetus quickly straighten up, wiping his mouth and looking incredibly solemn. "How can you stand it?" Admetus asked Munkustrap quietly, staring at him. "You just stepped in there, with all that death…"

Munkustrap shrugged. "You get used to it… I've been in there before." Munkustrap would often be the one who disposed of the corpses he and Macavity created, the ones that the Monniks didn't eat, that is.

"As a kitten?"

Munkustrap shrugged again. "I did what I had to do," he said quietly. "Admetus… do you think you can get them both back to the junkyard?" He nodded toward Alonzo. "If we wake him, do you think you can keep him quiet and carry Cattivo?"

"What about you?" Admetus asked. "What are you going to do?"

Munkustrap looked toward the warehouse. "I'm going to get Simbol."

"By yourself?"

"I can do it," Munkustrap said. "Actually, I probably have a better chance of getting in there by myself." He turned toward Admetus. "I need you to promise me, though, that you won't come after me."

Admetus gave a harsh laugh, grated at the edges from his brother's death, but Munkustrap raised a paw to silence him. "I know, I know, hypocritical of me, right? Here's the thing, though. I know my way around Monnik territory. You don't. I came in here knowing what I was doing. You wouldn't." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Besides… if I get caught trespassing in there? They'll kill me. No questions asked – you'll find me here, probably." He pointed behind him, to the dumpster. "Still, if you must come after me, like we came after Cattivo and Simbol… promise me you'll get Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to help you? They'll know what they're doing. Or… if she's willing - and only if she's willing, and if you force her and I survive, I swear to the Everlasting Cat I will make you eat your tail – Demeter. Or, if none of them can come… the Rum Tum Tugger does know his way around the Monnik territory a bit… though I don't know how willing he'd be to help you help me."

Admetus nodded and swallowed thickly, wiping his mouth again. "Okay."

"Give me a day," Munkustrap said, and Admetus nodded.

"Good luck, Munkustrap," he whispered. "Bring my dad home?"

"I will," Munkustrap promised, leaning forward to touch his nose to Admetus' in an oath. "I swear on my honor and pride as a Jellicle that I will do absolutely everything I can to bring Simbol home… or I will die in the attempt. I will not return without him."

"You didn't have to take it that far," Admetus whispered, but he offered Munkustrap a shaky smile. "Okay. Give me Cat… I'll wait here until Alonzo wakes up, and we'll go back."

Munkustrap passed his burden over, watching as Admetus cradled his dead brother so carefully. "Good-bye," he whispered.

Admetus shook his head, looking up at Munkustrap. "Not good-bye, 'Straps. See you soon. Don't you dare say good-bye."