Note: If you read my story called Mystical Attraction, you might notice I borrowed quite a bit from it in this story. That story was more of an experiment than a real work, so I'm working what I liked from it into this more complex version. If you haven't read my other story, ignore this note.

A little over three weeks had passed since Misto performed for the first time at the Jellicle Ball. At this time of year, rain was common. The sky was pouring torrentially and there was lightning; Misto and Tugger were both fast asleep, as it was about 1:00 in the afternoon.

Munkustrap knocked forcefully on the door to the couple's den and yelled over the sound of the storm, "Hey, come quickly. I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the day, but this is really important. Coricopat and Tantomile saw something."

Tugger was the first to sit up, his fur ruffled from lying down. He nudged his partner and said, "Hey, Munkustrap's here and he says we've got to go – it's important."

Misto rose and rubbed his eyes, then said, "Alright, then I guess we should go. Here, at least you should look decent." A few blue sparks shot from his hands and perfected his partner's fur. "Let's go."

Opening the door, Misto said, "Munkustrap, take my paw. Tugger, take my other paw. At least we won't have to get soaked on the way. I'm assuming we're going to the meeting space in the old truck in the junkyard?" Once Munkustrap nodded, Misto concentrated and they disappeared in a plume of smoke.

The appearance of Misto, Tugger, and Munkustrap right out of thin air made Coricopat and Tantomile's coats stand on end. The former cat said, "I don't think we'll ever quite get used to that. How are you three doing?"

Tugger said, "We're all under-slept, but otherwise okay. What's going on? You two look really tense, and the last time you looked like that..." Tugger cut himself off, realizing what was happening, and said, "You sensed Macavity." Misto's fur bristled at the name of his most hated father.

Coricopat spoke first, saying, "Yes. We don't know how he found us, but we think he knows Mistoffelees is here. Maybe he sensed Misto's use of magic?"

Misto interjected, "That's not possible. Before I ran away from my wretched father, I stole an enchanted ring from him. I copied the enchantment into myself and destroyed the original. It's purpose was to evade detection by supernatural means; my father was always paranoid that he'd encounter a cat as powerful as him one day, so he made the ring to give himself an edge. The reason he can't find me is that he can't penetrate his own enchantment that I now possess."

Tantomile cut in and said, "But couldn't he have found a way to breach it? Maybe he discovered a loophole?"

Shaking his head, Misto stated, "Not possible. He was so paranoid that he made the enchantment in such a way that not even he could break it. That way he knew no one else could break it either. And even if he did want to find a loophole, I destroyed the original ring, meaning he would have nothing to work with. Maybe he noticed one of the dramatic explosions I made to entertain the kittens?"

Munkustrap said, "No, I don't think so. It wouldn't be possible for Macavity or one of his henchcats to get that close without one of the twins noticing. Misto, have you used your magic on any of the cats that leave the junkyard from time to time?"

Misto replied, "Well, I healed a small cut Jenny got once, and I know she goes into the city sometimes to help deliver kittens from the local alley cats... Oh! I see what you're saying - a cat working for Macavity might have smelled my magic on Jenny when she was out. That would make sense, because the scent usually doesn't go away for two or three days."

Tugger cut in and said, "Yeah, that sounds about right. Regardless, we have to figure out how we're going to respond. Knowing Macavity, he's going to come here, and also knowing how bitter he can be, it's very possible that he'll try to hurt Misto, so we've got to figure something out. Misto, how destructive can the lightning you conjure be, and can you direct it precisely?"

Misto replied, "I imagine it would be lethal, and I think I could aim it if I had to. Tugger, I'm really scared. I don't want this to be happening."

Tugger hugged his partner and said, "Hey, you're gonna be alright. We won't let anything bad happen to you. Munkustrap, I don't want to leave Misto alone in our bed while I stand outside and keep watch; he's scared enough as it is. Could we get some volunteers to keep watch in the day while we sleep for the next few days until Macavity comes?"

Munkustrap said, "I'll take shifts, and Alonzo and Demeter have already volunteered to take some too. I think between the three of us, we can keep you two covered."

It was the third night, and Demeter had just taken over for Alonzo. She settled herself and stared into the open junkyard, fur slightly raised at the single thought of Macavity being around. About an hour went by, and as she started to doze a bit, she caught a glint of ginger fur with red stripes out of the corner of her eye. She stood bolt-upright and ran into Tugger and Misto's den.

Nudging Tugger violently, she whispered frantically, "Macavity's coming. Get up, and get Misto up. We've got to go outside and be ready for him. I'm not about to let him do one more evil deed towards the Jellicles."

Tugger wiped his eyes and woke Misto up gently, yet urgently. "Hey, he's here. C'mon, we've got to go outside."

They all walked out into the brisk, stormy air, waiting for the appearance of the most wretched of cats. Macavity crept out from behind an old couch in the yard and said, stopping about fifteen feet from Misto, "Well, well. If it isn't my long-lost son. And look, Demi's here. Want to go for another run, Demi?"

Demeter was red in the face with fury and shouted, "You horrible, sick, twisted criminal. I'd kill myself before I'd let you touch me again. May Everlasting Cat curse your soul."

The sinister ginger cat smiled and replied, "But Demi, I think it's a bit late for that. Now, Misto, I'm going to give you two options. Option 1 is you come back with me, acknowledge my superiority, become my apprentice, and I kill everyone here except you. Option 2 is you stay here and die with the others. Your choice; you choose. And don't even think about attacking me; you're not nearly powerful enough because you've never been trained. The most you might accomplish is throwing me across the yard, but let me tell you that that would not be a smart idea."

Misto felt a strange sensation of calm come over him, and he said, "But father, you seem to be forgetting something. I can do this." He shot a bolt of lightning into a spot not six inches from Macavity's hindpaw.

Macavity jumped and replied, "How cute. The little kitten thinks he can frighten me away with an illusion." He paused, then said, "You know, I don't really like Maine Coons. Never have - they're too damn fluffy."

At the first step Macavity took towards Tugger, Misto said in a dangerously low voice, "Take another step towards him and I'll burn you to a crisp where you stand." His eyes had changed from their normal bright blue state to an icy, darker shade that ebbed cold anger.

Macavity snapped, "I don't think I like that tone." He shot a thin bolt of red light at Misto, who immediately fell to the ground. Tugger ran over and crouched by his partner, then looked at Munkustrap and said, "He's breathing, but only barely."

Turning his head towards Macavity, he shouted, "You bastard. You hurt your own flesh and blood. You hurt everyone around you, you egotistical sadist. You only care for yourself; you're a complete sociopath."

But Macavity wasn't listening to Tugger's angry tirade. Instead, he was watching Misto's body with an increasing amount of horror showing on his face. Sparks were dancing around every square inch of Mistoffelees' fur, which glistened with an almost supernatural glow. He started to breathe more deeply, and within moments, he opened his bright blue eyes. Tugger was watching by now and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Misto stood up and brushed his fur off. He looked at the horror-stricken Macavity and said, "Thanks for trying to put me in a coma, dad. I think I've learned a new trick - I seem to be able to absorb magic. Which is very, very bad for you."

Macavity conjured a ball of fire and threw it at Misto in hopes that that would incapacitate him again. On the contrary, Misto held up a hand and caught it, to the dismay of his miserable father. He infused the ball with sparks of electricity and threw it back, hitting cruel, pathetic excuse for a parent in the chest.

Clutching the fur over the area where he was injured, Macavity said, "I knew I should have killed you. You're pathetic; you are held hostage by your emotions. You could have been so powerful at my side." He rose with a bit of struggle and said, "Well, I'll just come back again and again until I wear you down."

Misto whispered in a dangerously low tone, "You're not going to hurt anybody ever again." With that, he shot a stream of sparks into his father's chest, who fell to the ground again.

"Alas, I suppose you're a killer all the same." With that, he fell forward. After half of a minute of unconsciousness, he stopped breathing and died.

Shedding a single tear, Misto turned to Tugger and said, "I can't believe he's really dead. And I killed him. It seemed like the right decision at the time, but I can't help thinking that Macavity still had a right to live, no matter how wretched his soul was. And I took that away from him; for that I feel awful."

Tugger hugged his partner to his chest and said, "Listen, you did what you had to do. Macavity would have terrorized the tribe if he was allowed to live. He would have continued to kill over and over. You had no choice; it was either he was going to kill you and everyone else, or you had to dispose of him. The other cats aren't going to think of you as a murderer; they'll think of you as a hero."

Misto managed through tears, "But what if he could have changed? What if we could have captured him and taught him our ways until he saw the errors in his? I deprived him of that opportunity."

Tugger replied, "Hey, that's not possible. Macavity was a complete sociopath; he had no remorse, no regret, and an attachment disorder to boot. He couldn't feel loyalty or love for anyone. You couldn't have fixed him."

Wiping away the tears, Misto said, "You're probably right, but it's just really emotionally taxing to kill another cat, no matter how much it was needed."

Tugger hugged Misto tightly and said, "I know. Just remember that we're all here for you and always will be, and I'll always love you."

Munkustrap and Demeter had left by now to give the couple some privacy. The magical cat and his Maine Coon partner walked off to their den to get a decent sleep before the evening came.