Part 8
Alonzo would lie if he said everything looked the same when he walked through the junkyard with the twins. They'd been talking non-stop since they left, to each other. They didn't know Alonzo understood every word they said. They talked about how odd and creepy he was, how everyone was going to be happy that they'd found help and they started to plot a break in on Victoria Groove. Alonzo just rolled his eyes at them. Soon they got to the main clearing and Alonzo stopped walking. He looked around, some of the stuff he recognized. Like the oven where a few kittens were playing, the tire and the old car. Alonzo was tense and it got worse when some grown cats appeared around them.
"Jerrie, Teazer", said a scarlet queen that to Alonzo looked really familiar. "Who is that?"
"Tha Oitaloian", Jerrie said beaming.
"The what", the queen asked.
A grey tom walked up to them and Alonzo thought he looked oddly familiar, as did the smaller brow tom at his side.
"The Italian", the grey one asked Alonzo.
"Sí." He answered calmly.
"What are you doing here", the brown one asked.
"Stai amici ha detto che qualcuno era stato rapito e avevi bisogno del mio aiuto." Alonzo answered calmly. (You're friends said that someone had been kidnapped and you needed my help)
"Well he speaks another language Admetus", the brown said and smiled.
'Admetus!' Alonzo thought. 'I knew he was familiar! Then that must be Asparagus Jr.!'
"'e's gonna 'elp us ge' 'im back", Jerrie said beaming and all the Jellicles flocked around him then.
Alonzo saw quite a few faces he recognized. He saw Jenny, Jelly, Gus… Skimbleshanks… when he saw the older tom he felt a bang of sadness and betrayal. The older tom smiled gently at him but he still looked sad somehow. Alonzo also recognized Bomba, the scarlet queen from before, Cassandra, it was hard to forget that thin cat, he saw a darker thin queen near Cassandra and guessed it was Exotica and he recognized the twins Coricopat and Tantomile… but no one seemed to recognize him. They had all forgotten him! He listened only on a half ear on the Jellicles arguing and talking about him and his ability to help. Because he had started to wonder if that crazy tom's song had been right after all… He remembered the lyrics still and mouthed the words:
Raol knows best how mature one can be
So grown up and with character
Yeah Raol knows best
Well if everything is so fine then go and be like them
Ha! You're not one of them
You are just like me
Go back to them and see!
Believe me you'll be gone
They don't care about you
But you think I'm wrong
Because Raol knows best
So try out your 'family'
Put them to the test!
If you get let down remember this line:
"Daddy knows best!"
"Shut up!" someone suddenly yelled and the arguing cats stopped arguing and turned around and Alonzo fought to keep the grin back. Safir! The tall and strong tom limped towards them. Alonzo could see he'd been badly hurt recently, probably when Macavity kidnapped Edan.
"You all arguing won't help us getting Munkustrap back", Safir snapped and Alonzo's eyes widened.
"Che cosa?" he asked. (What)
Safir turned to him and glared slightly.
"Listen here Italian, I know you understands us, that is the word on the streets anyway", he said and walked up so he and Alonzo stood face to face. "Our protector, Munkustrap, has been kidnapped by Macavity the Hidden Paw and we need help to track him down and get him back, understood?"
"Sí", Alonzo said calmly.
"Safir", a new voice interrupted and Alonzo saw a black thin tom, with leopard spots on his wrists, ankles and his chest and he had a mane, Tugger! Alonzo could see him over Safir's shoulders.
"What", Safir asked, not taking his eyes off of Alonzo.
"We can't ask an alley cat for help", Tugger yelled. "How do we know he isn't already working for that bloody wanker Macavity?"
"We don't… and he is not an alley cat."
"How can we be sure though?"
"Un gatto randagio che ho già ucciso e preso uno dei tuoi regine di stupro e abuso.", Alonzo answered matter-of-factly. (An alley cat would've already killed you and taken one of your queens to rape and abuse.)
"I have no idea of what that's supposed to mean", Tugger yelled annoyed.
"Non è un problema mio", Alonzo said. (Not my problem)
"'e sai' oit's no' 'is problem!" Teazer said happily, that she understood something. "Before tha' Oi only coul' figuah out 'e tolk abou' abuse!"
Safir snorted.
"He probably said that if he was an alley cat he would've already killed one of us and in the chaos kidnap a queen to rape and abuse."
Alonzo stared at him in shock and Safir smirked slightly.
"That's what you said", he asked nearly laughing.
"Qualcosa di simile." Alonzo answered with a shrug. (Something like it.)
"I think he said something about similar there", Asp cut in. "So is we going to ask him for help or not?"
"Not!" Tugger said. "We can't trust him! We can barely trust anyone outside of the yard!"
"Don't be so dramatic Tugger", Jenny scolded. "I think this young tom can help us."
"But think of the luck we've had with Italians in the past", Tugger argued and Alonzo cocked an eyebrow.
"Tugger that was different", Skimble said.
"Oh so a crazy Italian kidnapping one of us and getting away with it was different than this? We only asked help from within the yard then and we'll do that now!"
"And look how good that turned out", Admetus snapped and the arguing started up again. Alonzo watched it with big eyes. They hadn't forgotten him! Judged by the hurt in Jenny, Jelly, Safir and Skimble's eyes they hadn't forgotten him and was still upset about it! Alonzo sighed heavily when the fighting went on, not even Safir's authority was enough to stop them this time. Alonzo growled.
"Enough!" he roared and everyone turned to him stunned. "Man you're all worse than kittens! You've lost one of your own fine! It happens every day! No matter what you say! You'll find it happens all the time! Now you can either shut up and show me where Munkustrap was lastly seen or let me leave and let you solve this mess on your own! It's your call Jellicles and I'd make it snappy because my patience is running really thin!"
They all stared at him and he rolled his eyes when no one said anything.
"Ah forget it I'll find it myself!" he shouted and started to sniff around the yard, still being stared at. He could make out the scents of the Jellicles in the yard and the scent of a tom that was vaguely familiar… but the scent was very faint and old. He shrugged and went near to the gate and caught a strong familiar scent. Munkustrap! He'd never forget that scent! He smirked and looked up.
"Gotcha", he said smirking and started to walk slowly, nose close to the ground but then felt someone grab his tail and turned around. He saw Admetus holding his tail with a stubborn look on his face. Behind him were Tugger and Coricopat.
"Oh let me guess", Alonzo said pulling his tail loose. "The rescue party?"
"Shut the fuck up", Tugger growled. "We decided we don't need your services so scram."
"No", Alonzo said calmly. "Because this situation has tickled my investigation senses. So I am going to find this silver tabby of yours whether you like it or not. So you can either follow my lead or run back to your little yard and hide. So… take your pick?"
The three toms looked at him and then each other. Alonzo sighed and started to walk.
"Get a move on", he called to them. "I don't got all day and the longer we wait the harder it will be for me to find your brother Tugger."
The three of them ran after him and then Coricopat realized what Alonzo had said.
"How did you know Munk and Tugger are brothers", he asked. "And that Munk is a silver tabby?"
"Why else would Tugger be so upset about the situation", Alonzo said annoyed. "And come on, even I've heard about the famous Jellicle protector, the knight in silver armor!" The last was a lie, but if they didn't recognize him like he did them he'd not make it easy for them.
"Let's go", Alonzo said and started to run. "If we're lucky you'll be back at your haven with Munkustrap by sundown." The four cats ran down the street and Alonzo couldn't deny how good it felt to run with his old friends again… even though they didn't know it.
TBC Oh and a big Eraman hug to the one who can guess what song I listened to while I wrote this chapter! It is obvious actually if you think about it...
HGP - Probably not Edan ;)
KatyOnACloud - Still exited or was this chapter so bad it killed your excitement?
kboyer2013 - Feels like it could head for disaster ;)