A/N: I know that my most recent of updates weren't as fast as I predicted they would be. I've been busy with theatre half the summer, and with school coming up, I'm a little uncertain about how fast my next updates will be. But I'll make them as soon as possible! Also, quick announcement, I posted links to the cat-form pictures of a few of my OCs from this series, including Zelaphelia. Please feel free to check them out!
Jezabella grinned connivingly as she took a step forward, "It's so good to see you again, Zela!" she said in a mock cheery tone. "Macavity has appointed me as your 'instructor.'" The Tokinese queen smirked at her, "Welcome to Hell…"
~^..^~
Victoria was waiting in Jellylorum's den with Electra right beside her. Quaxo was sitting in the corner; his nose was stuck in a medical textbook. There were small blood samples sitting on shelves that were attached to a bulletin board. Beside them were also some notes the tuxedo tom had tacked on the board as well. They were quick mentions and logs of his discoveries so far with the blood samples, but Victoria knew that her mate was still missing something. Electra smiled at her sister as Quaxo yawned.
"Need a rest, Quax?" the white queen asked calmly.
The tuxedo tom sharply turned towards the sisters. Victoria jumped back a bit. Her mate looked so different from when he began this research. His eyes were sagged and tired, his reflexes had dulled, and he was a bit shakier than he usually was. One could mistake the conjurer for a drunk. He was deprived of sleep, and acted strangely out of his character. Quaxo sighed as he stared down at the floor, dropping the pen on a plank that was fashioned as a desk, "I'm almost done, Vic. I'm close… just give me a minute."
Victoria sighed, standing up, "You've been at it for hours, dear. Maybe you should sleep a little, or… you know, eat?"
"Or bathe…" Electra added, smirking humorously.
The white queen rolled her eyes at her sister, "Please, Quax? You've been working since this morning. You've exhausted yourself mentally and physically. I'm worried that you're getting sucked into this too deeply…"
The tuxedo tom scratched his head and then shook it, sighing, "What else can I do, Vic? Munk's mission failed, I can't get into contact with your sister, and now two cats are infected with this infernal disease! Four, if you count me and that kit, Vitalee, though neither of us have had no side-effects or anything!" he grunted, looking down at the ground, "Something's not right, and no matter how much I've gone through these notes, the chemical effects are still severe in both Plato and Etcetera's body…"
Victoria nodded quietly. Etcy, one of her closest friends, had gotten infected and no one really knew how. Jellylorum insisted it was because they were in such close contact, which was why she told her new attendants, Jennyanydots and Asparagus, to help in the den. Both were very close to the medical queen, and paid full attention to her. Victoria wanted to help, but Quaxo forbade it, still convinced that whatever contagious disease was wandering through the Junkyard was not going to harm his pregnant mate. Before Victoria could say anything, Munkustrap walked into the den. He had a slight frown on his face when he saw the two. Victoria knew he still wasn't happy that no one had told her father about the pregnancy, but he also had other matters to attend to. Zela was one of them. Quaxo had been trying to come in contact with her all day, praying that she was still alive and would answer. There was still nothing, and the tuxedo tom was leaning towards the worst. Munkustrap, however, wouldn't accept it, if it wasn't for the fact that Demeter was very angry at him for everything that had happened. Victoria sighed as her father walked in slowly, "Quax, anything?" he asked quietly.
The magician gave him a look of vexation. "Nothing, Munk… I'm starting to assume the worse… She wouldn't be quiet for so long. No sign of Jerrie or Teazer either."
"There has to be something!" the silver tabby exclaimed, pacing around the den, "This isn't good… This isn't good."
Electra stood up, "Couldn't we just, you know, send a rescue party after them or something, daddy?"
He sighed quietly, "No Ellie, I don't think we could…" The silver tabby paced around the den quietly, "If I did, Macavity would just retaliate it. He'll expect us to do something like that, and I doubt the elders would want me to send anyone else to the Warehouse anyhow…"
Quaxo blinked, "So, what should we do?" he asked, leaning back in his seat.
The silver tabby paused and turned to all three of them, "I… I'm not sure… We'll have to wait it out, I guess."
Victoria immediately stood up, "But Dad, what about Zela and Teaze and Jerrie? What if Macavity's… you know, keeping them captive, or torturing them or something?"
"I know, I know…" he wavered his paws dismissively, "I… I just don't know how we can get to them. No mystic in the tribe can get into the Warehouse mentally, and Quax, you said that Zela's telepathic connection is completely negative… I don't want to tell your mother this, Vic… Electra, but I'm fearing the worst right now too…"
Victoria stared at her father, a waking nightmare beginning to be compromised. Something dark was lifting through the Junkyard. Whether it was from the pits of Hell or simply reigning like a overpowering storm, something wasn't right, and continued to bring terror over them. It wasn't good, she knew that much…
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Macavity grinned quietly to himself, about to put the next part of his plan into action. He had left Jezabella to be a tour guide for Zela, only because it killed two birds with one stone. He wouldn't have to show her around himself, and she could get started on training. The ginger tom smirked to himself, watching his daughter in the shadows. She was following Jezabella's pointing claws, as if there were a few things new to see since she was last in the Warehouse hideout. The gold-red queen still had a dark look formed over her eyes and mouth. She gave glares to most henchcats, which the Hidden Paw was silently tolerating, but she was cooperating well.
He smirked as he disappeared down a foyer and away from his daughter. He knew she would follow his orders. Though he was simply using Zelaphelia as a tool in his grand architecture of a master plan, she still played a key role. But the stages were still early, and the first step was complete. Second step was to convince the tribe of the gold-red mystic's turning from them. That was where the Mungojerrie or Rumpleteazer would come in. He sauntered past the lights hanging from the ceiling, coming to a bolted door that he had unlocked with simple telekinesis that he'd practice for quiet tasks. He wasn't going to use his strongest powers for anything large. Yet.
Macavity swiftly walked into a dark room where two tiger tabby Jellicles were nestled. He saw the queen's eyes opening warily while the light pouring from the door washed on her face, and faintly on the chest and legs of the tom she lay next to. When she realized his shadowy figure was standing in the doorway, the tiger striped queen shook her mate, still staring at him in a cowering way. "Jerrie…" she whispered.
The tom stirred, groggily waking up, "What is it…?" Then he saw the figure and suddenly looked stunned and almost paralyzed. Macavity smirked over the two of them, feeling relaxed and excited at the same moment.
"What do you want?" the tom asked, trying to make his voice sound indifferent, but the ginger tom could sense the fear behind it.
Macavity didn't say anything in response; instead, he strode into the dark prison, bent down in the corner, and dug his claws deeply into Rumpleteazer's arm, dragging her squirming frame up to her feet. She whimpered and ducked down, trying to take hold of her mate, but Macavity already lugged her to the middle of the room. Mungojerrie had blinked, realizing what happened, "No, no, no… Please don' take 'er. No Macavity, Please! Not her!" The tiger tabby was weakly standing up and trying to follow.
The ginger tom turned and kicked him in the chest, causing Mungojerrie to fall back harshly."Bastard! Let 'er go!" Macavity smirked at him, the threatening tone made him grip Rumpleteazer's wrist tighter as he walked. She was struggling to get out of the Hidden Paw's grasp, but he simply pulled on her more.
"No! Please, don't, Macavity! PLEASE!" Mungojerrie's pleas rang out in Macavity's ears like a queen's wail. He could hear Rumpleteazer whimpering and sobbing behind him, still trying to elude her captor. The ginger tom quickly walked out of the room, dragging the tiger tabby queen with him, and slammed the door on her mate while he screamed like torture victim. He locked it with the use of magic more simply than he expected.
Macavity quickly strode out of the Warehouse, being sure that no henchcats saw him or the sobbing Rumpleteazer. As soon as they were outside her pulled her arm up in the air so she was looking at him. He abruptly slapped her in the face, "Shut up, Bitch." He growled harshly. She cowered, which put the ginger tom in a better mood, "Well, Rumple, this is where we part company."
The tiger tabby queen cringed against the wall of the Warehouse, though her wrists were still in his grip, "Y-…you're going ta kill me?" she asked in a small voice.
Macavity sighed, trying to look convincingly victorious, "No, Rumpleteazer, I wouldn't kill a lady. I told both you and your Mungojerrie that I only needed one of you." He smirked at her smugly, seeing that the tiger tabby queen's facial expression was beyond shocked, "Oh and your mate is dead by now, thanks to a henchcat."
She stared at the Napoleon of Crime with a look of disbelief, she dismally shook her head, "No… you… you killed my mate?"
He shrugged, "He had it coming, after the two of you betrayed me and ran into the Junkyard like that. But I'm not going to give you the same fate, dear Rumple. I have a different plan to deal with you. You're going to go back to the Junkyard. You can tell them everything you saw, everything you heard, I really couldn't care less. But the one thing I really want them to know is that Zela has turned to my services once more."
Rumpleteazer gasped and kept trembling in shock, shaking her head even harder, "No, Z-Zela wouldn' do that. You obviously didn' tell 'er-"
"I just recently informed my daughter that I was letting you go, and I'm going back now to tell her about the tragic news of Mungojerrie." He lied smoothly, not even breaking a serious face, "Notice that she's not escaping with you." The ginger tom tossed the tiger tabby queen in the dirt. He waited for the dust around her to subside before stepping forward, chuckling from above her, "Zelaphelia told me to tell you to give her family her love, since she'll be staying here."
"No, she wouldn' do that!" Teazer insisted, "You're lyin'!"
Macavity raised an eyebrow as he picked her up by her pelt and pointed her to the window, "Look in there and tell me what Zelaphelia happens to be doing?" He paused, watching her stern expression turn shocked, "That's right, my dear, she's being lead around in my lair; being introduced to the henchcats. All the things a trainee first does. She'll be a natural agent by the end of the week, of course." The Hidden paw leaned in by her face, "That is the proof of her loyalty to me now." He abruptly dropped the queen back on the ground. "Have a safe journey, Rumpleteazer. Give my brothers my regards."
The ginger tom swiftly sauntered back into the Warehouse and slammed a single door, warding the queen off. As long as she left back to the Junkyard, he really didn't care if she immediately moved back or not. Seeing Zela begin her training would be enough to convince the tiger tabby queen that Zelaphelia had turned. But Macavity was no fool. Clearly, the tribe would not be as easily swayed that his daughter had betrayed them, which was why he had plans already formulated in his head.
Macavity swiftly walked back down the hall of his layer and unlatched the bolted door of a private prisoner cell that he had left Mungojerrie in. He smirked, seeing the tiger tabby lying on his stomach and his paw clenched up in a fist. His orange and black-striped head slowly bent upwards. The Hidden Paw grinned in amusement as Mungojerrie's fur ruffled. "What did you do with 'er?" he asked in a cracked whisper.
Macavity chuckled, "What do you think, Mungojerrie? I finished her off. I told you that I only needed one of you."
The tiger tabby thief stood up and hissed, lunging for the Mystery Cat. Macavity didn't seem threatened in the least as he stretched a paw out and sent Mungo back onto the stone wall with a dark push of magic. He moaned in pain and glared lazily at his former boss, "You'll pay for this…" he growled in a lowered tone.
Macavity only chuckled again, "Don't worry Mungojerrie, perhaps if you prove to be no use to me after awhile, I can reassign you as one of my thieves. It could only fulfill the rest of your pathetic life." The ginger tom cackled as he slammed the metal door and locked it again manually, hearing the light groans of a blubbering tiger tabby tom...
~^..^~
After lying on the ground for the briefest of moments that seemed to go on forever, Rumpleteazer eventually leaned up and stood on her feet. Her legs were weak for sitting so long in the darkness. The sunlight was blinding her as she emptily walked away from the Warehouse property. Several thoughts rushed through her aching head. Most was the spiritless pain that was the death of her mate. The tiger tabby queen didn't want to believe him. Macavity must have been lying. She had just been sleeping next to her mate. But why would he lie? He had turned Zela, so what use did he have of either of them?
Teazer's body shook harder in every step she took. Tears spilled over on her face as her throat began clenching her nerves. She began running down the street. Her mate was gone, and no one was there to know it. Teazer realized while running that she was simply being a messenger for Macavity, spreading news of the Hidden Paw's victory. He'd won over his daughter into his loyalty and confidence. But the tiger-striped queen still didn't believe what she saw: Zela, staring around the Warehouse with intrigue and following a beige queen down a dark hallway as she did. It killed Rumpleteazer, and she wasn't sure how she was going to tell this to Demeter or Munkustrap. As she slowed in a dismal pace by the chain-length fence of the Junkyard, Rumpleteazer was beginning to realize how horrible and hopeless she felt, not because of Zela, but because of the shock and misery that came with knowing that her one true love was gone.
The tiger tabby walked into Junkyard entrance, not even bothering to sneak in as she usually did. She would mistake that Jerrie was just behind her. Teazer choked on her tears again as she walked into the clearing with a casual step that was still somewhat slow-paced. Jellicles began spotting her as she walked right into the infirmary, sensing Munkustrap's scent all around the area. He would have to know what happened first.
Rumpleteazer quietly followed his scent into Jellylorum's den and blinked at four paused figures that were Munkustrap, his daughters, and Quaxo. Everyone quickly stood up at the sight of the queen and her blank expression. Munkustrap blinked, "R-Rumpleteazer? What… you found a way out?" A smile suddenly formed on his silver face. It was false hope in the Rumpleteazer's eyes. He strode over, taking a gentle hold of her shoulders, "I'm so glad you got out! Did Mungo and Zela make it out with you? Where are they?"
Rumpleteazer lost control of her emotions. Her knees gave in as she collapsed on the ground and began crying. She trembled, bringing her paws up to her face and curling up on the ground. Munkustrap bent down quickly and checked her neck for a pulse. After he was satisfied, he blinked several times at her, "Teazer, what's wrong?"
Victoria and Electra had already stood up and standing behind his shoulders. Rumpleteazer dug her claws in her own leg and cried more. Munkustrap held his breath for a moment before asking the fatal question, "Teazer, what happened?"
The tiger tabby queen peered up at him shakingly. She stared at all the concerned faces and sobbed more, "It's… Jerrie… 'e's dead…Macavity killed 'im…" she cringed her head into her knees and cried into them.
She heard Munkustrap letting out a shocked sigh. "Oh no…" he said quietly. Vic and Electra gasped and backed away. Munkus frowned and tried to meet with Rumple's eyes, "And… Zela?"
She shook her head, "Zela ain't comin' back… she's betrayed us…"
~^..^~
The rest of the day went by slowly at the Warehouse; far too slowly for Zela. Jezabella had already begun drilling her about Macavity's lair, and the first few fighting styles that had been shown to her. Anything that was answered or done incorrectly was physically punished, and the gold-red queen didn't dare use magic because of what Macavity had threatened. She did all of the Tokinese queen's little tasks and gave into every command, simply because she was afraid of what was going to happen to Teazer, Jerrie, or herself if she disobeyed just one command.
Jeza hadn't changed at all during the period that Zela was gone, besides her status in the Warehouse. She was still a jealous, hothead queen who always wanted her way, and now she was going to get it because she was Zela's superior. The gold-red queen scowled at the thought. A superior. It was killing her inside, mostly because when she was in the Warehouse, Jezabella was simply a pain, but now she was demanding things of her. She was forced to meet henchcats, do hard labor, and it was just her first day of being retrained! But that didn't scare her as much as it did that she would have her first session with Macavity soon… that was scarier than Jezabella ever would be. But at least the gold-red queen had finally finished her work for Jeza. The introduction back into the Warehouse hadn't been that easy, and it was a very long day. It bothered Zela that no one had come yet to get them, but she realized, of course, that would mean risking more pelts and driving Jellicles right into Macavity. The cells would fill up so fast, that there would be a waiting line for elbow room. In any case, she just wanted the tribe to be safe, and if that meant leaving her there… she would just have to wait and find her own way of escaping with Jerrie and Teazer…
In the slight pause of shadows before the light hanging from the ceiling, Zela took a breath while the guardtom, Marcetheus was following her by only a foot. She continued down the hall, completely exhausted. She was tired enough from hard labor without any use of magic that she was vellicating in her paws while walking. Before reaching the end of the hall, the gold-red queen had to pause once again, wiping the sweat from her misty forehead and shaking her paws to get the aching twitch out of them. She heard the tortoiseshell tom sigh from behind, "Are… you okay?" he asked.
Zela glared ahead of her and stood back up, "What do you care?" she asked bitterly, "I thought I was just a Jellicle to you…"
He sighed again, standing up with her, "Well yes, you are, but you're my prisoner and I kind of… need to be sure that you're okay. Otherwise, my boss would have my tail. Apparently you're very important to him."
The gold-red queen snorted at him and continued walking, "That's not a surprise. He's wanted my loyalty to him from the moment I met him, and he did for a little while…"
The henchcat looked confused as he followed side-by-side of Zela, but he raised an eyebrow at her, "You've met him before…? But you're a Jellicle."
"So I couldn't have had a run-in with the Napoleon of Crime just because I'm a part of the Jellicle tribe?" she asked, giving him the same expression.
Marcetheus blinked for a moment and cleared his throat, "Okay… so… if you're a Jellicle… why aren't you dead? Or going under worse treatment?"
Zela stared at the tortoiseshell tom, wondering why he was asking so many questions. It was strange that he wasn't like the other henchcats, but maybe that was why Macavity chose him to guard her. Maybe he didn't want a regular henchcat, because they would probably try to hurt her. The gold-red queen shivered, taking a long pause to answer his question, "I don't know. Maybe he wants me to be healthy to undergo worse torture." She shrugged, grinning in spite of herself.
"Well you're certainly calm about it..." Marceth commented, walked forward down the hall further.
It wasn't until the henchcat pointed it out that Zelaphelia realized that she had been very collected about the ordeal, but that was because she was so sure that if she and the tiger tabby mates were captured, Munkustrap would be on his way before the morning ended. It was at that moment, when it was closing over through sunset that she was losing hope. Maybe the Jellicle Protector was still planning; perhaps they were waiting for nightfall, but even with the smallest figment of hope stirring around in head, she couldn't help but think that her impatience wasn't the cause of them not coming. "I figure if I start panicking then I'm going to lose hope in rescue from the tribe…" She said, looking over at him, and he was looking back at her with both interest and amusement. Zela rolled her eyes, "But why am I telling you this? It's not like you care…"
"Well… no…" he said quietly, "I figure that if I need to guard somebody, I should at least know something about them…" Marceth, to her surprise, slightly smiled at her. "You're…not what I expected." He told her.
Zela blinked at him, continuing to walk forward, "Well… what did you expect then?" she inquired quietly, uncertain of why she was asking him this.
"Well… It's just that… when I was told about Jellicles… they were cold… and blank…and they didn't do much… And believe me, that's the first thing I got from you… but you're not the kind of prisoner I was expecting…"
The gold-red queen stared at Marcetheus for a long time, but he suddenly broke it off, "We need to get back to the cells, Zelaphelia…" he said in a strict, business-like tone. The warm, comfortable mood that Marceth had created quickly died in his paws. She frowned and walked ahead quietly. She quickly shook off the feeling of being pleasant and easy-going with the tortoiseshell tom, reminding herself that he worked for the Hidden Paw, and he was nothing but a henchcat. A cold, unfeeling henchcat. The two of them reached the end of the hall to the cell doors. One henchcat was guarding it. Marcetheus quickly stopped and raised an eyebrow. Zela stopped with him with a furrowed brow, pondering what was being sorted between the two toms.
"What are you doing on guard duty, Ben?" The tortoiseshell asked in an attempted mocking tone.
The pitch-black tom glared and sighed, "You know the boss wants to give everyone some time on guard duty when we're not busy. At least I'm not full time." He smirked, and this seemed to agitate Marcetheus. Zela sat down, expressing nothing on her face; her claws were drumming on the floor nervously. The black tom quickly glanced at her, and his smirk suddenly grew, "Well… who is this?" he asked, not even paying attention to the tortishell any longer.
Marceth took a pawstep forward, glaring at the henchcat, "The prisoner I'm guarding. She has access to the Warehouse, and I am ordered to supervise her."
"Well isn't that unusual of the boss…" the tom, apparently named Ben, whispered. He was examining the gold-red female up and down, as if judging her to his likings, which by the flirtatious look in his eye, she was. Zela snarled at him. He chuckled, "Isn't she a feisty one…" he commented smoothly.
Marcetheus didn't say anything in response. He only frowned at the henchcat. He quickly glanced back at Zela and nodded his head forward, "Come on, Zela." The tortishell murmured, as he opened the door, "Goodbye, Benthelo." He said as he waited for the golden-red queen to head down the steps before he did. Zelaphelia didn't hesitate, deciding that didn't exactly like the looks that the henchcat had been giving her, and also that she did not like him. She heard the door shut as they headed down the hall when reaching the bottom step.
Marceth quickly got in front of her while they traveled through the empty catacomb of the Warehouse. They stopped at the padlocked door, otherwise known as the entrance to the cells. Zela leaned against a wall, waiting for the tortishell to open the door. She stared at the floor uncomfortably. He cleared his throat, seeming to notice this face she was showing, "Don't mind that tom upstairs." He mumbled, "Ben's an idiot. He always has been."
The gold-red female sighed. Though the statement didn't make her feel better, she was glad that he attempted to say something relaxing to her. "Thanks…" she said flatly; Zela never thought that she would be saying that to a henchcat.
"No problem." He said back in a doppelganger of her tone.
As he opened the door and guided her back to her cell, Zela realized how complacent she'd gotten in the cells after one night. Perhaps it was the fact that it was away from her father, or that it was because she, for some reason, felt safe with Marcetheus. But as she sat down in her cell and curled up in her corner, Zelaphelia was reminded that in the end, she was in the Warehouse, and that it was a cell she was being kept in, and she was still a prisoner of the Hidden Paw…
~^..^~