“I’m gonna get it!” Lunging forward, Misto was almost knocked flat, as Plato leap-frogged over him, his full weight on the little tom's shoulders.
“Not if I get it first!” The massive tom glanced back over his shoulder at Misto with a wicked glint in his eyes.
“Pla...” Misto stopped short, covering his eyes, unable to watch as Plato ran squarely into Munkustrap, knocking the elder tom flat, his silver and black fur liberally powered with dust-like mud.
“Um...I...sorry, Munk.” Backing away, he nervously averted his eyes, rubbing his paws together abashedly. “I...I didn't see you coming.”
“I couldn't tell.” Munkustrap groaned, dusting down his fur.
“Here,” Plato held out a paw helpfully, “I'll help you up.” He gave one sharp jerk and Munkustrap was on his paws, off-balance and falling into the startled tom's arms. “I...oops…”
Straightening up, trying to remain as aloof and dignified as possible, the silver tabby cleared his throat and brushed his fur down, with a friendly smile at Plato.
"Be more carefu..." Contorting his face, he wiggled his nose suddenly, his green eyes pressed shut. “Ah...ah... atischoo!”
“C'mon, Plato!” Misto laughed, as Munkustrap sneezed again, a startled expression on his face. “Lets run before you cause any more damage to poor old Munk.”
“It was an accident!” Glancing back ruefully at the still-sneezing tabby, Plato winced.
“But I'm still in the lead!” He turned to see Misto racing out of the junkyard, his tail flicking up in a cheeky gesture, his laughter ringing in the air.
“You little cheat!” Getting his long legs in gear, Plato sprinted after the little tuxedo, growling in mock-rage. “I'll get it first! You see if I don't!”
“I'd like to see ya try!” Misto crowed over his shoulder, skillfully ducking and weaving between any obstacles that got in his way, picking up speed with every step.
“Just watch me!”
“Eat my tail!”
“Don't think I won't!”
“Right back at ya!”
Laughing, the duo raced onwards, exchanging teasing insults. The pair were surprisingly close and - together - caused more trouble than any of the younger kittens, but apart they were serious, quiet and shy.
Skidding sharply round a corner, Plato collided with his smaller companion, who had paused, sniffing the air hesitantly, one paw held up.
“What is it?” He whispered.
“Why are ya whispering, Plato?” Misto whispered back, grinning mischievously, “Its my nose I'm using, not my ears.”
“You know what I meant.” Plato growled, lightly batting the little tom across the head. “Don't be so cheeky or I'll have to hurt ya.”
“I'm so scared!” Grinning, Misto tilted his head, sniffing the air, before breaking into a run again. “This way!”
Shaking his head with a laugh, Plato easily kept up, almost flattening Misto's swiping tail with every step he took.
“Ooh!” Glancing at his companion, Misto acknowledged, with a wry grin. “They're getting gutsy...going over a fence! I'm impressed!”
“And you can't get over without help?”
“Course I can!” Several minutes of frantic scrabbling later, he turned to his smirking companion with as much dignity as he could muster and remarked. “Um...I think I might need...ah...help.”
“Told ya.” Tucking a paw under his friend's, the strong tom easily flipped the tiny tom over the high fence, wincing at the resulting crash and aggravated yell of...
“PLATO!”
“You called?” Grinning widely, he peeked over the top of the fence, swinging his body up easily to balance on the precariously narrow ledge, singing “We can balance on bars...”
“And fall off ’em!” Misto yelled, hurling a dirt ball up at him.
“Not me, my friend!” Plato raised one paw, grinning smugly down. “I never faaaaaaaaa...”
“I wouldn't bet on it.” Dusting his paw on his chest, the black and white tom grinned smugly down. “And you didn't even fall on your feet, either!” Tutting, he shook his head. “You really aren't a very good jellicle, are you.”
“Eat dust, hairy!” Diving towards the magic cat, he gave a yell of annoyance as the familiar puff of black fur vanished and he crashed headfirst into a pile of rubbish.
“You first.”
Mumbling in disgust, the brown tom brushed himself down, muttering under his breath.
“What was that?” Misto grinned. “Did I hear you say a naughty word, Plato?” Feigning a shocked expression, he gasped, horrified. “Whatever will Munk say?”
Snarling huffily, Plato leapt at Misto, catching him off-guard and wrapping his paws around the little tom's neck. “You better not say anything!”
“Me?” Squeaked Misto, pretending to choke, dancing on his toes. “Would I do that?” Pausing, he gave a little cough and remarked, with a twinkle in his eye. “Don't answer that!”
“Hmpf!” Opening his paws, he dropped the grinning tuxedo and looked around, sniffing the air suspiciously, his whiskers twitching nervously. “I smell a rat.”
“That's good.” Misto picked himself up, wrinkling his nose as he picked bits of rubbish out of his fur with his claws, absently sniffing.
“I mean I really do smell a rat!” Plato whirled round, looking up and down the alley they were in.
Misto shook his head and looked up with a grin. A grin that quickly melted away, his chalk-white face falling.
Wetting his lips, he whispered hoarsely. “Plato... thats no rat!” He nodded at something behind the tom, who apprehensively turned round and looked over his shoulder.
“Keep it away... keep it away!” Stumbling backwards, Misto tripped over an upturn bin lid, landing on his rear, his eyes wide with fear.
“Whu...?”
“Don't let it near me!”
“Its...a wall?” Looking from the crumbling brickwork to Misto, Plato frowned in confusion.
“Thats just what it wants you to think!” Backing away, Misto shook his head. “Can't you see it? Are you blind?”
“It’s...just a cracked wall...”
“A cracked wall! Yu-huh! It just wants you to believe that!” Biting his lip, he risked a glance past Plato, throwing his paws in front of his face. “Its horrible!”
“Misto,” Rolling his eyes, he looked down at his friend. “It’s just a crack.”
“Just a crack?” Echoing Plato, he stared up at him, his eyes wide, his tail swiping frantically from side to side. Grasping the tall tom by the thick, patterned fur of his chest, he tried to shake him, staring up frantically. “JUST a crack! What do you mean its just a crack!?!”
“Look,” Squatting down, he grabbed Misto's chin in his paw, forcing the young cat to look at the wall. “Cracked wall. See? It’s not going to hurt you.”
“We're being watched.” Misto stiffened, his hackles rising.
“By the crack, no doubt.” Plato laughed, pulling his friend to his paws. “C'mon, we've still got to get it.”
“Hmm...” Looking nervously around, Misto nodded, leading Plato down the alley, his eyes flicking this way and that. Just cracks. Nothing else. Just cracks.
“Do you think we'll find it first?” Trying to break Misto's obvious nervousness, Plato mussed the smaller tom's topknot of thick black fur. “I mean, we must be the closest to it. I can smell it.”
“I can too!” His eyes sparkled. “But where...?”
Plato's eyes roamed the walls, settling on a gaping hole that would just be big enough for Misto to squeeze through, hmming thoughtfully as he looked down at his companion.
“NO!” Holding up a shaking paw, Misto shook his head frantically. “No way in hell am I going in there! It's a crack!”
“It’s not a crack.” Plato admonished gently, propelling the terrified tom closer. “It’s just a nice hole in the wall. That's all.”
“No! No! NO!”
Rolling his eyes, Plato swiftly bent down and swung Misto over his shoulder, walking towards the wall, ignoring the steady stream of insults, volleys and kicks.
Depositing the little tom right in front of the break in the wall, Plato looked down at him. “We got here first. Do you want us to be stopped by someone else?”
“Like who?”
A crash echoed up the alley and from somewhere in the distance a single scream rang out in Demeter's familiar voice. “Macavity!”
“Oh no! No! No! No!” Plato swung round, his eyes wide. “He's here! I knew it! He has to ruin everything!”
“Who?” A menacing voice put in coldly. “Are you talking about me?”
“Aw, no!” Diving behind Misto, Plato almost succeeded in hiding his entire body behind the tiny tom's, using two claws to make a gap in the thick fluffy fur to peek out through.
His paws curled into fists on his hips, Misto leaned back to glare up at Macavity, the only display of his nervousness being his twitching left eyebrow.
“You're alone, Mac.” His voice was trembling, but was strong enough for him to growl. “There's two of us and only one of you, ain't that right, Plato!”
Peeking over the top of Misto's head, Plato added. “S’right! Ha! You're told! Ha!” Ducking back down, he hid again. Turning to him, a look of utter disbelief on his face, Misto shook his head. “What?!?”
“Nothing,” Throwing his paws in the air, he looked away, still shaking his head. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Ahem!” Coughing loudly and deliberately, Macavity called the attention back to himself. “If you don't mind paying attention to me for a moment…”
“Actually, we do.” Despite being almost half the mystery cat's size, the conjuring cat stared boldly up at him, no longer shaking. “We've got stuff to do.”
“So I have to play mean.” Shoving Misto savagely, he sent the little tuxedo sprawling. “Me first, I think, gentlemen.”
“Never! We came too far!” Plato leapt in front of the entrance, growling deep in his throat. “You're alone, Mac. Back out now, before you do ruin everything.”
“No way!” Lunging forward, he grappled with the brown, mottled tom, his eyes furious.
“Misto!”
Rubbing his arm, the little tom got to his paws, pain in his eyes. “I'll get you for that.” He began.
“Go, Misto!” Gritting his teeth together, his massive biceps bulging, he jerkily nodded towards the break in the wall. “Get it! Hurry!”
“But...” Staring into the darkness, he whimpered. “It's a crack! In a wall!”
Rolling his eyes, Plato wheeled back sharply, yelling, “It’s just a hole! Not a crack!”
“But...”
Leaping back a step, he sent Misto careening into the darkness with a woeful wail.
“Oops!” Glancing back, he forced a laugh. “I didn't see you there, Misto!” Grunting with the effort of restraining Macavity, he growled “And while you're in there, get it!” He heard a whimper. “Now!”
“I'm going! I'm going!” Echoing eerily, Misto's paws pattered away down the tunnel.
Half-grinning, half-grimacing, he reversed the weight of his body, balancing on the edge of his paws and thrusting his full weight forward, he knocked Macavity backwards, but the mystery cat recovered quickly.
Diving after Misto, he vaguely heard Plato yell and a pair of strong paws wrapped round his tail. Yanked backwards, he stumbled in time to see a black blur leap over the fence and land in front of him.
“R...Rumpus Cat?” Plato released Macavity's tail, lowering his head humbly at the powerful cat.
“Oh no!” Staring at the black cat, realisation dawned on Macavity. “That's not fair!”
“What's not?” The Rumpus Cat started to move slowly and deliberately towards him, a sudden frown crossing his features, confusion glowing in his fiery eyes. Holding up one paw, he politely said. “Excuse me a moment.”
Plato and Macavity exchanged exhausted, baffled glances, then looked back at the Jellicle superhero, who was crouched beside the fence he had just leapt over, one hind paw against the fence, his forepaws wrapped round his tail, tugging frantically.
“Gimme a paw here, guys.” Glancing over his shoulder helplessly, he rained a string of obscenities on his tail, as the two large toms grasped him by the arms and pulled him free with one smart tug, all three landing in a dusty heap.
“Geddoff!” Macavity yelped, trapped beneath the two other toms, his ginger fur dirt matted and tangled.
“Sorry, Mac, old man.” Plato hopped easily aside and hauled Rumpus to his paws, stepping back as the black tom swung round to face Macavity once again.
“Where were we?” Frowning, he glanced at Plato and muttered. “Do you remember what I was saying?”
“Him being one. Us being two. Something along those lines?” Plato suggested mildly, hiding a grin of satisfaction behind his paw.
“I'll get you for that, Plato.” Dusting his coat down, Macavity shot Plato a malevolent glare, his topaz eyes flashing furious fire. “You see if I don't! I'll get you, I swear!”
“Now, now.” Rumpus admonished, his fur rising and falling unnoticed by him. “Is that any way to talk to the tom who stopped you from cheating yourself? And others?”
Shrugging huffily, Macavity looked away, his lower lip hanging miserably. “It’s still not fair. You shouldn't be here!”
“Why?” Rumpus grinned fiendishly, “Just 'cause you are nothing on you own? You always mess up when you work on your own.”
“Yeah, Mac.” Plato put in with a grin. “Look how much you messed up when you tried to get Dem...Old D was one thing, but Dem...shes an entirely different kinda creature.”
“This isn't fair!”
“Cause there's only one of you?” Chuckling wickedly, the one and only Great Rumpus Cat sneered. “Whose fault is that?”
Protesting helplessly, Macavity held up his paws. “I didn't mean...”
“MACAVITY!” The shrill scream rang out, echoing down the alley, Macavity cringing against it.
“Oh, brother...” Paw over his eyes, he shook his head with a moan. “Not again!”
“Did I miss something?” Plato frowned, glancing into the gap that Misto had disappeared into nervously, twisting his paws together.
“Do you have to scream so darn loudly?” Ignoring Plato, Macavity spun to face the screamer, rubbing his ears dramatically.
“You think that was loud?” Snarling, Demeter stormed up to him. “I'll show you loud! You choose me than disappear!”
“Shut it!” Rounding on Plato, she hissed. “This is nothing to do with you!”
“Shutting it.” Holding up his paws defensively, Plato backed away from her.
Turning back to the cowering Mac, she balled her fists on her hips. “You did so! Chose me and ran!”
“What’s going on?” Plato turned to the Rumpus Cat blankly.
“It was an accident!”
“I have no idea.” The fiery eyes looked baffled.
“Sure it was!” Golden eyes blazed furiously.
“Is this a set fight or a free for all?” A new voice put in.
Not even turning, she growled. “Shut it, Cori!”
“Where’d you spring from, Cori?” Plato raised an eyebrow.
“You were just too slow, Dem!”
“Same place as him.” Jerking his paw back in the direction of the fence that Tugger was clambering over, muttering muffled complaints about his mane getting in a mess, Coricopat grinned. “Nice to see we didn’t miss anythi...”
“I am not too damn slow!”
“Where’s Misto? And does my mane look okay?”
“Then how come I lost you without moving?”
“Here I am!” A triumphant yell rang out, with a weird, ringing echo. “I got it!”
“It?” Nose-to-nose, Demeter and Macavity slowly turned to face the little tux. “What do you mean you got it?”
Opening his paws, Misto grinned impishly around at the other cats, revealing the sought-after prize.
“By George!” Exclaimed the Great Rumpus cat, clapping his paws together. “We have a winning team!”
“YES!” Punching the air, Plato snatched Misto up in an over-exuberant hug, squashing the little tom in a crushing embrace. “We did it! We did it! You and me, Misto! We did it! Together!”
“If we'd done that...” Slapping Macavity sharply across the back of the head, Demeter folded her arms in disgust, as Plato continued to hug the gasping, breathless Misto.
“Hoi!” Theatrically massaging his head, as Munkustrap appeared around the fence, he dived behind the startled silver tabby, wailing. “She hit me again! Tell her that's not fair!”
Withholding a grin, Munkustrap cast a sidelong glance at the chuckling Rumpus cat and beyond, at the blue-in-the-face Misto, then down at the ginger tom squatting nervously behind him. “I'm guessing she lost again...?”
“Yep indeed.” Pulling himself up to his full and impressive height, the Rumpus cat cleared his throat.
“Um, Plato, maybe you should put Misto down?” Coricopat suggested with a grin, nodding at the little tux's panic-stricken expression.
“Oh!” Carefully depositing the little tom on the ground, Plato grinned sheepishly and ruffled his fur with a careless paw. “Sorry, Misto!”
“Ahem?”
“What is it, Rumpus?” Macavity held up Munkustrap's tail under his nose, giving himself a long, bristly silver moustache.
“I...” Began the tom.
“How do I look?” Preening, Macavity glanced naughtily over at Tugger. “Better than you I'm betting...”
“Don't be ridiculous.” Sniffed Tugger disdainfully.
“You look fabulous, darrrrrrrrlink!” Plato purred as camply as he could, reducing the group to hysterical laughter.
“I said, I...” Rumpus began again.
Continuing, combing his mane with his claws, Tugger added. “Sorry, Plato, mate. No one could be as good looking as me.”
Sniggering, Demeter coughed. “Sure, Tuggsy, baby. If you say so.”
“Hey...” Waving his paws frantically, the Great Rumpus Cat pleaded. "Please, listen to me!"
“That's my line!” Tugger cried indignantly, as a ruckus ensued; Dem trying to smack Cori, Macavity peeping between Munkus' knees, Tugger wailing about people stealing his lines, Misto gasping and Plato releasing a deep, rumbling laugh.
Glancing helplessly at Munkustrap, Rumpus gave a woeful moan. Withholding a chuckle, Munkustrap inhaled a deep breath and...
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!”
Immediately, all the cats fell back, in silence, staring at the silver tabby, more than slight surprise on all their faces.
“Thanks, Munk.” Rumpus muttered. Straightening his back, facing his 'audience', he cleared his throat, holding up his dark paws for silence, and announced. “The winners of the annual Jellicle Chocolate Mouse hunt are Plato and Misto! Long may they be mousers!”
