Mistoffelees turned quickly, right as Macavity jumped on him.

"Ahhh!" the cats cried. "Mistoffelees!"

"Hello." Macavity said to Mistoffelees. Getting up, Macavity ordered his henchmen to net the fallen conjurer.

"Mistoffelees!" a voice cried. Looking up, Mistoffelees cried out.

"Alonzo!" his brother was being held in a cage high above his head. Looking at Macavity, Mistoffelees said,

"We have a deal, Macavity. You will let my brother go. And I will go with you, willingly."

"No!" Alonzo yelled.

"Release him." Macavity ordered. "I have who I want."

One of the henchmen pulled a lever. Suddenly, the bottom of the cage opened up! Alonzo fell, from high in the air, screaming.

"No!" Mistoffelees yelled. He tried to use magic to slow his fall, but it didn’t work. Alonzo fell and landed on the ground next to him with a CRASH! Mistoffelees looked at his hands in confusion.

"The net repels magic." Macavity said. "You are powerless in it."

Alonzo groaned as he stood. Like a cat, he had landed on his feet. Crouching down close to Mistoffelees’ face he whispered,

"Be brave, little brother."

"Don’t worry, Alonzo. I’ll be fine."

"Take the net!" Macavity ordered. "He will cooperate." Two black cats picked the net up off of Mistoffelees. One of them grabbed him hard and put chains on his hands, which hung in front of him. Macavity grabbed the chain and held it.

"Alright, Macavity." Mistoffelees told him. "You have me. But I must know, what happened to Barvormont?"

"I am here, little brother." Spinning around, he saw his other brother standing above him. Alonzo looked at him in hatred.

"Barvormont. You little traitor. You monster!" he tried to rush at him, but the other cats held him back.

"No Alonzo." Mistoffelees called down to him. "Be patient. I’ll be back. Soon."

"Behold!" Macavity cried. "I have finally captured Mistoffelees!" holding the chain high above his head, with Mistoffelees’ hands pulled up with it, he laughed as he vanished into thin air.

* * *

Alonzo sat in a dark corner. Victoria and Cassandra, a Havana brown, sat beside him.

"I can’t believe Mistoffelees went with him." He said to himself. "Macavity will probably take his magic and kill him. My brother is a fool."

"He did it to help you." Victoria said. "Besides, he has the power to fight Macavity fairly. You don’t."

"Why him? He’s so young. Still a kitten."

"You know," Cassandra said. "You’ve got to stop treating him like a child. He isn’t a kitten anymore."

"I know. But he’s still not full-grown. I count that as young."

"I am sorry Alonzo." Victoria said. "But we all know Mistoffelees. He’ll be back."

"I hope so. I feel like I’m responsible for him, being the oldest. Sort of like I’m the father. But, every once and a while, we get a little reminder of who the real father is."

* * *

At that moment, Mistoffelees was in Macavity’s lair. Hung high above the floor in the cage, the other cats laughed at him and threw things at him. Suddenly, Macavity walked into the room. Seeing one cat throw a stick at Mistoffelees, Macavity grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him across the room.

"The next cat who does anything to my son loses his life!" he threatened. All the cats went back to their work. Barvormont walked up to Macavity.

"Why don’t you just take his magic and kill him, father?" he said. "You told me I could have his powers."

"All in good time. I want everyone at the Jellicle ball to see what has befallen their marvelous Mr. Mistoffelees. Then, you will get your powers."

"You monsters!" Mistoffelees yelled down to them. "I am ashamed to be of any relation to you! And I know Alonzo feels the same!"

"Be quiet!" Macavity yelled back to him, using his magic to take Mistoffelees’ voice. "You talk to much."

Mistoffelees gave him a look that could break ice, then sat down on the floor of the cage.

"Prepare to take him to the ball." Macavity told Barvormont. "We will leave in a moment."

"Yes, father." Barvormont watched Macavity as he left the room. Then, staring up a Mistoffelees, he yelled,

"You’ll never get out of the cage. I built it myself."

Mistoffelees tried to yell at him but couldn’t, for Macavity had taken his voice. Using his magic, he restored his voice, and yelled down to him,

"You’ll never get away with this! I am still more powerful than you!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Barvormont laughed at him, sounding just like Macavity. Angrily, Mistoffelees made the ground on either side of his brother explode.

"Ahh!" Barvormont yelled. Running off, the brothers exchanged hateful looks.

* * *

"Hey!" Magilla yelled. She had been examining the floor around where Mistoffelees had been held by the net.

"Hey Alonzo! Come here!" she said. Alonzo and Rum Tum Tugger ran over to her. "Look at the ground here. See all the black fur? I can find him." Running one hand over the ground, she got a small handful of black fur. Concentrating hard, she said,

"He’s in Macavity’s lair. He’s in the cage that you were in, hanging high over the ground. Barvormont is below taunting him. Yes! Mistoffelees explodes the ground around him, making him run. Wait! Macavity and Barvormont are back. They’re moving! They’re coming this way, and they’re taking Mistoffelees with them!"

"How long before they get here?" Alonzo demanded.

"A few minutes."

" I have an idea. But I’m going to need you to help, Tugger."

"Fine. Whatcha got?"

Alonzo told them his idea. In less than two minutes, they were ready. A minute later, they heard Macavity’s horrible laughter again.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Looking over, they saw him standing over them, Mistoffelees high in the cage.

"You fools!" Macavity yelled to the cats. "Look at your marvelous one now!"

Rum Tum Tugger went into action.

"You know, what I don’t understand," he said to Macavity. "Is why you are always picking on cats smaller than you. I think you’re afraid to fight a grown cat."

"Me? Afraid? You are out of your mind, Rum Tum Tugger." Macavity said.

"Well, then prove that to me. Come down here, and have a fair fight."

"Are you challenging me?"

"Yes I am."

"Alright then." Macavity jumped down to him. "Then lets see who’s afraid."

Mistoffelees had figured out what they were doing. Sticking one hand out of the cage and the other over his head, he yelled,

"You made one mistake, Macavity."

"And what’s that?" he asked, looking up at him. Suddenly, Mistoffelees twitched his hands. With a POOF! He appeared outside of the cage. Macavity was suddenly in the cage.

"You didn’t make the cage magic resistant."

"No!" he yelled. "Mistoffelees, when I get out of here, I will make your end very slow and painful!"

"Oh, I don’t think so." He waved his hands again. Flames started to leap about the cage!

"Aaarrrgggg!" He screamed as the flames leaped around him. Suddenly –

"No!" Mistoffelees spun around to the voice.

"Stop the magic." Old Deuteronomy commanded. Mistoffelees stopped the fire.

"Old Deuteronomy, you know I have to avenge Munkustrap." Mistoffelees told him. "You said so yourself."

"Yes, but not this way. Not by magic. You must fight him. Without magic."

"But, how can I keep myself from using the powers?"

"I will take them from you."

"No!" Mistoffelees stepped back, pulling his hands up against his chest to protect them. "You can’t!"

"I must."

"You will destroy him!" Alonzo said. Running up to his brother, he put his hands on Mistoffelees’ shoulders protectively.

"He must fight him like any normal cat. And any normal cat won’t have powers to help."

"But what about Macavity’s powers?"

"He is smart. He can fight fairly and not use his powers, or he can use them. I won’t stop either of them. But I am giving Mistoffelees a choice."

Looking down from Old Deuteronomy, Mistoffelees looked at his hands. He knew of the magic they possessed, and didn’t know if he wanted to give them up. But he wanted to be fair. Stepping forward, he said,

"I will be fair."

"No!" Alonzo yelled after him. Deuteronomy held out his hands. Setting his hands in his, Mistoffelees gave his brother one last look.

"Be brave, Alonzo."

Mistoffelees’ hands started glowing, and the glow spread down his arms. Soon, his whole body was glowing. Then, the glow faded as Deuteronomy drained him of all powers.

"Ahhhh!" Mistoffelees screamed in pain.