Blood and Vengeance

by Jayie The Hufflepuff

What if Bluestar had told the other Clans about Tigerclaw's crimes after his exile? When Tigerclaw and his followers are turned away by every Clan, they are forced to seek allies outside of the forest to take the power they seek - and a certain BloodClan leader suddenly finds that his enemy has delivered himself into his paws. Three-part Warriors AU.

1. Part 1

Blood and Vengeance: Part One
A Warriors AU One-Shot

The browns and grays of the forest were cast in a rich, blood-red by the setting sun. Everything hung in an uneasy silence as the creatures of the day fell quiet and the creatures of the night waited to rise. The only living things in the clearing below were six cats, cloaked in the shadows cast by the trees.

One cat sat apart from the rest. His tail lashed in a slow, frustrated rhythm as he stared out into the distant forest. Behind him, he could hear his companions licking their wounds. His own wounds burned like fire, but even worse was the rage and frustration that clawed at his chest. Everything he had worked for, all of his carefully-laid plans, everything he had ever hungered for deep in his bones, it was all falling apart in front of his eyes.

"Tigerclaw." The massive tabby didn't react to the sound of his voice, only flicking one ear in an abrupt motion. His companion seemed to take that as an invitation. The massive white tom sat next to Tigerclaw, his amber eyes like chips of fire in the dim light of the forest. "What are we going to do now?"

A growl rumbled deep in Tigerclaw's throat, warning his companion into silence. "We're going to keep doing exactly what we have been," Tigerclaw said in a cool tone, trying to hide the anger he felt building within his belly. "The Clans cannot keep us from our rightful place forever. One day, they will give in to our strength."

"They haven't given into anything so far," a she-cat grumbled behind them. Tigerclaw's gaze flitted back to look at the gray-and-brown torbie, who was staring at the toms with a mixture of fear and defiance. "Every time we've tried to approach them, they've chased us out. They're never going to accept us."

Tigerclaw turned to look properly at the she-cat, cowing her back into silence as his hackles began to raise. "Are you suggesting we give up, Tangleburr?" he demanded.

Tangleburr's eyes grew wide as moons. "N-no, I didn't..." she stammered.

"She has a point." Tigerclaw shifted his glare to the ginger tom, but unlike Tangleburr he didn't balk. He rose to his paws, wincing at some wound as he stalked up to Tigerclaw. There was a challenge in his amber eyes. "We've been at this for ages, and every time we approach the Clans, they turn their claws on us. It seems they don't find us as impressive as you promised." Tigerclaw gave a sharp hiss, and the tom flinch briefly, but quickly resumed his defiant stance.

A stumpy-tailed tom mewed mournfully, "It's hopeless. The Clans will never forgive us for following Brokenstar."

Annoyance pricked at Tigerclaw's pelt. Unlike Stumptail and the rest of the former ShadowClan cats, he knew very well that it wasn't Brokenstar's reputation that was making the Clans chase them away from their borders. He had been uncertain at first, but when even the sick, weakened ShadowClan had sent them running, he had been convinced – Bluestar had told the other Clans of his treachery. Now that all of the Clans knew of his murderous ambitions, and that his followers had been loyal to both him and Brokenstar, there wasn't a single Clan cat that would ever trust them again. There would be no charming his way to power, not anymore.

But his hold over his companions was growing shaky enough as it was, so he didn't voice these thoughts to any of them. Instead, he rose to his paws, pulling himself to his full height and letting his massive size command silence. "Perhaps not yet," he rumbled, meeting each cat's gaze in turn. "And perhaps we have been hasty. With our numbers as they are, we cannot yet force the Clans to listen to us. We need more cats." His gaze shifted to a scrawny tom. "Mowgli." The tom jumped, his eyes growing wide as Tigerclaw addressed him. "Are there any other rogues you know that would be willing to follow us for the chance to control a Clan?"

Mowgli shook his head reluctantly. "I stayed out of other cats' way as much as possible in twolegplace," he admitted. "I didn't know many cats at all until you all found me."

"No self-respecting rogue is going to fight for you on a promise you can't deliver on," Snag growled.

Tigerclaw's glare snapped back to Snag. Fury blazed through his pelt. Both toms stared each other down, their hackles raising and their eyes flashing in the dark. "If you have a problem with how I lead this group-"

"You promised us a place in a Clan, and all we've earned for our troubles is torn fur," Snag snarled. The rest of the group were frozen, eyes wide as they watched the confrontation between the two massive toms. "So far, you've done nothing for us but lead us into a lot of battles that we couldn't win. Why should we keep following you after all of that?"

Fury sang through Tigerclaw's blood, but he forced himself to bite back the furious words that rose to his tongue. Though he would never admit it aloud, a part of him knew that Snag was right. They had been at this for moons now, and no matter what they tried or how they presented themselves, the Clans had successfully chased them away every time they'd tried to get a foothold. He knew that with every failure, his followers' faith in him, and fear of him, waned a little more. If he wasn't careful, very soon they might grow fed up and leave him, and he would have no chance at all of taking over the Clans.

For a moment, he stared around at his group, fear clenched tight in his gut. The confidence that had led him forward his entire life was failing him now. He had no idea what to do next to fix this mess. For the first time in his life, he was truly afraid that his ambition would never be fulfilled, and he would left to wander alone for the rest of his life, a rogue with no purpose or worth. He could never live that way. He just couldn't.

But he couldn't voice those fears to his companions, so instead he bared his fangs and snarled, "Because I'm the only chance you have at ever being more than a sorry, fleabitten rogue for the rest of your life." He swept his gaze around the group, growling. "We can do this. The Clans cannot keep us out forever. We just need to gather enough of a following -"

"Oh please!" Snag snarled. "We'd have better luck trying to get in good with BloodClan than following you!"

Tigerclaw paused. For a moment, something like hope flickered in his chest again. He took a step towards Snag, who flinched faintly as the massive tabby loomed over him.

"What is BloodClan?"

SCENEBREAK

The decision had not been an easy one. For the plan to work, Tigerclaw would have to give up a greater amount of control of his group than he wished. But at last he admitted that it was the only choice he had left.

Snag was the one to lead them into twolegplace. The ginger rogue had lived a fair part of his life in the place, and knew how to lead the group to what Tigerclaw sought. "I hope this plan of yours works, Tigerclaw," Snag had grumbled when Tigerclaw had explained it to him. "There's a reason I avoided them when I lived in twolegplace. If you're wrong, we'll all pay the price."

"I know what I'm doing," Tigerclaw had responded. Snag had offered no further arguments, and had dutifully led their little group into the twisting thunderpaths and dens of twolegplace.

Tigerclaw was on edge the entire time. His tail lashed behind him, and his hackles bristled, as he stalked briskly by Snag's shoulder. Blackfoot was at the rear of the group, keeping an eye out for any threats around them, while Stumyptail, Tangleburr, and Mowgli followed quickly behind Tigerclaw. The massive tabby couldn't help but be uneasy. In the forest, he knew every shrub and every fern, every place where a cat could hide, or could wait in ambush.

But here, he was a stranger. The hard gray stone underpaw, the stone-and-wood dens that stretched far above his head, the stench of the monsters and their thunderpaths, they were all completely alien to him. He hated the feeling of being blind and helpless as a kit here, especially when he knew his enemies knew this territory as well as their own pelts.

"Come on," Snag called back to the others in a low hiss. "We're not far now." The group was walking alongside a narrow thunderpath, closed in on both sides by tall twoleg dens, tendrils and planks of some sort connecting the dens overhead. It was all much too constricting for Tigerclaw's comfort, and he had to hide the uneasy bristling of his pelt.

Tigerclaw lashed his tail. "We'd better not be," he grumbled. Snag glanced back at him – Tigerclaw waited for a snide remark about twolegplace putting their fearless leader on edge, but instead Snag just turned away and continued leading them forward.

"Intruders!" The cat echoed through the narrow alley Snag was leading them through. Before Tigerclaw could react, cats were appearing from everywhere, stalking out of the shadows of the dens, leaping down from the roofs above, slinking out from tall silver structures beside the walls. In a matter of moments, their patrol was surrounded.

Mowgli shrunk back with fear the moment the cats appeared, and even Snah appeared to be intimidated, taking a step back with wide eyes. Tangleburr, Stumpytail, and Blackfoot were crouching in an instant, claws out and ready for a fight, but Tigerclaw cut them off with a simple lash of his tail. Though the cats around them were smaller than Tigerclaw, their ragged pelts covered hard muscle, and scars adorned each cats' pelt. They were all wearing collars, but the teeth and claws that pierced through them told Tigerclaw that these weren't exactly soft little kittypets. Some tact would be required here.

A large black-and-white tom stepped forwad from the group. "What do we have here?" he hissed. His lower fangs jutted out over his muzzle, giving him a less-than-intelligent expression. Tigerclaw felt a rush of contempt for the tom as his ice-blue gaze traveled over the Clan cats. "A bunch of scrawny forest rogues who think they can just walk around here like they own the place?"

"You're in BloodClan territory, forest kitties," a skinny gray she-cat hissed. Her green eyes glittered with malice as her claws scraped lightly against the stone path under her paws. "No one comes or goes around here without the say-so of Scourge. This is his hunting alley, so get lost, unless you want to lose some fur."

A large cream she-cat took a step towards Mowgli, who skittered back with a wild expression of fear. "Ha, look at these scared little runts," she snarled. "I don't think we should give them the chance to run."

Fury and disgust twisted together in Tigerclaw's gut. These scrawny, filthy half-kittypets thought they had the right to look down on Clan warriors like they were lesser. He longed to claw the arrogance off of their faces, but as much as he hated to admit it, he needed them.

He forced his fur to lie flat as he took a step towards the BloodClan cats. "Greetings," he said in a cool mew. "My name is Tigerclaw. We mean no offense by being here, and we're not looking for a fight. My friends and I have come to speak with Scourge."

A sharp hiss of laughter came from the cream she-cat. "And what, we're just supposed to lead a bunch of scrawny forest kitties to Scourge?" she mocked.

"That's enough, Viper." The hiss came from a tortoiseshell she-cat. Her coarse pelt told Tigerclaw she was the eldest of the patrol, as did the authority in her hiss as she glared down Viper. The cream she-cat reluctantly sheathed her claws, stepping back. "They may be forest cats, but a couple of them look like decent fighters. They might be of some use to BloodClan." She lifted her chin. "We'll take them to Scourge."

The black-and-white tom glared at the tortoiseshell. "You're really going to let some forest fleabags order us around?" he demanded. There was something oddly familiar about the tom, but Tigerclaw couldn't seem to place it.

"I'm not going to be the one to explain to Scourge why we didn't bring a potential threat, or help, to the Clan to see him when we had the chance," the tortoiseshell answered in a firm hiss. Before the tom could argue further, she turned and began padding away. "Come," she ordered in a brisk mew. "We'll bring you to Scourge – and you'd better hope that whatever brought you here is worth his time."

Tigerclaw dipped his head respectfully, then fell in behind the tortoiseshell, the rest of his group following behind him. He kept a wary eye on the other BloodClan cats that kept his little group surrounded as they padded through twolegplace. From the narrowed eyes and curled lips, many of them didn't seem happy with the tortoiseshell's decision to lead them to Scourge. He kept his guard up, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice should any of them attack, as the tortoiseshell led them deeper into the city.

As the sun was setting over twolegplace, the cats came into a wider stone clearing. Cats were gathered everywhere, some wearing tooth-spiked collars, others not, draped across the stone and the walls and every surface imaginable. Against one of the stone walls was a green, boxy structure, and atop that structure sat a single cat.

At first, Tigerclaw almost mistook the tiny creature for a kit. The black tom was hardly larger than a new-made apprentice. Only the purple tooth-spiked collar, the coarse adult fur around his face, and the cold light to his ice-blue eyes, tipped Tigerclaw off to his mistake. He wondered who the tom could be – the tiny creature couldn't possibly be the vicious Scourge that he'd heard about, even if all the cats in the clearing seemed to be paying him so much attention. Maybe he was some kind of medicine cat. There were two much larger cats beside the green box, a gray tabby she-cat and a massive black-and-white tom. The tom was probably the leader, Tigerclaw guessed, with the large she-cat as his deputy.

The tortoiseshell brought Tigerclaw and his group in front of the structure, then gave a respectful dip of her head to the tiny tom. "Scourge, these forest cats have requested the right to speak with you," she mewed in a careful tone. Tigerclaw couldn't stop the surprised fluffing out of his pelt. This little pipsqueak of a cat was the fearsome Scourge? He could toss this tiny thing across the clearing with one swipe of his paw! How was such a sleek-furred, pitiful little excuse for a cat supposed to be leader of such a fearsome group of rogues?

While he struggled with this revelation, he saw Scourge's icy gaze flit to him for a second. There was something deep and intense about the tom's ice-blue gaze, sharp as flint, but with all the chill of leafbare. He could sense that the tom had seen his disdain for his size, that nothing was hidden from this sharp gaze. But for the briefest moment, there was something else there too, something deeper and hungry, something that Tigerclaw could only guess at.

Then Scourge blinked, and the moment was gone. His icy gaze was cool and calculated once more. "I see." His voice was high in pitch, a chill in every word. He gave a small flick of his tail. The signal was enough to make the tortoiseshell back up, her hackles bristling uneasily. Scourge's gaze fell lazily back to Tigerclaw. "We do not have many visitors from the forest in this town. What brings you here?"

Tigerclaw forced his surprise, and disdain, to the back of his mind. He took a step forward, rumbling in as respectful a voice as he could manage, "Greetings, Scourge. My name is Tigerclaw, and these cats are my companions." He waved his hefty tail to indicate the cats gathered around and behind him. "Most of us were once warriors of the forest Clans." Murmurs of interest sprung up around the clearing, but Scourge silenced them with a single flick of his tail. "I was deputy of ThunderClan, and my companions were warriors of ShadowClan. But our corrupted Clans turned on us for our loyalty to the warrior code and for the strength we used to defend our Clan. My leader, Bluestar, was jealous of my strength, and preferred to let a kittypet whisper in her ear than to listen to the advice of a faithful deputy."

Amusement spark in the icy depths of Scourge's eyes. "How humiliating that must have been for you, upstaged by a kittypet." His tone was light, but there was a mocking edge to it.

Outrage surged in Tigerclaw's veins. How dare this little mouse of a cat think he could mock him? He longed to sink his claws into the tom's soft, kittypet-like pelt, but he forced himself to keep his friendly composure. Scourge might be an annoying little rat, and it was humiliating to suck up to him now – but it would all be worth it in the end. "In the end, we were all exiled for our strength. The forest Clans care more about defending traitors and coddling kittypets than honoring real courage in their warriors, and we have suffered the consequences for it."

Scourge listened with an unreadable expression. "I can see why you left your Clans, if they're as pitiful as you said," he mused in his high, icy mew. "But why have you brought your tale of woe to me? I care little for how the forest Clans treat their cats. If you aren't strong enough to win your own place back in the Clans, you must not be very great warriors after all." Taunting hisses rang out through the clearing, a few cats baring their fangs at the Clan cats, or unsheathing their claws and scraping them across the stone.

Tigerclaw couldn't stop the outraged bristle of his hackles this time, or the short hiss that escaped him. Interest sparked in Scourge's eyes at the gesture, but he made no comment, and Tigerclaw quickly forced his pelt back down. "The forest Clans are vast in numbers," he mewed smoothly, trying to hurry past his slip. "As strong as we are, a group as small as ours stands no chance against them. But we have heard tales of the might and strength of BloodClan, superior to anything found in the forest." The lies slipped easily from his tongue – he knew that he had to flatter the scrawny leader if he had any chance of getting what he wanted.

He took a deep breath, then finally admitted, "My companions and I have come to ask permission to join BloodClan, to serve by your side as loyal guards, so we may finally put our strength to use for a worthy Clan."

Surprise flared in Scourge's eyes for the briefest moment. Then, the tiny leader quickly regained his composure. "I see," he mewed. His expression and tone gave away nothing now. "I don't know what tales you've heard, Tigerclaw, but I am not in the habit of taking in every cat off the street who wants to prove themselves. We aren't your weak little forest Clans – only the strongest survive in BloodClan. If you can't make it in the forest, you won't have a prayer here. I only take the best for my guard – if you're too weak to make it here, you're only going to be wasting every cat's time."

Tigerclaw lifted his chin, fighting back the indignation that flooded him, that this tiny cat would challenge his strength. "My companions and I were the strongest cats in the forest, and we were hated for it," he growled. "We want to use our strength to serve a true leader now. I can promise you, we wouldn't be wasting any cat's time. Just give us a chance to prove ourselves to you."

Scourge was silent for several moments. Tigerclaw tried to gauge the tom's reaction, but he gave away nothing in his expression. Finally, he murmured, "We'll see whether or not you're right. But not tonight." Even as he spoke, the last of the sun's light was disappearing over the twoleg dens, and the darkness of night was spreading in the sky. Scourge turned his gaze to the other guards, mewing briskly, "Hiss, Snake, Viper, find these forest cats somewhere to sleep for tonight – and keep an eye on them. In the morning, we'll see if these forest cats really have what it takes to serve with BloodClan."

The tortoiseshell dipped her head respectfully. "Yes, Scourge," she mewed. She glanced back at the Clan cats, flicking her tail as she mewed, "Come on." Tigerclaw fell in behind her as she began leading the forest cats away from the clearing. As they left, he chanced one final glance back at Scourge. As humiliating as it was to bow and scrape at the paws of such weak, tiny little thing, Tigerclaw mused, it really was lucky for him that Scourge was so small.

It would make betraying and kill him all the easier when the time came.

Even now, he could feel excitement prickling at his paws, threading through his pelt and filling him with fierce delight. Once he and his companions had worked their way through the ranks of BloodClan and earned their respect, Tigerclaw would get Scourge out of the way and establish himself as BloodClan's new leader. Then, it would be time to use his new army to take back his rightful place as leader of the Clans, and both the forest and the town would be under his power. He could feel the glory of his nine lives already blazing through his pelt, it was just out of reach, like the remaining memory of a dream slipping away once awake, but he would be there soon.

Tomorrow would see the first step on his path to glory.

SCENEBREAK

Scourge watched from his perch on the dumpster as Hiss led away the forest cats into the town. Outwardly, he was as silent and cold as ever, never betraying an ounce of emotion. Inside, he was reeling from everything that had happened.

For all of these seasons, he had waited. He had built himself and his Clan up, making himself stronger, letting the ice in his heart grow colder and colder in preparation. His focus had been leading his Clan, but the thought of revenge had always been in the back of his mind, festering like a bad wound. And now, all of these seasons later, fate had just delivered his revenge to him, like a gift. The one he hated most had just given himself entirely over to Scourge's mercy. Things couldn't have fallen more perfectly into place if Scourge had planned it himself.

"Scourge." The deep mew of Bone brought the leader out of his thoughts. The rest of the cats were heading off to their nests for the night, but Bone was standing beside the dumpster, looking up at his leader. With a nod of consent from Scourge, Bone leaped up onto the dumpster, settling himself onto his haunches beside his leader. A few moments of silence passed as the last of the cats left the clearing. Then, Bone murmured, "Are you really thinking of letting those forest cats join as guards?"

Scourge said nothing at first. Inside, his mind was already at work, playing carefully with each part of this new puzzle, to see what was the best way to arrange them to his advantage. "Perhaps," he murmured. In truth, he already knew his answer. This was too perfect an opportunity to let slip from his claws. Until he knew the best way to advance, he would need to keep Tigerclaw where he could see him, and that meant bringing him into the Clan. But he would need to be wary. Tigerclaw was no fool, he could tell that already, and letting him into the Clan with no struggle would likely tip him off. He would need to tread lightly with this tom, until the moment was right.

The tom snuck a quick glance at Bone. His oldest supporter undoubtedly enjoyed the power Scourge supplied him, and he wasn't above taking the odd prey offering meant for Scourge when he thought his leader wasn't looking. But he was more truly loyal to Scourge than most of his guard. He trusted him perhaps the most of any cat in twolegplace, as much as he was capable of trusting any cat. And now, he would require Bone's help.

In a leisurely gesture, he lifted one paw and began washing, letting the silence drag out a few moments longer. He finally spoke as he began rubbing his paw over his ears. "Tomorrow, I'm going to pit Tigerclaw against you in a battle to prove the forest cats' strength," he revealed casually. Bone turned his full attention to Scourge as he spoke. "Don't hold back, use your full strength against him – but let him win in the end. Make sure he doesn't know what you're doing, either, or he'll get suspicious."

Bone's ears flew forward with surprise. "You want to let him in without a real fight? Why? What's so special about him and his forest cats?" Scourge knew he wasn't imagining the hint of jealousy in the larger tom's tone. No doubt he was less than pleased at the thought of deliberately, and publically, losing a fight.

Scourge fixed his guard with a sharp gaze. Just because he appreciated Bone's loyalty didn't mean that he owed him any answers, or that he would tolerate questioning of his orders. "Are you refusing to do as I say, Bone?" he mewed, a dangerous edge to his tone.

"Of course not, Scourge!" Bone said in a hasty mew, his eyes widening at his leader's threat. Scourge had to suppress a purr of pleasure. Bone was one of the biggest, strongest toms he knew – and he was quaking like a kit at the threat of Scourge's anger. He relished the sense of power he held over the cats of the town, the respect he had clawed from them piece by piece. And he had no intention of letting the first cat to ever make him feel helpless to take everything he'd worked for away from him.

He was no fool – he could see the ambition glittering in Tigerclaw's eyes, he could see the way he looked down on all of the town cats around him. Whatever he said, it was clear Tigerclaw had no intention of serving as a loyal guard at Scourge's side. This was a cat that craved leadership. As long as Tigerclaw was in his Clan, he would have to watch his back, in case the tabby tried to make a desperate grab for leadership. But if he played this the right way, he could bring this situation to his advantage, and the advantage of BloodClan, in more ways than one.

He rose to his paws. "Good. These forest cats may not have the strength of our guards – but what they learned in the forest may have some worth for us. Play your part right tomorrow, Bone, and BloodClan may enjoy the rewards of this for a long time to come."

Confusion glowed in Bone's eyes, but he seemed more pleased now at the thought of carrying out part of Scourge's plan. "Yes, Scourge," he rumbled. The tom rose to his paws, then with a final nod to his leader, he leaped off of the dumpster and headed off to his den for the night. Scourge stayed where he was for a few moments longer, then turned towards the fence behind the dumpster. He leaped easily up onto the fence, then scaled easily up the wall of the twoleg den behind it, until he had pulled himself up onto the roof. He padded towards the edge of the roof, settling down onto his haunches as he looked out into his domain.

Now that the sun was down, the lights of the town were coming alive, bringing a fiery glow to the town that Scourge ruled. No cats were moving on the streets now – all was quiet. Scourge took in a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the chilly evening air threading through his pelt. He had been in twolegplace for seasons now, ever since Tigerclaw's vicious attack, which had left him with more than just a scarred pelt. He knew every inch of this town, where every cat nested, where every rat hid, he knew of the birth of every kit, and no cat dared to disobey him. This place was his. Once, he had been a scared and helpless kit who had wandered into the wrong monster's lair. No longer. Now he was the monster, and Tigerclaw had wandered right into his lair. He had no idea what he was up against.

A small purr managed to escape him. Let Tigerclaw try to outwit him, if he dared. This time, he was ready, and he was going to enjoy this.

SCENEBREAK

The next morning, Tigerclaw was roused from his nest by a gray tom. He blinked a few times, confused by the stench of twolegs and monsters all around him, before he remembered where he was and why. Blackfoot and Mowgli shifted beside him – they had shared his makeshift nest for the night.

"Come on," the tom grunted. His yellow eyes were narrowed as he looked at the massive tabby, glittering with suspicion and annoyance. "Scourge wants to see you and the other forest cats."

Tigerclaw rose to his paws, stretching out his limbs one by one. He slid his claws free of their sheaths and stretched them out on the gray stone – he was satisfied to see the tom's eyes widen slightly in fear at their length. With a final shake to clear his head, he allowed the gray tom to lead him out of the overturned silver cylinder that the guards had shoved them into for the night. A few paces away, he could see an identical gray tom leading Tangleburr, Stumpytail, and Snag out of another cylinder. The two identical toms fell into place at the front and rear of the group, and began leading them along the stone path beside the thunderpath.

It didn't take long for the group to reach the clearing from last night. Scourge was sitting atop the green box once again, his icy gaze as unreadable as ever. Even more cats were gathered there compared to the night before, and they watched the arrival of the forest cats with an eager, hungry look in their eyes. The black-and-white tom and gray she-cat were beside the green box again, and a dark gray tom and a white tom sat on its other side. All of their gazes were narrowed as Tigerclaw and his followers came to stand before Scourge.

Once every cat was before him, Scourge called out in a clear voice, "These cats have expressed a wish to join the ranks of the guards of BloodClan." His voice rang clear and strong throughout the clearing, not the thoughtful murmur of last night – it was clear he intended this to be a presentation for all of the gathered cats. "If they wish to have a place here, they must earn it through blood." His icy gaze fell once again on Tigerclaw. "You said you wished for a chance to prove your strength – and that is exactly what you will get. I have decided I will allow one of your number to face one of my guards in battle. If you can win this battle, you and your companions may become guards of BloodClan. If you lose…"

He trailed off, his claws tapping lightly against the top of the box. For the first time, Tigerclaw realized they had been reinforced with what looked like sharpened dog's teeth. As he gazed around the clearing, he saw that many of the other cats were wearing similar reinforcements. For the first time he felt a trickle of fear. Scourge might be a little pipsqueak, but some of the larger cats could deal out some serious damage with such sharp, hefty fangs over their claws. He would have to watch his pelt if he went up against any cat with those claws.

Regardless, he glanced back at his group, giving them a reassuring nod, before taking a step towards Scourge. "I will fight on behalf of my companions." Blackfoot grunted quietly in approval, and Tangleburr and Mowgli gave Tigerclaw encouraging purrs. Even Snag, who had been growing more defiant these last moons, made no argument. He knew as well as the rest of the group that Tigerclaw was the strongest fighter in the forest.

Something like satisfaction glittered in Scourge's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Very well. Bone." The word was enough to bring the black-and-white tom beside the box to his paws. The gray tabby shifted to let Bone approach his opponent. Tigerclaw sized up the massive tom carefully – he was huge, nearly as large as Tigerclaw himself, and he had sharpened reinforcements over his claws like his leader. He would be a hard opponent to beat – but certainly not impossible.

The cats of BloodClan quickly cleared a space in the center of the clearing for the fight. They packed in around the edges of the clearing, their gazes eager and hungry for a fight. Tigerclaw and Bone both stepped out into the center of the clearing. Slowly, they began to center each other, sizing each other up. Bone was the first to strike. He lunged at Tigerclaw with frightening speed, sending both toms crashing to the ground. He tried to dig his reinforced claws into Tigerclaw's side, but the massive tabby was already moving, twisting and hooking his claws into Bone's shoulder, trying to pin the black-and-white tom underneath him.

Bone shoved him away with a massive shoulder, immediately twisting around to snap at Tigerclaw's neck, the tabby only just managing to pull away in time. Frustration lanced through his pelt. Bone was faster than he'd expected. He'd have to be quicker on his paws to win. Tigerclaw twisted back onto his paws, lunging out at Bone, who rose up to meet his attack. The two massive tabbies stayed balanced on their hind paws, writhing and struggling as they clawed and bit at each other's shoulders, trying to use their weight to twist the other underneath them. Tigerclaw could hear the excited wails of the watching cats – this was a fight between masters, not a scuffle of uncertain rogues or a cat trying to escape a guard's punishment.

Tigerclaw finally managed to twist Bone around and slam him hard onto his shoulder. He tried to bite down on the tom's neck fur, but Bone twisted around too quickly, slicing out at Tigerclaw's face with his sharpened claw. Agony blazed through Tigerclaw's muzzle. He gave a furious roar of pain, slicing out at Bone with a blind, furious jab of his paw as Bone struggled free of Tigerclaw's grasp. He tried to take advantage of Tigerclaw's distraction to snap at his neck, but Tigerclaw had already whirled around, bearing down on Bone's flank with furious claws. He danced out of reach as Bone slashed out at his side, kicking out at the massive tom with a hind paw, which narrowly missed connecting with Bone's jaw.

The massive guard barreled into Tigerclaw, managing to score his claws down the tabby's sides. Before he could snap his jaws down on flesh, however, Tigerclaw snaked his paw out quickly to pull Bone's head closer, clamping his jaws down on the tom's ear. A hair-raising shriek rose from the guard. He thrashed hard enough to dislodge Tigerclaw's jaws, but before he could attack again, Tigerclaw wrapped his forelegs around Bone and dug his claws in deep, then began pounding and scraping furiously at Bone's soft belly with his hind paws. The flurry of blows weakened Bone enough for Tigerclaw to finally wrestle him to the ground, pinning his legs and using his weight to keep Bone from moving further. He burried his jaws in Bone's neck, holding him pinned to the ground while Bone shrieked and fought to get free. After several moments, he fell limp, his struggles ending. Tigerclaw, wary of a trap, kept biting down.

"Enough!" At the sound of Scourge's command, Tigerclaw released his hold on Bone's neck. The two toms struggled to their paws, then stumbled away from each other, panting heavily. Tigerclaw's muzzle burned like fire, he could feel where the lip had been torn, and his sides and flanks were aching from the sting of Bone's claws. But the massive guard looked even worse for wear. The side of his neck was bleeding heavily, though the wound certainly wasn't fatal, and one ear was torn completely at the top. His flanks and belly were scored with Tigerclaw's clawmarks, and blood was trickling from his parted jaws – Tigerclaw wondered whether a tooth had been knocked loose.

The crowd gathered around the clearing had been wailing their excitement throughout the fight. Now they were whispering to each other, eyes bright with satisfaction, and with respect for the two fighters. Tigerclaw could see his own followers in the crowd, their tails and heads held high, and their eyes blazing with pride. Even Snag's gaze was bright as he gave Tigerclaw a small nod of approval.

Once the crowd had calmed down, Scourge hopped down from the box, making his way over to the fighters. Tigerclaw lifted his chin proudly as Scourge halted before him. "Well, well," the tom murmured, his tone light, almost amused. "I'm impressed. You fought well, Tigerclaw." The tom gave a small nod in reply, ignoring the pain that seared through his muzzle.

Scourge turned towards the crowd, raising his voice in a triumphant yowl. "This tom has proved his strength in a battle against one of our strongest guards, and has therefore earned a place for himself and his companions in my guard." Approving yowls and cheers rose from the crowd. Tigerclaw could see respect, and fear, in the eyes of the watching cats. Satisfaction blazed through Tigerclaw's pelt. They knew what he was capable of now, and he had earned their respect. It would be easy to convince these cats to let him take Scourge's place, if he played this right.

"New recruits, step forward!" At Scourge's command, all of Tigerclaw's followers came to stand before the tiny leader. They dipped their heads to the tom, who let his gaze travel slowly over each cat in turn. After a few moments, he touched his nose to Mowgli's head. The brown tom's eyes lit up with fear, but to his credit he didn't flinch as Scourge spoke. "This cat is now a member of my guard. From this moment on, he will be called Howl."

Tigerclaw watched in silent satisfaction as Scourge renamed all of his companions. Snag became Shred, Blackfoot was Crusher, and Stumpytail and Tangleburr became Vermin and Ambush. Finally, only Tigerclaw remained. The massive tom had to lower himself practically onto his belly for Scourge to reach his head. The leader's gaze was intense as he announced, "This cat is now a member of my guard. From this moment on, he will be called Vengeance."

The massive tabby felt a brush of surprise as he was granted his new name. Scourge met his gaze – for a moment, there was a glow of understanding there. "I can see it in your eyes," he murmured, low enough only for Tigerclaw to hear. "You want to revenge yourself on the Clan cats who wronged you. Let vengeance carry you forward. It makes you stronger. Serve me well, and perhaps vengeance will be carried out against the Clan cats who have done wrong." Vengeance was surprised by the tiny tom's shrewdness. Perhaps he should keep his eye on Scourge after all. But after a moment, his worry faded. Even if Scourge could guess where his ambitions truly lay, he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop Vengeance, not if he approached this right.

With a final blink at Vengenace, Scourge pulled his muzzle back, calling out to the Clan. "These cats are now recognized as full guards of BloodClan!" Yowls of approval, and some of fear, rose from the crowd, the gathered cats calling out the names of the new guards. "Ambush! Vermin! Crusher!" Vengeance lifted his chin high, letting the cheers of his new Clanmates wash over him. "Vengeance! Vengeance!" It didn't matter that he had to act like Scourge's loyal lackey for the time being. Someday soon, he would have the honor of ruling a real Clan back, and it would be the name Tigerstar that his Clanmates would be cheering, not this disgraceful rogue name. All of this would be worth it when he was finally the ruler of the forest.

Scourge watched his Clan cheer for the new guards, holding back a smug purr. Things had gone just as he'd planned, and now, he had his enemy right where he wanted him. Oh yes, vengeance would be had, but not in the way Vengeance believed. All that there was to do now was to set the pieces into place, and then, his enemy would finally fall.

---

Okay so, here's the thing. When I get bored, I come up with AUs and crossovers of fandoms and stories in my head and explore the consequences the changes would have on the story, and I develop that story in my head until I get bored with it and move onto the next one. Most of these AUs don't change enough from the source material to be worth writing and posting, and I don't have enough time in the day to write down all of these little stories I come up with. But this one became more developed in my head than some of the others, and after everyone liked The Diverted Stream, I figured, why not write this one up and post it?

So here is my take on what would have happened if Bluestar had actually told the other Clans about Tigerclaw murdering Redtail and trying to murder her. Of course, this also takes for granted that the other Clans would all have believed Bluestar, but I figured Tallstar and Crookedstar would believe her, and ShadowClan, even as weak and leaderless as they were, weren't willing to take in the cats who had betrayed two Clans.

I thought it would be fun to explore Tigerclaw and his group of rogues joining BloodClan as a last resort, since none of the other Clans would take them in. You might've noticed that I didn't include Clawface in the group, even though he was one of Tigerclaw's followers in Tigerclaw's Fury. That's because Clawface was dead by Tigerclaw's Fury in the first series, and I felt that was the better and more canon-compliant option to go with. That inconsistency always bugged me. :P But the rest of the Tigerclaw's Fury gang is there, and now they all have cool BloodClan guard names. ^^

Crusher is named after being a big, strong fighter, even if Scourge hasn't seen him fight yet he can see how big and strong he is already; Shred is named after also looking big and strong, and being more cutthroat than the Clan cats; Howl is named after looking a bit weaker and more scared than the others, so he's named after a sound of fear, but it could be for a sound of fury and strength if he proves himself; Vermin is named after being sort of smaller and scruffier, like a rat or something (poor sod); Ambush is named for being a sneakier fighter (again, Scourge hasn't seen her fight, but maybe she talked with some of the guards who talked to Scourge, I thought it would be a cool guard name). Vengeance of course is told that he's been named after the revenge he longs for, but Scourge seems to have some differing thoughts on that subject. ^^

If you've read my series EOTW, and especially the novella Sushi's Society, you might recognize some of the BloodClan cats in this one-shot as cameos from that story. ^^ I figured I might as well use the same BloodClan cats, since I'd already come up with a full cast of them, and they aren't featuring very heavily at the moment anyway. I must say, it's weird writing about the same town and the same cats again, but going back to their darker time and back to the bloodshed and violence of Scourge's reign. At least things took a different turn in EOTW. ^^

In the timeline, I think this would be taking place somewhere around A Dangerous Path. I dunno, I didn't pin it down very solidly. This is just a fun idea I wanted to run with for a bit, and an excuse to maybe later draw Tigerclaw with a tooth-spiked collar, because why not. ^^ I'll get to part two when I feel like it, which might be soon, but I've been getting some work done on some original stuff, and I don't want to lose the roll I've been on with that, so we'll see.