Author's Note: Sorry for the terrible description, but I didn't want to give anything away, really! This is gonna be a longer story, so try to stick with it and check back often as I update as quickly as I can! Thanks, hugs and sugar cookies to anyone who bothers to read any of my stories! Reviews are MUCH appreciated! Regards, Sanya.

Pouncival could feel his hackles rising. He sniffed the air nonchalantly, barely lifting his head. Somecat was following him! No Jellicle either, by their scent. He tensed, but struggled to appear casual and unfazed. Slowly he made his way around the alleyway, creeping up around a crate. Suddenly he sprang out and leapt upon a dark, furry form, somersaulting across the ground. Pouncival curled his tail in tightly, using his favourite trick, and was able to roll to a halt and in his tracker to the ground, grinning.

"Ha! Gotcha, Kiran! Now yer my pris'ner!"

The captured kittens' ears fell. "Aw, I was gonna getcha. How'd you knowed it was me?"

Pounce touched a small, kittenish paw to his nose. "'Cos yew stink an' I smelleded you from all the way over der, dat's how."

"Do not stink, slashy-face!"

"Do too! An' yew can't call me names, you're da pris'ner, only I can call names."

"Hmph." Kirandar frowned and folded his paws across his chest, still pinned on his back. The frown was accented by V-shaped striped of dark ginger on his forehead. The rest of his coat was covered in streaks and blotches of dark brown mixed with more ginger.

Pouncival hopped up and Kirandar could stand again. "C'mon, let's go see the others," Pounce said proudly, while his rival's tail drooped dejectedly. "Now, don't make me drag yew by yer tail so yew don't try ta ekscape."

"I won't," the dark kitten grumbled.

They made their way down the alley to a large cardboard box on its side containing the odd jar or tin can used as makeshift furniture. Next to the box was a large sewer pipe that hadn't drained water for ages. They stepped inside the box where a black and white tom kitten was curled up comfortably.

"Misto!" Pouncival frowned. "Why aren't yew out helpin' ev'yone look fer pris'ners ta catch?"

Mistofelees stretched his front paws. "I wos waitin' for you ta come back... an' I didn't want ta get catched."

Pouncival rolled his eyes and sighed exhasperatedly. "But if yew never go out der you'll never catch nothin' neither."

Mistofelees wrinkled his small nose defiantly. "Yah, go call all da uvvers."

Pouncival lept up on top of the large pipe and threw his head back. "Jell'cle cats c'm one, c'mall!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "And da rest of youse too!" he added.

Slowly kittens began to gather to meet Pouncival and the others. First came a reddish-brown queen with a white bib and round, brown eyes, who sat down by Mistofelees. Then came a pure white kitten and a scruffier, rusty tabby with dizzying stripes. Following closely behind, tripping on her own tail was a tan and white tabby kit that seemed as if she could hardly walk yet.

'Who'd you catch?" Victoria looked up at Pouncival excitedly.

"Yah, Kiran tried ta git me but I's too quick her 'im an' I catchded him instead."

Four other small figures began to lump together a short distance away. The smallest one, cream with grey and brown smut and bright blue eyes hopped foreward.

"Aidan!" Pouncival wagged a paw sternly. "Yer not allowed ta stan' over here yet. Yew all gotta stay back der until we decided what ta do wif our pris'ner."

Ayden stuck his tounge out at Pouncival and scurried back to join the others. Pounce screwed up his face in thought.

"A'right, ev'yone get inna circle 'round Kir'ndar... not yew, Aidan." Pouncival rounded up all the Jellicle kittens around the dark-furred one. Electra flopped over on her back and batted at Kirandar's tail, giggling.

"Hey, stoppit," he grumbled.

'Shh!" Pounce shot him a look of warning. "Now, this time ev'yone can awks 'im a question, an' he izn't free till he can get one right. 'Mima, yew go first."

Jemima grinned and crouched playfully, staring at Kirandar. "A'right, now many starts iz inna sky at night"

Kirandar thought desperately. "Elevently-two?"

"Nope!" Jemima giggles and stuck up her nose. "Fee-hunnerd-an'-fifty-twelve!"

"Kiran's jaw dropped angrily. "How d'you know? I betcha you can't count dat big!"

"Shuddup," Pouncival turned the dark kitten to face Electra. "We're awkskin da queschins. Next!"

Electra sat up. "What colour was da sky dis morning at da sunrise?

Kiran looked crestfallen and made up an answer. "Pink?"

"Nah! It was gold an' yellow! You never gots up ta see it neither, you sleepyhead!"

Kiran groaned and turned to face Victoria who was holding Etcetera on her lap.

Vic thought for a moment. "Who's da biggest worrypaws inna whole Junkyard?"

Kiran looked scandalized. "You?" he guessed.

"No! It's Jellylorum, so there!"

"Tho der!" echoed Etcetera.

"That's no fair!" Kirandar whined. "How'm I s'posed ta know who's da biggest worrypaws in yer Junkyard!?"

Victoria poked her tounge out and Etcetera swatted a tiny paw at him.

A scrawny tomkit standing by Aidan stepped forward. "Yeah, dat's no fair, take it back, 'Toria!"

Pouncival waved a paw dissmissively. "Nah, we're jus' too smart fer him. 'Kay, Kiran, I've gotten one. How many mice have I eated today?"

"Prolly four, little piggy."

Pouncival frowned and his ears fell flat.

"Dija? Did I get it right?" Kirandar leapt to his paws.

"No! ...Yes..."

"Yay!" Kirandar ran over to join Aidan and the small crowd, hopping up and down. They all made their way over to the pipe to stand by the Jelicles. The five of them sat down, intermingling with the Jellicle kittens. One of the queens raised her head.

"Hey, dat's no fair either, youse have gots six cats on yer side an' we've only gots five!"

Pouncival counted to Jellicle kittens present, checking to see if she was right. "Yeah, but see, Novianna, Cettie's just a baby an' can't ever really play proper. An' Misto jus' sits der an' doesn't play anyhow. So really we've gots," he counted in his head, "four an' you've got five."

"Oh," Novianna sat back down, satisfied.

Pouncival stood up again. "A'right, so today we catched Kiran dis time-"

"An' yesterday JaCoven caught you!" The skinny tomkit giggled.

'An' tomorrow I'm gonna capchure you, Caedmon!" Jemima grinned playfully.

Pouncival cleared his throat. "So I was sayin' dat-"

"Hey, let's play hide-an'-seek!" JaCoven stood up.

"Yeah!" Chorused each kitten.

The ginger and white queenkit covered her eyes with her paws. "One... two... six..."

Every kitten scampered away to hide, Etcetera giggling loudly and Victoria hushing her.

"Five... nine... 'leven... seven..."

Pouncival sighed and scurried away to hide in the pipe.