IT'S MY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEKEND SO HOW ABOUT SOME REVIEWS AS A LITTLE BIRTHDAY GIFT?

Speaking of Reviews, special thanks to : Jarrtail, Cinnamonpool, Kylyn, Foxstar24, and Tinselpool. Thanks for reviewing guys. This chapter is actiony as I promised you, and I hope you like it. It's just a little longer than most chapters but I guess it's OK. This is the major chapter that adds a whole new twist to the story.

Special Thanks to Tinselpool for suggesting the first few paragraphs of this chapter. Seriously, thank you SO MUCH.

And another Special Thanks goes to Cinnamonpool for proofreading my work and making sure that my characters remain in check.

Treading on Treachery

Tigger awoke to the sound of his own heart beating. He tried to keep on a calm expression as he recalled all that had happened. Chillpaw... and being a decendent of the Clan Cats. He never imagined that he was anything more than a kittypet, that he was born as something more. Tigger's excitement faltered when he remembered his predicament. In a way, despite being the son of some great, powerful clan cat, he was still practically a prisoner.

And just the thought of looking for the secret underworld that only Ajax knew about weighed down on his paws.

"Ajax!" he spat as he lazily lifted his paws to stand up, "The one who got me stuck in this mess!"

Under the cover of night, Tigger meandered through the crowded paths that zig-zagged between the twoleg nests. He couldn't help but feel pleased with himself for his improvements over the past few days. Though, his rumbling stomach dispelled his good mood and sent him into darker thoughts. The only cats that ever approached him either wanted to insult him or pick a fight. It amazed him how he had changed over time.

He used to fight Chess all the time for scraps on the floor. They always had their claws sheathed, of course, but he used to be able to stand up for himself. And it disgusted him how he always backed down whenever a cat demanded his meager, hard-sought food. He could almost hear their scathing words ringing in his head right now.

Kittypet. That was the word he hated the most out of everything else they called him, whether it was "mousebrain", "furball", or anything like that. In fact, now he was just beginning to wonder why it was so hard for him to adjust to this place. At first he thought that it was only because he was new to this different lifestyle and he only needed time to adjust. But now, he was still just barely surviving even with help. Am I weak because I was born a kittypet? Is that why I can't survive out here? I was a good fighter though, but that doesn't make me a survivor.

And then there was Tabs. He truly pitied her for her losses, he really did. And he was grateful for all the help she had given him. But most of all, he loved her for being the only cat that would talk to him kindly, even if she were to treat him like a kit. But deep inside, he dreaded seeing her, even in the cover of dark. How much longer could she help him before she got caught? He had to get stronger on his own, even if it meant pushing her away.

And to make the situation worse, he still had to find the tunnels, or possibly Ajax. If he was worried about how much time Tabs had left to take care of him, he should be worrying more about Bone's patience. Who knew when the cat's patience was wearing thin? Only Jaws could possibly know that, and Tigger cringed at the memory of the deputy's torn jaws and piercing amber eyes.

He stopped by another alley, checking under the twoleg waste boxes and the cracks in the wall. None of them seemed to resemble anything quite like the tunnels he'd been through before. He let out a frustrated hiss. Where could Ajax be?!

Ajax leaped on top of one of the silver, cylinders that lined the twoleg paths. He stood stock-still, scanning the area for any signs of Blood Clan. Seeing none, he felt content to get along with his business. Gently, he nudged the lid off an adjacent waste box a little. He peered into it, curious as to see what kind of fortunes would befall him on this day.

He almost didn't believe it when he saw a large hunk of meat sitting on top of the pile of waste. Although cold, this was an extremely rare find, since Blood Clan usually found the pickings before he did. He stretched his paw forward, trying to shift the meat towards him, but it was just out of his reach. He leaned closer, intent to get the best meal he'd had in moons.

He felt his paw brushed the flat slab of meat and he chanced leaning closer. He could feel his hind legs wobbling from the effort of keeping balance, but he knew he could do it. Even if he fell into the waste box, he could always get out. Though, he woud hate getting dirtier than he already was. Pushing his disgust aside, he jumped into the pile of stinking waste and clamped his jaws around the meat.

Although delicious, he had no idea how dearly he'd pay for something so trivial. He forgot to continousy check his surroundings. He spent too long in his attempts for a good meal. He couldn't notice the cat that was approaching him that very instant. He had messed up just once, but that is all it takes.

Tigger heard a furious yowl coming from the area just ahead of him. He looked around, wondering if it was just another of those many cat fights. The clan cats would know the difference between the yowls of a cat fight and a serious, defensive yowl, woundn't they? But nobody was there. Should I take a look?

As if to answer him, he heard another yowl, this time closer. And then he saw twoleg heads turn towards the direction of the sounds, some of them stopping to get a better look. But most of them didn't show any concern at all. He heard a screech now, one belonging to a cat in pain and in terrible fear. Abandoning his doubts, Tigger rushed towards the sounds, zipping between the twolegs clumsily.

He skidded to a halt at the corner of a building, where two cats were struggling. The bigger, blacker cat seemed to have the advantage, slashing at the smaller calico tom and driving him against the wall while his opponent tried to escape. The black tom was instantly upon him, pinning the struggling cat to the ground. In that moment, the black figure was no longer moving in a blur and Tigger instantly recognized him- Jaws.

Hatred and triumph glinted in the deputy's eyes as he leaned forward, speaking to his new prey. He was so intent by his capture, he didn't even seem to notice the twolegs quickly milling about, obviously disturbed at the scene. He didn't even seem to notice Tigger standing right in front of them, his eyes wide with shock and indecision.

"You ready to die?" Jaws hissed, his voice dripping with venom. Tigger stared at the unfortunate cat before him. He almost didn't recognize the wiry, playfully arrogant cat he saw at his window. Ajax. This whole time, everyone had talked about him as if he were something that no cat could fully understand- a mystery in their midst. They said he understood the giant twoleg nest from inside out. And they said that he was swift and evasive on his paws as well. He didn't think that it was possible for him to be captured- not like this.

Ajax let out another desperate yowl as he struggled against the weight on his back, though his efforts were futile. After all, Jaws was huge, healthy, and heavy. Jaws seemed to ready himself for the strike before Tigger yelled out in protest.

"But I thought we need him alive!"

If Jaws even heard him, he showed no signs. Everything seemed to happen in slow-motion to Tigger, everything around them turning into a blur and all the sounds congealing together in one angry humming sound.

No! I need him alive! I need him to get home! I need to get home!

"NO!" the word ripped through his throat as he rammed himself into Jaws. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the impact of the ground. Once. Twice. He dug his claws into the deputy, his opponent struggling against his grip with all his fury.

They twisted and turned, a mass of writhing pelts until they came to a halt, exhausted. Tigger felt a pain cut through him as blood dripped down from his ear, but he ignored it. The world seemed to be spinning, and the flashing lights of the monster path only added to his confusion. He looked at the dark tom wearily as he drew in strong, ragged breaths.

He arched his back, anticipating Jaw's rage. It came at full force, knocking Tigger on his back. The poor tabby was so dizzy, so scared, so confused, he didn't feel like he had the strength to fight his way out this time. He wasn't the same cat he used to be. He was weak from hunger, lack of sleep, and adequate water. A soft whining noise escaped his lips as he struggled weakly, feeling sharp claws penetrate his defenses.

With a wretched yowl, Tigger kicked his hind legs up, pummeling the cat's belly. With one last effort, Tigger shot his front paws forward, scrabbling aimlessly, hoping his claws would catch on something. To his surprise, Jaws stumbled backwards, hissing as blood oozed out of a deep cut on his shoulder. His vision was bleary, and he saw swirls of shiny shapes dashing past them, a toxic smell blasting up his nose. And on the periphery of hs vision, he saw the colorful red lights flashed green.

The deputy looked as if he were going to say something, probably a threat, or an oath to end his life right there and then. But his hissing voice was cut short by the howl of a monster. Tigger stared at it, rooted to the spot. His mind drew a blank as it came closer to him at a rapid pace, its shining eyes blinding him. And suddenly, as if by some justice, some miracle, the monster swerved to one side, now aimed for the unsuspecting deputy.

Jaws glanced behind him, his eyes widening with fear before the monster's giant legs barrelled into him.

Crunch! And then the monster's hind legs came after that. Crunch!

Tigger gaped at the disheveled mound of fur and blood. If he didn't see it himself, he never would have thought it was once a cat. The monster slowly came to a halt and a twoleg stuck her head out as if to inspect the damage, but her monster was restless and it continued onward, not even repentful for what happened. A blaring monster horn called his attention, its large, bright eyes dazzling him. He felt his legs shake from beneath him before he felt teeth clamp around the nape of his neck. He whirled around to see a pair of pale, wide eyes staring back at him.

"Come on!" Ajax pleaded desparately as he tugged at him.

"But what about-"

"You're on the monster path!"

Slowly, Tigger discerned the words from the droning ringing in his ears and scrambled out of harm's way. He was tired and he couldn't stop himself from shaking.

"Come on," the calico said, not as harshly as he intended, "Follow me!"

Another yowl cut into the air- one that chilled Tigger right to the bone. He twisted his head around. At first, he couldn't see anything past the zooming monsters, but looking closer, he saw Rattles glaring at him. A blue monster sped past, impeding his view. And when it left, Rattles was running away- towards Blood Clan. In his sheer horror, Tigger snapped back to reality.

"He's going to tell! Rattles is going to tell them! They're going to kill me! They'll shred me!" he nearly choked.

"I know! Come on! We're going somewhere safe!" Ajax urged. Tigger nodded vigorously. Yes! Yes! Please! Anywhere away from them! Anywhere! Take me home!

He followed Ajax through all the twisting turns of the twoleg nest, and for a moment, Tigger's mind went back to the first day, when he was a naive little kittypet chasing the unknown. And then he remembered the fight, the terrifying images flashing through his mind.

"Down the tunnel," Ajax instructed quickly before disappearing into the gaping hole. Tigger obeyed instantly, not wanting to break the silence. He wanted to close his eyes and wake up in his bed, only to discover that everything was just a dream. Down the hole, left, right, back, forth, it didn't matter to Tigger, who padded behind his accomplice blankly.

Eventually, they got out of the quiet tunnel and were thrust into the outside world. Ajax padded on, checking behind his shoulder occasionally to see if Tigger was keeping up. Finally, he stopped by one of the big monster paths, where lights were strung up and held in the air, some red, some amber, and some a bright green.

"We're almost there," the calico meowed, "Just wait and go when I say so." Tigger didn't know why they were just sitting there, completely vulnerable to whatever dangers lay beyond the shadows. But Ajax appeared relatively calm, looking around periodically to see if there was any trouble approaching.

"Why are you helping me?" Tigger asked in a soft calm voice, though his tail was lashing back and forth and his ears were swiveling, betraying his anxiety.

"You helped me," Ajax answered simply, "I'm just returning the favor."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll find out."

The strange lights abruptly changed colors, hurting Tigger's eyes.

"Let's go," Ajax stepped lightly on the monster path, "It's quite safe, but try not to run." Tigger followed hesitantly while glancing at the monsters, who stood still side by side, watching them walk right past them with widened, white eyes. Tigger instantly felt the fur on his pelt stand on end as one of them made a purring noise and inched foward. He jumped slightly, padding up to Ajax's side as if just by being close, he could share in that fearless confidence.

Tigger's mind came back to one rumor he'd heard in Blood Clan. According to some, Ajax had gained special favor from the monsters. He was their favorite cat, so they never tried to kill him. Instead, they claimed that he could walk right in front of them and no harm would come to him. Tigger had dismissed it as some old fantasy they wove to instill even more hatred on the stray, yet now he was fully convinced.

As Ajax promised, they crossed without any harm done to them. And if Ajax wanted to flaunt his bravery or his bond with the monsters, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply continued on his way, still checking on Tigger as if he were some lost, pathetic kit. The idea of that would have infuriated Tigger, but instead, he was more concerned about whatever secrets Ajax held.

"How did you do that?" he asked, falling in step with his guide, "How did you make the monsters listen to you? You didn't say anything." The calico gave him a confused look.

"Do what? I didn't tell them anything."

"But they stopped for us. You knew they wouldn't even try to turn us into roadkill," Tigger insisted, "What did you do to make them stop?"

"I didn't do anything," Ajax answered, flicking his gaze around the twoleg nests, "I simply waited for the right moment." He looked at Tigger, who stared at him expectantly.

"Monsters are like twoleg pets, I think," he elaborated, "They do whatever the twoleg tells it to. Didn't you ever notice that a monster only wakes up when its twoleg master comes to it?" He looked at Tigger, who merely shook his head.

"And those color lights are there for a reason, I think," he continued, "I watched them and then I realized that when the lights on the opposite side turn red, the monsters stop so that the other monsters can pass. Once I saw two monsters try to eat each other. Both of them were injured and I think they died. I think that's what the color lights are for, so that the monsters don't fight each other.

"Green means that they move, and amber lights mean that the monsters are going to stop. I like to think of it as a secret code. The twolegs are amazing, using the monsters and coming up with their own rules, don't you think? ... Did you actually think that I talked to them?" he snorted sarcastically. Instead of retaliating as usual, Tigger just stared ahead, feeling emberraced by his ignorance.

"How does a stray know more about twolegs than I do? I mean, I live with them!"

"Alright, here we are, the old waste place," Ajax said as he veered left and into an abandoned area. There were barely any lights and the twoleg nests in the area were dark and threatened to crumble. There was a sickening smell in the air and looming up in front of them was a dark, colossal shape surrounded by a metal fence.

"What is this place?" Tigger asked, disgust leaking from his voice.

"This is my home," Ajax answered as he padded forward towards the gates.

There was a sharp, metalic jingle and a large shape rose up on its four paws growling. Tigger sprang into the air, startled and hissing. He smelled this scent before! Dog! And this was no playful pup either. This one was huge- much bigger than the ones he'd seen in his life. From what Tigger could tell, its sharp teeth had clamped on bone and flesh before.

"Kill! Kill! Meat! Kill!" it barked, its fangs glistening in the dim light.

"Ajax! It's a- it's a dog!" Tigger yowled as it barelled towards him.

I'm quite proud of the chapter, though I thought the action died off a little towards the end and piqued up again as a cliffhanger. I hope you guys liked it because it's about time that something really interesting happened.

I don't refer to Tigger as Chillpaw. That name's more reserved for Hawkfrost, I think.

And Ajax is quite smart for a stray, understanding human intentions more in-depth than most cats. Though, he still doesn't quite understand completely.

Please Review. Any comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, name suggestions, opinions, corrections, ideas, questions, etc. are always welcome here. Bye.