"Echopaw!"

Seer and Echopaw had escorted the prisoner cats out of the small tunnel and into the intersection. Okani, Dovewing, Lionblaze, Isle, Squirrelflight, and Dawnpaw met them and looked at the prisoners, realizing the same fact.

"Where's Gingerpaw?"

Echopaw sighed. "Not here."

Lionblaze shifted his paws and faced the rightmost tunnel. "Did you hear the announcement. The execution is starting, so that must mean that Gingerpaw was taken out of the prisons early."

"Either way, we need to lead these cats out of the sewers. Okani, please lead them toward our StoneClan camp so Cinderheart can help them recover when they arrive."

Okani nodded. "I hope you save your friend." She approached the group of prisoners, tilted her head, and paraded the cats down another tunnel.

"The rest of us need to think of a plan to-"

Dawnpaw sped into the tunnel. "We need to save her!"

"Dawnpaw wait!" Echopaw tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. "Let's just go get Gingerpaw."

"Echopaw," Dovewing walked closer to him. "We were able to scare off the other cats, but the massive amount of Poisons are at that ceremony. We can't take all of them."

"Then let's at least stop Dawnpaw from killing herself!" Echopaw darted down the path, chasing after Dawnpaw with everyone following behind. The racket of 'meow's and 'hiss's filled the tunnels now. The voice kept getting closer as they began to find where it was.

"First, let me introduce you to our three most valuable prisoners, who will be the first to be eliminated by my claws. Klauce, mighty warrior of BloodClan."

The sounds of boos came up next. The voices were angered and raged.

"Second is the most hated of all the Loners other than their leader. Jove, the deputy of the Broken Hearts."

Echopaw's eyes shot open. Broken Hearts... why does that seem familiar? Lionblaze ran beside Echopaw as they turned another corner.

"And finally, a new sight to discover hiding in the twolegplace. A Clan cat. Whose death shall tell the other Clan cats still lurking that the Poisons are not to be trifled with!"

Enormous howls of the Poisons once more cascaded through the tunnels. Echopaw and the others were getting closer to the ceremony. When they turned another corner, Echopaw couldn't believe what he saw.

Another group of cats that looked completely different from the Poisons were silently creeping against the wall, approaching the next turn. They were all sleek, dark furred cats that had well toned legs and curled tails. They also had another large mark on their chests in the shape of a heart, outlined with blood. Echopaw skidded to a halt, stopping everyone behind him as well. After the rest of the cats saw the new group, they backed up to hide behind the bend. Echopaw took one more glance at the new group and concealed himself with the others.

Isle cringed. "Echopaw, I know who those are. They're the Broken Hearts, and elite group of Loners who are even more deadly than the strongest of cats."

"Broken Hearts?" Echopaw understood. They were here for the same reason they were. To save their friend. "They are the only thing blocking our entrance. We need to get past them somehow."

"Who are you!?" A voice that sounded too familiar came from the Broken Hearts group. It was pointed in the other direction, but when Echopaw turned to see who the Broken Hearts spotted, he saw Dawnpaw backing away from them.

"I-I was just-"

The tom in the front, with dark tabby fur, charged at Dawnpaw. "No one shall reveal our plot."

Echopaw, absent minded, rushed toward Dawnpaw. The tom didn't notice him until Dawnpaw started to run in Echopaw's direction. He turned to Echopaw and started to run at him with claws outstretched. Echopaw crouched and readied for a leap, but the tom started to leap from side to side, throwing Echopaw's focus off. It was when the tom was a fox-length away that Echopaw tried for a slam, but missed and came crashing to the stone floor, completely exposed to attack.

However, after Dawnpaw had regrouped with Isle and the others, they all charged into the battle alongside her. Lionblaze came in with the opening of the attack, stopping the tabby tom from attacking Echopaw and leading him toward the bridge. The other Broken Hearts noticed that the fight had gotten bigger and joined in as well. Soon the battle had turned into an all-out war. Lionblaze, Squirrelflight, and Dovewing were fighting four cats fiercely, Dawnpaw and Isle were hidden out of view, but were probably fighting a couple cats, and Seer and Echopaw were sparring with the dark tabby and another white she-cat. Echopaw could tell by the tom's stance and heavy breathing that he was being pressured. Echopaw felt it too. They had only a few minutes before their friends were killed.

Echopaw began to try to show his sympathy. "We are here for the same reason you are. The Poisons are about to kill our friend as well."

"Do not try to trick me!" He sped across the path right at Echopaw. His claws dug into Echopaw's fur, putting Echopaw on his side. Seer reared up and tackled the tom. They started to claw at each other in a flurry. The she-cat continued the toms attack on Echopaw. Echopaw, however, was able to stand again and knock away the she-cat before she got close.

"I'm not trying to trick you! I'm telling the truth!" Echopaw tried to stop Seer and the tom. Seer was hit into the wall while the tom backed away onto the bridge.

"No matter. We'll rip you to shreds anyways. Broken Hearts, full attack." The tom cracked a crooked smile. The group of cats seemed to get more vicious and strong after the command. The group attacking Lionblaze and the others leaped onto them like the Poisons, clawing at them on the tops of their backs. Dawnpaw and Isle came around the corner to reveal themselves being outmatched by three other Broken Hearts cats. Seer and Echopaw recovered their strength and charged at the tabby tom. They collided with a heavy blow, but the tom took it like a tree, unmoving.

Though, Seer managed to get around the tom and low kick his hind legs. The tom, unbalanced, left himself open for Echopaw to collapse on top of him. After putting the tom onto the ground, Echopaw aimed a bite for the toms neck. The timing became offset as the other she-cat jumped in and drove Seer away from Echopaw. The she-cat's interruption threw off Echopaw's focus and gave the tom enough time to get up.

Echopaw tried to copy what Seer had done, but the tom became wise of his moves and swiped at Echopaw's cheek. Echopaw felt the sting of the battle mark from Garve reopened. His cheek burned with pain and he stumbled back. The tom sulked closer to Echopaw and lifted his claws. "Now, let's finish thi-"

The toms eyes stilled for a moment before he recoiled back, holding a paw to his chest. Echopaw looked up to see that all the Broken Hearts had done the same things. The clan cats stopped fighting in the confusion. What just happened?

"The Broken Hearts greatest warrior is dead!" The call from the Poison leader rebounded off the walls again, along with an even louder cheer from the Poison cats.

The dark tabby opened his eyes and stared at Echopaw. "Our brother is dead... All because of you! Ack-" He held his chest again, where the red outline of the heart was. His breath was rapid, like he had just been injured badly, which he might have. "With our brothers death, our pain grows deeper, as well as our power." The tom gritted his teeth angrily. "Broken Hearts, kill every single Poison down that corridor, and make sure to capture that Poison leader, for he shall face the true wrath of our painful strength."

The Broken Hearts obeyed his command, abandoning the fight with Echopaw and the others to rush down the tunnel. The clan cats were badly injured, all except for Lionblaze of course. They were in no condition to fight. The mission was ruined.

Dawnpaw, with her fur ripped off her side a bit, came up to Echopaw. "Echopaw, please... Don't give up... We need to save... Gingerpaw."

"I know, I'll do anything I can." Echopaw gazed around, landing his eyes on Lionblaze. "Lionblaze, Seer, come with me to distract the Poisons and Broken Hearts. The rest of you get out of here while there is still light."

Dovewing shot a shocking glance at him. "But how will you get out of here?"

Echopaw didn't answer. He ran down the tunnel, seeing that the fighting had already started between the Poisons and Broken Hearts. The path stopped and turned to a rising pathway leading to a higher platform where in the middle, a big tube spilled the mucky water across and down the platform into the river. On one side was a huge blue furred tom while on the other side was two Poison cats. Luckily, he also spotted Gingerpaw still being held captive by the two cats. She was still alive.

The blue pelted tom shouted out, "Do not give up, Poisons, they are weak after their deputy was killed. Destroy them before they have a chance to regain their power!" His eyes were a strange shade of green, his long tail flicked with the feeling of temptation, and his sharp teeth were shining off the light on the ceiling.

Echopaw darted through the crowds of cats, trying to avoid as many slashes as he could. The reopened scar on his cheek didn't help either, though he was soon relieved as Lionblaze and Seer joined the fight to attract attention while Echopaw made his way to Gingerpaw.

The blue tom spotted Seer and Lionblaze when they started to shred the Poisons. "Who are they?"

Echopaw forced himself inbetween tremendous struggles and unending claws until he reached the rising floor to the side of the platform where Gingerpaw was. He creeped against the wall out of the sight of the Poison cats on top.

The Poison tom on top declared. "Do not stop fighting Poisons! I must take my leave." The blue tom bowed and turned around, heading into a small tunnel on the other side of the platform. The two Poison cats holding Gingerpaw began to follow.

Echopaw waited until he the two cats got closer. The blue tom had now disappeared into the tunnel, leaving the fight. The Poison captors walked closer and closer...

"If we cannot kill the leader, we shall kill his prize!" The dark tabby tom and the she-cat had gone up the other path and amazingly jumped across the water. Their claws sunk into the Poisons' pelts and were ripped away from Gingerpaw.

Echopaw sprang into action, running at the she-cat. She hadn't noticed him until now, which was too late. Her eyes widened when Echopaw bit into her neck, forcing her onto the ground. His teeth went deeper through her fur into her skin. Echopaw realized what he was doing and jumped back.

Blood dripped off the tips of his teeth, and for the first time, he had tasted blood that was not his own. He tried to wipe away the taste, but it wouldn't go away. The she-cat shivered with pain, but was able to get up. She clumsily ran away into the fray and out the tunnels.

Echopaw hadn't realized that while he had the she-cat in his jaws, the Broken Heart tabby had grabbed Gingerpaw and taken her into the other small tunnel.

He froze with terror. This is where it happened. The dark tabby tom. The sewers. Gingerpaw's death. That's why he recognized the toms voice before. He had caused this to happen. If they hadn't stopped the Broken Hearts, then they would have saved their brother and left Gingerpaw be. He recalled the tom in his vision's words. "With our brother dead, so shall you share the same fate." He had taken the wrong path and ensnared himself.

NO! Echopaw ran into the tunnel. I will not let Gingerpaw die!