A/N: I'm using — in this chapter for pauses, not clarification, as I can't find a character that marks pauses in speech that aren't like semicolons or commas, but join things together nonetheless. And semicolons are to jointhings together, not just to mark pauses, but not in this sense.

A/N: Also, sorry for the really long wait! I rushed this to get it out before February.

A/N 3: SPERMATOZOON

Chapter Three

The Red Strikes[1]

The silky, cold, leaf-bare air boomed while snow came down. In the distance, a cat could barely be seen, standing next to a redder shape.

"Redpaw. Red—paw. It's been... Quite a while." Said figure one, Whitepaw."

"Ah! Whitepaw. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this." Replied figure two, Redpaw.

"What do you mean 'An opportunity'?" Said Whitepaw, backing away, muscles tense.

"I've been keeping an eye out. I'm looking for something to hold you back, something that will make you have to keep being an apprentice after your six moons. Glorify and dramatise it enough and you're done. I'm ahead. This'll be the w

ay, I can feel it." Redpaw paced up and down, muscles also tense.

"Wha-"

Before Whitepaw could finish his sentence, Redpaw pounced. His claws struck Whitepaw's face immediately while Whitepaw tried to scramble away.

"You see-" Redpaw shot out, trying to keep Whitepaw under his grip."

Whitepaw raked his claws onto Redpaw's chest as they flipped over and Whitepaw started bleeding.

"If I word this correctly-" Redpaw's hind paws started to lose feeling. "I can tell people you started the fight!"

"But I could just... Walk away." Whitepaw stopped for a moment.

"No you're not. Walk away and I'll kill ya'"

Redpaw flung himself at Whitepaw's face, and landed just in the snow behind it. Whitepaw turned over and bit Redpaw's hind paws, making him fall over. Whitepaw proceeded to scratch Redpaw's front paws to provide a distraction. Redpaw slowly got up, with a few scratches from Whitepaw, and tackled him! Whitepaw started biting at his nose, making it bleed.

"Agh! Ag-agh! A-agh-a-ag-agh!" Shouted Redpaw. "Okay! Okay! I surrender!"

Whitepaw got up. "Told you." And walked off.

Jokes:

1: Sung by the Red Army Choir