I have a sudden urge to try this again.

Chapter 6: Power

Awakening from his visit with his mother was like waking from a dream. It took him a while to really think straight and make sense of what he was seeing. The cats were still there but they're expressions had changed. They all looked like they saw a ghost which was understandable after what just happened. What did happen to me he thought? There was a bright flash, a bang, and then…he was with Treefur. Did- Did the same thing that happened to Applefur happen to me? Was I just struck by lightning?

"What the hell is this?" cried a voice.

Hawkpaw turned to his left to see that his father had stepped forward out of the circle of cats around Hawkpaw.

"What are you?" he whispered.

Then Doom stepped forward "Don't touch him!"

Hawkpaw looked from Eaglestar to Doom. Strange how his enemy seemed to be looking out for him while his father showed hostility.

"Don't touch him," Doom repeated "I need him."

They way he said that sounded as if he was choosing a piece of fresh kill, the juiciest mouse or the plumpest rabbit.

"Yes, yes, have him, he's yours."

"Eaglestar what's come over you?" Yellowfur asked. "What are we doing here? Can't we just go home…I want to go home…" he trailed off overcome by grief once again.

"Be quiet Yellowfur! I know what I'm doing." snarled Eaglestar.

"I don't think you do Eaglestar," it was Wavestar that spoke low and menacing "You obviously don't know what you're saying and I don't want you speaking for the clans."

Eaglestar stood very still. Hawkpaw half expected Eaglestar to snap at Wavestar, or worse, attack her, but instead he dipped his head ever so slightly and backed off into the remaining cats of his clan.

All the while Doom watched with calm composure. His comrades seemed to be following his example of staying still waiting for a silent command from their leader.

"Look," Doom started "This doesn't have to be any harder then it already is, give me, uh, Hawkpaw and you all can return to your normal lives and pretend this day never happened." He smiled, though; there was nothing really to smile about.

There was silence except for a couple whispers in the background. The leaders huddled into a group around Hawkpaw all except Eaglestar.

"You already know my choice." He said with lack of any emotion.

There was silence around the other three

"No." Wavestar was the one to break the silence.

"Yes!" Thornstar shot back.

"We outnumber them Thornstar, we can get out of here with everyone that's left." Wavestar retorted.

"I don't know Wavestar," Greenstar said "That attack that Doom pulled was…" he stopped without finishing.

Wavestar shook he head. "I'm sure it takes time for him to do…that again."

"We don't know that for sure Wavestar, he could kill us all with one blow for all we know. At least he's giving us a chance to get out of here." Thornstar growled.

"Minus me!" Hawkpaw hissed.

The leaders looked at him and blinked as if they had forgotten that they were discussing his fate.

"Don't I get a choice on this! Huh!" he continued, his voice rising. "Please! I don- I don't want to die…" he whispered.

The leaders looked at each other all of them looked reluctant but…

"Hawkpaw…you have to look at it from our perspective… we…" he didn't finish but instead looked away in shame. "I'm sorry."

Hawkpaw was angry, no, he was enraged. "Who are you people to decide if I live or die? If I go with Doom…I'm sure I'll be killed."

"Who are you anyway? How did you survive the lightning strike?" questioned Greenstar.

"I-I don't know just…please…" Hawkpaw pleaded.

"Okay times up." said Doom's voice behind Wavestar.

They whirled around to seem him flanked by two of his clanmates. He seemed to be thinking hard. Probably wondering which choice the leaders would make, and what he would do after whatever they chose.

Greenstar stepped forward, with one last glance behind him at Hawkpaw as he stepped up to Doom. "We have decided that…you may take Hawkpaw."

Greenstar looked down at the ground and Hawkpaw stared at him in shock. Shouts of indignation burst from the Thunderclan side.

"How can you do this!" yelled Crowfur who was usually a very soft-spoken cat.

"Eaglestar, please don't do this." cried Lightpaw.

"Yeah, do something!" added Darkpaw.

"Eaglestar…how can you vote against Hawkpaw, he's your son." said Sharpclaw softly.

Eaglestar shot him a fiery look but said nothing. The other clans remained silent, casting wary glances at each other and kneading their paws on the ground in an impatient sort of way.

Doom swished his tail lazily around the grass behind him "You all disgust me you know that," The cats of Thunderclan quieted to hear Doom "Divided into four different clans. For what? Because you are different from each other? You have different skills? Are those the only reasons?

"It's the warrior code," replied Drypelt who Hawkpaw recognized as the deputy of Windclan "Something you wouldn't understand rouge."

"Does your warrior code want you all to remain weak and divided? Pitting yourselves against each other until there is nothing left, so weak that even the tiniest worm could finish you all off. You call me a rouge but you are wrong. I have united more cats then any of you have seen meals. And it's all because I promised the ones that followed me a life like no other. To be united against the whole rest of the world."

"More cats then I've seen meals, huh?" Thornstar scoffed "I hate to break this to you but unified we outnumber you."

Doom laughed, cold and hard. "You think this is all of my family?" he swept his tail to the few of his comrades he had with him. "You are sadly mistaken. There are more of us. Much more of us. I do not expect you to believe me but unless we stop all this needless talking you will soon see for yourself."

Dawnfur, Riverclan's deputy, was about to say something but Doom cut her off.

"I would also like the one you called Rockfur. You mentioned that he had told you that Hawkpaw was…special." He addressed Eaglestar. "I would like to have a talk with him, at my place of course." The smile would have been charming if it wasn't on the face of such an evil cat.

"That was not part of the deal," Eaglestar stated calmly and loudly. "No deal."

Eaglestar's response was met by yowls of approval from all the clans. Doom just shook his head.

"You still don't understand, do you?" he flicked his tail to two of his clanmates and they advanced on Rockfur. Instantaneously Sharpclaw and other Thunderclan cats moved in to block the rouge cats' advance.

Again Doom shook his head and said two words. "Look up."

Hawkpaw and the cats around obeyed and looked skyward. Above them large amounts of clouds were swirling and gathering, just like when Doom caused lightning the first time. The cats moved to get out from under the swirling clouds.

"Take one move and you all die. If I struck right in the center of your little protection group you would all perish," he hissed. "Now move!"

"Go ahead, do it! We will have died protecting a friend."

The other clan cats scattered screaming running in different directions. It took Hawkpaw a moment to realize they were running to the safety of their territories. All accept Thunderclan.

"And for that matter, your not getting Hawkpaw either!" before he knew it Yellowfur, Lightpaw and Darkpaw stood in front of Hawkpaw. They all scooted over to the other mass of Thunderclan cats so they were all together in what looked like their last moments.

They all looked scared. The Thunderclan patrol shivered and pressed next to each other. Some cried, some were begging Starclan to help them. Doom just stared darkly at their act of defiance.

"As you wish." He turned his eyes to the sky and Hawkpaw stared at Doom his emotions running wild.

He looked at his friends, awaiting their fate, all of them ready to die for two of their clanmates. Hawkpaw felt a powerful charge roll through his body. It was warm and it felt good like a warm summer day, or the taste of fresh-kill after a long day of work. Hawkpaw closed his eyes and waited for the strike. Then pain, hard cruel pain dug inside Hawkpaw's head. The lightning struck! he thought. But even though he could barely see with his eyes clouded with hurt, he saw that a see-through wall seemed to have manifested around the surrounding cats. The lightning that would have struck them bounced off the wall and redirected its shot at the rouges. The lightning didn't strike Doom but exploded at the ground right in front of one of his clanmates. There was a horrible scream and Hawkpaw wondered where it was coming from until he realized that it was him who was screeching.

The wall evaporated for the attack was over. Hawkpaw still stood but staggered under the weight of the pain that still chewed up his head. Doom was staring at him. The side of him where the lightning exploded was singed and made his fur dark. His expression was one of absolute terror and Hawkpaw at least felt the satisfaction that he had scared Doom.

"I-It hurts doesn't it? I-I-I remember when it used to hurt. I could help you. If-If you just came with me." He stammered obviously deeply shaken.

"Leave." replied Hawkpaw except it sounded like a much more powerful voice was speaking through Hawkpaw.

Doom nodded and said something else but Hawkpaw couldn't hear him. He felt like he was falling. Numerous voices started speaking at once, his clanmates coming out of shock. Darkness spread over Hawkpaw and he gladly gave in to the dark.