Blood and Vengeance: Part Two
A Warriors AU One-Shot
Almost overnight, the cold of leafbare had tightened its grip over twolegplace. A thin layer of snow was draped over the stone and wood surfaces of the town, and the morning sky was a weak, cloudy gray. The massive tabby looked over the changing town as he walked along the top of a fence. If he squinted, with the way the snow cloaked some of the hard edges of twolegplace, he could almost pretend that he was back in the forest already. But inevitably, the stench of monster-smoke and rats would work its way back into his nose, and he would be forced to remember.
Two moons had passed since Vengeance and his followers had joined BloodClan. It had all been easy for them to adapt to life as guards, as it required much the same skills as being a warrior. Howl still seemed hesitant to dole out punishment to some of the weaker rule-breakers of BloodClan, but Crusher and the former ShadowClan cats had become used to upholding strict rules under Brokenstar's reign, and while they clearly didn't take pleasure in it, they did exactly as Scourge ordered, and they did it well.
Shred had by far taken to guard life the best. With his ambition, his strength, and his tendency to be cruel and self-serving, he seemed almost born to be a BloodClan guard, Vengeance mused uneasily. He would have to keep an eye on the ginger tom, to make sure he wasn't getting too comfortable in twolegplace. He knew what their real goal was as well as the rest of Vengeance's followers – Vengeance would not tolerate Shred's loyalties shifting, if he decided that he liked Scourge better as his master.
Vengeance's lip curled. Scourge. Even the thought of the self-important little half-kittypet made the tabby growl. He dug his reinforced claws into the soft wood of the fence, imagining for a sweet moment that it was Scourge's pelt. Ever since they had arrived in Twolegplace, Vengenace'd had to bow and scrape at the tiny tom's paws just to keep him from growing suspicious. He had to act like he actually believed such a soft, weak little thing, who wore a collar like a kittypet, who let his guards do all the dirty work without ever unsheathing his claws himself, who lived off of twoleg scraps and walked their stinking stone paths like some kind of rat, was actually worthy of being any cat's leader. He hated it. He hated everything about living in BloodClan.
An unwelcome reminder of his current situation dug into his neck as he twisted his head around to lick his shoulder. One of Scourge's first tasks for his new guards had been to steal a collar from one of the local kittypets. All of Scourge's guards were required to wear collars, and to bear the teeth and claws of their victims on the collar as marks of their strength. Vengeance loathed his new collar, with a black hated he'd never felt for any living cat. He'd gone after the biggest kittypet he could find, but the collar was still too tight around his neck most of the time. It dug into his skin and left it sweating, it flattened and bent his fur at uncomfortable angles, and at the worst moments Vengeance felt like his throat was closing and he couldn't breathe. It was a prison, a symbol of twolegs and their ownership, of the weakest and softest kittypets, and Vengeance hated that he now had to wear it proudly for all to see.
The pale green collar was already studded with several teeth and claws. Vengeance had wasted no time establishing himself as a strong, ruthless presence among Scourge's guards. He had quickly won the respect and fear of the cats of twolegplace. They knew now that whenever one of Scourge's rules was broken, Vengeance would be there, and he would dish out whatever punishment Scourge ordered, no matter how cruel. The teeth dug into his throat and left the skin scratched and tender, but he minded that less than the collar itself. It might be rather barbaric, but at least it was a symbol of his strength as a fighter, unlike the collar.
While Vengeance did enjoy being able to employ his strength and punish those too weak to get by without theft, even he found some of BloodClan's tactics distasteful. What good was there in keeping a bunch of terrified, scattered loners restrained by fear when they didn't actually contribute anything to Scourge, or to BloodClan as a whole? Didn't Scourge see that BloodClan could be so much more? Properly trained, and with bonds forged between them from living together and hunting and fighting as one, these cats could be real warriors, and BloodClan could be a force strong enough to take on all four Clans. But instead, Scourge kept his forces weak and divided, preferring to let his guards bully the weakest rather than doing anything to actually build his Clan into a proper fighting unit.
Vengeance growled low to himself, his tail lashing, his annoyance building the longer he thought about Scourge and BloodClan. He hopped down from the fence, and began walking away, ready to start his patrols for the day. But a mew called him back. "Vengeance."
He turned to see a familiar tabby approaching him. "Screech," he growled in greeting. The gray she-cat was nearly as large as Vengeance himself, and one of Scourge's strongest guards. Her golden gaze was even as she came to stand before Vengeance. "Scourge has a mission for you," she told him. "Meet him in the gathering alley – don't keep him waiting."
"Of course," he rumbled. Screech gave a small nod, then turned to pad away. As she did, Vengeance noticed that her belly was sagging in a way that was unusual for the fit she-cat. He blinked, mildly curious. Was she expecting kits? But she began bounding away before Vengeance could ask, and the thought was quickly forgotten. He had a mission from Scourge – it wouldn't do to be late.
SCENEBREAK
Scourge was already sitting atop the dumpster when Vengeance arrived. The usual crowd of cats coming to ask advice of Scourge hadn't arrived for the day, but the alley wasn't entirely empty either. Vengeance was surprised to see Ambush sitting in front of the dumpster when he arrived. He gave a brief nod of greeting, which the former ShadowClan warrior returned. An yellow collar sat around the she-cat's neck, studded with teeth and claws just like Vengeance's, and her claws were pierced through the marrow of sharpened dog teeth. Vengeance sat beside his follower and turned his gaze up to Scourge.
Scourge waited a few moments before speaking. "I have a task for you," he said, his mew as slow and thoughtful as ever. Vengeance sat up a little straighter, effortlessly affecting an expression of interest. He had long ago perfected the ability to act like the loyal, sincere follower. He had played this game for countless moons in Bluestar's Clan, acting the part of the loyal deputy while Redtail's blood was on his claws, and now it was practically kit's play to him.
"Our cats have reported a rogue that has been crossing our borders and stealing prey from our alleys for the last quarter moon," Scourge explained to the listening guards. "A gray tabby with a torn ear. So far, he has managed to avoid our guards, but a few days ago one of our members managed to find his nest, just outside of BloodClan's borders to the west. I want you to ambush him at his nest and teach him a lesson for taking BloodClan prey."
"Do you want us to kill him?" Vengeance asked. Ambush betrayed a small flinch at the suggestion, but she kept her gaze on Scourge, waiting to hear the leader's answer.
Scourge shook his head. "No. For the first time, just give him a warning – but make sure it's one he'll never forget. Attack him while he's in his den. An ambush while he's in the safety of his nest should scare him enough. Ambush, you're smaller, so you can push your way into his den and chase him out into Vengeance's claws. Give him a good thrashing, then send him running with his tail between his legs. Make sure he knows that the consequences will be far steeper should he ever set paw on our territory again."
"Yes Scourge," the guards chorused together. Both cats rose to their paws, Vengeance falling in behind Ambush as they started to pad away.
Before they could get very far, however, Scourge leaped down from the dumpster and strode up to Vengeance, pressing his pelt against his side and speaking in a voice low enough for only the tabby to hear. "You have served me well so far, Vengeance," he murmured, his icy gaze fixed on the massive tom. "I've been very impressed by your work these last moons. Carry out this mission for me, and I might just be open to talking about an assault on your forest Clans."
Hunger seared through Vengeance's pelt like fire. Ever since he had joined BloodClan, he had been aching for the day when he could finally bring the army of town cats swarming into the forest to take over the Clans. His initial plan had been to kill Scourge and secure his own position as BloodClan leader before using BloodClan to take over the forest Clans. However, since letting the forest cats join BloodClan, Scourge had dropped several hints about helping Vengeance take his revenge on the Clans.
Vengeance was no fool – he knew Scourge wasn't the sort to risk everything for another cat's revenge. For Scourge, this was merely an opportunity to acquire more land to rule over, and Vengeance's inside information about the Clans gave him the perfect chance to do so. Since Scourge already had BloodClan's complete obedience, and he had offered anyway, Vengeance figured it would now be easier to let Scourge lead the attack against the forest Clans.
Once BloodClan had taken over the forest and the Clan leaders had been killed, Vengeance would dump Scourge's body in the nearest fox hole, assert his new place as leader over BloodClan, and win the loyalty of the Clans by replacing the much-crueler leadership of Scourge. He would rule the forest and the town, and all he needed to do was win Scourge's respect, then wait for the tiny cat to win his battle for him.
"Yes Scourge," he rumbled. With a final flick of his tail, he turned and padded after Ambush, letting the smaller she-cat lead him out of the alley.
SCENEBREAK
It was well past sunhigh by the time Ambush and Vengeance discovered the rogue's den outside of BloodClan's borders. A small, badger-sized box was settled beside a wall, in front of a garbage bin, with a large twoleg rag laid over the top of it. A dumpster sat a little further down the alley, against the opposite wall. From the descriptions of the cats they'd questioned, this was the rogue's den.
The guards approached the box, sniffing cautiously. "That seems like a pretty small den," Ambush commented, flattening her ears back. The gray-and-brown fur on her back was prickling with unease. "I'd feel trapped sleeping in something like that."
Vengeance gave a grunt of agreement, his lip curling in disgust. "I guess rogues only need so much space if they're on their own, " he growled. "Not like Clan cats." BloodClan cats were forbidden from sharing their dens with anyone other than mates or young kits, so Vengeance had found a den for himself after joining BloodClan. He missed the close contact between Clanmates in the warrior's den in ThunderClan. Even if ThunderClan had all turned out to be fools who had betrayed him, Clan ways allowed for much more honor and strength than the foolish, and isolating, division of BloodClan.
Ambush lifted her muzzle, taking a few steps towards the den and tasting the air. "The rogue's scent is stale," she commented. "I don't think he's in. But it smells like he keeps his fresh-kill in the den." Indeed, Vengeance could feel the strong, almost overwhelming stench of meat and twoleg scraps from within. Pleasure surged through his pelt. This cat had been foolish enough to steal from BloodClan, and now, Vengeance would be able to win Scourge's trust by punishing him for it.
"He's probably out hunting," Vengeance growled. "But when he comes back, he'll be walking into an ambush." He glanced at the she-cat, adding, "And once we've taken care of this thief, Scourge will help us to win the Clans back."
For a moment, hope blazed in Ambush's eyes. Though she and Vengeance had not been Clanmates, it was clear that she missed Clan life just as much as he did. "Right," she hissed. Already, her pelt was beginning to lie flat, her unease replaced by hunger and ambition. "Then let's go." Without waiting for an answer, she began stalking towards the den, tail waving confidently behind her.
The den had only one opening, on one of the shorter ends, where the top extended out farther than the bottom. Vengeance watched as Ambush padded into the den. But as her tail disappeared into the den, there was suddenly a loud clap, and part of the den's top swung down, slamming across the den's opening and sealing it off.
"Re-ee-owr!" Ambush's panicked screeching rang out through the alley, echoing off of the stone walls. Vengeance's pelt fluffed out in shock. As Ambush thrashed and fought against the walls of the box, it shifted all along the pavement, and the rag atop of it slipped off onto the ground. Vengeance could see now that the box was made of the thin, silver material that BloodClan called metal wire. The wire was woven in neat, square patterns all across the box. What he had assumed was part of the top of the box was clearly some sort of flap, which had swung shut and had now blocked off the box's entrance. "Help me!" Ambush screeched. Vengeance could see her from between the wires; her pelt was fluffed out to its full length, and her eyes were wild with panic.
Vengeance bounded towards the box, stilling it with one hefty paw. "Calm down!" he ordered in a stern growl. It took a few moments, but Ambush's screeching faded to a low, panicked whimper. "Good," Vengeance grunted. "Now, listen. That flap closed down when you stepped inside. Can you push it back open?"
Ambush twisted around so she was facing the flap. She shoved her shoulder against it, pushing with all her might, but it didn't budge. "I heard something click when I got closed in," she whimpered, eyes growing wide. "I think some sort of latch locked it into place."
"Can you reach it?" Vengeance asked.
The she-cat pressed herself against the bottom of the box, pawing at the bottom of the flap. "I can't feel it," she told Vengeance. She pulled herself back up into a crouch, staring up at Vengeance with wide eyes. "How am I supposed to get out here?"
Before Vengeance could answer, a mocking yowl rang out from above their heads. Both cats looked up to see a gray tabby standing on the roof of the twoleg den across from them, his green eyes glowing with a triumphant light. Fury blazed through Vengeance as he spotted the tabby's torn ear. The rogue thief, he realized.
"Stupid BloodClan brutes!" the thief yowled down into the alley, his tail lashing behind him, and his mew fierce with glee. "Don't you know a twoleg trap when you see one?" He took a step back, spitting, "That'll teach you to try and mess with me!" With a final hiss, he turned and bounded away, disappearing from view.
Sudden terror clawed at Vengeance's chest. If he let this rogue get away, he'd keep showing his face in BloodClan territory without a scratch on him, and Scourge would know he had failed. He could lose his chance to get Scourge to take over the Clans – or even worse, he could lose Scourge's trust entirely and find himself exiled, losing his chance to ever take BloodClan's leadership. He couldn't let that happen.
He glanced briefly back at Ambush, who stared up at him with terror in her eyes. "Hang on," he growled. "I'll be back for you."
"Vengeance! Wait!" Ambush wailed. But Vengeance paid no heed. He bounded towards the dumpster, reaching the top of it with a mighty leap, then used it to bound up onto the roof of the twoleg den beside it. The tabby was on the other end of the roof, but when Vengeance climbed up onto the roof behind him, he whirled around, eyes wide with sudden fear. With a yowl he leaped down into the far alley, Vengeance hot on his heels.
Once Vengeance was back on the ground, he thundered after the tabby, yowling a battle cry. The thief shrieked his terror as he fled from the furious guard. He led Vengeance on a desperate chase through the alleys of twolegplace, doubling back into BloodClan territory and racing through the narrowest alleys to try and lose the massive tabby. Finally, however, Vengeance put on an extra burst of speed and managed to reach out and trip the smaller tabby.
"Re-owr!" The tabby shrieked in fear as Vengeance bowled him over, snarling fiercely as he dug his reinforced claws into his tabby pelt. He struck out with his hind paws, battering at Vengeance's belly, but Vengeance dropped his weight onto the tabby, easily pinning his hind legs and keeping him from kicking out. The thief managed to wriggle his way out from under Vengeance. He tried to scurry, away, but Vengeance hooked his claws into the tom's side, yanking him closer and burying his jaws in his shoulder. He wrestled the struggling tom to the ground, scoring his reinforced claws across his pelt again and again, sinking his fangs deeper and deeper into his pelt.
Vengeance only loosened his jaws when the tom's struggles grew weak beneath him. He pulled his muzzle back, looking down at the thief. The gray tabby was no longer struggling. Instead, he staring up at Vengeance with eyes wide with terror, his entire pelt shaking. Vengeance bared his teeth at the tabby, then backed away, allowing him to struggle up to his paws. "This is what happens when you challenge the might of BloodClan," he hissed, lashing his tail. The tabby took a step back, eyes widening as Vengeance flashed his fangs. "Get out of here, and don't you dare show your face on BloodClan territory again – or you'll have more than a few scratches to think about."
With a final, terrified look at Vengeance, the tabby turned and scurried away as fast as his wounds would let him. Vengeance watched him until he had disappeared around the corner of a far twoleg den. Once the tabby was out of sight, Vengeance turned, examining the alley he'd found himself in. It didn't take him long to figure out where he was – this alley wasn't far from where he'd last spoken with Scourge. It would make more sense to update Scourge about the rogue first, then go back for Ambush.
He followed the stone paths through twolegplace, quickly reaching the alley where Scourge received visitors. A few scrawny BloodClan members were gathered in front of Scourge's dumpster when Vengeance arrived, but when the tiny tom noticed Vengeance approaching, he dismissed the cats with a sharp, "Go now. I must speak with Vengeance." The cats exchanged brief, fearful glances, then scurried away, leaving Vengeance alone in the alley with Scourge.
Scourge narrowed his eyes as he watched Vengeance come to stand in front of his dumpster. "I see you found the rouge," he commented lightly, his gaze traveling over Vengeance's blood-stained claws and muzzle. "But what I don't see is Ambush. Where is she?" For a moment, a mocking edge came to his mew. "Don't tell me a mighty forest warrior like her was brought down by one measly rogue?"
Vengeance fought the urge to bristle at the insult, more offended on behalf of Clan life in general than on behalf of Ambush. "It wasn't the rogue that got her," he grunted. Briefly, he described what had happened with the wire box. "She wasn't hurt when I saw her, but she wasn't able to get herself out of the box," he explained.
Scourge's gaze lit up with understanding. "So, Ambush has gotten herself caught in a cage, has she?" he mused.
"Cage?" Vengeance repeated.
"Boxes made of wire metal, with latches only twolegs can open," Scourge explained. "Sometimes twolegs leave them out to trap cats, to take them away and make them into kittypets."
Unease prickled in Vengeance's pelt. Even if Ambush wasn't one of his strongest followers, no warrior should be forced to live a humiliating existence as a kittypet. "I remember where she was caught," he rumbled, already starting to bunch his muscles under him, ready to bound away to her aid. "I'll go and help free her."
A cold light glinted in Scourge's eyes. "No," he mewed, halting Vengeance in his tracks. "She'll have already been carried off by the twolegs that set the trap by now. Even if she's still there, those cages aren't something a cat can open." Vengeance hesitated, glancing back towards the alley's entrance.
Scourge hopped down from the dumpster, approaching Vengeance. He began to circle around the tom, his eyes gleaming like chips of ice, his mew hard. "I brought you into this Clan because I trusted you would use your strength for me, Vengeance," he hissed. "In BloodClan, you follow my orders. Your loyalty must be to BloodClan's rules and our way of life, not to your old forest friends. BloodClan has no use for cats foolish enough to be caught by twolegs." He halted in front of Vengeance, his icy gaze piercing as he stared up at Vengeance. "Leave her where she is – or you can forget ever serving as my guard again," he stated simply.
Vengeance hesitated. Revulsion for the puny half-kittypet in front of him swelled up in his gut. He needed as many supporters as he could to help take over the forest, and Crusher and Vermin would be furious if they ever learned he'd left Ambush to her fate. But finally, resignation settled in his chest. He hated Scourge, but right now, he still needed him. "Very well," he rumbled, affecting an uninterested tone.
A satisfied gleam appeared in Scourge's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Good," he mewed. He turned away from Vengeance, bounding back towards his dumpster and reaching the top in one leap. As he settled back onto his haunches, he ordered, "Go back to your patrolling for the day. You've done well today, Vengeance, despite Ambush's failure. We will speak soon about an assault on the Clans. For now, go."
"Yes Scourge," Vengeance mewed. Glee was sparking through his pelt. The loss of one supporter was unfortunate, and unease was still prickling at his paws at the thought of leaving a decent warrior to her twoleg captors. But he was close, so close now, to finally having the Clans in his grasp.
All he had to do now was wait.
SCENEBREAK
Scourge watched as Vengeance left, not taking his gaze off of the tabby until he had disappeared into the alleys beyond. Even then, he stared at the spot where Vengeance had disappeared, his tail swaying in a slow, thoughtful rhythm behind him.
It seemed like moons had passed before another set of paws sounded from beyond the walls of the twoleg dens. Scourge turned his gaze to see a gray tabby limping his way into the alley. "Well, I did your job, just like you said," the tabby grumbled. He slumped onto his haunches, licking feebly at a wound on his side for a few moments, before admitting defeat and turning his muzzle away. He looked up at Scourge, a spark of defiance in his eyes. "You didn't tell me what a brute that guard of yours is. He nearly tore me to shreds!"
The tabby shut up the moment Scourge turned his icy glare on him. "You agreed to this task with the understanding that it involved being wounded," he reminded the rogue in an icy tone. The earlier defiance faded from the tabby's gaze, fear replacing it. "And you have no room to complain, after stealing prey from BloodClan's alleys, even after your last warning." He hopped down from the dumpster, stalking up to the wounded tabby. Terror lit up in the thief's eyes as Scourge came to stand in front of him. "You're lucky I decided to spare your life."
"Y-yes Scourge!" the tabby gasped out, flinching away from the tiny tom as he lifted a single paw, only to relax as Scourge merely began grooming it. "Ah, well, I did your little job, and that scruffy she-cat got stuck in the cage. That means I can go, right? No grudges about the stolen prey?"
Scourge paused in his grooming, his icy gaze fixed on the tabby rogue. The larger tom quaked under the leader's intense stare. "That is what I promised, isn't it?" the leader mused, more to himself than to the tabby. Then, after a moment's thought, he blinked. "But I'm afraid it's a promise I'll have to break."
The tabby's eyes bulged with sudden terror. Before he could raise a claw to defend himself, Scourge's paw lashed out with frightening speed, and his reinforced claws tore through the tabby's throat. The tom swayed for a moment, gasping and choking, blood spurting from the open wound. Then he crumpled to the pavement at Scourge's paws. He gave a few final twitches, then stilled.
Scourge stared at the body in front of him with a blank expression. His tail twitched behind him, annoyance creeping through his pelt. The tom's life meant nothing to him, he was a thief and a rogue after all, but it was annoying to have to go back on a promise. He usually prided himself on being a leader of his word, even if that word meant cruel punishment for any who broke his laws. Usually, he wouldn't go to such an extreme, but this time it had been necessary. Vengeance couldn't learn of this deception, not until the right time, and he couldn't trust that the rogue wouldn't spill the secret before then if Vengeance ever got his claws on him again.
Pawsteps nearby alerted him to the approach of another cat. Bone came to stand at Scourge's side, glancing down at the tabby's body with disdain. "Dispose of that," Scourge murmured, flicking his tail lazily towards the body. "Then go make sure Vengeance doesn't go anywhere near that cage. Distract him if you have to, but otherwise just keep an eye on him. No need to make him suspicious. And make sure our little friends get the message about what's happened today."
"Yes Scourge," Bone grunted. The massive tom crouched down over the tabby's body, working the lifeless lump over his head and onto his broad shoulders. Once the tabby was secured on his back, Bone took off, leaving Scourge alone in his alley once more.
Excitement, and the thrill of the chase, was sparking through Scourge's pelt. His plan was finally being put into place, and all of the pieces were in place. All he had to do now was give the final nudge, and then, finally, his oldest enemy would be delivered into his paws.
SCENEBREAK
Darkness had fallen in twolegplace, and Vengeance had still not returned.
Ambush had long since stopped screeching for help. Her throat was raw and hoarse from yowling, and her legs were shaking with the effort of throwing herself against the wire walls of the box in her fight to get free. Now, she was crouched in the cage, her head bowed and eyes closed, her entire pelt shaking with exhaustion and fear. Terror was making her mind numb. Vengeance hadn't come back for her, and she couldn't get out of this box herself. She was trapped.
She didn't know whether the twolegs who made the box would come back to take her as prisoner and make her a kittypet, or even kill her, or whether she would be left to rot in this box until she starved. The stench of meat and other twoleg food had been overwhelming when she'd stepped into the box, but she'd soon discovered that only a bit of pasty, unusually smelly twoleg food had been smeared on the metal flap on the cage's floor, which she had long since licked up. There was no food or water in her reach now, and without a way to escape, she was completely at the mercy of any twolegs that came along.
Suddenly, there was a clattering from farther down the street. Ambush stiffened. "Who's there?" she cried out in a hoarse yowl. New terror seized her pelt. Had the twolegs finally come for her?
"Ambush?" Suddenly, there was a thunder of pawsteps from further down the alley, then her box was being surrounded on all sides, pelts pressing against the wire box and purrs around her. "Thank StarClan! We thought you'd been taken away!"
The she-cat gasped. "Crusher? Vermin?" Her former Clanmates stepped back, staring back at her with relief and concern battling in their gazes. Howl was with them too, standing farther back, but looking as alarmed as the former ShadowClan cats at Ambush's state. "What… how did you find me?"
"Bone mentioned something about you not coming back after your mission this morning," Vermin informed her. "We got worried, so we went looking for you. Some of the rogues around here were able to point us in the right direction." His eyes were wide as he looked over the box. "How in StarClan did you get stuck in that thing?"
"It was a trap," Ambush growled. Her tail lashed in frustration behind her, embarrassment washing over her at the memory of being so easily fooled. "I was trying to drive the rogue out of his den, but it was all just a stupid trap, and now I'm stuck."
Crusher pushed the box with one hefty, jet-black paw, testing its strength. "Is there a way to open this?" he growled. His amber gaze was narrowed and focus, but even the former deputy had concern glowing in his eyes for his old Clanmate.
"I haven't been able to find one," Amber mewed. She hated the fearful whimper that was creeping into her tone, but she saw no judgment in the eyes of her old Clanmates, only fear and worry. "Vengeance said he would come back and help me, but, well, he hasn't." Surprise lit up in Crusher's eyes. "Please, help me find a way out of here. I don't want to get taken away by twolegs!"
"Don't worry," Crusher growled. "We won't let that happen." He turned to the smaller toms, ordering in a strong mew, "Come on, let's get her out of here." All three toms closed in on the box, pushing and prodding it from every angle they could, pulling and clawing and trying anything to open it, but the box refused to yield.
Suddenly, a new voice spoke from behind all of them. "Allow me." The toms spun around to face the newcomer, only to freeze in fear. Ambush stiffened in shock. She stared in disbelief at the tiny black tom pushed past the larger toms and approached her, coming to a halt in front of the box. His ice-blue gaze was as neutral as ever as he looked over her. "Hello, Ambush," he mewed in a cool tone.
Ambush gaped at the tom. "Scourge!" she gasped. Of all of the cats to come looking for her, she never would have guessed that the BloodClan leader would be one of the ones to arrive.
"What are you doing here?" Crusher asked in a carefully respectful tone. Ambush didn't miss the fact that he and Vermin shifted a little closer to her, however, muscles tensed and ready to defend their vulnerable Clanmate. Even Howl, whose eyes were stretched wide in terror at the sight of Scourge, didn't move from his spot in front of her. She felt a rush of warmth for their loyalty, but also fear – Scourge would have his guards tear them to shreds if they dared to oppose him.
Scourge settled back onto his haunches, watching the trembling she-cat and defensive toms with a calm expression. "I wanted to know why only one of my guards returned today after their mission," he explained. "So I followed your scent trail. It seems you've gotten yourself in quite a predicament."
Her breath caught in her throat. "So… Vengeance came back? Where is he?"
"Vengeance reported to me about his success in punishing the rogue thief, then he returned to his patrolling for the day," Scourge informed her. "I believe he's retired to his nest for the night by now."
All four cats gaped at the BloodClan leader. "What?" Ambush breathed. Disbelief was pricking at her pelt. Vengeance might not have been ShadowClan like the rest of them, but she had fought beside him like a Clanmate. She had followed him loyally. He couldn't have just left her here. "But… he said he'd come back for me." She hated how small and kit-like her voice sounded, the way her mew caught in her throat, but she couldn't deny the hurt of this betrayal. Her pelt was trembling as she tried to process what she'd been told.
"I'm sure that's what he said," Scourge murmured. Some emotion Ambush couldn't read was glowing in his eyes, but even as she tried to read it, it was gone again. "But Vengeance's word is not his greatest strength." He rose back onto his paws, stretched his limbs out lazily. "He's not here, but as you can see, I am. And luckily for you, I know how to deal with these twoleg traps."
The tiny leader approached the cage with an almost lazy air. He circled around to the back end of the cage, where a clunky metal claw of some kind seemed to be holding the wire flaps together. Ambush hadn't been able to reach it from inside the trap, but Scourge was able to pull part of the claw back with his paws, forcing the claw to release its hold on the wire. He set that aside, then used his reinforced claws to pull the back flap up, until the entrance was clear.
Ambush scrambled free of the trap the moment there was enough room for her to pass through. Once she was through, Scourge released his hold on the flap, and it snapped back into place with a sharp clap. Her whole pelt was trembling with a fierce, reckless joy and relief. Only moments before, she had been so sure that she would be a prisoner of the box and its twolegs forever, and now she was free.
Vermin and Howl pressed against her on either side, trying to steady her trembling pelt, while Crusher kept his gaze on Scourge, wariness battling with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you for helping our Clanmate," he mewed carefully.
"Yes, thank you," Ambush rasped once she'd gotten her gasping and trembling under control.
Scourge blinked at her, almost looking amused. "We're all Clanmates now," he pointed out in a casual mew. "I require strength from my guards, and you have all provided that and more. I don't turn away strong, resourceful guards just because they make a mistake or two."
Ambush stared at the tom, too surprised to reply. Her impression of the BloodClan leader in her two moons in the Clan had been of the sort of tyrant who punished any cat who stepped out of line or failed him somehow. Howl and Shred had both spoken fearfully of his cruelty from what they'd heard when they were living in twolegplace, and she had certainly seen his capacity for cruelty while serving him as a guard. But even though she knew him to be no less cruel than she'd expected, she was surprised at the quiet respect in his eyes as he gazed at the guards around him. She didn't know what to make of it, so she regarded him warily.
"We appreciate that," Crusher rumbled, though Ambush could see her own confusion reflected in his eyes.
Scourge seemed to sense their uneasiness. "Understand this," he said, his mew suddenly serious. "I require complete loyalty from my Clan because life in twolegplace is dangerous and grueling. The only way that we can make it through without being hunted down by dogs or monster, or bringing too much attention to ourselves and getting rounded up by twolegs, is to follow a rigid system of rules. Cats who act out against our rules, who group together with too many cats, or who steal our prey, or provoke twolegs in some way, risk bringing the fury of the twolegs down on us all. I punish rulebreakers so harshly because they pose us such a danger in this environment."
His gaze traveled over the four cats standing before him. "I've had my eye on Vengeance ever since he stepped into the city. I had hoped that he would use his strength to benefit the cats of my Clan, but unfortunately, he seems to care only for himself." He gave a small nod to Ambush, mewing, "He was willing to leave his own Clanmate behind to win me over, and my spies have discovered far more concerning plans, plans to kill me and to take over this town."
Ambush stiffened, guilt and terror spiking through her pelt. She and the rest of Vengeance's followers had plotted with Vengeance from the beginning to help Vengeance take over BloodClan, and the forest Clans after. She tried to hide the fearful bristling of her pelt, desperate to keep from giving away her own part in Vengeance's plot. Howl's eyes had grown wide, and Vermin's tail was twitching in an anxious way, but Crusher was facing Scourge with a neutral expression. "That is concerning to hear," he rumbled.
Scourge fixed a stern gaze on the massive white tom. "I'm not a fool, Crusher," he warned the former deputy. "I know that Vengeance must have involved the cats he brought here in his plans, at least in some part. That's why he brought you here. To help him to take over this Clan, and the forest after." All four cats stiffened in fear. Scourge watched them for a moment longer, letting the suspense hang in the air, before giving a dismissive flick of his tail. "Lower your hackles," he sniffed. "You made these plans before you came to BloodClan, and before you saw how we lived. I will not fault you for this – unless you follow through with this plan."
The gray-and-brown she-cat stiffened as Scourge's gaze fixed on her. "I need you to understand this," he said in a serious mew. "Vengeance is a danger to every cay in this town. I've seen his type before, and I know the danger they bring. He will lay waste to every cat in his way to power, and there is nothing he won't do to get what he wants. He doesn't care about you. I think he made that quite clear today."
"The four of you have served me well so far, and I see potential in your strength and your loyalty," Scourge said, lifting his chin. "If you help me to stop Vengeance in his tracks, we can put this whole mess of false loyalty and plots behind us, and you will continue to have your place as esteemed guards of this Clan. But I promise you – if you continue to follow Vengeance, he will leave you behind and tear you down the moment you're no longer useful to him." He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the four cats in front of him. "It's your choice. I won't force you either way. But I would think very carefully about what is you see in Vengeance, and whether he's worth everything you're prepared to risk for him."
With a final glance back at the stunned guards, Scourge turned and began padding away, his tail flicking calmly behind him. Ambush and the others watched as he rounded a corner and disappeared. Silence reigned after the tom left. Ambush's mind was a tangle of emotion, hurt and betrayal mixing with surprise and confusion. Even as her instincts warned against trusting Scourge too easily, his manners and his speech that night had shifted her perception of him.
His manner of ruling was cruel, of course, but Ambush was no stranger to cruelty. She had upheld harsh laws under Brokenstar's reign before. She hadn't approved of everything Brokenstar had ordered her to do, but she had gone along with it because she believed he was a great leader, and that he understood the needs of the Clan better than she did. Even when things had gotten really bad, she had continued to follow him, more out of some vain hope that he was doing what was best for the Clan than any true conviction.
While she wasn't proud of her role in upholding his leadership, and she no longer made excuses for his crueler actions, she had seen for herself the hard decisions it took to lead a Clan, and life was even harder in twolegplace than in the forest, like Scourge had said. Maybe the tiny tom was more like the noble forest leaders than she had given him credit for.
But it wasn't newfound loyalty to the Scourge that ruled her thoughts most at the moment. What she felt above all other things was hurt. She and Vengeance had not lived together in ShadowClan, and she had only been following him for a few moons. But he and the exiled ShadowClan cats had all served under the warrior code, and had shared the bond of living as warriors and knowing the honor of Clan life.
Vengeance had come into their group and made grand speeches of power and redemption, of finally being accepted into the Clans again, after so many moons of rejection. Ambush had believed him. She had respected him. She believed him to be strong, ambitious, perhaps too willing to kill to seize power, but ultimately noble, and willing to do what it took to protect the cats loyal to him.
But his actions tonight had shattered that vision of him. Ambush had served him as loyally as any warrior had ever served a leader, and in her moment of greatest need, he had abandoned her without a second thought. One chance to please Scourge and win his aid in attacking the Clans had been enough to make him leave her to whatever horrible fate her twoleg captors had in store for her. He hadn't just betrayed her, he had betrayed everything that Ambush thought he had stood for. The hurt and confusion in Ambush's heart hardened into anger. Her fury built and built, until a hard pit of rage was searing in her chest.
She snapped her head up in a sudden movement, breaking the stillness between the four of them, and startling the other three into looking at her. "I don't know about everything he said, but Scourge was right about one thing," she growled. "Vengeance doesn't give two mouse tails about us, any of us. He's not worth anything we've risked for him."
Howl blinked in surprise, but Vermin and Crusher were nodding, anger hardening in their eyes. "No good warrior leaves a cat behind like that," Vermin mewed, his eyes bright with anger. "We've risked everything for him. We can't let him betray us like this."
"We can't – and we won't," Crusher rumbled. He glanced at Howl – the scrawny tom hesitated for a moment, but after a brief glance at Ambush, his gaze hardened with determination, and anger. He gave a stiff nod. Satisfaction lit up in Crusher's eyes. "Good," he growled. He turned his gaze to Ambush, rumbling, "I think you should stay out here for a few days. If Vengeance sees you, he'll know that we've learned he left you behind, and he'll realize we might betray him. Better to lay low – we'll come visit so we can all plan together."
The massive tom lifted his head, a dark light to his amber eyes. "We were willing to help Vengeance gain everything," he growled. "But he betrayed us, and now, we'll make him regret ever coming to us for help."
Rumbles of agreement rose from the group. After a few more exchanges, they split up for the night, ready to return to their nests – and totally unaware of the tiny cat who hid on the roof above them, listening to every word that they had said.
Glee was pulsing through every hair on Scourge's pelt. He slid his claws out further, scraping them lightly against the tiles of the roof. The nudge had been given, his pieces were falling into place, and soon, Vengeance would be his.
Took me a while, I got kinda stuck on the end there, but here's the second part of my short AU story about Tigerclaw and his followers joining BloodClan. I was planning on this only being two chapters long, but this part got so long that I didn't want to add more to it, so I'll have to add one more chapter to the story. ^^ Ah well.
So now we get to see how Vengeance and his group have settled into BloodClan, and how they're doing as guards. They've all got tooth-spiked collars now, to Vengeance's mortification. ^^ Vengeance's collar is green, Ambush's is yellow, Howl's is light blue, Shred's is red, Vermin's is pink, and Crusher's is orange. Not important for the story, of course, but it helps me to visualize these things, and I liked picking out colors for all of them. ^^ I might draw them with their BloodClan designs sometimes.
We also get to see how Scourge's plan is playing out, and what his plan exactly is. Vengeance's own followers seem to be turning against him now. ^^ We'll have to see how this plays out in the final chapter, which I'll try to get done sometime soon.
And of course, I had to sneak Screech in there. ^^ For those who don't know, Screen is a character from my novella Sushi's Society from the EOTW AU series, a member of Scourge's guard. She does indeed have kits, but to say anymore would be spoiling. ^^ Check out Sushi's Society if you want to find out more.
I think there was more I planned to say here, but I can't think of it at the moment, and I have to get on the road soon, so I'll just say, I'll try to get the next part done soon. ^^