So again, apologies for the shortness of last chapter. I was super busy last week, but didn't want to miss an update as I already have several times before, so I decided to go for a short chapter to introduce the Reapers. This chapter will be the usual length and more exciting. Shoutouts for this chapter:

Birdflame - All will be explained in this chapter :)

Featured story for this chapter is A New Life by Storm of Starlight. "What a honor, to be the RiverClan leader's son? But being the runt of your littermates might not be a honor. His brothers hate him, his sisters loathe him. Foxkit gets the hint. He isn't wanted. But to be thrown in a river by your own siblings...isn't it too far? Foxkit is swept away, and his old life is over before it even started." Normally we see runts struggle to grow up in their birth/adopted Clans, whereas this takes a new spin on it by having the runt removed from his original Clan completely. It's a brand new story, but it was just updated and seems promising.

"The remnants of what I have come to call the Bloodhunters."

My fur stood on end at the mention of the word "Bloodhunters". The name immediately made me think of BloodClan. It wasn't possible that they had made a resurgence. Was it?

Fleck leaned close to me. "Get your warriors ready, Bramblestar. These cats are hungry for revenge, and they won't let us leave without a fight."

For StarClan's sake! I thought. Can't we ever get a break? Not wanting to make Fleck see myself and my Clanmates as weak, I turned toward the warriors of ThunderClan. I hissed to Ivypool, who was standing closest to me as a deputy typically did. "Pass on the message. Tell the warriors they are to prepare for battle. Protect the kits at all costs." The silver tabby nodded with a sense of urgency and took to passing the message.

The howling and snarling was drawing closer now. If Fleck hadn't mentioned that these were cats, I almost would have thought they were dogs. I shivered as I thought about Brightheart for the first time in ages, her wounds now a fresh memory in my mind. Thank StarClan no other warrior had been injured like that since.

All of a sudden, a growl sounded mere tail-lengths away from me. Hissing, I whipped around. My eyes immediately met a pair of dazzling blue ones. They sparked in the shadows, reminding me of lightning strikes. I found myself captivated by the stunning but dangerous beauty of those eyes until someone shook me roughly.

"Wake up!" Fleck hissed. "They're waiting for us to make a move. If we flee, they'll chase. If we attack, they'll fight back."

I blinked, ripping my gaze away from the other cat's. "You and your group are the experts around here," I growled back. "You make the decision."

He gave me a perplexed look, almost as if he couldn't believe I was handing the fate of my Clan to him. I gave him a dead-serious look in return to show him that I was absolutely serious. He met my eyes for a mere moment before looking away. Upon checking to make sure all of his warriors were ready, he threw his head back to let out a battle cry.

It would never come.

Before Fleck ever got the chance to make a sound, someone was upon him. I watched in horror as a massive black tom sank his teeth into Fleck's neck and tore. He wrapped his powerful paws around Fleck's neck and twisted. A loud snap! echoed through the air. The tom let go of Fleck's throat, and he fell to the ground. I watched in horror as his head fell back, twisted and bloody. His eyes were clouded over with the all-too familiar fog of death.

No one said or did a thing. We all stared at Fleck's motionless body in horror, terror, and shock. All of us except one, that is.

Fleck's murderer glared down at the body of his victim with cold eyes. He drew his lips back in a snarl, revealing rows of thorn-sharp, blood-stained teeth. He gave Fleck's body a vicious kick. "Motherfucking asshole," he spat. He kicked Fleck's body again, just as viciously as before. "Worthless piece of scumbag shit."

The tom turned slightly away from the crowd then. As soon as he did, someone rushed forward. I figured he must have been one of the Reapers, as I didn't recognize him at all. He was a big tom, nearly as big as Fleck's killer, with long grey fur and broad shoulders. I watched in horrified fascination as he lunged for the black tom, claws extended.

Quick as lightning, the tom spun around and slammed a paw into the other cat's head. His would-be attacker skidded across the ground, howling in pain. The black tom stalked over to him and lifted one blood-soaked paw. The light caught his claws for just a moment, displaying just how long and sharp they really were.

This cat was the real deal.

He pressed his claw tips against the now-unconscious Reaper's throat. I held my breath, waiting for him to kill the cat just as he had Fleck.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rowanstar take a threatening step forward. The ShadowClan leader's eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and disbelief. I prayed to StarClan that he would have enough sense not to attack this tom. I had a feeling he was the type of cat who could deal a blow strong enough to take a leader's nine lives. I began to feel a bit nauseous as I recalled how Scourge had once done just that to my father eons ago.

Before Rowanstar could make another move toward the black tom, he raised his tail. All at once, cats stepped out of the shadows from all directions. There was much variation among these cats. Some were as small and fluffy as kits. Others were even bigger than the tom that now threatened a second Reaper's life. All of them looked strong, dangerous, and ready for a fight.

The black tom let his gaze sweep around the entire group. I flinched as it passed over me. His gaze only lingered on me for half a second, but it was enough to send chills running up and down my spine. This cat clearly had a lot of power- and not just over his own cats.

"I see the Reapers have been recruiting." The cat's voice was low and rough as gravel. He gave a small chuckle to himself. "How pleasant. More cats for my group and I to terrorize." He lowered his head for a minute before raising it again. His gaze fell upon Fleck's twisted, bloody body. "I am sure each and every one of you thought Fleck would never fall in battle. I must admit myself that I doubted it. But here we all stand, in shocking disbelief that the beloved leader of the Reapers is dead." He looked back up at us all. "For those of you who are blissfully unaware of the cat who is in your very presence at this moment, allow me to ease your minds. My name is Valentine, and I am the leader of this here group of cats. We go by many names. The cats around here seem to have taken up the name of the Bloodhunters. A quite accurate name, if you ask me. We are quite lustful for blood, you see." He smiled. A genuine smile. What in the name of the Dark Forest was wrong with this cat? He reminded me of Brokenstar.

"We haunt the worst nightmares of every cat who dares step into our territory," he went on. "It won't be long before you all are cowering in fear before us, begging for us to spare you. And you know what? We won't. We'll kill you, and we'll enjoy every minute of it. Just like we always have."

This cat was sick.

"Our paws have been soaked in blood since the day we were born. For, unlike these pathetic Reapers, we understand that all conflict must be answered with violence. Violence is the only way cats ever listen. If we show leniency and mercy, no one will respect us. Morality is for weak cowards. We are not weak cowards. We are strong warriors. Killers. Murderers. Hunters. Bloodhunters."

Valentine turned his attention back to the cat he was standing over. Without an ounce of hesitation, he tore his claws down the length of the cat's throat. Blood bubbled at the surface, but it wasn't enough to make the poor victim regain consciousness. Valentine stared down at the dying cat with no guilt. In fact, was that pleasure shining in his eyes?

Why in the name of StarClan didn't Fleck warn us about this? He had every chance to before now! I felt fury at both him and Valentine course through my veins.

The ferocious tom raised the paw he'd used to kill the second Reaper. "I assume you newcomers have been lead to believe that the Reapers are flawless. Perfect warriors capable of handling anything." He gestured toward the bodies of Fleck and the other Reaper. "I hope the sight before you makes you think otherwise. The Reapers are useless. Good for nothing but clogging up the streets of Raleigh and polluting the minds of its residents with propaganda. While we enjoy preying upon the weak and hunting the residents here, our primary goal is to rid Raleigh of the Reapers and relieve the residents of the useless information they have been fed over the years.

"We have spent months upon months enduring the shit that is thrown at us day after day. Our group was torn to bits by these cats. We tried to help them. Tried to help them see the errors in their ways. But they wouldn't listen. They never do. Instead, they attacked us. Tried to wipe us out." His voice was shaking now. He sounded insane. "Tell me. Does wiping out a group of cats who are trying to help you sound like the kind of thing good cats would do? I am not trying to claim the Bloodhunters are good. Because we are not. But we most certainly aren't liars. These cats have lied to you all. Fed you the same lies they have fed to every other resident of Raleigh. They are not the true saviors. We are.

"Just to prove my point, I am going to show you mercy tonight. I know, I know, what a gift! The Bloodhunters do not normally show mercy. It isn't in our... code. But tonight I will make an exception, purely for the fact that I know you all have been mislead. However, this will be the last time my warriors and I ever show you mercy. After this, we will treat you as we would any Reaper. Now, I am going to give you one last gift. I am going to give any of you new Reapers the option of joining the Bloodhunters. You will survive. I can assure you of that. You will not be harmed. You will be given the best training, and the chance to gloat in the faces of your enemies when the Reapers come to fall at our paws. Would any of you like to join us?"

I glanced in the direction of my Clanmates. My gaze fell on Amaia. She looked uncertain. I prayed to the stars above that she wouldn't join the Bloodhunters for their false sense of security. Was she considering it because of the hostile treatment she'd been given for choosing to keep her name? I sure hoped not.

To my relief, she didn't move toward Valentine. However, someone else did.

Breezepelt.

I stared at the sleek black warrior in horror. What was he doing? Did he seriously think the Bloodhunters could offer him more than WindClan could? Was he that stupid?

As if reading my thoughts, Harespring stepped forward. He stared at Breezepelt in shock. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

The WindClan warrior turned his amber gaze on his leader. He bared his teeth in a snarl. "This is my second chance, Harespring. The Dark Forest almost succeeded in giving me what I truly wanted. Now, I have another chance to achieve those goals. WindClan is dead. All the Clans are." He laughed. "You don't even have StarClan's approval as leader yet. How can you expect me to follow a cat who doesn't even have the proper title or lives? I thought Onestar made a good choice in making you his successor. I see now that I was wrong. Valentine is a much better leader than you." His voice was full of contempt.

Harespring stared at him in utter disbelief for a few moments. Eventually, that disbelief hardened into anger. "Fine, then," he snarled. "If you want to join these murderers, so be it. I always knew Onestar was wrong to accept you back into WindClan after your betrayal. Go on. Join the Bloodhunters. I could care less. I don't want a traitor in my Clan."

Breezepelt bristled. His claws slid out of their sheaths, and he stared at WindClan's leader menacingly. "You'll regret this, Harespring. I'll make sure you do. Nobody casts me out and gets away with it."

The lithe cat laughed at him. "You do that, Breezepelt. Let's see how far you get."

"I'll gladly crush your expectations, you worthless pile of dung!" the black tom spat. He was advancing on Harespring now, making me sure that we would see a fight.

Several gasps came from the crowd at Breezepelt's words. I spotted Lionblaze, Breezepelt's half-brother, staring at him with absolute fury. He looked ready to rip that traitorous piece of fox dung's fur off. I wished he would.

Before Breezepelt or Harespring could make any further advancements toward one another, Valentine stepped forward. He rested his tail on Breezepelt's shoulder. "At ease, Breezepelt. If your fellow cats don't respect your decision, that's there problem. They'll all fall at our paws. Just you wait and see. They'll soon be begging you for mercy."

The WindClan warrior stared furiously at Harespring for a few more moments before backing down. "You're right, Valentine. I have no more reason to associate myself with these cats. I belong to the Bloodhunters now."

Valentine gave him a crimson smile. "Excellent. Anyone else?"

Nobody else came forward. I felt a flash of pride for the warrior cats at their defiance. We would not fall as Breezepelt had.

Suddenly, one of Valentine's cats spoke up. "Sir, government!"

"Shit!" he spat. "Disperse!"

All at once, the Bloodhunters disappeared. Valentine himself vanished into the shadows quicker than lightning, leaving Breezepelt to look around frantically for his new leader. I myself looked around for where this supposed "government" was, but didn't see anything.

That is, until the hole appeared a mouse-length away from my paws.

Screeching, I fled the area. I started running in a random direction, careening down a narrow pathway that squeezed in between two very tall nests made of red stone. My paws drummed against the hard surface, the sound echoing off of the walls. My heart was pounding, my mind racing. Fleck hadn't been lying when he said that they were still following us.

Why can't they just leave us alone!?

The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I reached the end of the pathway. A dead end. Fox dung.

I went to turn around, only to see that a cat was blocking my way. I snarled at it, unsheathing my claws. The cat was hidden in shadow the way Valentine's cats always were. I tried to look menacing despite the fear that was creeping beneath my pelt. These cats were even worse than my father.

"Show yourself!" I demanded. "Do it now, or I'll make your death ten times as painful!" Thankfully, my voice betrayed none of the fear that I felt.

The cat began advancing toward me slowly. A loud growl echoed down the pathway. I backed against the dead end, ready to defend myself with my life. I would give up all of my eight remaining lives if it meant I could take down at least one of the Bloodhunters.

My heart began slamming painfully hard against my chest as the cat got within striking distance. I was just about to raise a paw to strike when a familiar set of eyes fell upon me.

"Rowanstar?"

The ginger tom immediately froze. His eyes narrowed as he studied me closely, before quickly realizing who I was. "Bramblestar." His voice was oddly hollow. "I thought you were one of those murderers."

"Same. Thank StarClan you weren't."

The ShadowClan leader flicked his tail. "It seems as if one of our warriors is, however. I can't believe that mangy piece of rat dung joined up with Valentine. A disgrace to the Clans he is."

I nodded. "I hope Harespring truly does get the chance to rip his throat out. I'll enjoy every moment of it."

Rowanstar smiled devilishly. "You're sounding more and more like a ShadowClan cat every day, Bramblestar."

I bristled. "Don't say that."

He shrugged. "Whatever you say, Bramblestar." His voice was mocking. "You and I would be good co-leaders."

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen," I growled. "Listen, this isn't the time for joking. We need to find our Clanmates."

He shrugged. "Meh, I could honestly bother less about them right now. I'm focused on saving my own behind."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What kind of leader are you!?" I demanded. "You're more concerned about yourself than your Clanmates!? What kind of leader are you?"

He laughed. "Calm yourself, Bramblestar. I was only kidding."

"Didn't I just say this was no time for jokes?"

He sighed. "So uptight."

"My Clanmates are in danger!"

"So are mine!"

"Then why are we standing here arguing?"

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"Agh!" I cried. "For StarClan's sake, let's both just stop arguing like kits and get on with it! Do you know where any of the Clan cats headed?"

"Nope," came the unsatisfying reply. "Things were too chaotic. I almost got hit by one of those fire-sticks. I was so alarmed that I forgot to keep track of my cats."

I was about to reprimand him for it when I realized that I was guilty of the same thing. Sighing, I replied, "Well, then things just got about twice as hard. We can't exactly head back out into the open, since the Twolegs will catch us. So, we'll have to resort to something else."

"The rooftops," he immediately suggested. "The Twolegs won't be able to reach us up there, and we'll have a good view of this entire place."

"Good thinking," I said, surprised that Rowanstar actually had a good idea for once.

"Don't act so surprised, Thunder-butt," the ShadowClan leader growled. "I'm not as dumb as I look."

"Sure thing, Rowanstar," I said, amused. "Whatever you say. Come on, let's go. We've got some cats to save."

So how was that chapter? I hope you guys are interested by the concept of the Bloodhunters. How do you think Rowanstar and Bramblestar are going to work out next chapter? Will it be a total disaster, or can they get along for once for the sake of the Clans? Let me know!

See you next time!