Well uh...hey everybody

Though this is a new account, this is not my first fanfiction published, you've seen me here before and you may eventually recognise me by my writing style if those of you I met two years ago are still around, though I don't yet want to say what my old account was.

Instead, I'll say hi :3 how are we all doing?

So first off some IMPORTANT THINGS FOR THIS FANFIC LIKE TRIGGER WARNINGS AND A SLIGHT OVERVIEW.

I have not read past Omen of the Stars (excluding Dawn of the Clans) in terms of canon books, so you'll have to act like canon ends there. I've tried to read the next series. I could not. I'm aware SkyClan are there or something, but I don't know the logistics. Therefore, SkyClan does not exist here in this book. Thank you for your understanding :)

Now, the TWs. I will give any specific trigger warnings at the start of every chapter, though an overview can be found here. Like any warrior cats book, this will contain themes of blood, violence, some gore, cat politics and character death. On top of this, it may also contain reoccurring themes of sexual harassment, which alongside any implications of heavier stuff (though I promise nothing at all graphic will be written) will be listed at the start of each chapter.

Now, with that out of the way, have a fun time! I look forwards to hearing your views and remeeting the people here, though I don't claim to be a part of this fandom anymore.

Now then...welcome to Metropolis!

(:

TW: Violence and some minor sexual harassment, though very brief

Skulking like rats, a group of wiry, bristle-furred black cats slunk around the corner.

Mould squelched beneath their paw pads as they proceeded on into the darkness and shadows, yellow eyes glittering in reflections of passing streetlights. This group were kin; siblings bound by blood and bone to hunt and fight together 'til they took their final breaths and their blood spilled along the concrete pavements that followed their every step.

Something moved ahead of them, and the leader and eldest of the group, a slender she-cat called Misfortune, raised her tail to signal for the rest of the group to stop in their tracks. No one dared disobey their head. Raising her maw to the sky, she cast about for a scent, and when only rat dung and twoleg garbage touched her pallet, she dropped the signal and they moved forwards again. No creature smaller than them would dare bother them.

Like a river of jet-black fur, they leapt up onto a rough brick wall in cannon and peered over the edge, their forms cresting the top like an omen of disaster. Beyond this point was another street, this one cleaner, where cars still thundered past on the hard black road that no cat dared wait on for too long despite the time of night and moon in the sky. Misfortune watched and waited again, before giving the signal and all siblings sprinted across the road in one without hesitation. Their timing was perfect, practised and precise, and no car came close to touching them as they reached the path on the other side.

Past the thick scent of and raucous din that came from the cars, there was now the smell and sound of other cats clear and apparent. Misfortune turned back and nodded, and all siblings nodded back before they cautiously proceeded around a corner.

In that back alley, dirty and dank as it might have been, a varied and erratic group of cats were laughing and grappling one another, others jeering and cheering from the sidelines. It was a loud and boisterous environment, and it turned Misfortune's lip to see the careless, haughty shows of strength they engaged in. Her yellow eyes turned to where large and muscular though thick-furred cat lounged on top of a dumpster. He was a pale beige colour and covered in leopard-like spots with half-lidded green eyes. His tail, tipped in black, flicked lazily from side to side as he watched the cats beneath him brawled. His name was known throughout the city, echoed in fear or disgust: Sloth.

Narrowing her eyes, Misfortune stepped out into clear view and her kin followed. Heads turned gradually, and the noise and fighting stopped as all slowly focused on the black cats in front of them.

"Well, well, well," Sloth said slowly, not moving from his position, "What do we have here? A walking mass of bad luck, I see."

Misfortune kept her head raised and her posture straight, disrespectfully but not aggressively, "Have you forgotten us already, Sloth?"

He chuckled to himself and rose into a sit, "Calm yourself, Misfortune, can a tom not have a little joke around?"

"These are very serious times to have 'a little joke around'." she replied, her voice a low disguised hiss, "We have business to attend to."

Sloth rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, "Ah, business, such a boring chore, can't ya' see you're upheaving my fun here?"

Misfortune took a step forwards and one of Sloth's eyebrows raised.

"Ah, ah," he said, rising to his paws at last, "getting impatient are we? Let's not forget who's territory you're in now, Misfortune."

He leapt down onto the floor, his pelt rippling, and the goons he kept around began to back away, clearing a straight path between them. Misfortune stood her ground, her siblings dutifully guarding her back and sides. Sloth walked half the distance to them, then waited. After a moment's pause, the kin moved to meet him there.

"Now then, what is it I can do for ya'?" Sloth said, sitting back down and inviting her to do the same. Misfortune did not.

Instead, she motioned for one of her younger brothers, a smaller tom named Under, to move forwards from his position, which he obeyed before dropping a small object that he'd been carrying in his mouth on the ground in front of Sloth, who stared at it with a cool expression. It was a kittypet's collar, pale red and ripped in two in what looked to be a struggle. Yellow eyes met green in a glare as she began to speak her case.

"We found this just outside a house in our territory," Misfortune spoke, her voice hard, "it belongs to a kittypet named Cinnamon, if I am remembering correctly."

"And?" Sloth looked up at her, that lazy smirk on his face, "What's this got to do with me?"

"Well, it's got your scent all over it," she replied, "And I'm sure you remember that our duty in our territory, our personal goal, is to protect all kittypets in the area. Something which, if I'm judging this correctly, you seem to have violated."

Sloth held her gaze for a moment, then chuckled and beckoned with his paw, "Come now, Copper, bring 'em in."

The black cats turned as a wiry russet-coloured tom emerged from the crowd, closely followed by a small ginger tabby tom with green eyes, who nearly all but began sobbing with relief when he saw the group watching.

"Oh- you- you came!" he cried in relief, causing the other cats around to begin laughing in mockery at the pitiful expression of joy.

"We always will, Cinnamon, it's our duty," Misfortune replied, not betraying any emotion.

"Yes, yes, ya' took the bait, we knew yer'd come," Sloth interrupted.

Subtly, the group bristled. What bait had they taken? What plot awaited them here?

"What do you want, Sloth?" Misfortune asked, hiding the lash in her tail.

"A simple trade," he replied, getting to his feet and approaching again, closer to her this time. He was taller than her, but still she stared defiantly up.

"Of what kind?"

"Well, this pathetic little specimen here," he suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to his body, catching her off guard, "for you, my dear."

Immediately, her siblings formed a more aggressive stance, arching their backs and pupils dilating. They needed no order from their leader to defend her. They did not attack yet, though, as Sloth's band of brawlers began to rise to their own attacking positions, hissing and spitting and lashing their tails -far less refined than Misfortune's siblings.

Misfortune, however, forced herself to remain calm. She would not achieve anything by struggling now. She continued to glare up at Sloth.

"Just think about it, darlin'," he continued, "a reign here as my queen, with the whole city for us to conquer. More cats to command than yer' little band of brothers n' sisters, more power than ya' could ever achieve on yer' own. And of course, me by your side, protecting you from any mishaps, and someday a legacy of powerful kits to take our place when we're dead. Doesn't that sound good, dearie?"

Misfortune put on a charming smile, though her insides were churning in disgust, "Ah, Sloth, darling…"

Sloth's face dropped in sheer shock and pain as one of her back paws made hard contact between his legs and she slipped gracefully out of his grasp as he hunched in on himself, gasping.

"I don't need you for power," she began to list, hissing, "I can protect myself just fine without you and they're not just my brothers and sisters because Parasol uses they/them pronouns."

He opened his mouth to complain when she held up another paw and shushed him.

"Besides," she grinned, "I'm not attracted to toms."

Sloth roared and his cats began to surge forwards, claws out and teeth bared. Misfortune vanished amongst them as her siblings began to fight back, a swirling mass of grace and precision among the brute force of these swines, and made her way to where Cinnamon was cowering at the back.

"Come on," she whispered urgently, "let's get you home."

He nodded, eyes wide, and followed close as she sprinted back through the crowd to where her siblings were holding their own fine, though outnumbered. They would still not win this fight, however, and all were made aware as she met them all in turn to deliver a silent signal to retreat. Then, as one, the black cats began to race away into the night, Cinnamon in tow.

Cats thundered out to chase them, screaming and howling insults and threats, but the black cats were faster than them and their headstart had contained the element of surprise. Misfortune moved to the front again, checking her kin were all relatively unharmed, before she led them home, the encounter playing on her mind.

Whatever Sloth wanted and whatever his goals were, there was no way she would let him win.

Well...how was that?

I really hope you enjoyed this prologue chapter and are interested to see more. I cannot promise a consistent uploading schdule sadly, though I do hope to actually finish this one.

Now stay safe and feel free to tell me what you think! I'll hopefully see you again soon

-HJ :3