After being fed, Trail and Pepper sat at the see-through wall that looked out onto the yard behind the nest. They began to discuss the new Twoleg object that had appeared overnight, sitting by the fence.

It looked like a cube with lots of parts that stuck out, made of the same shiny Twoleg material as everything else. On the top were whirling parts that, even though they spun around and were positioned differently, reminded the brown tom of teeth. Sometimes, Twoleg stuff and pieces of wood were thrown into it. It looked like the whirling teeth would eat whatever was thrown in, while making loud roaring sounds that frightened the loner and kittypet.
"It must be a monster," Trail insisted.

"But it doesn't look like one!" Pepper countered. "Where are its big black paws? Its glowing yellow eyes?"

"Maybe it's a really strange type of monster, from somewhere far away," the loner suggested. "A Shredder."

Pepper nodded. "That's a good name for it."

The Twolegs in the bright orange pelts had begun to dig into the ground around the fence.

"Why could they be doing that?" the six-clawed kittypet wondered.

"They could be trying to dig it out of the ground," Trail theorized.

"That's a shame," sighed Pepper. "I liked that fence."

"Me too," agreed Trail quietly. "I'll miss it."

Just then, the flap in the wall that led outside was thrown open. Pinestripe raced in.

"You have to go!" the black-and-white she-cat yowled. "Scythe is-"

The flap opened again, and the white rogue sauntered into the Twoleg nest like he owned it.

Every hair on Trail's pelt lifted.

Scythe.

The assassin opened his yellow eyes wide and addressed Trail. "You've been my hardest prey yet," he congratulated. "I've enjoyed the challenge."

Pinestripe backed towards Trail and Pepper, who had left to the ground. The three of them stood together, facing their one enemy who outmatched them.

"Hmm," Scythe tilted his head. "A loner, a Clan cat, and a kittypet. You're just missing a rogue. May I join?"

"Run, now!" Pinestripe leaped through the air, claws outstretched. Scythe easily sidestepped, but it bought them a few seconds. Forcing himself to move, Trail bolted toward the wall flap. Pepper, shaken out of his terror, followed the loner.

Trail hurried out of the flap as quickly as he could, the kittypet behind him. Pinestripe was still inside the nest, but running towards them, Scythe limping quickly towards her.

When the medicine cat had made it outside, they ran into the yard. Trail heard the flap behind them as the malicious rogue followed.

The orange-pelted Twolegs were still running around with their monsters and objects, so Trail, Pepper, and Pinestripe had to swerve to dodge them. The thumping of blood in Trail's ears was louder than the combined yelling of the Twolegs.

"The fence!" he yowled. The three of them jumped and clambered onto the fence. When Trail had leapt onto it, he realized it was shaking below him. The fence was loose! However, he managed to stabilize himself and keep the fence from falling over.

When Pepper heaved himself on top, though, his heavier kittypet bulk nearly unbalanced the whole fence. Trail and Pinestripe desperately adjusted their balance, trying to keep it upright.

Once that had been done, they ran along the fence, aiming for a place at the end where they could leap away into the Twolegplace.

As he ran, he felt the fence begin to shake again. Turning, he saw that instead of leaping on and following them, Scythe had remained on the ground, and was using his paws to make the entire thing wobble.

Looking down as their platform swayed, Trail saw the Shredder was almost directly below them. If they fell, he knew the whirling, shiny teeth would tear them apart.

"Faster!" Pinestripe told them. They kept moving, but had to do it even slower, because of how much Scythe was rocking them.

On a particularly strong shake, Pepper, who was behind Trail, slipped and fell. The loner turned around when he heard the kittypet's cry, his mouth opening in terror. Trail lunged forward and caught Pepper's scruff in his mouth as the silver cat dangled directly above the Shredder.

"Pepper!" Pinestripe cried.

Trail tried to pull Pepper back onto the fence. His neck strained from the six-clawed kittypet's weight. His claws ached as he dug them into the fence for support. Every muscle was burning with effort. Pinestripe hooked her claws into Pepper's fur and pulled, but they still couldn't lift him up.

"I'm too heavy," sighed Pepper, sounding quite calm. "Stupid kittypet fat."

"We're going to save you!" Trail screamed from around the mouthful of fur.

Pepper shook his head. "You can't."

"NO!" But even as he spoke, he knew neither he nor Pinestripe had the strength. He tried to think.

"I'm going to throw you to the side!" he tried to yell. "Try to land in the grass."

"It won't work," Pepper informed sadly.

"IT WILL!" Trail began to rock Pepper from side to side, ready to toss him.

Scythe was still shaking them, more than ever. Trail could hardly hold on to the fence, or Pepper.

"Goodbye, Trail," Pepper said. "I hope you get what you want in life."
Trail tried to throw Pepper, but at the same moment, the fence shook. The kittypet fell, directly into the Shredder, which swallowed him.

Trail froze, the world disappearing around him. Pepper had vanished into that thing. The kittypet that had become his friend.

No more. Pepper was dead.

Scythe pushed the fence once more, and the entire thing fell to the ground. Dust, Twoleg screaming, and wood shards surrounded Trail, who was numb to it all.

Scythe had run off in the chaos.

Pinestripe was pushing his shoulder, telling him they had to run. So he turned and ran.